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

and that it would close down parts of the economy. I don't think anyone thinks that any of that is actually right. Twelve months on, despite the negative predictions of Senator Cash, the closing-the-loopholes reforms are delivering great outcomes for Australians. Real wages have now grown for seven consecutive quarters under the Albanese Labor government. Employment has risen by nearly 880,000 to a record high of 14.6 million workers in July 2025. The rate of industrial disputation remains low, down from 128,000 days lost under the coalition to just under 14,000 in the March quarter of this year. Our reforms have worked.