Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I feel a great deal of pleasure speaking on this matter of public importance because what it really demonstrates is the absolute misunderstanding of what the obligations are for the opposition because they have sat for a very long time. When dealing with the cost of living they can gripe and they can complain, but they've opposed bill after bill and proposal after proposal that this government has put forward. They've turned around and voted them down, whether it be in energy or whether it be in an area which I'll concentrate on in my few minutes, and that is the area of industrial relations.

I might wake them up to a couple of things that have happened, because they never happened under their watch. Since the winter sittings, several of our actions to increase wages have taken effect. The minimum wage is up $1.85 an hour, taking the total increase under this government to nearly $3 an hour. Two point seven million workers on awards have received a 5.75 per cent pay rise, which is the largest increase since at least 2009; and 250,000 aged-care workers got a historic 15 per cent wage rise, meaning nurses on award wages can earn an extra $10,000 a year. At the same time, unemployment is now at an historic low of 3.5 per cent, with almost half a million more Australians in work compared to when Labor came to office. Those are significant improvements in our economy.

When it comes to wages, we know what they are about on the opposite side. They're about low wages. The Liberal Party and the Nationals are about low wages. But when we talk about the cost of living we have to talk about the things that offset cost-of-living increases. There are challenges in the economy. We all know that. The world knows there are challenges to economies across the world. But what we're doing is putting positions and opportunities in place to make sure that hardworking Australians are able to get wage increases—better incomes.

No-one in this country could seriously say that those opposite offer anything other than low wages because that's what quite clearly happened in the decade of record low wages growth under those opposite. Low wages growth was a deliberate design feature of their economic policy. That's what Mathias Cormann said! It was a deliberate exercise of their policy. That is exactly what they're about. They're about making sure that you out there get paid less, and not putting the systems in place to make sure you get paid a fair amount. That's their proposition for dealing with cost-of-living challenges. Remember, they refused to support the $1 an hour wage increase to those on the minimum wage, who are the most disadvantaged people on the wage spectrum. They opposed it, and they still do not support incredibly important initiatives.

The legislation that was brought forward in the last many months under this government has led to, for example, ANZ and the union reaching an agreement. After stalled negotiations the Finance Sector Union has reached an in-principle agreement with ANZ on wages and conditions that includes a pay rise of 16.5 per cent over four years for workers earning up to $100,000 a year, and guarantees pay increases for the higher paid staff. The FSU's National Secretary, Julia Angrisano, said:

Negotiations with the ANZ would not have been possible without reforms to industrial relations laws brought in by the Albanese government.

They opposed it. They hated the idea that bank workers, along with so many other workers—including minimum wage workers—are going to get paid a wage increase. They hate the concept that people should have a voice to turn around and negotiate better wages under a Labor government, rather than their strategy of always keeping wages low. The strategy of the Liberal and National Parties is always to keep wages low. Of course, that ANZ agreement went to many other important initiatives, agreements and arrangements that have an effect on cost of living, lifestyle and wellbeing for many working people. If they don't believe me then they should look at the EMC poll. The Australian community are saying that you are behind—you're out of date. The change to workplace laws to better protect workers from wage theft has been approved by 70 per cent of the Australian community. The increase to minimum wage by 65 per cent of the Australian community. Changes to workplace laws for labour-hire loopholes are to be closed— (Time expired)