David Gillespie (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

The attacks during this MPI on the government's education policy are quite hard to digest. The reality is the exact opposite of what has been espoused. The facts from the budget are that this government is spending $5.7 billion more on education over the forward estimates as a result of all the announcements in the budget. So how on earth can we be accused of cutting funds on education? The answer is: those opposite are just playing politics. Over the next four years, we will see recurrent funding for government and non-government schools increase by $4.6 billion to a record $64½ billion. If you recall, in the week before the 2013 election the then government, our current opposition, conveniently forgot about $1.2 billion for Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. We had to put that back in. In the budget there is $15.6 billion for universities this year which will continue to increase every year, including $11 billion over four years for university research.

In the trades and skills space, things have changed. People on the other side seem to have a problem with change. We are replacing an ineffective scheme with what should be a much better value scheme for apprentices—that is, the trade support loans, with $1.9 billion over four years. That will support their wage. They can use it in the way that they see fit and most productive. If they complete their apprenticeship, they get a 20 per cent discount on the money that they owe. So already they are almost getting the equivalent of the previous tools for tradies grant scheme. In question time, the minister for trade mentioned his department was getting advice that it was not being used widely, so that is why we have got this in place. It will support people. It will increase their ability to complete their apprenticeship. Overall there is a 50 per cent noncompletion rate in apprenticeships. In the first two years, 30 per cent drop out. Trade support loans should address the ability for apprentices to support themselves as well as getting their tools of trade.

There is a billion dollars for the Adult Migrant English Program. There is $250 million for industry workforce training and many other initiatives. But you have to look at the likelihood of getting an apprenticeship and I have spoken to a lot of the small businesses in my area in Lyne over the last eight or nine months. The changes that came through Fair Work last year, which were hailed as a boost for apprentices, saw an increase of about $100 a week for apprentices. It sounds good. I can understand why an existing apprentice would have thought his Christmases had all come at once. I would be happy, too. But it meant that these businesses subsequently said there was no way they could afford to put on any more apprentices. There are consequences for every action. This trade support loan will allow apprentices to support themselves over their apprenticeship in a way that they have not been able to do until now.

Let us quickly talk about higher education. I mentioned change. Things are changing in higher education. It is changing the way higher education is funded. Most people do not realise that the Commonwealth government already supports on average 60 per cent of the cost of a university degree. But only 30 per cent of the population go to university, and they end up with a higher income as a result. We are trying to increase the number of people that go to university by supporting, with Commonwealth supported funds, other educational institutions with diplomas, associate diplomas and associate degrees. Hopefully another 80,000 more people can get to university. It will mean that there is greater competition between the universities so that the product is better and more sustainable. The Commonwealth supported scholarships will come as a result of the extra funding. One in five dollars of the extra funds raised by universities has to go to Commonwealth supported places. (Time expired)

See this speech in context