Russell Broadbent (McMillan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am with the school that thought the Prime Minister was always right. My question is to the Assistant Minister for Employment. Minister, will you update the House on how the budget improves the employment opportunities for young Australians?

Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You might do it in two minutes and 20 seconds.

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

And the member for Moreton has two minutes to decide whether he wishes to leave.

Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Assistant Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. I must say that the Treasurer brought down a budget that is good for jobs. It builds on the 250,000 jobs that have been created over the life of this government, at some three times the rate of job creation that occurred under the last year of the Labor government.

We on this side realise that many young job seekers are struggling to enter the workforce. As I get around the country, young people are telling me that they cannot get a job because they do not have experience and they cannot get experience because they do not have a job. That is why we have introduced the National Work Experience Program, to provide young people with four weeks work experience in a workplace so that they can demonstrate to a potential employer just what they can do and the benefits that they can bring to that workplace. That is why we are making wage subsidies more flexible—so that it is easier for employers to take on young people. The $6,500 youth employment subsidy will be available sooner and more flexibly and will be better tailored to meet the needs of employers. That has to be good for our young people.

Some young people will struggle greatly to get into the workforce. That is why we have also introduced the National Youth Employment Strategy, a strategy that invests $330 million to assist young people in getting a job. The $212 million Transition to Work Program provides services such as coaching and pre-employment support. We have $106 million to support vulnerable job seekers—such as young people with mental illnesses, which is a barrier to employment. That is why we have a greater focus on helping early school leavers. All of this is on top of the $6.8 billion Job Active program that implements an enhanced Work for the Dole program right across—

Mr Albanese interjecting—

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

The member for Grayndler will desist. One more time and you are gone.

Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Assistant Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia. When you look across the chamber, the situation bleak. The Leader of the Opposition even forgot to mention youth unemployment in his budget reply speech. So focused was he on youth unemployment that he forgot to mention it. When you look at Labor's plan for youth, it is nothing more than a $20 million pilot. Our youth employment strategy assists 15 times more job seekers and provides 15 times the funding to assist young people into the workforce—

Ms MacTiernan interjecting—

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

The member for Perth will desist.

Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Assistant Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We have a solution to help young people to get into work; the members opposite simply have no idea.

Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, Madam Speaker: I refer to the comment made by the member for Grayndler and I would ask that members refer to members by their proper names.

Opposition members interjecting—

It was a very derogatory remark.

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

The member for Corangamite will resume her seat. I did say to the member for Grayndler that one more utterance from him and he would leave the chamber under 94A. I do find that term offensive, and you are not to use it again.