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

Yes, well, that's right, Senator Sheldon: Peter Dutton's shadow finance minister, Senator Hume, said that wage increases would be 'the worst thing for Australians'. How in touch the Liberals are with Australians out there! As cost-of-living pressures hit working Australians, it's vital that wages stay ahead of inflation, and that's why the Albanese government has been so focused on getting wages moving again after 10 years of coalition wage stagnation.

You would think that at a time when Australians were doing it tough all political parties would support increasing wages, but, weirdly, Peter Dutton and the coalition have tried to block every single cost-of-living measure this year. They've also tried to block every step we've taken to improve wages. Now Mr Dutton and the coalition are recklessly promising to cut pay and conditions for millions of Australian workers. They've promised to cut casual rights, cut the right to disconnect, cut same job, same pay and cut multi-employer bargaining, and they're considering making it easier to sack workers as well. (Time expired)