Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Monash for his question. In the past 18 months, Australia has had to face many challenges to our way of life. We've had droughts, floods, storms, fires and a worldwide pandemic which has killed 3.8 million people across the globe. Through all the challenges we've faced as a nation, we've stayed strong and we've stayed together. I thank Australians for their resilience.

A year ago Australia entered a COVID recession, but the tenacity of Australians has seen us bounce back strongly. The unemployment figures out today are remarkable—down 5.5 per cent to 5.1 per cent. There are more people with a job today than there were prior to the pandemic. Real jobs are created through private enterprise and through businesses both large and small. It's the government's role to provide the confidence and the economic parameters around which businesses will succeed and employ people.

On the storm damage, this morning I spoke to the Acting Premier of Victoria, James Merlino, regarding the severe storms and the flood damage.

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