Media release | Tuesday 14 May, 2024
The Australian Workers' Union has tonight strongly endorsed the Albanese Government's second budget, which the union has characterised as relief for Australian workers today and an exciting future for Australian workers tomorrow.
"This forward-looking and compassionate Labor budget is a breath of fresh air compared to the sloppy, wasteful, and myopic budgets handed down by the previous government," said AWU National Secretary Paul Farrow.
"This is clearly a budget that has the interests of everyday working people as its main focus. Cost-of-living relief today and strong investment in generational industry development tomorrow both constitute significant wins for Australian workers.
"Australia has the resources and workforce to be a world leader in hydrogen, critical minerals and green metals, but we won't get there without the government, working with industry to build scale and ensure we aren't left behind. That's exactly what the government is doing with the Future Made in Australia program and it's incredibly refreshing.
"Of course a successful Future Made in Australia must be one that provides safe, secure, well-paid jobs, and the AWU will be working with the Albanese Government to ensure strong labour standards are a condition for all investment under the program.
"This budget lays bare the differences between the Albanese Government and the Dutton Coalition. Where the government delivers compassion, vision, and ambition for Australian workers, the Coalition promises only a vacuum of negativity and a capitulation to the very worst instincts of vested corporate interests.
"It is the Labor Party's role to invest in the nation building projects that make Australia great. It is never an easy road politically, but the Albanese Government is certainly not shirking its historic responsibility with this budget."
