Mrs PHILLIPS (Gilmore) (15:01): My question is to the Minister for Skills and Training. How is the Albanese Labor government supporting Australians to gain the skills that are in demand while easing cost-of-living pressures? What approach to skills has the government rejected?
Mr GILES (Scullin—Minister for Skills and Training) (15:01): I thank the member for Gilmore for her question. I acknowledge her long career working in education, skills and training on the South Coast, including as a TAFE teacher. I also anticipate a very long career for her in this place.
Honourable members interjecting—
The SPEAKER: The minister will pause. I can't hear what is being said, so now a general warning is issued, which means that, if people interject, they'll suffer the consequences. I can't hear the answer. The questioner was given the respect of being heard in silence. We're 10 seconds in, and this is a wall of noise. It's not on. It's not happening. The Minister for Skills and Training has the call.
Mr GILES: The member for Gilmore knows that a strong VET sector is critical to Australians getting secure and well-paid work and for businesses in her area and all of our areas getting the skills they need. Yesterday was National TAFE Day. Together with educators from right around the country on this side of the House, we celebrated the group of people who make so much possible for so many—Australia's TAFE teachers. Our teachers, in a real sense, are our TAFEs. Their passion, their leadership and their hard work is helping Australians get high-quality skills for today's workforce and for tomorrow too. TAFE changes lives and plays a vital role in giving people skills they need for secure and well-paid jobs. It's where so many of our nurses, early childhood educators and tradies begin their careers.
After years of being systematically run down by those opposite, the Albanese government is committed to realising the potential of TAFE for the benefit of every Australian. With fee-free TAFE, we've now helped more than 500,000 Australians secure their place. That's half a million people learning in-demand skills to work in construction, housing, aged care and cybersecurity, easing cost-of-living pressures while helping businesses get the skilled workers they need. Last week the National Centre for Vocational Education Research released its latest report, and that revealed a substantial increase in the number of students undertaking VET last year—more than five million students taking part in some form of nationally recognised training, up by more than 10 per cent. The data also shows that more students are studying VET qualifications, with numbers increasing by 6.7 per cent to 2.1 million last year from the year before that. This is growth principally driven by domestic government funded students, including fee-free TAFE. The most popular qualifications included early childhood education and care, and that's not surprising because, together with fee-free TAFE, there has never been a better time to be an early childhood educator. We're making studying more affordable for future educators, and, by backing a 15 per cent pay rise, we are making sure, when they graduate, they'll be paid fairly for this important work.
But, while we're investing in Australians and helping students with the cost of living, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition describes fee-free TAFE as 'wasteful'. She is wrong because there is nothing wasteful about training our future care workers and tradies.
The SPEAKER: The minister will pause. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition on a point of order.
Ms Ley: It's on relevance. I appreciate that this minister hasn't been on his feet for quite some time, but the question to him, from his own side, did not invite a compare and contrast nor did it invite him to consider the policies of the opposition.
The SPEAKER: I want to hear from the Leader of the House.
Mr Burke: I'll just raise two things: (1) that was a deliberate abuse of a point of order and (2) it was done after you'd given a general warning.
The SPEAKER: The Deputy Leader of the Opposition didn't hear the question, because, in the question, it said, 'What approaches were rejected?'
Government members interjecting—
The SPEAKER: Order! I don't need sound effects on my right either. I'm willing to give everyone a fair go when it comes to points of order, if anyone jumps up, but they're not to be taken advantage of. It's not appropriate. It's not how this parliament is going to work and it's not how this parliament has worked. So there are consequences for actions. The deputy leader will leave the chamber under 94(a).
The member for Farrer then left the chamber.
The SPEAKER: The minister in continuation.
Mr GILES: As minister, I've been meeting students right around Australia for whom fee-free TAFE has given the opportunity to become nurses, early educators, bricklayers, locksmiths, fitters and turners. They've had the opportunity, thanks to fee-free TAFE, to learn the skills they need, and, when they begin their careers, they will be earning more and keeping more of what they earn thanks to the Albanese Labor government.
