Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Leader of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Hansard source

We hear you trotting out your tired lines. When I became a member of parliament I had seen in previous years young people without any hope or opportunity. They were in a state of despair, but the improvements in the economic standards in this country meant that they did have an opportunity and they were getting jobs. It was a very positive experience for them and a very positive experience for the community. But we see that perhaps about to change. We see confidence falling. As I get round my electorate I see businesses now very fearful of what the future holds for them. It is a very different situation now indeed. They see that where they once had confidence they now have concern, and a business that has severe concerns is not going to be rehiring. It is more likely to be shedding labour than hiring. Under the previous government we saw unemployment fall to 33-year lows. The previous government created jobs.

What is this government going to do? First step: destroy confidence. Next step: destroy jobs. Members opposite will not be able to spin it to people who lose their jobs because of the decisions they make in this place. They will know that they are out of work, and no amount of spin from the Prime Minister and the Treasurer is going to save that. They will know, and you will pay for that. You will pay for the decisions that you make in this House if they are not correct. I maintain you are taking this country down the wrong path, and the members on this side of the House maintain that you are taking this country down the wrong path. Just as this government stood on its record, you will be judged by your record. We already see falling confidence. We already see businesses being less likely to hire than they once were. We already see the fact that the lack of both consumer and business confidence is going to be translated in the weeks and months ahead into changes to the way that these firms approach the hiring of labour.

There is no fairness in unemployment. You may come here and rant and rave about various terms and conditions, but there is certainly no fairness in unemployment whatsoever. If you talk to someone who has lost their job, they do not see the fairness in unemployment. They would rather have a job than no job at all. That is perhaps a concept that is foreign to many of the members opposite, but it is an important concept. We need a strong small business sector. We see this government eroding small business confidence and eroding opportunities. (Time expired)

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