Economic Recovery
- 987,200 jobs have been created in the last 12 months in Australia
- Australia was the first advanced economy to have more people employed than before the pandemic.
- The economy is bigger now than it was going into the pandemic - a feat no major advanced economy has achieved.
Vaccine Rollout Ramping Up
- Almost 8 million doses have been administered (7,970,153) with record rates of vaccinations on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.
- Vaccinations are increasing with over 1.1 million Australians vaccinated every 9 days.
- More than 70% of those aged over 70 have been protected by a first dose Half of all Australians aged over 50 have been protected by a first dose.
COVID Response
- Australia has not had a single COVID-19 death this year from cases acquired in Australia. Overseas, more than 2 million people have died from COVID in 2021.
- Many countries around the world, such as the UK, are seeing resurgent COVID cases despite high vaccination rates. The UK recently delayed its easing of restrictions as a result.
Key measures take effect to lower taxes and create jobs
The Morrison Government is continuing to secure Australia’s recovery from COVID-19 with key measures taking effect on 1 July 2021 to create more jobs, rebuild our economy and set Australia up for the future. These measures will provide tax relief to more than 10 million hard-working Australians, incentivise businesses to invest through lower taxes and ensure our superannuation system works harder for you. More information on these July 1 changes can be found here.
Significant step forward in aged care reform
The allocation of 80,000 new home care packages worth $6.5 billion came into effect from July 1. Over the coming two years, 80,000 new home care packages will be steadily released, which will build on the 83,105 packages released since the 2018‑19 Budget and will ensure senior Australians can live at home for longer. In a continued response to the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, the latest measures from the Morrison Government put the health and wellbeing of senior Australians first. Read more here.
New guarantees for first home buyers and single parents now available
From 1 July 2021, an additional 30,000 places will be made available under the Morrison Government’s First Home Loan Deposit Scheme, the New Home Guarantee program, and the Family Home Guarantee. Supporting more Australians getting into their first home is a key priority for the Morrison Government as Australia continues its recovery from the COVID recession. Read more here.
Government backs manufacturers with $800 million for collaborative projects
The Morrison Government is backing Australian manufacturers with $800 million in funding to encourage collaboration on major job-creating projects as part of the $1.5 billion Modern Manufacturing Strategy. The guidelines for the Collaboration Stream of the Modern Manufacturing Initiative were published this week, with funding between $20 million and $200 million available for large-scale projects. This funding will cover up to 33 per cent of eligible project expenditure. Applications can be lodged between 11 August and 9 September. Read more here.
Guaranteed funding for Medicare
The Morrison Government is investing record funding in Medicare, providing more support to Australians as we face some of the greatest health challenges in a generation. Our commitment to Medicare is rock solid. We are investing $125.7 billion in Medicare over the forward estimates, an increase of over $6 billion since last year’s Budget. This is up 58% from when Labor were last in government. Read more here.