Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The word 'real' disappeared from their lexicon. They used to talk about 'real wages' but they can't say 'real wages' anymore, can they, Senator Pratt? They cannot say 'real wages', because real wages have plummeted under this Labor government. Real wages have declined at one of the fastest rates in Australian history under this government. Families are worse off, and that is fundamental. In fact, the ABC has done a fact check on something Treasurer Chalmers said a few weeks ago about the fact that workers are better off. Guess what the fact check came up with? I will point out that this is from the ABC; it's not exactly a right-wing media organisation. The fact check said that the Treasurer was misleading the Australian people as to what the Labor government were doing about wages. Well, surprise, surprise! They can't even mention real wages anymore, because real wages are plummeting in the face of the pressure put on families by the interest rate hikes that this government has overseen. Shame!

Question agreed to.