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

I thank Senator Pratt for her question. She, alongside other members of the government, is working every day to deliver for Australians in the face of a cost-of-living crisis. Under this government, compared to what we inherited from those opposite, inflation has halved and wage growth has doubled. But, of course, there is much more work to do. We have to continue to tackle inflation, we have to continue to provide cost-of-living relief, we have to continue to roll out the tax cuts for every taxpayer and, of course, we have to ensure decent wages for Australian workers.

A decent wage system is central to our work to ease the cost of living. Two point six million low-paid workers are getting their third consecutive pay rise, and the minimum wage is up $143 per week. There is really only one group in Australia that is opposed to that, and that is those sitting opposite. The only people who actually don't want the wage increases that workers are getting as a result of the government's reforms are those opposite. In addition, we will fund a 15 per cent wage increase for early childhood education and care workers. As the senator said also, nearly a million new jobs have been created, and Australians are earning more and keeping more of what they earn. This is a good thing because we all know that Australians are doing it tough.

This government is focused on how we deliver relief without adding to inflation. This includes by making child care cheaper. This includes providing $300 of energy bill relief. This includes a freeze on the cost of PBS medicines. This includes expanding bulk-billing. This includes the increase in Commonwealth rent assistance. This includes increases to paid parental leave, HECS relief for everyone with student debt, fee-free TAFE and strengthening the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct to drive down grocery prices. What do those opposite do? Well, they've voted against so many of these that Australians know they have no credibility— (Time expired)