Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery and Minister for Employment Participation, Mark Arbib. Can the minister inform the Senate how the government’s economic stimulus has supported jobs and economic growth—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Please wait a moment until there is silence, Senator Polley. Continue.

Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister inform the Senate on how the government’s economic stimulus has supported jobs and economic growth? What do market economists have to say about the impact of economic stimulus? What has been the trend of Australia’s unemployment rate since the stimulus has commenced? How has this stimulus helped support economic activity during the downturn? What examples is the minister aware of where local jobs have been supported as a result of the education stimulus?

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Cameron, Senator Cormann and Senator Bernardi! Order! Senator Cameron, I am waiting to call the minister.

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Polley for the question. There is a very good reason why Australia’s economy has performed so well over the last 12 months. It is because the Australian government took early, decisive action to support the economy through the economic stimulus package—a package which those opposite, Liberal and National Party senators, opposed and voted against six times; a package that has helped maintain confidence in the darkest days of the global financial crisis.

Even today, Vanguard Investments chief economist, Joe Davis, said Australia had proved one of the most resilient developed economies during the global financial crisis. He said:

I think it’s actually a very enviable position, quite frankly. Many countries would die to have that sort of full and diversified exposure.

The Commonwealth Bank’s chief economist, Michael Blythe, said last week that there was a real fear that the Australian economy—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Conroy and Senator Abetz! If you want to debate the issues across the chamber, do so at the end of question time.

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He said that the Australian economy was in great trouble because of the global financial crisis in 2009, but:

A large part of the divergence between expectations and reality reflects the fact that aggressive policy action—fiscal and monetary—worked. And it worked quickly.

We have seen that reflected in the ABS labour force figures for February, which showed unemployment continued to track down to 5.3 per cent in February. Those opposite normally at this point would be thanking Peter Costello. I note today there are no mentions of Costello.

Economic stimulus has supported 200,000 jobs. The economy has added 180,000 jobs in the last year alone. Without the stimulus package, the economy would have contracted by 0.7 per cent last year. We would have been plunged into a fourth quarter recession. As I said earlier, the master builders are saying that the stimulus package is supporting 50,000 jobs— (Time expired)

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Was it the best way to spend the money, Mark? You think you spent a few billion too much, don’t you?

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Brandis, if you want to debate the issue the time is at the end of question time.

Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Is the minister aware of any comments from senators and members about the high quality of projects under the education stimulus? Has the government been approached with requests from members who voted against the stimulus now wanting to attend the opening of the projects that their party has denigrated in the media?

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When there is silence we will proceed! Senator Cormann! Senator Heffernan! Senator Cameron! I am waiting to call the minister. Minister.

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Over on the other side the coalition senators talk about the Building the Education Revolution program and they criticise it. But out there in the community, Liberal Party MPs are supporting it. Today, Mr Laming, the member for Bowman, said at the doors, in relation to Building the Education Revolution:

Look I am very grateful for every one of the projects in my electorate. They are all of high quality and the community appreciates them.

There you have it: the real feeling of the Liberal Party on the education stimulus—‘high quality’, ‘the community appreciates them’ and ‘very grateful’. But it gets better.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Arbib, resume your seat. I realise some people are excited that there are forthcoming elections this weekend, but shouting across the chamber does not assist the conduct of question time—on both sides.

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Laming has been so badly caught out. He said he did not have a single problem with the schools stimulus. In his own seat there are 48 primary schools and $86 million worth of projects—not a single problem. A journalist said, ‘So you are delighted?’ Mr Laming said, ‘Absolutely, yes, I’m happy.’ (Time expired)

Bill Heffernan (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Heffernan interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Heffernan, there is a time at the end of question time if you wish to debate the issue, along with your colleagues who wish to debate it.

Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Is the minister aware of any threats to jobs in the form of a ‘great big new tax’? What would be the effect of such a ‘great big new tax’ on employment and economic growth? Why is it important for those looking for work to have policies designed that do not cost jobs?

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We know now that the greatest threat to jobs in this country is the coalition and, certainly, its off-the-back-of-the-envelope commitments. Senator Joyce let the cat out of the bag this week in terms of paid parental leave. In the Herald Sun he admitted, finally:

We have to acknowledge that this is a tax.

He is talking about Mr Abbott’s paid parental leave scheme. It is a tax. We know about it—a great big new tax that is going to impact on jobs and business and rise costs for consumers. He went on to say:

It would rise the cost of products. It would rise the cost for consumers.

That is the shadow finance spokesperson.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are not making much progress because people are continually shouting across the chamber.

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It only took 34 days for him to break his promise that there would be no new taxes, but it is exactly the same as the $1 billion that was ripped out of the health system by Mr Abbott, and guess who was the finance minister at the time: Senator— (Time expired)