Karen McNamara (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Chifley. Denial, denial, denial—'denial' is not a river in Africa. Once again, all we see in this place is those opposite trashing the Australian economy and the jobs market. You are more focused on your union-led propaganda and your protection rackets; that is all you care about. Since coming to office this government has created 330,000 jobs. There are 330,000 people who, under you, had no jobs. Australia's job growth over the past year has been stronger than that in the US, in the UK, in Canada and in every G7 nation. We have seen job creation at four times the highest level it was in Labor's last year in office. Since the beginning of this year around 163,000 new jobs have been created—that is more than 38,000 new jobs last month. We have seen the labour market continuing to perform strongly in the first seven months of 2015, after a strong 2014.

We talk about the free trade agreements. A recent report commissioned by the government estimates that the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement will, when combined with trade deals finalised by this government with Japan and Korea, create an average of almost 9,000 jobs per year and will create 178,000 jobs by the time the agreements come into full force in 2035. But what do those opposite do? They are behind this negative advertising campaign full of scaremongering. They are not telling the truth. The truth is the FTA with China will create jobs. In my electorate of Dobell, for example, we have got this new company called SpotGo. They are ready to expand into China. It means creating new Australian jobs in my electorate of Dobell. If you want to have a go about 457 visas—the hypocrisy!—well, we are talking about jobs too. The former member for Dobell, Craig Thomson, has got a new job. Do you know what he is doing? He is selling 457 visas. That is what he is now doing for a job. Craig is out there creating jobs—but they are not Australian jobs.

Ms Owens interjecting —

I'm talking about jobs in my electorate and your absolute hypocrisy. We are doing some great things in Dobell. Work for the dole—amazing. These young people are getting skills and getting into employment. When I became the member for Dobell, I invited someone from one of the departments to come into my office. I said to them: how much was spent by the previous government over the last 12 months on job creation funding for young people in the Dobell electorate? They could not answer. All they said was 'millions and millions and millions'. That was under those opposite. Our program to get kids off the streets and teach them to fly aeroplanes was a huge success. We are looking at practical solutions that are going to get young people into long-term sustainable jobs. Those on the other side are laughing. Well, I don't think trying to get kids off the street to learn how to fly aeroplanes is a joke.

In this budget the government has committed $50 billion to infrastructure. That is really important for my electorate. We have been starved for the last six years. Under the union controlled former Labor government, under the sadly lacking leadership of Craig Thomson, we got nothing for six years in Dobell, and for 16 years under the state Labor government. And now we are hearing about this unprecedented $30 million of union membership money that is going to be spent on, basically, scaremongering and lying in marginal seats. Shame on you! One thing I will not do is allow Dobell to ever come under union control again. They are already taunting me that they are going to have an HSU member running against me. Good luck to them! We will not let it happen in our marginal seats. We will tell the people the truth. We are here for the Australian people and we are here to create jobs, and that is what we intend to do. All you lot are interested in doing is creating union membership and then using $30 million of union membership money to run a rubbish campaign full of lies.

Ms Owens interjecting—

There is no cut for health. We are increasing funding in education. I go into my schools and I know what they want. For the first time, they are getting proper representation. (Time expired)

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