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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2017-04-11 Daily Xml
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Flexibility for the Future Program

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (15:14): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the minister for employment a question about the public sector reform plan, Flexibility for the Future.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: On 28 February, the government announced Flexibility for the Future, a program, it says, that will offer greater flexibility in the public sector by allowing workers to reduce their hours, if desired, and seek to train new employees aged 30 or below to fill the gap. The government states that there will be no increased cost to the taxpayer. My questions to the minister are:

1. How many people does the government estimate will take up this offer of reducing their hours?

2. How many jobs does it estimate it will create for young people?

3. Does it estimate that any additional FTE jobs will be created from this reform?

4. How does the government intend to pay for training and mentoring systems for the new workers if there is no additional cost to the taxpayer?

5. What targets and time frames has the government set for itself with this policy, given our youth unemployment stands at a dire 16.9 per cent?

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) (15:16): I thank the honourable member for his questions and his interest in this policy area. I know that he, very genuinely, wants to make sure that all of those who wish to work have an opportunity to work. We might have different ways of going about our policies to get ourselves there, but I have no doubt about the sincerity of his wish to see that outcome.

In relation to the program in the public sector, trying to allow some flexibility for those who might be in the later stages of their career to work less hours and to have more hours for younger people, I know that that is a program that I believe is the responsibility of the minister for public sector reform. I don't have the details of any of the estimates or the costs, in terms of training, but I am more than happy to seek a response from the minister responsible so that I can inform the member about what is expected from the program and what the expected cost might be, given that we would both like to see more young people in jobs in this state.

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