Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) | Hansard source

The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

I am not aware of any definition of a 'poverty wage'. Senator Carr used the term to refer to a situation where truck drivers are paid at such a low rate that they have to drive long hours to make a living. Increasing their pay would therefore improve road safety by reducing the risk of driving for long periods.