Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer and it refers to his previous answer. In quoting the 2013 submission, why did the Treasurer not refer to the following quotation: 'Low-paid employees are also significantly more likely to live in low-income than high-income households.' And that was used as an argument in favour of a wage increase. Why is the government now claiming that there should not be a significant increase on the basis that some people on low incomes are in high-income households?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That was a pretty poor attempt from the Labor opposition to crab walk away from the clear statements they made, which they are clearly embarrassed about. There is no doubt that, in the submission that was written by the Leader of the Opposition when he was minister for employment, he said—clear as day—'The panel should also consider the fact that all low-paid workers do not necessarily live in low-income households.'

A journalist once asked the former Treasurer, the member for Lilley, 'Can I ask you about the national wage case today? The unions are pushing for $27-a-week increase. Do you think that is fair enough?' He said, 'I think everybody needs to recognise the circumstances that we are in at the moment and exercise a degree of restraint.'

The Labor Party, when they come and they talk about wages in this place, have egg on their face because, in their former lives as union officials, they traded away low-income workers' wages in return for the grubby cash payments that they stuffed into the union coffers to ensure that they could put a renovation on, put gold taps in the bathroom or whatever it was they did. But what they did not do—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question could not have been more specific to a submission in 2013 that the Treasurer had selectively quoted in his previous answer. It could not have been more precise. There was no preamble in the question at all. And, on direct relevance, the Treasurer has strayed a long way from the question.

Mr Pyne interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House will cease interjecting. The Treasurer is entitled to compare and contrast. But he has done that, and he needs to confine himself to the substance of the question, which he was doing, I must point out, for the majority of the answer.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The only people who have strayed in this house are the Labor Party, who have strayed away from the commitment, which used to be held by Labor Party members in the past, to actually support workers. What the Labor Party today is, is a bunch of apparatchik hacks pursuing the interests of big unions doing deals with big businesses. That is what those opposite represent today—themselves and themselves only.