Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, my question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Education, Senator Carr. The Australian Technical College Northern Tasmania is currently set to close on 31 December as a result of a federal government decision, with the loss of 35 jobs and the displacement of over 240 students. Given the performance of the ATCNT, which has won over 40 awards for staff and students in just three years of operation, and which provides year 11 and year 12 and trade training as part of a competitive education market in Tasmania, why then does the federal government propose to close the ATCNT?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Commonwealth government confirmed in December of 2007 that it would honour existing funding arrangements with all the 24 ATCs until their expiry date on 31 December 2009, by which time their future integration into the education and training systems of the states and territories would be agreed. The government has undertaken extensive consultations, which began in March of 2008, across the country and at each of the state and local levels to integrate these colleges into the broader education and training efforts to ensure the maximum use of all the education and training infrastructure in each region. The government continues to work to ensure that all ATC students are able to complete their education and training programs as planned under the arrangements entered into with regard to the ATCs.

The minister has announced approval for future arrangements for 23 colleges, including the ATC Northern Tasmania. Of the 23 ATCs, five have already been integrated into education facilities and the Commonwealth has entered into new funding arrangements to support those new arrangements. Eighteen ATCs are progressing towards integration between now and the end of December 2009. The department continues to work with these colleges and the state and territory governments to ensure that the system is able to support the integration of all students. As well as ensuring the ATCs are integrated into existing education and training schemes, the government is delivering some $2.5 billion for trade training centres in schools that will benefit all Australian secondary schools.

Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I thank, through you, the minister for his answer, which related to the brief before him which is clearly not relevant to the question that I asked and is clearly quite out of date. Nevertheless, is the minister aware of the emergence of a new consortium of industry partners, former ATCNT board members and other stakeholders that have indicated their willingness to take over and operate the ATCNT into the future? Will the government give full consideration to transferring control of the ATCNT board to the new consortium?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am sure the senator would be aware that Minister Julia Gillard has already announced, on 12 December 2008, that the Australian Technical College Northern Tasmania would become a Catholic systemic senior secondary college owned and operated by the Catholic Archdiocese of Hobart. The ATC campuses at Launceston and Burnie would be integrated with St Patrick’s College in Launceston and Marist Regional College in Burnie. On 21 August 2009, Catholic Education Tasmania wrote to DEEWR, the education department, and advised that it did not intend to proceed with that arrangement and that they were unable to sustain the financial impost in the long term. The future options in regard to the operations of the Australian Technical College Northern Tasmania—(Time expired)

Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We were getting to the interesting bit, Mr President. I ask a further supplementary question. Is the minister aware that the Launceston City Council and the Launceston Chamber of Commerce support the ongoing operation of the ATCNT and that over 4,600 Tasmanians have signed a petition supporting the retention of the college? In light of this support and the overall performance of the ATCNT, will the government now reverse its decision to commit to maintaining the ATCNT in Northern Tasmania? As a final question, what is the view and the position of the federal member for Bass with respect to the future of the ATC? What is the position of federal Labor MPs and federal Labor senators with respect to the future of the ATCNT?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The nature of the standing orders prevent me from answering these questions to the extent to which I would like. But, quite clearly, the senator is terribly misinformed and if he wants to pursue his personal assaults against individual members of the House of Representatives I suggest that there are other places to do it. It is inappropriate to do it through question time. We have a situation where the Commonwealth education department is continuing discussions with Catholic Education Tasmania, as is the Tasmanian government. There will be ongoing arrangements entered into, I have no doubt. That process is continuing. The Tasmanian government is working with the college to ensure that there is a development plan for the ACTNT in 2010, and will provide some $900,000—(Time expired)

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.