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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 8 Hansard (27 June) . . Page.. 2449 ..

My support for the MBA skill centre proposal, which also has the support of the Minister for Education and Training, and my preparedness to approve money from the Fund for its establishment and management, needs to be put in perspective. At the same time as I have approved the release of money from the Fund, the Government has agreed to the preparation of a Bill to amend the Long Service Leave (Building and Construction Industry) Act 1981 to enable a greater proportion of employers' long service leave contributions to become available for industry training over the next 18 months. Should the Bill be passed by the Assembly it will ensure that there will be sufficient funds to support not only the MBA skill centre but other significant training initiatives in the building and construction industry as well.

2. The MBA proposal has been considered along with all other proposals. The same decision making process as applies to all proposals for funding is being applied to the MBA proposal.

3. I have already referred the MBA proposal to the ACT Regional Building and Construction Industry Training Council (the Council) for its recommendation as I am required to do under Section 19D of the Long Service Leave (Building and Construction Industry) Act 1981. I did not indicate support or otherwise for the proposal nor offer any recommendations to the Council in seeking its recommendation. The Council has since advised its support for the proposal.

4. At around the same time that I was considering the MBA skills centre proposal I was requested by the Minister for Education and Training on the recommendation of the Council to approve two additional projects totalling $71,500 and in a second request, another project totalling $67,500. However, the Council has now requested that funding consideration for the two projects totalling $71,500 be deferred. The Vocational Education and Training Authority has advised my Department that a further funding request for a project totalling $8,200 is foreshadowed

On the basis of these requests I have also approved the release of a first component of funds for the $67,500 project ($33,750) in September 1996. I have asked the Long Service Leave Board to quarantine funds for the $8,200 project pending formal advice from the Council and Minister Stefaniak. Money for the second component of funds for the $67,500 project, for the final two instalments of the MBA skills centre project and for any other projects will be dependent on available money in the Fund. The quantum of money available in the Fund will in part be dependent on passage of the Bill to amend the Act as outlined in my answer to question 1 above.

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