Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie lambasts Federal Labor for selling out TAFEs

Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie has slammed Federal Labor for undermining her bid to secure an extra $500 million for the TAFE sector.

JACQUI Lambie has unleashed on Federal Labor for selling out TAFEs in a $4 billion “dirty deal” with the government.

In a scathing opinion piece today, Senator Lambie has slammed the Opposition for undermining her bid to secure an extra $500 million for the sector.

Labor landed just $50 million extra each year for TAFEs in exchange for its support for the Morrison Government’s plan to scrap a $3.9 billion fund for education projects to divert the cash to a new natural disaster relief fund.

The money will go into the Emergency Response Fund for rebuilding communities damaged by cyclones, bushfires or floods.

Senator Lambie blasted Labor for the move, calling it a “90 per cent discount” on her push.

Senator Jacqui Lambie.

She also warned both parties she would be less willing to negotiate with Labor and would not vote with the Coalition on controversial legislation unless it stumped up $52 million for Tasmanian TAFEs.

Writing today, Senator Lambie said she told the ALP: “If you’re negotiating with the Government, what are your terms? I’m asking for $500 million and if you match it we’ll get it.”

“They’ll get back to me, they said. And I heard nothing, until a minute to midnight, when the deal was already done.

“They finally tell me that they’ve struck a deal and it’s got a little bit extra for TAFE.

“Guess how much the ALP managed to secure for its vote? $50 million. A 90 per cent discount.”

LAMBIE ASKS FOR PM FOR UP TO $100M FOR TASTAFE

Labor’s emergency management spokesman Murray Watt said Labor had secured an extra $50 million for disaster preparedness on top of $50 million for education projects that would be “an important shot in the arm for TAFE facilities”.

Under the deal, if states want to draw on the fund, they must match the federal funding for projects. Labor was at odds internally over scrapping the Education Investment Fund.

Opposition education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek was one of the MPs against the move. It comes after a public split in Labor on climate policy for the past two weeks.

Emergency Management Minister David Littleproud said the new fund would help communities prepare for natural disasters and “get back on their feet after they strike”. State Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff’s office would not comment on whether the Hodgman Government would match federal TAFE funding for projects under the plan without seeing more detail on the fund.