House debates

Thursday, 10 December 2020

Statements by Members

Workplace Relations

1:57 pm

Photo of Stephen JonesStephen Jones (Whitlam, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

First it was snapback, then it was comeback and now it's cutback—cutting back wages and conditions and presiding over the worst growth in wages that this country has ever seen. Under this Prime Minister, workers of Australia have the smallest slice of economic pie since Aunty Jack was on TV and the Skyhooks were the top of the pops. He's loaded with slogans but devoid of new ideas so it's back to the same old Liberal playbook: cut wages, cut conditions and hit workers and their families. For 12 months, every clown in the coalition muppet show has been saying, 'If you let us cut your super, we'll give you a pay rise.' We now know their plan is to cut your super and your pay rise. You can't trust anything they say. Companies take JobKeeper while giving their bosses a bonus. Multinationals get big profits but pay no tax. Liberal Party mates get $30 million for a block of land worth 10 times less than that. What a way to say merry Christmas. This time last year, the Prime Minister said he doesn't hold a hose. Well, he does hold a red pen and he should put a red line through this plan to cut workers' wages.