Voters, city council and even local business leaders have tried to raise the city’s minimum wage, but face pushback from the state legislature in Harrisburg.
The autumn statement failed to deliver for the early years sector, which will struggle to deliver an expansion in childcare promised in the 2023 spring budget.
Beyond higher wages and improved benefits, the terms of the Kaiser settlement would ensure better staffing, which the unions have argued is critical for providing quality patient care.
Research shows older workers, and those without qualifications, struggle to move out of low-wage work. The evidence challenges claims that the minimum wage is a stepping stone to higher pay.
The Alberta government’s report on the supposed ills of the minimum wage should be viewed within the vast, diverse spectrum of economic literature, not just standard economics.
University of Canberra Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan and Director of the Institute for Governance & Policy Analysis, Dr Lain Dare discuss the week in politics.
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Tony Burke advocates on wages and arts
Michelle Grattan speaks with Tony Burke the minister for employment and workplace relations and minister for the arts, as well as the leader of the House of Representatives.