Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Treasurer said yesterday in relation to the budget: 'There are other alternatives that we can take as a government.' Does the Treasurer mean that he will re-introduce some of the nasty measures in the Commission of Audit's recommendations. I call on the government and the Treasurer to rule out one of the recommendations—cuts to the minimum wage. For those who do not know what it is like to live on the minimum wage, let me remind you. The minimum wage in this country at the moment is roughly about $640 a week. When you take into account the average rent, which in the Bendigo area is $250 a week, and add in all of the costs of living—like education costs for your children or putting petrol in your car—and then the costs which this government seeks to increase through their nasty budget measures, a further attack on the minimum wage would push more and more families into poverty. The government must rule out this and other recommendations from the Commission of Audit. Will they now be recommending to slow the rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme? Will they be recommending a GP tax of $15, rather than $7? The government needs to come clean and be honest and start telling the people of Australia what they plan to do next.