What happened Monday 5 February 2023
That’s a wrap for today’s live blog. Here’s a summary of today’s news:
Australian academic Yang Hengjun has been given a suspended death sentence by a Chinese court, after five years in detention on espionage charges.
Queensland police have arrested five teenage boys and charged one of them after the stabbing death of a 70-year-old woman at an Ipswich shopping centre, in front of her granddaughter.
Suppliers of electric vehicles are the big winners from the Albanese government’s fuel efficiency standards with one industry group saying half of all new cars will be electric by 2029 and 100% by 2035 on the proposed trajectory.
The Australian federal police have confirmed there are multiple reviews being conducted into an undercover counter-terror operation which targeted a 13-year-old autistic boy with a fixation on Islamic State, as calls grow for a public inquiry into the case.
Have a pleasant evening
Updated
Government launches review into national security-related funding for thinktanks and universities
National security-related funding to thinktanks and universities will be put under the microscope as the federal government launches a review.
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) announced today that it had commissioned “an independent review of commonwealth funding for national security strategic policy work”.
PM&C said in a statement:
The scope of the review will include all Commonwealth funding to non-government organisations to conduct national security-related research, education and engagement activities.”
No particular thinktanks or institutions are singled out in the terms of reference, but it appears that the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney are among a range of bodies that would fall within the scope.
The University of Queensland chancellor, Peter Varghese, who is also a former secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, will lead the review.
The terms of reference call for recommendations “to assist agencies conducting relevant activities while achieving value-for-money, administrative efficiency, and appropriate levels of governance, accountability, probity and transparency”.
The same document says while the review should “focus its assessment of current performance to no more than a five-year historical time frame”, it may also “take into account, as required, the original decision-making on key funding arrangements”.
Updated
Police in Queensland have charged two more teenagers in relation to the fatal stabbing of a 70-year-old woman in Ipswich on Saturday.
Late on Monday afternoon, police announced they had arrested a further two teenagers, taking the number of arrests on Monday to four.
Those four teenagers – three boys aged 16 and one 15-year-old boy – are in addition to the arrest of a 15-year-old boy overnight, who was charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle.
Earlier on Monday afternoon, detective acting superintendent Heath McQueen described the attack – which occurred in front of the woman’s six-year-old granddaughter – as “callous, cowardly [and] violent”.
McQueen said police would allege the motive for the attack “was to steal a Hyundai Getz”.
“It doesn’t matter to me where these people go, we will find them,” McQueen said. Police said at least 40 officers were working on the case.
Updated
Park rangers culling brumbies are being harassed and threatened as union leaders call on politicians to take the heat out of the debate over controlling the feral animals.
The New South Wales government in October announced the state would return to aerial shooting of brumbies in Kosciuszko national park to control burgeoning numbers.
Feral horse counts in the park have exploded since the former NSW Nationals leader and deputy premier John Barilaro opposed culls in favour of trapping and rehoming in 2018.
The state has a legislated target to cut the brumby population to 3,000 by mid-2027, but officials have estimated there are up to 22,500 horses in the park.
Since aerial culling restarted, National Parks and Wildlife Service rangers have faced increasing hostility from members of the public opposed to the plan, a union told a parliamentary committee examining the government’s decision.
Read more:
Qantas pilots to strike
Passengers have been warned of flight disruptions as Qantas pilots who operate passenger, charter and fly-in-fly-out (Fifo) services in Western Australia plan to stop work for 24 hours on Thursday.
On Monday, the Australian Federation of Air Pilots (Afap), which represents pilots employed by Network Aviation – a subsidiary of Qantas Group which operates Qantas Link, Fifo and charter services for the airline in Western Australia – said it had notified Network Aviation management about the stop-work action.
Afap members who are negotiating a new pay deal have complained of “pay and conditions [that] are significantly inferior to that of other pilots at Qantas and comparable airlines”.
Afap senior industrial officer Chris Aikens apologised to the travelling public and Fifo mining staff and communities in WA for the disruption that would be caused. He added:
“The Afap has been genuinely negotiating and trying to reach an agreement with Qantas management but the company remains unwilling to revisit its inflexible wages policy instituted under the former CEO.
With more than 90% of Network pilots being Afap members, the pilot group is highly engaged and keen to progress these negotiations towards conclusion.”
Qantas has been contacted for comment.
Updated
Key event
‘Top priority’: government must argue for Yang’s release, Birmingham says
Shadow foreign minister Simon Birmingham said Australians would be “aghast and appalled” at the sentence delivered to Australian writer Yang Hengjun in a Chinese court.
“It must be a top priority for the Albanese government, in their engagement with Chinese officials, to continue to advocate on Dr Yang Hengjun’s behalf. We must work to ensure he has access to the medical treatment and consular services that are his right,” Birmingham said this afternoon.
“The Australian government must argue for his release and return to Australia.”
Birmingham, who was formerly Australia’s trade minister, said the sentence was “a reminder of the risks that apply in doing business or engaging with China”.
He said the opposition was seeking further briefings from the government, and that it must “make sure there is the maximum appropriate pressure applied in support of Dr Yang”.
“We cannot allow Dr Yang’s case to slide from view.”
Birmingham declined to answer directly on questions about whether Australia should re-evaluate trade with China, or whether it remained appropriate for Chinese president Xi Jinping to potentially visit Australia following prime minister Anthony Albanese’s invitation last year.
Updated
Meeting over
About 20 or so minutes after entering, China’s ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, has just exited the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat) headquarters in Barton in Canberra.
He did not make any comments to reporters waiting outside.
Updated
China’s ambassador to Australia summoned over Yang Hengjun sentence
China’s ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, has just been seen arriving at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (Dfat) headquarters in Barton in Canberra.
He was summoned earlier today after the Australian academic Yang Hengjun was given a suspended death sentence by a Chinese court, after five years in detention on espionage charges.
The ambassador will be spoken to by Dfat secretary Jan Adams.
You can read more here:
Updated
Kylie Minogue wins at Grammys
Kylie Minogue has won the inaugural Grammy for best pop dance recording for her global hit Padam Padam, from her 2023 album Tension.
You can read more Grammys news here:
Updated
Search for missing swimmer at beach on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula
Choppy conditions are hampering the search for a swimmer who disappeared off a beach in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.
Searchers have been scouring the waters of Number 16 Beach in Rye after a 20-year-old man went missing on Sunday.
The Cranbourne man was at the beach with a male and female friend when the two men entered the water to swim and were caught in a rip. The friend, a man in his 20s, made it back to shore and was treated by paramedics before being transported to Frankston hospital.
Air Wing, Lifesaving Victoria and Ambulance Victoria were alerted to the beach off Browns Road and Tasman Drive about 7pm where they commenced a search for the missing man.
Conditions around Victoria’s coastlines had been “extremely difficult” over the weekend, Life Saving Victoria general manager Liam Krige said. Air and water police and SES crews recommenced the search on Monday as high winds and strong swells made conditions difficult for rescue crews.
The man’s father and two brothers were at the location while his mother and sister were too distraught.
AAP
Updated
Further Queensland arrests related to stabbing of woman in Ipswich
Police in Queensland have arrested two further juveniles related to the “callous, cowardly, violent” fatal stabbing of a 70-year-old woman in Ipswich.
Authorities investigating had arrested a 15-year-old boy overnight, charging him with unlawful use of a motor vehicle.
Detective acting Superintendent Heath McQueen said police had since identified two further persons of interest – both of who are “juveniles”– who are now in custody. Police also know the identity of a fourth person of interest, who they hope to have in custody later today.
McQueen said police would allege the motive for the attack – which occurred in front of the woman’s 6-year-old granddaughter – was to steal her car.
McQueen said:
The motive was to steal a Hyundai Getz. I stand before you today talking about the murder of a grandmother in front of her 6-year-old [grand]daughter and the result was stolen Hyundai Getz.
This is senseless violence.
It doesn’t matter to me where these people go, we will find them.
Updated
Many thanks for joining me on the blog today. I’ll leave you with Elias Visontay, who will take you through the rest of today’s rolling coverage. Take care.
Man arrested after body found in NSW suburban backyard
A man has been arrested after the discovery of a body in a suburban backyard as police appeal for witnesses, AAP reports.
The body of a 74-year-old man was found at a property at Farmborough Heights, on the outskirts of Wollongong, just after 6pm on Sunday.
Paramedics were called after reports the man had been found with head injuries in the backyard of a house.
A 48-year-old man was arrested at the scene and he is being interviewed by police.
Police have called for witnesses who saw anything relevant in the area of Primrose Place between Thursday and Sunday.
Updated
Top lobby group backs public register for Parliament House lobbyists
One of the largest political lobby groups, Hawker Britton, has backed calls for a public register of lobbyists who have access to Parliament House among other reforms to “enhance awareness” and improve the state of politics.
In a submission to a parliamentary inquiry, the lobbying group, which is close to Labor, said it supported the proposal put forward by Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie in 2019, which would publish a registry of lobbyists with parliament passes and include details of their pass sponsors.
Under the existing rules, lobbyists with an “orange pass” can access the halls of power at any time unaccompanied once sponsored by a senator or MP. Details surrounding who holds these passes and who sponsored them are not publicly available.
Answers to questions on notice from the ACT senator David Pocock have revealed the total number of sponsored passes, as at 30 September, is 2,020. Around 1,650 sponsored passes have been issued since July 2022.
Hawker Britton’s submission has also called for an expansion of the definition of lobbyists, saying the current definition “places undue emphasis on the business model of individuals engaged in lobbying rather than focusing on the actual activities undertaken”.
A public lobbyist register already exists but extends only to third-party lobbyists. For example, individuals working in-house in government relations roles do not necessarily have to register.
The submission said the exception of such roles should be “rare and subject to consideration by those administering the register”.
We believe that professional government relations experts should operate in a transparent environment governed by appropriate regulations, which can help build public confidence in public policy processes.
Updated
King Charles sends message to Queensland communities affected by devastating weather
The governor general, David Hurley, is visiting communities across Queensland affected by the recent devastating weather. He shared a message from King Charles, who said:
My wife and I have been deeply concerned by the devastating impacts of recent weather events across Queensland.
The destructive fires of late last year, and the more recent tropical cyclones which have brought torrential rain and widespread flooding have, I know, brought unbearable pressures on the lives of those in many communities.
We are full of admiration for those brave rescue crews and all the others who help protect life and defend property in difficult and often very dangerous circumstances. That spirit of mateship and helping those in need reflects the very best of Australian characteristics and makes us so proud of the resilience and determination of the Australian people.
Our constant thoughts and sympathy are with all Queenslanders who are being continually impacted by these events.
Charles R
The governor general and his wife will spend today in the Gold Coast and Tamborine Mountain, before visiting Samford, Murrumba and Caboolture tomorrow.
Updated
AFP deputy commissioner grilled over operation involving 13-year-old autistic boy
In case you missed it earlier: AFP deputy commissioner Ian McCartney was grilled by Greens senator David Shoebridge in a Senate committee this morning over an undercover operation involving an autistic 13-year-old boy (which you can read about here).
Watch the interaction below:
Updated
Yang Hengjun feared he could die in Chinese jail
Last August, Yang Hengjun said he feared he could die in a Chinese prison from a worsening medical condition he says was not being properly treated.
You can read the full story, with all the background on his case, below:
Updated
More on Ben Roberts-Smith defamation appeal
Roberts-Smith is at the federal court for the first day of his appeal against the findings of the defamation trial he brought against the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age and the Canberra Times.
Seen outside the courtroom, he was in deep, hushed conversation with his parents and appeared calm.
Roberts-Smith was not in attendance at the judgement in June 2023 – choosing instead to holiday in Bali at the time.
Updated
Australian government ‘appalled’ by Yang Hengjun suspended death sentence, Penny Wong says
Here is the statement released from Penny Wong, on the sentencing of Australian writer Dr Yang Hengjun:
The Australian government is appalled that Australian citizen, Dr Yang Hengjun, has today received a suspended death sentence in Beijing.
We understand this can be commuted to life imprisonment after two years if the individual does not commit any serious crimes in the two-year period.
This is harrowing news for Dr Yang, his family and all who have supported him.
Our thoughts are with them. I acknowledge the acute distress they will all be feeling, after many years of uncertainty.
The statement reiterated what Wong said during her press conference – that the Australian government plans to communicate its response “in the strongest terms”.
The Australian government has advocated for Dr Yang with China at every opportunity, and at the highest levels. We have consistently called for basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment for Dr Yang, in accordance with international norms and China’s legal obligations.
We will continue to press for Dr Yang’s interests and wellbeing, including appropriate medical treatment, and provide consular assistance to him and his family.
Updated
Wong questioned on Yang Hengjun’s health
Back at Penny Wong’s press conference, she is asked for an update on Dr Yang Hengjun’s health status and does not go into detail:
I’m not in a position to go into details of his health condition but I would say to you we are very seized of this and we’ll continue to advocate for him to obtain the treatment.
Earlier, Wong said she was aware that Dr Yang still has “avenues for appeal” available to him.
Updated
Yang Hengjun’s sentence ‘outrageous political persecution’, PhD supervisor says
Associate professor Chongyi Feng, Yang’s PhD supervisor in Australia, said his former student’s sentence was an “outrageous political persecution”.
Dr Yang did not commit any crime of espionage. He is [being] punished by the Chinese government for his criticism of human rights abuses in China and his advocacy for universal values such as human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
Feng said Yang’s detention, trial and sentence had been a grave injustice, “but Dr Yang won’t be able to appeal due to poor health”.
Five years of arbitrary detention and torture have taken a heavy toll on his health. He is now critically ill.
He urged Australia to press for Yang’s return to Australia immediately, potentially on medical parole, so he could access treatment.
Updated
Wong: ‘It is very important that we continue to engage’
Q: Could you explain why you haven’t taken that decision to recall the ambassador?
Wong:
This sentence was handed down today. We have made clear that we will continue to engage with China and you would know that, for example, in relation to Dr Yang, it is very important that we continue to engage, particularly in relation to his treatment in these circumstances.
Updated
Wong on Yang Hengjun sentence: ‘This is a decision within China’s legal system. Clearly this is an occasion [on] which we disagree.’
Q: What does this do for the diplomatic relationship between China and Australia?
Penny Wong:
First, I’d say, you know, more broadly about the relationship – I have said stabilisation means we cooperate where we can, disagree where we must, and we engage in the national interest.
I will make the point, this is a decision within China’s legal system. Clearly this is an occasion which we disagree. However, Australia will continue to advocate for the interests of Dr Yang.
Updated
Penny Wong: ‘Australia will not relent in our advocacy for justice for Dr Yang’s interests’
Penny Wong said she has directed her secretary to summon China’s ambassador to Australia to express “our objection”.
She says:
I want to acknowledge the acute distress that Dr Yang Hengjun and his family will be feeling today, coming after years of uncertainty. My thoughts, the prime minister’s and I think all Australians’ thoughts are with them.
Dr Yang has been detained since 2019 on national security charges. His verdict and his sentence have been subject to repeated delays since his closed trial on 27 May 2021.
The Australian government has advocated for Dr Yang with China at every opportunity and at the highest levels. We have consistently called for basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment for Dr Yang in accordance with international norms and China’s legal obligations.
Australia will not relent in our advocacy for justice for Dr Yang’s interests and wellbeing including appropriate medical treatment and we will continue to provide consular assistance to him and his family. All Australians want to see Dr Yang reunited with his family.
Updated
Beijing gives Australian writer Yang Hengjun a suspended death sentence
Foreign affairs minister Penny Wong is speaking to the media, and has announced Australian writer Dr Yang Hengjun has received a suspended death sentence.
Wong says:
Today I come to you with the most harrowing news. In Beijing, Australian citizen Dr Yang Hengjun has received a suspended death sentence. We understand that this can be committed to a life sentence following two years. The Australian government is appalled at this outcome. We will be communicating our response in the strongest terms.
Updated
No way to ‘budget’ out of cost-of-living crisis for low-income earners, report finds
People experiencing poverty and job insecurity are increasingly unable to budget their way out of financial crisis, a new report from the Brotherhood of St Laurence has found.
The research, which asked 40 low to middle-income Victorians to detail their finances over 10 weeks, found inadequate income support, insecure work and the cost-of-living crisis are driving inequality across Australia.
The report comes just days after a Senate committee into the cost-of-living crisis heard families, including those with dual incomes, were increasingly accessing back-to-school help including free books, and avoiding seeing the doctor as the cost of medical care increases.
Read more:
Australia will be in ‘perilous position’ without warships guarantee, SA premier says
Australia will be put in a “perilous strategic position” if the government does not guarantee the construction of warships in Adelaide, South Australia premier Peter Malinauskas says.
He has travelled to Canberra with a convoy of shipbuilders and union members in the hopes of securing a federal government guarantee for frigates to be built in his state, as part of a continuous naval shipbuilding program.
Though the commonwealth has committed to such a scheme, Malinauskas said it needed to begin allocating funds and taking tangible steps. He told reporters today:
Without the delivery of more shipbuilding capability, the navy simply isn’t going to have the equipment they need to be able to project naval power in an increasingly complicated strategic environment in a increasingly contested region.
If the government wanted to buy these warships, it would have to do so from a nation like the US which is already struggling to meet requests from its neighbours, he said.
According to Malinauskas, the best option is to build the ships at home and SA is the only place in the country with the workforce, skills and infrastructure where this could take place.
… in the absence of that decision, we put our nation in a perilous strategic position at the time that we face the greatest risks.
The federal government also needs to commit to building at least six Hunter-class frigates, rather than the promised three, he argued.
- from AAP
Updated
Ben Roberts-Smith appeal: defence suggests evidence in defamation trial speculative and contradictory
In his argument to the full court of the federal court, Bret Walker SC has entered complex legal territory as he seeks to overturn damning findings in his client Ben Roberts-Smith’s defamation case against the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age and the Canberra Times.
To be successful in the appeal, the Roberts-Smith team will need to persuade the court that Justice Anthony Besanko made errors when he found the soldier to be complicit in the murder of four Afghan men.
Walker argues that the soldier was entitled to the presumption of innocence and, following the so-called Briginshaw principle, his legal team noted that when allegations are particularly grave, a court must be cautious in making grave findings.
In court, Walker suggested that the body of evidence in the defamation trial was at times speculative and contradictory, such as in discrepancies among eye-witness recollections.
Focusing on the “corruption” of a patrol debrief document that was created close to the time of two killings in 2009, he suggested the contemporaneous report from Afghanistan was inconsistent with later reports.
In 2022, the newspapers successfully persuaded the trial judge that the Victoria Cross recipient was a murderer to the civil standard – or on the balance of probabilities.
Updated
Murray Watt meets farmers to discuss renewable energy developments
Agriculture, fisheries and forestry minister Murray Watt has met with farmers from around the country to discuss renewable energy developments:
Today I met with sheep, cattle, grain & horticulture farmers from around Australia who support renewable energy developments & the new income streams they are producing for rural Australia. pic.twitter.com/PgQQNTNkOQ
— Senator Murray Watt (@MurrayWatt) February 5, 2024
The group was part of Farmers for Climate Action, who visited Canberra today calling on the government to invest in renewables.
According to the group, regional polling of 687 residents across central Queensland, Hunter and the Illawarra, found that 25.8% of respondents believe renewables will be the biggest opportunity for their region over the next 20 years – followed by tourism (23.7%) and healthcare employment (15.4%).
Farmers for Climate Action chair Brett Hall said farmers making good money from renewables projects weren’t hard to find:
Income during drought is vital when you’re trying to run a family farm and renewable energy delivers that.
Typical payments being offered to farmers by wind companies are now more than $40,000 per turbine per year, and many farms host dozens of turbines whilst still farming sheep or cattle. Solar companies are now offering farmers around $1,500 per hectare per year rent, and the farmer often continues to run sheep under the panels.
Strong competition between renewable energy companies means farmers are choosing the best deal for them and their community.
Updated
Flood warning for Moonie River in Queensland
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned of major flooding for the Moonie River in Queensland.
⚠️Major Flood Warning for the Moonie River. MAJOR flooding possible at Thallon Bridge from Monday evening and may peak around 5.20m on Tuesday morning. Updates:https://t.co/seCOg8oHed pic.twitter.com/bL8Ms39lda
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) February 5, 2024
Moderate flooding is occurring downstream of Flinton. The Moonie River at Thallon Bridge is at 4.71m and rising, expected to exceed the major flood level of 5m by this evening.
The river level may peak near 5.2m tomorrow, the bureau said.
Updated
Man denies throwing much-loved chicken to alligators
A man accused of throwing a chicken known as Betty White into an alligator pen in front of shocked families at a popular NSW wildlife park has indicated he’ll plead not guilty to animal cruelty, AAP reports.
The case against Peter William Smith, 57, of Singleton, was briefly mentioned in Raymond Terrace Local Court today. High-profile defence lawyer Brian Wrench said Smith, who was not in court, planned to plead not guilty to one count of aggravated animal cruelty.
“This is an allegation about an alligator eating a chicken,” Wrench told Magistrate Justin Peach. He said the alleged act described was like something out of a David Attenborough documentary.
Peach ordered police to prepare the brief of evidence against Smith by March 4 and adjourned the case to 18 March.
Court documents revealed police claimed Smith committed an act of aggravated cruelty on “a silkie bantam chook” between 2.57pm and 3.10pm on 2 January at the Oakvale Farm and Fauna World at Salt Ash.
Police had attended the wildlife park after reports the much-loved chicken known as Betty White had been snatched from an enclosure and thrown into the alligator pen.
In a statement released after the silkie hen was killed, Oakvale Farm owner Kent Sansom said management and staff had been deeply saddened by Betty White’s fate:
This is the first time in our 43 years that we have had a member of the public (allegedly) engage in such cruelty in what is an animal sanctuary.
Betty White was hand-raised at the park and had played a crucial role in our endangered species breeding program for the bush stone curlew and other species by providing surrogacy to the chicks.
Her quiet nature means she would not hesitate to approach a customer for some animal pellets …
Updated
Treasury did not provide electorate analysis of cuts
At the cost-of-living inquiry, the Coalition senators are now cross-examining Treasury officials about claims in the media about Treasury analysis of the impact of Labor’s tax cuts.
The deputy secretary, Diane Brown, said one report citing Treasury as the source of a claim about an electorate impact was “not true” because Treasury doesn’t collect information on an electorate basis and did not do such an analysis.
Another Treasury official confirmed it does provide “geographical based data” on the impact of tax cuts, a breakdown by postcode. He said:
I don’t know how to make postcodes into electorates.
Our story noted that the source of the claim that 85% of voters in Coalition seats would be better off was the treasurer, Jim Chalmers’, office.
The hearing has ended, as Labor senator Karen Grogan insisted she had a hard out at noon.
Updated
Two arrested in Adelaide after 139kg of cocaine found in shipment of buses
Two Victorian men have been arrested in Adelaide after 139kg of cocaine, hidden in a shipment of luxury buses, was seized.
According to a statement from the Australian federal Ppolice, the two men, aged 22 and 19, are expected to face Port Adelaide magistrates court today, charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of cocaine.
The investigation began after intelligence identified an alleged importation of cocaine, concealed in a consignment of 13 luxury buses on an international cargo ship bound for Adelaide, via Perth.
Border Force officers searched the buses after the ship arrived into Fremantle Harbour, and located a number of packages in four of the buses – which tested positive for cocaine.
The buses were offloaded on arrival into Adelaide and on 3 February, the men allegedly forced entry into the buses and retrieved the consignment. They were subsequently arrested in a Port Adelaide hotel and charged, refused bail and remanded in custody.
The pair face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment if convicted.
AFP detective superintendent Melinda Adam said:
This seizure of the 139kg of cocaine has stopped a potential 695,000 individual street deals from hitting our streets and causing significant harm to our communities and economy, with an estimated street value of $45m.
Updated
Severe weather warning for parts of NSW and ACT
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for heavy and locally intense rain and damaging winds over parts of NSW and the ACT.
The warning area includes the Southern Tablelands, South West Slopes, parts of the Central Tablelands, Central West Slopes and Plains, the Riverina, Lower Western, Upper Western and ACT districts.
#Severe Weather Warning
— Bureau of Meteorology Australian Capital Territory (@BOM_ACT) February 5, 2024
for #HEAVY, LOCALLY #INTENSE RAINFALL and #DAMAGING WINDS
For people in Southern Tablelands, South West Slopes and parts of Central Tablelands, Central West Slopes and Plains, Riverina, Lower Western, Upper Western and ACT districts. pic.twitter.com/E804jrUrXS
Updated
Hit-and-run investigation after body found on M1 motorway in northern NSW
A man whose body was found on a major interstate highway could be the victim of a hit and run, police say.
Emergency services were called to the Pacific Motorway, which connects Sydney with Brisbane, near Tweed Valley Way at Chinderah about 5.30am on Monday.
Police said a body was found on the roadway outside the northern NSW town, which sits near the Queensland border.
A crime scene has been established as police investigate the circumstances, including the possibility that the man was killed in a hit-and-run incident.
He is yet to be formally identified.
Traffic diversions are in place and drivers have been urged to avoid the area and anyone with information about the incident or dashcam footage from the area is urged to contact police.
- from AAP
Updated
Coalition probe losers under Labor tax plan
Circling back to the cost-of-living inquiry, where Liberal shadow finance minister, Jane Hume, has been grilling Treasury officials.
Hume is asking the Treasury how many Australians will be worse off under Labor’s tax plan, as she notes that $28bn more is taken in tax over 10 years.
Treasury officials said in the current year 11.5m people will be paying less tax. Labor caucus was told that amounts to 84% of Australian taxpayers being better off.
Over a decade, “the bottom deciles will be better off in the medium term”, the officials said.
So, it sounds like that 84% better off shrinks to 70% over the decade. Hume asks to know the number of Australians worse off, but doesn’t get a precise figure.
The call now passes to Labor’s Karen Grogan who suggests the cost-of-living committee shouldn’t have bothered with a hearing today at all. Apparently they’re all coming back on Friday. Lucky them!
Updated
Ben Roberts-Smith appeal begins
Ben Roberts-Smith’s attempt to overturn the grim findings of his defamation case against the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age has begun.
In the 10-day appeal, prominent silk Bret Walker SC will argue that federal court Justice Anthony Besanko made an error in his reasoning when he found Roberts-Smith to be complicit in the murder of four unarmed Afghan men, including that of Ali Jan in 2012.
The defamation case against the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age and the Canberra Times by the former Special Air Service soldier and Australia’s most decorated living soldier found in the newspapers’ favour after ending in June 2022.
Walker told the trio of federal court judges in his opening remarks:
The difference between killing that occurs in the course of duty permitted by a civilised system of law and killing which is not so authorised and is therefore not excused by the activities of war … that difference is of course at the heart of the case.
He questioned the weight given to evidence and said that “it is common ground … that these are allegations of the utmost seriousness with a gravity of consequence for our client which I don’t need to dwell on”.
Litigation brought by the soldier, who was in court this morning, began in 2018. The million-dollar case was bankrolled by Kerry Stokes, Seven West Media chairman.
Updated
Thunderstorms expected to sweep NSW today
The Bureau of Meteorology says thunderstorms are expected across much of NSW today.
Severe thunderstorms are possible for many locations, with the risk of heavy rainfall and damaging wind gusts continuing through this evening and into early tomorrow.
#Thunderstorms are expected across much of the state today. Severe thunderstorms are possible for many locations, bringing a risk of heavy to locally intense rainfall and damaging wind gusts.
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) February 4, 2024
The risk could continue through to late this evening into possibly early Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/PM7DpFcJ4K
Meanwhile, severe thunderstorms with heavy rain and flash flooding are possible in south-west Queensland today, west around Charleville.
Locally intense rainfall is also a risk near ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily, in the Channel Country.
⛈️Storm forecast today 5 Feb: Severe thunderstorms with heavy rainfall/flash flooding & damaging winds are possible in southwestern #QLD west of about #Charleville. Locally intense rainfall also a risk near ex-TC Kirrily in the Channel Country. Warnings:https://t.co/hD7tjDq0Od pic.twitter.com/NkTjIBYTcH
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) February 4, 2024
Updated
Linda Burney pays tribute to Lowitja O’Donoghue
Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, has paid tribute to Lowitja O’Donoghue while speaking to ABC TV this morning, noting that her “legacy will be felt for generations to come, maybe forever”.
O’Donoghue, a Yankunytjatjara leader and activist, has died at the age of 91.
Burney spoke about the personal impact O’Donoghue has had on her:
She was absolutely a well-used term: a role model.
She was the next generation on from me and many of us young Aboriginal women at the time in the 90s, the 80s, [who] looked at Lowitja and saw possibility … in her presence, you just felt it. You felt her graciousness, you felt her kindness, but you also felt very much the fact that she could be very stern. And that sternness was always about teaching a lesson.
One of … my most precious possessions is in fact this little owl [necklace] which was given to me by Lowitja when I did the oration. She loves owls, apparently she had them everywhere. Her niece, Deb, gave this to me, and I wear it in honour of her today.
Updated
Cabinet didn’t get tax cut proposal 10 days in advance
The Liberal shadow finance minister, Jane Hume, is grilling Treasury officials about what advance notice cabinet had of proposed income tax cut changes.
The cabinet handbook explains that usually submissions are circulated 10 working days before endorsement, unless the prime minister, the cabinet or cabinet secretary waives that notice requirement.
Diane Brown, the deputy secretary of the revenue group, has confirmed the 10-day rule didn’t apply to the stage-three tax changes, which were processed as a short notice submission.
Hume then reads the section of the cabinet handbook that explains why you might not want to do a short-form submission:
When ministers bring matters before their cabinet colleagues that have not been subject to the full submission process, it increases the risk that the cabinet’s decision will result in unforeseen and unintended consequences. It weakens the ability of the cabinet to apply scrutiny from a whole-of-government perspective and ultimately undermines the cabinet system itself.
Labor senator Karen Grogan accused Hume of asking political questions and badgering the witnesses, suggesting she should ask the questions to a member of the executive on Friday.
Hume claimed the changes have been “botched” and she is concerned the prime minister “lied to the public” and the public service may be “complicit”. Brown rejected this, the public service were not complicit in a lie.
Updated
David Shoebridge accuses AFP of ‘radicalising’ children
More from the Senate committee hearing this morning (see last post).
David Shoebridge went on to claim: “The radicalisation was happening as a result of the actions of your own officers. Do you accept the magistrate’s finding?”
AFP deputy commissioner Ian Mccartney: “We acknowledge the magistrate’s finding. we accept the finding ... ”
Shoebridge: “You’re radicalising the kids. You’re radicalising a 13-year-old boy with autism. Has anyone been held to account? Have you been held to account? Has the undercover operatives been held to account?”
“It was not our position, not our intent ... ” McCartney began, as Shoebridge cut in “you did it”.
McCartney: “The person was on the path to radicalisation long before we became involved, long before Victoria police became involved.”
Shoebridge: “It was the AFP that recommended he become a sniper and a suicide bomber. It was the AFP that put this in his mind. A 13-year-old boy with autism and an IQ of 71. Is anyone held to account for this obscene abuse of power and authority.”
McCartney: “Senator, that was not our intent and not our purpose.”
He continued that there was “a range of reviews” ongoing about the case, and said he would come back to the committee in future with more information. Shoebridge continued angrily, claiming there had been no consequences for the officers involved.
Shoebridge’s line of questioning was cut short by Labor senator and committee chair Helen Polley.
Updated
AFP grilled in Senate committee over undercover operation involving autistic 13-year-old boy
The Australian federal police says they “didn’t take lightly” an undercover operation where a magistrate found police encouraged an autistic 13-year-old boy in his fixation on Islamic State after his parents sought help from the authorities.
But Greens senator David Shoebridge accused the AFP of “radicalising” the boy, who had an IQ of 71, calling it an “obscene abuse of power”.
Guardian Australia reported last week on the case of the boy, given the pseudonym Thomas Carrick, who was charged with terror offences after an undercover officer “fed his fixation” and “doomed” the rehabilitation efforts Thomas and his parents had engaged in, a Victorian children’s court magistrate found.
Appearing in a Senate committee this morning, AFP deputy commissioner Ian Mccartney claimed it was “a decision I didn’t take lightly”.
There was a set of exceptional circumstances and the decision to approve a controlled operation was due to the escalation of threat, the need to protect the community but at the same time, taking into account the age of the individual, in what I must say is a very challenging and complex matter.
McCartney said there had been “a spike in similar cases in recent years, the radicalisation of youth predominantly online, and predominantly unfortunately with mental health being a factor”. He said the combination created “significant challenges”.
It did get to the stage and the decision was made jointly between the AFP, Asio and Victoria police that the threat, the real threat, had escalated to such a level that we had to take action.
But Shoebridge, the Greens senator from NSW responded: “The court found it was in fact the AFP that was radicalising the child.”
He went on to read the magistrate’s conclusion, that the AFP “in attempting to radicalise TC for the purpose of gaining evidence to prosecute TC for the offences for which he’s been charges, the AFP has completely and inevitably undermined the therapeutic process initiated by TC’s parents”.
Updated
Heatwave persists into the week after sweltering night
Parts of Australia have sweltered through the night with heatwave conditions kicking off the working week, AAP reports.
By 9am on Monday, the temperature in Sydney’s CBD had already reached 28C, but the high humidity pushed the apparent temperature to 32.9C.
In the west, Penrith was forecast to tip 37C by the hottest part of the day with a possible thunderstorm expected in the afternoon.
Several towns in the Hunter region, north of Sydney, were likely to experience highs of 40C or above.
It follows a sweaty Sunday night with minimum temperatures in the high teens to mid-20s across the state, reaching the mid- to high-20s in the north.
A heatwave warning is in place for the NSW mid-north coast, Hunter, northern tablelands, south coast, central tablelands and north-west slopes regions until Tuesday.
Melbourne also had a warm night, followed by a cool and drizzly day today. It’s currently 20C in the city, after reaching 22C at midnight.
Heatwave conditions were also forecast for Western Australia and the Northern Territory. In the territory, Tennant Creek was expected to tip 41C, while Alice Springs would reach 42C.
Updated
Treasury official grilled at cost-of-living inquiry over stage-three tax revamp
Treasury deputy secretary for revenue, Diane Brown, is at the cost-of-living inquiry being grilled about when Treasury was asked to draw up advice about revamping stage-three tax cuts.
Brown said that on 11 December secretary, Steven Kennedy, met with the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, then Kennedy debriefed with senior officials, revealing they had been tasked to consider cost-of-living relief through the income tax system.
Treasury gave the advice on Saturday 20 January, the weekend before the cabinet adopted the changes on Tuesday 23 January.
Brown said the Treasury is “always looking” at issues in the economy like inflation and the need for cost-of-living relief – which suggests there was some forethought about possible stage-three changes.
She said:
The secretary had been thinking about how to provide cost-of-living relief that didn’t add to inflationary pressures. He was considering at about the same time how adjusting personal income rates and thresholds could provide broad-based relief to all taxpayers ... We were concerned that bracket creep still be returned, that the envelope still be the same. The secretary was interested in whether there were any other benefits.
Updated
Giridharan Sivaraman welcomed as new race discrimination commissioner
The Australian Human Rights Commission has welcomed the appointment of Giridharan Sivaraman as the new race discrimination commissioner.
Commission president, Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher, said:
For decades, the fight for systemic equality and speaking truth to power have been at the heart of Mr Sivaraman’s work. His distinguished legal career has seen him lead significant cases in workplace and discrimination law, which, coupled with his public advocacy for the rights for racially marginalised communities, has led to tangible results that have improved and empowered people’s lives.
Sivaraman is currently chair of Multicultural Australia and a principal lawyer at Maurice Blackburn, and will commence his new role on 4 March.
Croucher said:
There has been a marked increase in reports of racism and hate speech in recent months, and it is therefore vital that we amplify efforts to empower communities to address racism at its root causes and continue our public campaign to take action to combat racism.
Updated
Kylie’s Grammy award, explained
As Sian Cain reported earlier, Kylie Minogue has won the inaugural Grammy for best pop dance record for her song Padam Padam.
With all the industry-speak at the Grammys it can get confusing, but there’s a noted difference between a “record” and a “song” at the award ceremony.
A record – which Minogue was awarded for – honours the performing artist first and foremost, as well as the producers, the sound engineers, the master engineer and the sound mixers.
Awards for songs, however, honour the songwriter(s).
Updated
‘Inherent conflicts of interest’: PwC Australia spin-off criticises big four business model
PwC Australia’s spin-off company, Scyne, has begun a NSW parliamentary hearing by publicly criticising the big four firms and the broader consulting industry.
Scyne was formed after PwC Australia sold its government services division for just $1 to private equity firm, Allegro Funds. The divestment was necessitated by a reputation crisis that saw government departments decline to give PwC Australia new business.
Allegro co-founder, Adrian Loader, who is also the board director of Scyne, told the inquiry there is “an inherent conflict of interest” when consultants simultaneously work for government and private sector clients on the same issue:
Scyne advisory understands unequivocally the importance of the public’s trust in the government’s use and management of consulting services. The breach of this trust by PwC Australia was damaging and completely unacceptable. The conflicts of interest were plain. It has rightly led to higher scrutiny.
We needed to eliminate the inherent conflicts of serving both the public and the private sector.
The critique from Loader is likely to add to scrutiny of big four consultancy firms, which do not believe their work for public and private sector clients are a conflict.
EY Oceania, which has defended its paid work for the oil and gas lobby while helping the government prepare the safeguards mechanism, will appear before the inquiry later today.
As a result of its divestment to Allegro Funds, PwC Australia no longer works with government clients, which reduces the potential for conflicts of interest.
Updated
Arrest made as police continue to investigate stabbing in Ipswich car park
Detectives investigating the stabbing of a 70-year-old woman in an Ipswich car park have arrested a 15-year-old boy overnight.
According to a Queensland police statement, the 15-year-old Ripley boy presented to Ipswich police station around 9.30pm last night.
He has been charged with one count of unlawful use of a motor vehicle in relation to the alleged stolen car, and is expected to appear at Ipswich children’s court today.
The three others depicted in the recently published CCTV remain outstanding, and investigations continue.
On Saturday night, emergency services were called to the Redbank Plains car park about 6.10pm following reports of a stabbing. The woman had sustained life-threatening injuries and died at the scene a short time later after attempts to revive her failed.
The woman’s six-year-old granddaughter – who witnessed the scene – was also assessed at the scene but was not physically injured.
Updated
Police officer charged with larceny-related offences
A police officer has been charged with larceny-related offences.
On 12 January, investigators executed a search warrant at the officer’s home and work locker.
Last Friday, the 42-year-old constable – with the command in the north-west metropolitan region – was served a court attendance notice for two counts of larceny as a public servant.
She will appear in Hornsby local court on 20 March, and is currently suspended from duty with pay.
Her employment status remains under review, police said in a statement.
Updated
Kylie Minogue wins inaugural Grammy for best pop dance record
Over to a bit of Australian news in Los Angeles now: Kylie Minogue has won the inaugural Grammy for best pop dance record for her song Padam Padam, beating fellow Aussie Troye Sivan to the prize.
This is Kylie’s second ever Grammy win and comes 20 years after she won the Grammy for best dance recording for Come into My World in 2004.
Kylie was nominated only once this year, while Sivan was nominated twice. But he has lost in both categories, with the Beatles beating him in the category for best music video. Their win, for the music video for I’m Only Sleeping, marks 60 years since their first Grammy wins in 1964.
Updated
Public health leaders call for health levy on sugary drinks
Leading Australian public health organisations are calling for a 20% health levy on sugary drink manufacturers.
Members of the Rethink Sugary Drink alliance, which includes the Australian Medical Association (AMA), Cancer Council, Australian Dental Association, Food for Health Alliance and Heart Foundation are set to launch a new position statement in Canberra today, urging the 20% levy.
AMA research found the levy could raise $1bn each year to fund health initiatives, and slash the amount of sugar Australians consume each year by nearly 2.6kg.
AMA president Steve Robson said:
This policy really is a no-brainer – it would raise vital funds for preventive health and protect Australians’ health by decreasing the risk of diseases linked to excess weight like heart disease, type-two diabetes, stroke and some cancers.
Our modelling shows that a 20% health levy on sugary drink manufacturers could raise around $4bn over four years. These funds could be invested into crucial health promotion campaigns, reducing pressure on our stretched health system.
You can read the AMA’s report here.
Updated
Jacqui Lambie calls on Coalition to back changes to stage-three tax cuts
Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie has thrown her support behind the stage-three tax cut changes, and has called on the Coalition to do the same.
Speaking to the Today show earlier on, Lambie paid credit to the prime minister Anthony Albanese for “having the courage” to revise stage-three when economic circumstances changed.
I don’t see that as a lie. I see that as common sense and those people that need it most in society … we’re going to pass some down to you. And so we should [because] that is the Australian way.
She called on the Coalition to support the changes because otherwise “you’re going to let the Greens start negotiating”.
I think it’s common sense by the Liberal party to support them and knock the Greens clean out of the game.
Updated
Search continues for missing swimmer caught in rip on Mornington Peninsula
Emergency services are continuing to search for a swimmer who disappeared off a beach in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, AAP reports.
Police have been searching the waters of 16th beach in Rye after a 20-year-old man went missing yesterday. It’s believed the man was swimming with two friends when they were all caught in a rip.
Two of the group were able to make it back to shore but their friend did not.
Air Wing, Lifesaving Victoria and Ambulance Victoria were alerted to the beach off Browns Road and Tasman Drive about 7pm where they searched the area, with the search resuming today.
Updated
Police recover body of swimmer who went missing in Sydney’s Georges River
Police have recovered the body of a man who went missing while swimming in the Georges River in Sydney’s south-west yesterday.
Emergency services were called to Kentlyn Basin in the Keith Longhurst Reserve, near Campbelltown, about 3.45pm yesterday after a swimmer failed to surface.
A search was initiated involving local police, SES and the police dive unit, and police divers found the man’s body shortly before 7pm.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Updated
‘This is not genuine tax reform,’ shadow finance minister says of Labor’s stage-three changes
Shadow finance minister Jane Hume also spoke to ABC RN this morning about the changes to stage-three tax cuts. The Coalition received the stage-three legislation yesterday, she said, and will “need to go through parliamentary processes”.
Hume said the Coalition will “always support lower and simpler tax”, but argued the stage-three changes have “done away with any reform that could have gone through in the future”.
This is not genuine tax reform. This is simply a political response to what the government has seen as their tanking popularity and with a byelection on the horizon, we know that this is really the driver of the changes to the stage-three tax cuts.
Later in the interview, host Patricia Karvelas said Hume was raising other issues and asked “doesn’t that demonstrate that you accept this change is actually popular in the community?”
Hume:
Well, if you’re a drowning man you’ve reached for a life raft, no matter what that life raft is.
Karvelas: Does that mean that under your taxation policy, men were drowning?
Hume:
No, in fact, what it means is that real disposable incomes have gone backwards under this government. You are feeling poorer, your standard of living has gone down and your quality of life has gone down, and all of that has happened under a Labor government … This is the only solution because they have said anything else we have done has been ineffective.
Updated
Like treasurer Jim Chalmers was asked earlier this morning, Katy Gallagher was also asked whether she would be prepared for a Senate inquiry into the stage-three changes.
Gallagher said the bill is “three or four pages” and a “very simple bill”, and flagged she could talk about it at the cost-of-living inquiry later this week, or at estimates:
I’ll be appearing I think before the cost of living inquiry later this week … we have estimates next week where I’ll appear with Treasury for a day and a half [so] there is opportunity for the Senate to have a look at it through that process.
Updated
Finance minister Katy Gallagher was asked about the Grattan Institute research (we had this earlier in the blog) showing that a third of households don’t pay tax and therefore miss out on the benefits.
Will the government consider raising jobseeker?
Gallagher:
I think the treasurer and I have made it clear that every budget, we look at all aspects of expenditure across government, that would include looking at our payments and looking at our services … I think the PM committed to that before the election, this is something that we keep under consideration. It has to be balanced up with all of the other competing pressures where people want additional spending as well.
Updated
Changes to stage-three motivated by ‘what we can do to help people’, says finance minister
Finance minister Katy Gallagher just spoke to ABC RN about the stage-three tax cut changes, set to be introduced to parliament this week.
She was also asked about the Newspoll figures, showing apparent support for the change.
Host Patricia Karvelas: This is all despite you breaking a promise not to touch them. Have you won the argument on that?
Gallagher:
I think people are up for a rational and reasonable discussion… We made this decision based on putting people before politics.
Karvelas: Is the lesson here that you can break promises as long as people aren’t worse off as a result?
Gallagher said there will be “opinion writing [and] lessons and all the rest of it”, but the focus has been on easing the cost of living.
I’m sure there’ll be others that will write things about [this] in future, but that hasn’t been something that we’ve been conscious of, it really has been about what we can do to help people – particularly those that have been feeling the crunch from the interest rate increases.
Updated
Voters back PM’s revised stage-three tax cuts: Newspoll
Voters support the government’s decision to change the stage-three tax cuts, polling shows, but Labor’s lead over the Coalition remains unchanged, AAP reports.
The latest Newspoll shows while 62% of voters believe prime minister Anthony Albanese made the right choice to modify the stage three tax cuts, only 38% of them said they would be better off under the proposed changes.
Labor leads the Coalition 52% to 48% on a two-party-preferred basis, the latest Newspoll in the Australian reveals, unchanged from the previous December poll.
The Newspoll also shows Labor leader Albanese (56%) has maintained his lead over the Coalition’s Peter Dutton (35%) as preferred leader.
While Labor’s primary vote was up one percentage point (34%), it remains behind the Liberal-National Coalition (36%) on the primary vote.
The Greens’ primary vote dropped one point to 12% and One Nation’s was unchanged at 7% while the independents and minor parties remained at 11%.
The poll of 1,245 voters was conducted between 31 January and Saturday.
Updated
Coalition ‘out of touch’ with middle Australia, treasurer says
The treasurer Jim Chalmers also took aim at the Coalition party room and shadow ministry, who will no doubt be meeting today and tomorrow to discuss their position on the stage-three changes.
Chalmers told ABC News Breakfast that “whatever” position they take, the Coalition has “already shown how diabolically out of touch they are with middle Australia and the pressures that people are under”.
We already know via Sussan Ley that their position is to unwind these tax cuts if they get the opportunity. So whatever position we hear from the opposition today and tomorrow, it’s already clear that they are out of touch. It’s already clear that they want to unwind these changes.
There is a bit of a back-and-forth over what Ley actually said, or intended to say. I broke this down in last week’s blog for a bit of context.
Essentially, before the stage-three changes were announced, Ley was asked if she would “roll back whatever changes are made”, and told Sky: “Well this is our position. This is absolutely our position.”
She later walked back the comments, clarifying that the opposition’s position was to support stage-three as it existed before the changes, and denied promising to roll them back.
Updated
Coalition has ‘no more excuses’ to delay changes to stage-three tax cuts, Chalmers says
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, told ABC News Breakfast this morning the Coalition has “no more excuses” to delay changes to stage-three.
Asked whether the government was willing to negotiate on the changes with the Coalition or Greens to get the changes through the Senate, Chalmers said the Coalition “has the legislation [and] the detail” and they have “no more excuses”.
I say to the Coalition, and I say to the Greens, don’t stand in the way of a bigger tax cut for more workers to help with the cost of living … No more stumbling around and stuffing around, it’s time for the Coalition, in particular, but also the other crossbench members, to come to a position. The detail is out there. The legislation is out there. There are no more excuses.
Asked whether he would support a “short, sharp” Senate inquiry into the changes, Chalmers argued the impacts are “really well-known”:
We’ve put out the impacts on the different income levels, people know that there are cost-of-living pressures in our community. I think this is an important opportunity to do the right thing by people who are doing it tough.
Updated
‘Biggest loser from the revised tax plan may end up being the federal budget’: Grattan Institute analysis
Sticking with analysis on stage-three from the Grattan Institute:
Coates and Moloney predicted “the biggest loser from the revised tax plan may end up being the federal budget” – pointing to the commonwealth’s reduced spending power.
These tax cuts will make it harder for this government, and future governments, to meet community demands for more spending in areas such as healthcare, aged care, disability care, and defence.
The commitment of both major parties to big income tax cuts now, means there will be less money in future to ‘buy’ more worthwhile reforms.
The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, claimed yesterday that Labor’s changes hadn’t done enough to fix the “unfairness” in the original stage-three plan.
If Labor’s spending $300bn, why do they need to give tax cuts to politicians and billionaires when low- and middle-income earners are still doing it tough?
Bandt flagged plans to “fight for more” for low-income earners. He last week indicated the party may put a rise to the tax-free threshold, a rise in the jobseeker welfare payment, or adding dental into the Medicare system, on the negotiating table – even as Albanese claimed the government wasn’t keen to horse-trade.
The government requires the support of the Coalition or the Greens to pass the tax cuts changes through the Senate.
Updated
Urgent calls to raise jobseeker payments and rent assistance
There are calls to urgently increase jobseeker payments and rent assistance for those missing out under the federal government’s overhaul announced in late January.
Analysis from the Grattan Institute found that about a third of households – such as the unemployed, those with a disability and retirees – don’t pay tax and therefore miss out on the benefits.
“What’s missing from the government’s package is relief for those genuinely struggling the most, and who don’t benefit from these tax cuts,” said Brendan Coates, Grattan’s economic policy program director, and Joey Moloney in the paper.
Many of these Australians are among those doing it toughest.
The government should “urgently” expand cost-of-living relief to those households, the authors said, suggesting further boosts to commonwealth rent assistance of $1,000 a year and a $55 weekly rise to jobseeker.
Those combined increases would cost around $4.7bn a year, Grattan said, less than a quarter of the $20bn yearly cost of the tax cuts.
Updated
Labor’s stage-three cut changes leave behind vulnerable, analysis warns
Labor’s changes to the stage-three tax cuts still leave behind vulnerable people including the unemployed, people with a disability and retirees, new Grattan Institute analysis warns.
The federal treasurer, Jim Chalmers, says his amended tax cuts will better address bracket creep for middle-income earners compared with the Morrison-era plan currently legislated.
But the “biggest loser” under Labor’s stage-three cuts could be budget and crucial services like health and defence, the Grattan Institute forecasts, with the $20bn annual price tag making it harder for the government to meet community demand.
According to Chalmers’ figures, the average worker on $73,000 a year would pay a 21% average tax rate under the current Coalition-legislated plan in 2024-25, but 19.9% under Labor’s plan. Out to 2027-28, that worker would pay 22.4% under current settings, but 21.5% under Labor’s plan.
The Grattan Institute’s analysis said bracket creep would gradually erode the value of the tax changes, noting Labor’s plan to keep the 37% tax bracket – which would be abolished under the current plan – would see average tax rates rise faster for those earning between $135,000 and $190,000.
Grattan’s figures suggested “the vast bulk of Australian taxpayers benefit” from the changes, especially middle-income earners, with average income earners to pay $8,040 less tax over the next decade. However, those earning above $150,000 – an income higher than 90% of taxpayers – would pay about $23,000 more over the decade.
Grattan estimated 83% of taxpayers would pay the same or less tax over the next decade under Labor’s changes, compared with the Coalition stage-three plan.
Woman dies, man hurt in riverbank boat crash in Sydney
A woman in her 30s has died following a boat crash in Sydney’s north-west.
Just after 9pm last night, emergency services were called to a boat ramp in Wilberforce, following reports a boat had crashed into the riverbank.
Paramedics treated the woman, however she died at the scene. She has not been formally identified.
A 38-year-old man sustained minor injuries and was taken to Westmead hospital for mandatory testing.
The vessel was seized for examination and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident has commenced.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Updated
Good morning
And happy Monday – welcome back to a new week on the Australia news live blog. I’m Emily Wind and I’ll bring you our rolling coverage today.
Parliament will return for the year tomorrow, and the revised stage-three tax cuts will surely be the main focus. Treasurer Jim Chalmers told ABC News Breakfast this morning the Coalition has “no more excuses” to delay the changes.
He was asked whether the government was willing to negotiate on the changes with the Coalition or Greens to get the changes through the Senate, and said:
No more excuses, no more stumbling around and stuffing around. It’s time for the Coalition, in particular, but also the other crossbench members, to come to a position. The detail is out there. The legislation is out there. There are no more excuses.
Meanwhile the latest Newspoll was released overnight, and as AAP reports, voters support the government’s decision to change the stage-three tax cuts, but Labor’s lead over the Coalition remains unchanged.
Meanwhile, the Albanese government unveiled its long-awaited plan for fuel-efficiency standards at the weekend, due to be introduced to parliament in the first half of this year and take effect from January 2025.
You can read all the details from Henry Belot bellow:
We’ll bring you more on these stories – and more – shortly. If you see something that needs attention on the blog, you can get in touch via X, @emilywindwrites, or send me an email: emily.wind@theguardian.com.
Let’s get into it.
