Andrew Nikolic (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Minister for Employment. Is the minister aware that the unemployment rate in Tasmania is the highest in the nation? How will the government support unemployed job seekers and employers in my electorate of Bass and in Tasmania more broadly?

Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Assistant Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bass for his question. Yes, I am aware that the unemployment rate in Tasmania is the highest in the country and I would say to Her Majesty's opposition that this is a national tragedy. It is not only that the unemployment rate is the highest in the country, but that the participation rate is also the lowest. You might think this is a joke, but I do not think that the people of Tasmania believe unemployment is a joke, I am assured of that. I think that it comes as no surprise that the unemployment rate is so high because the great state of Tasmania has been subject to the twin evils of a Labor-Green alliance at a federal level and a Labor-Green alliance at a state level. It is no wonder that the Tasmanian economy was stagnating under that regime.

But the coalition does have a plan. We have a plan to create a million jobs over five years and two million jobs over 10 years. Our plan starts with scrapping the job-destroying carbon tax and scrapping the job-destroying mining tax. And if the members of Her Majesty's opposition were serious about creating jobs they would get on side with the government—they would get on side with the government and support the repeal of those two job-destroying taxes.

Specifically in relation to the issue of employment in Tasmania: we have a jobs plan for Tasmania to assist businesses to employ people—a plan to provide $3,250 to assist Tasmanian businesses to employ unemployed Tasmanians and unemployed eligible job seekers.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Grayndler.

Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Assistant Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is an important initiative. We have also got, as part of our election commitments, a job commitment bonus to encourage young people into employment. We have got a relocation assistance plan to assist job seekers to move to where the jobs are and we have got a program which we will be putting in place to encourage employers to employ older Australians.

I know that, unlike the members opposite, the member for Bass is concerned about the unemployment level in Tasmania. The member for Bass is concerned about the future of his state. The coalition has a plan for jobs. It is about time the opposition got out of the way.