Free TAFE to be scrapped under Peter Dutton’s Australia – as ‘leaked’ video reveals what the Liberals REALLY think about the $1.5billion scheme

A Coalition government led by Peter Dutton would scrap fee-free TAFE after it was revealed just 13 per cent of students have completed their courses. 

The waiving of fees for the vocational education and training institution is costing taxpayers $1.5billion over four years.

Shadow Education Minister and Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson was recently captured slamming the scheme. 

While the caption stated viewers ‘weren’t meant to see this’, the comments were made at a public Geelong Chamber of Commerce Forum on Monday. 

‘The free TAFE policy has cost the country $1.5billion dollars,’ she said. 

‘It just is not working.’

The Coalition has been opposed to the policy since its inception, voting against legislation to extend the program during the final parliamentary sitting before the election was called, arguing the low completion rate means few people were actually gaining trade credentials.

Figures showed just 13 per cent of TAFE students have completed their courses, around 100,000 out of the 600,000 who enrolled. 

Deputy Liberal Leader Sussan Ley came under fire from Labor after claiming, ‘If you don’t pay for something, you don’t value it’. 

Defending her comments, Ms Ley clarified, ‘Calling a policy or service ‘free’ doesn’t make it free… free TAFE isn’t free. We have all paid for it.’

She said a ‘TAFE-only approach’ had also made it harder for aspiring tradies who used to be able to learn on the job, saying ‘we’ve lost 80,000 apprentices and trainees since [Labor] took office’. 

‘While we don’t know how many Australians have dropped out of the Free TAFE program, we do know that just 13 per cent of courses have been completed successfully,’ a Liberal party spokesperson told the Daily Mail Australia. 

‘We can do better than Labor’s Free TAFE program and under a Dutton Coalition Government we will do better.’

Liam O’Brien, Assistant Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, has this afternoon condemned the comments by Senator Henderson. 

Telling Daily Mail Australia, ‘Peter Dutton, Sarah Henderson and Sussan Ley’s rejection of Free TAFE shows how out of touch they are with the needs of women, First Nations people and young people who have grasped with both hands the opportunity to get a free skills qualification.’

Adding, ‘The Coalition is wrong to claim that unless you can cost something down to the last dollar, then it has no value. In fact, for many women, First Nations and young people a free education is priceless due to the life-changing job opportunities it brings.’

Labor meanwhile has warned TAFE would be just the first of numerous free programs to be slashed if Mr Dutton was elected Prime Minister. 

‘This not the only thing they will cut. As sure as night follows day, if they win the election they will cut funding to public schools as well. There is no other way Peter Dutton can pay for his $600billion nuclear reactor,’ Federal Education Minister Jason Clare told news.com.au. 

‘We need more Aussies to finish school and get the skills they need to do these jobs. That’s why this is important. Free TAFE is part of that.’

Of the 600,000 Australians who have enrolled in fee-free TAFE, 170,000 are young people, 124,000 are on Job Seeker allowance, and 30,000 are Aboriginal Australians.

Women have taken up more than six in ten of the available places, while one in three students come from regional and remote communities.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said ‘Free TAFE opens doors and gives Australians one of the greatest opportunities they have, not just to fulfil their potential, but expand it’.