The Labor party on Wednesday will urge the Fair Work Commission to grant a real wage increase to Australian workers on awards.
This goes further than Labor’s recommendations in earlier years, which have been for real wages not to go backwards.
In the new submission, Labor will say that the increase should be “economically sustainable.” It says a rise in minimum and award wages should be consistent with inflation returning sustainably to the Reserve Bank’s target band of 2% to 3%.
The move sets up a debate between the government and opposition about what are responsible wage increases.
The submission says: “Labor believes workers should get ahead with a real wage increase. Despite heightened global uncertainty and volatility, the Australian economy has turned a corner. Inflation is now less than one third of its peak, unemployment remains low, there are over 1 million additional people employed than in May 2022, and interest rates have started to come down.
“Economic growth rebounded at the end of last year and the private sector is now a key contributor to growth. Importantly, real wages growth has now returned and is forecast to continue across 2024-25 and 2025-26. A soft landing in our economy looks more and more likely.”
More than 2.9 million workers have their pay set by an award and are directly affected by the commission’s Annual Wage Review. The national minimum wage is presently $24.10 an hour, which is $915.90 for a 38 hour week, equivalent to $47,626.80 a year.
The submission points out that women are disproportionately represented in jobs that are under awards and low paid.
The government argues that its position is both economically responsible and fair, and will ensure low paid workers can get ahead as inflation moderates. It says that if its recommendation is accepted, this will help about three million workers, including cleaners, retail workers and early childhood educators.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recalled that during the 2022 campaign he was asked if he supported a wage increase for low paid workers.
After he said “absolutely”, the Liberals had said this would wreck the economy,
“Since then we’ve seen wages going up, inflation coming down and interest rates starting to fall. This campaign will again advocate for workers to get a pay rise to not only help them deal with the pressures of today, but to get ahead in the future.”
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said: “The choice at this election is between a Labor government which has been creating jobs, getting wages moving again, rebuilding living standards and rolling out responsible cost-of-living help versus a Coalition that wants Australians working longer for less.”
In its submission Labor says an economically sustainable real wage increase would complement the measures the government has introduced to ease cost-of-living pressures.
The Lunar Gateway is planned space station that will orbit the Moon. It is part of the Nasa‑led Artemis programme. Artemis aims to return humans to the Moon, establishing a sustainable presence there for scientific and commercial purposes, and eventually reach Mars.
However, the modular space station now faces delays, cost concerns and potential US funding cuts. This raises a fundamental question: is an orbiting space station necessary to achieve lunar objectives, including scientific ones?
Cancelling Gateway would also raise deeper questions about the future of US commitment to international cooperation within Artemis. It would therefore risk eroding US influence over global partnerships that will define the future of deep space exploration.
Gateway was designed to support these ambitions by acting as a staging point for crewed and robotic missions (such as lunar rovers), as a platform for scientific research and as a testbed for technologies crucial to landing humans on Mars.
It is a multinational endeavour. Nasa is joined by four international partners, the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency (Esa), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the United Arab Emirates’ Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre.
Most components contributed by these partners have already been produced and delivered to the US for integration and testing. But the project has been beset by rising costs and persistent debates over its value.
If cancelled, the US abandonment of the most multinational component of the Artemis programme, at a time when trust in such alliances is under unprecedented strain, could be far reaching.
It will be assembled module by module, with each partner contributing components and with the possibility of additional partners joining over time.
Strategic aims
Gateway reflects a broader strategic aim of Artemis, to pursue lunar exploration through partnerships with industry and other nations, helping spread the financial cost – rather than as a sole US venture. This is particularly important amid intensifying competition – primarily with China.
China and Russia are pursuing their own multinational lunar project, a surface base called the International Lunar Research Station. Gateway could act as an important counterweight, helping reinforce US leadership at the Moon.
In its quarter-century of operation, the ISS has hosted more than 290 people from 26 countries, alongside its five international partners, including Russia. More than 4,000 experiments have been conducted in this unique laboratory.
In 2030, the ISS is due to be succeeded by separate private and national space stations in low Earth orbit. As such, Lunar Gateway could repeat the strategic, stabilising role among different nations that the ISS has played for decades.
However, it is essential to examine carefully whether Gateway’s strategic value is truly matched by its operational and financial feasibility.
It could be argued that the rest of the Artemis programme is not dependant on the lunar space station, making its rationales increasingly difficult to defend.
Some critics focus on technical issues, others say the Gateway’s original purpose has faded, while others argue that lunar missions can proceed without an orbital outpost.
Sustainable exploration
Supporters counter that the Lunar Gateway offers a critical platform for testing technology in deep space, enabling sustainable lunar exploration, fostering international cooperation and laying the groundwork for a long term human presence and economy at the Moon. The debate now centres on whether there are more effective ways to achieve these goals.
Despite uncertainties, commercial and national partners remain dedicated to delivering their commitments. Esa is supplying the International Habitation Module (IHAB) alongside refuelling and communications systems. Canada is building Gateway’s robotic arm, Canadarm3, the UAE is producing an airlock module and Japan is contributing life support systems and habitation components.
Gateway’s Halo module at a facility in Arizona operated by aerospace company Northrop Grumman. Nasa / Josh Valcarcel
US company Northrop Grumman is responsible for developing the Habitat and Logistics Outpost (Halo), and American firm Maxar is to build the power and propulsion element (PPE). A substantial portion of this hardware has already been delivered and is undergoing integration and testing.
If the Gateway project ends, the most responsible path forward to avoid discouraging future contributors to Artemis projects would be to establish a clear plan to repurpose the hardware for other missions.
Cancellation without such a strategy risks creating a vacuum that rival coalitions, could exploit. But it could also open the door to new alternatives, potentially including one led by Esa.
Esa has reaffirmed its commitment to Gateway even if the US ultimately reconsiders its own role. For emerging space nations, access to such an outpost would help develop their capabilities in exploration. That access translates directly into geopolitical influence.
Space endeavours are expensive, risky and often difficult to justify to the public. Yet sustainable exploration beyond Earth’s orbit will require a long-term, collaborative approach rather than a series of isolated missions.
If the Gateway no longer makes technical or operational sense for the US, its benefits could still be achieved through another project.
This could be located on the lunar surface, integrated into a Mars mission or could take an entirely new form. But if the US dismisses Gateway’s value as a long term outpost without ensuring that its broader benefits are preserved, it risks missing an opportunity that will shape its long term influence in international trust, leadership and the future shape of space cooperation.
South Korea is proposing laws to protect jobs from AI, balancing innovation with workers’ rights amid rising automation.
South Korean lawmakers are taking bold steps to protect workers from the growing impact of AI on employment. The proposed legislation aims to safeguard jobs and support workers transitioning into new roles as machines increasingly enter the workforce.
Professor Karen Sutherland of Uni SC joins Ticker to break down what these changes mean for employees and industries alike. She explains how the laws are designed to balance technological innovation with workers’ rights, and why proactive measures are crucial as AI adoption accelerates.
With major companies like Hyundai Motor introducing advanced robots, labour unions have raised concerns about fair treatment and the future of human labour. Experts say South Korea’s approach is faster and more comprehensive than similar initiatives in the United States and European Union, aiming to secure livelihoods while improving the quality of life for displaced workers.
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At Munich Security Conference, U.S. NATO ambassador discussed defense autonomy, hybrid warfare, and transatlantic cooperation amid rising tensions.
At the Munich Security Conference, the U.S. ambassador to NATO faced tough questions on global order as European allies explored greater defense autonomy amid rising geopolitical tensions. The discussion highlighted the challenges NATO faces in maintaining unity while responding to evolving threats.
The ambassador addressed criticisms directly, emphasizing the importance of transatlantic cooperation and NATO’s role in ensuring international security. European nations voiced concerns about independent defense capabilities and the impact of hybrid warfare from Russia on regional stability.
Oz Sultan from Sultan Interactive Group provides analysis.
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