Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Pratt, you might think, like I do, that it's common sense, but apparently it's news to those opposite that, if you don't collaborate and coordinate with the states and territories, who are responsible for huge amounts of investment in their own TAFE sectors, then it's impossible to get the best outcomes for Australians, businesses and the economy. That's what we experienced under the previous Liberal-National government. For the first time in 10 years, every state and territory has been supported by the Commonwealth in a genuine and collaborative way.

Madam President, it does seem that there are a few opposition members who need to take up our fee-free TAFE places. In fact, maybe we need to offer a course on how to become a shadow minister, because we know it's been nearly six months since Stuart Robert left the parliament and he hasn't been replaced. Instead of having a reshuffle, Peter Dutton just shuffles people along the deckchairs on the other side. Maybe they should have a fee-free TAFE course on how to be a backbencher, after the member for Monash resigned from the Liberal Party and went to the crossbench today.