Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Brockman, for that very important question. Everyone on this side of the chamber understands that our No. 1 priority is to help get our fellow Australians into a job if they don't have one, because we know a job is the very best form of help that we can offer. Jobs and economic growth have been our record: one million jobs since we came to government; a record 412,000 jobs last year; an unemployment rate of 5.3 per cent—the lowest since the mining boom; an economy that grew by 3.4 per cent—the best in any G7 country; and the lowest number of Australians on welfare for 25 years. That doesn't happen by accident. It happens because we have been reducing taxes to Australian businesses so they can invest in more staff; but, most importantly, we have brought the budget under control. We can make job-creating investments like the $75 billion in transport infrastructure that's supporting 50,000 jobs.

Most pleasing, we are able to reach our most disadvantaged communities. We've got 40,000 out of 400,000 Indigenous jobseekers. We have had a 23.3 per cent increase in Indigenous Australians employed since we came to the Treasury bench. We have done this because we've had initiatives like the WEX program that brings in young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from across the country. They are up in the gallery. I met many of them this morning. They are doing an absolute cracker job. I say to them: enjoy your time here. I'm sure that they'll be joining the Australian Public Service. It was an absolute privilege to meet them. This government is backing them all the way.