Austraining

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (14:35): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills a question about the privatisation of Austraining.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: Austraining is a wholly owned subsidiary of the government of South Australia. It is an international project management company which, according to its website, seeks to build the capacity of local people through volunteering programs, enhance international education through scholarship support programs, and enhance livelihoods through community focused development programs.

Austraining delivers international development and corporate volunteer programs to Australians as well as offering programs in areas such as governance, education, economic development, training of trainers, small business empowerment, health, gender mainstreaming, and asset management. Austraining has developed strong Australia-wide networks of some 600 partner organisations who support and enhance its social development network. The services of Austraining as noted are extensive and they extend throughout Asia, the Pacific, Latin America, Africa and into the Caribbean.

Austraining's vision is to enable people to positively change their world, resulting in empowering global communities and improved quality of life for program participants and recipients. I note with interest that the Department of Treasury and Finance Annual Report 2012-13, tabled in parliament on 12 November 2013, indicated that Austraining has been valued by BDO Advisory Pty Ltd. My question is: will the minister confirm that the public ownership of Austraining will continue?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (14:37): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. Indeed, I met with the Austraining chairman (he might call himself president, I am not too sure just now) and another board member yesterday afternoon and was provided a briefing on the incredibly valuable contribution that this corporation makes and how successful it has been. I had not realised that it has in fact been around for many years in a range of different forms over a couple of decades, if I recall correctly. Throughout its life, it has provided immeasurable services, particularly to developing countries and particularly in the area of coordinating volunteering for very important projects.

The structure of Austraining is quite a strange beast. I am apparently the sole shareholder of this independent organisation that pays dividends to the government. It is an incredibly successful organisation in terms of its financial sustainability and, as I said, the enormous contribution it makes socially and economically to developing countries. I am not aware of any proposed changes to the current ownership structure of this particular organisation, so I have no intention of making any changes to the current structures at all.