Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Grogan. I know that questions about workers in the aged-care and early childhood sector are very dear to your heart, as a former USU official, as is the case for many of the senators on our side. I'm pleased that, from next Monday, nine out of 10 women will get a bigger tax cut than they would have had under those opposite. As I said yesterday, we know that aspiration doesn't begin in the top tax bracket. We also understand that women dominate low-paid hardworking industries; 96 per cent of early childhood educators are women, 81 per cent of age and disability carers are women, and 88 per cent of registered nurses are women. With Labor's tax cuts, almost all those workers will get a bigger tax cut.

But of course, as Senator Grogan said, that isn't where it ends. Unlike those opposite, we support better wages for Australians. Under us, average wage growth is almost double what it was under the former government. As I said, we want Australians to earn more and keep more of what they earn, and we mean it. (Time expired)