Yvette D'Ath (Petrie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness. Will the minister inform the House of the impacts of the Queensland government's budget on the competitiveness of Queensland businesses?

Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Competitiveness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Petrie for her question. As a Queenslander she is experiencing through her constituency the devastation of the cuts that are being inflicted upon Queensland by the Newman government. We know that skills are absolutely essential to Australia's future competitiveness, yet incredibly the Newman government has completely axed the Skilling Queenslanders for Work program at a cost of almost $300 million. A recent evaluation of this program by Deloitte said:

It has directly led to the employment of an additional 8,500 people who would not otherwise have gained employment … the increased earnings generated by this employment ultimately contribute an additional $6.5 billion to Queensland GSP to 2020.

That was a great program that was axed by the LNP government in Queensland.

What is the federal coalition's view of these sorts of cuts? The Queensland Premier, Campbell Newman, said of the Leader of the Opposition: 'I've taken him through it. And he's very understanding …' He said the Leader of the Opposition has been 'incredibly supportive' of these cuts. The shadow Treasurer said of Campbell Newman: 'All strength to his right arm.' The shadow Treasurer said also that he was absolutely committed to these cuts, that they are fantastic and that there should be more of it. What do we have in common here? We have in common a Leader of the Opposition who is committed to an audit commission, exactly as Campbell Newman was committed to an audit commission. They have both done that because there is a $70 billion black hole. The shadow Treasurer said, 'I never mentioned $70 billion; I wasn't there; it wasn't me.' He said, 'Therefore, finding $50 billion, $60 billion or $70 billion is about identifying waste in areas where you do not need to proceed with programs like the skilling Queenslanders program.' The Leader of the Opposition then said, 'Well, this $70 billion is a fanciful figure; it's plucked from the air by government ministers, and I'm surprised you're retelling it to me.' Then on cue the shadow finance minister said, 'Oh, it's not a furphy. We came out with that figure, right?' That is the $70 billion black hole that they have to fill. We have the same shadow finance minister saying, 'I've got on my desk 49 policy documents with covers, narrative, a list of policies and the costings.'

The truth is that they want to conceal the costings. They will not go to the Parliamentary Budget Office. I will tell them what they can do. They can go down to Aussies, get a cream bun, get a cup of coffee and get the costings done, all for $10. They will not go anywhere reputable to get those costings, because they know that they will set up an audit commission and inflict on Australia the savage cuts that Campbell Newman, Ted Baillieu, Barry O'Farrell and all of their Liberal crony mates have inflicted on this country.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.