Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

What we need to do is continue to implement our plan for a stronger economy and more jobs. We need to continue to pursue our plan to get our expenditure as a government on a more sustainable foundation for the future. When we came into government we inherited a weakening economy, rising unemployment and a budget position that was deteriorating rapidly. Today, economic growth is strengthening, jobs growth is stronger than it was in the last year of the Labor government and the budget position is getting under control.

I see the sceptical look of Senator Cameron, but these are the facts. These are the facts: economic growth in 2014 was 2.5 per cent compared to 1.9 per cent in the last year of Labor. In 2014, about 600 jobs were created every day—three times more than in the last year of Labor government. The good news does not end there. In 2014, export volumes in Australia have risen by 7.2 per cent. (Time expired)