CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRAINING BOARD

The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (14:26): My question is to the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills. How does the minister's failure to sign an approved training plan for the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) for this year, which has resulted in the stop to funding for construction industry training, help grow employment? Because the Construction Industry Training Board has stopped funding for construction industry training, the opposition are advised that the extra cost to the employer of employing an apprentice will rise by an average of $3,500 a year. Post-trade training will not be funded, and the schools program Doorways to Construction involving 1,000 students will not be funded—a cut to a tune of $400,000 to that program.

The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland—Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Recreation and Sport) (14:27): Obviously that is not a permanent—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. T.R. KENYON: —situation. I am meeting the CITB tomorrow.

The Hon. I.F. Evans interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. T.R. KENYON: I am meeting the CITB tomorrow. We are going to have a discussion about how their training plan looks and what I would like it to incorporate and what they would like it to incorporate, and then once we have agreed on plan I will sign it off as quickly and as expeditiously as I can, and funding will flow. It is not going to be here; this is not going to be the situation for the whole year. I am anxious to approve their training plan—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. T.R. KENYON: —but their training plan did not meet with my approval.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Norwood, leave the chamber for 10 minutes.

The member for Norwood having withdrawn from the chamber: