KATIE WOOLF, HOST: I have Labor’s Member for Solomon Luke Gosling on the line, good morning to you, Luke. Welcome to the show. So obviously a massive announcement when you talk about these $29 million in funding and 831 places for the Northern Territory when it comes to uni. Luke, why’s the Government decided to go down this path?
LUKE GOSLING, MEMBER FOR SOLOMON: It was part of our election campaign commitments to around Australia to help more people into TAFE with many hundreds of thousands of positions around the country, but also universities. And we've got 831 additional uni places at CDU, free of free training for teachers, nurses, engineers and IT
people, and the rest will be in areas of skilled worker need and really happy that we've been able to announce this in the lead up to the budget tomorrow.
WOOLF: So how exactly is it going to work? Will the cost of their entire degree be covered by the federal Government?
GOSLING: Well, it's going to provide extra places, funded places for people studying bachelor and sub-bachelor courses, sub-bachelor diplomas and so forth, which is going to be great for people and makes higher education more accessible. What's not in the announcement today, though, is the TFAE training, the vocational training, which is essential because we've got the skills shortages that everyone is well aware of, and this will train up Territorians for those jobs. And there'll be people coming from interstate as well and we'll link them up with the jobs that'll come from the extra infrastructure that's being funded in tomorrow's budget as well. And that bodes well for sustainable development of our population and not just in Darwin and Palmerston but down the track as well.
WOOLF: So there are going to be TAFE places as well when it comes to that side of things?
GOSLING: Yeah, that wasn't part of today's announcement, that’s separate, but CDU are doing a lot of work on their TAFE sector and there’s the marine and aviation sectors in particular. But all throughout our economy, there's a massive need for more trained up Territorians. So making it free just makes it more accessible. And of course, with the increased cost of living, it means that it's going to allow Territorians to get ahead and it's an investment in our future. And 831 places is massive, a $29 million injection into our university and we've got the campus coming along well in the city. It just bodes well for the future.
WOOLF: So 831 places, I'm just trying to wrap my head around it. So that's for the uni degrees, but then is there additional ones when it comes to your apprenticeships and that kind of thing. Oh, traineeships?
GOSLING: Yes, 100 per cent. Thousands.
WOOLF: A thousand of those?
GOSLING: Thousands. Yeah.
WOOLF: Oh, thousands.
GOSLING: But if I can just can talk about that another time—
WOOLF: Oh, yeah, that's all right. No, no, I'm just trying to wrap my head around it, so we'll make sure we pin you down about that later in the week, then, once that detail comes out. But Luke, just to go back to how it's all going to work. So obviously it means it's 831 additional places. It is really aimed at people who maybe come from regional and remote areas, Indigenous students, poorer backgrounds. So does it mean that they won't have to pay for those uni degrees?
GOSLING: Yeah. They're for free places, additional places funded by the Commonwealth. And it's really significant and it's on top of the infrastructure funding that we announced last week as part of the election campaign, committing to $2.5 billion in those logistic hubs, the roads, and the Middle Arm development. We obviously are going to need a lot more people. Everyone's aware of that, but we’re putting extra resources in the Department of Immigration where we need skilled workers in the meantime. But this means that in terms of TAFE, vocational education and training at CDU but also the sub-bachelor and bachelor courses, the whole range of skills courses that we need, this is a really significant investment into those.
WOOLF: Yeah, it most certainly is. And like you've touched on there, it's no doubt going to help with the skills shortage in the long term. But like you've also touched on, there does need to be some work in the short term. Can we expect some further announcements in the coming days when it comes to short term?
GOSLING: Yeah, they would be detailed in the budget, the extra resources that are going into the Department of Immigration. I spoke with the Minister this morning. Obviously we're not the only regional area of Australia that's really struggling. So the you know, the message from business is loud and clear. We've got record low unemployment, but we also recognise that we've got a lot of Territorians that aren’t employed that can be employed, given the right support. And you touched on that, Katie, where these places, whether they be TAFE – and I'll articulate that later – but also at CDU, we want to make sure that people living in the regions and the remote areas of the Territory get the school education that they need to get to a position where they can take on some of this training for the jobs that we're going to have here increasingly in the Territory, particularly when it comes to renewables, and in all sectors really across the economy.
WOOLF: Now Luke, I know that we've been told to prepare for a frugal federal budget in some ways. Some people may be saying that it doesn't sound like it, or it doesn't sound as though the Government's really tightening the purse strings based on some of the announcement that we've already had for the Northern Territory. What would you say to those people?
GOSLING: I'm really proud of the work we've already done in increasing lower wages. People on the minimum wage, for example, is helpful for those people struggling with the cost of living, but also productivity-enhancing work that will be reflected in this budget is the cheaper childcare from the first of July next year, which will help families, cheaper medicines that we've already announced. But also the extended paid parental leave which just means that young families are going to get more of a hand. And that's really important. But overall, there have been some projects that have been binned. Thankfully I haven't heard of any from the Northern Territory, but wait and see for tomorrow. But around the country there have been some projects that were really a bit of pork barrelling in some Coalition seats that we've axed. But we've looked at them across the board, and seeing where the infrastructure spending makes sense and where's it going to enhance our economy, and if there was a wasteful pork barrelling exercise, people will see in the budget where some of those projects have been axed.
WOOLF: Well, Luke, all saying the Member for Solomon no doubt will have some further detail tomorrow night when that budget is handed down. Hopefully we'll be able to catch up with someone from the Federal Government to find out a bit more detail on what it means for the Northern Territory on Wednesday. Always good to catch up with you.
GOSLING: We’re lining someone out for you as we speak Katie for Wednesday morning just to look at the budget and yeah, and obviously myself, Marion Scrymgour and Malarndirri McCarthy are ready to have a yarn anytime you want.
WOOLF: Well, good stuff. Luke Gosling, thank you as always for your time.
