AAP Rolling News Bulletin for May 21 at 1800
NDIS (CANBERRA)
Lawyers have labelled whistleblower laws for the National Disability Insurance Scheme the worst in the country as they urge the Australian government to make changes to protections.
The Human Rights Law Centre's Whistleblower Project has called for stronger protections for people calling out misconduct within the scheme, including fraud.
"When whistleblowers bring information of wrongdoing to the regulator, they are helping everyone in Australia," the project's lawyer Kieran Pender told a parliamentary inquiry into integrity of the NDIS.
"They are ensuring integrity in the NDIS and better treatment of participants.
"Our view is (NDIS whistleblower protections) remain the worst of among the worst in the country."
The "patchwork" protection should be amended so wrongdoing can be more easily reported by a lawyer, medical practitioner, union or independent advocate.
Legal: Plane Boy (MELBOURNE)
A teen accused of trying to hijack a commercial plane ate Hungry Jacks, drew up a bomb plan and noted down a reminder to check his weapons before sneaking onto the aircraft.
The fresh allegations came in court documents released by a children's court on Thursday, a day after the now-19-year-old opposed an application to have his case heard in a higher court.
It's alleged the teen, dressed in high-vis clothing and carrying a tool box, sneaked his way onto the Jetstar flight at Avalon Airport in Melbourne's southwest shortly before 3pm on March 6, 2025.
The teen, who appeared sweaty and clammy, told cabin crew staff he had bombs in his bags and he needed to go into the cockpit, the documents said.
Legal: Stevens (MELBOURNE)
A couple's marriage disintegrated after an empty hole was left in their backyard by a former AFL player-turned-fraudster.
Ex-Carlton and Port Adelaide footballer Nick Stevens, 46, faced a pre-sentence hearing at Melbourne's County Court on Thursday where his victims aired the impact of his crimes.
A jury found him found guilty of 12 charges of obtaining a financial advantage by deception and one of using a false document, for stealing about $157,000 from six regional families with his pool business in 2017.
While he installed six legally compliant pools under the supervision of a registered builder, Stevens went out on his own without the required licence, registration, permits or insurance.
Stevens had taken money from the families, but left them with non-compliant pools or failed to install a pool at all with giant holes left behind.
Economy (CANBERRA)
Australia's unemployment rate has jumped to 4.5 per cent, surprising economists and adding to the case for the Reserve Bank to keep interest rates on hold.
About 19,000 jobs dropped out of the economy in April, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported on Thursday.
Economists had expected the unemployment rate to hold at 4.3 per cent and an extra 15,000 jobs added to the economy in the month.
The number of unemployed people rose by 33,000, ABS head of labour statistics Sean Crick said.
"Compared to what we usually see in April, more people remained unemployed this month," he said
Ahead of the release, IG market analyst Tony Sycamore said a resilient result in line with expectations would support the case for more Reserve Bank rate hikes, while an uptick in unemployment would see the rates market dial back expectations.
Iran (DUBAI)
President Donald Trump says the United States is ready to proceed with further attacks on Tehran if Iran does not agree to a peace deal, but suggests Washington could wait a few days to "get the right answers".
Speaking to reporters, Trump said the situation was "right on the borderline" and could escalate quickly.
Six weeks after he paused Operation Epic Fury for a ceasefire, talks to end the war have shown little progress, while soaring petrol prices have weighed on the president's approval ratings.
"Believe me, if we don't get the right answers, it goes very quickly. We're all ready to go," he said at Joint Base Andrews near Washington DC.
Asked how long he would wait, Trump said, "It could be a few days, but it could go very quickly."
BudgetTas (HOBART)
Tasmanian Treasurer Eric Abetz looks poised to wield the scalpel on budget day, revealing a speedy return to surplus made possible through cuts.
The government appears set to come good on its promise to tackle debt, which has spiralled in recent years and dominated the state's politics.
On Thursday morning, ahead of the budget's full release, Mr Abetz said Tasmania was forecasting a $193 million surplus in 2027/28, with net debt to peak the year after.
A year earlier, the picture of deficit and debt - which hit $5 billion in 2025 and was forecast to double by 2029 - was so alarming, the parliament passed a vote of no confidence in Premier Jeremy Rockliff.
Having won a snap election off the back of that vote, Mr Rockliff's government has regrouped with a new treasurer at the wheel, who warned of a "tough budget" ahead.
Budget (CANBERRA)
Former prime minister and treasurer Paul Keating has come to the defence of tax changes in the federal budget, as a Labor premier says workers are still paying too much.
Mr Keating said capital gains tax changes in the budget were "structurally sound", despite concerns from business owners it could stifle investment.
The Albanese government's fifth budget replaces the 50 per cent discount on capital gains held for more than a year with a rate based on inflation.
Real gains would be taxed at a 30 minimum rate, prompting concerns from businesses and start-ups.
Mr Keating said the changes were necessary in order to make housing more affordable, dismissing concerns it would hamper businesses in the process.
"Punters with a big idea won't be put off by some marginal change to the tax rate. The rush of entrepreneurial blood to the brain always dominates," he said in a statement.
Mideast Aust (CANBERRA)
Australia has condemned the actions of an Israeli minister as "shocking and unacceptable" after he posted a video of himself berating detained pro-Palestine activists, which may include Australians.
In a clip posted to social media and captioned "Welcome to Israel", national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is shown hurling abuse at the activists - who had been detained after trying to sail to Gaza with aid - while their hands were tied behind their backs and faces on the ground.
"They came with a lot of pride like great heroes. Now look at them. See how they look now. Not heroes, terror supporters," he says at one point, according to a translation by CNN.
More than 400 activists, including 11 Australians, had been trying to break Israel's maritime blockade of Gaza when their boats were intercepted and boarded by the Israeli Defence Forces off the coast of Turkey.
In finance ...
Markets Aust (SYDNEY)
Australia's share market has bounced from a seven-week low on hopes of a deal between Iran and the United States, after President Donald Trump said negotiations were in the final stages.
The S&P/ASX200 jumped 138 points by midday on Thursday, to be up 1.62 per cent at 8,634.6, as the broader All Ordinaries gained 140.1 points, or 1.61 per cent, to 8,857.1.
"The story itself looked a bit like a rinse-and-repeat job: a reassurance by US President Donald Trump – the cynics would say in a bid to jawbone oil and equity prices – that the US and Iran are in the 'final stages' of negotiations," Capital.com senior market analyst Kyle Rodda said.
A higher-than-expected April unemployment rate of 4.5 per cent gave the local indices an extra boost, because the outcome improves the odds the Reserve Bank will hold the cash rate steady in June, rather than hike for a fourth straight time.
Arafura (SYDNEY)
A Gina Rinehart-backed rare earths miner will build its flagship project with help from the federal government to ease China's stranglehold on the sector.
Arafura Rare Earths has made the final investment decision to build its Nolans Project in the Northern Territory, which will be Australia's first fully integrated ore-to-oxide rare earths operation.
The decision came after years of building offtake relationships with companies, including Hyundai, Kia, Siemens, and as the miner became the first company to secure support under a federal government plan to build a rare earths strategic reserve.
China mines more than half the world's rare earths but refines as much as 90 per cent of global production.
Rare earths contain essential elements and alloys that are key to modern technologies with applications in defence and renewable energy.
In entertainment ...
Willis (LONDON)
Rumer Willis says her father Bruce Willis has developed a "sweetness" amid his battle with dementia.
The Die Hard actor was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023 following an earlier aphasia diagnosis in 2022.
And his eldest daughter with ex-wife Demi Moore has seen her father go from the "macho" man seen in Hollywood to a much gentler person.
Speaking on The Inside Edit podcast, she said: "I'm so grateful I get to go see him.
"Even though it's different now, I'm so grateful."
Rumer said: "There's a sweetness. He's always been this kind of macho dude and there's like a - fragile is not the right word but - just a tenderness that maybe being Bruce Willis might not have allowed him in a certain way."
Vinyl (MELBOURNE)
Music lovers can drop the needle on a new exhibition that celebrates the rich culture of vinyl records.
The Vinyl Factory: Reverb opens at ACMI, Australia's museum of screen culture, in Melbourne on Friday in an early taste of the city's annual RISING arts festival.
The show was originally staged at London's 180 Studios in 2024, with films and installations exploring the influence of vinyl on art, fashion and society.
Music firm The Vinyl Factory acquired the EMI Records facility about 25 years ago and now runs the only large-scale record pressing plant in the UK.
Its vinyl is created on the original machines that first pressed albums by The Beatles, Pink Floyd and the Sex Pistols.
The label has so far released about 500 records by musicians such as Daft Punk, Massive Attack, Pet Shop Boys and Thom Yorke.
In sport ...
RL Origin NSW (CENTRAL COAST, NSW)
Nathan Cleary says it's a matter of opinion whether he has truly "owned" the State of Origin arena, after shaking off personal selection doubts to earn the nod for NSW again.
There were times after last year's game-three decider that even the NRL's best player thought he might be left out of Laurie Daley's team sheet for Origin I of 2026.
For the third time in his career, Cleary in 2025 had been the halfback tasked with leading the Blues in a game-three decider.
And for the third time, the Penrith co-captain came up short.
Cleary has played in three series wins and won player of the match twice among 17 appearances for the Blues.
But his record in game-three deciders has led to long-standing media commentary that he has yet to "own" the Origin arena the way he has dominated the NRL since Penrith's resurgence in 2020.
Com26 Aust (SYDNEY)
It's still baby steps, but teenager Sienna Toohey isn't shying away from her dream of becoming Australia's next swimming golden girl.
With multiple Olympic gold medallist Kaylee McKeown in her corner, the 17-year-old schoolgirl is vying to make her Commonwealth Games debut this year in Glasgow.
Toohey broke on to the scene last year at age 16 after earning a spot in Australia's world championship team.
Hailed as the future of Australian swimming, the Albury teen swam a time of 1:07.24 in the 100m breaststroke heats, but missed out on a semi-final berth in Singapore by 0.24 of a second.
Toohey had been in the same heat as triple Olympian and three-time world record-holder Lily King, who scraped into the semis with a time of 1:06.93.
Ends Bulletin
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