“4 Prescribed minimum adult rate of wages

• “(1) The Governor-General may, by Order in Council, prescribe a minimum adult rate of wages payable to workers—

  • “(a) who are aged 16 years or older; and

  • “(b) to whom any other minimum rate of wages prescribed under section 4A or 4B does not apply.

  “(2) A rate prescribed under subsection (1) must be prescribed as a monetary amount.

“4A Prescribed minimum starting-out rates of wages

• “(1) The Governor-General may, by Order in Council, prescribe 1 or more minimum starting-out rates of wages payable to 1 or more classes of workers who—

  • “(a) are aged 16, 17, 18, or 19 years; and

  • “(b) are not involved in supervising or training other workers; and

  • “(c) are defined in the order by reference to the age (or range of ages) of the workers and 1 or more of the following factors:

    • “(i) the length of time, being a period of not less than 6 months, that the workers have been continuously paid 1 or more specified social security benefits (the continuous social assistance period):

    • “(ii) the length of time, being a period of not more than 6 months, that the workers have been in continuous employment with 1 employer:

    • “(ii) the length of time, being a period of not more than 6 months, that the workers have been in continuous employment with—

      • “(A) any employer (excluding, if the order defines the class of workers by reference to the factor specified in subparagraph (i), any employment undertaken by the worker before the continuous social assistance period):

      • “(B) the worker's current employer:

    • “(iii) that the workers are employed under contracts of service that require the workers to undergo training, instruction, or examination (as specified in the order) for the purpose of becoming qualified for the occupation to which their contracts of service relate.

  “(2) A rate prescribed under subsection (1) must not be less than 80% of the minimum adult rate prescribed under section 4 and may be prescribed as—

  • “(a) a monetary amount; or

  • “(b) a percentage of the minimum adult rate.

  “(3) If a minimum starting-out rate is prescribed under subsection (1) by reference to a factor specified in , an employer of a worker to whom that rate applies—

  • “(a) may pay the worker in accordance with that rate only until the earlier of—

    • “(i) the date on which the worker has completed 6 months' continuous employment with that employer:

    • “(i) the date on which the worker has completed 6 months' continuous employment (or any shorter period of continuous employment specified in the order) with any employer or the worker's current employer (as the case requires):

    • “(ii) the day before the date on which the worker ceases to satisfy 1 or more both of the criteria in subsection (1)(a) or (b) and (b); and

  • “(b) then must pay the worker no less than the minimum adult rate prescribed under section 4.

  “(4) To avoid doubt, if more than 1 minimum starting-out rate prescribed under subsection (1) applies to a worker, only the higher or the highest rate applies.

  “(5) For the purposes of subsection (1)(c)(i), a worker is to be treated as having been continuously paid a specified social security benefit—

  • “(a) whether or not the benefit has been reduced due to any sanction imposed under the Social Security Act 1964 or for any other reason:

  • “(b) during any period when the benefit was suspended under the Social Security Act 1964 for any reason.

  “(6) In this section,—

  “continuous employment, in relation to a worker,—

  • “(a) means a continuous period of employment starting on the worker's first day of work; and

  • “(b) includes any employment undertaken by the worker before—

    • “(i) the worker turns 16:

    • “(ii) the commencement of the Minimum Wage (Starting-out Wage) Amendment Act 2012

  “continuously paid 1 or more specified social security benefits, in relation to a worker to whom an Order in Council made under section 4A subsection (1)(c)(i) applies, includes any time spent by the worker on 1 or more specified social security benefits before the worker reached the age defined in the order

  “specified social security benefit means any of the following benefits paid or payable under the Social Security Act 1964:

  • “(a) domestic purposes benefit:

  • “(b) emergency benefit:

  • “(c) independent youth benefit:

  • “(d) invalid's benefit:

  • “(e) sickness benefit:

  • “(f) unemployment benefit:

  • “(g) widow's benefit:

  • “(h) young parent payment:

  • “(i) youth payment.

“4B Prescribed minimum training rate of wages

• “(1) The Governor-General may, by Order in Council, prescribe a minimum training rate payable to 1 or more classes of workers who—

  • “(a) are aged 20 years or older; and

  • “(b) are not involved in supervising or training other workers; and

  • “(c) are employed under contracts of service under which they are required to undergo training, instruction, or examination (as specified in the order) for the purpose of becoming qualified for the occupation to which their contract of service relates.

  “(2) A rate prescribed under subsection (1) must not be less than 80% of the minimum adult rate prescribed under section 4 and may be prescribed as—

  • “(a) a monetary amount; or

  • “(b) a percentage of the minimum adult rate.”

• “(i) the minimum weekly adult rate prescribed under section 4 of the Minimum Wage Act 1983; or”.

• “(i) the minimum weekly adult rate prescribed under section 4 of the Minimum Wage Act 1983; or”.