JOURNALIST:
The Jobs and Skills Summit went pretty smoothly, but it looks like you'll have a fight on your hands when it comes to multi-employer bargaining?
JIM CHALMERS:
Look, if it were up to the Coalition, we'd have another 10 years of wage stagnation and deliberate wage suppression. We need to do things differently here. Ordinary working Australians are falling further and further behind. The Coalition would like to see that happen, we have a different view about that. This is not about more conflict, this is about more agreement. We want to see more agreement in industrial relations, not more conflict, and we want to see wages growth. And that's why the changes that Tony Burke will be consulting on are so important.
JOURNALIST:
Business groups don't seem particularly pleased with what is being considered. How confident are you, you can get them on board?
CHALMERS:
We've been really encouraged and really heartened by the degree of engagement and consultation with the business community. I pay tribute to the business community and the peak employer groups, who have genuinely engaged with us in the spirit of good faith. This is how a first rate country runs itself by seeing where there is common ground, moving forward where we can but always in the interest of our people. And in this regard, it means getting wages growing again, after almost a decade of deliberate wage stagnation and wage suppression.
JOURNALIST:
Treasurer, can I also ask you about welfare payments increasing, the indexation will increase? Can I get your remarks?
CHALMERS:
It's really important that our payments keep up with inflation. That's why they're indexed twice a year, and every little bit helps. This indexation will be particularly big this month, because inflation is particularly challenging. And we know that it won't solve every problem for everybody, but it's important that we try and make sure that those payments keep up. That's what the indexation is about. It will be welcome even as we acknowledge that times will still be tough for a lot of people.
JOURNALIST:
And are you willing at all to consider extending the temporary cut to the fuel excise at the end of this month?
CHALMERS:
I've been really upfront with people before the election, during the election and after the election. I've said to you many times over the last 6 months or so that it would be too expensive to continue that petrol price relief indefinitely. I think Australians understand that we've inherited a budget which is heaving with a trillion dollars in Liberal Party debt and that means some difficult decisions including this one.
JOURNALIST:
Thank you