Sam Rae (Hawke, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges that the Government was elected on the promise of getting wages moving again after a decade of deliberate wage stagnation under the previous Government;

(2) notes that Australian Bureau of Statistics' data released in August, and new analysis, shows that:

(a) the average earnings of a full-time worker increased 3.9 per cent in the first year of the Government, in dollar terms, an extra $3,700 per year;

(b) the average worker is earning $1,400 more than they would have because of the higher rate of wages growth under the Government compared to if wages had continued to grow at the sluggish pace they did under our predecessors; and

(c) low paid workers are receiving the largest pay rises;

(3) further notes that the Government's economic plan is all about getting wages moving in a sustainable way by:

(a) securing a pay rise for minimum and award wage earners;

(b) funding a wage rise for aged care workers;

(c) changing our industrial relations laws to support secure jobs and better pay; and

(d) funding more TAFE and university places and investing in strategic industries to help deliver well-paid jobs into the future; and

(4) acknowledges this is another example of the Government working for Australia and delivering on our election commitments to build a better future for Australians.

After nearly a decade of mismanagement and neglect from the Liberals, the Albanese Labor government is delivering on our commitment to create a fairer industrial setting for Australian workers. Central to this commitment was our promise to get wages moving again after years of deliberate wage suppression by the Liberal Party. In the 10 years before Labor came to government, the Liberals oversaw flatlining real wages, the worst decade for productivity in over 50 years and the accumulation of a trillion dollars of Liberal debt. Australian workers were being left out in the cold, and our economy was suffering as a result.

That's why repairing our industrial relations system and investing in our workforce was a central part of our election platform 18 months ago and remains a central part of our agenda today. We understand that delivering strong wage growth and improved conditions for Australian workers will not only put more money in workers' pockets but also set our economy up to be more prosperous into the future. Strong and sustainable wages growth is a deliberate design feature of our economic plan to lift productivity and grow the economic pie for all Australians.

In particular, the Albanese Labor government is committed to lifting the wages of minimum and award wage earners. In our very first week in government, as part of the annual wage review, we made a submission to the Fair Work Commission arguing that, when the cost of living is rising, our lowest-paid workers shouldn't be going backwards. In response to our submission and to many others, the national minimum wage was increased by 5.2 per cent. With the cost of living continuing to put pressure on workers, we made the same argument again this year, and the national minimum wage was increased by 8.6 per cent, while award wages increased by 5.75 per cent. These increases are the largest on record and will ensure that millions of Australians, including in my electorate of Hawke, will receive a fair wage in exchange for their hard work.

The Albanese Labor government has also made significant changes to industrial relations laws to lift pay and conditions of workers more broadly. Our secure jobs, better pay bill, which passed last year, was the first step. It restored balance at the bargaining table, improving the capacity of workers to get a fair deal while also lifting pay equity and job security. The next step is our closing the loopholes bill, which is currently before the House. The legislation will close the labour hire loophole that companies use to undercut genuine workplace agreements, empower the Fair Work Commission to set minimum standards for gig workers, improve pathways to permanent employment and, importantly, criminalise wage theft.

The evidence is clear that the Albanese Labor government's legislative agenda is delivering the wage growth that we promised. Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows that the average full-time worker earned 3.9 per cent, or $3,700, more in the first year of this Labor government. Excluding during the pandemic, this is the fastest rate in a decade and significantly faster than the 2.4 per cent average under the previous Liberal government. In fact, the average worker is $1,400 better off thanks to the increasing wages growth under the Albanese Labor government compared to if wages had continued their trajectory under the Liberals.

Despite the clear success of our advocacy and legislative changes, we have unfortunately not enjoyed bipartisan support. Indeed, not content with their abysmal decade in government, the Liberals continue to attempt to keep wages low for Australian workers at every turn. Indeed, at every opportunity the Liberals have not only tried to stop our efforts to see workers fairly compensated, but they have also ignored the evidence that sustainable and sensible wage increases are exactly what our economy needs. The Liberals suppression of wages brought with it a record decline in productivity growth and left our economy incredibly vulnerable.

The Albanese Labor government's economic plan will increase wages for Australian workers, lift productivity and create a more sustainable and prosperous economy for all Australians.

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