Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business. Will the minister outline to the House how the stable and certain approach of the Morrison government is helping ensure that Australians have the skills they need and the skills employers need for them both to be successful?

Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. He, like everyone on this side of the House, understands how important it is that businesses have access to skilled and job-ready workers. We understand how important it is for workers to be able to access the skills that they need, because skills are the opportunity for them to proceed and to do well and the opportunity for all Australians to do well. We understand how important it is that we have a world-class vocational education and training sector here in Australia.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

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

The minister will pause. The member for Sydney has been warned. She now knows what happens.

The member for Sydney then left the chamber.

The minister can continue.

Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. That has given me the opportunity to point out that when Labor were last in office, in their last year, they oversaw nine successive cuts to employer incentives in vocational education—$1.2 billion in cuts. Those opposite were responsible for bringing vocational education and training in this country to its knees, and we are the ones that have methodically gone about rebuilding vocational education and training in this sector, starting with the announcement of the Joyce review about 12 months ago and then announcing its recommendations just in April this year. That was on top of the investment of $585 million.

I'm about to do a Jacinda Ardern. I'm going to do a run through of our achievements, and I'm going to do it for the last seven months. Let's go. We have appointed and announced the Interim National Skills Commissioner, Adam Boynton. We've appointed and announced the National Careers Ambassador, Scott Cam. We have the review of the Australian Apprenticeships National Skills Needs List underway. We have commenced nationwide consultations with stakeholders to design the National Skills Commission, the National Careers Institute and Skills Organisation pilots. We've got agreement on and announced reforms to the Australian Skills Quality Authority. We've announced a Skills Organisation pilot in the mining sector. We've announced Industry Training Hubs—including in the member for Herbert's electorate in Townsville—so that we can build connections between local industries and schools. We've commenced the Productivity Commission's review of the National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development. We hosted the inaugural COAG skills—

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The member for Cooper and the member for Gorton are warned.

Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

on 20 September, where members agreed on three reform priorities for the VET system: relevance, quality and accessibility. We hosted the second council just last— (Time expired)