Ms BYRNES (Cunningham) (10:44): I move:

That this House:

1. acknowledges the final report of the Secure Jobs, Better Pay Review;
2. notes the report found the Government's workplace changes are already delivering for Australian workers, and that:
   1. coverage of collective bargaining 'has increased markedly';
   2. real wages and workers' economic circumstances are improving; and
   3. the Secure Jobs, Better Pay Act represents a significant development aimed at improving outcomes for working women, including a reduction in the gender pay gap;
3. further notes recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics that showed:
   1. a record number of Australians work;
   2. since May 2022, employment had risen by 8.6 per cent, a higher rate of employment growth than all major advanced economies;
   3. the gender pay gap is at the lowest ever level since records began; and
   4. annual real wages have now grown for seven consecutive quarters under this Government; and
4. further acknowledges the Government's commitment for Australians to earn more and keep more of what they earn.

Private member's bill business, notice number three, Secure Jobs, Better Pay review.

The Albanese Labor government has worked hard over the last three years to turn around years of neglect and the degradation of workers' rights under the former Liberal government. At the core of Labor governments sits the ideal that workers' rights must be protected, that Australians should have secure jobs and that all workers should be paid fairly for the work that they do. This isn't just an ideal; this is something we have worked hard to enshrine in the law.

In December 2022, our parliament passed the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Bill. We did this because, fundamentally, Australian workers had spent too long dealing with insecure work, with their wages held back. It was bad for local workers in my community like childcare workers, aged-care workers, those on the minimum wage—the list goes on. They had had it too tough for too long. Our legislation aimed to improve job security and gender equality, improve workplace conditions and protections and boost bargaining to restore fairness and integrity to the fair work institutions, and it's working.

The final report of the independent panel conducting the statutory review of the secure jobs, better pay act has found that these changes are delivering for workers. As this motion notes, the review found coverage of collective bargaining has increased markedly. Real wages and workers' economic circumstances are improving. The Secure Jobs, Better Pay Act represents a significant development aimed at improving outcomes for working women, including a reduction in the gender pay gap. This is real and tangible change in the lives of average working Australians. Since our legislation passed in December 2022, employment has risen by more than 879,000 jobs, reaching a record high in July 2025. As at June 2024, the number of small businesses had also grown by 2.7 per cent since the same time in 2023. When you support workers you also support business, and that's the truth.

We promised we would get wages moving and we have delivered on that promise. We have delivered pay rises for those on the minimum wage. We've delivered pay rises for those working in aged care and in child care. In June 2025, we saw the seventh consecutive increase in annual wages growth, with the wage price index rising by 3.4 per cent on the previous year. Hardworking Australians doing the work that is keeping our economy moving deserve to be paid fairly.

We also know that this country has had a real problem with the gender pay gap for far too long. Labor promised to turn that around. We promised we would take action to bring this down, and now the gender pay gap is at its equal lowest on record. That is what happens when you put these issues at the heart of what you do, when you decide that supporting workers must come first and that supporting women to be paid fairly must come first. It changes lives, and that is what we have done.

One of the other things we aimed to do, which I know was important in my electorate, was close the labour hire loophole. The Illawarra has a proud mining history. Our community was built on the back of our local coalminers, and theirs was just one of the industries being exploited by labour hire loopholes that we have now closed. These were loopholes that saw people doing the same job but for less pay. It saw local workers missing out on hours, missing out on doing their job, because corporations thought they could get someone else to do it cheaper. Since our legislation came into effect, we have seen more than 5,000 labour hire workers receive pay increases, and that's a direct result of the changes that the Albanese Labor government made. A fair day's pay for a fair day's work—that's what Australians deserve and that's what they are getting out of an Albanese Labor government.

The Illawarra also has a world-class university which brings a high volume of students and those wanting to work casual and flexible hours. When I spoke on the closing-loopholes legislation, I told the story of Ashleigh, a local student struggling to pay bills who had created a yellow pages of exploitation. It was a very sad state of affairs—a laundry list of underpayment, power imbalance and businesses trying to scam the system. Students took matters into their own hands to name and shame those behaving badly. Our review has shown that enterprise agreements are at an all-time high and Australians are earning more and keeping more of what they earn. I am proud to be part of a government delivering for workers and supporting local businesses at the same time.