Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering for Australian workers, and what could place this at risk?

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

I thank the member for Corangamite for the question and also for her advocacy on behalf of working people right around this country. The Albanese government has delivered the most significant workplace relations reforms since the Fair Work Act was introduced and is delivering higher wages for Australian workers. Of course, as mentioned by the Treasurer, the latest ABS data released last week shows that, under the Albanese Labor government, we've seen the longest run of real wages growth in a decade. One policy delivering significant pay increases for hardworking Australians is our same job, same pay reforms. The Albanese Labor government introduced this change based on a very simple idea: if you're doing the same work, you deserve to be paid the same. But this wasn't happening, and we had seen workers employed by labour hire receiving significantly less than other staff that they worked alongside. Well, our government has fixed this. It's been just a year since pay rises started to flow as a result of our same job, same pay changes.

On Friday, I met with a group of flight attendants who, before our laws, were wearing the same uniform, doing the exact same job and getting paid $20,000 less than direct employees working alongside them. Our laws have fixed this, delivering fair pay for thousands of workers across a range of industries. Domestic flight attendant Thomas told me that, since these pay rises under the same job, same pay laws kicked in, he and his co-workers now have 'dignity' and 'equality', and he can now afford to take a holiday. Our government is working hard to deliver for people like Thomas.

I am asked: what could put at risk these pay increases? I want to be very clear. The biggest risk to working people's wages and jobs is those opposite. Just a few weeks ago, while the Leader of the Opposition was trying to deflect attention and save her job, she reignited the old Liberal Party industrial relations playbook by threatening to roll back the very reforms that were delivering better wages and conditions for working people. The Liberal and National parties haven't changed. They aren't listening, they have no ideas and, of course, they are just focused on themselves. The only job that the Leader of the Opposition cares about is her own job. And while those on the other side fight and bicker and argue, there's only one side of this parliament that's committed to working Australians, and that's the Albanese Labor government, and we'll get on with that job.