Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for the question. As I was saying yesterday, the government has put in place the right economic framework so that businesses can prosper, grow and create more jobs for Australians. We're also a government that knows and unashamedly believes that the best form of welfare is a job. We are committed to getting Australians who are on welfare off welfare and into a job. In fact, under this government, welfare dependency in Australia is the lowest it has been in 30 years. This is because, as a government, we know you have to have in place the right policies and the right programs to assist people who are on welfare and want to get a job. Mr President, jobactive is the Australian government's way to get more Australians into work by connecting those who are looking for work, the jobseeker, with employers out there who are looking for employees.

I'm pleased to advise the Senate that since 2015 in July it as achieved 1.39 million job placements. Indeed, it continues to achieve around 1,000 job placements every single day. What providers on the network can also do is connect jobseekers with a range of government services and government initiatives. This includes: relocation assistance—if somebody wanted to go to the great state of Queensland and work, they could get relocation assistance—employer wage subsidies and training apprenticeships. And, if you want to start your own business, we have a fantastic program that has been going now for in excess of three decades, known as the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme. If you're a young person aged under 25, our Youth Jobs PaTH program can help you get the skills and experience you need to secure a job. The best form of welfare is a job, and we've got in place the programs and procedures.