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Labor refuses to release Fed Training detailsTraining and Skills Minister Gayle Tierney refused to provide basic information about Federation Training during a budget estimates hearing yesterday.
By Portal Admin - 19th May 2017 - Back to News Opposition MPs walked out of the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC) in disgust after the Labor chair tried to rule a question about Federation Training's student numbers, staffing and finances out of order.
Ms Tierney told the committee that she would not provide the information because it was "commercially sensitive", despite other TAFEs around the state publishing the same information in their annual reports.
Labor's cover up comes after Federation Training failed for the second year in a row to publish its annual report, with no reports provided to Parliament for 2015 or 2016, putting it in breach of the Financial Management Act.
Quotes attributable to Shadow Minister for Training, Skills and Apprenticeships Steph Ryan
Labor is trying to hide the dire state of Federation Training by claiming data published by other TAFEs is suddenly commercially sensitive.
It's no wonder Gayle Tierney and Harriet Shing don't want this information published when Federation Training has cut staff, courses and student support services.
More than 123,000 students have disappeared from Victoria's training since Daniel Andrews became Premier and students now have less chance of finding a job.
Quotes attributable to The Nationals Member for Morwell Russell Northe
Labor has walked away from Federation Training when the Latrobe Valley has never needed it more.
Under questioning in Parliament and at committee hearings, Gayle Tierney was incapable of answering even basic questions about Federation Training's finances and student numbers.
Media contact:
Emma Manser
0437 225 386
emma.manser@opposition.vic.gov.au
Source: www.gippsland.com Published by: support@gippsland.com

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