Mr HARTSUYKER (Cowper—Deputy Leader of the House and Assistant Minister for Employment) (15:25): I certainly welcome the opportunity to speak on this matter of public importance concerning jobs and training. What we have heard is 10 minutes of rhetoric from the member for Gorton and failed immigration minister, the guy who won the silver Logie for boat arrivals—not the gold Logie; the member for McMahon won the gold Logie on failed border protection—and who certainly has no reputation at all with regard to job creation. Let us think about Labor's record in relation to unemployment. On their watch youth unemployment queues increased by 55,000, on their watch the rate of youth unemployment increased by almost three per cent and on their watch the number of unemployed increased by 200,000. He seems to have suddenly found a solution to the problems of the Australian car industry, and their solution is endless rhetoric. Let us remind the good member of the past, because he seems to have forgotten that Mitsubishi left Australia on their watch. He was not able to stop Mitsubishi from leaving. He claims he has all of the answers today, yet Mitsubishi left. He is looking left, he is looking right, but Mitsubishi left on his watch. Former Prime Minister Gillard announced funding for Ford—it was going to save Ford, it was going to create jobs, and what happened? Ford announced it was leaving. Far from being the champion of people in the workforce, the member opposite is nothing but a failure. We on this side of the House believe that nothing creates opportunities faster, and nothing creates more jobs, than a strong economy. The budget that was handed down in this House just weeks ago sets the stage for building jobs into the future. It was a budget that invests for our future rather than what the opposition did when in government, and that was to spend for today. Ours is a budget that invests in infrastructure; it is a budget that provides incentives and programs to assist people into work. Members opposite face some real challenges as we approach 30 June. They could assist with the repeal of the carbon tax—a $7.6 billion hit on the economy. If the members opposite were serious about having concerns for unemployed Australians, if the members opposite were serious about creating jobs for young Australians, they would immediately assist the government in the repeal of the carbon tax. What are you doing? You are sitting there and doing nothing. You are sitting on your hands, when the repeal of the carbon tax will create jobs. Then there is the mining tax. Those opposite are standing in the way of the repeal of the mining tax. Why don't you support the repeal of the mining tax? Why don't you come over this side and vote for it? We believe the best way to create jobs is through a strong economy. I noticed that you mentioned the great state of Tasmania in your contribution. The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Hon. BC Scott ): Order! The minister might refer his comments through me, not at me. The use of the word 'you' is a common mistake on both sides of the chamber. Mr HARTSUYKER: The good member mentioned the great state of Tasmania and unemployment there. There are some great industries in Tasmania, and the dairy industry is in a state of growth. In north-western Tasmania, an area of high unemployment, we see an increasing demand for labour, and what do the members opposite do? They insist on imposing a carbon tax—a carbon tax that increases the cost at the farm gate by around $10,000 a farm; a carbon tax that adds massively to the cost of milk processing. The competitors to the Tasmanian dairy industry are not carrying those taxes. They are not carrying a carbon tax—the world's largest carbon tax. If those opposite were serious about the job prospects for young Tasmanians, they would come over here and vote with us on the repeal of the carbon tax. The good old member for Franklin has left the chamber. She was not interested enough to stay around. She is the last remaining Labor member for Tasmania. It was not that long ago that the member for Franklin would have been joined by four other members. Labor used to hold five seats in Tasmania, but not any more. There is only one left. She is the last Labor member standing. With a reputation like theirs on job creation, it is no wonder. It is because of the job-destroying Labor-Greens alliance. We believe that the best way to grow jobs is through a strong economy. We also have a suite of programs to assist in the creation of jobs and to assist job seekers. We have a job commitment bonus that will provide a $2,500 payment to encourage young people to get and keep a job, to get into work and stay off welfare for 12 months. If they stay off welfare for a further 12 months and stay in work—that is two years in total—there is an additional $4,000. That is a $6,500 incentive to encourage young people to get into work. We have relocation assistance of up to $6,000 to encourage people to move to a regional area and $3,000 to move to a metropolitan area. If those job seekers who need assistance to move have dependents, there is a further $3,000 available. We have the restart program, which is going to encourage employers to put on older workers to enjoy the benefits bringing workers with a lifetime of experience into the workforce can bring. It is a $10,000 incentive for employers to employ people over the age of 50. It is a very important program. We have the Tasmanian jobs plan. It is an incentive payment for employers in Tasmania to put on an extra Tasmanian. I would hope that they would take up that program because, as we know, Tasmania is the state with the highest unemployment in the country. It is a state that could benefit greatly, as I said, from the growth in the dairy industry. But what do the members opposite do? They insist on retaining the job-destroying carbon tax. We have a range of measures in the budget in relation to skills and training, including the $476 million Industry Skills Fund to deliver close to 200,000 targeted training programs over four years. We have trade support loans to encourage young apprentices to get their training. We have expanded opportunities with expanded scholarships for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. We have expanded funding to students studying diplomas, advanced diplomas and associate degrees. These are great programs. Also, more recently, I announced the rollout of phase 1 of our revamped Work for the Dole program. It is a program which has the potential to give young people some of the important basic skills that they need to assist them to get by in the workplace. Many employers have been telling me that young job seekers are presenting at the gates of their businesses without the necessary basic skills to get by in the workplace—simple skills such as turning up on time, having the right attitude and getting on with their workmates. These are skills that we who have been in the workforce for many years take for granted but unfortunately are sadly lacking for many job seekers. We have engaged in expanding Work for the Dole, giving young people in 18 selected locations who have been unemployed for 12 months or more the opportunity to participate in a Work for the Dole program, gain those new skills and have something to take to a future employer. They can have a reference as to what they have done, what they have achieved and what they have contributed to their community. As I get around the country, there is widespread acceptance of our revamped Work for the Dole program. Local councils understand the importance of Work for the Dole. Participants understand the importance of Work for the Dole. So many young people are saying to me, 'Give me a chance to participate. Give me a chance to show you what I can do.' I am certain that there will be many young people who will benefit greatly from our enhanced Work for the Dole program. We on this side of the House understand quite clearly that nothing creates jobs faster and more effectively than a strong economy. That is why we introduced the budget recently into this House. It is a budget that sets Australia up for the future. When they see the members opposite voting again against the repeal of the carbon tax and the repeal of the mining tax, it will be clear to the young people and job seekers of Australia that they are not about getting the settings right. They are not about assisting in the creation of jobs. They are only about standing in the way. We are a government focused on creating opportunities and giving young people assistance into work. They are an opposition that could not manage the budget when they were in government and do not understand the facts of what we need in this country to create jobs. They are simply intent on standing in the way.