Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. In an interview with Fran Kelly on 30 January 2012, so just recently, the Treasurer admitted that this was yet another broken promise. Fran Kelly made the comment:

In terms of positives though, the government positively forecast a half a million new jobs over the next two years would be created. Given the zero jobs growth last year, are you still confident that that figures holds? That (it) can be achieved?

The Treasurer's comment was, 'Well, certainly we will do less than that.' That interview with Fran Kelly on ABC Radio National was on 30 January 2012. Here is a fact: from October 2011 until December 2011, some 37,000 jobs were lost in the Australian economy, leaving the number of people employed in December 2011 at slightly less than the year before. So when you hear the Treasurer go out and make these comments that Labor have created all of these jobs, go and have a quick look—

Mr Champion interjecting—

Member for Wakefield, go and have a quick look at the jobs growth for last year. Do you know what a jobs growth rate looks like? It looks like it is zero at the moment. So when they crack on about jobs, jobs, jobs—

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