27-February-2006
Speeches, Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Workplace Relations, Education and Training
Mr ROBB (Goldstein—Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) (7.21 p.m.)—I rise to speak against this disallowance motion, and in doing so I cannot help but wonder why you would want to oppose this training visa. I have looked at this from every angle. I have listened to the specious arguments of the opposition, I have read the transcript from the other house and, for the life of me, I cannot find one sound reason for the opposition to seek to disallow this regional apprenticeship visa—not one sound reason. It is as though Labor has no sense of what has been going on in the last five to 10 years in the labour market and certainly no sense of what is in the interests of regional Australia. That is no surprise.
There can be only one reason, and we have seen it all through the workplace relations debate. It is all to do with the relationship between the ALP and the three most vociferous unions on this matter. I refer to the metal workers, the AMWU; the meat workers, the AMIEU; and the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union, the LHMU. Let us look at their campaign contributions to the ALP since 1995-96—the last 10 years.
Ms Macklin—Is this relevant?
Mr ROBB—This is very relevant. This goes to motive.
Opposition members interjecting—
Mr ROBB—You are playing grubby politics at the expense of regional Australia. That is what you are on about.
Mr Beazley interjecting—
Mr ROBB—Yes, you want to shut them up because they are losing it. The AMWU has given $5.2 million to the Labor Party; the AMIEU, $634,000; and the LHMU, $5.9 million. In the last 10 years, $12 million—nearly one quarter of all union contributions—has been given to the Labor Party. So, surprise, surprise that we see the opposition going into bat with implausible, baseless arguments, even resorting to xenophobia, to support their case.
The grubby reason for opposition members doing the bidding of their union masters is the unions’ quest to regain some relevance and to increase their membership. That has been the pattern of activity since May or April last year, when the workplace relations bills were introduced. It is politics plain and simple. The Labor members know they have no case, but they persist because their union masters have demanded it.
Let us look at why the regional apprenticeship visa was introduced and at the important role it can play. This is lost on the opposition. We have a strong economy. We have had one now for a long time. The government takes full blame for having a strong economy. One of the consequences of high, continuing economic growth is very low unemployment. With unemployment at 30-year lows, you find skills shortages.
Ms Macklin interjecting—
Mr ROBB—Unlike what we saw in your era, we find skills shortages. This has been compounded by a rapidly ageing population. A study last December estimated that, in five years time, there will be 200,000 more jobs in Australia than we have people to fill them. What are you doing in considering that? Nothing! This is a dilemma, a challenge for Australia, borne out of strong economic growth and an ageing population. We need plans to deal with this. When you put these two things together, you get pressure on skills. There is no silver bullet to address the skills shortage. It requires a coordinated and wide-ranging program of policies.
Mr Burke—Why don’t you have one?
Mr ROBB—We have got one, thanks. Come right in, spinner! What have you got? You have not got a spent cartridge to deal with this problem, much less a silver bullet.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Quick)—I remind the parliamentary secretary to address his remarks through the chair.
Mr ROBB—Yes, Mr Deputy Speaker. This emerging skills challenge requires action on multiple fronts, and that is what it is getting. Workplace relations—
Ms Macklin interjecting—
Mr ROBB—Yes, absolutely—Welfare to Work, independent contractor legislation, superannuation and taxation reforms.
Ms Macklin interjecting—
The DEPUTY SPEAKER—The member for Jagajaga will have her opportunity to speak.
Mr ROBB—You have not thought of those things. Superannuation and taxation reform will enable older Australians to work longer. There is a huge investment in skills training. The government has increased funding for vocational education and training by 88 per cent in real terms since 1996—the member for Jagajaga can shake her head but that is a fact—to a record $2.5 billion this financial year. The member opposite is embarrassed, but these are the facts.
The number of new apprentices in training has increased by 172 per cent, from 143,700 when Labor had control to 391,000 now. The number of students enrolled in vocational education and training has increased by 26 per cent, from 1.268 million to nearly 1.6 million. Not only that, but we will have 24 new technical colleges around Australia in the next four years. We are providing an additional 20,000 places in the next four years in the New Apprenticeships Access Program, specifically targeting industries and regions experiencing skills shortages and supplying tool kits to the value of $800 to around 34,000 new apprentices each year who are entering a skills shortage task.
Of course, immigration can and will play a big part in a range of programs across many portfolios. The regional apprenticeship training visa is all about this. It is adding one other plank to dealing with this skills shortage, this skills challenge, driven by a strong economy and an ageing population. It is part of a wider government policy program across many portfolios.
Claims that the new apprenticeship visa ignores a pool of young people in the cities who Labor claims would readily take up an apprenticeship are totally misleading and mischievous. This is a two-stage process ensuring that this does not occur. Firstly, an apprenticeship vacancy which an employer seeks to fill using a trade skills training visa recipient must be placed on the Australian Jobsearch database. Secondly, and much more importantly, the new visa requires certification from regional certification bodies that no Australian apprentices can be found to fill the vacancies.
Mr Burke interjecting—
Mr ROBB—We can say this again and again, but you will not accept that regional certification bodies, state, territory or local government agencies, local development boards and local chambers of commerce are exceptionally well placed to judge whether an apprenticeship can or cannot be filled by an Australian citizen. If they need to advertise to satisfy themselves no Australian is available, they will. They are competent to do this. They are competent to know what measures they need to take to satisfy themselves.
Mr Burke interjecting—
Mr ROBB—Who are you to judge whether they are competent? This is typical Labor wanting to dictate to local authorities how they will do their task.
Moreover, this government offers a great deal of assistance to young Australians under the New Apprenticeships scheme, particularly in the form of a living away from home allowance which encourages people to move to where apprenticeships are available. We have developed this visa very carefully, ensuring that overseas apprentices will not be exploited. Within three months of arrival, the overseas apprentice must sign a training contract under the Australian government’s New Apprenticeships scheme, which is then registered with the relevant state or territory government authority. As a result, overseas apprentices will have the same core protections as local apprentices and will work under relevant awards and conditions in accordance with the Australian government’s New Apprenticeships scheme. This is the opposite of the scaremongering and nonsense that we have heard from the other side of the House.
As with other temporary employment visas, monitoring activities will be undertaken in cooperation with the relevant state and territory government authorities responsible for apprenticeship training. This is a tried and true scheme. This is an arrangement that we have confidence in. This is an arrangement where, if those opposite were in power, they would have confidence in the Labor governments in the states conducting this program. This will ensure employers and sponsors are abiding by their obligations, including Australian awards and conditions. To suggest that apprentices from overseas will be exploited is a nonsense, and Labor knows it.
Ms Macklin interjecting—
Mr ROBB—You know it. I am also surprised at the rather odd assertion that the introduction of the trade skills training visa will take skills away from regional Australia in the longer term. To ensure regional employers and their communities continue to benefit from the investment in the training of overseas apprentices, the government has ensured that there is a range of visa options for the apprentice to settle in regional areas. Once an overseas apprentice has successfully completed their apprenticeship, they will be able to apply for one of the existing regional migration visas without having to go offshore—for example, the skilled independent regional visa or the temporary business long stay visa. These measures ensure that these skills remain in the areas where they are most needed.
If we are to sustain regional Australia and if we are to sustain apprenticeship programs in regional Australia, we need to fill the gaps. Where there are gaps we need to fill them. If there are people from overseas eager to fill those gaps, we should invite them in the same way that we invite university students to come and be trained at their expense. The trade skills training visa was developed in response to representations from regional industry which is unable to fill apprenticeship vacancies.
Mr Burke—How many companies asked for it?
Mr ROBB—In response to requests from regional industries. I want to acknowledge the initiative of Golden West Employment Solutions—
Ms Macklin—We have heard of them. Who else?
Mr ROBB—There is a whole swag of applications for apprenticeships coming in. You can see the list, go and look for yourself. This is going to be a very popular scheme.
Ms Macklin—You do not know, in other words.
Mr ROBB—I do not have off the top of my head the names of the 15 or 20 companies—no, I am sorry—but those opposite can have access to the list.
I want to acknowledge the initiative of Golden West Employment Solutions, a group training organisation from western Queensland, in highlighting the issues. Golden West has advised the government that it currently employs over 400 local trade apprentices and that it has around 188 apprenticeship vacancies waiting to be filled. They know their business. They are employing 400 local trade apprentices and they need another 188 to sustain apprenticeship programs in regional areas. The formula, the approach and the opposition by the opposition to this visa will close down apprenticeship schemes in rural areas. It will deny young Australians in rural areas the opportunity to obtain an apprenticeship at a local TAFE because there will not be the numbers. That is what is happening. This is head in the sand stuff by the opposition. The big problem out in regional Australia is that there are not enough students in courses.
With this visa we have a great opportunity to ensure they can undertake apprenticeships in regional Australia. It will be good for young Australians who live in regional areas. We believe very strongly that these regional certifying bodies will ensure that we can certify that an Australian was not available to take up that position. It will be a full fee paying arrangement. It is just grubby politics that we have seen from the other side. The opposition is prepared to put at risk—
Ms Macklin interjecting—
Mr ROBB—You can laugh—you are prepared to put at risk the opportunity for regional Australia to share in the growth and prosperity of the rest of the country.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Hon. AM Somlyay)—Order! The member for Jagajaga will cease interjecting.
Mr ROBB—Regional Australians deserve to share in the growth and prosperity of the rest of this country. Those opposite are seeking to deny that. They are prepared to put at risk apprenticeship courses for young Australians in regional areas because there will not be enough people taking up apprenticeships if Labor succeeds in blocking this visas. It is pathetic; it is union grovelling—that is what it is in response to.
We expect better from the opposition, and I urge that this disallowance motion be defeated.