Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 9 Hansard (7 September) . . Page.. 3020 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

I thank the members for their comments on the bill. What we have before us is a straightforward mechanism which will ensure that all higher education courses provided by non-university providers in the territory must be accredited by the ACT Accreditation and Registration Council. It closes a loophole and will bring us into line with the other eastern states. Also, the addition of two members to the Accreditation and Registration Council will give the council greater expertise and strengthen its role in higher education.

I thank members for indicating that they will vote in favour of the bill. There is considerable urgency in having the bill passed as some unaccredited providers were starting to sniff around and offer some courses. I am pleased that this bill will enable that not to happen and that it will protect the good name of education and training in the ACT. I thank members for their comments at the in-principle stage.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

Detail Stage

Bill, by leave, taken as a whole.

MR BERRY (4.46): I move:

Clause 4, page 2, line 15, paragraph (c), proposed definition of university , paragraph (b), after "opinion,", insert "formed after consultation with the council,".

This amendment goes to the issue of forming a definition for the purposes of the act. So far the bill has been supported in principle. Clause 4 of the bill seeks to amend section 4 of the act by inserting in subsection (1) the following definition:

"university means a higher education institution that is-

(a) established or recognised as a university under a law of the Commonwealth or a State; or-

that is satisfactory-

(b) established in a foreign country and recognised by the authority in the foreign country that, in the Minister's opinion, is a competent authority for the purpose; or-

there is a point of contention in that paragraph-

(c) recognised by the regulations as a university.".

This is quite acceptable. The amendment that I propose seeks to change paragraph (c) of clause 4 by inserting after the word "opinion" the words "formed after consultation with the council". Paragraph (b) of the definition of "university" would then read:

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .