Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

():  We've always understood that Australians are doing it tough. We've always understood the responsibility of government to contribute to measures which assist with the cost of living, and we have done that. There have been pay rises for more minimum and award wage workers, taking the increase in total to over $9,000. I know that those opposite believe that low wages are a deliberate design feature of the Australian economy. But we don't do that.

We've increased the superannuation guarantee. We have more energy bill relief. As I recall, those opposite voted against energy bill relief. We've seen, as I have said, boosts to Medicare—more choice, lower costs and higher quality care for Australian women. We've delivered pay rises to aged-care nurses and to other sectors, and we're expanding bulk-billing. These are measures that you opposed, but the government is delivering for Australians.