Page 4426 - Week 14 - Thursday, 9 December 1993
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The introduction of this Bill is a significant milestone in the development of a new national system of vocational education and training which will have significant beneficial implications for the Territory in the years ahead and which becomes operational on 1 January 1994. The purpose of this Bill is to create legislation which will ensure the constitutional basis for the performance of the functions of the Australian National Training Authority, ANTA, in the Territory. The Bill also provides the Minister responsible for vocational education and training in the Territory with the power to nominate a body as the State training agency. The agency will be the body charged with developing and maintaining a direct relationship with the authority and ultimately performing a range of strategic planning, management and funding functions with respect to our own system of vocational training.
The importance of the emerging relationship with ANTA should not be underestimated. The national vocational education and training system agreement, which the Chief Minister signed on behalf of the Territory Government in July 1992 and which underpins ANTA, provides a new national framework for the planning, management and funding of vocational education and training throughout Australia. The objective of the agreement is to provide for a more cohesive system of vocational education and training which is responsive to the nation's requirements. It is imperative that the Territory, through the body which will be designated as the training agency, develop an efficient and authoritative relationship with ANTA, not only to ensure that the Territory's interests are met but also to enable us to influence national directions and national policy. This Bill will provide the legislative basis for the relationship and will protect the Territory's interests in that relationship by creating a complementarity of functions, enabling the authority to function, within its own legislative provisions, in the Territory.
I am currently considering the necessary transitional steps to confer on the Vocational Training Authority the responsibilities of interim State training agency for the Territory, a function currently being performed by the Education and Training Coordination Committee. Ultimately, I expect to proceed with more detailed legislation for a permanent agency. The transition will, therefore, provide time for the Government and the stakeholders to observe the interim agency in operation so that the final legislation will benefit from its operational experience. The legislation arising from this Bill will complement more detailed legislation. This Bill, though concise, is extremely significant and represents a real watershed in the management of vocational education and training in Australia and in the Territory. Madam Speaker, shortly I will provide to members a copy of the Commonwealth legislation to which this refers. I commend the Bill and associated explanatory memorandum to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Mr Cornwell) adjourned.
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