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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-03-18 Daily Xml
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Question Time

TAFE SA

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:18): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills a question about vocational training in our agricultural sectors.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Despite the government's frequent claims of supporting premium food and wine and job training opportunities in this state, we constantly see examples of how the government fails to match its rhetoric with concrete actions to benefit South Australians looking for work in the food and agricultural sectors. One such example has been brought to my attention recently by a farming family in the South-East.

In this example a young woman and her family are having to undertake fundraising activities in order for her to successfully complete her final year of Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing. The reasons she and her family have undertaken the fundraising is a 476 per cent increase in the fees being charged by TAFE SA to complete her course. My questions to the minister are:

1. How can she justify the increase of TAFE SA's price for Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing from $1,595.90 last year to $7,600 this year?

2. Given her government's commitment to premium food and wine and job training opportunities across the state, why is she allowing such exorbitant increases in prices to occur for agricultural training courses?

3. What is she doing in order to support affordable training places in our agriculture and food sectors?

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) (14:19): I thank the honourable member for his most important questions. The Hon. David Ridgway knows only too well that questions about operational matters in relation to TAFE SA activities should be directed to them. He knows very well that the setting of fees and how they are allocated are matters for TAFE and for other training providers. I would encourage the Hon. David Ridgway to direct those operational questions to TAFE SA. This state government does indeed ensure that our government priorities are reflected in all government activity, including our training activities, and that is why so many—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The minister is on her feet trying to answer a question. Please have the decency to allow her to give the answer in peace. Minister.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Thank you, Mr President. That is why this government continues to provide significant subsidisation of VET courses right across, and we particularly ensure that those areas that align with the state's priorities are reflected in the way we subsidise. We know—and I have been in this place before and indicated on numerous occasions—that, in terms of Skills for All, additional once-off funding was made available to enable this government to reach its target of achieving 100,000 additional training positions in South Australia.

We did that. In fact, we exceeded that target and not only did we do that, we delivered that earlier than anticipated. We delivered it within the first three years. Those funds have been expended on achieving that target, and we know that the levels of funding are returning to the pre Skills for All levels, which did not include that once-off additional funding. It is not surprising that TAFE SA and other training bodies reflect those changes in the way they are describing their fee structures into the future.

The PRESIDENT: Supplementary, the Hon. Mr Ridgway.

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