Treasurer to Attend Inaugural Meeting of G20
December 10, 1999Papua New Guinea – Short Term Financial Support Facility
December 15, 1999
NO.088
REGIONAL AUSTRALIA: WAGES Reports attributing to me a “plan to cut wages in the bush for the unemployed” are wrong. I have advocated flexibility, subject to minima as prescribed by the relevant awards, in relation to productivity over-awards, working patterns and other matters allowed under the Governments legislation. I do not advocate different minima as between employed or unemployed. Nor do I advocate reducing wages for one part of Australia as opposed to another. I advocate flexibility in wage fixing, subject to the prescribed minima, which if it is taken up and used could be of enormous benefit for new investment and new investment in regional areas to provide jobs for the unemployed. CANBERRA 13 December 1999 |