Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

I disagree with that, Senator Pocock. You can make that argument, but I think young people today are earning more through the minimum wage, and, if they work in particular industries where we have advocated for higher wages, that is not their experience. Young people, when I speak to them—I'm not discounting this as an issue. As I said in my earlier comments, the government will consider this.

The point of this bill is to deal with the issue about people getting their super paid on time in accordance with their wages, rather than missing out or having it paid down the track. That is the purpose of this bill, just as the one that we bring forward on the low-income super tax offset will be about LISTO, just as the one we did on super on PPL was about super on PPL. It's less about who's moving it; it's that we do not do superannuation policy based on an amendment in this place that hasn't gone through all of the consideration and policy development that all of our other changes have gone through.

For example, young people at that entry level where they're starting, between 15 and 18, often move around jobs. Does that mean multiple accounts? Does it mean multiple low-balance accounts that have fees that eat up a lot of that super? These are the types of things that a proper policy process would work through and understand. That is the point I make. We don't do policy on the fly on an amendment in the Senate. On this and on any other area, before a government takes a decision on it, we have to understand how it would be implemented and who has responsibility to implement it. With all the employers that are currently making changes to accommodate payday super with their IT systems, I don't think any sane government would then just dump this on because an amendment was moved in the Senate. There is practical engagement and consultation that needs to happen.

In terms of what we have done for young people—supporting minimum wage increases, supporting better wages in a whole range of sectors, things like fee-free TAFE, HECS debt relief and looking at our housing policy—all of those policies have young people at heart as we consider some of the challenges they are facing. We will continue to take that approach, whether it be in super or any other area.