Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Smith for the question and for all the work she did in the lead-up to the Jobs and Skills Summit. Right across the government, our caucus, more than 100 round tables were held in various locations. I did one with Senator Urquhart in northern Tasmania, which was very well represented, with more than 70 people—businesses and NGOs, everyone coming together to work with us to talk about the challenges they want to see addressed. The summit brought people together to agree on key actions to build the stronger economy that we all want to see and help set a clear direction for future work, putting full employment and productivity—remember that word, 'productivity'? You didn't see much of it when you were in government—at the centre of our economic strategy and recognising that equal participation and opportunities for women are critical to that.

We agreed to 36 immediate initiatives, including extra money for fee-free TAFE and fast-tracking of those fee-free places; more and better investment in social and affordable housing; an extra $4,000 in income credit so that age pensioners can work and earn more before it affects their pension; responsibly increasing the permanent migration target to address those crippling labour shortages that small business is telling us about; beginning the work to repair the broken bargaining system; and strengthening flexible working arrangements.

After a decade of division and delay, conflict and complacency, this is what can be achieved by a government that is inclusive, collaborative and consensus seeking. By refusing to participate—not one of you attended; Mr Littleproud did, all credit it to him—the opposition made it clear that it wants nothing but a decade of flat real wages, falling productivity and falling living standards. (Time expired)