Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

Well, I don't think it would be a surprise to anyone that one of Australia's largest employer groups would not be particularly keen on reforms to an industrial relations system which offers workers the chance of a pay rise. We know that a lot of employer group supported the former government's industrial relations legislation, and that's okay—they're entitled to their view. It would hardly be surprising that the union movement is supportive of laws being changed so that workers can actually get a pay rise. So we are totally unapologetic about the fact that we are bringing in laws that will bring to an end the decade of deliberate low wage growth that was at the centre of the former government's economic policy. We understand there will be some people who won't be happy about it. We understand there will be millions of workers in Australia who will be very happy about the fact that we finally have a government that is prepared to put their interests first and give them the pay rise they've been waiting for over a decade to enjoy.