This bill became law on Mar 28th, 2024.
Education & skills
Training providers that deliver no training or assessment for 12 straight months will lose their registration automatically, unless they get extra time first.
The 2023 Nixon Review exposed non-genuine training providers exploiting vulnerable students and undermining confidence in vocational education. This bill gives the regulatorThe federal regulator that registers, monitors, and can take action against vocational education providers. stronger tools by removing dormant providers, slowing early expansion, pausing new applications, and increasing penalties for misleading claims.
Australia’s vocational education regulatorThe federal regulator that registers, monitors, and can take action against vocational education providers. already had registration and enforcement powers, but the 2018 Braithwaite Review found the entry rules and ongoing oversight were too weak to stop providers that were not genuinely committed to delivering quality training. After the 2023 Nixon Review exposed non-genuine providers exploiting vulnerable students and damaging confidence in VETThe sector for job-focused training, apprenticeships, and qualifications that prepare people for work., this bill tightened market entry, removed dormant providers, expanded powers to pause new applications and increased penalties for misleading conduct. It received Royal Assent in March 2024, with most changes starting the next day and Part 1 starting on 1 July 2024.
The main criticism was that the bill gave the minister too much discretion to pause new training-provider applications unless clear safeguards, transparency rules and a firm time limit were written in. That concern was raised mainly by the Coalition and echoed by crossbench support, and it remained a conditional reservation rather than broader opposition because amendments adding notice requirements and a 12-month cap were accepted.
Brendan O'Connor MP introduced this bill. It passed on the voices.
Did it become law?
Yes
Became law 28 Mar 2024
Final passage
Passed without a counted vote
Members called out ‘aye’ or ‘no’ — no individual votes were recorded.
Passage speed
50 days
From introduction to the latest recorded parliamentary step
Meaning
Training providers that deliver no training or assessment for 12 straight months will lose their registration automatically, unless they get extra time first.
New vocational training providers cannot apply to add new courses until they have been registered for at least 24 months.
The federal minister can temporarily stop new provider applications being lodged for up to 12 months for all or selected types of applicants.
If the federal minister pauses or blocks new provider applications, the National VET RegulatorThe federal regulator that registers, monitors, and can take action against vocational education providers. must publish a website notice and the explanatory statementThe official document that explains what a ministerial instrument does and why it was made. so the public can see what changed.
Training providers face tougher action for false or misleading advertising about courses, qualifications, or how their business operates, with new civil penalties of up to 600 penalty units.
(2) Subject to section 40B, the organisation’s registration lapses at the end of the measurement period.National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment (Strengthening Quality and Integrity in Vocational Education and Training No. 1) Act 2024 final Act text
(3) An application may only be made by an NVR registered training organisation that has been registered for a period of 24 months or more at the time the application is made.National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment (Strengthening Quality and Integrity in Vocational Education and Training No. 1) Act 2024 final Act text
(1A) The day specified in an instrument made under subsection (1) must not be later than 12 months after the day the instrument commences.National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment (Strengthening Quality and Integrity in Vocational Education and Training No. 1) Act 2024 final Act text
(1) If the Minister makes a determination under section 231C or 231D, the National VET Regulator must, as soon as practicable after the determination is registered on the Federal Register of Legislation, publish on the Regulator’s website:National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment (Strengthening Quality and Integrity in Vocational Education and Training No. 1) Act 2024 final Act text
Civil penalty: 600 penalty units.National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment (Strengthening Quality and Integrity in Vocational Education and Training No. 1) Act 2024 final Act text
Context
Australia’s vocational education regulatorThe federal regulator that registers, monitors, and can take action against vocational education providers. already had registration and enforcement powers, but the 2018 Braithwaite Review found the entry rules and ongoing oversight were too weak to stop providers that were not genuinely committed to delivering quality training. After the 2023 Nixon Review exposed non-genuine providers exploiting vulnerable students and damaging confidence in VETThe sector for job-focused training, apprenticeships, and qualifications that prepare people for work., this bill tightened market entry, removed dormant providers, expanded powers to pause new applications and increased penalties for misleading conduct. It received Royal Assent in March 2024, with most changes starting the next day and Part 1 starting on 1 July 2024.
Braithwaite Review calls for tougher VETThe sector for job-focused training, apprenticeships, and qualifications that prepare people for work. entry and oversight rules
The review found the regulatorThe federal regulator that registers, monitors, and can take action against vocational education providers. needed stronger registration requirements and closer scrutiny of providers throughout their registration period to protect quality and integrity in VETThe sector for job-focused training, apprenticeships, and qualifications that prepare people for work..
National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment (Strengthening Quality and Integrity in Vocational Education and Training No. 1) explanatory memorandum ↗Nixon Review exposes exploitation through non-genuine training providers
The government’s rapid review of visa exploitation identified non-genuine VETThe sector for job-focused training, apprenticeships, and qualifications that prepare people for work. providers as a risk to vulnerable students and to confidence in the sector.
National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment (Strengthening Quality and Integrity in Vocational Education and Training No. 1) explanatory memorandum ↗Government introduces the bill to tighten VETThe sector for job-focused training, apprenticeships, and qualifications that prepare people for work. provider rules
The bill was introduced with measures to automatically remove dormant providers, slow early expansion by new entrants, allow temporary pauses on new applications and strengthen penalties for false or misleading claims.
Parliamentary timeline ↗Parliament passes the bill
Both houses passed the bill, clearing the way for the regulatorThe federal regulator that registers, monitors, and can take action against vocational education providers. to use stronger integrity tools against non-genuine and misleading providers.
Parliamentary timeline ↗Royal Assent starts staged commencement
Royal Assent made the Act law, with most provisions starting the next day and Schedule 1 Part 1 starting on 1 July 2024.
Parliamentary timeline ↗Legislative route
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Referred to Federation Chamber
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
Second reading agreed to
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Reported from Federation Chamber
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber. Later message exchanges with the other chamber were still recorded afterwards.
Third reading agreed to
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
Second reading agreed to
The chamber considered amendments before the bill moved to the next stage.
Committee of the Whole debate
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Third reading agreed to
The House dealt with Senate amendments or requests so both chambers could settle the bill in the same form.
Consideration of Senate message
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.
Finally passed both Houses
The Governor-General gave Royal Assent, turning the bill into an Act.
Key criticism
The main criticism was that the bill gave the minister too much discretion to pause new training-provider applications unless clear safeguards, transparency rules and a firm time limit were written in. That concern was raised mainly by the Coalition and echoed by crossbench support, and it remained a conditional reservation rather than broader opposition because amendments adding notice requirements and a 12-month cap were accepted.
No party represented in the debate opposed the bill overall.
Ministerial power was too broad without safeguards
Critics argued the new power to pause new provider applications was too open-ended unless the law imposed clear limits, public notice and explanatory material. Their concern was that without those safeguards the minister could effectively freeze parts of the market with too little accountability.
The bill did not tackle deeper structural problems in VET
Some supporters said the bill only dealt with provider misconduct and integrity risks, while leaving bigger problems in the sector untouched. They argued stronger public investment in TAFEPublic vocational colleges that provide mainstream training and are raised in the debate as a key public provider. and wider reform of funding and privatisation were still needed.
Further sources
Votes
The bill passed both chambers on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage.
House agreed to the bill's third reading on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage in that chamber.
Passed on the voices
In a voice vote, members call out Aye or No and the presiding officer judges which side has it. Individual names are only recorded if a formal division is called.
Senate agreed to the bill's third reading on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage in that chamber.
Passed on the voices
In a voice vote, members call out Aye or No and the presiding officer judges which side has it. Individual names are only recorded if a formal division is called.
Amendments grouped by chamber. Where APH reports aggregate counts, the package card summarizes the matching public amendment sheets by source theme.
House
The House agreed to the amendments made by the Senate, so the bill could pass both chambers in the same form.
Carried on voices
The chamber decided this amendment without a counted division, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes.
Senate
The Senate agreed on voices to Senator Cash’s proposal to add tabled-instrument notes and require the National VET RegulatorThe federal regulator that registers, monitors, and can take action against vocational education providers. to publish notices and explanatory statements for ministerial determinations on its website.
Carried on voices
The chamber decided this amendment without a counted division, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes.
The Senate agreed on voices to Senator Cash’s proposal to cap any instrument pausing application processing or making a decision so its start day cannot be more than 12 months after it begins.
Carried on voices
The chamber decided this amendment without a counted division, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes.
APH records 6 Opposition amendments agreed on the voices. The public amendment list groups them into 2 amendment sheets, so this page summarizes the package by source theme.
Passed on the voices
The chamber agreed to this amendment package without a counted vote. APH records the agreed count by amendment, while the source documents are grouped into amendment sheets.
Parliamentary debate
Start here — lead voices
Brendan O'Connor supports the bill and says it will strengthen quality and integrity in vocational education and trainingThe sector for job-focused training, apprenticeships, and qualifications that prepare people for work. by giving ASQAThe agency that oversees quality in most vocational education and training and is mentioned as having stronger powers under the bill. stronger powers against non-genuine providers and higher penalties for serious breaches.
Read in Hansard ↗Michaelia Cash says the opposition will support the bill, but only with amendments that add transparency, accountability and a time limit to the minister's new power to pause new training providers.
Read in Hansard ↗Tammy Tyrrell supports the bill because she says it will lift quality in vocational education by cracking down on dishonest RTOs and protecting students, employers and industry.
Read in Hansard ↗O'Sullivan says the coalition supports the bill in principle, but wants an amendment to cap the minister's power to pause new RTOAn approved provider that is allowed to deliver vocational education and training and issue recognised qualifications. registrations at 12 months.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
3 speakers · 3 support
“I commend the bill to the chamber.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This bill is about strengthening and clarifying the powers of the national VET regulator, the Australian Skills Quality Authority, ASQA. It empowers ASQA to take decisive action against corrupt and unethical registered training organisations and applies increases to penalties that ASQA can impose on RTOs for serious breaches of the act. These changes are long overdue, and these changes ensure our VET sector is one that can be trusted and provides those vital skills that Australia needs.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The measures in this bill will provide the regulator, the Australian Skills Quality Authority, better tools to protect students and tackle the minority of providers that are non-genuine or that engage in unscrupulous conduct. Non-genuine and unscrupulous providers tarnish the reputation of the sector, and the bill reinforces that there is no place for them in VET.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
3 speakers · 3 support
“While there was a high level of caution around this bill, particularly around the minister's new power to pause the establishment of new training organisations, there was a broad alignment on the intent of the bill. However, what was made very, very clear to us was that some amendments were required. Obviously, as the coalition, we have tabled a number of amendments, and I am pleased that the government has agreed to support the amendments so that we are able to make this bill a better bill.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The amendment that we're seeking to this bill is important. In the closing moments that I've got, I just want to address it. The amendment here will ensure that the pause that this bill provides for that the minister will be able to put on new enrolments is limited to 12 months. That is an important limitation because we would not want to see this minister or any future minister provided with the unfettered power to be able to manipulate the market in a way by just pausing it indefinitely. It might be the intention to just pause it for a moment, and that's fine. But we should make sure that there are some limitations on the pause that is there. A maximum pause of 12 months is what our amendment is seeking to implement. I would hope that that is something that can be supported.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“We will work with the government and with the crossbench to improve this bill and get this policy area right.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
2 speakers · 2 support
“After years of failed regulation, this bill is a welcome first step to try and deter dodgy providers in the sector. But although it is welcome, the rot in our education system extends far beyond what this bill sets out to remedy. As Senator Faruqi has said, the government must prioritise a truly free, quality education sector. This is particularly important after seeing years of cuts to the TAFE system.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The Greens support this bill as a step to improve integrity and quality in vocational education and training, but it really does nothing to reverse the years of damage inflicted by underfunding and privatisation of our public TAFEs.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
1 speaker · 1 mixed
“The bill backs students by calling out the false and misleading conduct of RTOs, providing a safeguard from being subjected to unscrupulous behaviour. It addresses the long overdue need for increased penalties. It weeds out RTOs that have been dormant for 12 months and presents providers from expanding course offerings where they have been operating for less than two years. It also gives the minister the power to determine a class of RTOs that should not be registered because of an unsustainable influx into the VET sector that may result in exploitative behaviour. This change is one I approach with caution. If abused, a blank ticket to suspend a class of RTOs has the potential to disadvantage some providers. However, I also see the need for this power, which is why I will support Senator Cash's amendment to limit the application of that power to 12 months.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
House · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
House · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
House · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Referred to Federation Chamber
Referred to Federation Chamber
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Second reading agreed to
Second reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
House · Reported from Federation Chamber
Reported from Federation Chamber
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Third reading agreed to
Third reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Senate · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Senate · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Senate · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Senate · Second reading agreed to
Second reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
Senate · Committee of the whole: amendments considered
Amendment packages agreed
The chamber considered amendments before the bill moved to the next stage.
Senate · Third reading agreed to
Third reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
House · Consideration of Senate message
House agreed to Senate amendments
The House dealt with Senate amendments or requests so both chambers could settle the bill in the same form.
Parliament · Finally passed both Houses
Passed both houses
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.
Assent · Assent
Assent
The Governor-General gave Royal Assent, turning the bill into an Act.
