Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I am sure whoever that fund manager was is a really important person but, quite frankly, trying to find somebody who is a fund manager and quote them as if that has some sort of authority is pretty pathetic. The reality is that the government is getting on with the job. This government has successfully managed the economy. We have created more than 700,000 new jobs. We have an economy that is the envy of the world. Whenever you travel internationally, people want to know how we did it. How was it that our response to the GFC allowed us to come through in such strong condition? They want to know how our stimulus plan was so successful in ensuring that Australians kept their jobs and kept working. They want to know why we were so successful at achieving growth in employment while the rest of the world was experiencing unemployment rates of 10, 12 and 14 per cent. This government has been successful at managing the economy, allowing the economy to grow and providing jobs and opportunities for Australians. What we know is that this is in stark contrast to the opposition, who have no policies. They can only criticise. They can only oppose everything that is done. But we are getting on with the job. We have actually put a price on carbon. It comes in on 1 July. It is a major economic and environmental reform that will see this country set up to take advantage of a clean energy future. It will transform our economy for the long-term benefit of Australians. We are getting on with those things. The Senate will get the chance to debate the mining tax in the next few weeks. This will allow the Liberal Party to make a decision about whether they are going to give the revenue from the mining tax not to the Australian people but to the miners. They will have to slash the education and health budgets to give the money back. I will have a quiet bet with you, Senator Ryan, that you change that policy before the election.