It’s getting quite technical on the campaign trail

GREATER Dandenong’s bus-iness community has welcomed a technical college promise by the Liberal Party.
But Labor’s candidate for Isaacs, Mark Dreyfus, has slammed the promise as a ‘con’ designed to win votes at the election.
South East Melbourne Manufacturers’ Alliance (SEMMA) this week released a statement promoting Liberal candidate for Isaac Ross Fox’s announcement of an Australian Technical College.
SEMMA executive officer Paul Dowling said the peak manufacturing body would help choose the site of an Australian Technical College.
But the promise of a college is dependent on the Liberals returning to government.
Mr Dreyfus said the Howard Government had been promising Australian Technical Colleges since the last election, but little action had happened.
“At the 2004 election, Mr Howard announced 24 Australian Technical Colleges,” he said.
“Three years later, most of these colleges have been revealed as empty promises. “Most have not even been started, they have not produced one graduate, and most of their training has been outsourced to existing TAFE colleges.”
“The south-eastern suburbs do not need a new stand-alone technical college.
“What they need is investment in existing secondary schools and in the TAFE system.”