Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. On 19 February, the Prime Minister said he was shocked at the job losses—shocked about Toyota, shocked about Holden, shocked about Alcoa. Prime Minister, is the government's state of shock the reason that there is no plan on transition, no plan to create new jobs and no plan for innovation from his government?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do deeply regret the job losses at the various businesses that the Leader of the Opposition has mentioned. I deeply regret them. Our plan to create jobs and to boost prosperity starts with scrapping the carbon tax. It starts with scrapping the carbon tax; it continues with scrapping the mining tax. It goes on with restoring the Australian Building and Construction Commission. It goes on with reducing red and green tape. This is what we need in this country if we are to create the jobs—the secure and sustainable jobs—of the future. That is our plan.

What is the Leader of the Opposition's plan? The Leader of the Opposition has consistently opposed everything—everything—that this government has tried to do to create jobs. The Leader of the Opposition's plan is to keep the carbon tax: a $9 billion hit on jobs. The Leader of the Opposition's plan is to keep the mining tax—again, an anti-Western-Australian tax. The Leader of the Opposition's plan is to oppose the restoration of the Australian Building and Construction Commission, because the problem—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

We will have some silence on my left!

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

with this Leader of the Opposition is that he cannot transcend his background as a union official.