TAFE SA

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (14:57): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills a question regarding her responsibilities under the Technical and Further Education Act 1975 and TAFE SA.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: As members are aware, we have had many questions on TAFE SA in this place over the period of sitting. Indeed, we had questions on 7 May and 3, 5 and 18 June (over a dozen questions), many to which we have received a response from the minister that TAFE SA is now an independent statutory authority and therefore she does not have a responsibility to provide what she calls operational information and answers on operational matters, which include, of course, the closure of courses and campuses and the deep distress that has been caused by the government's new regime.

Yesterday, when I asked the minister on what date the Technical and Further Education Act 1975 was repealed, she responded that she would find out and bring it back to me but encouraged me to do my own research, and indeed said what a lazy opposition both myself and the opposition were.

I draw to the minister's attention the fact that the Technical and Further Education Act 1975 is currently assigned to her under the acts committed to ministers; indeed, under section 5 of the Administrative Arrangements Act 1994 as of 16 June 2014. I ask the minister to confirm whether or not this is a clerical error and whether or not she, as the minister, is still responsible for the Technical and Further Education Act 1975, which is assigned to her, and ask her to answer all of the questions regarding TAFE SA asked on those sitting days of parliament.

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) (14:59): I thank the member for her questions. Indeed, I have since been advised that there have been two attempts to repeal the Technical and Further Education Act 1975 (SA). The repeal of the 1975 act was associated with the TAFE SA (Prescribed Employees) Amendment Bill 2013 and the Statutes Amendment and Repeal (TAFE SA Consequential Provisions) Bill 2012. Neither of these bills were passed. In fact, if the Hon. Tammy Franks is so concerned about this act being repealed, maybe she should spend some of her energy lobbying those members in this place who didn't support those bills, which is the opposition, Family First and the Hon. John Darley.

I am advised that TAFE SA is still able to operate without this legislation being repealed. I am also advised that the 2012 bill was passed in the Legislative Council and was subjected to a deadlock conference before being laid aside. The 2013 bill did not pass because the 2012 bill was considered to be more favourable. If there are other matters in those questions, I am happy to take those on notice and bring back a response.

Given the Hon. Tammy Franks' interest in the VET sector and TAFE, in particular, and given the federal Liberal government cuts to this sector ($145 million over the next four years), I wonder what the Greens have done about lobbying the federal Liberal government to reinstate those really important funds to South Australia. I have indicated those cuts here in South Australia—those funds that are going to be ripped out of our training, apprenticeship and higher education system (I think the $145 million is just out of our training and VET sector)—are likely to result in a cut to 20,000 training positions here in South Australia.

That is the magnitude of these savage cuts to our funding. What will happen is that it is likely to impact on 20,000 training positions. So, I wonder what the Hon. Tammy Franks has done about lobbying the federal Liberal government about reinstating funding so that those 20,000 training positions are not ripped out of the system and, as I have said, 5,000 of those are likely to be located in the regions. So, it will have a profound impact right across the state.

I have spoken in this place about the impact of the federal budget cuts on literacy skills training, that money being ripped out, so I won't go on and on about that; I have already raised that issue here today. There is also a single teenage parents initiative that previously provided subsidy for teenage parents training. The federal Liberal government has ripped out those funds as well. Funds to assist teenage parents to remain engaged in training have been savagely ripped out of the system. It is a cruel, callous federal government.

I would urge the Hon. Tammy Franks, given her level of interest in this very important policy area, to lobby very hard, to join with the Labor Weatherill government to oppose these savage cuts and to fight back against the federal Liberal government's cuts to our very important training and education services, plus those other cuts that have been mentioned in this place as well.