Russell Broadbent (McMillan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I think the debate has gone right off the rails and is being used for base political purposes. It does not enhance the ambience of this place and certainly does not enhance the reputation of the member for Chifley—although I would never doubt the passion of the member for Cunningham for what she puts forward. So I just want to bring a bit of truth into the debate; that is all.

I just want to tell this parliament and the people that are listening to this debate the truth about what is happening, particularly in Victoria in regard to TAFE, because it has been raised by ministers and it was raised by the Prime Minister. If I am allowed to say so, the Victorian government, rather than cutting TAFE, have capped the expenditure on TAFE. They had to do it because the Labor government under Brumby and Bracks left them in the most disgraceful fiscal position since Joan Kirner left the last Labor government in exactly the same position. The Victorian government are actually spending an extra $250 million per year over the next four years on training. They are investing that in TAFE and other training facilities that will, in this case, have courses that do something amazing: they lead to jobs! They have changed the policy so that the courses that they are funding lead people into jobs.

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