Federal election: Scott Morrison pledges to create 1.3 million jobs in five years

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is pledging to create 1.3 million more jobs over the next five years as part of his economy-focused election campaign.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is pledging to create 1.3 million more jobs over the next five years as part of his economy-focused election campaign.

“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 jobs.

“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.

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

Mr Morrison has been claiming the Covid pandemic caused an economic crisis 30 times worse than the GFC since last year’s federal budget. Economic experts have described the comparison as “ludicrous”, among other things.

Nevertheless, the government can point to the national unemployment rate of 4 per cent – the lowest it has been in decades – to back up its claim of good economic management.

According to government figures, there are currently 376,000 more Australians in work than there were before the pandemic.

“Anthony Albanese and Labor don’t have a plan for the economy and for jobs and can’t be trusted to manage the budget,” Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said.

Speaking of Mr Albanese, the jobs pledge is a convenient way for the government to keep talking about his gaffe on Monday, when he could accurately describe neither the RBA’s cash rate nor the unemployment rate.

Scott Morrison. Picture: Jason Edwards

The Labor leader’s stumble came a short time before Mr Morrison’s press conference yesterday. Asked the same questions – and having been briefed by his staff, no doubt – the Prime Minister answered them easily.

“0.1 per cent is the cash rate, it has been there for some time. The unemployment rate, I’m happy to say, is 4 per cent, falling to a 50-year low,” said Mr Morrison.

“It came down from 5.7 per cent when we were first elected. More importantly, as we went into the pandemic, we were facing unemployment rates up around 15 per cent. Now it is 4 per cent.

“(That) puts us ahead of all the advanced economies in the world, not just on growth, but also on jobs. We are ahead of all those major advanced economies.”

Underpinning the 1.3 million jobs pledge are a number of policies previously announced in the federal budget, including tax incentives for small businesses to digitalise their operations and train their employees; $3.7 billion in funding for skills training; billions of dollars in infrastructure funding; and the $2.5 billion Modern Manufacturing Strategy.

Mr Morrison will begin his Tuesday campaign schedule in Sydney.