The Federal Opposition vows to scrap Labor’s promise to add 100,000 more fee-free TAFE positions to those it has been delivering without cost since 2023.
Peter Dutton has opposed free TAFE positions, citing the expense of helping lower-income students.

The PSA CPSU NSW supports free TAFE places for Australian students. Not only will full TAFE campuses ensure there will be jobs for our members, our union passionately believes providing access to education for all people, not just those with the means to pay full fees, is a common good.

Since Labor’s initial fee-free program was rolled out in 2023, it has achieved positive social outcomes. It has increased enrolments in TAFE, particularly in the demographic areas which often have lower vocational education uptake. Since January 2023 there have been 317,404 enrolments by women, 170,470 by people aged 24 and under, 124,312 by people on the Job Seeker allowance, 110,969 by people who speak a language other than English at home, and 30,041 by First Nations people. Moreover, the vocational areas enrolled in represent jobs that are critically needed, particularly the care industry – including disability and aged care, early childhood education and care, and other areas such as digital, tech, and construction.

But Peter Dutton doesn’t like what he sees.

Private colleges, the opposition believes, are the key to successful education outcomes. Indeed, Shadow Minister for Education and coalition frontbencher Sarah Henderson headlined an event in November for private colleges and launched a new brand for a Liberal Party member and CEO of the private college group Apply 4 Study Australia.

There is also history behind the Liberal National Coalition’s disdain of TAFE. In the 1970s, under Labor’s Kim Beazley (Senior) as Education Minister, TAFE was given not only a financial boost, but it was also promoted as a respectable mode of education; regarded as an alternative, neither inferior nor superior, to the other streams of education. There was also a strong emphasis placed on unrestricted access to recurrent education, and TAFE extended to preparatory courses, transfer courses and other help that allowed adults to attempt the level of vocational education they desired. Groups that were identified as being particularly disadvantaged and requiring specific assistance were women, First Nations people, those who resided outside metropolitan areas and the disabled.

The conservative opposition objected to this, citing that education is the responsibility of the states, and this was greatly overstepping on behalf of the federal government. Thus, begun an enduring resentment of TAFE by the Liberal Party. And sense of pride in TAFE from Labor. However, that pride does not always translate into support and our members in TAFE are in a constant fight for job retention and decent funding.

So, when a government of any stripe is offering support – particularly the generous support that the Albanese government is currently offering and promising to extend – to oppose this defies logic.

The Libs say you don’t appreciate something unless you pay for it. Well, we say, if you take your kids to hospital and they get treated for a broken bone, you certainly appreciate it. If you call the police and your emergency gets dispatched to an officer within seconds, you appreciate that. If your disabled family member gets the care they need, you appreciate that. Our community appreciates the work TAFE does for the wider community. Everyone is better off when as many people as possible have access to fee-free TAFE places.

As a union, we applaud the Federal Government for helping young Australians when the cost of living is so exceptionally high. Saying those students getting a fee-free course don’t appreciate it is disingenuous; if not arrogant.