Jo Briskey (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I want to acknowledge the member for Holt for bringing forward this motion for debate. I'm proud to speak on a topic that not only is close to my heart but is absolutely foundational to the communities I represent in Maribyrnong: the future of our national skills and training system. When I'm out in my community chatting with locals, the conversations are almost always about two things: the cost of living and the pressure that people are under, and opportunity. People in Melbourne's north-west are aspirational. They want to know that their children can access a secure, well-paid and fulfilling career. They want to know that if they need to pivot mid-career the door to retraining is open. They want to know that the bridge between education and a better life is strong.

But for 10 long years, under the previous coalition government, that bridge was allowed to crumble. We didn't accidentally inherit a skills shortage in 2022; we inherited a decade of deliberate ideological neglect. We saw TAFE campuses stripped of their funding, instructors pushed to their breaking point and a vocational system that was treated like a second-class option. Those opposite sat idly by while the National Skills Agreement lapsed and our workforce planning fell into disarray. They viewed TAFE as a line item in a budget to be cut rather than an engine to be fuelled.

This government has stopped the rot and started to rebuild. We recognise a fundamental truth that those opposite have never been able to grasp: You cannot solve a housing crisis without the carpenters, plumbers and electricians to build the homes. You cannot ease pressure on our healthcare system without a steady pipeline of nurses and carers. You cannot navigate a global energy transition without the workforce that's capable of rewiring the nation. And you cannot build Australia's future with a weakened VET sector.

That is why we are backing our future tradies with real, direct support. Through our Key Apprenticeship Program we are providing $10,000 incentive payments for apprentices in the construction and clean energy sectors. This is a $2,000 boost every year of their training and a final payment upon completion. It is designed to help our young people stay in their trade, to manage cost of living and to get the tools they need to build the 1.2 million homes Australia needs.

This work goes hand in hand with our landmark five-year National Skills Agreement. This is a historic reset. For the first time we have a unified national plan, a shared stewardship model that ensures that the Commonwealth and the states are finally moving in the same direction. The results of this serious, methodical approach are already visible. Under our watch, workers in occupations where there was once short supply have steadily increased. This is what happens when you treat TAFE as an essential cog in our economy. By legislating free TAFE as a permanent fixture of our education landscape, we have removed the financial barriers that once locked capable Australians out of the workforce. We have delivered close to 600,000 places, ensuring that 'fee free' isn't just a slogan, but a permanent statutory right for Australians.

In my electorate of Maribyrnong, the Kangan Institute in Essendon stands as a shining example of this transformation. I have visited the Essendon Health Hub many times, and the energy there is infectious. The campus is a vital pipeline for our healthcare sector, training the nurses and health service assistants who will look after us and our families.

But our success requires more than just a classroom. It requires a sense of security. For too long, students in high-pressure fields like nursing and social work have faced the crushing reality of placement poverty. They're expected to work hundreds of hours in mandatory clinical placements while somehow still paying the rent and putting food on the table. That is why our Commonwealth prac payment is a landmark reform. As of this year, 2026, we are providing $338.60 per week to eligible students while they are on prac. This isn't just a payment; it's a statement of respect. It ensures that a nursing student at Kangan isn't forced to choose between completing their degree or being able to afford their groceries.

The contrast in this place is stark. Those opposite spent a decade taking a sledgehammer to TAFE; we have restored it as a vital part of our economy and education system. We are training the tradies who will build our future suburbs and towns. We have moved past the years of neglect; we are now in an era of delivering. I commend the motion to the House.

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