Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. How are the Albanese Labor government's workplace relations reforms helping Australians to earn more and keep more of what they earn? And what has been the response to these reforms?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Moreton. There's no doubt that the member for Moreton is someone who, from the time he arrived here, has wanted the workers of Queensland to be earning more and to be keeping more of what they earn. Comparing that—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) | Link to this | Hansard source

If you talk about workers earning more—Pavlov did a study like this—there's a reaction immediately. The reaction is there straightaway.

But those opposite, in contrast to the member for Moreton, try as hard as they can to never commit to anything. It took Andrew Clennell on Sky News to finally get the Leader of the Opposition to make a commitment on workplace relations, where he committed straightaway in saying he wanted to make sure people would be able to work longer for less. That's the one principle he was willing to defend straightaway. Within about an hour, the shadow Treasurer said that they would have a targeted package of appeals. Well, looking at the measures that have been passed since we came to government, which ones do they intend to target? Will they target minimum standards for gig workers? Will they target minimum standards in road transport? Will they target job security for casuals? Will they target wage theft being a crime? Will they target the banning of pay secrecy clauses? Or will they target the sunsetting of zombie agreements?

On those zombie agreements we've recently had a window into exactly how bad they have been for workers, if you look at some of the franchises in Queensland, such as Hog's Breath cafe. Until this year, until laws were passed which those opposite opposed, people working for those Hog's Breath cafe franchises in parts of Queensland were on agreements that dated back to 2005. For context, that means that an 18-year-old waiter at Hog's Breath had wages and conditions that were set in an agreement registered before they were born. Under these agreements there were no penalty rates, no overtime, no leave loading and a lower casual loading. And it was calculated that they were, on average, $59 a week worse off.

Because of the change of government, because of the government's policies, which those opposite opposed, those workers now are paid that $59 again. They are also covered by an award where they now earn $100 a week more under this government. And, thanks to this government, those same workers will now also be eligible for a tax cut of more than $1,050. Fifty-nine dollars through the IR changes, $100 through our approach to the annual wage review and more than $1,000 a year in tax cuts—all policies supported by us over here that just make those opposite angry. (Time expired)