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

The government believes that the best form of welfare is a job, and part of what we are doing to help our young people into work is creating jobs through growing our economy. We also recognise that finding and keeping work can be difficult, and we have a number of initiatives designed to give our young people the skills, support, incentives and hope to secure these jobs. The government's new $6.8 billion jobactive employment services program cuts red tape for service providers and gives young people the incentives and assistance to re-engage with training or to find and keep a job. Just last week, the former Labor Premier of Queensland Peter Beattie said of our jobactive program: 'The government's doing a lot of good things. They've got a great program called jobactive.' If he can recognise it, why can't those opposite?