Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

I was reflecting on a deal, not on a vote. The duplicative green tape which we want to remove has hindered job creation in this country for far too long. The unseemly deal not only offends centuries-old parliamentary precedents and conventions; it also attacks the job prospects of 70,000 unemployed Australians.

The coalition was elected on a clear mandate to fix the economy and create jobs. At the last election Labor promised not to do deals with the Greens ever again, yet immediately after the election Labor under Mr Shorten worked with the Greens nonstop to block every one of our job-creating initiatives—the repeal of the carbon tax, the repeal of the mining tax and bringing spending under control. And now there is the removal of green tape—a one-stop shop—which Ms Gillard and even Labor supported at one stage. If this deal remains in force, those parties supporting it will, according to BAEconomics, have 70,000 unemployed Australians hanging around their necks in 2025. (Time expired)