Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

The question comes: 'Where are these jobs?' Well, following the presentation of this bill, the Minister for Trade and Investment will be presenting a bill on the China free trade agreement. That is where the jobs are coming from. This government has a plan to create jobs. And we are not just having that plan, we are implementing that plan.

Lastly, the bill includes amendments to implement the rapid activation of the young job seekers 2015 budget measure.

This measure ensures that job seekers under the age of 25 will be part of a new program, RapidConnect Plus. RapidConnect Plus will require job seekers who do not have significant barriers to obtaining employment to complete pre-benefit activities during their four-week income support waiting period in order to receive income support payments.

These are all important measures to support the sustainability of the social security system and the nation's budget.

In conclusion, I note that this bill is in the most part the same bill that was rejected by the Senate. The measures that are contained in this bill have a strong similarity to measures that have been introduced in New Zealand with great success. We are seeking here a four-week waiting period only for job-ready people under 25. The exemptions are long. The supports are many, including $330 million of investment that has already occurred in the budget and is being rolled out and will be invested continually from next year. In New Zealand, they found that around 40 per cent of people who registered for pre-benefit activities did not go onto payments at the end of those four weeks. That is 40 per cent who as a result of those measures went onto a pathway of work rather than ono a pathway of welfare. That is the sort of measure that we need in this country. These are the sorts of measures which help people choose work and get into work rather than staying on welfare.

Particularly from a young age, the New Zealand experience also extends to the high proportion of those who are on a lifetime of welfare. Their investment approach analysis showed that these people entered the welfare system at a young age. That is the point at which we can have an intervention. That is the point where we can change the course of a life—onto work and not onto welfare. And that is the course that is supported by the Minister for Trade and Investment to ensure that there will be jobs for the future together with the many other economic programs of this government.

All members of this House should commend the Minister for Trade and Investment—and those on this side of the House certainly do—on the outstanding work he has done on the free trade agreements, which are growing exports and jobs for this country. In Australia, 28 per cent of low skilled jobs are very hard to fill. We are talking about retail and hospitality jobs, the sorts of jobs that the Minister for Small Business knows all about. He is trying to create and support these jobs and he knows that small businesses are trying to fill these jobs. This measure supports those small businesses to be able to compete with income support. Small business in this country should not have to be competing with the Newstart allowance to get people to fill the jobs in that sector, and this bill addresses that need. We know that this measure will support young people in their transition to work and put a stop to the welfare shuttle that goes from the school gate to the Centrelink door, which those opposite want to see continue.

Debate adjourned.

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