Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation. Will the minister outline how the government is supporting jobs and working Australians during this time of economic change? Is the minister aware of any threats to jobs, particularly in my glorious home state of Queensland?

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Moreton for his question. I can report to the member for Moreton, who I know is very interested in the creation of good jobs in Australia, that the monthly labour force figures have come out today. I can report to him that we have more Australians in full-time work than ever in the history of the Commonwealth—8.1 million people in full-time work, and I can tell—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am sorry that good news disappoints those opposite, but Australia has more people in full-time work than ever before in our history. What is more, since the carbon-pricing mechanism was introduced, I can report to the member for Moreton, there have been 200 jobs created every day, which casts the lie that somehow the proposals of the government are causing unemployment. However, I do have to report to the member for Moreton some disturbing trends in the monthly labour force figures, and they do in fact refer in particular to his home state of Queensland. The member for Moreton may not be aware yet that since 31 March—about the same time as Campbell Newman became Premier of Queensland—there have been 26,000 jobs lost in Queensland.

Opposition members interjecting—

I will put it another way: 130 jobs are leaving Queensland under LNP rule every day since they were elected.

This is a government that is committed to protecting people's entitlements. That is why today we are doing what the Queensland government and those opposite should be supporting. We are making sure that if the jobs of public sector workers throughout Australia—hardworking workers in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania—are privatised or outsourced, and if then the business is sold to another entity, their terms and conditions are relayed and moved with them, so they retain the same conditions. We are making sure that, when a private sector worker in Australia has their business sold to another entity, they get all the same terms and conditions. We are making sure that, in spite of the second-class status which unfortunately is being visited on them by those opposite and by Campbell Newman and Barry O'Farrell, all Australian workers are treated the same. That is what you get with Labor. We look after the workers; the other side do not.

Mr Christensen interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Dawson will leave the chamber under 94(a). Persistent interjection is not allowed under the standing orders.

Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I ask a supplementary question. The minister has talked about supporting people in their workplace and into their retirement. Why is it important that we have a consistent and transparent approach to this?

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Moreton for his supplementary question. He is quite right: we do need consistency in workplace relations policy. We heard in my initial answer that 130 jobs a day are going when the conservatives take over Queensland. Also, I did not get the chance to tell the member for Moreton that, since Barry O'Farrell has been elected Premer of New South Wales, only 19 jobs a day get created in New South Wales. How lucky is New South Wales to have someone in charge who can only create 19 jobs a day! That is hopeless.

Of course, in Victoria we have Ted Baillieu, who thinks that TAFE is a four-letter word and should be cut, and we notice that the Leader of the Opposition has come out of the witness protection program to help Team Zed in the ACT. My goodness! That is just what public sector workers in the ACT want—to know that if they vote conservative in the ACT they get the coalition's industrial relations anti-worker policies!

I am asked about consistency. I will tell you what, member for Moreton—when you go with the government, we mean it when we say that we will increase super from nine per cent to 12 per cent. We abolished the tax on superannuation for those on less than $37,000. What do we get from those opposite? They vote against increasing super for the worker and they vote against improving workers' entitlements, and they will reintroduce a tax on superannuation for the low-paid. I will tell you what they will also do. When it comes to chasing what they allege to be a tainted vote we see my opposite number on the shadow bench, who is happy to chase a vote they demonise as tainted when it suits their political—(Time expired)

Mr Pyne interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And the member for Sturt is messing up his ability to get a question.