Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers seems to have abandoned the promise that a Labor government would formally defend workers with the minimum wage for a pay rise.
Key points:
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government would make a formal presentation during the campaign
- Dr Chalmers said today that the Fair Labor Commission already knew the views of Labor
- Registration for the commission is open until June 7
The Fair Labor Commission is reviewing the minimum wage and during the election campaign, now Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has repeatedly stated that his party would make a formal presentation if elected.
But when asked today, Dr. Chalmers did not answer questions about when the government would make this presentation to the independent arbitrator.
“The Fair Work Commission already knows our point of view,” he said.
“We may be able to complement this with a formal presentation, but no one has any doubts about the new government’s view of a decent wage increase for low-wage Australians to keep up with the rising cost of life “.
Wages were a key issue during the election campaign, with now-Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying he “absolutely” supported a 5.1 per cent wage increase for those with the minimum wage.
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He repeatedly insisted that a Labor government would make a presentation to the commission, even until the last day of the campaign, but did not say whether it would include a suggested figure.
“We will present a presentation to the Fair Work Commission,” Albanese told Insiders earlier this month.
“They will collect the presentations until June 7, and this presentation will say that the people who cover the minimum wage cannot afford to go back.
“The Fair Work Commission will make a decision independent of the government … and if the Fair Work Commission makes a decision according to that pace, that’s something we would really like.”
During the campaign, then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison repeatedly insisted that any decision on salaries depended on the commission, and never made a figure on how much they should increase.
The former government had made a presentation to the commission which included a section highlighting the importance of underpaid work.
However, today the treasurer did not answer repeated questions about when the government would make this presentation and instead would give a general answer about its support for the salary increase.
“The Fair Work Commission process is already underway and we have already made our views incredibly clear,” Chalmers said.
“We do not want low-wage workers in Australia to continue to fall during this cost-of-living crisis. So I don’t think anyone in the Fair Work Commission or Australia has any doubts about our position.
“We want to see these low-wage workers get the pay raise they need and deserve to keep up with the rising cost of living.”
The Fair Work Commission, which reviews and sets minimum wages each year, will accept submissions until June 7.
The ABC asked the treasurer’s office for more clarification on whether a presentation would be made.
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