Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

There is a very sharp contrast. On this side of the House we believe, in the face of a global recession, that governments must act, and our first choice must be to act to support employment. The Liberal and National parties in this House and in Queensland do not support jobs because they are the parties of higher unemployment. In this House, the Liberal and National parties opposed the Nation Building and Jobs Plan, of which $8 billion will go into Queensland to support jobs. Let history record: the Liberal and National parties in Canberra and in Queensland oppose our nation-building plan and the jobs that go with it.

What this government will do with state governments, including the government of Western Australia, is sit down with them through the COAG processes and the Loan Council processes and talk to them about their future needs in this new environment. We will do that in a cooperative way. We will do it with the government of Western Australia and we will do it with the government of Queensland. We will do it in the interests of Australia and in the interests of creating jobs.

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