Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Is the Treasurer aware of new empirical research undertaken by the OECD in its newly released 2006 Employment Outlook that finds:

No significant direct impact of the level of the minimum wage on unemployment is identified.

And:

The minimum wage could encourage higher participation by helping to make work pay for the low skilled.

Treasurer, don’t these new findings from the OECD severely undermine the economic case for the government’s objective to lower minimum wages through the Fair Pay Commission?

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