Page 1826 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 2 May 2012

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


MR HANSON: Minister, specifically which laws are being used to exclude naming a public servant who acted in the course of their duties from being identified, and will you table any legal advice that you have received?

MS GALLAGHER: No, it is not normal to table legal advice. My understanding is that it is laws such as the Privacy Act and in relation to some HR employment-related laws, given the nature of investigations that are underway.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Hanson.

MR HANSON: By not naming the individual who manipulated the results, have you not cast a shadow of doubt over all staff at the Canberra Hospital, and can you explain specifically what investigation and who is conducting the investigation into the individual who has manipulated the data?

MS GALLAGHER: I do not believe I am casting a shadow over all staff. Indeed I think the only person in this place that is doing that is Mr Hanson.

Education—vocational

MS PORTER: My question is to the minister for education. Minister, what do the recent COAG announcements on the VET sector reform mean for the ACT?

DR BOURKE: I thank the member for her question. We all know that there is a need for ongoing VET sector reform to ensure that our workforce can cater to both current and future needs. We build this resilience by working together with the commonwealth to increase the skill levels of Canberra’s labour force.

I believe that this new $28.5 million national partnership with the commonwealth puts us well on the path to ensuring that the skills of Canberrans are developed and ready to be utilised in our strong local economy. This is a game changer when it comes to VET sector service provision.

Mr Hanson interjecting—

MR SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, you are now warned for interjecting.

DR BOURKE: This new partnership will deliver funding that will give more government-funded training places for working-age Canberrans and provide for a better funded sector able to meet the evolving needs of the Canberra community. Increasing productivity in our local community requires government, service providers and business to work together to increase the skill levels of working-age Canberrans. But it also means coming together to ensure that individuals in our city are given the proper opportunity to gain the skills and experience for the jobs. It means making sure that members of our community have the skills and experience to adapt to change as our local economy grows.


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