Australia news LIVE: Energy market suspends trading to shore up electricity grid; Fair Work Commission raises minimum wage by 5.2 per cent; RBA predicts 7 per cent inflation by end of 2022

Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus says the union movement had to fight through “heavy crosswinds” to secure the minimum wage increase announced today.

During a press conference a short while ago, McManus said the rise, which equates to about $40 extra a week, would make a difference to struggling low-paid workers.

“While it’s not exactly what we wanted, we welcome this increase because we know that it’s actually going to make a big, big difference to 25 per cent of the workforce,” she said.

“We are talking about millions of people and their families that will have a better chance of being able to afford the groceries, their rent, their petrol and their energy bills.

The Australian Electoral Commission has denied former NSW Liberal minister Andrew Constance’s request for a recount in the federal seat of Gilmore.

Labor incumbent Fiona Phillips retained the seat with a margin of 373 votes.

AEC spokesman Evan Ekin-Smyth said the request was considered carefully but a recount would not be directed.

“The counting process was undertaken in line with the Electoral Act and there was sufficient checking and re-checking of ballot papers during the scrutiny period (including the fresh scrutiny process), he said.

AEMO chief Daniel Westerman urged people in NSW to use less energy tonight if they can safely do so.

“We're concerned about the supply and demand balance for this evening, and potentially tomorrow, and we would urge consumers in NSW only to conserve energy where it's safe to do so.”

Westerman says there are a range of factors behind the “very challenging times”, including planned and unplanned outages of generators, very high demand because of the cold weather, and increased input costs.

“What we are creating today is a secure electricity system where we are able to manage supply and demand in real-time and have visibility on any gaps in between supply and demand, for the foreseeable future,” he said.

Daniel Westerman, AEMO’s chief executive, says the suspension of the electricity market is a temporary measure that will be reviewed daily.

He says the move gives the regulator “true visibility” over which generators are available and when.

“We will return the market to its normal state once AEMO is confident that we can operate the market again and not see generators withdraw their availability,” Westerman says.

Asked whether that would be days or weeks, he says the situation will be reviewed on a daily basis.