Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National 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 strengthen the Australian economy and create opportunity in my home state of Queensland?

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

I do thank the member for Capricornia for her question. I can assure her that every day this government is focused on jobs, growth and community safety. We took a plan to the last election to create a strong and prosperous economy for a safe and secure Australia. We took a plan to the last election to back hardworking Australians, and that is what we have been doing every day since.

Our plan meant scrapping the carbon tax to make every household better off, on average, to the tune of $550 a year. Our plan involved scrapping the mining tax to make Australia, once more, a good place to invest. It involved building roads, because these are the muscles and sinews of a strong economy. It involved getting the budget back under control, and that is what is happening to the tune of a half a per cent of GDP every year. Our plan involved finalising three free trade agreements with our major trading partners.

I can assure the member for Capricornia and other members of this House that the plan is working. In the March quarter our economic growth was amongst the very highest in the developed world. In the March quarter our export volumes were up five per cent. That is the best result in 15 years. Services exports were up eight per cent. That is the best result in eight years. Construction was up almost five per cent. Bankruptcies are at record lows. Car sales are at record highs. Since the election our economy has created some 335,000 more jobs. I want to repeat that: since the election our economy has created some 335,000 new jobs, and with things like our northern development white paper there is hope for even better performance in the months and years to come, particularly in the—

Mr Perrett interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Moreton will cease interjecting!

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

great electorate of Capricornia. Every day, this government is getting on with the job of doing the right thing by the workers of Australia with not just shipbuilding, fleet building, centred on Adelaide, that will create 2½ thousand jobs and an emissions reduction target, which is not just environmentally strong but economically responsible. What we cannot do is see major projects stopped, frustrated and delayed because of legal attrition.

I point to the Adani project, in the member's electorate. This will create 10,000 jobs. It will involve $21 billion of new investment. It will give power to 100 million people in India. For Queensland's sake, for our sake, for the world's sake, this project must be allowed to go ahead.