“Senator Henderson’s leaked comments that Free TAFE is ‘just not working’ show without a shadow of a doubt that a Coalition government will be a disaster for TAFE, for public education and for working people all over Australia,” Federation President Henry Rajendra said on Tuesday.
“Not only are Senator Henderson’s comments that Free TAFE ‘has cost this country $1.5 billion’ wrongheaded and contemptuous of working people; they are financially reckless.
“$1.5 billion over four years to give more than 600,000 Australians the chance to earn qualifications that will demonstrably improve their lives is not an ‘expense’, as Senator Henderson claims. It’s an investment – and a bloody good one.
“The money that will be pumped into the economy by 600,000 people earning higher wages, paying their fair share of tax, gaining more purchasing power and strengthening the nation’s industries will make $1.5 billion look like chump change.
“Any mathematics teacher could tell you that, but it seemingly escapes the person Peter Dutton will put in charge of the nation’s education if he wins the next election.
“Senator Henderson’s ignorant comments have given us all the motivation we need to make protecting Free TAFE the issue that keeps the Coalition out of government. Our #RebuildWithTAFE Week of Action is in full swing, with Federation members leafleting, door knocking, throwing events and spreading the word that Free TAFE is on the ballot paper at this election – and a vote for the Coalition is a vote to scrap it.
“This is what the Coalition thinks of working people. They think that giving private schools public money to build castles – actual, real-life, $60 million castles – is good education policy, but that giving working people the chance to improve their education and make their lives better is a ‘waste’.
“Free TAFE is overwhelmingly being taken up by working people. 170,000 young people have taken it up. 124,000 people on Job Seeker have taken it up. 30,000 First Nations people have taken it up. More than 200,000 people in rural and remote communities have taken it up. More than 300,000 women have taken it up. These are the people the Coalition wants to stop from getting a leg-up in the job market and bringing more money home to their families during a cost-of-living crisis.
Quite frankly, I find Senator Henderson’s attitude disgusting. Australia can’t afford an education minister who treats students and our TAFE system with such contempt, and we can’t afford a Prime Minister like Peter Dutton who will put someone like Henderson in charge of our nation’s future.”