My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing and Minister for Disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Senator McAllister. We on this side of the chamber know how important it is to secure the health and care workforce that Australia needs now and into the future to ensure that Australians can receive essential care. We also know that fair pay is an important part of building that workforce, but, as the Fair Work Commission found, their work has been undervalued for far too long. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering fairer wages for these workers to better reflect their skills and expertise and the vital contribution that they make to our community?

As Senator Grogan knows very well through her work, health, disability and community services workers show up every single day to care for Australians. Their skills, their expertise and their compassion change lives, and they strengthen the communities that we all live in. On this side of the chamber, we actually understand how important this work is, and we value it, but for too long these workers have been undervalued. We heard from the Fair Work Commission that gender based assumptions contribute to this. Our government has acted. We changed the Fair Work Act to put gender equality at the heart of workplace relations, and now we are investing $630 million to help deliver fairer pay for more than 460,000 workers. We're backing the commission's decision with real funding because workers deserve higher wages and Australians deserve continued access to essential services.

It's worth reflecting on what that means in practice. It means that a disability support worker will be paid more fairly for helping people with disability live more independent lives. It means that an allied health assistant will be better rewarded for helping a person who's had a very serious injury rebuild their skills and rebuild their confidence. It also means helping organisations retain experienced workers and attract the next generation into these essential jobs because our population is growing, our population is ageing and more Australians will need care and support in the years ahead.

Today's announcement builds on the Albanese government's investments for the future workforce, including making prac placements free for eligible nursing and allied health students. We know that we cannot build the workforce of the future if we fail to value the workers that we need today, and that is what our investment in health, disability and community workforce is about. (Time expired)

Senator Grogan, first supplementary?

Today's award wage increases build on the Albanese Labor government's work to deliver fairer pay across the health and care sectors. We on this side of the chamber recognise the vital contribution of our health and care workforce, including aged-care nurses, to make the lives of older Australians so much better. They deserve fair pay for the essential work they do. Could the minister please outline how the Albanese Labor government has supported better wages for our aged-care nurses.

Aged-care nurses do an incredible job. They look after our loved ones. They deserve more than gratitude; they deserve fair pay. It's why this year we delivered the fifth wage increase for aged-care nurses. Since 2022, enrolled nurses on the most common level and pay point will have seen their wage increase by almost $32,000 per year. Better pay for nurses means aged-care homes can attract and retain nurses. It helps build a stronger workforce, and it helps deliver higher quality care. We know that this is important as Australians are living longer and living healthier lives.

But not everyone in this place agrees. In fact, the response from the current leader of the opposition was to complain that these workers are 'disproportionately unionised' and have received 'hefty pay increases'. Those opposite see the fair wages for aged-care nurses as a problem. We see it as an investment in the care that older Australians deserve.

Senator Grogan, second supplementary?

Thank you, Minister, for outlining what a great job the Albanese Labor government's doing.

Self-praise is no praise at all.

Thank you for that interjection, Senator McDonald. Minister, can you please tell us why it is important to pay fair wages and what are the threats to building and retaining the skilled workforce that Australians desperately need, both now and into the future?

On this side of the chamber, we want workers to earn more and keep more of what they earn. It's why we are delivering fairer pay for workers who support vulnerable Australians when they need it most. It is why we delivered tax cuts, for example, for every single worker. On this side of the chamber, we back workers through actions. On the other side of the chamber, it seems that they're more concerned with dressing up as workers. Over the weekend, we saw Senator Canavan get all dressed up in his hi-vis for CPAC. We've seen the Leader of the Opposition at different times put on a hat and pretend to be the Man from Snowy River. And pretty much every day the shadow Treasurer gets up and pretends he's a serious professional who's across his brief. Those opposite can dress the part, but there is no amount of hi-vis and no number of akubras that can hide the fact that they have absolutely no plan to back workers.