PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Ms JORDAN-BAIRD (Gorton) (18:05): The work of the Albanese Labor government is underpinned by a simple belief: every Aussie deserves a fair go. We said this when we introduced five per cent deposits for all first home buyers, giving Australians a fair go at owning their own home. We said this when we introduced fee-free TAFE, giving young Australians the opportunity to pursue a trade and build their family's future.

We say it again as we ban unfair non-compete clauses, which are holding Australian workers back from switching to better, higher-paying jobs. If you can get a better job and a higher wage or have a crack at starting your own business in Australia, you shouldn't be held back. That's why from 2027 we're banning non-competes for workers earning under $190,000.

I'm proud to speak on this motion, put forward by my friend the member for Maribyrnong, welcoming the government's decision to ban non-compete clauses from next year and recognising that workers should be able to use their skills to change jobs and pursue better opportunities without unreasonable restraints on their mobility. At the moment, more than three million Australians are covered by non-compete clauses—that's one in five workers.

Non-compete clauses restrict these workers' ability to work for a competitor or to start their own business. They disrupt job mobility, stagnate wages, hamper productivity, prevent aspiration and handcuff workers to their current job when there are better opportunities available to them. Australians should be able to earn a better income when the opportunity arises, and they should be supported in aspiring towards that.

Our changes will make sure that that's the case. We are making it easier for workers to switch to a better job. This will lift the wages of affected workers by up to four per cent, or about 2½ thousand dollars per year.

We will also close loopholes in competition law, including those that currently allow businesses to fix wages with anticompetition arrangements that cap workers' pay and conditions without the knowledge and agreement of affected workers, as well as closing the no-poach agreements which block staff from being hired by competitors. Our changes are all part of our government's economic plan to make sure that Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn.

It's not just good for workers and families; it's good for the Australian economy. It means working towards an Australian economy which is more dynamic and competitive—an economy which is moving forward, not just standing still—and it means bringing Australia in line with many other nations. Meanwhile, the Liberals and the Nationals over on that side want to make people work longer and harder for less, while they block sensible competition reform at every turn.

They can talk about economic management all they want, but it's just that: talk. The fact is, under the coalition, productivity fell for seven consecutive quarters in the lead-up to the pandemic. Meanwhile, we are delivering the broadest productivity agenda since the nineties, cutting regulatory costs by $10.2 billion every year and boosting GDP by $13 million every year with our most recent budget.

We are building a stronger and more productive economy focused on boosting productivity and increasing wages. We are on the side of aspiration and a fair go. We're on the side of Australian workers, and we always have been.

I have known this since the day I joined the Labor Party as a teenager, when I was getting underpaid by my employer in my very first job. This Labor government has delivered 'same job, same pay', closed loopholes that undermine wages and conditions and strengthened protections against wage theft. I want my community in Melbourne's western suburbs to know that, when it comes to their rights at work, we are delivering real worker protections, and, when it comes to their families, who they're working hard to plan a future for, we are putting in the work to deliver real wage growth.

We are a government that has delivered the biggest workplace reforms in a generation. We have closed loopholes, we have strengthened job security and now we are helping Australians take the next step in their careers by securing better pay and taking their skills to where they are valued most. I commend this motion to the House.