The lunacy gets deeper, some people forget where they emerged from. .37 cents is of concern, and this is supposed to be a democratic society. Lord help us get past this era and become a more caring society, where wealth is shared and not in the pockets of a few. Mining should be done as a means of sourcing material to be used for our own benefit, and not as a means of making some other person mega rich, and doing nothing for our GDP.

We really should have a moron tax in Australia, it'd fill the coffers in no time.

....Any employer who cannot deflect .37 cents / hr needs not be in business.

579, let's say the unions get their way and lower the age to 17, that's a $40 per week pay rise.

So, what does the 30 year old want, because with his/her years of experience, surely they are worth more, don't you think, so there in lies the problem as it's not just aout the 37c /hr, it's also about the flow on effects and this is where you lot are missing the point.

...Remember the members are the union, they tell their elected heads what they can and can't do.

What a load of crap! A few delegates decide to go on strike. Meanwhile, those who DO NOT want to strike have no choice and are sent home WITHOUT PAY, while the union delegates and bosses continue to get paid, sometimes at higher rates. Furthermore, those who don't wish to strike, but have to, are nit allowed on site unless they join the union, exposing even more union thuggery and stand over tactics.

History shows that during the Howard era the country boomed and, anyone who wanted a job, had one. More so, anyone who did a good job, and was regarded as a valued worker, was well rewarded, either that, or they simply went elsewhere, as there were more jobs than workers.

Once Gillard took an axe to IR and gave the union thugs their powers back, productivity took a dive, and nobody can dispute that.

It's a scam, always has been.

Then this one takes the cake....and doing nothing for our GDP.

You must be on drugs!

Indi....We really should have a moron tax in Australia, it'd fill the coffers in no time.

Yes, but please remember, it's the morons who set the bar.

You are talking about things that are not going to happen any time soon.
soon is talking about 17 y/olds. The members make the decisions non members don't get a vote but they collect the winnings.
What has mining added to our GDP we are currently running at 1.56 billion equal to where it was during the so called mining boom. All the mining boom done was rob employers of labour, so one compensated for the other. Lord hockey would love to see our GDP dropping, but it is continuing to rise. You will be happy about all of that red tape disappearing, does that mean there will be no more legislation.

.....I really don't see the value of Bank CEO getting paid millions plus Millions in add ons either

Jayb, I often use this example when people talk of outrageous CEO packages, so I compare them to movie or sporting stars.

Let's take Allan Joyce, he is in charge of a very large company, and is answerable to shareholders. Love him or hate him, His stress levels must be extreme at times. I believe he earns a few million per year.

Then there's the likes of Andrew Bogut, the Aussie basket baller, who, apart from having no staff, no share holders and A MANAGER earns as much as THIRTY SEVEN MILLION EACH YEAR. Then there's the likes of Hugh Jackman, , who can earn upwards to 50 million PER MOVIE again, no staff.

So why do people only pick on the CEO's?

As for your percentage increase, If a lawyer receives 2.5 times that of an unskilled workers wage, then that must remain unless market forces dictate otherwise, as it has with many trades, otherwise we would in time have a shortage of the likes of lawyers.

In fact, butchers are suffering a similar fait, as their wages have not kept up with tradies wages, so many skilled butchers, like myself, are seeking employment elsewhere.

Ironically, I now pay more tax in one week than I would earn as a trade butcher.

The lunacy here belongs to the lord Abbott clan. What a joke. A fortnight of blunders has capped off one of the most lopsided speakers in history. Should have been retired to the stables long ago. 65 billion has been added to the deficit since the noalition lied their way to power. If you can believe Hockey he does not know where donated money comes from in his own dept;.