Gladys Liu (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer inform the House of how the Morrison government's strong economic management and sticking to our national plan is ensuring that our economy is set up to generate more jobs for Australian families and businesses? Is the Treasurer aware of any alternative policies?

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Chisholm for her question and acknowledge her background in small business as a speech pathologist and is a strong advocate for the people of Burwood, Box Hill and Blackburn across her electorate. Today the Australian economy got some further positive economic data. Job ads were up 4.9 per cent for the month, with the strongest growth in NSW where job ads were up 16 per cent. We have seen data from the National Skills Commission which demonstrates that businesses are rehiring as their doors are reopening. We know that the Australian economy will rebound strongly as a result of the economic support that we have put in place and as a result of restrictions easing across the country. I welcome the fact that tomorrow in the great state of Victoria we will see those restrictions eased.

Yesterday consumer confidence was up for the sixth week in a row. Last week business confidence was up. Last week we saw Australia's AAA credit rating reaffirmed and our economic outlook upgraded. We know that $330 billion has been accumulated on household and business balance sheets. That primes the Australian economy for a strong recovery.

I am asked: 'Are there any alternative policies?' We have seen from those opposite the carbon tax, which saw electricity prices skyrocket. We saw from those opposite the mining tax, which didn't raise any revenue. We saw the cash for clunkers and we saw the pink batts. But 77 days ago we got another policy that probably makes Labor's greatest hits. It was a $6 billion conversation starter, a cash splash to pay $300 to people who have already had the jab. The member for Rankin, in a cameo appearance before this chamber, had this view: he said that the government should pick up the idea and run with it. But it's not a memo that the shadow cabinet got, because they're not running with the idea. They're running away from the idea. On Insiders Senator Katy Gallagher, the shadow finance minister, was asked directly about the $300 payment to people who have already had the jab. What did she say? Is it still the policy? 'The time for that has passed.'