Treasurer Jim Chalmers was out and about on Monday pretending to care about the welfare of lower-income Australians.
Chalmers told Sky News that Labor are “enthusiastic champions” of low-paid workers, promising that the federal government would make a submission to the Fair Work Commission arguing that “the wages of Australia’s lowest paid workers don’t go backwards”.
“Our focus this week – indeed every week – is ensuring that Australians can earn more and keep more of what they earn, and our submission will reflect that”, Chalmers said.
While increasing the minimum wage by CPI inflation is worthwhile, it would still represent a real wage cut once bracket creep is taken into account since average tax rates will rise with wage growth.
Second, the low-to-middle income tax offset (LMITO) was axed from 1 July 2022 at the beginning of Labor’s term. This cessation of the LMITO pulled $1,500 from the take home pay of people earning between $48,000 to $90,000.
Third, Labor’s reckless mass immigration policy has driven net overseas migration to unprecedented highs and delivered the worst rental crisis in living memory.
Lower income Australians are most likely to rent.
Finally, the huge flow of cheap foreign labour suppresses wages, especially at the lower end of incomes.
Therefore, the Albanese government’s reckless immigration has harmed lower-income Australians disproportionately, increasing inequality.
With friends like Labor, lower-income Australians sure don’t need enemies.
Not that the Coalition is much better, if at all.
