HANSARD
SITTING CALENDAR
SEARCH
LIVE BROADCAST
Hansard Dynamic Subject Index
House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-06-04 Daily Xml
Contents
Pdf Xml

Vocational Education and Training

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:24): Supplementary to the Premier: what action has your government taken in response to the Crown Solicitor's advice received by your government in July 2014, which states quite clearly that the potential for TAFE SA to use public funding to subsidise commercial operations, including below cost pricing, exposes TAFE SA to legal risk?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:24): The world is full of risks, what we do is we manage them. We make our decisions based on a range of input and advice, and we make the best available decisions having regard to the public interest, but we will not be canvassing legal advice we receive except to say this: we have taken into account all of our advice. The steps that we have taken manage all of the relevant risks associated with implementing these reforms.

As I repeat: we are heading down the path of a competitive TAFE system which is more advanced than any other jurisdiction in the nation, and that is because we are a reformist government that wants to have the most efficient and effective training arrangements. However, we will not be sacrificing quality, we will not be sacrificing access to people—especially disadvantaged people—and we will not be sacrificing access for people who live in regional areas who need to receive these services, and we will always be ensuring that there is service that is provided at the highest quality. So, we will not being sacrificing any of those principles as we move towards this more competitive arrangement.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I know those opposite are very fond of the market. They think the market is the solution to every problem, but we believe that the market has a proper role to play, but the public interest overrides the application of pure market principles and that has always been the value system of this party. I understand that there are those opposite who are addicted to the market. The market titillates them. They are excited by the market. In fact, they read extensively about the market. Many of them have a copy of Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations under their bedside tables which they read every night. It excites them.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I understand why they get excited by the market. It is a very powerful and useful servant but it should not be a master, and that is why we are interested in ensuring that the public interest also gets a proper look in.

The SPEAKER: Before the leader asks his next question, I call the members for Mount Gambier and Morphett to order. I warn for the first time the members for Schubert, Morialta, Hammond and Mount Gambier, and I warn for the second and final time the deputy leader and the members for Heysen, Morialta and Hartley. Leader.

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS
MEMBERS
GET INVOLVED
ABOUT PARLIAMENT
VISIT
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
CONTACT