Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Siewert, I think, hit the nail on the head at the very end of her question about the need to create work. That is exactly what this government's economic agenda is all about. It is the social dividend that comes from getting rid of the carbon tax, getting rid of the mining tax, getting rid of the red and green tape, restoring the budget, and reintroducing the Australian Building and Construction Commission. To say that those sorts of policies somehow punish the young is to misunderstand the economic factors that do need to be manipulated to ensure that we get the social outcomes that Senator Siewert and I want to achieve—that is, greater employment opportunities for our young Australians. That is why, for example, in the education reforms there will be another 80,000 places created and made available for young Australians. There will be more positions hopefully in the apprenticeship area as well. (Time expired)