Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McLachlan for his question. I know his interest in seeing Australian business, Australian families continue to be able to enjoy the benefits of the dividend of Australia's management of COVID-19, management that has saved more than 30,000 lives across our country, management that has saved many thousands of businesses and many hundreds of thousands of jobs across our country. Pleasingly, the national plan that the Prime Minister took to national cabinet underpinned by scientific modelling is charting the pathway that is enabling each of the states and territories to open up, to take the progress forward that gives businesses the confidence to plan and invest, and we're seeing that across the country. New unpublished payroll jobs data shows that in New South Wales new hires have increased by some 25 per cent in the fortnight to 24 October. This data also shows that in Victoria new highs are up by 15 per cent and here in the ACT they're up by 22 per cent. It shows very clearly that businesses are getting back on with the business of creating jobs and creating prosperity across our country.

Indeed, payroll data shows that small businesses across Australia have created more than 300,000 jobs for Australians in the period April 2020 to September 2021, while medium-sized businesses created another 300,000 jobs. That's 600,000 additional jobs right across our country. Small businesses alone are showing around 18,000 jobs per month, or around 4½ thousand jobs per week, being created. Job ads are showing at a 30 per cent higher level than they were at the start of the pandemic. In fact, job ads in Australia are at a 12 year high, underpinned by high levels of business confidence, high levels of consumer confidence—all of it thanks to the fact that we are well on that path to recovery— (Time expired)