Louise Markus (Macquarie, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am always delighted to rise to speak about jobs and employment in the House. This is because, as I have said many times before in this place, where there are jobs there are opportunities. We have also heard in this place on so many occasions that a strong economy builds jobs, growth and opportunity. These are not new concepts to this side of the House. This is a coalition government that supports small business—the backbone of our economy—by giving them the confidence and capacity to grow, and with their growth comes more employment opportunities—simple concepts I would think.

It is a shame that those opposite choose fearmongering over looking at their own record: their capacity to weaken productivity and growth in this nation; their unprecedented level of debt and deficit, a legacy that they ought not to be proud of and that they have failed to mention yet again today. Since the last election 336,000 more jobs have been created. We are committed to delivering stronger growth across our nation. Let me just point out some of our investments that would do that. We are investing $5.5 billion in the new Growing Jobs and Small Business package to kick-start economic growth, which will lead to better outcomes, particularly for small business and for the communities that are impacted and served by those small businesses. We will be delivering $3.25 billion in tax cuts for small businesses and $1.75 billion in accelerated depreciation measures in addition to the benefits that small businesses are gaining from the abolition of the carbon tax. We are investing $6.8 billion in jobactive, the new employment services system, which will help unemployed Australians into sustainable jobs. We will be investing a record $50 billion to build the infrastructure of the 21st century—infrastructure that will provide not only enormous economic benefits but also more jobs.

In New South Wales we are working very cooperatively with a forward-thinking state government on many infrastructure projects, such as those included in the Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan, including in the electorate of Macquarie with the Glenbrook Ross Street upgrade to name but one. These projects will create some 4,000 jobs in road construction alone. WestConnex, another important project benefiting New South Wales residents, will create 10,000 direct and indirect jobs. The duplication of the Pacific Highway will create 4,000 jobs in construction. The NorthConnex will create some 8,700 construction jobs. And the proposed Western Sydney airport is forecast to produce 4,000 construction jobs, with 35,000 jobs by 2035. It is a shame that Labor again uses scaremongering rather than substantial policies in relation to employment. Indeed, youth unemployment is so important to those opposite that in the opposition leader's reply to the budget earlier this year he failed to outline any plan to tackle it. In contrast, to drive further employment the coalition's new jobactive services that I mentioned earlier will reinvigorate employment services by reducing red tape. It will provide incentives for young people to re-engage in education or employment by rewarding long-term unemployed youth through the job commitment bonus. It will provide financial assistance of up to $6,000 through the Relocation Assistance to Take Up a Job program.

There are so many initiatives that this government will undertake to assist our young people gain access to employment opportunities that I do not have time during this MPI to list and detail all of them. However, last week in the electorate I had the pleasure of attending the farewell and graduation of a Green Army project in the Hawkesbury. If I ever needed evidence of a successful coalition project for youth unemployment this was the one. The youth who were involved were delightful and wonderful young men and women. Together with their sponsor—the Hawkesbury Environment Network—their mentors and other relevant stakeholders, they spoke about the success of the project and the leadership skills and camaraderie that they experienced in the great outdoors. Of course, for many of them it opened doors to the next step: further training and jobs. This government has not failed to support Australian jobs and it does not attack wages and employment conditions. The truth is the coalition promised— (Time expired)

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