Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's my great pleasure to report on job creation and unemployment levels on the Gold Coast, especially the northern Gold Coast, which gives an indication of what this government has achieved. Since September 2013 over one million jobs have been created across the country. It is quite extraordinary. My community on the Gold Coast has benefitted enormously from what the government has done in tackling unemployment. The policy settings and the programs for businesses to grow and employ are reaping results. The numbers tell a great story. The numbers don't lie. They are what they are. They are from the ABS. Regardless of your side of politics, the numbers are the numbers. We can have different views; we generally can't have different facts.

On the northern Gold Coast in my seat of Fadden we have a labour force of 100,715 and, of those, 95,741 have a job. That's a fact. There are, unfortunately, 4,973 people unemployed, but that's an unemployment rate of 4.9 per cent. The national average is 5½ per cent, give or take. The unemployment rate is 4.9 per cent in my seat. As at June 2018 the mature age, 55 and over, unemployment rate was 1.9 per cent—98.1 per cent are employed. This has decreased by 1.9 per cent over the past year. The unemployment rate for those over 55 has halved in the last 12 months.

The youth unemployment rate nationally is 10 per cent, 11 per cent or 12 per cent. In my seat on the northern Gold Coast it has dropped by 2.9 per cent and is only 8.2 per cent. As at June this year there were five jobactive providers helping 5,652 people in their search for a job. Only 580 young people aged from 18 to 21 are jobseekers and there are 2,140 mature-age jobseekers. However you slice and dice full employment, with unemployment at 4.9 per cent and unemployment at 1.9 per cent for those aged 55 and over, the Gold Coast is doing exceptionally well. This is driven by the policies of this government, which is why I'm so proud to serve in this government.

Retail is the biggest employer—42,045 people are involved in retail. Transition to Work is helping people aged 15 to 21 years improve their work readiness. We're clearly seeing the results flow. Since February 2016 this program has helped place young people in my electorate into 242 jobs. There are currently 119 young Gold Coasters in the program; 1,317 jobseekers have accessed work for the dole; and 50 businesses in my electorate have benefited from the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science's payments and 62 businesses have seen other benefits from that program. This government is delivering on employment for the Gold Coast.