Weatherill resists Rudd call

KEVIN Rudd's demand for the states to increase funding to TAFE or risk a federal takeover is being resisted by South Australia.

KEVIN Rudd's demand for the states to increase funding to TAFE or risk a federal takeover is being resisted by South Australia's Labor government in a blow to the Prime Minister's new skills policy.

Premier Jay Weatherill said his government would continue to pursue its Skills for All policy, which the Australian Education Union has said was a "carbon copy" of the Victorian Coalition government's policy.

"We are committed to the program that we have already rolled out," Mr Weatherill said.

"We have increased our commitment to training so we welcome this reform and we look forward to working on the details of it with the Prime Minister should he be re-elected."

Mr Weatherill refused to commit to Mr Rudd's demand that the state guarantee no further TAFE cuts and to maintain real growth in TAFE funding over the forward estimates to prevent federal funds being diverted away from South Australia.

Mr Weatherill, who is also the state's Treasurer, is overseeing TAFE cuts of $9.6 million in 2014-15, increasing to $21.9m a year thereafter, as announced in the mid-year budget review.

Like the Coalition states, Labor in South Australia is pursuing reforms signed at the Council of Australian Governments. This deal obliges states and territories to fund students to train at the "institution of their choice -- public and private".

The AEU, which has been campaigning against TAFE cuts, believes that "market reforms currently at different stages of implementation across the country will result eventually in the same outcomes".

Mr Rudd's demand that state governments guarantee a set level of TAFE funding could breach federal "competitive neutrality" principles that COAG reforms require.

TAFE Directors Australia executive director Martin Riordan said it would be very difficult for governments to guarantee TAFE funding. "In the final week of the campaign, the Australian skills sector deserves an answer on whether (the system) needs further work," he said. "It's important that it's debated in the campaign. It's an issue for both sides of politics."

A Labor spokeswoman said the government supported a "competitive and vibrant" training sector, but did not explain how its demand to maintain minimum TAFE funding was consistent with its market approach.

The Greens claim TAFE's problems were largely of the federal government's making.