What we learned: Tuesday 12 November
We’re going to wrap the blog up here for the day, thanks for following along, here’s what happened today:
Around 2,500 homes and businesses in Muswellbrook were left without power following the 4.1 magnitude earthquake around midday. The earthquake is likely part of an “earthquake swarm” that has been affecting the region for several months, said a government seismologist, who said the swarm could see “hundreds to thousands” of small to moderate shocks.
The NSW Nurses and Midwives Association has announced that its members will be striking for 24 hours from the start of tomorrow’s morning shift over their ongoing pay dispute with the state government. This comes on the heels of the NSW police yesterday announcing a 40% wage increase, compared with the 15% wage increase nurses and midwives have been demanding. Rallies are being planned for Sydney and in regional centres. NSWNMA general secretary, Shaye Candish, said members were “furious” over the government’s actions, which they said “snubbed” the state’s largest female-dominated workforce.
The Coles chair, James Graham, has told the supermarket’s annual general meeting it had been “disappointing to see how cost-of-living issues have been politicised” as he defended the company’s profit levels. Representatives of Coles and rival Woolworths have appeared at several parliamentary inquiries, and the major chains are the target of a government-ordered examination of their pricing and business practices, conducted by the competition regulator.
La Niña might be off but summer on the east coast is still predicted to be a damp one, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. Despite the BoM saying yesterday it is likely we won’t have a La Niña event later this year (or in early 2025), those hoping for a return to a sunnier summer are likely to be disappointed, with the BoM’s long-range forecasts putting the odds on the summer being a relatively damp one for eastern Australia.
A 53-year-old man has been charged after the body of a woman, aged 50, was found in a Penrith hotel on Sunday, NSW police report.
We’ll see you back here tomorrow.
Updated
Asic sues Cbus, alleging systemic failures in handling of claims
Asic has announced it is suing the Construction and Building Unions Superannuation Fund (Cbus), alleging systemic failures in the handling of claims by its members and claimants, saying the fund “failed its members and claimants at their most vulnerable time”.
More than 10,000 members and claimants of the Cbus fund were impacted by death benefits and total and permanent disability (TPD) insurance claims taking more than 90 days to be processed, according to allegations contained in documents lodged by Asic in the federal court today.
The civil penalty proceedings filed by Asic against United Super Pty Ltd (United Super), the trustee of Cbus, allege that from September 2022 to November 2024, it failed to act efficiently, honestly and fairly in the handling of claims for death benefits and TPD insurance.
The financial loss has been estimated by Cbus to be $20m to members and claimants.
The Asic deputy chair, Sarah Court, said: “Delays in claims processing like those alleged by Asic cause real harm to families who may be relying on the payments to meet critical expenses. This adds to difficult personal circumstances, whether grieving for a loved one or dealing with severe injury or illness. The additional anxiety and pain these delays caused compounded the issues these members and their families faced.
“By late 2022, more than 6,000 Cbus members and claimants had their payments delayed by more than 12 months. Extraordinarily, that equates to more than 50% of Cbus’ total claims at that time. We allege they are yet to completely rectify these issues.”
Updated
