When substance is short spin goes long

This all started with a report by Caritas earlier this year where they reported research that families on minimum wage are suffering poverty and suggested a substantial increase in the minimum wage to help them break out of the poverty trap.

I had expressed disagreement with this suggestion arguing that such a measures would be counter-productive.   See the articles Unintended Consequences published on this blog on 19th March 2012 through the link below:

19-03-2012 Unintended Consequences

Joseph Muscat argued on these same lines.  Those who really want to help minimum wage earners can do so in two ways.  Offer them real opportunities for skill enrichment so that they can qualify for better jobs, and where this is totally unfeasible then consider introducing the concept of a living wage.   But increasing the minimum wage beyond its current annual cost of living mechanism would be a sure way how to out-price such workers out of the market sinking them further into real and psychological poverty.

The PN spinners have turned this to proclaim that Labour are proposing a total freeze on the minimum wage.  If this is so than the minimum wage has been frozen under all PN administrations since 1987 as it has never been increased at all beyond the annual COLA adjustments.

When substance goes short spin goes long... and probably we have seen nothing yet!!