Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

If there is one cohort in the Australian community that was left behind by those sitting opposite now, it is the 6.25 per cent that they predicted would be unemployed as a result of their economic policies. They are the people that have been left behind. When Labor came into government they had an unemployment rate, courtesy of the coalition, of 3.9 per cent. Today it stands at 5.7 per cent. They are the people that have been left behind, and they were left behind by the previous government. We have made no apology of saying that we feel for those people. We are seeking to put the economic parameters in place to ensure that they can get gainful employment.

Senator Cameron interjecting—

Senator Cameron, who presided over huge numbers of job losses in the manufacturing sector, can jeer, but these people want jobs and we'll try and get them. (Time expired)