Bill Shorten appeals to families and workers in his plan to win the next Federal Election

LABOR leader Bill Shorten appealed to mum and dad voters and disgruntled workers in a speech where he outlined his plan to win the next election.

BILL Shorten today laid out an election campaign bid to harness the discontent of families suffering financial strain from rising prices and stunted wages.

In a direct appeal to working families the Labor Party leader committed to helping those suffering from wage growth which isn’t keeping pace with price rises.

“They don’t need me to tell them their health costs are going up,” the Opposition Leader told the National Press Club. “The Labor battleground is cost of living.”

During his speech, Mr Shorten confirmed the ALP would not support the Turnbull Government’s proposed tax cuts for major corporations.

“The cost of living is rising and the kitchen-table economics of paying the bills and balancing the family budget are getting tougher,” he told the National Press Club.

”Household bills are through the roof. Things have always gone up, people know that.

“The big difference is that this time, wages are staying down.

“Our economy has grown since the Global Financial Crisis. Workers are more productive than ever, company profits went up 20 per cent last year alone.

“So why are big companies keeping workers’ wages low?”

In an appeal to disgruntled voters, Mr Shorten listed familiar complaints: “It costs more to see your GP or get that scan or test you need, and even if you can afford private health insurance — that’s going up too.

Hospitality workers could benefit under a Labor Government as Bill Shorten has promised to bring back Sunday penalty rates.

“Buying a house is getting harder, and if you can’t afford that, rent is going up too.”

The fears around family finances were confirmed today by the findings of an Essential poll.

Some 72 per cent of voters believe their cost-of-living position had worsened over the past 12 months. It also found job security concerns had risen for 47 per cent of those surveyed, while 40 per cent said their personal financial position had worsened.

Just 14 per cent said their income had gone up faster than the cost-of-living increase.

On private health insurance, 83 per cent of voters told Essential there should be a cap on insurer profits, while the same proportion said government should make health insurance more affordable.

Some 78 per cent said there should be a cap on premium increases.

Mr Shorten said: “As someone wryly remarked last week, there used to be two certainties in life — death and taxes.

“Now it’s three — death, taxes and big hikes in private health insurance premiums.”

He offered no detailed problem to stem the PHI premium increases.

But Mr Shorten did promise action on wages including restoring Sunday penalty rates, “cracking down” on exploitation by labour hire companies, “putting the bargaining back into enterprise bargaining” and leading a push against the gender pay gap.

“The challenge of wages growth is a lot bigger and more important than attacking unions,” he said. “Business leaders know this — economists understand it.

“Getting working Australians a pay rise is key to confidence; the confidence that keeps our economy healthy and our wallets, purses and businesses open.

“I start from the basic proposition that a wages policy which only looks after the well-off is a wages policy not worth having.”

Of his opponents, Mr Shorten added: “And perhaps Turnbull and co genuinely believe that if you give corporations everything they want, the world will be a better place.

“But — for the life of me — I don’t see how dumping a big truck full of taxpayer funds into the pockets of multinationals in the form of a tax cut is going to help ordinary people.

“I mean, in what universe do big corporations cut prices when they have a stranglehold on the market?”

Originally published as Bill Shorten appeals to families and workers in his plan to win the next Federal Election