Page 4713 - Week 15 - Thursday, 16 December 1993
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MR BERRY: That will occur early in the new year, as I have said. What is more significant is that the number that the Liberals have used is most likely the wrong percentage figure and will have to be adjusted in due course. This is half-baked, back-of-the-envelope stuff. As well, Madam Speaker, it deals with only half of the issue. It does not provide for the funding of the industry training council at all, so it is half-baked. It is like everything that Mr De Domenico does. It is a half-baked, grubby little stunt. It is no more than that.
Mr De Domenico: You are really endearing yourself to your cause by saying things like that.
MR BERRY: You are not interested in the other half - the training of workers through the collection of revenue by another means. It has to be provided for, and it will be provided for by means of the legislation which the Government is well advanced in preparing. It is all right for you to say that you are standing up for business, but there are other parties in businesses and they are the employees. Their training in the current industrial environment is a key part of the development of industry. If you do not care about that, there is not much I can do about it.
The Opposition's procedure here today makes it very clear that they are interested in only one side of the equation. What we are concerned about is both sides of the equation. We accept that there is a necessity for change, but there is a need to keep faith with the other side of the equation - that is, the workers who work in those industries and who pay the revenue to the Long Service Leave Board. We intend to keep faith with both the workers - - -
Mr De Domenico: No, it is not the workers who pay the revenue; it is the employers who pay the revenue.
MR BERRY: It is the workers who receive the benefits. You are not concerned about their entitlements.
Mr De Domenico: I am very concerned.
MR BERRY: You are not concerned at all about their entitlements. I am talking about training. Workers receive the benefits of that training. You are not concerned about the workers. I have given a commitment to the representatives of those workers that we will make sure that we provide for the training of those workers in the current industrial environment. It does not surprise me that the Liberals do not care about the work force. It does not surprise me that you would bring forward a half-baked measure such as this. It would be far more sensible, Mr De Domenico, if you waited until the full proposal was on the table. It would then be clear to you that there is a proposal which deals with both sides of the equation. This is half-baked, as is usual.
Mr Kaine: Where are your proposals?
MR BERRY: Mr Wood will speak on the matter in due course. Madam Speaker, there is no urgency for this Bill. The matter will be dealt with early in the new year, and the proper decisions will be made on the basis of reasonable calculation, not back-of-an-envelope stuff, and will not be half-baked.
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