Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. Would the minister confirm that long-term unemployment has fallen to its lowest level in over 20 years? Is the minister aware of criticism of the government’s policies in this respect? What is his response?

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bonner for his question. I can confirm to him and to the House that, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data, the level of long-term unemployment—that is, people who have been unemployed for 12 months or longer—has fallen to the lowest level in more than 20 years. Indeed, in October, the number of long-term unemployed in Australia fell by 3,400, a 4.1 per cent fall. Since the introduction of Work Choices at the end of March of this year, we have seen a 17 per cent fall in the number of long-term unemployed in Australia and the figure now stands at just over 80,000 people.

Let me put this into context. According to the ABS, 10 years ago, when this government came to office, there were more than a quarter of a million more long-term unemployed than in October this year. I take just one example: in the Leader of the Opposition’s state of Western Australia the number of long-term unemployed has fallen to a low of just 3,500 people. The strong economic management of this government has seen real results for real Australians who have got jobs in their thousands because of these changes. Whilst it is a reality that those numbers have fallen quite substantially, it remains the case—and we are acutely aware of it—that there are still 80,000 Australians who have been unemployed for a year or more. That is why continuing to deliver a strong economy and continuing to look at the challenges that face Australia in the future and making the requisite reforms so that we can address and meet those challenges will be important to further bringing unemployment down. The contrast here could not be more stark. The opposition are interested in one job only; we are interested in jobs for all Australians.