Senator POLLEY (Tasmania) (15:13): It's always remarkable that when the opposition want to come into this chamber, they ask questions about wage growth. This is an opposition that, whether it was under Abbott or Turnbull or, in fact, Morrison, did nothing to support working Australians. They did nothing to support an increase in the minimum wage. They had almost 10 years to do something for Australian workers and they failed at every single obstacle. Now, we have inherited a huge debt. We've also inherited a situation where this opposition, when they were in government, had no real plan for jobs. They had no plan at all when it came to reducing the cost of living, and all of a sudden, in the short period of time they've been in opposition, they want to come in here and lecture us about what we should be doing and what we haven't done in less than 12 weeks. I mean, realistically! I know you've learnt nothing at all from the election defeat and I know it will take you some time to get used to being in opposition, but we went to the election with a plan: a plan to grow jobs in this country and to increase wages for working Australians. We know and we understand the challenges that Australian families and Australians are facing when it comes to the cost of living. But, to do that, you need to lift productivity, you need to lift wages and you need to ensure that you have skills and opportunities. That's why we went to the election supporting TAFE: to ensure that we have the best, most highly-skilled workforce going forward. We've got a plan. That's the difference between us and those opposite. Now, I know that it's difficult to face an election defeat, particularly when you've been in government for so long, but the reality is: the Australian people didn't buy your crap anymore. Senator Hughes interjecting— Senator POLLEY: They just didn't believe anything that you took to the election. No-one believed a word of what you've been saying for so long, because you have— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Hughes? Senator Hughes: A point of order: unparliamentary language was just used, I think, by Senator Polley. Perhaps she would like to withdraw. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Polley, the offer's there to withdraw if it caused offence. Otherwise, reflect on your language. Senator POLLEY: I'm more than happy to, if I did cause any offence. I didn't think that I did, but sometimes the truth hurts, I guess. I'd like to continue in relation to that plan that our government has. The plan is to increase productivity. It's to support workers and ensure that we have the best trained and skilled workforce. I'd just like to remind those opposite, as to the care sector in this country and aged-care workers: this government, for 10 long years, had the opportunity to increase the wages, the remuneration, and the skill base for aged-care workers in this country, but did nothing—nothing at all. In fact, people within the disability sector earn more money than those who are caring for some of the most vulnerable people. Now, I support the disability carers. But I also support aged-care workers and childcare workers and early childhood educators. Now, we're a new government, but we took a plan to the people at the last election. Australians agreed with the agenda that we put forward and supported us. So, when it comes to energy prices and the questions again today about whether we're going to keep our election commitment: well, yes, we are, because we know how important it is to the Australian people that a government keeps its election commitments—unlike those opposite when they were in government. But, when it comes to energy and renewable energy, we know the track record of the previous governments under Turnbull, Abbott and Morrison. They had no policy. They don't even believe in renewable energy. I come from a state where we have led the nation with our renewable energy, with our hydro. So what we, as a government, will do is: we will invest, and, as I said at the outset, we will keep to our election commitments. We gave a guarantee that we would do everything we could to reduce power prices, because they do have a huge impact on Australian families and businesses. So you can rely on us. So, when you want to get up—as I'm sure the next speaker will—and try and rewrite history and blame the current government for all the woes in the community, I think what you will see over the next three years is a government that keeps to its commitments and will put Australian people and business ahead of those in opposition— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Brockman.