Kelvin Thomson (Wills, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Employment, in writing, on 14 November 2014:

Is the Minister aware, as reported by John Masanauskas in "Unemployment in Melbourne suburbs will be "social disaster‟, says researcher" (Herald Sun, 29 October 2014), of evidence and reports that local young people, unemployed and workers would be better off and have a better chance of being trained and getting a job with fewer overseas migrant workers and students.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Employment has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:

Unemployment is bad for social, mental and physical health not just for the individual but for the household and the community. That's why the Government is so focused on creating a stronger economic environment where more job opportunities are created.

It is noted that the unemployment rate in honourable member's local area almost doubled while Labor was in office yet he supported the job destroying Carbon Tax and Mining Tax which discouraged investment in jobs.

Instead of trying to recast the jobs in the current jobs in the community as suggested by the question, the Government is focused on creating more job opportunities. Regrettably these attempts have been opposed at every step by Mr Thomson and his Labor/Green colleagues.