David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Jobs and Innovation, Senator Cash. Can the minister update the Senate on how the government's employment services program, jobactive, is helping Australians into work?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Jobs and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Bushby, for your question. On this side of the chamber, those of us who are part of the Turnbull government believe in getting Australians into jobs. We also know how you do this. You need to set up a strong economic framework so that businesses can prosper, grow and create jobs. In 2017 the economy created in excess of 1,000 jobs a day. Those of us on this side of the chamber, part of the Turnbull government, are all about improving the lives of Australians, and in creating a thousand jobs a day we're ensuring that more Australians and more families are able to work. But we will continue to take action to ensure that the Australian economy is able to create jobs and we get more people off welfare and into work. In fact, recently, the government's jobactive program, which commenced on 1 July 2015, reached an important milestone: more than one million placements in jobs for Australian workers. Both Australian employers and those seeking a job benefit from this program.

The jobs figures under the Turnbull government show we are delivering on our promise of, as we've said, jobs and growth. We are delivering on our promise to grow the economy and ensure that we put in place the right economic framework so that businesses can prosper, grow and create jobs. And the milestone of one million job placements by jobactive is evidence that the Turnbull government's policies when it comes to job creation are working.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bushby, on a supplementary question.

David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What benefits do programs like jobactive and the government's other employment initiatives deliver for the Australian community?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Jobs and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, those of us on this side of the chamber, we are all about delivering economic growth and ensuring businesses are able to prosper and grow, and create jobs. We put in place policies that connect people who need to get into work with the jobs that the economy is creating.

On this side of the chamber we know getting more Australians into work benefits us all. It increases economic growth, it means individuals are earning an income rather than relying on welfare and, of course, the dignity of work sets a good example for the next generation of Australians. Of course, on this side of the chamber we have a number of policies that are specifically targeted to groups to actually acknowledge the special needs of those groups; for example, Youth Jobs PaTH—getting our youth off welfare and into work, giving them the skills they need, getting their foot in the door and getting them a job. (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bushby on a final supplementary question.

David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the minister aware of any threats to the Turnbull government's efforts to get Australians into work?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Jobs and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, it becomes clearer and clearer every day in terms of those on the other side. There is a very clear alternative between those of us here on this side, part of the Turnbull government, and those on the other side. On this side of the chamber, as we have always said, we will use every possible lever that we have to get Australians into work. We know those on the other side are more focused on keeping Australians on welfare.

Labor constantly talk down our strong economic management. They belittle the economy's creation of 1,000 jobs a day in 2017. Colleagues, we'd all know, they routinely attack business. They attack employers, those people who are out there doing the hard yards and creating jobs. On this side of the chamber we are committed to jobs and growth—growing businesses, ensuring that they prosper, creating jobs and getting more Australians off welfare.