Stephen Jones (Whitlam, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The latest job figures have just been released, and they are horrendous: 230,000 people have lost their jobs in the last month alone. Women and young people are the hardest hit. These are real lives, and real people being left behind. There are fewer people in work and more people who have given up hope, and even the people with a job are getting fewer hours. Every day out of work is a human tragedy. This is a preview of what we will see in September if we do not change course. There are serious problems, but they're not being met with serious solutions. We cannot cut our way to recovery—because behind every cut that is planned by this government is a family who cannot pay their bills or a young person who is struggling to put a roof over their head. We need a plan. A slogan is not a plan. An announcement that has never delivered is not a plan. Cutting support for people without a job or for small businesses doing it tough is not a plan. We cannot cut our way to recovery. This government needs to stop leaving people behind. Serious problems require serious solutions.