No Treasury modelling for 1.25m jobs vow

Treasury has no documents or modelling that backs the government's promise to create 1.25 million jobs over five years, a freedom of information request shows.

Treasury has provided no modelling to support Scott Morrison's promise to create 1.25 million jobs over five years.

Labor lodged a freedom of information request to Treasury seeking all documents and modelling related to the pledge, which the prime minister made in January.

"The Treasury holds no documents within the scope of your request," the department said in a response released on Monday.

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen says it's "lazy and reckless" for the pledge to not be supported by appropriate modelling.

"The Liberal Party is quick to get Treasury to model and cost Labor's policies but they couldn't be bothered getting their own policies modelled," he told AAP in a statement.

At recent Senate estimates Treasury officials said the 1.25 million jobs target was at odds with the department's budget figures.

"When asked about the government's jobs' target, the deputy secretary of macroeconomic group confirmed that the government's target would require annual jobs growth of 1.9 per cent," Mr Bowen said.

"Which is higher than the 1.5 per cent or 1.75 per cent assumed in current budget figures."

Trade Minister Simon Birmingham says the proof of the pledge "is in our policies".

The coalition oversaw the creation of 1.2 million jobs over the last five-and-a-half years instead of the one million promised, he said.

"In doing so we've seen record growth in youth employment, we've seen female workforce participation at its highest level ever," the minister told Sky News on Monday.

"Under our policy settings, we're confident we'll continue to grow and deliver that jobs growth."


Share
2 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world