Wednesday, 4 February 2026

 Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Water) (12:05): Today I rise to remind the chamber of the Labor government’s commitment to TAFE. We are delivering a TAFE legacy in this state that can never be unwound. The Education and Training Reform Amendment (Free TAFE Guarantee) Bill 2026, introduced today, enshrines in law TAFE at the centre of our vocational training system. We are mandating that no less than 70 per cent of skills funding must go to TAFE as the high-quality public training provider valued by all Victorians, and we are enshrining in law the free TAFE program for all time. When this bill passes, Victorians will have guaranteed access to free TAFE programs. To remove this guarantee will require an act of Parliament. I wish to assure Victorians that no alternative government would seek to remove this guaranteed access to free TAFE. Sadly, I simply cannot give these assurances. But what I can assure Victorians is that with Labor MPs in this place on this side of the chamber, any vote to remove free TAFE will never pass. This bill is a vote for TAFE, it is a vote for free TAFE, it is a vote for TAFE teachers and it certainly is a vote for TAFE students. This will deliver the skilled workers we need to grow the economy. This will help Victorians get reliable, well-paying jobs that lead to rewarding careers. It is about the core value of access to public education in this state. The choice is clear. I am the minister for TAFE, and I serve in a government that will safeguard TAFE and free TAFE for all generations. Now, I want to know what others will do when this bill comes to the house. Will they be strong enough to support free TAFE and free public education in this state?