Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

First of all, I appreciate Senator Abetz's position of not forcing this to the inevitability of defeat in a division. I also indicate that I must respond on this issue of jobs. There is absolutely no doubt that this government has treated employment and employment in the manufacturing sector in a completely cavalier manner. If we want to talk about future generations and leaving costs for future generations, then what is going on with the coalition and climate change? Why would they leave the cost of climate change to future generations? It just does not make sense. One of the biggest economic challenges in the world is climate change, yet this is a government that did not want it on the agenda of the G20. This is a government that continues to try to argue it is not an economic issue. But if they were really keen to do something on future employment, they would be creating the jobs of the future. They would be creating the clean energy jobs. They would be decarbonising the economy for the future. That is what they would be doing. They would not be ripping entitlements. They would not be ripping away support for some of the poorest and most exposed workers in the economy—textile clothing and footwear outworkers. They would not be doing that.

If this is a government, as Senator Abetz said, that is kicking every goal on jobs, I do not want to see it in action when it is missing the goal. I do not want to see these goals getting missed because it will be a horrible sight and it will have terrible repercussions for jobs in this country. This is a government that is cavalier when it comes to jobs. This is a government that is forcing this country more and more to be a quarry, a farm and a tourist destination. This is a government that does not understand the needs for a strong manufacturing sector and a strong engineering sector in this country. This is simply about cost cutting. This is about meanness. This is about being tricky. This is a government that cannot be trusted. This is a government that the public are looking at with abject horror. That is reflected when you are out in the street talking to people about this government and its broken promises—broken promise after broken promise. That is what this government is about. That letter from Senator Abetz epitomises the broken promises, the meanness and the nastinesses of this government.

Question agreed to.