Gender pay gap for full-time workers continues to shrink, ABS figures show
The ABS has released the May average earnings figures, which allows us to look at the gap in pay between men and women. The good news is that the gap is narrowing.
During yesterday's question time, Liberal MP Tim Wilson wanted to know why the number of first-home buyers dropped “more than 6% this calendar year.” This, however, was a very weird question, because he was comparing the June 2026 quarter to the December 2025 quarter. That is like comparing apples and oranges.
Tue 18 Aug 2026 01.00 AEST
Photo: AAP Image/Lukas Coch
During yesterday’s question time, Liberal MP Tim Wilson asked about the number of first-home buyers. Specifically, he wanted to know why the number of first-home buyers dropped “more than 6% this calendar year.”
This, however, was a very weird question, because he was comparing the June 2026 quarter to the December 2025 quarter.
That is like comparing apples and oranges.
The December 2025 quarter saw a spike in first-home buyers because it was the quarter the government announced their 5% deposit guarantee, so of course it was going to be abnormally high.
But here’s the thing, in the year to June 2026, the number of first-home buyers is 3.7% higher than in the year to June 2025 last year.
And if Wilson wants more first-home buyers, then surely, he would want house prices to be falling… but then oddly the LNP also seems to be against that.
Verdict: The number of first-home buyers have not dropped by 6%
Advertisement
The ABS has released the May average earnings figures, which allows us to look at the gap in pay between men and women. The good news is that the gap is narrowing.
The deal to save the Tomago aluminium smelter is no ordinary bail-out. It’s the result of more than year’s negotiations with a return to the taxpayer, the workforce, the shareholders and the planet.
