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

My question is to the Prime Minister. We know that the Prime Minister is prepared to give into his Liberal opponents on every other issue, so why won't the Prime Minister now give in to Labor and support our private member's bill to protect penalty rates? When will the government stop fighting itself and start fighting for the conditions of Australian workers?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Every day the government is delivering the economic growth that Australians deserve. Every policy of ours is focused on delivering more investment, more jobs, more opportunities for Australian families. Only last week we saw a dramatic increase in the export market for chilled beef into China—another opportunity for Australian farmers and regional Australia building on the already substantial achievements of our free trade deals. We are now, in the Senate, seeking to secure the cuts in business tax that will provide great incentives for businesses to invest.

The Labor Party seems to think that you can increase tax on business and life will go on regardless. Of course they regard the tax that companies pay as the government's property. They regard all of the profits that companies make as the government's property. They have no interest in supporting the investment, the jobs or the growth that Australians need. It is that simple. If you want more investment, increase the return on investment. If you want less investment, increase the tax on investment. That is Labor's policy: less investment, less business, fewer jobs. It is the path to poverty. That is where Labor leads. They used to be committed to prosperity, but not any longer. They have abandoned the commitment to growth. They have abandoned Australian workers. They have abandoned the future.

Mr Brian Mitchell interjecting—

Ms Butler interjecting—

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

The member for Lyons and the member for Griffith are warned.