Question Time

Automotive Workers Communications Campaign

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:25): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Automotive Transformation a question about the automotive workers communications campaign.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: In August last year, I asked the minister about the costs of running the Drive Your Future campaign; that is, not quite 12 months ago. Last sitting week, I received a response. I will read the response:

In 2016-17, $500,000 has been budgeted to implement the Drive Your Future campaign. The campaign uses press, radio, bus shelter, billboard and social media advertising, as well as targeted public and company locations.

The campaign is aimed at current GM Holden employees, GM Holden employees who have left within the past 12 months and current and former supply chain workers. It directs workers to a new DriveYourFuture.sa.gov.au website which has been designed to simplify the registration process for automotive supply chain workers and ensures they are directly connected with job opportunities.

As at 31 March 2017, there have been 4,147 visitors to the website since the campaign was launched.

My question to the minister is: how many Holden workers have actually registered through the Drive Your Future website?

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. I am very happy to give him some information that will clear up his very, very obvious misunderstanding of this program.

Holden themselves have a transition centre and run programs for their workers. The Automotive Workers in Transition Program that this campaign was directed at are for supply chain workers. Holden workers were not targeted by this campaign. Holden workers had their own transition centre that is being funded by Holden. The Automotive Workers in Transition Program targets automotive supply chain workers. I'm very happy to clear that up for the honourable member so he has a better understanding of how the various programs work.

Holden's program for their own workforce, and whose transition centre I have visited a couple of times, has a high take-up rate. Many Holden workers have accessed the programs that Holden are running for their own workers. I don't have the exact figures but a couple of months ago it was something like 70 per cent of the 500 or so Holden workers who have left Holden in the last couple of years have gone on to find other employment. I've talked to many Holden workers and their union representatives about how that program is running and some of the successes of Holden's own program. For the Automotive Workers in Transition Program, the state government is providing very similar services for supply chain workers—for those 74 tier 1 and tier 2 supply chain companies.