Tuesday, 13 May 2025

Employment

Bridget VALLENCE (Evelyn) (14:35): My question is to the Minister for Finance. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has confirmed that Victoria has the highest unemployment rate of any state in Australia and that Victoria’s unemployment rate has been worse than the national average now for 13 consecutive months. Will the minister admit that under Labor Victoria is the unemployment capital of Australia?

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Sunbury can leave the chamber for half an hour. I had hoped to get through question time without removing anyone.

Member for Sunbury withdrew from chamber.

Danny PEARSON (Essendon – Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs, Minister for Finance) (14:36): I am not going to cop this rubbish from those opposite. They are constantly talking the joint down. The reality is Victoria is a great place to live and work and invest. If you look over the last decade, we have outperformed all other states. In economic growth we have had a 31 per cent increase. Our employment growth has increased by 29 per cent, our business investment growth is at 62 per cent, our business counts are at 35 per cent and we are the reigning premiers when it comes to new homes being built over the last 12 months. We have created more than 800,000 jobs since we were elected, and the unemployment rate is at 4.6 per cent, so Victoria is a fantastic place to work. When you see the amount of growth and economic development that is occurring in this state, you recognise the fact that we have got our settings right. This is a great place to invest, and I think the budget that will be handed down next week will demonstrate the fact that we have got the fiscal settings right and we have got the right approach in terms of growing and expanding the economy. We know that the economic growth statement that we released last year was all about making sure that we can reduce the regulatory burden and make it easier for businesses to work. So while those opposite constantly talk the joint down –

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, I would ask you to ask the minister to come back to the very narrow question about the unemployment rate being the highest in Australia under the watch of the Labor government. Will you answer that question?

The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Finance was being relevant to the question that was asked.

Danny PEARSON: There have been something like more than 132,000 Victorians who have found work over the year to December of last year, which, again, is one of the largest increases in Australia for this period. When I go around the state looking at and meeting with businesses, talking to them and hearing their stories about the growth that they are experiencing and about the investments that they are making, we are the economic powerhouse of this state and we are employing thousands more Victorians now than when we were first elected. We have got a plan for the growth of this state. We have identified the fact that there are key industries that we want to target and grow. We want to be leading the nation when it comes to key industries like pharmaceuticals, like med tech, like data and like data centres and digital. We are leading the nation.

While there is this level of turbulence that is occurring at a global level, through our extensive network of trade offices around the globe there is an opportunity for us to seize that advantage and make sure that more and more of the world can see the great produce that is being produced right here in this state. So I will not cop those opposite talking the state down. We know that they are a rabble. We know that they are irrelevant. We know that they are divided. We are getting on with growing the state.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister is required to be factual, and these are the ABS data: Victoria has had the highest unemployment rate in Australia consecutively now for 13 months.

The SPEAKER: The minister has concluded his answer.

Bridget VALLENCE (Evelyn) (14:39): With Victoria having the highest unemployment rate in the nation for 13 consecutive months, will the government and the minister admit that it has failed to achieve its first step of Labor’s own fiscal strategy?

Danny PEARSON (Essendon – Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs, Minister for Finance) (14:40): For the Shadow Minister for Finance’s benefit, we have got a fiscal strategy in place – the only one in the nation. The first was about growing jobs and stabilising the economy. That was step 1. We have created 800,000 jobs since we were elected. Step 2 was to have a cash surplus. We have achieved a cash surplus.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister is required to be factual, and the first step of their fiscal strategy was about reducing unemployment, yet unemployment is rising under this Labor government. I would ask you to ask him to be factual.

The SPEAKER: Order! Manager of Opposition Business, a point of order is not an opportunity to make a statement to the chamber. It is an assumption in this house that every member who gets on their feet will be factual.

Danny PEARSON: Step 2 was a cash surplus, and the cash surplus has been achieved. Step 3 is an operating surplus, and I am going to be thrilled and excited to see the budget being handed down by the Treasurer next week. Again, the previous budget papers show that we are on track for an operating surplus. Step 4 was to stabilise net debt as a proportion of the economy. Step 5 was to reduce net debt as a proportion of the economy. We are the only jurisdiction in the nation with a fiscal strategy; we are faithfully adhering to that. We have got the policy settings right. The economy is going gangbusters. Those opposite are a joke and irrelevant. They constantly talk the place down, and they do not –

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, again the minister is debating the question. Step 1 of the fiscal strategy says ‘reducing unemployment’. They are failing on that first step.

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister has 6 seconds to come back to the question.

Danny PEARSON: Look, if this is about trying to find Michael Sukkar a job, I am happy to meet with him anytime.