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

My question is to the Prime Minister. A few minutes ago in question time the Prime Minister said about his last two years: 'We had a plan.' Prime Minister, how is your plan working for 800,000 Australians who are not working?

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

I want to pick the Leader of the Opposition up on one part of his question—it is the first two years, not the last two years, that we are talking about. This is a government which every day since 7 September 2013 has had a plan to be open for business. At the heart of our plan is lower taxes, more infrastructure and freer trade. That is our plan—lower taxes, more infrastructure and freer trade—and we have delivered. The carbon tax—gone. The mining tax—gone. Bill Shorten's piggy bank tax—gone. Labor's bank deposit tax—not going ahead. This is a government which in the marrow of its bones, in our very DNA, is committed to lower taxes, and we have delivered.

The Pacific Highway, the Bruce Highway, WestConnex, the North-South Corridor, the Perth Freight Link—all of these great infrastructure projects for our country are happening thanks to this government. Where it really counts, we are setting up this country not just for years but for decades to come, with free trade agreements. Members opposite talked; this government has delivered. Not only did members opposite fail to land a free trade agreement with Korea and fail to land a free trade agreement with Japan; now they want to sabotage the free trade agreement with China.

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

Mr Speaker, a point of order. It goes to relevance. The Prime Minister has forgotten about 800,000 unemployed people in his answer.

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

It is not a point of order.

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

Every day I am working to ensure that Australians without jobs have good prospects to get them—by concluding the China-Australia free trade agreement, which will be good for jobs for decades to come; by ensuring that the Carmichael mine is not sabotaged by the friends of the Labor Party, because that is $20 billion of investment and 10,000 jobs; and by ensuring that our workplaces are clean and honest by cracking down on the dodgy union officials, the rorts, the rackets and the rip-offs that the Leader of the Opposition is determined to protect and to cover up.

There are 335,000 more jobs in our economy than there were when this government came to office, in part because of the good work of our businesses, in part because of the commitment of our workers but very much in part because of the good policy from this government—policy that we will stick to, policy that ensures that this country really is open for business every single day.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The member for Newcastle I have asked to cease interjecting on three occasions now. You are warned.