Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Minister Watt. Today marks one year since the second tranche of the Albanese Labor government's closing loopholes legislation passed the parliament. These reforms built on the 'same job, same pay' legislation. They contain stronger protections for gig workers, end unpaid overtime with a right to disconnect, and provide more job security for casual workers. Minister, why is closing loopholes in our workplace relations system so important, and how are the Albanese Labor government's policies helping Australian workers earn more and keep more of what they earn?

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

Thanks, Senator Polley. I know Senator Polley was very happy to join a whole heap of workers, along with many other colleagues this morning, to acknowledge and celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes No. 2) Bill 2024 being passed through this parliament. That piece of legislation passed by the Albanese government has given workers better work-life balance, more job security and improved workplace conditions.

The second tranche of our closing loopholes legislation, which is now one year old, introduced a right to disconnect for eligible workers when they are not working or being paid, set new minimum pay and other standards for workers in the gig economy and the road transport industry, and provided a fairer definition of casual employees, enabling more casual workers to convert to permanent employment. In fact, Senator O'Neill and I were talking with one of the workers this morning who not only has been able to convert to permanency but, along with other colleagues, is able to go to the bank and get a home loan for the first time. That's the kind of difference it's making to people.

But, of course, these reforms are now at risk from Mr Dutton and the coalition because they voted against them, just as they voted against every single one of our workplace law changes that are delivering higher wages and better jobs for Australians, while also voting against every measure we have taken to provide cost-of-living relief. Now, as we approach the next election, they have already confirmed that they will repeal the right to disconnect and our protections for casual workers, and they've flagged further attacks to workers' wages and conditions by promising a targeted set of repeals of our workplace laws. We know they will follow through in doing that because every time they've ever been in government the coalition have gone out of their way to cut workers' wages and cut their conditions to serve their big business mates. Not only did they do that last time they were in government, when they boasted about keeping wages deliberately low, but they voted against every change we've made to try and turn wages around for Australian workers. (Time expired)

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

Senator Polley, first supplementary?

Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This morning I met Martin and Nabin, a teacher and a gig worker, to celebrate the passage of the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes No. 2) Bill 2024. Martin and Nabin told me they were worried about the possibility of Mr Dutton and the coalition tearing away protections in the closing-the-loopholes legislation. Minister, why is it so important to protect the rights that the closing-the-loopholes legislation has given Australian workers?

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

The fact is that Australian workers like those you met this morning, a teacher named Martin and a gig worker named Nabin, will be worse off under Peter Dutton. They actually made that point this morning when we met with them.

Whether it's teachers like Martin being paid for the hours he works through the right to disconnect, which this lot want to get rid of, or gig workers like Nabin being able to access minimum rates of pay, which this lot voted against, our changes are putting more money into the pockets of working people at a time that they need that help. While we're changing the law to lift Australians' wages, the coalition are focused on finding things to cut, of course, so they can pay for hot dogs for top dogs, long lunches for bosses—taxpayer funded lunches. That's what you lot are about, not about helping pay wages for Australians.

Just last night, we had the member for Petrie on Sky boasting about their plan to cut free TAFE, making training more expensive and students worse off. I guess they've got to find that money from somewhere to pay $10 billion for taxpayer funded long lunches for their big business mates.

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

Senator Polley, second supplementary?

Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I note that Mr Dutton and the Liberals have proudly stated, 'We will always stand with employers of Australia,' and have promised a package of targeted repeals at the next election. Minister, how is the Albanese Labor government standing with Australian workers to make sure that more money is in their pockets, and what are the key challenges to helping more Australians into well-paid and secure jobs, which is what they need?

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

I'll take some of the interjections from Senator Hume and Senator McGrath while you were asking your question, Senator Polley, because they were trying to make the argument that, if you go after employers, you don't have jobs. The problem with their argument is that not only has our government lifted wages but more jobs have been created in this parliamentary term than in Australian history. Four out of five of those jobs have been in the private sector.

Your problem is that your whole argument is not backed up by a single fact. Under the Albanese government, because of the changes we've made, wages are up, jobs are up, inflation is down, industrial action is down and productivity is going up. That's what a Labor government has done through our workplace laws, and you want to rip that all away. You want workers' wages to go backwards, and you want unemployment to rise because you don't care about working people. None of you ever come and meet with workers like Martin, Nabin and Rosemary, a retail worker, and hear about the difference those wages are making to their lives. You want to look after big businesses; we're looking after workers. (Time expired)