Living wage to make it harder
A person’s first job is not the final destination
I read that the Labor Party intends to legislate for an increase in the minimum wage, which may be a reasonable and fair thing (“Living wage for 1.2m in Labor pitch”, 26/3). It is also quite the opposite to what is proposed for self-funded retirees. I retired after 43 years of work and contributed to my superannuation from the age of 17. Despite continual changes to the rules by politicians, I managed to secure a reasonable sum to plan retirement for myself and my wife.
After complying with the rules for 20 years, political interference will now rob me of 30 per cent of my income, which I cannot compensate for as I am 80 and not able to work or contribute to super anymore. This hardly seems reasonable or fair, Bill Shorten.
The minimum wage is a starting wage. A payment for your level of skill, education and productivity. Most workers would be aspiring to rise above the minimum wage by increasing their usefulness to their employer. By raising the first step on the employment ladder, Bill Shorten will make it harder for the less educated and skilled even to begin their working lives. Employers will cut back on more expensive workers and the queue at Centrelink will grow longer.
Bill Shorten’s “living wage” idea no doubt originated while he was AWU boss looking after the lowly paid workers at Cleanevent in Victoria.
Bring back Barnaby
Ian Murray of St Ives (Letters, 26/3) makes the observation that the Nationals should return Barnaby Joyce to the Nationals leadership. Well said for many reasons, not least of which is the fact that Michael McCormack will struggle to retain his seat with Dick Smith stating he would help an independent to run against him, not to mention the rise of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party.
The article by Greg Brown and Ean Higgins article (“Water the farms, not Adelaide: Barnaby”, 26/3) shines a light on Joyce’s ability to defy others over important matters and clear the air over subjects that are sensitive. Joyce has done his time in the wilderness and Australians, I believe, will give him a fair go.
Facts on Golan Heights
Bill Mathew’s contention (Letters, 25/3) that US recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights is a threat to peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and could lead to another round of conflict is inane.
Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 war — after Syria repeatedly used the area to bombard kibbutzim in Israel. It has nothing to do with the Palestinians, almost no Palestinians have ever lived in that area and no one expects it to be part of any future Palestinian state.
White lies
As Jacinda Ardern shows the world how to handle a crisis, she has said New Zealand was chosen for the attack because “we represent diversity, kindness, compassion, a home for those that share our values, a refuge for those who need it”. That was not my experience growing up there. My parents and I arrived by boat when I was one. Racism was not something I noticed until I moved to Auckland as a young teenager where it was a daily occurrence. It amped up when I was old enough to be out on the town. A look around the room could elicit the dreaded “you lookin’ at me”. I grew to loathe New Zealand and on my 20th birthday I moved to Australia. I have not been racially abused since.
So what ethnic group could elicit such hatred from so many New Zealanders? A lily-white Scotsman with long blond hair.