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

I thank Senator Macdonald for that supplementary. The fundamental understanding that we on this side of the chamber, the Liberal-National Party, have here in this parliament and in Queensland is if we support businesses so they can be more successful and more profitable, they can hire more Australians and pay them better wages over time. In fact, that is the only way that businesses can employ more Australians and pay them better wages. Labor's higher taxes for business, Labor's anti-trade, higher electricity prices approach, will make it harder for businesses to be successful, which means less investment, less growth, fewer jobs and lower wages. In Queensland our free trade agreements, for example, are delivering real outcomes. In manufacturing, for example, Superior Jetties on the Gold Coast are selling additional products into China, installing high quality pontoon products for vessel-berthing needs all over Australia and in different parts of the world, because the tariffs for their products are going down from seven to 18 per cent to nothing. (Time expired)