John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Bass for his question, asked inter alia on behalf of the working men and women of that electorate. Mr Speaker, before I answer it, may I be permitted to join you in welcoming many former members of this House and another place to the gallery. I hope I can be forgiven for particularly singling out my old friend Sir James Killen. There was a time—a short time and a rather frantic time—in Australian politics when there was no more important Liberal in Australia than Sir James Killen. I welcome all of my former colleagues to this place.

The good news, the really wonderful news, is that in the last 10 years real wages in this country have risen by 16.8 per cent. The member for Bass asks me how that compares with the record of the former government. I will tell you how it compares.

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