Tony Windsor (New England, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I have a question to the minister that may be slightly outside his ambit but which relates to employment services, particularly the Job Network. I would like the minister to look into the concerns that are being expressed by rural and regional providers of the Job Network on the cost structures that are attached to the provision of their work, particularly in relation to the distance and fuel cost factors.

I compliment the government on its role in the community generally in terms of the fall in unemployment levels. But in a sense that is making it harder to place some of the job applicants who are receiving Job Network services. You have a double whammy, in effect, where the costs for providing the service in relation to the contracts signed are higher and the capacity in regional areas to find a job for some people who are accessing Job Network is becoming harder. I ask the minister to take that on board. If he does have any comments in relation to the rewrite of the contractual arrangements, which I think is coming up next year, will the disadvantage of rural location be taken into account in those contractual arrangements?

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