Thanks very much for reading Need to Know this Sunday, November 3. Here are the biggest developments:

• Albanese pledges 100,000 fee-free TAFE places: The federal government has pledged to expand access to fee-free TAFE for Australians by committing ongoing funding for 100,000 places each year starting in 2027.

• Turnout is the unknown factor in tight US election, says Hockey: The race for the White House has been the closest and most unpredictable election in American history, the former Australian ambassador to the US said.

• Jason Clare says he asked for free Qantas flight upgrade: The education minister said he received a complimentary flight upgrade after requesting it from airline staff when travelling in a personal capacity from Sydney to Singapore in 2019.

• Labor’s student debt relief is a ‘cash splash’ election ploy, says Birmingham: The government’s promise to reduce student debt by 20 per cent is not real reform, but rather an expensive attempt to win votes ahead of the next federal election, the opposition foreign affairs spokesman said.

• Pledge to cut student debt to help 3m Australians, says Clare: Education Minister Jason Clare has sidestepped accusations that the Albanese government’s promise to reduce student debt, if re-elected, is a bid to win over younger voters, saying it would offer “massive help” to about 3 million Australians.