Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Childcare and Early Childhood Learning) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. I refer to the agreement struck with Gina Rinehart to employ 1,700 overseas workers at the Roy Hill project in Western Australia through an enterprise migration agreement. Did the minister or his office try to alter the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship's announcement about this arrangement prior to its release last Friday?

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Farrer for her question. The Gillard government is very committed to the creation of jobs in Australia.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There we go again! Whenever we talk about creating jobs those opposite just start barking! The Roy Hill project will create Australian jobs. This is a government committed to the creation of Australian jobs. That is why I have been pleased to work with the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship on the Roy Hill project. There will be over 6½ thousand Australian jobs created for Australians in the construction phase and 2,000 jobs in the production phase. This is good news, but those opposite are always trying to find the wedges and the bad news in the good news.

What I am also pleased to be able to answer in terms of the member for Farrer's question is that we will have the jobs board to ensure that Australians who are out of work will be able to put their names forward, and Australian mining companies will find it easier to employ Australians. Furthermore, we are very keen in terms of a commitment to training and skilling of apprentices and Indigenous Australians. What is wrong—too much good news?

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The minister was not asked a general, wide-ranging question; he was asked: did he seek to alter the announcement before it was made last Friday by the Minister for Immigration?

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. He has made his point of order. The minister has the call and will refer to the question before the chair.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Certainly it has been an opportunity for the government to work on creating the EMA. Let us be very clear for the Manager of Opposition Business in this House: this government stands for Australians to get jobs in Australia but we also stand to exploit the mining boom and, where it is necessary, if Australians have the opportunity to get the jobs, once that has been satisfied, we welcome the opportunity to develop the minerals resources of this country in the long-term interests of Australian children and their grandchildren.