Tania Lawrence (Hasluck, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

This motion goes to the heart of what Labor governments do: make sure Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn. Whether it's tax relief, fair pay increases or strengthening superannuation, this Labor government is delivering for all Australians and delivering for all the people of Hasluck. We know that there are some Australians doing it tough, and it's our job—it's my job—to make life that bit easier and the future that bit more secure. From 1 July, every taxpayer got a tax cut. That's real relief in real time. That's nurses in Midland better off. That's Guildford better off. That's teachers in Bassendean better off. In fact, all workers in Hasluck and across Australia are better off because of this government's decision to deliver tax cuts for everyone.

This is not just about numbers on a tax table; it's about putting money right back into the pockets of the very people who have worked hard and do the right thing. They're people who get up early, raise families, run small businesses and contribute so much to our communities. From 1 July, more than 2.6 million workers on minimum award wages received a 3½ per cent increase. That means a real difference for hospitality workers in the Swan Valley, cleaners in Noranda and aged-care staff in Morley. It's a government backing wage growth—not hoping for it or, as in the case of the coalition, actively planning against it. This is the sixth consecutive increase under Labor, and it reflects our belief that no-one who works full time in Australia should be struggling to make ends meet.

On the very same day this year, 1 July, the compulsory superannuation guarantee rose to 12 per cent. Because of this, every Australian worker will retire with tens of thousands of dollars more. The engineers in Ashfield are better off. Pharmacy staff in Ellenbrook are better off. Shop assistants in Bennett Springs are better off. Every worker in Hasluck and across Australia will benefit from this increase. Universal superannuation is a Labor legacy and Australian institution, and it is recognised around the world as part of a gold standard retirement system. It was brought into being by the Hawke and Keating governments and has been defended by every Labor government since.

Sadly, the same cannot be said for those opposite. Let's not forget that, when super was introduced in 1991, the Liberals and Nationals opposed it. They voted against better retirement incomes for ordinary Australians. Ever since, they've chipped away at it, white-anting it, delaying it, delaying increases and undermining its universality. I often wonder: if the same legislation were introduced today, would the current ragtag coalition even support it? I really do doubt it. Let's be honest. Every delay, freeze and cynical attack on the system has had a cost—a cost not measured in headlines but in the retirement balances of millions of Australians. How many Liberal and National voters realise just how much their side of politics has cost them in retirement? It's hundreds of thousands of dollars—maybe more.

The Labor government is taking a different path. We're strengthening super, defining its purpose, defending it from misuse and ensuring it is sustainable for generations to come, because every Australian deserves dignity in retirement. They deserve a system they can rely on, and they deserve a government that puts their futures first. The Association of Super Funds of Australia CEO, Mary Delahunty, said that this is a major milestone in Australia's retirement system. For the first time, they project that a 30-year-old on a median wage will be on track to achieve a comfortable retirement, thanks to July's superannuation guarantee increase to 12 per cent. Yet the Liberal opposition oppose these reforms not for the sake of minimum-wage earners or retirees but to protect the interests of the wealthiest 0.5 per cent. Sussan Ley described Labor's proposed tax on super balances over $3 million as a class warfare tactic, in an effort to shield the ultrarich rather than support ordinary retirees. We're delivering instead a better future. We voted for tax relief that puts money back into people's pockets, wages growth that restores dignity and stability and a superannuation system that safeguards retirement. We have a mandate to lift standards, secure futures and build a fairer nation. I commend the motion.

See this speech in context