Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. I note that the Albanese Labor government's No. 1 priority is helping Australians with their cost of living in every way we can and addressing inflation. Can the minister please tell the Senate how the government is delivering cost-of-living relief for all Australians?

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

I thank Senator Grogan for her question. The senator has spent so much of her working life in so many roles advocating for working people and for disadvantaged Australians. She understands very acutely that people are doing it tough and what this government can and should do to ensure that we ease the cost of living for Australians. Of course, our cost-of-living tax cuts will deliver a better tax cut, a bigger tax cut, for more Australians. That's every single Australian taxpayer, not just some. Eighty-four per cent will be better off—90 per cent of women and 98 per cent of young people.

We know, unlike those opposite, aspiration isn't just something that belongs to the top tax bracket. We on this side want Australians to earn more and to keep more of what they earn. This week, the government will make its submission to the Fair Work Commission's annual wage review, and we will recommend that the commission ensures that the real wages of Australia's low-paid workers don't go backwards. The alternative, of course, is those opposite, who want Australians to work longer for less. That wonderful quote machine, Mr Barnaby Joyce, said raising the minimum wage was 'window dressing'. What sort of out-of-touch perspective is someone who reckons that a wage rise for the lowest paid workers in Australia is window dressing and doesn't matter? You have to really be pretty out of touch to think that that is the case.

Those opposite have spoken with pride about keeping wages deliberately low, claiming it's a feature of their economic policy.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Seriously!

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

Yes, seriously, Senator Ruston, that is what you have said. That is what your leader and finance minister said. I was sitting across the table. Seriously, where are you when it comes to low-paid workers? (Time expired)

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

Senator Grogan, a first supplementary?

Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

President, it's less than two years since the coalition's decade of denial and delay came to an end. Can the minister outline what the Albanese Labor government has done to improve the lives of Australians in that time?

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

We understand the importance of delivering cost-of-living relief, unlike those opposite.

Senator Ruston keeps interjecting and seems to forget that she was on the side that voted for higher energy prices. She was on the side that voted against making sure people were given relief on energy prices. She's on the side that voted that way and she was particularly loud in front of that debate. You wanted more expensive medicines. You voted against cheaper medicines. Senator Ruston, if you want to keep yelling at me, we can remind everybody—

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

Senator Wong, I remind you to direct your answers to the chair. I will call others to order, particularly on my left.

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

Thank you, President. If Senator Ruston wants to keep interjecting, as is her wont, it might be good for everyone to remember all of the campaigns she's been for which were about making the cost of living worse for Australians. Senator Grogan, we take a different view on this side. I know you take a different view. That's why we are investing in Medicare. We are investing in bulk-billing and in cheaper medicines. (Time expired)

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

Senator Grogan, a second supplementary?

Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for that answer. I've spoken to many people in my home state of South Australia who've warmly welcomed the Albanese Labor government's tax cuts and the work that we've done to help Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn. Can the minister please inform the Senate what responses the government's tax cuts have received more broadly?

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

Senator Grogan would know we went out and spoke to Australians and we said to them, 'We are changing our position because it's the rights thing to do and we are doing it because we understand the cost of living is biting and we want to deliver bigger and better tax cuts for more Australians and we want to make sure that more women and more workers on average incomes get a better share of the tax cuts.'

I know that was very hard for the opposition to stomach. Their gut reaction was to oppose these tax cuts. You might remember what Ms Ley said about this—that they were going to roll them back. She said, 'We're going to roll back the tax cuts.' Now Senator Hume is still talking about going back to the drawing board. What are Australians supposed to understand? That the coalition, which has always wanted a very different set of tax cuts, always took a low wage approach to policy— (Time expired)