The Coalition has pledged to create 450,000 more jobs in regional Australia over the next five years, promising to build up the country’s economy and strengthen the regions for the future.
“Only the Coalition has a plan for 450,000 new jobs in the regions and runs on the board to deliver them,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
“Regional Australia can trust the Coalition to deliver on an economic plan for the regions because creating opportunities – city and country – is part of our DNA.”
Since the previous election, the Coalition has created over 1.9 million new jobs, lowering the country’s unemployment rate down to four per cent with forecast to fall further.
“We understand that regional Australia is the lifeblood of our country – it’s home to one in three Australians, accounts for almost a third of our national economy and a similar share of small businesses,” the Prime Minister said.
“Our economic plan is backing our regions to grow even more, and create hundreds of thousands of jobs, with more than $21 billion in the budget being invested into developing Australia’s regions.”
The Coalition’s economic plan is said to include job-creating investments such as $7.1 billion for the Energy Security Regional Development Plan, $2 billion for the Regional Accelerator Program to drive growth and productivity in regional areas, and $1.3 billion for regional telecommunications.
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce stated that the Coalition’s Energy Security and Regional Development plan will help boost income and create jobs in the regions on top of other substantial investments that are already in place.
“Our regions are the powerhouse of our economy, the source of around two-thirds of our export income, and the reason we can pay for so much of our health care, education, roads, rail and more. This is why we must invest in them,” he said.
Minister McKenzie said the Government’s targeted investment in regional Australia would secure investment in new and existing industries, driving economic growth and job creation.
“The Regional Accelerator Program will supercharge job creation in the regions by driving economic diversification with the creation of new industries and growth of existing industries in regional centres,” Minister McKenzie said.
“Our record investment in the regions will grow regional economies, unlock the growth potential for our regions and enable people living in our regions to get the job they want.”
Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business Stuart Robert said the jobs growth would span generations.
“Under the Morrison Government’s economic plan we will boost regional apprentices by providing an additional five per cent wage subsidy in the first year of a regional apprentice over and above that for the rest of the country,” Minister Robert said.
“We will also provide $22.6 million for more than 29,000 additional in-training support places to ensure regional apprentices have the support they need.”
Source: The Liberal Party of Australia