Easy for him to say! Finance Minister Mathias Cormann – who earns $383,000 a year – says sluggish wage growth for everyday Australians ISN’T a bad thing
- Mathias Cormann said poor wage growth isn’t bad – despite him earning $383K
- He argued lower wage growth has helped to push down the unemployment rate
- The minister has previously been accused of holidaying at taxpayers expense
- Bill Shorten this week said the federal election will be a ‘referendum on wages’
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has argued sluggish wage growth for everyday Australians isn’t necessarily a bad thing – despite him earning $383,000 a year.
Senator Cormann said more Australians would have lost their jobs if wages had continued growing at the rate they did during the Howard era.
He also stressed how slower wage growth – matched with lower inflation – has helped push down the unemployment rate.
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann (pictured) has argued sluggish wage growth for everyday Australians isn’t necessarily a bad thing – despite him earning $383,000 a year
‘The whole point – it is important to ensure that wages can adjust in the context of economic conditions – is to avoid massive spikes in unemployment, which are incredibly disruptive,’ Senator Cormann told Sky News on Friday.
‘This is a deliberate feature of our economic architecture.’
In February, Daily Mail Australia revealed Senator Cormann claimed taxpayer money to take his wife on a $4,400 romantic beach getaway for her birthday.
As a West Australian senator, he was entitled to take his spouse Hayley Cormann with him on electorate business.
The minister also charged taxpayers to fly his spouse from Perth to the state’s far north for the annual Broome Cup later that month.
That also was within the rules.
The surprising comments also came after Labor leader Bill Shorten this week declared the upcoming federal election will be a ‘referendum on wages’.
Labor wants to restore penalty rates, review the wages of feminised industries typically paid less, and clamp down on wage theft.
In February, Daily Mail Australia revealed Senator Cormann claimed taxpayer money to take his wife on a $4,400 romantic beach getaway for her birthday
Mr Shorten also wants the minimum wage to be higher and believes the enterprise bargaining system should be overhauled.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison argues Labor won’t be able to improve wages while taxing Australians more and that wage growth will come quicker as economic growth ramps up.
Senator Cormann said if Mr Shorten wanted to mandate a particular wage level, he would be removing necessary flexibility in the system.
‘He will force more Australians onto the unemployment queues,’ he said.
Labor workplace relations spokesman Brendan O’Connor said Senator Cormann’s comments showed the coalition didn’t have specific policies designed to grow wages and reduce inequality.
‘They simply have a plan to keep wages low,’ he said in a statement.
The minister also charged taxpayers to fly his spouse from Perth to the state’s far north for the annual Broome Cup later that month