Andrew Charlton Parramatta, Australian Labor Party
2:50 pm
My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. After a decade of low wages growth, how is the Albanese Labor government helping Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn?
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
I thank the member for Parramatta for the question. There are 90,000 taxpayers in his electorate—
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
and he's supporting a tax cut for every single one of them.
Milton Dick Speaker
The minister will pause. The member for Bowman will leave the chamber under standing order 94(a).
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Australia has gone from—
Opposition members interjecting—
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
the previous government's management of the economy to a government that has been determined to get wages moving. Every measure that we've had to get wages moving has been opposed by those opposite. They've opposed them right from the start. During the election campaign, the Prime Minister was asked the question of whether he would support a wage rise being backed at the Fair Work Commission. He had a one-word answer that will be very familiar to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition: 'Absolutely.' He would absolutely support those wage rises—the same word that was used by those opposite to say that they would oppose a tax cut for every Australian and would roll it back.
Opposition members interjecting—
Those opposite ask, 'How's it going?' with the wage rises for these workers. Let's start with some workers who the Leader of the Opposition will be familiar with. Let's start with workers at Woolworths. He'll know about Woolworths workers because he called for a boycott that, if successful—if any Australian had followed his advice—would have meant fewer jobs for those workers. Not only did he oppose their jobs and oppose their pay rise; he opposed their tax cut. Those checkout operators who irritated, so much, the Leader of the Opposition, in the life of this government, are now earning an extra $95 a week. Thanks to the action that this government has taken, not only do they now earn an extra $95 a week but they are also now up for a tax cut of an additional $920 a year. They will earn more and keep more of what they earn.
To those opposite who say, 'Maybe they support the tax cut': if you support it, why are you so angry about it?
Michael Sukkar Deakin, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Social Services
Because you lied about it!
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
It's pretty clear and it's there for all the public to see.
Milton Dick Speaker
The minister will pause. The member for Deakin has been continually interjecting in this answer, and, as he's been on a warning, he will leave under standing order 94(a).
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
It's pretty clear, and on display for all of Australia to see, that, from the moment this was announced, those opposite were angry about it. From the moment this was announced, those opposite didn't want it to happen. From the moment it was announced, those opposite had one simple principle: they did not want a tax cut for every Australian. Those pay rises have gone across the board—not just including award employees. Average weekly earnings, under this government, are up $68 per week, and an average full-time earner will receive a tax cut of more than $2,000 a year. More jobs; better wages; keep more of what you earn.