In Australia we have a high minimum wage, you don’t need to tip service workers, they are already paid at least the minimum wage. We don’t have a tipping culture and we don’t want a tipping culture – it promotes underpaying workers.

In short, pay your people right. You are able to run a business and pay your staff, if you can’t then the business isn’t viable. The minimum rate of pay in Australia is $18.93, this needs to be reflected in the pricing structure incorporating overheads and a reasonable profit margin. I’m a capitalist and believe in the principles of free market economics. Capitalism requires a degree of regulation as we tend to see the formation of an monopoly or oligopoly. Issues such as price fixing and market manipulation common occurs in a totally unregulated market.

I’m also a market based socialist in many respects, I also believe in an equitable society where workers can lead not only productive lives but meaningful lives in terms of opportunity. We need to not only promote inclusiveness, we need to support vulnerable individuals and groups. As a society, we need to pay people so they are able to support themselves and their family. Most families require two incomes these days, that is pretty standard now, the cost of living is brutal, what we can’t have is individuals still struggling to pay their bills because they are underpaid.