The new Fair Pay Commission.

[Matilda]

Did anyone see Tony Jones interviewing the Chairman of the new Fair Pay Commission last night on
Lateline? Doesn't bode well for the workers if the rest are anything like him - dry as dust he
was, an academic who admits he's never met many low-paid workers, and an obviously right-wing
Christian to boot.

Although he did his best to avoid answering any questions with a direct response, two statements
stood out - one, the the commissioners will be going around the country to talk to low-paid workers
to get an idea of how they manage, and the second, a statement he wrote in 2002 that the American
economy was more competitive because the government hadn't forced sweatshop owners in Lower
Manhattan to raise wages to a reasonable level. To the first - if you haven't walked in the shoes,
you can never, ever know; and to the second - there's the reason why our glorious leader chose the
man - because we've got to compete with China and India.

It was a very good interview in the best Tony Jones style, and if you didn't see it and would like
to get an idea of what awaits the workers of Australia, click on the link of the transcript:


http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2006/s1652356.htm