Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I do thank the member for Capricornia for her question. I can assure her that every day this government is focused on jobs, growth and community safety. We took a plan to the last election to create a strong and prosperous economy for a safe and secure Australia. We took a plan to the last election to back hardworking Australians, and that is what we have been doing every day since.

Our plan meant scrapping the carbon tax to make every household better off, on average, to the tune of $550 a year. Our plan involved scrapping the mining tax to make Australia, once more, a good place to invest. It involved building roads, because these are the muscles and sinews of a strong economy. It involved getting the budget back under control, and that is what is happening to the tune of a half a per cent of GDP every year. Our plan involved finalising three free trade agreements with our major trading partners.

I can assure the member for Capricornia and other members of this House that the plan is working. In the March quarter our economic growth was amongst the very highest in the developed world. In the March quarter our export volumes were up five per cent. That is the best result in 15 years. Services exports were up eight per cent. That is the best result in eight years. Construction was up almost five per cent. Bankruptcies are at record lows. Car sales are at record highs. Since the election our economy has created some 335,000 more jobs. I want to repeat that: since the election our economy has created some 335,000 new jobs, and with things like our northern development white paper there is hope for even better performance in the months and years to come, particularly in the—

Mr Perrett interjecting—

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