The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures released today show that 60,000 full time jobs have been lost in the last 6 months on Malcolm Turnbull’s watch.
Under the Turnbull Liberal Government, there has been no improvement in the unemployment rate which remains at 5.7 per cent, with no increase in the number of full time jobs created last month.
Although Malcolm Turnbull has continued Tony Abbott’s trademark three word slogans with his meaningless repetition of “jobs and growth”, 726,400 Australians remain unemployed, with 40,000 more Australians lining the unemployment queue since the Abbott-Turnbull Government was elected.
Of particular concern is the number of underemployed people, which has climbed to the highest number ever in this country. There are one million and sixty seven thousand of our fellow Australians who want more work but cannot get it.
Given these are the last ABS figures prior to the election it is instructive to compare the average unemployment rate between the last Labor Government and under the Abbott-Turnbull Government.
The unemployment rate under the stewardship of Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull has been much higher at 6 per cent compared to Labor’s average unemployment rate of 5.1 per cent. This is despite Labor navigating the Global Financial Crisis.
The reason there is such a drastic difference is because Labor always puts people first and jobs at the heart of policy decisions.
If the Turnbull Liberal Government is returned on July 2, South Australia has particular cause for concern with the unemployment rate there increasing to 6.9 per cent.
Whilst the Turnbull Liberal Government has no plan, today Bill Shorten announced that a Shorten Labor Government will invest in South Australians by securing more than 3,500 South Australian jobs, locking in a steel future for Australia through targeted investment in Arrium.
Australia cannot be the only advanced economy in the world to let its steel industry die. A Shorten Labor Government won’t stand by and let this happen.
It’s bold decisions like this from Labor to support South Australian workers that will assist South Australia to reduce the unemployment rate, which has remained stubbornly high, while the Liberals have been in Canberra.
At a time when wages growth is at record lows, now is not the time for the Liberals’ attack on wages and conditions.
Underemployment, insecure work, and low wages growth is of concern to Labor because it is not good for people and it is not good for economic growth.
The Liberals are bereft of a jobs plan, in fact everything on their agenda has been about attacking pay, work and conditions – they want to cut penalty rates; they want young people doing exploitative internships instead of getting real jobs; and they were responsible for workers being dragged off vessels and sacked in favour of foreign crew.
A Shorten Labor Government will put people and jobs first. Our first task ever day will be making sure Australians are in good jobs with decent pay and working conditions.
To prove that point, today Bill Shorten also announced a Shorten Labor Government will invest $68.6 million over the next four years to deliver Local Jobs for Local People.
Labor will always be the party of jobs and will strive to secure a future for unemployed Australians through a fairer, more quotable employment market.