“Business owners who’ve battled through COVID and who often struggle to pay themselves the minimum wage will be further disheartened that the Prime Minister has signalled a never ending stream of minimum wage hikes on her watch,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“ACT backs business owners who get up every day to provide opportunity in the form of employment.

“But this Government continues to place severe cost pressures on them, destroying opportunity as they go.

“The Government seems to have confused legislating wages upwards with real productivity growth.

“At best this will duplicate wage increases that were already happening; at worst they’ll push wages up ahead of productivity growth and destroy jobs.

“Businesspeople deserve an opportunity to catch their breath off the back of the minimum wage increasing $4.25 an hour since 2017, especially as they cope with the impact of COVID-19.

“But the Prime Minister made clear at her regular post-Cabinet press conference today that a ‘regular annualised process’ for minimum wage increases would resume.

“Asked if she’d commit to annual increases she said ‘we are a Labour Government.’

“Oh dear, no matter the state of the economy Labour will hike the minimum wage again next year.

“What if we find ourselves in a deep recession? Would the Government impose higher wages on businesses already at risk of folding?

“That’s simply irresponsible. Minimum wage increases should be based on economic fundamentals, not Labour Party ideology.”

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