Leaders look at skills package: PM

The nation’s leaders will have a particular focus on skills in their discussions on Friday.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard welcomed the first ministers to the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting, making special mention of the two newcomers from South Australia and Queensland.

“A big welcome to Premier (Jay) Weatherill and Premier (Campbell) Newman to their first COAG,” Ms Gillard told the meeting in the cabinet room of Parliament House.

“We’ve got a big agenda in front of us today.”

Sitting beside NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell, Ms Gillard said the $1.75 billion package to overcome skills shortages would be the meeting’s main focus.

Agreeing on this would make a big difference to the country’s workers and the wealth of the nation, she told the premiers.

As well, the leaders had “big work to do” in following up the ideas from Thursday’s pre-COAG business advisory forum.

In particular, the forum looked at ways to reduce “green tape” and the possibility of giving more responsibility for environmental approvals to states instead of the Commonwealth.

“The task is before us now to make sure we take those views and turn them into real action,” Ms Gillard said.

The meeting is likely to continue until late Friday afternoon.

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