Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I have been in the House for quite a long time and I have never heard 15 minutes of such waffle uttered by a minister of the Crown. It is absolutely clear that the Deputy Prime Minister is a very busy person. However, one of the key issues confronting Australia today is job security and jobs. The minister could have come into the chamber to address this important issue, but she has run away from the parliament and she has sent in a message boy, the Minister for Employment Participation, who simply did not perform adequately at all. I listened carefully to what the minister said, and he abused the honourable member for Stirling. He accused the honourable member for Stirling of not having any answers, but I want to draw the minister’s attention to the topic of the matter of public importance: the failure of the government to develop a plan to save Australian jobs.

On 24 November last year the Australian people made a decision that I suspect many of them now regret. They elected the Rudd Labor government, and as part of the creation of that government the Minister for Employment Participation took on his role, as did the Deputy Prime Minister. We have the global economic crisis, but what the minister has done is to fill in his 15 minutes by talking about anything other than the government’s plan to save Australian jobs. Having listened very carefully to the minister’s contribution, one can only assume that the government simply does not have a plan to save Australian jobs. Sure, the minister spoke about the 75,000 jobs that will allegedly be created as a result of the stimulus package. He spoke about some assistance to the motor vehicle industry. He also spoke about some assistance to local government which will create some minor employment—

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