Automotive Industry

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (14:53): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Automotive Transformation, if he was here, a question relating to the unfilled motor trades jobs.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: According to the Motor Trade Association of Australia the number of unfilled motor trade jobs in South Australia far outstrip the number of positions that will be lost, even when the Elizabeth Holden plant closes, as reported by The Advertiser just this week. The MTAA estimates that nationally more than 25,000 motor trade jobs are unfilled currently, which is set to increase to 35,000 next year.

In South Australia, 1,635 jobs are unfilled, and it's reported that more than half of the 4,857 businesses in South Australia are reporting difficulties in securing skilled workers for these positions. The MTAA is concerned that the substantial amount of unfilled positions could contribute to the closure of smaller companies in rural and regional areas in particular, which are further struggling in difficult business conditions, including higher power prices. My questions to minister are:

1. How will the government address the current shortage of skilled motor trade workers, as brought to the public's attention by the MTAA, and line them up with the vacant positions available?

2. What progress and initiatives are currently in place to ensure Holden employees are transitioning into industries where their skills are relevant and useful, such as, potentially, the motor trade industry, where there seems to be a surplus of positions available?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:55): I thank the honourable member for his very important question. Of course, it's a question I will need to take on notice on behalf of my leader, the Hon. Kyam Maher. I undertake to bring back a response, but I am sure that if my leader was here he would say, 'Hear, hear,' to the Hon. Dennis Hood's question and point him to the fact that the federal government, of course, made some structural adjustment money available for transitioning the Holden industry (which the federal government egged on to leave the country) but then withdrew the funding.

The federal government said, 'Look, we'll put in place some structural adjustment money to enable workers in the industry to transition to alternative jobs.' I can't remember exactly what it was—I think something like $900 million was on the table at some stage—and then they wrote it down by about $800 million and took it back again. So, we had the federal treasurer at the time and other senior ministers in the Liberal government egging Holden on to withdraw from the country—daring them to go; daring them to leave—and when in fact that came to pass they were incredibly embarrassed, to the point where they had to put up a huge amount of money for structural adjustment in transitioning the workers. Then they withdrew it, adding insult to injury to the workers in the north of Adelaide.

This Liberal federal government gives no care whatsoever to the problem they created and the people they are leaving in limbo. But I will leave it to the honourable leader of the council to respond in more detail to the Hon. Dennis Hood, and I am sure he will echo some of those sentiments.