I rise to wholeheartedly support the motion and echo the comments made by the member for Franklin. These past few months have been unlike any other we've seen in our lifetime. We are in a global health pandemic and a significant economic crisis. People's health, jobs, businesses, lives and livelihoods have all been plunged into uncertainty. But the pandemic has highlighted who it is that keeps the economy and society chugging along—and, surprise, surprise, it's not the bankers, it's not the lawyers, it's not even the real estate agents; it's nurses, aged-care workers and other healthcare workers, our teachers, supermarket staff, truckies, posties and, of course, cleaners. Healthcare workers have shown up to work day in and day out in incredibly risky circumstances and they've put their lives on the line. While we haven't seen any deaths of healthcare workers in Australia, thankfully, we know that around the world about 250 nurses have lost their lives to COVID-19. Aged care has been a particularly hard-fought battle in the war against coronavirus, because, as we know, the elderly have been the most vulnerable. Aged-care workers, some of our most underpaid and undervalued workers, continue to deliver care and support to older Australians during the pandemic. The government, quite rightly, thought that aged-care workers should be compensated for this and they agreed to pay them a retention bonus. 'Great,' we thought, 'this government is actually thinking about workers.' But—and somehow I feel a little sorry for those on the other side today that they have to defend this—the government have, of course, completely reverted to form. They just can't help themselves from overpromising and underdelivering.

When the government announced the retention bonus, the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians made it clear that the payment that the workers would receive was after tax. But, when the guidelines for the retention bonus were released, the payment amounts were suddenly switched to being before tax—and, as the member for Franklin said, with no explanation. This will mean that aged-care workers will receive around 30 per cent less than the $800 and $600 they were originally promised. To quote the secretary of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, Annie Butler:

This bonus was intended to recognise the dedication and commitment aged care workers have continued to show in treating and protecting older Australians during the crisis, potentially putting their own safety and their families' safety at risk. But just as we've gained control over the pandemic, aged care workers have weathered that storm and we're on the path to recovery, the Government has backflipped on its promise, which was in writing to every aged care worker, and now said 'we don't actually think you're worth the full amount'.

This is even more disappointing when you consider how little our incredible aged-care workers are already paid for the work they do. The government is clawing back hundreds of thousands of dollars from the lowest paid, hardest-working people in our society. For a government that has an extra $60 billion sitting in the bank because of its bungles, this seems like an incredibly sneaky and stingy thing to do.

In an even crueller move, the Morrison government has excluded about 40 per cent of aged-care workers from even being eligible for the retention payment. Today is International Cleaners Day. Cleaners have been absolutely crucial in the fight against COVID-19, and cleaners who work in aged care will not get the retention bonus. Those who sit opposite have excluded around 125,000 aged-care workers, from those who deliver home-care packages to cleaners, laundry and catering staff. Seeing as the government does not seem to value them—

Government members interjecting—

and I see members on the other side are laughing at this tragedy—I want to say to all cleaners out there: thank you—

Government members interjecting—

They won't even be quiet to let me say to you: 'Thank you. We value you. Thank you for the work that you do. You deserve the retention bonus. Your work throughout this crisis has been nothing short of heroic. The payment isn't about retention. It's about recognition—and you deserve it.' A big thank you should also go to the unions, the United Workers Union and the HSU, who represent the cleaners and fight for them every day. There's one more point. The majority of aged-care workers are women, and the bungling of this is just another example of how disproportionately adversely affected women have been throughout the COVID-19 crisis and the fact this government does not care. More women have lost their jobs. More women have lost work hours. At the same time, it is women who have picked up extra domestic labour. The male-dominated construction sector receives targeted taxpayer stimulus but not the childcare sector, which is 97 per cent female, and certainly not the aged-care sector. Women deserve better. Aged-care workers deserve better.