Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

The coalition government's plan for a stronger economy is working and is delivering. We have, as I was just telling the Senate, delivered tax relief that will help and encourage hardworking Australians, tax relief that will see more Australians get to keep more of their money. The unemployment rate fell to 5.3 per cent in July, the lowest rate since November 2012; 15,300 fewer people are unemployed since the last election; there are 600,000 more jobs across the Australian economy; and 339,000-plus jobs were created in 2017-18—the strongest financial year result in more than a decade in terms of jobs growth.

We have turned the corner on wages, seeing wages growth increase by 0.6 per cent in the June quarter, the largest quarterly increase in four years. Average weekly ordinary time earnings for full-time adults increased by 2.7 per cent over the year to May, the strongest annual growth seen since 2014. Retail sales are up and business conditions are at elevated levels. Ultimately we see across the board that Australians, in terms of jobs growth, wages growth, business growth and investment opportunities, are all enjoying the benefits of a stronger economy. That is what matters most. What matters most is the reality that the Australian people are better off as a result of a government that has delivered for them in terms of that stronger economy, in terms of that wages growth and in terms of that employment growth. And of course they will be better off into the future because of the tax cuts that this parliament has legislated under the leadership of the coalition government. They will be better off because there will be further jobs growth under the competitive tax rates we've legislated, all of which will deliver more for more Australians.