Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Why are you the Prime Minister and not Malcolm Turnbull?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question and the rousing spirit in which she delivered it. In this place I was very proud to serve with Prime Minister Turnbull as his Treasurer and I was very proud to serve with the member for Warringah when we worked together on immigration and border protection, achieving in that space and stopping the boats, and in social services as well. As a result of the reforms we put in place during my time there and those that followed from the now Attorney-General and others, we've been able to reduce welfare dependence of the working-age population to its lowest level in 25 years. Standing as Treasurer with the former Prime Minister I had the privilege of being able to work to ensure that the economy that we see today, which has 100,000 and more extra young people in work, as of the last 12 months, and a similar number and more of people aged over 55, particularly men, who didn't think they would get jobs again, have been able to get back into work.

This is our government, and I'm proud to lead it now. I know Prime Minister Turnbull was proud to lead it and I know former Prime Minister Abbott was proud to lead it. Over the last five years we've delivered more than a million jobs—three strong leaders who have achieved strong results for the Australian people.

Opposition Member:

An opposition member interjecting—

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm happy to say it. Our party has been well-led. The Labor Party have just been fed by the union movement—and that's all they will ever serve up to the Australian people.