ACT MP Roger Douglas is going to ask Parliament to re-introduce youth rates.
Sir Roger said today he would put up a member's Bill seeking the change.
In Parliament yesterday, responding to a question from Sir Roger about adult rates pricing youth out of the market, Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson seemed interested in the idea.
"The member may be aware that when Labour wanted to abolish the youth rate we did in fact vote against that legislation, for that very reason," she said.
"We were concerned that it would price young people off the job market, and that it might also be a perverse incentive for them to leave education. I say to the member who asked the question that we are always willing to listen to good ideas."
Asked for comment today, a spokesman for Ms Wilkinson said the idea was not on the agenda but did not rule it out saying Cabinet had not discussed it.
Social Development and Employment Minister Paula Bennett during question time today said she had not seen evidence that abolition of youth rates had resulted in young people losing jobs.
Labour MP Darien Fenton said reintroducing the rates would be a step backward.
Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union national secretary Andrew Little said the Bill would reintroduce wage discrimination against workers aged 16 to 18.
"The idea that the way to reduce youth unemployment is to pay young workers less is the kind of discredited economic thinking the civilised world left behind years ago."
Labour passed legislation requiring 16- and 17-year-olds to be paid the adult wage once they obtained 200 hours' work experience.
Members' bills - generally opposition MP bills - are considered fortnightly on a Wednesday when Parliament is sitting.
Bills are drawn from a ballot so some can languish for years and once they are drawn seldom get further than a first reading unless the Government decides they should be sent to select committees for public submissions.
