Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

More investment, stronger economic growth and more successful and profitable businesses hiring more Australians means stronger demand and more competition for workers among the profitable businesses, which means that businesses have to pay more to secure the services of those workers.

Senator Cameron interjecting —

Here we have Senator Cameron saying, 'Let's just increase penalty rates.' Increasing the cost of hiring an Australian worker without helping business to be more successful and more profitable will boost unemployment. It will send more Australian workers onto the unemployment queue. If we want to have more jobs, higher wages and the best possible opportunity for Australian families to get ahead, including in particular in South Australia, we need to ensure that the businesses that employ them have the best possible opportunity to be successful and get ahead. I don't expect Senator Cameron to understand, but Mr Shorten should. (Time expired)