MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:18:15): I thank the member again for her surprising new and renewed and unexpected interest in TAFE, let alone free TAFE. The reality is that this government has encouraged partnership models between industry, private providers and TAFE. We have done that for a long time, and we have encouraged people to submit applications on numerous occasions in terms of the funding that is available through the Regional and Specialist Training Fund, the Workforce Training Innovation Fund and a whole range of other endeavours. We are encouraging the partnership model. We think that this is the way to go forward in a whole range of areas in terms of the delivery of training and skills in this state. Of course I would need to remind the house that if this government was not elected this time and indeed the time before, we would have no TAFE, no skills and training system. We would have TAFE closures, and indeed would have no free TAFE at all—at all. Those opposite are not interested in— (Time expired)
Category: Parliament
