Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

There is a simple question at the heart of this debate: who gets opportunity in Australia, and who gets left behind? The Albanese government believes free TAFE is all about opportunity—opportunity for people to get ahead and lead fulfilling lives. That is why I rise to support this motion, because this is about more than policy. It's about what kind of future we choose to build.

Last week the Minister for Skills and Training set out a clear idea in a speech at the McKell Institute that skills policy is about the future, equipping Australians with the skills to navigate change—embrace opportunity or be left behind. That is the choice before this House. On this side, we believe in building that future. We believe in expanding opportunity. We know that talent is everywhere in Australia, from our cities to regions like mine across the Bellarine, Surf Coast and Geelong. Those opposite take a different view. They oppose free TAFE, they vote against making it permanent, and they continue to undermine a policy that is changing lives for the better. As their former leader said, 'If you do not pay for something, you do not value it.' That statement reveals everything. It says that opportunity should depend on your capacity to pay.

The Albanese government rejects that, and so too do Australians. We believe that skills and training is a public good. We believe they connect aspiration to opportunity and success, and that is exactly what free TAFE is doing. More than 740,000 Australians have now enrolled—hundreds of thousands of people gaining skills in areas our country needs in construction, aged care, early childhood education, technology. In my home state of Victoria, we've seen nearly 150,000 enrolments. These are not just about numbers; they are about real people who will gain qualifications to set them up for rewarding work. They're people like Jack, an apprentice plumber from my region who is now working on some of the most transformative government projects that we've seen.

That is what free TAFE does. It opens doors, it creates pathways to meaningful work, it builds confidence and it strengthens our country. If we are serious about building more homes, we need tradies. If we're serious about delivering care, we need qualified workers. And if we're serious about a future made in Australia, we need skills, and skills require investment, and that is why the Albanese government has made free TAFE permanent. That is why we're investing over $1.6 billion into the future of the program, supporting at least 100,000 places every year. And it is why we are targeting those who need it most—young people, job seekers, women, First Nations Australians, people with disability.

This is about fairness. It is also about delivering economic prosperity. We know that VET graduates are more likely to find employment and will earn more after completing their qualifications. This is cost-of-living relief and this is real workforce policy. It stands in clear contrast to the approach taken by those opposite—a decade of cuts, a weakened TAFE system, fewer teachers and fewer opportunities. And now they call our investment in free TAFE wasteful. Tell that to Jack, whose life was forever changed for the better because of free TAFE, or to the parent retraining for a secure job.

This motion recognises something important. It is that free TAFE reflects a belief in the future, in fairness and in Australians. The real choice Australians have is simple: do we go backwards or do we build what comes next? Or, in the words of our skills minister, do we get drawn in by nostalgia or push forward to the future, writing our own story? The Albanese government and Australians choose to push forward, to invest in people, to expand opportunity, to build our prosperity.

I'd like to thank the member for Dunkley for bringing this motion forward and for her advocacy, supporting free TAFE and helping Victorians and all Australians to get ahead. I commend the motion to the House.

See this speech in context