Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. Australian Bureau of Statistics data released last week shows that over the past year part-time employment has increased by a full one percentage point to 32 per cent of all employment. Is the Turnbull government concerned about the growth in part-time jobs at the expense of full-time jobs?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What we are concerned about is making sure that all Australians who want to work can work. And we are having success—

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Not working enough!

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Pratt, I wish you would not interject when you have just asked a question and I am trying to give you the answer. What the Turnbull government is concerned about—

Opposition senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left! Pause the clock. The Attorney-General is entitled to be heard in silence.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thought the Australian Labor Party was also concerned that Australians who want to work should be able to find work. That is certainly what motivates this government, which is why we are delighted that the unemployment rate in Australia today has fallen to 5.6 per cent, its lowest rate in three years. We also note that casual work is a genuine choice for many people. To imagine that full-time work is the only legitimate measure of the health of the labour force is a delusion. Casual work is a genuine and fulfilling choice for many people. Casual and part-time work also helps create new jobs, is vital to the economy and very often suits the choices of those individuals. Particularly, it is the option of many parents, many women and many students. The percentage of employees who are in casual employment has in fact been relatively steady over the past decade. As at August, 25.1 per cent of employees were casual, representing approximately 2.5 million participants in the workforce, compared to the peak in 2004 of 25.7 per cent.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Pratt, a supplementary question?

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I again refer to ABS data which shows that since December 2015 the number of Australians in part-time employment has increased by 133,000 people, while the number of Australians in full-time employment has decreased by 89,000 people. Why are workers who are seeking the security of full-time employment amongst Mr Turnbull's 'losers'?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

(—) (): I think the most recent statistics in fact give the lie to your assertion, because the number of Australians in part-time employment in October of this year—which are the most recent figures available, of course—was 3,812,000, compared to 3,844,000 in the previous month in September 2016. So there has been a slight decrease in the number of people in part-time employment, month-on-month, over the past month. But that, with respect, is scarcely the point. As I tried to point out to you in my answer to your initial question, casual employment and part-time employment are the preferred options of many Australians, and flexibility in the workplace, including flexibility in the choices people make, is a very important value. (Time expired)

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Pratt, a final supplementary question?

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Monday the minister told the Senate:

You can ask about the participation rate, but it does not follow from that proposition that the labour market is in a poor condition.

Why isn't the minister concerned about jobseekers so despondent about work and the state of the labour market that they are giving up on finding work?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Honestly and truly, I have just pointed out to you that the part-time employment rate has actually fallen slightly in the last month, but the unemployment rate, which is the headline figure, the most important measure, has significantly fallen to 5.6 per cent, so that we now have the lowest unemployment in Australia for three years.

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tell that to the people who are giving up.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On my left.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know the Australian Labor Party does not like to hear the good news, Senator Pratt, but the good news is that when we have a decline in the rate of unemployment to a three-year low of 5.6 per cent, and within the workforce a slight increase in the proportion of people in full-time employment versus those in part-time employment, those are a good set of outcomes.