Scott Morrison makes election jobs pledge to voters

Scott Morrison is pledging to create 1.3 million new jobs over the next five years to boost skills in post-pandemic Australia in a key election pitch.

Scott Morrison is promising to create 1.3 million new jobs over the next five years in a key election pitch to voters about a stronger economy under his leadership.

The Prime Minister will on Tuesday announce the pledge, which will be achieved through a suite of initiatives designed to boost skills and turbocharge employment in a post-pandemic Australia.

“We’ve got the runs on the board and proven plans to deliver these 1.3 million new jobs,” Mr Morrison said.

“Our tax relief for workers and small business, our investments in skills and trades, and our support for our local manufacturing sector mean we can get more people into more jobs.”

Mr Morrison said the commitment builds on the Coalition’s record of creating almost 1.9 million new jobs since it was elected.

He said despite fires, floods, a pandemic, a global recession, economic coercion from China and now a war in Europe, the government had driven the unemployment rate down to 4 per cent, from 5.7 per cent when Labor left office.

In a direct swipe at his opponents, Mr Morrison said only the Liberals and Nationals have the track record and experience.

Employment Minister Stuart Robert says there were 376,000 more Australians in work than before the pandemic. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

“Boosting jobs creation to the levels we saw even before the pandemic is key to our plan for a stronger economy,” Mr Morrison said.

“My government has created 50 per cent more jobs than what we saw when Labor faced the GFC, despite an economic crisis with the pandemic that was 30 times bigger.”

The comments come follow a first-day gaffe from Labor leader Anthony Albanese, who said he didn’t know what the unemployment or cash rate was when asked on Monday.

Josh Frydenberg has also accused the opposition of not having a plan for the economy and jobs, saying it “can’t be trusted” to manage the budget.

“With more people in work and fewer people on welfare we have seen a $103bn turn around in the budget bottom line,” the Treasurer said, adding it was the largest and fastest improvement in more than 70 years.

He said Australia’s job recovery from Covid-19 had been faster and stronger than the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.

Employment Minister Stuart Robert said there were 376,000 more Australians in work than before the pandemic.

The Morrison government in last month’s budget announced an additional $3.7bn to support 800,000 new training places, new incentives for apprentices and a tax incentives for business.