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

I'd like to thank the member for Brisbane not only for that question but for her ongoing advocacy for getting wages moving for Australians. This Labor government is absolutely committed to boosting the pay packets of everyday hardworking Australians.

Our government has advocated year on year for a wage increase for our lowest-paid workers who rely on minimum award wages. We have legislated to protect penalty and overtime rates for modern award reliant workers and, of course, we've prioritised fixing a broken bargaining system to improve wages, especially for undervalued feminised sectors of the economy such as early education. As the Prime Minister has said on so many occasions, early childhood educators deserve more than our thanks; they deserve a pay rise. That is why the Albanese government continues to back our early educators by locking in a 15 per cent pay rise. Liz, an early educator, said that this pay increase—and I quote—'makes a lot of difference so that we can stay in the industry for longer because it's good pay'.

This Labor government has put gender equality at the heart of the workplace relations system by making it an object of the Fair Work Act, ensuring more women are getting fairer pay for the work that they do. Our laws led to historic wage increases for our aged-care workers, most of whom are women. Our government backed and funded these pay rises to recognise the important work they do. I'm pleased to report to the House that the gender pay gap is now at its lowest on record, at 11.5 per cent.

I am asked about who has tried to stand in the way of our plan to get wages moving. Of course, it's the three right-wing parties over there. The Liberals, the Nationals and One Nation have stood in the way of our efforts to get wages moving. Together, they've opposed our minimum award wage advocacy. Together they voted against higher wages for early educators and aged carers, and together they voted to erode penalty rates in this country.

And what would the cost to ordinary workers have been if the three right-wing parties had got their way? Evidence published in news.com today demonstrates that an aged-care worker would be $20,000 worse off if those opposite had got their way. It is clear that it is only Labor that stands up for ordinary workers in this country. Let's ensure that they are protected from these three right-wing parties.

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