Just as TAFE is a proudly Australian story, it is a key to a better Australian future. or signup to continue reading TAFE opens doors and gives Australians one of the greatest opportunities they have - not just to fulfil their potential, but expand it. And in the process, Australia fulfils more of its own vast potential. It is a home-grown solution to the skills gaps hampering business and hurting the economy. Getting TAFE right means we're better placed to get the future right. That is why our government is taking our a crucial step further by making it permanent. We will legislate to guarantee 100,000 free TAFE places nationwide every year. That means more tradies to build more homes. More apprentices getting a start. More carers to look after our loved ones, whether they're just starting out on life's journey or have a respectable bit of mileage on the clock. And it will equip Australians to enhance their own skills and adapt to the economy as it keeps evolving. What a boon this will be for Australia. My government made it a priority to put public TAFE back at the centre of vocational education and training. And our game-changing investment in free TAFE is already delivering results. More than half a million Australians have already enrolled in free courses. Crucially, one in every three places have been taken up by . People are training to become electricians in Belmont. They're training to become nurses in Loganlea. They're training to become early childhood educators in Batchelor, Cairns and Frankston. And, at the new TAFE Centres of Excellence in the Hunter Valley and Western Sydney, they're training for the good jobs that will help Australia manufacture things here at home again. We've had 35,000 enrol in construction courses, 35,000 in early education, 50,000 in digital technology, and 130,000 in aged care and disability care. Tens of thousands of jobseekers are getting a fresh start. Hundreds of thousands of young people are training for a new career, and older workers are training for a new opportunity. These are not just numbers. Each one is a story of individuals and families. A story about the joy of achievement, and the satisfaction and reward of meaningful work. And it's a story about stronger, happier communities and a healthier, more diverse economy. Our investment sends a clear message to each and every person enrolled: we back you. We support your education. We support your aspiration. And we want you to get that qualification to help build the life you want. The positive, life-changing consequences of free TAFE are such a no-brainer that it takes an ideology without heart to oppose it. Yet that is exactly what the Coalition parties have revealed about themselves through their snobbery and sneering at TAFE. Deputy Liberal Leader Sussan Ley said the quiet part out loud in Parliament this week when she said this: "It's a key principle and tenet of the Liberal Party: if you don't pay for something, you don't value it." What an extraordinarily out-of-touch thing to say. They believe nothing in life can possibly be of any value unless you've got a receipt for it. Tells you everything you need to know about what a profound and disturbing threat the Coalition are to proudly Australian achievements like Medicare and public education. They don't back TAFE. They never will. The truth is that no matter how high TAFE helps you climb in life, and no matter what opportunities you get to build a future for yourself and your loved ones, the Liberals and Nationals will look down on the very education that gave you a boost to get there. I only hope they can open their eyes to the central place TAFE occupies in the Australian government invests in education, all Australians benefit. Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our . Advertisement
The rising price of paying the national debt is a risk for Trump's promises on growth and inflation WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has big plans for the economy. He also has big debt problem that'll be a hurdle to delivering on those plan. Trump has bold ambitions on tax cuts, tariffs and other programs. But high interest rates and the price of repaying the federal government’s existing debt could limit what he’s able to do. The federal debt stands at roughly $36 trillion, and the spike in inflation after the pandemic has pushed up the government’s borrowing costs such that debt service next year will easily exceed spending on national security. 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator' make gravity-defying theater debuts NEW YORK (AP) — “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” have debuted in theaters with a combined $270 million in ticket sales. Their worldwide performance breathed fresh life into global box office results that have struggled lately. Together the films turned the moviegoing weekend into one of the busiest of the year. Jon M. Chu’s lavish big-budget musical “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, debuted with $114 million domestically and $164.2 million globally. Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” is a sequel to his 2000 best picture-winning original and launched with $55.5 million in ticket sales. “Moana 2” is being released Wednesday, so it looks like Hollywood might be looking at historic sales over the Thanksgiving holiday. Trump's Republican Party is increasingly winning union voters. It's a shift seen in his labor pick WASHINGTON (AP) — Working-class voters helped Republicans make steady election gains this year and expanded a coalition that increasingly includes rank-and-file union members. It's a political shift spotlighting one of President-elect Donald Trump’s latest Cabinet picks: a GOP congresswoman, who has drawn labor support, to be his labor secretary. Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her bid for a second term this month, despite strong backing from union members. They're a key part of the Democratic base but are gravitating in the Trump era toward a Republican Party traditionally allied with business interests. Trump raced to pick many Cabinet posts. He took more time to settle on a treasury secretary WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump launched a blitz of picks for his Cabinet, but he took his time settling on billionaire investor Scott Bessent as his choice for treasury secretary. The Republican not only wanted someone who jibes with him, but an official who can execute his economic vision and look straight out of central casting while doing so. With his Yale University education and pedigree trading for Soros Fund Management before establishing his own funds, Bessent will be tasked with a delicate balancing act. Trump expects him to help reset the global trade order, enable trillions of dollars in tax cuts, ensure inflation stays in check, manage a ballooning national debt and still keep the financial markets confident. Trump chooses Bessent to be treasury secretary, Vought as budget chief, Chavez-DeRemer for Labor WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has chosen hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, an advocate for deficit reduction, to serve as his next treasury secretary. Bessent, 62, is founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management. He previously had worked on and off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. Trump also said he would nominate Russell Vought, 48, to lead the Office of Management and Budget, a position he held during Trump's first term. And Trump chose Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, an Oregon Republican, as his labor secretary, and Scott Turner, a former football player who worked in Trump’s first administration, as his housing secretary. Afraid of losing the US-Canada trade pact, Mexico alters its laws and removes Chinese parts MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico has been taking a bashing for allegedly serving as a conduit for Chinese parts and products into North America. Officials here are terrified that a re-elected Donald Trump or politically struggling Justin Trudeau could simply expel their country from the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement. Mexico's ruling Morena party is so afraid its has gone on a campaign to get companies to replace Chinese parts with locally made ones. And its legislators are consciously tweaking the wording of major laws to try to make them compatible with the trade pact's language. Mexico hopes the rules of the trade pact would prevent the U.S. or Canada from simply walking away. Australia withdraws a misinformation bill after critics compare it to censorship CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s government has withdrawn a bill that would give a media watchdog power to monitor digital platforms and require them to keep records about misinformation and disinformation on their networks. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said Sunday that the government was unable to drum up the support needed to pass the legislation. The opposition spokesman, David Coleman, said the bill “betrayed our democracy” and amounted to “censorship laws in Australia.” The bill would have granted the Australian Communications and Media Authority power over digital platforms by approving an enforceable code of conduct or standards for social media companies if self-regulation fell short. He'll be the last meatpacker in the Meatpacking District. Here's how NYC's gritty 'hood got chic NEW YORK (AP) — The last meatpackers in New York's Meatpacking District have agreed to end their leases early and make way for development on their city-owned lot. A third-generation meatpacker says he is ready to retire and he'll be proud to be there when the building closes. The closure date has not been set, but will mark the end of over a century of industrial life in the Meatpacking District. Starting in the 1970s, a new nightlife scene emerged as bars and nightclubs moved in. Today it's a hub for shopping, tourism, and recreation and only echoes of that grit remain. US budget airlines are struggling. Will pursuing premium passengers solve their problems? DALLAS (AP) — Delta and United Airlines have become the most profitable U.S. airlines by targeting premium customers while also winning a significant share of budget travelers. That is squeezing smaller low-fare carriers like Spirit Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday. Some travel industry experts think Spirit’s troubles indicate less-wealthy passengers will have fewer choices and higher prices. Other discount airlines are on better financial footing but also are lagging far behind the full-service airlines when it comes to recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Most industry experts think Frontier and other so-called ultra-low-cost carriers will fill the vacuum if Spirit shrinks, and that there's still plenty of competition to prevent prices from spiking. What to know about Scott Bessent, Trump's pick for treasury secretary WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has chosen money manager Scott Bessent, an advocate for deficit reduction and deregulation, to serve as his next treasury secretary. Bessent is a past supporter of Democrats who has become an enthusiastic supporter of Trump. He’s an advocate of cutting spending while extending the tax cuts approved by Congress in Trump’s first term. He has said tariffs imposed during a second Trump administration would be directed primarily at China.Sports on TV for Monday, Dec. 30
South Korean leader facing constant frictionLA Times Owner Plans to Launch Tech-Driven 'Bias Meter' to Show Readers 'Both Sides'NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees slugger Aaron Judge wins his second AL MVP award after leading MLB with 58 home runs.Trump suggests US control over Canada, Greenland, and Panama Canal
tomch/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Alphabet Inc. ( NASDAQ: GOOGL ) ( NASDAQ: GOOG ) remains one of our favorite tech coverage picks for the mid-to long-term guys. We're updating our thoughts on the stock after Bloomberg reported that the Tired of losing money? Our Tech Contrarians team of Wall Street analysts sifts through the noise in the tech industry and captures outperformers through a coveted research process. We let the work speak for itself here . Tech Stock Pros is a team of three former technology sector engineers with a long history of investing in the tech sector. Tech Contrarians Learn more Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese puts big asterisk on pursuit of EPA, claims Tanya Plibersek kept in the loop