Karen McNamara (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Minister for Employment. Will the minister update the House—

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I cannot hear the question. One moment. There is too much noise in the chamber.

Mr Husic interjecting—

The member for Chifley will leave the chamber under 94(a). He was warned twice.

The member for Chifley then left the chamber.

Karen McNamara (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Minister for Employment. Will the minister update the House on recent research into how job seekers can improve their employment prospects? How does this research back up the importance of the government's new Work for the Dole program?

Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Assistant Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question. And let me say it is great to have a wonderful new member for Dobell who is passionate about the interests of her electorate and who is passionate about the interests of young people in Dobell and creating opportunities for our young people. I was delighted on Friday to visit the Central Coast Wetlands Pioneer Dairy, a great local community project, driven by great volunteers, with the support of a Work for the Dole team, sponsored through Break Thru People Solutions.

It was a great project. The local member introduced me to a number of motivated job seekers who have been working on that program, and they said to me that Work for the Dole had changed their attitude to the workplace. We know the members opposite hate Work for the Dole. It is in their DNA to hate Work for the Dole.

Mr Brendan O'Connor interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Gorton will desist, and withdraw afterwards.

Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Assistant Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

But Work for the Dole is a program that can deliver great community outcomes and deliver great skills to young job seekers. When I spoke to the participants, they were glowing in their praise of Work for the Dole and the way in which Work for the Dole had changed their attitude to work and the workplace. I spoke to a young man called Aaron. When Aaron started his placement, he initially he did not travel too well. He had a bit of trouble getting involved in the program. But over time his skills developed, and every day he used to enjoy getting up and getting on with the project and being part of delivering the outcomes at Pioneer Dairy.

Opposition members interjecting—

I am pleased to report to the House—the members opposite might not be interested—but I am pleased to report to the House—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will resume his seat. The member for Gorton on a point of order.

Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister is referring to a Work for the Dole program that was actually put in place by the previous government—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order. The member will resume his seat. The minister has the call.

Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Assistant Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The members opposite will not want to hear this, but Aaron was able to tell me that he had secured a job, which was great news, through Work for the Dole. We know the members have spent their time running down the Work for the Dole program that they inherited from the Howard era, but this government is committed. I announced phase 1 last week of the revamped Work for the Dole which will scale up the Work for the Dole program. And today I released a survey, and that survey said:

Making basic adjustments to their attitude and physical presentation is the most effective thing that many young job seekers can do to improve their employment prospects.

That is why we are increasing the amount of Work for the Dole programs available. That is why we are increasing the number of opportunities for young people to develop the sorts of skills which have been run down under the members opposite.

We believe in the ability of Work for the Dole to deliver the skills that young people need to get a leg up in the workplace—to get that start that they need; to deliver the skills that employers want. We on this side of the House support Work for the Dole. The members opposite in their time in government ran down Work for the Dole.