Annette Hurley (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister representing the Treasurer in the Senate today, Senator Conroy. Can the minister inform the Senate on the latest unemployment figures announced last Thursday? In particular, can the minister provide some comparison of how the levels of Australian employment and job creation have fared compared with those of other developed economies during the global financial crisis?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hurley for her ongoing interest in this area. Last Thursday’s employment figures demonstrate the resilience of Australian employers and employees throughout the global recession. Unemployment in Australia, at 5.3 per cent, is lower than that of any of the major advanced economies except Japan, with the Australian economy creating around 180,000 jobs in the past year. That is a remarkable achievement given what has occurred elsewhere in the world. Since the start of the global recession, 6.8 million jobs have been lost in the US, which now has an unemployment rate of 9.7 per cent. Three million jobs have been lost across the Euro economies, which now have an average unemployment rate of 9.9 per cent, and half a million jobs have been lost in the UK, with an unemployment rate of 7.8 per cent. We know that this performance would not have been as strong if it had not been for the quick and decisive action of this government in investing in our economy and supporting Australian jobs. The cornerstone of this has been the $42 billion Nation Building and Jobs Plan, over half of which has now been delivered. Without that quick and decisive action, hundreds of thousands of Australians would have been unemployed. As Governor Stevens said last week on the first of the month, the stimulus measures, both fiscal and monetary, have worked a treat. (Time expired)

Annette Hurley (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister explain some alternative policy approaches to managing unemployment during the global financial crisis?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The action taken by the government is in stark contrast to the attitude of those opposite. They are focused on saying no to absolutely everything—no to economic stimulus to support the jobs of working Australians, no to the Fair Work Act, because they would rather go back to Work Choices, and no to greater telecommunications competition and consumer protection. The list continues. These latest unemployment figures demonstrate just how wrong the Liberal Party were to vote against the stimulus that has kept Australia out of recession and has saved the jobs—

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment Participation, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cormann interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Cormann, that is disorderly!

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If those opposite had their way, Australia would have been in a recession. (Time expired)

Annette Hurley (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister outline to the Senate the government’s approach to managing unemployment as the economy emerges from the global financial crisis? In particular, can the minister explain what would occur to the level of employment in Australia if stimulus spending was withdrawn more quickly than currently planned?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government’s stimulus measures are being wound down. The cash stimulus payments are now largely out of the system. The first homeowners boost has already ended, as has the tax break for business. However, both the IMF and the OECD have warned—

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment Participation, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, Mr President, I refer you to the standing order which requires senators not to read their speeches in the Senate and the fact that this minister cannot even deliver his political abuse without reading from a copy of it.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can assure you that is not a point of order, Senator Cormann, in respect of question time.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a separate point of order, Mr President, I know you are trying to bring the opposition to order but I think today has been particularly unruly. It seems to me that the minister deserves—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I was trying to make the point that the opposition’s unruly behaviour is making question time—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Evans, resume your seat. Senator Joyce and Senator Sterle, I am waiting to hear the point of order in silence.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point is that the opposition seems to have embarked on a tactic today of totally disrupting question time. It is, of course, the time for them to hold the government to account and it is obviously their decision, if that is their tactic. I would urge you to insist that the ministers be allowed to answer their questions with some modicum of silence in the chamber.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order. Ministers are entitled and questioners are entitled to be heard in silence. As I repeatedly say, the time for debating these issues—if there needs to be robust debate—is at the end of question time, not during question time itself.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

However, both the IMF and the OECD have warned against too rapid a withdrawal of fiscal stimulus, completely repudiating the calls from those opposite. To quote the IMF on 2 March:

The still fragile nature of the global recovery suggests that the withdrawal of the policy stimulus should proceed gradually.

If those opposite are still not getting the message, the OECD also said in February of this year:

The withdrawal of fiscal stimulus will have to be carefully planned.

(Time expired)