Senator O'SULLIVAN (Queensland—Nationals Whip in the Senate) (15:09): When I first arrived here as a freshman senator, one of the most intimidating things I found was when you were put on to the speakers list for speeches on the motion to take note of answers. It caused a slight panic, because you were not sure of what the subject matter was and whether you would be equipped to respond. Today, the Labor Party have done us a tremendous service by giving us an opportunity here to speak about the economy! Senator Polley: Keep telling yourself that! Senator O'SULLIVAN: Senator Polley, before you leave the chamber: whoever wrote your speech forgot to mention the 335,000 new jobs. This is a government that just lives and breathes jobs and stimulus for the economy. Senator Polley interjecting— Senator O'SULLIVAN: I know you do not like it, but you should sit and listen quietly while I educate you on this issue. We have delivered three free trade agreements. Let us look at the current one. It is going to create tens of thousands of jobs in this nation, and you people had every opportunity to try to prevent it. I make a prediction: in the next couple of weeks, you will have to roll over. You are going to have to roll over because the pressure that is coming your way from within the Australian labour movement and within the business community will be just too great for you to bear. I will be looking with great interest to see what reason you use to cloak yourself as you back off. You will go backwards so quickly when the time comes, your shadow will remain in place! We inherited an economy that was on its knees after six years of Labor chaos. We had to get rid of the carbon tax that you were never going to introduce! I am pleased that Senator Polley brought up the issue of promises. 'There will be no carbon tax under my government'—two people said that; one was Gillard and one was Abbott, and only one of them was telling the truth; the other one was not telling the truth. That carbon tax was bringing industries in our nation to their knees. And that was even before we get on to the impact it was having on the cost of living for ordinary Australians. You see, your problem, on that side, when you want to talk about the economy, is that you do not understand what an economy is. You simply do not understand. You come from a trade union background where your whole life is devoted to trying to take something off somebody else. You are not wealth creators. I understand that. There are some things that Labor is strong at. The economy is not one of them. Twenty-seven years ago I could still do push-ups and run six kilometres. That is how long ago it has been since you delivered a surplus! Senator Brandis: How long ago? Senator O'SULLIVAN: Twenty-seven years ago, Senator Brandis. It is a long time, and I know that it would be hard for you, looking at me now, to think that that might ever have been the case. Senator Dastyari interjecting— Senator O'SULLIVAN: You have got no expertise here, can I say to you, Senator, because you were about five the last time your mob delivered a surplus. You cannot have an enduring economy unless you produce a surplus. A surplus is that amount of money that is left after you have done what you have had to do, excluding borrowings. And do you know what happens when a nation turns in surpluses and it has its budget in order, just in the manner that we are doing? You employ people. It constantly surprises me that the Labor Party has turned into an anti-job political franchise. When you make money, when you have surpluses and the receipts of the nation are strong, we invest them—just as we had done, despite the economic conditions, with a $50 billion infrastructure program. They tell me that that is just about seven Snowy River schemes, relatively. And what does that do? That puts money into the economy. That creates jobs—J-O-B-S. Those jobs then start to get into the micro-economies of our country. They create more employment. There is more investment. And do you know what happens with more investment? You need more jobs. So one thing the Labor Party can no longer do is to lecture this side of the House in relation to employment opportunities. Everything we are doing—the free trade agreements, the abolition of the carbon tax, the introduction of 335,000 additional jobs— Opposition senators interjecting— Senator O'SULLIVAN: That got a squeal out of you then, because not one of you have mentioned it, and I will bet you a carton of stubbies, Senator—through you, Mr Deputy President—or a carton of anything you drink that you will not— Senator Lines interjecting— Senator O'SULLIVAN: No, I have been caught before; I had to pay for an airfare to somewhere or other, when I told him to go and deal with the Ebola scheme; that cost me five grand! I am happy to do this. I bet you that not one of you mentions the impact of all those additional jobs on this economy in our term of government.