George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Bilyk, what we mean by economic leadership is economic growth at over three per cent per year; strong growth in exports, up 9.6 per cent year on year to June 2016; strong growth in new dwelling construction, up by 10½ per cent through the year to 2016; and a rate of economic growth faster than any G7 nation and double the rate of the G7 nation whose economy compares most directly with that of Australia, namely Canada. The labour market is resilient. Our unemployment rate is at 5.6 per cent. Everyone accepts that the headline measure of the resilience of the labour market is the unemployment rate—unemployment at 5.6 per cent is at the lowest level it has been for three years, with over 450,000 new jobs since September 2013. (Time expired)