Gavan O'Connor (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries) Share this | Hansard source

I am quite happy to discuss that. I am quite happy to discuss that, while unemployment was at 11 per cent, there was also the 11 per cent inflation rate, the 11 per cent interest rates and the economy that was losing jobs by the thousands every day. I am quite happy to discuss that. But when is this government going to face up to the reality that this country needs its young people to be skilled? We need that so that our economy can compete in the future in an economic environment that will be very taxing for this government. The government has failed on this very important policy initiative. We all know when this policy initiative was cobbled together: it was cobbled together before an election as a knee-jerk reaction to a problem that Australia still faces. (Time expired)

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