Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. I ask the minister: why has the Prime Minister, who promised no cuts to education, cancelled all future trades training centres and cut no less than $1 billion from the program?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The very short answer is that there will be no cuts to the overall expenditure in the portfolio, but we did say that we would always look to spend those rare dollars more efficiently to achieve a better outcome for the Australian people, and we have said the same in health. Does that mean that we have to continue with schemes that, regrettably, we can no longer afford because of the huge debt legacy left by Labor? Regrettably, that is part of the consequence of the six years of Labor and, in particular, the last three years of the Labor-Green government. There are consequences of economic mismanagement. The government have said that education will be quarantined, but we may well rejig money within the portfolios to ensure that the money, the scarce dollars that are about, are better focused to get a better outcome for the people of Australia.

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Could the minister inform the Senate how many students in Western Australia will miss out on trades training as a result of this $1 billion cut?

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! You have asked the question and I am waiting to call the minister. Minister.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. The young people of Western Australia can be well satisfied that this government is looking to develop a new VETiS national framework designed to address skills shortages and to differentiate between vocational learning and VET in Schools, which involves a nationally recognised qualification, and is seeking to reduce red tape so that educators, industry and students can work productively. Even more important than training is having a job afterwards. Senator Sterle, I say to you, if you are genuinely concerned about the future of young Western Australians, then get rid of the carbon tax, get rid of the mining tax, get rid of the green and red tape and help re-establish the Australian Building and Construction Commission so that the economy can get on with the job of creating jobs for our young Australians, especially those in your state of Western Australia.

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister inform the Senate how the Prime Minister's broken election promise will help address skills shortages in my great state of Western Australia? Try that!

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is the wont with all Labor questions; they are nearly always built on a supposition that is false and incorrect. I say to you, Senator Sterle—through you, Mr President—there is no breach of promise in relation to this matter. What I would simply remind Senator Sterle is that the legacy you have left these young Western Australians is a legacy of debt and joblessness, which we are trying to overcome through measures which you are deliberately blocking in this Senate because you do not want to see the recovery occurring, you do not want Western Australians to see the juxtaposition between your economic mismanagement and our plan for the future that will provide jobs, that will provide a future. That is what we are doing with our economic management.