Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

Thanks very much, Senator Urquhart. While we will very much miss you in this chamber, we know you will do an outstanding job as the future member for Braddon. I also take the opportunity to acknowledge the Far North Queensland delegation who are here. It's great to have some more Queenslanders in this chamber as well.

We know that Australians are under the pump at the moment, and that's why we are delivering cost-of-living relief and helping more Australians get a job. That's exactly why Labor is making it free for more Australians to study at TAFE—so they can access high-quality, affordable training. Free TAFE is delivering the training that Australians want and the skills they need to get ahead for free.

Yesterday I attended a ceremony here celebrating the Australian Skillaroos, the best apprentices and trainees from around Australia, who competed on the world stage at the WorldSkills event in France earlier this year. But, shortly after yesterday's event, the deputy Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, snuck away to the coalition caucus room, where they chose to turn their backs on these TAFE students, announcing the coalition will oppose Labor's Free TAFE Bill. Peter Dutton's deputy Liberal leader went further when she spoke in the House yesterday, where—wait for this—she said, 'It's a key principle of the Liberal Party: if you don't pay for something, you don't value it.' How unbelievably arrogant of the Liberal Party to say those sorts of things. She went on to say:

So, if you're told that your TAFE is free … all you have to do is turn up … if that's all it is but you haven't paid for it, you don't see it as something that makes a difference to you in your life; you don't see it as something valuable.

I have never heard such arrogant, vile sneering from someone, looking down their nose at those working-class Australians who are trying to get ahead. If the Liberals believe that apprentices and trainees don't deserve free TAFE, well Labor does. (Time expired)