Kate Ellis (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

Unfortunately, in this budget what we see continued is the Liberal government's appalling treatment of our TAFE and vocational education sectors. We know that since they have been elected the Liberals have cut more than $2.8 billion from TAFE, from skills and from apprenticeships. This is yet another example of an opportunity to try to right some of these wrongs which has not been utilised. What we know is that Australia now has 130,000 fewer apprentices and trainees than it did when this government was elected. We know that TAFE and vocational education funding and the number of students who are being supported are lower now than they were a decade ago, and this is despite an increasing number of jobs in Australia requiring vocational skills. It is clear that this government is not up to the job of ensuring that Australia has the skills that we need for the jobs of the future.

We on this side know that, in too many towns and regional centres, TAFE campuses have closed, courses have been scaled back and fees have increased. We see this particular problem with TAFE, and we have seen this government absolutely neglect TAFE, let the reputation of TAFE be deeply damaged and not protect what should be at the centre of our vocational education. Those over there have a problem with TAFE, and it was once again clear in the budget.

Recently we have seen that programs such as the migrant English program and the Skills for Education and Employment program have now also been ripped off our TAFE providers in regional New South Wales, in Tasmania, in Melbourne and in Adelaide, where we see the further privatisation of these programs. Other areas where these programs have been delivered include the capital region, Canberra; the Illawarra and the South Coast; north-east Melbourne, south-east Melbourne and the peninsula; Somerset; Adelaide north; and Perth north. In some areas there are double and triple subcontracts, not approved by the department, which will see foreign-owned for-profit companies taking the place of trusted TAFE providers in delivering these important government programs. This is yet another way that we are now seeing the Turnbull government continue to privatise TAFE, when we know that we should be going in the other direction.

When it comes to ongoing funding for VET, the Liberal government do not have a plan. They just wish that TAFE and VET would go away. We do not know the details of what the government really have planned for the replacement of the national partnership, but we do know two things. One is that they will only train Australians, and possibly they will only fund TAFE, on the condition that more foreign workers are imported. That is what the government's budget says. They will only provide funding for the national partnership if we continue to import more skills. That is crazy policy. It does not make any sense.

No. 2 is that they will not do what Labor is doing and guarantee that two-thirds of public funding, state and federal, will go to TAFE. We know it needs to be the backbone of the system. We made it really clear in the budget reply. The Leader of the Opposition outlined what we are prepared to do—

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