Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Hansard source

Labor proudly claim they are the party of TAFE. That's true, but, as a proud parent, shouldn't you be doing more? In the 2022-23 budget, the minister announced free TAFE places and a partnered agreement with states to deliver a $1 billion funding boost. A month ago, when I asked about Tasmania's TAFEs using Cold-War-era equipment to teach apprentices, the Minister representing the Minister for Defence said, 'We have revitalised the TAFE industry in this country'. Really? Seriously?

Since the government was elected, it has thrown Tasmania a couple of shabby bones: a million dollars for the Sorell trade training centre and a million dollars to fix the spray painting booth at Devonport TAFE—finally. The government say they're working on a plan to revitalise the VET sector, but I hope they realise it's going to take a lot more than that. A million here and a million there is a bandaid fix that's never going to fix anything. We've learnt nothing from that up here. No more bandaids on our TAFE.

This government was elected a year ago, yet apprentices in Tasmania are still learning writing on equipment that isn't even up to code. What about some real funding to bring these TAFEs into the 21st century? Don't tell me it is the state's responsibility. Western Australia, with their $6.8 billion budget surplus, can fund that, but what about states like Tasmania? We don't have those resources underneath Tasmania in our soil. Fixing our TAFEs is going to take serious dollars. Every year, we have fewer and fewer apprentices entering our workforce. How will this government achieve its housing policy of delivering much-needed houses for Australia without apprentices? I want to know how much money has been allocated to the TAFE system for infrastructure in Tasmania and Australia for revitalisation. It is urgent. It needs to be said and done today.