A Record Number of Australians in Jobs
The latest Labour force figures for March reveal that Australia’s economic recovery continues at pace. Our recovery has been so strong that the unemployment rate is now lower than when Labor left office with the rate falling to 6.6 percent in March, down from 6.8 percent. Women are leading the jobs recovery, accounting for 55,400 of the 70,700 jobs created for the month. The Morrison Government’s economic recovery plan has now supported the creation of 947,100 jobs since the height of the pandemic in May 2020. Unprecedented direct economic support to help rebuild the economy, including record levels of investment in skills and training, new infrastructure projects, and tax cuts, has put Australia back on the road to recovery. Read more here.
Setting a Record for New Home Construction
The number of new home builds increased by a massive 26.6 per cent in the December quarter, according to the latest ABS Building Activity Data. Supported by the Morrison Government’s HomeBuilder program, construction commenced on 33,761 dwellings, the highest number in over 20 years. Most importantly, the demand for new homes is driven by first home buyers, not investors. Through the successful HomeBuilder program, the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme and the First Home Super Saver Scheme, the Morrison Government is delivering on our commitment to support the construction industry and the more than one million jobs reliant on a strong residential construction sector. Read Minister Sukkar’s release here.
Bringing our Troops Home
The Prime Minister announced this week that Australia will complete the drawdown of our troops from Afghanistan by September. Over the last 20 years, Australia has been a steadfast contributor to the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan through our contribution to the NATO-led Mission. More than 39,000 Australian Defence Force personnel have deployed on Operations SLIPPER and HIGHROAD, with around 80 personnel currently stationed in Afghanistan. The Prime Minister paid tribute to the 41 Australian personnel who have lost their lives while serving in Afghanistan, and the many more who were wounded. Read the Prime Minister’s release here.
Getting on with the Vaccine Rollout
The national vaccine rollout continues this week with almost 500 facilities in New South Wales now signed up to administer the vaccine. There are now close to 1,500 primary care sites across rural Australia to administer vaccines under phase 1b, supporting Australians living in rural, regional and remote communities. Everyone, no matter where they live in Australia, will be offered a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, completely free of charge. Read Minister Coulton’s media release here.
Teaching Australian students that Respect Matters
New online resources are now available to help school students learn about safe, healthy and respectful relationships, including issues around consent and peer pressure. More than 350 videos, digital stories, podcasts and other materials are available free to teachers, students and families. The Morrison Government has invested $7.8 million in the Respect Matters program to support and promote positive attitudes and behaviours to help prevent domestic, family, and sexual violence. This commitment is part of a significant and broad-reaching package of initiatives under the Fourth Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022. Read more about Respect Matters here.