Mike Symon (Deakin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for Social Inclusion. Will the Deputy Prime Minister update the House on the latest measures taken to protect the jobs of apprentices and trainees?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Deakin for his question and for his great interest in education. I also note that, despite the recent promotion of the member for Sturt, it is, of course, this side of the House that asks about education, because it is this side of the House that is interested in education. And, of course, on this side of the House, we are committed to ensuring that Australia is investing in its people. What we know from past economic downturns is that as the economy turns down so does the investment in skills and training. As a result, the skills cycle mirrors the economic cycle so that when the economy is turning down there is less investment in skills and training. When the economy moves back into growth then everybody screams about skills shortages because they cannot get the skilled labour that they need. In these difficult days following the global financial crisis, we want to make sure that we are investing in the skills and capacities of the Australian people. Even in these days, Australia cannot afford to not invest in our people and their skills. It was my pleasure to announce some new measures late last week to ensure that we are continuing to invest in the skills, particularly, of apprentices.

In this difficult period it is, of course, possible that with the best will in the world an employer, faced with a downturn in demand, may need to put off some apprentices. For those apprentices it might mean that, although they have committed one or two years of their study, unless they can secure a new position to complete that apprenticeship that study will have gone to waste. These special measures are to create incentives so that an apprentice who finds themselves in that position has a better way of securing an opportunity to complete that education and training. Most particularly, on top of all existing incentive payments, we are putting in place an additional $2,800 incentive payment for employers or group training organisations to give an out-of-trade apprentice an option, a possibility, a position to complete their apprenticeship. It would be completion right the way through, with $1,000 of that $2,800 to be paid when the apprentice completes their apprenticeship. In addition, for those apprentices who find themselves out of trade but who are not able to secure a position with a new employer or with a group training organisation that can give them on-the-job experience across a range of employers, we are also investing in training providers in registered training organisations to create new pathways for those apprentices to complete their study even though they do not have the benefit of a connection with an employer or a group training organisation. We believe that these are important measures from a government that is committed to jobs and committed to education.

Of course, we do not know what the opposition stands for in this area. We do know, of course, that they voted against jobs when they voted against the stimulus package, and we do know that their regard for education is reckless to say the least, with the newly appointed shadow Treasurer being a man who has said that investing in schools is ‘ridiculous’. That was his—

Government Members:

Government members—Shame!

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Amazing! That was his response to our—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order on relevance. It is very clear that the Deputy Prime Minister is now no longer answering a question that was about apprenticeships; she is not answering a question about investing in schools. I would ask you to bring her back—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will listen carefully to the Deputy Prime Minister’s conclusion of her answer.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would have thought that, given the reaction in the Liberal Party to the appointment of the member for Sturt as the Manager of Opposition Business, he would not be talking about apprenticeships himself at the current stage. I must admit that I did want to see the member for Warringah making a comeback. In a choice between macho and mincing, I would have gone for macho myself, and obviously the Leader of the Opposition, faced with the choice of a doberman or poodle, has gone for the poodle. Presumably he prefers Abba to Cold Chisel, because that is the kind of thing we see on display.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Deputy Prime Minister will turn her focus to the question.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do digress, Mr Speaker, and I apologise to you for that, but we are getting some amusing interjections from the opposition backbench about musical choices now. I think they are willing me on in this comparison between the member for Warringah and the member for Sturt.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Deputy Prime Minister will ignore the interjections.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point, of course, is about investment in Australian education, and we not only have the member for Sturt clearly promoted to a position beyond his capabilities but we have the shadow Treasurer opposed to investment in schools and now, of course, opposed to funding for schools, because he said that if they had been in government they:

… would not have made the generous $15.1 billion Council of Australian Governments deal with the states announced last December to deliver health, hospitals, education, housing and other services …

This is his exact quote. I will await the shadow Treasurer telling the House what bit of the COAG deal he is opposed to. Is it the $600 million of new funds for primary schools? Is it the $1.1 billion of new funds for disadvantaged schools? Is it the $550 million of new funds for teacher quality? Is it the $540 million for literacy and numeracy? As well as being opposed to capital investment in schools, what else is he seeking to rip off Australian school kids and the people who teach them?