Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It's great to see the member for Moreton listening to our speeches. He's here on his own! The Liberal coalition government is focused on helping people off welfare and into work. This is seen via the great work in creating over one million jobs since we were elected in 2013, as promised. Last week, the Minister for Social Services, the member for Wannon, visited my electorate of Swan, to announce a partnership with the Council on the Ageing WA—COTA WA—to trial a new program called Mentoring 2 Work. This trial will focus on improving job-seeking skills and work readiness for jobless youths through group sessions and one-on-one mentoring over a six-month period, with COTA administering the trial. Positive role models with experience of work can help our young people build their confidence and life skills, make decisions, prepare for interviews and find the right job that suits their skills.

Young unemployed people are at risk of long-term welfare dependency, with 39 per cent at risk of receiving income support payments in 10 years and 30 per cent at risk of receiving income support payments in 20 years. To help these people break the cycle of dependency, we need to be innovative. That is exactly what the Turnbull government is doing by investing $2 million into the Mentoring 2 Work trial from the $96.1 million Try, Test and Learn Fund. On this side of the chamber, we believe the best form of welfare is a job. This Turnbull government is delivering opportunities to Australian youth by helping businesses create one million jobs since 2013.

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