Craig Thomson (Dobell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and the Minister for Social Inclusion. Will the minister update the House on how the Building the Education Revolution program is supporting Australian apprentices?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Dobell for his question. I know that he would be supporting the 74 projects in his electorate at a cost of $19.9 million that are a part of the government’s economic stimulus to support jobs today whilst building the infrastructure we need for tomorrow. I am sure the member is very keenly supporting the 54 projects in his electorate under the Building the Education Revolution program, the biggest school modernisation program in the nation’s history. The member, of course, would be aware that the 54 projects in his electorate are part of 15,000 projects that have already been approved across the nation to support our schools. Whilst they are supporting our schools and building the infrastructure we need for tomorrow, they are also supporting apprentices and trainees around the country. The Building the Education Revolution program is designed to support jobs in local communities, including the jobs of apprentices. We know that apprentices can be at risk of unemployment and being left out of trade during an economic downturn. Of course, the global economic recession could have that impact on their employment. That is why, as part of the guidelines for the Building the Education Revolution, the government required that project managers give priority in contracting and tendering arrangements to businesses that have demonstrated a commitment to adding or retaining trainees and apprentices.

We have also worked to create incentives for employers to take on those apprentices who may find that they are out of trade—that is, they have commenced their apprenticeship and are partway through and for whatever reason their employer cannot keep them on to complete their training. Obviously, unless they get another opportunity, their training can go to waste. So Building the Education Revolution has this priority for apprentices and trainees, and then there are incentives available to support employers who take on an out-of-trade apprentice. Most particularly, there is a $145.6 million investment in direct incentives for employers to take on out-of-trade apprentices and a $9.7 million investment to help out-of-trade apprentices and trainees to complete their training through registered training organisations.

Generally, all of this relates to our $3.8 billion investment in the Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Program. So there is support for apprentices through Building the Education Revolution, special incentives for out-of-trade apprentices and our $3.8 billion plan to support apprenticeships through the Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Program.

While the government supports economic stimulus and consequently supports the employment of apprentices, what we have from those opposite is negativity and opposition to the economic stimulus and to Building the Education Revolution. Some days they are opposed entirely, some days they are opposed to it in part and some days they are trying to muscle their way into shots in their electorates so that they can get a run in their local newspapers. The Leader of the Opposition has had many positions on this—almost beyond count. But one of the things the Leader of the Opposition said in March on the Insiders program is—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order under standing order 104. I do not believe the Deputy Prime Minister was asked about the opposition’s position. She was asked about the government’s position.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The Deputy Prime Minister will relate her comments to the question.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was asked about supporting Australian apprentices and I am indicating a risk to that support, and a risk to that support is the stated position of the Leader of the Opposition when he said:

We put up an alternative … Which would have involved spending money on schools but not so much; spending $3 billion instead of $14 billion …

Then in May he said:

Well when we are returned to Government after the next election, we’ve said that we will establish a commission to look at the financial sustainability of the Budget and of all the spending measures.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: if the government wishes to have a question framed that does ask about our position, that is one thing—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Pyne interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Pyne interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat! The member for Sturt is warned. The Deputy Prime Minister will relate her response to the question.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the question of supporting Australian apprentices, the question arises whether the Building the Education Revolution program can continue to support Australian apprentices when the stated position of the Leader of the Opposition is that he does not support it—either totally some days or, other days, part of it. He needs to come clean, project by project, on what he does support and what he opposes. Does he back the $125,000 for Paddington Public School—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Deputy Prime Minister will conclude her answer.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

or the $750,000 for the St Charles School? This is all about supporting apprentices.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Prime Minister will conclude her answer.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australian apprentices are entitled to know.