What we learned, Tuesday 21 June
And with that we are going to put this blog to bed - before we go let’s recap the big stories for today:
- The ACT supreme court chief justice Lucy McCallum ruled “regrettably and with gritted teeth” to vacate the trial date of Bruce Lehrmann on 27 June due to public comments prejudicing his ability to get a fair trial
- The Bureau of Meteorology has announced an end to the 2021-22 La Niña in the tropical Pacific, though it could return later in 2022
- RBA governor Philip Lowe has played down recession fears but warned interest rates will rise as the central bank does ‘what is necessary’ to stop inflation
- The federal treasurer Jim Chalmers has welcomed Lowe’s “candour and frankness” about the economy
-
Twitter suspended two fake accounts pretending to be new WA Labor senator Fatima Payman
- NSW public and Catholic school teachers will strike on June 30 over the 3% pay rise offer from the state government
- And Australia recorded at least 59 coronavirus deaths, with 28 of those in Victoria, as Moderna indicated it could combine Covid and flu jab.
And that’s it - thank you for spending the day with us, we will be back tomorrow!
Updated
Two bodies have been found in a home near Gosford, NSW
NSW police said:
About 2.20pm today, emergency services were called to a home on Maidens Brush Road, Wyoming, after a concern for welfare report.
Officers attached to Brisbane Waters police district attended and found the bodies of a man and woman inside the home. They are yet to be formally identified.
A crime scene has been established and an investigation commenced into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
A report will now be prepared for the information of the coroner.
No further information is available.
Updated
Federal budget allocated ‘zero’ funding to address massive backlog of ADF claims, royal commission hears
From AAP:
Former veterans affairs minister, Andrew Gee, has told a royal commission the Morrison government had initially allocated “zero” funding in its March budget towards fixing a massive 60,000 backlog of compensation claims by current and former defence members.
Gee, who at the time threatened to resign unless $96m was found to fix the problem, told the royal commission into defence and veteran suicide he stood by his claim the waiting times were “a national disgrace”.
Giving evidence on the second day of the inquiry’s public hearing in Townsville, Gee said he had been surprised and disappointed his government had failed to recognise veterans’ welfare as a national priority.
The inquiry heard a report by consultants McKinsey had found the rate of claims to the department of veterans affairs had been doubling every year since 2018, and at least 190 additional staff were needed to manage the backlog.
Gee said after taking on the portfolio in July 2021, waiting times had “just kept building and building”.
Previous attempts to “triage” claims or set targets, he said, had also been doomed without the funding and reforms needed to support them.
“What good are the targets anyway because you are not going to get within a bull’s roar of them?” Gee said.
Updated
Aemo could lift national electricity market suspension as soon as Wednesday
From AAP:
The suspension of the national electricity market could be lifted as soon as Wednesday, as the market operator looks to outline a path back to normal function of the grid.
The Australian Energy Market Operator said electricity supply would be sufficient for Tuesday night, as it held talks with generators on how the national electricity market could resume.
“Aemo anticipates monitoring will continue for at least 24 hours and, if Aemo is confident the criteria are being met, the next step is to formally remove the market suspension and resume normal operation under the market rules,” the operator said on Tuesday afternoon.
“Irrespective of market operations, underlying factors mean there may continue to be challenges managing supply and demand.”
The market operator said the current state of the energy market remained dynamic and that the body may be required to force generators to meet demand.
During talks with generators, the market operator said it outlined criteria of how a normal market could resume and the suspension lifted.
Aemo said it hoped the path forward would avoid the same conditions in the energy market reappearing in the short term, should the suspension be lifted.
Updated
The Queensland government’s decision to increase royalties on record-high coal prices will, inevitably, be spun as a radical move, writes Ben Smee.
Updated
South Australia receives welcome boost from Adelaide festival
From AAP:
The Adelaide festival attracted almost 12,000 interstate visitors and bolstered South Australia’s economy to the tune of $26m.
Organisers on Tuesday released financial performance figures for the March arts event, with resurgent demand for tickets and hotel accommodation reaching pre-pandemic levels.
Box office sales topped $5m despite the challenges of reduced theatre capacities, Covid-19 safety plans and close contact rules.
“The incredible success of Adelaide festival in 2022 cements Adelaide and South Australia as the festival destination in Australia,” Arts minister Andrea Michaels said.
The festival is not only a crucial tourism driver in March, but also essential to “our identity, our economy and for the incredible opportunities it gives our artists”.
“It makes this international arts festival the jewel in the cultural crown of South Australia,” she said.
Updated
Continuing current system creates ‘economic apartheid’ for First Nations, says expert
From AAP:
First Nations people are facing “economic apartheid”, with leading Indigenous development experts urging a national shift in policy.
Wealth creation will be top of the agenda for improving outcomes for First Nations people when the Australian National university holds a development roundtable from Wednesday.
First Nations at ANU vice-president, Prof Peter Yu, said government policy, which has focused on training and employment pathways, had been a “consistently flawed approach” to closing the gap over previous decades.
“This unchanged governmental stance over the past 40 years has, in effect, created a form of economic apartheid, with many outside the mainstream economy having limited avenues to pursue economic development,” he said.
“It’s clear the continued commitment to the same systems by Australian taxpayers is a bad investment.”
Prof Yu said Indigenous Australians were becoming more asset rich, but remaining cash poor.
“Without the development of an economic self-determination framework, Indigenous Australians will continue to be second-class citizens in their own country,” he said.
He said the nation is the only Commonwealth country that has never signed a treaty with Indigenous people.
Updated
La Niña ends with potential return later in 2022
The Bureau of Meteorology has announced an end to the 2021-22 La Niña in the tropical Pacific.
#BREAKING - The @BOM_au has today declared the end of the 2021-22 La Niña, an event that produced record-breaking rain and flooding in eastern Australia. However, the ENSO outlook remains at La Niña WATCH, with potential for La Niña to reemerge later this year. pic.twitter.com/75tRkOmNjn
— Ben Domensino (@Ben_Domensino) June 21, 2022
The status changed to La Nina WATCH, which means there is around a 50% chance of a La Niña event forming again during 2022.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s head of long-range forecasting, Dr Andrew Watkins, said the Bureau has been monitoring this trend of a weakening La Niña over several weeks.
A La Niña WATCH does not change the outlook of above average rainfall for most of Australia over coming months.
The Bureau’s long-range outlook remains wetter-than-average, consistent with model outlooks from other global forecast centres, reflecting a range of climate drivers including a developing negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and warmer-than-average waters around Australia.
Sea surface temperatures are currently warmer than average for much of the Australian coastline, particularly to the north and west. This pattern is likely to increase the chance of above average winter-spring rainfall for Australia.
Currently, the IOD is neutral. But all climate model outlooks surveyed suggest a negative IOD is likely to form in the coming months.
Rainfall across eastern and southern Australia is typically above average during winter and spring during a negative IOD.
But before you ditch your raincoat - remember Australia’s east coast could be hit by a rare “triple La Niña”. Great.
Outgoing Victorian Liberal MP condemns treaty oversight body as ‘woke tokenism’
The Victorian Coalition has announced it will support the establishment of an independent authority to oversee the state’s treaty negotiations, although outgoing Liberal MP Tim Smith has vowed to cross the floor to vote against the bill, describing it as “woke tokenism”.
The state’s opposition leader, Matthew Guy, and Nationals leader, Peter Walsh, confirmed the Coalition’s position on the Treaty Authority bill after a party room meeting on Tuesday.
Updated
More 3D scanners for Australian airports
Sydney airport has started using new scanners in its Qantas domestic terminal as part of the shift away from metal detectors.
Updated
New South Wales to abolish stamp duty for first homebuyers
From AAP:
First homebuyers in NSW will be able to opt out of one of the biggest barriers to homeownership, as the premier pulls the trigger on his long-held plan to abolish stamp duty.
From January, first home buyers can choose between paying stamp duty once or opting into an annual tax, paying $400 and 0.3% of the land’s value.
The government has budgeted $728.6m for the scheme over four years, with plans to introduce legislation later this year and give first homebuyers the choice by 16 January.
First homebuyers can opt for the tax on properties up to $1.5m and the property won’t be locked into the tax if sold.
Existing stamp duty exemptions for properties under $650,000 and concessions for properties under $800,000 will remain.
NSW opposition leader, Chris Minns, says the government is hiding behind first homebuyers to introduce its coveted land tax.
“If you’re going to put money on the table for first homebuyers, why introduce a brand new land tax system for NSW, one we’ve never had before, rather than just extending exemptions?”
Updated
It’s here, it’s short and it means Spring is on its way
It's here - the shortest day of the year - 21 June. The #wintersolstice marks the point at which the days will start getting longer as we move from winter into spring. Learn more: https://t.co/LIkC2o5W1S pic.twitter.com/fKX5Y9drnU
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) June 21, 2022
ACT supreme court chief justice ‘regrettably’ postpones trial of Bruce Lehrmann
The trial of the man accused of raping Brittany Higgins will be delayed, likely until October, due to public comments on the case that could “obliterate” the distinction between an allegation and finding of guilt.
At an urgent ACT supreme court hearing on Tuesday, the chief justice, Lucy McCallum, ruled “regrettably and with gritted teeth” to vacate the trial, which was set to begin on Monday, due to comments by journalist Lisa Wilkinson and broadcasters Amanda Keller and Brendan Jones.
Updated
Winter solstice celebrations from around the country and Antarctica
Researchers in the Antarctic have taken a dip into a sub-zero pool to mark the winter solstice as Australians prepare to celebrate the shortest day of the year on Tuesday.
The winter solstice marks the middle of winter when the shortest day and longest night occurs. It will occur at 8.14pm AEST on Tuesday evening.
Updated
NSW budget bodes well for Hunter region as renewable energy powerhouse
Measures outlined in the NSW State budget today auger well for the Hunter to continue to establish the region as a renewable powerhouse for the nation, according the Hunter region’s peak business organisation, Business Hunter.
The chief executive of Business Hunter, Bob Hawes, said:
The $1.9bn to roll out transmission infrastructure for renewable energy zones in NSW and $50.4m to accelerate the renewable energy zone development in light of earlier-than-expected thermal power plant closures will set a solid base to work from.
We hope there is an impetus provided by these initiatives that will spur on the process to short list and move quickly with projects valued at over $110bn that were lodged in respect of the EOI process for the Hunter-Central Coast renewable energy zone.
Events over the past couple of months have highlighted the urgency required for us to move ahead with building and commissioning renewable energy projects and not just planning and talking about them. The risks are too great for our energy intensive industries to have uncertainty extend for any length of time.
Updated
NSW public and Catholic school teachers will strike next week
From AAP in Sydney:
Thousands of NSW teachers will strike next week after the state budget failed to deliver an improved pay offer.
Unions representing public and Catholic school teachers met on Tuesday as the NSW budget was handed down, announcing they would strike for 24 hours on 30 June.
“The government has failed students, and continues to fail students and the teaching profession,” the NSW Teachers Federation president, Angelo Gavrielatos, said.
It comes after the two teachers’ unions gave the premier, Dominic Perrottet, an ultimatum to improve the 3% pay deal offered over the next financial year.
Tuesday’s budget papers revealed no further offer was on the table.
“Every single day teachers and principals have been even more burdened with their workloads, and the stress associated with the teacher shortage,” Gavrielatos said.
“This teacher shortage is 10 years in the making.
“What we got from this government is denial, spin, gimmickry, anything but dealing with this crisis.”
The Independent Education Union NSW/ACT secretary, Brett Northam, said the government’s inaction on teacher shortages had left the Catholic school system in a mess.
Catholic schools in inner city areas like North Sydney and Canberra were struggling to recruit teachers.
“If you’re sharing classes, standing in the doorway between classes, having multiple classes in school halls, then teaching and learning has been compromised,” he said.
“[Our parents] sons and daughters are telling them what’s going on and how they’re missing out.”
The new policy confirmed in the budget on Tuesday includes a 3% pay rise in each of the next two financial years, with another 0.5% the following financial year for workers who make a “substantial contribution to productivity-enhancing reforms”.
This allows a possible increase of 6.5% over the period.
Public sector workers say it translates to a real wage cut, with inflation running at 5.2% and forecast to tip over 7%.
“The fact that we met jointly speaks to the crisis in which we find ourselves in,” Gavrielatos said.
Members of both unions will rally outside parliament in Sydney as well as in regional NSW towns and the ACT.
The treasurer, Matt Kean, said it was important to maintain competitive wages to attract and retain the best talent.
“In the context of a strong and growing economy, this two-year increase to wages is an affordable and sensible policy,” he said.
The budget also expanded paid parental leave to 14 weeks for public sector workers, including teachers.
Updated
Frank Zumbo scolded female employee for social media post, court hears
The office manager of former federal MP Craig Kelly scolded a young female employee for posting a photo to social media that he felt drew attention to her breasts after she had told him she was not interested in him romantically, a Sydney court has heard.
The trial of Francesco “Frank” Zumbo, 55, has also continued to hear covert recordings in which he chastised the young woman – in her early 20s at the time – for not inviting him to her university graduation ceremony and for refusing his request to follow her on Instagram.
The recordings also captured Zumbo referring to Kelly as “absent-minded”, “bumbling” and “simple”. In an earlier hearing, sections of the audio recordings included Zumbo calling Kelly the “worst example” of a politician.
Updated
Dfat Covid records not appropriately maintained, audit report says
The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) report about stranded Australians paints a picture of government officials attempting to respond to a rapidly unfolding crisis in real time.
It said authoritative records relevant to crisis management had not been appropriately maintained by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In one example, it said:
Dfat advised the ANAO that advice to the minister and information to ministerial staff in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic occurred via email, phone calls and WhatsApp. The use of these channels can make it difficult to identify decisions taken or authoritative approvals, if decisions and relevant details are not stored in the department’s record-keeping system. The ANAO was only able to locate one record in Dfat’s document management system relating to the approval of the second evacuation flight from Wuhan.
This record was a WhatsApp screenshot which had not been stored with a file note providing appropriate context in line with Dfat’s records management policy. The ANAO was unable to locate a formal record of approval by the government for the second evacuation flight from Wuhan.
The report also examines the infamous comments by then prime minister Scott Morrison on 18 September 2020 that he “would hope that we can get as many people home, if not all of them, by Christmas”.
The same day, Morrison “directed that an interagency taskforce be established to support the return of Australians before Christmas”.
But the footnotes of the ANAO report reveal: “Dfat advised the ANAO that before the government’s announcement, the return of Australians by this date had not been discussed with the government.”
Updated
Twitter suspends two fake accounts pretending to be Fatima Payman
Two fake Twitter accounts have popped up for new Labor senator Fatima Payman, which even briefly fooled the ALP and some senior politicians, before they were suspended for violating Twitter rules.
Payman confirmed to Guardian Australia that neither the @paymanfatima and @Fatima_Payman accounts were operated by her or her team. The first account had already gathered more than 4,500 followers as of Tuesday afternoon, including the assistant foreign minister, Tim Watts, Labor MP Sharon Claydon, and the ALP national secretary, Paul Erickson.
One of the account’s tweets was retweeted by the official Australian Labor account on Twitter, before it was quickly removed. The immigration minister, Andrew Giles, responded to one of the tweets, saying he “can’t wait to get to work with you”. The Labor followers deleted tweets and unfollowed the account as it became known the page was not run by Payman.
By Tuesday afternoon, the account had been suspended, with the notice “Twitter suspends accounts that violate the Twitter Rules”.
The account looked legitimate, with a bio claiming it was her “personal account”, tweeting “thanks to my colleagues in parliament” and mentioning several Labor MPs by name. But a closer look found that the account only started tweeting about politics on Monday, the day Payman was announced as being elected as a senator for Western Australia.
Previous to that, the account – created in April – had only tweeted about Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, praising the Tesla founder as “a hero of free speech”. The account appears to have changed its Twitter handle between April and June.
The other @Fatima_Payman account had attracted only 100 followers – including the communications minister, Michelle Rowland, the assistant climate minister, Jenny McAllister, and WA MP Josh Wilson – before it too was suspended on Tuesday afternoon.
Guardian Australia has contacted several users which followed the fake Payman accounts, or which the accounts have interacted with, to ask if they were running the illegitimate pages.
Updated
Charities relieved over Labor pledge to scrap gag clauses
The charities sector says it is breathing “a sigh of relief” after the new assistant minister for charities and Treasury, Andrew Leigh, pledged to scrap gag clauses which restricted nonprofits from speaking about public policy.
Leigh said the federal government wanted to encourage social, legal and environmental charities to give feedback on policies – calling the former Coalition government’s opposite stance an “attack on democracy”.
Updated
Psychiatrists’ college welcomes Victorian mental health bill
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) has welcomed the introduction of the Victorian government’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Bill, saying it marks a significant transformation in Victorian mental health legislation.
The Victorian RANZCP chair, Astha Tomar, said the proposed legislation – a key recommendation of the royal commission into Victoria’s mental health system – is a welcome step in the right direction when it comes to addressing mental health and wellbeing in the state.
But Tomar said much still needs to be done in order to ensure new legislation doesn’t suffer from the same issues as previous mental health acts.
If passed, this legislation marks a significant transformation of Victorian mental health legislation.
While we’re looking forward to seeing this enacted, there’s a lot that needs to happen at the frontline of Victoria’s mental health and wellbeing system before the new legislation can be properly enacted.
Tomar said it was critical that any new legislation supports Victorian consumers and carers to make informed decisions in relation to illness and treatment throughout their journey.
Updated
New MPs to learn the ropes in Canberra
With the last declaration of MPs set for tomorrow, the new members will visit Canberra next week to learn about their roles.
In a statement Parliament of Australia said:
Australia’s newest MPs will be introduced to their new lives in the House of Representatives over the two-day seminar held 28-29 June, hearing from officials of the House of Representatives and other parliamentary and executive agencies.
They will learn about the procedural and administrative aspects of their new roles and also hear from seasoned MPs before the 47th Parliament opens.
Learning to navigate the 75,000 sq metre building, understanding chamber proceedings and the work of committees and what a newly-elected MP can expect during their first week on the job, will also be on the agenda.
Updated
Pandemic highlighted weaknesses in Dfat's crisis response, auditor general says
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade failed to meet all of the government’s objectives during the operation to help Australians stranded overseas during the pandemic, the auditor general has found.
A new report, tabled in parliament this afternoon, focuses on how Dfat managed the return of Australians from overseas during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) report said the department had “adapted its crisis management arrangements and established a new program of activity to provide assistance to a large number of overseas Australians affected by Covid-19, although it did not meet key government objectives”.
The report said the department’s underlying crisis management structures and capabilities “require strengthening to ensure it is prepared to respond to future major and complex crises”.
Here are some key passages from the report’s findings:
Dfat’s preparedness to manage complex crises before the onset of the pandemic was partly effective. While crisis management arrangements align with whole-of-government requirements, Dfat lacks a defined crisis management framework and mature preparedness policies. There is scope to strengthen crisis management planning, capability development and assurance processes over Dfat’s crisis management capability.
Dfat applied its crisis management arrangements to support the return of Australians and adapted these to deliver a new program of flights and financial assistance. The pandemic has highlighted weaknesses in responding to standard and complex, and large-scale crises. While policy advice to the government was largely appropriate, Dfat’s reporting to government on its return of Australians could not be verified by the ANAO.
The report notes Dfat’s consular funding to assist Australians overseas increased by 64% between 2018–19 and 2021–22, and that it helped arrange 150 “facilitated commercial flights” between 22 October 2020 and 24 February 2022.
But it says the department “did not maintain reliable data on registered Australians, including those identified as vulnerable”.
Dfat data and reporting indicate it did not meet all of the government’s objectives. The ANAO could not verify Dfat reporting on: the number of Australians and vulnerable Australians it assisted to return to Australia; and Australians who accessed facilitated commercial flights administered by Dfat. Reporting could not be verified due to data quality issues and unclear methods underpinning its reporting on Australians registered with Dfat.
Dfat accepted seven of the nine recommendations, saying “the circumstances of the pandemic were extraordinary and there are lessons to learn”. Dfat said in a letter to the ANAO:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s established crisis framework enabled it to assist 61,755 Australians to return and facilitate 227 flights…
ANAO’s framing of the government’s objectives focuses narrowly on the period of 18 September 2020 to 25 December 2020. At that time, 26,200 Australians had registered as seeking to return; by Christmas, more than 24,800 had returned.
Updated
Bruce Lehrmann trial date postponed
The ACT supreme court chief justice, Lucy McCallum, has ruled “regrettably and with gritted teeth” to vacate the trial date of Bruce Lehrmann on 27 June due to public comments prejudicing his ability to get a fair trial.
McCallum told a hearing on Tuesday that she was “not in a position to say how long” the trial should be delayed for, but she remarked she wanted it “to be heard this year if it can be”.
McCallum said October would be an appropriate time for “dissipation of prejudice”.
McCallum asked the ACT director of public prosecutions, Shane Drumgold, if he wished to seek injunctions to prevent further commentary on the case. She suggested these could be directed at Lisa Wilkinson, the complainant Brittany Higgins, The Project, and radio hosts Jonesy and Amanda.
The matter was stood over to 9.30am Thursday for a mention only. At that hearing a date will be set to discuss further orders.
Updated
NSW school teachers to strike over 3% pay rise offer
The New South Wales budget includes a 3% pay rise for teachers over the next financial year, with another 3.5% the following year.
Public and Catholic school teachers in NSW to strike on 30 June. Not satisfied by the government's 3% pay offer.
— Michael McGowan (@mmcgowan) June 21, 2022
Updated
Queensland reports budget surplus as coal royalties soar
From AAP:
Queensland’s budget is back in the black amid surging coal prices and a property boom, but taxes will be increased on big businesses to prop up the bottom line.
The state treasurer, Cameron Dick, has delivered an unexpected $1.9bn surplus in 2021/22, after forecasting a $1.49bn deficit six months ago.
He says surging coal royalties and land transfer duties have significantly lifted government income this year.
“Much has changed from when I stood here to deliver last year’s budget,” he told parliament on Tuesday.
“We are back in black.”
Coal royalties soared to $7.29bn in 2021/22, but the government expects that to fall substantially as international prices ease over the next four years.
The centrepiece of the budget is $5.7bn in funding over four years to bring another 2,509 hospital beds online.
There will also be $120m in new funding for mental health, addiction and suicide prevention next financial year.
Updated
Australia recommits to climate leadership
The Albanese government says it is “deeply committed to taking real and significant climate action at home, and to re-establishing Australia as a climate leader internationally”.
The minister for international development and the Pacific, Pat Conroy, made the comment in a video message to a Pacific symposium this afternoon.
Conroy said shaping a shared future in the Pacific was “a whole-of-nation effort, drawing together all of our national assets” including the private sector, civil society and academia. He said:
The complexity of issues we face is growing. As the foreign minister [Penny Wong] has said, the triple challenges of climate, Covid and strategic contest will challenge us in new ways.
We are committed to listening and working in partnership with our Pacific family to face these shared challenges together.
Nowhere is an integrated approach more critical than in tackling climate change, described in the Pacific Islands Forum’s Boe Declaration as the ‘single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of the peoples of the Pacific’.
Conroy said the last few months had shown “the clear ways in which development, diplomacy and defence issues are intersecting in the Pacific”.
He didn’t directly mention China, but referred to “much sharper global geostrategic circumstances”.
Conroy said Australia would remain a long-term partner for the Pacific.
He said Wong’s early visits to the region had demonstrated “the new energy we are bringing to that partnership” and he, too, looked forward to visiting soon.
Our goal, fundamentally, is to work together with our Pacific family to support its long-term stability, security and prosperity.
Conroy’s video message was to a virtual conference organised by the Asia-Pacific Development, Diplomacy & Defence Dialogue (AP4D). The thinktank launched a series of papers about how Australia could reset its relationship with the region, with climate being one of the crucial elements.
You can read our preview on those policy papers from this morning:
Updated
NSW teachers yet to respond to 3% pay rise in budget
From AAP:
NSW teachers are set to respond to the state budget a week after giving the premier an ultimatum to improve their pay deal.
In the lead-up to the budget, the government announced it would lift its 2.5% cap on increases to public sector wages in a bid to stem industrial action and strikes from government workers including teachers, nurses and transport staff.
The new policy confirmed in the budget on Tuesday includes a 3% pay rise over the next financial year, with another 3.5% the following year for workers who make a “substantial contribution to productivity-enhancing reforms”.
“It is important to maintain competitive wages to attract and retain the best talent,” the treasurer, Matt Kean, said.
“In the context of a strong and growing economy, this two-year increase to wages is an affordable and sensible policy,” he said.
The budget also expanded paid parental leave to 14 weeks for public sector workers, including teachers.
Updated
Australian Agricultural Company chief executive resigns
The chief executive officer of Australia’s biggest cattle company, Australian Agricultural Company Ltd, Hugh Killen, has resigned, effective immediately.
The decision was announced by AACo’s chairman, Donald McGauchie. It looks like a scramble, even though McGauchie says in his statement: “Hugh and the board agree that now is the right time to begin an orderly executive leadership transition.”
The move has sparked a local and global recruitment process to fill the chief executive position as well as the appointment of an acting chief executive, namely the company’s chief operating officer, Dave Harris.
Killen came from Westpac to lead AACo four and a half years ago. He has pivoted the company towards hitting sustainability goals, such as the industry’s first sustainability framework in an industry with significant methane emissions. The company took some big hits over Killen’s time, with the company reportedly losing 42,000 head of cattle to floods in 2019.
Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest has recently been circling. Forrest’s holding company for his private family businesses, Tattarang, increased its stake in AACo by 10% to 17.4%.
AACo was established in 1824 as a land development company with the assistance of the British parliament’s crown grant of 1m acres.
It has since been listed on the stock exchange and owns about 1% of the Australian land mass – 6.4m hectares of land. It is focused on beef – and very expensive beef at that. The AFR reported a 300g strip was selling for $580 in Dubai in 2020.
Updated
Victoria appoints first female court of appeal president
The Victorian government has appointed justice Karin Emerton as the new president of the court of appeal – the first female president in the court’s history.
The appointment will commence on 16 July.
Delighted to see eminent jurist Justice Karin Emerton appointed as President of @SCVSupremeCourt Court of Appeal #auslaw
— Fi McLeod AO SC 😷 (@FiMcLeodSC) June 21, 2022
Two extraordinary women leading our Supreme court 😊 pic.twitter.com/hkZQhdT1VP
Updated
Business conditions gained momentum in June quarter, survey finds
From AAP:
Australia’s manufacturers are facing the most challenging times in 50 years due to supply headwinds and escalating costs but are benefiting from strengthening demand, a new survey has found.
The latest Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Westpac industrial trends survey showed business conditions are expanding and gained momentum in the June quarter.
“[But] the economy is bumping up against capacity constraints in a tight labour market,” said Westpac senior economist Andrew Hanlan.
“The economy needs to lift investment to be able to boost capacity and provide a lift to productivity to drive a sustained recovery.”
The survey’s actual composite index – a gauge of business conditions – rose to 64.5 in the June quarter, up from 56.7 three months earlier and about 51 over the second half of 2021 during Covid-19 Delta lockdowns.
Updated
National Covid summary
Here are the latest coronavirus numbers from around Australia today, as the country records at least 59 deaths from Covid-19:
ACT
- Deaths: 3
- Cases: 869
- In hospital: 87 (with 1 person in ICU)
NSW
- Deaths: 7
- Cases: 7,805
- In hospital: 1,499 (with 57 people in ICU)
Northern Territory
- Deaths: 0
- Cases: 232
- In hospital: 17 (with no people in ICU)
Queensland
- Deaths: 4
- Cases: 4,797
- In hospital: 491 (with 7 people in ICU)
South Australia
- Deaths: 11
- Cases: 2,270
- In hospital: 230 (with 9 people in ICU)
Tasmania
- Deaths: 0
- Cases: 1,001
- In hospital: 41 (with 2 people in ICU)
Victoria
- Deaths: 28
- Cases: 7,507
- In hospital: 434 (with 21 people in ICU)
Western Australia
- Deaths: 6
- Cases: 4,885
- In hospital: 259 (with 8 people in ICU)
NSW early education plan is ‘once in a generation’ investment, says Kean
From AAP:
The NSW government says its $15.9bn worth of budget commitments to early education represent a “once in a generation” investment in children across the state.
The government handed down its 2022/23 budget on Tuesday, announcing the massive spending on initiatives for early childhood education and child development over the next decade.
The centrepiece of the budget’s education initiatives was the multi-billion dollar investment in early eduction, including $1.4bn over four years to provide affordable preschool across the state.
Other measures for early learners were $281.6m over the forward estimates to boost the number, quality and retention of early childhood educators and teachers, and $112.2m for developmental checks in preschools.
There was also $37.9m to boost before- and after-school care and $24.7m to support and guide early childhood education and care service providers.
The treasurer, Matt Kean, said the government understood that a “great education can propel a person up the ladder of opportunity”.
“We know that the first five years of a child’s life can set them up for success at school and beyond. Ninety per cent of a child’s brain development occurs in these years,” Kean said in his budget speech on Tuesday.
Updated
Victorian opposition confirms support for treaty process
The Victorian opposition has announced it will support the establishment of an independent authority to oversee the state’s treaty negotiations, though ousted Liberal MP Tim Smith says he will cross the floor to vote against the bill, describing it as “illiberal and divisive tokenism”.
The opposition leader, Matthew Guy, and the Nationals leader, Peter Walsh, confirmed the Coalition’s position on the Treaty Authority Bill following a party room meeting on Tuesday.
“The Liberals and Nationals are committed to advancing the treaty process in Victoria in a way that supports self-determination and reconciliation while strengthening community and connection to country,” the spokesperson for Aboriginal affairs, Walsh, said in a statement.
“Treaty is deeply personal, meaning that the road to achieving it will be different things to all people.
“Moving forward we must continue to ensure this process is delivered in a way that respects, and strives to meet, all the community’s ideals and expectations, while contributing positively to reducing disadvantage for Aboriginal Victorians.”
Updated
Federal government won’t compensate states on stamp duty – Chalmers
Lastly, Chalmers is asked about NSW abolishing stamp duty for first homebuyers, and if they’ll help out:
We have extreme pressures in our own budget. The commonwealth budget is in, in lots of ways and by most measures in a far weaker position than the state budgets.
And so when it comes to reforms that states are engaged in, whether it is the tax system or otherwise, it is a matter for them. We are prepared to facilitate a discussion about tax reform at the state level but we need to recognise we don’t have billions lying around to compensate states for the decisions that they take off their own bat. That is the reality.
I think that’s a strong no there.
Updated
Chalmers would like to see Assange case concluded
That case has been dragging on, we would like to see it concluded. I will leave commentary to relevant spokespeople.
Updated
Home affairs minister in Sri Lanka making Australian contribution – Chalmers
Chalmers is asked about the situation in Sri Lanka and if we should be doing more to help:
We have a role to play in helping our friends through an extremely difficult period. Clare O’Neil, home affairs minister, is in Sri Lanka as you know doing a really important job, which is engaging with Sri Lankan friends to ensure we are making our contribution.
The price pressures on Sri Lanka, the inflation change, how that is feeding through to social unrest and difficulties in broader communities and society should be a concern to all of us. Part of that is the role that is playing in pressures on people smuggling and asylum seekers.
Updated
Chalmers says high inflation is driven by domestic and international factors
As I have said before, Australians are focused on what this means for us here in our own country, the focus. The governor made it clear there are some domestic sources of inflation as well. Our energy policies have been part of the story for too long.
What we are seeing and at here in at the energy market, in particular, is the cost and consequence of nearly a decade of energy policy chaos.
Updated
Chalmers says government is dealing with Coalition’s ‘legacy of waste’
Chalmers says he won’t predict how high-interest rates will go up:
There is an important role for the independent reserve bank here but also for the government to make sure we can grow our economy without adding unnecessarily to these inflationary pressures.
That is what childcare changes, trading changes, our energy policy, the whole economic agenda in one way or another is about – making the economy more resilient, making it grow without stress from inflationary pressures, dealing with these cost of the living issues ... we make a start on dealing with this legacy of waste and rorts we have inherited.
Updated
Inflation will get worse before it gets better – Chalmers
Chalmers has been asked is inflation will get to 7% and what the government is doing to avoid it:
It remains to be seen. The expectation across the board is that inflation will get significantly higher than the 5.1% that we saw in at the March quarter. I have said that, as well as the Treasury secretary and reserve bank governor – we have made the point that inflation will get worse before it gets better.
I will update the government expectations and forecasts for inflation when I provide an economic statement to parliament when it returns to the end of next month. Inflation will be really important.
Updated
Chalmers ‘cautiously optimistic’ about future of economy
Chalmers has been asked if he agrees with the reserve bank that a recession is unlikely. He said:
That is our objective. We are not working on the expectation at this point of that risk occurring or evacuating. I have said a number of times, you know, we have reason to be cautiously optimistic about the future of our economy but first, we need to navigate these difficulties which are right ahead of us.
The fact of the matter is that the economy is more bondable than it needs to be to these kinds of shocks, because we have had that wasted decade.
Updated
And before we get into questions, I’ll hand the blog over to Cait Kelly. Thanks for reading.
Chalmers says he wants to crack down on ‘dodgy behaviours’ in energy market
The treasurer has continued, saying he wants to maximise the ACCC’s monitoring role, to be able to stamp out “dodgy behaviour”:
Energy is a big part of the inflation story. I have maximised the ACCC’s monitoring role when it comes to energy markets. We want to know if there are any dodgy behaviours going on.
We don’t want to see dodgy markets behaviour.
We want to see the ACCC empowered to make recommendations to the government on the best mix of regulations based on detailed information that they provide us after having a proper look at what is going on here. We won’t tolerate dodgy behaviour when it comes to pressing in energy markets. There is enough inflation and energy. It is tough enough for families and pensioners and industry when it comes to dealing with these skyrocketing energy costs.
I thank the ACCC for the positive way they have responded to my request to maximise their role here, to engage in a thorough, robust monitoring of energy prices, and to make recommendations to others about any further steps which may be necessary, based on the information that they provide. There is an important role for the regulators here, they have been exercising their role I think with a degree of professionalism.
Updated
Chalmers says 'expectations across the board' that inflation will rise
The federal treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is addressing the media now, and said he welcomed RBA governor Philip Lowe’s “candour and frankness”, and added that expectations are that inflation will get worse.
I want to welcome and thank governor Philip Lowe for his candour and frankness today, speaking about this inflation challenge in our economy. The expectation across the board is that inflation will get worse before it gets better and that interest rates will get higher as well.
This is making life very difficult for Australians already, and for Australian industry, as the prices for goods and services and supplies go through the roof. And as interest rates rise further, as flagged by the Reserve Bank governor it will obviously make it harder for Australians to service their mortgages as well, so this is really difficult, and I welcome the candour and frankness with which governor Lowe has described the challenges before us. We have got a lot going for us in this country and our economy but we can’t just pretend away that these big challenges, that we confront in the next six or 12 months in particular.
It is possible to be optimistic about the future of our economy and country while also recognising we have to navigate together are really tricky, difficult combination of circumstances.
Updated
A productive discussion on shared regional challenges with Dr Kao Kim Hourn, Cambodia’s Minister delegate attached to the PM for Foreign Affairs and ASEAN.
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) June 21, 2022
We look forward to working with Cambodia as 2022 ASEAN Chair, including implementing the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. pic.twitter.com/izA1xowgQ2
Moderna indicates it could combine Covid and flu jab
Moderna’s chief medical officer, Paul Burton, who is currently visiting Australia (he’s based in the US), has said that Australians could soon get a two-for-one jab that includes the Covid and flu vaccine.
Speaking to Nine news, Burton said the first phase of the process was already underway, and that governments around the world have expressed interest in the new jab.
Its [appeal is] a combination of ease of compliance and adherence, and just the simplicity of it ‘one and done’.
We would aim to have this [product] authorised for flu and Covid for maybe late 2023 early 2024, it is right around the corner.
We have a three in one which is Covid, flu and something called RSV. These are all respiratory pathogens that kill people young and old every year.
Updated
Vouchers for schoolchildren, stamp duty reform and a forecast surplus in 2024-25
The budget also includes broader investment in housing to fast-track critical infrastructure, free up land for development and introduce a $780.4m two-year pilot shared equity scheme to help single parents and key workers buy a home.
But with all these measures comes a return to surplus within three years, helped by $1.4bn in revenue measures, including changes to consumption and betting tax rates, and $645.8m in savings measures.
You can read more analysis on the budget from Tamsin Rose and Peter Hannam at the link below:
Updated
Perrottet finally axes stamp duty
The NSW budget has also presented premier, Dominic Perrottet, with the opportunity to finally axe stamp duty, something the premier has indicated he’s wanted to do for a while.
First home buyers purchasing properties under $1.5m will be able to choose between stamp duty and an annual $400 property tax plus 0.3% of the property’s land value.
We want to lower the barriers to owning a home for first home buyers seeking a place of their own.
The First Home Buyers Choice will remove one of the largest upfront costs to buying a home.
First home buyers will be able to apply for the option from 16 January next year, once the legislation has passed.
Updated
'Transformative' NSW budget to include $150 vouchers for every child enrolled in school
The NSW budget has been handed down, and includes $150 vouchers for every child enrolled in school, as well as various measures to improve workforce participation for women and young families.
The budget also lays out a timeline where relatively favourable conditions will follow the years of volatility that came with the pandemic, with the treasurer, Matt Kean, saying he believes a surplus within three years is possible:
Reform to give our children the best start to life, reform to make owning your own home easier to achieve and reform to break the barriers to women’s opportunity in this state.
There is always a better future if we choose to reach for it, and in this budget we make that choice – we choose to invest in transformational reform to build a better, brighter future for everyone.
It is an economic imperative that we respect, hear and empower women in the workplace because their brilliance, contribution and creativity are things that we should be backing.
Updated
QLD unions cancel planned budget day protest
The Queensland Council of Unions has announced that essential workers have called off today’s protest, planned for 12pm, to consider a “formal wages offer from the state government made overnight to unions”.
The unions had intended to gather outside state government headquarters on budget day to “highlight how close Queensland’s essential services are to breaking point”.
Queensland Council of Unions general secretary, Michael Clifford, said in the statement announcing the protest that Queenslanders deserve a higher quality of healthcare, education, public safety, and mental health services:
That can’t happen unless we also have a workforce that is trained and skilled and paid fairly.
The heroes of Covid – those working in our hospitals, schools and to keep Queenslanders safe – are under now even more pressure to deliver quality services.
Updated
Transgender athletes banned from rugby league Tests and women's World Cup
Rugby League has moved to ban transgender athletes from competing in international test matches at the weekend and at the upcoming women’s World Cup.
The International Rugby League said the rule concerned “male-to-female” trans players ahead of this weekend’s representative round, and added that the decision would stand “until further research is completed into the issue”. The governing body wrote in a missive to its member nations:
The IRL is continuing work to review and update rules about transgender participation in women’s international rugby league and will seek to use the upcoming World Cup to help develop a comprehensive inclusion policy.
Until further research is completed to enable the IRL to implement a formal transgender inclusion policy, male-to-female (transwomen) players are unable to play in sanctioned women’s international rugby league matches.
Updated
The Coalition has agreed to support Labor’s Treaty legislation.
— Tim Smith MP (@TimSmithMP) June 21, 2022
I don’t support illiberal & divisive tokenism. This legislation will do nothing to close the gap.
I will be voting against this legislation & as a consequence I will be crossing the floor.
Lowe believes inflation will return to normal in 'a couple of years'
Lowe is then asked when he thinks inflation will return to normal:
It is a couple of years away. We haven’t yet done a full update of our forecasts following the May update. The new headline inflation forecast was done mechanically from higher oil prices and higher electricity and gas prices. In the next month or so, we will be doing a full forecast update.
It is going to be some years, I think, before inflation is back in the 2-3% range. Over the next couple of years, it will gradually come down. That is why it is important that we chart this path back there and people have confidence that we will do that.
Updated
Lowe says he hopes to curb inflation without a rise in unemployment rate
Next up, Lowe is asked whether he thinks unemployment will need to rise to get inflation back under control:
I don’t think it needs to rise but at some point it may rise. It is quite possible that inflation comes down because if the oil prices don’t keep rising, the supply side problems get resolved and we get a better balance between supply and demand in the economy.
It is a fairly narrow path we are on. We are trying to get demand and supply to increase at the same rate and achieving that is difficult.
It is quite possible at some point in time, the unemployment rate will rise but I don’t think it needs to rise. I am hoping we can get inflation back to two to three and keep the unemployment rate roughly where it is.
Updated
Lowe says he doesn't see recession on the horizon
Returning to RBA governor Philip Lowe’s presentation this morning, and we have moved on to questions now, with a journalist asking if Lowe thought a recession was on the horizon.
Lowe said he doesn’t see a recession coming soon, noting the low rate of unemployment and that Australia has “a lot of positives”:
I don’t see a recession on the horizon here. Right at the moment, the unemployment rate is the lowest in 50 years, the participation rate is the highest ever. More working-age Australians have jobs than ever before, the number of job vacancies is at a record high. Households have strong balance sheets.
Our terms of trade – so this is the price of our export and relative import prices – are at the highest ever. When we had the resources boom a decade ago, I used to say it is the highest since 1848. We had the gold rushes in the British colonies, that was the highest since 1848, yet here we are today in 2022 having higher terms of trade. It is really boosting our national income a lot.
Australia has a lot of positives, so we don’t see a recession on the horizon, but the last two years, if it has taught us anything, you can’t rule anything out. Fundamentally, we are strong and the position of the household sector is strong and firms want to hire people at record rates.
It doesn’t feel like the precursor to a recession, and interest rates, while they have gone up, they are still low. The cash rate is still less than 1% at a time when unemployment rate is at a 50-year low.
The fundamentals are pretty positive still.
Updated
Victoria to invest $200m in mental health programs for children
The Victorian government has announced it will be expanding mental health programs for children at 1,800 government and low-fee non-government primary schools across the state.
The move comes as part of a wider push to address mental illness among young people, with the $200m funding used to scale up a pilot program operating at 100 Victorian schools under a partnership with Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the University of Melbourne.
The Victorian government called it “the biggest single investment in student mental health in Australia’s history”, with the education minister, James Merlino, saying:
The evidence is, this makes a profound difference.
We know the earlier in life young Victorians get mental health support, the better their changes of staying happy and healthy throughout adulthood.
Updated
Lowe says Australians should prepare for higher interest rates
Reserve Bank governor, Philip Lowe, has continued addressing the American Chamber of Commerce this morning. He says Australians should prepare for higher interest rates.
Adding to his comments about doing whatever was necessary to address inflation, Lowe warned that interest rates were still “very low” for an economy facing such high inflation and low unemployment:
As we chart our way back to 2 to 3% inflation, Australians should be prepared for more interest rate increases.
We decided to make a bigger 50 basis-point adjustment on the basis of the additional information suggesting a further upward revision to an already high inflation forecast.
The board also gave consideration to the fact that the level of interest rates was still very low.
I want to emphasise though that we are not on a preset path.
How fast we increase interest rates, and how far we need to go, will be guided by the incoming data and the board’s assessment of the outlook for inflation and the labour market.
Updated
RBA will do 'what is necessary' to stop inflation, Lowe says
Reserve Bank governor, Philip Lowe, is speaking at an American Chamber of Commerce event in Sydney, and has pledged to avoid the mistakes of the 1970’s stagflation period, saying the RBA will do “what is necessary” to ensure inflation remains low.
Lowe admitted that global events had been influencing the rising rates of inflation, but added that, increasingly, domestic factors were coming into play:
Following the strong recovery from the pandemic, growth in domestic spending is now testing the ability of the economy to meet the demand for goods and services.
This is particularly evident in the labour market, with many firms reporting that the availability of labour is a significant constraint on their ability to operate and/or expand.
High inflation damages the economy, reduces the purchasing power of people’s incomes and devalues people’s savings.
It is also regressive, hurting most those who are least well equipped to protect themselves.
Updated
so we've got the final makeup of the Senate
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) June 20, 2022
Labor: 26
Coalition: 32
Greens: 12
JLN: 2
One Nation: 2
UAP: 1
David Pocock
Labor will need all 12 Greens, plus at least 1 crossbencher, to get a 39-vote majority
2022 Senate election:
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) June 20, 2022
Labor 15 seats, Coalition 15, Greens 6, crossbench 4 (Roberts, Tyrrell, Pocock, Babet)
2019 election (continuing senators):
Labor 11, Coalition 17, Greens 6, crossbench 2 (Roberts, Lambie)
Australia likely to impose more sanctions on Russia, Dfat official says
More sanctions against Russian people and companies over the invasion of Ukraine are likely, a senior foreign affairs department official says.
“It wouldn’t be unsafe to bet some money on further sanctions in relation to Russia,” Andrew Walter, a first assistant secretary at Dfat, said. “Beyond that, I don’t intend to speculate.”
Speaking on Monday at a conference in Sydney organised by ACAMS, a global organisation of anti-financial crime professionals, Walter also said that the department was working to deal with complaints by banks and other financial intermediaries that the sanctions system was too complicated.
Walter said Australia’s sanctions had revealed that there was a large amount of interaction between Russia and Australia, despite the relatively shallow economic links between the two countries.
“That’s because Australians are operating all over the world and Russians are operating all over the world,” he said.
During the conference, bankers said they have had to dramatically increase their sanctions compliance divisions, and complained that the complexity of the Australian sanctions regime can make complying with it difficult.
“I can’t see work around that complexity of implementation of existing sanctions abating in the short term,” Walter said.
“I think that’s going to be a big feature and it’s very important we step back from that a little bit and grab what lessons we can, and see whether there’s appropriate reforms to address some of those kind of frictional points in there.”
Updated
Sri Lankan navy says it cannot prevent boats from leaving
The Sri Lankan navy has declared that it cannot stop a surge of boats leaving for Australia, as hundreds try to flee the country’s economic meltdown.
Speaking to the Age, Sri Lankan navy spokesman Captain Indika De Silva said the navy would struggle to cover the island’s 1,340km coastline, and that some smugglers were trying to use the new political landscape in Australia “to their advantage”:
Sometimes there have been boats that have slipped through.
It’s not because we don’t have the resources. It’s the way they operate – the smugglers – it is their primary task to evade the navy mechanisms.
So far we have been able to carry our duties at an appropriate level to counter the threats emanating from the maritime domain including those illicit migration attempts.
Updated
Good morning Australia! It's the penultimate day for declarations for the 2022 Federal Election. Today we have (local times listed):
— AEC ✏️ (@AusElectoralCom) June 20, 2022
NSW
🗳️ Berowra: 9am
🗳️ Page: 10am
🗳️ Hume: 11:30am
🗳️ Richmond: 3pm
Vic
🗳️ Corio: 10am
🗳️ Mallee: 10am
🗳️ Melbourne: 10am
BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE
More declarations, you say?
— AEC ✏️ (@AusElectoralCom) June 20, 2022
Tas
🗳️ Bass: 10am
🗳️ Lyons: 11am
QLD
🗳️ Wide Bay: 10am
🗳️ Herbert: 12:30pm
WA
🗳️ Durack: 2pm
🗳️ O'Connor: 3pm
Peter Dutton says Coalition won't budge on its climate policy
Opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has taken to 2GB radio this morning to declare his party would not be changing its climate policy because “millions of Australians voted for us on that basis”.
Ignoring the electoral thumping the Coalition took at the election, and the swirling discussions around whether the result should mean change for the opposition, Dutton said the party room would also consider any “new information” if presented with it:
We took our policy to the election and millions of Australians voted for us on that basis. That’s the position that we’ll take forward.
Over time, if you’ve got new information before you and a new proposition, well, that can be considered by the party room.
This, by the way, comes as a moderate Liberal MP, who has chosen to remain anonymous, told the Financial Review they would take issue with Dutton opposing Labor’s emissions legislation, particularly because of the election result:
There was some consternation that there hasn’t been a proper discussion given those who face obvious pressures in their seats on this issue.
Updated
NSW records seven Covid deaths and 7,805 new cases
NSW Health is reporting 7,805 new Covid cases and seven deaths:
COVID-19 update – Tuesday 21 June 2022
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) June 20, 2022
In the 24-hour reporting period to 4pm yesterday:
- 96.5% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
- 95.1% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine pic.twitter.com/f25smPwmXq
Updated
Victoria records 28 Covid deaths and 7,507 new cases
Victoria is reporting a spike in Covid related deaths, after 28 people lost their lives overnight:
We thank everyone who got vaccinated and tested yesterday.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) June 20, 2022
Our thoughts are with those in hospital, and the families of people who have lost their lives.
More data soon: https://t.co/OCCFTAtS1P#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/wKgLktZrSd
Updated
Rally outside NSW parliament to protest government’s wages policy
The AAP is reporting that NSW private and public sector union members are rallying outside parliament to protest against the government’s wages policy, saying it will leave workers worse off as inflation takes flight.
The rally coincides with the treasurer, Matt Kean, preparing to deliver the Perrottet government’s first budget at midday on Tuesday.
Dominic Perrottet has already flagged that public sector workers can expect a 3% wage rise in the budget this year.
Unions NSW secretary, Mark Morey, says with inflation running at 5.2%, and predictions it could hit 7% by the end of the year, the government’s pay offer will slash workers’ real wages by thousands of dollars a year. He told Sydney radio 2GB:
We are losing skilled teachers, nurses, cleaners – and we’re going to have more pressure in NSW for services to be provided that we can’t retain.
It’s not much to ask and the government needs to act.
Updated
Mark Butler says Covid vaccines for children under five coming within months
Health minister, Mark Butler, is making the rounds this morning, and said on RN Breakfast that Covid vaccines for children under five years old could be approved “within months”.
Butler said the Therapeutic Goods Administration has an application from Moderna they are currently considering, and that it could be a couple of months before they are rolled out:
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has an application from Moderna which they’re currently going through. If that is approved, then that will go to our advisory group on vaccinations.
I don’t control that timeframe. I think it’s appropriate that those authorities feel that they are able to conduct their legislative work in a timeframe that’s proper, and I’d expect that to happen over the coming weeks now.
The former chair of the advisory group on vaccines [Prof Allen Cheng] I know said over the last couple of days it might be a month or two until we finally see those vaccines going into the arms of under-five-year-olds, but that ultimately is a matter for them.
Updated
Shorten says Greens moving Australian flag ‘counterproductive’
Minister for government services, Bill Shorten, has criticised the Greens for removing the Australian flag from view before a press conference yesterday.
A staffer moved the flag out of shot of TV cameras, and Shorten was not impressed, telling the Today show the act was “counterproductive to the cause”.
I would remind Adam and the Greens ... that we’ve got to bring people with us on a path of change.
Everyone agrees that our First Nations people should get an equal deal in this country. We want to change the constitution and include them in our nation’s birth certificate, but antics like this ... This is virtue signalling.
Virtue signalling is when someone thinks that their morality is superior to everyone else’s.
Updated
Endangered leadbeater’s possum born in captivity for first time in two decades
Victoria’s faunal emblem – the critically endangered leadbeater’s possum – has been born in captivity for the first time in 20 years.
Environment minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, on Tuesday announced the arrival of two highland leadbeater’s possum joeys born at Healesville Sanctuary. The duo have undergone health checks and have been confirmed to be female.
She says the births provide hope for the long-term goal of also successfully breeding lowland leadbeater’s possums, of which fewer than 30 remain in the world.
Comparatively, highland populations have declined to a few thousand possums.
The breeding breakthrough has been attributed to a new diet of honey-based nectar, loaded with increased fibre, vitamins and minerals, which has led to positive changes to the possums’ gut microbiome and reproductive health.
The government has contributed almost $4m since 2018 to improving the long-term sustainability of the possum and the helmeted honeyeater, the state’s two faunal emblems.
D’Ambrosio said:
We’re excited to welcome these two precious possums and to see the success of our ongoing investment into our state’s faunal emblem and the unique biodiversity of Victoria.
Updated
Chalmers says Labor has inherited a budget with 'significant challenges'
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, who is due to hand down his first budget on 25 October, has spoken to the Nine newspapers, saying the government’s bottom line is being affected by higher-than-expected interest rates on outstanding debt.
As interest rates on government debt rise to their highest levels in eight years, amid rising global inflation, could combine to derail any plans to bring the budget under control.
Chalmers laid the blame firmly on the previous government, saying the “legacy” of the Coalition government was a trillion dollars in debt with “not enough to show for it”.
After a wasted decade, the Liberals’ legacy is a trillion dollars of debt with not enough to show for it and now the cost of servicing all that Liberal debt is going up too.
We’ve been upfront about the significant challenges in the economy and the additional pressures on the budget we’ve inherited, including the cost of rising bond yields.
Updated
Fletcher says Labor government a 'parliamentary go-slow'
The proposed parliamentary sitting schedule for the rest of the year was released last night, and the opposition was quick to criticise the government for its “remarkably light” schedule.
Almost as soon as the schedule was released, opposition spokesman for business in the house, Paul Fletcher, released a statement criticising it for being too short.
This, of course, comes after the Coalition had designed a schedule with just 10 sitting days before August 2022.
Dan Tehan says Labor has given "no good reason" why parliament isn't sitting until July.
— Paul Karp (@Paul_Karp) June 13, 2022
In government, the Coalition designed a schedule with just 10 sitting days before August 2022.
Parliament, optional in govt, VITAL in opposition.#auspoI https://t.co/NiqSxwRwIF
Nonetheless, here is what Fletcher had to say:
The Albanese Labor government is on a parliamentary go-slow.
Total sitting days for the House of Representatives for 2022 will be just 40. This is a dramatic drop from 67 in 2021 and 58 in 2020.
The latest day for return of the writs is 28 June and Labor is just scraping in within the 30 day period by reconvening Parliament on 26 July.
This is entirely at odds with Labor’s claim that they do not waste a day.
Updated
Richard Marles arrives in India
Deputy prime minister and defence minister, Richard Marles, arrived in India earlier this morning for his scheduled trip, where he will meet his Indian counterpart, Rajnath Singh.
Marles’ trip is intended to engage a “top-tier partner”, to discuss defensive cooperation and ambitions for an “open, inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific”.
Arrived in India – a top-tier partner + close friend to Australia.
— Richard Marles (@RichardMarlesMP) June 20, 2022
I look forward to advancing our ongoing defence engagement as Comprehensive Strategic Partners and reiterate our commitment for closer cooperation in the #IndoPacific. pic.twitter.com/68bxyCkxyf
Updated
Federal health minister says long Covid a 'major health challenge'
The federal health minister, Mark Butler, has begun the daily round of politicians in the media this morning, appearing on Sunrise and warning that there could be “very big” numbers of Australians suffering from long Covid.
Butler said the large Omicron wave may have contributed to the rising rates of long Covid, adding it was proving to be a “major health challenge”:
When you get the sort of numbers of Covid that we have had here in Australia - literally millions and millions of Australians – that is going to translate into very big numbers of people experiencing long Covid symptoms.
I am very keen to talk with clinicians, researchers, have a look at the international research as well, and start to make sure our health system is prepared for what will be a very big wave of people experiencing these very long symptoms.
We are seeing dozens and dozens of deaths every week. This is still a very serious health challenge which we cannot take lightly.
Updated
Good morning
Good morning, Mostafa Rachwani with you this morning. I’ll be taking you through what I’m sure will be another busy day.
We begin with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, who will conduct an investigation into energy prices, including an assessment of power companies and whether they are gaming the system for profit. Commission chair, Gina Cass-Gottlieb, told the Nine newspapers the ACCC had “real breadth of powers” to investigate companies’ behaviour.
It comes as former chair Rod Sims pens an opinion piece for Guardian Australia today, saying the government should push against “the instincts of the corporate sector” and introduce more competition into the market. Sims argues there is inadequate competition in Australia, and that the government should be the one to foster greater competition.
There are two state budgets due today, from the New South Wales and Queensland state governments. The NSW government has already flagged a wide range of measures, including a $5.8bn investment into an extra year of education and $4.5bn boost to the health sector.
The Palaszczuk government’s eighth budget will also be handed down today, and expectations will be that the focus will be on health and cost of living measures, including a $175 electricity rebate expected to be introduced.
