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14742 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thursday 6 September 2012 __________ The Speaker (The Hon. Shelley Elizabeth Hancock) took the chair at 10.00 a.m. The Speaker read the Prayer and acknowledgement of country. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE Notices of Motions General Business Notices of Motions (General Notices) given. NSW JOBS COMMISSION BILL 2012 Second Reading Debate resumed from 16 August 2012. Mr ANDREW STONER (Oxley—Deputy Premier, Minister for Trade and Investment, and Minister for Regional Infrastructure and Services) [10.10 a.m.]: I lead for the Government in debate on the NSW Jobs Commission Bill 2012. We waited 18 months for a policy from the Opposition. After an incessant period of whingeing, whining, carping and opposing everything, the Opposition has now put forward an idea as a policy of sorts, that is, the NSW Jobs Commission Bill. I am sorry to say that after the wait the only policy produced by this lazy and negative Opposition is, like the Leader of the Opposition himself, a dud. The bill reflects a proposition by the Labor Party that somehow it could do better on the jobs front by creating yet another taxpayer-funded body, a jobs commission. Let us look at the Government's record on the jobs front. Since taking office in March last year we have created a total of 28,400 jobs. We have delivered NSW 2021, a strategic plan to make New South Wales number one again, including 19 soon-to-be-released regional action plans that were developed following extensive community consultation. We have delivered a Jobs Action Plan supporting 100,000 new jobs across the State, including 40,000 in regional New South Wales, through payroll tax rebates for companies hiring new employees. We have appointed a Small Business Commissioner to support our State's 650,000 small to medium enterprises and to advise the Government on how best to support the sector. My agency, NSW Trade and Investment, is partnering with industry to develop six key industry action plans for sectors that are key to the State's future economic prosperity. These include the visitor economy, creative industries, the digital economy, professional services, including finance, engineering and legal services, the manufacturing industry and international education and research. NSW Trade and Investment also administers a number of programs for employment generation in regional New South Wales, including the Regional Industries Investment Fund, which has helped to create more than 2,800 new jobs through projects such as the establishment of Southern Cotton's ginning facility in Whitton and the expansion of National Engineering's steel fabrication operations in Young. Yesterday I told the House about 79 new public sector jobs in the northern rivers region, including through a production company for a new television series, The Gods of Wheat Street, and an architectural salvage company in Grafton. We have a Resources for Regions program, which this year committed nearly $10 million for projects to be funded in both the Muswellbrook and Singleton shires. We have delivered a $30 million Illawarra Region Innovation and Investment Fund jointly with the Commonwealth and Bluescope Steel. So far we have provided grants totalling $16 million, promoting up to 470 new jobs in the region. We have also delivered Regional Relocation Grants. So far more than 1,000 grants, worth over $7 million, have been made to people making the tree or sea change between July last year and July this year. We have reformed the State's migration strategy to attract more high-value migrants—investor migrants, 6 September 2012 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 14743 business migrants and skilled migrants—as well as make the system easier for international students studying and subsequently working in New South Wales. We have also worked with the Commonwealth through the Regional Development Australia Committees, providing $2.2 million in 2012-13 to grow jobs in our regions. Yesterday the Treasurer told the House about the outstanding economic data just released on State final demand, which is up by 1.5 per cent for the last quarter and 3.4 per cent for the year. New South Wales has the best economy of the non-mining States. Incidentally, the economies in the mining States are starting to tank as rising prices for coal and iron ore are kicking in, affecting jobs and the economies in those States; and mining companies are starting to withdraw investment as they are hit hard by Federal Labor's mineral resources rent tax and the carbon tax. New South Wales has a strong and diversified economy. However, Labor does not want to pursue those policies; it simply wants to create another public sector organisation. Members opposite criticise the Government. However, the Government is making every effort to make the New South Wales economy number one again and we are turning things around in this State through our support for our strong and diversified economy. This bill gets to the inherent philosophical differences between the Labor Party and the Liberal-Nationals. The Government opposes this bill because we believe the private sector, not the public sector, drives jobs growth. That is why we are focussed on rebuilding our economy through lower taxes and business growth. The hypocrisy of Labor's sudden focus on job creation—the one policy it has managed to produce in 18 months—is demonstrated by the fact that our efforts to reduce the tax and regulatory burdens on businesses have been resisted by members opposite at every twist and turn. Labor opposed our WorkCover reforms and an unsustainable workers compensation scheme, with premiums set to rise by nearly 30 per cent had we done nothing. Labor opposed our reform of the occupational health and safety laws to bring them into line with what the Federal Government wants, that is, a more national uniform scheme that would strip away some of the powers of unions to impede business and tell businesspeople what they can and cannot do. We are getting on with the job of creating a better business environment in this State. Labor opposed all of those reforms, and members opposite want to solve the problem by creating yet another public sector body, another bureaucracy. They have learned nothing from the message that the people of New South Wales, including 650,000 small to medium enterprises, sent them at last year's State election. They still believe the old Labor way of, "We know better than you". Imagine Labor's jobs commissar, standing up in front of business leaders and employers and saying, "You should take on more staff". It is laughable. That is not the way business works. During tough economic times what business needs is not more of the tail wagging the dog and the Government getting in people's way; rather, business needs the Government to cut taxes and create an environment more conducive to economic growth and job creation. And that is exactly what the Government is doing. I have deep suspicions that this bill is motivated not by a genuine concern for employers and employees in this State but by the Leader of the Opposition's concern that he is no longer able to look after his mates in the unions. Since last year's historic election and the electoral funding reforms delivered by the Premier last year, I suspect that the old Sussex Street slush fund has dried up and Robbo can no longer help out his union mates. The one policy put forward by the Opposition is a proposal for a new addition to the bureaucracy so that some of his union mates can get back on the government gravy train. Who do you think the commissar and his five mates would be—Tripodi, Macca, Eddie, Della, Tony Kelly? The SPEAKER: Order! The Deputy Premier does not need the assistance of Government members. Mr ANDREW STONER: What else do we know about Labor's jobs commissar? According to the Leader of the Opposition's media release: The NSW Jobs Commission would have the power to conduct inquiries into communities and industries impacted by job losses and make recommendations direct to the Premier and government. Well, that is creating a lot of jobs, isn't it? The commission also would evaluate regional development funding initiatives, make recommendations on where funding should be allocated and carry out regional impact studies into proposals that cut or relocate public sector jobs. Importantly, the NSW Jobs Commission would prepare an annual report to the Parliament on issues impacting jobs growth in New South Wales. According to the Leader of the Opposition, we will have a new $188 million letter-and-report-writing department, doing things that are already done within existing agencies, including Trade and Investment, Treasury and the Department of Premier and Cabinet. The challenge to Labor is to explain how this initiative will create one sustainable job, other than 14744 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2012 the jobs for the commissar and his mates. This bill demonstrates Labor's complete misunderstanding of the various economic drivers of employment creation. The Government opposes the NSW Jobs Commission Bill 2012 because we have a better solution for supporting jobs and economic growth across New South Wales and our strategy is working. Ms ANNA WATSON (Shellharbour) [10.22 a.m.]: That little performance that we have just witnessed— The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Shellharbour has the call and will be heard in silence. Ms ANNA WATSON: That little performance we have just witnessed from the previous speaker goes to show the contempt that those opposite have for workers in New South Wales. The Deputy Premier just demonstrated what the people of New South Wales already know and have felt over the past 18 months.