Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Industry. Will the minister inform the House how the government's trade support loans and plans for skills and training are providing opportunities for future students?

Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for O'Connor for his question. I quote from the member for O'Connor's maiden speech last year where he said, when describing his electorate:

Small business is the beating heart of O'Connor … that provides the jobs and opportunities for the future.

The member for O'Connor is working extremely hard to provide that future for those small businesses in the face of the legacy that Labor left. He knows, we on this side know, that that beating heart—which includes agriculture, horticulture, timber, tourism, fishing, gold, nickel and iron ore operations—depends on the next generation of trades people to fill those jobs, to push that economy along and to make sure that we have the production and the productivity we need to make this country great. That is why this government is investing $1.9 billion in trade support loans to make sure that we have apprentices who target the skills that industry needs and wants.

The loans that we are providing through the Trade Support Loans scheme will target the National Skills Needs List, which includes many of the priorities that cover the businesses in the seat of O'Connor. As well as the obvious ones—as I have mentioned, mining is of huge importance in the seat of O'Connor—there are also priority qualifications that cover beef and cattle production, dairy and irrigation, wool classing and horse breeding, just to name a few of the 100, which just shows that, across the board in a whole range of traineeships and trades, the Trade Support Loans will be welcomed by the community, who have already provided the feedback to my office and, I am sure, to the member for O'Connor on just how good these Trade Support Loans are—just how much better they are than the old Tools for Your Trade scheme.

I know the member for Cunningham is coming around. I know in time—it will take time—she will come around, because this is a much better option. It gives young people who do a four-year apprenticeship around $12,000, along with the cash in hand, so they have more money sooner to cover their costs of living. Of course, their challenge is to make sure there are jobs there for them, and industry's challenge is that as well. Of course, the best thing to make sure there are jobs there for them is to make sure those industries prosper.

What is happening in Western Australia is that, last year, Western Australia paid $600 million in carbon tax, straight into the black hole. If we want to make sure these people have jobs, the Labor Party should get rid of the carbon tax.