McGrath: Be wary of politicians talking in ‘absolute’ terms
Yet again we have seen Anthony Albanese shrugging off responsibility for another embarrassing blunder.
He has spectacularly backtracked on his comments where he aimlessly committed to support “a wage hike of at least 5.1 per cent to keep up with inflation”. When asked if he would support such a wage hike the Labor leader responded: “Absolutely”.
Policy on the run has become standard practice for Labor. Albanese has been exposed as a risk. He has no plan or intention to better the lives of Queenslanders. His only concern is whether he can sneak into power with the support of the Greens who will no doubt want their pound of flesh in return.
Labor and Albanese claim they will raise wages. Where is their magic wand that forces bsuiness to raise wages? Anyone with half an idea of how wage law works in Australia knows that it is the job the independent umpire, the Fair Work Commission, to determine the minimum wage. It is not the job of government to arbitrarily raise wages to win votes. Albanese’s reckless policy shows that he is a loose unit when it comes to the economy.
Small business needs certainty and clarity when it comes to wages. It determines how many people they can afford to employ; it determines how much stock they can afford to order; it to determines their capacity to invest in people. Ad hoc wage policy from a desperate Albanese would be devastating for the bottom line of Queensland family businesses.
In the real world, the Liberal National Team has members and candidates who are from the same cloth as the people they work for and represent.
Take Terry Young, the member for Longman. A hard working, self-made local business operator who went to Dakabin State High School. Terry understands and appreciates the supportive role good, stable government can play in offering a hand up, not a handout. Aspirational Australians know that the answer to rising inflation is not to attack family businesses by raising their taxes.
Ultimately, Labor can’t say how they’ll pay for their promises, and they can’t manage money. That means higher deficits and higher taxes.
Albanese has never held a financial portfolio. He’s never held a national security portfolio. He’s never delivered a budget. In 9 days’ time, can you really afford to risk Albanese becoming Prime Minister and taxing you and your family into oblivion?
Queensland Liberal Senator James McGrath and his ALP counterpart Senator Anthony Chisholm will bring an upper-house view to the election campaign every Thursday.