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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 10 Hansard (5 September) . . Page.. 3114 ..

MR DE DOMENICO (continuing):

The central objective of the package is a three-pronged approach to the employment and training of additional apprentices, including support for apprentices and trainees at risk of having their training agreement terminated due to economic conditions in the industry. As the Chief Minister says, Mr Speaker, I cannot see how any reasonable person in their right mind would object at this time to any government doing anything to increase employment in the building and construction industry, especially the employment of young people.

Mr Berry: If you were not misleading the community. You are misleading the community on this score.

MR SPEAKER: Order! You will have your chance to respond in due course, Mr Berry.

MR DE DOMENICO: Full details of the package, Mr Speaker, will be announced in the budget context. Just wait there and watch and see, Mr Berry, as they all rub their hands in glee when we introduce the budget. The initiatives we will be announcing, and other skill formation projects which have historically been funded by the Construction Industry Training Fund, simply could not be implemented without the availability of funds from non-public sources which complement the still significant level of funds provided by government for vocational education and training.

Mr Speaker, the private sector is to be commended for its practical demonstration of support for helping to meet the future skill needs of the industry through its preparedness to make money available through the Construction Industry Training Fund. It is the Government's role to assist in providing the necessary infrastructure, including legislative infrastructure, to assist the private sector in its endeavours. This is the purpose of this Bill.

The initiatives to be announced, which will be underwritten from the additional resources available to training when this Bill is passed, will result in up to 50 additional apprentices and trainees being employed in the building and construction industry in 1997. So there will be up to 50 new jobs immediately if this Assembly passes this Bill. This will be a major confidence booster to the construction industry and to those young people seeking a future in the building and construction and related industries. Mr Speaker, the initiatives to be implemented as a result of this amending Bill demonstrate what can be achieved when government works in partnership with industry - the employers, trade unions, associations and other key stakeholders.

Mr Berry: The greedy little hands rubbing together; the claws waiting to get into workers' funds.

MR DE DOMENICO: I will repeat that for Mr Berry because I think it is important. The initiatives to be implemented as a result of this amending Bill demonstrate what can be achieved when government works in partnership with industry - the employers, trade unions, associations and other key stakeholders. Mr Speaker, the Bill which

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