Laurie Carmichael Lecture: Bill Kelty AC

The 2026 Laurie Carmichael Lecture – Fighting for a better life for workers: lessons from the past, for the future

In this year’s lecture, Bill Kelty AC will look at what a good quality of life for working people really involves. A decent wage is the foundation, but the idea goes further: access to education, participation in cultural life, and the time and security to enjoy them. This broader view of what work should make possible was central to Bill's many conversations with Laurie Carmichael. It is especially relevant now, as working people deal with sustained pressure on real wages.

Bill will also reflect on his long partnership with Laurie, whom he called a ‘gentle Communist warrior’. The two came from different ideological traditions within the labour movement, yet worked closely together through some of its most consequential decades. Their collaboration shows what can be achieved through shared purpose across differences.