Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

The indicators continue to be positive for the Australian economy and for business and for jobs. Significantly, further improvement is likely, with last week’s NAB quarterly business survey finding business confidence strengthened further in the December quarter. It is now at the highest level in 15 years. This boost to business confidence comes off the back of the Rudd government’s economic stimulus and its underpinning of ongoing investment and job creation in the face of considerable economic challenges that confront our global economy. Business conditions also improved further in the December quarter. They are at their highest level since March 2008. The improvement was broad across most sectors, with finance, property services, residential construction and construction services performing the best. The independent OECD report released last week made it clear that fiscal and monetary stimulus in Australia shielded businesses and citizens from the initial impacts of the global recession. Employment in Australia in 2010 will be between—