TAFE SA

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (14:40): I don't think Jessica is worried about the Treasurer's obsession with the Labor Party. Jessica is worried about her future.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! I don't need contributions from members.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: We are getting another speech. Give me a break.

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I'm not giving a speech.

The PRESIDENT: Are you finished, the Hon. Mr Ridgway? I thought you were unwell. I misheard.

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: Can you advise how Jessica will be supported through this transition?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:40): I am very happy to. If I was having this discussion with Jessica and continuing, what I would say to Jessica is that we will be doing exactly the same as the former Labor government said they would do. You continue to provide courses to students like Jessica on sites, the Jessicas of the world who happen to live in Marleston or O'Halloran Hill or Morphett Vale or Panorama. What they were told by the former Labor government was, 'We will continue to provide courses for you in alternative options, whether it be online or whether it be at another site or whether it be in alternative locations.'

The Hon. Ms Bourke will know that, particularly in regional communities, when TAFE sites close, as in a number of cases under the former Labor government and what will occur under the Liberal government, you don't need, in this day and age, an actual TAFE site for many courses to be offered. For example, farming courses are offered these days on-farm. You actually have TAFE training providers who go on-farm to provide the courses. I would be surprised if the Hon. Ms Bourke wouldn't be aware of that particular issue.

It is exactly the same in many other industry sectors. If you went to Holden under the former Labor government, you would have had TAFE training providers not providing all their courses at a TAFE site. They actually went on location to Holden to provide the courses. What I would say to Jessica is exactly, I assume, what former Labor TAFE ministers said to the Jessicas of this world and that is, 'Don't fear, Jessica, we will continue to provide courses but in alternative ways and through alternative means.'

As former Labor TAFE ministers did, the current Liberal TAFE minister, the Hon. Mr Gardner, will do exactly the same thing. There are alternative mechanisms. These courses will continue to be provided, but they will be done through alternative mechanisms, in exactly the same way as the former Labor government did when they closed down 14 TAFE sites all over the metropolitan area and country South Australia.