Mr SLIPPER(5.32 p.m.) —I had not actually intended to speak in this debate but I must say I was appalled by the contribution made by the shadow minister opposite. One could have taken into account what he said more seriously if he was not part of a government that destroyed 420,000 full-time jobs during the recession that we had to have. It ought to be noted that full-time employment fell from 6.2 million in July 1990 to 5.8 million in November 1992.

He also outlined some of the figures in relation to unemployment in rural and regional Australia. The simple fact of the matter is that his government had no ideas; they ran out of them. In fact, youth unemployment in much of rural and regional Australia was up around 30 per cent. This government has a range of programs designed to give new opportunities to young people, not only in rural and regional Australia but also in urban and metropolitan areas. I think people are sick and tired of absolute hypocrisy.

The member opposite is a member of a party which in government was responsible for the worst recession we ever had. It was a government which simply could not tell the truth. It was a government which was prepared to do and say anything to crawl back into office. It was a government that saw 313,000 men lose full-time work, many of those people in rural and regional Australia. I think it is about time that the honourable member opposite stood up and was honest and said that the Labor Party over the last 13 years made a monumental botch-up in the area of unemployment. They failed to offer hope to young Australians. They, indeed, were complete and utter failures.

If he came in here and said that Labor got it wrong over the last 13 years; if he came in here and said that their policies were disastrous for rural and regional Australia, he would have credibility and he would have the right to criticise what this government is doing. His party was a government which was responsible for the worst economic situation that this country has ever seen—a government which, during its 13 years in government, had an average unemployment figure of 8.7 per cent. He fails to recognise that the coalition has only been in office for 15 months and that the benefits of the very many programs which we have implemented have not yet flowed through to the job market.

I would ask that he be honest. I would ask that he express regret for the disaster that was the Labor government over the last 13 years. It is absolute, complete and monumental hypocrisy for the honourable member for Batman (Mr Martin Ferguson) to come into the Main Committee and claim that this government has been a failure when the record of the former Labor government is there for everyone to see. I thank the Committee.