MR PALLAS (Werribee—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (14:48):

I am pleased to update the house on the progress that the government is making towards its target of creating 400 000 jobs by 2025. As you know, last year we produced an ambitious target of creating those 400 000 jobs, with half of those jobs to be created by 2022, and I am pleased to advise that we are well on track to meet that target and that we have already exceeded our interim target a year early.

Thanks to our jobs plan, the most recent data shows that since September 2020 the Victorian economy has added almost 260 000 jobs—more than any other state, with no other state even close by comparison.

It shows that the Victorian economy is resilient and that this government has made the investments to create good jobs and to ensure that we kickstart our recovery when we hit our vaccination targets and we can open up again.

These jobs include 10 000 per year as part of the Big Housing Build, with the first funding allocation announced last year for 2352 new homes and with thousands more to come. It also includes 5600 new tutors for a tutor learning initiative to make sure that no Victorian student is left behind. It also includes 10 000 construction jobs through the building and upgrading of schools with the government’s groundbreaking $3.5 billion schools investment in our last two budgets alone.

And it includes 9400 jobs supported through our new jobs tax credit, which means that more eligible businesses increase employment and pay less payroll tax as a consequence.

These are the big numbers, but every one of them means that Victorians are getting back to work, and they can be assured that they have the support of a government that believes in a stronger and fairer economy.