Tania Lawrence (Hasluck, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Eleven million Australians deserve the bigger tax cut that our government has designed and is legislating. These tax cuts will give every taxpayer in my electorate of Hasluck some much-needed relief during a particularly difficult time for family and household budgets. But oh my! Haven't the opposition equivocated whether our tax cuts are appropriate? But ultimately it appears that it is something that they agree is a good idea.

But what they give with one hand they take with the other, because apparently the right not to be unreasonably harassed outside of your work hours is a bridge way too far for the Liberal Party. Our tax cuts to middle Australia are making them very uncomfortable, so they're reaching for the age-old Liberal crutch of denigrating workers and union bashing: 'Here's your tax cut, but it'll cost you your weekend.' This position is cartoonishly evil. It would be funny if it weren't that the opposition sincerely believes it.

The right to disconnect is a right that many employees have already negotiated into their enterprise agreements. However, there are many millions of workers without such an agreement who do not have that right, and you cannot assert a right that you do not have. That is why we are making it a right. So to the workers: not only are you going to be benefiting under the Albanese Labor government with some major tax cuts and have more money in your pocket, but shortly you'll also be empowered to strike your own work-life balance.

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