CELEBRATE the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples at our national cultural institutions from July 2-9.

30 June 2017

Highlights include the National Gallery of Australia’s Defying Empire: 3^rd National Indigenous Art Triennial, which showcases a diverse range of works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. Featured artist Tony Albert is holding two workshops during NAIDOC week, which encourage the whole family to create art with playing cards and found objects.

The National Library of Australia is commemorating this year’s NAIDOC Week theme Our Languages Matter with a collection talk, presenting some of the earliest written records of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.

Get creative with Kalkadoon woman Ronnie Jordan as she shares her skills at the National Museum of Australia’s (NMA) traditional weaving workshop. There is also still time to see the NMA’s Evolution: Torres Strait Masks exhibition, which celebrates the rich and continuing tradition of mask making in Zenadh Kes (Torres Strait).

The National Film and Sound Archive, in association with the NMA, is presenting a screening of Mabo: Life of an Island Man, followed by a Q&A with director Trevor Graham and special guest Gail Mabo. The award winning documentary follows the life of Indigenous Australian land rights campaigner Eddie Koiki Mabo.

Below is the full list of events during NAIDOC Week:

Tuesday 4 July

NAIDOC Week Event: Collection Talk – National Library of Australia (Canberra, ACT)

Wednesday 5 July

Kids and family: Jasper Jones – National Film and Sound Archive (Canberra, ACT)

Mabo: Life of an Island Man – National Film and Sound Archive (Canberra, ACT)

Thursday 6 July

NAIDOC Collection Talk: Our Voice – National Library of Australia (Canberra, ACT)

Friday 7 July to Saturday 8 July

NAIDOC Week – Traditional Weaving Workshop – National Museum of Australia (Canberra, ACT)

Kids and family: Create space with Tony Albert – National Gallery of Australia (Canberra, ACT)

Ongoing

Defying Empire: 3^rd National Indigenous Art Triennial – National Gallery of Australia (Canberra, ACT)

A Change is Gonna Come – National Museum of Australia (Canberra, ACT)

Evolution: Torres Strait Masks – National Museum of Australia (Canberra, ACT)

First Australians – National Museum of Australia (Canberra, ACT)

Collection in Focus: Brook Andrew – National Portrait Gallery (Canberra, ACT)

Yes: The Ongoing Story of the 1967 Referendum – Museum of Australian Democracy (Canberra, ACT)

Lustre – Australian National Maritime Museum (Sydney, NSW)

Eora First People – Australian National Maritime Museum (Sydney, NSW)

For more information about NAIDOC Week celebrations around Australia, visit the NAIDOC website.

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THE House of Representatives Environment and Energy Committee is continuing its inquiry into modernising Australia’s electricity grid. As part of the inquiry, the Committee is encouraging members of the community to share their views on the electricity system via an online questionnaire.

The Chair of the Committee, Andrew Broad MP, said that input from individuals, households, and businesses is a valuable part of the inquiry.

“The Committee would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to complete the questionnaire. We have received thousands of responses to date and are looking forward to receiving more responses as the inquiry progresses,” Mr Broad said.

The Deputy Chair of the Committee, Mr Pat Conroy MP, said the Committee had received evidence about the important role for consumers in shaping the future of the electricity grid.

“New technology is changing the way in which consumers interact with the grid. It is important for the Committee to understand these changes, and how consumers’ expectations of the electricity system are likely to evolve into the future,” Mr Conroy said.

Further information is available on the inquiry website, at www.aph.gov.au/moderngrid.

Interested members of the public may wish to track the committee via the website.

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WITH the changes to Sunday penalty rates due to take effect this weekend, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is conscious the minimum wage increase will counteract the impact of the first stage reduction in penalty rates.

ARA Executive Director, Russell Zimmerman, said while the first stage of penalty rates reduction will commence this weekend there will be little benefit to retailers with the recent minimum wage increase.

“This first stage of the penalty rates transition will only see a five percent reduction in Sunday penalty rates, meaning retailers and the wider industry will not be able to see the immediate benefits to employment and growth within the sector,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“The four-stage transitional arrangement is a much slower approach to what the industry hoped for, and now with the high increase to minimum wage taking affect on July 1, retailers won’t be able to reap the benefits from the penalty rate cuts for a number of years.”

The ARA was hoping for a faster transitional arrangement, allowing retailers to increase trading hours, ramp up employment and offer additional hours to employees.

“Retail employees are the heart and soul of the industry, and we need to ensure both employers and employees are being looked after,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“With the current pressures already affecting the retail market, retailers need to invest in their customer service and staff.”

Mr Zimmerman said the unions have been broadcasting outlandish statements about the penalty rate reduction and they should instead get behind the reduction to improve employment across the nation.

“Retail is the largest private employer in Australia and we want to ensure employees working within the sector are supported, and to do that we must first address the issues their employers are facing in the current retail environment.”

About the Australian Retailers Association:

Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is the retail industry’s peak representative body representing Australia’s $310 billion sector, which employs more than 1.2 million people. The ARA works to ensure retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 7,500 independent and national retail members throughout Australia. For more information, visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

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TWO decisions of the Fair Work Commission take effect this weekend –  an immediate 3.3 percent increase in the minimum wage; and a staged variation in penalty rates under the Hospitality, Fast Food, Retail and Pharmacy Awards.

The decision does not apply to people employed under enterprise agreements or in other sectors for example nurses, police and paramedics.

Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnel said, "Small business operators will be paying more in wages to their employees from this weekend. The minimum wage increase is significantly higher than inflation and helps offset the initial reduction in Sunday penalty rates.

"Big business and unions have made deals in the past through enterprise agreements which traded penalty rates for union membership.

"Small businesses don’t have the capacity to negotiate enterprise agreements and continue to grapple with the most complex award system in the world.

"The Fair Work Commission decision is welcomed as a positive first step towards modernising the system," Ms Carnell said.

"It’s a shame that unions are running a scare campaign against the penalty rates decision of the independent umpire while accepting the higher minimum wage."

www.asbfeo.gov.au

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