Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Minister Watt. Strong and sustainable wages growth will deliver an economy that is more productive, competitive and inclusive. We know that low wages was a deliberate design feature of the Liberal and National parties' economic policy. What is the Albanese Labor government doing to help workers earn more and keep more of what they earn?

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

Thank you, Senator Green. The short answer to your question is we are doing plenty on these matters. Unlike the opposition, the Albanese government wants Australians to earn more and keep more of what they earn. We're not about reducing how much people get paid and making them pay more tax, like the opposition; we're about helping Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn.

From 1 July, as a result of the Albanese government's changes, Australian workers will be able to keep more of what they earn with Labor's cost-of-living tax cuts. Every single taxpayer in Australia will get a tax cut, different to what the Liberals and the Nationals put forward, and Middle Australia and low-income earners will get a significantly higher tax cut than they were going to get under the Morrison-Dutton tax cuts. We're also helping workers to earn more by boosting job security and wage bargaining, strengthening our awards system and closing loopholes that undercut pay and conditions.

Senator Green is right: low wages were a deliberate design feature of LNP economic policy, and they had the desired effect for the LNP by keeping wages down year after year. According to data released by the ABS last week, under the Albanese government real wages growth is back and ahead of schedule. Wages were 4.2 per cent higher through the year, the equal fastest annual growth since 2009. It took a Labor government, the Albanese Labor government, to see real wages growth returning to Australia.

This is the first time since 2018 we've seen three consecutive quarters of real wages growth, and the highest wage growth in health care and social assistance industry in the history of the wage price index—double the average wage growth under those opposite for nine years. Two-thirds of wage growth in the most recent quarter came from awards and enterprise bargaining—the direct result of actions taken by this government. Think back to the legislation we passed: the 'secure jobs, better pay' bill, the 'closing the loopholes' bill—both opposed by the opposition, both put forward by Labor and both delivering for Australian workers. (Time expired)

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

Senator Green, first supplementary?

Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Since coming to government, the Albanese Labor government has been working to ease cost-of-living pressures and get wages moving again, including through the 'secure jobs, better pay' and 'closing the loopholes' legislation. Unfortunately, those opposite simply saw the titles of these bills and knew they were against them. How are the Albanese government's reforms already helping Australian workers cope with cost-of-living pressures?

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

Thank you, Senator Green. We understand very well that Australians are dealing with cost-of-living pressures at the moment and that, despite the various things our government is doing, people still need help. That's exactly why we are working so hard to get wages moving again and delivering Labor's cost-of-living tax cuts. I'm really pleased to see that our policies are starting to pay off, with the strongest annual wage growth in over 14 years under the Albanese Labor government. The average full-time worker now earns $120 a week more since we came to government, and, under Labor's tax cuts plan, they will get a tax cut of more than $2,100. Wages have been growing at almost double the average compared with when those opposite were in power. The gender pay gap is at 12 per cent, down from 14.1 per cent—the lowest ever level—and this is a direct result of the government's policies to lift wages for workers, including fixing our bargaining system, banning pay-secrecy clauses, and fixing gender-equality and job-security objectives of awards in the Fair Work Act.

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

Senator Green, a second supplementary question?

Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was very concerned to learn that the coalition has threatened a targeted package of repeals of workplace reforms. Why is it important that workers retain the protections afforded to them under Labor's 'closing the loopholes' and 'secure jobs, better pay' reforms?

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

Thank you, Senator Green. I was also very concerned about this. I was very concerned to see, in a recent interview, the shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor let the cat out of the bag by saying the opposition would take a 'targeted package of repeals' of workplace laws to the next election. All I can say about Mr Taylor is: fantastic, great move; well done, Angus! You let the cat out of the bag! Every Australian worker now has a target on their backs as a result of that statement by Mr Taylor, the shadow Treasurer.

We all know that Peter Dutton and his Liberal and National Party colleagues want to see Australian workers work longer and for less. You've got a clear choice: with Labor, earn more and keep more of what you earn; with the Liberals and Nationals, get paid less and refund most of it back to the tax office instead. Repealing our workplace changes will take your pay packet backwards, risk your job security, make workplaces less safe and do nothing to reduce the gender pay gap. We know Peter Dutton and the Liberals and Nationals want to keep Australian wages low and return them to the deliberate design feature they had last time.

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

Minister Watt, I remind you to refer to Mr Dutton by his correct title.