Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

That is true, mate. The instant tax write-off—that is fantastic for jobs. It really is fantastic for jobs. It will help many small businesses in the Petrie electorate. There is also a company tax cut for those businesses with a turnover of less than $2 million. That will also support jobs.

Youth unemployment is particularly high throughout the country, and it is fairly high in the electorate of Petrie. One of the big incentives we have around youth unemployment and getting youth back to work is around work experience. I would be interested to know what members opposite are going to do with the issue around work experience, because often people who have not been employed for six months—

Mr Champion interjecting—

If you would like to listen up a minute: one of the things that employers say is 'What sort of experience have you got?' It is very difficult to get a job if you have not had some work experience or practical experience in the real world. One of the measures in this budget enables those people who are on welfare to continue to be supported and be able to get up to four weeks training in a real business—to understand customer service and productivity in the workplace. Those businesses that take on those men and women for work experience will spend a lot of time, obviously, training them, and it will be of benefit to the unemployed. They will be able to say, 'Look, I have gone and done some work experience at this place and this place,' when they go for their next interview. That is looked upon favourably.

In the budget there is a great package—a $5.5 billion package for small business that will help jobs growth in this country. There are also incentives for youth unemployment and for getting people back to work. There are also incentives for those young people who are particularly disengaged, or who may have left school early, to go back and do some further study—to finish year 12 or perhaps do a certificate III. There are big incentives for their workplace providers to get them trained as well.

Finally, I would just say that, when it comes to jobs, the Liberal-National party have a strong record. We believe in supporting small business. We believe in lower taxes. We believe in reward for effort. This is important. What stands in the way of that is the Labor Party. They want to come back into office and to run this country. But what do they plan to do? They plan to tax people with their super. They plan to be in a coalition with the Greens, who want to destroy what is left of the mining industry in this country. They are all members and the party of unions, and they want to make sure that casual workers have sick pay and holiday pay when they already have a 20 per cent loading.

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