Opposition Leader Peter Dutton rejects an invitation to next month's national jobs summit, which the government is spruiking as a key moment in designing its economic and workplace policy.
The federal Liberals have rejected an invitation to attend a national jobs summit next month, labelling it a stunt.The federal government is convening a summit with the hopes it will prompt wages and productivity growthThe federal government is preparing to convene a summit for the first week of September that it hopes will be a keystone for its economic policy in the term ahead that will unify business, government and unions.
Government ministers had expressed hesitation over inviting the opposition, saying it would only be invited if it was prepared to be constructive. On Tuesday Treasurer Jim Chalmers wrote to Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, extending an invitation for him or another Coalition MP to attend."We'll support all sorts of good policies from the government … but we're not going to support stunts.
"The fact that Jim Chalmers wrote to me and then within a couple of hours dropped it to The Australian newspaper demonstrates it is nothing more than a stunt."Overnight, the peak union body outlined its goals for the upcoming jobs summit, with "full and secure" employment being its first priority. The Australian Council of Trade Unions said despite unemployment being at a historic low, real wages were declining and insecure work was "rife".