Julie-Ann Campbell (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House acknowledges that the Government is supporting Australians to earn more, keep more of what they earn, and retire with more, with a range of policies that came into effect on 1 July 2026, including:

(1) payday superannuation reforms, benefiting the retirement incomes of millions of Australians through more frequent and earlier superannuation contributions;

(2) a 4.75 per cent increase to the minimum wage, marking the first time the national minimum wage is above $1,000 a week;

(3) expanding government paid parental leave to 130 days, with parents to be paid superannuation contributions on Commonwealth funded paid parental leave for the first time; and

(4) delivering:

(a) a new $1,000 instant tax deduction without proof of receipts; and

(b) another tax cut of up to $268 for over 14 million Australians.

Every member who walked into this chamber this morning at its opening looked up into the gallery and saw fresh faces. We saw beaming smiles of so many young people from across the breadth of our great nation coming to our nation's capital to participate in the very first National Youth Parliament.

One of the people in that sea is Karima, who is the best youth parliamentarian; she is the youth member for Moreton. All of those young people are here today because they're passionate about their communities. All those young people are here today because they want to change the world and they want to change our country. All of those young people are here today because they want to support Australians. I'm delighted that today in this private member's business that's what we're focused on: letting the young people and other people of this country know and understand that we, as a Labor government, are focused on supporting Australians every single day.

There was a very important milestone for that support, and it happened on 1 July. On 1 July there was good news for all Australians. It was a day where that support came in the form of relief. It was a day where that support came in the form of earning more. It was a day where that support came in terms of retiring with more as well. We know that, as people face challenging circumstances across this country and when the chips are down, what people need more than ever is more support.

I do want to reflect on a number of those changes that came in on 1 July. Pay day super reforms will benefit the retirement incomes of millions of Australians by making sure that, when you earn superannuation, you are paid it, because superannuation is not only a great Labor achievement, it's also part of your wage. It's not an extra and it's not a bonus. On 1 July, the Albanese Labor government made sure that it was paid when it was earned.

A 4.75 per cent increase to the minimum wage marks the first national minimum wage above $1,000 a week. When we talk about the contrast between us on this side of the chamber and those on the other side of the chamber, there couldn't be a starker one when it comes to wages for some of our most vulnerable people—our lowest paid Australians. While the Albanese government has been hard at work ensuring that we are backing in wage increases for everyday Australians, those opposite, when they were in government, decided that it would be a deliberate design feature of their government to keep wages low. Those back-to-back-to-back wage increases not only put money in the pockets of hardworking Australians, they also mean that those hardworking Australians are respected at work and can have dignity for the work that they do.

Government paid parental leave is being expanded to six months with superannuation on top. This is about making sure that mums and dads can be there with their kids in the very early years of their children's lives. Expanding paid parental leave is not only a no-brainer to make sure that the first months of some of our youngest Australians are spent with their parents but also a no-brainer in terms of injecting productivity into the economy over the long term as well.

Labor is also delivering a new $1,000 instant tax deduction without receipts as proof. This comes on the back of many tax cuts for the Australian people. A $1,000 tax deduction means that, instead of spending your time sifting through shoeboxes, you can have a tax deduction with a tax cut because of a Labor government. That tax cut, when you add it up, is $2,800 for the average Australian. This is a government that will always support Australians every day and did so on 1 July.

Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Tom Venning (Grey, Liberal Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

This Labor government changed the standing rules to ban that four-letter word that rhymes with 'pies', and they did that so they could bring forward motions like this. Labor tells us that Australians are earning more and keeping more of what they earn. But is that really true? Absolutely not—and you don't need a damn spreadsheet to quantify it. You'll find the answer by merely walking about this place and asking any Australian whether they feel more economically secure today than they did four years ago.

In nominal terms, wages are up 14 per cent, which sounds great until we come to the reality and you put this number into real terms after inflation. For those playing along at home, do you really think real wages have gone up, or have they gone down? Well, if you guessed 'down', well done. Real wages have gone down 1.7 per cent over Labor's term of government. So, contrary to the spin we hear about 'earning more under Labor', you, in fact, are earning less.

But Australians aren't just earning less; they're keeping less of what they earn. While Labor's new, toxic taxes are punishing aspiration, bracket creep is quietly taxing Australians more and more each and every day. After four years of Labor, this sneaky tax grab is leaving the average Australian $2,000 a year worse off. But I come bearing some good news, because the coalition has a plan to fix this. Our tax-back guarantee will end bracket creep by indexing tax brackets to inflation. We will deliver real tax reform that is fair, simple and honest.

While the coalition has a plan to fix the economy and restore our way of life, Labor's fiscal failure is sending Australia backwards. Under Labor, Australians are earning less and keeping less of what they earn. And this is no accident. Labour productivity is the fundamental, long-run driver of real wage growth, and what could possibly have nosedived since Labor came to office? Productivity! Labor has presided over more bureaucracy, more regulation and more red tape. It's no wonder that real wages are going backwards.

While bracket creep is costing the average worker $2,000 a year, Labor are congratulating themselves on giving you back up to $268 a year—roughly 73c a day. That's 73c a day set against electricity prices, which are up 40 per cent; gas, up 40 per cent; and food prices, up 18 per cent. That is not 'keeping more of what you earn'; that is paying for a feast and getting served a toastie.

On paid parental leave, the coalition's stance is clear. We support paid parental leave and have no plans to change the current scheme. The debate is not about whether families should receive it; the debate is about flexibility and choice. Labor tells families they are getting six months of leave from 1 July. What Labor doesn't tell them is that, in a two-parent household, four weeks are reserved on a 'use it or lose it' basis. The primary carer can generally access 22 weeks, not 26. If the other parent cannot take those four weeks, the family does not get them. They are lost. Families hear '26 weeks', but many will only see 22.

Every family is different. They have different work arrangements, different finances and different caring responsibilities. In my electorate, the second parent is often the farmer midseeding or the shift worker on a roster. These are not jobs from which you can just take four weeks off because a scheme designed in Canberra said so.

When the leave runs out, families in Grey meet the next problem: the worst access to child care in Australia, where only two in three children can get a place. The coalition's approach is simple: we will trust families and restore choice. Parents, not politicians, know what is best for their children, and government should support the choices families make, not dictate arrangements made by Labor.

This House is being asked to congratulate a government for making Australians poorer. I will not do it.

Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

It is important that we put this stuff on the record. It's important that we note from the last election that the coalition of the Liberals and the Nationals, and their new bedfellows, One Nation, wanted to go to an election promoting higher taxes for working Australians. They wanted to go against pay rises for minimum wage workers. They actually wanted to make things tougher. And now, as we stand here this week, we hear the latest from the potential deputy prime minister of a Liberal-National-One Nation government, the member for New England, about how they've got to remove superannuation. This is from the party who came into this place under Treasurer Hockey and said: 'The Age of Entitlement is over.' There would be no aged pension for young people. So all these young people sitting up there in the gallery would be subject to having no aged pension when they're older because this lot wanted to get rid of it.

We brought in compulsory superannuation for one reason: to make sure that when people got older they would have the opportunity to have dignity in their retirement and make sure they had money there to be able to sustain themselves as Australians live longer. They live longer because we've got a better Medicare system, a system that actually supports people. It doesn't matter about your wealth or your postcode, as long as you've got your Medicare card, you can get the support you need.

We've been bringing in tax cuts every year to make sure we help people who need help the most, because a lot of people, no matter how hard you work in some jobs, are not going to get paid a lot of money. That's just a simple fact. If we all got paid $1 million a week, which is about where they think people should be, inflation would be through the roof.

When we came into government, inflation was over six per cent and rising, and we had interest rates rising—and we've been trying to pull them back. We've been working very hard to make sure that we're focusing on limiting the issues that people face through what's happening globally. And there is absolutely no shadow of a doubt that the global situation we face now is a lot harder than it was two years ago and four years ago.

Deputy Speaker Buchholz, you're only a young fella but I'm sure you can remember we had the nineties recession and the Asian crisis. These things happen. We used to get one economic shock every 10 years. Since COVID, we have had three economic shocks in four years. No wonder people are feeling hard done by. No wonder they're getting angry with the system. But this is a global situation that we are faced with, and it's a global situation we're dealing with—with the best possible way forward. It is when times are tough that you know you can rely on a Labor government to actually help families out, whether it's through superannuation, tax cuts or an instant asset write-off. Now, with taxation, you can have your tax done and deduct $1,000 without needing receipts. They sit there and scoff at that and say, 'Oh, that's not important.' I'll tell you what. To a lot of people who are working to just put food on the table and pay the bills, it's very helpful. It's very helpful to be able to go in and say, 'Here's my tax,' get it done, get your refund and go on and live your life comfortably.

It's so important, when we talk about looking after Australians, that we look after those who really need the support the most. We've been dealing with issues in relation to superannuation. How many times have we heard it, over and over, that big businesses—backed by that lot over there—shut their doors and walk away, and the workforce who are out there every day putting their labour on the line, building that business up and getting out the products that are needed come home to say, 'Oh, the boss hasn't been paying me super.' These people are not only out of work and struggling in a situation where we've got low unemployment but they then find out they haven't had their super paid for six months or two years. That impacts them not only now but into the future.

We had that Liberal government for nine years, and there seems to be a black hole of memory in those opposite. That nine years in government returned some of the worst economic performances ever seen. We all remember them standing up here going, 'Yes, we're going to deliver a budget surplus each and every year we're in government.' And how did they go? Zero for nine—not one. They were going to pay off the debt. What did they do? They doubled the debt, nearly tripled it before COVID, and then had an influx of spending on COVID.

We've been returning money, back in, to pay out that debt. We've delivered budget surpluses and we've delivered cost-of-living relief for every single Australian. We know people are doing it tough. We know that globally we're facing some of the worst conditions we've ever seen, but we're not shying away from it. Every day, we are trying to do things that help people get through. Because it is so important that we help people that need the help the most, we're not sitting there at the big end of town flying around on billionaires' jets; we're actually out there helping the people that drive this country.

Leon Rebello (McPherson, Liberal National Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

This motion is yet another motion that's moved by a member of the government asking us to congratulate this government for making Australians' lives poorer. We've got another self-congratulating motion, and this time it focuses on the government's delivery of what they refer to as a tax cut of up to $268 for over 14 million Australians. For context, it's a tax cut of about $5.15 every week. There are people in the gallery here today, many of whom would have seen this and heard about it through the media.

What those on this side of the House are trying to say is at odds with what the previous member said, which was that our view is that tax cuts are not important. That's not what we're saying. We're saying that tax cuts of $268, or $5.15 every week, are not helping Australians when, structurally, we're having to pay more because of inflation and we're having to pay more because of a government that has lost control of our economy, which means our prices are rising on everything across the board. Ultimately, the effect of a $5.15 tax cut on Australians is very much watered down. That is the argument of those on this side of the parliament. We are seeking meaningful tax reform. We're seeking meaningful lower taxes that improve Australians' long-term ability to keep more of what they earn. That's the difference between the ideology of those on this side of the House and those in government.

The previous speaker said, 'When times are tough, you can rely on a Labor government to help out.' Times are tough. We've got the member for Casey at the front table, and I know that he hears this all the time from constituents in his electorate. I hear this all the time from people in my electorate. Times are really tough. They're tough for people who are trying to get into their first home. They're tough for people who are just trying to run a business. They're tough for people who have decided to, on the back of their own initiative, start their business or start and invest in something and make a better life for them and for their kids.

Times are tough for all of those people, but at the end of the day the government is not making their lives easier. In fact, we're consistently getting people finding it even harder not just to do business in Australia but to live, to work and to run a household. So I think it's hypocritical for the member opposite to say that, when times are tough, you can rely on a Labor government to help, because the actions do speak louder than words. It's very clear what the government is trying to do. They're treating Australians for mugs. They think that Australians can't see this. They think that, if we give you a little bit here and then we take a lot more from the other hand, we're going to be able to get re-elected. Australians can see right through that.

At a time when we are on our knees as a country and Australians are really struggling to get ahead, you would think that any rational government would say: 'Okay, we get it. There are issues here. There are issues with how the economy is running. We need to start reining in how much we're spending. We need to have an upfront conversation with the Australian people,' and say, 'There are some tough decisions that are going to be made, but we're doing them for a reason: to make your life easier.' They're not saying that. They're not doing those things. They're wanting the short-term sugar hits that sound good in announcements and sound good in press releases, but they're making Australia go backwards and they're making Australians go backwards, and that is problematic.

It's the same thing with the other policy in this motion, a 4.75 per cent increase to the minimum wage. We have nothing against making sure that Australians are adequately and fairly remunerated for the work that they do. We have nothing against that; in fact, we support that. But it means nothing if that wage increase is eaten away by inflation. It means nothing if real wages in this country continue to go down. Again, we've got a situation where the government is handing Australians something with one hand and taking away a hell of a lot more with the other. So, yet again, we have another self-congratulating motion from this government that is without basis. And while we sit here or stand here and debate this, Australians continue to see their quality of life going down. They continue to see a situation where we are not improving, we're not growing as a country and Australians are worse off.

Kara Cook (Bonner, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

Deputy Speaker, if you want to know what supporting Australians looks like, you can look at what has changed since 1 July. Workers are earning more, Australians are paying less tax, super is being paid on payday, and parents are getting more time with their babies and getting super while they are on paid parental leave. In my community of Bonner, more than 20,000 people have now walked through the doors of not one but two Medicare urgent care clinics, which Labor has now made a permanent part of Medicare.

These are not abstract policy announcements. They are changes that people can actually see in their everyday lives. In Bonner more than 83,000 people are employed. They are the people getting up early, going to work, raising families, running businesses and keeping our community moving. Labor believes that if you work hard you deserve to be rewarded for it. That is why, from 1 July, award wages increased by 4.75 per cent. The national minimum wage is now more than $1,000 a week. This is the first time that has ever happened. That matters to the retail worker in my community in Carindale. It matters to the hospitality worker finishing a late shift down in Mansfield, and it matters to the cleaners, the early childhood educators and the aged-care workers, who get up early every single day to look after someone else's family. These are real workers in my community, and they deserve a government that backs them every single day.

Since 1 July, payday super has commenced. Super is not a gift from your employer; it is your money. You earned it. And now, instead of taking months to be paid into your super account, contributions are being made alongside your pay. That means your super can start earning for your retirement sooner. It also makes it easier for workers to see what they are actually receiving and what they're entitled to. For a young worker in Bonner, that might seem like a small change today, but over a working life it can make a really big difference.

Then there is tax. From 1 July more than 14 million Australians received another tax cut. That includes millions of working Australians in Queensland. And we are making tax time simpler, too, with a new $1,000 deduction for eligible work related expenses, without the need to keep receipts for that deduction. These measures are about one simple principle: when you work hard for your money you should be able to earn more and keep more of what you earn.

Supporting Australians is also about supporting families. Bonner is home to more than 45,000 families. Almost 22,000 are couple families with children, and nearly 6,800 are single-parent families. So I know how important it is for families to have support when they need it most. Since 1 July, paid parental leave has expanded to six months, and, for the first time ever, superannuation is being paid on paid parental leave. That is a really important reform that will make a genuine difference to people in my community, because taking time out of paid work to care for a new baby should not mean taking time out of building your retirement. And we know that, historically, that penalty has disproportionately fallen on women. Labor is changing that.

But perhaps nowhere is the difference more visible in my community than when it comes to Medicare. Before I was elected, Bonner had no Medicare urgent care clinics providing local services. Now we have not one but two. The Carina-Carindale and the Capalaba Medicare urgent care clinics are open seven days a week with no appointment needed and no out-of-pocket cost. More than 20,000 people have now walked through their doors in my community. Think about that: more than 20,000 people in my community have been able to get urgent medical care without having to pay one cent. A sick child, a nasty infection, a sprained ankle or what we had in my house last week—a bike fall and a sore wrist—those people can now get care close to home for free. That is Medicare working, and Labor has made sure that these are not going anywhere. They are now a permanent part of Medicare.

This is what supporting Australians looks like. It is higher pay. It is more urgent-care clinics where we need them most. It's super paid on payday and it's a tax cut for millions of Australians. We know that there's more to do, but we are delivering for all Australians.

Andrew Willcox (Dawson, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Sovereign Capability) | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to oppose this motion, because Australians deserve the whole story, not the parts that the Albanese Labor government wants you to hear. Labor wants Australians to look at what it gives, but Australians need to look at what Labor takes through inflation, bracket creep and the rising cost of living. That is the sleight of hand of this motion. A government cannot keep taking more from the pockets of hardworking families and then expect applause when it decides to give a small fraction back.

Award wages rose 4.75 per cent, and the national minimum wage rose just over $1,000 per week. The coalition agrees that Australians should earn more and have more at the end of the week in their back pocket, but wage growth alone is not a cost-of-living strategy. When Labor drives inflation and housing costs continue to climb, lifting wages without addressing the underlying economic pressures only shifts the burden onto struggling small businesses and risks feeding further price increases. Real relief comes from backing the cost of living at its core, not just chasing higher numbers on the payslip that are instantly wiped out at the supermarket checkout.

What about the superannuation changes? Prime Minister Albanese loves to talk about superannuation as a national asset to be leveraged for nation-building projects, but let's be clear: superannuation is not a government piggy bank to fund policy agendas. It belongs to the Australian workers who have earnt it.

But the real test of this motion is tax. The government boasts about delivering a cut of up to $268, but for the average worker that amounts to just $5 a week. That money barely lands in the bank and has been completely swallowed up by bracket creep, by soaring energy bills, by rising rent and expensive groceries. The bigger story is what happens beyond this year. According to the independent Parliamentary Budget Office, personal income tax receipts are projected to surge from 12.6 per cent to 14.7 per cent of our entire economy over the next decade. And what is driving that? It is bracket creep. It is the ultimate stealth tax when. When inflation forces wages up just so families can tread water even though they're not better off in real terms, that system drags them into higher brackets, and that means a bigger tax. Australians are working harder, but this government is pocketing the difference. This is not tax reform. It's a pittance in a broken system that continues to siphon more from working Australians every week.

The coalition's tax-back guarantee addresses this fundamental problem at its source by indexing tax thresholds, directly linking to inflation. It will protect around 85 per cent of income earners from bracket creep, ensuring that a pay rise intended to keep a family on pace with the cost of living does not push them into the higher tax bracket.

Paid parental leave is where the question of family choice becomes impossible to ignore. The coalition supports paid parental leave. We support Australian families. But crucial to our vision is that we must trust families to make their own choices. This government announced that families get 26 weeks of leave, but look at the fine print. In a partnered family, 20 days are strictly set aside for the second parent. If that parent cannot or does not take them, the family cannot simply pass those days to the primary carer. In practice, to access the full 130 days, both parents must be eligible and must each claim their specific share. It is six months in the headline but four weeks reserved in the fine print. Parents know what works best for their own households. The government should trust parents' judgement rather than penalising them with rigid bureaucratic conditions.

Australians need a government that helps them get ahead, not one that gives with one hand while reaching for their wallet with the other. They do not need a government that celebrates when it gives while deliberately ignoring what it takes. They need lower taxes, have genuine choice and a government that stops claiming credit for returning a tiny fraction of what Australians have already earned.

Alice Jordan-Baird (Gorton, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

Let me tell you a little bit about the community I'm really proud to represent, the electorate of Gorton in Melbourne's western suburbs. We are home to established communities like in Keilor, Deer Park and Taylors Lakes, where schools, businesses, childcare centres and community organisations have flourished for a very long time. We are also home to the western growth corridor. These are communities being built almost from scratch. New streets, new parks, new schools and new shops are appearing alongside new homes. The Victorian government's planning framework envisaged Fraser Rise and Deanside, ultimately supporting 20,000 homes and 14,000 jobs. In Rockbank, houses are appearing where there were paddocks only a few years ago. In Aintree you'll find streets full of young families—people who have bought their first home, unpacked their boxes and are starting to put down roots. You'll also find in Deanside and Fraser Rise that behind every one of those new houses is a family, a family building a home and building their future, hard-working Aussies who are working hard for the Australian dream but who are doing it tough.

There is something simple that Australians expect. If you work hard, you should be able to get ahead, you should earn a decent wage, you should be able to keep more of what you earn, and, after a lifetime of work, you should be able to retire with dignity and security. That idea, the idea of having a fair go, is at the heart of who we are as Australians, and it is exactly these values and the families like those in my community which drove our 1 July changes, which the Albanese Labor government introduced just over a month ago. 1 July this year was a really big day because from 1 July we have delivered practical reforms that make a real difference. That day serves as the day that the Albanese Labor government recognised the role that young people play in today's Australia.

I'm a proud millennial, and now millennials and gen Z make up around two-thirds of Australian taxpayers, and our tax system should reflect that. For 13.3 million Australian taxpayers, 1 July this year meant another tax cut, with the $250 working Australians tax offset. That's $250 off working Australians tax bills permanently as well as a $1,000 instant tax deduction without receipts. It has increased the effective tax-free threshold for workers by $1,785. All of this means that the average worker is benefiting by up to $3,000, with past payday super. The ATO estimates that $5.2 billion in super went unpaid in 2021-22. That's $100 million every week that workers earned but never received. That's not right.

Workers deserve to get paid their full entitlements, and Australians deserve to retire with confidence and with financial security. That's why we've also seen a 4.75 per cent increase to the minimum wage, marking the first time the national minimum wage is above $1,000 a week. This is because Aussies who work hard deserve to get ahead. For families trying to get ahead while juggling it all, paid parental leave is absolutely invaluable. I've seen the value of paid parental leave and the effect it has for women and families in my own life, like my sister Emily and my beautiful nephew, Jamie. I'm so proud that we're giving those same opportunities to families across Australia.

Since 1 July this year, we have expanded government paid parental leave to 130 days. This makes a real difference to the entire household, because it means both parents have access to paid parental leave, giving families freedom of choice and that precious time spent with your little one. For the first time, parents are being paid super on top of Commonwealth funded paid parental leave—that is huge.

Our 1 July changes mean something real for Australians in my community and across the country. We're backing the next generation of Aussies, helping Aussies earn more, keep more of what they earn and retire with more as well, because this is what our communities deserve and this is what Australians deserve.

Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm pleased to rise to speak to this motion. In fact, when I read it, I actually laughed out loud. I didn't realise that the member for Moreton had such a good sense of humour. It's either that or she's quite deluded as to how well she thinks that Labor is dealing with the economy right now. While they pat themselves on the back over there for a $268 tax cut—an average of about $45 a week before tax—they completely ignore three key and indisputable facts.

The first is that this Labor government is now officially the highest taxing government in Australian history, so well done to them for that remarkable milestone. I'm sure that the Australian people won't forget it coming up to the next election. The second is that national debt under this government has reached over $1 trillion for the first time in Australian history. The third is that almost every fiscal decision this government has made over the past four years has only added to homegrown inflation, rendering the paltry figures meaningless when compared to the year prior.

We know that Australia is in a per capita recession and it's of this government's making. Every dollar an Australian makes is buying less than it did last year. Unfortunately, some of the policies being celebrated across that side right now are going to add more pain to Australian people. GDP per person has declined in 10 quarters under Labor. It declined again in the most recent quarter. Australia has experienced its longest household recession in history. There are a lot of first times here this morning.

According to the ACCC, groceries are up over 25 per cent since 2022. Electricity is up 38 per cent over that same period. It's no wonder that some of our senior citizens are choosing not to put the air conditioner on in summer or the heater on in winter. Rent is up 34 per cent. Insurance costs are out of control. But don't worry; those across the floor will give you a thousand-dollar instant tax deduction without proof of receipts, which is cold comfort for the thousands of dollars that Australians are worse off due to rampant inflation.

Then there are small-business insolvencies. I talk to business owners every single day of the week. In regional Australia, small businesses are our lifeblood. They not only provide the majority of our goods and services; they employ our communities, they train our young people and they keep us afloat. In New South Wales, more than 15,600 businesses have entered insolvency in the past three years. Across the country, 2025 was the worst year on record for business closures. I've met with those people. They're not just businesses closing; they're mums and dads. There are hard workers out there who have put it all on the line and, because of the policies of this government, have lost it all.

At every mobile office and forum I hold, small businesses are telling me it's never been harder and they're barely keeping their heads above water, and many are considering closing within the next 12 months. When I ask them about the effect the new wage increases would have on their businesses, the answer is consistent: 'We'll have to let somebody go. We just can't afford it.' It's either that or increase their price, and we know that their customers can't afford to pay any more.

We on this side of the floor are serious about getting the economy moving, rewarding hard work and supporting our business communities. We'll axe these government policies that have made it so, so difficult for average punters and business owners out there.

Emma Comer (Petrie, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today in strong support of this motion, because the changes that came into effect on 1 July are about something very simple: helping Australians earn more, keep more of what they earn and retire with more. These are not abstract policy changes; they are practical changes that make a real difference to household budgets, pay packets, superannuation balances and financial security families can build for the future.

Across my electorate of Petrie, I speak with families who are working hard, raising kids, paying off their mortgages or paying rent, filling up their car and doing everything they can to get ahead. People judge governments by whether the decisions we make actually make an improvement on their lives. That is exactly what these changes are about: delivering real change for Australians.

From 1 July, the minimum wage increased by 4.75 per cent. For the first time, the national minimum wage is now above $1,000 a week. For someone working full time on minimum wage, that means more money coming through the door every week and a little more room in the family budget for when the electricity bill arrives, when kids need something for school or when it's time to do the weekly grocery shop. Labor believes that if you work hard, you should be able to get ahead, and that means making sure wages move in the right direction.

But earning more is only part of the story. We also want Australians to keep more of what they earn. That is why more than 14 million Australian taxpayers are receiving another tax cut of up to $268. From this financial year, Australians can also claim the new $1,000 instant tax deduction without having to keep receipts for every eligible expense covered by that deduction. For working people, that means a simpler tax system and more money staying in their pocket. Cost-of-living relief needs to be practical, and it needs to reach people where they actually feel it: in their wages, in their tax bill and in their weekly household budget.

We're also thinking about Australia's financial security not just for today but for decades into the future. Payday Super is an important part of that. Superannuation is money workers have earned, and Australians should not have to wait months for that money to reach their super account. Under these reforms, contributions will be made more frequently and earlier, giving millions of Australians more time for their retirement savings to grow. The difference might look small from one payday to the next, but across the entire working life it can make a significant difference.

I'm particularly proud of the changes to paid parental leave. Government paid parental leave is now expanded to 130 days, giving parents more time with their new baby during the most important periods of their lives. For the first time, parents receiving Commonwealth paid parental leave will also receive superannuation contributions. For too long, taking time out of the workforce to care for a child could also mean missing out on retirement savings. Because women still take on the majority of parental leave, they have disproportionately carried that cost. Caring for a newborn should not come with a penalty in retirement, and paying super on paid parental leave is addressing that.

Taken together, these reforms tell a very clear story about the priorities of this government: higher wages, lower taxes, stronger superannuation, better paid parental leave and greater financial security for Australian families. Each measure matters individually, but together they are about making sure Australians can earn more today, keep more of what they earn and build a stronger retirement for tomorrow.

There's always more work to do. Nobody is pretending that one tax cut, one wage increase or one policy change will remove every pressure facing Australian households. But these measures are delivering real change. They mean more money in people's pay packets, more money staying in their pockets, more support for parents when they welcome a new child and more money being invested into Australians' retirement. That is the direction I want our country to keep moving in, and it is what I will keep fighting for as the member for Petrie: better wages, more secure jobs, stronger retirement incomes and practical cost-of-living relief that makes a genuine difference. Australians work hard for what they earn, and they deserve a government that works just as hard to help them get ahead. I proudly support this motion.

Cameron Caldwell (Fadden, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Housing) | Link to this | Hansard source

It gives me great pleasure to rise today to speak in relation to this motion, just to give people a little bit more context to exactly what Labor are trying to swindle them with in relation to the terms of this motion. They talk about Australians earning more and keeping more of what they earn. You might have heard that before. It was a tagline that they used before the last election. They've now added to it 'and retire with more'. But the problem is this. This Labor government has never been strong on accounting. What they're doing is absolutely failing to account for the everyday expenses that Australians are suffering under this Labor government.

It is no accident that they're using words like 'financial hardship'. It's no accident that people are experiencing a housing crisis. It's no accident that people are experiencing a cost-of-living crisis. All of these things are on the other side of the equation from what has been cherry-picked for this motion this morning. I think the member for Petrie would genuinely like to see people get more money in their pay packets. That is an admirable objective and something that we all support. But what we don't support is that the rate of costs that Australians are going through is exceeding any one of those measures of increases that they are seeing in their pay packet. This is like doing a profit and loss and only counting the top part. What Labor want you to believe is that there are no expenses that are exceeding your income.

I have a bit of a truth bomb for the Labor members here today. The standard of living in Australia has fallen through the floor. It has dropped faster and more dramatically than in any other advanced economy. What we've seen under this Labor government over four years is 15 interest rate rises. We've seen inflation that is completely out of control. It's still hovering around 3.8 per cent, notwithstanding the fact that the Reserve Bank would like to see it between two and three per cent. Every single Australian, when they go to the grocery store, is getting less and less in their basket of goods for the same amount of money.

Our country needs to change course or our standard of living will continue to fall through the floor. That is why the coalition has a plan to fix the economy and protect Australians' way of life. That is exactly what they deserve. What they don't deserve are the shocking numbers we've seen under this Labor government over the last four years, where electricity has gone up by 39 per cent. Rent has gone up 24 per cent. Education and health expenses have gone up by more than 20 per cent. This is a completely unsustainable financial pathway for many Australians. We recognise that things must be done differently. That's why we say that Australians deserve lower taxes. That's why we say Australians deserve lower power prices. That's why we say we should tie migration to the number of houses we can actually deliver in the economy. It's why we must put Australians first in every decision of government. Nothing less will suffice.

One of the key platforms that we have in our plan is to lower taxes, to axe Labor's taxes—the changes to capital gains tax, the changes to negative gearing and the minimum 30 per cent tax on trusts.

One thing that we are going to do is end Labor's sneaky bracket creep tax that keeps clawing away more and more of your pay rises each year by pushing you into higher tax brackets. What we are going to do is index those tax brackets. From 2028-29 we will index the bottom two income tax thresholds to inflation to fully protect around 85 per cent of taxpayers from bracket creep. That would deliver around $250 in tax relief in the first year, growing to more than $1,000 by year 4. This is a plan with a united coalition that will actually get this country back to the place that it deserves to be—the leader of the pack, not the bottom of the pack.

Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

I believe the member for Pearce would like to present a copy of a speech for incorporation into the Hansard in accordance with the resolution agreed to on 6 November 2025.

Tracey Roberts (Pearce, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

() (): The incorporated speech reads as follows—

Thank you, Deputy Speaker

I would like to support this motion acknowledging the Albanese Labor government's reforms to help Australians earn more, keep more of what they earn and retire with more.

For people across Pearce, the cost of living is not an abstract concern. It is reflected in the weekly grocery bill, the mortgage or rent payment, electricity costs, fuel, school expenses, medical appointments and childcare.

Australians are working hard and doing the right thing. They deserve a government that recognises that effort and delivers practical support. The measures that came into effect on 1 July do exactly that.

The first is payday superannuation.

Under these reforms, employers are required to pay superannuation contributions at the same time as wages, rather than waiting until the end of the quarter. This gives workers greater visibility over their retirement savings and ensures that their contributions begin working for them sooner.

For many Australians, superannuation is one of their most important long-term assets. Yet too many workers have experienced delays, errors or unpaid superannuation.

Payday super will help address those problems. It means a young worker beginning their first job can see their super building from the outset. It means a parent returning to work can have greater confidence that their retirement savings are being maintained.

These contributions may seem small one payday at a time, but over a working life they can make a substantial difference. That is why payday super is not merely an administrative change. It is a reform that will help millions of Australians retire with more.

The second measure is a 4.75 per cent increase to modern award wages. This supports workers in industries such as retail, hospitality, care, cleaning, administration and transport—people who are often particularly exposed to rising household costs.

The national minimum wage is now above $1,000 a week, at $1,004.90 per week or $26.44 an hour for a 38-hour week.

A worker on the minimum wage should not have to choose between paying an electricity bill and putting food on the table. Fair wage increases help workers meet those costs and support local economies, because people with more money in their pockets are better able to spend at local shops and businesses.

We also recognise the contribution of small and family businesses in Pearce. Responsible wage growth provides businesses with certainty while ensuring that workers receive a fair return for their labour.

The third measure is the expansion of Commonwealth paid parental leave to 130 days, equivalent to 26 weeks for parents taking leave over a five-day working week.

From July 2026, eligible parents will receive additional parental leave pay, with superannuation contributions paid on Commonwealth-funded parental leave for the first time.

This is an important reform for Australian families. Taking time away from paid employment to care for a new child should not result in a lasting financial penalty.

Parents face significant costs when raising a child, while household income can fall and superannuation contributions can pause. By extending paid parental leave and paying superannuation on that leave, the government is recognising the value of caring work and helping strengthen parents' long-term financial security.

The fourth set of measures will help Australians keep more of what they earn.

The new $1,000 instant tax deduction will make tax time simpler for eligible workers. It allows taxpayers to reduce their taxable income by up to $1,000 for work-related expenses without keeping receipts for that deduction.

This will reduce paperwork and provide workers with a simpler, more certain way to claim modest work-related costs.

The government is also delivering another tax cut of up to $268 for more than 14 million Australians. For households under pressure, that relief could help with groceries, bills, transport costs, school expenses or rent.

Taken together, these measures form a coherent plan from the Albanese Labor government.

They help Australians earn more through stronger wages, keep more through tax relief, maintain their retirement savings while caring for a child, and retire with more through superannuation paid on every payday.

For the people of Pearce, these reforms mean greater support for working households, more security for parents and stronger confidence in the future.

Our economy is strongest when work is properly rewarded, families are supported and Australians can approach retirement with dignity and confidence.

Thank you, Deputy Speaker

Debate adjourned.