Sally Sitou (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Workplace Relations. How is the Albanese Labor government helping Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn? Are there any threats to this?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for Reid because the workers in the electorate of Reid earn more because of the actions of the member for Reid, and they keep more of what they earn because of the votes of the member for Reid here in this chamber, which is not the case for every member of this chamber. Because, on everything about how much people earn in Australia and on how much they get to keep of what they earn, you have found members on this side voting in favour of people earning more and keeping more of what they earn and those opposite voting for lower wages and to hike taxes. They've done it the whole term and right through to today.

There were a series of policies that they'd already announced. Every one of them went, in different ways, to undoing what we've done to get wages moving, perhaps the most iconic being removing the right to disconnect. As the Prime Minister noted a few minutes ago on the right to disconnect, they don't actually object to you working from home; they just object to you being paid when you're working from home. That's the bit that they've got a problem with. Because what's happened with wages? When they were in office, in their final five quarters, real wages fell in every one of those five quarters. For the last five quarters, in every single one of those quarters real wages have grown. Workers as well have been held back because of noncompete clauses, where the current employer can actually prevent you from going to somewhere where you would earn more. In the budget last night, the government's made clear that we'll take on those noncompete clauses, because there are lots of things that an employer can lawfully do, but they should not be able to prevent you from getting the next job.

Workers across Australia know what these policy changes have meant for them. Same job, same pay—flight attendants know what it's meant for them. Mining workers know what it's meant for them. Gig workers know that there's a government here that believes we shouldn't be a country where you have to rely on tips to make ends meet, yet those opposite believe that there should be no minimum standards at all for gig workers. Flight attendants know that he'll cut and they'll pay. Mine workers know that he'll cut and they'll pay. Anyone on award or minimum wage knows that he'll cut and they'll pay. Aged-care workers, funded through this budget for pay rises, know that he'll cut and they'll pay. Early child educators working in child care know that that extra funding in the budget, criticised by those opposite—he'll cut and they'll pay. Gig workers, some of the lowest paid workers in this country, know that he'll cut and they'll pay. The only cuts he doesn't support are tax cuts.

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

I remind all members to use correct titles.