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

I thank the shadow Treasurer for that question about jobs. As I said in this House yesterday, nothing is more fundamental to those of us on this side of the House than supporting jobs. We know that it is possible to have a substantial reduction in carbon pollution and still have strong employment growth. We know that because all the credible analysis shows that that is the case: the credible analysis that has come through Stern, through Garnaut and through the Treasury. It tells us that we as a nation can make substantial reductions in carbon pollution and support strong employment outcomes.

I would have to go away and check the quote that the shadow Treasurer used, but I know that the member for Throsby is a very strong supporter of jobs, just like everybody behind me here. When jobs were threatened in the global recession we were there for Australians. Those opposite were not. I will never forget the then Leader of the Opposition saying that stimulus would not create a single job. But stimulus saved Australia and saved a whole lot of small businesses right around this country. We put in place investment.

What drives everybody on this side of the House is jobs. And what drives everybody on this side of the House is making sure we put in place the correct economic settings so that we are a competitive economy for the future. We on this side of the House understand the need to take the tough decisions to set us up for the future, to make sure we do generate the jobs for the future in a clean energy economy.

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