Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Hansard source

I want to respond to Senator Murray. There is a substantive policy issue which is behind this amendment in relation to how you go about dealing with changes to the minimum wage. It is the government’s position that it is better for the minimum wage to be set in an open and transparent process. That is what is envisaged in the Forward with Fairness policy. Under that policy the AFPC will be replaced by Fair Work Australia, and Fair Work Australia will conduct any wage reviews which will take effect on 1 July each year. Fair Work Australia will also publish updated pay rates before this date to provide certainty for employers and employees. As I have previously indicated, the issue of minimum wage setting criteria will be determined as part of the government’s substantive workplace relations reform.

Question negatived.