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

I thank Senator Ghosh for the supplementary. As Senator Ghosh outlined, we have advocated very strongly to the Fair Work Commission for economically sustainable wage rises for Australia's minimum- and award-wage workers, many of whom are in lower paid roles and are often hit hardest by cost-of-living pressures. The recent decision by the commission to increase the national minimum wage and modern awards by at least 4.75 per cent has delivered a real wage increase from 1 July for about three million Australian workers around the country. This means, for the first time ever, a full-time worker on the national minimum wage will earn over a thousand dollars per week. I know my colleagues have had a bit to say about this today. Legislation to lock in our 15 per cent pay rise for early educators while strengthening safety requirements for services has also been important. Again, these are wage issues that had been ignored for too long by those opposite winning government.