ANNELISE NIELSEN: Let's go live now to West Australia where we're joined by Employment, Skills, and Small Business Minister, Michaelia Cash. Michaelia Cash, thank you for your time.

MINISTER CASH: Great to be with you Annelise.

ANNELISE NIELSEN: Now, there's been an interesting Productivity Commission report into the training sector across the country. What does it say?

MINISTER CASH: It basically confirms the position that the Government has taken for some time now that we do need to reform the VET system in Australia. It demonstrates this particular agreement, the funding agreement between the Commonwealth and the states and territories, known as the National Agreement on Skills and Workforce Development, or the NASWAD is in need of reform. But more than that, it is one of the major hurdles that needs to be got over if we can improve the sector.

ANNELISE NIELSEN: What does that reform look like? Does that look like taking the powers off state and territory authorities to administer the system?

MINISTER CASH: Absolutely not. No. It is a shared responsibility between the states and the territories. The Government is putting $1.5 billion each year as we do, taxpayers’ money, into the National Agreement on Development with absolutely no strings attached and no transparency in relation to where that money is spent. This is also acknowledged by the PC review. It does not contribute towards a VET system that is properly delivering for all Australians. The PC review confirms that the position the Government has taken in relation to standing up the National Skills Commission, in particular determining where the skills needs are in Australia so that we are training Australians for the jobs that employers and industry tell us are in demand. The position we are taking is the right way forward.

ANNELISE NIELSEN: How do you get greater transparency in a system like this, though, if it is so locked into the states and territories that administer it, and it's the Federal Government just handing the money over?

MINISTER CASH: I was really pleased the other day when the Prime Minister at the National Press Club said COAG is gone, the COAG Skills Council will be obviously reformed. National Cabinet now has skills as one of its priority reform agendas. We have been working very well with our state and territory governments to reform the system. We've stood up the National Skills Commission. We're getting that better labour market analysis across Australia so that we know where the skills needs actually are, and we are training Australians for the jobs that are out there. We're also looking at how we can properly and efficiently price VET courses across Australia. But more than anything now, this agreement - started by the former Labor government – is an agreement that has no end date. All the Commonwealth does each year is put $1.5 billion indexed into a bucket. It is a bucket which the state governments and the territory governments then can spend within reason any way they like, as long as it is in relation to VET, there is no transparency. There is no real accountability. And certainly, the Productivity Commission says this is a major hurdle in relation to the proper reform of vocational education and training in Australia.

ANNELISE NIELSEN: So, the Productivity Commission report identifies the issue quite clearly. You agree with that. But how do you practically fix that? Transparency sounds great, but what does that actually look like?

MINISTER CASH: Renegotiating the National Agreement on Skills and Workforce Development. Working with the states and territories to get a much better agreement in place, and again, at the National Press Club the Prime Minister indicated that if we can get a better system, one that responds to the genuine skills demands that are being experienced across the country, one that has a proper and efficient pricing methodology. That is a system that the Commonwealth would be prepared to invest more in. So, I've been working very constructively with my state and territory counterparts on a road map for reform. This road map will be presented to first ministers and the Prime Minister in the coming weeks. But it is now all about getting what we need out of a new funding agreement so that literally everybody within Australia benefits from a better system. And again, that is a system, as the Prime Minister has said, the Commonwealth would be prepared to invest more money in.

ANNELISE NIELSEN: And this is obviously all going to be key in the economic recovery coming out of coronavirus, because a lot of people will need to reskill. There's also been this discussion today about whether JobKeeper should keep going as long as it is, because some businesses are bouncing back sooner, some businesses won't need JobKeeper, and some people won't need JobSeeker as long either. Would you support calling JobKeeper early if there's no need for it?

MINISTER CASH: As you'd be aware, the JobKeeper scheme was a legislated scheme for a six-month period. And for those businesses that experienced the requisite 30 per cent or 15 per cent - depending on which sector you’re in - downturn, it was a fantastic way and it is a fantastic way of keeping them in business, but keeping that really important connection with their employees. And it has been widely welcomed across Australia, in particular by small and family businesses and sole traders. We’d always said there would be a review in June, and as you are aware, the Treasurer has said on or around 23 July, he’ll make further statements in relation to JobKeeper. But I would make it clear, we're not going to pre-empt the review, but for those businesses that need it, it's there for you. It is there for a six-month period and that is what it was legislated for.

ANNELISE NIELSEN: And just finally, we're preparing for these Black Lives Matter protests right across the country on Saturday. The Prime Minister just came out and said it's not the right time to do it during the COVID restrictions. Do you agree?

MINISTER CASH: Yes, I do. We're in extraordinary times. We're in the middle of a global pandemic and, yes, we have responded well as a country. But we need to continue to ensure that we take all appropriate steps to protect the health of Australians. We are reopening our economy. The last thing we need is an outbreak of COVID-19 which would then take steps that we do not want to have to take. So I would say to people, just reflect on your own behaviour. Reflect on what we did together as Australians on Anzac Day, a day where we all like to go out and be together to celebrate what our ANZACs did and the life they've given us here. There are other ways that you can show your respect. We did it on Anzac Day. And I would just humbly request, like the Prime Minister did, that people take that into consideration and look at another way to do this.

ANNELISE NIELSEN: Do you have sympathy for the protestors though? Obviously, the killing of George Floyd has brought up a lot of tough memories for Indigenous Australians, a lot of issues around deaths in custody, and this is obviously a time when they are really feeling that pain?

MINISTER CASH: Oh look, as the Prime Minister said, any death in custody is an absolute tragedy, but we have, as a government, been working collectively with our state and territory colleagues to put in place measures to better understand why this occurs to ensure that it doesn't happen again. And in relation to the American situation, anybody who watched that video, absolutely devastating. Probably six minutes of the most devastating period of your life. More broadly in relation to this weekend, again, this is about protecting the health of all Australians, in particular those who are vulnerable. The elderly, those with pre-existing conditions. There are other ways that you can show your respect for everything, and we would just ask that you do that.

ANNELISE NIELSEN: Michaelia Cash live there from Perth. Thank you for your time.

MINISTER CASH: Thanks a lot.

ENDS