Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister Assisting the Minister for Trade and Investment and the Minister for Decentralisation and Regional Education. Will the minister please update the House on how the Morrison government is driving jobs and economic prosperity in the regions as we continue to recover from the COVID-19 recession?

Andrew Gee (Calare, National Party, Minister for Decentralisation and Regional Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Barker for his question and for his very strong advocacy for country Australia. Only recently the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, representing our coalition, and many in this House today attended the memorial service for the late great Doug Anthony in Tweed Heads. As Doug himself once said, we want industry to boom again, to produce again and to employ again. That's what we on this side of the House want for country Australia.

We know that the Treasurer is really enjoying those good news job statistics at the moment, and why wouldn't he? Treasurer, I have for you today some more stats that have just been released that relate to country Australia. He does love the stats. The stats today reveal there are currently 56,510 regional job vacancies advertised online. This is the highest level since 2011. And the member for Barker will be particularly pleased to know that regional South Australia is at 4.8 per cent. Regional New South Wales is up 3.6 per cent, regional Queensland up 3.5 per cent and regional Victoria up 3.5 per cent as well. But, Treasurer, the good news does not stop here. I have more stats for you.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Andrew Gee (Calare, National Party, Minister for Decentralisation and Regional Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think members opposite should listen. In regional Australia, for the month of February, regional exports rose by 11.2 per cent to $4.2 billion compared to February 2020. On this side of the House, we're put in place the policies to drive growth, investment and prosperity in country Australia. Take the 2021 regional package in the budget, which delivered 350 new programs and initiatives to rebuild our regional economy. There was $110 billion for much needed infrastructure, representing 30,000 jobs.

Opposition members interjecting—

You should listen. A little less chirp and a little more listening will deliver better outcomes for country Australia.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, members on both sides! The minister can pause for a second. Members will cease interjecting. Even though some members on my left are interjecting in an attempt to defend me, I tell you, they don't need to. The minister has the call.

Andrew Gee (Calare, National Party, Minister for Decentralisation and Regional Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We've got the policies to drive investment and production in the bush. Take our securing raw materials program, which has $35 million. It's to get firms to move from the cities to the bush, to set up where their supply chains are and to secure those supply chains, with grants up to $5 million, if they bring the jobs with them. We're securing the supply chains and driving growth and investment in the bush.

With the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, we've just launched our $6 million Regional Cooperative Research Centre project initiative, which will support research projects in regional Australia. Doug did it before, and we're doing it now. We're driving growth, investment and prosperity in country Australia. We say, 'Come and join us'— (Time expired)