MPs Geoff Lee, Victor Dominello take on key ministerial roles
Two northwest Sydney MPs will be driving key reforms and improved customer service in the new Berejiklian Government.
Parramatta MP Geoff Lee’s first ministerial role will present a raft of challenges in overseeing the final phase of radical reforms to TAFE NSW.
However, Mr Lee insists that his rise up the parliamentary ranks won’t be at the expense of his western Sydney electorate, which he will serve for a third term.
“It’s a great honour to become a minister, but I’ll still be working hard for Parramatta,” he said yesterday, moments before getting a full briefing by Premier Gladys Berejiklian on his new role as Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education.
The government is halfway through a six-year revamp of TAFE NSW, where institutions are being rolled into a new OneTAFE delivery structure.
And Mr Lee, who was a TAFE teacher in 2002 and 2003, concedes this “brings its challenges” in a $1.8 billion portfolio.
“The new program we’re putting in place is about getting more people work-ready and better skilled,” he said.
“And this is very important in western Sydney, which is one of the fastest-growing regions in Australia.
“In a changing and dynamic workforce, we need to meet the needs of people moving into new jobs at different stages of their careers.”
The remodelling of TAFE NSW is still a “work in progress”, Mr Lee says, as it falls deeper into the red.
TAFE NSW posted a loss of $239.6 million last year, compared with a deficit of $51.3 million in 2017.
The government-owned training organisation said revenue fell by 20 per cent to $423 million, but expenses climbed 5.4 per cent to more than $1.8 billion.
Another northwest Sydney MP handed a key ministerial role is Victor Dominello, who will take on an Australian-first portfolio focused on “turbocharging the customer experience”.
Mr Dominello will be the maiden Minister for Customer Service, where his agency responsibilities include Service NSW, State Insurance Regulatory Authority, Digital Government, Registrar General, Liquor and Gaming, Food Authority, and Births, Deaths and Marriages.
“Whether you are claiming an energy rebate, registering your car or applying for a birth certificate, the process must be modern, simple and fit for purpose in 2019 and beyond,” the Ryde MP and former Finance Minister said.
“This new portfolio puts the citizen front and centre of public policy and service delivery by slashing red tape and duplication.
“The problem with governments is they often focus on themselves rather than focus on the citizen. This new ministry is a clear indication that we are putting our citizens first and making it a priority within the government.”
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