Dennis Jensen (Tangney, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The lived experience of a Labor government is that policy is something that is done on the run. The mercurial maestro himself, the former member for Griffith, personified this. This MPI is all about plucking numbers from the air and wishing them to be true. Indeed, it is similar to Labor's plans for a 50 per cent renewables target: fanciful, frothy and fictional. It is feel-good politics at its very worst. In this coalition government, however, we do not do feelings; we do facts. The fact is that the government has a plan—an innovative, agile strategy for better jobs and stronger growth.

The biggest threat to household budgets in this country is the Labor Party. Their policies and plans destroy jobs, rack up debt and wreck livelihoods. Many opposite, ex union officials, have been insulated from the real world. They have not been exposed to the realities of the private sector. They are not familiar with retrenchment and redundancy. The best way to understand the difference between a recession and a depression is, as Ronald Reagan said: 'When your neighbour loses his job, it's a recession. When you lose your job, it's a depression.' Liberal governments get this. And this coalition government knows that a rising tide lifts all boats.

The next critical plank of our platform for jobs and growth is the national statement on science and innovation. The people of my electorate of Tangney are excited about what might be contained in that statement. They are enthused by the optimism of this government and repulsed by the relentless, risible and wrecking ways of Labor. We know the plan is working. The facts speak for themselves. GDP figures released in just the last couple of hours show economic growth accelerated sharply in the September quarter, with the biggest jump in exports in 15 years. Gross domestic product rose 0.9 per cent from the June quarter. Annual growth accelerated to 2.5 per cent from 1.9 per cent. Both figures beat economists' forecasts of 0.8 per cent and 2.4 per cent respectively.

What of Labor's plan? We know from Treasury documents that Labor secretly modelled an increase to the GST and a broadening of the base when the member for McMahon was Treasurer. Why didn't Labor have an honest and transparent conversation with the Australian people about their plan to increase the GST? Why did Labor look at increasing the GST in secret? Of course, Labor have form on working on GST plans in secret and then campaigning against anyone else who considers the GST in public. Remember former Prime Minister Paul Keating and Option C? He wanted a GST and then campaigned against Fightback! The difference is that our government is calling for an honest, open conversation, versus the sneaky, secretive, closed attitude of Labor. Consider this in the light of Labor's $51.6 billion budget black hole of promised additional unfunded expenditures.

Our National Platform for Economic Growth and Jobs will back Australia and Australians who are out there working hard for themselves and their families, saving for their future and investing in themselves and their fellow Australians. The Commonwealth's Infrastructure Growth Package announced in the 2014-15 budget is increasing productive capacity, generating jobs, and expanding business and labour market opportunities. I see this in my electorate, with the commencement of the game-changing $1.6 billion Perth Freight Link project. Labor's economics are pure fantasy. They want to tax their way back to growth—a new mining tax, a bigger carbon tax, a job-killing multinational tax and a massive cigarette tax! The Labor philosophy is: if it moves, tax it; and if it doesn't move, tax it again.

In summary, the best way to boost any household budget is a better paying job, and this government has a plan to deliver an innovation-led, job-rich, high-value growth strategy. Come the election, the question to the people will be: who would you rather have running the show—the Leader of the Opposition or the Prime Minister?

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