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

I thank the honourable member for her question and I imagine, if there'd been more time allotted to the question, she could have run through my entire career and characterised it so favourably.

Ms Macklin interjecting—

Oh, she's leaping up to do that! Good on you—that's terrific, thank you. The reality is this: we have a stronger economy. We have ensured we have that. It was in fact the honourable member for Jagajaga that once almost echoed John Howard in saying that the best form of welfare is a job. The objective, of course, is to get people into employment. We not only have record jobs growth—

Ms Macklin interjecting—

The honourable member is shaking her head—surely you want to have more people in work. We have record jobs growth and the lowest percentage of Australians of working age on welfare in 25 years. That's a matter to be celebrated. That's one of the reasons the budget is in better shape. That's what a stronger economy gives you. Here we have the Labor Party, which is only promising higher taxes. Higher taxes on business; what's that going to lead to? Less investment, fewer jobs, lower wages. Higher taxes on investment, on property; what's that going to lead to? Again, less investment, fewer jobs, lower wages. Then, most shameful of all—I don't know how the honourable member can live with that policy; I imagine she was shocked by it—raiding the savings of retirees. Honourable members opposite always tell us how they are dripping with empathy, but what about people in their 80s who are going to lose 30 per cent of their income? What about them?

Mr Sukkar interjecting—

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