John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer outline the importance of fixing the budget, and how will the repeal of the mining tax help to repair the budget?

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is hugely important that we fix the budget. The member for Bennelong knows that because he has been a very strong advocate of the country living within its means and the government living within its means. As a very successful businessman and an extremely good elite tennis player—and an ordinary squash player!—he would know it is very important that, when you set a goal, you set about achieving that goal.

The goal of this government is to strengthen the Australian economy. The goal of this government is to help create an environment where we have more jobs and better pay. Since we were elected, job growth in Australia has run at three times the speed of the last year of Labor—when the Leader of the Opposition was the minister for employment.

Ms Kate Ellis interjecting—

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

The member for Adelaide will desist.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

As will the member for Sydney.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The fact is that, under the coalition, 15,000 new jobs, on average, have been created every month. Under the Leader of the Opposition, just a year ago, the average was 5,000 new jobs a month. Of course, we saw a surge in the unemployment rate, and the Labor Party was its own worst enemy when it came to jobs. They know that. It was their policies as a government, particularly in relation to the budget, that helped to make life harder, not easier, for businesses that wanted to employ more people. The mining tax is a good example. The Labor Party has never been consistent on the mining tax. They claimed that it was going to be the solution for everything—but it never was.

I thank the member for Lilley for his contribution to this debate.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

I should. I am about to do it. I am about to praise the member for Lilley. In an interview on ABC24 just yesterday he said: 'We do know as production ramps up, more goods are shipped out, the mining tax would have raised much more in the years ahead.' Well, the fact is that last year alone Australia exported 181.4 million tonnes of iron ore—7.7 tonnes of iron ore for every man, woman and child in Australia—and, in the last three months, the tax raised 2½c for every Australian. What a great tax that was! But not to outdo himself, he said in the same interview: 'That tax was so successful, not only would it fund the schoolkids bonus, income support bonus, low-income super contribution, regional infrastructure, increases in super, instant asset write-off, vehicle depreciation and tax loss carry back but it could go on and fund other elements of public policy such as education.' For 2½c, that is a great deal!