Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator Cash. On 14 July the minister posted two tweets following a meeting she had with the CEO of a Western Australian firm Stirling Skills Training. In the tweets the minister endorsed the firm as an, 'integral part of the vocational education scene in Perth for over 30 years.' Can the minister confirm that her own regulator, the Australian Skills Quality Authority, has cancelled Stirling Skills Training's registration for non-compliance on 16 grounds, including failing to ensure marketing information is accurate and factual and for issues with training, assessment, strategies and practises?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My understanding, Senator Watt, is that the matter is currently before the AAT, being appealed.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, a supplementary question?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you for anticipating my next question. Can the minister confirm that Stirling Skills Training, the firm about which she tweeted, is currently appealing the cancellation of its registration in the AAT, and that, while the appeal is underway, the Australian Skills Quality Authority has ordered the firm to neither enrol nor train additional students? Why did the minister think it was appropriate to endorse this firm?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was unaware at the time when I met with the firm that this was the case. The only thing I discussed with them was youth unemployment. As I said, the matter is currently under appeal before the AAT.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, a final supplementary question?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why should Australians have confidence in a cabinet minister whose office leaks police raids on union offices and now promotes a business that her own agency has deregistered?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I obviously completely reject the premise of the question, but it has now given me an opportunity to spend the next 55 seconds talking about how on this side of the chamber we cleaned up the mess created by the former Labor government when it came to vocational education within Australia. When, I think, the former Leader of the Opposition, Mr Shorten, was the relevant minister, he actually ripped the guts—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Watt, on a point of order?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is on relevance. As much as we enjoy Senator Cash in full flight, she hasn't answered the question, which is why anyone should have confidence in her.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, if you ask a question phrased like that, it is relatively easy for a minister to be directly relevant to it.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, under the former Labor government, they actually ripped the guts out of the employer incentives when it came to taking on apprentices. That actually resulted in a decline in the number of young people going into apprentices. But they didn't stop there, colleagues. That wasn't good enough. They wanted to destroy the sector even further. And so they introduce a system—a total complete and utter disaster—known as VET FEE-HELP. Yet again we came into office and cleaned up their mess, so Australians can have confidence in those of us on this side of the chamber.