Mr McCORMACK (Riverina—Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance) (15:19): This nation has had 33 opposition leaders since Federation. We have just heard from the worst of them. Eighteen of those opposition leaders have become Prime Minister; God help us if ever that man becomes Prime Minister. Let us hope he does not. But I will take him up on a few points. He talked about jobs. Let me tell him, as he scurries from the chamber, that job advertisement levels as measured by the ANZ are at their highest levels in over two years, with job ads growing a healthy 13.6 per cent through the year—the fastest yearly growth in more than 3½ years. More than 200,000 jobs were created just last year—213,900. This equates to around 585 new jobs, each and every day, or a new job every 2½ minutes. In 2014, jobs growth was more than triple the rate seen in 2013 when Labor was last in power. The Dun and Bradstreet business expectations survey released on 3 February 2015 found that the outlook on employment is the most positive it has been for a decade. When I attended school, and that was a little while ago now, students were graded A to D for their educational prowess or lack thereof. If I were marking the current government and opposition for their respective performances and policy proposals during the 44th Parliament, I would award us an A for effort. I would give a D to those opposite—absolutely a D. The attendance record of those opposite has been pretty good. Ms Plibersek: Oh, come on! Mr McCORMACK: I hear the deputy opposition leader saying, 'Come on!' You are only worth a D, but I will give you marks for turning up. Your behaviour and attention, however, leave a bit to be desired. Maybe you could improve on that as you work towards the next election. Maybe you could work on your discipline. In this game you have to be straight down the line and tell it like it is. I acknowledge that there is much work for the government to do. I acknowledge that there is a job to be done. We are putting our shoulder to the wheel despite the relentless negativity and obstruction from those opposite. We have done very well in many of the key areas we said we would prior to the 2013 election. We have delivered. The carbon tax has gone; that means $550 savings for the average household and family. The boats have it stopped. They came in their hundreds under Labor—their hundreds—but we stopped them. Just one has arrived since the responsible people were put in power. That has saved money. It has allowed more places for humanitarian purposes and, most importantly, has saved lives. The roads, as promised, are being built. Contrast our record with those who rightly occupy the opposition benches. Let us dig a little deeper into this dreaded D that Labor has deserved for its underachievement—in fact, D could be quite a theme for Labor. They are in denial. They are refusing to believe the result of the 7 September 2013 election. They are delusional, thinking they are still in government. I say to them: get over it. They are divided and they are dysfunctional. The factional rift is still wide and it is growing by the day. The opposition leader is a puppet. He is a mere puppet played by the unions and, if anyone thinks the unions are not up to their old thuggish ways, then just take a look at the front page of The Australian today—a bit of biffo, bully boy tactics; typical union tactics—disgraceful. It might have worked on the wharves once upon time, but there should be no such room for standover militancy— Opposition members interjecting— Mr McCORMACK: I can hear them yelling, because they love their unions. In Australia in 2015—and the next Labor speaker would do well to come to the despatch box and say that that behaviour that went on yesterday was deplorable. Labor are disinclined to help this nation back to prosperity, back to economic stability, back to business confidence, back to jobs growth. Just take the scrapping of the East West Link project in Melbourne by the new Daniel Andrews Labor Victorian government—a loss of a billion dollars in investment as compensation and 7,000 jobs. We heard from the Treasurer today in question time—7,000 jobs; typical Labor. Labor are becoming increasingly desperate. They plumbed the depths when in government and they are no better in opposition with the member for Maribyrnong in charge—deplorable, disruptive to good government, destructive, disliked. They are derelict in their duty to provide sensible, measured, reasonable and mature opposition as we did when the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd government was sending this country to the wall. Labor treated Australians with disdain. The dilemma we face is to get Australia working again and to overcome the debt and deficit—they are two words— Ms Owens: You doubled it! Mr McCormack: I hear the member for Parramatta—two words that Labor should be very familiar with, two D-words: debt and deficit. As far as debt, $123 billion of cumulative deficits—if we let it go untouched, it will be $667 billion which future Australians are going to be saddled with, because of Labor being derelict in their duty. The contrast between coalition success after spending less than 18 months in government and Labor's legacy of six years in office could not be starker. The coalition is building a strong and prosperous economy, and a safe and secure Australia. In less than 18 months in government, the coalition has had a remarkable number of achievements. We are opening up new market opportunities for Australia following preferential trade agreements with South Korea, China and Japan; and we are getting on with one with India. Our focus will now turn to conclude a trade agreement, as I say, with India by the end of this year to open up more opportunities for Australian producers, exporters and farmers. I know that not too many people on the other side really care too much about farmers, but we do. We are working to continue to deliver improved health and education services for regional Australia. Minister Nash only recently announced a new mapping classification system to better identify doctor shortages, which is working towards our commitment to improve better access to medical services in regional and remote Australia. I appreciate that Parramatta is not regional and remote Australia, but I tell you what: those people matter. We care about those people on our side of the House. We are building stronger regional economies, because we recognise the vital role that rural and country areas can and must play in overcoming Australia's national challenges and driving development. The government has made a record $50 billion-plus investment in transport infrastructure—the largest by any government in Australia's history. We know that the former minister, Minister Albanese, talked a lot about it—the member for Grayndler. He talked a lot about it, but Warren Truss, the Deputy Prime Minister, is getting on and doing it, and funding it. We have launched our signature billion dollars National Stronger Regions Fund currently taking applications to specifically support investment— Opposition members interjecting— Mr McCORMACK: They are very loud over there, Mr Deputy Speaker Scott, because they obviously like what I am saying about regional Australia. I know not many of them have ever represented regional Australia, not many of them have ever cared about regional Australia, but regional Australia grows the food that is put on their tables. The National Stronger Regions Fund will specifically support investment in priority, economic and infrastructure projects to drive growth in the regions. We have committed $300 million to get construction underway on the iconic Melbourne to Brisbane inland rail project. They talked a lot about it when they were in government. They had case studies done on it, and all that sort of thing. We are getting on with the job of doing it. There is $100 million to address mobile phone black spots across the mobile phone networks in regional Australia, and that is so important. We have committed another $100 million— Ms Collins: You cut a billion dollars out of local government! Mr McCormack: You never provided anything. We are getting on with the job of actually giving real money. There is $100 million for rural research; $15 million to improve market access; $20 million for biosecurity; and $8 million for safe, effective chemical access for farmers. I heard the member for Maribyrnong talking about biosecurity. Fair dinkum: talk about hypocritical. That side did nothing about biosecurity when they had six years on the government benches; nothing about food labelling. What do we ever hear, Mr Deputy Speaker? Absolutely nothing, diddly squat, zilch, zero. We are getting on with the job of fixing the problems. Under a range of programs contributing to building stronger regions and communities, we are able to deliver $2.34 billion in water infrastructure upgrades for the Murray-Darling Basin. I hear them go silent, because they could not have given two hoots about the Murray-Darling Basin. I tell you what: we are legislating also to cap water buybacks to 1500 gigalitres. I know that will mean nothing to those opposite, but it gives security to our farmers and our river communities, and that is so very important. In our short term in government to date, we have managed to recommence and expand Australia's live cattle trade. So you can see all the good things that we have done. All your side gave to this country was debt and deficit, and that is why you deserve a big fat D for your performance.