Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

First, in relation to the question, there is a very important aspect of the question which occurred right at the end where the senator at least conceded that the figures he was quoting were against a reference case, that jobs may well continue to grow in the sectors that he is talking about. I do not have all of the figures from the Queensland modelling in front of me but it is not correct to say that jobs are lost, and I think that is something that has been unfortunate in some of the discussion.

In fact, my recollection, certainly of the Treasury modelling, is what we see is continued job growth in this nation with a carbon price. I am also advised that the Queensland modelling shows over the period of the next decade that gross state product will grow strongly at an annual average rate of 3½ per cent with or without a carbon price, that employment will grow strongly with or without a carbon price, with new jobs—some 470,000 new jobs—created over the period and that real wages will continue to grow in the same period even with a carbon price.

So gross state product continues to grow, with jobs growth and real wages growth with a carbon price. I think it is important to recognise the sort of scaremongering we are seeing in this place and out there in the community from an opposition who are determined to do all they can to talk Australia's economy down. They have no policy other than saying no. But the reality is we on this side believe that, if you want to continue to be a first-rate economy, you need to be a clean-energy economy and that in the years to come we will need to ensure we are competitive when it comes to clean-energy technology. (Time expired)