Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

About to be changed. According to detailed figures taken from the labour force statistics, the long-term unemployment rate for the southern Gold Coast, measured over a four-year average, is 5.4 per cent. This compares favourably with the central Gold Coast at 5.5 per cent and the northern Gold Coast at 6.3 per cent. The unemployment rate for women on the southern Gold Coast is steady at 5.6 percent. This beats both the central Gold Coast at 5.8 per cent and the northern Gold Coast at 7.3 per cent.

These figures, however, do not mean that there is time for complacency. The best result for the southern Gold Coast occurred way back in January 2008, when the lowest figure—just 2.2 per cent unemployment—came directly off the Howard government. More recently the 12-month average unemployment has risen to 6.4 per cent, indicating that the southern Gold Coast economy is hurting. It also indicates that there is a substantial pool of unused capacity in the official unemployment results.

From conversations I have had with local businesses, I have gathered that these figures mask the reality of the situation: the greater problem is the underemployment of labour capacity. While estimating underemployment in the southern Gold Coast regional area is difficult, locals point to a rate of underemployment which could be twice the official rate of unemployment. Clearly we need to get the economy of the southern Gold Coast moving again. It is important that we prevent the cost-of-living pressures from continuing to rise and that we ensure that our unemployment rate on the southern Gold Coast is pushed down again. I repeat: this is not a time for complacency on the issue of unemployment. The coalition will ensure that cost-of-living pressures are kept to an absolute minimum. We will deliver transparency and accountability and restore trust in government.

The final issue I will speak about today is Australia's current border protection policies and the associated cost blowouts. These issues are consistently raised with me by the people of McPherson, who are concerned about the number of illegal boat arrivals and what this means for our nation's border protection. The number of boat arrivals since the Labor government unwound the coalition's strong border protection policies is undeniably significant. The total number of arrivals since August 2008 is 15,089, and the total number of boats that have arrived in this time is 278. Since polling day on 21 August 2010, 123 boats and 7,740 people have arrived. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship costs an extra $1 billion a year to run compared with the costs when Labor was first elected.

These are yet more costs to taxpayers for border protection policies by this government which have failed. The government should restore the successful border protection policies of the Howard government. They should, firstly, restore temporary protection visas; secondly, reopen the processing centre on Nauru; and, thirdly, turn back the boats when it is safe to do so. These are the coalition's commitments, and I can assure the people of McPherson that I am fighting to ensure these policies are restored.

As I have highlighted today there are a variety of important issues facing the southern Gold Coast that I will continue to raise and fight for. Upgrading the M1 is important to local Gold Coasters as well as the tourism industry. The implementation of an instrument landing system at Gold Coast Airport will improve the efficiency of flights into the local region. Unemployment on the southern Gold Coast is not as high as elsewhere. However, we cannot become complacent on this issue. Finally, border protection issues and their associated cost blowouts are of serious concern to my electorate. They are concerned about the uncertainty of cost-of-living pressures and they do not want to see their tax dollars wasted any further.

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