Mr SWAN (Lilley—Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer) (14:32): I thank the member for Deakin for that very important question, because tackling dangerous climate change is one of those fundamental economic and environmental reforms for our nation but most particularly for the jobs of the future. This year Australia is experiencing its 20th year of continuous economic growth. One of the reasons why we saw in the last national accounts that there was a resilience in the Australian economy, despite all of the headwinds we can see in the international economy, is that governments in this country, over the past 25 years, have fronted up and dealt with the fundamental economic reforms that are required to strengthen our economy and to meet the challenges of the future. That is why everyone on this side of the House is so proud of the clean energy package introduced into the House today—because this is all about the jobs of the future. We on this side of the House understand that in the 21st century you cannot hope to be a first-rate economy unless you are powered by cleaner energy, particularly renewable energy. That is why we need a price on carbon. We on this side of the House accept the fact and accept the evidence that a price on carbon is the cheapest and most efficient way of driving that investment in cleaner energy and in renewable energy, because we will face up to the future. We will not turn our backs on the 21st century like those opposite. We understand the need to drive fundamental reform in our economy. If you look at the modelling that has been done you will see that it forecasts 1.6 million jobs through to 2020 in our economy, building on the nearly three-quarters of a million jobs that have been created. But those opposite are carrying on. They are dismissive of the importance of employment and they are dismissive of the importance of fundamental economic reform to drive the jobs of the future. This government has a reform agenda when it comes to coping with the big changes that are going on in our global economy—the movement from West to East in the global economy, and the mining boom. That is why we are investing in skills and education; it is why we are putting in place the NBN; and it is why we understand that we need to put a price on carbon, like so many other countries around the world. It is also why we understand the need to spread the opportunities that come from these fundamental reforms. That is why the Household Assistance Package that has been introduced in the House today is so important. Nine in 10 households will receive a combination of tax cuts and increased payments. Of course, all of this assistance to households will be simply clawed back by those opposite, as the minister was explaining in this House yesterday, because those opposite do not understand the importance of fronting up to fundamental reform and taking the people with them, nor do they understand the importance of fundamental tax reform. At the core of this package is the proposal to lift the tax-free threshold—to triple it to $18,000. This is a fundamental reform that recognises the hard work of so many people on low incomes, and in particular the importance of secondary income earners. So what we on this side of the House are going to do is charge the large polluters and provide assistance to households and industry. Those on that side of the House are going to tax households $1,300 and hand it to the big polluters. That is just another one of their crazy policy propositions, which shows just how unfit for high office they all are. Mr Melham interjecting— The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Banks is not assisting me. The member for Tangney has quite correctly risen in his place to get the call. He now has the call.