Queensland Training Assets Management Authority Repeal Bill 2015

As Minister for Training and Skills, moved the bill to repeal QTAMA as a key part of the government's Rescuing TAFE election commitment. Argued QTAMA was set up to sell off training assets and undermine TAFE as the public VET provider.

“I truly believe that had the LNP been re-elected Queensland would not have a TAFE system into the future.”— 2015-07-15View Hansard

Spoke against the repeal on behalf of the opposition, arguing QTAMA was an important reform that enabled TAFE to focus on core training delivery while specialist asset managers improved utilisation. Noted no assets were sold under QTAMA and student participation was increasing.

“Once again, under Labor we will see a TAFE system that has no chance of being fixed and will continue to wither on the vine.”— 2015-07-15View Hansard

As committee chair, endorsed the bill and highlighted evidence from TAFE Queensland about how QTAMA restricted industry training partnerships with companies like Santos and Komatsu.

“QTAMA was created by those opposite to enable the sell-off of Queensland's training assets to the highest bidder and to remove the access of TAFE to its own premises and its own equipment.”— 2015-07-15View Hansard

Supported the repeal as part of the Rescuing TAFE commitment, arguing QTAMA was part of the LNP's ideologically driven plan to gut TAFE and the public provision of vocational education and training.

“This repeal bill is a necessary component of the Queensland Labor government's commitment to reverse the ideologically driven plans of the previous LNP government to gut TAFE Queensland.”— 2015-07-15View Hansard

Opposed the repeal, arguing student participation had increased under QTAMA, the reforms had not had enough time to demonstrate their full benefits, and the bill was being rushed through parliament.

“I just cannot understand the haste to pass this bill when there is better utilisation of our TAFE and more student participation.”— 2015-07-15View Hansard

Supported the bill, citing evidence from submitters including the QTU and Together union about QTAMA's negative impact on students, and highlighting the government's $34.5 million Rescuing TAFE commitment.

“QTAMA added an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy for TAFE with the sole objective of commercially exploiting TAFE campuses and selling or leasing them off.”— 2015-07-15View Hansard

Spoke about the impact on regional communities like Bundaberg, where courses were cut and students had to travel to the Sunshine Coast or Brisbane to complete their studies.

“The history of how our TAFE system became so broken, neglected and ignored was a deliberate act by the former LNP government to dismantle it and exclude from education those who could not afford it.”— 2015-07-15View Hansard

Opposed the repeal, arguing QTAMA was about efficient facility management and that the bill would delay the University of the Sunshine Coast's planned expansion into underutilised TAFE facilities in Gympie.

“This bill is not about the survival of TAFE; this bill is purely about paying back and pandering to their union masters.”— 2015-07-15View Hansard

Supported the bill as the first step in the Rescuing TAFE commitment, citing evidence that the QTAMA commercial model had failed elsewhere in Australia and worldwide.

“QTAMA was symptomatic of what was happening in TAFE generally and to a great extent the way the LNP treated the Queensland people in general: their sneaky carving up of TAFE assets so that they could get them ready for sale.”— 2015-07-15View Hansard

Supported the bill, drawing on her experience working with the national VET regulator to argue that TAFE plays a vital role in regional and remote training delivery that private providers will not fill.

“This ideology-driven reform process by the former LNP government was not about improving and strengthening Queensland's vocational education and training sector.”— 2015-07-15View Hansard

Opposed the repeal as an ideological attack on private training providers and a step back from the open and competitive VET market. Noted student participation in Queensland had increased by 4.9% while falling nationally.

“This bill represents an ideological attack on the ability of people to get the training they want and choose, and also on private sector non-TAFE training providers in this state.”— 2015-07-15View Hansard

Supported the bill, arguing QTAMA was set up to sell off training assets and that increased TAFE fees under the LNP had made courses unaffordable for many Queenslanders.

“Some of the courses that started at an affordable $140 per semester under Labor went to about $800 a semester under the LNP.”— 2015-07-15View Hansard

Supported the bill as an election commitment to restore TAFE, emphasising its importance for youth unemployment in regional areas and for mature age workers needing retraining.

“By rescuing TAFE we are also in the same process rescuing the youth of this great state and the problems that youth unemployment is causing in our regional areas.”— 2015-07-15View Hansard

Supported the bill to ensure TAFE assets remain in public ownership, noting TAFE did not have priority access to its own premises under the QTAMA model and highlighting the government's 10-year asset management plan.

“It is quite unbelievable that TAFE as a premier public provider of TAFE in this state did not have priority access to its own premises but had to stand in line with private providers.”— 2015-07-15View Hansard

Supported the bill from personal experience as a TAFE graduate and former apprentice, arguing TAFE's vocational training system is vital and QTAMA was an attempt to sell off training assets.

“When I heard that the previous government had introduced QTAMA to lease TAFE premises and equipment, I was disgusted. I knew that, like its plans for the electricity supply industry, this was nothing more than an attempt to flog off our training assets.”— 2015-07-15View Hansard

Supported the bill, arguing QTAMA was an ideological solution that restricted industry partnerships, was not good for rural and remote students, and provided no incentive for providers to invest in training infrastructure.

“QTAMA is a solution that is not needed. TAFE and this government have the capacity to build efficiency, build partnerships and build innovative solutions, but we need integrated assets to do all of these things.”— 2015-07-15View Hansard

Supported the bill from personal experience as a former TAFE student and adult educator, highlighting the impact on dedicated TAFE teachers who lost access to their classrooms and resources under QTAMA.

“Training assets must be utilised in ways that benefit local communities. It is important that TAFE Queensland has priority access to these state owned assets to ensure that Queenslanders have access to a premier public training provider.”— 2015-07-15View Hansard

Supported the bill as Minister for Communities, arguing QTAMA undermined TAFE's ability to deliver quality training and that support services for vulnerable students were cut under the commercial model.

“Putting public training assets out to open tender for the private sector to outbid TAFE undermines the ability of the public provider to continue its delivery of quality vocational education and training.”— 2015-07-15View Hansard

Supported the bill, drawing on her experience as a former QTU organiser and highlighting TAFE's role in training students with difficult behaviours and providing adult literacy courses that private providers would not offer.

“It is clear that the current act was set up to destroy TAFE as a public provider and to make way for private providers.”— 2015-07-15View Hansard

Supported the bill, noting courses at the Mount Gravatt TAFE campus had been shifted away due to increased QTAMA costs and that a significant proportion of students simply dropped out rather than travelling to other campuses.

“At a time of growing youth unemployment, those opposite presided over a system that drove students out of TAFE.”— 2015-07-15View Hansard