Page 1257 - Week 04 - Thursday, 21 April 1994
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MR WOOD (Minister for Education and Training, Minister for the Arts and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (8.03), in reply: I thank members for their contributions. Mr Cornwell was mostly gracious, with a little barb about TOCs that we can accept. I think the arrangement we have is suitable for what is needed for the hotel school. First of all, there is clear accountability to the Government, as the Ministers are the major shareholders. That is a very important aspect. There is a strong link, which is necessary; yet it is distinctly separate from traditional government structures. It has the same connection with the Institute of Technology; it is complementary to the Institute of Technology. It is not to be competing with the institute; yet it needs that degree of separateness which it has. Obviously, as we explored the structure for the hotel school a TOC was considered; but in the end, after discussions, we found that this was the best possible arrangement. A further factor is that TOCs are required to operate for a profit. Nevertheless, this allows appropriate attention to be given to the education role of the hotel school; profit is not going to be the dominating factor.
Mr Cornwell did raise the key thing about this proposal now that it is up and running, and that is that we need those enrolments. That will ensure the success of the school. I agree with Mr Cornwell that what has been set in place is excellent. The program will be great; the connection with Cornell is good. I am confident that we can get those students, which will demonstrate just how good a place it is. Mr Cornwell drew my attention to a reference in last year's Estimates Committee report. I indicate that we will come back in the way the Estimates Committee wants to explore how the hotel school is going. We will not have any difficulty about that. Mr Cornwell also referred to the amount of money that has been spent, according to the last CIT annual report. Of course, more money would have been spent since that report was completed. That money, from the first day, has come from the loan. The hotel school has drawn on that loan as it has needed to spend every cent and there has been meticulous recording of that. There is no subsidy, if you like, from the CIT to the hotel school. Every cent is accounted for.
Ms Szuty also commended the process, and it has been a most meticulous one. This is an educational venture, but it is also a commercial venture, and it has been scrutinised exhaustively. The figures have been run over and run over and they have been run through and examined, challenged, questioned. We are very confident of the outcome. It has been a most thorough approach. In a little while I will be moving a number of amendments, some of which have been proposed by Ms Szuty. We are happy to accept those, and I think that, in agreeing to those amendments, we would have Ms Szuty's full support.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
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