Mr WILTON —My question is addressed to the Prime Minister and concerns the creation of Australian jobs, a matter of paramount importance to me and I know to my father. I refer to the Prime Minister's jobs test, which states that the government would ask of every policy initiative the question: would it contribute to the generation of jobs? Does the Prime Minister's test apply to the workers in Maryborough in my home state of Victoria where 25 per cent of jobs depend on the book bounty? Will he ask his unemployment committee to urgently review its job destroying budget decisions?

Mr HOWARD —After what we have heard from the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, any member who has the nerve to give us a lecture on destroying jobs ought to hang their head in shame. You are preventing the government of this country from having a more balanced immigration program. You are preventing the government of this country from altering the balance of our migration program in favour of skilled migration. You do not have many credentials to talk about anything. You do not have many credentials to lecture us on unemployment after that little performance.

The honourable member asked me a question about a particular group of people in his electorate. Let me say by way of response to the honourable gentleman that his concern for those people is understood, proper and commendable. But I would also remind the honourable gentleman that all of the members of his electorate will, over time, enjoy far brighter employment prospects if the economic objectives of this government are achieved.

If you were to pass our budget, if you were to stop filibustering on the budget in the Senate, if you were prepared to pass the workplace relations bill and if you were prepared to vote in favour of all the other measures that are designed to achieve fiscal consolidation, we would have a far greater prospect over time of having even lower interest rates. Lower interest rates lead to more investment and more investment leads to more jobs. Would you like me to repeat that? A fiscal consolidation produces lower interest rates, lower interest rates produce more investment and more investment leads to more jobs. If you want more jobs, more investment and lower interest rates, you will support our fiscal consolidation.