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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Yesterday afternoon, 1,300 Western Australian workers lost their jobs at Forge mining services. These job losses come on top of the worst unemployment figures this nation has seen in a decade—in fact, the worst figures since the Prime Minister was minister for employment. When will the Prime Minister start fighting for Australian jobs?

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

I give the call to the honourable the Prime Minister, but he will ignore the rhetoric contained within the question; otherwise it might be out of order.

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

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question, but I make this fundamental point in response: how can the Leader of the Opposition complain when unemployment does what Labor said unemployment would do under Labor's own policies? I say to the Leader of the Opposition and to Labor members: you created the problem, this government is fixing the problem and you should stop obstructing the fix. That is what should happen.

The Leader of the Opposition has asked me about a business in Western Australia which has gone into receivership and where jobs will be shed. This is a tragedy for the workers of that business—absolutely no doubt about that. But I ask this question of the Leader of the Opposition: is it going to be easier for mining businesses to flourish with a mining tax or without a mining tax? Is it going to be easier for mining businesses to flourish with a carbon tax or without a carbon tax? The truth is that the carbon tax and the mining tax are anti-Western Australian taxes. They are both daggers aimed at the heart of the Western Australian economy. The government wants to repeal them. The Leader of the Opposition wants to stop this.

Mr Shorten interjecting—

He says, because he cannot shut up—

Ms Owens interjecting—

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

The member for Parramatta has been warned.

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

that he asked about Forge. He says, because he cannot keep quiet, 'What about Forge?' Well, the best thing we can do for the businesses that the workers of Forge depend on for their jobs is to unshackle them by repealing the carbon tax and repealing the mining tax. I say to the Leader of the Opposition: if you are serious and fair dinkum about this, get out of the way and let the cure be put in place.