Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. We will try again and see whether we can get a straightforward answer from the minister. Can the minister confirm that under the regulations for the industrial changes an employee can be paid below the minimum wage if, over a 12-month period, they are on average paid the minimum rate? Won’t this allow employers with seasonal workloads to significantly cut wages in the off season, which may last six months? How does the government expect these employees, whose living expenses do not vary, to survive on less than the minimum wage?