Leader of the Opposition

The Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP

Prime Minister
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600

Dear Prime Minister

I am writing in regards to the VET Student Loans reforms which will be debated in the Senate this week.
Labor has made clear that we see these reforms as long overdue and necessary to end the appalling rorting
of this scheme which has been allowed to occur.
We are pleased that Minister Birmingham has agreed to several of Labor's proposed amendments, and we
do not intend to delay passage of the legislation through the parliament.
However, I remain deeply concerned that the consequences to the vocational education sector will be
devastating if these measures are not correctly implemented.
I am particularly concerned about the proposed course list. In my discussions with stakeholders, it has been
made clear that the current proposed approved course list and flawed allocation of courses within cap
categories risks costing thousands of jobs, including forcing the closure of quality vocational education
providers and limiting the pathways of many Australians seeking skills to pursue future employment.
The overly simplistic methodology which the Government has adopted to determine the eligible course list
would have extreme consequences for many students, providers and indeed entire sectors.
Without action, Not-For-Profit providers will be particularly poorly affected and our TAFE sector will be
further eroded.
I'm asking you to urgently intervene and ensure that the Government immediately reviews the approved
course list to ensure the courses listed are as appropriate as possible, and the list allocates the appropriate
caps to each course.
The tight timeframes before the proposed starting date of 1 January 2017 mean that this issue must be
addressed as a priority.

PO Box 6022 Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600 Tel:(02) 6277 4022 Fax:(02) 6277 8592

We also believe that the National Partnership Agreement on Skills Reform, which is due to expire on
1 July 2017, will need to be replaced with a new agreement providing funding certainty and ensuring a
strong, diverse and effective vocational education sector for the future.
I thank you for your consideration of this matter.
Yours sincerely

Bill Shorten MP
Leader of the Opposition
Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs and
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
23 November 2016