Josh Dolega (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Senator Watt. From 1 July, a range of cost-of-living measures come into effect that will help Australians with the cost-of-living pressures that are currently facing. A key part of the Albanese Labor government's plan to help workers earn more and keep more of what they earn is to make sure wages continue to rise. Minister, how has the government's support ensured Australian workers will earn more from the start of July?

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

Thanks, Senator Dolega—who's got a very proud record of standing up for the working interests of people in Tasmania. Well, traditionally July the first has been a time of celebration for the nation's accountants and tax agents. But this year, 1 July has been a time of solidarity with every Australian worker because the Albanese Labor government is helping Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn—and even the people in the gallery are very excited about that!

This week we've heard about Labor's tax cuts for every worker, the cheaper health care and the expansion of Paid Parental Leave. Beyond that, from 1 July millions of minimum wage and award-reliant workers have received a real wage increase of at least 4.75 per cent. For two years in a row, our government has strongly advocated to the independent Fair Work Commission for an economically sustainable real wage rise for Australian workers, especially those on the minimum and award wage, and what that real wage increase that's now been delivered means is that, a personal care worker in aged care will get a pay rise of about an extra $59 per week; a registered nurse in aged care, an extra $86 a week; and an enrolled nurse, an extra $67 a week. Since the Albanese Labor government came to office, we've advocated for Australian workers to get a pay rise at every single annual wage review—that is, five years in a row—and, for five years in a row, those workers have got the pay rise that Labor has argued for.

Now, in contrast, of course, the only pay rise we've seen the Liberal Party remotely interested in is the pay rise that goes to their party leader. Let's just think about the last fortnight in the Liberal Party. It started with anonymous Liberals briefing the media saying that Mr Taylor's leadership is on borrowed time and it ends with his rival, Mr Hastie, denying rumours that he's about to give politics all away. The Liberals end this autumn session in disagreement and disarray. Labor, on the other hand, remains exactly where we started, utterly focused on relieving the cost-of-living pressures of Australians.

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

Senator Dolega, a first supplementary?

Josh Dolega (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

The decision of the independent Fair Work Commission will ensure millions of minimum and award wage workers will receive a wage rise to help with the cost of living. Can the minister also detail how workers on enterprise agreements in the private sector are also seeing wage rises?

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

We know that enterprise agreements continue to be a key source of wages growth for Australian workers. Under the coalition, enterprise bargaining had crashed, and that was of course part of its deliberate strategy of keeping wages low. Well, under Labor, enterprise bargaining is back. If we look at the latest ABS wages data, we saw a solid 3.2 per cent annual wages growth in the private sector. But newly approved enterprise agreements are delivering even higher average pay increases in the private sector at 4.1 per cent, so the Labor Party is delivering for workers in every single part of the economy.

And while we're focused on delivering real change for Australians, the Liberal Party are only interested in real change to themselves. It got so bad this week that we saw the return of' Scotty from marketing' in the form of the member for Lindsay calling for the Liberal Party to completely rebrand itself. No wonder all of this mob over there are counting down the clock, have got the motors running in the car park to escape the parliament and to escape each other. They hate each other and they're not focused on the Australian people.

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

Senator Dolega, a second supplementary?

Josh Dolega (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

The Albanese Labor government has been consistent in its position for years now, that the wages of Australian workers should be rising to keep pace with global inflation. How important is it for governments to provide policy certainty when it comes to helping workers earn more?

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

Senator Dolega, second supplementary?

Josh Dolega (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

The Albanese Labor government has been consistent in its position for years now that the wages of Australian workers should be rising to keep pace with global inflation. How important is it for governments to provide policy certainty when it comes to helping workers earn more?

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

The Albanese Labor government has consistently advocated for wage rises, and that certainty is good for workers and good for business. But what isn't certain is what version of the Liberal Party will turn up in five weeks time when we come back. After knifing Sussan Ley when she was at 18 per cent, the new leadership team of Mr Taylor and Senator Hume have dragged the Liberal's vote down to 17 per cent.

Jessica Collins (NSW, Liberal Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

Point of order—there is absolutely no relevance to the question.

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

Senator Collins, the minister is being relevant to the question.

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

It's good to see that Mr Taylor's still got one supporter in the Liberal Party. I'm sure that problem will all be fixed once the member for Lindsay's Liberal rebrand is finished. But what brand will the Liberals come back from the winter recess with? Will they stick with brand Taylor with his new Driza-Bone and Akubra fresh out of the packet and his best Yellowstone impersonation but without the soundtrack? Or will it be brand Abbott, who's running around Europe with his far-right conspirators looking for new ways that the Liberal Party can chase after One Nation? Or will it be brand Hastie, who veers between giving it all away and wielding his sword and refusing to bend a knee? It doesn't really matter which way the Liberal Party rebrands itself, because everyone knows the Liberal Party is not supporting working Australians.

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

Thank you, Minister Watt, and I do remind you, when referring to people in the other place, to use their correct titles.

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

Before I close question time, which I'm sure everybody is very keen to happen, I just wanted to take the opportunity to farewell Senator Askew, as it's her last question time, and to compliment her on a very fine contribution, yesterday, as her final speech. We wish you well with your family. On that basis, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.