QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Dr CHALMERS (Rankin—Treasurer) (14:47): I thank the member for Banks not just for his question but for his unwavering support for Australia's world-leading superannuation system. That's the difference in this parliament, because this side of the House is delivering real change to boost wages, cut taxes and boost retirement incomes by strengthening the superannuation system.

Those opposite don't support the superannuation system as it stands, and that's because they don't support Australian workers. The thing that they have in common, whether they're Liberals, Nationals or One Nation, is that they don't support super, because they don't support workers. This side of the House, in delivering that real change, recognises the fundamental and essential role played by universal superannuation—especially preservation—when it comes to economic security and decent retirement incomes for millions of Australian workers.

That's why we boosted the super guarantee to 12 per cent, why we're paying super on paid parental leave, why we're paying super on payday and why we legislated the objective of super. I think one of the most important things we've done in increasing the low-income super tax offset is boosting the superannuation and retirement incomes of 1.3 million Australian workers on the lowest incomes.

And the reason I finish there is because when this parliament was given the opportunity to boost super for low-income workers in this country, those opposite voted against it. They voted for less super for more than a million Australian workers, and that's because they've got form when it comes to coming after workers, coming after wages, voting against tax cuts for Australian workers and undermining the superannuation that workers need and deserve in this country.

Now, ever since the mid-1990s, when the current National President of the Liberal Party, a fellow by the name of Tony Abbott, described superannuation as a con job, that has been the prevailing view in the Liberal Party, the National Party and now One Nation as well. And that's why the next election will be a referendum on the superannuation system—on whether workers in this country can continue to benefit from universal superannuation with preservation at its core or whether we will see the end of four decades of super being an essential part of the retirement incomes of Australian workers, taking the pressure off the pension.

The battle lines are drawn over superannuation. This side of the House is not just defending super from those opposite but strengthening it where we can to give the workers of this country the retirement incomes and the economic security that they need and deserve.