Thursday, 30 July 2026

 Colin BROOKS (Bundoora – Minister for Industry and Advanced Manufacturing, Minister for Defence Industry, Minister for Skills and TAFE) (14:18): Did you know that if someone decided to travel to each of the 88 electorates in Victoria to take a selfie, on average every fourth electorate they went to would have a TAFE campus that was closed by the previous Liberal–National government? That is right. The previous Liberal–National government closed 22 campuses across Victoria as part of their shameful $1 billion worth of cuts to TAFE. Those cuts also resulted in 2000 TAFE teachers losing their jobs. While those opposite closed TAFE campuses, Labor has opened or upgraded 45 campuses across the state. In fact we have invested some $16 billion in base and additional funding in TAFE, and we have introduced free TAFE, offering now 80 courses.

There is more investment to come under the Carroll Labor government. We will build a $55 million TAFE campus in Melbourne’s west at Cobblebank. I was out onsite last week with the hardworking member for Melton and the great Labor candidate Broden Borg. The Carroll Labor government will also build a $25 million TAFE campus in Sunbury. This is all about giving Victorians the opportunity to get the skills they need for the future and building the workforce our economy needs to grow. We know this is all at risk. We know what $40 billion worth of cuts would do to TAFE. A Hanson–Wilson government would rip the guts out of TAFE and leave Victorians without the training that they need.