Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) Share this | Hansard source

The government is supporting apprentices in Australia and creating local training opportunities, in particular in regional Australia. Senator Davey might remember the implementation of the Australian apprentice wage subsidy, a very successful measure which of course provides wage subsidies for apprentices in areas of skill shortage, in particular in rural and regional Australia. That wage subsidy was actually opposed by those on the Labor side of politics. It was quite bizarre, actually. One would've thought they would've supported that measure. It was targeted at creating opportunities for small and family businesses to take on apprentices in particular areas of need and in rural and regional Australia. But at the time it was famously called by those on the Labor side of the chamber a 'political fiasco'. Well, no, it wasn't a political fiasco. It was a policy that was implemented specifically to support businesses in rural and regional Australia.