Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This has been a difficult year full of sacrifice for Australians, and it is critical that we get the recovery right. So we need to see a jobs plan from this government—a plan for good, secure jobs for all Australians—and we need to see it now. Right now, one million Australians are out of work, 1.5 million Australians can't find enough work, and another 400,000 Australians are predicted to lose their jobs before Christmas. That's almost two million Australians who really need a jobs plan from this government.

What is the plan from the Prime Minister? Let me tell you his plan: slashing JobKeeper, winding back JobSeeker, dumping the superannuation increase and freezing the pension. Scott Morrison is cutting people's incomes and support at the very time they are struggling the most: while we're right in the middle of our first recession in almost 30 years, in the middle of this pandemic, before people have even had the chance to get back on their feet. Australians need to see a jobs plan from this government. We needed a jobs plan even before this pandemic, and we need one now more than ever before—a plan to create decent and well-paid jobs.

Australians want to see this government stop with the announcements and start with the action; stop with the photo opportunities and start with the job opportunities; stop with the press releases and start following through. So here are three ideas for the Prime Minister. First, let's rebuild manufacturing that delivers decent and well-paid jobs in our cities and our regions. We have a really proud history of making things in this country. In the past, if we needed it we made it right here. It's time we supported manufacturing to revitalise and to produce more of what we need right here and to employ more Australians in our cities and, critically, in our regions.

Second, let's rebuild our nation's infrastructure. Let's invest in projects that will transform Australia into a nation that is actually ready for the future. Let's start projects that improve people's lives, improve our competitiveness and get us ready to take advantage of the future. And let's invest in projects that create jobs right now, today. A new generation of high-quality social housing is just one project that this government could get behind today.

Third, let's rebuild secure employment in this country. We have seen enough gig jobs. We have seen enough labour hire jobs. We've seen enough casual, contract and temporary jobs in this country. In this pandemic we've relied on some of our lowest-paid and most insecure workers to get us through. We've recognised that some of our lowest-paid workers with the least job security have been our most essential at this time. So it's time that we called time as a country on the explosion of insecure work in this country. It's time we committed to rebuilding secure jobs that people can actually count on and build a future on.

Indeed, it is long past time that this government delivered a jobs plan. For seven years we've seen flat wages. For seven years we've seen the growth of insecure jobs. For seven years we've seen our heartland manufacturing industries decline. For seven years we've seen our national infrastructure run down by this government. Right now, a jobs plan is urgent. It's urgent for the two million Australians expected to be out of work by this Christmas. It's urgent for the children who are leaving school this year and want to know what the future holds for them. It's urgent for all of us who know that good, secure jobs are our strongest foundation. It's time the Prime Minister delivered.