Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator, for that question—a very important one, indeed. Helping people get a job and growing the economic pie so that more Australians have more opportunities to start a small business are the most important things we can do in this place. I can't speak for all senators, but I can say that the focus of each and every one of my coalition colleagues is helping move people from the misery of passive welfare into the dignity of work.

Since we came to government, there have been over a million jobs created—400,000 jobs last year. And a bit of a tip to those opposite: it doesn't happen by accident. In the 12 months before we came to government, those opposite were responsible for 89,000 job creations, but—wait for it—there was, in fact, a loss of 17,000 full-time jobs. Just in my portfolio, there have been over 60,000 jobs created for Indigenous jobseekers and there has been a 23.3 per cent increase in the number of Indigenous jobs since the 2011 census. Our Indigenous jobs program is working very well. It can be pretty nauseating listening to those opposite lecture me about my job program when their record was a dismal 89,000 jobs and ours is 400,000. I do listen to them carry on about my job program. Our record is 26,000 jobs under CDP compared to the RJCP, which had complete disengagement. In fact, only seven per cent of people turned up for jobs. Take small business: 30 Indigenous businesses; $6.2 million in Commonwealth contracts; 1,000 Indigenous businesses winning over a billion dollars in contracts since 2015. That's our record—a fantastic record. I can tell you what: we are getting more Indigenous Australians—in fact, all Australians—off the misery of passive welfare into the dignity of work.