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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-06-03 Daily Xml
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Motions

Skills for All

The Hon. J.S. LEE (17:09): I would like to support the important motion moved by my colleague, the Hon. Michelle Lensink, on 13 May in this chamber, for a select committee to be established to inquire into Skills for All and the WorkReady program. Hundreds of jobs in the non-government training sector are on the line right now, and that number will grow as the long-term impact of this disastrous decision will affect the whole of South Australia's job market. There has already been a massive fall in the number of students in jobs training as a result of the Weatherill government's disastrous mismanagement of the failed Skills for All program.

There are four parts to the terms of reference for the select committee moved by the Hon. Michelle Lensink on 13 May, and since then there has been a recent announcement made by the government. I therefore would like to move two amendments to the motion, as follows:

After subparagraph 1(i) insert new subparagraph as follows:

(ii) The impact on training opportunities, choice and quality in South Australia as a result of changes to subsidised funding under the WorkReady program announced by the state government on 21 May 2015.

Leave out paragraph 2 and insert new paragraph as follows:

2. That the committee consist of four members and that the quorum of members necessary to be present at all meetings of the committee be fixed at three members and that standing order No. 389 be so far suspended as to enable the chairperson of the committee to have a deliberative vote only.

The reason that the amendment in relation to the committee is necessary is because as we have heard from the Hon. Mr Kandelaars, we have received advice from the government that no government members are willing to participate on this select committee. This is just another example of arrogance displayed by the Labor government. They obviously do not believe that the issues are important enough. It is typical of the government to disregard the voices of the community—it is shameful really. Perhaps they are too busy to care, or too afraid to hear what people have to say.

I thank the Hon. Michelle Lensink and members who are showing great concern and speaking out on behalf of the community on this important matter. I commend the amendments and urge all members to support the motion.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (17:12): I would like to thank the speakers on this motion: the Hon. Gerry Kandelaars and the Hon. Jing Lee, and I also thank a number of members particularly from the crossbench who indicated their support.

It will come as no surprise that I will not take the advice—and I suspect all my Liberal colleagues will not take the advice—of the Hon. Mr Kandelaars in urging us not to support this motion. I will not speak for long, you will be pleased to know, but as if Skills for All did not already have enough problems with it, we have now seen the incredible decision of this government to unilaterally decide, on 21 May, to completely change the training programs. I think it is very unfair of the non-government training sector to be all characterised as private providers somehow sticking their hand up and trying to cost shift.

I think that is a contemptible way to characterise this debate, having encouraged a number of providers into the sector who are also from the non-government sector, organisations like the Mental Illness Fellowship and the Royal District Nursing Society—there is a whole range that are in the not-for-profit sector, and some RTOs who are supported by employer groups. To characterise them all in that way I think is quite contemptible but, unfortunately, par for the course from this government.

The issue of whether this state government is in breach of its agreement will also be a matter that we will clearly need to examine under the WorkReady proposals, but I do thank honourable members for their support for this motion. It is going to be a very important committee going forward. Unfortunately, we have not seen what we might have hoped for—that the government might backtrack—but I suspect that this is another victim of its ailing budget problems and the Treasurer is pulling back and propping up the TAFE sector by having to axe a whole lot of programs that it should otherwise be funding.

Could I say that, if the situation was in the reverse and this was a Liberal government, they would be the first ones screaming from the roof tops about jobs for young people. As if it is not hard enough for young people in this state to actually stay here to get a job, but now their training opportunities are to be cut from under them because of this incompetent government that could not manage a chook raffle, quite frankly. With those few words I urge all honourable members to support the motion.

Amendments carried; motion as amended carried.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (17:15): I move:

That the select committee consist of the Hon. Jing Lee, the Hon. Tammy Franks, the Hon. John Darley and the mover.

Motion carried.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: I move:

That the select committee have power to send for persons, papers and records, to adjourn from place to place and to report on 29 July 2015.

Motion carried.

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