Sam Rae (Hawke, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Liberal Party have come up with a solution, and I'm not talking about nuclear. This is a solution that is much less fissionable. Their solution is Josh Frydenberg. I'm left wondering that if Josh Frydenberg is the answer, then what on earth was the question in the first place? This is a bloke who spent COVID having pyjama parties at Scott Morrison's house while workers lost their jobs and corporations were paid billions of dollars in taxpayer handouts. I'm not sure what the two of them were doing over there at the Lodge, but, taking a look at them, I'm pretty sure it wasn't each other's hair. I think I know why the Liberals need the former Treasurer to return.

Under the Albanese Labor government, real wages are finally moving upwards again. Just this week, the Fair Work Commission announced an increase to the full-time minimum wage of over $1,700 and next month every Australian taxpayer will receive a tax cut. This is after a decade of Josh and the Liberals deliberately keeping Australian wages low. Thankfully, Josh has read the tea-leaves—and perhaps the polling that he privately commissioned as well—and he's decided not to run, at least not this particular time.

Labor wants Australian workers to earn more and keep more of what they earn. The Liberals' best game is to recycle the member for Kooyong as second scraps to attack Australian workers and Australian conditions and to suppress the wage growth in our economy.