Mark Furner (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question today is to the Minister for Employment Participation, Senator Arbib. Can the minister advise the Senate on recent unemployment data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics? In particular, can the minister inform the Senate about the results of the regional labour force figures released today? Given the strong growth in employment recorded last week, what do these regional unemployment figures tell us about jobs growth in Australia? Are there areas that are still at high risk from unemployment? How have the government strategies helped to promote job growth throughout Australia?

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Tuesday this week, I reflected on the recent unemployment figures dropping to 5.2 per cent, which was fantastic news for Australian job seekers. It means that, over the year to May, 280,000 jobs were created in this country for Australians. This is critical when you compare it to what is happening overseas: unemployment up to 9.9 per cent in the United States; in Ireland, 13 per cent; in Spain, up to 19 per cent; and, in this country, unemployment continuing to drop to 5.2 per cent. Today also we have seen the release of the regional Labour Force Survey, and there is more good news, with unemployment falling in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.

But there is more work to do. In some regions, like Far North Queensland, we have seen drops in unemployment, but in other areas, such as Western Sydney, there have been difficulties. Long-term unemployment continues to grow, but very long-term unemployment has dropped by 1.4 per cent. This shows the need for the stimulus package, the infrastructure package and the 50,000 projects that are taking place right now around the country.

The biggest risk to employment in this country is those sitting opposite. If we had listened to their advice and done nothing when the global financial crisis hit, this country would be in recession and 200,000 Australians would be out of work. And what is their latest plan? Their latest plan is to stop the schools infrastructure package. Thousands of workers would lose their jobs if we listened to Tony Abbott. Thousands of small businesses would go under. (Time expired)

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Fierravanti-Wells interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I remind senators, Senator Fierravanti-Wells, that interjections across the chamber are quite disorderly.

Mark Furner (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Those are very positive results for Australia, Minister. You mentioned Far North Queensland. Can the minister explain and provide an example of how the government’s strategies are working to keep people in jobs at a local level? How effective have those strategies been in fighting unemployment? What would be the impact of cutting spending on jobs in local communities?

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Of course, we know that Far North Queensland was the community hardest hit by the global recession. Today we have had some good news. While these figures are monthly and obviously we need to be tentative, the figures show that the unemployment rate has gone down in Far North Queensland from 10.4 per cent in April to 8.9 per cent in May—a drop of 1.5 per cent. As all senators know, a great deal of work has gone into this. I thank Jim Turnour, the member in Cairns, and also Senator McLucas for the work she has done. I also thank the local community, from Advance Cairns to local business and community groups, and also the council for the work for they have done as well.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting—

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Macdonald raised the local community. I want to put on the record a couple of quotes from the Cairns Post. Master Builders Far North regional manager, Ron Bannah, said the BER has:

… been the survival of the industry, particularly in Far North Queensland, and it will continue to be in coming months.

The Housing Industry Association— (Time expired)

Mark Furner (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given that it has been almost a year since the introduction of Job Services Australia, what indicators are there for the operations of the program? How is Job Services Australia progressing in assisting unemployed Australians to find work or to find the training and skills they need to get a job? How has the performance of the new Job Services Australia compared with that of the old Job Network, and what have been the key changes in the new system?

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can report that Job Services Australia has had an outstanding transition. Since July last year, when the new program was introduced, 343,000 job seekers have been placed in jobs. We can remember the former employment minister and now Leader of the Opposition said that Job Services Australia would be a disaster. Well, he got it completely wrong. We are seeing a big increase in the number of job seekers and, when you compare the first nine months of Job Services Australia with the first nine months of the old Job Network under the former coalition government, there has been an increase of 13 per cent in terms of placements.

To go back to North Queensland and the work that has been done there, the Housing Industry Association Executive Director John Futer said that the stimulus funding had benefited a cross-section of trades:

Even for those members who didn’t directly benefit from it, it left more work out there in the market …

The stimulus is having a big effect on supporting jobs and supporting more business, and that is why— (Time expired)