I rise to provide new information to the house on the government’s Back to Work plan and recent improvements in our state’s employment outlook. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has confirmed the success of the Andrews Labor government in getting Victorians back to work after four years of inertia. Figures released last week show that Victoria’s unemployment rate is down to 6.1 per cent, which is below the national average of 6.2 per cent. When we came to government the unemployment rate was a whopping 6.8 per cent. In the nine months since we came to government 45 200 new jobs have been created, which is almost half of what the coalition government took four years to create.

These achievements are a testament to the strong economic management that Labor brings to this state, and jobs will continue to be created thanks to Labor’s focus on growth industries that leverage Victoria’s strengths. Our comprehensive jobs and investment plan ensures that Victorians will get the skills they need to secure a job.

The member for Malvern spent many a day in this chamber bragging about his economic management credentials. He was economic kryptonite. In fact, the unemployment rate rose from 5.7 per cent to 6.8 per cent.

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On the point of order, Speaker, being able to put the case of the improvement in the job situation in this state needs necessarily requires you to determine exactly where you have come from. We cannot appreciate exactly how profound the change in our economic circumstances has been without demonstrating how poor the management of the economy was under those opposite.

The Andrews Labor government recognises that skills and proper training are what get Victorians back to work, because all Victorians, young and old alike, deserve the opportunity to get a full-time job. We are rebuilding our state, we are restoring our strength and we are getting Victorians back to work.