Joe Bullock (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. Has the Prime Minister's short-lived progress report Sticking to our plan disappeared from government talking points because the plan includes slowing economic growth, falling living standards and the lowest wages growth in Australia for decades?

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

If Senator Bullock from the great state of Western Australia is concerned that what is implicit in his question is actually true, I would invite him to get his colleagues on the Australian Labor Party side of this parliament to support the Chinese free trade agreement and see the boost it will generate to the Australian economy so that we see even further jobs growth than we were able to announce today—a reduction in unemployment to 6.2 per cent, meaning that there were more Australians gainfully employed; a good move ahead and something which is indicative of the fact that we are sticking to our plan, that we are implementing our plan and that indeed we are achieving our plan.

Do we want to achieve more? Of course we do, because we have great ambitions for this country. But time and again, as we seek to implement our ambitions for this country, we are blocked by those opposite who are blocking the free trade agreement. They want to reintroduce a carbon tax, they want to reintroduce the mining tax, they stop us from getting rid of red and green tape by putting in silly amendments about Defence Materiel Organisation matters. This is an opposition that has irresponsibility written all over it in capital letters. We will continue to be dedicated to the task of serving the Australian people by keeping jobs growth and economic growth going in a way that sees as many Australians as possible in employment, in circumstances where jobs growth is four times the rate it was in the last year of the Labor government—and that is without the Chinese free trade agreement. Just imagine what we could get with it. (Time expired)

Joe Bullock (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Has the Abbott government abandoned the progress report Sticking to our plan because the plan includes increasing the GST and the cost of living for Australians?

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

The plan does not include increasing the taxation burden on our fellow Australians—indeed, it is the exact opposite. That is why we sought to abolish the carbon tax as soon as we got into government. Who opposed it time and again? None other than the Australian Labor Party. Today we have the ludicrous situation of the shadow Treasurer being in the electorate of Canning trying to scare the electors of Canning by saying the GST will be 15 per cent. Really! That means Senator Wong's premier in South Australia, Mr Wetherill, Senator Conroy's premier in Victoria, Mr Andrews, and the ACT Chief Minister would all support an increase in the GST. What a ludicrous proposition—but it is indicative of a very desperate opposition. (Time expired)

Joe Bullock (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Has the Abbott government abandoned its progress report Sticking to our plan because the plan includes 780,000 Australians in the job queue?

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

( I think Senator Bullock and I would at least share this: we believe that 780,000 Australians seeking employment is far too large a figure. The only figure that is acceptable to me and this government is zero, and we will continue to dedicate ourselves to create every employment opportunity that Australia has to offer. That includes signing up to the China free trade agreement—9,000 jobs per annum, year after year after year. There will be 178,000 jobs courtesy of the Chinese, Japanese and Korean free trade agreements. Yet the Labor Party stands in the way. If Labor do get elected, do you know what their proposal is to increase employment? They will introduce a carbon tax so we can have even more people unemployed! We are committed to growing the Australian economy and Australian jobs. (Time expired)