Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased to be able to speak to this amendment. When the original bill was put before the House I was gagged from speaking on it, and the clock is probably going to get me fairly quickly tonight as well. The Australian Technical Colleges (Flexibility in Achieving Australia’s Skills Needs) Amendment Bill 2006 is intended to reallocate funding from the 2008-09 financial year to the 2006-07 financial year and to insert a new provision in the current act to enable the minister to redistribute program funds between particular years by regulation instead of by legislative amendment.

I take the opportunity to make a few observations and also to support the amendment moved by the shadow minister for education when she spoke to the bill. The federal government announced as part of its election commitments in 2004 the establishment of Australian technical colleges throughout Australia. When I heard the announcement at that time, having a background in the TAFE sector I was a bit bemused by how the proposal would operate and what it intended to address. I understand that the government and the minister have indicated that it is to be part of the proposal to address the skills shortages. I put on the record, having been a coordinator of joint schools TAFE and Australian traineeship schemes at TAFE, that I am a great supporter of providing pathways for young people, particularly in years 11 and 12 but also potentially in years 9 and 10, to be able to study vocational courses.

Debate interrupted.

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