Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Sheldon, for that question. Many Labor senators, like Senator Sheldon—those on this side—have spent a great deal of their working life advocating for working people and ensuring that working Australians have access to secure, well-paid jobs. So, I'm pleased to take the question from Senator Sheldon. And he's right: yesterday's ABS labour force figures were very good news for Australians, for Australian families and for those wanting to enter the workforce, revealing that the number of employed Australians has reached 14 million—14 million Australians in work. That is a record-breaking figure, accompanied by a reduction in the unemployment rate, which is down to 3.6 per cent.

That is an achievement for the Australian people, it is an achievement for the Australian economy, and it reflects the resilience of the economy, which is such a priority for the Albanese Labor government—a government which supports job creation. Since coming into office we have seen 465,000 jobs created under the Albanese government. Importantly, what we are committed to on this side is not a deliberate low-wage policy. We are committed to delivering secure and well-paid jobs. We've also prioritised gender equity in the workplace, and the figures show more women in full-time employment than ever before.

The results we've witnessed in the labour force aren't a coincidence. They are influenced by our government's commitment to empowering workers and ensuring their rights and protections, including the policies to address gender pay inequity, paid family and domestic violence leave, a pay increase for aged-care workers, and affordable early childhood education. And, as you know, we are actively working on further reforms to safeguard the rights of working people. (Time expired)