The Jobs and Skills Summit has brought Australians together to agree on immediate actions to help build a stronger economy and a stronger Australia.

Government, employers, unions and the broader community will take forward initiatives to help build a bigger, better trained and more productive workforce, boost real wages and living standards, and create more opportunities for more Australians.

The Albanese Government will ensure full employment, productivity growth and equal opportunities for women are central objectives of its economic and fiscal policy.

Age and Veterans Pensioners will be able to earn an additional $4000 over this financial year without losing any of their pension due to the Albanese Labor Government providing a one-off income credit designed to give older Australians the option to work and keep more of their money.

Following the successful Jobs and Skills Summit in Canberra, an immediate $4000 income credit will be added to the income banks of Age Pensioners from December to be used this financial year.

Friends, I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we are meeting and pay my respect to elders past and present, and thank the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are here with us today who have contributed and made this forum just so much better through your input.

I do want to now return the favour and ask everyone to thank Jim Chalmers.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: In July 2021 at the National Press Club I committed to having what has occurred over the last two days, the Jobs and Skills Summit. As we worked towards organising this two day event, we couldn't have hoped for the outcomes that have been achieved over the last two days.

HOST: The Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese joins us. Good morning Prime Minister.

PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE: Quite a welcome.

HOST: Yeah it is Prime Minister.

PRIME MINISTER: Are you actually standing up now?

HOST: Of course we're standing –no we’re not. It’s very early, Albo,

HOST: They are very high stools, though. So we'll call that almost standing.

HOST: Prime Minister, I'm concerned and confused because the other bloke only spoke to us before an election, like what's this?

National Cabinet met in Sydney today to discuss COVID-19 settings and key joint-actions for the upcoming Jobs and Skills Summit.

Acting Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd provided an update on the pandemic and outlined strategies for combating potential COVID-19 waves.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: National Cabinet met in Sydney this afternoon to discuss COVID-19 settings, but also key joint actions for the upcoming Jobs and Skills Summit that will be held in Canberra over the next two days. We heard a report from the Acting Chief Medical Officer, Professor Michael Kidd, who provided an update on the pandemic and outlined strategies for combatting potential COVID-19 waves into the future. First Ministers reinforced their commitment to continued collaboration between Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments in managing the pandemic.

I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, I pay my respects to their elders past, present and emerging.

We are here over the next two days striving for agreement, for the good of our country.
And I hope we can begin by agreeing that there is so much for our country to gain from answering the generous, patient call of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

RAF EPSTEIN, HOST: So there's a number of significant changes that are already being mooted, that cover enterprise bargaining, which is when you have workers and bosses negotiating one workplace, and they also cover whether or not unions could have a role when you've got more than one business involved in a process like that. Anthony Albanese has been at this Summit all day. Of course, he organised it because he's the Prime Minister of Australia. Good afternoon.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good afternoon, Raf. Good to be with you.

KARL STEFANOVIC, HOST: The Prime Minister joins us now. PM, how good were the Lions last night?

PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE: You would be very pleased, Karl, as a Queenslander. They got up just at the last-minute. I must admit, though, I only switched it on right at the end. I was at the Jobs and Skills Summit dinner.

STEFANOVIC: I was going to lead off with that but I thought it was a bit dull but I'm going to go to that right now. The accusation this morning is that you are a slave to the unions. Are you?