❓ Ms. Winton asks the Premier about securing Collins-class submarine maintenance work for WA, focusing on job creation and TAFE fee reductions. The Premier assures the house of the government's commitment, highlighting economic benefits, workforce skills, and investments in training.
AnsweredQoN 880Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
COLLINS-CLASS SUBMARINE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM
880. Ms S.E. WINTON to the Premier:
Before I begin, I would like to
welcome the Canning Vale Probus Club, who are here visiting the member for
Southern River. I hope they have enjoyed their stay at Parliament House.
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to securing more
defence industry jobs for Western Australians, and its ongoing
investment in not only maintaining but also expanding the state's
highly skilled workforce.
(1) Can the
Premier update the house on this government's efforts to secure the 3 000
local jobs that would come with bringing all Collins-class submarine
maintenance work to Western Australia?
(2) Can the
Premier advise the house how this government's decision to reduce TAFE
fees will ensure that young Western Australians have the skills necessary to
undertake that work?
880. Ms S.E. WINTON to the Premier:
Before I begin, I would like to
welcome the Canning Vale Probus Club, who are here visiting the member for
Southern River. I hope they have enjoyed their stay at Parliament House.
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to securing more
defence industry jobs for Western Australians, and its ongoing
investment in not only maintaining but also expanding the state's
highly skilled workforce.
(1) Can the
Premier update the house on this government's efforts to secure the 3 000
local jobs that would come with bringing all Collins-class submarine
maintenance work to Western Australia?
(2) Can the
Premier advise the house how this government's decision to reduce TAFE
fees will ensure that young Western Australians have the skills necessary to
undertake that work?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
would like to assure the member for Wanneroo that we are determined that all
Collins-class submarines maintenance will come to Western Australia. The
benefits of this would be enormous for our state—3 000 additional jobs
and more than $8 billion invested into the Western Australian economy. We also know that moving full-cycle docking to Western Australia
is also in the national interest of Australia. The Minister for Defence
Issues and I met with federal Minister Reynolds recently and put to her a comprehensive
business case, in addition to a range of other reports, showing that Western Australia
is the right place for Collins-class full-cycle docking. We know that South
Australia will have trouble coping with the
Collins-class full-cycle docking in addition to the builds of the new
submarines and frigates in that state. It is a risk to the Collins-class
submarines and to defence if it remains in South Australia, considering the
other contracts that that state already has.
Western Australia has a highly
skilled workforce, based in the southern suburbs. There are many ex-submariners,
former defence people and many other people with the appropriate skills. Our
defence industry and shipbuilding industry is world class and export oriented,
not just reliant upon government work. We have the right people with the right
skills, and the oil and gas industry, which has related skills.
The government has already invested
$2.4 million in a new state-of-the-art TAFE shipbuilding training facility at
Naval Base, in the Henderson area. This will ensure that we have people with
the right skills. On Monday we announced our reduction in TAFE fees—an
effective $3.5 million policy to ensure that we get more people back into
training for the jobs of the future, and defence will provide some of those. I will
give members a couple of examples. The cost of a certificate III for
engineering, mechanical trades and fabrication trades has been slashed by $1 400.
The cost of a certificate III for electro-technology engineering has been
slashed by more than $1 500. These are the sorts of skills people need to work
on Collins-class full-cycle docking.
We saw the alternative in the last
term of the last government, when the now Leader of the Opposition put up the
cost of training by 510 per cent for many courses across Western Australia. As
a consequence, there was a 25 per cent reduction in the number of people
engaging in training in Western Australia.
One of the things a state government
can do is train its citizens for the jobs that are available. That is an
important role of the state government. Under the last government, the now
Leader of the Opposition, as the then Minister for Training and Workforce
Development, put up the fees, and kicked students out the door. This government
is doing the reverse. We are getting people into training. We are dropping the
fees for many courses across Western Australia, and we have frozen the fees for
other courses. We are seeking the Collins-class full-cycle docking, and we are
training Western Australians to get those jobs in the future. This government
believes in work and believes in training Western Australians.
would like to assure the member for Wanneroo that we are determined that all
Collins-class submarines maintenance will come to Western Australia. The
benefits of this would be enormous for our state—3 000 additional jobs
and more than $8 billion invested into the Western Australian economy. We also know that moving full-cycle docking to Western Australia
is also in the national interest of Australia. The Minister for Defence
Issues and I met with federal Minister Reynolds recently and put to her a comprehensive
business case, in addition to a range of other reports, showing that Western Australia
is the right place for Collins-class full-cycle docking. We know that South
Australia will have trouble coping with the
Collins-class full-cycle docking in addition to the builds of the new
submarines and frigates in that state. It is a risk to the Collins-class
submarines and to defence if it remains in South Australia, considering the
other contracts that that state already has.
Western Australia has a highly
skilled workforce, based in the southern suburbs. There are many ex-submariners,
former defence people and many other people with the appropriate skills. Our
defence industry and shipbuilding industry is world class and export oriented,
not just reliant upon government work. We have the right people with the right
skills, and the oil and gas industry, which has related skills.
The government has already invested
$2.4 million in a new state-of-the-art TAFE shipbuilding training facility at
Naval Base, in the Henderson area. This will ensure that we have people with
the right skills. On Monday we announced our reduction in TAFE fees—an
effective $3.5 million policy to ensure that we get more people back into
training for the jobs of the future, and defence will provide some of those. I will
give members a couple of examples. The cost of a certificate III for
engineering, mechanical trades and fabrication trades has been slashed by $1 400.
The cost of a certificate III for electro-technology engineering has been
slashed by more than $1 500. These are the sorts of skills people need to work
on Collins-class full-cycle docking.
We saw the alternative in the last
term of the last government, when the now Leader of the Opposition put up the
cost of training by 510 per cent for many courses across Western Australia. As
a consequence, there was a 25 per cent reduction in the number of people
engaging in training in Western Australia.
One of the things a state government
can do is train its citizens for the jobs that are available. That is an
important role of the state government. Under the last government, the now
Leader of the Opposition, as the then Minister for Training and Workforce
Development, put up the fees, and kicked students out the door. This government
is doing the reverse. We are getting people into training. We are dropping the
fees for many courses across Western Australia, and we have frozen the fees for
other courses. We are seeking the Collins-class full-cycle docking, and we are
training Western Australians to get those jobs in the future. This government
believes in work and believes in training Western Australians.
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