What you need to know
Hello and welcome to our national news live blog for Wednesday, June 3. Here’s what is making headlines this morning.
- Yesterday, the Fair Work Commission announced that it would lift minimum and award wages by 4.75 per cent as of July this year. The increase falls short of what was being supported by unions, but higher than the figure put forward by major business groups.
- AUKUS is under renewed scrutiny this week after an announcement from Defence Minister Richard Marles that Australia would not be receiving a third new Virginia-class submarine from the US, which was originally promised as part of the deal, but a second-hand vessel. An independent public inquiry launched yesterday in federal parliament to investigate the pact’s aims and use of taxpayer dollars. Parliamentarians across the political spectrum have urged the government to rethink its continued participation in the agreement.
- David Farley was sworn in as the member for Farrer yesterday. It marked a historical moment for Pauline Hanson’s party as he became One Nation’s first directly elected lower house member.
- Australia’s data centre boom risks driving up the cost of electricity and derailing emissions targets unless governments force operators and their global tech customers to directly fund new renewable energy projects, a new report from climate advocates warns.
- And Israel called off planned strikes against Lebanon at the request of President Donald Trump, after the US leader reportedly lashed out against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a fiery phone call.
ACTU insists minimum wage increase won’t negatively impact businesses
Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) Sally McManus says the 4.75 per cent increase to award and minimum wages will not negatively impact businesses.
“I again say every year we hear people say this is going to be terrible, and everyone’s going to shut their doors, and they don’t,” she told the Today show.
“When you give people at the bottom pay rises, it does circulate back in the economy … Their wages overall aren’t very large, so when they get an increase, it doesn’t have any knock-on effect to anyone else.”
The Fair Work Commission’s latest increase will see Australia’s minimum wage lift to $26.44 per hour from July 1.
McManus also said unions welcomed the outcome because the increase matched inflation and would therefore ease pressure on the nation’s lowest-paid workers, who were already struggling with the cost of living.
“We are happy, 4.75 is more than inflation, and that’s what you’re always going for, because you want people to get ahead, not get behind … We still don’t know what’s going to happen with inflation, and the war, and everything,” she said this morning.
Trump to attend rescheduled dinner after alleged assassination attempt
A rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner will take place on July 24 after the original event in late April was cut short by a gunman allegedly targeting President Donald Trump and other administration officials.
Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, said the organisation would not allow an act of violence to “have the last word” – especially in the year marking America’s 250th anniversary.
“This dinner will not only be an opportunity to carry out our program,” she said. “It will be a statement that violence has no place in American life and a free press will not be intimidated into silence.”
The decision to reschedule was not automatic, Jiang said, and was made after considering security matters. She said the event would feature significantly enhanced safety measures and access procedures, and details would be shared directly with members later.
What you need to know
Hello and welcome to our national news live blog for Wednesday, June 3. Here’s what is making headlines this morning.
- Yesterday, the Fair Work Commission announced that it would lift minimum and award wages by 4.75 per cent as of July this year. The increase falls short of what was being supported by unions, but higher than the figure put forward by major business groups.
- AUKUS is under renewed scrutiny this week after an announcement from Defence Minister Richard Marles that Australia would not be receiving a third new Virginia-class submarine from the US, which was originally promised as part of the deal, but a second-hand vessel. An independent public inquiry launched yesterday in federal parliament to investigate the pact’s aims and use of taxpayer dollars. Parliamentarians across the political spectrum have urged the government to rethink its continued participation in the agreement.
- David Farley was sworn in as the member for Farrer yesterday. It marked a historical moment for Pauline Hanson’s party as he became One Nation’s first directly elected lower house member.
- Australia’s data centre boom risks driving up the cost of electricity and derailing emissions targets unless governments force operators and their global tech customers to directly fund new renewable energy projects, a new report from climate advocates warns.
- And Israel called off planned strikes against Lebanon at the request of President Donald Trump, after the US leader reportedly lashed out against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a fiery phone call.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
