Lisa Darmanin (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Senator Watt. The Albanese Labor government's secure jobs, better pay changes passed the parliament in December 2022 and were designed to help more Australians into secure, well-paid jobs. Noting that the independent review into the secure jobs, better pay legislation was passed yesterday, what did the review tell us about getting wages moving again, and why are secure jobs and better pay so critical to helping Australians deal with cost-of-living pressures?

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

The Albanese government was elected nearly three years ago on a platform to get wages moving again, and we are delivering. It's great news that the independent interim review into our secure jobs, better pay laws that was released yesterday has found that these laws are already starting to deliver for Australians. I thank Emeritus Professor Mark Bray and Professor Alison Preston for their very thorough interim report, which finds that since our secure jobs, better pay laws were passed there has been a 'remarkable' increase in workers covered by collective agreements, delivering better pay, and that wages and other indicators of workers' economic circumstances are starting 'to improve'. What they found is that, since our laws were passed, workers' wages are starting to improve. In fact, full-time workers in Australia are now earning, in median terms, an extra $213 a week compared with 3½ years ago; real wages have gone up by four quarters in a row; the gender pay gap is at a historic low; and the unemployment rate remains historically low—and this is all happening while we continue to bring inflation down. We know that things remain tough for many Australians, and the Albanese Labor government will continue working hard to take pressure off Australian families. But this is encouraging news, and it shows that Labor's workplace laws are relieving some of that pressure.

Of course, it wasn't always this way, because you might remember that the coalition deliberately kept Australians' wages low for a decade when they were in government. It was a deliberate design feature of their economic plan. Now I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear that the review also found that 'the economic situation of Australian workers declined' from 2012 to 2022. Now I wonder who was in government over that period of time. Oh, that's right: it was you lot. It was the coalition who were in power— (Time expired)

The:

Senator Darmanin, first supplementary?

Lisa Darmanin (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you for the update. I note that Mr Dutton and the Liberals and Nationals opposed the secure jobs, better pay legislation every step of the way. How are the Albanese government's reforms helping Australians with the cost of living, and why is it so important that Australian households earn more and keep more of what they earn?

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

Senator Darmanin, before I call the minister, I remind you, when referring to those in the other place, to use their correct titles. Minister Watt.

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

Under the Albanese Labor government, inflation is down, wages are up and unemployment remains low. Let's remember: under Mr Dutton and the coalition, they did everything they possibly could to stop that from happening, including by voting against our workplace laws. Senator Cash, with her usual extreme and reckless approach, said that Labor's secure jobs, better pay laws would close down Australia and take us back to the Dark Ages. Remember that one, Senator Cash? I can show you the film of you saying it, if you'd like me to—

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

Senator Watt, refer to the chair with your answers.

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

because we remember it. Funnily enough, I haven't seen Australia go back to the Dark Ages, and nor did the independent review of our laws.

Mr Dutton claimed that our secure jobs, better pay laws were radical and that he was deeply concerned that it was going to result in higher wages—what a terrible thing that would be. Mr Dutton didn't want to see higher wages. Well, our laws are delivering higher wages. That's exactly the way it should be, and you voted against every move we did to make it happen. (Time expired)

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

Senator Darmanin, second supplementary?

Lisa Darmanin (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Given that the opposition leader and the Liberals and Nationals have committed to making targeted repeals of the Albanese Labor government's workplace relations changes and that Senator Hume has claimed that adding more rights for workers is unreasonable, what are the key barriers to creating jobs and getting wages moving, and why is the Albanese Labor government so committed to delivering well-paid, secure jobs for Australian workers?

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

All the way along that bench over there are the key barriers to creating jobs and getting wages moving again. As you mentioned, already Mr Dutton has promised to axe many of our workplace changes, even when the independent review found that they are making a positive difference to Australians.

While our government wants to see Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn, we know that the coalition had an antiworker agenda when they were in government. They voted against every single one of our changes when they were in opposition and now, as the election approaches, they're promising the same low-wages policy they had last time they were in office. Already, they've promised to wind back protections for casual workers and scrap the right to disconnect, and they have opened the door to weakening unfair dismissal protections and getting rid of our same job, same pay laws.

At a time when Australians are doing it tough, Mr Dutton and the coalition want to make things worse. There is no doubt at all that, with the wage cuts from Mr Dutton, you will be worse off under the coalition. We'll certainly be reminding people of that in the next few months.

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

I ask that further questions be placed on notice.