Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Skills and Training) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes:

(a) the National Centre for Vocational Education Research advises that there are 320,830 active apprentices and trainees in training, representing a drop of 107,320 apprentices and trainees in training compared to when the Opposition was last in office;

(b) that new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics released in September 2025 shows Australia's building approvals are collapsing, with total dwelling approvals down by 8.2 per cent and private sector apartment approvals down by 22 per cent; and

(c) the critical link between the collapse in apprentice and trainee numbers and the shortage of skilled workers needed to address Australia's growing housing crisis, with fewer tradespeople available to build the homes Australians desperately need;

(2) recognises that the housing crisis is being compounded by this failure in skills and training, leading to higher costs, longer delays, and fewer Australians able to achieve the dream of home ownership;

(3) condemns the Government for failing to ensure an adequate pipeline of skilled workers to meet Australia's needs, and for overseeing a collapse in both apprentice numbers and housing approvals at a time when the nation can least afford it; and

(4) calls on the Government to take immediate and urgent action to:

(a) rebuild apprentice and trainee numbers across the economy, particularly in construction and housing trades;

(b) work with industry and employers to support real pathways into skills and training; and

(c) develop a credible strategy to ensure Australia has the skilled workforce required to meet current and future housing demand.

I move this motion out of deep, deep concern for the sector, deep concern for our young people, concern for our tradies, concern for the employers and concern for the future of the skills pipeline for this country, because, under this government, we're watching a collapse of Australian apprenticeships and trainees that we have never seen in our history. It's having a devastating consequence for our economy and the workplace and, more particularly, the housing market.

The national pre-eminent body, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research—they're the pre-eminent body that capture the data. You will hear those on the other side of this chamber come in and make these flippant allegations that, when they took over in government four years ago, the economy was terrible and everything was upside down. But, I can tell you, these numbers from the pre-eminent independent body do not lie. When we left office—when we left government—the sector was healthy. We had over 428,000 apprentices and trainees in the sector working and contributing to our country. Today, after four years under this leadership, we have 107,000 fewer. Let me repeat that: there are 107,000 fewer apprentices—fewer younger Australians getting the training they need for skills, fewer jobs and fewer decent careers. How can that be? This is not a statistic; this is a Labor failure. This is a homegrown crisis, either intentionally or unintentionally grown by the policy failings of this Labor government—a failure of policy, a failure of leadership and a failure of vision.

I've been on the road right across our country from Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth to Darwin. I've been meet being employers, apprentices and training providers all around the country, and, everywhere I go, they're telling me the same thing. They are desperate for skilled workers. Builders can't find enough tradies. Civil contractors can't find enough plant operators. Electricians, plumbers and mechanics are stretched thin. In the regions, it's amplified. It's even worse. We're facing a skills drought, and this is a direct result of this government's neglect. At the very same time, Australia's housing approvals have collapsed.

We have seen Labor make some attempts to put some incentive programs in for apprentices. But they're very narrow; they're not for all apprentices. As Labor pursues their net zero targets, they'll give it to the apprentices that might be involved with building solar panels or windmills in that sector. Or they might give it to the affordable housing sector. But, when I was in Western Australia and I spoke with those from the resources sector, those looking for fitters, mechanics, diesel fitters—there was no support from Labor for those; zero. When I speak to the hospitality sector—the chefs, the caterers, the bakers, the sous-chefs, the apprentices—there was no support for those. When I talk to the car manufacturing sector, when I talk to the car dealerships—there's no support for the mechanics apprenticeships. There's no support for those that we need to train to accommodate the next wave of electric car fleet.

The recent ABS data in September shows total dwellings approvals are down 8.2 per cent and private apartment approvals have fallen by a staggering 22 per cent. All of this is under the new Labor government—a nation in the grip of a housing crisis while the pipeline of skilled workers to build the homes we need is drying up. It's little wonder Australians are waiting longer, paying more and losing hope of ever owning their own home. Labor will talk a big talk, but, when it comes to delivering, they'll always be found wandering. My motion today is not about politics; it's about the people. It's about the young apprentices that we need to employ in this country who can't get a start. It's the civil contractor in Darwin who can't find the tradies. It's time to get Australia building again. It's time to get Australia training again, and it's time to get Australia working again.

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