Senator HUMPHRIES (2:10 PM) —My question is to the Minister for Family and Community Services and the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on the Status of Women, Senator Kay Patterson. Will the minister outline to the Senate how the Howard government's responsible economic management has created more jobs and resulted in a reduction in the number of job seekers receiving benefits?

Opposition senators interjecting—

Senator PATTERSON (Minister for Family and Community Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women) —The Labor Party get agitated when we start talking about jobs, and they get agitated when we talk about unemployment, because of their appalling record when they were in government. Today the department released the latest figures on the number of job seekers—

Opposition senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —Order! I know it is Thursday and you are going home tonight or tomorrow, but can't we have a bit of quiet on my left?

Senator PATTERSON —They do not want to hear the story, Mr President, because today the department released some figures on the number of job seekers receiving either Newstart or youth allowance. Since September 2002—that is, over the last 12 months—the number of job seekers receiving income support payments has fallen by 31,498 people, or 6.7 per cent. Of course, the Labor Party would not want to hear that. They would not want to know that the number of people who now receive Newstart or youth allowance has decreased by 6.7 per cent over the last 12 months. In the last month alone, the number of long-term job seekers has fallen by 7,161 people, or 2.7 per cent—that is, in a month there were 7,161 fewer people on Newstart. Those people are in employment, but the Labor Party would not want to hear about that.

The number of short-term job seekers has decreased by 8,083, or 4.3 per cent. They are at the lowest levels in almost a decade. A reduction in the unemployment rate has resulted in a substantial decrease in job seekers receiving benefits. The number of unemployed income support customers is also at its lowest level in over a decade. It is the lowest number of unemployed customers since March 1991. There are 222,400, or 27 per cent, fewer unemployed customers in September 2003 than in March 1996. There are 222,400 fewer unemployed customers of Centrelink since we came into government.

The other good news is that long-term unemployed customers have dropped by 77,491, or 17.6 per cent, since 1998. But, of course, the Labor Party would not want to hear this. It is good news. It is something they were not able to achieve. As most senators would be aware, we recently announced the lowest unemployment rate in 13 years. The Howard government has achieved substantial gains in the labour market. This figure was reconfirmed today and is a seasonally adjusted 5.8 per cent for September 2003. This is the lowest level since 1990 and well below the 8.6 per cent unemployment we had when we came into government in March 1996. Record low unemployment has been achieved through the Howard government's responsible economic policies that have both stimulated the economy and delivered low interest rates.

We have reduced the debt that we inherited, which was $96 billion. You had been profligate over 13 years in spending about $80 billion of the next generation's inheritance. You sold the Commonwealth Bank, you sold Qantas, you sold CSL and you spent that money. You did not invest it in deep infrastructure that was going to create wealth and jobs for the next generation. You spent it in a profligate way, and many millions of dollars of it in social security fraud and overpayment.

We have the lowest interest rates for 13 years, and that has increased the number of people that businesses are hiring. Small businesses were going to the wall when the Labor Party were in government, because of the absolutely high interest rates. We have taken action to address the unemployment rate, and that is why we have created 1.2 million jobs since coming into office in 1996—1.2 million people now have jobs who did not have jobs when you were in office. You ought to sit there and hang your heads in shame rather than putting up little questions with barbs on the end of them. You ought to get on and develop some policies that will actually ensure that if you ever get into government you do not put us back into debt again, as you did before by borrowing from the next generation in an unacceptable and inappropriate way that meant they would not only be paying for us into the future but also be paying for our needs now. We have been responsible. We have reduced debt, we have ensured that we have lived within our means and we have maintained a fair social security system.