IN a rare move, the NSW Teachers Federation has publicly put its support behind one particular party in the upcoming federal election.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Representatives of the organisation, a registered trade union for public school teachers, said they were frustrated by funding cuts to TAFE under the current government, leading them to back the Australian Labor Party.
Calare's Labor candidate Jess Jennings met with the representatives at a press conference in Bathurst on Friday, where he signed a pledge committing to guaranteed funding for TAFE.
He said that, if elected, his party would reverse the cuts to TAFE by delivering 100,000 fee-free positions and a $200 million infrastructure fund.
"Over 1600 TAFE positions have been lost under the Liberal-Nationals government across Calare over the last six years," Mr Jennings said.
"[Labor's promise] is a massive boost to so many young students coming through that need access to vocational training, and of course the industries that those training positions go towards."
He said that the money for TAFE could be found through "budget repair measures" and closing tax loopholes for multinationals.
NSW Teachers Federation organiser Robert Long said fees had skyrocketed for students due to the funding cuts, making it harder for them to access vocational training.
Thousands of teaching positions have also be lost over the past five years, impacting the quality of education for students.
"We've got to get rid of the government, and the Federation is asking people to make sure that they think about skills, they think about TAFE students into the future and vote for a party such as the Labor Party that is going to make sure that TAFE is fully reinstated," he said.
"We're frustrated with the National Party - they are not standing up for local students in TAFE.
"We've seen a number of permanent teachers lost, we've seen the number of students reduced. The National Party is not standing up for TAFE and we're asking people in the local area to strongly consider their vote in regard to this federal election, it's really important for us."
The federal election will be held on Saturday, May 18. Pre-polling is now open in Bathurst at the former Clancy Motors site in Howick Street.
