House debates Questions without Notice
Australian Technical Colleges
Jenny Macklin Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
2:47 pm
My question is to the Treasurer, and I refer to his previous answer, in which he referred to technical colleges. Is the Treasurer aware that only one student is enrolled at the Gladstone technical college, that there are fewer than 100 students enrolled in the other three Australian technical colleges currently open for business and that three promised colleges may not open at all? Treasurer, doesn’t this mean that your colleges will produce fewer than 100 qualified tradespeople by 2010, the year the Australian Industry Group estimates we will need an extra 100,000 tradespeople?
Peter Costello Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer
As I said earlier, the Australian government has set aside money to build Australian technical colleges: $350 million for 25 of them. Four of those technical colleges are currently open, in Port Macquarie, east Melbourne, Gladstone and the Gold Coast. This is the first time the Australian government has ever set aside money for technical colleges, and people might wonder why it took until 2005 for the Australian government to get into the business of funding and establishing Australian technical colleges. The reason why it took until 2005 for the Australian government to establish Australian technical colleges was that, since the dawn of Federation, the states used to run technical schools which were open to secondary students who wanted a career. Why are those technical schools no longer open in the state of Victoria? There are now no technical schools. Let me tell you why, and it is very instructive: when the socialist Left took control of the Victorian government, under Mother Russia herself, Joan Kirner—the same faction as was advised by the then junior member for Jagajaga—they decided as an arm of policy to abolish technical schools in the state of Victoria. It was an arm of policy. It was decided that all students should go to comprehensive high schools and, as a matter of policy, all technical schools in Victoria were closed.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
Peter Costello Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer
In addition to that, the Australian Labor Party, under John Dawkins, adopted a policy of sending every student to university. That was not appropriate for a lot of students who needed technical training.
Jenny Macklin Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order on relevance. We were not talking about universities. We are talking about—
Peter Costello Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer
As a consequence of that, people who were not aiming at university study were required to go into technical training—
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
On a point of order, Mr Speaker: this is about the budget and technical colleges. There are 100 students, including one—
David Hawker Speaker
That is not a point of order. After the last point of order, the Treasurer had not even completed a sentence. The Treasurer will be heard.
Peter Costello Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer
As a consequence of that, there were people who were apt at technical training, who wanted it and who would have appreciated it who were pushed into the university stream. A consequence of that is they did not have the opportunity to go to an Australian or in fact a state technical college. This is the government that stepped in to remedy that defect. This is the government that set aside $350 million to do what no Australian government has ever done. This is the government that is setting up those Australian technical colleges, and for $350 million in 25 colleges it will be a very worthwhile investment.
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During the Treasurer’s answer, the member for Sturt on two occasions made a grossly unparliamentary remark in respect of the member for Jagajaga and I ask that you get him to withdraw it.
David Hawker Speaker
I have to say I did not hear it, but if the Manager of Opposition Business finds it offensive I will ask the member for Sturt to withdraw.
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing
Mr Speaker, is ‘hypocrite’ an unparliamentary remark? It didn’t used to be.
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Mr Speaker, again on a point order: it is my clear understanding it is you who adjudicates as to what is an unparliamentary remark. You asked the member for Sturt to withdraw one; he refused to do so. Your only course now is to deal with him under the standing orders and suspend him from service of the House.
David Hawker Speaker
I will call the member for Sturt again and ask him to withdraw that statement.
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing
As a courtesy to you, Mr Speaker, I withdraw.
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing
I withdraw.