Legislative Council Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1) 53 1 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time TAFE SA TAFE SA The Hon. S.G. WADE Legislative Council TAFE SA The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:24): My questions are to the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills: 1.	Can the minister confirm that TAFE SA Mount Gambier is closing its hospitality school? 2.	Can the minister advise how many staff have been offered voluntary redundancy packages at the Mount Gambier TAFE SA campus? 3.	Has TAFE met its redundancy targets for 2013-14? 4.	How many redundancies are planned for TAFE in 2014-15? The Hon. G.E. GAGO Legislative Council 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 TAFE SA 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) (14:25): I thank the honourable member for his important questions. I am not aware of any changes to the hospitality services provided at Mount Gambier. These are operational matters and, as I've said in this place before— Members interjecting: The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: The minister is trying to answer a question from the Hon. Mr Wade not from anyone else. The honourable minister. The Hon. G.E. GAGO Legislative Council The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Every day I'm in this place I have to explain to the opposition because they just fail to understand a very basic premise and that is, times have changed. The model of education for TAFE's operation has changed. It changed a year or so ago and it shifted from being a service run by the state government to an independent corporation—an independent statutory body run and managed by its own independent board. I have said in this place before that I am responsible to ensure it meets its statutory obligations but all other matters—all its operational matters, its administration matters, the way it structures its fees, the courses that it offers other than those covered on a community service obligation-type provision—are for the board to consider. I've said in this place before that if honourable members want detailed information about those operational matters they should go to the body that is now responsible for that—the independent statutory authority board—and ask their questions there.