Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister update the House on actions taken by the government to support Australian workers, including putting downward pressure on power prices?

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

I thank the honourable member for his question. Every policy of my government is focused on delivering more investment and more jobs, and we have seen that delivered in the last year: 371,500 new jobs, with 85 per cent of them full-time.

Mr Brian Mitchell interjecting—

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

The member for Lyons is warned.

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

That is the longest run of job creation in 23 years. Jobs and growth is not just slogan; it's an outcome. If you want to see the parallel universe where the Labor Party dwells, it's not just one where it's legitimate for unions to take backhanders for employers and to trade away penalty rates. That's one element, but there's another interesting element. We have the member for McMahon talking about the need for inclusive growth. Labor does not have one policy that would encourage one business to invest one dollar or hire one employee. We say we support inclusive growth, and what we mean by inclusion is that people get included in the workforce—they actually get employment. They get the opportunity to get ahead.

It's not just that Labor wants to hit Australians with $150 billion more in taxes. It's not just that Labor wants to jack up the taxes on small businesses and medium businesses, like the bakery I was at with the minister for energy

earlier in the week. It was started by a couple, Nick and Louise. As with so many businesses, they built it up from their retained earnings. Labor has two messages to them: (1), your tax is going to go up, so you'll have less to invest; and (2), your energy costs are going to go up. With some of the honourable members opposite, I know there's a great interest in meat pies and the way in which they're delivered. I'm sure they'd realise that energy is a very large part of the cost of a bakery. What Labor offers is this: more expensive, less reliable energy and higher taxes. What does that mean? It means less investment, less employment and less opportunities. What the member for McMahon and his leader should think about very carefully is that you can't have inclusive growth without growth. You can't have inclusive growth without jobs. Everything we're doing supports growth and jobs. Everything Labor does undermines it.

Mr Frydenberg interjecting—

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

The Minister for the Environment and Energy is warned.