Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

I'd like to thank the member for Dunkley for that question and also her passionate advocacy for workers in her electorate and right across the country.

The Albanese Labor government was elected on a commitment to help working Aussies with the cost of living by getting their wages moving again. And we are delivering. One way we are boosting wages is through reinvigorating enterprise bargaining, and now we're seeing the evidence of these reforms delivering. New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that wages of workers covered by enterprise agreements have risen by an average of 9.6 per cent over two years. Under our government we've reached record high numbers of workers on enterprise agreements, and these workers are earning more. In reporting on this ABS data, The Australian newspaper pointed out workers on enterprise agreements are pocketing the biggest pay increases across all pay-setting methods. This is good news for Aussie workers and evidence that our reforms are delivering.

I'm asked about whether there are any risks, and there are. While this government is focusing on delivering higher wages, there are significant risks when it comes to the pay packet of Aussie workers, and they exist across the chamber. We've seen those opposite in absolute chaos over the last few weeks, squabbling over who gets the top job, who's in charge—focused only on themselves. However, the truth is that when it comes to Australians wages and conditions, it doesn't matter who leads the Liberal Party, it doesn't matter who's in the top job. Regardless of whether the Nationals are in or out, those opposite will always look to cut the wages and conditions of Australians. We know this because they have a long history under many, many leaders. We had the introduction of WorkChoices, we had the economic architecture of keeping wages low as a deliberate design feature when they were last in government. They refused to protect penalty rates, promised to rip away work-from-home rights, and opposed every single one of our government's changes to get wages moving.

It continues even in the midst of this confusion and chaos on the other side. Just yesterday, Senators Sharma, Hume and Bragg reminded us there is something that unites them, and that is attacking workers. It is still on their agenda and it doesn't matter who leads. While those opposite remain absolutely divided and wallow in their confusion and chaos, our government is laser focused on getting wages moving and delivering for Australians.

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