Stephen Jones (Whitlam, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

He's got an embarrassing record to defend. Anybody who could spend $30 million on a $3 million block of land has got a lot of embarrassing history to cover up. We're dedicated to fighting scams; they were dedicated to covering them up.

I will speak in relation to payday super. Every year, $3.4 billion worth of superannuation owed to employees goes unpaid. We think that money belongs in the accounts of everyday Australians. It wasn't a priority for the former government. It is a priority for us, which is why in this budget we're dedicating the funds and the policy priority to ensure that everyday Australians are getting superannuation that they're entitled to. Now, there are a lot of employers that are already doing the right thing; in fact, the vast majority of them are already doing the right thing and paying every cent of the super that is owed to their employees. But those who aren't are getting an unfair advantage over those employers who are doing the right thing—a $3.6 billion advantage over those employers who are doing the right thing. It wasn't a priority for the former government. It is a priority for us.

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