AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

Mrs VLAHOS (Taylor) (15:33): My question is to the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills. Can the minister inform the house about how the government is supporting local automotive employers to ensure they have a skilled workforce now and into the future?

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI (Hartley—Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (15:34): I would like to acknowledge the local effort that is put in by the member for Taylor on this front. This government's commitment to working with industry and individual businesses in the manufacturing sector has been hugely successful. To date, our partnership grants have supported more than 1,500 qualifications, an investment of more than $5.5 million from government and co-investment of over $1.8 million from industry. This is real, practical support to help those individuals and businesses to upskill their workforce to meet current and future challenges.

The government recently reaffirmed our commitment with our jobs and skills policy. Through this policy, we will continue to work in partnership with industry to boost productivity by increasing the skills of existing workers, particularly in our incredibly important manufacturing sector, which employs more than 73,000 South Australians. This sector is pivotal because we know the important role that high-end manufacturing can play in advanced economies when manufacturers must compete on quality of product and innovation.

One of the important areas of the advanced manufacturing industry in South Australia is without question our automotive industry. The government has invested nearly $15 million into the training and skill development of around 3,500 South Australians in the automotive industry. We do this because we on this side of the house have the interests of South Australians at heart.

We are fighting for Holden, for component manufacturers and for the people who work in this industry, because, unlike some, we believe that South Australians should be supported in this area. We are committed to investing in their ongoing employment rather than seeking to offshore their employment.

We understand that this is a debate that is about more than just cars: it is about jobs that keep food on the table for thousands of South Australian families, from those who work on the factory floor right through to electricians, designers and engineers who work at Holden and associated industries in the supply chain. Mr Speaker, we already know about the opposition's plan for jobs. We know of their plans to cut 25,000 jobs—

Mrs REDMOND: Point of order, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Point of order from the member for Heysen.

Mrs REDMOND: I believe the minister is now entering into debate in discussing what the opposition plans are.

The SPEAKER: I uphold the member for Heysen's point of order; that's three. The leader.