Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

In those figures, wages are up, inflation is down, jobs are up, and unemployment is down, and it's in no small part—because the theory we were told, 'If you pay people more, they'll all lose their jobs,' was simply not true. It was just another excuse to try to argue for low wages.

But the shouting that happened earlier in the question wasn't the only anger that's happened, because the Business Council were the ones that copped it last night, we're told. In the speech from the Leader of the Opposition, it was the Business Council he was angry with, because business wasn't being angry with him at this government and business wasn't making the complaints that he wanted. So I went back and thought: When was the last time the Leader of the Opposition actually led the complaints in the parliament on the issue? When did he or his party actually ask a question about workplace relations? It would be unfair to say they've have asked me none, because they did ask one in September 2022. Now, since that time, it's not like the government has done much in workplace relations. Except for the closing loopholes bill, except for the protecting of worker entitlements bill, except for closing loopholes No. 1 and closing loopholes No. 2, absolutely nothing has been done! But, in all of that, not one question. And yet they have the audacity to get angry with businesses saying, 'Well, why aren't you doing it?' The Leader of the Opposition is making the shadow Treasurer look busy in the way he's working here.

So what we have is them not wanting to be upfront about what they are targeting, because we do know they have a targeted package of repeals that they want to take to the next election that they're not willing to talk about publicly in this parliament, which are targeted against higher wages, targeted against job security, targeted against closing the gender pay gap and targeted against Australian workers.

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