Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Boothby for her question. The member for Boothby and all South Australians in this House—indeed, I'm sure, all Australians—will be welcoming the fact that today South Australia is opening up under the national plan. The national plan continues to ensure we are building confidence in the reopening of Australia—a reopening that, from 1 December, will see students coming back to Australia. It will see skilled migrants, much needed in this country, coming back to Australia, particularly to South Australia. In addition to that, people and visitors coming from Singapore—already—and Japan and the Republic of Korea will be added to that very shortly on 1 December. Australia is opening up. Australians are looking forward.

I am confident about Australia's economic future, but I am not naive to the threats that are present in the global economy and, indeed, that we're confronting here in Australia. And I know that we have to work hard to secure this economic recovery. It cannot be taken for granted. That's why economic management has never been more important, as Australians have worked so hard through this pandemic to secure one of the lowest fatality rates in the world, one of the strongest economies coming through the pandemic, and also one of the highest rates of vaccination to protect Australians going into the post-COVID recovery phase.

We must ensure we secure that economic recovery, and that's why we are the party not just of lower taxes but of lower taxes that are legislated. And in just the last three months some $10 billion and more of tax relief has been provided and delivered to Australians, and particularly supporting small businesses with lower taxes, at 25 per cent. More jobs—there are 250,000 jobs right now out there, advertised for Australians to go and get those jobs and fire up that economic recovery that is underway. And, in particular, we're seeing more women in those jobs, and we've been seeing record levels of women's economic participation in the workforce.

Skills—there are 217,400 Australians are in training right now for trade apprentices in this country. That is the highest level since 1963, before I was even born. And we have seen more people in training for those trade apprentices now, which will be supporting our manufacturing industries, which we're also backing in. We're backing in those manufacturing industries. We have a million people now, on the most recent figures, back working in the manufacturing industry. Under Labor, one in eight manufacturing jobs went. We have turned that around with our economic policies. This is the economic recovery plan that Australians need, that they depend on. It cannot be taken for granted. Economic management matters, and we will secure that recovery. (Time expired)

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