MR PALLAS (Werribee—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (14:33): Since the election of the Andrews Labor government Victoria has led the nation in creating jobs—in fact more than 575 000 jobs right across the state. 436 000 of these jobs are full-time jobs, giving workers and their families the comfort and security of a job that they know they can depend upon. Since November 2014 we have seen about 80 000 jobs created in regional Victoria, with approximately two-thirds of those jobs being full-time jobs. Despite the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on women and on young people, I am pleased to advise the house that in both of these groups employment is now above prepandemic levels. We have created nearly 300 000 jobs since September 2020, more than any other state, and we are well on our way to meeting our jobs plan target of creating 400 000 jobs by 2025. Our state’s jobs growth is so dramatic that one in every six jobs in the Victorian economy today did not exist when we first came to government eight years ago.

Sadly, it has not always been this way. When we came to government the unemployment rate had a six in front of it, the participation rate was 3 percentage points lower than it is today and the youth unemployment rate was 4 per cent higher. In May 2011 the member for Rowville pledged the coalition government to create more than 50 000 to 55 000 jobs a year. They were not exactly shooting for the stars, yet even with that low-ball target they did not even get close. They averaged just 30 000 jobs a year. Our record is 73 000 jobs every year since coming to government—more than double those produced by the opposition. Only the Andrews Labor government can be trusted to create jobs for all Victorians.