INSTEAD of increasing the basic wage by $45 a week, Sally McManus, ACTU secretary, we need a wage and price freeze.

How does she think small business will be able to pay this high increase to workers?

Australians are well off these days with enough to gamble, drink excess alcohol, to smoke dangerously and to buy those creamy expensive cakes and chocolates etc to make Bundaberg the city with the highest rate of obesity in Australia, not to mention those expensive tattoos destroying natural skin.

We need a wage and price freeze for everyone whether they be union officials, politicians, doctors, directors, chairmen of big business etc.

We could even lessen Australian's huge debt by stopping businesses moving overseas for cheaper labour.

One can only imagine how many Bundaberg businesses could have remained opened to employ Australian workers if penalty rates were lowered earlier.

R HOFNER

Bundaberg