Senate debates

Wednesday, 9 October 2024

Questions without Notice

Cost of Living

2:55 pm

Photo of Murray WattMurray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

The Albanese Labor government wants to see Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn, whereas Mr Dutton and the coalition want Australians to work longer for less. We know that's the case because that is their record every time they've been in government, when they've had an anti-worker and anti-union agenda. Now they're in opposition they're committed to ripping away rights for casual workers and forcing workers to do unpaid overtime by removing the right to disconnect.

We saw Senator Hume recently confirm that they are going to take a sledgehammer to wages and conditions and review multi-employer bargaining. As Senator Sheldon said, Senator Hume, on TV—it's there for you to have a look at—described more rights for workers as 'unreasonable'. What a terrible thing for workers to have rights! That would be a disgraceful thing! It would be unreasonable! Well, that's what we saw from Senator Hume, that it would be unreasonable for workers to have more rights.

What it means for early education workers is $155 more per week under Labor than what they were getting under the coalition. And that's what will happen to more workers if the coalition were ever elected— (Time expired)

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