Labor’s Employment White Paper “Working Future” is a missed opportunity from a government that is distracted by a range of issues which aren’t the economy.

Everyone knows the best way to support more jobs is to make it easier for employers to find staff and for Australians out of work to find jobs.

The Coalition wants to see a labour market that removes barriers to get people into jobs.

Labor’s industrial relations reforms will just raise more barriers: big employers are saying this, small businesses are saying it, and gig economy workers are saying it.

If Labor is serious about increasing jobs, they need to listen to the BCA, ACCI, Master Builders and the millions of small businesses screaming out that Labor should rethink these extreme IR reforms.

Instead, this White Paper shows Labor is doubling down on putting more roadblocks up to work through its industrial relations reforms.

This leaves little in this Paper for small business owners.

Labor’s industrial relations reforms will just pile more red tape on small businesses and employers that won’t be good for business, won’t be good for the economy and won’t be good for jobs.

The Coalition has put forward constructive solutions to support Australians into work.

• Allowing pensioners and veterans to work more hours without losing their pension.
• Doubling the income free area for Jobseeker recipients allowing Australians on income support to earn an extra $150 a fortnight before their payments reduce encouraging them back to work and take more shifts.

So far, it’s been disappointing that the government has refused to adopt these measures in full.

We will continue to put forward pro-jobs policies in the lead-up to the next election.

With regards to the immediate items in the Treasurer’s announcement it is disappointing that it has taken $4.7 million of taxpayer funding and a year of work for the Treasurer to come up with a list of re-heated, rehashed and re-announced policies.

When you realise there were more politicians at the press conference than policies in the White Paper, you understand why Australians would be disappointed with yet another costly prime ministerial flop.

Australia’s apprentice and trainee starts have collapsed by 33.5 per cent over the year to December 2022 and nothing in this White Paper is going to fix this total disaster.

Instead of more sideshows and distractions, Australians are crying out for some actual leadership from this Prime Minister. Sadly, it is nowhere to be seen.

What is clear today is that this is a government distracted by the Canberra Voice and whose main priority paying back their biggest donor – the unions.

ENDS.