PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Ms TEMPLEMAN (Macquarie) (10:56): I rise to speak in support of this motion and the biggest reform of employment services since last century, and I thank my friend the member for Calwell for bringing it before the House. It goes to some really fundamental things. One is the dignity of work, and the other is that, as a government, we have a responsibility to ensure that those who are out of work have the appropriate supports to find a job.
Work is more than a pay packet and the economic security and certainty it provides. Those are very important; however, work can also build confidence, create a sense of purpose and connect people to their communities. That's why Labor governments have always placed such importance on employment: it's both an economic priority and a social one.
Under the Albanese Labor government, we've seen the lowest average unemployment of any government in 50 years. More than 1.2 million jobs have been created across the country, and those numbers matter. Behind each of them is a real person and their family.
It's someone gaining opportunity and stability. But low unemployment does not mean everyone has an equal chance in finding work. Many Australians still face barriers that make participation difficult.
It might be because they have caring responsibilities, health challenges, limited skills or simply a lack of confidence after time away from the workforce. Australian governments have always recognised their role in supporting unemployed people into the workforce. That's where the employment services system plays a critical role.
In my era it was the Commonwealth Employment Service, the CES—essentially a jobs noticeboard. Employment services were fully privatised in the late 1990s, and now the Commonwealth spends around $2 billion each year on this system. But the one-size-fits-all system currently operating is ill-equipped to respond to the diverse needs of the more than one million Australians who access it each year.
People who are job ready have been treated the same way as those who are facing complex and long-term barriers. We've seen too many people cycle through the system without lasting results. We've seen job placements that don't endure because they're not the right fit, and we've seen people disengage because requirements have not always been meaningful or tailored to their situation.
That's not good enough for participants, it's not good enough for employers and it's not good enough for the economy. That's why these reforms are so important. This is the most significant change to employment services in 30 years.
At the heart of these reforms is the end of the one-size-fits-all model. In its place, we're creating three distinct service streams. The first is a digital service for those who are ready to work and comfortable online.
The second is a targeted provider service for those who need more personalised support and guidance to find work. The third is an intensive service for people who are further from the labour market and require more time and assistance to build their capacity. This approach recognises a very simple truth: different people need different kinds of help.
By matching support to need, we can focus effort where it will have the greatest impact, and that's only possible if there is better assessment of a person's circumstances and barriers right from the start so they're directed to the right support from day one. Participants will have greater ownership of their journey, with the new employment goal plan replacing the current system with a clear pathway tailored to the individual and grounded in the realities of the local labour market.
Mutual obligations will be about supporting people into work, not simply compliance for its own sake. They should be practical, relevant and connected to a person's employment goals with activities that build skills, confidence and readiness for work. The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Amanda Rishworth, came to Macquarie to hold the first Western Sydney forum to discuss the changes with me and around 80 employment providers, community groups who provide support to unemployed people and local business representatives, and I thank them all for their attendance and the discussion.
These changes won't be implemented without deep discussion with the sector, with community organisations and with people who themselves have experience as unemployed persons. Alongside this and our fair wages, we're making these systems better for workers.