Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. The cost-of-living crisis under this government is crippling Australian families. David, from Meridan Plains in my electorate of Fisher, contacted me recently to say that he and wife are trying to support their family of five by working five jobs between them, working seven days a week. Prime Minister, why do Australian families always pay more under Labor?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question, and I send my regards, through him, to David, his constituent, and his partner. Many Australians do work damn hard in this country—they work damn hard and they do it tough to put food on the table for their families and to aspire to a better life for their kids.

One of the things that you can do, of course, to improve people's situation, is to get wages moving again. It's one of the things that we have been determined to do. And that was recognised by the RBA governor when he said that, 'wages growth is stronger than it was a few years ago, which is a welcome development'. He was very appreciative.

I note that the member for Lilley, the Minister for Aged Care, just gave an answer speaking about people in the aged-care sector. Now, during the pandemic we spoke about people who were the heroes of the pandemic, looking after our older, vulnerable Australians during that very difficult time—not thinking of themselves, but thinking of others. During the pandemic, one of the things that we said we would do was to not just give them our thanks, but we said that they deserved a wage rise, to be better off. When the member for Lilley was giving that response, about the more than $11 billion that will be in tonight's budget for people in the aged-care sector—people who are doing it tough—those opposite just interjected throughout her answer—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

as they continue to do now. When we talk about people who are doing it tough, I can't think of any group who are more deserving in our society than aged-care workers: the cleaners, the carers, the orderlies, the nurses—all of those people who are doing it incredibly tough. But increasing wages makes a difference.

Mike Baird, a former New South Wales premier—who was probably opposed by those opposite, like they opposed other New South Wales Liberal premiers on everything they've done with this government previously—said this: 'We are incredibly appreciative that the federal government has committed to the increase awarded by the Fair Work Commission and delivered on it. It is truly welcome.' He, of course, was the chief executive of HammondCare. He said this: 'Anyone that has had someone in aged care knows the impact that our aged-care workers have. Each day and night they change lives.' We support a wage increase for them. Those opposite are silent on them. (Time expired)