SUBJECT/S: Unemployment in Gladstone; youth unemployment; 457 visas; Abbott-Turnbull Government’s failed policies; carbon emissions trading scheme.
JOURNALIST: So what are you here for today?
BRENDAN O’CONNOR, SHADOW MINISTER FOR EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS: I’m here to ensure I get to listen to the concerns that people have, particularly in the area of employment. What we do know is that there are fewer jobs in our economy. Fewer jobs in Gladstone and this region as a result of the failed policies of the Abbott-Turnbull Government. We have 900 fewer apprentices in this electorate. I’ll be talking to Zac Beers, the Labor candidate and talking to workers this evening at the Gladstone Bowls Club about the concerns that they have with the casualisation of work, the failure to get jobs before 457 visa applicants, the concerns people have with the lack of training for young people, the fact that there are fewer opportunities for people to find work makes it very difficult for people to make ends meet. They have to pay the bills, pay the mortgage or the rent, put food on the table and yet there are fewer jobs and there are fewer permanent full-time jobs. So even when people look for work, they’re not able to find sufficient work. There are over one million Australians looking for more work and cannot find it and that’s the case in Gladstone as it is in too many communities in this great nation.
JOURNALIST: The local member here says that changes to the carbon tax and reintroducing the carbon tax would wipe Gladstone out?
O’CONNOR: We’re not introducing that policy at all. In fact, we made sure that we’ve announced a policy that would encourage growth. We do want to see growth in renewables but we support the coal industry in this country. We do need to get the balance right. I believe we’ve learnt from earlier policy announcements when last in government. The local Liberal Member, as people should know, voted to increase 457 workers. When I was Minister for Immigration and introduced a Bill to tighten the 457 visa arrangements, to make it necessary to look local first, the Liberal Member of Parliament Ken O’Dowd voted against it. He voted for more 457s. This Government is really about loosening employment security opportunities. In other words, they’re happy for people to be in casual work, in part-time work, even when they’re looking for full-time work. That’s why you’ll hear further announcements by me and Bill Shorten as we head towards the election to provide better security for workers in workplaces, to ensure there are more opportunities for young people to have proper apprenticeships. I know there has been a significant decline both in terms of employment and apprentices in this region and it’s just not good enough.
JOURNALIST: When you say there have been policy failures, what are some of those failures?
O’CONNOR: I think you might have verballed me then.
JOURNALIST: Oh, sorry.
O’CONNOR: I said we’d re-examine the way in which we should deal with carbon emissions. I think that it’s critical that a country like ours is ensuring that we get the settings right. And our policies, the emissions trading scheme that we want to put in place – indeed, something that Malcolm Turnbull supported when Leader of the Opposition – I think has got the balance right and deals with the reduction of carbon emissions, but also accepting that there’s a mix of energy sources. We want to see more investment in renewables but we do and have supported the coal industry and that will always be a part of the mix for a long time. The failure here really for us is that there has been a failure by Government to engage with industry and business. They turned their back on for example, manufacturing. They haven’t thought ahead; they haven’t looked at what is the next plan for this region. So people are looking at the horizon and they cannot see jobs for themselves or for their children. You need a Government that will engage with business and industry to create opportunities. To help create the environment in which jobs can be available for people. There has been a failure by the Abbott-Turnbull Government to do that and that’s why I think people are seriously looking at Bill Shorten and Labor this election.
JOURNALIST: You said you’ll be announcing some policies for employment. Can you give us some hints?
O’CONNOR: I think we’ve got a real problem with youth unemployment in this country. In regional Queensland, youth unemployment is in some parts very, very high. But the national average is twice that of the ordinary unemployment rate, more than 12 per cent. It goes as high as 25 per cent in some parts of Australia. That is just devastating for young people that early in life not having any opportunities. We will be announcing initiatives to ensure that young people get better opportunities and we also want to see a far better vocational system. We believe that TAFE has to be the predominant provider of vocational training, along with some very reputable companies that do some remarkable things. Group training companies who I think have got a very good model, because it allows for smaller and medium enterprises to have house apprentices at another place, which is a very efficient way to operate. But I do think too many State Governments de-funded TAFE. That’s a concern. You have 900 fewer apprenticeships in this electorate than was the case when Labor was last in government. This is an indictment on the failure of the Abbott-Turnbull Government to do the right thing for young people. So you’ll hear more from us about apprentices and indeed other incentives for young people to find work.
JOURNALIST: Just with those apprentices, the problem is mainly the hosts. So it’s the business aren’t there as they were in the past. How can the Labor Government reignite businesses? We’ve had sackings at QAL and Yarwun recently, NRG. The businesses are struggling and that’s having an impact on the employment. How can Labor stimulate these businesses to take on hosts?
O’CONNOR: Firstly, you’d have to make announcements on infrastructure investment. That will create more employment opportunities. You have to engage. I think there’s a real problem that there’s such low business confidence. Low consumer and business confidence creates an anaemic economy. That’s what you’re seeing. We’ve got the lowest wage growth in this country because there’s little confidence. You’ve got fewer people being hired. So it’s not just about the investment by government, but that does matter and we will be investing in infrastructure. But it’s also anticipating the areas of emerging demand in the labour market and training people in the skills that will emerge as a result of the transition in our economy. Again, not something anticipated properly by the current Federal Government. So there’s no easy answers and no one is pretending there’s easy answers but you have to work with industry. This Government has turned its back on industry where ever you look, whether it was the car industry whether it was construction generally there hasn’t been sufficient engagement. I think that turning away from business has led to a real problem.
On top of that their budgets have been both unfair and fiscally irresponsible in terms of what it’s done to business confidence, which again has created fewer opportunities as a result for workers, not just to find work, but find permanent work when they are looking for it. So, there’s a series of things we can do, but you start by getting the economic settings right - you invest in education, the greatest resources of this country are our people. You need to invest to ensure they have the skills in the areas of emerging demand in the fastest changing labour market in our history and you need to make sure that people can make ends meet. That means having a health care system where people don’t have to pay every time they go to the doctors; they can afford medicine when they’re not well. These things really matter, the only prescription that Malcolm Turnbull has for this country is to give a $50 billion tax give away to his rich mates, to the top one per cent, to multinationals who’ll take much of the money overseas, to the four banks. The four big banks will receive a huge tax break and yet that’s not going to help create jobs or look after the health system, Medicare, or indeed invest sufficiently in education to equip our people with the skills they’ll need to compete in the competitive global market place. So there are some of the things we’ll be doing and you’ll hearing more about that. We’ll be making more announcements. Kim Carr and Bill Shorten will have more announcements to make. Bill and I will be making more announcements in relation to employment initiatives. We will have jobs at the centre of our economic thinking. Labor always does and we will certainly illustrate that well before July 2. Any other questions? Thanks very much.
ZAC BEERS, LABOR CANDIDATE FOR FLYNN: So I’ve asked Brendan O’Connor, the Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, to come to the electorate of Flynn to talk to the locals in the community about some of the issues that the area is facing as a result of the down turn of various industries. It’s no secret that the region right now is suffering as a result of the downturn and lack of jobs, but there’s broader issues that need to be looked at such as casualisation, which is a huge problem for workers in the area who are struggling to find some employment. There are also other issues in relation to 457 visas and the potential risk there for local jobs if proper market assessment doesn’t take place. There’s also the risk to the income of families in the area as a result of the potential flow on effect of penalty rates cuts proposed that are supported by the LNP Government.
Those are some of the issues we are here to talk about, but also more broadly in relations to education and training. We’ve seen 909 fewer apprenticeships in this region since the LNP Government came to power. What that means for the area is that there are locals that have the skills to meet the demands for the jobs of tomorrow. The Labor Party is committed to making sure that we not only have an educated and trained work force, but a workforce that has secure employment so that people can put food on the table and keep a roof over their family’s heads, safely knowing they’ve got a job.
JOURNALIST: And in relation to the carbon tax, what do you think changes to the carbon tax will do?
BEERS: Look there’s no secret that there are concerns from big industry if the carbon tax is to take place. The Labor Government’s focus, if elected, is to grow new industries in renewable energies which create jobs. Our focus is on making sure that we not only reserve existing industries, but growing new industries so that there are jobs for tomorrow.
JOURNALIST: Just on the employment of the region, what’s it like out there in the rest of Flynn? What are some of their concerns?
BEERS: To do a comparison, the reality is pretty well the same across the board. Broadly across the electorate people are saying the same thing, as a result of the down turn people are struggling, people are losing their jobs. There is no alternative employment out there for them. The reality is the area is doing it tough, but the people in this area are very resilient and I have no doubt we’ll bounce back. What they need is a government that will stick with them and support them to make sure that they have a fair go and there’s jobs for people tomorrow.
JOURNALIST: With the emphasis on education, any chance that Labor might be committing to CPU’s (inaudible)?
BEERS: The brief in relation to the proposed project at CPU has been provided and there’s further discussions going on. The focus right now is on making sure that we support basic education in primary school and secondary school. Under a Labor Government, we’re committed to make sure there’s additional funding in that area as opposed to $204 million worth of cuts if the LNP Government is re-elected.
JOURNALIST: Where’s the future of employment in Gladstone?
BEERS: Look, there is a lot of industry in Gladstone and there’s a lot of industries that will be here for a long time. What are the industries of tomorrow? I can’t say. All we can do from a government perspective is create the right environment with the right infrastructure so that growth can occur in the natural industries that are here.