PREMIER Peter Gutwein is desperately trying to mislead Tasmanians with TAFE promises his own privatisation plan will prevent him from keeping.

Under the Liberal Party’s TAFE privatisation policy, the State Government would be unable to employ one new teacher, let alone 100, as promised.

Australian Education Union State Manager Brian Wightman said The PESRAC policy adopted by the Liberal Party couldn’t be clearer.

“The Liberal plan creates a privatised TasTAFE that makes decisions on hiring and firing teachers as well as facilities and infrastructure,” he said.

“Under the Liberal Party TAFE privatisation plan, not only are the decisions out of their hands, they would be made in the interests of profits, not what is best for Tasmania.”

The State Government’s privatisation plan demands full cost recovery and a commercial rate of return which will result in course cuts, jobs losses and campus closures, Mr Wightman said.

“Peter Gutwein’s plan puts profit ahead of people and cuts them out of decision making,” he said.

“These Liberal Party promises were broken before they were made because they can’t be delivered while the Gutwein Government maintains its privatisation policy.”

Mr Wightman said the State Government’s desperation to deny its privatisation agenda ignores its own policy – a privatised workforce, full cost recovery, demand for commercial rate of return and more money to private training companies.

“This is privatisation in anyone’s language,” he said.

“Peter Gutwein is now making broken promises he can’t keep, in the face of backlash from teachers and Tasmanian voters.

“If the Liberal Party wants to employ teachers, it has to drop its privatisation plan, or their promises aren’t worth the back of the envelope they’re written on.

“Under the Liberals’ TAFE privatisation plan, it’s profit that will make the decisions – not the Government. And money will be the priority – not the Tasmanian people.”

Ends.