What we learned – Thursday 3 November
And with that, we are going to put the blog to bed. Before we go, let’s recap the big stories:
The education minister, Jason Clare, unveiled a $328m teacher workforce plan, which included $56m for scholarships worth up to $40,000 each to encourage the best and brightest to become teachers.
The New South Wales town of Forbes is bracing for its biggest flood in 70 years as the Lachlan River rises, and the flooding threat is now spilling over into Victoria with flows into the Murray River.
The industry and science minister, Ed Husic, said the government must intervene on energy prices because gas companies are “tone deaf”. The minister also confirmed the ACCC is looking at a mandatory code of conduct for gas companies.
Independent ACT senator David Pocock backed taxing fossil fuel companies’ super profits.
A report from the Australian Tax Office found that one-third of large corporations pay no income tax.
The social services minister, Amanda Rishworth, spoke at the National Press Club on the government’s national domestic violence plan. Answering questions from journalists after her speech, Rishworth said the government was ‘not ignoring the issue’ of raising jobseeker, but would not say whether she thought it should.
Tassal salmon shareholders backed $1.1bn foreign takeover of Australia’s largest salmon producer.
Malcom Turnbull said the Liberal party had ‘lost its way’ on climate as it continues to push against renewables.
Thank you for spending part of your day with us, we will be back tomorrow to do it all again.
Updated
Whistleblowing groups ‘deeply concerned’ about prosecution of Richard Boyle and David McBride
An international alliance of whistleblowing groups has expressed “deep concern” at the ongoing prosecution of Richard Boyle and David McBride in a letter to the attorney general Mark Dreyfus.
The Whistleblowing International Network (WIN) and its 15 member organisations signed a letter to Dreyfus urging him to improve Australia’s whistleblowing protections and ask Commonwealth prosecutors to explain the public interest in pursuing Boyle and McBride.
Boyle is facing court over charges related to disclosures made about the tax office’s aggressive pursuit of debts and McBride over the leak of documents relating to Australia’s operations in Afghanistan.
The WIN letter says:
Urgent intervention is needed to address the injustice caused by these criminal prosecutions, to minimise the chilling effect of these cases and to fix Australia’s whistleblowing law to ensure such cases can never happen again.
As new whistleblower protection legislation has swept the globe in the last decade, Australia’s law has fallen dramatically behind international best practices.
It is deeply unfair that the Australian government continues to condemn these whistleblowers to their fate, relying on a law that all agree is not fit for purpose.
The group said the cases were equally exceptional and important to the prosecution of Bernard Collaery, which Dreyfus intervened in earlier this year.
Updated
Cheaper medicine for thousands of seniors under relaxed income tests
Thousands of seniors will be able to access cheaper medicines and doctor visits thanks to relaxed income tests for health concession cards.
The Albanese government has delivered on an election promise by increasing the income thresholds on the Commonwealth seniors health card, meaning higher income earners will now be able to qualify for subsidised healthcare and medicines.
From Friday, singles earning up to $90,000 will be able to access the scheme, up from $57,761.
For couples, the threshold has been bumped up to $144,000 rather than $92,416.
The move will benefit an extra 44,000 seniors and cost the federal budget $69.4m over four years.
“We want to create a better Australia where no one is left behind and no one is held back, and this is particularly true for older Australians,” social services minister Amanda Rishworth said.
– via AAP
Updated
Boy rescued from Melbourne stormwater drain recounts miracle escape
An 11-year-old boy who survived being sucked into a flooded stormwater drain has been reunited with his rescuers in Melbourne and gifted a new bike a week after the tumultuous ordeal.
Jake Gilbert was cycling with a friend in Altona Meadows last week when he rode across a submerged drain and was sucked 10 metres underneath a road.
Read the full story:
Updated
Robodebt inquiry hears advisers were ‘almost immediately’ concerned by the initial plan
Plans for what became the robodebt scheme “almost immediately” concerned policy advisers at the Department of Social Services and were viewed by one official as “unethical”, a royal commission has been told.
Cameron Brown, a former director of payment integrity and debt management at the Department of Social Services (DSS), said he was responsible for seeking advice on the policy idea from its internal legal team in late 2014.
Updated
Budget pressures piling up, Treasury boss says
Treasury secretary Stephen Kennedy said the budget was under pressure on multiple fronts, with productivity expected to decline, revenue sources unstable and spending only expected to grow.
He flagged climate change as one major challenge.
“We will have to do, particularly in this country but in others, the most significant transition of energy we have seen in generations,” he said at a Parliamentary Budget Office conference in Canberra on Thursday.
Kennedy said adapting to climate change would also drag on the economy and the public purse.
“And mitigation won’t simply mean a few better bridges and a few better roads, it will mean building resilience in the community to adapt to constantly being challenged by a more energetic climate system,” he said.
He also said conflict and geopolitical tension was also driving economic turmoil, with the war in Ukraine largely responsible for the soaring cost of living.
“It’s hard to remember when electricity prices were being forecast to rise by 50 per cent across the course of two years,” Kennedy said.
Updated
The worst companies for paying no tax at all? Ampol, BP, Insurance Australia, Glencore, Viva Energy, Exxon Mobil, AGL Energy, Downer EDI
— Greg Jericho (@GrogsGamut) November 3, 2022
The blanks in the columns? that means ZEROhttps://t.co/9T55D9gQ7S pic.twitter.com/idAi0Nv3Kq
Want a really quick rundown of today’s biggest stories? Antoun Issa has you covered with his Afternoon Update.
Read it here:
Updated
Pfizer workers walk off job amid dispute
Pfizer manufacturing workers have walked off the job amid a dispute over the pharmaceutical company’s wage offer, which their union is describing as sub-standard.
Dozens of United Workers Union (UWU) members launched a 24-hour strike in the Melbourne suburb of Mulgrave on Wednesday night to protest the Covid-19 vaccine maker’s wage offer.
The US corporation, which reported a record $25bn ($A39bn) profit last financial year, had offered a three per cent increase in the first year of the agreement.
A 4% raise was proposed in the second year and 3% in the final year.
In addition to the annual increases, cash sweeteners have been offered but with stipulations including that workers must pay the bonus back if they leave, get sacked or are made redundant.
Members are seeking a wage increase closer to current inflation percentages and would consider Pfizer’s offer if the bonuses were rolled into annual increases.
– via AAP
Updated
The tribunal assessed 26 grounds of refusal raised by the council and found the project failed 18.
… Oh, what a surprise!
Major flooding continues across NSW and northern Victoria
From the Bureau of Meteorology:
Major flooding is occurring across much of inland New South Wales and northern Victoria as flood waters continue to cause river levels to rise.
Although the heavy rain has cleared, and comparatively dry, settled conditions are expected until at least Friday, flood impacts are ongoing.
Widespread and prolonged disruption is being caused by flood-impacted roads, rail, homes, properties, businesses and agricultural land with road closures, community isolation and evacuation orders in many rural areas.
Major Flood Warnings (as of 8am AEDT Thurs) are in place for:
Barwon and Darling Rivers, Macquarie River, Lachlan River, Murrumbidgee River, Murray River, Bogan River, Macintyre River, Namoi River, Narran River, Belubula River, Castlereagh River.
Some of the towns impacted by rising floodwaters include Echuca/Moama, Barham, Hay, Warren, Mungindi, Hillston, Cowra, Condobolin, Forbes, Gundagai, Gunnedah, Nanami, Bourke, Brewarrina and Walgett.
In Forbes at Iron Bridge, flood levels are forecast to reach major flood levels by midday on Friday and possibly reach up to 10.8 metres, similar to June 1952. Gundagai peaked at 9.8 metres on Wednesday, similar to 1989.
Minor to Moderate flooding is also occurring across many rivers in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.
With inland catchments saturated and many dams at capacity in NSW, waterways will remain sensitive to rainfall with some flooding expected to continue for several months.
Communities including those living on or near any rivers, creeks and streams or in low lying areas are advised to stay up to date with the latest forecast and warnings via the Bureau’s website and the BOM Weather app and follow advice of emergency services.
Updated
Malcom Turnbull says Liberal party has ‘lost its way’ on climate
The former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull says the Liberal party has “lost its way” on climate policy as it continues to rail against renewable energy, warning the party needs to win back the so-called teal seats if it ever wants to form government.
He has also accused the party’s leader, Peter Dutton, of peddling “complete and utter nonsense” by suggesting nuclear power was needed to firm up renewables.
Speaking at the Australia Institute’s launch of the State of the Nation report on Thursday, Turnbull said there was “overwhelming public support” for action on climate change, pointing to the May election result as evidence.
“The teal phenomenon is probably the single most important thing that happened at the election,” Turnbull said.
“Change of government is obviously very consequential, too. But the idea that there are nine hitherto rock solid, safe Liberal seats held by small L liberal independents who are socially progressive, want more rapid climate action, is a signal that the centre right of politics and my party, the Liberal party, had lost its way on climate and it lost credibility with the Australian public on climate.”
He panned Dutton’s suggestion that nuclear power was needed to support renewables.
“This is complete and utter nonsense. Now, whether you believe nuclear power is good or appropriate or economically viable in Australia is another thing. I don’t have a sort of an ideological or even an environmental objection to it, but if you want to firm variable renewables, you need to have a flexible storage mechanism or storage firming capacity.”
Turnbull also criticised a “toxic combination” of vested interests from the fossil fuel sector and the right wing of politics and the media for creating “havoc” with climate policy, saying it had led to people misrepresenting what constituted the Liberal party base.
This then led to the Liberal party not responding to the need for climate action sufficiently, which had led to a backlash among Liberal voters.
“What it’s done is it’s neglected that base and eventually a part of it has walked away. And it is difficult to see how the Liberal party can ever win a majority in the House of Representatives without recapturing those seats. And they’ve lost them because of their own failure to respond proactively and effectively on climate.”
Updated
We’ve got more on the potential foreign takeover of Tasmanian salmon farmer Tassal from Graham Readfearn here:
Updated
NSW SES responds to 345 calls for help, with 14 flood rescues in last 24 hours
2/2:
Over the last 24 hours, NSW SES has responded to 345 requests for assistance, with 14 flood rescues throughout southern and western parts of the state. NSW SES is continuing to provide additional support to communities through fodder drops, livestock relocation, resupply and sandbagging.
The Department of Primary Industries is working alongside NSW SES to respond to livestock requests for farmers across the state.
NSW SES Assistant Commissioner Nicole Hogan is encouraging people in flood affected areas to stay prepared and have a plan on where to go and how to leave.
“The most important thing you can do is to make a plan and ensure you have an emergency kit ready to go,” Assistant Commissioner Hogan said.
“Gathering items in your home such as medication, appropriate clothing, waterproof bags for your valuables and a torch can help you while you evacuate.
“We are also asking people to have a plan for any domestic pets, and ensure they are able to be restrained and contained as you move around.”
Updated
NSW SES prepares for record-level flooding in Forbes shire
I have an update from the State Emergency Service about the flood situation in NSW. I will post in two parts. 1/2:
More than 1,000 people across the Forbes Shire are currently subject to evacuation warnings, as the NSW SES continues to prepare for what is expected to be record-level flooding over the next few days.
As water rises in the Lachlan River, the Forbes community may see flooding that exceeds the record June 1952 flood. An evacuation centre has been established at Forbes High School and will be open from 8am tomorrow (Friday 4 November), in preparation for the evacuation of more than 500 homes. It is likely Forbes will stay above major flood levels for at least a week.
At 2pm today (Thursday 3 November), the Forbes Iron Bridge River gauge was sitting at a moderate level of 10.53 metres, expecting to reach 10.8 metres by tomorrow.
NSW SES has doorknocked affected residents throughout Forbes, with sandbagging also continuing across the township.
In the last 24 hours, there have been 90 requests for assistance in the Forbes area, covering sandbag requests, transporting residents to medical appointments in Orange, fodder drops and supporting the community.
The NSW SES is also keeping a close eye on Wagga Wagga, with residents inside the North Wagga Wagga levee and Gumly Gumly advised to evacuate by 6pm today.
Parts of North Gunnedah have also been evacuated, with Moama experiencing ongoing major flooding across the Murray River.
Updated
Malcolm Turnbull backs calls for gas export controls
The former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has backed calls for export controls on gas as a way of curbing rising power prices, AAP has reported.
Turnbull told an Australia Institute event in Sydney the government is missing out on the opportunity to help to keep prices low in the wake of increasing cost of living”
The government should use its power to control gas exports to ensure that there is enough gas available in Australia to keep that price at or around the pre-crisis level.
The long-term solution is very clear – it is renewables plus storage – that is not even an arguable or debatable issue, it’s just a question of how quickly you can roll it out.
While the former Liberal leader said there had been issues with the Australian gas market previously, the issue with rising costs today were the high cost of international gas prices.
He also said the failure to put in place an east coast domestic gas reserve, similar to that in Western Australia, was a mistake.
It’s harder to resolve it now, but it really needs to be done. I mean, it is crazy that the largest or second-largest exporter of LNG is not able to control gas at affordable prices for its own population.
We have the ability to keep enough gas in Australia to protect our markets.
Updated
Volvo to stop selling petrol vehicles in Australia by 2026
Car giant Volvo has announced plans to stop selling petrol vehicles in Australia by 2026, with a top executive calling the older technology a “shrinking business”, AAP has reported.
Volvo’s Australian deadline will come four years before its worldwide target to transition to electric vehicles, and comes one week after it launched its first electric car in Australia.
Experts said the move showed Australia still had the potential to be “a world leader in the transition to electric vehicles” despite low take-up to date.
Volvo Car Australia’s managing director, Stephen Connor, made the surprise announcement on Thursday, revealing the carmaker would switch to all electric vehicles by 2026 to give it a “strategic advantage” in the Australian market:
There is no long-term future for cars with an internal combustion engine. So instead of investing in a shrinking business we choose to invest in the future, which is fully electric.
Globally, Volvo is firmly committed to becoming an electric-only car maker by 2030 but in Australia we will make the transition happen by 2026.
The earlier deadline will allow us to meet the expectations of our Australian customers and be a part of the solution when it comes to fighting climate change.
Updated
Advocates welcome Rishworth comments on engaging with men on domestic violence
Jesuit Social Services has welcomed comments in Amanda Rishworth’s National Press Club address about the need for an increased emphasis on engaging with boys and men.
Matt Tyler, the executive director of The Men’s Project at Jesuit Social Services, says:
We know that men’s behaviour is at the heart of the problem of gendered violence – but men can be part of the solution by making the decision to challenge their own thinking and change their own behaviour.
As Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth outlined in her address at the National Press Club today, we must focus on addressing the drivers of violence before it occurs and intervene earlier when people are in trouble and causing trouble.
While of course all victims of violence and sexual violence need support, it is clear that there is a gendered element to the vast majority of violence across Australia.
Around 95 per cent of all victims of violence experience violence from a male perpetrator – it is clear that we need to work towards a culture and a society where everybody can lead healthy, safe lives and hold respectful relationships and that engaging with boys and men to prevent violence is a critical part of this.
Updated
Australia’s trade surplus swells, buoyed by gas exports
Trade figures out from the ABS earlier today showed Australia’s trade surplus rose about 42% in September to $12.4bn from August, with higher gas exports a key factor.
Economists had tipped a surplus of about $9bn. Exports were up 7% for the month and imports were flat.
LNG exports were up almost a fifth in value terms, and 8.5% in volume, a notable rise given gas has been in the news a bit.
Australia’s trade surplus has bounced back in September, hitting AUD12.4bn. The lift was driven by strong LNG and iron ore exports. #ausecon @madelinedunk @felicity_emmett pic.twitter.com/SAKFjHVIZK
— ANZ_Research (@ANZ_Research) November 3, 2022
Thermal coal exports were down by 21.5% in quantity, thanks in part to the massive floods that continue to bedevil eastern states. In value terms, that type of coal was up 6.7%.
In a sign that higher interest rates are beginning to bite, imports of passenger cars slumped almost 15% and other consumer goods about 13%, CBA noted.
The trade figures will also factor into GDP figures.
The September quarter trade surplus was higher by historical standards, at $30.2bn, but it was down almost a third from the record $43.7bn in the June quarter.
“This reflected a pull-back in commodity prices, on global recession fears, as well as a surge in import volumes,” Westpac said.
The price of goods we export versus the price of imports – the terms of trade – fell about 6% in the quarter.
A smaller surplus will be a drag on GDP growth for the quarter, lopping off about 0.75 of a percentage point (we won’t see the GDP figures until 7 December).
Another interesting element to the trade info, is that Australia’s net foreign liabilities – what we owe the rest of the world relative to what foreigners owe us – is now at about the lowest levels of GDP on record, ANZ noted.
Australia is now a net equity exporter. This has driven its net foreign liabilities (as a percent of GDP) to record lows. #ausecon @madelinedunk pic.twitter.com/ES8IfAidm9
— ANZ_Research (@ANZ_Research) November 3, 2022
Up to 2013, non-residents typically owed a larger stake in equities in Australia than Australians owned overseas.
With the superannuation industry expanding to hold assets of more than $3.5tn, and investing about one-sixth of that abroad, the ledger of holdings has shifted, hence those record low levels (vs GDP).
Updated
Plan to end family violence ‘big on words and small on dollars’, Larissa Waters says
Greens Senator and spokesperson on women Larissa Waters has responded to Amanda Rishworth’s National Press Club address.
Rishworth spoke about the Labor government’s national plan to end family violence, which includes an additional $100m in commonwealth funding to deliver up to 720 safe places for women and children fleeing violence.
But Waters says the plan falls short of what’s needed to protect women.
Like the Women’s Budget last week, the Minister’s National Press Club address was big on words and small on dollars and actions.
Additional funding for emergency housing is welcome, but when the waiting list for social housing is over 50,000 in Queensland alone, $100m for 720 houses is a drop in the ocean.
The housing crisis is felt even more acutely by women and children experiencing family and domestic violence. Women are forced to choose between abuse or homelessness, because there is nowhere to go.
Women on low wages or income support are especially vulnerable without the resources to escape violent situations. Yet this government persists with the cruelty of keeping income support payments like JobSeeker below the poverty line, and has the audacity to cry poor while dishing out hundreds of billions in tax cuts and investment property perks for the rich.
The women’s safety sector has repeatedly called for a $1B per year to ensure funding meets demand. Even with the budget’s re-badged Morrison government funding commitments, a small increase in frontline workers, and partial indexation, the amount still only adds up to $300m each year.
Updated
Australian scientists crack genome code for methane-busting seaweed
Australian scientists have made a major breakthrough on seaweed that can be fed to cattle and drastically reduce their methane emissions.
The researchers are confident they have cracked the genome code for Asparagopsis.
The species of seaweed produces a chemical compound called bromoform, which prevents the formation of methane during the digestion of food.
Feeding the red seaweed to livestock can slash methane emissions by more than 80 per cent.
An international research team has spent three years studying the genetics of the warm water seaweed, which is native to Australia.
The team has figured out how to grow high quality crops quickly and in big volumes.
“So we’ve got the genome blueprint for us to be able to fast track the development of the seaweed,” marine scientist Prof Nick Paul said.
Paul, from the University of the Sunshine Coast, said the research began after it was discovered that different seaweed produced different levels of bromoform, depending on how it was farmed and processed.
The researchers from Australia, New Zealand and Japan also found some female seaweed performed better than male seaweed in helping to remove methane from the atmosphere.
“The active ingredient that reduces methane in the rumen of the cattle is about 20 per cent higher in females than it is in males” Paul said.
“If we can make all females then that gives us a 20 per cent boost.”
The team has been gathering specimens in an “underwater wonderland” off a rocky shoreline at Moffat Beach near Caloundra in Queensland.
The 12-person team then cultured the seaweed in a laboratory as well as large outdoor tanks.
The research was focused on ways to grow enough Asparagopsis to have a meaningful impact on global greenhouse gas emissions.
– via AAP
Updated
Queensland rejects tourist levy but considers national park fee changes
A tourism levy managed by Queensland councils has been rejected by the state government but changes to national park fees are being considered.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has released a 10-year plan to develop the tourism sector ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane.
Two new fundraising measures were floated in a report by the government’s Tourism Industry Reference Panel in June.
A proposal to allow local governments to impose a levy on tourists to pay for infrastructure and attractions has been rejected by the state government.
Tourism minister Stirling Hinchliffe says councils have other ways to raise money for tourism in their regions.
“Our commitment to there being no new taxes means that we won’t see a tourism levy supported by the Queensland government,” he told reporters on Thursday.
The government is still actively considering the expert panel’s suggestion it revises fees for national parks and protected areas.
The revenue would be used to pay running costs and reinvest in natural attractions.
– via AAP
Updated
Tassal salmon shareholders back $1.1bn foreign takeover
Australia’s largest salmon producer Tassal is heading for foreign ownership after shareholders voted in favour of a $1.1bn takeover by Canadian company Cooke Aquaculture.
The takeover has been approved by the Foreign Investment Review Board, but requires final court approval at a hearing in early November.
But conservationists including the Bob Brown Foundation have raised concerns about Cooke’s environmental track record and potential expansion in Tasmania.
In a legal settlement with the Washington Department of Ecology in 2019, the company paid a $US332,000 ($A518,000) penalty after the collapse of a pen released 250,000 non-native fish.
In 2019 it was also fined by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection over multiple violations at farming sites in the US state, including having too many fish in pens.
Bob Brown Foundation campaigner Alistair Allan said:
Despite a growing global movement of salmon farming being banned or phased out, Tasmania is opening the door to this environmental vandal.
– via AAP
Updated
NSW floods update two: flooding to continue over coming days as SES receives more than 400 calls for assistance
Steph Cooke said significant flooding would continue across numerous inland catchments in the coming days.
“We are continuing to see peaks roll through the system even though there isn’t water falling from the sky at the moment,” she said.
The SES’s Ben Pickup said significant flooding is impacting all major river systems across New South Wales.
Major flooding on the Lachlan River on Thursday is causing inundations in the town of Nanami.
Further downstream, major flooding is also occurring on the Lachlan River at Condobolin, with the river not expected to fall for weeks.
The Murrumbidgee River has also burst its banks, with major floods peaking at Gundagai on Wednesday night, and major peaks possible at Wagga Wagga on Thursday night.
Cooke expressed her sympathies for the Gunnedah community, which has been hit by seven floods in recent weeks, and Wagga Wagga, which faces its fourth inundation since August.
Renewed, moderate flooding is also occurring at Albury and Corowa on the Murray River after widespread falls.
Ongoing significant flooding is continuing in the border town of Moama, where water levels are likely to remain high through to next week.
Clean-up efforts are continuing in the Riverina town of Cootamundra after thunderstorms and flash flooding on Monday.
Rapid damage assessments by the SES and Fire and Rescue NSW found 23 properties were destroyed and 37 damaged.
The SES has received 431 calls for assistance and conducted 15 flood rescues in the past 24 hours.
Updated
NSW floods update: hundreds under evacuation orders as rivers peak
I have a big update on the New South Wales floods from AAP. I am going to post it in two parts.
Hundreds of residents across inland NSW are under evacuation orders as rolling peaks continue to hit swollen rivers, inundating towns across southern and central-western NSW.
In the wheat belt town of Forbes in the state’s central-west, about 600 people have been told to evacuate their homes by 4pm Thursday as rising waters threaten to cut off homes and strand residents.
“I appreciate that communities right across the central and southern NSW are exhausted,” the emergency services minister, Steph Cooke, said on Thursday.
Everyone is flood weary but we need to keep working through this. We need to keep working together.
Whilst we are starting to see blue skies emerge ... the flooding risk is very, very high at the moment.
The NSW SES zone commander, Ben Pickup, said record flooding was expected at Forbes on Friday night as the Lachlan River peaked at levels not seen since 1952.
He said peaks would continue through to Saturday morning.
“I really encourage the community of Forbes – please listen to the warning information,” he said.
“Please, please follow that messaging.”
Updated
Hello everyone, this is Cait. A big thanks to blog queen Natasha for taking us through the morning.
First up, I have this from AAP on electric vehicles:
Two in three Australians support changes to speed up the switch to electric vehicles, including discounts to lower their prices and a fuel efficiency standard to see more models arrive in the country, a new study has found.
More than 60% of Australians also support a ban on new petrol car sales by 2035.
The findings, from the Australia Institute’s climate of the nation report, showed wide support for more electric vehicle charging stations in Australia as well electric buses and the introduction of high-speed rail.
But the report showed backing for electric transport dropped when it came to removing tax breaks for large, fuel-hungry four wheel drives and utes.
Report author and Australia Institute transport lead, Audrey Quicke, said the survey of more than 2,600 people clearly showed Australians wanted “to reap the benefits of the transition to clean transport”.
Updated
I am signing off for this afternoon and handing you over to the fabulous Cait Kelly.
See you tomorrow morning!
Commemorations marking 80 years since end of Kokoda campaign under way
The minister for defence industry, Pat Conroy, is in attendance for the commemorations to mark 80 years since the end of the Kokoda campaign in second world war.
Incredible welcome today at the Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea.
— Pat Conroy MP (@PatConroy1) November 3, 2022
I’m honoured to be here for commemorations to mark 80 years since the end of the Kokoda Campaign in WW2. pic.twitter.com/CTCJNhQtLa
Updated
Amanda Rishworth has avoided giving my colleague Amy Remeikis a firm answer on whether she believes the jobseeker rate needs to be increased.
Remeikis:
Given your portfolio crossover, do you believe the rate needs to increase?
Rishworth:
I will be working across the board with my state...
Remeikis:
A simple yes or no.
Rishworth:
I will be working with the whole of government about what women’s economic security will look like. We will keep working on that. Throughout my whole portfolio, working about how we can prevent poverty as well as how we lift people out of poverty. That is something I am very aware of and continue to work across government.
Updated
‘We’re not ignoring the issue’ of raising jobseeker: Amanda Rishworth
Our very own Amy Remeikis asks Rishworth:
Given the very well documented role property plays in violence, what moral justification is there for not raising the jobseeker rate for the associated social purpose payments in this last budget?
(Domestic violence was the topic of Rishworth’s speech.)
The social services minister responds:
We have been really clear in this plan that women’s economic security is an important part of the healing and recovery process. This has been something we have recognised and haven’t shied away from. It is something we put in the plan.
We can’t fix everything immediately and so what we have been doing is taking steps through the women’s economic equality task force to look at the whole broad range of issues that affect women’s economic security.
This plan cannot be seen in isolation to the work that is being done there. But we have a significant budget problem and so this is something that we do have to look at in the budget when it comes to raising the rate of JobSeeker. But we’re not ignoring this issue.
One of the other I have taken is to invest more money into this budget to fix the escaping violence payment. That payment was rushed in by the previous government. The organisation delivering it has not been properly resourced and demand has exceeded what is needed. I have been working very closely to make sure that is addressed and that we have a system that that is working properly.
The other point I would make that is recognised in the plan is, in addition to the levels of social security payment, we’re also about the interaction that people have with the social security system. So where crisis payments are applied, were exceptional circumstances, where this is an issue around perpetrators perhaps using that as a result, as a way of coercive control, we are working through some of those issues about how the actual system itself can be better response to victim survivors. We are addressing women’s economic equality and it is something we will continue to work through.
Updated
Online betting exclusion register to be in place by ‘end of November’: Rishworth
Speaking of gambling ads, the social services minister, Amanda Rishworth, is asked about this issue taking questions after her speech at the National Press Club.
Reporter:
As minister do you want to see tougher regulations for the online wagering industry when it comes to advertising, but also the promotion of their products? And could you in the future or would you personally like to see Australia go down the path of regulating advertising for the gaming industry, the way that we have done for the tobacco industry?
Rishworth:
Coming into this portfolio, it was one of the first issues that I was briefed on, was actually the role that our government has and that I have in enforcing the consumer framework to minimise harm on online wagering.
Since coming into this portfolio, we have introduced the activity statements, which is an email which people get monthly, and a record people get monthly, highlighting their wins and losses, and the second thing we have done is work towards the exclusion register, the Bet Stop, which will hopefully be in place at the end of November.
Where do we go next? Well, once the last steps of the consumer framework are established… I want to work with my state and territory colleagues and work with the House of Representatives Standing Committee that has started an inquiry into advertising and other areas of problem online wagering, so it is an area I am particularly interested in addressing.
Updated
Nationals call for consideration of gambling ad ban
The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, has welcomed news of tougher anti-gambling warnings in gambling ads, but opened the door to banning the ads entirely.
In a statement, Littleproud said:
I believe changes to gambling ads don’t go far enough. We need to have a [conversation] about whether or not gambling ads should be on at all – especially given that children are often watching sport, or families are together to support their favourite team when the betting ads come on.
Children are exposed to gambling ads as soon as they start watching sport on television or online and that’s often from a very young age. I encourage public debate on this matter through the online gambling committee process.
Updated
Former director was ‘almost immediately’ concerned by early plans for robodebt
Plans for what became the robodebt scheme “almost immediately” concerned policy advisers at the Department of Social Services and were viewed by one official as “unethical”, a royal commission has been told.
Cameron Brown, a former director of payment integrity and debt management at Department of Social Services, said he was responsible for seeking advice from its internal legal team in late 2014.
That was in response to a proposal from the Department of Human Services to use “income averaging” to raise welfare debts – the central plank of what became the robodebt scheme.
He said he and his team were “almost immediately” concerned about the plan, which he viewed as unethical.
Brown compared the proposal to the so-called Dallas Buyers Club “speculative invoicing” saga in which copyright holders sent legal demands to alleged downloaders for large amounts of money in the hope they will settle”.
He noted that many of the people to be targeted by the robodebt scheme were vulnerable and the “onus of proof” was unreasonable given much of the information they would need to source went back years.
Brown said the subsequent internal DSS legal advice was “black and white” and that it “should have been the end of the proposal”.
The inquiry heard there were discussions within DSS about seeking more formal legal advice from the Australian Government Solicitor (AGS).
However, it heard this was complicated by the fact that at this time there was no formal plan – known as a “new policy proposal” – to be referred for the AGS’ consideration.
It remains unclear what the Department of Human Services – which led the proposal – did in response to the legal doubts within DSS.
The inquiry previously heard DSS’s internal legal were subsequently approached to review a more concrete proposal a few months later in early 2015. It heard this left them with only two days to review it, because the plan had been taken into the budget process after winning support from the then minister Scott Morrison. There is no suggestion Morrison was aware of the legal doubts.
The government went on to implement the scheme in July 2015.
It ran until November 2019, when the government accepted in federal court that it was unlawful.
Brown’s evidence continues before royal commissioner Catherine Holmes.
Updated
‘Beescaping’ parliament gardens a success
The landscape team at Parliament House has done a “fantastic job ‘beescaping’” its gardens, says the head beekeeper at the Australian Parliament, Cormac Farrell.
The landscape team have done a fantastic job in 'beescaping' the Parliament gardens - lots of flowers out throughout the year for both the honeybees and our native #bees.
— Cormac Farrell (@jagungal1) November 3, 2022
Grevillia and native mint bush on the menu this week! pic.twitter.com/eslP7Z4Da1
(Before you ask, yes head parliamentary beekeeper is an official role and Gabrielle Chan has written about it.)
You can definitely tell that the @Aust_Parliament bees have been locked indoors for a few days with the rain! Lots of foragers out - hopefully finding some necatar-rich flowers! #bees #beekeeping @Aurecon @ANU_Bees pic.twitter.com/QfFFZcruSO
— Cormac Farrell (@jagungal1) November 3, 2022
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Social services minister speaks at press club on domestic violence plan
As we mentioned a little earlier this morning (it was at least three coffees ago) the social services minister, Amanda Rishworth, is giving a national press club address today.
It is her first address and she is using it to speak on the national plan to end family violence which was released recently. The government plan aims to end family and domestic violence and sexual violence within one generation.
It’s a big ask.
The main announcement is an additional $100m from the commonwealth to deliver up to 720 safe places for women and children – and it is overwhelmingly women and their children – fleeing violence.
That’s on top of the $100m which was already committed as an investment in crisis and transitional housing for those fleeing violence, as well as older women at risk of homelessness. An announcement of $169m for frontline services has previously been made.
The national plan does recognise that men can be victims of family, domestic and sexual violence, but its aim is to stop gendered violence. And that also means acknowledging the violence against LGBTQ+ people, as well as a focus on the violence Indigenous women and non-binary people face.
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Mark Dreyfus says voice will send ‘unequivocal message’ that First Nations people have a say
He said:
The government committed during the last election to implementing the Uluru statement from the heart in full, including recognising First Nations people in the constitution by enshrining an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice to parliament.
The voice will be an advisory body to parliament and the government that will have a practical impact for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by giving them a direct say in laws, policies and programs which affect their day-to-day lives.
Putting the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice in our constitution is a very important step towards achieving true reconciliation with Indigenous Australians, and closing the gap. It sends a clear and unequivocal message of respect for our Indigenous culture and heritage by ensuring our First Nations people are heard and that they are given a direct say in matters that affect them.
The government has already begun work on the voice referendum, and we are committed to delivering it in partnership with the Australian community.
A successful referendum requires as much support as possible, at the heart of which lies support from First Nations people. We are working in consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and the Australian community more broadly, in the lead up to the referendum. This engagement with Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians will be broad, it will be based on respect, and it will be focused on building consensus.
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Discrimination complaints surged during pandemic, attorney general says
The attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, is giving the Enderby Lecture hosted by the Australian Human Rights Commission.
In it, Dreyfus noted that race discrimination commissioner, Chin Tan, has pointed to “a documented resurgence in discriminatory attitudes in our communities”.
Dreyfus said:
There was a 14% increase in complaints made under the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 prior to the pandemic from 2017 and 2019. During the pandemic, between 2018 and 2021, there was a significant 57% increase in complaints.
We continue to hear allegations of race-based misconduct across sporting codes and within workplaces and in other aspects of public life. The government condemns racism without reservation.
Like so many Australians, to me, this issue is deeply personal. My father, his brother, and their parents, were forced to flee from Nazi Germany for the simple reason that they were Jewish. My great-grandparents could not be convinced to leave. They died in the Holocaust. My family’s story, as well as the broader history of the Jewish people, informs my work as attorney general today ...
It is a history that makes me appreciative of the wonderful diversity of this nation and the need to continually protect that diversity. It reinforces the need to uphold and, where possible, to strengthen the fundamental human rights in which that diversity flourishes.
Australia’s continued success as a multicultural nation must include an ongoing commitment to addressing racism. The government takes this obligation very seriously.
Dreyfus did not refer directly to the government’s plans to introduce a religious discrimination bill, but he did say that through the anti-racism strategy the government “will not just tolerate people from other cultures and religions but actively seek to understand, accept and welcome people”. He also said that “our understanding of human rights is continually evolving, and with it so must our law”.
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More than 500 people under evacuation orders in Forbes, NSW
The New South Wales emergency services minister, Steph Cooke, has given a midday press conference about the state’s flood situation.
She said while blue skies have emerged and weather conditions are set to ease over the coming days, “the flooding risk is very, very high at the moment.”
Many of our river systems are in significant flood, particularly the Lachlan River, Murrumbidgee River, and the Murray.
In relation to Forbes we are anticipating record floods to move through that community. There are evacuation orders in place impacting 500 to 600 people, and they are evacuation order is to take effect by 4pm today.
We have evacuation orders in place for the entire suburb of North Wagga.
Cooke encouraged residents in areas with evacuation orders “do not to leave it to the last minute to evacuate.”
She acknowledges that many communities are “exhausted” after repeated floods.
We also saw an evacuation order for Gunnedah. That community has experienced seven or eight flood in the past month. Down here in Wagga this is the fourth peak to come through since August. I appreciate communities right across central and southern New South Wales are exhausted.
Our rivers tend to rise very quickly because the ground is saturated and we are continuing to see peaks roll through the system, even though there isn’t water falling from the sky at the moment.
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Victorian Ibac granted interim injunction order against the Age over draft report
At a press conference the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, is being asked about the Victorian anti-corruption watchdog’s decision overnight to launch court action to prevent the Age from publishing any details from a draft report.
The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (Ibac) was granted an interim injunction order against Nine’s the Age newspaper during a late hearing on Wednesday.
Ibac’s lawyers attended the supreme court hearing in Melbourne, but no lawyers for the Age were present.
The matter is currently before justice Gregory Garde.
Asked if the public has the right to know about the report, Andrews replied that it was “not a matter for him”:
They’re an independent agency.
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Gunnedah roads strained after seven natural disasters
The Gunnedah mayor, Jamie Chaffey, said his shire’s road network was under “severe strain” following seven natural disasters in 12 months:
The frequency has made it very difficult to get across our network, we have 2,000 km and 900 km of unsealed roads ... and we’ve been impacted right across the shire. It’s the compounding, cumulative effect. We’ve already spent millions just doing immediate remediation to get roads open again. It’s not even addressing the issue of how bad these roads are and how much money and time it’ll take.
Chaffey said his shire was far from isolated, with 126 out of 128 councils in NSW having declared a natural disaster in the past year.
When it comes to the local and regional road network, we don’t have the funding and manpower and equipment to get around this massive task. We need some innovative thinking.
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Local Government NSW declares statewide roads emergency
Local Government NSW (LGNSW), a coalition of more than 100 mayors and councillors, has declared a statewide roads emergency at the National Local Roads and Transport Congress as a result of this year’s devastating floods.
The LGNSW president, Darriea Turley, said successive floods and torrential rain coupled with “chronic funding constraints” had caused $2.5bn in road damages and a “collapse” of the local and regional road network.
More than 220 natural disaster areas have been declared across NSW this year, leaving the road network in a state of emergency. Road repair funding pledged to date has fallen well short of what is required so we’re declaring this statewide roads emergency to get help before the situation becomes even worse.
In the coming weeks close to $4bn worth of crops will need to be harvested and transported, yet harvesting machinery is unable to access some of the most productive regions in our state. The wider rural communities supporting Australia’s food bowl are on their knees, waiting for the network to be repaired. NSW communities are facing an unprecedented disaster which requires an unprecedented response.
LGNSW is calling for an “acceleration” and “significant increase” in funding for the $1.1bn fixing local roads and fixing country bridges program, a boost to the road block grant and new funding for machinery and skilled workers to to expedite road repairs.
The declaration was unanimously supported by participating councils, meeting today in Hobart.
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Collingwood's CEO resigns
Collingwood’s chief executive officer, Mark Anderson, has resigned after five years in the role, with the club’s football boss, Graham Wright, to step in as interim chief executive until a replacement is named.
The AFL released a statement praising Anderson’s leadership:
He also oversaw record membership numbers – which peaked at 100,384 as the club secured a top-four finish this season – while the club also signed and expanded sponsorship deals with KFC, Emirates and Nike during his time with the Magpies.
Collingwood is now the third club actively pursuing a new chief executive, with both Essendon and North Melbourne looking for chief executives after the departures of Andrew Thorburn and Ben Amarfio respectively.
The Collingwood president, Jeff Browne, has released a statement thanking Anderson:
On behalf of all at Collingwood, we thank Mark for his dedicated service to the Club.
We thank Mark for his guidance and expertise which has resulted in strong football and netball programs, record membership numbers, the highest home and away crowds in the competition and a club that has great momentum.
Collingwood's Chief Executive Officer has resigned. https://t.co/qbG7H2dG3o
— AFL (@AFL) November 3, 2022
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Daniel Andrews promises $44m for new medical equipment for eight hospitals
Day two of the big red Labor bus and we’ve arrived at the Northern Centre for Health Education and Research in Epping, in Melbourne’s north.
The premier, Daniel Andrews, has announced a re-elected Labor government will spend $44m on new medical equipment for eight hospitals across the state.
The positron emission tomography, or PET scanners, which are used to find and monitor the spread of cancers, diagnose heart disease, brain disorders and other conditions, will be rolled out to Ballarat base hospital, Frankston hospital, Goulburn Valley Health in Shepparton, Sunshine hospital, the Northern in Epping, Werribee Mercy hospital, Warrnambool base hospital and Wangaratta base hospital.
Andrews says:
This is all about making sure you get the care, with the best equipment, free of charge, as close to home as possible.
The scanners will be rolled out over four years, he says.
Health workers ✅ pic.twitter.com/v0zuGSzS5z
— Benita Kolovos (@benitakolovos) November 3, 2022
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Victorian health department considering complaint about opposition’s ‘Ditch Danmobile’
Victoria’s Department of Health is considering a complaint about the state opposition’s campaign vehicle – the “Ditch Dan” vintage ambulance – and if it breaches the law.
The Coalition on Monday unveiled the 1970s-style ambulance – dubbed by the opposition the “Ditch Danmobile”.
No campaign bus from the Coalition this time around, instead this “Ditch Dan” ambulance from the 1970s will be doing the rounds @abcmelbourne #springst pic.twitter.com/hJZ9vDHGN8
— Bridget Rollason (@bridgerollo) November 1, 2022
But the head of the state’s ambulance union questioned the legality of the opposition using an “ambulance” vehicle. Under the state’s Ambulance Services Act, it is an offence to use the word “ambulance” on any vehicle that is not owned or operated by an ambulance service without written authority of the Department of Health’s secretary.
A spokesperson for the department of health told Guardian Australia on Thursday it was “considering the complaint” under the state’s ambulance legislation.
A fine of $3,698 can be imposed if someone is found to have committed the offence of using the word “ambulance” on a vehicle without the department’s authority.
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One-third of large corporations paid no income tax: report
About one-third of large corporations in Australia paid no income tax in 2020-21, a new report shows.
The Australian Taxation Office released its corporate tax transparency report on Thursday, which showed the percentage of entities paying no income tax was 32%, down from a high of 36% in 2015-16.
ATO Deputy Commissioner Rebecca Saint said there were genuine reasons why some companies might not pay income tax, but that:
We pay close attention to companies not paying tax. We hold those companies that report continual year-on-year losses to an additional layer of scrutiny.
While it’s true some large entities paid no income tax, we’re seeing through our justified trust program that there are high levels of compliance by these entities, and taking decisive action where there’s not.
The report covers 2,468 corporate entities, including 1,376 foreign-owned companies with an income of $100m or more, 563 Australian public entities with an income of $100m or more, and 529 Australian-owned resident private companies with an income of $200m or more.
The Guardian is still working its way through the detailed report.
The ATO says that the 2,468 corporate entities paid a combined $68.6 billion in income tax in 2020-21. That is a significant increase in tax on the year prior and the highest since reporting began.
The ATO says high commodity prices drove the increase in corporate tax payments.
Saint also said:
These results demonstrate there are high levels of tax compliance amongst our largest corporates.
More allied health professionals needed in schools, education union says
Peace also says a more diverse range of staff are needed in schools to address “complex and diverse needs”.
We need additional staff in our schools to support teachers, whether that’s education support staff [or] allied health professions. We’re dealing with very complex and diverse needs in our schools. We have a lot of kids who have additional needs and we simply don’t have the resources that we need to provide for all of those students, and that consequently means teachers are trying to fill gaps and consequently doing excessive and unsustainable work.
She says the inability to employ more staff does “mostly” come down to money.
Our public schools in this country are not funded to the schooling resource standard, the standard that the federal government has set to educate every child, regardless of where they go to school. Public school students are funded well below that standard.
Our public school students deserve better and the way to make sure that we have got the allied health professionals we need – psychologists, speech therapists, and so on – and also [that we are] giving teachers time to do the most important work, and that is when they’re in their classroom delivering the best and highest quality education they can.
They need time to do that preparation, planning, assessing their student work – and without the additional teachers, without additional support staff, without removing the administrative and accountability burden to some degree, then teachers will always be pressed for time.
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Administrative and accountability workloads of teachers needs addressing, union says
We mentioned on the blog earlier that the government has released its draft of the $328m National Teacher Workforce Action Plan.
Meredith Peace, the deputy president of the Australian Education Union spoke to ABC News this morning about how the sector feels about the draft, including the $10m plan to raise the profession’s status and $25m boost to address workloads.
The overall plan is a good initial step to look at the issue of teacher shortages across the nation. I don’t think the plan itself will resolve all of the issues we have, but it is a good first step and obviously advertising, promoting our profession, is one small aspect of that plan.
Workload is one of the critical issues … we know our members are saying it is driving them out of the profession and I think it’s also discouraging new entrants coming into the profession as well.
We need significant investment, not only from the federal government, but also from our state and territory governments across the country to address this issue.
We need to address the administrative and accountability workloads that drag teachers away from the most important work they do and that is the planning, the preparation for their classrooms when they’re actually teaching students and delivering a high-quality education.
The Australian Education Union will consult with members across the country on the recommendations of the draft National Teacher Workforce Action Plan, released today.https://t.co/cS5GpJ2MJO pic.twitter.com/CT5JhC5bve
— AEU (@AEUfederal) November 2, 2022
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Japanese encephalitis discovered in north-east Victoria’s water
⚠️Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus alert ⚠️
— North East Water (@NorthEastWater) November 2, 2022
JE can cause a rare but potentially serious infection of the brain and is spread to humans by infected mosquitoes. Learn about simple steps to beat the bite: https://t.co/zhAKCKq4Qj #BeattheBite pic.twitter.com/GZQm03jL8Q
The threat of Japanese encephalitis increased in Australia earlier in the year when it was discovered in piggeries across Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia.
If you still have questions about the virus and why it’s spreading in Australia, Guardian Australia’s medical editor Melissa Davey has this explainer for you:
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Andrew Leigh on $5 note: ‘We’re having a considered conversation’
The assistant minister for treasury, Andrew Leigh, has commented on the Reserve Bank’s consultation over whether the King should feature on the $5 bill.
The federal opposition leader, Peter Dutton, accused Leigh of attempting to “rewrite history” and “trying to take advantage of the circumstances” by suggesting King Charles III would not automatically appear on the new $5 note.
Leigh told reporters in Canberra:
It hasn’t always been the monarch on the lowest denomination note, but it has in general been the case. We’re having a considered conversation with the Reserve Bank and the treasurer is leading that conversation. We’re not in a rush to make a decision on this. We believe it’s appropriate to take time, consult appropriately and make a considered decision.
Leigh declined to express a personal view.
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Solomons gun gift more than bullets: Liberals
The federal opposition has backed Australia’s provision of guns to Solomon Islands, saying the support is about more than weapons.
The opposition’s foreign affairs spokesperson, Simon Birmingham, said Australia needed to honour its commitment to the Solomons and help Honiara boost the reliability of its police force.
The federal police donation to the Pacific nation included 60 MK18 rifles and 13 vehicles, along with specialist training for officers.
Birmingham said the $1.3m gift worked towards Australia’s commitment to being Honiara’s security partner of choice.
He said Australia had to ensure it wasn’t only providing weapons – “but that we work closely to ensure the professionalism, the appropriate conduct and the skills and ability to operate as a high-quality police force”.
Birmingham told ABC radio:
And in doing so ... it is effective in terms of ensuring security and peace and also effective in terms of its ethics and conduct.
Solomon Islands’ opposition leader, Matthew Wale, has criticised the move, questioning whether the weapons could be used to quash civil unrest.
He warned the donation was being driven by Australian anxieties over the co-operation of Chinese and Solomons police. He said in a statement on social media:
Obviously we do not have external threats so why the introduction of these high-powered guns?
Or are we on the pathway of being militarised again?
Birmingham responded to the comment, saying he welcomed robust democracy in the Solomons but it was Australia’s job to engage with the government of the day.
- from AAP
Updated
Major flooding in Gunnedah
The northern NSW town of Gunnedah is experiencing its seventh major flood in twelve months, the mayor told ABC Radio this morning.
Here is some vision of Gunnedah where flood supplies are being delivered by boat and interstate volunteers are helping out.
Picking up food supplies by boat - residents in Gunnedah have been evacuated as major flooding hits the north side of town @7NEWSNewEngland pic.twitter.com/pfqzK2oVti
— Toni Ambrogetti (@toniambrogetti) November 2, 2022
A contingent of 21 SES and RFS Qld volunteers has hit the ground running in flooded towns of north-western NSW.
— Qld Fire & Emergency (@QldFES) November 2, 2022
As Gunnedah prepared for another hit, our personnel worked hand in hand to prepare several hundred sandbags.
QFES has 38 people on interstate flood deployment. pic.twitter.com/uTFV1ASvQD
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Victorian Coalition promise vouchers for 32,000 Victorians waiting for dental care
The $500 vouchers would be administered by Victoria’s department of health and help to halve the state’s emergency dental waiting list, the opposition says.
The Liberal leader Matthew Guy said the vouchers would help Victorians get off the waiting list.
It’s so important we focus on health, whether general health, dental health.
The vouchers would not be means-tested and participants in the scheme would need to apply to access a voucher.
The opposition have also committed to halving the state’s elective surgery waiting list in a single term if elected at this month’s state election.
The opposition also committed to injecting $50m into the state’s dental care system, if elected, to hire more dentists and nurses to help slash the wait list.
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Jillaroos kick off Women’s Rugby League World Cup title defence with 74-0 win
Australia’s defence of the Rugby League World Cup is off to an impressive start with co-captain Sam Bremner scoring four tries in a 74-0 thumping of the Cook Islands, AAP reports.
The 31-year-old fullback, who was playing her first Jillaroos Test since 2018 following the birth of her two children, was at her devastating best as the Australians underlined their title credentials in York.
Victorian Coalition promises $500 vouchers for 32,000 Victorians waiting for dental care
The Victorian Coalition are continuing their push on health spending ahead of infrastructure in the lead up to the state’s election.
Victorian state reporter Adeshola Ore is at the announcement of this latest measure which will see Victorians receive $500 vouchers for dental care.
The opposition says there are 64,000 Victorians on the emergency waiting list.
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Resources minister warns against ‘ad hoc responses’ over gas
The resources minister, Madeleine King, as we mentioned, sought to avoid “taking this audience through the machinations” of gas prices at this mining conference in Sydney.
That was how she put it at a brief press conference at the end of her formal address, anyway.
King was keen to highlight the “very positive side of the resources industry”, since we’ll need “more minerals, not less” if net zero carbon targets are to be achieved,
As for the gas sector, the WA-based minister seemed eager to avoid the whole industry getting blamed for the east coast price and supply issues. (“Crisis” might be the view of gas consumers.)
Instead, King stressed the need to look at the industry as a whole and how to fix “this opaque market where we’re not quite sure of what’s going on”.
King said:
The government is determined to look further into that with the ACCC and come up with sensible solutions, not ad hoc responses that get us deeper into the well.
As for whether the angst of many (including the industry minister, Ed Husic) is getting through to gas producers, King said:
I think they’re pretty aware that they are on the nose.
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Draft National Teacher Workforce Action Plan released
The findings from Monash coincide with the education minister Jason Clare’s release today of a draft National Teacher Workforce Action Plan, which aims to address workforce shortages across the country.
The plan will focus on five areas: “elevating” the teaching profession, improving teacher supply, strengthening teaching degrees, maximising teachers’ time to teach, and a better understanding of future workforce needs.
The $328m blueprint was created through discussions with teachers, principals, unions and the higher education sector.
Measures include a $25m boost to address workloads and a further $10m to raise the status of the profession.
Anyone in the industry is able to provide feedback on the plan until December.
The Hon Jason Clare MP: Draft National Teacher Workforce Action Plan released https://t.co/J6y9oRVfMG #AusPol #FedPol #AustralianPolitics
— AusPol.co (@AusPolDotCo) November 2, 2022
Pasi Sahlberg, a professor of education at Southern Cross University, has written in the Conversation that the new national plan doesn’t adequately address the root causes of teacher shortages, which is unproductive working conditions and noncompetitive pay:
One priority in the proposed new plan is to “maximise” teachers’ time to teach. In fact, Australian teachers already teach for more hours than their peers in other OECD countries.
What would improve teachers’ working conditions is not more time to teach per se, but enough time to plan and work with their colleagues to find more productive ways of teaching.
- with AAP
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Australian teachers face biggest assault risk at work
Australian educators face a higher risk of being attacked at work or suffering mental health conditions than any other profession, and researchers fear the problem could be bigger than first thought.
Monash University academics analysed 1.5m compensation claims from 2009-2015 and found 4.5% of teachers’ cases related to assault, compared to just 2% for non-educators.
Secondary school teachers, specialist educators and aides experienced the highest rate of assault-related injuries and mental health conditions.
Overall however, educators still had a lower rate of claims than other professions and spent less time away from work.
Commonly reported conditions included injuries due to student-inflicted violence, psychological distress and musculoskeletal pain.
The findings were based on claims data, prompting researchers from Monash University School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine to suggest actual rates of violence towards teachers could be even higher.
They suggested educators may be discouraged from submitting workers compensation claims due to workplace culture, attitudes from leadership and utilising school holidays to recuperate.
- from AAP
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Pocock backs taxing fossil fuel companies’ super profits
The independent senator for the ACT, David Pocock, says it’s “time to update” the Petroleum Resources Rent Tax, sharing the latest article from Guardian Australia’s political editor Katharine Murphy about a new survey showing the majority of Australians now also support the measure.
While cost-of-living pressures are soaring, fossil fuel war profits are too.
— David Pocock (@DavidPocock) November 2, 2022
Australians are missing out on a fair share from the exploitation of our resources.
Time to update the PRRT (Petroleum Resources Rent Tax).https://t.co/4bEPcS2AfF
Murphy writes:
The latest Climate of the Nation survey of voters – now in its 15th year and managed by the progressive thinktank the Australia Institute – shows 61% of 2,691 respondents would back a windfall tax. The proposal captures majority support across all age, state, gender and voting intention demographics, with the exception of One Nation voters.
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Poll workers could be exempt from tax: AEC
The Australian Electoral Commission is giving evidence to the joint standing committee on electoral matters, describing the “great difficulty” getting more than 100,000 poll workers for election day.
The commissioner, Tom Rogers, said difficulties included that it was a “complex area of service delivery” and at the latest election poll workers faced “highly litigious people recording interactions, shouting at staff, [and] fairly bizarre behaviour we haven’t seen previously”.
Rogers revealed the AEC is exploring whether poll workers could get tax-free status for their AEC income “just like the army reserve”, but the initial feedback from Treasury “hasn’t been particularly positive”.
Rogers said there was previously a discrepancy of “a couple hundred thousand” differences in enrolment between the federal and state electoral rolls, which was “very bad”, but the AEC had “worked assiduously to get that down”.
Rogers also explained why the AEC had ruled that Advance Australia did not breach authorisation requirements through automated calls to people in the ACT about the Senate election, after a complaint from David Pocock.
Rogers said that “based on information” from Advance Australia, the call went to its subscriber list and therefore wasn’t a robocall. He blasted media outlets for “sloppy journalism” for reproducing claims Advance Australia made in a media release, and for reporting AEC comments that “if they were robocalls, they would need to be duly authorised” as if the AEC had made an initial determination.
Andrew Johnson, the chief legal officer, said any breach would only be “minor and technical” because Advance Australia had used a single name in introducing the call when a full name is required.
Senators and the AEC also went back and forth on truth in advertising, with Rogers reiterating his view that the commission “opining on opinion puts our neutrality at risk”.
Rogers has suggested a new agency or the Australian Communications and Media Authority should be responsible if truth in political advertising is legislated, but noted Acma wasn’t keen on it either. He joked the agency might take the AEC off its Christmas card list, or be “throwing something at a screen right now” in response to his evidence.
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Resources minister Madeleine King avoids browbeating miners
The federal resources minister, Madeleine King, has given an address to the International Mining and Resources Conference in Sydney (getting through the multiple security checks on the way in).
Notably, King avoided entirely the issue du jour (actually, de l’annee) about gas supply and prices.
Instead, King rattled off a list of how important resources were for Australia’s exports, jobs (2%), GDP, and so on. (Trade data out later today from ABS will reinforce that.)
Anyway, King stresses gas as “an ally of renewables”, and important for the long term energy security for Australia and customers in Asia. Coal, too, has a role, and the government is prepared to back new gas and coal projects provided their environmental and economic conditions “stack up”.
So, no browbeating, no mention of being “tone deaf”, etc, for this audience. King, though, did mention the need for miners to pay heed to their “social licence” … which was as close as she got to a serve. Now a presser.
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Eightieth anniversary of raising of Australian flag at Kokoda village
The minister for defence industry, Pat Conroy, will be in attendance at the commemorations at Kokoda, marking 80 years since the Australian flag was raised following the battle holding back the advancing Japanese.
Approximately 625 Australians were killed along the Kokoda track, as well as thousands more wounded.
Honoured to be travelling up to Kokoda to take part in the 80th commemorations of the raising of the Australian flag at Kokoda village. Lest we forget. pic.twitter.com/DNwmyiRzIp
— Pat Conroy MP (@PatConroy1) November 2, 2022
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One in four Australians struggling to make ends meet as inflation strains incomes, study shows
One in four Australians is struggling to make ends meet on their current income with average household earnings falling behind pre-pandemic levels in real terms.
Those are the findings of an Australian National University survey of almost 3,500 adults that confirms inflation is harming Australians’ economic wellbeing, with many registering a real pay cut despite working more hours.
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‘The first time I have heard that in my career’: NSW police commissioner on Taronga lion escape
ABC News asked Webb about yesterday’s big story, when Mosman police officers were called to Taronga Zoo after five lions escaped their enclosure.
Every day is a different day in this job. When the alarm went off and they were called to the zoo – that is the first time I have heard that in my career. You never know what you are going to get called to, and thankfully that matter resolved peacefully and nicely, and everyone is safe.
Webb is asked what would have gone through her mind had she received the call:
I think I would be hoping that there was some zoo staff there and a vet, so they were close at hand if I needed them.
You can read the full story here:
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NSW police invest in new health support program
Police are among the frontline workers upon whom the disruptions of Covid-19 lockdowns have taken a mental and emotional toll.
NSW police are today announcing a major initiative to invest in the health, safety and wellbeing of its officers from the very start to the end of their careers.
NSW police commissioner, Karen Webb, told ABC News that as the issues police face are getting more complex, “it is time for us to make sure that we look after police officers as they care for the community”.
Webb says the initiative “is a suite of programs”, but that one of the most important aspects is the decentralisation of mental health clinicians.
[Mental health clinicians] will be put into locations so they have access to officers and officers have access to them. The important part … is that it is timely to when an officer may need support but also that it allows them to establish a rapport with the clinician and [they can] understand what the needs of the officer are.
In addition to the mental health support, there is other wellbeing strategies in place, from nursing staff to dietitians to health and wellbeing more broadly.
Webb says the health program comes as part of an effort to retain staff.
We are seeing an increase in psychological injury. We have an attrition rate of 5-6% at the moment and that, in most work forces, is actually quite conservative. For us, that is up a little bit.
Equally, we want to make sure that part of this … suite of programs is a career transition program so [for] officers that want to disengage, we can help them find other employment and leave as healthy individuals.
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Qantas named and shamed in Choice Shonky awards 2022
All those long queues at the nation’s airports earlier in the year might have faded from some people’s minds, but not the folk at consumer advocacy group Choice.
Handing Qantas one of their not-very-coveted Shonky awards, they said the airline was the most complained about company on the Choice hotline this year, thanks to the long delays and cancellations suffered by passengers as the industry got going again in earnest this year. Choice dubbed Qantas the “spirit of disappointment”.
You can read the full story here:
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Russia’s ‘false narrative … can’t be allowed to prevail uncontested’: Tim Watts
The assistant minister for foreign affairs, Tim Watts, also said Australia must do a better job of making the case for its positions on the world stage, arguing diplomacy “no longer speaks for itself”.
He said the modern information environment was crowded and contested and that meant Australia needed to improve its strategic communications. He took aim specifically at Russia, saying it was promoting disinformation:
Many nations are pushing competing narratives and some are happy to deploy disinformation in service of their cause.
For example, Putin’s Russia absurdly calls Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a ‘special operation’ and Ukraine’s Jewish President a Nazi.
It pins the blame – for its unilateral, unprovoked, illegal invasion of a sovereign country – on ‘NATO encroachment’.
It’s the kind false narrative that is increasingly common today and can’t be allowed to prevail uncontested.
It’s also an example of why we can’t afford to consider public messaging as an optional add-on, or some nice-to-do window dressing after the ‘real work’ has been done.
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Minister says Morrison’s ‘negative globalism’ is ‘nonsense’
The assistant minister for foreign affairs, Tim Watts, says Australia must project a modern multicultural image and also elevate First Nations perspectives in order to boost its influence on the world stage.
In a speech last night, Watts set out the case for “creative, active diplomacy to shape Australia’s international environment during a period of transition” but said “we’ve got some catching up to do in this regard”.
He argued the former government had “deprioritised and disregarded diplomacy as a tool of Australian statecraft” and he also cited “Scott Morrison’s ‘negative globalism’ nonsense”. (In 2019, when Donald Trump was still US president, Morrison warned against “an unaccountable internationalist bureaucracy” or “any reflex towards a negative globalism that coercively seeks to impose a mandate from an often ill-defined borderless global community”.)
Delivering the keynote address at the Sir Roland Wilson Dialogue at the Australian National University, Watts said Australia must “work with nations from across the world to support the rules-based international order that is currently under so much pressure”.
He said Australia was seeking a seat on the UN security council in 2029-30 because it was committed to the United Nations as a mechanism for peace and stability. Australia needed to have a seat at the table if it wanted to influence and protect rules and norms, the Labor MP said.
Watts devoted a portion of his speech to explaining how the Albanese government was “seeking to activate the commonalities of modern Australia with the global community”.
That would include “elevating the role of First Nations Australians and ensuring their perspectives and their story is at the heart of the story we tell about Australia through our First Nations foreign policy”. The government will soon appoint an ambassador for First Nations people, who will lead an Office of First Nations Engagement within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Watts also said Australia must also project its modern, multicultural identity to “connect Australia with the world in a different way”:
Home to more than 300 cultural ethnicities, where half of our population was either born overseas or has a parent born overseas, there’s not a corner of the world that modern Australia isn’t directly connected to …
In the past, though, cultural diversity was all too often perceived as an exception to Australian identity, rather than representative of it. Our national symbols and institutions have all too often projected an outdated, mono-cultural image of Australia beyond our borders.
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More than 20 emergency flood warnings in NSW
This is the latest overall update on flood warnings in NSW, put out by the SES 12 hours ago:
NSW SES has 107 current warnings across NSW:
— NSW SES (@NSWSES) November 2, 2022
22 Emergency Warnings
64 Watch and Act
21 Advice
See the interactive map and more information on all Emergency Warnings on our website: https://t.co/BCnxAdOSBj. pic.twitter.com/qKEyP5yPmP
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Australians need to remember export earnings from LNG: Birmingham
The opposition leader in the senate, Simon Birmingham, and Guardian Australia’s political editor Katharine Murphy have both followed the industry minister on ABC Radio.
Birmingham said Australia needs to not only look at gas prices but also the export earnings from the country being a major LNG player.
Murphy says that’s an important point but that Australians increasingly feel they’re not getting a fair share of that export income, when Australian tax payers after all own the resources.
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Gas supply not a problem, ‘glut of greed is’, industry minister says
Husic:
This is not a shortage of supply problem; this is a glut of greed problem, that has to be basically short-circuited and common sense prevail.
The pricing mechanism is the one that I think needs to be seriously examined.
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ACCC looking at mandatory code of conduct for gas companies, minister confirms
Ed Husic says:
The LNG exporters are offering gas to the domestic market at prices they couldn’t reasonably expect on the international market.
ABC Radio asks the industry minister about reports that intervention is likely to take the form of a mandatory code of conduct and a domestic price cap. He replies:
We have the ACCC looking at that [code of conduct] and that code of conduct is to help better guide the way in which these contracts get negotiated … in terms of the other areas, we want to work through that internally.
Asked about whether the government intervention would be temporary, Husic said his preference would be to improve the bargaining framework itself and the way contracts are negotiated.
Husic said the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is looking at the option of oil and gas taxes:
If you look at what the treasurer has said over the last few days, he is examining those type of options and again that will be in the mix of things he thinks through.
I think the bigger focus long-term is the price mechanism.
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Government must intervene because gas companies are ‘tone deaf’, Ed Husic says
Ed Husic says the “reality” is that government does need to implement reforms because of the behaviour of gas companies:
The market the way it stands, the LNG exporters and their associates ... they’ve got influence of 90% of the proven and probable reserves in this country.
So, their view is they can keep doing what they’ve been doing.
RN Breakfast host Patricia Karvelas:
What does it demonstrate that after signing the agreement with the government, prices are higher in some cases?
Husic:
To my mind, it is saying they are not taking this issue seriously. They are not picking up the signals and they’re completely tone deaf to the view that is being expressed publicly.
That’s why we’ve got to a point where we are now forced to consider a wide range of interventions to get a better deal, because these companies are just not doing the right thing.
Husic said he’s “happy to be scratched off [gas companies’] Christmas card list”.
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Gas prices ‘just as high, if not higher’, industry minister says
As the prime minister’s comments last night show (see today’s first blog post), pressure is piling up on the government to help bring down power bills before the end of the year.
Industry and science minister Ed Husic is speaking to ABC Radio about the government raising the prospect of regulatory intervention to bring down energy prices:
We’re very focused on delivering a suite of reforms that we think will help bring that downward pressure on households.
Manufacturers … need to see a better situation in terms of behaviour out of these gas companies, because I’m already picking up evidence that the contract offers post the heads of agreement that we’d signed are just as high, if not higher than what was the case before.
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NSW flood threat spilling over into Victoria
Tim Wiebusch from Victoria SES:
We saw record rainfall here in Victoria during the month of October and probably no surprise in that we also have seen our busiest month on record for SES with over 13,689 requests for assistance …
A number of the southern New South Wales rivers are starting to converge now on the Murray River and so we’re asking all the Murray River communities, in particular, to now be flood-ready …
We’re seeing the major flooding still occurring in and around Echuca all the way through to Torrumbarry. We’re going to see in the coming days that major flood water start to reach Swan Hill on Monday next week and peaking in the middle of next week but it will stay high for quite some time.
And then as those New South Wales rivers, and also the Murrumbidgee join the Murray, we’re going to see locations like Boundary Bend and all the way through to Mildura reaching minor flood levels at the end of next week but it will take until the first week of December before we’ll actually see potentially major flooding in and around Mildura.
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Forbes braces for biggest flood in 70 years
Flooding is still occurring in New South Wales and Victoria. ABC News Breakfast is speaking to SES representatives in both states.
Ashley Sullivan from NSW SES says:
It is a long list of rivers in flood in New South Wales, with our greatest concern at the moment being for the Lachlan River at Forbes. We are expecting major flooding in the next couple of days equivalent to probably the 1952 flooding in that area. And, although we have seen flooding in Forbes in recent months, this flooding will be higher than what we have seen in any of those floods …
Moving around the state, we have the Namoi River, particularly around Gunnedah, where we’re seeing again major flooding. Down at the Murrumbidgee, we got Tummut, Gundagai, Wagga, Hay and Cootamundra. Our particular concern there is around Wagga where we have evacuation orders current and we’re currently out door knocking those communities.
The Barwon-Darling River systems, where Lightning Ridge and Walgett have now become isolated from significant flooding in that area and that will be isolated and see that flooding for months to come. Along with down on the Murray River system, down around Moama where all that water is heading from Victoria and New South Wales.
So about 431 [rescues] in the last 24 hour, 15 of them flood rescues.
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Government push to move DV focus from victim-survivors to perpetrators
Amanda Rishworth wants to flip the script.
Having released the national plan to end violence, the social services minister is pushing for the focus to move from victim-survivors to perpetrators.
Rishworth wants a national research project on perpetrator behaviour to answer the question of why it happens as part of holding perpetrators accountable for their own actions, rather than questioning survivors about theirs.
The minister is addressing the National Press Club to talk more about the plan and the goal for perpetrators to be held accountable.
Some extracts from that speech have been released ahead of time:
Accountability, in part, is ensuring victim-survivors are never being held responsible for calling out the violence they face.
It’s ending the rhetoric of ‘why didn’t she just leave?’ and shifting it to ‘why is he choosing to act in this way?’ It’s an improved community understanding and social expectation that we call out sexist language and sexist behaviour – wherever it happens.
Think about it – and challenge yourself to answer honestly – if your work colleague was in a relationship where he was treating his partner disrespectfully, and you witnessed it, would you speak up? Would you call him out, or support him to change his behaviour?
Rishworth says to respond fully and meet the plan’s goal of ending family and domestic violence and sexual violence within a generation, evidence-based research is crucial.
Significant work must be done on how we collect data on these indicators of success, to ensure we are making progress.
For example, we need to measure more than intimate partner violence. For too long our understanding of domestic, family and sexual violence has been viewed through the narrow lens of intimate partner relationships.
Our understanding has grown and, as such, our measurement tools need to be fit for purpose.
For that, Rishworth argues, we need to have unified data across all states and territories and a national research project on the behaviour which causes men (and all the evidence says it is mostly men who are the perpetrators) to respond with violence.
Too often, the evidence collection focuses on victim-survivors, not on those who choose to use violence, which is a problem we must address.
There is an announcement as part of this speech but her office said that will remain under wraps until she delivers it just after noon.
We’ll keep you updated.
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Jason Clare unveils $328m teacher workforce plan
The education minister, Jason Clare, will on Thursday release a draft national teacher workforce action plan, with some details in a speech to the Australian Primary Principals Association.
Clare will announce $328m of commonwealth government funding, including:
$159m to train more teachers
$56m for scholarships worth up to $40,000 each to encourage the best and brightest to become teachers
$68m to triple the number of mid-career professionals shifting into teaching
$10m to boost professional development,
$10m for a campaign to raise the status of the teaching profession
$25m for a teacher workload reduction fund – to trial new ways to reduce the workload on teachers and maximise the time they have to teach
Not all of this is new money. Budget paper No 2 outlined $310m over nine years for a similar set of measures including the scholarships, which were a Labor election commitment. But the campaign and the teacher workload reduction fund look new.
In a draft of the speech, seen by Guardian Australia, Clare says:
Something like 30 to 50% of teachers leave in the first five years. A lot of really experienced mid-career teachers are leaving too. Not retiring – just resigning. There is no one reason why but one of the reasons is workload. They are burnt out. The Productivity Commission report from a few weeks ago, told us what I am sure you already know. Australian teachers work longer than their counterparts overseas, but less than 40% of that is face-to-face teaching. So, not enough students going in, not enough coming out, and too many teachers leaving the profession they love. That all comes together to create a teacher shortage crisis.
There’s no mention in the speech of the NSW government’s proposal to pay skilled teachers more to stay in the classroom, which education ministers discussed in August. We’ll be looking for that when the detail of the plan is released.
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Good morning!
And welcome to our Guardian Australia live blog.
The prime minister Anthony Albanese has defended his government’s decision not to offer cash handouts to those struggling to pay their energy bills overnight, saying it would only make inflation worse.
In a speech at the Australian-Melbourne Institute Outlook conference last night, Albanese said:
My colleagues and I understand there are many people feeling the pain of rising prices, especially off the back of a decade of stagnant wages.
And the easy option would have been for us to funnel these savings straight into a ‘cash splash’, a one-off giveaway to buy a headline. Cheap politics and hugely expensive economics.
Instead of helping households, it would only add to the inflationary pressures that are eating away at family budgets and devaluing wages.
Albanese vowed his government was working with state and territory governments, as well as the private sector to “make sure that we have fixed [power] supply and we need to fix price in the short term as well.”
Around the country, thousands of Australians took to the streets of towns and cities last night in vigils for the Indigenous teenager Cassius Turvey, who was allegedly murdered in a Perth suburb last month.
Mechelle Turvey told a vigil in the city that her son Cassius was the “heart and soul of the community”, while in Sydney an estimated 3,000 paid their respects to Cassius and the family with a smoking ceremony, speakers and a moment’s silence.
Our reporter Sarah Collard was in the crowd and has this report. Cassius is also remembered by Mechelle in today’s Full Story podcast.
The economy is still front and centre, specifically the ups and downs of the housing market. The rental market is coming down from “unprecedented” highs earlier in the year but that doesn’t mean the market is going to swing in favour of tenants any time soon, experts have warned.
Meanwhile, a study shows that negative gearing will cost taxpayers $20bn a year and Greg Jericho asks whether the RBA will keep hiking rates if house prices carry on falling.
A new wave of Covid-19 infections driven by two new Omicron variants are set to hit New South Wales, the state’s chief health officer, Dr Kerry Chant, will warn today, with transmission of the virus predicted to increase in coming weeks. Here’s what we know about the new subvariants.
Flooding continues in inland NSW with over 20 warnings across the state, including 13 emergency warnings with major flooding expected at Wagga Wagga, Forbes, and Gunnedah.
On with the day.
There are some stunning pictures of last night’s vigils for Cassius Turvey around the country. Here are a few:
There are more pictures here:
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