Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education and Training, Senator Birmingham, representing the Treasurer. Can the minister update the Senate on the release of recent economic data on the Australian economy and how it demonstrates that the government's economic plan is working to drive economic growth and create jobs?

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left! I have repeatedly asked for silence during questions so that I may hear them, let alone other senators in the chamber.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The coalition government's plan for a stronger economy is working and is delivering. We have, as I was just telling the Senate, delivered tax relief that will help and encourage hardworking Australians, tax relief that will see more Australians get to keep more of their money. The unemployment rate fell to 5.3 per cent in July, the lowest rate since November 2012; 15,300 fewer people are unemployed since the last election; there are 600,000 more jobs across the Australian economy; and 339,000-plus jobs were created in 2017-18—the strongest financial year result in more than a decade in terms of jobs growth.

We have turned the corner on wages, seeing wages growth increase by 0.6 per cent in the June quarter, the largest quarterly increase in four years. Average weekly ordinary time earnings for full-time adults increased by 2.7 per cent over the year to May, the strongest annual growth seen since 2014. Retail sales are up and business conditions are at elevated levels. Ultimately we see across the board that Australians, in terms of jobs growth, wages growth, business growth and investment opportunities, are all enjoying the benefits of a stronger economy. That is what matters most. What matters most is the reality that the Australian people are better off as a result of a government that has delivered for them in terms of that stronger economy, in terms of that wages growth and in terms of that employment growth. And of course they will be better off into the future because of the tax cuts that this parliament has legislated under the leadership of the coalition government. They will be better off because there will be further jobs growth under the competitive tax rates we've legislated, all of which will deliver more for more Australians.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hume, a supplementary question?

Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Will the minister explain to the Senate how the government has acted to ensure that Australians keep more of the money they earn so that they can create more opportunities for themselves?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Because of the coalition government's tax cuts, Australians are going to keep more of their money, and they will get to keep even more of their money as long as there continues to be a coalition government in the future. But if those opposite are elected, Australians will be paying higher taxes.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Birmingham, please resume your seat. Order on my left! If I call order, take a breath and count to three before the interjections continue. Senator O'Sullivan?

Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Now that I'm on the frontbench, I'm even more keenly interested to hear what the senator has to say, and I can hardly hear it for the noises from the other side.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left! Senator O'Sullivan is a lot closer to this end of the chamber now and should be able to hear, so I will ask for silence. Senator Collins on a point of order.

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, I ask: what portfolio has been allocated to Senator O'Sullivan?

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister made a statement earlier with respect to responsibilities. Senator Birmingham.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In relation to the tax cuts delivered for Australians, I want to pay tribute to the work of Mr Turnbull and the work of Mr Morrison but, importantly, to the work of Senator Cormann as well, in the delivery of those tax cuts for hardworking Australians, and indeed Senator Fifield in relation to media reform and Senator Cash in relation to the establishment of the Registered Organisations Commission and bringing back the ABCC. They have all delivered significant reforms that are important for ensuring that Australians keep more of their hard-earned dollars and for ensuring that Australians in the future will have a stronger economy with more jobs growth building on what is already record jobs— (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hume, a final supplementary question?

Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Will the minister inform the Senate on how the government is supporting small businesses through tax relief so that they can continue to grow and create more jobs?

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

Not very well!

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cameron, I repeat my request that I hear questions.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are 2.2 million small businesses that contribute some $378 billion to the Australian economy annually. They employ 4.7 million people, around 44 per cent of the Australian workforce. As this Senate well knows, we successfully legislated to deliver tax cuts for those businesses, as well as extending the instant asset write-off. This Senate also well knows that those opposite have a policy to increase the rate of tax in the future relative to what this parliament has already legislated.

In the next election campaign, next year, those opposite will have to line up and explain to hundreds of thousands of Australian households and to thousands of Australian small businesses that they intend to make them pay more taxes. They intend for those businesses and those households to pay higher levels of tax in the future. We know the Labor Party's company tax policy, and that is to put the rate back up for small businesses in Australia. That will hurt jobs growth in the future.