Book 8 - Parliament of Victoria

More documents

Recommendations

Info

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE 1698 COUNCIL Thursday, 2 June 2011 exercised as a last option, not as the first option. I note that the — — Hon. M. P. Pakula — On a point of order, President, as a matter of clarity, the question Mrs Coote asked the minister was about a development in the federal industrial relations sphere. I am just wondering whether the minister’s answering of this question means that he will now be required to answer any and all questions about industrial relations in the federal sphere in the future. The PRESIDENT — Order! My view as Presiding Officer is that if there are industrial relations matters that occur in the Federal Court that impinge upon Victorian administration, then the house is entitled to believe the minister may well have comments to make on those matters. Victoria has referred its powers, but there are issues for the Victorian economy and for the minister’s administration. I think the question that the minister is responding to today is an appropriate question, and I think he is proceeding with an answer that is apposite to what he has been asked. As I said, whilst the decision might have been in the jurisdiction of the Federal Court and whilst Fair Work Australia is a federal agency, there are implications for Victorian industry. I think the minister is aware of that and has made comment about that in various contributions to this Parliament in the past. I would expect that questions might well reflect that going forward. Hon. R. A. DALLA-RIVA — I think Mr Pakula would be aware that we ceded most of our industrial relations powers to the commonwealth in 1996. However, I think it is important to put on the record that that does not mean we will not act to protect the interests of Victorians. It is important that as a state we strengthen Victoria’s industrial relations reputation. We need to encourage future investment and sustained economic growth for all Victorians. I am confident that our government will support industry in Victoria by making sure it is up to the challenges that exist at a most difficult time, such as those arising from shifting patterns of trade and the like. I note that in the context of the decision that was handed down yesterday the federal workplace relations minister, Senator Evans, is promising a review of Labor’s Fair Work Act 2009 in the first half of next year. Our view is that the review cannot come soon enough. Workplace laws should be encouraging productivity and competitiveness and not inviting pre-emptive strikes. If Labor’s workplace laws have the effect of discouraging investment and the jobs that go with it, Labor must be held accountable. We cannot compete with low-wage economies on labour costs, but we can compete by increasing our productivity. We need to build on our reputation for quality and reliability through the development of higher end products and services. For the record, in the 1990s Victoria’s productivity growth exceeded the national average, but from 2000, under Labor, it fell below the national average. Victoria has been underperforming on this key important issue. We need to understand that if we are to reverse the position that Labor has put this state in and give its people the economic opportunities they need for a prosperous future, we need to encourage innovation and build our skills base. We need our industries to be dynamic, outward looking and agile, and we need a workforce that is highly skilled and highly adaptable. As I said, the review undertaken by the federal workplace relations minister, Senator Evans, is undertaking cannot come quickly enough. Health: commonwealth-state agreement Mr JENNINGS (South Eastern Metropolitan) — My question is for the Minister for Health. As the minister is well aware, as part of the commonwealth allocation of $16 billion to support the health industry across Australia, the intention is to establish a national accountability and health pricing mechanism. The minister has commented on that in recent times. Can the minister tell the house what constructive proposals he has put to the commonwealth to enable the degree of transparency and accountability that it requires to secure that funding for Victoria? Hon. D. M. DAVIS (Minister for Health) — The Victorian government is committed to greater transparency and a more effective health system. We are also committed to working collaboratively with the commonwealth government to deliver that. What I would say to the member is that one suggestion we have made to the commonwealth is that if the new National Health Performance Authority is established in the form that is being mooted, it ought not have an excessively large bureaucracy, it ought not be an intrusive bureaucracy and it ought to work collaboratively with the states. We have also made the suggestion that that body could be much more effective if it also scrutinised commonwealth health activity. Another constructive suggestion we have made is that the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare could take on a larger role in ensuring transparency and greater scrutiny of the health system. It has a well-established reputation, it is respected by the states
QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE Thursday, 2 June 2011 COUNCIL 1699 and the commonwealth, and it has a good history of bringing together datasets that enable genuine comparability. This is one alternative that would see good transparency with less bureaucracy. Supplementary question Mr JENNINGS (South Eastern Metropolitan) — I would like to congratulate the minister on providing the best answer he has given me, in my view, to any question I have asked him. In the spirit of being constructive, I ask the minister — — Mr P. Davis interjected. Mr JENNINGS — I still believe it is the best answer he has given. In the spirit of being constructive, I want to know whether it is the intention of the minister to account to the commonwealth so as to provide it with the confidence of knowing that every dollar the commonwealth allocates for health expenditure in Victoria will be acquitted within the health portfolio. Hon. D. M. DAVIS (Minister for Health) — This is not strictly a supplementary question, but nonetheless I am happy to answer it. It is a question that Mr Jennings has asked on a number of occasions, and I will give him the same answer I have given previously, which is a direct answer. The state spends far more on health care than the commonwealth does. The state’s contribution dwarfs the commonwealth’s contribution. In the case of Victoria about 60 per cent of our hospital system costs are met by Victoria and not by the commonwealth. I am confident that we are pulling our weight and increasing our share. I am very happy to provide an assurance to the member that Victoria is more than pulling its weight. Higher education: federal funding Mr O’BRIEN (Western Victoria) — My question is to the Minister for Higher Education and Skills, who is also the Minister responsible for the Teaching Profession, the Honourable Peter Hall, and I ask: can the minister inform the house of the Liberal-Nationals coalition government’s position on commonwealth legislation to create a demand-driven funding system for higher education? Hon. P. R. HALL (Minister for Higher Education and Skills) — I thank Mr O’Brien for his question and the chance to comment on what is a very important issue for all of us in Victoria. Mr O’Brien’s question referred to the recent actions of the commonwealth government to introduce a bill to the federal Parliament that would bring about a demand-driven system for the funding of undergraduate places at certain higher education providers. I say ‘certain’ because therein lies some concerns for the Victorian government. Essentially we welcome the move to a demand-driven funding system for undergraduate courses, starting in 2012. We hope it will complement the already successful demand-driven vocational education and training funding system we have in Victoria. Those reforms led to a 24 per cent increase in enrolments in diploma and advanced diploma courses in Victoria between 2008 and 2010. That is to be welcomed. We hope that the higher education demand-driven funding system will bring about similar results, because all of the planning undertaken by the previous government and the current government demonstrates the need for greater acquisition of skills in the Victorian community to meet workforce needs. There are some significant differences between both of these demand-driven systems. Firstly, the Victorian demand-driven funding system for vocational education and training applies to all providers, whether they are public providers, private providers or community providers. Under this bill the proposed federal system makes it clear that private providers of higher education are excluded from demand-driven funding, and essentially anything other than those universities listed under certain schedules of federal acts will not be eligible for demand-driven funding. This is of particular concern in Victoria, as two of our finest TAFE institutes currently have commonwealth-supported places, deliver bachelor of early childhood education and bachelor of nursing programs. Holmesglen TAFE currently has 40 bachelor of nursing places and 120 bachelor of early childhood education places, both of which currently attract commonwealth funding. The Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE also has 30 bachelor of early childhood education places that receive commonwealth-supported funding. Under the new bill it is not clear whether those places will continue to receive commonwealth funding. If they do not, it would be a real concern to Victoria, especially as both these professional areas of nursing and early childhood education are in demand. In this state we need to be training as many nurses and early childhood educators as we can. Moreover, it seems apparent that neither of these institutions will be eligible for demand-driven funding — that is, they will not have the opportunity to expand the provision of those particular courses. We say that is a real concern.
Page 1:
PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA PARLIAMENTAR
Page 4 and 5:
Legislative Council committees Priv
Page 7 and 8:
TUESDAY, 31 MAY 2011 ROYAL ASSENT..
Page 9 and 10:
WRITTEN ADJOURNMENT RESPONSES TUESD
Page 11:
314. Sport and recreation: sporting
Page 14 and 15:
QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE 1530 COUNC
Page 16 and 17:
Page 18 and 19:
Page 20 and 21:
Page 22 and 23:
MEMBERS STATEMENTS 1538 COUNCIL Tue
Page 24 and 25:
MEMBERS STATEMENTS 1540 COUNCIL Tue
Page 26 and 27:
CRIMES AMENDMENT (BULLYING) BILL 20
Page 28 and 29:
Page 30 and 31:
Page 32 and 33:
Page 34 and 35:
Page 36 and 37:
Page 38 and 39:
Page 40 and 41:
Page 42 and 43:
Page 44 and 45:
Page 46 and 47:
Page 48 and 49:
FISHERIES AMENDMENT BILL 2011 1564
Page 50 and 51:
FISHERIES AMENDMENT BILL 2011 1566
Page 52 and 53:
BUDGET PAPERS 2011-12 1568 COUNCIL
Page 54 and 55:
Page 56 and 57:
Page 58 and 59:
Page 60 and 61:
Page 62 and 63:
Page 64 and 65:
Page 66 and 67:
Page 68 and 69:
Page 70 and 71:
Page 72 and 73:
ADJOURNMENT 1588 COUNCIL Tuesday, 3
Page 74 and 75:
Page 76 and 77:
Page 78 and 79:
Page 80 and 81:
1596 COUNCIL
Page 82 and 83:
PAPERS 1598 COUNCIL Wednesday, 1 Ju
Page 84 and 85:
MEMBERS STATEMENTS 1600 COUNCIL Wed
Page 86 and 87:
GOVERNMENT: ELECTION COMMITMENTS 16
Page 88 and 89:
Page 90 and 91:
Page 92 and 93:
Page 94 and 95:
Page 96 and 97:
Page 98 and 99:
Page 100 and 101:
Page 102 and 103:
Page 104 and 105:
Page 106 and 107:
Page 108 and 109:
Page 110 and 111:
Page 112 and 113:
Page 114 and 115:
Page 116 and 117:
Page 118 and 119:
Page 120 and 121:
PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS 1636 COUNCI
Page 122 and 123:
AUSTRALIAN SYNCHROTRON: FUNDING 163
Page 124 and 125:
Page 126 and 127:
Page 128 and 129:
Page 130 and 131:
PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS 1646 COUNCI
Page 132 and 133: PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS 1648 COUNCI
Page 134 and 135: FLOODS: WATER STORAGE MONITORING 16
Page 136 and 137: FLOODS: WATER STORAGE MONITORING 16
Page 138 and 139: ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING LEGISLATIO
Page 140 and 141: STATEMENTS ON REPORTS AND PAPERS 16
Page 148 and 149: ADJOURNMENT 1664 COUNCIL Wednesday,
Page 156 and 157: 1672 COUNCIL
Page 158 and 159: PETITIONS 1674 COUNCIL Thursday, 2
Page 160 and 161: MEMBERS STATEMENTS 1676 COUNCIL Thu
Page 162 and 163: PUBLIC HOLIDAYS AMENDMENT BILL 2011
Page 178 and 179: QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE 1694 COUNC
Page 204 and 205: BUDGET PAPERS 2011-12 1720 COUNCIL
Page 206 and 207: APPROPRIATION (2011/2012) BILL 2011
Page 214 and 215: ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AMENDMENT (L
Page 216 and 217: STATE TAXATION ACTS AMENDMENT BILL
Page 218 and 219: STATE TAXATION ACTS AMENDMENT BILL
Page 220 and 221: BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE 1736 COUNCIL
Page 222 and 223: ADJOURNMENT 1738 COUNCIL Thursday,
Page 224 and 225: ADJOURNMENT 1740 COUNCIL Thursday,
Page 226 and 227: WRITTEN ADJOURNMENT RESPONSES 1742
Page 228 and 229: WRITTEN ADJOURNMENT RESPONSES 1744
Page 230 and 231: 1746 COUNCIL
Page 232 and 233:
QUESTIONS ON NOTICE 1748 COUNCIL Tu
Page 234 and 235:
Page 236 and 237:
Page 238 and 239:
QUESTIONS ON NOTICE 1754 COUNCIL Th
Page 240 and 241:
Page 242 and 243:
Page 244 and 245:
Page 246 and 247:
Page 248 and 249:
Page 250 and 251:
Page 252 and 253:
Page 254 and 255:
Page 256 and 257:
Page 258 and 259:
Page 260 and 261:
Page 262 and 263:
Page 264 and 265:
Page 266 and 267:
Page 268 and 269:
Page 270 and 271:
Page 272 and 273:
Page 274 and 275:
Page 276 and 277:
Page 278 and 279:
Page 280 and 281:
Page 282 and 283:
Page 284 and 285:
Page 286 and 287:
Page 288 and 289:
Page 290 and 291:
Page 292 and 293:
Page 294 and 295:
MEMBERS INDEX ii COUNCIL Members st
Page 296 and 297:
MEMBERS INDEX iv COUNCIL KRONBERG,
Page 298 and 299:
MEMBERS INDEX vi COUNCIL PRESIDENT,
show all

Book 8 - Parliament of Victoria

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?