Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The guffaws have already started because the opposition does not care about this government's top priority and that is having a strong economy. We are dedicated to making sure Australia has the benefits of a strong economy. The chief benefit of a strong economy is that Australians are able to get jobs. This government is proud of its record in creating 750,000 jobs in the last 3½ years at a time when unemployment increased around the world. Even in the second year of its recovery after the global financial crisis, the US unemployment rate is still at nine per cent. In contrast, our unemployment rate is at 4.9 per cent. We are on track to fall to 4.5 per cent during 2013, meaning that around 1.25 million new jobs will have been created since this government came to office. This has been our focus because of the importance to Australian families of people having a job.

We recognise that there are challenges in our patchwork economy, our two-speed economy, which is why, in ensuring that our economy is strong, we will also make sure that families who are at risk of being left behind also experience the benefits of this mining boom, that they do not get left behind as the economy grows. We understand that there are still far too many Australians who are not sharing in the benefits and dignity of work. There are around 230,000 Australians who have been without work for more than two years and there are 250,000 families where no adult works. The youth unemployment rate is more than double the unemployment rate generally and we know that there are some pockets in our nation where it exceeds to even greater figures.

In my view, there is nothing more important we can do as a government than make sure every Australian gets the benefit of opportunity, that we do not leave these Australians behind. With that opportunity comes responsibility. I have said that before. I believe that people must be in a position where they are expected to seek work and to perform work if they can do work—opportunity and responsibility working together.

We will continue to make sure that our economy is strong. We want to spread the opportunities of the mining boom, to make sure in our patchwork economy, in our two-speed economy, that there are not Australians left behind. We will do all of this while returning the budget to surplus in 2012-13, on time, as promised, as I said to the Australian people at the last election. This is the right thing for the economy; it is the right thing to do with the budget; it is the right thing to do for Australian families—not adding to the inflationary pressures that will come with this period of growth.

Now there is also a test for the Leader of the Opposition this week. On three occasions he has failed to make his figures add up—the election campaign, an $11 billion black hole; the flood package earlier this year a farce; last year's budget reply speech where he delegated to the shadow treasurer who delegated to the shadow finance minister for a press conference which even his own press secretary could not bear to watch. On Thursday night the Leader of the Opposition must come into this parliament and, for the first time ever, make his figures add up. We will be very interested to see whether he can get that done.

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