Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health) Share this | Hansard source

I can assure the minister: I am very, very excited. I just hope that he actually delivers on his commitments to his Naval Shipbuilding Plan. I do want to reference the Naval Shipbuilding Plan. One of the priorities of the government, they have said, is that they plan to transition automotive workers from Holden. Unfortunately, Holden is leaving South Australia, affecting many of the workers who were in that industry—not just those in the Holden plant itself, but many people from my electorate. There was reference in the Naval Shipbuilding Plan to ensuring that those individuals are transitioned into shipbuilding as a priority.

My question is: there seems to be no evidence of that, so I would be pleased if the minister would highlight what evidence there is of steps the government has actually taken to work with Holden and automotive manufacturers—those who will no longer continue—to ensure that these individuals are skilled up and able to seamlessly, without large periods of unemployment, transition to shipbuilding. Could he outline what work is currently being undertaken with individual companies, with the state government and also with the individuals involved. What programs are in place? As to employment outcomes, has he set targets for automotive manufacturers moving into these industries? And has there been a full identification of what skills these individuals require to actually make a seamless transition into working in the shipbuilding industry? So that is my first set of questions for the minister.

I also have some other questions for the minister, more broadly on the Defence portfolio. Five years ago, there was a Pathway to Change program announced by the then Defence department, after a number of inquiries initiated by the Labor government into the culture within Defence, and there was a commitment from Defence for a strategic plan that has lasted five years. Those five years have now come to an end. My question is: will the government be providing any reflection, report or public statement on the end of this strategic plan? What will be put in its place in terms of processes going forward? Would the minister like to comment? One of the key recommendations or key findings was to ensure that more women were involved in Defence decision-making bodies. As of 30 June, I have identified that, within the ADF in particular, out of 62 positions, seven are held by women. So is the minister able to outline: what is the strategic plan going forward? What is the commitment? Why is it that we have not had a statement or an announcement? This has been something that the government regularly referenced when it came to issues around gender in Defence. I wonder why there has not been a statement at the end of that five-year strategic plan and what will be put in its place.

See this speech in context