Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Watt, the Minister representing the Minister for Skills and Training. I note that the Albanese government inherited one of the worst skills shortages in more than 50 years. How is the Albanese Labor government working to address those skills shortages, particularly the areas of demand?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You are right, Senator Sheldon. How many messes have we had to clean up since coming to office?

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know those opposite are embarrassed. I would be embarrassed too if I had been in government for 10 years and left so many messes behind. It's like that advertisement with Pro Hart: 'Oh, Mr Hart, what a mess. What a mess.' There is a mess everywhere you look. Every rug you lift up, there's another mess left behind by the former coalition government. Skills and training is one of those messes. It won't surprise us that our old friend Senator Cash was the Minister for Skills and Training for a period of time.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

She's not old.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Our young friend, our youthful friend, Senator Cash, leaving messes behind, including in the skills and training portfolio. It is correct that the previous government left us with the worst skills shortages in five decades. Those skills shortages were as wide as they were deep. They span sectors right across our economy.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They are a bit noisy, President. Those opposite rotted our skills base, leaving Australia without the care industry workers, the chefs, the tradies, the hairdressers, the cybersecurity experts and, Senator Sterle, the truckies as well. They left us without all those skills that we needed.

Since coming to office, a key mission of our government has been to put TAFE back at the centre of the vocational education and training sector. We are also supporting more people to start their careers in construction to support our ambitious housing targets. Australia does need more houses. And for that we need more tradies. That's why this month we have confirmed our commitment to making housing a national priority under our landmark National Skills Agreement to support building 1.2 million new homes over the next five years.

Senator Cash asks how that's going. I will tell you how well that is going, Senator Cash. You could not negotiate a skills agreement with the states and territories while you were in government. We've now got one and it's delivering.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order. Before I call you, Senator Sheldon, I will remind you, Minister, to please address the President in your response. Senator Sheldon, first supplementary.

Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the context of a very tight labour market, with low unemployment and with cost-of-living pressures, how is the Albanese Labor government helping Australians skill up into better paid more secure work without being saddled with study related debt?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Senator Sheldon. As Senator Wong outlined today already, the Albanese government has taken a range of actions to assist Australians to deal with cost-of-living pressures—whether that is cheaper child care, cheaper medicine or the energy price relief that the opposition voted against. We've got the tax cuts coming in on 1 July. But another cost-of-living measure that we're taking is providing fee-free TAFE. I think that is one of the unsung heroes in terms of the cost-of-living relief that we've provided since coming to office. Fee-free TAFE means that students no longer will have big study related debts once they finish and, because courses are in areas of demand, they will go into long-term and secure work. We've seen a high uptake in nursing, early childhood education and care, community and individual care, electrotechnology, electrical cybersecurity and IT, to name just a few of the careers that people are taking up through those fee-free TAFE options. That's giving Australians access to education and providing the skills that we need.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister. Senator Sheldon, your second supplementary?

Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I note that many areas of the economy most in need of workers are lower-paid jobs like early childhood education and aged care. How is the Albanese Labor government helping those workers keep more of what they earn once they enter the workforce?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Senator Sheldon. I will come to the tax cuts, but it has just occurred to me that maybe we need to offer another fee-free TAFE course, and that is in how to do some work in opposition! We know that this is a group that clearly doesn't have the skills or the work ethic to get a job, and that's why, in all the time that they've been in opposition, they've only come up with one policy and that's to put in place nuclear reactors all over the country. Aren't we seeing them all walk away slowly from that one? Maybe a new fee-free TAFE course will assist you to get the skills that you need!

Under the Albanese Labor government, there are more people in jobs, they're earning more and, with our tax plan, they'll keep more of what they earn. Remember what I was saying yesterday? Under the Albanese Labor government, workers get to earn more and keep more of what they earn. Under the Liberals, what happens? They work more and earn less. You will learn the words before long, because it's true. You know it's true, and that's why you ended up voting for our tax cuts—although, from what Senator Birmingham had to say today, we're not so sure anymore.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Watt.