Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister please inform the House of the critical importance of having a plan to create a stronger economy for a stronger future with more jobs, more opportunity and guaranteed essential services? I am also going to ask him: is the Prime Minister aware of any alternative approaches?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank my dear friend the member for Swan for his question. He is retiring at the next election. I know Kristy McSweeney will make a great member for Swan. She puts herself forward for the Liberal Party in the seat of Swan. I thank the member for Swan for his great service to this House. I particularly commend him for the incredible work that he did for those who were raised in a very similar situation to him as orphans and were taken care of. Can I thank him for his tremendous service to this House over many, many years.

Our plan, which we have made very clear, has been set out in our budget, delivered by the Treasurer—his fourth. Our budget sets out that comprehensive economic plan for the future. We know it's working because Australians are working. They are working, and women are working in a participation rate in the labour force at record levels. Our economic plan is working, and that economic plan means a stronger budget. That economic plan means that over the course of the last 12 months, the budget has improved by some $100 billion or more, which is the biggest economic recovery we have seen in this country in 70 years. That is a product of a plan.

Our government has a plan to continue to grow the economy. It has delivered for Australians. It is delivering real relief now to cost-of-living pressures. It is delivering real opportunities for Australians in skills, in infrastructure and in investment in their businesses, and in the regions as well. It is delivering more jobs. It was the shadow Treasurer who said that the test of a budget is jobs. He's right about that. He's right about little else, but he is right about that fact, and our budget has delivered already our plan for some 375,000 additional jobs. That is on top of what we had before the pandemic hit, with 1.2 million jobs created overall as part of this recovery as we come back from the pandemic.

Our economic plan is guaranteeing essential services in health and education. We have the highest bulk-billing rates we've seen and 2,700 listings and amended listings in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, which is changing lives and saving lives. It's investing our strong economy from our plan to ensure that we have been able to rebuild our defence forces from what we saw under Labor, which was the lowest level as a share of the economy since before the Second World War.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Brand is warned.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) | Link to this | Hansard source

I am asked about alternative approaches. I can't tell you about alternative approaches by the Labor Party because they haven't told anybody about those alternative approaches. The Labor Party are a tired opposition, the relic of an old, failed government, dwindling away there on their benches with no economic plan for the future. No economic plan and no idea.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister's time has expired.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) | Link to this | Hansard source

On that note, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper, given the time is almost 25 minutes past the hour.