On 5 May, Commonwealth Minister for Vocational Education and Training Gary Hardgrave announced that the first meeting of the new National Industry Skills Committee had taken place. This is an important committee, because it has to provide strategic advice to the VET Ministerial Council on work-force planning, skill development, and training priorities. On 31 March, the Minister issued a press release announcing the membership of the committee in which he said that the committee would: “…play an important role in ensuring the national training system is meeting the needs of Australian businesses and the Australian economy, and will be an integral element of the national training arrangements agreed in 2005 between the Commonwealth and all States and Territories.”