COMMUNITY anger over state government cutbacks to schools and training centres will be at the forefront of voters’ minds at the next federal election, according to Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
But Western Metropolitan Liberal MP Bernie Finn said cuts to TAFE were the result of the federal government trimming GST allocations and accused Ms Gillard of “declaring war” on Victoria since taking office.
Speaking to the Weekly during a visit to her Lalor electorate last week, Ms Gillard pointed to state budget cuts to vocational education programs and TAFE institutes to argue that broad Liberal values didn’t resonate with the cultural makeup of the area. “People can judge the contrast . . . they can see what . . . cuts to vocational applied learning mean for kids in the west.”
But Mr Finn said Ms Gillard’s government had ripped $500 million out of Regional Rail Link and $2.5 billion from GST payments. “You can’t lose $2.5 billion without something giving somewhere,” he said. —Nick Toscano
