Page 2450 - Week 09 - Thursday, 17 September 1992
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Last year the break-up of that was as follows: If you were a single applicant you got $2,500 to start your small business; and partners got $5,000, including $800 for insurance and accounting costs. It also provides, through NEIS, 12 months of mentor and network support, which is invaluable in helping these people from the beginning to start their businesses. This year those grants are to be changed to a flat rate of $4,000, and more businesses will be funded. Since 1989 more than 200 people have undergone training in the ACT in small business management skills. Sixty-two businesses were funded to start up. Almost 80 per cent of these businesses are still operating, some very successfully, and in very diverse areas of employment. For instance, a fellow who started mud-brick building through NEIS is booked out until the end of 1994. Mr Cornwell can scoff if he likes, but there is obviously a niche in the market and this man is now no longer unemployed. There is a lock doctor who is now making a good living. There is a commercial cleaner. Who knows where that could lead in increased employment for colleagues of his?
The NEIS group is so impressed by the progress of this sort of training scheme that they have formed a subcommittee to investigate the possibility of a method by which they can repay the ACT community for the support that they have received in setting up their businesses. The sort of thing that they have in mind is, maybe, free service to the Salvation Army and other community support groups around the town. I cannot understand how anybody can be critical of a training scheme that proves to be so successful.
Mr Cornwell: You have given us one or two examples.
MS ELLIS: I have given you three. In the time that I have I have given you three. Another training scheme that I will refer to very briefly is the Caloola Farm enterprise in Tuggeranong. All any of the members opposite have to do is get in their cars and drive to these places and visit the people who are receiving the training from these people. You will find - - -
Mr Humphries: We have.
Mr De Domenico: A wonderful organisation.
MS ELLIS: I do not know why you are so critical of them. Caloola Farm last year, I understand, received funding of $175,000, part of which came from this Government. They did things like train older unemployed men in forklift driving courses. The day I went to the graduation, half these gentlemen could not be there. Why? They were working. They were in work. There are pre-vocational courses for women. If you go down to the Caloola Farm training scheme in Tuggeranong and meet the people there you will understand the feeling of absolute optimism they have, given the support that they receive from these training programs, an important part of which is included in this year's budget. I think you will find, Mr De Domenico particularly, that your reflections upon the training schemes announced in this year's Follett budget are very misdirected. I would very much like this record to show that you are wrong.
MR HUMPHRIES (4.48): I will talk about training in a moment; but I think that those comments, if they are meant to suggest that we are not in favour of training programs, are too silly for words. The fact of life is that training programs are no substitute for real jobs. Any government which thinks it is addressing the job problem by creating lots of training opportunities is sadly deceiving itself, and, Madam Speaker, this Government is one such government.
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