Matt Burnell (Spence, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges the Government's commitment to Australians earning more and keeping more of what they earn;

(2) notes that on 1 July 2025:

(a) millions of Australian workers on minimum and award wages got a 3.5 per cent pay rise; and

(b) the superannuation guarantee increased to 12 per cent; and

(3) welcomes the Government delivering the better future Australians voted for.

I rise to speak on two of the most fundamental issues for Australian workers: superannuation and wages. Every Australian deserves dignity in retirement and fairness in their back pocket today. The Albanese Labor government has worked steadily and deliberately to restore fairness to our workplace laws and to repair long-neglected systems that support hardworking Australians.

We've delivered on our commitment to increase the superannuation guarantee. From 1 July this year, the guarantee rose to 12 per cent, a move that strengthens the retirement of millions of workers across the country. That figure of 12 per cent might seem like a number on paper, but, for a 30-year-old working today, it can mean tens of thousands of dollars more in their back pocket in retirement. It is a difference between anxiety and security in older age. And it is a Labor government that has ensured that commitment, first promised over a decade ago, has finally been delivered in full.

We've also taken historic action to address one of the biggest drivers of the gender retirement gap by legislating for superannuation to be paid on Commonwealth paid parental leave. From July 2026, parents who take time off to raise their children will not be penalised in their retirement. For the first time in our history, super will be paid on paid parental leave, because we understand that time spent caring is not time spent working less; it's time spent working differently. It's a change that will benefit over 180,000 Australian families every year. This is equity in action. This is what good governments can do when we put working families at the centre of our policymaking.

In addition to this, we are rolling out payday super, requiring employers to pay super at the same time as salary and wages. This reform, coming into effect from 1 July 2026, will help eliminate the pain of unpaid super, which is currently costing workers an estimated $3.4 billion each year. Workers shouldn't have to chase what is rightfully theirs. This change will give employees greater flexibility over their entitlements and improve compliance for all PCBUs. We're backing it with stronger powers for the Australian Taxation Office, more frequent reporting and new technology to detect nonpayment in real time.

We've also introduced enforceable service standards for super funds, ensuring they deliver not just reasonable terms but also fair treatment, clear communication and transparency for their members. Superannuation is not just about accumulation of returns; it's about giving every Australian the peace of mind that their hard work today will be rewarded tomorrow. Just as we fight for fairness in retirement, we must also deliver fairness now.

Turning to wages, I'm proud to say that, under the Albanese Labor government, real wages are growing again. In fact, for nearly three million workers, they have already gone up since 1 July. After a decade of wage stagnation under those on the other side of the chamber, Australian workers are finally getting a fair go on payday. Since May 2022 we have supported successive increases to the minimum wage and the preservation of award wages, delivering meaningful pay rises. In fact, over two years the Fair Work Commission has delivered minimum wage increases of more than eight per cent, in line with inflation and in recognition of the pressures that everyone is facing right now.

Our workplace reforms—including multi-employer bargaining, limits on exploitative labour hire practices and better rights for casual workers—have all been designed with one goal: to get wages moving. One of the clearest examples is in aged care. We have fought hard and delivered a 15 per cent wage increase for aged-care workers, because valuing care means valuing carers. The same goes for early childhood educators, retail workers, cleaners—so many Aussies whose essential work was applauded and needed to keep our country running during the pandemic but undervalued for too long.

The Albanese government believes in an economy that works for people, not the other way around. The Labor Party believes that when working people do well the country does well. I'd be lying if I said our job was done; we have more to do but we are on the right path. We will continue to close the retirement gender gap, we will continue to crack down on unpaid entitlements and we will continue to ensure that working people share in the benefits of national growth. When Labor say we are on the side of working Australians, we mean it. I commend our government's work so far and I look forward to continuing the work ahead.

See this speech in context