Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. How can the Prime Minister describe his budget as a jobs budget when, according to his own budget papers, unemployment is rising to 6½ per cent and is at a 14-year high?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Jobs growth, now, is three times jobs growth in the last year of the former government. Two hundred and fifty thousand new jobs have been created since this government came to office.

Mr Brendan O'Connor interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Gorton.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is three times the rate under the former government. What we have actually done is about doubled the number of jobs that were lost when the Leader of the Opposition was the relevant minister. Jobs growth is now three times what it was in the last year of the government formed by members opposite. Jobs growth should accelerate in the months ahead because this is a budget for confidence. The ANZ confidence index is up over three per cent. The Westpac confidence index is up over six per cent.

But what do members opposite want? They want to talk gloom and doom, talk our economy down and try to block the measures that this government is putting in place to boost the economy of our country. Again, this is an opposition that wants to see people trapped—

Mr Shorten interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There will be silence on my left!

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He is so jolly! He did not enjoy last week much, I tell you, Madam Speaker. The great thing about this budget is that it is a budget which is creating confidence right now. It is a budget which is boosting jobs right now. This is a government which wants people to move out of welfare and into work. That is what we want. Members opposite want nothing more than to see people trapped on welfare, because then they are dependent on government. That is what the big-government people opposite want. They want to see more people as clients of government.

Mr Champion interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Wakefield!

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This government wants to see the people of Australia liberated to realise their dreams. We want to see the people of Australia be the best they can be. We want to see the people of Australia having a go, because the more people who have a go the more surely we will realise the fair go that is at the heart of the Australian dream.