Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Prime Minister. I refer to today's labour force figures, which show unemployment has risen to six per cent. The unemployment rate in Australia is now higher than any time in the last 10 years. Why has the government failed to develop a plan to stand up for Australian jobs?

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

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Yesterday you asked the opposition to tighten up their questions because they contained argument. Both of the questions the Leader of the Opposition has asked today are full of argument and supposition; and, quite frankly, when we were in opposition we had to be much more disciplined in our questioning. I ask you to ask the opposition to get their act together.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Leader of the House for his intervention, but the question will stand.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Like the Leader of the Opposition, I am dismayed that unemployment went up last month. But this can hardly come as a shock to the Leader of the Opposition because the Leader of the Opposition was a senior member—the minister for employment—of a government which forecast that under its policies unemployment would hit 6¼ per cent at about this time. How can the Leader of the Opposition protest against a development which he forecast would happen under his policies?

The Leader of the Opposition says where is our plan. Our plan is to get rid of the carbon tax; his plan is to keep the carbon tax. Our plan is to get rid of the mining tax; his plan is to keep the mining tax. Our plan is to restore the Australian Building and Construction Commission; his plan is to keep running a protection racket for a protection racket.

I do not say that the 200,000 increase in unemployment under the former government was all the former government's fault. I do not say that the 80,000 increase in unemployment when the member opposite was the employment minister was all his fault. I do not say that the 130,000 jobs that disappeared in the manufacturing industry when members opposite were in power was all their fault.

Opposition members: Yes you did!

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We'll have quiet on my left.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What I do say is that they made a bad situation worse with their taxes and their regulations and that is why we are getting rid of them.