Sean Edwards (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Finance and the Minister representing the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Senator Wong. I refer the minister to the collapse this week of Priority Engineering Services in her home town of Adelaide, where 86 workers were stood down. This is added to the collapse of McCracken Homes last week and the concurrent and incredible withdrawal of the home builders indemnity insurance scheme by QBE Insurance, brought about by the growing business failures in the ludicrously mismanaged economy of that state.

Why do you, Minister, and your cabinet colleagues continue to let the South Australian people suffer because of a double whammy of economic incompetence from both the Weatherill and Gillard Labor governments?

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! When we have silence on both sides—if you wish to have a discussion you can go outside—

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Give that senator some oxygen!

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Cameron!

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very pleased to take a question about South Australia, although I have to say that given the tone of that it appears the good senator really wishes he could have been a member of the South Australian parliament. I am surprised that he regards the Senate as less important than the state parliament, but if he does maybe he should consider changing his preselection.

I am very happy to take a question on South Australia and on jobs, because of course we know that the most recent unemployment figures show that under this government we have seen 920,000-plus jobs created since this government came to power. I know that those opposite like to talk down the economy, whether it is the South Australian economy or the federal economy. We know that they like to foster uncertainty and we know that they hate good economic news for Australians. They hate good economic news for Australians; they want higher unemployment because they think it sits in their political interests.

And the tone of that question demonstrated that. They are really cheering on any unemployment they can find.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! On both sides! Senator Wong, you have 49 seconds and I draw your attention to the question.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. I was talking about unemployment as I was asked about unemployment. I am talking about unemployment because we on this side care about creating jobs. We know that those from that side revel in any economic bad news. Unlike those opposite, of course, we feel for the 86 people and their families who, regrettably, are facing an uncertain future. But unlike you over there, we will not make political gains out of it. We will not play political games with it.

If you care about employment in South Australia, why don't you go down, go out to the workers at GMH and tell them that you do not support their industry and how many of them you want to put on the scrapheap? Why don't you tell them that? Go out to Osborne and tell the workers of the Australian Submarine Corporation that you do not support their project either, that you want that sent offshore. If you care about South Australian jobs— (Time expired)

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! When there is silence we will proceed. Senator Edwards is entitled to be heard.

Sean Edwards (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very grateful that the minister has brought up—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! You need a question.

Sean Edwards (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. The northern Adelaide suburbs' general unemployment rate has increased from 7.3 per cent to nine per cent in only one year, nudging twice the national average. Youth unemployment is now at a staggering 43 per cent, and this without yesterday's collapse of Precision Engineering Services. Does the minister acknowledge that they have given up on the people of Adelaide's northern suburbs, and have no clue how to stem this tsunami of pain? (Time expired)

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The time for the question has expired. I do draw senators' attention to the 30-second time limit on questions. It is disorderly to preface a question with a statement, and if people did not preface their questions with statements they would get the question in within the 30 seconds.

Government senators interjecting—

Order! When there is silence on my right we will proceed.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. I am very happy to take a question about the northern suburbs. Of course this government is always concerned to do everything we can particularly in areas of social and economic disadvantage to encourage participation and to encourage job creation. We have demonstrated that. But I think it is interesting to note what the policy approach of those over there—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! On both sides! Senator Wong is entitled to be heard in silence. On both sides! On my right! Senator Wong.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Liberal Party prescription for reducing the unemployment rates in northern Adelaide is to cut the assistance to the car industry by over $1.5 billion, to reduce industry assistance to the car sector, which is so important to the northern suburbs of Adelaide. Their policy response, their answer, is to take over $1 billion out. You tell me how that is going to help. You tell me how taking assistance away, removing certainty for industry between 2015 and 2020—which is your policy—you tell South Australians how that is going to help create jobs. (Time expired)

Sean Edwards (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask a further supplementary question to the minister. Can the minister explain how manufacturing and enterprise will survive the carbon tax and over 20,000 new regulations introduced by the Gillard Labor government, which continue to terminally harm business, driving expenses through the roof, without glibly blaming a high Australian dollar, the global financial crisis and everything else but the government's own cruel policies?

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On both sides! When there is silence I will call the minister. Order!

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. I think that question demonstrates to all and sundry how little the senator understands about business, how little he understands about Australian business, how little he knows, because if he understood what Australian businesses are confronting, he would not discuss the high dollar as a glib issue.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, resume your seat. Order! When there is silence, we will proceed.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. For someone to suggest that the high dollar—

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, resume your seat. Order! On both sides!

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. For someone to suggest that the high dollar does not matter is entirely ridiculous. I would suggest that Senator Edwards go down to manufacturers in Adelaide and say, 'Guess what? High dollar don't matter! High dollar don't matter!' I am sure they would really agree with that, Senator Edwards. And how ridiculous, again: the GFC is just a glib excuse, we just made it up! We just made it up! The fact that what has happened to the US economy, what has happened to the European economies, what has happened to the global economy—no, it is just all a plot by the Australian Labor Party! You are ridiculous! (Time expired)

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When there is silence, I will give Senator Xenophon the call. You are entitled to be heard in silence as well.