❓ Question regarding the Productivity Places Program (PPP) funding, specifically addressing alleged funding cuts, reallocation of funds from capital works, and discrepancies in information provided to the house. The Minister denies any wrongdoing and accuses the questioner of misinformation.
AnsweredQoN 394Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
PRODUCTIVITY PLACES PROGRAM
Some notice of my question has been given—sorry, it is without notice. Hon Peter Collier : You have done that before! Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : It is just a teaser! I refer to the minister’s answer yesterday in which he advised the house that no further variations have been granted through the productivity places program since March 2010. (1) Given that on 30 March 2010 the minister told this house that PPP funding to registered training organisations should not have been stopped and that the advice that the minister received from his department was that it had not been stopped, why did the minister not bother to advise this house and correct the record when he found out that the funding had been stopped? (2) Is it true that the reason the money ran out in March was that PPP funding was being used to repay the capital works program from which previous PPP funding had been borrowed? (3) If not, how does the minister explain the money running out three months before the end of the financial year? Hon PETER COLLIER
Some notice of my question has been given—sorry, it is without notice. Hon Peter Collier : You have done that before! Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : It is just a teaser! I refer to the minister’s answer yesterday in which he advised the house that no further variations have been granted through the productivity places program since March 2010. (1) Given that on 30 March 2010 the minister told this house that PPP funding to registered training organisations should not have been stopped and that the advice that the minister received from his department was that it had not been stopped, why did the minister not bother to advise this house and correct the record when he found out that the funding had been stopped? (2) Is it true that the reason the money ran out in March was that PPP funding was being used to repay the capital works program from which previous PPP funding had been borrowed? (3) If not, how does the minister explain the money running out three months before the end of the financial year? Hon PETER COLLIER
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for that very insightful question. (1)–(3) I will answer the question because I would really like the member to listen to my response. I stand by everything that I have said about this situation. In Western Australia earlier this year, as a direct result of the initiatives that this government put in place over the previous 12 months, we had a significant increase in demand for training places. As the honourable member would know, RTOs are both public and private. The RTOs that the member is referring to—obviously she has a disenchanted RTO out there somewhere — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Lots of them! Hon PETER COLLIER : There are not! The honourable member has to stop listening to one person. This is why the member gets into trouble. She got into trouble with a completely misguided media release yesterday, which I alluded to. We have a situation in which all funds for the productivity places program have been directed to training. Can I say at the outset that none of it has come from the capital works program into the productivity places program. I do not know where the member is getting that from, but it is wrong. We have to get to the bottom of why we have these issues. We had an increase in demand for places under the productivity places program. The government has added an additional $19.4 million to take up that demand. About $6.1 million has gone to state training providers at this stage. We now have a situation in which the additional funding to the RTOs will go through the appropriate procurement process. They will do that in the way they have always done it. There will be a call for tenders in the next couple of weeks. If they are successful they will be notified. I noticed in the member’s comments as I was reading through the uncorrected transcript—I presume it is correct—that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich was saying that money had been withdrawn and stopped et cetera. It has not. Absolutely all contracts have been met. The member said at one stage words to the effect that the government would not advance money and RTOs have had no money to deliver a program since March. If those RTOs had contracts, that funding would be met. I want to make that quite clear. I will say that to everyone so they and the honourable member can hear it again: all contracts have been met; all funding has been met. Contrary to what the honourable member believes, we have pumped an additional $19.4 million over two years into training. I would assume that the honourable member is talking about private providers. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon Peter Collier : You have done that before! Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : It is just a teaser! I refer to the minister’s answer yesterday in which he advised the house that no further variations have been granted through the productivity places program since March 2010. (1) Given that on 30 March 2010 the minister told this house that PPP funding to registered training organisations should not have been stopped and that the advice that the minister received from his department was that it had not been stopped, why did the minister not bother to advise this house and correct the record when he found out that the funding had been stopped? (2) Is it true that the reason the money ran out in March was that PPP funding was being used to repay the capital works program from which previous PPP funding had been borrowed? (3) If not, how does the minister explain the money running out three months before the end of the financial year? Hon PETER COLLIER replied: I thank the honourable member for that very insightful question. (1)–(3) I will answer the question because I would really like the member to listen to my response. I stand by everything that I have said about this situation. In Western Australia earlier this year, as a direct result of the initiatives that this government put in place over the previous 12 months, we had a significant increase in demand for training places. As the honourable member would know, RTOs are both public and private. The RTOs that the member is referring to—obviously she has a disenchanted RTO out there somewhere — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Lots of them! Hon PETER COLLIER : There are not! The honourable member has to stop listening to one person. This is why the member gets into trouble. She got into trouble with a completely misguided media release yesterday, which I alluded to. We have a situation in which all funds for the productivity places program have been directed to training. Can I say at the outset that none of it has come from the capital works program into the productivity places program. I do not know where the member is getting that from, but it is wrong. We have to get to the bottom of why we have these issues. We had an increase in demand for places under the productivity places program. The government has added an additional $19.4 million to take up that demand. About $6.1 million has gone to state training providers at this stage. We now have a situation in which the additional funding to the RTOs will go through the appropriate procurement process. They will do that in the way they have always done it. There will be a call for tenders in the next couple of weeks. If they are successful they will be notified. I noticed in the member’s comments as I was reading through the uncorrected transcript—I presume it is correct—that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich was saying that money had been withdrawn and stopped et cetera. It has not. Absolutely all contracts have been met. The member said at one stage words to the effect that the government would not advance money and RTOs have had no money to deliver a program since March. If those RTOs had contracts, that funding would be met. I want to make that quite clear. I will say that to everyone so they and the honourable member can hear it again: all contracts have been met; all funding has been met. Contrary to what the honourable member believes, we have pumped an additional $19.4 million over two years into training. I would assume that the honourable member is talking about private providers. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : It is just a teaser! I refer to the minister’s answer yesterday in which he advised the house that no further variations have been granted through the productivity places program since March 2010. (1) Given that on 30 March 2010 the minister told this house that PPP funding to registered training organisations should not have been stopped and that the advice that the minister received from his department was that it had not been stopped, why did the minister not bother to advise this house and correct the record when he found out that the funding had been stopped? (2) Is it true that the reason the money ran out in March was that PPP funding was being used to repay the capital works program from which previous PPP funding had been borrowed? (3) If not, how does the minister explain the money running out three months before the end of the financial year? Hon PETER COLLIER replied: I thank the honourable member for that very insightful question. (1)–(3) I will answer the question because I would really like the member to listen to my response. I stand by everything that I have said about this situation. In Western Australia earlier this year, as a direct result of the initiatives that this government put in place over the previous 12 months, we had a significant increase in demand for training places. As the honourable member would know, RTOs are both public and private. The RTOs that the member is referring to—obviously she has a disenchanted RTO out there somewhere — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Lots of them! Hon PETER COLLIER : There are not! The honourable member has to stop listening to one person. This is why the member gets into trouble. She got into trouble with a completely misguided media release yesterday, which I alluded to. We have a situation in which all funds for the productivity places program have been directed to training. Can I say at the outset that none of it has come from the capital works program into the productivity places program. I do not know where the member is getting that from, but it is wrong. We have to get to the bottom of why we have these issues. We had an increase in demand for places under the productivity places program. The government has added an additional $19.4 million to take up that demand. About $6.1 million has gone to state training providers at this stage. We now have a situation in which the additional funding to the RTOs will go through the appropriate procurement process. They will do that in the way they have always done it. There will be a call for tenders in the next couple of weeks. If they are successful they will be notified. I noticed in the member’s comments as I was reading through the uncorrected transcript—I presume it is correct—that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich was saying that money had been withdrawn and stopped et cetera. It has not. Absolutely all contracts have been met. The member said at one stage words to the effect that the government would not advance money and RTOs have had no money to deliver a program since March. If those RTOs had contracts, that funding would be met. I want to make that quite clear. I will say that to everyone so they and the honourable member can hear it again: all contracts have been met; all funding has been met. Contrary to what the honourable member believes, we have pumped an additional $19.4 million over two years into training. I would assume that the honourable member is talking about private providers. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
I refer to the minister’s answer yesterday in which he advised the house that no further variations have been granted through the productivity places program since March 2010. (1) Given that on 30 March 2010 the minister told this house that PPP funding to registered training organisations should not have been stopped and that the advice that the minister received from his department was that it had not been stopped, why did the minister not bother to advise this house and correct the record when he found out that the funding had been stopped? (2) Is it true that the reason the money ran out in March was that PPP funding was being used to repay the capital works program from which previous PPP funding had been borrowed? (3) If not, how does the minister explain the money running out three months before the end of the financial year? Hon PETER COLLIER replied: I thank the honourable member for that very insightful question. (1)–(3) I will answer the question because I would really like the member to listen to my response. I stand by everything that I have said about this situation. In Western Australia earlier this year, as a direct result of the initiatives that this government put in place over the previous 12 months, we had a significant increase in demand for training places. As the honourable member would know, RTOs are both public and private. The RTOs that the member is referring to—obviously she has a disenchanted RTO out there somewhere — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Lots of them! Hon PETER COLLIER : There are not! The honourable member has to stop listening to one person. This is why the member gets into trouble. She got into trouble with a completely misguided media release yesterday, which I alluded to. We have a situation in which all funds for the productivity places program have been directed to training. Can I say at the outset that none of it has come from the capital works program into the productivity places program. I do not know where the member is getting that from, but it is wrong. We have to get to the bottom of why we have these issues. We had an increase in demand for places under the productivity places program. The government has added an additional $19.4 million to take up that demand. About $6.1 million has gone to state training providers at this stage. We now have a situation in which the additional funding to the RTOs will go through the appropriate procurement process. They will do that in the way they have always done it. There will be a call for tenders in the next couple of weeks. If they are successful they will be notified. I noticed in the member’s comments as I was reading through the uncorrected transcript—I presume it is correct—that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich was saying that money had been withdrawn and stopped et cetera. It has not. Absolutely all contracts have been met. The member said at one stage words to the effect that the government would not advance money and RTOs have had no money to deliver a program since March. If those RTOs had contracts, that funding would be met. I want to make that quite clear. I will say that to everyone so they and the honourable member can hear it again: all contracts have been met; all funding has been met. Contrary to what the honourable member believes, we have pumped an additional $19.4 million over two years into training. I would assume that the honourable member is talking about private providers. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
(1) Given that on 30 March 2010 the minister told this house that PPP funding to registered training organisations should not have been stopped and that the advice that the minister received from his department was that it had not been stopped, why did the minister not bother to advise this house and correct the record when he found out that the funding had been stopped? (2) Is it true that the reason the money ran out in March was that PPP funding was being used to repay the capital works program from which previous PPP funding had been borrowed? (3) If not, how does the minister explain the money running out three months before the end of the financial year? Hon PETER COLLIER replied: I thank the honourable member for that very insightful question. (1)–(3) I will answer the question because I would really like the member to listen to my response. I stand by everything that I have said about this situation. In Western Australia earlier this year, as a direct result of the initiatives that this government put in place over the previous 12 months, we had a significant increase in demand for training places. As the honourable member would know, RTOs are both public and private. The RTOs that the member is referring to—obviously she has a disenchanted RTO out there somewhere — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Lots of them! Hon PETER COLLIER : There are not! The honourable member has to stop listening to one person. This is why the member gets into trouble. She got into trouble with a completely misguided media release yesterday, which I alluded to. We have a situation in which all funds for the productivity places program have been directed to training. Can I say at the outset that none of it has come from the capital works program into the productivity places program. I do not know where the member is getting that from, but it is wrong. We have to get to the bottom of why we have these issues. We had an increase in demand for places under the productivity places program. The government has added an additional $19.4 million to take up that demand. About $6.1 million has gone to state training providers at this stage. We now have a situation in which the additional funding to the RTOs will go through the appropriate procurement process. They will do that in the way they have always done it. There will be a call for tenders in the next couple of weeks. If they are successful they will be notified. I noticed in the member’s comments as I was reading through the uncorrected transcript—I presume it is correct—that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich was saying that money had been withdrawn and stopped et cetera. It has not. Absolutely all contracts have been met. The member said at one stage words to the effect that the government would not advance money and RTOs have had no money to deliver a program since March. If those RTOs had contracts, that funding would be met. I want to make that quite clear. I will say that to everyone so they and the honourable member can hear it again: all contracts have been met; all funding has been met. Contrary to what the honourable member believes, we have pumped an additional $19.4 million over two years into training. I would assume that the honourable member is talking about private providers. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
(2) Is it true that the reason the money ran out in March was that PPP funding was being used to repay the capital works program from which previous PPP funding had been borrowed? (3) If not, how does the minister explain the money running out three months before the end of the financial year? Hon PETER COLLIER replied: I thank the honourable member for that very insightful question. (1)–(3) I will answer the question because I would really like the member to listen to my response. I stand by everything that I have said about this situation. In Western Australia earlier this year, as a direct result of the initiatives that this government put in place over the previous 12 months, we had a significant increase in demand for training places. As the honourable member would know, RTOs are both public and private. The RTOs that the member is referring to—obviously she has a disenchanted RTO out there somewhere — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Lots of them! Hon PETER COLLIER : There are not! The honourable member has to stop listening to one person. This is why the member gets into trouble. She got into trouble with a completely misguided media release yesterday, which I alluded to. We have a situation in which all funds for the productivity places program have been directed to training. Can I say at the outset that none of it has come from the capital works program into the productivity places program. I do not know where the member is getting that from, but it is wrong. We have to get to the bottom of why we have these issues. We had an increase in demand for places under the productivity places program. The government has added an additional $19.4 million to take up that demand. About $6.1 million has gone to state training providers at this stage. We now have a situation in which the additional funding to the RTOs will go through the appropriate procurement process. They will do that in the way they have always done it. There will be a call for tenders in the next couple of weeks. If they are successful they will be notified. I noticed in the member’s comments as I was reading through the uncorrected transcript—I presume it is correct—that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich was saying that money had been withdrawn and stopped et cetera. It has not. Absolutely all contracts have been met. The member said at one stage words to the effect that the government would not advance money and RTOs have had no money to deliver a program since March. If those RTOs had contracts, that funding would be met. I want to make that quite clear. I will say that to everyone so they and the honourable member can hear it again: all contracts have been met; all funding has been met. Contrary to what the honourable member believes, we have pumped an additional $19.4 million over two years into training. I would assume that the honourable member is talking about private providers. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
(3) If not, how does the minister explain the money running out three months before the end of the financial year? Hon PETER COLLIER replied: I thank the honourable member for that very insightful question. (1)–(3) I will answer the question because I would really like the member to listen to my response. I stand by everything that I have said about this situation. In Western Australia earlier this year, as a direct result of the initiatives that this government put in place over the previous 12 months, we had a significant increase in demand for training places. As the honourable member would know, RTOs are both public and private. The RTOs that the member is referring to—obviously she has a disenchanted RTO out there somewhere — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Lots of them! Hon PETER COLLIER : There are not! The honourable member has to stop listening to one person. This is why the member gets into trouble. She got into trouble with a completely misguided media release yesterday, which I alluded to. We have a situation in which all funds for the productivity places program have been directed to training. Can I say at the outset that none of it has come from the capital works program into the productivity places program. I do not know where the member is getting that from, but it is wrong. We have to get to the bottom of why we have these issues. We had an increase in demand for places under the productivity places program. The government has added an additional $19.4 million to take up that demand. About $6.1 million has gone to state training providers at this stage. We now have a situation in which the additional funding to the RTOs will go through the appropriate procurement process. They will do that in the way they have always done it. There will be a call for tenders in the next couple of weeks. If they are successful they will be notified. I noticed in the member’s comments as I was reading through the uncorrected transcript—I presume it is correct—that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich was saying that money had been withdrawn and stopped et cetera. It has not. Absolutely all contracts have been met. The member said at one stage words to the effect that the government would not advance money and RTOs have had no money to deliver a program since March. If those RTOs had contracts, that funding would be met. I want to make that quite clear. I will say that to everyone so they and the honourable member can hear it again: all contracts have been met; all funding has been met. Contrary to what the honourable member believes, we have pumped an additional $19.4 million over two years into training. I would assume that the honourable member is talking about private providers. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon PETER COLLIER replied: I thank the honourable member for that very insightful question. (1)–(3) I will answer the question because I would really like the member to listen to my response. I stand by everything that I have said about this situation. In Western Australia earlier this year, as a direct result of the initiatives that this government put in place over the previous 12 months, we had a significant increase in demand for training places. As the honourable member would know, RTOs are both public and private. The RTOs that the member is referring to—obviously she has a disenchanted RTO out there somewhere — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Lots of them! Hon PETER COLLIER : There are not! The honourable member has to stop listening to one person. This is why the member gets into trouble. She got into trouble with a completely misguided media release yesterday, which I alluded to. We have a situation in which all funds for the productivity places program have been directed to training. Can I say at the outset that none of it has come from the capital works program into the productivity places program. I do not know where the member is getting that from, but it is wrong. We have to get to the bottom of why we have these issues. We had an increase in demand for places under the productivity places program. The government has added an additional $19.4 million to take up that demand. About $6.1 million has gone to state training providers at this stage. We now have a situation in which the additional funding to the RTOs will go through the appropriate procurement process. They will do that in the way they have always done it. There will be a call for tenders in the next couple of weeks. If they are successful they will be notified. I noticed in the member’s comments as I was reading through the uncorrected transcript—I presume it is correct—that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich was saying that money had been withdrawn and stopped et cetera. It has not. Absolutely all contracts have been met. The member said at one stage words to the effect that the government would not advance money and RTOs have had no money to deliver a program since March. If those RTOs had contracts, that funding would be met. I want to make that quite clear. I will say that to everyone so they and the honourable member can hear it again: all contracts have been met; all funding has been met. Contrary to what the honourable member believes, we have pumped an additional $19.4 million over two years into training. I would assume that the honourable member is talking about private providers. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
I thank the honourable member for that very insightful question. (1)–(3) I will answer the question because I would really like the member to listen to my response. I stand by everything that I have said about this situation. In Western Australia earlier this year, as a direct result of the initiatives that this government put in place over the previous 12 months, we had a significant increase in demand for training places. As the honourable member would know, RTOs are both public and private. The RTOs that the member is referring to—obviously she has a disenchanted RTO out there somewhere — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Lots of them! Hon PETER COLLIER : There are not! The honourable member has to stop listening to one person. This is why the member gets into trouble. She got into trouble with a completely misguided media release yesterday, which I alluded to. We have a situation in which all funds for the productivity places program have been directed to training. Can I say at the outset that none of it has come from the capital works program into the productivity places program. I do not know where the member is getting that from, but it is wrong. We have to get to the bottom of why we have these issues. We had an increase in demand for places under the productivity places program. The government has added an additional $19.4 million to take up that demand. About $6.1 million has gone to state training providers at this stage. We now have a situation in which the additional funding to the RTOs will go through the appropriate procurement process. They will do that in the way they have always done it. There will be a call for tenders in the next couple of weeks. If they are successful they will be notified. I noticed in the member’s comments as I was reading through the uncorrected transcript—I presume it is correct—that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich was saying that money had been withdrawn and stopped et cetera. It has not. Absolutely all contracts have been met. The member said at one stage words to the effect that the government would not advance money and RTOs have had no money to deliver a program since March. If those RTOs had contracts, that funding would be met. I want to make that quite clear. I will say that to everyone so they and the honourable member can hear it again: all contracts have been met; all funding has been met. Contrary to what the honourable member believes, we have pumped an additional $19.4 million over two years into training. I would assume that the honourable member is talking about private providers. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
(1)–(3) I will answer the question because I would really like the member to listen to my response. I stand by everything that I have said about this situation. In Western Australia earlier this year, as a direct result of the initiatives that this government put in place over the previous 12 months, we had a significant increase in demand for training places. As the honourable member would know, RTOs are both public and private. The RTOs that the member is referring to—obviously she has a disenchanted RTO out there somewhere — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Lots of them! Hon PETER COLLIER : There are not! The honourable member has to stop listening to one person. This is why the member gets into trouble. She got into trouble with a completely misguided media release yesterday, which I alluded to. We have a situation in which all funds for the productivity places program have been directed to training. Can I say at the outset that none of it has come from the capital works program into the productivity places program. I do not know where the member is getting that from, but it is wrong. We have to get to the bottom of why we have these issues. We had an increase in demand for places under the productivity places program. The government has added an additional $19.4 million to take up that demand. About $6.1 million has gone to state training providers at this stage. We now have a situation in which the additional funding to the RTOs will go through the appropriate procurement process. They will do that in the way they have always done it. There will be a call for tenders in the next couple of weeks. If they are successful they will be notified. I noticed in the member’s comments as I was reading through the uncorrected transcript—I presume it is correct—that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich was saying that money had been withdrawn and stopped et cetera. It has not. Absolutely all contracts have been met. The member said at one stage words to the effect that the government would not advance money and RTOs have had no money to deliver a program since March. If those RTOs had contracts, that funding would be met. I want to make that quite clear. I will say that to everyone so they and the honourable member can hear it again: all contracts have been met; all funding has been met. Contrary to what the honourable member believes, we have pumped an additional $19.4 million over two years into training. I would assume that the honourable member is talking about private providers. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Lots of them! Hon PETER COLLIER : There are not! The honourable member has to stop listening to one person. This is why the member gets into trouble. She got into trouble with a completely misguided media release yesterday, which I alluded to. We have a situation in which all funds for the productivity places program have been directed to training. Can I say at the outset that none of it has come from the capital works program into the productivity places program. I do not know where the member is getting that from, but it is wrong. We have to get to the bottom of why we have these issues. We had an increase in demand for places under the productivity places program. The government has added an additional $19.4 million to take up that demand. About $6.1 million has gone to state training providers at this stage. We now have a situation in which the additional funding to the RTOs will go through the appropriate procurement process. They will do that in the way they have always done it. There will be a call for tenders in the next couple of weeks. If they are successful they will be notified. I noticed in the member’s comments as I was reading through the uncorrected transcript—I presume it is correct—that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich was saying that money had been withdrawn and stopped et cetera. It has not. Absolutely all contracts have been met. The member said at one stage words to the effect that the government would not advance money and RTOs have had no money to deliver a program since March. If those RTOs had contracts, that funding would be met. I want to make that quite clear. I will say that to everyone so they and the honourable member can hear it again: all contracts have been met; all funding has been met. Contrary to what the honourable member believes, we have pumped an additional $19.4 million over two years into training. I would assume that the honourable member is talking about private providers. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon PETER COLLIER : There are not! The honourable member has to stop listening to one person. This is why the member gets into trouble. She got into trouble with a completely misguided media release yesterday, which I alluded to. We have a situation in which all funds for the productivity places program have been directed to training. Can I say at the outset that none of it has come from the capital works program into the productivity places program. I do not know where the member is getting that from, but it is wrong. We have to get to the bottom of why we have these issues. We had an increase in demand for places under the productivity places program. The government has added an additional $19.4 million to take up that demand. About $6.1 million has gone to state training providers at this stage. We now have a situation in which the additional funding to the RTOs will go through the appropriate procurement process. They will do that in the way they have always done it. There will be a call for tenders in the next couple of weeks. If they are successful they will be notified. I noticed in the member’s comments as I was reading through the uncorrected transcript—I presume it is correct—that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich was saying that money had been withdrawn and stopped et cetera. It has not. Absolutely all contracts have been met. The member said at one stage words to the effect that the government would not advance money and RTOs have had no money to deliver a program since March. If those RTOs had contracts, that funding would be met. I want to make that quite clear. I will say that to everyone so they and the honourable member can hear it again: all contracts have been met; all funding has been met. Contrary to what the honourable member believes, we have pumped an additional $19.4 million over two years into training. I would assume that the honourable member is talking about private providers. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon Peter Collier : You have done that before! Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : It is just a teaser! I refer to the minister’s answer yesterday in which he advised the house that no further variations have been granted through the productivity places program since March 2010. (1) Given that on 30 March 2010 the minister told this house that PPP funding to registered training organisations should not have been stopped and that the advice that the minister received from his department was that it had not been stopped, why did the minister not bother to advise this house and correct the record when he found out that the funding had been stopped? (2) Is it true that the reason the money ran out in March was that PPP funding was being used to repay the capital works program from which previous PPP funding had been borrowed? (3) If not, how does the minister explain the money running out three months before the end of the financial year? Hon PETER COLLIER replied: I thank the honourable member for that very insightful question. (1)–(3) I will answer the question because I would really like the member to listen to my response. I stand by everything that I have said about this situation. In Western Australia earlier this year, as a direct result of the initiatives that this government put in place over the previous 12 months, we had a significant increase in demand for training places. As the honourable member would know, RTOs are both public and private. The RTOs that the member is referring to—obviously she has a disenchanted RTO out there somewhere — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Lots of them! Hon PETER COLLIER : There are not! The honourable member has to stop listening to one person. This is why the member gets into trouble. She got into trouble with a completely misguided media release yesterday, which I alluded to. We have a situation in which all funds for the productivity places program have been directed to training. Can I say at the outset that none of it has come from the capital works program into the productivity places program. I do not know where the member is getting that from, but it is wrong. We have to get to the bottom of why we have these issues. We had an increase in demand for places under the productivity places program. The government has added an additional $19.4 million to take up that demand. About $6.1 million has gone to state training providers at this stage. We now have a situation in which the additional funding to the RTOs will go through the appropriate procurement process. They will do that in the way they have always done it. There will be a call for tenders in the next couple of weeks. If they are successful they will be notified. I noticed in the member’s comments as I was reading through the uncorrected transcript—I presume it is correct—that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich was saying that money had been withdrawn and stopped et cetera. It has not. Absolutely all contracts have been met. The member said at one stage words to the effect that the government would not advance money and RTOs have had no money to deliver a program since March. If those RTOs had contracts, that funding would be met. I want to make that quite clear. I will say that to everyone so they and the honourable member can hear it again: all contracts have been met; all funding has been met. Contrary to what the honourable member believes, we have pumped an additional $19.4 million over two years into training. I would assume that the honourable member is talking about private providers. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : It is just a teaser! I refer to the minister’s answer yesterday in which he advised the house that no further variations have been granted through the productivity places program since March 2010. (1) Given that on 30 March 2010 the minister told this house that PPP funding to registered training organisations should not have been stopped and that the advice that the minister received from his department was that it had not been stopped, why did the minister not bother to advise this house and correct the record when he found out that the funding had been stopped? (2) Is it true that the reason the money ran out in March was that PPP funding was being used to repay the capital works program from which previous PPP funding had been borrowed? (3) If not, how does the minister explain the money running out three months before the end of the financial year? Hon PETER COLLIER replied: I thank the honourable member for that very insightful question. (1)–(3) I will answer the question because I would really like the member to listen to my response. I stand by everything that I have said about this situation. In Western Australia earlier this year, as a direct result of the initiatives that this government put in place over the previous 12 months, we had a significant increase in demand for training places. As the honourable member would know, RTOs are both public and private. The RTOs that the member is referring to—obviously she has a disenchanted RTO out there somewhere — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Lots of them! Hon PETER COLLIER : There are not! The honourable member has to stop listening to one person. This is why the member gets into trouble. She got into trouble with a completely misguided media release yesterday, which I alluded to. We have a situation in which all funds for the productivity places program have been directed to training. Can I say at the outset that none of it has come from the capital works program into the productivity places program. I do not know where the member is getting that from, but it is wrong. We have to get to the bottom of why we have these issues. We had an increase in demand for places under the productivity places program. The government has added an additional $19.4 million to take up that demand. About $6.1 million has gone to state training providers at this stage. We now have a situation in which the additional funding to the RTOs will go through the appropriate procurement process. They will do that in the way they have always done it. There will be a call for tenders in the next couple of weeks. If they are successful they will be notified. I noticed in the member’s comments as I was reading through the uncorrected transcript—I presume it is correct—that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich was saying that money had been withdrawn and stopped et cetera. It has not. Absolutely all contracts have been met. The member said at one stage words to the effect that the government would not advance money and RTOs have had no money to deliver a program since March. If those RTOs had contracts, that funding would be met. I want to make that quite clear. I will say that to everyone so they and the honourable member can hear it again: all contracts have been met; all funding has been met. Contrary to what the honourable member believes, we have pumped an additional $19.4 million over two years into training. I would assume that the honourable member is talking about private providers. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
I refer to the minister’s answer yesterday in which he advised the house that no further variations have been granted through the productivity places program since March 2010. (1) Given that on 30 March 2010 the minister told this house that PPP funding to registered training organisations should not have been stopped and that the advice that the minister received from his department was that it had not been stopped, why did the minister not bother to advise this house and correct the record when he found out that the funding had been stopped? (2) Is it true that the reason the money ran out in March was that PPP funding was being used to repay the capital works program from which previous PPP funding had been borrowed? (3) If not, how does the minister explain the money running out three months before the end of the financial year? Hon PETER COLLIER replied: I thank the honourable member for that very insightful question. (1)–(3) I will answer the question because I would really like the member to listen to my response. I stand by everything that I have said about this situation. In Western Australia earlier this year, as a direct result of the initiatives that this government put in place over the previous 12 months, we had a significant increase in demand for training places. As the honourable member would know, RTOs are both public and private. The RTOs that the member is referring to—obviously she has a disenchanted RTO out there somewhere — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Lots of them! Hon PETER COLLIER : There are not! The honourable member has to stop listening to one person. This is why the member gets into trouble. She got into trouble with a completely misguided media release yesterday, which I alluded to. We have a situation in which all funds for the productivity places program have been directed to training. Can I say at the outset that none of it has come from the capital works program into the productivity places program. I do not know where the member is getting that from, but it is wrong. We have to get to the bottom of why we have these issues. We had an increase in demand for places under the productivity places program. The government has added an additional $19.4 million to take up that demand. About $6.1 million has gone to state training providers at this stage. We now have a situation in which the additional funding to the RTOs will go through the appropriate procurement process. They will do that in the way they have always done it. There will be a call for tenders in the next couple of weeks. If they are successful they will be notified. I noticed in the member’s comments as I was reading through the uncorrected transcript—I presume it is correct—that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich was saying that money had been withdrawn and stopped et cetera. It has not. Absolutely all contracts have been met. The member said at one stage words to the effect that the government would not advance money and RTOs have had no money to deliver a program since March. If those RTOs had contracts, that funding would be met. I want to make that quite clear. I will say that to everyone so they and the honourable member can hear it again: all contracts have been met; all funding has been met. Contrary to what the honourable member believes, we have pumped an additional $19.4 million over two years into training. I would assume that the honourable member is talking about private providers. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
(1) Given that on 30 March 2010 the minister told this house that PPP funding to registered training organisations should not have been stopped and that the advice that the minister received from his department was that it had not been stopped, why did the minister not bother to advise this house and correct the record when he found out that the funding had been stopped? (2) Is it true that the reason the money ran out in March was that PPP funding was being used to repay the capital works program from which previous PPP funding had been borrowed? (3) If not, how does the minister explain the money running out three months before the end of the financial year? Hon PETER COLLIER replied: I thank the honourable member for that very insightful question. (1)–(3) I will answer the question because I would really like the member to listen to my response. I stand by everything that I have said about this situation. In Western Australia earlier this year, as a direct result of the initiatives that this government put in place over the previous 12 months, we had a significant increase in demand for training places. As the honourable member would know, RTOs are both public and private. The RTOs that the member is referring to—obviously she has a disenchanted RTO out there somewhere — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Lots of them! Hon PETER COLLIER : There are not! The honourable member has to stop listening to one person. This is why the member gets into trouble. She got into trouble with a completely misguided media release yesterday, which I alluded to. We have a situation in which all funds for the productivity places program have been directed to training. Can I say at the outset that none of it has come from the capital works program into the productivity places program. I do not know where the member is getting that from, but it is wrong. We have to get to the bottom of why we have these issues. We had an increase in demand for places under the productivity places program. The government has added an additional $19.4 million to take up that demand. About $6.1 million has gone to state training providers at this stage. We now have a situation in which the additional funding to the RTOs will go through the appropriate procurement process. They will do that in the way they have always done it. There will be a call for tenders in the next couple of weeks. If they are successful they will be notified. I noticed in the member’s comments as I was reading through the uncorrected transcript—I presume it is correct—that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich was saying that money had been withdrawn and stopped et cetera. It has not. Absolutely all contracts have been met. The member said at one stage words to the effect that the government would not advance money and RTOs have had no money to deliver a program since March. If those RTOs had contracts, that funding would be met. I want to make that quite clear. I will say that to everyone so they and the honourable member can hear it again: all contracts have been met; all funding has been met. Contrary to what the honourable member believes, we have pumped an additional $19.4 million over two years into training. I would assume that the honourable member is talking about private providers. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
(2) Is it true that the reason the money ran out in March was that PPP funding was being used to repay the capital works program from which previous PPP funding had been borrowed? (3) If not, how does the minister explain the money running out three months before the end of the financial year? Hon PETER COLLIER replied: I thank the honourable member for that very insightful question. (1)–(3) I will answer the question because I would really like the member to listen to my response. I stand by everything that I have said about this situation. In Western Australia earlier this year, as a direct result of the initiatives that this government put in place over the previous 12 months, we had a significant increase in demand for training places. As the honourable member would know, RTOs are both public and private. The RTOs that the member is referring to—obviously she has a disenchanted RTO out there somewhere — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Lots of them! Hon PETER COLLIER : There are not! The honourable member has to stop listening to one person. This is why the member gets into trouble. She got into trouble with a completely misguided media release yesterday, which I alluded to. We have a situation in which all funds for the productivity places program have been directed to training. Can I say at the outset that none of it has come from the capital works program into the productivity places program. I do not know where the member is getting that from, but it is wrong. We have to get to the bottom of why we have these issues. We had an increase in demand for places under the productivity places program. The government has added an additional $19.4 million to take up that demand. About $6.1 million has gone to state training providers at this stage. We now have a situation in which the additional funding to the RTOs will go through the appropriate procurement process. They will do that in the way they have always done it. There will be a call for tenders in the next couple of weeks. If they are successful they will be notified. I noticed in the member’s comments as I was reading through the uncorrected transcript—I presume it is correct—that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich was saying that money had been withdrawn and stopped et cetera. It has not. Absolutely all contracts have been met. The member said at one stage words to the effect that the government would not advance money and RTOs have had no money to deliver a program since March. If those RTOs had contracts, that funding would be met. I want to make that quite clear. I will say that to everyone so they and the honourable member can hear it again: all contracts have been met; all funding has been met. Contrary to what the honourable member believes, we have pumped an additional $19.4 million over two years into training. I would assume that the honourable member is talking about private providers. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
(3) If not, how does the minister explain the money running out three months before the end of the financial year? Hon PETER COLLIER replied: I thank the honourable member for that very insightful question. (1)–(3) I will answer the question because I would really like the member to listen to my response. I stand by everything that I have said about this situation. In Western Australia earlier this year, as a direct result of the initiatives that this government put in place over the previous 12 months, we had a significant increase in demand for training places. As the honourable member would know, RTOs are both public and private. The RTOs that the member is referring to—obviously she has a disenchanted RTO out there somewhere — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Lots of them! Hon PETER COLLIER : There are not! The honourable member has to stop listening to one person. This is why the member gets into trouble. She got into trouble with a completely misguided media release yesterday, which I alluded to. We have a situation in which all funds for the productivity places program have been directed to training. Can I say at the outset that none of it has come from the capital works program into the productivity places program. I do not know where the member is getting that from, but it is wrong. We have to get to the bottom of why we have these issues. We had an increase in demand for places under the productivity places program. The government has added an additional $19.4 million to take up that demand. About $6.1 million has gone to state training providers at this stage. We now have a situation in which the additional funding to the RTOs will go through the appropriate procurement process. They will do that in the way they have always done it. There will be a call for tenders in the next couple of weeks. If they are successful they will be notified. I noticed in the member’s comments as I was reading through the uncorrected transcript—I presume it is correct—that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich was saying that money had been withdrawn and stopped et cetera. It has not. Absolutely all contracts have been met. The member said at one stage words to the effect that the government would not advance money and RTOs have had no money to deliver a program since March. If those RTOs had contracts, that funding would be met. I want to make that quite clear. I will say that to everyone so they and the honourable member can hear it again: all contracts have been met; all funding has been met. Contrary to what the honourable member believes, we have pumped an additional $19.4 million over two years into training. I would assume that the honourable member is talking about private providers. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon PETER COLLIER replied: I thank the honourable member for that very insightful question. (1)–(3) I will answer the question because I would really like the member to listen to my response. I stand by everything that I have said about this situation. In Western Australia earlier this year, as a direct result of the initiatives that this government put in place over the previous 12 months, we had a significant increase in demand for training places. As the honourable member would know, RTOs are both public and private. The RTOs that the member is referring to—obviously she has a disenchanted RTO out there somewhere — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Lots of them! Hon PETER COLLIER : There are not! The honourable member has to stop listening to one person. This is why the member gets into trouble. She got into trouble with a completely misguided media release yesterday, which I alluded to. We have a situation in which all funds for the productivity places program have been directed to training. Can I say at the outset that none of it has come from the capital works program into the productivity places program. I do not know where the member is getting that from, but it is wrong. We have to get to the bottom of why we have these issues. We had an increase in demand for places under the productivity places program. The government has added an additional $19.4 million to take up that demand. About $6.1 million has gone to state training providers at this stage. We now have a situation in which the additional funding to the RTOs will go through the appropriate procurement process. They will do that in the way they have always done it. There will be a call for tenders in the next couple of weeks. If they are successful they will be notified. I noticed in the member’s comments as I was reading through the uncorrected transcript—I presume it is correct—that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich was saying that money had been withdrawn and stopped et cetera. It has not. Absolutely all contracts have been met. The member said at one stage words to the effect that the government would not advance money and RTOs have had no money to deliver a program since March. If those RTOs had contracts, that funding would be met. I want to make that quite clear. I will say that to everyone so they and the honourable member can hear it again: all contracts have been met; all funding has been met. Contrary to what the honourable member believes, we have pumped an additional $19.4 million over two years into training. I would assume that the honourable member is talking about private providers. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
I thank the honourable member for that very insightful question. (1)–(3) I will answer the question because I would really like the member to listen to my response. I stand by everything that I have said about this situation. In Western Australia earlier this year, as a direct result of the initiatives that this government put in place over the previous 12 months, we had a significant increase in demand for training places. As the honourable member would know, RTOs are both public and private. The RTOs that the member is referring to—obviously she has a disenchanted RTO out there somewhere — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Lots of them! Hon PETER COLLIER : There are not! The honourable member has to stop listening to one person. This is why the member gets into trouble. She got into trouble with a completely misguided media release yesterday, which I alluded to. We have a situation in which all funds for the productivity places program have been directed to training. Can I say at the outset that none of it has come from the capital works program into the productivity places program. I do not know where the member is getting that from, but it is wrong. We have to get to the bottom of why we have these issues. We had an increase in demand for places under the productivity places program. The government has added an additional $19.4 million to take up that demand. About $6.1 million has gone to state training providers at this stage. We now have a situation in which the additional funding to the RTOs will go through the appropriate procurement process. They will do that in the way they have always done it. There will be a call for tenders in the next couple of weeks. If they are successful they will be notified. I noticed in the member’s comments as I was reading through the uncorrected transcript—I presume it is correct—that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich was saying that money had been withdrawn and stopped et cetera. It has not. Absolutely all contracts have been met. The member said at one stage words to the effect that the government would not advance money and RTOs have had no money to deliver a program since March. If those RTOs had contracts, that funding would be met. I want to make that quite clear. I will say that to everyone so they and the honourable member can hear it again: all contracts have been met; all funding has been met. Contrary to what the honourable member believes, we have pumped an additional $19.4 million over two years into training. I would assume that the honourable member is talking about private providers. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
(1)–(3) I will answer the question because I would really like the member to listen to my response. I stand by everything that I have said about this situation. In Western Australia earlier this year, as a direct result of the initiatives that this government put in place over the previous 12 months, we had a significant increase in demand for training places. As the honourable member would know, RTOs are both public and private. The RTOs that the member is referring to—obviously she has a disenchanted RTO out there somewhere — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Lots of them! Hon PETER COLLIER : There are not! The honourable member has to stop listening to one person. This is why the member gets into trouble. She got into trouble with a completely misguided media release yesterday, which I alluded to. We have a situation in which all funds for the productivity places program have been directed to training. Can I say at the outset that none of it has come from the capital works program into the productivity places program. I do not know where the member is getting that from, but it is wrong. We have to get to the bottom of why we have these issues. We had an increase in demand for places under the productivity places program. The government has added an additional $19.4 million to take up that demand. About $6.1 million has gone to state training providers at this stage. We now have a situation in which the additional funding to the RTOs will go through the appropriate procurement process. They will do that in the way they have always done it. There will be a call for tenders in the next couple of weeks. If they are successful they will be notified. I noticed in the member’s comments as I was reading through the uncorrected transcript—I presume it is correct—that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich was saying that money had been withdrawn and stopped et cetera. It has not. Absolutely all contracts have been met. The member said at one stage words to the effect that the government would not advance money and RTOs have had no money to deliver a program since March. If those RTOs had contracts, that funding would be met. I want to make that quite clear. I will say that to everyone so they and the honourable member can hear it again: all contracts have been met; all funding has been met. Contrary to what the honourable member believes, we have pumped an additional $19.4 million over two years into training. I would assume that the honourable member is talking about private providers. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Lots of them! Hon PETER COLLIER : There are not! The honourable member has to stop listening to one person. This is why the member gets into trouble. She got into trouble with a completely misguided media release yesterday, which I alluded to. We have a situation in which all funds for the productivity places program have been directed to training. Can I say at the outset that none of it has come from the capital works program into the productivity places program. I do not know where the member is getting that from, but it is wrong. We have to get to the bottom of why we have these issues. We had an increase in demand for places under the productivity places program. The government has added an additional $19.4 million to take up that demand. About $6.1 million has gone to state training providers at this stage. We now have a situation in which the additional funding to the RTOs will go through the appropriate procurement process. They will do that in the way they have always done it. There will be a call for tenders in the next couple of weeks. If they are successful they will be notified. I noticed in the member’s comments as I was reading through the uncorrected transcript—I presume it is correct—that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich was saying that money had been withdrawn and stopped et cetera. It has not. Absolutely all contracts have been met. The member said at one stage words to the effect that the government would not advance money and RTOs have had no money to deliver a program since March. If those RTOs had contracts, that funding would be met. I want to make that quite clear. I will say that to everyone so they and the honourable member can hear it again: all contracts have been met; all funding has been met. Contrary to what the honourable member believes, we have pumped an additional $19.4 million over two years into training. I would assume that the honourable member is talking about private providers. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon PETER COLLIER : There are not! The honourable member has to stop listening to one person. This is why the member gets into trouble. She got into trouble with a completely misguided media release yesterday, which I alluded to. We have a situation in which all funds for the productivity places program have been directed to training. Can I say at the outset that none of it has come from the capital works program into the productivity places program. I do not know where the member is getting that from, but it is wrong. We have to get to the bottom of why we have these issues. We had an increase in demand for places under the productivity places program. The government has added an additional $19.4 million to take up that demand. About $6.1 million has gone to state training providers at this stage. We now have a situation in which the additional funding to the RTOs will go through the appropriate procurement process. They will do that in the way they have always done it. There will be a call for tenders in the next couple of weeks. If they are successful they will be notified. I noticed in the member’s comments as I was reading through the uncorrected transcript—I presume it is correct—that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich was saying that money had been withdrawn and stopped et cetera. It has not. Absolutely all contracts have been met. The member said at one stage words to the effect that the government would not advance money and RTOs have had no money to deliver a program since March. If those RTOs had contracts, that funding would be met. I want to make that quite clear. I will say that to everyone so they and the honourable member can hear it again: all contracts have been met; all funding has been met. Contrary to what the honourable member believes, we have pumped an additional $19.4 million over two years into training. I would assume that the honourable member is talking about private providers. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes, I am. Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon PETER COLLIER : Exactly; and I wish the member had said that last night. We are talking about private providers, and probably one or two — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : A lot of private providers ran out of money in March. Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon PETER COLLIER : I will say this in all sincerity, and the member can carry on with all the rhetoric that she wants: if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does have an instance in which an RTO feels it has been hard done by and has had funding removed, rather than stand in this house and make these absurd accusations, I highly recommend she get that RTO to get in touch with the department—the department has not heard from them—and with me. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : You are not helpful and your department is not helpful. Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon PETER COLLIER : I am sorry, but that is nonsense. For Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich to stand up day in and day out and talk about this very issue to which there is absolutely no substance and to put a new slant on it today and talk about directing funds away from capital works beggars belief. It does not happen. The government has allocated $19.4 million for an additional 7 600 places. Rather than stand up and say that it is terrible and we have lost all these apprentices and trainees et cetera, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich should — Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : We have! We know there are fewer now than when you became minister. Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon PETER COLLIER : Can Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich let me finish? The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
The PRESIDENT : Order! I was hopeful that the minister was winding up his remarks, but then a couple of interjections set the minister off on another tack. If Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich does not interject, I am sure that the minister will be winding up his answer very soon. Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President. I feel that I need to repeat yet again, for I reckon the twentieth time, that when we have one of the greatest economic downturns in the nation’s history, inevitably we are going to have a decrease in the number of apprentices. It would appear that every single person in Western Australia is aware of that, apart from Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich. As a result of that downturn, we injected $47.4 million into a stimulus package, and as a direct result of that there has been a turnaround. There has been a significant increase in commencements this year; there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who are taking on apprentices this year. Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
Just to conclude—it is related to the question, Mr President—last night Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said words to the effect that the commonwealth would be shocked that moneys under the productivity places program were not being allocated to train people. I state quite categorically yet again—I want everyone to listen to this so that they can all be my witnesses—that the commonwealth is not shocked, because every single cent of productivity places program funding from the commonwealth and the state has gone to train people. What Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich said could not be further from the truth. The only thing that the commonwealth government is shocked about is the fact that the shadow Minister for Training and Workforce Development tries to doctor words that were purportedly said by the Deputy Prime Minister about there being 38 000 disengaged people from September 2008 until April 2010. That is what the commonwealth would be shocked about. In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
In conclusion, I say yet again that every cent of that allocation of $19.4 million is going to training. I say again—I have no doubt that Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will probably stand and have another rant tonight—in all sincerity that if Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich has specific instances of a private registered training organisation that feels hard done by or an RTO being aware of information that runs contrary to what I have said, we will look after that RTO. I can assure the member of that.
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