Anika Wells (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the wonderful member for Lalor for her question. The Albanese government knows that strong, sustainable wage growth is part of the solution to the cost-of-living crisis; it is not part of the problem. That's why we believe that workers deserve to earn more and to keep more of what they earn. That's why, unlike the opposition, we backed aged-care workers in their fight for better wages at the Fair Work Commission. And, unlike the opposition, we delivered. We delivered a 15-per-cent increase to award wage minimums for 250,000 workers across this country—an $11.3 billion commitment. Under the Albanese government, registered nurses are now taking home an additional $196 per week, or $10,000 per year. Personal care workers are now taking home an additional $141 per week, or $7,300 every single year.

That pay rise is changing lives around the country. Today I met Jocelyn, Sue, Donna and Michelle. These four women have between them 103 years experience working in aged care in Australia. They are, of their own volition, guardians. And they are the stewards of change in aged care. Before the royal commission, I'm sad to say that they were canaries in the coalmine. They marched through this place, they begged for help and, when the coalition were in power, their pleas fell on deaf ears. Jocelyn sang and danced in the halls of Parliament House on the day the now Prime Minister delivered his budget reply speech promising to back a pay rise for aged-care workers. And Sue was with the Prime Minister and I at HammondCare Miranda after we funded that pay rise.

Today, these women told me that for the very first time a lot of their colleagues have now become the breadwinners in their households. Some of them are now earning more money than their teenagers. Mr Speaker, can you believe that until this point that was not the case? But we know that the cost of living is still biting for people like Sue, like Jocelyn, like Donna and Michelle. And that's why, from 1 July, the Albanese government will deliver a tax cut for every single Australian taxpayer so that every taxpayer, including our aged-care workers, can earn more and keep more of what they earn. Women, who are 97 per cent of aged-care workers, will be better off under Labor's tax cuts. Not only can a registered nurse working in an aged-care home take home $10,000 more under the Albanese government they'll also get a tax cuts of $1,679 from 1 July. That's almost double what they would have got under the coalition.

With my final moments, can I congratulate the GOAT, Lauren Jackson, on her selection to the Olympic qualifying squad for Paris!

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