By: Barry Soper | Wednesday, October 10, 2012 7:50 AM

So the youth wage is on the way back, and if you listen to the naysayers it will relegate our young to 19th century Dickensian working conditions, where their patchwork clothes will be dank and dirty and where they'll be forced to live in squalor thanks to a heartless Government enjoying the baubles of office. The wage will from April Fools' day next year be set at under $11 an hour for 16 to 19-year-olds who will generally be unqualified and will be taken on by uncaring shysters.

Labour tells us they'll leave the country in droves for jobs overseas. Where they'll get the money for the fare though is a little difficult to fathom and of course Labour in government lived with a youth wage until it was abolished in 2008, which just happened to be election year with many 18-year-olds coming on to the electoral roll!

The Kermits say the most disgraceful aspect of sending our young to the poor house is that the Beehive burglars are redefining what constitutes a youth by including 19-year-olds in the low wage catchment. The trade unions are obviously singing from the same song sheet saying the pittance will condemn the young to poverty with the CTU's convenor of their youth committee called 'Stand Up' sounding as though he needs a good lie down. James Sleep (yes that's his real name) says there's no evidence to suggest cutting wages will lead to more jobs.

But let's consider for one minute if you're an employer who's looking for an unskilled labourer. The naysayers' argument is that a 18-year-old school leaver is entitled to be paid the same as 30-year-old, which seems to miss the point that most employers would go for someone with a bit more experience, particularly if there's no differential in pay.  

It's easy to say that everyone should be paid more money, we'd have a far happier society. As a raconteur Labour MP once opined when he was told driving a Mercedes to Parliament wasn't a good look, that as a socialist he believed that everyone should be driving a luxury car. But obviously life's not like that. Work ethic has to be learned and surely a foot in the door is better than hiding behind the door with a dole cheque!

Photo: Jenni Haslam