Mr PRICE (3:10 PM) —My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for Social Inclusion. Will the Deputy Prime Minister detail the government’s approach to tackling the skills crisis and contrast it with alternative public policy and administrative approaches?

Ms GILLARD (Minister for Education, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for Social Inclusion) —I thank the Chief Government Whip for his question. We have had cause in this parliament to reflect on the skills crisis that was brought to this country by the Liberal Party, particularly by the Leader of the Opposition and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, and it is contrasted with the Rudd Labor government getting on with the job, creating Skills Australia and delivering 20,000 new training places as part of 630,000 new training places.

I have from time to time remarked that the member for Goldstein, as the last minister responsible in this area, stood by as a spectator watching the skills crisis build and did absolutely nothing. I do need to add a fact to the public record that I was not aware of before. The member for Goldstein, the former Liberal government, the former ministers who are here, the Leader of the Opposition and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition did not do absolutely nothing. They did what the Liberal Party always do when they do not know what to do next: they advertised, spending more than $68 million of taxpayers’ funds on skills advertising. These people who now feign a great interest in cost pressures on working families were quite happy to rip $68 million out of their purses and wallets to fund advertising.

I am a woman who has done her best to control the plague of Work Choices mouse pads, the avalanche of pens—I have done my best—but I regret to inform the House that I have found some remnants of the skills advertising, what is left of the $68 million: a mug, and that is how they were treating the Australian community—as mugs.

Mr Broadbent —Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. I draw your attention to the conduct of the House and the use of props. This started with Minister Simon Crean back in the GST days. The use of these things is totally inappropriate. I would like you to rule on the matter with regard to the conduct of the House.

The SPEAKER —The member for McMillan will resume his seat. Over several question times since the start of this parliament I have advised the House that whilst the use of props is not encouraged it has been tolerated. I will be very charitable, and I hope that the member for McMillan does not take this the wrong way: over the different occasions that he has been here he would have witnessed several ministers, even before the Minister for Trade, use props, going right back to the old place, before television.

Ms GILLARD —My purpose really is to inform Australian taxpayers what their $68 million went on—the mugs and the business card holders, which presumably are full of business cards that said things like, ‘My name is Brendan and I have done absolutely nothing to fix the skills crisis.’ And then, of course, there is my personal favourite: this one is for the mantelpiece; you can put a picture next to this clock so you can watch the skills crisis count down and see a picture of who is responsible.

Honourable members interjecting—

The SPEAKER —Order! The Deputy Prime Minister has made her point.

Dr Nelson —Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Petrol is $1.60 a litre and that is the best that you can do.

Ms GILLARD —They provided to Australian businesses a clock so that they could count the minutes as the skills crisis counted down. They spent $68 million of taxpayers’ money. Last but not least—and we have heard a lot about luxury motor vehicles in this parliament in the last few days—we have, would you believe, the skills sun visor for your car so that you can protect the dashboard of the Maserati when you are out on a nice sunny day. That was the contribution of the Liberal Party of this country to the skills debate. There were young Australians wanting apprenticeships and businesses wanting skilled workers, and what did the Liberal Party of this country do? They spent $68 million, and those opposite were around the cabinet table when it was spent.

This tells the Australian community about your priorities. The Leader of the Opposition could have given working Australians $68 million, but instead he participated in a decision to spend it on propaganda. Add that to the $121 million spent on propaganda for Work Choices. The Leader of the Opposition, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, the Manager of Opposition of Business, the shadow Treasurer and the Leader of the National Party were all participants in wasting $121 million of taxpayers’ money on Work Choices propaganda and $68 million on this. Do not come into this parliament and feign an interest in the welfare of working families when you have been a participant in this level of waste.

Mr Pyne —Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order under standing order 75. The minister is tediously repeating her act while Australians out there are struggling to pay $1.60 for petrol. She should be sat down—

The SPEAKER —The member for Sturt will resume his seat. A point of order is not an opportunity to come to the despatch box and debate.

Ms GILLARD —That is what they thought was a priority in government: Liberal waste; a rip-off of Australian working families.

The SPEAKER —Order! The Deputy Prime Minister has made her point.