Automotive Workers in Transition Program

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:25): Thank you for your protection, Mr President. I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Automotive Transformation questions regarding the Automotive Workers in Transition Program.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: The government was keen to promote its $7.3 million Workers in Transition Program when it announced back in September 2014, and opened in March 2015, the Career and Workforce Development Centre at Warradale. However, the opposition has since obtained documents, under FOI, which revealed that since it opened the centre has only received on average 1.01—I repeat that: 1.01—visitors each day, and in October 2015 the centre became open by appointment only.

My question to the minister is: can the minister provide detail on exactly how many jobs have actually been created for visitors to this centre and what is the process for the follow-up with visitors to the centre, and, given that the minister has publicly stated that he anticipates the number of visitors to the centre will be increasing in the coming months, when does the minister anticipate the centre will reopen?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:26): I thank the honourable member for his question. It shows all the political acumen we have become used to from the Hon. David Ridgway, which is why there is so often so much suggestion the Hon. Michelle Lensink will soon be leader. He comes in here and asks about support for auto workers. Let's not forget why we are where we are. It was his colleagues three years ago who dared Holden to leave—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: They dared Holden to leave. The very next day, Holden said they would be leaving this country; and you know what we heard from those opposite—from Steven Marshall, the member for Dunstan, Leader of the Opposition?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: You have no credibility on that—none whatsoever.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I've hardly started.

The PRESIDENT: The Leader of the Government deserves the respect of this council to be able to give his answer in silence.

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: He should refer to members with their proper title.

The PRESIDENT: Exactly.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! There's no debate—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The honourable minister will continue with his answer and he will do it in silence.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Let's remember all that those opposite—that mob—said when Holden were leaving the country. We have Steven Marshall, as I said before, the member for Dunstan, Leader of the Opposition—if they care to listen at all—when Holden left he said something along the lines of, 'It just doesn't make much sense for this country,' about manufacturing cars. That's how much they care about it. Their mob in Canberra dared Holden to leave. The very next day Holden announced they were leaving, and then they say, 'Oh well, it doesn't make much sense to manufacture cars here.' That's what they think, that's how much they care about auto workers. In relation specifically to the Warradale Centre—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: 1.01 visitors.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: —we have seen figures, I am advised, almost doubling the last month—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: What, to two people!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: —and we will see that increasing over the next 12 months. We saw Corey Wingard come out and kick one of the biggest own goals now being repeated—

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: Mr President, point of order: if the minister insists that he knows how to respectfully refer to members by their title, he might remember what seat Mr Wingard represents.

The PRESIDENT: And I think—

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Point of order, sir.

The PRESIDENT: Point of order.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Goodness gracious! We have three members of the opposition shouting across the chamber. It is little wonder that the Hon. Mr Dawkins cannot hear the proper enunciation of the member's title.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The Hon. Mr Wade is here shouting across the chamber, the Hon. Mr Ridgway is here shouting across the chamber—

The PRESIDENT: Point taken, minister. Take a seat. The Hon. Mr Dawkins, if you are that concerned about titles of members—

The Hon. S.G. Wade: That's what the standing orders say.

The PRESIDENT: Yes. But the standing orders also say that you are not to interject when a minister is on his feet. So let's be fair about this. There are crossbenchers—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: You are not to argue with me on my ruling. I am telling you how it is going to be. There are crossbenchers who want to speak and have got questions. All this nonsense defers and delays them asking these questions.

The Hon. S.G. Wade interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: I am not interested in what you have to say. Minister, will you please continue your answer.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Thank you, Mr President. We saw in the last couple of weeks the member for Mitchell, Corey Wingard, the shadow minister, come out and demand of the government that they close down the Warradale office. What the member for Mitchell wants for his constituents is if they want to access the Automotive Workers in Transition Program, he wants them to get up to Elizabeth to the other office. That's what he wants, that's what the opposition wants. Don't worry, we will be campaigning on this, we will be letting the good people of the southern suburbs, who work in the auto supply chain, know what the Liberals want for them, they want all services in their area closed down.

Furthermore, it came as quite a coincidence that the member for Mitchell's campaign office is where this office now is, and is on record as saying he does not like where his current electoral office is and he wants a new one, and here he is campaigning on wanting the support for auto workers in the south closed down so, presumably, he can move back into that office. This is a shallow joke on the people of the south, that they don't want support for auto workers in the south. If you want to access government programs, in their view, you go up to the north, you go to Elizabeth. You can rest assured we will be letting the people of the south know what you think of them and how much help you want to provide them. You're a disgrace.