Wednesday, 23 February 2022

TAFE funding

Ms TERPSTRA (Eastern Metropolitan) (09:54): It is important and incumbent on all members of this place to come here and tell the truth, and at a time when we are increasingly seeing Trumpist-style politics in Australia we have a responsibility to call out those who try to bring this kind of conduct into our Parliament.

What we saw yesterday was an extraordinary claim from Dr Bach on TAFE. He claimed that the Liberal Party in fact established free TAFE—an extraordinary claim. That is right, the same party that absolutely decimated the TAFE system is now coming into this place and claiming that it set up the Andrews Labor government’s free TAFE initiative. What a load of rubbish.

I am not going to stand for members coming into this place and making false claims like the one made by Dr Bach yesterday. These kinds of lies need to be called out. Those opposite never set up the free TAFE initiative. If we want to talk about the truth when it comes to TAFE, let us look at the actual record of the opposition when it comes to TAFE: massive cuts to TAFE funding, including removing the funding that TAFEs received to recognise their role as public providers; courses cut across the state; and TAFE teachers sacked. We saw over 100 000 students locked out of free TAFE between 2012 and 2014 because of those opposite’s decimation of the TAFE system. In comparison, we saved TAFE and we are reinvesting in TAFE.

I call on Dr Bach to provide a source for the claim he made yesterday about vulnerable cohorts being locked out of TAFE education. He should stop lying and get on board with our work to make TAFE the best it has ever been.

Mr Davis: On a point of order, President, the member then, as I heard, used a word that was unparliamentary. Can I ask her to withdraw in that circumstance. I am not going to repeat the word.

The PRESIDENT: Ms Terpstra, I did not hear it, but I want to ask you: did you say Dr Bach is lying or something along these lines?

Ms TERPSTRA: He made a false claim.

Mr Davis: No, actually, that’s not what you said.

Ms TERPSTRA: What did I say then?

The PRESIDENT: Order! Ms Terpstra, if you said the words, please withdraw. Otherwise I will have to look at Hansard.

Ms TERPSTRA: Look at the Hansard and let me know. If he is not going to tell me what I said, it is again—

The PRESIDENT: Okay, thank you. Continue.

Ms TERPSTRA: There are 50 per cent more women, 45 per cent more CALD, 41 per cent more learners with a disability, 26 per cent more regional students and 43 per cent more unemployed Victorians. Also there are more Aboriginal students studying at TAFE than ever—47 per cent more. (Time expired)