Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

Thanks, Senator Sheldon. With now one month, exactly, until Christmas, many Australians are turning their minds to their Christmas budgets—presents for the kids, travel costs to see loved ones, a Christmas ham, maybe even a few prawns for lunch—and the costs of getting together for Christmas can certainly add up. We understand that this Christmas will be tough for many Australians, even after the cost-of-living relief our government has provided and even after all of that was opposed by the opposition. Our government's economic plan is all about helping people with their cost of living, while fighting inflation.

Just as we're focusing on bringing costs down, we've also worked hard to get wages up. I'm pleased to say that, ahead of the final pay cycles of the year, before the festive shopping season officially begins, Australians' wages are again higher due to strong action taken by the Albanese government. New figures show that this festive season the average Australian is now earning a six-figure salary, at more than $103,000—an increase of $8,372 per year, or $159 per week, since the election of the Albanese government.