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

Through our actions we kept tens of thousands of people in work and we kept tens of thousands of small businesses operating. What that meant was that people went home with the security and the knowledge that when they finished work they would have job security into the future. Nothing is more important to the peace of mind of all Australians than the knowledge that they have a job and job security. What all these actions meant was that this country, almost alone among developed economies, did not experience a recession. That is a great benefit now as we set about maximising all of the opportunities which will flow from the Asian century. That is why we do understand the importance of investing in skills and education. Our $3 billion skills and training package was at the core of the budget. It is why we understand that we need to invest in infrastructure, particularly the NBN. It is why we understand the need to give a tax cut to small business, particularly those not in the fast lane of the mining boom. The $6,500 instant asset write-off is very important to the cash flow for small business and to supporting employment in that sector.

We on this side of the House believe in investing in people and in building them up, making sure they have a job and a degree of job security, and making sure they have fair pay and working conditions. But, as we saw at the Press Club today, we know what those opposite think. They want to rip away wages and working conditions from Australians. We on this side of the House believe in supporting jobs. Those on that side of the House voted against the critical stimulus packages in this House, particularly in 2009.

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