Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When I was growing up, Fridays were a really important day. Not only was it the last day of the week for school before the weekend; it was the day that my dad would arrive home, usually at a half past seven or a quarter to eight. He'd walk in after dog watch—or nightshift, for those who aren't familiar with what that means—in an underground coalmine, and he'd put a pay packet on the table. I can always remember that Mum would tear it open, and she'd count it. Then she'd look at the little computerised print on the pay packet. I can remember looking at it too as a young girl, thinking about gross, net, hours worked and overtime.

People don't get paid that way anymore. They tend to get a direct deposit into an account. You might have it emailed to you, or you might need to log on to look at your pay slip. While I know that people don't get paid in pay packets anymore, we still talking people getting more money in their pay packet. In Paterson, people are getting more money in their pay packet thanks to the Albanese Labor government. Actually, they're getting on average $1,500 more per year in their pay packets. Indeed, 75,000 taxpayers in my seat of Paterson in the Hunter will receive a tax cut. There will be more in their pay packet, thanks to this government. I am absolutely happy that we are giving Australians the opportunity to get better jobs. They're earning more, and, importantly, they're getting to keep more of what they earn in their pay packet every week.