Mrs PHILLIPS (Gilmore) (15:47): I'm proud to stand here today as a regional MP, delivering for my region on the South Coast of New South Wales and for regional Australia. I grew up on a dairy farm in my region, and everything I learnt growing up means I get my region. It's where I've raised my four kids. So, as an MP—and a mum—I naturally want the best for every young child growing up in our region. I want our young people to go to TAFE to complete their apprenticeship or go to uni. I want young people to aspire to remain living locally. I want to ensure the health needs of pensioners and our most vulnerable are looked after. That is why, I have absolutely championed what's good for our regions. And today I want to mention just two of those initiatives.
We're making fee-free TAFE permanent. As a TAFE teacher, I saw what the New South Wales Liberal government did to TAFE: they gutted it. The carpark at TAFE NSW Nowra campus was constantly empty. Locals noticed it and were shocked and dismayed. That's what the Liberal government did. I am so happy to be part of the Albanese Labor government that brought in fee-free TAFE. It has meant more people going to TAFE to do an apprenticeship, to retrain in a skills shortage industry. In Gilmore, 4,400 people have taken up our fee-free TAFE.
Last week I visited the Nowra TAFE campus with the Acting Prime Minister, and we went into electrical and carpentry classes. We spoke with students and heard how fee-free TAFE is helping, providing that bit of important relief, allowing people to retrain. That's absolutely wonderful. Our Free TAFE Bill in the House will make fee-free TAFE permanent—fantastic. But it should come as no surprise that Peter Dutton won't support it. In fact, the Liberals called it wasteful spending. Well, try telling that to TAFE students in my electorate and their mums and dads, nannas and pops. People in my electorate know the importance of TAFE and that our fee-free TAFE is working.
In fact, the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party and shadow minister for skills made some pretty shocking statements on our TAFE bill in the House. She said:
“And remember this, and it's a key principle and tenet of the Liberal Party: if you don't pay for something, you don't value it. So, if you're told that your TAFE is free and all you have to do is turn up—you actually have to do some work, and then you have to get a qualification at the end—and if that's all that it is but you haven't paid for it, you don't see it as something that makes a difference to you in your life; you don't see it as something valuable”.
What an extraordinary betrayal of young people and people of all ages studying at TAFE—gaining skills, getting that qualification, becoming tradies, helping solve skill shortages in our regions.
Well, I'm pleased to say that, under Labor, fee-free TAFE is here to stay. Today I launched a petition to have our Batemans Bay Medicare urgent care clinic upgraded to have normal hours of operation closer to 24/7 and to increase the care level. The Batemans Bay Medicare urgent care clinic that I lobbied hard for and delivered has seen 7,500 patients, all fully bulk-billed, receiving treatment for urgent conditions. It helps take pressure off our wonderful local GPs and the emergency departments at Batemans Bay and Moruya. Here's what Emma said just today: 'That urgent care is fantastic. My son fractured his hand yesterday and we were able to get seen there straightaway, and the level of care they gave us was outstanding. Both the nurse and the doctor treating my son were just so lovely and caring. Our town needs this.'
That's the type of support we're providing in my region and for regional Australia, making a real difference for families, pensioners and everyone in our community. But people should be very aware of the Liberals' $615 billion in planned spending cuts and what's on the chopping board when it comes to health. After all, when the opposition leader was health minister he tried to do away with bulk-billing by introducing a tax on every visit to the GP. He started a six-year freeze on Medicare rebates and cut $50 billion from hospitals. He was even voted the worst health minister in 40 years by Australian doctors. That is in stark contrast to this side of the House, with the Albanese Labor government strengthening Medicare, increasing bulk-billing and delivering for regional Australia.
