During Budget Estimates hearings yesterday afternoon, Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) Board Chair Mr Thomas Rogers revealed a new, independent investigation is under way into explosive whistleblower allegations aired by Thomas Emerson MLA in the Legislative Assembly two months ago regarding safety concerns at CIT’s EV TAFE Centre of Excellence.
Mr Rogers confirmed the investigation will consider the CEO’s categorical denial of the allegations, her public assertion that students undertaking the EV Centre of Excellence training were not ‘unqualified’, and the adequacy of how the complaint was handled internally.
Mr Emerson welcomed the news of the investigation, which comes more than six months after the whistleblower made their complaint directly to the CEO.
“This shows the Board has concerns about the adequacy of CIT’s response to these allegations,” said Mr Emerson.
“I welcome the Board’s decision to prioritise the public interest by launching a comprehensive investigation into this matter.
“It took immense courage for a whistleblower to come forward alleging serious public safety and maladministration concerns at CIT.
”Instead of being met with genuine support and an appropriate level of concern, the whistleblower’s allegations were immediately dismissed and downplayed by the CEO.
”A thorough independent investigation should have been announced at the outset, but it’s good to see the Board step in and ensure that’s occurring now.”
Under questioning, Mr Rogers confirmed that findings from the investigation would be made public. He also accepted that training on electric vehicles had occurred in a Woden CIT carpark, which is not an approved training area, and took a question on notice regarding what electric vehicles were used for training conducted interstate starting in July 2025 before the training vehicles procured by the EV Centre of Excellence arrived in May 2026.
The hearings also canvassed a range of ongoing issues at CIT, including the lack of clarity regarding the CEO’s ongoing employment, excessive executive expenditure, and reduced teaching staff numbers. During the hearings, Mr Emerson queried why in the decade since the CIT Board was established in 2015, CIT had reduced its workforce by 68 teaching staff while gaining 58 additional senior and executive managers, as costs rose by 38 per cent and program enrolments dropped by 40 per cent.
Mr Emerson also raised concerns about 39 staff being flown to the 2026 TAFE Directors Australia Convention in May, cuts to fitness classes for seniors at CIT Bruce, increased course costs including for the recently reinstated remedial massage program, and the discontinuation of a languages program for year 11 and 12 students with an annual operating cost of only $124,000.
“While cutting services and increasing fees, CIT sent 39 staff to an interstate conference at a likely cost of around $100,000,” said Mr Emerson.
“We need to get CIT back to its core mission of providing quality education and training for Canberrans – a mission that’s been thwarted by repeated managerial and governance failures.
“This independent investigation is a welcome first step toward rebuilding community trust, and I look forward to its findings being handed down.”
MEDIA CONTACT: Will Devine | [email protected] | 0402 183 296
BACKGROUND:
Under parliamentary privilege in May 2026, Mr Emerson tabled documents in the ACT Legislative Assembly detailing explosive allegations of serious public safety and maladministration at the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT), including a complaint from a CIT employee alleging that CIT’s Electric Vehicle Centre of Excellence had been training unqualified students on private hire cars — including mechanical training, high voltage battery work, and depowering and repowering — and returning them without telling the hire car companies.
You can watch yesterday’s Estimates hearing here.