Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The first of July marks Territory Day. It is when we in the Northern Territory celebrate self-government, which we obtained in the 1978. This year there will be a lot of Territorians who will not be celebrating, because they are going to have their penalty rates cut. The first of July 2017 will be marked as the day when millionaires get a $16,400 tax cut, but the very next day, Sunday 2 July, 700,000 Australians, including thousands of Northern Territory workers, are going to have their penalty rates cut.

Last weekend we in the Top End had a lot to do. We could go camping over the long weekend; we could watch the Cowboys do over the Eels in the NRL; we could go fishing; we could spend time with our families. But we were also thinking about those people who were serving us, who were working in hospitality, retail, pharmacies. Those Territory workers are going to have their penalty rates cut. That will be their Territory Day present, at the same time as the member for Wentworth, the Prime Minister, will be giving millionaires a tax cut. It does not seem very fair to me—tax cuts for billionaires, corporate tax cuts, while the lowest-paid workers have their penalty rates cut. It is not fair. (Time expired)