Sunday Age 23September 2012
The Victorian government has refused to release the advice it commissioned before slashing the TAFE sector’s budget, forcing institutes to cut courses and make thousands of workers redundant. TAFE institute directors have condemned the government’s refusal to release the full KPMG modelling.
A freedom of information request by the opposition shows the government spent about $150,000 on advice from consulting firm KPMG before cutting funding to TAFEs. The response shows the Education Department also sought an exemption from normal tendering processes, excluding other consulting firms from applying for the contract.
But the response to the FOI request said information prepared by KPMG on the ”project objectives, scope and approach” had been withheld because it is “cabinet-in-confidence”.
Holmesglen TAFE chief executive Bruce Mackenzie said the community would appreciate knowing why the government decided to make major changes to TAFE funding.
It’s really quite important for the community perception that they do release that information unless they’ve taken it further than the modelling suggested. I can’t see why they’d keep it secret otherwise.
