Labor's New Energy Apprenticeship Scheme a Franken-swine
THE HON SUSSAN LEY MP
DEPUTY LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION
SHADOW MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY, SKILLS AND TRAINING
SHADOW MINISTER FOR SMALL AND FAMILY BUSINESS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR WOMEN
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR FARRER
One of Labor’s key green energy policies has been caught out as a porkie.
The Opposition has revealed that under Labor’s New Energy Apprenticeship Scheme, aspiring piggery attendants studying a Certificate III in Pork Production are eligible to claim a $10,000 payment that is supposed to be incentivising new apprentices to take up training for jobs in the green energy sector.
At the Federal Election Anthony Albanese pledged he would invest $100 million to support 10,000 New Energy Apprenticeships through the New Energy Apprenticeship Scheme. He promised the program would deliver the workforce needed for Australia’s green energy transition.
Under Labor’s scheme ‘New Energy Apprentices’ receive $10,000 over the cycle of their apprenticeship in a new energy industry. But the much hyped program has seen anaemic uptake since it was funded in the October 2022 Federal Budget. To avoid the program being branded a failure in the lead up to the next Federal Election, Labor has tried to artificially boost numbers by broadening eligibility.
The Opposition identified, as a result of Labor’s policy settings, a Certificate III in Pork Production was listed as eligible for the payment. The Coalition sought to clarify if this was a typo but now has official confirmation from Department of Employment and Workplace Relations that:
“this occupation has been identified as potentially eligibility (sic) to attract support under the New Energy Apprenticeship program” Ref No. SQ24-000829
The Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Skills and Training, Sussan Ley said while she supports Australia’s hardworking pork industry, Labor trying to fatten up their New Energy Apprenticeship stats with Pork Production was really hamming it up.
“Anthony Albanese sold these New Energy Apprenticeships as key to the energy transition, instead because of his loose policy settings he looks like a real pork-chop,” The Deputy Leader said.
“We all knew Labor’s energy transition was a ‘pigs may fly’ scenario but now we know Labor are all in on a pork-powered energy transition.
“The Coalition will always back our apprentices and we did so in government with record investment but Labor needs to be upfront with the Australian people about how it is spending taxpayer funds. This shows Labor is being tricky with its 'New Energy Apprenticeships' policy which today looks like a franken-swine.”
Related Articles: #Climate Change and Energy
