Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I direct my question to Minister Evans. Given that thousands of students, parents—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just before you ask the question, in respect of which portfolio?

Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I apologise: higher education.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

All right. Continue from the start, Senator Rhiannon.

Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Given that thousands of students, parents, teachers, staff and friends of TAFE are rallying today in Victoria to support TAFE in the face of the Baillieu government's devastating $300 million cuts, do you acknowledge that it has been a key policy failure of the federal government to place conditions on the $1.4 billion you inject into the vocational education and training system each year? And what are your plans to stop state governments from making further funding cuts to the TAFE system, which is leading to campus closures, job losses, courses cut and increased student fees?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Absolutely not. If the senator is saying, as she seems to be suggesting, that the federal government should not have invested $1.4 billion—in fact, $15 billion over the next five years—in TAFE and the vocational education and training system, then I do not agree with her. The federal government continues to make a record investment in TAFE in this country and will continue to do so.

We think the provision of skilling opportunities and of trade training opportunities for both young and other Australians is vital to the future of the country. We need a more highly skilled workforce. We need to provide more training opportunities and quality opportunities. That is what we are about. And investing in the states who run the TAFE systems is a key component of making sure we have those opportunities for young people but also that we have skilled workers to support industry. The federal government remains committed to that. We have in our agreements with the states ensured that they seek to continue to support their TAFE sectors and to make sure they support them in a more competitive environment. That was one of the provisions we put into those agreements.

What we have seen in Victoria is a scandal. They have taken $300 million out of the TAFE training system, which is seeing campuses close, students denied opportunity, students with disabilities denied access to training and many jobs lost. What we know is that the training effort in Victoria will fall as a result of these efforts. So it is important that people campaign to force the Baillieu government to turn back its cutbacks and ensure that TAFE in Victoria is funded adequately.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Evans, I need to interrupt you because the people debating this across the chamber are disorderly. You are entitled to be heard in silence and Senator Rhiannon is entitled to hear your answer.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have finished it, actually.

Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Minister, as private VET courses in Victoria have overtaken TAFE courses for the first time and there has been a 310 per cent growth in enrolments in private registered training organisations, is this due to a failure of federal VET policy to limit the growth in enrolments in private VET providers and registered training organisations? What do you plan to do to reverse this trend?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The senator's question again seems to imply that what the Baillieu government has done is all the federal government's fault. Quite frankly, Senator, you have just got it all wrong. The $300 million the Victorians ripped out of the TAFE system was not done with my imprimatur, permission or any support at all. The reason we are seeing the problems in Victoria is that they took $300 million out of the budget. It is not some broader conspiracy; it is actually a straight cut to support to TAFEs. That is what is at the heart of the problems in Victoria.

There is growth in the private sector. Perhaps unlike you, I do not actually oppose some competition in vocational education and training in Victoria, and I do not expect the TAFEs to be totally protected from that competition, but they are at the heart of training in Victoria. They need to grow and they need to be supported, and under the Baillieu government that is not being done.

Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Minister, as you said, while you did not have your hand on the knife that has forced these cuts, hasn't the policy at a federal level opened up the possibility for the Baillieu government to rip this money out of the heart of TAFE?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The answer is still no, Senator. Think about it. The budget of the Victorian government is determined by the cabinet of the Victorian government. They can choose to fund TAFE at whatever level they like. That is not something I can influence; it is not something I can determine for them. Their cabinet met and, in a budget where they had to find savings, they deliberately targeted TAFE. They thought it was politically more opportune to take $300 million out of their TAFE, a massive slice, than to target other areas. I think they are learning that that was not so smart—that people value TAFE, they value vocational education opportunities, they have seen the terrible damage it is doing in rural and regional Victoria, and they know that the Nationals have been silent on this matter. We hear nothing about them. They bang on all the time about more support for rural and regional Australia. Where are they while the TAFEs in that state have been absolutely sold off and destroyed? The Baillieu government has to answer for the— (Time expired)