Raising the minimum wage is not the answer to poverty in Australia, an expert argues after the union calls for a wage rise.

The ACTU is calling for a $43 weekly rise to the minimum wage to eventually create a living wage and alleviate poverty.

Director of Hilda Survey Professor Mark Wooden discusses with Ross Greenwood the Newstart allowance as a start to alleviating poverty.

“I think they’re kidding themselves when they’re saying that a full-time, full-year, minimum wage worker, is below the poverty line.

“The poverty line is about 10 per cent and this is mostly households where no one is working.”

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