Tania Lawrence (Hasluck, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services. What is the Albanese Labor government doing to help Australians manage the cost of living, and what is standing in the way of Australians earning more and keeping more of what they earn?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! There will be no interjections before I call a minister.

Stephen Jones (Whitlam, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the fabulous member for Hasluck for her question. As she knows, 84 per cent of residents in her electorate are going to be better off under the Albanese Labor government's tax plans. They'll each be an average of $1,677 dollars better off. That's a sensational tribute to your great work, Member for Hasluck, in advocating for these policies. Of course, dealing with the cost of living includes ensuring that we get wages moving again and ensuring that Australians can earn more and keep more of what they earn. I can inform the member for Hasluck and the House that the Albanese government is doing a hell of a lot to achieve these things. Wages are growing faster than ever, and it's not an accident. It is the result of good policy. Particularly for low-paid workers, there are better bargaining arrangements.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Stephen Jones (Whitlam, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, under them, it was a deliberate design feature to keep wages low. Under us, it is a deliberate design feature to get wages moving again, and it's working. They don't like it, but it's working.

I also want to take the opportunity, if I may, to congratulate the member for Petrie on his appointment to the position of shadow Assistant Treasurer. We waited a long time, 300 days, but I do want to take this opportunity to congratulate him and to inform him that 87 per cent of his electorate are better off under the Albanese government's arrangements. They're about $1,479 better off.

I wanted to know where the shadow Assistant Treasurer stood on the issues of income tax reduction, so I looked at his website. This is a helpful document here which I'd like to—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister will not use props during question time, or he will be sat down.

Stephen Jones (Whitlam, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And I won't, Mr Speaker. It's a helpful guide to where the member for Petrie and the opposition stand on income tax reduction. I looked at the section on those earning less than $45,000 a year. Under his plan, there's absolutely nothing. Every one of those people in his electorate would be $804 worse off. I looked at how much somebody on $100,000 a year would get under his plan: $1,375, or $804 worse off. I looked at how much somebody on $80,000 a year would get: $875 versus $1,679. They'd be $804 worse off. I went through all of the scales, and, on average, they're $804 a year worse off. We have waited a long time for a shadow Assistant Treasurer. He's probably going to achieve the unachievable, and that is to make Stuart Robert look good!

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I call the member for Moncrief, the member for Groom interjected 11 times during that answer.

Honourable members interjecting—

Order! If he wishes to keep interjecting, he won't remain here for the remainder of question time.