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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 12 Hansard (7 December) . . Page.. 3842 ..

MR SPEAKER: Order! I did not hear the last figure, Mrs Carnell. Would you mind repeating it?

MS CARNELL: I am very happy to. Unemployment, when we came to government, was 7.1 per cent, with a participation rate of 71.9 per cent.

Mr Stanhope: What was it nationally?

MS CARNELL: I will get to that. I am very happy to answer all of those questions at any time.

Mr Berry: The higher the job search allowance, the quicker they find a job?

MR SPEAKER: Order! The minister may be answering the questions quite a lot more than once if I cannot hear because of interjections. Please continue.

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, the unemployment rate now is 4.4 per cent and the participation rate has gone up to 73.8 per cent, very close to the highest level ever. The number of jobs is at the highest rate ever in the ACT.

Mr Quinlan: Tell us about the private sector town. Go for it.

MS CARNELL: I will talk about that too. I am very happy to. The number of extra jobs since we came to government, that is the number of people who get a weekly pay packet or a fortnightly pay packet and therefore are better off and have a better life, is 18,900. Mr Speaker, nearly 19,000 more people have jobs than when we came to government. When the Labor Party was in power last there were an extra 7,900 jobs, less than half. Which government does the most for the community, for the people out there, the people who really count in this community, the mums and dads, the workers out there who want a good lifestyle? I have to say that it is this government.

Mr Quinlan: Rubbish! Absolute rubbish!

MS CARNELL: Mr Quinlan made a comment about private sector growth. What state or territory had the highest private sector growth over the last 12 months?

Mr Quinlan: This has all been debunked before. On your last day. Where is your grace? Save $344 million as well. Go on.

MR SPEAKER: I warn you, Mr Quinlan.

MS CARNELL: Which state or territory has the highest private sector growth - not public sector growth but private sector growth? Surprise, surprise - it is the ACT. So we have the highest level of private sector growth.

On job advertisements, we have had more than a 7 per cent increase over the last 12 months. What has happened to the rest of Australia - predominantly now Labor states? A decrease of 22 per cent.

Mr Stanhope: Tell us about Bruce, Kate. How many jobs out at Bruce?

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