Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business, Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. I remind the Treasurer of his promise from 18 May 2011 when he said, 'We are going to see the creation of 500,000 new jobs over the next two years'. Will the Treasurer confirm that Labor has fallen so far short of this promise that 237,000 new jobs would need to be created in the single month of June to prevent this becoming yet another Labor broken promise?

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

I thank the shadow minister for that question, because the one thing that everyone on this side of the House is proudest of is the creation of almost one million jobs—one million jobs!—in the time that we have been in power. I do want to make a couple of points about this, because almost one million jobs have been achieved during one of the most difficult times in the global economy in over 80 years.

Of course, we saw the shadow Treasurer last week when the unemployment figures came out—the labour force was published—and unemployment was at 5.5 per cent. In the context of almost one million jobs being created since we came to power, he described that outcome as 'mediocre'. Well, you would have to be a bonehead to make that sort of statement—a complete bonehead to claim—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Firstly, in the interests of cordiality, the Treasurer should withdraw that insulting term. But, secondly, he was asked a question about the 237,000 jobs he needs to create in June to meet his broken promise from two years ago, and that is the question he has to answer.

Honourable members interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The Leader of the House will resume his seat. That was not a point of order; I will, however, ask the Treasurer to withdraw on the previous comment.

Mr Melham interjecting—

Order! The member for Banks is warned!

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

I do withdraw, Speaker. But this trash talking of the Australian economy from the Leader of the Opposition, the shadow Treasurer , the shadow minister over there and the rest of the backbench should stop. It should stop because it is deeply, deeply irresponsible and it does not reflect the underlying strength of the Australian economy.

But they go out and do it day in, day out. They talk down the economy. They go out there and exaggerate debt; they go out there and try to cause all sorts of challenges and to take up and use all of the worst rhetoric you could possibly pass on in the face of those sorts of outcomes which everyone on this side of the House is very, very proud of. For Australia to have achieved one million jobs in an environment where jobs have been lost in their millions across the United States and right across Europe, this is something that everyone on this side of the House is extremely proud of. But you get this deeply irresponsible approach from those opposite.

And why do they talk down our economy? They talk down our economy, because they use that as the Trojan Horse to justify the savage cuts to the bone that they are planning to put into our economy. But they will not tell the Australian people about what they intend to do. We had the Leader of the Opposition the other day talking about the need for paying for cuts but we have not heard any of the detail. We had the shadow Treasurer the other day refusing to say that they would put out costed policies. All of that is code for vicious cuts to the bone, the types of which have been put in place by Campbell Newman in Queensland, because they too, like Campbell Newman, have got a commission on cuts planned.

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Treasurer will return to the question.

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

I was asked about jobs, Speaker. In Queensland, Campbell Newman, slashed 14,000 jobs following his commission of cuts; not something he told the people of Queensland about before the election in Queensland. We, on this side of the House, stand for jobs and growth. It went to the core of our budget because we believe in our bones that we have to do everything that we can to secure employment and promote growth and provide for the security of the Australian people. (Time expired)