QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Senator WATT (Queensland—Minister for the Environment and Water) (14:48): Thanks, Senator Brown, for asking a question that I know is important to many Australian households about the fact that they need their wages to keep rising. Senator McKenzie: Still not talking about your migration policy. Senator WATT: I know, Senator McKenzie—in what's your valedictory interjection over there—you're still complaining about workers getting pay rises.
Well, continue with that until you're replaced by One Nation. The Albanese Labor government is helping Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn, with wages, growth and tax cuts for workers. Before the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East, we saw strong real wage growth for eight consecutive quarters, and, all up, wages have grown above three per cent for Australians for all four years under the Albanese Labor government—the first time this has happened in 17 years.
Just think about that. In 16 consecutive quarters, under the Albanese Labor government, we have seen wages rise above three per cent. In contrast, in how many quarters do you reckon we saw wages rise, under the coalition, by more than three per cent?
One? Two? Zero.
In not one quarter in the 10 years of coalition government did we see wages rise above three per cent—16 in a row under the Albanese Labor government. Senator Canavan: Keep telling people how great they have it! Senator WATT: Now, enterprise agreements continue to be a key source of wage growth for Australian workers, and that's why our efforts to reinvigorate bargaining are so important.
Senator McKenzie: Never had it so good, Australians, under the Labor government—they're not buying it! Senator WATT: For two years in a row, our government has strongly advocated to the independent Fair Work Commission— The PRESIDENT: Minister Watt, please resume your seat. Senator Canavan and Senator McKenzie, seriously!
If you can't listen in silence, leave the chamber. You're being incredibly disrespectful to me. Minister Watt, please continue.
Senator WATT: I can only assume that the amount of interjection from the National Party is because of their complete irrelevance— Senator Canavan interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Minister Watt, please resume your seat. I've just asked you, Senator Canavan, to either be quiet or leave. The minute the minister stood up, you thought it was okay to interject.
It is not. It's me you're being disrespectful to. Minister Watt.
Senator WATT: I think we all feel a bit sorry for the National Party these days. If you don't get a question, you don't get a statement and you don't get a vote, the only thing you can do is interject. And that's what we're seeing a lot of from the National Party at the moment.
For two years in a row, our government has strongly advocated to the independent Fair Work Commission for an economically sustainable real wage rise for Australia's minimum- and award-wage workers, many of whom are in lower-paid roles and are hardest hit by cost-of-living pressures. Labor advocates for increases to the minimum wage. We never saw it once under the coalition.
We never would again. (Time expired) The PRESIDENT: Senator Brown, first supplementary?