Howard legacy: underfunding TAFE

The simple fact is that it takes years for policy decisions which negatively affect TAFE to impact the broader voting community. So it's more appealing for a government striving to be re-elected to spend public money on areas where the impact will be felt more instantly, health for example.

As a result successive governments have deserted the longer term needs of the communities that have elected them. This year is no exception.

TAFE funding has once again been reduced

The Federal Government's 2007 Budget provided no additional funding for TAFE. As a result, TAFE funding has once again been reduced in real terms.

And this is at a time when the nation faces a severe skills shortage. So why would any government short change the one training organisation that has the ability to help address the skills shortage that's threatening to bring our economy to its knees?

The answer, sadly, is that providing adequate funding for TAFE won't help them get re-elected. It's not high enough on the electoral agenda and it won't have an immediate positive effect on the voting community.

They're relying on voters concerning themselves only with the short-term needs. They're relying on the majority being a silent majority.

Help us fix this problem

Please fill out and submit this form to tell our politicians what you think about the under-funding of TAFE.

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