The Carmichael Centre, an initiative of the Centre for Future Work, has announced that the 2026 Laurie Carmichael Lecture will this year be given by legendary trade unionist and former secretary of the ACTU, Bill Kelty AC.

The lecture, titled ‘Fighting for a better life for workers: lessons from the past, for the future’, will take place on Thursday 5 November at RMIT’s Kaleide Theatre. The lecture will be chaired by Correna Haythorpe, Federal President of the Australian Education Union.

In his lecture, Bill 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.

The Laurie Carmichael Lecture is an annual keynote lecture hosted by the Carmichael Centre, an initiative of the Centre for Future Work, in partnership with RMIT University’s Business and Human Rights Centre (BHRIGHT). It honours Laurie Carmichael (1925–2018), a prominent trade unionist and communist, who campaigned passionately throughout his life to protect workers’ rights, including the rights to organise and take industrial action. Laurie’s legacy is one of outstanding and innovative leadership to the trade union and social justice movements in Australia. His lifetime of activism covered numerous themes that remain relevant and pressing today.

To read more about the event and book tickets to attend, visit the 2026 Laurie Carmichael Lecture event page on Humanitix.