Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. A recent FOI request reveals serious problems with the government's PaTH intern program, including allegations of sexual harassment, women being criticised about their appearance, no consideration of people with a disability, and other unacceptable working conditions. Why is the Prime Minister doing nothing to protect young jobseekers but everything to give big business an $80 billion handout?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I just want to say that the PaTH program has been getting thousands of young Australians into a job, getting them into work. I have met some of those young Australians. They've been on welfare for a long time, and they're getting a job. It's going well. But I'll ask the minister to respond.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on both sides will cease interjecting.

Honourable members interjecting—

Before I call the minister, members on both sides will cease interjecting.

Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They're bringing in the big guns now!

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Wakefield will leave under 94(a).

The member for Wakefield then left the chamber.

Honourable members interjecting—

I haven't called the minister yet, because the House will come to order before I call him. The minister has the call.

Craig Laundy (Reid, Liberal Party, Minister for Small and Family Business, the Workplace and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question, although his information is wrong. In the freedom of information request that he mentions, there were 33 complaints made. That is less than one per cent of the people that are—

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Craig Laundy (Reid, Liberal Party, Minister for Small and Family Business, the Workplace and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thirty-one of those have been dismissed. Two of the companies involved in the program have been investigated by the jobactive network and have been barred from participating in the program.

Long-term unemployment in the 15- to 24-year-old age bracket is a tough issue. We get that. But we're not prepared to turn our backs on it. That's what the youth jobs PaTH system is for. The Prime Minister is right: nearly 70 per cent of the young people who complete their internships move into a job.

An opposition member interjecting—

It is right. As of 18 June—

An opposition member interjecting—

The member interjects, 'It's not right.' It is right. It is the information provided to me through the jobactive network and the department.

I'm asked what we are doing to protect vulnerable workers. We've introduced and passed a vulnerable workers bill, to which those opposite, in the Senate, added amendments which weakened it. We've added $21 million in expenditure over the next four years to the Fair Work Ombudsman. When the Leader of the Opposition was in charge of the Fair Work Ombudsman, he cut the staff by 17 per cent and the budget by 20 per cent.

I get that the shadow minister is not keen on us trying things to help out this most vulnerable bunch of young people, but the results are starting to come in. We're not scared to try things in this sector. We are not scared to try things. That's how you get the job results that we are talking about, Australia-wide—by not turning your back on any sector of the unemployment market. The shadow minister, and his information, is wrong. This program is one that we are extremely committed to because it is delivering results.