David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about the great news for Tasmanian employment revealed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics' jobs figures released today. It is my pleasure to inform the Senate that over 6,200 new jobs have been created in Tasmania since March 2014 and there are 2,100 fewer unemployed Tasmanians. Retail trade is at record highs. The construction sector is booming in Tasmania and business confidence in Tasmania is the highest in the nation. These are the statistics—a strong and improving set of numbers—but the reality on the ground is also clear. Talking to businesses and investors across Tasmania strongly backs up what these numbers are saying. There is a buzz and an excitement about jobs and opportunity that I have not seen in Tasmania for many years.

Of course, this is a significant contrast to just a few years ago when Labor and the Greens in Tasmania presided over 10,000 job losses between February 2011 and October 2013. In fact, Labor and the Greens consistently earned Tasmania the unemployment wooden spoon, with an unemployment rate peaking at 8.1 per cent in June 2013. Then, as was often the case during the 16 years of Labor and the Greens, it was the worst in the nation. If any further evidence is required to prove that the Hodgman Liberal government's long-term plan for a brighter future, supported by a job focused federal coalition, is working in Tasmania, then one needs to look no further than Tasmania's vastly improved unemployment rate, which now sits at 6.7 per cent—a rate that is no longer the highest in the nation and which is rapidly approaching the national unemployment rate.

This follow some very positive news on the national stage, with jobs growth now running 10 times faster than it was under Labor. In 2013, only 2,000 new jobs were created each month in Australia. In 2014, this jumped to 15,000 new jobs a month. So far this year there have been almost 21,000 new jobs each and every month. But neither the Abbott nor the Hodgman governments are content with these improvements. Just a little over a week ago, the Prime Minister and Premier Hodgman announced a co-investment plan involving $16 million of federal funding and $8 million of state funding to leverage on a two-to-one basis a total of $72 million into investment in jobs-rich Tasmanian projects. I look forward to these projects being rolled out, as I am sure businesses and people who are looking for jobs in Tasmania do as well. Governments at both levels will continue to develop and implement policies designed to promote jobs growth in Tasmania and nationally.

Given all of this, I draw your attention to the ill-timed and poorly chosen words offered in this chamber yesterday by Senator Bilyk. It is not surprising, but most ironic, that Senator Bilyk chose to talk Tasmanian job outcomes down the very day before the ABS jobs data provided the bright news for Tasmania to which I have already referred. It is data which proves the upturn that so many Tasmanians know is happening. I am sure Senator Bilyk, spurred on by her Labor colleagues, is now suitably embarrassed by today's jobs data and, no doubt, full of regret for the poorly chosen and factually incorrect words that she spoke in this place yesterday. But Senator Bilyk's comments extended further than her factually incorrect attempt to talk down jobs outcomes in Tasmania. She went on to talk down the Spirit of Tasmania refurbishment—clearly another faux pas. As TT-Line has confirmed, this project has resulted in work for 200 Tasmanians and, out of the 30 subcontracts let by the turnkey contractor, Trimline, more than two-thirds were awarded to Tasmanian companies, which in my view is a fantastic result. TT-Line pointed out that the only realistic alternative would have been the standard approach for ship refurbishments where both vessels are taken out of service and sent to Singapore for refurbishment. This would have left Bass Strait passengers and freight stranded for more than four weeks. It would also have resulted in precisely zero jobs for Tasmanians. That is at least 200 fewer Tasmanian jobs than the Hodgman Liberal government delivered by making the right decision on these ships. Labor's approach would have undoubtedly involved a third way—that is, do nothing at all.

The Tasmanian Labor opposition and their federal colleagues firmly opposed the refurbishment and I assume they also opposed the fantastic increase in passengers we are already seeing as a result, with forward bookings held by TT-Line up by more than 17 per cent and forward bookings for day sailings up an incredible 126 per cent. I would think that this is good news, not just for TT-Line but for Tasmanian hospitality and retail businesses and the people that they employ as well.

Looking a little closer at Senator Bilyk's words, something becomes more than evident. Senator Bilyk is not really interested in Tasmanian jobs per se. What she is interested in is union jobs. Senator Bilyk's sole solution to her completely fabricated jobs crisis is to encourage Premier Hodgman to sit down with the unions, especially the CFMEU, to find ways to deliver more union jobs. I remind the Senate that it is the faceless men of the CFMEU who maintain xenophobic opposition to the free trade agreement with China—the very agreement that will unlock a multitude of new employment opportunities in Tasmania. Senator Bilyk and her leader, Mr Shorten, should quit their economic vandalism, support Tasmanian jobs and growth and back the China-Australia free trade agreement. Mr Shorten must stop pandering to the misleading xenophobic web of fibs spun about labour market testing by the CFMEU. To truly understand what motivates Labor, you need to look no further than their recent Tasmanian state Labor conference. In the lead up to the conference in August, Bill Shorten proclaimed:

We acknowledge the mistakes of the past and that reconnection and growth of the Labor Party is well and truly underway in Tassie.

Unfortunately, Mr Shorten's forecast spectacularly unravelled when sensible policy discussion was abandoned in place of bitter factional disputes and ad nauseam arguments on side issues. Labor's priority and focus was demonstrated when its faceless men, heavily influenced by union powerbrokers, exercised their factional muscle to dislodge Senator Lisa Singh from her place on the Senate ticket—completely snubbing the will of Labor's rank-and-file voters whilst rewarding their comrade, John Short, from the AMWU with her place.

Labor's conference proceeded with a notable absence of meaningful discussion on priorities, such as creating jobs, restoring business confidence, reining-in budget spending and boosting tourism. Labor claims that its alliance with the Greens has formally concluded. However, even a cursory glance at the hot topics discussed at the Labor conference shows that this symbiotic relationship remains strong. Tasmanian Labor still cannot decide whether it is a party for working Tasmanians, or merely a mouthpiece for the far-left extremities of political debate or the toy thing of union powerbrokers.

At a national level, perhaps Labor's faceless union bosses should have taken the opportunity to commit to rooting out corruption rather than focusing their energy on shutting down the very process designed to assist in that task. This is not a time for talking the Tasmanian economy down, nor is it a time for good governments to rest on their laurels. The Abbott and Hodgman governments will continue to invest in job-creating infrastructure and projects in the interests of Tasmania and the nation.

Senate adjourned at 19:16