QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Ms RISHWORTH (Kingston—Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) (14:48): I'd like to thank the member for Adelaide for his question and his ongoing advocacy for Australian workers. Of course, this Labor government is absolutely committed to supporting Australian workers, and we have introduced significant reforms to get wages moving. Our government introduced same job, same pay laws so that workers' wages would not be undercut by labour hire.

Because of these laws, more than 8,000 workers are receiving pay rises that they deserve for the work that they do. This government has also introduced new standards that ensure gig workers don't have to rely on tips to survive. The Albanese government has reinvigorated enterprise bargaining in a way that has seen millions of workers get decent pay increases, and we've legislated to protect penalty rates and overtime rates in the modern award safety net, ensuring that these workers' pay packets would not go backwards.

We've advocated for a wage increase to the minimum award wages each and every year that we have been in government. Just this week we saw the Fair Work Commission hand down its decision, delivering a 4.75 per cent wage increase for modern-award-reliant workers. Importantly, there has been a six per cent boost to the national minimum wage.

This means that the minimum wage has increased by 30 per cent since we came to office. This government is not only backing workers by getting wages moving; we're also backing them with a fairer tax system. The combination of our government's tax cuts in the budget means the average worker will benefit by up to $2,800 a year.

I am asked about whether there are any threats to this progress. And, of course, there are. Not only did those on the opposite side vote against every single measure we brought into this parliament to get wages moving.

We all remember, on the eve of the last election, when they came in here and voted against tax cuts for workers. They then took that policy to an election, saying that they wanted to increase taxes for those workers. Well, they never learn anything.

They came into this parliament today, and they voted again against tax cuts for workers. They will not learn anything. It's only this Labor government that will stand up for workers, fight for their wages and reduce their taxes.