Vocational Education and Training

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:22): A question for the Premier: how are the government's cuts to the number of subsidised training places under the WorkReady program going to impact those workers in regional areas who have lost their jobs and are seeking to retrain in order to gain new jobs?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:22): There are no cuts, there is just the end of a time-limited program under Skills for All and—

Mr Marshall: There are no cuts?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: There isn't; there is the end of the program which had a life—

Mr Marshall: And that is not a cut?

The SPEAKER: The leader is called to order.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: It was a program to deliver 100,000 training places and it exceeded that and it came to an end. Of course, this is the same opposition that would be calling for a smaller effort in terms of government expenditure, so it is passing strange that they criticise us for making, essentially, a prudent decision to ensure that we can live within our means. If the Leader of the Opposition and those opposite are paying any attention to the WorkReady reforms they will realise that very much the targeted effect of those reforms is to ensure that the training is going—

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is warned for the second and final time.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —to be linked to a job. The truth is that the many thousands of job cuts which would have eventuated should those opposite have occupied the Treasury benches, would necessarily have had to fall in areas like TAFE, so the idea that somehow they criticise us for making sensible economies and sensible allocation of the training budget just does not square up with their stated intention of actually cutting deeply into the South Australian Public Service. There is just nobody out there who believes the Leader of the Opposition when he cries crocodile tears about us doing sensible things to economise in the Public Service; nobody believes it.

Mr PISONI: Point of order: the Premier is obviously entering into debate.

The SPEAKER: Yes, I uphold the point of order. Has the Premier finished?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I warn for the second and the final time the members for Goyder and Mount Gambier. Deputy leader.