Brendan O’Connor announces resignation leaving skills and training portfolio ‘in good nick’

Signalling an end to his 23-year political career, Skills and Training Minister Brendan O’Connor said he was comfortable handing the reins to his successor.

Outgoing Skills and Training Minister Brendan O’Neil announced he would not seek re-election, bringing to an end a 23-year political career. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Outgoing Skills and Training Minister Brendan O’Connor says he feels comfortable resigning from his portfolio, having left it “in good nick” to his successor after securing the $30bn National Skills Agreement, establishing Jobs and Skills Australia and rolling out Labor’s fee-free TAFE agenda.

In a widely anticipated move, Mr O’Connor announced he would quit cabinet and end his 23-year political career at the culmination of the parliamentary term, thanking his colleagues, constituents and family.

“I’m indebted to the federal parliamentary Labor Party for allowing me to be their candidate, without which I could not have been in the parliament … I owe a great deal to the longest, most enduring political party in this ­nation,” he said.

“There has been very significant reforms and significant investment in a tertiary sector, the next step that frankly has been underdone historically.”

Anthony Albanese said the Victorian Left MP would be missed from parliament. “Brendan has been determined, as those of us who sat in opposition for nine years, three terms, to make sure that every single day counts as a minister,” the Prime Minister said. “In making skills and training as important as university degrees, he’s changed the way that education, lifelong education, is perceived in this country in a way that is so important.”

Opposition skills and training spokeswoman Sussan Ley also praised Mr O’Connor while calling on Mr Albanese to appoint a successor with similar gravitas.

“Brendan O’Connor is a good man and I wish him well on his retirement from politics. I wish him every success in his next chapter,” Ms Ley said in a statement.

“While I have disagreed with much of Brendan O’Connor’s approach, he had a level of experience befitting this important portfolio. So today I urge the Prime Minister to replace him with someone of equal standing.”

A former Australian Services Union assistant secretary, Mr O’Connor was first elected in 2001 when he won the Victorian seat of Burke, later transferring to the newly established division of Gorton in 2004.

Rising to the ministry when the Rudd government stormed to office in 2007, Mr O’Connor served initially as employment participation minister, and later in the outer ministry in home affairs, a portfolio he retained during the first Gillard ministry.

Elevated to cabinet after a reshuffle in 2012, Mr O’Connor took on responsibilities across housing and small business, switching to immigration and citizenship.

With the return of the Rudd government later that year, Mr O’Connor briefly served as ­employment, skills and training minister.

Unions and industry groups also commended Mr O’Connor for his longstanding service.

“Brendan has dedicated his working life to improving the lives of Australian workers and he should be very proud of all he has achieved and all he has contributed to,” ACTU secretary Sally McManus said.

“Mr O’Connor has pursued reform and alignment to build an inclusive skilling system that engages and better prepares Australians for a productive future,” Ai Group chief Innes Willox said.

The next skills and training minister will be tasked with stemming dwindling apprenticeship numbers at a time when Labor’s Future Made in Australia agenda coincides with the AUKUS submarine deal and billions in new housing investment all requiring significant workforce planning.