Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk desperate to return to Labor roots

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is plotting her path to victory in next year’s state poll deeply wary of the potholes her federal colleagues hit earlier this year.

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk is plotting her path to victory in next year’s state poll deeply wary of the potholes her federal colleagues hit earlier this year.

Admitting Labor needs to better articulate its values and what it stands for, she’s nominated skills, training and “more opportunity” as the cornerstones of her third term, should she win.

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“I was perhaps one of the first leaders who actually came out after the Federal election, recognised that Labor has let people down and that we needed a reset button,” she told The Sunday-Mail this week in a wide-ranging interview.

It’s no accident Palaszczuk will bolster her skills focus ahead of the October 2020 election at a time when Queensland is leading the country with the highest unemployment rate.

The long-term unemployment queue has been growing and young people in particular are struggling to find work.

Perversely, a lack of skilled workers, particularly in the regions, means significant numbers of employers can’t fill their job ads despite so many needing a job.

If Labor’s learnt anything from it’s disastrous federal election campaign, it’s that it needs to reconnect with its blue-collar workers and talk to them about the things they most care about.

Among the groups who swung most strongly against Labor were the “economically insecure” and low-income voters, who do not like or follow politics.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

They don’t need confusing messaging – they want to know how they’ll pay their bills, keep their job, afford health and education and not worry at night about their kids’ and grandkids’ futures.

“Labor should recognise coal mining will be an Australian industry into the foreseeable future and develop regional jobs plans based on the competitive strengths of different regions,” the party’s election review recommended.

It’s little wonder then that since the May poll, the Palaszczuk Government has been ramping up its focus on skills and training.

And they’ve been ahead of the curve, with the Morrison Government in recent months earmarking their own reforms to get more people studying for a vocation.

Palaszczuk has already promised $32 million for apprenticeships in nearly 139 high-demand jobs that will mean savings of up to $3000 for businesses who currently fund the courses, and free education for workers aged under 21.

It’s hoped incentivising businesses this way, and through payroll tax subsidies, will encourage businesses to play their part in training up the workforces they need.

Last month the cost of TAFE was slashed by hundreds of dollars for up to 1500 Queenslanders in another effort to deal with skills shortages.

The $4 million Skills Boost program will funnel people into industries crying out for workers by subsidising specific courses by region.

For example, a Certificate III in Education Support, which trains up special school teachers aides and other education support workers, is being discounted from $3400 to as little as $300 on the north coast, central Queensland, far north Queensland, south east Queensland and metro Brisbane because that’s where the jobs are.

A Certificate III in Rural Operations, leading to jobs like rural sales assistant, rural operations worker or senior farmhand, will cost just $300 — down from $7040 – and will be offered in north Queensland and on the Darling Downs.

Meanwhile, the first six Regional Jobs Committees have been announced for Townsville, Mackay, the Fraser Coast, Springfield, Toowoomba and Redlands where local business, training providers, industry representatives, high schools and unions will develop regional job and training plans.

Mackay’s, for example, will address skills shortages in trades serving the mining industry, and focus on the growing health services, aged care and disability services.

Springfield’s will look at what jobs can be attracted to the largely greenfield site.

Expect more announcements in coming weeks with an unmistakeable regional focus.

One will be around giving high school children better access to careers counselling that will speak to them based on where they live.

A ‘Link and Launch’ online portal is planned that will advise students across the state on what they should study based on which jobs are in demand and which industries are growing in their communities.

The Government is also investigating “micro-credentialing”, which would allow people to have real-life experience formally recognised.

Micro-degrees would be offered through TAFE or through employers that “top up” a person’s skills to the level where they could earn formal accreditation in an area.

For example, a person who’s spent years caring for a sick mother, or a disabled child should not be made to undertake an entire new course if they want to work in that field.

And a person who’s been leading a team at work should be able to take a micro-course to recognise their abilities in leadership.

Their real-life skills are often far more valuable that anything they could learn in a classroom and should help them land a job.

The Palaszczuk Government is often criticised for having a threadbare agenda, missing the shiny baubles to get people excited.

But maybe voters only do care about the basics.