Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I indicate that I support the amendment moved by Senator Lazarus and Senator Muir. I think this amendment was born out of concerns that Senator Lazarus has principally in relation to aviation training colleges. There has been a huge increase in the demand for aviation training. Australia is acknowledged as a world and regional leader in terms of high-quality aviation training. The scandals involving a number of colleges have not touched on aviation training colleges—that is my understanding. So that if there is a demand for aviation training, for pilot training, which goes well in excess of the cap that has been proposed, there is a discretion contained in this amendment that does allow an application to be made by the provider that the section needs to be satisfied of a number of particular criteria, including skills in an identified area of national importance, being a licensed occupation and the like. So it gives a discretion to the department to be used, I hope appropriately and rarely, where there is a genuine bottleneck, for a demand for something like pilot training.

I think Senator Lazarus and Senator Muir are doing the right thing by their states and this will also have a significant flow-through benefit in South Australia where there are aviation training schools. All I ask my crossbench colleagues to consider is that, when Senator Carr's amendment is being considered shortly in relation to the issue of giving discretion to the secretary to cap fees, that it be considered seriously because I see that amendment being in the same vein, in a sense, to allow a discretion but it would not be proper for me to debate Senator Carr's amendment now. I understand what Senator Lazarus and Senator Muir are trying to do. I will support the amendment but I ask my colleagues on the crossbench to keep an open mind to Senator Carr's amendment in relation to that.

No doubt we will have an opportunity to discuss this with the minister. I think we all in this room want to get rid of the rorters, the shysters and the sharks in vocational training. It has turned into a multibillion-dollar mess that is costing taxpayers and exploiting and letting down students who want to do a course and get appropriate qualifications. I support this amendment. I just ask that, when we deal with Senator Carr's amendment, it is given due consideration. I hope I can engage, as I have with the minister on this previously, in a constructive discussion with him in relation to Senator Carr's amendment.