Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question, without yelling, is to the Minister representing the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Senator Watt. This week marks one year since the Albanese Labor government's closing the loopholes measures commenced. Yay—a significant milestone for the workers of our nation! These historic workplace changes were the most important workplace relations reforms we have seen in a decade. Minister, how is the government making work more secure, boosting wages, closing the gender pay gap and encouraging more cooperative workplaces?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to 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.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Order! Senator Cash! Order!

Senator McGrath and Senator Nampijinpa Price, in that order, will withdraw those comments.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (NT, Country Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson?

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam President. On the point of order, I would also ask that you ask Senator Watt to withdraw the most regrettable, unparliamentary comment that he made in relation to the exceptional and hardworking Senator Cash.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson, I did not hear that, but I will ask Senator Watt to—

Thank you, I don't need you to repeat anything. I'm simply indicating to you that there was so much noise and disrespect and disorder in this chamber I didn't hear that, but I know that the minister will always withdraw if he's made a—

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

I withdraw.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. Senator Scarr?

Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order, President. One of the reasons it descended so quickly is that Senator Watt was directly and quite aggressively making remarks directly to the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. He should really direct them through the President.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Scarr, please resume your seat. I've acknowledged the point of order made by Senator Henderson. The minister has withdrawn. That is the end of the matter.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yeah, you shouldn't argue with idiots.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McGrath, seriously! Order! Senator Cash and Senator Wong and Senator Ayres, come to order! Senator Cash, this started with an ongoing barrage of interjections by you. As I've said before, I do allow leaders in this place some leeway, but, in the end, I called you to order, and you continued the disorder. I said on Monday that name-calling in this place is out of order. Today, in the space of about two minutes, there's been a barrage of name-calling. It is unacceptable; we are all adults. I expect respectful behaviour. Minister Watt.

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank you, President, with much glee. Over the past 12 months, since the closing-the-loopholes measures came into effect, the Australian labour market has performed strongly. Unemployment has remained low and real wages continue to grow while inflation has come right down. How have specific parts of the economy flourished over the past year, and how does this compare to some of the predictions that were made when the legislation was introduced? I look forward to your answer.

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

Thank you, Senator Sterle. I agree with you; I think it's very important to remind Australians of what the coalition thought of these laws when they were introduced. As I was saying, when we introduced laws that were about providing the right to disconnect, minimum standards for gig workers and a range of other benefits for workers, Senator Cash said that this legislation would take us back to the Dark Ages. She said that the supermarket shelves would be bare—

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Have you spoken to small businesses?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to 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.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Sterle, second supplementary?

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's great; thanks, Minister. The Albanese Labor government's workplace relations changes have delivered higher wages and better conditions for workers, as well as growth for small businesses. What else is the government doing to improve the rights of workers to grow their wages and strengthen the economy?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Sterle. Minister Watt, I do remind you to answer the question to the chair.

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

Thanks, President. Senator Sterle, despite the Chicken Little predictions about the economy closing down from Senator Cash and her colleagues—I heard Senator Cash interjecting about small businesses. I'm very pleased to tell Senator Cash that, in the most recent figures, there were nearly 2.6 million small businesses in Australia, 2.7 per cent more than the same time in 2023. So wages are up, unemployment is low, jobs are up, small businesses are up—every single thing that Senator Cash and her colleagues predicted would go wrong as a result of our laws has been disproven, and in fact Australians are getting higher wages and more jobs as a result of our reforms.

We know the Liberals will always stand in the way of positive changes to Australia's industrial relations laws. What we've also heard recently is from the new shadow minister, the member for Goldstein. He has labelled working from home a form of apartheid. That is the current view of the coalition on workplace relations. (Time expired)