Should our children be allowed to be employed for longer?

Times have changed since Australian children were expected to pan for gold in the 19th century. Credit: Getty Images

A US state has proposed the relaxation of child labour laws to increase work hours for children in a bid to address worker shortages. Australian labour laws are different across states, but there are calls for a unification of laws and a strengthening of the minimum wage convention.

One state in the USA has proposed relaxing child labour laws in an effort to address labour shortages.
In Australia, there are calls for a unification of laws and a strengthening of the minimum wage convention.
Australian labour laws are different from state to state, but the legal maximum number of work hours for children aged 16 and under in each state is relatively lower, with between 3 to 4 hours of work on a school day.