George Pell cautions John Howard over IR

Last year Cardinal George Pell entered the education debate in the last federal election, saying Labor's planned redistribution of funds between non-government schools was "potentially divisive" and "regrettable". In another intervention in the election, George Pell along with Anglican leader Peter Jensen met "privately" with Tony Abbott prior to the election to discuss the Howard government attitude to abortion.

Today George Pell told Australian Financial Review:

"We've had a long period of prosperity in Australia and I think that means that the necessity for radical change needs to be established."

He said his major concern was that minimum wages would be pushed lower in real terms.

"The disparity between rich and poor is of some concern but it is different if the minimum wage is still rising," he said.

This comes after a number of church leaders have described the new laws as anti union and anti poor. Pell's statement follows a recent article by Neil Ormerod, Professor of Theology at the Australian Catholic University in Sydney who wrote:

"It is difficult to see how Kevin Andrews, Minister for Workplace Relations, reconciles his workplace reforms with his Catholic faith. And where will that other prominent Catholic minister in the Howard government, Tony Abbott, stand in relation to these proposed reforms. And finally, it will also be interesting to see how a certain Catholic prelate, who has often sided with the Howard government, will respond to a policy so at variance with Catholic social teaching."

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