Career Employment Services Funding

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:53): My question is to the Minister for Industry and Skills. Did the minister visit Northern Futures or Career Partners Plus or WISE Employment before making a decision to cut their funding?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left! The Minister for Industry—and he will be heard in silence.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI (Unley—Minister for Industry and Skills) (14:54): Thank you, sir. I think it's important to understand that the excitement we are hearing from those opposite is all in vain. The facts are that there is plenty of funding for career employment services like Northern Futures. Go back to the federal budget. There is $300 million in the federal budget, a massive increase in employment services in the federal budget. So we have a situation here, but this is, of course—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —how the Labor Party in government ran their government. They cherrypicked where they wanted to assist with money so they could be in the photograph. It was all about promoting the Labor Party, an illusion of action because they weren't able to deliver the jobs and they weren't able to deliver training here in South Australia. We are focused on delivering job opportunities and making sure those South Australians are equipped to have those jobs.

Ms Stinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Badcoe is called to order.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: Let's look at some of the options that may be available for those Telstra workers. There is $17.4 million over four years to establish Skills Checkpoint for Older Workers to support employees between the ages of 45 and 70 in the federal budget. Why would the state government fund programs that are funded by the federal government? But that is what Labor did.

Mr PICTON: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Minister, please be seated for one moment. There is a point of order by the member for Kaurna.

Mr PICTON: Debate, Mr Speaker. There was a very specific question in regard to whether the minister has visited these places.

The SPEAKER: The question was about visiting certain companies and, allegedly, funding being cut. The minister is returning to the substance of the question. He is talking about funding avenues that are available to companies. I do not uphold that point of order, but I ask the minister—and I am sure he will—to keep to the substance of the question. Thank you.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: Certainly, sir. Thank you very much. Of course, members would remember I was in the shadow portfolio in this area for many years when I was in the opposition.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left! You have asked a question. Let the minister answer it.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: I think I held the portfolio for close to seven years in opposition, and I met with training providers and employment career advisers on a regular basis, as well as industry. But what I have been focusing on—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: I have been focusing on meeting with employers in South Australia. They are those people who have put their hands in their pockets to employ South Australians. They are the people we are focusing on because we know that it is their direct input that is going to make a substantial benefit for job creation and careers here in South Australia. We saw what happened with apprenticeships and traineeships under that government: a 60 per cent decrease in commencements in South Australia over the last five years.

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition presided over a fall of 60 per cent, from 2012 to 2017, in commencements of apprentices and trainees, and then they have the nerve to suggest that we are making cuts. They are the ones who are making cuts to the opportunities to people here in South Australia. There is $189.7 million in the federal budget over five years to support mature-age Australians to adapt to the transitioning economy, to develop the skills they need to remain in work.

So here you can see, Mr Speaker, that the state government has a role: we are providing the skills and the jobs for South Australians to participate in this enormous opportunity for South Australia in the defence industry. I had a visit from the welding organisation in South Australia just a week or so ago, and we are 1,200 welders short for our defence commitments here in South Australia all because of the work of these people across the chamber.