I'm not suggesting it's always easy, but by ditching costly...

I'm not suggesting it's always easy, but by ditching costly motor vehicles and sharing a two bedroom flat with one other, many over the years have managed to live on close to the minimum wage, which has recently risen by upwards of five per cent. I acknowledge inflation is a problem, but it's not insurmountable.

Having a car is incredibly expensive: although the figure may be at least slightly exaggerated, recent media suggests that it costs slightly upwards of A$400 a week when all costs (petrol/diesel, the possible cost of a car loan at usurious interest rates, registration, insurance and maintenance, and some even incur speeding/red light camera fines) are taken into account.

And yes, to processing plants like ING Thomastown, there is public transport available close by, including from early morning the 556 (four minute walk) and SmartBus 902 (12 mjnute walk) routes, connecting at stations like Keon Park on the Mernda line with Metro Trains Melbourne's trains.

Or if preferred, workers can car pool.

In its usual fashion, the Labor/Greens alliance will open the floodgates to migrants so that over time may well solve the labour shortages being incurred by a wide range of employers, not just ING.