Julian Simmonds voted very strongly against increasing funding for vocational education

The majority voted in favour of keeping unchanged the original second reading motion, which is "that the bill be read for a second time" (parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill).

The MP for Sydney Tanya Plibersek had proposed to amend this motion with the text below.

Amendment text

That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:

"whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House notes that the Government:

(1) has damaged and neglected Australia's vocational education and training system, cutting over $3 billion from TAFE and training;

(2) is presiding over a disastrous decline in apprenticeships and traineeships; and

(3) is failing to work with employers, unions and TAFEs to rebuild Australia's world-class vocational education system".

The majority voted against an amendment to the usual second reading motion, which is "that the bill be read for a second time". Reading a bill for a second time is parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill.

Amendment text

"whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House notes that, under the Coalition Government, Australia's vocational education and training system is failing kids, workers, businesses and the economy, as demonstrated by presiding over a skills crisis where:

(1) 150,000 apprentices and trainees have been lost;

(2) more than $3 billion has been cut from TAFE and training;

(3) the Government has short-changed TAFE and training by nearly $1 billion; and

(4) our regions have been left behind while unemployment increases".

The majority voted against an amendment to the usual second reading motion, which means it failed.

Motion text

That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:

"whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House notes that the Government has failed students, workers, business and the economy by:

(1) presiding over a national shortage in skilled tradespeople, noting that the number of Australians doing an apprenticeship or traineeship is lower today than it was a decade ago;

(2) failing to tackle falling completion rates, as there are more people dropping out of apprenticeships and traineeships than finishing them; and

(3) cutting TAFE and training by over $3 billion and short-changing vocational education by nearly $1 billion".

The majority voted against an amendment to the usual second reading motion, which is that the bills be read for a second time (parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bills). The amendment was introduced by Cooper MP Ged Kearney (Labor).

Amendment text

That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:

"whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House notes that:

(1) the Government has:

(a) damaged the quality of Australia's world-class higher education and vocational training system;

(b) cut funding to TAFE and training;

(c) let apprentice numbers fall; and

(d) presided over a national shortage in skilled tradespeople; and

(2) Australians deserve excellent TAFEs and universities and the Government has gutted both