Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is my great pleasure to rise and speak on the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Youth Jobs Path: Prepare, Trial, Hire) Bill 2016. This bill gives effect to the Youth Jobs PaTH measure announced in the 2016-17 budget as part of our youth employment package. Very proudly, our government announced this very significant package—an $840 million package to tackle youth unemployment in our country. That is in contrast to members opposite, from whom we saw no national initiatives to combat what we recognise is a very significant issue across our nation.

The Youth Jobs PaTH program is aimed at maximising the chance of young jobseekers obtaining a job and moving off income support. It will do this in a number of ways, through a very significant investment of three-quarters of a billion dollars, and help some 120,000 people over four years. It will do that by getting up to 30,000 eligible young jobseekers per year ready. It will prepare them and provide them with employability skills training from 1 April 2017. It will give young people a go while trialling them by providing an internship supported by a youth bonus wage subsidy.

Mr Deputy Speaker, I seek leave to continue my remarks at a later hour, following the statement by the Prime Minister.

Leave granted.

Debate adjourned.

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