Dr MARJORIE O'NEILL (Coogee) (13:05:13): I move:

That the amendment be amended by leaving out paragraph (3).

Firstly, I take this opportunity to thank the member for Lakemba for moving this incredibly important motion. This is such an important motion that I am shocked that the Minister is not here. Where is the Minister? This is so important.

[An Opposition member interjected.]

The Minister is hiding. Let me make it very clear: I love TAFE. It is an institution that Labor built and that Labor will always defend. It was once the world's leading training facility, but this Government has absolutely decimated it, purely for ideological reasons. Government members are hell-bent on destroying everything that great Labor governments have built. We have seen this. In New South Wales there is only one TAFE that does wooden ship building—my uncle is actually one of the TAFE teachers—because this Government has decimated TAFE. We have seen this in enrolment numbers that continue to decline. We have seen this in the staff members who continue to lose their jobs. This once-great institution has been decimated. It is no wonder no-one wants to enrol. TAFE was designed to provide access to training and education for everyone. Not only has it been gutted, but simultaneously it has become unaffordable and subsequently unattainable for so many people. I will talk about two things specific to my electorate. We have not been immune to the Government's barbaric acts. For more than a decade Randwick Boys High School and Randwick Girls High School have been running a wonderful mentoring program through TAFE. Last year the principals got a letter that read:

Thank you to you and your staff for working with us on the TAFE Peer Program this year. We expect all your students to graduate from this program in November.

Unfortunately due to changes in staffing within our section and TAFE systems, we are unable to offer this program to your school next year. Our staff have thoroughly enjoyed working with your staff and students over many years, it has been a very successful program in developing the … mentoring skills of your students.

Kind regards

The letter was signed by the head teacher of literacy. Government members do not care who they impact while they are decimating TAFE. Those great programs no longer exist because of the cuts that the Government is making to TAFE.

Mr Clayton Barr: That is a good point.

Dr MARJORIE O'NEILL: It is a great point. In addition, this Government is building an ambulance superstation on the site of Randwick TAFE. One might think that it is great that the State Government is putting money into health. Actually there is absolutely no evidence that demonstrates that ambulance superstations increase response times. The evidence is the reverse. I fear—as do the staff and the community—that this is just a ploy to incrementally downgrade the wonderful Randwick TAFE and to sell off this prime real estate. I note that it states online that the Randwick superstation will be situated on the corner of Darley Road and King Street, adjacent to TAFE NSW's campus. I would like to clarify that it is actually on the TAFE site and has taken land from the TAFE site. This has been clarified in questions on notice. I make this very clear: There is no evidence that ambulance superstations improve response times. This Government has a very clear track record of using mechanisms like this to further downgrade TAFE campuses. It is doing this to free up more assets.