Amanda Stoker (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the How do the results of the Australian labour force figures for the month of May demonstrate how the Morrison government is getting on with the job of delivering for the Australian people?

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

I thank Senator Stoker for her question but, in particular, I congratulate Senator Stoker for the great work she did on the ground to deliver so many seats to the LNP in the election—and how that compares with the efforts that Senator Watt made during the election. I believe, Senator Watt, that you lost every seat you visited. A lot of people owe their lack of being here to Senator Watt.

We are a job-creating government. Since 2013 we have put in place the right policy framework so that employers out there—the Australian economy—can create jobs. In fact since we were elected in 2013, the economy has now created 1.4 million jobs. As you know, when we were first elected, in 2013, we said we'd create a million jobs within five years. Because of the policies we put in place, we delivered that commitment ahead of schedule. In relation to the 1.4 million jobs, 60 per cent of those have been full-time.

The unemployment rate in Australia as at May was 5.2 per cent. When Labor last left office—a while ago now—it was 5.7 per cent. The economy continues to create jobs because of the policies that the coalition government has put in place. In May of this year we actually saw employment in Australia reach an all-time high of almost 12,900,000 Australians in work. We also saw confidence in the jobs market being the highest ever, with 66 per cent as the participation rate. It is because of the policies of the coalition government— (Time expired)

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

Senator Stoker, a supplementary question.

Amanda Stoker (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister, for that excellent news. Are there any policy risks that the minister is aware of that could jeopardise these record figures?

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

Well, I think the attitude today of those in the chamber on the other side says it all. As the Leader of the Government in the Senate has stated, even though the Australian people voted overwhelmingly on 18 May to endorse the tax plan that we took to the election, those on the other side continue to oppose it. They remain the greatest risk to jobs in this country. They took to the election a plan to tax Australians a further $387 billion. Imagine the effect on jobs if that plan had been allowed to go through. But it isn't, it won't, because the Australian people voted against the Labor Party's plan for higher taxes and they endorsed the coalition's plan in full, all three stages of our policy, to give Australians back more of their own money.

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

Senator Stoker, a final supplementary question.

Amanda Stoker (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What action is the Morrison government taking to continue to grow our economy and ensure that more Australians are given the opportunity to find a job?

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

We have made a commitment to the Australian people that the Morrison government, over the next five years, will build on the policies we already have in place to ensure the economy can deliver a further 1.25 million jobs. That builds on the one-million-jobs commitment that we made in 2013, and we will do that by ensuring that we return the budget to surplus, something those on the other side haven't done for I think 20 years, two decades.

We will also deliver a record infrastructure spend of in excess of $100 billion. Why? Because we understand that when you invest in infrastructure you allow the economy to create jobs. In my portfolio of small and family business, we extended the instant asset write-off so that an additional 22,000 businesses are now covered. Again, we are all about getting on with— (Time expired)