Russell Trood (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to my distinguished colleague from Queensland Senator Brandis in his capacity as the Minister representing the Minister for Vocational and Further Education. Will the minister inform the Senate of the steps the Howard government is taking to address Australia’s skills shortages? Is the minister aware of any alternative policies?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for the Arts and Sport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am delighted to be able to inform Senator Trood what the government is doing in relation to the skills shortage. I preface my remarks by saying that a skills shortage is a problem, but it is a problem that has a particular cause. The particular cause of the skills shortage is that unemployment in this country is so low at the moment and therefore the labour market is so tight. I remind the Senate that unemployment in Australia at the moment is 4.3 per cent. When the government came into office in March 1996, unemployment was 8.2 per cent, having peaked at 11 per cent under the Hawke and Keating Labor governments. Unemployment today is at a 33-year low. There are more people in work than there have ever been in this country and, what is more, ever since May 2006 unemployment has been below five per cent and trending downwards.

Senator Trood, that is why we have a skills shortage. Through you, Mr President, I want to tell Senator Trood what the government is doing about it. I might reverse the order of your question and tell you, first of all, what I know about alternative policies. The ALP does have alternative policies to those of the government to deal with the skills shortage. The policy was announced by Mr Kevin Rudd at the weekend. Do you know what it is? It is to set up a task force to look at it. This seems to be the Labor Party prescription. I have been going through the Labor Party’s policy announcements across the whole gamut of public policy. I can tell you that, so far, the Australian Labor Party has committed to establishing 91 reviews, 41 new agencies, 17 new boards and panels, 18 new task forces, five parliamentary inquiries—it is a bit like that Christmas carol about a partridge in a pear tree—and two summits, and we are counting. That is what we know about the alternative policies of the Australian Labor Party: government by conversation; government by talkfest. We know that Mr Rudd can speak fluently under wet cement in two languages, but he never gets anywhere. All he does is refer matters to yet another policy review, task force, agency, summit or parliamentary inquiry.

By contrast, the Howard government has undertaken specific real measures to address the problem of the skills shortage created by the tight labour market, the consequence of the high levels of good employment which we have brought to the Australian—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! There is far too much yelling across the chamber. I ask the Senate to come to order.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for the Arts and Sport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are so many of these measures. Senator Trood may need to ask me a supplementary question so I can get through them. The Howard government has established 28 Australian technical colleges in 24 regions across Australia, provided a wage top-up of $1,000 per annum for two years for apprentices in skills shortage trades, provided $500 per annum for two years for training fees for apprentices in skills shortage trades, extended FEE-HELP for people studying diplomas and advanced diplomas in the VET sector, provided up to $50,000 for training organisations developing fast-track apprenticeships, established the Australian Institute for Trade Skills Excellence, offered a tool kit worth up to $800 to Australian apprentices in occupations with skills needs—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for the Arts and Sport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is amazing to hear them knock the tool kit. Almost every last one of them is a union hack. They have never worked with their hands in their life. They serve in here on the basis of having stacked trade union members like Senator Conroy over there from the transport— (Time expired)

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! We will not proceed until the Senate comes to order.

Russell Trood (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I must say that I am deeply alarmed to learn that the only response the Australian Labor Party seems to be able to offer to the matter of skills shortages in this country is to set up yet another committee. I wonder whether the minister would be good enough to expand on the very substantive issues to which he was referring in relation to the Howard government’s record.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for the Arts and Sport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will go on. I was interrupted by the baying contempt by the trade union officials for people who actually use tool kits. As well, Senator Trood, we will provide employer incentives of $4,000 for apprentices and establish a $13,000 wage subsidy for mature age apprentices. We have created work skills vouchers of up to $3,000 for individuals aged 25 years or over who do not have year 12 or equivalent qualifications; created business skills training vouchers of up to $500 for apprentices; provided an additional 5,000 places in the Access Program, which assists job seekers experiencing barriers to skilled employment to obtain and maintain an Australian apprenticeship; provided up to 4,500 prevocational training places in the trades through group training arrangements; worked in partnership with group training organisations to provide an additional 7,000 Australian school based apprenticeships; and increased funding for the Australian apprenticeship centres to allow them to intervene during apprenticeships. (Time expired)