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

I thank the member for Lyne for his question. The discussion to this point has largely focused on younger workers, but it is a very important element that, just as we do not want young people to move from school and descend into a life of welfare, we do not want older workers to exit the workforce prematurely. We need their skills and experience in the workforce; they have a great contribution to make. I think that all entities benefit from having a spread of workers in their business, from young people starting out their working career to wise heads who can add the voice of experience—and experience is something that only comes with time.

I am pleased to say that in the budget we announced the Restart Program, which is a very strong commitment to encouraging businesses to employ older workers, because we know that they have a great deal to give. Our more senior workers bring a depth of experience, they bring a depth of skills that can only be achieved with time. The program provides incentives of up to $10,000 to encourage businesses to take on older workers and to retain them in their business, because as our population ages we need to ensure that we engage older workers in the workforce for as long as possible. The Restart Program is a huge commitment by this government in the budget.

But the very best thing we can do to create opportunities for workers, young and old alike, is to grow a strong economy—and that is what the budget attempted to do, that is what the budget plans to do. Unfortunately, I must report that we have the members opposite standing in the way of the very measures that are going to build that strong economy; standing in the way of repaying Labor's debt; standing in the way of getting our budget back in the black. We have the members opposite who feign concern for young job seekers and feign concern for older job seekers, but they continue to stand in the way. As I said earlier, the challenge coming up for these members is to pass the repeal of the carbon tax and to pass the repeal of the mining tax. Nothing can grow jobs faster and better than a strong economy. Programs such as Restart and our programs for younger people—yes, they have their place, but there is no substitute for a strong economy.

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