23-May-2006
Speeches, Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Workplace Relations, Education and Training
Mr ROBB (Goldstein—Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) (3.42 p.m.)—The bottom line in all this, despite all the huff and puff we have heard on the other side—for the third time, I might add—is that the introduction of the trade skills training visa is demonstrably good for young Australians.
Opposition members interjecting—
Mr ROBB—If you had listened the last two or three times we had this discussion, you might have some sense of it.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Hon. IR Causley)—Order! The parliamentary secretary will address the chair.
Mr ROBB—It is not a matter of neglect, as has been brazenly asserted by opponents who would rather play politics than do the hard yards on policy. We are still not seeing policy from the opposition. This is just politics, plain and simple. And it is very base politics. Xenophobia is being used as a crass attempt to appeal to a base that they betrayed long ago.
Australia does face a skills challenge. It is estimated that within five years there will be 200,000 more jobs than people to fill them. That is with our current very high levels of skilled immigration. Have we heard any recognition of this on the other side in any of the policy pronouncements—not just in the area of immigration but in so many other areas of policy? Not one word. They are just playing politics. They are not addressing the challenges that face this country. That is what we are charged on this side of the House to do, and that is what we are seeking to do.
There are two causes for this skills challenge. One has been the prolonged period of strong economic growth, which has reduced unemployment to 30-year lows. Youth unemployment has dropped by nearly 40 per cent over the last 10 years. Prolonged economic growth has put pressure on the availability of skilled workers. We plead guilty to the problem of long-term, high economic growth, which has led to pressure on the availability of skilled workers.
The second contributing factor to a skills shortage is the ageing of the population. Of all of the challenges that this country faces, the biggest challenge by a country mile is the issue of an ageing population. In fact, the OECD has estimated that by 2025 there will be some 70 million people going into the retirement age cohort across the whole of the OECD. In the same period, in the next 19 years, there will be a net increase of five million people across the whole of the OECD going into the working age cohort. It is a very serious imbalance, which is already starting to impinge but is going to keep going and going because of the reality of that baby boomer group moving through our population.
This is a really serious challenge. Again, it is an issue we have not heard addressed in any way on the other side of the House. It requires a multifaceted approach. We have not heard this issue addressed. It is a very serious issue and it invites a wide-ranging response. There is no silver bullet. This is the third time we have had this debate, but there has been no new information—not one word of new information—from those opposite. They are just playing politics with this. There is no silver bullet. We have got the shadow Treasurer here. Have we heard his policies to address this problem? Not a word.
The training visa is a further important initiative as part of a wide-ranging response to this emerging skills shortage. It represents action on multiple fronts. That is what this government is all about. In trying to deal with this ageing population issue, we are working on multiple fronts: workplace relations reform, which is a very critical part of that, introducing some flexibility into our workforce and getting a culture of flexibility across this nation to deal with globalisation and the ageing population problems; welfare to work reforms to try to encourage people who can work part time back into the workforce; the independent contractor legislation to try to assist older Australians to come back into the workforce in an easy way; superannuation reforms to encourage older Australians to stay longer in the workforce; tax reforms to encourage older Australians to stay longer in the workforce; a huge investment in skills training and new apprenticeships; and, of course, the immigration program, which is playing an important part.
The regional apprenticeship training visa is all about this. It is part of a much wider government policy program across many portfolios to address Australia’s skills shortage. The training visa is but one part, but it is an important part. It is one of many policy responses. The training visa contributes importantly to young Australians in a number of ways. It enables regional Australia to share in the economic growth enjoyed by city based Australians. Filling skills shortages in regional areas—
Mrs Irwin interjecting—
The DEPUTY SPEAKER—The member for Fowler!
Mrs Irwin interjecting—
The DEPUTY SPEAKER—The member for Fowler is warned!
Mr ROBB—maintains industry and business activity in regional Australia. In turn, this protects and further builds new opportunities for young Australians, as well as enhancing the quality of life of all in regional Australia. There is no more pressing issue I hear as I move around the country than employers in regional areas saying to me, ‘We need to make sure that we have the skill base in regional Australia—
Mrs Irwin interjecting—
The DEPUTY SPEAKER—The member for Fowler will remove herself from the chamber under standing order 94(a).
Mr ROBB—to maintain performance in regional Australia, maintain job growth in regional Australia and to build prosperity in regional Australia.’
Mrs Irwin interjecting—
The DEPUTY SPEAKER—The member for Fowler will be named in a minute if she is not careful!
The member for Fowler then left the chamber.
Mr ROBB—If they only listened instead of yelling at people they might learn something. The second reason this training visa contributes importantly to young Australians is that it protects training opportunities for young Australians in regional Australia.
Ms George—That is rubbish!
Mr ROBB—‘Rubbish’ you might say, but just think about it for a minute instead of putting your union cap on and just knee-jerking.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER—The member for Throsby will have some time to speak in a minute. If she is not careful, she will not get that opportunity.
Mr ROBB—At the moment many apprenticeship courses are under threat in regional Australia because of a lack of critical mass.
Ms George interjecting—
Mr ROBB—Perhaps you might go out and have a talk to some of these authorities out there. The involvement of full-fee-paying apprentices from overseas will help maintain numbers in apprenticeship courses and will help maintain a critical mass. Full-fee-paying students will provide an important source of funding and boost the viability of courses. This helps young Australians. It keeps training opportunities open and available in their region. Labor has no feel for or empathy with regional Australia. It is coming through again and again.
The third and important reason why this training visa contributes to young Australians is that none of this is at the expense of local students getting their opportunities. The training visa will only be available where businesses have not been able to attract Australians to apprenticeship positions. This is strictly controlled, as the opposition have been advised on many occasions, by regional certification bodies. These regional certification bodies have to be nominated and endorsed by the state and territory Labor governments. Every one of them has to nominate and endorse these certifying bodies. These agencies are required and are very well placed to judge that no Australian apprentice can be found to fill the vacancy before allowing entry of any overseas apprentice. The overriding criterion is that they have to be satisfied that the apprenticeship cannot be filled locally. They are well placed to use all sorts of techniques to do this, including, if they choose, to confer with local unions if required. Bear in mind that these are all authorities approved by Labor governments.
Mr Burke interjecting—
Mr ROBB—You may well laugh, but your colleagues in state Labor governments approve and endorse these authorities. Many of these authorities are in fact direct agencies of these state Labor governments. Their requirement is that they must be satisfied that the apprenticeship cannot be filled locally. If they chose to do so—as I would expect that they would if they are appointed by state Labor governments—they can confer with local unions if they feel they need to satisfy themselves about the vacancy that exists. The shadow minister knows full well that this is the case. There is very strong protection.
The training visa builds on 10 years of initiatives which have seen a 146 per cent increase in new apprenticeships since 1996, from 130,000 to 390,000. You on the other side should be deeply embarrassed by that. New apprenticeships have gone from 130,000 to 390,000 and you have the gall to stand here and pretend that you have something innovative.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER—The member for Goldstein will refrain from using the word ‘you’.
Mr ROBB—My apologies, Mr Deputy Speaker. This government has not let down young Australians. On the contrary, the Howard government’s performance has restored a sense of hope and opportunity to the young people of Australia, as witnessed at the ballot box at the last election. There was a strong move by young Australians to vote for the Howard government. Why? Because we have restored a sense of hope. Youth unemployment has dropped by nearly 40 per cent, from 15.1 per cent to 10.9 per cent, at a time when real wages have gone up by nearly 17 per cent. That is performance over a protracted period of time. There has been a 122 per cent increase in the number of young people under 19 commencing new apprenticeships since 1996, and they now account for 41 per cent of all apprenticeship starts.
This government has not let down young Australians. On the contrary, we have restored a sense of hope and opportunity. The number of school students getting a head start in the VET program has increased by 253 per cent since 1996, so approximately half of all senior secondary school students are now getting a head start in life. The government is providing funds to the states and territories to support an additional 167,000 vocational education and training places by 2008. We have 24 technical colleges in the pipeline. These are all substantive initiatives. This is a record we can be proud of, and it is one that we have to build on.
This government has not let down young Australians. In the recent budget we added to all this an additional $106 million over four years for new apprenticeship centres, $10 million for the Australian Lifesaver Training Academy to provide high-quality training and education programs, and a raft of other measures. We are not going to rest on our laurels when it comes to ensuring that there are skilled job opportunities for young Australians. We must confront the challenge I mentioned earlier of an ageing population, a challenge which dictates that we must do all that is possible on a whole range of fronts.
So why are Labor banging on about this? What is their motive? Against all that background—against that urgent need—even when these apprenticeship visas reach full penetration, in terms of young people coming from overseas to be trained, we are looking at an estimated 3½ thousand visa holders in any one year. There are 390,000 apprentices now, with many more opportunities being created, and we are talking about 3½ thousand coming in. Doesn’t it makes you wonder about the context in which these arguments are being put? This is just a grubby attempt to lie and scaremonger—
The DEPUTY SPEAKER—The member for Goldstein will withdraw the word ‘lie’.
Mr ROBB—I withdraw the word ‘lie’. It is a grubby attempt to scare people in the electorate in a desperate attempt to restore some voting strength to their original base—a base they betrayed many years ago. What we are seeing is a stunt, plain and simple—an exercise in promoting xenophobia. We are seeing an explicit strategy by the Labor Party to promote xenophobia—to create misplaced fear and misinformation—as a means of appealing to a voter base they betrayed long ago. We know that is the case; we are hearing it out of the ACTU. We will see this all the way through to the election.
Mr Burke—We’ll guarantee that.
Mr ROBB—‘We’ll guarantee that’—some xenophobia from the other side of the House. I will make some predictions myself.
(Time expired)