Senator SCARR (Queensland) (17:02): In rising to speak this afternoon, I am very, very comfortable about defending the track record of the coalition government and the plan that we are successfully implementing to provide a basis for economic growth in this country. Before I go into some of the details of that, I would just like to respond to some of the comments by those opposite. Senator Ayres did a good job of giving an address to a Labor Party branch meeting, demonising the Leader of the Government in the Senate. But, unfortunately for Senator Ayres, his characterisation of the government leader is not borne out by the facts of the situation. I ask, through you, Mr Acting Deputy President: is it cruel that the percentage of people of working age on welfare is at its lowest level for 30 years? Is that cruel? I don't think so. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT ( Senator Sterle ): Senator Polley, on a point of order? Senator Polley: Yes, Mr Acting Deputy President Sterle. It would be helpful if you were to draw the attention of the senator to the issue that we are debating here and bring him back to it—rather than him making personal attacks on fellow senators. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: As I was speaking with the Clerk, I absolutely did not hear any of Senator Scarr's contribution. But, Senator Scarr, if you need to be cued on what the motion is, I'd bring it to your attention. Senator SCARR: Mr Acting Deputy President, I'm happy to compliment Senator Ayres. I actually think he's a nice guy. He's got a different view of how this country should get to where it needs to be to provide wonderful opportunities to everyone in Australia, but I think his heart's in the wrong—his heart's in the right place. It's hard for me to say, hence the freudian slip! I think his heart's in the right place, but I disagree with his methodology. Bringing it back to the facts: the percentage of people of working age on welfare is at its lowest level in 30 years. That is not cruel; that's a good thing. It's a good thing for this country. Female workforce participation is at a record high. That's a great thing for this country. In the seat of Wide Bay, held by my friend Mr Llew O'Brien, youth unemployment has decreased year on year, from 27.6 per cent to 18.4 per cent between June 2018 and June 2019. That's a fantastic thing. Why? Well, let's see what the member for Wide Bay says. He thinks that a major part of that success is the cashless welfare debit card. That is not cruel; that's helping young people get into employment, and that's what we should all be fighting for. When those opposite start talking about plans, we on this side of the chamber know what they're talking about. They're talking about increased taxes and increased government spending; that's the plan. In my 32 years of being involved in politics I have never seen as much fear in the electorate as I saw during the last federal election. I've never seen so much fear in relation to a potential change in government. When I spoke to people after the last federal election, they said to me: 'It was like a weight had been lifted off our shoulders. We didn't even understand the pressure we felt.' These are small-business people. These are farmers. These are miners. These are everyday Australians. They said they hadn't even contemplated how much pressure they felt under because of that prospective change in government. So I would say to Senator Polley, if she were here, that they had in fact listened very carefully to the two plans that were put to them at the last federal election, and they made a deliberate choice. And nowhere did they make a more deliberate choice than in my home state of Queensland. It was an absolutely unequivocal choice, and they chose the economic plan that this side of the chamber took to the last federal election. I say to Senator Polley—through you, Mr Acting Deputy President Sterle—that the economy is not floundering. I wish those on the other side of the chamber would stop talking down the Australian economy. They just keep talking down the Australian economy, and that is not in the national interest. We have an AAA credit rating. We have a trade surplus for the first time that anyone can remember. We have jobs growth. We have economic growth. This is a resilient economy which is performing extremely well against global trade-war headwinds. That's the reality of the situation. We are a trading nation. These are difficult times in the world at the moment, and the Australian economy is performing extremely well. Look at some of our competitors—Germany and Singapore. They both have AAA credit ratings. They've had negative growth. We're still achieving positive economic growth. We've had 28 consecutive years of positive economic growth. It's absolutely remarkable. So the economy is not floundering. As we heard from the Leader of the Government in the Senate yesterday, the only floundering that's occurring is in the Labor Party. The Labor Party are floundering as to what policies they should come up with for the next federal election. Long may they flounder! The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: The question is that the motion moved at the request of Senator Gallagher be agreed to. A division having been called, it being after 4.30 we shall address that next week. Debate adjourned.