Anthony Albanese’s reshuffle fails Australian small businesses and our skills sector.
The appointment of Andrew Giles as Minister for Skills and Training is an insult to the training sector. The Skills and Training portfolio has now been lumped with the worst performing minister in the Albanese Government and taken out of Cabinet.
Skills and training policy is fundamental to the prosperity of Australia. It is not a token portfolio to maintain the factional balance. It is not a consolation prize for failing in a previous portfolio.
From delivering AUKUS to building the homes we need for the next generation of Australian families, skills and training is the foundation for Australia’s future.
The appointment of Andrew Giles is completely unacceptable.
Anthony Albanese was elected on a simple promise - that he would skill more Australians.
Yet since Labor took office Australia has lost over 85,000 apprentices and trainees, a loss of one in five. New training starts have dropped by 39 per cent. Despite 500,000 Fee Free TAFE enrolments, training numbers continue to collapse.
Labor has delivered worse skills shortages, fewer apprentices and trainees and a collapse in confidence across the training sector, Australia’s skills system is at crisis point.
Andrew Giles appointment does nothing to instil any confidence that the government is taking this issue seriously. If Anthony Albanese thinks Andrew Giles will have an easier run in skills he should think again.
Disappointingly, Julie Collins has remained Minister for Small Business. This is a missed opportunity. She has sat around the Cabinet table and greenlit decisions making it harder than ever to run a small business or hire workers.
According to ASIC there were over 11,000 insolvencies in the 2024 financial year, a 39 per cent increase on 2023, and 124 per cent more than 2022. This is the highest rate of businesses going to the wall on record, surpassing the previous high during the Global Financial Crisis.
According to CreditorWatch, one in 11 hospitality businesses are set to fail over the next year. As Australian households feel the pain of higher mortgage repayments, rents, power bills and other essentials, Australia’s small business sector is being hammered. This means almost one in ten cafes and restaurants could close their doors over the next year alone.
This is the legacy of Julie Collins.
The bottom line of today’s announcement is Anthony Albanese has short changed skills and small business to keep the factional bosses happy.
It is Australians who will be poorer for it.