Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes the importance of supporting young people's transition from school into work or further training and preventing them from falling into the trap of unemployment

(2) recognises the important work done in ensuring that students are supported to make the transition through:

(a) the Youth Connections program that has a proven track record in helping young people who have not, or are at risk of not, completing year 12 transition back into school or further education, training and employment

(b) the School Business Community Partnership Brokers program which builds partnerships between schools and the wider community including business and charities that help young people achieve year 12 or equivalent qualifications

(c) National Career Development Strategy services that support vital links between industry, students and training options

(3) is extremely concerned that there is no funding in the budget for these programs past 1 January 2015

(4) calls on the Government to immediately reverse its decision to no longer fund these programs past the 2014 calendar year

Today, I move this motion because this House recognises, or should recognise, the importance of programs like the Youth Connections, the partnership brokers and the national career development service and the impact it has on the lives of young people in our communities—young people who have now been abandoned and betrayed by this Prime Minister and this government. This Prime Minister has let them down significantly. This government has walked away from its responsibility in supporting young people's transition from school to work. This is a government that simply fails to recognise the significant social and economic impact that cutting this critical support will have on Australians in the years to come. Indeed, supporting our students from school to work or further training can be considered the foundation on which the pillars of people's working lives rest in helping young people make the decisions they need to plan their futures. Even if Australia was to have—and we often have—great childhood early learning centres, the best schools, the best TAFES and the best universities, without supporting young people's transition from school into further study and training to help them to work out what they want do and what their futures hold, this transition will be fraught.

It is critical that young people get support when they are thinking about what awaits them in life after school. They do not necessarily know what they are good at, what appeals to them and which career will best suit them without some assistance and guidance from people and from services that help them work out where they want to go and how they will get there. In government, Labor invested over $700 million in programs like Youth Connections and partnership brokers—programs that support our young people to continue their studies or pursue further study or training for transition into the workplace. These programs actually get results. This is something that the government does not seem to understand. These programs were getting results, with almost 75,000 young people in the 2013 calendar year given a helping hand to Youth Connections. This figure was expected to top 100,000 at the end of the year.

Andrew Laming (Bowman, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You defunded them. Why did you stop funding it?

Mr Hutchinson interjecting—

Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We can have members from the government benches whine all they like. They have to face the reality that they cut these programs. They cut these programs that were helping thousands and thousands of young people. Indeed, if we look at the Youth Connections program, it was incredibly successful, with over 80 per cent of young people still in work or education after two years. Nineteen per cent of young people who accessed the service were Indigenous students, 70 per cent of young people who benefited were in regional and remote areas and 40 per cent of young people who benefited were from the lowest socioeconomically disadvantaged groups and this assistance was making a difference. In government, Labor also delivered the partnership brokers program. This was designed to partner schools with the wider community, including business and charities, in actively supporting young people finishing year 12 or equivalent. There was also the national careers development service, which did a number of things and included the very successful jobs guide that I and many people for decades have been relying on to give advice about which courses to do to achieve career aspirations.

Of course, we had the Prime Minister travel to the US and talk about his admiration for a program that helps boost links with schools and businesses. Little did he understand that indeed he was cutting the program that was successfully achieving that in Australia. With Senator Polley I recently visited the National Joblink in Launceston, a Youth Connections provider which will likely be forced to close its doors at the end of the year because of the Prime Minister's cuts. Quite frankly, when speaking to Lisa, the Youth Connections coordinator in Launceston, she simply could not understand why the government would do this.

We get excuses from the government. They have offered measly support now; they have announced measly support for 3,000 students and young people in small pockets of the country. That cannot replace the significant investment to assist 75,000 people. The government need to reconsider this decision. They need to refund Youth Connections, the national partnership and the career service; otherwise young people will be significantly disadvantaged.

Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Julie Owens (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Matt Williams (Hindmarsh, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to oppose this motion. Yesterday I participated in the City to Bay fun run through my electorate. Many young people also participated. I think I even spotted one or two supporters of the member for Kingston there. As they ran through my electorate they would have noticed the "fixing south roads" signs—$1 billion of Commonwealth funding for young construction workers. That is another example of how we are helping young Australia and helping build Australia. We are positive about the future of Australia, in contrast to members opposite.

Let us go through a bit of the history. In their last budget the previous Labor government funded the program for a single additional year, with all the funding to conclude at the end of this year. My colleagues on this side of the chamber mentioned that during first speeches by members. Let us remember that the previous Labor government did not provide any further funding or budget allocation. They stand here and say, 'We were committed,' but they did not provide any funding. It is all about money being in the bank; the revenue stream being there. They did not provide the funding. They were not committed to it going forward past this year.

We all know that this program was designed by state and territory governments to take over at the end of the national partnerships. The states and territories have declined to do this for a variety of reasons. I know that in my state of South Australia the state Labor government have mismanaged the finances, with over $2 million interest payments on debt. They have no capacity to fund programs like this. They are forced to make cuts to TAFE and other valuable community services. The government will ensure that in the next round to commence next year Job Services Australia will effectively address the needs of young Australians seeking work.

So what else is this government doing? I will go through a few points. We are investing a record $64.5 billion in government and non-government schools for education for young people. We have introduced trade support loans, offering loans of up to $20,000 over the life of an apprenticeship. We are supporting more than 80,000 new students each year for higher education diplomas, advanced diplomas and associate degree courses. New work for the dole arrangements will also help more young job seekers improve their chances of getting a job while giving something back to the community. Also, there was a recent announcement that $38 million is being provided to deliver the Training for Employment Scholarship Program.

I was down with Luke Hartsuyker in Drakes Supermarkets, which is a fine local example of providing training and jobs for young Australians. The fine member for Reid knows Roger, who is a fine managing director of that company. I met with a number of impressive young staff members. I congratulate Drakes on their training program and commitment to providing jobs for young Australians. They have put through over 200 staff in recent years to gain certificates in food processing or retail management. They have won numerous awards including, in 2012, employer of the year at the Australian Training Awards. So well done to all those associated with Drake food markets.

I just want to make a few points about the higher education system and the necessary reforms that this government is tackling. These reforms will put Australia in a better position to create some of the best universities in the world, better institutions for young Australians. In the past, we have attracted some of the best and brightest from Asia, who have gone on to have outstanding careers. I will just go through a couple. One is His Excellency Dr Tan, who studied a PhD in mathematics at my alma mater, the University of Adelaide, and is currently the President of the Republic of Singapore. An earlier Adelaide university graduate was also a previous President of the Republic of Singapore. Like Adelaide university, Flinders, Uni of SA and numerous other universities around Australia have produced many fine graduates from Asia, but this will be in jeopardy unless we improve and give our universities the best chance to succeed with these reforms.

It is not only we who are talking about these reforms. The peak body of the universities sector, Universities Australia, is saying it is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape a higher education system that is sustainable, affordable and equitable—important words: 'sustainable, affordable and equitable'—for students and the nation. Dr Gonski recently backed our plans, claiming deregulation will free up funds to make universities even greater.

Funding for higher education is actually going up—something that the members opposite will not acknowledge. We are providing direct financial support, uncapped, for students. Also, we have a package for low-socioeconomic status students which will give them new Commonwealth scholarships, an innovative program. So there is record investment in education, new initiatives supporting students in training and necessary higher education reforms backed by the universities themselves.

Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was recently happy to welcome the Leader of the Opposition to the Chifley electorate to visit a massive development venture that is under construction there: the Sydney Business Park at Marsden Park. It is going to create hundreds of thousands of jobs, in particular through a partnership initiated by the developers, joined by a range of community based organisations. The future tenants of the site are going to commit to sourcing the majority of staff from neighbouring suburbs. They are looking to do what they can to deal with the number of unemployed youth in the area, because youth unemployment has plagued our area for quite some time. It is running at roughly three times the national unemployment rate and it is predicted to climb to four times that rate within the next few years. So we need a range of people in business, government and the community to work together to make sure we create jobs and get our local young people ready and skilled up to fill those jobs.

That brings me back to the opposition leader's visit, where he was able to meet the developers and meet on-site with some of the local young people who are already busy working to get a future in the hospitality industry. Courtesy of Marist Youth Care, this band of future entrepreneurs and pretty sharp roosters are running their own cafe in a demountable adjacent to all the site's construction activity. They are the first wave of what will hopefully be many to follow, showing what they are capable if given the chance and boosted by the right support provided by Youth Connections, which is used on-site. That project is just one of many that Marist Youth Care is involved in in the Chifley electorate, giving young people in the area hope of employment and boosting their self-worth.

The following day I visited another organisation, Eagles RAPs in Doonside—a fantastic group of dedicated people who, incidentally, also source Youth Connections funding through Marist Youth Care's grant. Eagles RAPs offers an education platform to young people who have had problems adapting to traditional schooling or who are battling their own personal circumstances such as misdemeanours or a difficult family life.

Now an organisation that delivers hope to others is running out of hope for itself, because the Abbott government has cut $800,000 of Youth Connections grant funding to Marist Youth Care, which also uses Eagles RAPs. In fact, Eagles RAPs is staring closure in the face after 20 years of operation. The area that I am proud to represent does not hold a monopoly on youth unemployment, crime or hard luck stories—not by any stretch—but we do have more than our fair share, and organisations like Marist Youth Care and Eagles RAPs give greater value for money than the funds they secure from the government. But the Abbott government thinks it is clever to slash their funding and tear away at the sections of society that need help the most, as evidenced in the bold letters contained within the budget.

What I found particularly galling was that, the very day after the opposition leader and I met with Marist Youth Care on-site, the Prime Minister turned up in our area, in Blacktown, and had the hide to meet Marist Youth Care, the very organisation that he stripped $800,000 from. The parliamentary secretary was in tow with him, visiting Marist Youth Care in Blacktown. I felt for them, because they were obviously aggrieved. They are impacted on; they are trying to find jobs and skill people up in our area, and the Abbott government has basically cut their funding, but then the Prime Minister wants to use them as a prop for a photo opportunity. Marist Youth Care is good enough for the Prime Minister to use for a photo op but not good enough to support with the funding they need to help reduce youth unemployment in the area I represent. It is an absolute crime. And does it make sense? No, it does not. But in a way that is not surprising. Let us look at the ministry list. This is how many people from Western Sydney sit in the federal ministry, in an area of two million people: one. And this here is how many sit on the list from the east of Sydney, highlighted in orange: one.

That is my issue. This government has no concept of the impact of its decisions. It cuts school funding, makes it harder for our young to go to university, and has slashed programs like Youth Connections. And the impact of these cuts and the human stories is out of sight and out of mind for a ministry that is Eastern Sydney centric, with the exception of Senator Payne—Senator Payne is the only Western Sydney minister. And guess what? She is the Minister for Human Services, who oversights Centrelink—the same government body that will shortly be holding back Newstart payments to the young people who find it harder to get work because programs like Youth Connections get cut. That tells you everything you need to know about this government: if it is out of sight it is out of mind. They do not care for the young people of Western Sydney and the problems they have, because none of their ministers have to walk around the communities that are affected by their decisions, unless of course it is the Prime Minister and his parliamentary secretaries all out there for a cheap photo.

Eric Hutchinson (Lyons, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was very pleased to hear that the member for Kingston was recently in Tasmania. Unfortunately, at the forum she attended when she was down there they could not find one of their own Tasmanian senators to actually represent and speak on behalf of the very important reforms the government is making with respect to higher education. But the member for Kingston is not the only member who has ventured down to Tasmania in more recent times. We had the member for Adelaide in my electorate only a month ago. For the first time in years and years and years, Lyons is back on the radar of the Labor Party. They took it for granted for 20 years. So I am very pleased. I welcome members of the Labor Party and the shadow ministry who want to come down to Tasmania and spruik what it is. We also had the member for Ballarat in my electorate, and the Leader of the Opposition more recently in Braddon. It is great to see the Labor Party, after ignoring my state for so long, and after the damage done with the Labor Party and the Greens in power both in Tasmania and in Canberra. We are slowly starting to rebuild. You are most welcome to come down any time and have a look at the good work being done by the new Tasmanian government.

All complaint and no solution: if it was so good, it would have been funded. In 2013-14, the budget was brought down not by the Liberal Party but by the Labor Party—an absolute disgrace. Getting children into work and education should be and always is a priority of government, and it should also be a priority of the community. They need to have the best opportunities to secure a job, to go onto higher education. But there is not one simple fix, and to suggest so is quite simply misleading.

The Abbott coalition government is providing more opportunities for young Australians to earn and/or learn, and it is my true belief that this starts with the family. It is about the culture that is embedded within the family unit. It is about the example that mums and dads set for their children. Yes, of course schools have a role to play. The community mentors have a role to play. And the conversations and the culture need to be there—not in year nine or year 10, but they need to begin in year five or year six, and this needs to be embedded into the curriculum. I will give the example in my own electorate of the Glenora District High School. The principal, Phillip Wells, is a fine educator and takes great pride in getting, for the first time ever in a regional or rural school, all of last year's year 10 students to go on to year 11. Some of you may not realise, but in Tasmania, unfortunately, we do not have year 11 and year 12 in the high schools. That is being changed by the current state government, and they have introduced a voluntary system whereby schools can apply to become part of a program to reintroduce year 11 and year 12.

Phillip Wells, the principal at Glenora district school, got all of the students from year 10 to go on to college last year, and three-quarters of the way through 2014 they are still there. Full marks to him, because this was a program that started at the district school in year 5 and year 6. He is working to encourage these kids to understand the opportunities that are there. Some of these kids come from very poor backgrounds, very low SES backgrounds. With no disrespect to mum and dad, they just do not know the opportunities that are there in the big wide world and the opportunities that a good education can give to those children. As many would be aware, there are a number of schools in my electorate—Cressy district school, New Norfolk High School, Campbell Town district school and Sorell High School—that participate in the Beacon Foundation, which does wonderful work.

The things that we are doing as a government include the trade support loans that are about encouraging students to complete their apprenticeship: "Complete your apprenticeship and we'll knock 20 per cent off the loan that you take out." Whether it be $5,000, for example, for a utility vehicle or accommodation assistance, it is about encouraging those students to complete their education.

As a former speaker mentioned, in relation to the higher education reforms, it is about 80,000 more young Australians from low SES backgrounds having an opportunity to go on to higher education, having an opportunity to do sub-bachelor and bachelor and diploma courses at university. That is truly a reform.

Andrew Giles (Scullin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in support of the motion moved by the member for Kingston. I was very interested to hear the previous speaker talk about the Labor Party as being "all complaint and no solution", particularly having regard to the contributions that we have already heard from government members opposite. "All complaint and no solution" is really an allegation that could be more fairly addressed at members of this government—a government that is so narrowly ideological, as demonstrated by the previous speaker's contribution, and that is focused on the family, ignoring the deep social needs of many vulnerable young people and ignoring a positive role of government and the responsibilities of government particularly in this area.

I have spoken on this topic previously. It is a great shame, a tragedy indeed, that this government has seen fit to progress with its cruel and destructive agenda by attacking vulnerable young people—attacking our future. Youth unemployment is, of course, a pervasive problem right across the country. It can have a lasting impact on a person's life.

It is not uncommon for entry level jobs now to be advertised that require minimum amounts of experience, which makes it particularly difficult for an inexperienced young person to secure employment and a start in their working life. As well as this experience gap there is also an information gap whereby young people tend not to have the connections or the networks to know if there are jobs going.

In government, Labor sought to bridge both the information gap and the experience gap between young people and employers with programs like Youth Connections and Partnership Brokers. We invested more than $700 million over five years. Youth Connections helps young people who have not completed or are at risk of not completing year 12 or equivalent qualifications and have barriers that make it difficult to participate in education, training or employment. Youth Connections providers work with young people to help make a successful transition to further education, training or employment.

Before the budget—before this horror budget—I met with some of the local service providers in the Scullin electorate like Kildonan, Whittlesea Community Connections and Crossroads to discuss the program and its importance to our area. I was impressed not just with the passionate and committed staff but also with the results the program is delivering on the ground. Six months after exiting Youth Connections, 94 per cent of young people are still engaged in education and employment. And after two years, more than 80 per cent are still in work or education. This is a significant achievement, particularly in the context of the rising youth unemployment rates. It shows that these programs are working.

But it is about more than statistics. I was, and I remain, deeply affected by the stories I heard of the individual impacts of the program. I think especially of a young woman from Iran, at risk of disengagement two years ago, or thereabouts, now on track to become an architect—a life transformed through these positive, vital interventions. I would like to think that all of us in this place would want to do everything we can to reduce youth unemployment. Getting and keeping a job is one of the most important things a person can do. It builds confidence, independence and a sense of pride and accomplishment, as well as providing food on the table and shelter over our heads. Thanks to this government, funding for these vital programs runs out from the end of 2014, and many providers will be forced to close.

I note that two weeks ago, in what can only be seen as an admission that the government has made a mistake, it introduced some stop-gap measures. However, these announcements will achieve nothing like Labor's programs. I also note that they are targeted at regional youth. I certainly support reducing youth unemployment in regional areas, but what about young people in metropolitan areas like Scullin, Kingston, Parramatta and Reid? Why doesn't the government care about these people? The youth unemployment rate in Melbourne's north-east was almost 12 per cent a year ago, but as of August this year it has risen to 14 per cent. Just $130 million was needed to maintain these programs and, if the funding was maintained, 100,000 young Australians would benefit—a small investment for a big return in our future.

With youth unemployment today at more than double the average unemployment rate, Australia needs a plan for job creation which must involve preventing youth unemployment and supporting at-risk young people. Of course, there is no plan at all in terms of jobs from members opposite. I say this to members opposite—the members in our present government: reducing unemployment should not be seen as budget savings. It should not be seen as a burden. It is an investment in our young people. It is an investment in our capacity and our collective wellbeing. I see the parliamentary secretary at the table sigh. I think it is symptomatic of this government's failure to engage with the real concerns of vulnerable young people in electorates like mine. Unfortunately, it is the case that we have a government that is not concerned about youth unemployment or about the future of this country. All the rhetoric about intergenerational inequality is empty. It is just a mask for ideologically-driven austerity, for a small, narrow view of the state and our collective capacity. I am pleased to join the member for Kingston and Labor members in calling on this government to immediately reverse its decision to no longer fund these programs beyond this calendar year.

Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Those opposite never fail when it comes to post-election amnesia. Here they are up in arms about Youth Connections Program, yet while they were in government Labor did not provide any further funding or budget allocation for the program to continue beyond this year. That is right: Labor is responsible for the defunding of this program. Close to my electorate of Ryan, BoysTown has announced that they are looking at filling the gap left by Youth Connections. They are looking at privately funding a program with similar goals to Youth Connections. This is just one private organisation looking to fill the gap. Just because the government does not fund a program, it does not mean that it cannot happen. I would like to commend BoysTown for its initiative. Despite Youth Connections, I would also like to point out that youth unemployment continued to rise under Labor. The coalition government is delivering on our commitment to introduce Trade Support Loans for apprentices to encourage more young people to take up a trade and complete their qualification. From 1 July 2014, the government will offer loans of up to $20,000 over the life of an apprenticeship. These loans will ease the financial burden and help increase apprenticeship completion rates. Like HELP, formerly referred to as HECS, the loans will be repayable only once apprentices are earning a sustainable income.

We are also giving young Australians a greater chance to go on to further education, whether it be through a trade, a sub-bachelor degree or a bachelor degree. As part of the coalitions government's largest education reforms in 30 years, the Commonwealth will provide funding for higher education diplomas, advanced diplomas and associate degrees, providing pathways to careers or further study. These initiatives are all about ensuring that young people are given the opportunity to become educated and broaden their career prospects. For those young people currently in between jobs, the new work-for-the-dole arrangements will help more young job seekers to improve their chances of getting a job while giving something back to the community that supports them. This will also keep them active so that when they do get back into the workforce they remain in the mind frame to cope with normal work hours and mental demand.

The coalition government understands that a highly skilled workforce is crucial to Australia's productivity and global competitiveness. Apprenticeship completion rates of around 50 per cent are not good enough, and the new support services announced by the Prime Minister and the Minister for Industry will provide more support to apprentices and employers throughout their years of training. New arrangements will shift the focus from administration to integrated client-centred support, including job matching of potential apprentices and employers; the provision of advice about different training options; personalised mentoring for apprentices identified as needing extra support; guidance to businesses about taking on an apprentice; managing the administration of an apprenticeship, including the training contract; and administering apprenticeship payments and employer incentives.

The coalition believes that the most important difference from Labor's apprenticeship model is that, for both businesses and potential apprentices, the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network will be a one-stop shop, so someone can still go find a chippie and say, 'Are you looking for an apprentice?' but now they can also go to the $200 million a year Australian Apprenticeship Support Network. That network will say: 'I know of a carpenter who's looking for an apprentice. I'll match you up. I will sign you up. I'll make sure that they look after you, and I will manage you and manage any problems that you have during the process.' It is a one-stop shop. The outcome of this is that the person is more likely to complete their training and stay in a job over the long term.

Up until now, apprenticeship centres have not been able to go out and place people in jobs. This will change. The government will actually pay them not only for placing people in apprenticeships but also for keeping them in training so that the apprentice has someone there helping them, mentoring them, looking after all their paperwork, giving them information about a trade support loan, doing all the things that young people need to make sure they finish their apprenticeship.

It is clear that only the coalition has a cross-industry, national approach to reducing youth unemployment, to securing Australia's global competitiveness and to helping create a strong economy.

Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the shadow minister and member for Kingston for bringing this important matter before us. I think the challenge after they finish school is to try to help young people into employment. There are limited opportunities in many areas. The area that I represent is one of those. It is a very multicultural area, as everyone knows, but it is also an area of significant disadvantage. Regrettably, my area has about a 15 per cent unemployment rate for those between the ages of 15 and 24. These are things that become very important to us on the ground looking at the interest of young people. Therefore, looking at work beyond school becomes critical—and, by the way, is a partnership. It should involve all of us from school, from government agencies and from local business. Everyone has a vested interest in trying to find opportunities for our young people, so this is something we should be doing and working together on.

For this government to turn around and cut almost $2 billion from skills and training and have further cuts projected for the university sector through deregulation—I do not know what has happened in the other states, but in New South Wales I get to see on a pretty regular basis the impact of the cuts the New South Wales Liberal government is making to TAFE—it is little wonder why it is a challenge to get young people into employment. I do not think you need to be a Rhodes scholar to work it out. For young people to find employment opportunities, you must invest in education, and yet what I see is this government doing the exact opposite. The current economic climate would dictate that, with rising unemployment, we invest more, not less in education.

I would like to talk about one organisation in my electorate in south-west Sydney called South West Connect. It specialises in assisting young people transitioning from school into employment. South West Connect, which operates in the Liverpool and Fairfield areas, has positively impacted on the lives of about 7½ thousand young people through 48 partnerships with local business and community groups. The Try a Trade program—or, as it is now called, Seek a Skill—has allowed hundreds of young people of school age to come in and test their skills, basically road testing a possible occupation for their future. This is something that should be encouraged not just in my electorate but across all electorates, particularly in areas experiencing high youth unemployment. The success of these programs is phenomenal.

The two main functions of South West Connect are Partnership Brokers and Youth Connections. Something I would like to talk about in relation to those programs is the Miller Auto Shed, where 180 students, over a period of time, were able to work side by side with various tradesmen. They built up a racing car—or a drag car, at least—and raced it at Eastern Creek. This is something that in my electorate is very important, and I suppose many electorates find this with young males. They wanted to get involved in developing fast cars, as I used to do in my youth. But they actually got hands-on experience in building up a racing car, which I understand—not that I have seen it race—is quite competitive. Of that group who went through, 15 went on to get direct apprenticeships in the industry, whilst another 50 of the students are now working successfully in full-time occupations. So, this changed the position for those children who were at risk. But the important part about it is that they did not leave school at age 15. To get involved in this project and to stay involved in this project they had to commit to stay to year 12, and they did. That is something that changes lives.

Another project I would like to talk a little bit about is the alternative education model partnership. Again, it is facilitated through Job Services Australia and through various providers and local community organisations to help young people engage throughout their secondary education and basically help kids stay at school. These things are changing lives. They do not warrant a $2 million slash and burn by this government if this government is to be serious about youth unemployment.

Craig Laundy (Reid, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I welcome the opportunity to discuss an extremely important policy area and to also discuss how the Abbott government is supporting Australia's youth in their transition into the workforce. The motion rightly raises the importance of getting young people to transition from school—like those who are just leaving the gallery at the moment—into either further education or the workforce. In fact, this government is a great supporter of this transition and has shown through its announcements and policies that we unequivocally recognise the importance of getting young Australians earning or learning. Unfortunately, like so many of the former government's policies, their policies in this area were announced with so much fanfare and were left without the budget for them to continue. In fact, it is a perfect example of why the coalition was elected in 2013 to fix Labor's horrendous record with Australia's budget. Both Youth Connections and Partnership Brokers had no funding beyond 31 December 2014 and on top of that the career development resources had no funding beyond the 2014-15 budget.

Of course, this is just one of many examples, but if those opposite want to continue to put forward motions that demonstrate the hopeless record of their previous government, I will be happy to continue speaking to those motions. But that is not the only thing this motion demonstrates. It shows the dishonesty and hypocrisy of the opposition, and not only with these programs not funded by the previous government. In any case, the Youth Connections program was designed to be taken over by state and territory governments at the end of the National Partnership Agreement on Youth Attainment and Transitions. Similarly, the Partnership Brokers program was designed to have finite funding, with the ultimate goal for the partnership to become self-sustaining—a good idea. For the opposition to now be using these policies as a political tool is opportunism and hypocrisy at its worst.

Separate to the National Partnership Agreement in 2013, there were 72 transition programs funded by state and territory governments that were aimed at improving school attendance and transitioning from school to work. Now, rather than the federal government deeply involving itself in policy areas of the states and territories, this government is focusing on assisting where it will be most effective, and that is by fixing the debt and deficit disaster left behind by the previous government. Our policies are driven at creating economic growth, which will create more jobs for young Australians—especially young Australians. Unlike most of those opposite, I can actually speak from experience when it comes to discussing employment. I spent the majority of my working life on the front lines of Australia's small and family business sector. I can safely assure the member for Kingston and her colleagues that, whilst the government of the day can introduce whatever programs it wants, if business cannot afford to employ people the jobs simply will not be there. I say that again: if business cannot afford to employ people, the jobs simply will not be there.

This government recognises the importance of young people's access to employment opportunities. That is why our policies are directed at increasing economic growth to ensure increasing job opportunities. As we on this side of the House often point out, the government does not create jobs—business does. The best thing government can do to help young Australians find work is to get out of the way of business, cut red tape and get this country's budget back on track. Of course this does not mean that the Commonwealth should step away from supporting young Australians who are looking to find work or further education—far from it. The government's 2014-15 budget is providing funding for a range of initiatives designed to assist young Australians with finding employment—especially following their schooling as they transition to higher education or the workforce. To begin with, the government is investing a record $64.5 billion in government and nongovernment schools. The government has introduced new trade support loans from 1 July 2014. These loans will ease the financial burden on apprenticeships and help increase apprenticeship completion rates. The government has also extended HELP for students studying higher education diploma, advanced diploma and associate degree courses. This will provide pathways for more students to their chosen career.

For those who are unable to find work, the new work for the dole arrangements will help young job seekers as they transition because it will improve their chances. Most importantly, all of these programs are budgeted for, so those who stand to benefit from them can plan their futures. This government will not leave young Australians guessing about the support they receive from the Commonwealth government—unlike the last government.

Julie Owens (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have listened with interest to members on the government benches talking about what young people need, I presume in their electorates because their perceptions of what young people need are quite different from those that I have, having spent so much time in my own community. I understand, as members opposite do, that there are people who have started an apprenticeship and need assistance, need support, to continue. I understand that the government is providing $20,000 loans to help them do that. That is one way that the government has chosen to help young people who are already on a path towards work. They have talked about parenting—how you leave it to parents; parents know how to do it. Some parents do, but there are many others who do not and there are young people in my community in families affected by violence or alcohol or just bad parenting who have lost their way. They are not heading towards apprenticeships, which they can then be assisted to finish, they are not heading towards work and they are certainly not heading university—they are on a path to nowhere. They are young people who have lost their way, who are getting in trouble, and many are heading towards homelessness or are already homeless. None of the programs that government members have spoken about—such as moving from school to work programs—apply to them. They are not in school. Good parenting? They do not have it. Assistance in finishing apprenticeships? They are nowhere near an apprenticeship. Assistance in getting into university? They are nowhere near university. These young people are lost and they have no-one to help them find a path back to a good life. They are also on a path to an extremely expensive life for the taxpayer if they end up in crime or are unemployed for long periods.

It is sensible for governments to involve themselves in finding ways for these young people to find a path back to contributing to society and living good lives. One of the ways the Labor government found was Youth Connections. Youth Connections is incredibly cost-effective. In my community, the cost is about $700,000 a year for Youth Connections through Parramatta, Campbelltown, Bankstown, St George and Liverpool-Fairfield. It is incredibly effective. It assists up to 200 kids—in fact, it is now 215 children—even though it is only funded for 195. It finds young people who have lost their way, and it is voluntary for those young people to get involved in those programs. Sometimes those young people are involved for up to two years. The success rate of Youth Connections is extraordinary. Two years after these young people have found their way into Youth Connections and gone through the program and left, 80 per cent of them are still either studying or in work. These young people are the most vulnerable, most at risk, group in our community and 80 per cent of them are still in work or study two years after they have left the program. That is an extraordinary achievement. I worked it out once based on the entire number—it is about $3,500 per young person. If you only look at the success rate it is a bit more than that, but it is incredibly cost-effective if you are talking about getting young people who are heading towards lives of homelessness and substantial periods of unemployment or crime back onto a path where they contribute to society.

We have heard some extraordinary statements from government members. The member for Lyons said it was the Labor Party that brought down the 2014-15 budget. We are not taking credit for that dud; we are not taking credit for the 2014-15 budget. There is no doubt that what was in the 2014-15 budget was a product of the government—it was the government's budget, not the opposition's budget, and it did not include funding to continue the partnership which had been in place up until the end of 2014. I have no doubt the next speaker will try to make the same point, so I will make this clear. Partnership agreements between state and federal governments are negotiated for a number of years and then towards the end of those partnership agreements they are renegotiated. During the renegotiation phase, because you do not really want to play your hand and you do not want to go out there and say what the figures are, the figures do not have their own budget line for the period beyond the agreement. This is for obvious reasons—it is very similar to a commercial arrangement; you would not suddenly stick 'this is what we are offering you' up in front. You just do not do that. You hold those figures back. There are things, by the way, that are not in the government's budget. Paid parental leave, for example, does not have its own line in the budget but no-one is suggesting that the government has not included it in the budget. (Time expired)

Andrew Laming (Bowman, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are those moments in politics when you ask: what are we doing here? There are those moments when you hope that, before you bring forward a motion, staff in your political office would gather around you and say: 'Don't go there. Don't go and start a debate with the coalition government about a program that you defunded yourself.' But, in fact, no-one gathered around the member for Kingston. No-one gave her that quiet word in the ear that would have made an enormous difference. You remember that sort of eternal silence when the motion finally makes it up to the notice board in the whip's office and nobody wants to speak to it? It is all right; it sits there empty for weeks, and everyone says, 'Don't go there.' Unfortunately, the member for Kingston was not protected by her staff, by her constituents or by those who knew better—and this motion came to parliament today. That is right: the Labor Party is attacking the now coalition government about why we will not rescue, revive and resuscitate a program that they defunded, a program that they cared so little about that in 2012 they only flicked in an extra year of funding—like walking past a beggar and flicking a coin into their bowl. And then come 2013 how committed were they to put it into the forward estimates? It was another one year of funding, with the money running out in December this year. This is the measure of how keen the opposition is in Youth Connections and partnership funding. It is a big fat zero.

If those opposite had really genuinely cared when they were in government then there would be, as we have said consistently on this side of the chamber, evidence out in the forward estimates—governments think in four-year lots; four years ahead—giving four years of security, certainty and tenure for the people delivering these vital services. There are 450 of them all around this great nation, and 83 programs. But, no, that is not how Labor operate. How Labor operate is that they give a year of extended funding. Of course, you are secure in your job for a year. What sort of security and certainty is that? How can you plan for a family when your funding just trickles in once a year and then in the middle of every year you are wondering: 'Could this be it? Will the guillotine fall?'

There was no certainty at all given by that Labor government to this program—no passion, no support whatsoever—yet they happen to dig it up now. It reminds me a little bit of my time at a hospital, working in critical care. These government programs are like a patient that we have to continue to support, to keep alive and thriving. We want to make sure that they go on to deliver great things. But what the former Labor government did, as one emergency team handed over to the other, was pull the plug out of the wall, didn't they? They switched off the life support system on Youth Connections, didn't they? And then they snuck out of the building hoping no-one would notice and then they brought this motion in today to criticise the coalition government for not fixing the problem that they created. That's right—they were there on Youth Connections, where they were meant to be, looking after the patient, and they were pulling out the IV drip, switching off the fluid, stopping the blood, booby-trapping the bed and even booking the undertaker! That is what this Labor opposition did and now they have the hide to come in here and move this motion!

Of course, no-one wanted to speak to this motion on the Labor side. No-one wanted to back that member for Kingston, so we got the nicest people in politics—the member for Reid and the member for Scullion, who are good, kind, well-intentioned people—to come in here and speak on a motion for which they could otherwise find no-one at all to back that member for Kingston. You are good people for coming in here but you have no defence to the basic prime facie case that this program was killed off in 2012, when the Labor government was scurrying around trying to fool voters that they could get back to surplus. The best way to get back to surplus is to hide stuff in the forward estimates.

I could elaborate on the great stuff that we are doing in training for employment partnerships, the money that is being invested in trade support loans and in basically promoting employers and schools to work together to create the opportunities that we need in the middle. I have often wondered why we need enormous amounts of investment there. SEEK.com has shown us that by providing opportunities rational individuals can go out and find the opportunities they need most. Now there are a small number of individuals for whom that it is not possible. They come from tough family circumstances, with very little guidance and leadership from care givers. They live in tough parts of this country, with parents who are often struggling with mental illness or in and out of incarceration. What we need for those people is properly directed welfare. We need to make sure that that is spent purely on health, education, housing and essential needs. There should also be reciprocal and mutual obligation that they turn up to programs like this, if they want to receive their welfare payment. Of course, no movement was made in that direction by the former Labor government.

They are a Labor opposition now but when in government they simply measured themselves on how many inputs they made, how much money they could give way. Forget the outcome! It was just about creating more public servants. They never saw a public service job they could not duplicate. They never saw a public service job they could not give to a whole team of them. They were a government that lost their way and this member for Kingston is exactly why we got rid of the Labor government in 2013—and they can stay away for as long as possible!

Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for a later hour this day.