QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler—Prime Minister) (14:21): I thank the fantastic member for Bonner for the question, and I thank her for her strong advocacy on behalf of working people there in Brisbane. Today the Fair Work Commission has made this critical decision, which will assist three million workers by giving them a 4.75 per cent increase to the minimum wage. This makes lowest paid workers some $12,000 a year better off compared to when we took office in 2022, making a real difference for real people.

This is delivering real change—in this case, a 12 per cent real wage increase over the time we have been in office. That stands in stark contrast to the risk of those opposite, who argue that having low wages was a key feature of their economic architecture. For members on this side of the House, this is good news, because we want Australians to earn more and to keep more of what they earn, with higher wages and lower income taxes, because our budget delivered another two income tax cuts for working Australians.

This week, every Labor member in this House will vote to deliver them. This will take the number of tax cuts delivered by us in government to five—five income tax cuts, five consecutive increases to the minimum wage. What do all those have in common?

They were all good for working Australians, and they were all opposed by those opposite—every single measure. Those opposite argued against higher wages, against income tax cuts and against more young people getting a fair crack at getting into the housing market. This is why Labor is the party of aspiration.

We believe in aspiration for all, not just some. We believe that aspiration is about improving your lot in life, not just staying where you are; it is about not just entrenching privilege, but creating the opportunity for every Australian to be their best. It is the party that backs first home buyers to own their own home, the party that helps Australians to earn more and keep more of what they earn, because we want that aspiration to be available for all.

We are delivering real change. Those opposite are just drifting back to the past. They've made Tony Abbott the president of the Liberal Party.

He couldn't make it to two years as prime minister. That is their vision of looking towards the future.