Cassandra Fernando (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support this motion because free TAFE is fundamentally about fairness, opportunity and the future prosperity of this country. At its core, this policy represents a powerful idea. No Australian should be locked out of education and skills training simply because they cannot afford the upfront cost. No-one should be forced to put their ambitions on hold because the qualification they need is out of reach. Let us be clear: no government serious about boosting productivity, economic growth and social mobility can ignore the paramount importance of skills and training. This is exactly why the Albanese Labor government proudly backs free TAFE. We know that investing in public education means investing in our people. It's an investment in the essential workers our communities need, laying the foundation for the stronger economy our country depends on.

Right now, free TAFE is delivering for our national priorities. It is training the tradies who will build the homes we need urgently. It is training the dedicated care workers who will support our older Australians and people with disability. It is opening doors for early childhood educators, hospitality professionals and the highly skilled workforce essential to building a future made in Australia. The Australian people have enthusiastically embraced this initiative. Free TAFE has now supported more than 740,000 enrolments nationally. This staggering number is not just demand; it is a testament to what happens when a government removes financial barriers and backs its citizens.

Driven by this success, Labor has made free TAFE permanent. We are investing over $1.6 billion, through to 2034-35, to support at least 100,000 free TAFE and VET places every year from 2027. This matters because it gives certainty to students, certainty to training providers and certainty to industries in need of skilled workers. This is what good Labor policy looks like—practical, targeted and focused on opening doors.

At the end of January I joined the Minister for Skills and Training, Andrew Giles; Victoria's minister for skills and TAFE, Gayle Tierney; and the member for Melbourne, Sarah Witty; at Box Hill Institute. We were there to celebrate three years of the federal free-TAFE program, and it was deeply inspiring to hear directly from students about how free TAFE is helping them gain the skills and confidence to build a better future. I hear the same stories in my electorate of Holt every single week. Constituents tell me how free TAFE has transformed their lives. For some, it's a chance to retrain for a career in nursing. For others, it's an opportunity to finally start in construction or community services, without carrying the unmanageable financial burden. As a proud TAFE graduate myself, I know firsthand that TAFE changes lives. I know the value of that educational path and the profound confidence it gives. To so many Australians, TAFE is not just a qualification; it is a second chance, a fresh start and a reliable pathway to economic security, which is why this reform matters so profoundly. When we invest in skills, we are not just helping people into jobs; we are building the workforce this country needs.

Despite all of these undeniable economic and social benefits, the Liberals and Nationals still voted against making free TAFE permanent. They recklessly dismissed it as wasteful spending. After years of the coalition neglecting the sector, Labor is reversing the damage. We are rebuilding TAFE, backing public education and ensuring that opportunity is not reserved for those who can afford it but is available to anyone willing to work for it. This government believes in the power of education to uplift communities and drive progress. By supporting our students, we empower our entire nation. Labor will always back TAFE, back workers and back Australians. (Time expired)

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