Gary Hardgrave (Moreton, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

This bill is a measure of the great successes which have been achieved to date in implementing the Australian technical colleges initiative. It is another example of how the Howard government’s election commitment has been so enthusiastically embraced by the community, by industry and by employers. In fact, they want more Australian technical colleges. And it is, of course, another example where those opposite got it so very wrong. Labor’s failing to understand the fundamentals and reasons for establishing Australian technical colleges and their confusing references to state and territory run TAFEs are just another example of their ineptness. This bill clearly demonstrates how well the Australian technical colleges have been received by the communities in which they are to be established.

For instance, the member for Kingston, Kym Richardson, has shown unyielding support. His community and local industry in Adelaide South have secured a former state school building which was abandoned by the South Australian government and has stood vacant for seven years. This will now become a state-of-the-art Australian technical college providing a real choice for young Australians in the southern regions of Adelaide. In north Brisbane—and it is great that the member for Petrie is here to hear me say this—the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Teresa Gambaro, has strongly supported her local community and local industry in the establishment of an Australian technical college, which has also received enormous support from the Redcliffe City Council and Commerce Queensland. This is another abandoned school campus which will come back to life under this initiative. Mr Speaker, I am sure you, as the the member for Wannon, would be very pleased about the progress of the Australian technical college at Warrnambool and, because the member for Corio is here, I guess he would also be delighted about the progress being made for the Geelong Australian technical college.

The New South Wales state government has an ideological opposition to school based new apprenticeships or part-time apprenticeships; and their centralising of education and training, rather than listening to local communities, has meant the blocking of the establishment of Australian technical colleges in locations in that state such as Lismore-Ballina, Queanbeyan and Dubbo. The New South Wales government needs to stand out of the way of this initiative so that the local communities and employers in those regions can also share in the establishment of Australian technical colleges.

I am happy to report to the House that, already, four colleges are in operation, with another to commence later this year—the one in northern Tasmania—and at least 20 are expected to be in operation in 2007. Each of the colleges is strongly backed by local industry. Industry and business people are taking a leading role in the management of the colleges and have shown great support for the Australian technical colleges initiative.

This bill brings forward funds from later years to support the establishment of the colleges in 2006 and 2007. This movement of funds does not reflect an increase in costs for the program. The total funding appropriated under the Australian Technical Colleges (Flexibility in Achieving Australia’s Skills Needs) Act 2005 will remain unchanged, with $343.6 million being available over the period to 2009 to support the establishment and operation of 25 colleges.

Twenty or more colleges will be in operation in 2007, and many of these will have established new schools. Funding is needed for the establishment phase for these colleges earlier, so more expenditure will be required in 2006 and 2007 than originally planned. Of course, that means that less will be required in later years. This bill also provides for flexibility in the management of the appropriation by introducing a regulation-making power which will allow funding appropriated for a particular calendar year to be carried over to a future year or brought forward to an earlier year. 

The Australian technical colleges initiative is an innovative program that offers significant flexibility to allow each college to operate in a manner that best meets the needs of industry and students in the region in which it is established. Having the flexibility to expend funds as they are required is important for the continued success of the program.

Passage of this bill will ensure the steady progression of the Australian technical colleges initiative which will allow up to 7,500 young Australians per year to undertake high-quality education and vocational training. It will be relevant to the nation-building trade career they choose. The Australian government is committed to raising the profile of vocational and technical education. Attracting young people to the trades is vital for Australia’s future and is an important step in addressing the skills needs across a number of industry sectors. The Australian technical colleges initiative offers a new approach to achieving this, and forms an important part of the Australian government’s strategy for tackling skill shortages into the future.  The Australian technical colleges will promote trade qualifications as being as highly valued as a university degree. They will also develop a reputation which will show students and parents that vocational and technical education provides access to careers which are secure, lucrative and rewarding. I commend this bill to the House and present the explanatory memorandum.

Debate (on motion by Mr Gavan O’Connor) adjourned.