Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

Again, manufacturing workers had to suffer too long under a coalition government—in fact, 10 years too long—seeing industry wound down, seeing their wages suppressed and seeing their jobs become insecure. That is changing under the Labor Party. Manufacturing workers are finally getting the respect they deserve, and now they will be better off thanks to Labor's tax cuts. But that isn't all that we've been doing in this space since coming to government.

Across the manufacturing industry, workers are earning more since Labor came to government. The average full-time earnings for manufacturing workers since Labor came to office are up by $145 a week. There are also more manufacturing workers since Labor came to power—more than 85,000 additional secure, well-paid jobs in manufacturing, many of them in outer suburban and regional communities. Thanks to Labor's tax cuts, a worker earning the average full-time manufacturing wage will be nearly $1,900 better off. Under Labor you'll earn more and keep more of what you earn. (Time expired)