Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Sterle, I could hear the excitement in your voice as you were asking that question. Yesterday, as you said, was the 12 month anniversary of key reforms made by the Albanese Labor government through our closing loopholes legislation. That legislation came into effect 12 months ago, and it was all about removing the loopholes that undermine a level playing field for employers as well as about pay, job security and safety for workers.

These reforms were a key plank in the government's first term agenda aimed at securing jobs, boosting pay, closing the gender pay, and encouraging more cooperative workplaces. That's of course after 10 years of coalition government deliberately suppressing wages and driving more conflict in our workplace relations. This legislation was designed to close loopholes that existed under the coalition and were being used by some employers to undercut wages and conditions for working people.

Our changes also levelled the playing field for businesses who were doing the right thing, who no longer have to compete in a race to the bottom on wages. Low wages might look to some businesses as a cost saving, but they undermine productivity, competitiveness and the economic prosperity for companies and the country.

One of our key reforms that brings up its one-year anniversary is the right to disconnect. I remember the howls against that, led by the person sitting in the leader's chair at the moment, when she was the shadow workplace relations minister. She was saying that the world would fall apart. Remember the Dark Ages we were going to go into? Remember the Dark Ages—typical Senator Cash, dialling it up to 11, just like you're doing this week.

Dial everything up to 11. We know what your colleagues think about you dialling everything up to 11. It's why no-one takes you seriously in this building, and you did it on workplace relations as well, by saying you were going to back to the Dark Ages.