Foreword
Creating and supporting Australian jobs and building a dynamic and diverse economy are critical objectives for the Australian Government. A Plan for Australian Jobs is a $1 billion investment in this critical work.
Australia's economy is resilient. While the Global Financial Crisis pushed other economies into recession, we saved jobs and kept our economy growing. Now the Government is laying the foundations for future growth and prosperity.
Our economy is experiencing profound structural change. A high Australian dollar is placing many businesses, particularly those in manufacturing, under pressure. Changes in our economy have real impacts on people and communities. Australians expect people to be supported through these periods of change and that is why we are acting.
Australians also expect their business and political leaders to generate prosperity. The Government's vision is for Australia to have innovative industries that deliver high-skill and well-paying jobs. We want Australia to be world-competitive with a dynamic and diverse economy, powered by multiple engines of growth across a range of industries and regions. That is why the Government has almost doubled its spending on schooling, made record investments in research, and is modernising the nation's transport infrastructure, building the National Broadband Network, and moving to a Clean Energy Future.
Now we are taking the next steps.
Working with industry and unions, the Government has a three-point plan to ensure Australia continues to be a strong, fair, and smart nation:
- Backing Australian firms to win more work at home,
- Supporting Australian industry to increase exports and win business abroad, and
- Helping Australian small and medium businesses to grow and create new jobs.
This is a plan about what we can do right now to get more work into Australian factories, workshops, offices, construction sites and services businesses; what we must do for Australia to get a bigger slice of the exports and opportunities in our fast-growing region of the world; and what we should do to secure skilled jobs now and for the next generation.
Australia's economic strength and proximity to Asia mean we can build the future we want, rather than drift towards one that is built on luck. This is a plan to use our strength as a nation to shape a secure future for ourselves.
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Julia Gillard MP
Prime Minister |
Greg Combet AM MP
Minister for Industry and Innovation
Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency |
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