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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-03-17 Daily Xml
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TAFE SA

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:32): I have another supplementary question. Is the minister aware or has she been advised that TAFE SA is liable to incur financial and legal penalties for breaches under the Commonwealth Competition and Consumer Act?

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) (14:32): For what?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: For competing in the private sector; anti-competitive?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: I am not aware, and if the honourable member has any detailed information that he would like to show me or any problems that he believes he has uncovered, I would be very pleased to see them. Really, TAFE SA is a model training institution. It is the largest TAFE—

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: In South Australia?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: In Australia, Mr President. This is how ignorant the opposition is.

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: Rubbish!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Rubbish, he says. The Hon. John Dawkins says rubbish—

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Dawkins.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: —that our TAFE SA is not the largest TAFE organisation in Australia. He says 'rubbish'. That's how ignorant they are. They do not even acknowledge the achievements of TAFE, let alone understand how it operates, and dare to come into this place bagging TAFE SA and putting it down—the largest TAFE organisation facility in Australia.

That is because we have shown leadership and vision with what was many TAFE businesses—originally I think there were about 13 or so. We brought those into three businesses and then amalgamated them into one TAFE SA. It created huge efficiencies, much better coordination of services, much greater articulation between activities, less duplication, less replication, and much greater efficiency.

Do they acknowledge those achievements? No. They come in here bagging and putting down TAFE South Australia. It is a model institution. Other states aspire to the sort of achievements that TAFE SA have delivered. They aspire to that, because in most jurisdictions TAFEs are still numerous small businesses scattered throughout the states, poorly articulated and poorly coordinated activities, with lots of inefficiencies in them. They look at us and say, 'Wow, look what South Australia has done.' Is that acknowledged here? No: I am told it is rubbish that TAFE SA is a leader nationally. It is a leader nationally. What does the opposition say? 'Rubbish!'

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