23 Aug 2000 Legislative Assembly 2591 WEDNESDAY, 23 AUGUST 2000 Maleny, Middlemount, Surat, Tara and Crows Nest. Adult Entertainment Permits Mr SPEAKER (Hon. R. K. Hollis, Redcliffe) read prayers and took the chair at 9.30 a.m. From Mr Knuth (73 petitioners) requesting the House to (a) refuse the applications of Koppen Investments Pty Ltd and Gregorio REGISTER OF MEMBERS' INTERESTS Pelligrini for adult entertainment permits and Report (b) repeal in its entirety the amendments to the Liquor Act 1992 contained in Part 9 of the Mr SPEAKER: Order! I lay upon the table Prostitution Act 1999. of the House the 12th report on the Register of Members' Interests. Trawling PARLIAMENTARY ANNEXE LIFTS From Mr Wellington (885 petitioners) requesting the House to call an immediate Mr SPEAKER: Order! I wish to provide stop to any further steps to reduce the trawling some information to honourable members in effort over and above the 80% already relation to yesterday's incident involving the implemented. Annexe tower lifts which resulted in some members missing a division. Having now been Petitions received. in receipt of a report from Property Services and our service maintenance contractors, I can PAPERS report to the House that the problem was due to an overload of passengers for the lift car. I MINISTERIAL PAPERS have instructed Property Services to The following papers were tabled— investigate changing the notified lift capacity Treasurer (Mr Hamill)— from the officially rated capacity of 23. I pass on the apologies of Property Services and Local Government Tax Equivalents Manual—June 2000 include my own apologies to members who were inconvenienced and distressed by Treasurer's Tax Equivalents Manual— yesterday's incident. June 2000. PETITIONS MINISTERIAL STATEMENT The Clerk announced the receipt of the Apprentices and Trainees; Breaking the following petitions— Unemployment Cycle Hon. P. D. BEATTIE (Brisbane Central— ALP) (Premier) (9.34 a.m.), by leave: When my Fine Defaulters Government introduced the Breaking the From Mrs Attwood (15 petitioners) Unemployment Cycle initiative in October requesting the House to release those 1998, we set ourselves a four-year target of currently in jail for non-payment of fines to 7,500 extra apprenticeships and traineeships serve community-based sentences as a first in skills shortage industries crucial to the option as opposed to a fine option order which State's economic growth. I am now delighted has a higher chance of failure resulting in to announce that we have achieved that target imprisonment and that the money saved by in less than two years. That means 7,500 these means be devoted to resourcing young Queenslanders now have a job and it community-based options for fine defaulters means that this State is benefiting from those including restorative justice options. This young Queenslanders turning their hands and should include adequately resourcing the minds to trades that generate wealth for all State Penalties Enforcement Register (SPER) Queenslanders. The milestone was reached so as to be fully effective. by 15 year old apprentice Martin Henderson and his Brisbane employer, John Barnes and Company Queensland. Later today I am QGAP Offices hoping to visit John Barnes and Company with From Mr Hobbs (103 petitioners) Paul Braddy, the Minister for Employment, requesting the House to immediately reinstate Training and Industrial Relations, to services at the QGAP sites in Aramac, congratulate it and young Martin on this Blackbutt, Camooweal, Lowood, Goombungee, achievement. 2592 Legislative Assembly 23 Aug 2000 Martin is the second John Barnes House that the metals and engineering apprentice to qualify for a cash incentive industry has achieved an enormous increase offered to private sector employers under the of more than 170% in apprentice Breaking the Unemployment Cycle initiative. I commencements since the scheme was might say that Martin is one of four introduced. This is a tremendous result, one apprentices presently on staff at John Barnes, that demonstrates that the Queensland and that is an example that other Queensland Government's employment and training companies could follow. The Government is initiatives are working well. grateful to John Barnes and Company In fact, Breaking the Unemployment Cycle Queensland and all the other private sector has been going so well that it has surpassed employers who are making use of the even the most optimistic of expectations. More Government's incentives and joining us in the than 7,827 extra apprentices and trainees challenge of creating extra jobs. Government have been taken on in industries crucial to the can do much to create incentives and policies State's economy. In the process, 4,294 but, ultimately, it is the willingness, enthusiasm employers have qualified for bonuses of up to and confidence of employers that counts. The $2,200 for each additional new apprentice and constructive participation of employers such as trainee appointed in industries with skills John Barnes and Company, combined with shortages and crucial to the Queensland the progressive employment policies of my economy now and in the future. A total of Government, has resulted in the creation of $13m in cash incentives has so far been paid 94,900 jobs in Queensland during the two to private sector employers and group years of this Government. That is 130 jobs schemes. These employers know just how real created per day for each and every day of this are the jobs they are helping to create. It has Government—seven days a week, 365 days a been a good partnership. They are fair dinkum year. The good news is that 65% of those jobs jobs—jobs the Leader of the Opposition have been full-time jobs. recently described as phoney jobs. These are The unemployment rate in Queensland 7,800 young people who have been given an has fallen from 8.7% when we entered office opportunity by Queensland employers to start to 7.7% now. That is a sustainable reduction in worthwhile careers. unemployment, with a continuous strong downward trend. John Barnes and Company is Under the Breaking the Unemployment one of 815 employers in the metals and Cycle initiative the Government has provided engineering industry that have put on nearly jobs and training for more than 23,000 1,400 extra apprentices and trainees since Queenslanders. The Government has set Breaking the Unemployment Cycle started less aside $91m for the initiative in 2000-01, which than two years ago. Under my Government, will help nearly 11,000 more Queenslanders apprenticeships and traineeships are re- into jobs and training. To help even more emerging as popular options for young people unemployed people find work or training, the planning a career. I pay tribute to the Minister initiative has been extended for another year, for Employment, Training and Industrial representing an overall investment of $363m Relations, Paul Braddy, for his enthusiasm and by 2003. At that time we will have to decide his pursuit of this initiative in the strong way whether we continue it further. that he has. If the Leader of the Liberal Party and The combination of formal training and those opposite had their way, none of these on-the-job work experience produces a solid jobs would exist, nor would the hundreds of understanding of a person's chosen vocation. excellent projects around Queensland Queensland employers have indicated their providing invaluable infrastructure for local renewed confidence in the system through the communities. I sincerely thank Queensland numbers of extra apprentices and trainees employers for their assistance in helping us they have taken on in the past 12 months. meet our target of 7,500 additional Nearly 20,000 Queenslanders commenced apprenticeships and traineeships in industries apprenticeships in the two years to 30 June with skill shortages. I assure Queenslanders this year, a 20% increase over the two years to that my Government will continue its June 1998. successful efforts to create more jobs and One of the catalysts for this scheme was training opportunities. the disgraceful shortage of metal workers in I urge the Opposition to get on board with this State just over two years ago before we what is a great idea for young Queenslanders. came to office. This shortage resulted in We need to have less whingeing. Every day is tradesmen being brought in from Korea. I am a whinger day, every week a whinger week, therefore particularly proud to report to the every year a whinger year. The whingeing 23 Aug 2000 Ministerial Statement 2593 goes on like a squeaky wheel that is sending would not be enough. It seems that some everyone deaf. It is about time those opposite petrol companies agree and have decided to got on side with some positive ideas. They just pocket the money instead. That was the should simply stop trying to blame the concern we had right from the beginning. Government for its own incompetence. At Peter Costello is making a huge windfall from some time in this business one has to stop this surge in petrol prices. Let there be no blaming someone else and accept doubt in anyone's mind about this. There is an responsibility. attempt to perpetrate a deception on the Opposition members interjected. Australian people and Peter Costello is making the money. He is raking in hundreds of millions Mr BEATTIE: That is what those opposite of dollars in extra GST revenue, which he is have to do. They have to get on board and adding to his surplus. they have to face up to their own inadequacies. Instead of whingeing and trying Peter Costello misled a national TV to blame us for their own incompetence, they audience this morning when he said that the should get on board.