Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Jobs and Innovation) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Paterson for yet another question on job creation. The May budget demonstrated yet again that the Turnbull government, those of us on this side of the chamber, are committed—it's in our DNA—to reducing taxes for Australian taxpayers. But why are we committed to lowering taxes for Australians? Because as a government we know—it's in our DNA; it's our core belief—that Australian taxpayers should be able to keep more of their own hard-earned money. After all, it is their money. But we also know that, when we provide tax cuts for Australian workers—which, as I said, enables them to keep more of their own hard-earned money—there is a positive flow-on effect throughout our economy, which, of course, as we know on this side of the chamber, also leads to job creation.

As senators on this side of the chamber know, since we were elected in 2013 more than one million jobs have been created. The number of people in jobs is at a record high. Tax cuts for individual Australian workers enable millions more Australians to have money in their pockets. What can they do with this money? They can spend it in retail stores, in restaurants, in cafes, on entertainment and on purchasing goods and services, and this economic activity, in turn, creates more jobs. Why? Because the businesses are able to grow and, when they grow, they're able to create more jobs and employ more Australians. But tax cuts for individuals are only one part of our overall plan to grow businesses and create jobs for Australians. As a government, we will continue to implement policies that ensure our businesses are able to prosper and grow and create more jobs for Australians. (Time expired)