Member's Statement

House of Representatives

4 February 2025

When Australia's lowest paid workers asked for a $1 pay rise, our Prime Minister said, 'Absolutely.' When aged-care workers asked for a pay rise, did we back them? Absolutely. When early childhood educators said that they wanted a pay rise, did we back them? Absolutely. Now wages are up, inflation is down and unemployment is low. Meanwhile, did the Liberals back an increase for Australian minimum-wage workers? No. Did the Liberals back aged-care workers? No. Did the Liberals back childcare workers? No. Do we have anything on the menu? No.

It took the Liberals all summer to come up with this policy nugget or potato gem: tax-free lunches for bosses. This would be a $1.6 billion tax paid fee. Gosh, it better taste good at that price. What would be on the menu—lobster, caviar or truffles? If every big boss took this up, it would cost taxpayers $10 billion. There would not be many childcare workers, aged-care workers or minimum-wage workers at those lunches. This is a Liberal policy for the big bosses at the top end of town. When the big bosses and the Liberals graze, the public purse pays. Aussies know there's no such thing as a free lunch.