Ian Causley (Page, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Human Services. Would the minister update the House about how the government is helping to increase workforce participation? Is the minister aware of proposals that would make it harder for some workers to find jobs? What is the government’s response?

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Page for the question. This government believes in helping to create jobs, and this government believes in helping to fill the job vacancies that are created. Over the last few months alone, Centrelink has referred to the Job Network more than 130,000 single parents who have been interested in getting a job. Those people are looking for flexibility in the workplace. They want to be able to pick up the kids from school. If one of their kids is sick they want to be able to take time out or to work from home. They want flexibility in the workplace that allows them to be able to earn a buck to improve their quality of life and that allows them, at the same time, to be able to meet their family needs.

There is no doubt that the Work Choices legislation has delivered greater flexibility for Australian workers in the workplace. There is no doubt about that, and it fundamentally appeals to people who really do want to get a job but who are single parents and have been on welfare. That is the group that we have been targeting. We make no apologies for that, because the outcome is that the number of people participating in the workplace is at the highest level on record.

The member for Page would appreciate that in his electorate alone there are over 4,300 small businesses employing people and in particular that there are over 12,000 small businesses that have not started employing people. By having a flexible workplace, a flexibility that applies to both the worker and the employer, we can create more jobs. No matter what the Labor Party does, no matter what people from the Labor Party say—be it the organ grinder down at the National Press Club or his representative in the chamber here today—understand this: the Labor Party is opposed to flexibility for the workers; the Labor Party is opposed to empowering people to get jobs. Under the coalition, in a flexible workplace people have higher wages and better job security, and for the first time many Australians are getting a job.