Unlocking Capital for Jobs

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:31): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before directing a question to the Minister for Employment regarding the Unlocking Capital for Jobs Program.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Last month, I asked the Minister for Employment a series of questions relating to this particular program, which he undertook to refer to the Treasurer. My questions to the minister are:

1. Has the minister now clarified how many companies, other than the one involved in the pilot study, have applied for assistance through the Unlocking Capital for Jobs Program?

2. Has the minister clarified how much funding, excluding that spent on the pilot study, has been leveraged under the program?

3. If the minister will not provide this information, will he finally admit that this program has failed and explain why, even after the initial nine-month review, the program was continued, despite receiving no applications for the past two years?

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) (14:31): As I answered this question before, it is a program that sits with the Treasurer. I am happy to take those additional questions on notice and put them to the Treasurer and bring back a reply.