Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Here are the facts. Fact: we are in a climate where wages growth is at its lowest. Fact: we are at a time where underemployment—where people want to work more but cannot do it—is at its highest level. Fact: on 1 July, 700,000 Australians look like they will get $77 taken out of their pay packets because of penalty rate cuts. Fact: this government could do something about it. Fact: this government will not do anything about it. They could easily back the bill, brought in by the member for Gorton, that would protect those workers. They know they could support this right now. They will not. What is the answer to all this? Fact: this government is going to cut millionaires' taxes by $16,400. Another fact: from Blacktown to Mount Druitt, over 10,000 people face the prospect of a penalty rate cut. This is not good enough. They should not be facing a wage cut in a climate where wages are growing at such a low rate and where they see, on the other side of town, a constituent in the Prime Minister's own electorate will be getting a tax cut. This is wrong, particularly for women, who will face the worst impact of these penalty rate cuts. The fact of the matter is that the coalition is supporting penalty rate cuts. They have their cheerleaders there doing it, and they are doing the wrong thing by working Australians.