Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Skills and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Wills for his very strong and long advocacy for the VET sector in his electorate and beyond across this nation. The government inherited the worst skills shortage in this nation in 50 years. Whatever occupation, whatever profession, whatever trade, we have a significant challenge to supply the skills to our labour markets around our economy. It's why we convened the Jobs and Skills Summit. It's why we have made TAFE courses in skills-shortage areas fee free. That has enabled us to supply skills to areas of the economy—the care sector, the energy sector, the IT sector, traditional trades and many, many other parts of our economy.

I'm happy to inform the House that we've well and truly smashed our original target of 180,000 fee-free TAFE places for 2023, enabling 350,000 Australians to enrol in courses that will improve their employment prospects in this country. And there are an additional 300,000 places available for Australians to enrol this year.

As well as removing cost barriers to much-needed education and training, the Albanese government, with the passing of legislation last night, have ensured that all 13.6 million taxpayers will receive a tax cut from 1 July and a staggering 84 per cent will receive a bigger tax cut than they would have under the Liberal plan. By way of example, to appreciate policies working in tandem, a student training to be a nurse in Victoria will not have to find $15,000 to enrol in that course, so they can enrol in a course that is very much in demand in our labour market. It will ensure that that person qualified will, in the event of becoming a nurse on, for example, $75,000 per annum, receive double what they would have received under the Liberals' plan. The combination of these policies is providing opportunities for people to acquire skills and knowledge in areas of demand in our labour market and making sure that we provide opportunities for people where not only do they earn more but they keep more of what they earn.

With real wages growing—I want to pay tribute to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations for the work that he's done in this area in particular—and with tax cuts now enshrined in law, we are seeing working families in Dunkley and across the country earn more and keep more of what they earn. By way of contrast, if it were left to those opposite, there wouldn't be fee-free TAFE, there wouldn't be cheaper medicines, there wouldn't be cheaper child care and there wouldn't be tax cuts— (Time expired)