Susan Lamb (Longman, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We're reaching the end of the year now, we're in December, and that means at least two things are certain: it's sweltering hot in Brisbane and, of course, Queensland high school students are finishing up for the year. Year 12 students are finished up for good. Some may be heading into the workforce, others heading off to university or TAFE. Whatever their pathway, for most this is new and very uncharted territory. Whatever their path, what they do know is that, under this government, life is going to be a lot more difficult.

I know for a fact that there are plenty of young adults in my community seeking to further their education at the local University of the Sunshine Coast, Caboolture campus. This government hasn't made life any easier for them though, having pushed through $2.2 billion worth of cuts to universities. While previous Labor governments fought to open the door for hundreds of thousands of students, nearly doubling university funding, the Liberals have slammed that door shut. It's estimated that around 10,000 people could miss out on a university place this year because of these cuts.

Young people seeking to pursue TAFE or another form of skills based education haven't got it any easier either under this government. Since they were elected, the Liberals have cut more than $3 billion from TAFE, skills and apprenticeships. Prime Minister Morrison smiled through these cuts when he was Treasurer and, now that he's toppled the former PM for the top job, nothing much has changed. Australia has 140,000 fewer apprenticeships and traineeships than it did when this government was elected. For a country with a so-called skills shortage, this is absolutely disgraceful. We should be skilling up our local kids to take local jobs, not allowing employers to bring in a temporary overseas workforce when it just isn't necessary.

For those students who are keen to enter into the workforce, we know just how important penalty rates are for young people. They rely upon them, in some cases just to get by. It is so often the case that young people have to work late hours, weekends and public holidays, and they deserve to be compensated for that inconvenience. But, under this government, their hard-earned penalty rates have been slashed. This is simply not fair.

No matter what their pathway, under this government things are just getting worse for young Australians. To the young people of Australia who live in my community, who live in regional and rural areas and who live in big cities: Labor will stand up for you. We are reinvesting in universities and TAFE. We're even waiving the up-front fees of 100,000 TAFE places. We're reinstating your penalty rates. We're standing up for you so that you get a fair go. While this government is condescendingly acting like you shouldn't even have a voice, Labor will ensure that you have a platform.