Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in support of the Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Self-Employment Programs and Other Measures) Bill 2022. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit our shores, the threat to businesses across Australia and in my seat of Durack were seen as potentially devastating. From the small businesses on the main streets in Broome and Geraldton to the smaller strips throughout the Wheatbelt, together with the large mining giants of the Pilbara, it seemed that no one was safe.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the coalition's strong economic management had supported the creation of over 1.5 million jobs, and, as my friend and colleague the member for Barker reminded us in this place earlier, perhaps it was more like 1.8 million. We saw that the economy was growing. Australia had record labour force participation and in March 2022 unemployment was 5.2 per cent.

We were determined when first elected to government in 2013 to put in place the strong economic policies and labour market programs that would allow our economy to bounce back and, most importantly. support Australians into work. We have to remind ourselves sometimes of exactly what the coalition inherited when we first came into government in 2013. When Labor left office, the youth unemployment rate was 12.7 per cent. In January 2022, the youth unemployment rate was at nine per cent, some 2.6 points lower than pre-COVID levels. Before the pandemic, welfare dependency had fallen to its lowest level in 30 years, from 16.5 per cent under Labor to 13.5 per cent in June 2019 under the coalition government. We reduced the tax rate for small businesses from 30 per cent to 25 per cent, the lowest rate in 50 years. But potentially our most significant achievement in government was balancing the budget in 2018-19 for the first time in 11 years. This was significant, considering the debt we had inherited from those opposite.

The coalition's long-term plan for jobs and growth meant that we entered the pandemic from a position of economic strength, and this is something that we should be incredibly proud of. The alternative had Labor been in power and able to continue with their economically damaging policies, as we saw during the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd era, may have left Australia in an incredibly vulnerable position. When we left office in May 2022, the unemployment rate was at 3.9 per cent, an almost 50-year low. The Albanese government also has us to thank for the current unemployment rate of 3.5 per cent, a rate that I sincerely hope that we are able to maintain. But this did not happen by accident. Getting people off welfare and into work was a priority of the coalition whilst we were in government. After all, as we have said many times, the best form of welfare is a job. It is not just a saying; it's true. It has also been a core value of mine that the best way to support my vulnerable constituents throughout my electorate of Durack is to create opportunities for independence and self-reliance. It is not always easy to lift yourself out of difficult circumstances, and this is where government can make a tangible difference by providing a helping hand.

The coalition government transformed the way that employment services are being delivered, with the introduction of Workforce Australia. Earlier this year Workforce Australia brought together all of the relevant departments under one single identity, replacing jobactive and the current employment services network. This new model is now in place and is providing more personalised services to better target jobseeker needs, invest in those jobseekers who need it and make greater use of digital technology. We spent a number of years working with jobseekers, providers, peak bodies and employers on developing a model that works for all and supports a pathway for Australians to get off welfare and get into a job. The new model seeks to build on the success of jobactive and give jobseekers the best opportunity to find employment through a tailor-made approach. This bill is a result of that change and will ensure the intentions of making Workforce Australia a one-stop shop for Australians and Australian businesses to find work, retain work and find access to other government initiatives in employment and skills.

Due to the introduction of Workforce Australia, which came into effect on 4 July, this bill effects changes in the name of the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme, or NEIS, program, ensuring that payments made under it are treated in the same way as for other NEIS payments. The main amendments in the bill will make sure that the family, social security and veterans entitlements laws operate in the same way in relation to self-employment assistance payments as for other NEIS payments because of the name change. Since it commenced in 1985, NEIS has helped almost 200,000 people start their own businesses and move off income support by creating their own jobs. Importantly, many of these people have then gone on to create employment opportunities for additional people. What a remarkable achievement that must be!

The Self-Employment Assistance program commenced on 1 July 2022 to replace NEIS assistance throughout Australia. Self-Employment Assistance program and NEIS participants can now receive a fortnightly payment of $642.70 for 39 weeks and, if eligible, rent assistance for up to 26 weeks. Workforce Australia was the biggest reform to employment services since the Howard government's reforms in the 1990s. It shows our commitment to help Australians into work and modernises one of the biggest expenditure areas of government. It was reform like this that allowed the coalition government to leave behind a strong legacy that the Albanese government, quite frankly, are very lucky to have inherited. I'm very proud to stand on that record and continue to work where I can on improving employment opportunities for constituents in my electorate of Durack and for Australians more broadly. I commend the bill to the House.

See this speech in context