11. Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour—Hutt South) Link to this
to the Minister of Labour
Can she explain what she meant by her comment to the House on 4 March 2009: “Would you like Dame Kiri Te Kanawa to be on the minimum wage?”?
Hon KATE WILKINSON (Minister of Labour) Link to this
I made that statement to illustrate the absurdity of Darien Fenton’s considering all musicians to be vulnerable workers for the purposes of her member’s bill.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
Does the Minister not understand that the minimum wage is a floor, and not compulsory?
Hon KATE WILKINSON Link to this
I have seen a report arguing that “contractors should be regulated by commercial, not industrial law. … unions should not be able to interfere in commercial arrangements involving contractors”. That report came from the Deputy Prime Minister of the Australian Labor Government, Julia Gillard.
I call the Hon Trevor Mallard. [ Interruption] Would members please show some courtesy; their colleague is trying to ask a supplementary.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
Does she not understand that the minimum wage is a floor, and not compulsory?
Hon KATE WILKINSON Link to this
I understand that the minimum wage is the minimum wage under the minimum wage legislation.