Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry) | Hansard source

The minister opposite wants to ensure that everyone is paid the same rate. That's wrong and that will see productivity fall even lower. As a former small business owner I was quite happy to pay everyone award wages and those people working hard a higher rate. What we will see is, once again, the Albanese Labor government governing for the unions when productivity is falling through the floor. And what have they done? They couldn't even be bothered to read the report. The shadow Treasurer did—he came out and read it. But the Treasurer opposite—no, he can't be bothered with that.

At the same time, in a hit for further transparency, the Treasurer and the Prime Minister have appointed the Treasurer's old boss as the Productivity Commissioner. This raises serious questions about the future ability of the commission to remain independent and able to question the government's actions.

Governments who are focused on their own political agenda and governing for their union donors stop delivering for the people of Australia, and as a result people suffer. That's why we're seeing inflation go through the roof. Everyone listening to this knows their rents are up, their housing repayments are up, their electricity is up and their food is up. That's what you get under a Labor-Greens government.

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