Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am deeply appreciative, Deputy President. An increase in productivity means an increase in the fortunes of the company and its ability to employ more people and it ability—indeed, not just ability but a responsibility that they take very, very seriously—to pay more tax into the receipts of the nation. What do they do when all that is happening? They get a lot of confidence. Sometimes they borrow money and sometimes they will branch out and invest in new ventures. Again, what does that require? It requires more jobs. It requires more investment which generates more income, more profits, more jobs and more receipts to the nation. What happens when the nation gets blessed with good receipts? Well, Jiminy Cricket, I can only speak for our side of the parliament. The coalition invest it principally in infrastructure—that is what we do. Of course, we spend a couple of years trying to reduce debt; to get the trajectory of the economy back in order when we come to government. Eventually, we spend it on infrastructure, as we are at the moment. There is a $50 billion infrastructure program out there. That is more jobs, that is more wealth, that is more receipts, and on and on it goes—it is a cycle.

I will tell you what is the danger to the cycle. The danger to the cycle is corruption. The danger to the cycle is where you have organisations, little fish in a tiny pond, who can impact on the performance. If a job closes down for one day, it can cost $100,000. If a job shuts down for a week or 10 days, that may well reflect 100 per cent of the potential net benefit of that employer and then jobs are lost—they go to the wall. Senator Ludwig, you betcha we are going after transparency and accountability; you betcha. That is right at the fore of our mind and on the tip of our tongue. I really do not fear, and nor should the union movement or any other organisation, transparency and accountability.

My advice to them is very simple. If they hear the galloping horse coming up behind them—

Senator McKenzie interjecting—