Mr HARTSUYKER (Cowper—Deputy Leader of the House and Assistant Minister for Employment) (15:25): I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important matter of public importance. In August last year the member for McMahon stood in this chamber and delivered Labor's final economic statement which revealed that unemployment was heading towards 6.25 per cent. We all know that unemployment is a lagging indicator and that what we are debating here today is not the result of five months of coalition government; we are debating the result of six years of Labor mismanagement. Contrary to the claims of the Leader of the Opposition, we took a comprehensive plan to the Australian people—and here it is—Our Plan: Real Solutions for All Australians. You might have seen that. The Australian people definitely saw that. They voted for that and that is why you are sitting where you are today. The Australian people elected us and threw you out. They elected us to fix Labor's mess. We were elected to address the issue of $123 billion of projected deficits. We were elected to address the issue of a debt that was exploding towards $667 billion. We were elected to implement our plan for a stronger economy and a stronger Australia. We have a plan. We put it to the Australian people. They voted for that plan and all the opposition can do is stand in the way. The government is all about building a stronger Australia, building a stronger economy and creating jobs. As the Treasurer said earlier today, the budget will be about growth. The G20 is about growth. Our policies are all about a stronger economy which will create new jobs and new opportunities. Some Australian communities and families are doing it tough, but the doom and gloom of the members opposite is only making it worse. We need the opportunity to put our agenda in place. We need the opportunity to get the economic settings right to address the changing nature of the Australian economy. Australia has coped before with change and it will cope into the future. We have great reasons to be optimistic. There are new opportunities being created all the time by great businesses. Jetstar has expanded its operations in South Australia, creating 120 new positions. Carabella Resources new coalmine in Central Queensland will create 100 new local jobs. Arrium Mining in Whyalla will create an additional 100 jobs and a new packing facility at Erskine Park in Western Sydney will employ 400 people. You do not hear the opposition talking about any of that. They do not want to mention the positives. The Australian government is investing in new infrastructure that will create new jobs and build the economy. The East West Link will support 3,200 jobs during construction. WestConnex will support 10,000 jobs during construction and the Pacific Highway, a vitally important project on the east coast of Australia, will support some 8,600 jobs. The Australian economy is creating jobs, but we can do much more if we remove unnecessary taxes and unnecessary red tape and get the economy back in the black. The best thing that government can do for workers and job seekers is to build a strong economy and this economy in transition is no different. We have no choice but to adapt to the challenges that we face. The government is implementing a policy agenda that encourages and unleashes the potential of Australian businesses. That is why we are scrapping the carbon tax that is weighing so heavily on Australian businesses; that is why we are scrapping the mining tax that is putting so much pressure on mining companies; that is why we are slashing red tape, lowering taxes and imposing the rule of law in the construction industry with the reintroduction of an ABCC with real teeth that can ensure that we have a productive and lawful sector. The carbon tax adds up to $400 to the cost of every vehicle produced in this country. How can members opposite possibly claim that they are somehow supporting the car industry when they are continuing to maintain a carbon levy on every car that rolls off the production line? We are scrapping the mining tax which will help restore confidence in the Australian mining sector. With the reintroduction of the ABCC, we will see better efficiency in the construction industry, we will see a better working environment on our construction sites and we will see more confidence to invest in new developments. The ABCC, when it was introduced by the Howard government, created at least $6 billion per year in benefits to the community and significantly increased productivity in the construction industry. What have the members to fear from a lawful construction industry? I guess they have their union cronies to fear. That is probably why they are against it. They have their union cronies to fear. They are just puppets dancing to the tune set by their union cronies and that is why they are opposing the ABCC. If we make it easier for Australian businesses to create jobs and make it easier for them to invest by building confidence, that is the way we will build a stronger economy. Sadly, Labor is more about pointing fingers than being part of the solution. Labor has a choice to make. They can join with the opposition and build a stronger economy or they can continue to oppose. How can they go down the streets in their electorate and say that maintaining the carbon tax is good for you— Mr Dreyfus: Have you forgotten that you are the government? I know you have forgotten that you are the government! Mr HARTSUYKER: We are indeed the government and the Australian people are very pleased we are the government, and they have made you the opposition. When you go down the streets of your electorate, I hope you are explaining to people how the carbon tax is good for them and how paying higher electricity bills is good for them. Go into a business that uses a lot of electricity and tell them why pushing up their costs of doing business is good for them. I do not think they will believe you. You should talk to mining companies and tell them how the mining tax is good for them. You should talk to construction workers and tell them why having thuggery and lawlessness and bullying is good for them. One thing members opposite seem to forget with regard to the car industry is that Mitsubishi left on their watch. We were not in government when Mitsubishi left. Ford made the announcement that they were leaving on Labor's watch. Those opposite seem to have forgotten that. Do you remember that, member for McMahon? Do you remember that Ford announced that they were leaving the country on your watch? You are sitting there quietly. You are not often quiet, member for McMahon. He has nothing to say. Ford left on your watch. We heard all the claims about Ford. Let me read you something about Ford. In 2012, Julia Gillard announced $34 million for Ford, saying it would create 300 new jobs. Only a short time later, what happened? Three hundred and thirty employees lost their jobs inside eight months. Then it got far worse. Julia Gillard announced $215 million for Holden, saying it would secure Holden's future in Australia—until when, 2020? No—2022! But only months later, 670 jobs were lost. The Leader of the Opposition seems to claim that Labor would be the saviour of the car industry. If history is any indication, they could not save Mitsubishi and they could not stop Ford announcing that they were leaving the country, but somehow the Leader of the Opposition expects us to believe that they could have saved the car industry. The reality is that these are commercial decisions made by commercial companies and they are the result of a long-term period of transition that is disadvantageous to that industry in Australia. I hope that the opposition will change their tune. I doubt it, but I hope they will change their tune. I hope they will give the Australian workers a break. I hope that they will get behind the government and support the abolition of the carbon tax. I hope they will get behind the government and support the abolition of the mining tax and support the reintroduction of the ABCC so that we can have the return of the rule of law. I hope that they will support our budget measures, which will help to bring the budget back into the black. And I would really hope that they would support their own budget measures on which they seem to have changed their mind. I end my contribution with a plea to the Leader of the Opposition: I would hope that he would put as much effort into supporting the jobs of hardworking Australians as he does into supporting the interests of dodgy unionists.