edited
6 days ago
Free Tafe Bill 2024 - Second Reading - Student debt and repayment threshold
Not passed by a large majority
No rebellions 42% attendance
5th Feb 2025, 12:45 PM – Representatives Free Tafe Bill 2024 - Second Reading - Agree with the bill's main idea
Summary
EditThe majority voted in favour of a motion to read the bill for a second time. This means that they voted to agree with the bill's main idea and so can now consider it in greater detail.
What is the bill's main idea?
According to the bill digest (which is a document created by the parliamentary library):
The Free TAFE Bill 2024 (the Bill) would facilitate the ongoing provision of financial assistance to the states and territories (the states), towards delivering Free TAFE and vocational education and training (VET) places, from 2027 onwards.
The Bill enshrines into legislation policy relating to the Fee-Free TAFE program, which has delivered Fee-Free TAFE places since the beginning of 2023.
Through Fee-Free TAFE, the Government, together with the states, funds training places related to areas of local and national priority—with priority given to specific groups who experience social and economic exclusion—thereby allowing for these places to be free for students (dependent upon the terms of the agreement between the Commonwealth and the relevant state).
The Bill sets out the parameters for funding ‘Free TAFE’ (FT) places through the states, the requirement for a FT agreement to be in place between the Commonwealth and the states, and key matters that the agreements should contain.
The Bill includes a requirement for the Commonwealth minister responsible for skills and training to consult with the Ministerial Council made up of respective state ministers and table a consultation report, prior to legislating any amendments to the Act.
State governments, several unions and TAFE organisations have welcomed the Bill as providing ongoing certainty for a program that they consider reduces financial barriers for qualifications and assists in addressing skills shortages.
The Coalition will not support the Bill, and several major industry groups oppose it. Key areas of criticism or concern are that such a program should not be legislated, particularly without proper evaluation and detailed costings, and that it priorities TAFE over other VET providers to the detriment of student choice and the sector.
The Bill was considered by the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills which reported on 20 November 2024. The Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee is due to report on 27 February 2025.
Votes Passed by a small majority
Nobody rebelled against their party.
| Party | Votes | |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Greens (100% turnout) | 4 Yes – 0 No | |
| Adam Bandt Melbourne | Yes | |
| Stephen Bates Brisbane | Yes | |
| Max Chandler-Mather Griffith | Yes | |
| Elizabeth Watson-Brown Ryan | Yes | |
| Australian Labor Party (96% turnout) | 74 Yes – 0 No | |
| Anthony Albanese Grayndler | Yes | |
| Anne Aly Cowan | Yes | |
| Michelle Ananda-Rajah Higgins | Yes | |
| Jodie Belyea Dunkley | Yes | |
| Chris Bowen McMahon | Yes | |
| Tony Burke Watson | Yes | |
| Matt Burnell Spence | Yes | |
| Linda Burney Barton | Yes | |
| Josh Burns Macnamara | Yes | |
| Mark Butler Hindmarsh | Yes | |
| Alison Byrnes Cunningham | Yes | |
| Jim Chalmers Rankin | Yes | |
| Andrew Charlton Parramatta | Yes | |
| Lisa Chesters Bendigo | Yes | |
| Jason Clare Blaxland | Yes | |
| Sharon Claydon Newcastle | Yes | |
| Libby Coker Corangamite | Yes | |
| Julie Collins Franklin | Yes | |
| Pat Conroy Shortland | Yes | |
| Mary Doyle Aston | Yes | |
| Mark Dreyfus Isaacs | Yes | |
| Justine Elliot Richmond | Yes | |
| Cassandra Fernando Holt | Yes | |
| Mike Freelander Macarthur | Yes | |
| Carina Garland Chisholm | Yes | |
| Steve Georganas Adelaide | Yes | |
| Andrew Giles Scullin | Yes | |
| Patrick Gorman Perth | Yes | |
| Luke Gosling Solomon | Yes | |
| Julian Hill Bruce | Yes | |
| Ed Husic Chifley | Yes | |
| Stephen Jones Whitlam | Yes | |
| Ged Kearney Cooper | Yes | |
| Matt Keogh Burt | Yes | |
| Peter Khalil Wills | Yes | |
| Catherine King Ballarat | Yes | |
| Madeleine King Brand | Yes | |
| Tania Lawrence Hasluck | Yes | |
| Jerome Laxale Bennelong | Yes | |
| Andrew Leigh Fenner | Yes | |
| Sam Lim Tangney | Yes | |
| Richard Marles Corio | Yes | |
| Zaneta Mascarenhas Swan | Yes | |
| Kristy McBain Eden-Monaro | Yes | |
| Emma McBride Dobell | Yes | |
| Louise Miller-Frost Boothby | Yes | |
| Brian Mitchell Lyons | Yes | |
| Rob Mitchell McEwen | Yes | |
| Daniel Mulino Fraser | Yes | |
| Shayne Neumann Blair | Yes | |
| Brendan O'Connor Gorton | Yes | |
| Alicia Payne Canberra | Yes | |
| Graham Perrett Moreton | Yes | |
| Fiona Phillips Gilmore | Yes | |
| Tanya Plibersek Sydney | Yes | |
| Sam Rae Hawke | Yes | |
| Gordon Reid Robertson | Yes | |
| Dan Repacholi Hunter | Yes | |
| Amanda Rishworth Kingston | Yes | |
| Tracey Roberts Pearce | Yes | |
| Michelle Rowland Greenway | Yes | |
| Marion Scrymgour Lingiari | Yes | |
| Sally Sitou Reid | Yes | |
| David Smith Bean | Yes | |
| Anne Stanley Werriwa | Yes | |
| Meryl Swanson Paterson | Yes | |
| Susan Templeman Macquarie | Yes | |
| Matt Thistlethwaite Kingsford Smith | Yes | |
| Kate Thwaites Jagajaga | Yes | |
| Maria Vamvakinou Calwell | Yes | |
| Tim Watts Gellibrand | Yes | |
| Anika Wells Lilley | Yes | |
| Josh Wilson Fremantle | Yes | |
| Tony Zappia Makin | Yes | |
| Clare O'Neil Hotham | Absent | |
| Joanne Ryan Lalor | Absent | |
| Bill Shorten Maribyrnong | Absent | |
| Rebekha Sharkie Mayo Centre Alliance | Yes | |
| Mark Coulton Parkes Deputy Speaker | No | |
| Helen Haines Indi Independent | Yes | |
| Dai Le Fowler Independent | Yes | |
| Sophie Scamps Mackellar Independent | Yes | |
| Andrew Wilkie Clark Independent | Yes | |
| Russell Broadbent Monash Independent | No | |
| Allegra Spender Wentworth Independent | No | |
| Kate Chaney Curtin Independent | Absent | |
| Zoe Daniel Goldstein Independent | Absent | |
| Andrew Gee Calare Independent | Absent | |
| Monique Ryan Kooyong Independent | Absent | |
| Zali Steggall Warringah Independent | Absent | |
| Kylea Tink North Sydney Independent | Absent | |
| Bob Katter Kennedy Katter's Australian Party | Absent | |
| Liberal National Party (78% turnout) | 0 Yes – 7 No | |
| Angie Bell Moncrieff | No | |
| Colin Boyce Flynn | No | |
| Cameron Caldwell Fadden | No | |
| Garth Hamilton Groom | No | |
| Henry Pike Bowman | No | |
| Andrew Wallace Fisher | No | |
| Terry Young Longman | No | |
| Phillip Thompson Herbert | Absent | |
| Andrew Willcox Dawson | Absent | |
| Liberal Party (100% turnout) | 0 Yes – 33 No | |
| Karen Andrews McPherson | No | |
| Bridget Archer Bass | No | |
| Scott Buchholz Wright | No | |
| David Coleman Banks | No | |
| Peter Dutton Dickson | No | |
| Warren Entsch Leichhardt | No | |
| Paul Fletcher Bradfield | No | |
| Ian Goodenough Moore | No | |
| Andrew Hastie Canning | No | |
| Alex Hawke Mitchell | No | |
| Luke Howarth Petrie | No | |
| Simon Kennedy Cook | No | |
| Julian Leeser Berowra | No | |
| Sussan Ley Farrer | No | |
| Nola Marino Forrest | No | |
| Melissa McIntosh Lindsay | No | |
| Zoe McKenzie Flinders | No | |
| Ted O'Brien Fairfax | No | |
| Tony Pasin Barker | No | |
| Gavin Pearce Braddon | No | |
| Melissa Price Durack | No | |
| Rowan Ramsey Grey | No | |
| James Stevens Sturt | No | |
| Michael Sukkar Deakin | No | |
| Angus Taylor Hume | No | |
| Dan Tehan Wannon | No | |
| Bert Van Manen Forde | No | |
| Ross Vasta Bonner | No | |
| Aaron Violi Casey | No | |
| Jenny Ware Hughes | No | |
| Rick Wilson O'Connor | No | |
| Keith Wolahan Menzies | No | |
| Jason Wood La Trobe | No | |
| National Party (83% turnout) | 0 Yes – 10 No | |
| Sam Birrell Nicholls | No | |
| Darren Chester Gippsland | No | |
| Pat Conaghan Cowper | No | |
| David Gillespie Lyne | No | |
| Kevin Hogan Page | No | |
| Michelle Landry Capricornia | No | |
| David Littleproud Maranoa | No | |
| Michael McCormack Riverina | No | |
| Llew O'Brien Wide Bay | No | |
| Anne Webster Mallee | No | |
| Barnaby Joyce New England | Absent | |
| Keith Pitt Hinkler | Absent | |
| Milton Dick Oxley Speaker | Absent | |
| Totals (90% turnout) | 83 Yes – 53 No |
Turnout is the percentage of members eligible to vote that did vote.