Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for her question. Our government is getting on with the job of delivering the national economic plan that was endorsed by the Australian people at the election. We promised to continue the hard task of deficit reduction and living within our means and repairing the budget. We have delivered $11 billion in budget repair. We are making the 45th Parliament work. Every one of our policies—from our enterprise tax plan, to our export trade deals, our record investment in land infrastructure and our record investment in defence capabilities—every single one of them is delivering stronger economic growth. We promised pro-growth policies and we are delivering them. We are creating thousands of advanced manufacturing jobs across the nation through our defence industry plan and our investment in and promotion of innovation and science. We are committed to continuing the strong economic growth which we have had for more than a quarter of a century but which we cannot take for granted. In the last year we have seen the rate of growth rise from 2 to 3.3 per cent.

It is the envy of the developed world.

We promised strong jobs growth—and we are delivering, with more than 180,000 jobs created over the last 12 months. Today marks another important step with the introduction into the Senate of personal income tax legislation that will stop half a million middle-income Australians from entering the second highest tax bracket. That matter will soon be voted on by the Senate. We promised and we remain committed to boosting small business investment and improving the competitiveness of small business by progressing our 10-year enterprise tax plan, a measure that will give Australia's 870,000 incorporated small businesses a tax cut this year.

We promised to take immediate action to restore the rule of law in the workplace to stop militant unions standing over volunteers, and we have succeeded. The Labor Party abandoned the Country Fire Authority volunteers of Australia to a militant union. They disrespected them and allowed the very volunteer essence of the CFA to be compromised. We stood up for them. We said we would defend them as they have defended us, and we have defended them and the Senate has passed the law. There is more to be done. Just as we defended the owner-drivers and just as we defended the CFA volunteers, we stand up for the rule of law in the workplace. (Time expired)

See this speech in context