Ms THEOPHANOUS (Northcote): My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Training and Skills and Minister for Higher Education in the other place. The action that I seek is that the minister accompany me to the Fairfield campus of Melbourne Polytechnic to meet with students and staff at this wonderful institution. The Northcote electorate is serviced by two campuses of Melbourne Polytechnic, with the Preston campus sitting just to the north and the Fairfield campus nestled down near the Yarra. On a day when many members have commented on the catastrophes inflicted on the people of Victoria by the Kennett government, it is perhaps very timely that I talk about the Fairfield campus of Melbourne Polytechnic, for it was the Bracks government in 2001 that breathed new life into the buildings that the TAFE campus now occupies after the Kennett government shut down what was the Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital in 1996, a facility that was a genuine world leader when it came to the testing and treatment of HIV/AIDS—but I digress. I am proud of Melbourne Polytechnic and what it has become. I am also very proud of what the Andrews Labor government has done for TAFE—saving TAFE from the very dire position that those opposite put it in. The Fairfield campus is home to horticulture, creative arts and performing arts programs, and while comparatively it is a small campus, to some degree the Fairfield campus of Melbourne Polytechnic is emblematic of exactly how important this government’s free TAFE initiative is. I know that the success of the program has brought challenges—and my office has helped some of my constituents through them—and I know that the government and the minister are acting constantly to improve the experience. As the minister spoke about recently, more than 25 000 students have commenced training in free TAFE courses across Victoria in the first half of this year—a 92 per cent increase in commencements in these courses compared to last year—but importantly 57 per cent of those students are women. Free TAFE courses in traditionally male-dominated courses, such as horticulture run out of Fairfield, have experienced a doubling of female commencements. The benefits to the broader community and to the broader economy of women’s participation in these industries cannot be denied, so these statistics make me profoundly proud. I am also very heartened by another free TAFE offering at the Fairfield campus, and that is the certificate IV in child, youth and family intervention. Free TAFE is for priority courses, and there can be no greater priority than this. We know that we need more workers skilled in child and youth support along with family violence prevention and support workers. Free TAFE is quintessential Labor policy. TAFE removes barriers, TAFE provides pathways and TAFE can be transformative. I welcome the minister to accompany me to the Fairfield campus of Melbourne Poly to see the amazing work done and the fantastic results of the free TAFE program.
