Page 92 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 8 April 1992
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MR WOOD (Minister for Education and Training, Minister for the Arts and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (11.24): Madam Speaker, this really is an unnecessary motion. The Government intends to do this. As Mr Moore says - and I have the same document - Ms Follett promised that after the next election she would abolish those fees, and she and her Government will keep that promise. Those fees will be abolished. The provision for that will be made in the next budget. I should point out that - - -
Mr De Domenico: How much is it going to cost?
MR WOOD: The cost is perhaps about $30,000.
Mr De Domenico: So, you could have afforded to do it in the last budget. It is only $30,000.
MR WOOD: You did not leave us a very good budget. You left us a deficit of what? It was $6m or something. You left us a compact with TAFE that was on a reducing level of income for TAFE. You were not making things very easy for anybody. Ms Follett's promise was clear and it is being kept. Her commitment was made during the International Literacy Year. I want to point out that in that context, with the focus in the ACT, as across the world, on the urgency of literacy, as Mr Moore properly points out, that promise was made.
We do rely on fees to fund a substantial part of TAFE. This is a relatively minor impact, as you can see; but we also need to continue to charge fees, albeit with concessions in many areas, in TAFE into the future. So, this certainly does not herald a reduction or removal of fees across TAFE generally. The acquisition of literacy is an essential first step in people being able to have competence in moving into the work field, and in moving across areas of work. I certainly acknowledge the remarks of Mr Moore about the importance of literacy, and the Government, following Ms Follett's promise, is acting in that area.
MR CORNWELL (11.27): Madam Speaker, the Liberal Party will certainly be supporting Mr Moore's motion here today. I am pleased to hear Mr Wood's undertaking on behalf of the Government that they will introduce this; but, of course, they make promises on all sorts of things. It is a bit like Christmas; Christmas is always coming.
Mr Wood: You lot cut TAFE funds.
MR CORNWELL: I find it rather strange that Mr Wood should be attacking us on this very point. However, let me refer to the ACT Council for Adult Literacy letter, which pointed out that at TAFE this year - I am speaking now of 1992 - fees for literacy and basic education courses will range from $121 to $221. While concessions are available to some students, many low income earners have difficulty meeting these fees. I do not think anybody would argue about that. Indeed, as Mr Moore, quite sensibly and realistically, has pointed out, those are the people that need the literacy experience, the literacy education.
We have no objection to these matters. Indeed, how could we? After all, it was the Liberal Party that proposed to address this question of literacy and numeracy where it should properly be addressed, namely, at the primary school level, by introducing literacy and numeracy skills testing for students in primary school years rather than trying to pick up the pieces in TAFE, much further down the track. It is interesting that the Labor Party in their own policy have opted out.
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