In the third of our 5 questions in 5 days, we asked our federal election candidates: Unemployment and job security are key concerns for Illawarra voters – how would you address these issues?
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Candidates who didn’t respond – Whitlam: Susan Pinsuti (CDP), Marcus Hewitt (Liberal).
CUNNINGHAM
Cath Blakey (Greens)
Industrial relations laws are important in a fair society.
The Greens plan to protect penalty rates by moving legislation in the next parliament.
This will help provide certainty to all who rely on casual work.
We also recognise public services as an investment in our community, providing essential jobs as well as support services that address inequality.
The Liberals’ cuts to programs that support needy Australians to give more tax concessions to the top end of town are just not fair.
The education sector is one of the biggest employers in our region, and it’s under pressure.
Successive government cuts mean that the region has lost many jobs in TAFE. Far too many jobs in the sector are casual.
UOW students are taught by casual staff that have all the job security of fruit pickers. Public money should be invested in these services that give people a future.
Nathan Waters (Science)
Firstly we need to establish a high-speed rail link between Wollongong and Sydney.
And secondly we need to provide training and co-working spaces to teach individuals how to become independent freelancers and contractors capable of sourcing their own clients from outside the Illawarra.
More freelancers, contractors and entrepreneurs results in a more resilient and agile workforce and more opportunities for the region.
Michelle Blicavs (Liberal)
If our local small businesses are strong, our beautiful region will prosper and grow, reducing unemployment rates in the process.
For too long the Illawarra has had unemployment rates higher than the national average with generational youth unemployment.
The budgeted tax cuts for small-medium business mean that businesses across the Illawarra will be in a position to achieve greater prosperity and growth enabling them to employ more people.
Innovation is critical to Australia’s economic transition and forms central part of the Coalition’s national economic plan. We have already announced:
- $1.1 billion National Innovation and Science Agenda
- $15 million to increase support to Australia’s start-up businesses by expanding the Incubator Support program.
- $4.6 milliion for The Pathways to Technology Program (P-TECH) which brings schools together with a leading employers’ in a relevant area of technology and STEM subjects.
- Youth Jobs PaTH (Prepare-Trial-Hire) program will help young people gain a foothold in the labour market through intensive pre-employment skills training, up to 120,000 internships for young people to gain real work experience and an increased wage subsidy for employers who take on young job seekers.
Michelle Ryan (CDP)
I believe a holistic approach needs to be taken to ensure job creation and security for Illawarra residents.
Upgrades to infrastructure, personal and business tax cuts, a review of payroll and stamp duty, cuts to red tape, and encouragement of small businesses are all areas that need to be focused on.
Sharon Bird (Labor)
Over the past two years we have seen a number of job losses at BlueScope, at our local coal mines, at call centres and even at Fairfax.
Our region needs action to protect jobs and give opportunities to our young people to get a job.
Labor has a Plan for Australian Metals Manufacturing and Jobs to help protect our manufacturing jobs.
Since 2013, apprentice numbers have dropped by 136,400. Labor has put forward a number of policies to address the apprenticeship crisis including setting a quota of apprentices on major federally funded projects.
We will also reintroduce a $3,000 Tools for Your Trade payment for apprentices to help address issues with completions where 40 per cent of apprentices drop out during their first two years of training.
We will also restore support for group training and create pathways for young unemployed people through the Apprentice Ready Program and pilot a program for 5,000 mature-aged retrenched workers to turn their extensive work experience into formal qualifications.
We will also crack down on any employers who are rorting 457 visas and exploiting overseas workers.
Under Labor’s New Jobs Tax Cut, small businesses will be able to claim a tax deduction of up to $20,000 per worker to offset the wages of up to five new employees – this is a 40 per cent deduction on top of the amount they can currently claim for their employees.
John Flanagan (NCPP)
As our name suggests, the Non-Custodial Parents Party (Equal Parenting) is primarily concerned with family law and child support issues.
There are 43 per cent of child support payers out of work because of the child support scheme.
This equates to approximately 1500 people in Cunningham being unemployed (with similar numbers in other electorates).
To overcome this problem, our Party supports the reversal of the taxation treatment of child support payments, the exclusion of overtime pay from child support calculations and the setting of a fairer payment cap on child support payments.
WHITLAM
Tom Hunt (Greens)
Build the renewable economy.
Our government has reduced Australia’s target for renewable energy and caused a drop of around 5100 jobs in that industry since 2010-11, while in the USA there are now more employed in renewable energy that in coal, oil and gas combined.
The International Renewable Energy Agency reports that 7.7 million were employed worldwide in the industry in 2014, 18 per cent higher than the year before.
The Greens have a fully costed plan to grow the industry rapidly and achieve 90% renewable power by 2030.
The Illawarra, with its internationally recognised university, Australia's largest steelworks, major port, and plethora of heavy industry and steel fabricators, is ideally placed to be a centre for the development and construction of renewable energy infrastructure, creating thousands of jobs.
Wind turbines, solar PV, solar thermal, high speed trains and new battery technology all need the very types of resources, skills, technology and people we have in the Illawarra.
Jan Mandelson (Nationals)
During the next three years, only small and medium businesses will receive tax cuts.
The reason The National Party focuses on small and medium businesses is because they are driving jobs growth and create jobs and most, are family owned and family run businesses.
80 per cent of Australians are employed by small and medium businesses.
The Illawarra has many thousands of these businesses and I would like to encourage more.
Wayne Hartman (NCPP)
As per John Flanagan’s earlier response:
As our name suggests, the Non-Custodial Parents Party (Equal Parenting) is primarily concerned with family law and child support issues.
There are 43 per cent of child support payers out of work because of the child support scheme.
This equates to approximately 1500 people in Cunningham being unemployed (with similar numbers in other electorates).
To overcome this problem, our Party supports the reversal of the taxation treatment of child support payments, the exclusion of overtime pay from child support calculations and the setting of a fairer payment cap on child support payments.
Stephen Jones (Labor)
Our plan for Australia’s steel industry will secure jobs at the Port Kembla steelworks.
Labor understands that although we are a small player in the global market, with the right policy settings and investment we can secure the future of steel.
But our approach doesn’t just seek to protect jobs that already exist. We need to equip people with the skills and training they will need for the jobs of the future by building the nation’s human capital.
Labor will deliver the Gonski school funding reforms in-full and on-time – that’s an additional $77 million in funding for the local area.
We will block the government from introducing $100,000 university degrees and provide funding guarantees for TAFE.
Many businesses in the local area operate from home and they can’t compete successfully without fast, reliable broadband. That is why Labor’s superior NBN model is so vital for region.
GILMORE
Steve Ryan (CDP)
CDP appreciates that further education & training are not only a requirement for youth, but also essential for many adults already in the workforce or seeking employment. The CDP would protect TAFE.
Generations of Australians have accessed high quality vocational education through TAFE, leading to secure, well paid jobs.
The CDP will offer more Cert IV/pre-apprenticeship courses in schools that are recognized by prospective employers.
The CDP will boost and retain skills in the workplace and give incentives to employers to take both young and older Australians off welfare and into work.
In addition, CDP rejects the policy of cutting penalty rates as it would often affect the most vulnerable.
Ann Sudmalis (Liberal)
The Coalition has runs on the board when it comes to addressing unemployment, as Gilmore’s unemployment rate has dropped 1.7 per cent since the 2013 election.
We have plans to do more, starting with allowing small to medium sized businesses to keep more of their money through tax cuts.
We have had plenty of positive feedback from business operators saying they would use the tax cut to employ more people.
The Turnbull Government has also developed the PaTH program, providing the training people need to get a job along with mentoring while putting more money in their pockets at the same time.
Carmel McCallum (Greens)
Unemployment in Gilmore, exacerbated by recent industry closure in the region, is at one of the highest levels in Australia and youth unemployment is at unacceptable levels, with many people becoming ‘invisible’, dropping off the radar because of parameters to qualify for government assistance.
Full-funding of Gonski, will have positive long-term benefits. The building of a new bridge, while interest rates are so low, is a viable prospect for local employment and apprenticeships.
The Greens want to re-establish the TAFE system, fully subsidised by government, along with UOW campuses, to provide accessible skills and training for Gilmore students of all ages, with transition to new renewable energy, including installation and maintenance, and other high-technology industries.
Pine plantations, bush regeneration, nurseries and sanctuaries for native mammals, the Indigenous Rangers program, aged-care facilities, Arts funding, and value-added agricultural production, are all viable opportunities.
The NBN, with fibre to the premises, is paramount.
Fiona Phillips (Labor)
Labor will protect workers’ rights by cracking down on underpayment of workers, with penalties for employers who avoid paying their employees properly.
To increase jobs, Labor’s new jobs tax cut will let small businesses claim a deduction to offset the wages of up to five new employees and a deduction of up to $100,000 a year for new staff such as unemployed jobseekers aged under 25 or over 55 and parents or carers returning to work.
Labor will also require 457 visa workers under labour agreements to meet strict labour market testing requirements by advertising the job for 4 weeks.