James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator Cash. Can the minister update the Senate about the results of the recent Australian labour force figures for the month of September?

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

I thank Senator Paterson for the question. I'm going to have to build on what our outstanding finance minister has already outlined for the Senate today, and that is that for the month of September we yet again saw the Australian economy creating jobs—and, colleagues, for 36 consecutive months now—because of the policies of the Morrison coalition government. Every single month we have seen the economy create jobs. That has never, ever happened before in Australia's history. We now see full-time employment in Australia at record levels. We also have a record number of Australians in employment. With the figures for September, we now see that almost 13 million Australians are in employment because of the policies that the coalition government has put in place. We also see that over 60 per cent of the jobs the economy has created in the last 12 months have been full-time jobs. And, as the Minister for Women is well aware, we also have a record number of women in employment in Australia, including a record number in full-time employment. It is at a record high of over 6,110,000.

Since we came to government, we have put policies in place to ensure that the employers out there, the job creators of the country, are able to prosper, grow and create more jobs for Australians. Since we were elected to office, this government has put policies in place that have created almost 1.5 million jobs. That is because we understand the benefits of a strong economy— (Time expired)

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

Senator Paterson, a supplementary question?

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How is the Morrison government delivering stable and certain economic growth and ensuring more Australians are given an 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

It is because we have a plan. We have a plan to continue to ensure that the businesses out there, the job creators in the country, are able to prosper, grow and create more jobs for Australians. We said to the Australian people that if they elected us on 18 May—and they did—we would put policies in place to create an additional 1.25 million jobs over the next five years, and we are putting the policies in place to ensure that the economy is able to do that. We are, of course, returning the budget to surplus—2019-20—which is something those opposite haven't managed to do since 1989.

We are also delivering record infrastructure investment—over $100 billion—because construction and infrastructure investment create jobs. What are we also doing? There is $158 billion in tax relief for nine million hardworking Australia. (Time expired)

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

Senator Paterson, a final supplementary question?

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, I hope the answer to this question is no. Are there any policy risks that you are 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

The answer is actually yes, and it is, of course, the policies of the Australian Labor Party, policies that were comprehensively rejected by the Australian people on 18 May, because the Australian people understood that $387 billion in additional taxes being imposed on the economy would see job losses in Australia.

Colleagues, the reality is that if those opposite had been elected, as of 1 July this year, their retiree tax, their superannuation tax and their tax on family businesses would have taken affect. We were elected as a job-creating government, and we will continue to put in place the economic framework and the economic policies to ensure that the businesses out there are able to prosper, grow and create more jobs for Australians, because businesses create jobs. Again, with today's labour force figures, a record number of Australians are in employment. (Time expired)