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

It was the Labor-Green alliance that created the problems that Tasmania currently has. A Labor-Green alliance at a state level and a Labor-Green alliance at a federal level: what a disastrous cocktail for the state of Tasmania to endure. We are focussed on creating jobs in Tasmania. That is why we have the Tasmanian Jobs Program that is encouraging employers to put on new employees.

Dairying is a very important industry in Tasmania, yet your carbon tax is costing every dairy farmer thousands of dollars. Your carbon tax is costing every processing factory tens and tens of thousands of dollars in extra costs. And you know what? Our international competitors, the competitors that Tasmanian dairy are having to compete against, do not pay a carbon tax.

Opposition members interjecting—

They do not pay a carbon tax. The member over here is pretty lonely because we have three great new members in Tasmania. It is no wonder.

Opposition members interjecting—

The last Labor member standing in Tasmania, and it is no wonder. We have a Tasmanian Jobs Program, but let me go back to Work for Dole and the importance of Work for the Dole in encouraging young people to work. I was in Tasmania just recently and the dairy industry told me that it has several hundred new jobs coming on stream. And where is it seeking its workforce? It is seeking it in New Zealand. Despite the high level of youth unemployment and the fact that Tasmania has the highest unemployment in the country, the dairy industry is struggling to find interest from young Tasmanians, so I and my department have been working with the dairy industry to encourage job seekers to take up the opportunities that exist in dairy.

We want to see a more expanded dairy industry, so we want to get rid of the carbon tax. I hope you explain to your constituents that because you are too weak to stand up for them the dairy industry is going to have to pay a carbon tax. You should say to them: 'Because of me dairies are paying thousands upon thousands of dollars in carbon tax. Because of me the processors are paying tens and tens of thousands in extra tax that the competitors to Tasmanian dairy do not have to pay.' It seems passing strange that members opposite could be endlessly feigning concern for the young unemployed while at the same time standing in the way of the very measures that are going to create opportunities. We are all about creating opportunities. We are about getting young people into work. We are mindful of the benefits that Work for the Dole can bring. We do not sit on our hands and quote reports that are 15-plus years old, which you are. You are resting on old-time reports based on a very early version of the scheme. We are about bringing in a work-for-the-dole scheme that will give young people the skills that they need to get into a job that contributes to the community at the same time. We are about opportunities on this side of the House. They are about standing in the way.

Proposed expenditure agreed to.

Defence Portfolio

Proposed expenditure, $27,211,110,000

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