Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Lindsay for her question. In answering it, I note that the unemployment rate in Lindsay now stands at 4.2 per cent. When this government was elected—in other words, when the Labor Party was last in government in 1996—the unemployment rate in Lindsay stood at 7.3 per cent. In answer to the honourable member’s question, it is true that this week a million of Australia’s lowest paid award-reliant workers are in receipt of a $27-a-week pay increase. It is the biggest pay increase that has been awarded to the lowest paid workers in Australia. This comes on top of other substantial benefits that have been gained by Australian workers and their families—for example, the 165,000 extra jobs that have been created in Australia since 27 March when Work Choices was introduced, the record low levels of industrial disputation in Australia, the record low retrenchment levels in Australia, the 20-year low of long-term unemployment, and the strong productivity growth.

I heard the new Leader of the Opposition ask about productivity growth. The Australian Mines and Minerals Association recently indicated that, because of the workplace relations changes that this government has put in place, there has been a productivity increase in that industry alone of over $6 billion a year. The commercial building and construction industry in Australia has indicated—again as a result of changes made to legislation particularly in relation to the industry—that there has been something like a 20 per cent increase in productivity in this industry. There is a $27-a-week increase to Australia’s lowest paid workers, all as a result of the good economic management of this government.

I noted that the new Leader of the Opposition has proffered new ideas and a fresh vision. We may have got what seems like an almost biennial makeover of the leadership of the Australian Labor Party but it is quite clear that, even within a couple of hours of a new Leader of the Opposition, it is the same old unions calling the shots in Australia.

See this speech in context