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. The Albanese Labor government is delivering real change for Australian workers by helping Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn. New wage data released today by the ABS has shown that average weekly earnings have again increased. Minister, how important is the government's position on boosting wages to improving the lives of Australians?

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

Thanks, Senator Dolega, and thank you for your many years of advocacy for working Australians—something that's shared by many on this side of the chamber. The Albanese Labor government is helping Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn by lifting wages and cutting taxes for Australian workers. New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, out today, shows average weekly full-time earnings have now increased by more than $300 per week since the Albanese government was elected.

Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations) | Link to this | Hansard source

They're poorer!

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

 And isn't Senator Hume grumpy about that? That means more money in people's pockets since we came to government and more money again since the beginning of this year. These figures show our policies on wages and the cost of living are delivering real change for Australians. Average weekly earnings growth is much stronger under this government, after a decade of Liberal and National Party governments that delivered a deliberate policy of wage stagnation, backed all the way by their allies in One Nation. Since coming to office, wages have grown under Labor by an annualised average of 4.2 per cent, compared to 2.5 per cent under our predecessors. Average weekly ordinary full-time earnings are now $2,084 per week or higher, or $180,350 per year.

Women are big beneficiaries of the substantial increase in average weekly earnings under Labor. Along with the increase in average weekly earnings in today's data, we've seen the gender pay gap fall to another record low of 11.3 per cent. The gender pay gap has now fallen 2.8 percentage points under this government, ensuring that women workers get the better pay they deserve. By contrast, the gender pay gap was stagnant in the four years prior to the 2022 election. We're acting to boost wages, close the gender pay gap, deliver workplace relations reforms and secure pay rises for some of the lowest paid workers in our community, and that compares very well to the coalition, who admitted low wages were part of their economic architecture. (Time expired)

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

Senator Dolega, first supplementary?

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

The Albanese Labor government is united in our efforts to boost wages for working Australians. This has been a position that's been endorsed by our party members, our caucus, our cabinets, and the Prime Minister. How vital is unity in providing policy certainty for working Australians?

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

I can say that the Labor Party is completely united in the work we've done to raise the wages of working Australians. How does that compare to the Liberal Party? Well, haven't we had an insight into their unity from Senator Bragg's big day out yesterday?

In fairness to Senator Bragg, industrial relations may have been the one policy area where he didn't give what his leader has now described as Senator Bragg's 'personal policy opinion' because he certainly freelanced on a whole range of other issues, seemingly at odds with his leader and his party, whether that was on migration, on housing or even raising the GST. Senator Bragg's colleagues have had a bit to say—mostly anonymously. One unnamed colleague of—

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

Senator Cash, you're not even in your seat.

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

Are you owning up, Senator Cash?

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

Senator Cash, come to order.

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

Maybe Senator Cash was the unnamed colleague who described Senator Bragg's speech as being 'by Bragg for Bragg'. Was it Senator Cash? I reckon it was Senator Paterson, personally. Or was it Senator Hume? Who could it be? Senator Bragg helpfully offered to identify who was leaking on him. Why don't you do it now? (Time expired)

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

Order! Senator Dolega, second supplementary?

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

Australians are doing it tough right now with cost-of-living pressures continuing to impact families all around the country. Boosting the wages of working Australians is one of the best ways to help people with those cost-of-living pressures. What else is the Albanese Labor government doing to ensure Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn, and how does that compare with other policy positions, whether they be official or personal?

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

Well, Senator Dolega, the Albanese Labor government is about higher wages and tax cuts for working Australians. And, in contrast, what we saw yesterday from Senator Bragg was floating raising the GST.

Personally, when I look at Senator Bragg, I see a little bit of Matt Damon over there. He's the Liberal Party's Odysseus. You can picture it now, Senator Bragg strolling out of Hoyts Broadway cinema in Sydney last weekend after watching Christopher Nolan's three-hour epic and thinking to himself: 'What would Odysseus do? I'll just put all my wacky personal policy ideas into a big trojan horse and wheel it into the National Press Club, and we'll see how it goes. That'll show 'em!' But, unlike the movie, Senator Bragg, our modern Liberal Party Odysseus, was not successful. He was cut down by the Trojans in the Liberal Party, shamed for his original thinking and panned by his colleagues, including a stinging rebuke today from his opposition leader. What an absolute mess. Cuts and chaos from Liberals and One Nation—that's what we would see. (Time expired)

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

President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.

Slade Brockman (WA, Deputy-President) | Link to this | Hansard source

I shall now proceed to motions to take note of answers. With the concurrence of the Senate, the clerks will set the clocks in accordance with informal arrangements agreed to by the whips.