The future of Free TAFE in Tasmania has emerged as a contentious election issue, with Labor claiming the program faces an uncertain future if the Liberals gain power.
More than 6,000 Tasmanians have already benefited from the free vocational education initiative, which federal Labor plans to make permanent.
Labor have pointed to comments from the Liberal Candidate for Braddon, Mal Hingston, who appeared uncertain about his party’s commitment to the program during a recent radio interview.
When asked directly if the Liberal party would keep Fee Free TAFE if re-elected, Hingston responded with “um I’d have to have a think about that. I’m not sure.”
Labor’s candidate for Clark, Heidi Heck, said Free TAFE changed her life.
“For me, getting to go to free TAFE and having the ability to do that gave me confidence I’d never had before and brought me back into the community which I’d previously been fairly isolated from,” Heck said.
“Labor will make free TAFE permanent, which means more people will benefit and we can keep building Australia’s future.”
Australian Education Union Tasmanian President David Genford said he wants to see as many TAFE courses as possible made free.
“We need to see a government that’s actually going to value our education system. That’s through free TAFE, through fully funding our public education system,” Genford said.
“At the moment, Peter Dutton is not prepared to do that.”
The coalition says it will develop a trade training centre and has committed $12,000 to businesses to help them employ apprentices.
“What businesses have been telling me is that they actually can’t afford to put any apprentices on,” Lyons Liberals candidate Susie Bower said.
You need a small business to actually employ you as an apprentice to actually do an apprenticeship.”
