Dr Newman has advocated the Australian minimum wage falling to levels comparable with the US.

Business should advocate for tax reform to encourage greater employment, but dropping the minimum wage would be an enormously damaging move.

One may well ask Dr Newman how he obtained the wealth necessary to own a cattle property that is "wonderfully relaxing and gives us the opportunity to regularly enjoy fresh air and simple pleasures with our children and grandchildren".

Why then, would you bring us down to the level of the US, where many of those who are less fortunate stay on the treadmill for their entire working life?

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Dr Newman spoke of Australia's high minimum wage as something of a curse. From my perspective, we should all take great pride in providing a living wage to our fellow citizens.

When comparing the wages structure in Australia to Europe and, heaven help us, the United States, he overlooks the enormous social cost of the poverty created by these "competitive wage structures." And by quoting annual incomes at the minimum wage, he totally ignores the fact that a large proportion of these workers have only part time work.

Rather than wring our hands over the high cost of labour, why don't we emulate the Japanese in the 1980's when faced with an overvalued Yen. They called on the general population and the business community to strive for measured productivity increases, and succeeded in maintaining and improving their economic position.

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