Victorian TAFE chairs 'sacked'

UP to 10 Victorian TAFE board chairs have been "sacked" amid claims of political payback against institutes that have protested against  budget cuts.

UP to 10 Victorian TAFE board chairs have been "sacked" amid claims of political payback against institutes that have protested against state government budget cuts.

Opposition skills spokesman Steve Herbert said the Victorian government had taken advantage of “unprecedented powers” to remove the heads of the governing bodies of 10 of the state’s 14 standalone TAFEs.

“This is the heavy hand of a government that has gutted TAFE and now wants to stop dissent,” Mr Herbert said.

“Not only are they happy to rip the heart out of public TAFEs; now they want to cut the tongues off them and stop them complaining. It’s the day of the long knives for TAFE board chairs.”

TAFE budget cuts were one of the touchstone issues that sparked the exit of former Premier Ted Baillieu, with regional MPs particularly jittery about the impacts of course cuts and campus closures in their electorates.

Under previous arrangements, TAFE chairs were selected by the board members, half of whom were appointed on the recommendation of the skills minister. Controversial legislation passed late last year gives the minister veto rights over the remaining board members, as well as direct appointment of the chair.

The Australian understands that the new arrangements, which include a spill of current board positions, come into effect at the end of April.

A spokesman for Skills Minister Peter Hall confirmed some board chairs would lose their positions, but wouldn’t say how many. He said most would continue as directors on their boards.

He said the changes had been foreshadowed by the government this month in its response to the TAFE Reform Panel report. “The panel recommended that commercially focused boards be established as soon as practicable to oversee this significant period of transformation.

“The panel found that the composition, skills and remuneration for TAFE boards were not considered ‘fit-for-purpose’ for the more competitive market in which TAFE institutes now operate.”

Mr Herbert said this rationale was “insulting to the many highly talented people with strong economic credentials that are on some of these boards".

“In my opinion they’re gunning for TAFEs that have spoken out. They want to silence dissent by putting their own people in.”

The chair of Holmesglen Institute, construction industry veteran Jonathan Forster, confirmed he was among the outgoing chairs.

Mr Forster has been a Holmesglen director since 1997 but chair for less than two years. He said chair appointments were normally three-year terms.

He was disappointed to lose the position and hadn’t been given a reason, other than that Mr Hall believed cabinet was unlikely to endorse his reappointment.

“It’s his prerogative and he’s made that call. Ours is not to reason why,” he said.

Mr Forster wouldn’t comment on claims of political payback, but said he would have preferred to have remained as chair during a time of rapid change for Victorian TAFEs.

“Having some continuity is a good thing. Maintaining the existing chair through this introduction of a new operating environment was something I thought was perhaps more likely.

“Holmesglen’s a great institution with an amazing track record. I’m sure it will continue to be successful under my successor. [But] if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Holmesglen CEO Bruce Mackenzie said TAFEs thrived on stability. He said processes such as “mass sackings of chairs” raised doubts about their competence, jeopardising large-scale education and employment projects.

“It just makes us look vulnerable. If we were on the stock exchange, there’d be a halt of trading,” Mr Mackenzie said.