Tuesday, 6 February 2024

TAFE funding

Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (12:35): (394) My question is to the Minister for Skills and TAFE.

Members interjecting.

Joe McCRACKEN: Yes, I can confirm we actually do care about TAFE, and I have sent many of my students to TAFE once they finished high school. Minister, as you well know, the TAFE year is beginning and students are looking at their options. Why do you continually promote TAFE as free when you know that is actually not true?

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (12:36): I thank the member for the question. First of all, can I say if those opposite are now interested in TAFE, those on this side absolutely – and the Victorian community – will remember that not only were you not interested in TAFE, you took a wrecking ball to the TAFE system, and we will never forget that.

The point that Mr McCracken is trying to make is that he just did not receive the memo. The memo was a memo that was issued before 2019. In 2018 we made a decision that we were going to introduce free TAFE. Free TAFE is like free university under the Whitlam government – you did not say it was ‘tuition fee free’, it was free university. So for all of the things that you are trying to do, what you are really trying to do is muddy the waters and dirty up TAFE again. You are trying to wreck its credibility and its reputation. That is what you really are on about, because the fact of the matter is there are over 156,000 Victorians that understand what free TAFE is, because they have enrolled in it and they have made significant savings in tuition fees. This is a very successful program, and it is only those over there that want to muddy the waters and call it something else other than free TAFE, the language that all Victorians understand, and they have made sure that they have got in the queue to enrol in the courses that lead to jobs in this great state.

Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (12:38): Minister, you might be aware of the Gordon TAFE in Geelong. I checked the free TAFE courses in Geelong there, and I chose some free TAFE ones to look at – the course fees. Cert IV in building and construction, for example – according to the schedule of fees, even if tuition fees were zero, students would have to pay $665 in resources and another $138 in their education levy. That is over $800. How can you sit there and say TAFE is free when we know for the student that it actually is not?

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (12:38): Again, it is just another exercise in how to trash TAFE. This is what it is all about. Victorians understand what free TAFE is, and indeed parents understand –

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: Order! I could not hear the minister at all, so could we keep the noise down a bit.

Joe McCracken: On a point of order, President, I asked the minister a very clear question, and it is not about trashing TAFE, it is about getting honest answers. So please, can you actually answer the question and stop being deceptive?

The PRESIDENT: As I said, Mr McCracken, I could not hear the minister, so it is hard for me to judge on that point of order, but I will call her to the question.

Gayle TIERNEY: I do appreciate the opportunity to talk about free TAFE again, because as I said in the answer to the substantive question, most Victorians, apart from you and a small group of people around you, Mr McCracken, understand what free TAFE is. They understand that there are over 80 free TAFE courses. There are a lot of shorter courses as well. We are very proud of making sure that we have got the resources and the facilities to ensure that there is a connection between free TAFE – getting that delivered – acquiring those skills and moving on to jobs. This is incredibly important, not just to individuals but also to the economy. Whether it be in Warrnambool, Portland, Bairnsdale, Geelong, Ballarat, we are very, very supportive of our free TAFE program – (Time expired)

Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (12:40): I move:

That the minister’s answer be taken into consideration on the next day of meeting.

Motion agreed to.