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

Thanks, Minister, but you have not gone near the question I asked you. I am not surprised that the employers love this program, because what you are doing is subsidising the company to bring young people in to do work that someone could have been employed to do. I am not asking you who you consulted with, but if this was just rhetorical flourish yesterday in your summing up, then do not dig deeper—just tell us it was a rhetorical flourish and that there has not been feedback from youth. I have asked you, given that you made this statement yesterday, and I do not mean you personally: what youth did the department consult with; how many young people did the department consult with; how did you find these young people to consult with; and when did the consultations occur? Maybe I will try again and ask you to deal with that and stop digging a bigger hole. If it was a rhetorical flourish, just tell us that, and we can move on.