House debates

Tuesday, 28 March 2006

Questions without Notice

Workplace Relations

3:05 pm

Photo of Sharman StoneSharman Stone (Murray, Liberal Party, Minister for Workforce Participation) Share this | Hansard source

The latest figures show that in the 12 months up to February 2006 the Job Network has helped over 650,000 Australians previously on welfare into real jobs—these are long-term jobs. This is an increase of over 50 per cent on the previous 12 months. As well, of those 650,000 new jobs, 43,000 were for those who were previously on the single supporting parent benefit. These are mostly women. This was a doubling of the figures of the previous year. The Job Network also placed over 11,000 people with a disability into work. That was a 64 per cent increase over the previous 12 months. Very significantly, 44,000 of these new-found jobs for people were for Indigenous Australians, who often face multiple barriers. That was double the number of those from the Indigenous community placed in employment in the year before.

So this side of the House is not prepared to do what Labor did, which was simply to pump out short-term courses which led nowhere. Our figures show that we have an extraordinarily effective Job Network. But we are not going to rest on that capacity that we have developed in the last eight years. Through our welfare to work reforms, the Howard government are investing some $3.6 billion to help Australians, particularly those on income support, move into real jobs, into paid work. We recognise in particular people with a disability, people previously on single supporting parent benefits, mature age workers, Indigenous Australians and those who are long-term unemployed; people who may have, as I say, multiple barriers to work. They will be given particular assistance to find real jobs so they can join with the rest of Australia’s workforce in sharing in the bounty of this country. This is very special help that we will deliver through Job Network.

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