Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

I'm so glad Senator Dowling got to give that excellent supplementary. When we came to office, real wages were going backwards and had fallen for five consecutive quarters. Last week's wages data showed annual real wages have grown for eight consecutive quarters, the longest run of real wage growth in almost a decade. Since Labor was elected, inflation is down, debt is down, real wages are growing, unemployment remains low and interest rates have fallen three times this year. If those opposite had won the election, all the cost-of-living relief which we just talked about would have been on the chopping block. They are the party that wanted higher taxes—remember that? Did everyone enjoy Niki Savva's piece on that? That was the one that got away—the party that will ever be known as the party of higher taxes, that went to an election arguing for higher taxation. We are the party of lower taxes and higher wages. (Time expired)