Chris Crewther (Dunkley, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister update the House on action the government is taking to build a stronger and more secure Australia? Is the Prime Minister aware of any alternative approaches?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Dunkley. Our government has been and will continue to build a stronger Australia. That is our record—the reduction in employment, the record jobs creation under this government and the investment at record levels into hospitals, into schools and affordable medicines, all of this made possible by a stronger economy, and the record is plain to see on the strength of Australia under the stewardship of our government. We have the clear plans to keep it that way and the leader of the Labor Party wants to change it all.

Our government is absolutely united on the need to put these plans in place to ensure we continue with the strong economic management and on the plans we have outlined to keep Australia stronger into the future. We are united in our opposition to the Labor Party's plans, which will make Australia weaker if they get the opportunity. We're united on lower taxes. We're united on supporting small and family businesses. We're united on carrying all of our traditional industries forward together with our new industries. That includes our mining and resource industries. That includes our forestry industries. That includes our agricultural sector. We are united in our support for a stronger economy because that's what guarantees the essential services that Australians rely on. And we're united on keeping Australians safe and secure and on ensuring that we have the border security measures in place. That's what we're united on doing together to ensure that we have a stronger Australia. But I can tell you, the Labor Party is not so united on these things.

What we heard today was the AWU's legend, Bill Ludwig, up in Queensland, calling out the Labor Party on the divisions in the Labor Party when it comes to support for our traditional industries and the resources sector in this country. The member for Corio came right in on cue describing as 'wonderful' a global market collapse that supports Australia's biggest mining export industry, that supports 55,000 jobs. That is what the member for Corio has said about those jobs. He might think it's wonderful but, I can tell you, on this side of the House, we don't think it's wonderful. In all of those places that depend on those jobs, they don't think it's wonderful.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can't hear the member for Shortland's interjections, I can't hear the member for Paterson's interjections or the member for Hunter's interjections or the member for Herbert's interjections when it comes to supporting the traditional industries of this country. This is a Labor Party that's divided on economic policy and divided on border policy—one day saying it's not fine for Christmas Island, the next day saying it is fine for Christmas Island—and now we have the deputy leader of the Labor Party conflicting with their own leader. (Time expired)