Kay Hull (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am sorry—you are dead right. I am so used to it; it takes a little bit of undoing. I am concerned that the government does not understand the training needs of rural apprentices. Unless we do something really serious and continue with the incentive programs to ensure that young people remain in rural and regional Australia, there will be a price to pay, and all Australians will pay that price. It is absolutely imperative that agriculture is considered one of the fundamental requirements of the Australian people.

We have some significant issues that we need to confront. I would like to read out some statistics. I am not quite sure where the member for Throsby got her statistics from with respect to the former government’s approach to apprenticeships. In 2006 there were 3,750 apprenticeships in training in the Riverina electorate. That is not a fudged figure. There was no smoke and mirrors or cloaks and daggers to get those numbers. In March 1996 there were 1,420 apprentices. That figure well and truly more than doubled in that period of time.

As a medium-enterprise businessperson and a prolific trainer of apprentices, I know the difficulties in the years prior to the Howard government’s election in getting any incentives or recognition for training apprentices. It was simply all about university degrees. Those who wanted to go to TAFE or do the admirable trades and services apprenticeship in any area were simply considered not worthy. I raised it in this House with the government that I had been part of since my election in 1998. I was very concerned about the way in which parents were considered unsuccessful if their child was not doing a university degree. If you were at a barbecue and somebody asked you what your child was studying at university, the drop-dead barbecue stopper was to say, ‘My son is a panelbeating apprentice.’ The peer pressure on parents to send children to university regardless of whether or not it was really their forte was quite strong, and a lot of young people were in university doing degrees that did not lead to better employment prospects.

We saw the decline of apprenticeships over that period of time. It took some time before the former government picked up and ran with this issue that needed to be addressed. Thankfully, they finally did and I congratulate this government for continuing on that pathway. I hope there is particular consideration for those rural and regional people who make up such a great part of the nation’s prosperity and GDP.

The New South Wales state government has issued a press release through Adrian Piccoli, the member for Murrumbidgee, announcing that there will be a trade school in Griffith. I congratulate the state government for putting a trade school in Griffith. I have long sought a technical college in the Griffith area because I think it is one of those areas that desperately require some sort of functional area where kids can concentrate on entering a valuable trade. I do congratulate the New South Wales state government and hopefully we will see that school opened in 2009. Surely the construction of that facility will be on track.

In supporting the bill we have before us today, I say to the minister: well done for pursuing the skills that Australia workers require. I do not accept the criticisms and accusations of lethargy directed at the previous government because I think that our track record on vocational education and training genuinely speaks for itself. You cannot fudge the truth. You can allege percentages and use smoke and mirrors, but you simply cannot fudge the truth. The truth is there to be known. I am sure there is further growth that can take place with Skills Australia. All I ask of the minister is that she ensure Skills Australia has adequate representation from rural and regional Australia, because we are certainly entitled to have access and support as well. In supporting the bill, I urge and encourage the minister to ensure rural and regional Australians are included and that we do govern for all of Australia.

See this speech in context