Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about secure jobs and the strong economy that the government is focused on nurturing, because we know that strong jobs growth helps Australians to manage the cost of living.

The Albanese government is putting jobs and skills at the top of the government's agenda, because we know the importance of a job to every individual. At the federal election, Labor committed to the establishment of Jobs and Skills Australia in its first 100 days, because we know how important it is to building our economy. It will inform and drive policy on skills and labour shortages. It will boost national productivity and get wages moving. Migration will play an important role in filling some of the skills gaps, but we must ensure that all Australians have the skills to apply for jobs and vacancies now and into the future. Government must be informed by the sectors which drive our economy and our country's productivity and prosperity. I am in contact with local businesses to understand their work shortages, business capacity and their annual turnover.

There's a consensus that you need synergy between education outcomes and job vacancies; graduates are not necessarily graduating with the correct skills for the job vacancies within the community. Government must take the concerns and aspirations of business seriously, and this is why the Albanese government is continuing the government's commitment to consultation. Jobs and Skills Australia will provide independent advice on a range of current and emerging workforce, skill and training issues. It is advice to the government that will help inform the policies and programs that ensure Australia's training systems deliver the skills and workforce for the industries that are needed to ensure growth and prosperity within the Australian economy.

Job security is No. 1: without job security, people can't apply for home loans and they can't get a car loan. We know the value of having a job and of having a secure job. Jobs and Skills Australia will also play an important role in helping to strengthen Australia's economy. It will deliver this by leading research and analysis, undertaking workforce forecasting and analysis, and preparing capacity studies for emerging and growing industries. This will provide a greater understanding of current and emerging Australian workforce skill needs in order to strengthen Australian skills and the system policies and programs settings which are so vitally important. After nearly a decade of inaction under the previous government, made worse by the decision to abandon migrant workers during the pandemic lockdowns, it is so vital that we get a better understanding of the skills that we need now and into the future to drive the national skills policy. The Albanese government has a clear agenda to create secure, local jobs and to bring manufacturing back to our shores, ensuring we have enough jobs and that we have the skills to ensure the growth of our economy.

This is so vitally important to my home state of Tasmania. That's why the Albanese government is committed to Tasmanians' interests in ensuring that we have the skills and opportunities to fill workplace and workforce shortages, and take opportunities for the future by investing in jobs and skills, tourism infrastructure, our agriculture industry and our food bowl. These are so critical to my home state: ensuring that every Tasmanian has the opportunity to secure a well-paid job that they can rely on and ensuring they have access to the better health care that they need. Labor will never leave any Australians on their own without ensuring that we do everything possible to make sure we have a strong economy and that we skill and educate the workforce for the future. That's why we're investing in TAFE. Unlike those opposite, we value TAFE—we value the skills that it provides to our economy. We support our university sector; we have to give people opportunities. A secure job with a well-trained workforce will improve productivity and the outcomes for the Australian economy will be so much better. (Time expired)

Senate adjourned at 17: 50