Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Hansard source

Seven thousand training places will be provided to workers who lose their jobs because of the changes in the policy, or need to be transitioned into the new program. I have, on a number of occasions, been upfront and said that there will be job losses because of the changes. There is no doubt about that. But at the same time, as all good senators know, this was a scheme that would run out some time next year. So a transition would have been required. And, as Senator Cormann has pointed out, 4,000 of the training places were provided last year as part of the government’s green jobs package to provide assistance for workers as they transition into new areas of employment because, as we know, this scheme was always going to run out at some stage. But in terms of the package, just the same way as the government stepped in during the global recession to support jobs—when, in just the same way, the coalition senators voted against the stimulus package supporting 200,000 jobs—the government has stepped in with 25 co-ordinators on the ground working with businesses to try and ensure that their workers can transition to the new program.

What Senator Cormann should do is talk to his leader, who will not even guarantee funding for the new program. He will not even guarantee funding for the new program. So if you are concerned about jobs then give support to the new program and give these workers some certainty. (Time expired)