Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is also to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Farrell. Minister, your government's submission to the Fair Work Commission last year recommended that the Fair Work Commission ensure that real wages of Australia's low-paid workers do not go backwards. Will your government's submission this year still include this recommendation?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Cash for her question. Senator Cash, you have correctly identified the submission that we put to the Fair Work Commission last year, and, of course, we will prepare an appropriate response to the next national wage case. I think it's important to realise that, under your government, of course, low wages were a design feature of your overall economic strategy. When we went to the election, we said we were going to turn things around and start putting upward pressure on wages so that ordinary working Australians, who work very hard for their living, could get an appropriate recompense for their labour—and that's what we did.

Within weeks, I think it might have been, of coming to power last year there was a national wage case. My recollection is that we proposed a 5.1 per cent increase. The commission started out at 5.2 per cent. If the Australian people think about the difference between the two governments and what we have done in terms of putting upward pressure on wages to try to give people a chance to deal with the issue of rising prices then they will see we have delivered for the Australian people. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cash, a supplementary?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In May last year, Mr Albanese was asked if he supported a pay rise of 5.1 per cent, the rate of inflation at the time. He replied, 'Absolutely,' further adding, 'We think no-one should go backwards.' Inflation is now at 7.4 per cent. Is it still the government's policy that wages shouldn't go backwards?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Of course it's our policy. Of course it is our policy that wages not go backwards. We have delivered on this. In the first national wage case that came before the Fair Work Commission after we came to government we put a submission to the Fair Work Commission on that very point. As I said in my previous answer, that was in stark contrast to those opposite's position in government, where a design feature of their economic policy was to keep downward pressure on wages.

There is a new national wage case. We are preparing. We have an excellent minister, Minister Burke, in this portfolio area. He is in the process of preparing his submissions and— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cash, a second supplementary?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Given the minister has confirmed that it is the government's policy that no-one should go backwards, I again ask the minister: will your government's submission to the Fair Work Commission recommend the Fair Work Commission ensures the real wages of Australia's low-paid workers do not go backwards, consistent with your policy?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cash, everything that this government does is all about trying to assist particularly low-paid workers but workers generally deal with the economic mess that your government left us to fix. All of these problems, like inflation, developed and became problems under your government. You failed to do anything about it. You failed to support Australian workers getting wage rises. We have the runs on the board, Senator Cash. We have delivered. We delivered in the first few weeks of coming to government— (Time expired)