Senate debates Motions
Employment, Western Australia: Resources Industry
Anne Urquhart Tasmania, Australian Labor Party
12:20 pm
At the request of Senator Lines, I ask that general business notice of motion No. 1176 be taken as a formal motion.
Scott Ryan President
Is there any objection to this motion being taken as formal? There is an objection. Senator Gallagher?
Katy Gallagher ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Thank you, Mr President. Pursuant to contingent notice of motion No. 3 standing in the name of Senator Wong, I move:
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent motion No. 1176 being moved immediately and determined without amendment or debate.
Katy Gallagher ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
12:24 pm
I move:
That the Senate—
(a) notes that:
(i) the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Government has cut 14,500 apprentices and trainees in Western Australia since it was elected in 2013,
(ii) even before the pandemic the Government cut $3 billion from TAFE, training and apprenticeship funding and billions from university funding,
(iii) as a result of these cuts, the Western Australian resources industry faces a skill shortage of over 30,000 workers by mid-2023, and
(iv) rather than training locals, the Morrison Government has added a range of mining and engineering occupations to the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List; and
(b) calls on the Morrison Government to urgently fix the resources industry skill shortage in Western Australia, by investing in training for Western Australians.
Jonathon Duniam Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries
I table a government statement in relation to this motion.
Pauline Hanson Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party
by leave—I table a short statement.