Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I was talking about jobs: jobs in our economy, jobs flowing from the economic security statement, jobs in the construction sector—I know this is complicated for the member, but if he just sticks with it he might learn something—and then more money out of COAG on the weekend into vital services—education, health, disability and social housing. Obviously, for the provision of those services, the construction of social housing is associated with jobs. That is, people work to get those things done. That is why the Prime Minister, when he spoke about these matters on Saturday surrounded by the premiers—including the Liberal Premier of Western Australia—indicated that the COAG deal was there to provide all those vital services and also to deal with some of the circumstances we find ourselves in after the global financial crisis with its impacts on the Australian economy. We are doing everything we can to ensure that we protect and create jobs in this country.

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