Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. When did the minister, his office, his department or the Office of Workplace Services first become aware that by June 2004, $618,000; by June 2005, $830,000; and by June 2006, $1.18 million had been transferred from the Cowra abattoir to a related company of the owner?

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not have at my fingertips that information. If there is anything I can usefully add I will do so later.

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Workforce Participation. Would the minister advise the House what steps the government is taking to help mature age Australians move into work so we can sustain our economic prosperity and meet our workforce needs?

Sharman Stone (Murray, Liberal Party, Minister for Workforce Participation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Stirling for his question. He is most concerned, of course, about all of his constituents, particularly those of a mature age who are seeking work. We believe that everyone of working age in Australia has the right to work. We know that they may have different capacities. Some may seek part-time work. We will support them into a job.

I have to say, with mature age people—over 50—there is often a little more difficulty when they line up for a job interview. It is harder for some mature age job seekers to get their foot in the door. Their application may be dismissed because they are older and there is not a great expectation that they will be up to the work. In fact, we know that a mature age person often has life skills and interpersonal skills that make them absolutely highly productive and very important people in a workplace, especially as our population ages. We have a number of job vacancies now which very well suit mature age persons, whether the job is in retail, in manufacturing, in hospitality or tourism or in any of our services which cater for people of a similar age.

Let me say to you that we have about 130,000 people over 50 at the moment who are seeking employment. We have chosen to focus very much on assisting such job seekers, and so last year alone 73,000 mature age Australians were supported into work. They were supported through our Job Network, which has been specially tasked with this very important work. They have, for example, made sure they help people build up their resumes and job interview skills. They offer, through the Australian government, short-term wage subsidies. They can also help with work experience for someone who has perhaps been out of the workforce for a very long time. We can offer them work experience, for example, through Work for the Dole, and such work experience there is very much related to local workplace and workforce shortages.

We respect the needs of all Australians seeking work, as I say, and we have been most successful in our job placements, but it was not always the case. I want to tell you about 1993, when the Leader of the Opposition was in fact the minister for employment. He said mature age people were ‘condemned to a second-class life’. These were the unemployed under Labor in 1993. What was his solution? He was supported in government by the member for Lilley saying: ‘We’ve got a good idea. We’ll just pass these long-term or mature age unemployed straight onto the old age pension at age 55.’ That was the Leader of the Opposition’s solution when he was minister for employment—place 55-year-olds on the old age pension. Fortunately, his own side, in particular the member for Petrie at the time, described that idea as ‘stupid’ and ‘totally irresponsible’, so it did not go forward. But let me say to you that we do not treat mature age Australians looking for work as second class and we do not condemn them to a second-class life; we have a very comprehensive mature age job seeker program, and it has been hugely successful.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.