Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Vocational Education and Skills) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to thank all members who have contributed to the second reading debate of the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment (Annual Registration Charge) Bill 2017 and its companion bill, the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Charges) Amendment (Annual Registration Charge) Bill 2017.

The bills support the government's commitment to a high quality vocational education and training system by ensuring that the Australian Skills Quality Authority, ASQA, is appropriately resourced to adopt a regulatory approach that enhances the quality and integrity of our VET sector. This bill amends the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011, the NVETR Act, and the companion bill amends the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Charges) Act 2012, the NVETR Charges Act, to replace the current annual registration fees collected by ASQA under the NVETR Act with an annual registration charge collected under the NVETR Charges Act.

These amendments ensure the legislative basis for ASQA's cost-recovery arrangements is appropriate for the broader regulatory activities it undertakes to enhance quality across the whole sector. ASQA's risk-based regulatory activities include targeted compliance monitoring, intelligence collection and data analysis. These bills will have no additional financial impact on businesses or ASQA's revenue. The charge simply replicates the current fees calculated and applied by ASQA. As with the fees, the amount or calculation of the charge will be determined by the minister and agreed by the Council of Australian Governments Industry and Skills Council.

These bills support ASQA's high-quality regulation of Australia's VET sector by ensuring it has proper cost-recovery arrangements in place to give it the flexibility, resources and support it needs. However, following comments from the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills, I will propose amendments to this bill so that the amount of the charge will be determined by a disallowable legislative instrument and will be no more than required to recover the likely costs incurred by the national VET regulator, ASQA, performing its functions. I commend the bill.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

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