579, this has nothing to do with 37 cents per hour, as you keep referring to, rather, it has to do with unions agenda to have the adult wage limit lowered as low as 17 if they get their way. Because if they get their way, youth unemployment will be at systemic proportions.

But, given you have obviously not been a risk taking employer, you are forgiven for being ignorant of the topic.

As for the train wreck being Abbotts fault,, oh how typical, first you offer your unconditional support to our worst economic vandals EVER, then, you lay blame on the incoming government, this despite the billions you assisted to waste.

If you want any advice to offer your labor puppets, just tell them they can only spend money once and, once wasted, it's gone.

There is no train wreck, i said if there was to be. Our economy is doing well considering low expectations for most of the world. It,s not good that we are facing a 60,000 planned unemployment in our most productive state. Your 37 cents is not going to count, no matter what you see as excessive. A 20 yo is well and truly old enough to handle 650 / wk.
Abbott massaging job creation figures is not helpful.
The noalition have now stacked on 65 billion $ in six months, where has that gone and what is to show for it.

What I really dislike is Percentage wage rises.

Someone earning $35000 gets a 2.8% pay rise & receives an extra $1064 per year.

A clerk in the office beside him earning $85000 gets $2380 a year extra. Over double, yet they both have the same cost of living to contend with.

Percentage rises have always annoyed me. The guy on the lowest wage is falling behind every time he gets a rise.

Jayb, the answer to your problem is called education and skills, as better skills generally lead to better paying jobs.

If we followed your suggested set increase method, a lawyer would be earning about a hundred bucks per week more than a check out chick.

While that may sound good to you, what incentives do you suggest we provide, so potential lawyer, become lawyers, and don't become check out chicks, many of which are trainee lawyers in fact. Wages must be increased as a percentage in order to retain the additional employment incentives. No disrespect to check out chicks either by the way, as I am simply using them as an example.

579, do you honestly believe we are in great shape.

Within the next three years, we will have no car industries and our mining sector may be a fraction of what it is today. Believe me, there is a train wreck headed our way.

As for 20 year olds, again, that's not the issue.

The gap broadens and that has been going on for years. Some types of business have had their run and are destined to fade away. Nothing new in that, those that do not conform their business to reflect the current day. will demise. Some business are over represented, and needs rationalising. There is nothing new in that.

We are in great shape, some sections of business are in transition but on the whole our GDP is rising, which means we have growth, some countries can't manage a growth at all. If mining demised all together it would not put us in recession. It is better mining is held at a stable rate rather than boom and bust. Some mining needs to be scaled back, as it is. The concentration needs to be on non mining industries.
There is no get rich scheam, someone's fortune robs other industries of their workforce, as seen in recent years with no gain in GDP.
So your mining boom is a failure