Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Fierravanti-Wells for her question. She really is an excellent contributor to this place and is always willing to ask the probing questions. Since the introduction of Work Choices we have seen over 205,000 jobs created—184,000 of those full time. And real wages continue to grow while disputes continue to decline. This has delivered real benefits for the people of Australia. For families it means improved wages and salaries, more jobs and more opportunities. And school leavers today are practising their job applications, not unemployment benefit applications as they did under Labor.

The Howard government is about incentives. It is about giving people the chance to earn more and about people being able to determine their own future. It is about reward for effort. It is not about Labor’s lowest common denominator approach which saw one million unemployed and wages stagnant. Yet at every turn Mr Beazley and Labor opposed our reforms that have turned Australia into the economic and job-creating powerhouse that she is today—be they industrial relations reform, tax reform, waterfront reform, every single budget, the abolition of Labor’s $96 billion debt or the abolition of the unfair dismissal laws. In every case the Labor Party have been wrong.

It is the racing season, I understand, and I would just ask honourable senators to consider if Mr Beazley were to be saddling up for the Melbourne Cup tomorrow. He would undoubtedly be riding some nag with the name No Ticker out of the union stable.