Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Assistant Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. This is a very important issue that confronts us, ensuring that we have competitive industries in this country. It seems passing strange that the member can feign support for these workers at a time when the opposition are standing in the way of this government making Australia a more competitive place, because that is the key to ensuring the future of jobs, ensuring that we have a competitive economy that is in fact operating at a world-class level. So rather than the assistance of the members opposite, we have the gaggle opposite just standing there and moaning rather than getting behind the abolition of the carbon tax, the abolition of the mining tax and the government improving the efficiency of this economy.

But with regard to the matters that the member raises specifically, I would say that any worker made redundant in the automotive manufacturing industry will receive immediate access to intensive employment assistance support through the Automotive Industry Structural Adjustment Program. This program is delivered by Job Services Australia and provides support for job seekers at a stream 3 level. That is support. But the best way that we can ensure the future of these workers is to make the Australian economy as competitive as it can be. So it is about time members opposite got out of the way of this government and allowed us to make Australia the efficient economy that it should be.

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