Mrs ELSON(9.56 p.m.) —Despite what the opposition have been spouting here tonight, the bottom line is that work for the dole makes sense. It is not introduced as a panacea for unemployment, and we have not claimed it to be.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Nehl) —I have to caution the honourable member for Forde that she, too, must speak to the content of the amendments.

Mrs ELSON —I was just coming to that.

Mr Martin Ferguson —Don't hold your breath.

Mrs ELSON —Don't you either. It is a practical and genuine way of involving job seekers in their community. It is giving first-hand experience and helping break the unproductive cycle that so many unemployed people, especially long-term unemployed, fall into.

The Queensland Premier, Bob Borbidge, says it tackles a very serious problem. These amendments say exactly what he says; that the young people out there—

Mr Leo McLeay —On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER —Before I call the honourable member for Watson, is he speaking in his position as Deputy Manager of Opposition Business?

Mr Leo McLeay —Absolutely, Mr Deputy Speaker, otherwise I would not try to eyeball you from this position in a fit because you would deal with me badly.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER —No, I would deal with you very properly.

Mr Leo McLeay —No, badly; definitely badly.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER —Get to the point of order.

Mr Leo McLeay —The opposition were quite happy to let this debate go on in an unstructured way, as sometimes you are generous enough to allow. The minister then decided he wanted to tighten it up. We do not want to take a point of order on the honourable member, but we think it should be fair on one side and the other. If the minister is not going to persist in taking points of order, then we will not.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER —I thank the honourable member for Watson. There is no point of order. I call the honourable member for Forde, who again I suggest will speak to the amendments.

Mrs ELSON —The amendment I was getting to is that out there the Labor Party has seen it wrong. There are young people out there who want to work. We are not taking jobs away from people.

Ms Macklin —That is right, they do want to work. They want to work in real jobs.

Mrs ELSON —They want to work and they could not get the jobs under the previous government. They may have got training schemes that led to nothing. I am trying to make the point that our joint standing committee has talked to young people around Australia and they have told us that they are prepared to work for the dole. They want to get that respectability back in the community. They are not looking at taking someone else's job; they are looking at getting the work ethic. They even told us that they would work for nothing out there if they could get out there and do something.

Mr Martin Ferguson —Did you write this speech for her, like her questions?

Mrs ELSON —This is not written by anyone other than me. I have a passion about this. Our youth have been cheated over the years by the Labor Party putting them into schemes. It is like putting them in one end and bringing them out the other and giving them absolutely nothing. We are saying that we are going to give that respectability back to our youth that the Labor Party robbed off them. They told them to go out and do these training schemes, but they had no jobs at the end.

The young people are telling us that they want to prove to our generation that they want to work for their money. They want to get out there and want to do jobs in the community so that they can have a closer tie with their community and have the respect that they deserve and that they want. We are not telling them that they will get a job at the end.

Mr Martin Ferguson —That is for sure.

Mrs ELSON —The opposition could not find them a job so do not sprout the words over there. I have worked out in the community and have seen what you have done to our young people. We are saying to them, `We are going to give you that respectability. If you want to work for the dole and you want to work on community projects, we will let you have a closer tie with your community.' We are not promising that we are going to give them jobs; we are promising work ethic. You did not promise that when you were in government. Work ethic—they want to get out there and prove themselves.

Opposition members interjecting—

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER —Order! Members on my left!

Mrs ELSON —I am talking about experience because I have been working in the community with these young people. They want a work ethic. You gave them lies. You told them, `Come and do the training, we'll give you a job.' You hid the unemployment figures. We are not doing that. We are saying, `Come here.' They want to work for the dole. They are saying, `Let us do it so we can get that respectability back.' That is what we are all about. That is what the young people of Australia want, not what you have dished out for the last 13 years. So, come on, be fair and pass this legislation. This is what the youth of Australia want. They say, `Let us prove our worth. Do not hide us in schemes.' They want a job and they know that working in the community will let people see their true ability.

Opposition members interjecting—

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER —Order! The member for Prospect!

Mrs ELSON —They do not want to be slotted into schemes they have no interest in. Let them do the things that they want to do so that they can prove to the community that they have a work ethic. Do not rob them of that. (Time expired)

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Nehl) —Before I call the next speaker I say to various members on my left that, while I was not in the chair earlier, I was following the debate and I heard Mr Deputy Speaker Adams, while occupying this chair, specifically point out to a number of you that you had been going on with too much noise and that standing order 304A would be applied if it continued. This is the second caution. Remember, three strikes and you are out.