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

Thanks, Senator Urquhart. You've really got to hand it to Mr Dutton's coalition, because it is them who called free TAFE 'wasteful spending' and it is them who say that Australians don't value something if they don't pay for it. No Labor government will ever call TAFE a waste, and I'm proud the Albanese Labor government is locking in free TAFE, making it permanent nationwide, and so are the working-class Australians who are taking up those free TAFE places to get ahead in life.

But the Liberals and Nationals say that you don't value something if you don't pay for it, that you should pay more to go to TAFE. What else do the Liberals say that Australians don't value, because they don't pay for it? What else will Mr Dutton make Australians pay for, just so they can value it? Will Australians pay more to see a GP under Mr Dutton, just like he tried to do last time he was the health minister? Will Australians pay more to access the free NDIS, just so they can value it? Australians are beginning to realise exactly how arrogant and reckless Mr Dutton is, and we'll make sure they remember it.