James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) recognises that Queensland Agricultural Training Colleges provide vital skills to graduates, and contribute to the viability of the Queensland agricultural sector as a whole, which employs over 57,000 people in the agriculture, forestry and fishing industries and was worth over $19 billion to the State's economy in 2017-18;

(b) notes that the flagship Longreach and Emerald Training Colleges are being shut down after operating for more than 50 years, have helped thousands of graduates to achieve rewarding careers over this time, and that, between the two colleges, they employ over 100 staff;

(c) further notes that the Queensland Labor Government is responsible for the decision to close training colleges;

(d) calls on the Queensland Labor Government to reconsider its decision to close the Longreach and Emerald Queensland Agricultural Training Colleges; and

(e) condemns the Queensland Labor Government for turning its back on $245 million in Federal funding from the Skilling Australians Fund, which would have created 50,000 new apprenticeships in Queensland over the next four years.

I seek leave to make a short statement.