James Bidgood (Dawson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Employment Participation. How will the training and learning bonus and other measures announced as part of the government’s Nation Building and Jobs Plan assist unemployed people and students?

Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment Participation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Dawson for his question and his concern for students and out-of-work Australians in his electorate. The $42 billion Nation Building and Jobs Plan will help, of course, combat the challenges of the global financial crisis. We need to assist those acquiring educational qualifications and vocational training to ensure that they—and, indeed, we as a nation—are ready to take advantage when the economy improves.

An important aspect of the jobs plan is the training and learning bonus to help current students as well as unemployed people returning to study or training. The bonus has two components: first, a one-off bonus of $950 for full-time students and apprentices receiving youth allowance and for recipients of Austudy and Abstudy as of 3 February this year; second, a temporary supplement to the education entry payment of $950 for the period 1 January this year to 30 June next year. This is in addition to the existing education entry payment of $208. The government will also temporarily expand eligibility for the education entry payment, and therefore the bonus, to unemployed youth undergoing approved training and receiving youth allowance. By extending the eligibility of this group, we are giving young people every chance to gain the skills and training they need in very difficult economic circumstances. Finally, we are also making it easier for people to get this payment by reducing the qualifying period from 12 months to one month. It is now more important than ever that people can participate in education and training in order to improve their skills and in order to ensure that they can be employed over the months and years ahead.

The support that we are providing to out-of-work Australians undergoing training and those students would not have happened if it were left to those opposite. They voted against this particular payment which provides support to students and the unemployed undergoing training in their electorates. They voted against the plan, against supporting students in times of need and against supporting the unemployed who are undergoing training which will provide the skills that employers need. The Leader of the Opposition and indeed the shadow Leader of the Opposition, the member for Higgins, clearly do not appreciate the scale of the global financial crisis and the consequences it will have for this nation. If they did, they would have supported the government in the measures we have outlined in the Nation Building and Jobs Plan and the measures I have outlined in the House today. Unfortunately, the opposition are self-absorbed and self-indulgent and they have acted recklessly and irresponsibly in attempting to block the measures that have been put in place by the government to support Australian businesses, Australian workers, Australian students and those Australians who find themselves out of work.