Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Skills and Training: How is the Albanese Labor government working with states and territories to help tackle the skills shortages crisis the government inherited?

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

I'd like to thank the member for McEwen for his question. As a tradie, he knows how important it is to deliver skills to the economy.

Honourable Member:

An honourable member interjecting—

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

He worked on the tools before he came to this place. He understands how important it is to deliver the skills for businesses and to make sure that workers in this country have the skills that are in demand. It's true to say that the only way we will genuinely deal with some of these really strong challenges we have with respect to acute labour shortages is by working in partnership with industry, employers and unions—but also, in terms of the VET sector, delivering through TAFE and other training providers, we need to make sure we're working closely with the states and territories. That's why we started, of course, by agreeing upon 180,000 fee-free TAFE and VET places for 2023. That was the first announcement at the Jobs and Skills Summit, after the Prime Minister met with premiers and chief ministers and signed that deal. That was a critical part of delivering the training that our labour market, our economy and our businesses need.

But we need to continue to do more. Wherever you look across the labour market, across the economy, we have skills shortages. The traditional trades, occupations, professions, aged care—it doesn't matter where you look; we have to deal with these issues. That's why my colleagues the Minister for Home Affairs and the minister for immigration are both working on restoring skilled migration pathways. That's why we're looking to make sure we provide access to people who've been locked out of the labour market. And that's why we need to continue to invest in skills and training by delivering a VET sector that's fit for purpose.

It's true to say there was meant to be a national skills agreement for five years that should have commenced on 1 July this year, but those opposite failed to reach agreement with state and territory governments.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting.

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

In fact, they didn't reach agreement with any one of the eight other governments when it was put to them. You would have thought that, when you've got a few billion dollars to possibly provide to state and territory governments, you'd be able to get one signature out of eight on a piece of paper. But, no, not one state or territory government supported the Commonwealth before the election in setting up the national skills agreement. But we will make sure that we work closely with those governments and deliver a national skills agreement starting from 1 January 2024. We'll make sure that we reform the VET sector so it's fit for purpose—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition is warned!

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

delivering the skills that our labour market needs, delivering the workers that are needed by businesses—in fact, skills that businesses are crying out for. We will deliver that because, whether you listened to the Treasurer today on the housing policy or the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations in relation to industrial relations, we work collaboratively, we work together with industry, state and territory governments and others.