Wages policy
Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (12:26): My question is for the Minister for Small Business. Minister, yesterday the federal Leader of the Opposition called for a full 5.1 per cent pay rise for all Australian employees, a call that is likely to fuel inflation and make it more difficult for the many small businesses recovering from COVID lockdowns to survive. I ask, therefore: what is the Victorian government’s policy in light of this Albanese statement? Particularly, should every small business owner in Victoria be forced to increase employee wages by 5.1 per cent no matter the state of their sector or industry and no matter how hard they were hit by the 263 days of Andrews government lockdown?
Ms PULFORD (Western Victoria—Minister for Employment, Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Resources) (12:27): Thank you for a question for me in my portfolio as Minister for Small Business. I did express a moment ago some sorrow that the coalition pays no regard to the small business portfolio, and this is perhaps further evidence of that. But let me do my best to answer Mr Davis’s question about government policy on minimum wage case decisions, which is an area of responsibility for the Minister for Industrial Relations, which is Minister Pallas. What Mr Davis will know, because he has been here for 30 years or however long it is, is that after the Kennett government, which Mr Davis was here for and part of, referred industrial relations minimum standards to the commonwealth—and plenty of people around have not forgotten that—what has been the case is that Victorian governments of all political persuasions have provided a position from the Victorian government, a submission to an open process, about what we believe the national minimum wage case decision-makers, a tribunal of the federal government’s jurisdiction, ought to be. That happens every year, and I would encourage you, Mr Davis, to familiarise yourself with the Victorian government’s most recent position.
As for whether I have opinions about the federal election, whether I have opinions about—
Ms Shing interjected.
Ms PULFORD: wage stagnation—yes, yes. I feel like I am going to be fighting Ms Shing for turf on this. It is such a shame we could not have spent all day Wednesday talking about the merits of a change of government to a caring and compassionate group of people, but I would suggest you are asking for an opinion that is probably outside of the standing orders.
Mr Davis: On a point of order, President, I think the minister is straying. It was a very simple question about government policy.
The PRESIDENT: The minister to continue.
Ms PULFORD: I have answered the question. I would love to use the rest of my time talking about the federal election, but I suspect the President would think that that was a bit naughty, so I might stop before I get in trouble with the President.
Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (12:29): Consequently my supplementary is: will you ensure, as small business minister, that the Victorian government’s position to the Fair Work Commission represents the issues and concerns of small business owners fairly, including the toughness of recovery after 263 days of lockdown?
Ms PULFORD (Western Victoria—Minister for Employment, Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Resources) (12:30): Again, with your forbearance, President, in answering a question in the portfolio of a minister that is represented by another minister in this place, I would encourage Mr Davis to familiarise himself with the reasoning which has always been in a public document every year by every Victorian government for decades—the submission to the minimum wage review. These things are always taken into account. I would restate my invitation to members—especially, frankly, you lot in the Liberal Party—to ask some questions in my portfolios. That would be very nice.