Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I have two very brief questions, and I think we should allow the minister to answer them. The first is in relation to a wage freeze. Isn’t it a fact that the Fair Pay Commission has yet to deliver its first decision on increasing the minimum wage? That means that a wage freeze of 12 months has already been implemented. Can the minister advise as to when a minimum wage rise might be forthcoming from the Fair Pay Commission?

Secondly, in relation to the so-called Welfare to Work measures, isn’t it a fact that from 1 July a single mother will be expected, when her youngest child turns eight, effectively to go out into the workforce for as little as $1.88 per hour, after taking account of the loss of benefits, income tax paid, child-care costs, travel costs and other work costs? If that is the case, isn’t that an appalling indictment of this country—that a government would expect single mothers to work for as little as $1.88 an hour? Isn’t it also the case that, in particular circumstances, people on disability support pensions could end up working for nothing—in fact, having to pay to go to work—to meet this government’s ideological lust for beating up people on disability support pensions so that it can please its other constituents? I would ask that the minister now begin to answer our questions.

See this speech in context