Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister update the House on the government's plan to grow a stronger economy and create jobs in the light of the announcement by Qantas today?

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

I thank the member for Robertson for her question. Again, I reiterate that it is a hard day for the workers at Qantas and it is a hard day for everyone who is following this. But on hard days especially it is important to tell the truth, and the truth is that there are services available to people in this country who lose their jobs, and particularly when we are talking about a company like Qantas people's entitlements are absolutely safe.

But another important truth is that governments do not save businesses. What saves businesses is the management and the staff working together to make the future better than the past.

Ms Owens interjecting—

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

The member for Parramatta is warned!

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

It is not government's job to run businesses; it is government's job to get the fundamentals right.

Mr Perrett interjecting—

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

And the member for Moreton is warned!

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

As this government understands in the marrow of its bones, it is not government that creates jobs; it is profitable businesses that create jobs. It is not government that creates wealth; it is profitable businesses that create wealth. Government's job is to make it easier for those businesses to flourish.

Our plan for a stronger economy with more jobs starts with abolishing the carbon tax, because let's not forget that the carbon tax is a $9 billion a year tax on jobs and it is a $106 million a year tax on Qantas. It continues with scrapping the mining tax, which has done so much to reduce investment in our country. It goes on with cutting red tape. We are committed to a $1 billion red tape cost saving for the businesses of Australia. We are also committed to trying to ensure that the rule of law operates in all of our workplaces through restoring the Australian Building and Construction Commission, and that in a previous incarnation was responsible for $6 billion worth of productivity improvements.

We will create a million new jobs within five years. We will create two million new jobs within a decade. The challenge of government is not to guarantee every single existing job; the challenge of government is to ensure that there are new and better jobs available to the workers of Australia when they want them and when they need them.