Mr McCARTHY - 2016-05-25
On your watch traineeships and apprenticeships have gone backwards. Four years ago there were 2800 commencements in traineeships and apprenticeships; last year there were 2182 commencements, and Budget Paper No 3 forecasts around the same for 2016-17.
There will be 600 fewer opportunities for apprentices and trainees under your government. Does that not show that your failed economic policies are now impacting on the training of young Territorians? Will you please explain your failure in your responsibility to build a homegrown workforce?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question.
Firstly, the count is done differently these days. Students are counted, not courses.
Let us talk about Territorians having opportunities. One of the things Territory apprentices do not have, even in the last few months as a result of what you guys did on your side – you put a moratorium on gas and 140 people lost their jobs the same day, and another 55 who were to be employed lost their jobs. That is just one example.
Let us look at the Northern Territory jobs plan by the Australian Labor Party. There is a nice photo of Michael Gunner, the member for Fannie Bay, and some rhetoric. Then you turn over and you can look at the economic framework. I love this; thank you for the question because it gives me the opportunity to talk about the economic framework Labor will have.
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. Budget Paper No 3 directly points out declining numbers in apprentices and trainees. Minister, please explain why you are failing young Territorians?
Mr STYLES: We are talking about jobs; we are talking about traineeships. We are talking about the ability to have the knowledge state that I love to talk about again in this Chamber during Question Time. It is about creating jobs, and with jobs comes apprenticeships.
It is not rocket science. You need to have jobs so someone can do a traineeship or apprenticeship. That is really simple. It almost offends me that you say this is about traineeships. The really important thing is the future of our kids, and that is something the Leader of the Opposition does not seem to have in his budget. He talked about a lot of stuff, throwing money around like fairy dust, but it is about results.
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. The minister has lost 3600 jobs out of the Territory. Does that mean there are fewer apprenticeships?
Madam SPEAKER: Please sit down!
Mr STYLES: I will send you the correct figures; you do not seem to understand what they are.
Let us talk about traineeships in agribusiness. If we take water licences off people – there are about 250 jobs at stake at the moment in Katherine. There are a lot of traineeships in that industry. They will go.
We know your Labor mates in Queensland are courting those people now to go to Queensland.
Here is the best one. Number two in the list is gas and minerals. Let us face it, there are 6300 jobs in the beginning of this gas project you are putting at risk. You will shut it down. You confirmed you will shut the gas industry down a couple of months ago in this House. Shame on you!
There will be 600 fewer opportunities for apprentices and trainees under your government. Does that not show that your failed economic policies are now impacting on the training of young Territorians? Will you please explain your failure in your responsibility to build a homegrown workforce?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question.
Firstly, the count is done differently these days. Students are counted, not courses.
Let us talk about Territorians having opportunities. One of the things Territory apprentices do not have, even in the last few months as a result of what you guys did on your side – you put a moratorium on gas and 140 people lost their jobs the same day, and another 55 who were to be employed lost their jobs. That is just one example.
Let us look at the Northern Territory jobs plan by the Australian Labor Party. There is a nice photo of Michael Gunner, the member for Fannie Bay, and some rhetoric. Then you turn over and you can look at the economic framework. I love this; thank you for the question because it gives me the opportunity to talk about the economic framework Labor will have.
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. Budget Paper No 3 directly points out declining numbers in apprentices and trainees. Minister, please explain why you are failing young Territorians?
Mr STYLES: We are talking about jobs; we are talking about traineeships. We are talking about the ability to have the knowledge state that I love to talk about again in this Chamber during Question Time. It is about creating jobs, and with jobs comes apprenticeships.
It is not rocket science. You need to have jobs so someone can do a traineeship or apprenticeship. That is really simple. It almost offends me that you say this is about traineeships. The really important thing is the future of our kids, and that is something the Leader of the Opposition does not seem to have in his budget. He talked about a lot of stuff, throwing money around like fairy dust, but it is about results.
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. The minister has lost 3600 jobs out of the Territory. Does that mean there are fewer apprenticeships?
Madam SPEAKER: Please sit down!
Mr STYLES: I will send you the correct figures; you do not seem to understand what they are.
Let us talk about traineeships in agribusiness. If we take water licences off people – there are about 250 jobs at stake at the moment in Katherine. There are a lot of traineeships in that industry. They will go.
We know your Labor mates in Queensland are courting those people now to go to Queensland.
Here is the best one. Number two in the list is gas and minerals. Let us face it, there are 6300 jobs in the beginning of this gas project you are putting at risk. You will shut it down. You confirmed you will shut the gas industry down a couple of months ago in this House. Shame on you!
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016