News & Events
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Australia raises minimum wages by 3.5% as inflation eases
Australia’s Fair Work Commission (FWC) has announced a 3.5% increase in the national minimum wage, effective from July 1. This decision will benefit approximately 2.6 million of the country’s lowest-paid workers, raising the hourly rate to A$24.94 ($16.19) and providing full-time employees with an additional A$1,670 annually.
FWC President Adam Hatcher emphasised the importance of this wage hike in preventing a permanent reduction in living standards for the lowest-paid workers, especially as the country emerges from a period of high inflation. The increase comes as Australia’s headline inflation rate has moderated to 2.4%, comfortably within the Reserve Bank of Australia’s target range. The Australian Council of Trade Unions welcomed the decision, describing it as “a great outcome” for minimum wage earners.
This wage adjustment occurs against the backdrop of a resilient labour market, with unemployment holding steady at 4.1%, and recent interest rate cuts by the central bank. The decision strikes a delicate balance between supporting low-income workers and maintaining economic stability as Australia navigates post-pandemic economic challenges and global trade uncertainties.
Read the original article here: https://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/economy/australia-raises-minimum-wages-by-3-5-as-inflation-eases/ar-AA1FXQr7?ocid=BingNewsVerp
UK Overseas Territories Day
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Access Asia: Bangladesh, Sri Lanka & Pakistan Offer New Combinations For Regional Supply Chains
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How the Commonwealth is championing teamwork and vaccine equity
Dr. Hasan discusses the COVID pandemic and the Commonwealth’s part in the global recovery effort, especially vaccine equity and sharing of technology, via platforms like the ACT Accelerator, CPA, and CHPA.
Pacific Leadership in a Global Context: A Conversation with John Loau | Webinar Recording
In a recent webinar hosted by Julia Charlton, John Loau, chair of the National Party’s Pacific branch in New Zealand, shared insightful perspectives on Pacific leadership in a global context. Highlighting Samoa’s historic hosting of the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)
Blockchain Security & Stablecoins: Emerging Standards in the Commonwealth
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Pacific Leadership in a Global Context: A Conversation with John Loau
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The Commonwealth Blue Charter: Progress Report
This progress report was released on 16 June 2022 by the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Oceans and Natural Resources Section, with notable contributions from David Sheppard, the Director of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP); Matthew Goldie-Scot, the Managing Director of the humanitarian strategic consultancy firm Thuso; and, Nina Schoonman, Consultant at Thuso.
The Commonwealth Blue Charter: Ocean Action Report
In May 2022, Asia Investment Research, a research organisation jointly set up by the investment finance firm China Investment Research and Dezan & Shira Associates, issued a special Economics and Trade feature titled “Bangladesh Trade, Development & Economic...
Rethinking Gender Parity and FDI
Gender disparity is arguably one of the greatest impediments to global development. The FDI’s landscape is often an overlooked avenue in gender equality discourse. Yet, it propels tapping equally into the reservoir of capabilities.
Unveiling Rwanda at the Inclusive Fintech Forum 2023: A Journey of Progress and Innovation
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23rd Commonwealth Law Conference 2023
Did you know the first Commonwealth Law Conference was held in London in 1955, and since then it has been held in various cities across the Commonwealth, including Singapore, Cape Town, Auckland, and Edinburgh. The most recent conference was held in Goa, India.