Sue Lines (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

We now see an appalling statistic on unemployment rates in Australia, from a government that promised to do much better, a government that made outlandish promises about good government, about jobs and about the economy. But we have seen quite the opposite. In fact, when I think about the election of the Abbott government and the time since that election, it is hard to put my finger on any success the Abbott government has had with the economy, with job creation or with anything at all. The statistics that came out recently are an absolute disgrace and need to be highlighted in this place. All we hear from the Abbott government is the opposite. But the statistics are the statistics. We now have the highest unemployment figure in Australia since 1994. In fact, 6.3 per cent of Australians are now unemployed, and my home state of Western Australia is now setting the record across the nation, particularly for youth unemployment, which I will talk about in a few minutes.

Despite what the Abbott government might say, they have presided over the biggest increases in unemployment. It is 6.3 per cent. Where are the jobs they promised? Where are those jobs? When the government was first elected we heard nothing else. They went on day in, day out, about a million jobs. But we just have not seen those jobs. In fact, on their statistics, on their record, we are a long way behind that. The Abbott government also goes on and on about productivity and job creation, but that rhetoric has failed to see any reality; it has failed to make any dent in the unemployment rate. We now have the highest number of unemployed Australians since 1994.

If we look at Western Australia and at youth unemployment, the Abbott government's record has been quite appalling. First they tried to punish young people who were unemployed by putting in their first budget that unemployment benefits should be held back for six months. Yet the national unemployment rate for young people is 13.3 per cent. The Abbott government is now creating a generation of unemployed people. These are young people with their futures before them, yet when it comes to the most basic entitlement—to a job—they cannot seem to get employment. In Mandurah, in the southern suburbs of Perth, in the seat of Canning, the youth unemployment rate is 14.3. per cent. In Mandurah, in the seat of Canning, 14.3 per cent of young people cannot get a job. And what was the Abbott government's response? 'Well, we'll just keep you off unemployment benefits for six months.'

We heard people opposite, Abbott government members of parliament, for some reason blaming those young people. We heard that they needed to be punished, that we needed to be hard on them. Well, the jobs just are not there. The fact that the Abbott government is presiding, in the seat of Canning, over a youth unemployment rate of 14.3 per cent is an absolute disgrace. And what do we hear from them? Nothing but rhetoric about how somehow the trickle-down effect is going to create jobs for these young people. So far it has absolutely failed, and the trickle-down effect will not help 14.3. per cent of young unemployed people in the seat of Canning, with their whole futures before them, into employment. That just does not work.

The last time we heard any comment on the unemployment statistics from the Abbott government—I have not heard from them recently about the big increase to 6.3 per cent—was when there was a 0.1 per cent drop. Senator Abetz was out there claiming this massive success, back in April this year, when he described that slight increase—which was really a seasonal adjustment and nothing more—as encouraging. Is that the best we can get from the Minister for Employment—to describe a seasonally adjusted figure, which really meant nothing, as encouraging? If a 0.1 per cent increase in a seasonally adjusted figure is encouraging, then a two per cent increase in unemployment since that date must be an absolute disgrace. You cannot say that something as miniscule as 0.1 per cent is encouraging and then be completely silent on a two per cent increase. A two per cent increase is a disgrace.

And what else have we heard from the Abbott government? Let us look at their record, because their rhetoric does not match their record. In fact, since they have been elected, it is very clear that the Abbott government has no idea how to create jobs in this country, because, what have they done? One of the first things they did, with the support of the cross bench in this place, was to freeze superannuation payments. Then they had the gall to say, over and over again, that the money that would normally come from the employer to go towards employer contributions would end up in workers' pockets. They were on the public record as saying that. The only pocket that money has ended up in is the employers' pockets. It certainly has not gone to employees' pockets.

What have they done for low-income Australians, particularly low-income working women? Well, they knocked off the superannuation supplement. Remember that. When in government we brought it in to support people, mainly women, in their retirement. That has gone. So it is another cut to the retirement income of low-income Australians.

This week, and today and in the chamber, we have shipbuilders, members of the AMWU, lobbying here. They are lobbying for the Abbott government to keep the promise that submarines would be built in South Australia. No matter how they want to dress it up, that promise has been broken. Shipbuilders will lose their jobs—in fact, some of those men today have lost their jobs. Building ships overseas does not create more jobs in Australia. Then, despite his denial, we had Senator Abetz showing callous disregard and contempt for the Hutchison Ports workers when he endorsed their sacking at midnight via text. All he had to do today in question time was acknowledge that to send somebody a text at midnight and tell them they were sacked—men and women, working Australians—is not on. It is not treating those workers with respect. But, no, he tried to defend that today and to pretend that it was all up to the Fair Work umpire. Those were his words. If that is how you normally talk to your employer, then getting a text at midnight is okay. But it is not okay, and it shows once again how out of step this government is. It is not okay to send somebody a text at midnight and tell them they are sacked.

But, of course, the Abbott government has form on the waterfront. Remember Peter Reith and his callous disregard for waterfront workers. That is being repeated again. We should applaud well-paying jobs in this country, because that means people lead decent lives and they can prepare for their retirement. But, no, all we have seen under this government is the callous disregard for workers who earn a decent living and can provide for themselves, and an attack on the low-paid.

Just last week the Productivity Commission released its report. The Abbott government from day 1 has wanted to abolish penalty rates, and that is what the PC is recommending for some of Australia's workers. What do we have? We have the Prime Minister coming out in support of a reduction in penalty rates.

The other point in there is this kind of freezing of the minimum wage. Again, it just shows the Abbott government's complete disregard for and complete misunderstanding of workers in this country—to attack the lowest paid and say that it is okay for penalty rates to be reduced. Well, perhaps they do not understand that reducing penalty rates reduces take-home pay. Despite Mr Hockey's rhetoric to Australian workers a few months ago to 'get a good job with good pay', we see that as unacceptable for waterfront workers, for MUA members— (Time expired)