Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Leader of the Government in the Senate and Minister for Employment, Senator Abetz. Can the minister inform the Senate how the government is fostering a strong environment for job creation?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Unlike those opposite, everything this government does is about restoring the economy to create jobs for our fellow Australians. Since our coming to office, over 330,000 jobs have been created. The job creation rate is more than four times the rate seen in the last year of Labor. Australia's jobs growth over the past year has been stronger than in the United States, stronger than in the United Kingdom, stronger than in Canada, stronger than in every other G7 nation.

Whilst we know we are doing better than others, we recognise that we need to do even more. That is why this government has signed up three landmark free trade agreements with China, Japan and Korea. These trade deals will create almost 9,000 jobs per year and create 178,000 jobs by the time all the agreements come into full force in 2035. This is visionary. This is wealth and job creating. This is providing a real, positive future for job seekers.

The government is also investing more than $50 billion in infrastructure, creating jobs during construction and of course long-term jobs as well. We are cutting red tape. We are giving small business the tax breaks they need to grow jobs. Gainful employment enhances a person's mental health, physical health, self-esteem and social interaction. Jobs turn people into financially self-reliant individuals who can shake off the shackles of welfare. Job creation is an untold social and economic good, and that is why we are so determined to create more jobs.

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Will the minister inform the Senate what steps the government is taking to deal with the particular issue of youth unemployment?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government believes that the best form of welfare is a job, and part of what we are doing to help our young people into work is creating jobs through growing our economy. We also recognise that finding and keeping work can be difficult, and we have a number of initiatives designed to give our young people the skills, support, incentives and hope to secure these jobs. The government's new $6.8 billion jobactive employment services program cuts red tape for service providers and gives young people the incentives and assistance to re-engage with training or to find and keep a job. Just last week, the former Labor Premier of Queensland Peter Beattie said of our jobactive program: 'The government's doing a lot of good things. They've got a great program called jobactive.' If he can recognise it, why can't those opposite?

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Will the minister inform the Senate about some of the types of jobs that are being created and where they are being created?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The more than 330,000 jobs that have been created since the coalition took government have been created right across the economy, in tourism and agriculture, and we are on a jobs growth trajectory. Over the next few years, we expect to see more than 110,000 new jobs in retail. We expect to see an additional 140,000 jobs in education and training and 130,000 new jobs in professional, scientific and technical services, and we are on track to see more than 250,000 new jobs in health care and social assistance. This jobs growth trajectory represents great hope for our young people, who will have the opportunity to secure a wide variety of jobs now and into the future to secure their own future.