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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-03-03 Daily Xml
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Address in Reply

Address in Reply

Adjourned debate on motion for adoption.

(Continued from 20 February 2020.)

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (17:32): I rise to reply to the Governor's speech. I want to talk in particular about my portfolio areas within the Governor's speech for which I have responsibility, the first being industry and skills and the second being forestry. Yet again, the Marshall Liberal government started the year in chaos and dysfunction. We have seen the Premier failing to show leadership when it was needed most. We have heard the government's plans for the state, yet they are light on detail and full of spin.

As has been the case in the industry and skills portfolio for the last two years, there was very little detail and no real plan for how the Marshall Liberal government will deliver their promised 20,800 new apprenticeships and traineeships by 2022. I will speak to that shortly. There was no mention of how the Marshall Liberal government will support small business. I have hosted small business roundtable events over the past year, and one of the most consistent grievances I hear is how disappointed they are with the lack of focus and support from the Marshall Liberal government and the lack of focus and support that minister Pisoni has provided to the sector.

Upon being elected to office, the Marshall Liberal government scrapped the small business portfolio and merged it into a superportfolio, mixed with many other areas of government. It is a fact that small business is the single biggest employer in South Australia, with 98 per cent of businesses being small businesses. The Marshall Liberal government, in the lead-up to the state election in 2018, promised everything to everyone in regard to small business.

They promised to investigate breaking down big construction contracts into smaller contracts so that small businesses could successfully tender for contracts. This is a really important aspect that is needed to ensure that, when we have big infrastructure projects in our state, our local businesses are able to tender and are able to be competitive for that work. However, it was confirmed in parliament's Budget and Finance Committee that this promise has been broken.

The Marshall Liberal government, in the lead-up to the election, promised to establish a unit to assist small and medium businesses in preparing tenders for state government contracts. This has not been done. They promised to improve transparency in the tender process, yet this is not happening. They promised to introduce a requirement that at least one local supplier must be involved in every selective tender process and, again, this has not been delivered. They also promised to establish a pre-registration system where small and medium businesses' details could be preloaded and saved, making it easier for them. But again it was confirmed in a recent committee that this has not yet been delivered. If it has not been delivered then it is a broken promise.

These commitments to support small business were spelled out clearly in the Liberal Party's election manifesto. The Marshall Liberal team committed to implement all of these proposals prior to the state election, but the Marshall Liberal government has not implemented them now that they are in government. Their lack of action has drawn criticism from the Civil Contractors Federation, which has notified its members about the government's lack of action to support small business in the state.

Minister Pisoni has had nearly two years to implement these measures to support small business in the state and so far he has sat on his hands and watched while small businesses continue to struggle to be involved in large government contracts. The only thing the Marshall Liberal government has delivered for small businesses is higher taxes, higher fees and higher charges. Prior to the election, the Marshall Liberal opposition promised lower costs and better services, and we have all heard the slogans ad nauseam. But after almost two years of the Marshall Liberal government, you really cannot blame voters who backed them in the last state election who now feel quite dudded about their performance.

Despite the Marshall Liberal government committing to delivering lower costs for the people of South Australia, what we have seen is increases in car registrations, up by 5 per cent; increases to driver's licence renewals, up by 4 per cent; and increases to hospital car parking, up by a whopping 20 per cent. We have seen increased public transport costs, individual contractors' licences have risen by 10 per cent, and registration fees for tradies have increased by 10 per cent. This is not lower costs; this is not better services. All of the increases are well above CPI and they are increases that are further evidence of more broken promises by the Marshall Liberal government.

There was no new spending identified in the Minister for Innovation and Skills' most recent departmental budget that indicated any additional support for small business. This is grouped with the fact that his department has undergone huge cuts, which must raise a question: what support is available for small business in his department? The minister has struggled to explain just who is responsible within the department for small business. In the Premier's speech, in regard to the government's agenda, we saw more lies, more spin and more shifty numbers when it comes to apprenticeship and traineeship figures.

Every time another company closes down or when minister Pisoni cuts deeper and deeper and removes funding for good projects, his excuse for one and for all is Skilling South Australia. It does not matter what the question is, the answer is, 'Skilling South Australia'. It does not matter if you are a school leaver or if you are 60 years old, the answer is, 'Skilling South Australia—get an apprenticeship.' It does not matter if you have a family to support and a mortgage, his answer is, 'Go get an apprenticeship.' But, unfortunately, we cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to addressing skills issues in our state.

When minister Pisoni cut funding for retraining programs for workers who had lost their job at Castalloy, many of whom had been working there for decades, minister Pisoni's response was, 'Skilling South Australia.' So, supposedly, these workers could just go and get an apprenticeship. This one-size-fits-all approach, which is clearly not working, is evidence of why we see minister Pisoni and the Marshall Liberal government consistently failing to reach their targets when it comes to apprenticeships in South Australia. We have seen spin upon spin upon spin but the figures tell the truth.

The Marshall Liberal government went to the election promising an additional 20,800 new apprenticeships and traineeships on top of what is called the baseline figure, which was 9,975. It has now been almost two years since the Marshall Liberal government came to office, and how many additional apprenticeships above the baseline figure have they created?

Remember, 20,800 is the goal over four years. Should we see 5,000? One would think so. Maybe that is a bit hard in the first year, maybe it is 4,000. After all, minister Pisoni has said over and over how they are hitting their targets and how well they are doing. Of these 20,800, what has been delivered? One hundred and thirty-five extra apprenticeships on top of the baseline. Promises of 20,800 and what we have so far, almost two years into this government's term, is 135.

The Hon. T.T. Ngo: Shame.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Shame indeed, as the Hon. Mr Ngo says. Minister Pisoni and the Marshall Liberal government have delivered 0.65 per cent of their goal: almost halfway through a term, 0.65 per cent of their promised 20,800 new apprenticeships on top of the baseline. Yet, the government has been in overdrive spinning these figures, claiming they have created thousands of additional apprenticeships, but the facts do not bear that out. If after two years the minister is congratulating himself on meeting 0.65 per cent of his target, then one has to join with some of his backbench colleagues in questioning why he is there as the minister at all.

Members may remember that minister Pisoni last year issued a media release on 9 June claiming 'SA hits training targets under skills national partnership' and claiming 'we have reached an early milestone'. However, that was just nine days after signing off on a departmental brief which advised him that South Australia's in-training figure as at 31 December 2018 was the second lowest figure on record since 1997, which incidentally is when the Liberals were last in government. His early milestone, his success, was the second lowest on record, and he had been advised of that only nine days before spinning his spin.

In the first budget papers, the Marshall Liberal government acknowledged they were behind their own self-imposed target. In last year's budget yet again they had failed to deliver on the amount that they had committed to. This is a self-imposed goal that they have committed to. Really, time is running out for minister Pisoni: 0.65 per cent of his 20,800 new apprenticeships and traineeships is a long way—a long way—to go. Instead, all we are seeing are shifty numbers that are highly overinflated in a desperate attempt to create the impression that they are delivering, when the reality is that this minister is failing.

Figures from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research show that cancellations and withdrawals for apprenticeships are increasing. Commencements of apprenticeships are below the baseline figure and yet minister Pisoni has spent over $40 million so far on Skilling South Australia—$40 million of the total of $200 million that is Skilling South Australia, to achieve 0.65 per cent of the goal.

The NCVER data released late last year also showed that as of March last year 1,430 people were working in a trade apprenticeship in South Australia. In June 2019, 715 people were working in a trade apprenticeship in South Australia, so roughly half—the difference between March 2019 and June 2019—working in a trade apprenticeship, despite minister Pisoni spending like a drunken lord, as I think our Treasurer sometimes refers to people, on Skilling South Australia.

The Labor opposition has asked countless times for real information about what figures the minister is including when he spins his line about how successful he has been. We have asked in estimates, we have asked in parliamentary committees what is the shortest course available to be counted under Skilling South Australia as an apprenticeship or traineeship? We are still waiting for an answer. Is it two weeks? Is it three weeks? I am wondering if there is a barista course for half a day that the minister intends to include in his Skilling South Australia figures. We are still waiting to get a straight answer.

After a lot of questioning, minister Pisoni did admit that they were counting four-week courses as traineeships through Skilling South Australia, and he would not rule out that there might be courses of even shorter durations. It may well be that some four-week courses are very useful. I am aware of a number that are very useful as pre-traineeships, pre-apprenticeships, preparatory courses, foundation courses, call them what you will. Four-week and five-week courses can be very useful no doubt, but they are not traineeships and they are not apprenticeships.

To have this government and minister Pisoni spinning that they are doing so well with traineeships and apprenticeships is more than fudging the figures, it is absolutely letting down our young people. It is letting down the parents of South Australia, the students of South Australia and those many people who would like to have an apprenticeship.

They are hearing, 'Oh, we are doing so well, we are creating thousands of apprenticeships,' yet they cannot find them. They cannot find apprenticeships because they are not real apprenticeships: they are four-week and five-week courses, preparatory courses. They are not apprenticeships and traineeships, and that is just part of the mismanagement and dishonesty of this government.

Why is the government being so shifty with these figures? Is it because we have seen a 50  per cent reduction in trade apprenticeships since the Marshall Liberal government was elected? Is it because they overpromised and now they are underdelivering? Is it because they are embarrassed at being so far short of the 20,800 promised new apprenticeships and traineeships? I think the answer is all of the above.

The fact is that the independent data is released by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research, the same organisation that the then Marshall opposition used to assess the performance of the previous Labor government. They claimed then, in regard to the performance of the previous government, that the NCVER figures were independent and that they were true. I think the NCVER figures are independent and they are true. What is not true is the spin we are getting from the Marshall government and minister Pisoni saying that they are actually meeting the promise of 20,800 new apprenticeships and traineeships.

Minister Pisoni and the Marshall Liberal government like to talk up how many new businesses have taken apprentices; in fact, they claim over 700 have done so. The question arises: are these apprenticeships that these 700 businesses have taken or are they the four-week courses and the five-week courses, the 10-week courses? What are they that is being claimed within those terms 'apprenticeships and traineeships'?

Given that the government is so far short of the promises they made in this arena, we cannot help feeling a little sceptical when we see that as of last week the Marshall Liberal government is looking at changing the supervision ratios for apprentices in South Australia, looking to reduce the supervision required. There is very little detail about how that will apply, very little detail about the safety implications of such a path. One must ask: is this really because it is about getting numbers rather than getting a safe, trained future workforce for our state?

When we asked for a list of the 700 new businesses that had supposedly taken on new apprentices we were told they would not provide them. Why would they not provide them? Surely this is a good news story. Surely if there really were 700 businesses that had taken on apprentices—in apprenticeships that we generally think of as a combination of four years of on-the-job and off-the-job training, resulting in fully qualified tradespeople—if there really were 700 new businesses that had each taken on such an apprentice would they not be happy to share those details, or is it just more spin from the Marshall Liberal government?

In December 2018, here in South Australia, the Master Builders Association called for the state government to reform the building industry to address the issue of building companies falling into administration, which inevitably means workers in the industry losing their jobs and consumers suffering financially as they are left with an unfinished product after investing a significant amount of capital. Of course, the subcontractors are often those at the end of the line in terms of payment.

The Master Builders Association called for those reforms as a result of Yorke Civil and Dowling Homes going into liquidation. Since then we have also seen the collapse of ODM Group in December 2018, OAS Group in the same month, Platinum Fine Homes in December 2018, Tudor Homes in March 2019, JML Homes Constructions in March 2019, Coast to Coast Homes in May 2019, D&C Homes in June 2019, Cubic Homes and Cubic Homes Construction in June 2019, Emerald Custom Homes in July 2019 and Integrity New Homes Adelaide South in November 2019.

They have all collapsed. Liquidations mean loss of jobs, loss of payments for subcontractors, loss of confidence in our state and personal losses for those who have invested into those particular projects. So 10 building and construction companies with thousands of people affected have suffered because of the Marshall Liberal government's inaction on this issue.

In January, the Attorney-General in the other place stated that the state government had been 'exploring initiatives to better support consumers affected by business failures in the housing industry'. I am sure it is wonderful to explore initiatives, but I think the thousands of people who have been affected by these sorts of collapses need something a bit more tangible and a bit more urgent than 'exploring initiatives'. One could not even say that it was too little, too late; it is nothing at all to simply be 'exploring initiatives'.

We continue to see economic growth decline under this government despite their so-called 'growth agenda'. In 2017-18, when the previous Labor government was in office, we saw economic growth at 2.3 per cent. Under the Marshall Liberal government in their full first year in office, we saw growth had declined to only 1.4 per cent. Recently published economic growth for South Australia under the Marshall Liberal government during their second full year in office is at 0.75 per cent.

I want to speak about the Marshall Liberal government's record, and particularly their achievements, when it comes to forestry since taking office in March 2018. Given forestry is a significant industry for our state, how many times was it mentioned in the Governor's speech talking about this government's plans for the future of the state? Zero.

The Hon. T.T. Ngo: Zero?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Zero. Forestry is so unimportant to this government that it was not mentioned once, despite them proroguing parliament and having this reset, supposedly for the good and future of our state. There was no mention of forestry whatsoever in the government's opening of parliament, which set out their legislative agenda for the year.

The Hon. T.T. Ngo: They don't care.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: They do not care, as the Hon. Mr Ngo says. They like to talk big but their actions are non-existent. There was no mention of Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers, which recently had 90 per cent of their plantation damaged due to the devastating fires on Kangaroo Island. There was no mention of what the Forest Industry Advisory Council has achieved, or would seek to achieve this year, remembering this council was one of the main election pledges of the Marshall Liberal government in regard to the timber industry.

We heard, at a recent committee, that the council has met four times. I asked what the outcomes were and was told, 'They're working on it.' After almost two years into this government's term and four meetings of the Forest Industry Advisory Council, there have been no outcomes. I am sure that is not because of the members of the Forest Industry Advisory Council. I know most, if not all, of them personally. They are very hardworking and dedicated to the industry in which they work. What we need is a government that is actually interested in forestry as an industry, rather than interested in trying to score cheap political points over past actions.

There was no mention of the Marshall Liberal government's state election pledge of doubling the economic output of the forest industry by 2050. Apparently that is not actually important. There are no details of what the government is going to do to reach a doubling of the economic output of the industry by 2050—no mention whatsoever.

So do we even have a forestry minister in this state? Well, as we know, the specific position of minister for forestry was abolished when this government came into power almost two years ago. We now have it absorbed into what one might like to call a 'super ministry', but the outcomes are not super; the outcomes are negligible.

The most common theme coming out of the speech outlining the agenda for the coming years is one of spin. Even more concerning is that their agenda is recycled. Recycling in its purest form, as I am sure the Hon. Mr Hunter would agree, is a wonderful thing. We agree with recycling when it is discussed in terms of benefiting our environment and our economy. But this government is recycling tired, failed policies from a range of areas.

One area that is of particular interest to me is the attempt to deregulate shopping hours yet again. Millicent is in the government's sights yet again. Millicent, which has voted twice to reject the deregulation of shop trading hours in their town, is in this government's sights yet again. It is a real economic issue for the town. They currently have three supermarkets, all of which manage to trade profitably enough to continue. Everyone agrees that deregulated shopping hours will mean for Millicent that one of those three closes down. That means less choice for consumers, fewer jobs for local people. Yet, despite this parliament overwhelmingly rejecting this government policy in this term, they want to recycle it and go yet again.

I am glad that local shops like Foster's Foodland in Millicent and the IGA are standing up to the Treasurer and making it known that they are opposed to this. Locals do not want there to be only one of the big two in town. I trust that Fred Smith at The South Eastern Times will continue to cover this issue with keen interest as he has done for quite some time now. It has certainly been very useful to the local people of Millicent and the local workers and also business owners in making sure that this policy of this current government is kept in the public eye.

I hope that the member for MacKillop will come to his senses and stand up for his electorate, in particular Millicent, who have, after all, made it clear to him that they are totally opposed to deregulation of shop trading hours. What we have here is not a reset, it is a recycle. It is not about the future of South Australia, it is about simply looking again at policies that have already failed and legislation that has failed in this place. It is not about supporting small business, it is about ignoring small business. It is not about being true to the people of South Australia and the promises they make because those promises have been broken.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins.

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