Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on this matter of public importance: the Turnbull government's failure to ensure secure, well-paid jobs for Australian workers. The Australian people do care deeply for the principle that governments put in place policies and programs to ensure well-paid jobs for the Australian people.

The Australian people expect and deserve a government whose priorities are growing secure, well-paid employment. Critical to that is the use of positive language by political leaders that reinforces the economic conditions and collaborative culture needed to improve employment in this country.

On all fronts, the Turnbull government continues to fail Australian workers and those looking for work. Instead of pursuing policies that ensure secure, well-paid jobs, and instead of using language that encourages increased work security and commends fair pay increases, this government, led by Prime Minister Turnbull, attacks workers and employers and is devoid of ideas.

Tragically, thousands of Australians face insecure work through this government's policies and inactions. This is a government that is more concerned with attacking workers than growing jobs. This is a government that, after three years and two elections, still thinks it is the opposition, whose agenda is to blame the previous government for everything and to provide no vision beyond excessive, unnecessary tax cuts for big business. This is a government whose purpose it is to cut jobs, rights at work, services and living standards for working Australians. All the while they blame workers and make it harder for people to retrain and find new opportunities.

In the three years of the Turnbull and Abbott governments, we have seen the former Treasurer, Mr Joe Hockey, goad the car makers and encourage them to end production. We have seen the former Minister for Employment, Senator Abetz, cut the Wage Connect program and bungle its Tasmanian replacement, the Tasmanian Jobs Program.

Last week, in one of the most arrogant moments of mansplaining, the Prime Minister launched an attack on the CFMEU and Lendlease for reaching an agreement which locks in a 20 per cent wage increase for workers over the next four years and paid domestic-violence leave. It is disgusting that a Prime Minister would attack a private agreement entered into by workers and their employer. I commend the workers, their union, the CFMEU, and Lendlease for reaching the agreement.

I call on the government to abandon its politically-motivated, ideologically-driven attacks on working Australians. Rather than blaming workers, rather than cutting programs to help the long-term unemployed and rather than attacking unions, this government needs to outline how exactly it is going to create those well-paid, secure jobs for all Australians. The Australian people expect better than baseless attacks and ideologically-driven policies. This government's recipe for improving the Australian economy is to undermine unions, to remove workers' ability to collectively organise and to provide massive tax cuts for big businesses while cutting skills, training and research programs. Together, these measures will only ensure one thing: that the Australia of tomorrow is not a land of opportunity for all but a land of opportunity for those with means, where the extra profits from lower taxes will go to higher dividends and share buybacks, and the only employees set for wage rises are those that hold executive positions.

Prime Minister, the losers from your policies will be Australian workers and their families. To assert that the Australian people must accept being losers in your agile, innovative economy and that the Australian people must accept reduced living standards and reduced rights at work so that you can provide tax cuts and more power to big business demonstrates that you are no different at all from your predecessors, Mr Abbott and Mr Howard. Prime Minister, your comments demonstrate you have no appreciation for the hard labour and sacrifice of Australian workers, and no inclusive plan for the future of work and life in this country. Your philosophy of letting the market rip by the magic touch of an invisible hand will not solve our challenges and it will not absolve you of your responsibility for those left behind. The poor and the marginalised cannot be set aside as collateral damage in your pursuit for economic growth. It is not a matter of accepting your false dichotomy that we must follow your plan or face deteriorating living standards. They deserve better leadership, particularly from the Prime Minister. (Time expired)