STATEMENTS BY SENATORS

Senator GREEN (Queensland—Assistant Minister for Tourism, Assistant Minister for Pacific Island Affairs and Assistant Minister for Northern Australia) (13:38): Acting Deputy President Polley, as you well know, you cannot be pro-worker while you're attacking workers' superannuation, and you can't be pro-worker while opposing real wage rises for Australian workers.

You definitely can't be pro-worker when you've called for penalty rates to be scrapped right across the board and when you're suggesting that it should be easier to sack Australians. You definitely can't be pro-worker and vote against making wage theft a crime, but that is how Senator Pauline Hanson and One Nation have voted in this place while wanting Australians to believe that they're on the side of working people.

Now, they're promising workers a so-called pay boost, but there's just one problem with that. Under One Nation's plan, workers have to pay for their pay rise themselves. One Nation's plan would have Australians move compulsory superannuation contributions into their take-home pay for up to three years.

That is not a wage rise; that is a wage cut, and it's a big one. Although One Nation is unable to say what impact this will have on retirement savings, particularly those of young people, the Super Members Council's analysis of the policy says that a 30-year-old full-time worker on a salary of $90,000 who opts into One Nation's policy would retire with $25,000 less in their superannuation.

Twenty-five thousand dollars is a big wage cut, and that is what One Nation wants Australians to give up. Let's be clear about what Senator Pauline Hanson is offering. It's not a pay rise, and One Nation is not giving you more of your own money.

What they want you to do is raid your own retirement savings, while they oppose the kinds of workplace laws that actually deliver better wages, better conditions and security for workers. You can't be pro-worker if you're antisuperannuation.