Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week I attended the official opening of the Ipswich Region Trade Training Centre, a $5 million investment in the Ipswich region, featuring world-class education and training facilities. Based at Ipswich State High School, it will benefit students from Bundamba Secondary College, Bremer State High School, Lowood State High School and Rosewood State High School. Students will be offered courses in mechanical, fabrication, general construction, carpentry, shop fitting and drafting. The centre at Ipswich State High School is one of the four trade training centres in Blair funded by the former Labor government as part of a $2.5 billion investment to provide Australian students access to industry-standard trade training and infrastructure, because that is what Labor governments do.

Those opposite like to talk about education and training. We all remember those familiarly sprouted lines pre-election: 'No cuts to education. No cuts to schools.' In fact they said, 'schools go up'. But this budget of broken promises and savage cuts will affect the people of Blair and the rest of the country.

What is interesting is that LNP state members in Queensland have been happy to turn up to those official openings—I have seen them on numerous occasions in my electorate—smiling for the cameras and shaking hands with constituents in the electorate, wringing their hands and declaring how bad these things are in George Street and in Canberra.

Last week LNP Senator Barry O'Sullivan attended the opening of the Ipswich Region Trade Training Centre, which the federal Labor government funded—promised and delivered. The senator was representing the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education. Endorsing this Labor initiative on Facebook, he said: 'These facilities will go a long way to addressing skills shortages across the construction industry,'—and I agree with him—'but, at a time when the economy and the manufacturing sector in particular are facing real pressure, these trade training centres go a long way to address skills shortages throughout a variety of industries'. What the good senator failed to mention was that, in the budget, the coalition has cut the $950 million funding for these trade training centres, so there will be no more. The government cannot even be held to account in relation to keeping their promises on education or skills training. They cut $500 million also in the budget out of skills and training in terms of prevocation apprenticeships as well. This government prefers to punish young job seekers, denying them Newstart, rather than investing in trade training centres, which provide real trade qualifications, from certificate I through to certificate IV.

I want to acknowledge the work of the Ipswich State High School Principal, Simon Riley; Deputy Principal, Michael Hornby; and his Industrial Technology and Design Head of Department, Nev Jesse. Simon Riley told the local community that, with 800 students leaving local schools each year to chase a job in the region, the trade training centre makes sense. I urge the government to reconsider their priorities in the budget and get it right on trade training for Ipswich, Somerset, Queensland and Australia.