Andrew Southcott (Boothby, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment Participation and Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that the government’s 2007 training policy, Skilling Australia for the Future, stated specifically on apprentices:

All subsidies and payments to employers and apprentices will be retained.

Why has the government broken this promise by removing the $800 from apprentices for their tool kits and the $1,000 from apprentices to assist with their fees?

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. Firstly, when it comes to the government’s pre-election commitments on skills, we will honour that commitment to the letter. Secondly, when it comes to a government which takes seriously the challenges of vocational education and training and apprenticeships across the country, that is core business for the new Australian government—not marginal business, as it was for the government which preceded us. If you had travelled as much as we have across the country and dealt with people suffering from shortages of skills and shortages of apprenticeships, and the state of trades training in our schools, you would reach the conclusion that policy is deficient. We will honour our commitments.