Page 3587 - Week 11 - Thursday, 16 November 2006
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less controversial than others. This is an entirely uncontroversial one. It is a shame that we get these things wrong. We will not be doing anything to stop the fix-up.
DR FOSKEY (Molonglo) (11.05): The Greens will be supporting this bill, which ensures that increases in CIT fees between 1993 and 2005, which it has been discovered were not correctly notified, are retrospectively legitimised. I was wondering if, after the Liberal Party’s attempt on Tuesday to ensure legislation did not retrospectively correct a mistake on the definition of proper places to perform abortions, they would also oppose this bill, but apparently not.
I cannot say that increasing CIT fees is something the Greens have ever welcomed over the past few years. Since the Howard government came to power, at the very least we have certainly seen a reduction in resources to the TAFE system. That has been reflected in ACT budget decisions.
Year after year we have seen the CIT called upon to deliver more with less. Part of this process has included some fee increases. While CIT is structured to provide affordable education, fees are charged and they are payable upfront. Consequently, there can be barriers to access for potential students who have the most to gain from post-secondary and vocational education, especially in an environment where the government has seen fit recently to set up a special skills task force. One would think that the CIT would be a major part of this.
It is the Australian Greens’ policy to work towards free TAFE education, but obviously such a move is further down the track. Perhaps of greatest concern is the recent 10 per cent increase in TAFE fees in New South Wales. I register here my concern that a similar fee rise might be imposed here. In the meantime, it makes sense to validate the increases in fees that have already been charged to students between 1993 and 2005, to limit future fee increases to students to CPI, and to look for ways to increase the availability of scholarships or concessions in the future for those students for whom the fees would be a real difficulty or a disincentive.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation and Minister for Industrial Relations) (11.08), in reply: I thank members for their consideration and support of the bill and for the helpful contribution they have made to the debate. I note Dr Foskey’s comments in relation to another piece of legislation where retrospectivity was sought. I concur with her view on that matter. In relation to the bill before us, in closing, I would like to assure members that, over the years, students have received excellent value for money for the small contribution they have made towards the cost of their tuition at the Canberra Institute of Technology. I thank members for their support.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.
Bill agreed to.
Sitting suspended from 11.09 am to 2.30 pm.
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