Andrew Giles's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
Bolkus, Hon. Nick | Condolences | House debates
I rise to associate myself with some wonderful remarks commemorating the life of a great Australian, Nick Bolkus—those remarks made by the Prime Minister; the Leader of the Opposition; my...
I rise to associate myself with some wonderful remarks commemorating the life of a great Australian, Nick Bolkus—those remarks made by the Prime Minister; the Leader of the Opposition; my friend the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, very powerfully last night; and, of course the very moving tribute offered by the Minister for Health. I rise to make a few brief remarks associating myself and reflecting on the Hon. Nick Bolkus's legacy, and in doing so I remember that in December last year I had the opportunity to meet his daughter Aria in her capacity as South Australian Labor's candidate for Colton. I reflected then on some similarities that appeared to me and how wonderful it was to see a legacy continue in that family. It's tragic that only days afterwards Nick passed away. Beginning my remarks, I, of course, think mostly of his family—of his wife, Mary, who I had the privilege of working with in former capacities, and the daughters: Aria, who I mentioned earlier, and Mikayla, who gave a wonderful tribute that has been reflected on in this place already. For me, I find it difficult to overstate the significance of the influence the Hon. Nick Bolkus had on the Australian Labor Party, particularly its Left; on the state of South Australia; and indeed on the shape of our country. He leaves an indelible mark on the country that we live in today, and I want to touch on that through the lens of the role that he played as a minister, as a very significant part of the more than 25 years he spent serving diligently the people of South Australia in the other place—a time marked by an unusual adherence to a really clearly defined set of principles through which he approached his tasks in politics, but ensuring that those principles were always given a practical application, which I think is the very best of the movement that I'm proud to be a part of. Nick Bolkus's most significant impact was in portfolios that I had the privilege of holding for a period of time. Thinking about his impact, I want to touch on those three lenses of citizenship, multicultural affairs and immigration very briefly. In terms of citizenship, what Nick Bolkus did was to transform or, perhaps, realise Australian citizenship as that common bond that unites us all and to think about how we could celebrate the moment of acquiring citizenship as something that is as nation building as the construction of physical infrastructure, recognising that, in our country, our greatest strength is the unrivalled capacity of the Australian people. His elevating of citizenship takes me to the role that he played and his responsibilities in what was first called ethnic affairs and has since been reframed as multicultural affairs. What Nick Bolkus did was see our country as it is—or, indeed, as it was—see that recognised in our institutions and our cultural understanding and see ourselves through a clear-eyed lens, not looking back, not elevating nostalgia, but seeing us as we are. But he did more than that. He sought to imagine how we might be, how we could be a country in which everyone belongs, a country characterised by inclusion, belonging and respect. By putting down these markers, he made an extraordinary contribution to the country that I'm so proud to live in and to represent in this place today. His work carries on in this government through Minister Aly's great work, and, right across this nation, its imprint is felt. There are many Australians who have many reasons to be grateful for his contribution in that role. The Prime Minister and others have touched upon how he went about his work as minister for immigration, and it would be remiss of anyone not to reflect on the important series of actions he took in the aftermath of the horrors of Tiananmen Square. He combined, again, a sense of principled compassion and respect for human rights with a determination to see these principles put into practical effect, and I challenge anyone to think about how our country would be but for the decisions he made in 1989 and the years following. This is one example of how he carried out a very significant role and, I can say, a very challenging role—but also a rewarding role, as others have said. Perhaps the immigration portfolio is unique in that I believe it does contain within it an ex-ministers' club, all of whom reflect on the significance and the weight of individual decisions that we have made, difficult decisions that shape lives and shape communities. I think, in how Nick Bolkus went about that work, he set a standard that all have aspired to follow but few have emulated successfully. In touching on those three things, I don't wish to think that his life should be defined by them. However, they have all left a really significant impact on this place and on the lives of all Australians. As others have recognised, Nick Bolkus made an extraordinary contribution to my party, the Australian Labor Party, in South Australia and around the country. His surname was also remarkable when he entered the Senate. As my friend Steve Georganas—I should use that name in this context—knows, our parliament looks and sounds very different today because of the trail that Nick Bolkus blazed. Nick Bolkus made a huge impact on behalf of the people of South Australia. He transformed the South Australian Labor Party and opened up my party as a better party of government of the centre left through his role organisationally and through encouraging so generously a generation of talented politicians, many of whom have made contributions in this debate. As a minister he changed lives and, in many ways, changed our country. He deserves to be remembered in this place. But the last point I want to make—again, turning back to those who loved him the most: his family and his friends—is that, if we are to pay tribute to a life lived like Nick Bolkus's was, it's not so much the words we offer in tribute to him; it's how we conduct ourselves, those of us who sit in this place and the other place, and how well we follow his example in seeing our country as it is, imagining how it could be better and seeking to chart a path between those two things. Vale, Nick Bolkus.
Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Bill 2025, Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
Labor is the party of education and of training. We know the power of education and training, which transform lives and transform communities. As the Minister for Skills and Training, I'm very...
Labor is the party of education and of training. We know the power of education and training, which transform lives and transform communities. As the Minister for Skills and Training, I'm very proud of the work of this government, particularly that of the Minister for Education, to ensure that our tertiary education system—both university education and vocational education—is in the best shape for Australians now and well into the future. The Australian Tertiary Education Commission is a key piece of the puzzle in this regard. This was, of course, a recommendation from the Australian Universities Accord, a blueprint that tells us about the kind of work that we need to get on with doing to set up the system for the next 20 years and those structural reforms that we need to pursue: building stronger links between vocational education and universities, allocating funding under the new Managed Growth Funding System, implementing needs based funding within the core funding model and negotiating mission based compacts to support the sector. Fundamentally, what the accord tells us is that, in the coming years, there will be more jobs requiring more skills and requiring vocational qualifications, higher education qualifications or both. Australia needs to grow the number of Australians with a tertiary qualification to four in five. To achieve this, we need to set the system up to meet the modern needs of Australians. At the very core of this is breaking down those artificial barriers that have separated our university and vocational education systems. As I said at the National Press Club last year, these are 'a barrier to meeting the needs of our modern economy, and that contributes to skills mismatches and shortages in critical areas'. We can make it easier for Australians to get the right skills in whatever combination that might be, bring together the very best of both pathways that work for students and unlock the breadth of opportunities that will allow us to grow our country's productivity. This is where the ATEC can and will play an essential role. In developing a tertiary roadmap, the ATEC will plot the next steps for those who seek to move between university and vocational education—a system to support students to gain qualifications that are matched to the skills needs across our diverse communities. It will build on and support the work that we already see progressing in the sector, like that of the University of Canberra and the Canberra Institute of Technology, who have introduced guaranteed pathways from diploma to degree across courses like nursing, early childhood education and care, accounting and project management. Similarly, the partnership between TAFE NSW and Western Sydney University is removing barriers for TAFE students entering into university degrees through a single enrolment package and putting in place appropriate student supports to make this as seamless as possible. TAFE NSW Meadowbank campus has forged a partnership with Macquarie University, Microsoft and the University of Technology Sydney to establish the Institute of Applied Technology Digital, a place for students to upskill and expand knowledge in cyber, AI, software and data analytics through bite-sized microskill courses and practical microcredential courses. It's great to see TAFEs and universities jumping at these opportunities, and it's this kind of forward thinking our government hopes to support through the ATEC. On this note, I want to highlight an area of work in my portfolio responsibilities that I am proud of because it shows how we can break down these barriers in practice. This is through TAFE centres of excellence. There are 14 of these which have been announced so far, and there are more on the way, bringing together governments, TAFEs, universities, industry and other stakeholders to develop specialised courses and skills in areas of priority for our country: modern forms of housing construction, electric vehicles, cybersecurity, health care and support, and net zero manufacturing. We're already seeing the work of these centres of excellence in action and making a difference, like the TAFE centre of excellence for the future of housing construction, which last year welcomed its first group of students participating in a pilot program to learn how to apply modern methods of construction. The short course introduces students to prefabrication, modular construction and volumetric construction. Learning isn't here only for those on site who are benefiting from newly refurbished spaces. What sets the centres of excellence apart is how they are equipped to share their specialisations with students and teachers across the country, as the national TAFE network will also help us do—a network now including all Australian jurisdictions. Even if you're a student in Perth, you can readily benefit from the incredible courses and training and the knowledge that's been on offer in suburban Melbourne—and the other way around, too. It's a more joined-up and a more practically-oriented tertiary system in action, bringing together the extraordinary capacity of our TAFEs with a closer and more structured connection to higher education as well as industry. In Queensland, the TAFE Centre of Excellence Clean Energy Batteries and the Centre of Excellence Health Care and Support have launched the first round of applied research grants, bringing together TAFEs with universities, industry and community orgs to develop innovative new training in these critical fields. This is a big part of the future of tertiary education. The interim ATEC has been operating for just over seven months now, and, subject to the passage of the legislation we are debating right now, its early work will soon be scaled up as it approaches full operations. With that in mind, I pay tribute to the extraordinary efforts of the interim commission over this early foundational period. In the first six months of its time, the interim ATEC was led by Professor Mary O'Kane AC as interim chief commissioner and Distinguished Professor Larissa Behrendt AO as interim First Nations commissioner, supported by Professor Barney Glover AO as the jobs and skills commissioner. I'm very pleased that Professor Glover will be able to continue his contribution, having stepped into the interim chief commissioner role. As jobs and skills commissioner, Professor Glover brought his decades of experience and leadership to the work of Jobs and Skills Australia—a critically important body that's not only conducting research and bringing together data but also helping us all to understand how it informs the future need of our workforce and the skilling needs of Australians. As I've spoken about previously, JSA research has highlighted how a more connected tertiary education system can lift productivity and the skill level of our workforce, and that better connections also help improve access to tertiary education, ensuring we grow the pipeline of Australians stepping into a certificate, a diploma or a degree. This work crosses over with the work of the interim ATEC, and I look forward to continuing to work with Professor Glover in these areas. Alongside him are two new interim commissioners: the Hon. Fiona Nash, someone well known to this place and someone who is continuing to contribute to public life in the education sector, doing valuable work that is widely acknowledged as regional education commissioner; and, of course, Professor Tom Calma, who is the acting First Nations commissioner and someone who brings decades of experience in higher education, amongst other fields—a genuinely eminent Australian. The future success of this great country in large part rests on the success of our education and training system, and its ability to meet the needs of Australians and of Australia. This isn't and cannot be a set-and-forget proposition because we can't anticipate all the changes we will see in 10 or 20 years' time. But we can act now to enable the system to work better for students today and into the future, so that their learning journeys can reveal their full potential and that our national potential can be unleashed. For those reasons, I commend these bills to the House.
Tertiary Education and Training | Questions without Notice | House debates
Thank you to the member for Deakin for the question. Every day in this place we see what a wise decision the people of Deakin made last May. He came to this place having been a teacher and saw...
Thank you to the member for Deakin for the question. Every day in this place we see what a wise decision the people of Deakin made last May. He came to this place having been a teacher and saw first-hand the power of education changing people's lives. And he knows, as we all do on this side of the House, that Labor is the party of education and the party of training, and we're the party of TAFE too, which is why I'm so excited to be celebrating the third birthday of free TAFE. There's much to celebrate. There are 725,000 enrolments in courses, which is building that pipeline of workers Australia needs, whether it's nurses, construction workers, tech workers, early childhood educators and so many more. And, already, 210,000 courses have been completed, with plenty more to come. To celebrate the third birthday, I had the opportunity to catch up with some students past and present to hear about how free TAFE has helped set them up for their futures. In particular, I heard from Ryan from Croydon in the Deakin electorate, who started his working life as a trade apprentice but was injured. He told me that, at this stage, even though he wasn't earning because of this injury, free TAFE meant that he could actually, in his words, give it a shot and see if he enjoyed this change of course. And now, thanks to his cert IV in cyber, he's got a job in that field and is really contributing to Australia's future, one of near 70,000 enrolments in tech and digital courses playing their part in helping Australians navigate the online world and helping others to stay safe. When students say free TAFE has been lifechanging, those of us in this place should listen. On that note, the member also asked me about the future of free TAFE and risks, and I can say to everyone on this side of the House that the future is secure. More Australians under us can do what Ryan has done and set themselves up for life, but those opposite, who used to in coalition, haven't been listening to people like Ryan. They're too busy arguing amongst themselves, but they can agree on one thing—they hate free TAFE. The Leader of the Opposition thinks Australians don't value it, and they would cut free TAFE and, with it, the benefits that hundreds of thousands of Australians have seen. Let me be very clear about this. This Albanese government will always stand up for free TAFE. Australians have sent a really clear message at the last two elections. They backed free TAFE. That's why we legislated for free TAFE, and, starting next year, it will be permanent so Australians right around the country can continue to get skills they want to do the jobs we need.
Bondi Beach Attack Victims | Condolences | House debates
Sunday 14 December will forever remain in our nation's memory as a day of loss and of sorrow. Hundreds were down at Bondi that afternoon, celebrating together by the sea. But their joy was...
Sunday 14 December will forever remain in our nation's memory as a day of loss and of sorrow. Hundreds were down at Bondi that afternoon, celebrating together by the sea. But their joy was shattered by an act of terror that stole the lives of 15 Australians: an attack on Jewish Australians and on the very idea of Australia itself. It was an act designed to spread fear and sow division, an act of deliberate antisemitic hate. The day was not chosen by chance. Jewish Australians had come together to celebrate the beginning of Hanukkah, a festival that brings light into darkness—a time for family, a time for community and for resilience. These messages of hope now carry, for all of us, a much deeper meaning as we come together—as we should in this place, Australia's parliament—to mourn the victims, to share our collective condolences with family and friends, to stand with the Jewish Australian community in their grief, and to bear witness and assume responsibility. Last month the Jewish community stood strong, continuing to mark Hannukah, determined to shine light into what must have felt like an overwhelming darkness. This resilience demands more than just our admiration. Australia has been—and remains, in my view—the most successful multicultural society. What we've been building together is precious: a place where everyone belongs; a place indelibly marked by the contribution of Jewish Australians; a place which offered something much more than just safety to so many Jewish refugees a couple of generations ago; a place where people can be proud of who they are; and a place where they can freely and safely practice their faith, as Jewish Australians should have been able to do on 14 December before that murderous act of terror, which has already taken an extraordinary toll—15 lives taken and a community in shock and grief. But this toll cannot extend to tarnishing what makes our country unique: the strength of our diversity, underpinned by our respect for each and every one of us. For those of us in this place, we must come together to tackle the evil that is antisemitism. We must remember the responsibility that comes with the extraordinary privilege each of us shares—to show leadership that is resolute, considered and empathetic; fundamentally, to recognise our responsibility to bring people together—and, in doing so, recognise the peculiarly Australian light that shone through the darkness on 14 December. There were those extraordinary acts of bravery—the lifeguards and the locals who rushed to provide first aid, the work of the police and other first responders who put themselves in harm's way to protect others, and, of course, the acts of everyday Australians, most notably Ahmed al-Ahmed, who stepped forward in so many acts, big and small, to help those in need and in danger. For me, it is these stories that remind us of the strength and the compassion that really define what it means to be an Australian. Today, as a parliament, we pause and remember 15 lives murdered: Edith Brutman, Dan Elkayam, Boris and Sofia Gurman, Alex Kleytman, Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, Peter Meagher, Reuven Morrison, Marika Pogany, young Matilda, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, Adam Smyth, Boris Tetleroyd, Tania Tretiak and Tibor Weitzen. We acknowledge—and I acknowledge on behalf of the people of the Scullin electorate in particular—the pain that is ongoing for families and friends, and for a community scarred and forever changed. We listen and we seek through listening to deepen our understanding and our reservoir of empathy. We reject hate, and we reject those who seek to degrade and dehumanise their fellow citizens. We redouble our efforts, too, to look for those acts of kindness, to build a deeper, shared understanding across our communities and to strengthen our social cohesion at this time because we must keep looking towards the light, even—I would say especially—when darkness tries to crowd it out.
Medicare | Constituency Statements | House debates
The Albanese government is delivering better access to affordable healthcare services across Melbourne's northern suburbs. On 1 November, our government rolled out the single largest investment...
The Albanese government is delivering better access to affordable healthcare services across Melbourne's northern suburbs. On 1 November, our government rolled out the single largest investment in Medicare's history—an expansion of the bulk-billing incentive to all Australians so that more people, including people across all of the suburbs that I represent, can see a GP for free. This is an investment that will deliver an additional 18 million bulk-billed visits each year nationwide. I visited the Epping Plaza Medical and Dental Centre, one of six clinics in my electorate that returned to full bulk-billing on 1 November, bringing the total number of fully bulk-billing clinics in the Scullin electorate to 13. I'm pleased to say the response right across my community has been incredibly positive, because people remember the threat of the GP tax. People remember the impact of the Medicare freezes, but, thanks to Labor's changes, all that people need in the Scullin electorate or right around Australia to access high-quality GP services is their Medicare card. The work that we've done to back in GP services complements the existing and fully bulk-billed Epping Medicare urgent care clinic, which saw over 14,000 presentations in its first year of operation, making a huge difference. I also want to recognise the Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Clinic, which has been providing women right across Melbourne's northern suburbs access to a service that provides specialised care in a community that for too long was denied access to this kind of service. So I'm very grateful to my friend the Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care and Assistant Minister for Women, Rebecca White, who was at the Epping Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Clinic, where she announced an additional 11 endo and pelvic pain clinics to be rolled out across Australia, making a huge difference in those communities—the same difference, the same impact that I have seen in the northern suburbs. Australians in the northern suburbs of Melbourne and right around the country understand that Labor is the party of Medicare and only an Albanese Labor government can be trusted to strengthen it and the social compact that depends on access to healthcare. I also want to recognise and thank women from right across the Scullin electorate for the really incredible response to the pink ribbon morning tea that my office and I hosted a couple of weeks ago, focused, as many others around the country are, on raising money for and also, critically, raising awareness about breast cancer. This is an incredibly important cause, one that probably touches everyone in this building and everyone across the communities that we represent. Breast cancer, of course, carries a lifetime diagnosis. The risk is one in seven for women and one in 612 for men. It's a cause that I'm proud to support. We were so fortunate to have Nicole and Gracie from BreastScreen Victoria attend to share expert advice on what to look for, how to minimise risks and even to book on-the-spot breast screen appointments, something that was really welcomed by community members. They reminded us that early detection is the most effective way to prevent serious illness or death, making the Commonwealth funded BreastScreen Australia a crucial piece of our national fight against breast cancer. So I want to thank my electorate office team for organising this event and, in particular, for bringing together some diverse community leaders who can be trusted sources of advice to women who might otherwise not have been persuaded to take this vital step for themselves, for their families and for our community.
Vocational Education and Training | Questions without Notice | House debates
I've been talking about the 725,000 enrolments in free TAFE and 210,000 course completions. These are thousands of Australians who, if it wasn't for free TAFE, wouldn't have been able to take up...
I've been talking about the 725,000 enrolments in free TAFE and 210,000 course completions. These are thousands of Australians who, if it wasn't for free TAFE, wouldn't have been able to take up their opportunities. While the Liberals are concerned with distraction and division, we are getting on with the job and delivering for Australians, rebuilding TAFE—debt relief and free TAFE.
I thank my friend the member for Hasluck for her question. It was fantastic to be with her in her electorate last week to open the brand-new clean energy training facilities at Midland TAFE,...
I thank my friend the member for Hasluck for her question. It was fantastic to be with her in her electorate last week to open the brand-new clean energy training facilities at Midland TAFE, something she fought for and won. It was also great to hear from local students about how much they value the opportunities that free TAFE is providing them. The Albanese government has put TAFE back at the heart of skills and training because it belongs there and always should've belonged there. We're backing in the hard work of TAFE students like those that the member for Hasluck and I met last week, and their amazing teachers too, by updating TAFE facilities through our government's TAFE Technology Fund, which includes $3.24 million for Midland. Great Western Australian students like Timothy, Brock and Kudakwashe are benefiting from our investment. It's not only facilities that we're rolling out for TAFE students that the member may be interested in hearing about. Our government is also rolling out cost-of-living relief to ensure that Australians can get the skills they want for the jobs that we need. Australian apprentices and VET students are among those around the country hearing from the ATO about the Albanese government's 20 per cent cut to student debt that's being applied to their accounts right now. That's thousands of dollars that many of these students are saving on student debt. This is a pretty special bit of news to those of us on this side of the House and those millions of Australians anyway, news that we're proud to deliver because we know it makes a big difference in the lives of Australians. But, of course, that's not all. Free TAFE is reaching new heights. There are now more than 725,000 free TAFE enrolments—725,000—and more than 210,000 course completions. The Minister for Housing will be pleased to know that construction courses are now the third most popular type of free TAFE courses, with more than 59,000 enrolments, people going on to build the houses Australians need, including CIT students the Prime Minister and I met with today—Yao, Ruby and Josh. It's people like them, together with more nurses to care for Australians and more early childhood educators, too. This is why our government made free TAFE permanent. But the Leader of the Opposition and members opposite don't like free TAFE. We know the Leader of the Opposition and her coalition will talk it down at every opportunity, ignoring the stories—
Communications, the Arts and Sport Committee; Reference | Committees | House debates
I move: That the debate be adjourned.
Customs Tariff Amendment (Geelong Treaty Implementation) Bill 2025; Third Reading | Bills | House debates
by leave—I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time.
I want to thank my friend the member for Boothby for her question and, more particularly, for the work that she's doing in the community she represents so well in Adelaide. She has spent her...
I want to thank my friend the member for Boothby for her question and, more particularly, for the work that she's doing in the community she represents so well in Adelaide. She has spent her career backing people in, and she brings that here with enthusiasm. While those opposite are divided—now more than ever if what I keep reading in the Financial Review is to be believed—this Albanese government is getting on with it and breaking down the barriers that have been holding Australians back. It's 12 months to the day since Labor announced we would cut student debt by 20 per cent and six months to the day since Australians backed us in at the May election, because there are three million Australians who have a student debt, including over 280,000 who have VET student loans or Australian apprenticeship support loan accounts. On the average VET loan, this is a saving of more than $2,000. This is real cost-of-living relief, right now. While it's easy to focus on these numbers, because they are important, behind them are stories of Australians who are just trying to get ahead and make a contribution. I think about students like Jennifer from CIT, who I met with the Prime Minister here. She'll have $8,000 slashed from her debt. She says to me that it's a huge weight off her shoulders and now she can focus on finishing off her studies. And then there's Ralph, who's studying for a Diploma of Nursing. He'll save $3,000, thanks to this Albanese Labor government. And, of course, we haven't stopped here. We've reduced the amount that Australians with a student debt have to pay every year and raised the threshold when people need to start repaying. We've also made free TAFE into law, following 685,000 enrolments and more than 190,000 completions. These are measures delivering cost-of-living support now, while helping Australians secure the future. Something these three measures have in common is that they were all opposed by members on the other side of the House. It could be the last time that they will be on a unity ticket. The only thing members opposite can agree on is what they will oppose, not what they will do for Australians, while, on this side of the House, we're easing cost-of-living pressures for students to gain skills they want, for jobs we need now and into the future, building their careers while building the homes Australians need, and enabling our clean energy aspirations, because all of us in the Albanese government back Australians to get skills they want in the jobs they need. So, while the Liberals and the Nationals are obsessed with their internal arguments over net zero, they've got 'net zero' to say when it comes to skilling Australians for the jobs of the future. They are arguing amongst themselves while we are focusing on the Australian people. We'll get on with delivering for people, while they will continue to be consumed by denial, division and dysfunction.
VET Student Loans (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Today, I introduce the VET Student Loans (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2025. The bill ensures that VET Student Loans (VSL) providers were...
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Today, I introduce the VET Student Loans (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2025. The bill ensures that VET Student Loans (VSL) providers were authorised to handle students' tax file numbers (TFNs) to administer the VET Student Loans program. The VET Student Loans Act 2016 (VSL Act) governs both the eligibility criteria for students seeking a loan and the requirements that providers must meet, to participate in the program. Students are required—under the VSL Act—to provide their tax file number (TFN) when submitting a loan application, as repayments are made through the tax system. The TFN is essential to ensure the student's loan application details align with their Australian Taxation Office account. During a review of how VET student loans are administered, the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations identified that there was no clear role for VSL providers to handle tax file numbers under the VSL Act and stronger alignment between relevant IT systems and legislation was required. We have taken action to fix this. Since early 2025, the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations has implemented updates to the IT systems to mask VSL students' tax file numbers and automate the transfer of tax file numbers between the student interface and government systems. So now VSL providers no longer need to handle tax file numbers. This bill includes a retrospective measure to authorise VSL providers' past handling of student tax file numbers (TFNs) for the purpose of administering loan applications and VET student loans. It also authorises the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations' previous disclosure of tax file numbers to providers for the same purpose. The measure applies to all current and former VSL providers and their officers who handled tax file numbers from 1 January 2017 to 30 September 2025. It also extends to other relevant parties, including the secretary of the department, the Commissioner of Taxation, and Commonwealth officers. By clarifying the basis for these past practices, the bill ensures the VET Student Loans program remains both accessible to students and compliant—supporting confidence in the system and the delivery of quality vocational education. Income contingent loans for vocational education and training (VET) students were first introduced in 2008, under the former VET FEE-HELP scheme. That scheme operated under the Higher Education Support Act 2003, which allowed VET FEE-HELP and Higher Education Loan Program providers to handle students' tax file numbers (TFNs) for the purpose of administering loans. In 2017, the VET FEE-HELP scheme was replaced by the VET Student Loans (VSL) program. While the VET Student Loans program operates under its own legislative framework—the VET Student Loans Act 2016—it continued to use the same IT systems platforms. This bill is important because VET plays a huge role in building the skilled workforce Australia needs—now and into the future. The VET Student Loans program makes vocational education and training more accessible to Australians by providing opportunities for students to undertake a VET course—diploma level and above— and defer the payment of tuition fees through an income contingent loan. The program helps to address skills shortages across critical industries including engineering, occupational licensing trades like plumbing, carpentry and electrical work, and training and assessment. There is no change to the way students apply for a VET student loan using the electronic Commonwealth assistance form (eCAF). I confirm to the House that, since the VET Student Loans program commenced in 2017, there have been no student complaints related to the handling of tax file numbers (TFNs) for the purposes of administering the program. Ensuring VET student loans are accessible and administered with integrity is critical to helping Australians gain the skills and qualifications to build our future, strengthen our workforce, and support long-term national prosperity. Further details of the measure in the bill are set out in the explanatory memorandum. I commend the bill to the House. Debate adjourned.
Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Financial Systems and Other Measures) Bill 2025; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
I thank my friend the member for Aston for her question. Like all of us on this side of the House, she understands how critical it is that Australia makes the most of the opportunities of net...
I thank my friend the member for Aston for her question. Like all of us on this side of the House, she understands how critical it is that Australia makes the most of the opportunities of net zero and in particular the opportunities to upskill and work in the clean energy economy. The Albanese government has had a clear focus on delivering opportunities for Australians, for communities and for the economy and on how we can ensure that Australians in every corner of the country can access the skills they want for the jobs we need in our growing clean energy sector. Of course, this includes our fantastic New Energy Apprenticeships Program, a program which has already seen more than 13,000 people pick up the tools and begin their path to become tradies in new energy, with the help of $10,000 incentive payments over the course of their apprenticeship to help with the cost of living now and to help with completing their qualifications. These thousands of tradies will ensure our renewable energy infrastructure can be built, maintained and sustained to service Australia well into the future in automotive trades, in plumbing and in electrical trades—training Australians to build our future. So far, the program has seen a retention rate, at the 12-month mark, of 85 per cent, making a real difference and opening doors of opportunity to pre-apprenticeship students like Jaz and Sayed, who I met in Box Hill TAFE with the member for Menzies and who are benefiting from free TAFE, and to students in communities like Gippsland, where I met Siobhan, a qualified electrician blazing a trail for others— in Gippsland, Member for Gippsland. We know that the Leader of the Opposition thinks that if you don't pay for something you don't value it. That's her track record on free TAFE. But, fortunately, she does back net zero by 2050, or she did. The Leader of the Opposition said only a few years ago, 'I think the net zero by 2050 aim is perfect.' 'Perfect', she said, but not to those sitting beside her, because let's not forget the coalition's first bill of this term was to abandon net zero. That's not perfect. While our government is delivering opportunity for Australians in clean energy, they're fighting amongst themselves about whether or not to even believe in climate change. Let's be clear about this: abandoning climate action isn't just reckless for our economy. It's reckless for our environment and it's reckless for jobs. It means slamming the doors shut for people like Jaz, Sayed and Siobhan. But, in place of the division, dysfunction and denial over there, the Albanese government will continue to deliver the clean energy skills Australians need, the clean energy jobs Australians want and the clean energy transition that will set Australia up for the future.
Address-in-Reply | Governor-General's Speech | House debates
On 3 May the opposition sought to harness pessimism and cynicism in a path to power that was without purpose. But people in the Scullin electorate saw through this, as did Australians right...
On 3 May the opposition sought to harness pessimism and cynicism in a path to power that was without purpose. But people in the Scullin electorate saw through this, as did Australians right around our country. They recognised the leadership of our prime minister—his record, his character—and our plans to bring out the very best for our nation and every one of its citizens. They noticed that Labor listened, and not just to the loudest voices. They noticed that we understood the need to both keep responding to urgent cost-of-living pressures in the short term and offer hope for the future beyond that. They noticed that we were serious about the challenges holding back Australians doing it tough and about realising those wonderful opportunities that lie before us. They noticed that we had prepared a policy agenda anchored in this appreciation—policies fit for purpose for the needs of Australians now and as we look to the future. I begin my contribution by thanking the voters of the Scullin electorate for again placing their trust in me and in the Albanese Labor government. It is an incredible honour to have been elected for a fifth time, and of course, more importantly, there is the responsibility and obligation to represent, advocate for, contribute to and deliver for the people of the Scullin electorate. This is my focus as a very proud member of our re-elected Albanese Labor government—a government whose ethos of leaving no-one behind and holding no-one back resonated so strongly from the very start with the people of Scullin across its length and breadth, in all its wonderful diversity. I recognise in saying that that I now have the privilege of representing a number of communities which are new to the electorate: parts of Campbellfield, more of Wollert and a little slice of Fawkner. So I was particularly pleased to form relationships and begin an understanding of those communities, which I look forward to representing in this, the 48th Parliament. But, of course, I'm proud to represent all of the communities across Scullin and the people who make them such wonderful places. After almost a decade of serving in this place in opposition, the opportunity to serve from the government benches after the 2022 election enabled me to advocate for and deliver on a number of local wins that I'm particularly proud of, even if in some cases people waited too long for those wins to be realised. I think about the $2 million in funding our government delivered for the Peter Hopper Lake in Mill Park after strong advocacy from local residents for some time. A big shout-out to everyone involved in Friends of Peter Hopper Lake for their enduring advocacy. I can now see the funding being put to work to improve the quality of the environment of the lake, with stage 2 works now well underway and expected to be nearing completion by the end of the year. Another set of funding that's made a big difference has been the Schools Upgrade Fund. Three schools in my electorate have benefited from funding through this program: Norris Bank Primary School in Bundoora for new playground equipment, playing equipment and shade sails; Findon Primary School in Mill Park for much-needed refurbishment of student toilets—the images that the students sent to me of the need for this really resonated with me, and I was so pleased to be able, thanks to the great work of Minister Clare, to deliver on their request; and Merriang Special Developmental School for upgrades to their inclusive play space at their South Morang campus. The Scullin electorate is a diverse place, and across the multicultural communities there is a common desire to maintain connection to culture and to language. Our government recognises this, and, to help ensure communities can continue to do this work, we've supported nine community language schools through grants to strengthen social inclusion and an ongoing connection to language, which is so vital. One of the issues that have been raised constantly with me in my time in this place is the importance of access to health care, and I am so thrilled about the Epping urgent care centre and the impact it is making every single day. The clinic has now seen more than 13,000 visits since it opened, and I wish a happy birthday, on Monday, to everyone involved at the Epping urgent care clinic. Obviously, I won't be there, but I'll be thinking of the incredible staff for the impact they have there in the urgent care clinic itself and, of course, in the women's health specialist services that are offered there as well. I think about those people who've faced some unexpected moments and needed access to a nurse or doctor for themselves or for their children. The clinic receives 37 visits a day, with doctors and nurses working hard to keep our community healthy. This is not only access to local urgent care but access to free health care when people need it. Another thing that really brings me great joy is the progress towards the opening of the Epping study hub, which will provide student support and campus-style facilities and bring university and TAFE closer to home and closer together, because we know that where you live can be a barrier to continuing an educational journey. That's why we've delivered these hubs. The one in Epping is paired with the one in Broadmeadows—and a shout-out to my good friend the new and excellent member for Calwell, Basem Abdo. I've really enjoyed sharing your journey through a difficult campaign in which you revealed many of your qualities and just a hint of the capacity you're going to bring to this place as a wonderful advocate for your communities and a contributor to the work of government. These hubs will support local TAFE and university students to attain their qualifications, but they will also inspire the next generation, as high school students can see, feel and touch that next step in their journey. I'm also really proud to be part of a government that's delivering a $4.5 million investment to revitalise the Nick Ascenzo Reserve in Thomastown. The funding is going towards a new multipurpose sports court, a scooter and BMX loop and upgrades to the existing playground. I've been speaking to local residents and also parents from Thomastown East Primary School, just over the road, who expressed their optimism for the suburb and what this investment means for them, for their families and for a more cohesive, more active and more connected community. I'm really looking forward to seeing this come through and, of course, to some other really critical initiatives. There are just two I want to highlight: the facility upgrades at the offices of the Board of Imams Victoria in Thomastown, as well as a really important upgrade supporting the incredible work of Turbans 4 Australia. The work that's being led and the way in which it's being led by my friend Amar Singh is truly wonderful. That's right around the country but, most importantly, in Melbourne's northern suburbs. I want to briefly touch on some of the privileges I've had in the current and over the former parliament, particularly in the roles that I've served in thanks to the Prime Minister—firstly, as then minister for immigration, citizenship and multicultural affairs. As then minister for immigration and as current minister for skills and training I've had an extraordinary opportunity to change lives and change our country. I want to briefly reflect on that. To carry out, in the first instance, our government's commitments to replace cruelty for cruelty's sake with policies that were fit for purpose and consistent with who we are as a multicultural nation that has really been built by immigration was extraordinary. In that, I want to recognise the work, in the lead-up to the last election, of my friend Kristina Keneally—the work that she did as the shadow minister for home affairs and the work that I was able to continue, together with my friend Minister O'Neil. I think about, in particular, with Kristina in mind, the decision made within weeks of coming to government to finally enable the return of the Nadesalingam family to their home in Biloela. This was a really important moment for our country as the nation and, indeed, the Biloela community came together. It's wonderful that Nades, Priya, Kopika and Tharnicaa are continuing to build their lives and build their contribution to our country in their home with certainty. Another thing that really mattered that I think I was able to play a small part in was ending some unfair restrictions on residency pathways for temporary skilled workers and, of course, thousands of recognised refugees—20,000 of whom are now permanent in their connection to Australia and, again, able to make their contributions after a decade of waste of potential, of waste of their lives and of cruelty for cruelty's own sake. I was also able to see changes to citizenship, dealing with backlogs and enabling more people to become full members of our community and fully realise their contribution. I was pleased to be able to work with unions and workers to make reforms ending the exploitation of migrant workers, benefiting all Australian workers, and to be part of work led by Minister O'Neil on a migration strategy, building a migration system that is fit for our national purpose, not something that is neglected, as was the case for a decade. It was a pleasure to be part of the work which led to the Multicultural Framework Review, the first look at our multicultural framework at a national level in 50 years, building on the great legacy of Al Grassby and so many others, giving voice to so many people across the length and breadth of our nation—people very new to our country and people here for generations—and thinking of building that culture of respect and belonging that not only really makes us a great nation today but enables us to imagine how good we can be with every single voice properly heard. I want to extend my appreciation to the panel members there—Hass Dellal, Nyadol Nyuon and Christine Castley—for the extraordinary work they did in enabling so many people to be heard who would not otherwise have been heard in this place. I'm so pleased to see the incredible work of my friend Minister Anne Aly building on this legacy in our own inimitable fashion. In my current portfolio I continue to witness how decisions that we make in national government can change people's lives for the better and change our communities and change our country. It makes me so proud—thanks to your vote and the member for Makin's vote, in particular—that free TAFE is now permanent, opening more doors for more people that would have otherwise stayed shut. Australians are now gaining skills they want for jobs we need, because we value TAFE. I think about the National Skills Agreement and the partnerships that enables between this government, every state and territory, business, First Nations community controlled organisations, workers and union so that we can work together to achieve our national purposes, to make sure that everyone can unlock their potential—wherever they may be, whatever their circumstances. They're accessing skills and training that will enable them to realise their ambitions so that we can do a better job at connecting their ambitions to our national aspirations so people can make contributions in fulfilling their potential. Some of the announcements we made at the last election take this to the next level. I think about the Advanced Entry Trades Training commitment, which recognises that there are thousands of Australians who have experience but no formal qualifications. We can do better to recognise them and enable them to work to their potential. I think about the Key Apprenticeship Program, which has been hugely successful already in clean energy and now in housing and is already opening up more doors for more people to undertake apprenticeships—a pathway to a good job and to a real contribution. I want to take this opportunity to recognise the extraordinary people who have worked within my office throughout my time as minister. I think about Jesse Northfield. I could not have had a better chief of staff—or the opportunity, frankly, to work with a better human being—and he was so well supported by the brilliant Alice Smith. To work with people like Lori Faraone, Henry Sherrell, Zoe Ranganathan, Kun Huang, Ben Wicks, Roman Ristovski, Laura Matheson, Justine Evesson, Emilia Hutchinson, Madison Child and Ash Grimwood has been a real privilege—seeing so many people so dedicated to making the most of the opportunities that government presents to make a contribution. I'm also incredibly proud of the work done by the team in the Scullin electorate office. I think all of us in this place know that we are nothing without the teams we work with and the extraordinary kindness, professionalism and dedication they show to solving the problems in peoples lives—often problems that seem insuperable to individuals but can be solved by the great work of our electorate office team. I acknowledge everyone's EO staff but particularly mine. My deepest thanks go to Sally, Khadija, Maureen, Monika, Steph, Cat, Amelia, Sam and Hamish. Day in, day out they are working hard to support community members, and I think particularly of the work they did to support members of our wonderful Palestinian community at such awful times. I also want to say this. For much of the last term, my electorate office had to be shut due to a number of security incidents. I strongly support the right to peaceful protest; it is a cornerstone of a democratic society. So too are the right of a worker to be safe at work and the right of a citizen to engage with their democratically elected representative. The Scullin electorate office staff were subjected to circumstances no worker should have to endure: physical threats and the denial of access to someone's workplace. This cannot be part of our politics. It cannot. I was pleased to be here for the contribution of the member for Isaacs, which highlighted a number of other concerning incidents which I do think, collectively, we need to look at as we think about a politics that is fit for the Australian people. There can be no place for violence and intimidation overshadowing the work of democratic representatives, the engagement of anyone in the political process and of course the fundamental need of any Australian to access government services, including through their local federal parliamentarian's electorate office. The campaign in the Scullin electorate was not particularly shadowed by some of the incidents that the member for Isaacs touched upon, but still I think there are things we should reflect on—in particular, the conduct of a range of organisations at early-voting centres, which I am concerned about and which I hope the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters will look into—so that every member of the community feels safe and welcome when casting their secret ballot. I do want to acknowledge the other candidates who contested the election and thank them for their engagement. Obviously we all reflect different world views, but our ability to talk to one another, particularly on the campaign trail, is something that is precious and a critical part of our democracy. I want to recognise the incredible work of the many volunteers who really were the Scullin campaign—the people who walked with me as I doorknocked hundreds of houses, who made phone calls, who stood with me at train stations and who really lent their understanding, passion and selfless commitment, asking for nothing other than to contribute to their vision of a fairer and better society, expressed through the election of an Albanese government. Any campaign cannot be run without volunteers. I'm so proud of the volunteers that I got to work with. Thank you to each and every one of you. I can't thank everyone, but there are a few I want to recognise particularly: my good friend Emeline Gaske and all the numbers of the Australian Services Union; the extraordinary Joe Petrucci, a man for all seasons and a person of so many qualities; Amar and Chaman Tiwari, extraordinary people who seem to have more hours in the day than I think are possible based on my understanding of maths; Succetin and Perihan Unal, two absolute pillars of the Turkish community, the northern suburbs and the Labor Party, and two dear friends—to them and their family, I will always be more grateful than I can say—and the irrepressible Monique Lobosco, who has done incredible things and will do more incredible things. Thanks to Ramy Aljalil, who is a wonderful young man with so many qualities. Thanks to Tori Edge, who showed me right around the length and breadth of Wollert, and showed me her passion for the work that she's done as an early childhood educator and now does in her current employment at the United Workers Union. Thanks to the wonderful Nessie Sayer. The last person I want to touch upon is Monika Janinki. Monica was an extraordinary person, and I feel so grateful to have met her and spent a lot of time with her, talking about her passion for the world, particularly for animal rights as well as for a more just society. To spend time with her, I was excited by what was going to come. She talked about new study opportunities, including in the law. Monica is not with us. I think of her standing here and am filled with an immense sadness for all those who loved her and for all those around her who were unable to see her recognising herself. What an extraordinary person she was, and what an extraordinary contribution she could have made. She did make extraordinary contributions, and the person that she was and everything that she stood for is something that will live on. Monika, I stand here thinking deeply of you, feeling so terribly sad at the extraordinary loss—the loss that most touches those dearest to you. I hope they can feel a sense, as I talk about Monika in this place, of the impact that she will always have through her character and her contributions. Vale, Monika. I started this contribution by reflecting on the politics pessimism and cynicism. As I stand here, I remain deeply concerned about the rise of reactionary and authoritarian forms of populism here in Australia and around the world. I think about the awful circumstances in the Victorian high country right now—two police officers who lost their lives, the community terrified. I think about all the manifestations we have to think about that pose a threat to the physical safety of community members and, more broadly, how we are part of a global community. I recognise that in tough times it's always tempting to find easy answers to complex problems—or worse, to look to blame the other rather than seek to come together to take responsibility. This is about something more than the policy choices that legitimately separates us in this place. It goes to how we conduct ourselves and our political actions. I think we need to find ways to disagree better to reflect on the fact that, while there may be things that we disagree about, this is not necessarily a terrible thing. We need to find ways to ensure that every person is respected, not every idea. In this place, I will do my best to live up to that in this term of parliament, representing the wonderful people of the Scullin electorate.
National Skills Week | Statements on Significant Matters | House debates
I move: That further statements on National Skills Week be permitted in the Federation Chamber. Question agreed to.
I rise today to mark National Skills Week, an important occasion to celebrate vocational education and training in our country and, with it, the incredible diversity of pathways that it offers to...
I rise today to mark National Skills Week, an important occasion to celebrate vocational education and training in our country and, with it, the incredible diversity of pathways that it offers to enable Australians to explore all options, as is this year's theme, and to support them to gain the qualifications they want as they skill or reskill to secure good, well-paid, long-term jobs and great careers, to set them up for the future and to help improve our productivity and grow our economy. As the skills and training minister, I have the great honour to meet VET students and apprentices every week, including at TAFEs, right around the country. The Albanese government is working hard to put TAFE at the centre of the VET system. At TAFE, what we see is this: students that represent as wide a snapshot of Australia as you will find anywhere and, in that diversity, some great connections and sharing of experience; staff that are the biggest advocates going for the opportunity that TAFE provides and who have industry experience and are brimming with excitement for the opportunities that their students will have with the qualifications that they will gain; and facilities that are getting better all the time to meet the aspirations of learners and the evolving needs of our industries. At TAFE campuses you see such a breadth of learning occurring side by side—community services next to IT, next to auto mechanics, next to agriculture. That's part of what makes our TAFEs so special. It's through free TAFE that I met Caitlin, a nursing student studying in Canberra. Caitlin's a Navy veteran, a single mum and, above all, a brilliant role model for fellow students and others who might be considering taking up a VET pathway. Caitlin's one of the 650,000 enrolments in free TAFE courses since the program started in 2023. By year's end, she will be joining the 170,000 course completions. Stories like Caitlin's underscore how life-changing free TAFE is for thousands of Australians, and Caitlin is one of the very best advocates for free TAFE. She loves talking about it. Her message to others is this: there's never been a better time to take the first step on a path to a new qualification and new career. Now is the moment. The response to free TAFE really has been remarkable. Australians are backing it in. That's why our government legislated to make free TAFE permanent, with 100,000 places every year from 2027. Sadly, we see some in this place continue to try to undermine free TAFE and to dismiss it. It's unfortunate. This National Skills Week I encourage everyone in this place to visit their local TAFE and chat with the students and hear firsthand about how free TAFE is changing lives. We know our job is not done. It's estimated that nine out of 10 new jobs in the next decade will require tertiary education, with around half of these requiring a vocational qualification. We need more Australians working in critical industries, like construction, nursing, aged care, manufacturing and early childhood education and care, helping us to turn around the skills challenges our country faces. We know Australians want to be part of this. They want to pursue a career in these industries. The Albanese government is backing Australians to do that. We're backing apprentices, too, supporting them to get into the industries they want to join and supporting them to see through their apprenticeship to the end. Our government continues to be focused on turning apprentice numbers around as we work to address the legacy of a decade where apprentice numbers continued to slip. Now there are 50,000 more apprentices in training than prior to the pandemic. Construction industry apprentice numbers are also up, around 28 per cent higher—a pathway to building the homes Australians need. Pleasingly, 32 per cent more women have now started trade apprenticeships. All of these numbers are heading in the right direction, and in the Albanese government we are determined to keep driving these improvements. That's why we're delivering a range of measures targeted at getting more apprentices into the industries we need. This includes the critical areas of housing construction and new energy, where apprentices can now benefit from our Key Apprenticeship Program. The new energy stream has already seen strong interest: more than 12,000 sign-ups, introducing more apprentices heading towards the great opportunities that exist in the clean energy industry. They are helping to drive our vital transition towards net zero, a matter of keen interest to members opposite. The housing construction steam started on 1 July this year, and the early data is showing some really promising signs. Over the month of July, 1,291 apprentices were approved under this scheme—450 carpenters and joiners, 370 electrical trades workers and 300 plumbers. These are, of course, all occupations absolutely essential to helping us build more homes for Australians. I think about someone like Calvin, who I met recently at Victoria University's Sunshine campus. He is absolutely loving his pre-apprenticeship course in building construction carpentry. Calvin likes to work with his hands, learns something new every week and is becoming more and more confident that carpentry is where he wants to spend his career. This Key Apprenticeship Program is another way in which we can support him and people like him to fulfil their ambitions and to make their contribution towards meeting our national goals. In addition to the Key Apprenticeship Program, the Albanese government has lifted the living-away-from-home allowance for the first time in more than 20 years. If there's another indication of the neglect to which the former government subjected our skills and training system, it is the fact that some of these key payments were unchanged. The living-away-from-home allowance was last updated in 2003. Let's think about what that means for would-be apprentices in regional communities—the barrier that is presented. Even more shockingly, the payment that is available for employers taking on apprentices with a disability, which we updated this year, was last reviewed in 1998. That is neglect. We've now more than doubled that payment so that more Australians with a disability have the opportunity to gain skills through the earn-and-learn model that is apprenticeship. Today I also want to highlight the landmark National Skills Agreement, a $30 billion investment with states and territories to strengthen and transform our VET system, ensuring access to high-quality, responsive and accessible education and training. After too long a period without a skills agreement, our government worked to deliver this five-year plan, providing certainty across the sector and embedding critical partnerships. The NSA represents a step change in terms of how we, the Commonwealth, work together with states and territories to deliver initiatives that will enable us to meet the skills needs of today and prepare for tomorrow. This includes establishing TAFE centres of excellence to bring together the best facilities and the best trainers and skillsets to grow Australia's expertise in things like modern housing-construction methods, clean energy and advanced manufacturing. The opportunity to learn new skills is one that anyone at any stage can, should and must be supported in. Our government recognises the vital role that foundation skills play in building Australians' literacy, numeracy and digital skills but also in building the confidence of Australians to enter or, indeed, to re-enter the workforce. We're living in a time of great technological change, so digital skills, including how to best harness AI, are becoming more and more important. As part of the National Skills Agreement, the Albanese government is delivering $77 million in funding to states and territories to deliver adult and community education. Through our Skills for Education and Employment Program, we're also seeing the expanded delivery of free English language, literacy and numeracy and digital skills training, destigmatising approaches, with a 'no wrong door' policy so that more Australians, in every part of the country, can access these skills for good jobs and good lives. One story, demonstrating just how important the building of foundation skills is, is the experience I had when I met Kalamkas, in Adelaide, just a couple of months ago. She's originally from Kazakhstan. In her own words, she says about the course that she took in adult and community education: The course gave me not only useful knowledge but also confidence. I can now write letters to government departments by myself. It's a big step forward for me. This is a powerful story but just one of thousands, which illustrates how transformative this learning and these skills can be. They build experience, boost confidence and strengthen connections to community, enabling good careers and good lives. Importantly, our government is also investing in SEE First Nations, focusing on whole-of-community training delivery for First Nations people, by First Nations community controlled organisations working alongside training partners. SEE First Nations is helping work towards Closing the Gap targets by removing barriers to accessing culturally safe education and training and creating deeper partnerships with First Nations organisations and communities. This week, I've outlined three key priorities that will be my focus for this term as the skills and training minister in the Albanese government: equally valuing VET, supporting lifelong learning, and strengthening the partnerships that we have already established. All of these are essential in continuing to build a skills system that's responsive to the needs of Australians and our economy, one that puts vocational education and training on an equal footing with university. Simply put, we need graduates from both sectors to meet the challenges of the coming years. We also need to better recognise that learning isn't only for the young. Free TAFE is showing us that Australians of all ages are interested in skilling, whether it's for personal growth or in pursuit of a new career. Our government is determined to foster this approach, both through formal training but also through informal training in the workplace and in the community. I also want to bring closer together the partnerships that our government has developed over the past three years, bringing the Commonwealth closer to our state and territory counterparts in our shared ambitions, bringing us closer to industry, to employers and to unions, to all of the stakeholders who can play a part in skilling Australia's people and in skilling Australia's future, to open the doors to opportunity and to enable every Australian to have every chance to explore all the options.
Apprenticeships | Questions without Notice | House debates
I thank my friend the member for Hasluck for her question, and I recognise her deep commitment to the people she represents so well in this place, particularly in ensuring that they can get the...
I thank my friend the member for Hasluck for her question, and I recognise her deep commitment to the people she represents so well in this place, particularly in ensuring that they can get the skills they want to do the jobs that we need. In the Albanese Labor government, we are building Australia's future and boosting the workforce we need to deliver it so that we can deliver on our national priorities. But, when we came to government just over three years ago, Australia was facing the worst skills crisis in more than half a century. This didn't come about by accident; it followed a decade of neglect from those opposite, underlined by their failure to land a national skills agreement in a decade and by billions of dollars in cuts. Apprenticeship numbers fell away. It's very clear that they still haven't learnt. It was in this House that the now leader of the opposition, in opposing the Free TAFE Bill, said: … if you don't pay for something, you don't value it. The more than 47,000 free-TAFE students in construction courses demonstrate that Australians disagree. On this side of the House, we're backing the next generation of tradies. We've upped the living-away-from-home allowance for the first time in 20 years, and we've doubled the amount we provide to employers to take on an apprentice living with a disability. The most recent data shows us that construction industry apprenticeships are up 11 per cent compared to pre the pandemic, but we are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to boosting apprenticeships so we can build more homes for Australians. That's why we are supporting new housing construction apprentices and tradies through $10,000 incentives, and we're already seeing promising results after just a month. We know these incentives, which are also really important cost-of-living relief, are encouraging more Australians to pick up the tools and to become tradies—to gain skills, make a contribution and build a career. I think about people like Blake and Calvin—pre-apprenticeship carpentry students at Victoria University's Sunshine campus. Calvin wants to one day start his own carpentry business, and it's free TAFE that's opening that pathway, together with our incentive program. This incentive program builds on the very successful new energy stream as well, which has already seen more than 11,000 Australians take up training and jobs in clean energy, electrical and automotive fields. While I'm on my feet, I want to recognise that, in the gallery today, we're joined by Ausgrid electrical apprentices from New South Wales. It's great to see them here. It was so great to visit one of their sites earlier this year with my friend the member for Reid and meet 50 new apprentices starting that week. We are pulling every lever to help Australians get secure, well-paid jobs in nation-building industries. This government, unlike members opposite, will always back Australian apprentices to build Australia's future.
Scullin Volunteer Awards, Tertiary Education | Constituency Statements | House debates
Last month, I had the very great honour of bringing together some of the incredible community members in the Scullin electorate at my annual Scullin Volunteer Awards, paying tribute to nearly 50...
Last month, I had the very great honour of bringing together some of the incredible community members in the Scullin electorate at my annual Scullin Volunteer Awards, paying tribute to nearly 50 volunteers—people like Mabruka Mohamed, the co-founder and the President of the Libyan Women's Association, someone who's dedicated over a decade to service and advocacy as a volunteer for a significant emerging community group in the northern suburbs. Ms Mohamed is strengthening cultural connections and health education. She's someone who's doing so much to build a stronger and better-connected community. I'm so proud of so many people like her amongst the diverse communities, the sporting clubs, the scouting groups, the neighbourhood houses and the social enterprises in the Scullin electorate. There are groups like the Lalor & District Men's Shed, the Mill Park Football Club and Whittlesea Community Connections—the lifeblood of a diverse and united community. Across all of these groups there are so many dedicated and passionate volunteers who turn up week after week, never seeking recognition for themselves but contributing to making the suburbs of the Scullin electorate such a special community. In this place, Australia's parliament, I want to say a big thankyou to every volunteer in the electorate of Scullin. You do so much for so many. I want to encourage others to think about the contribution they can make in their communities but also to give a shout-out to those who they see around them making a difference for others. Earlier this month I had the opportunity to take a look at the progress being made in the construction of the Epping study hub with my friend the member for Calwell. The northern study hubs in Epping and Broadmeadows will transform the lives of people in the northern suburbs, and I'm incredibly optimistic for the contribution this will make for the future of our communities. In Labor, where you live should never be a barrier to completing a tertiary qualification. The study hub will bring university and TAFE closer to home with not just a place for students to study but a place for students to receive tailored academic support and build stronger connections with their fellow students. The City of Whittlesea has a university attainment rate of just over 23 per cent, well below the rate of about one-third across metropolitan Melbourne. This simply isn't good enough. This hub will make a real difference, and where it's located—right next to Epping train station, next to the plaza and located at the Melbourne Polytechnic Library—will make a real difference. The hub is also right over the road from St Monica's College, inspiring the next generation of students to pursue opportunities in university and TAFE. For my constituents in Scullin, the Epping study hub is open for online registration for university and TAFE students. I encourage everyone to do so.
Universities Accord (Cutting Student Debt by 20 Per Cent) Bill 2025 | Statements | House debates
'A huge weight off my shoulders', 'opening up new opportunities', 'every penny helps my savings'—now, these aren't my words; they are the words of some TAFE students who joined me recently...
'A huge weight off my shoulders', 'opening up new opportunities', 'every penny helps my savings'—now, these aren't my words; they are the words of some TAFE students who joined me recently to talk to me about what student debt relief means to them. This is real cost-of-living support, helping students with those week-to-week costs and helping them save for the rent, a home deposit or whatever it is that is their dream. But, beyond that, this is something that is continuing to break down barriers. Through this measure, through this bill, the Albanese government is sending a really strong signal to Australians, particularly but not only young people, so that everyone can see that accessing education and training is possible, that pursuing a new career needn't be only a dream but is something that can be tangibly reached. In our first term, the Albanese government wiped $3 billion of student debt through changes to indexation, putting this money back into the pockets of students and apprentices right around the country. We listened to students, who were telling us that cutting student debt made a real difference to their lives. So we didn't stop there. Last year, in Sturt, the Prime Minister announced that a re-elected Albanese government would introduce as our first piece of legislation a 20 per cent cut to student debt for students in universities and for students in the VET sector, too. We listened to students, and now we are delivering. I want to recognise the fantastic work of my friend Minister Clare, the Minister for Education—the work he's done to put this bill before the House, to show that we are delivering to those students and to thousands like them right around the country. This is of course the first bill presented to the parliament by the re-elected Albanese government. The bill also underscores our government's commitment to making tertiary education more accessible. This is a wide-ranging commitment, of course, because it sits alongside measures such as free TAFE—almost the last bill legislated in the last parliament—alongside our critical apprenticeship incentives and of course alongside paid prac. It means that more women, more First Nations Australians and more people from our regions can get the skills they want so they can do the jobs we need—secure, long-term, well paid jobs in industries like construction, the care economy, manufacturing and technology. By cutting student debt, the Albanese government is taking pressure off more than three million Australians who have a student debt loan, including nearly 300,000 students in the VET sector, whose debt will be reduced by half a billion dollars. That is three million Australians right around the country—including, of course, more than 20,000 students and apprentices in my electorate of Scullin. During the election campaign I heard from so many community members—again, particularly young people—about what the 20 per cent cut to their student debt meant to them. With this bill there are additional measures. We're also increasing the repayment threshold to $67,000 in 2025-26. This means, for example, that someone earning $70,000 a year will have around $1,300 less in repayments. As the Minister for Skills and Training I'm particularly proud of what this legislation means for students in the vocational education and training sector. I've been travelling to TAFEs right around the country, meeting with students and apprentices to hear about how government can better support them. I've seen firsthand how many of them have leapt at the chance to undertake a free TAFE course. On the basis of the latest data we know there've been more than 650,000 enrolments in free TAFE. We also know that free TAFE is producing results, with more than 170,000 course completions, seeing more Australians heading towards work in critical industries. And now these students, these apprentices, will be benefiting from student debt relief, too. Students with Australian Apprenticeship Support Loans and those with VET student loans will benefit—nearly 300,000 of them. On 1 June 2025, apprentices with these student loans had $1.22 billion of loan debt, while students with VET student loans had around $1.6 billion of student debt. Now, as a result of our 20 per cent student debt cut, around 244 million of Australian Apprenticeship Support Loan debt and $317 million of VET student loan debt will be removed. For an apprentice with the average-size loan, $9,000, the debt relief they'll see will be $1,800, while debt relief for someone with the average VET student loan of $11,000 will be $2,200. These loan programs have made further study and training possible for hundreds of thousands of Australians. They've enabled students and apprentices to pursue high-level training, including in courses that address the needs our country is facing and of course creating better employment outcomes and opportunities for them. In manufacturing, our government continues to drive forward a future made in Australia. In the care economy, we are developing reforms across aged care, health and early childhood education to support communities and ensure that they have the services they need. In housing, too, we are boosting the pipeline of housing construction workers to build the new homes Australians need. In science and technology, we are putting Australia at the forefront of global innovation and developing solutions for the modern world. Not only is this of benefit to students; we know how much Australian businesses and the economy benefit from the skills these graduates bring. I very recently met with some students from CIT here in Canberra who very generously shared their stories with me. Jennifer has a $40,000 student debt across both HECS and VET. She told me: 'I am relieved I will be saving around $8,000. It makes such a huge difference. I feel a huge weight off my shoulders, and I really feel like I can focus on finishing my course and getting into my industry.' Ralph is undertaking a Diploma of Nursing. As a result of this legislation, he will save $3,000. Ralph's looking to continue his journey to become a registered nurse. He told me that having more money back in his pocket will make a big difference. Izzy is set to see $2,000 of her student debt cut. For someone who has gone to TAFE to follow her passion for interior design, she feels like the government is supporting her to pursue her dream. Lauren told me she is trying to save for a home and that the student debt cut she will receive will get her a little bit closer to that goal. Elliott was pleased that they would receive a student debt cut on top of seeing wages rise for early childhood educators and free TAFE too. This is just a snapshot of the nearly 300,000 students and apprentices in the VET sector who will benefit from our government's student debt relief. It's clear to the students that this will make a really tangible difference in their lives. It's recognition from our government that we want to support students and apprentices to pursue new opportunities through TAFE and help set themselves up for their future and our future too. Very shortly after the Albanese government was first elected to office we brought stakeholders together in a jobs and skills summit. Alongside employers, unions and civil society, we are continuing to work to address what we inherited, which was the worst skills crisis in 50 years and the second-worst of any advanced economy. In our first term, we followed this by putting TAFE back at the heart of the VET system, delivering now more than 650,000 free TAFE places to address critical skills shortages and offer more people the opportunity to get ahead through training. These vital skills are now being deployed in industries like construction, hospitality, health and aged care, cyber and manufacturing. At this point, the very start of our second term, this bill, which will deliver a 20 per cent cut to student debt, will help expand opportunity to those who have traditionally been denied it while critically delivering immediate cost-of-living relief. I commend the bill to the House.
I thank my friend the member for Barton for her question, and I congratulate her on a really excellent first speech, the start of many great contributions for her community and in the national...
I thank my friend the member for Barton for her question, and I congratulate her on a really excellent first speech, the start of many great contributions for her community and in the national interest. It was also fantastic to join her just a few weeks ago at the St George Kogarah TAFE. We met there with some free TAFE students studying aged care and nursing, including some nursing students benefitting from our government's paid prac that began on 1 July. Free TAFE and paid prac—just two examples of how the Albanese Labor government is delivering for Australians and for young Australians in particular, supporting them to get the skills that they want for the jobs that we need done and supporting them to get ahead with real cost-of-living relief as well. We know that for VET students and apprentices, just like students at university, cutting student debt will make a real difference, including for those students that the Prime Minister, the Minister for Education and I met with yesterday from CIT here in Canberra, like Jennifer, who has both a HECS debt and a VET debt. Jennifer will save $8,000, which will help set her up for her new career. Ralph, a diploma of nursing student, will save $3,000 because of our student debt relief, which will help him save and prepare to pursue further study to become a registered nurse like a couple of my colleagues in this place here. These are just some of the thousands of stories that we've heard since we announced our 20 per cent cut from student debt. Three million Australians will benefit from this, including the better part of 300,000 apprentices and TAFE students. In the Albanese government, we are supporting every student and every apprentice to gain new skills to pursue new opportunities and to secure good jobs. To that end, free TAFE has now seen more than 650,000 enrolments and already 170,000 completions. But we know that not everyone in this place supports free TAFE. The Liberals and the Nationals voted no to free TAFE, and the Leader of the Opposition said in this place that, if you don't pay for something, you don't value it. Well, Australians disagree, and the Albanese Labor government has been listening to students like Jennifer and like Ralph, who told us that cutting student debt would make a difference in their lives. They put that on the ballot paper, and, on 3 May, young people voted for this. Now we are delivering. We're getting on with delivering student debt relief and with it more opportunities for young people to get the skills they want and the jobs we need. (Time expired)