Oh my God – she wants to pay $2 an hr

Shorten blames Coalition governments for union unrest, Swan thinks the economy is going gangbusters and Gillard lectures the mining community on education. Elsewhere, the Left claim Gina Reinhart wants to pay Australian workers $2 a day. If ever a quantum leap in logic has been presented to the Australian public it is Shorten’s spin on union unrest. The Fair Work Act, based on the premise that unions deserve payback for getting the Rudd/Gillard government onto the treasury benches has started to impact badly on the economy as all of us long time ALP observers expected. Man-hours lost on the increase and industry reluctant to invest let alone employ people – overall, a standard ALP/unions in power result.

WORKING days lost due to industrial disputes have hit an eight-year high, with 101,700 working days lost in the June quarter. The Australian Bureau of Statistics said it was the highest level of working days lost in one three-month period since June 2004.

Victorian Premier, Ted Baillieu, claims the CFMEU should pay damages – I agree.

THE nation’s most militant building union should be made to pay for the damage to business and the economy caused by its actions, according to Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu. “Australians have been appalled to see the CFMEU’s behaviour. Thuggish behaviour, unruly behaviour, unlawful behaviour,” he said. “If they’re going to trash the furniture they’re going to pay the bill. “I also suggest that others who seem to regard unlawful and violent union practices as just part of the so-called industrial ballgame must also start showing proper respect for the law”.

Gina Rinehart’s comment’s drove everyone from the PM down to attack her over “paying people $2 an hour” statement like she was advocating we import African workers and pay them $2 an hour. They so missed the point, or they saw her point and felt they had to distract from the message in case voters also see the sense in her statement. ADAM CREIGHTON in today’s Australian addresses the point;

Far from being loopy, Rinehart’s remarks reflect standard, even boring, economic theory, entwined with a classically liberal philosophy that unwieldy government undermines national and individual prosperity. Rinehart’s observation that Australian wages are high compared with Africa’s prompted fury, but logic points out higher minimum wages and laws hampering businesses hiring and firing decisions bolster unemployment. The Prime Minister’s response that paying people $2 an hour “is not the Australian way” not only grossly misrepresents Rinehart but is pompous, suggesting Africans pay each other miserly sums by choice, and ignorant, implying the costs of goods and services in Africa are similar to here.

Just another day under a reeling, incompetent government.