What we learned today, Tuesday 4 April
Thanks for following along on the blog today. Here’s a wrap of the day’s biggest stories:
For the first time in 11 board meetings, the Reserve Bank of Australia has left its cash rate unchanged at 3.6%.
The federal government announced a ban on TikTok for all Australian government devices due to security concerns. Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, said he would be deleting his account, however, Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, will not be following suit.
According to the South China Morning Post, China has issued an invitation “in principle” for Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, to visit Beijing. However, assistant minister to the PM, Patrick Gorman, said any official travel announcement would come “at the appropriate time”.
The NSW Labor government unveiled its ministry and, for the first time, women make up half of the ministers.
Zachary Rolfe has officially been dismissed from the Northern Territory police, a spokesperson has confirmed, as per reporting by the ABC.
Australia’s new high commissioner to the UK, Stephen Smith, said becoming a republic is “inevitable”, even if Australians are proud to have the British monarch as their head of state.
A government review has found that Medicare compliance errors are costing taxpayers between $1.5bn and $3bn a year.
Australian actor and transgender activist, Georgie Stone, addressed the National Press Club, calling for access to healthcare, plus funding and legal protections for LGBTQ+ people.
Updated
What does Australian government devices TikTok ban mean for the platform’s future?
Among all the talk of TikTok today, my colleague, Josh Taylor, has put together a fantastic explainer on the government ban - who it applies to, what the security risks are and what data the app collects:
Updated
Rolfe dismissed from NT police
Zachary Rolfe has officially been dismissed from the Northern Territory police, a spokesperson has confirmed, as per reporting by the ABC.
The NT police confirmed to the ABC that Rolfe is no longer a serving member.
My colleague, Nino Bucci, brought us these details of the situation earlier this afternoon:
Updated
Jacinda Ardern to tackle online extremism in new role as special envoy
Former New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, will take on a role working alongside international governments and social media companies to target extremism and terrorist content online.
NZ Prime minister, Chris Hipkins, announced on Tuesday evening that he had appointed Ardern as special envoy for the Christchurch Call, a newly created position.
The Christchurch Call was created by Ardern in the wake of the 15 March 2019 mosque shootings, in which a white supremacist killed 51 people during an attack on two mosques in Christchurch.
Updated
Catch up on today’s top headlines with the Afternoon Update from my colleague Antoun Issa:
Critical minerals agreement with UK signed by King and Trevelyan
Resources minister, Madeleine King, has shared some photos with Anne-Marie Trevelyan posted on social media today as the pair signed an agreement on critical minerals.
Was thrilled today to sign a sign an agreement with @annietrev strengthening cooperation between the UK and Australia on critical minerals.
— Madeleine King MP (@MadeleineMHKing) April 4, 2023
A significant step on the road to net zero. @VickiTreadell @ukinaustraliahttps://t.co/YBKmraHgiS pic.twitter.com/mDAU2PzEqX
Trevelyan spoke of the deal while appearing on Afternoon Briefing just before:
We have signed this [to bring] together both our governments’ commitments to work together, to help support our industries and businesses to really focus on the critical mineral area, thinking about how we can work together to maximise value in the supply chain.
We are all working towards getting to those net zero targets that we have set. Obviously in the UK we have been world leading in doing that, but the critical minerals, of which WA has an abundance, are critical to that solution, so we will be working more closely than ever together to ensure we can deliver that for the world.
She also shared some photos while visiting Port Hedland today:
Fantastic visit to #PortHedland in #WesternAustralia to see for myself @PilbaraPorts at work shipping 600m tonnes of minerals to the world.
— Anne-Marie Trevelyan (@annietrev) April 4, 2023
Good discussions about critical minerals and how UK and Australia can work together @PilbaraMinerals @AlkemyCapital pic.twitter.com/DDftO6iqwO
Updated
Palaszczuk will not delete TikTok account, unlike Victorian counterpart Daniel Andrews
Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, has no plans to delete her TikTok account as security concerns mount over the controversial Chinese-owned app.
The Australian government has banned the use of TikTok on government-issued devices in line with other countries and following a national security review by the Department of Home Affairs.
Media reports last week claimed Queensland MPs had been given “unlimited” taxpayer funds to purchase burner phones that they can use social media apps on while being protected from cybersecurity risks.
Palaszczuk’s office told Guardian Australia the premier would follow the federal government’s lead but she would continue to engage with the app - unlike her Victorian counterpart, Daniel Andrews.
Andrews announced on Tuesday that he would stop using the platform due to its security risks and urged other states and territories to do the same.
He said:
You would hope that we could have a relatively consistent set of arrangements so that it’d apply the same in Albury as it would in Wodonga.
Federal government services minister, Bill Shorten, will also stop using TikTok “to set an example” but not all MPs are united on the issue.
Environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, said she was reluctant to delete the app from her private phone as she used it to engage with her young supporters.
Updated
UK’s Indo-Pacific minister believes TikTok ban is important to ‘mitigate risk’
And back to Tiktok: UK minister for the Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, is currently in Perth and also weighed in on the app’s ban while appearing on Afternoon Briefing.
The UK parliament banned TikTok from its network over security concerns last month.
Trevelyan said:
The view is, as ever, the government’s job is to protect and mitigate risk, and our experts reached the conclusion this was the right thing to do on government technology. That is what we have brought in and I think I can only assume Australia has reached a similar conclusion.
I think there were some politicians who use TikTok as a way of talking to constituents … This has effectively brought that opportunity to a close.
There is no doubt that we will all manage perfectly well to share messages and hear back from our constituents using other tools of the trade.
Updated
Labor’s Michelle Ananda-Rajah accuses Opposition of ‘relentless negativity’ and ‘sabotage’ over voice referendum
Labor MP, Michelle Ananda-Rajah, has accused the Opposition of sabotaging the voice referendum with “relentless negativity” and “nitpicking”.
Appearing on Afternoon Briefing, she said:
I would say to the Liberal Party that I watched with equal parts of anger and now sadness … seeing them sabotage this referendum through relentless negativity and, honestly, nitpicking.
This referendum is a once in a generation opportunity to write some wrongs in this country … I would say to the Australian people, I understand you have doubts and questions and they will be answered over the next few months.
In the [privacy] of that polling booth, it will be you and your conscience, and I would say to put aside those doubts and vote yes. It is the right thing to do.
In response, Liberal MP, Keith Wolahan, said the party is allowed to ask questions on the issue.
When questions have been put by Peter Dutton and questions put by other people, that is not seeking to undermine the purpose behind the referendum. It is seeking to make sure we understand what it is asking Australians to do.
In order to have a proper and free vote, we need to be fully informed. This is a very serious thing … We will be asking those questions in the coming weeks and I hope the government has an open mind about properly assessing constitutional risk.
Updated
As Gormon urges bipartisan support of voice, Stuart Robert says ‘a lot of questions have not been answered’
The topic of the voice referendum has been raised on Afternoon Briefing.
Patrick Gormon has again called for bipartisan politics ahead of the Liberal party-room meeting tomorrow:
The words that have been put out, the core of them have been out since July of last year when the prime minister released them. I think it’s a bit odd that they having an emergency meeting tomorrow. But I would encourage everyone in the Coalition to recognise that this is above partisan politics.
Shadow assistant treasurer, Stuart Robert, also appeared on the program and said “a lot of the questions have not been answered”:
We don’t know what the Voice will do.
I understand the prime minister is trying to put this about morality … about what others overseas will think. That isn’t how we change the foundation [of] government, a perfunctory document that discusses how the country works.
It must be clear, cold facts and must be understood by Australians.
Updated
Australian government says it welcomes foreign investment, despite China concerns about tightening of rules
The Australian government has said it welcomes foreign investment after China complained about what it said was national security being used as an excuse to block Chinese investment.
China’s vice-minister of commerce, Wang Shouwen, raised the issue during a meeting with the Australian assistant trade minister, Tim Ayres, in China last week.
The Chinese government said late last week that Wang had told Ayres of concerns about Australia’s tightening of foreign investment rules. Wang argued national security should not be abused as an excuse to hamper Chinese companies investing and operating in Australia.
Asked for a response to those comments, a spokesperson for the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, told Guardian Australia today:
Australia welcomes foreign investment, which plays a critical role in our economic success. Our foreign investment review framework is non-discriminatory – it facilitates investment while ensuring it is in Australia’s national interest.
Updated
Gormon responds to SCMP reports about Beijing invitation for Albanese
As we mentioned earlier, a report from the South China Morning Post claimed that China has issued an invitation “in principle” for the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, to visit China this year, possibly in September or October.
Patrick Gormon has just responded to this claim:
Let’s be clear, official invitations are issued from leaders to other leaders and the prime minister would announce his plans on any official travel at the appropriate time.
I would note that the prime minister has said we will have dialogue with President Xi [Jinping], he said that in November last year …
Updated
Patrick Gormon: families face challenging times trying to balance budgets
Assistant minister to the prime minister, Patrick Gorman, is up next on Afternoon Briefing to chat about the RBA’s rate pause.
He said that people are still feeling the effects of earlier rate rises.
We know those interest rates that started way back when Scott Morrison was prime minister have started to have an impact on family budgets. We are doing what we can when it comes to responsible cost measures.
Because … the Reserve Bank is independent, they always have had that right to increase or decrease [rates] depending on the economic circumstances and we know in terms of some of the international signals we have seen, both in terms of pressures in oil prices, in terms of the commercial property markets, in terms of the ongoing impacts from the war in Ukraine, this is an uncertain time.
It is challenging for governments, challenging [for] the central banks, most of all, right now, I think it is challenging [for] families who are trying to balance budgets.
Updated
James Paterson questions TikTok ban delay, wants Australia to be part of global conversation about future of the platform
Liberal senator, James Paterson, is speaking about the government’s TikTok ban on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing.
Paterson believes the ban was delayed, especially when compared to other countries that have already introduced bans on the app.
It is not clear to me what has taken them so long to get here when our friends and allies have been acting for months and weeks … in the case of the United States over three months ago announcing their ban … the Department of Home Affairs advice provided to the Government was handed [to] them several weeks ago.
Speaking from Washington DC, he said the Opposition is ready to work with the government to discuss future decisions regarding TikTok.
In the United States, they are keeping on the table the possibility of a ban of TikTok and also considering forcing its parent company to [move] TikTok to a non-Chinese owner to break the link between the company and the Chinese Communist Party.
Australia has to be a part of the conversation. We cannot afford to be left behind …
Updated
Greens senator Nick McKim calls for cost-of-living relief and national rent freeze
Greens senator, Nick McKim, has weighed in on the RBA’s rate pause on Twitter.
He said the government needs to “step in” to address inflation and deliver cost-of-living relief, while also calling for a national rent freeze.
While today's rate pause is welcome news, it is hardly cause for celebration. The Reserve Bank seems only to be taking a breath from flogging renters and mortgage holders.
— Nick McKim (@NickMcKim) April 4, 2023
It's long past time for the Government to step in.
The budget needs to tackle the corporate profiteering that has driven so much of the inflation problem.
— Nick McKim (@NickMcKim) April 4, 2023
It must deliver immediate cost of living relief - including free child care, and putting dental and mental health into Medicare.
We also urgently need a national rent freeze.
Updated
Katy Gallagher backs security agencies advice on government device TikTok ban
Circling back to Katy Gallagher’s press conference, where she was also questioned about the federal government ban of TikTok on all of its own devices:
This is being informed by security agencies advice on work that’s been done and provided to government, so the decision we’ve taken is around government-issued devices.
We’re always clear with people that they should be aware of risks about particular apps, social media, etc … but the decision has been taken about government-issued devices based on that advice from the security agencies.
Is she happy for her own children to be on TikTok?
We have had numerous discussions around our table about the appropriate use of social media apps, like every other parent, I imagine, with children over the age of 10 or 11. I’m like every other parent.
Gallagher was also asked if consultants contracted by the government will be required to remove TikTok from their devices:
There would be some contractors that would have government-issued devices as part of their work and, of course, that would apply to them. Anything further, I would have to come back to on with advice from the Attorney General, but certainly if they’re using any device that’s issued by the government or connected to the government facilities, it would be required.
Updated
ANU becomes latest university to publicly back voice to parliament
The Australian National University (ANU) has become the latest tertiary institution to publicly back the voice to parliament as debate continues ahead of the referendum.
Following a meeting on Friday, the ANU council has issued a statement giving unreserved support to enshrining an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice in the constitution, recognising its “alignment with the university’s national mission”.
The council acknowledges that differing views exist within the university community and that the university is a place where respectful informed debate and freedom of expression are actively encouraged.
In a blog posted to the university’s website on Tuesday, vice chancellor, Brian Schmidt, said he was “delighted” to share the news, which aligned with his personal backing of the voice.
The clear endorsement from our council and my own personal views are not an expectation that our staff and students will vote in a particular way or actively advocate for a yes vote.
ANU will do what it always does when our nation faces a critical decision. We will lead and facilitate a balanced and informed national conversation, bringing our expertise to bear on complex issues and helping guide Australia through.
A string of universities, including UNSW, the University of Wollongong, the University of Swinburne and Curtin University have pledged public support of the voice, while others remain in discussion over their institutional positions.
It comes after shadow education minister, Sarah Henderson, likened the public support of the voice to parliament in the schooling sector to a form of “indoctrination”.
Updated
Anthony Albanese invited to visit Beijing - reports
According to the South China Morning Post, China has issued an invitation “in principle” for Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, to visit Beijing.
According to the SCMP, the trip could take place around September or October, which would mark the 50th anniversary of Gough Whitlam’s visit in 1973 – the first visit to China by an Australian prime minister.
Earlier this month, Albanese said he is willing to accept an invite to visit China this year if one is offered.
Updated
Budget pressures ‘accelerating, not reducing’, says Gallagher
Gallagher said that the government is facing “a budget under enormous stress”.
You know, I say that with emphasis, enormous stress.
The pressures coming towards the budget are accelerating not reducing. So when people say cut this and cut that, I’m going through it line by line [and] these are not easy decisions to take.
A lot of Commonwealth expenditure is money that is demand driven through payments, through a Medicare system, through payments to the states and territories, so when you reduce it down to the discretionary amount to the Commonwealth, we are talking about a much smaller proportion of the budget, but we are, you know, looking at sensible savings where we can.
We are fiscally responsible. We’re not going to going to go out and, you know, fund everything that all ministers are coming forward with. We want to show restraint. We want to look at what we’re doing with revenue, upgrades and how we can invest that back into the budget. But you know, the pressures on the budget are real. And then, you know, it’s not frivolous programmes or anything … the pressures that are coming forward are all for very worthy measures.
Updated
Reporter:
How long do you reckon it will take before it hits that target band and we’ll finally see rates either plateau for a while longer or start to come down and take more pressure off families?
Gallagher:
We outlined our inflation projections in the budget, obviously they will be updated in the May budget, but we do see that coming down over the next 12 to 18 months.
Gallagher said the government wants to see wages moving again and doesn’t believe there is any evidence of a wage price spiral.
The banks [are] obviously going to keep an eye on that as they should. But we certainly believe [in] the position we took, obviously in our wage submission to ensure that the lowest wages paid on those award rates don’t go backwards. We know the cost of living for those workers, those families are real.
And our wage submission reflected that we want to make sure that they don’t fall behind when we’re dealing with the cost of living pressures, and that’s why the budget will work hand in hand with that …
Updated
Gallagher welcomes RBA rate pause but says no changes to decisions about cost-of-living relief in May budget
Finance minister, Katy Gallagher, is speaking now on the Reserve Bank’s rate pause.
She said that although the decision is “welcome news” it doesn’t change the government’s plan to make sure decisions in the budget provide cost-of-living relief without adding to inflation challenges.
Today’s decision was certainly welcome, but we understand for many Australians and businesses, those cost of living pressures remain real.
I think today’s decision follows early signs that inflation has likely passed its peak and is beginning to moderate, but we know that it will remain higher for longer than we like and that’s why addressing inflation was a key priority.
It remains a key priority as we finalise in the budget what will be handed down in May … we’ve also focused on those sensible cost-of-living relief measures we can provide without adding to inflation problems … Some of the work we’re doing on the energy price rebates and support for getting wages moving in, but I think everyone will recognise that it will take more than one budget to deal with the inflation challenge.
Updated
RBA’s caution may prompt uptick in consumer sentiment, boost property prices
With the Reserve Bank staying put for the first time in almost a year, it hasn’t taken long for expectations of a further rebound in property prices to stir.
Tim Lawless, research director at CoreLogic, said the relief that borrowing costs will stabilise at least for now may prompt more people to move back into the real estate market.
“Despite the highest interest rates since 2012, we have seen a lift in housing values over the past month” with prices up 0.6% on average across the country, he said, adding:
While we aren’t certain if March marks a turning point for housing values, it’s clear that low advertised supply, the tightest rental conditions on record and surging overseas migration are providing some positive momentum to housing markets.
It is interesting that RBA governor, Philip Lowe, reckons that inflation may have peaked in Australia, even though rents are rising faster than in recent years and there are still some big power prices to come (including 30%-plus in Victoria).
Lowe said:
Medium-term inflation expectations remain well anchored, and it is important that this remains the case.
A weekly survey by ANZ and Roy Morgan, though, indicates those interest rate expectations have lately turned higher:
Ahead of the RBA's rates verdict, here's @ANZ_Research and @RoyMorganAus's weekly inflation expectation gauge looks like. A bit of a pick-up lately. pic.twitter.com/3v0p1EzVn7
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) April 4, 2023
Anyway, you can follow more of the RBA rates decision here:
Updated
Thanks Natasha for leading us through the morning! I’ll be with you for the remainder of the day.
Thanks for your attention today as we covered off on a whole lot of important topics from the cash rate to Rod Stewart’s love of Bunnings. Emily Wind will now take you through the rest of today’s news!
Service NSW online users may have had personal information exposed
About 3,700 people in New South Wales may have had personal information exposed after the state government services provider experienced a technical issue.
On Monday, people logged into Service NSW via web browser between 1.20pm and 3pm may have been able to see other people’s details who were logged in at the same time.
Service NSW has notified customers who may have been affected, a Service NSW spokesperson said. Potential details exposed may have included customers’ names, addresses, children’s names, licence details and car registration, and rebates the customers held through the Savings Finder program.
The spokesperson said the incident was not a cyber-attack, and the provider was undertaking a review of the incident.
Updated
RBA pauses but leaves open the door for further rate rises if needed
The Reserve Bank has delivered some pre-Easter relief for millions of borrowers by leaving its key interest rate unchanged at 3.6%.
The RBA governor, Philip Lowe, though, left open the possibility of further interest rate rises should inflation not continue to retreat.
Lowe said in a statement:
The Board expects that some further tightening of monetary policy may well be needed to ensure that inflation returns to target.
The decision to hold interest rates steady this month provides the Board with more time to assess the state of the economy and the outlook, in an environment of considerable uncertainty.
Markets have responded by sending the Australian dollar slightly lower against the US dollar and pushing the share market marginally higher. Investors had been expecting the pause even if commercial economists were split.
Updated
RBA decision a ‘hawkish pause’, as more rate hikes might be necessary, economist says
Cherelle Murphy, the chief economist with EY, says the decision from the Reserve Bank could have gone either way today.
Speaking to ABC News, Murphy says:
Even the language in the statement does suggest the Reserve Bank is far from relaxed about the inflation outlook and suggesting more rate hikes might be necessary down the track.
In the next month we will see important indicators, of course the most important being the March quarter CPI itself, and that will give the bank a good indication of whether or not that disinflation it is starting to see in the monthly numbers is verified with the quarterly numbers and what the path is likely to look like from there.
… The Reserve Bank has to leave itself some flexibility, it doesn’t know what it will do next month because it hasn’t seen the data, as much as we haven’t seen the data. It does need to leave itself some room, however, I would characterise this as a hawkish pause – pausing for now but it’s certainly not saying ‘relax, we are done’.
Updated
RBA pauses on rises, leaves cash rate at 3.60%
For the first time in 11 board meetings, the Reserve Bank of Australia has left its key interest rate unchanged.
The central bank’s cash rate remains at 3.6%. It had steadily lifted it since last May – from a record low 0.1%, set during the Covid pandemic, by a total of 3.5 percentage points to rein in inflation.
A slight majority of 27 economists surveyed by Bloomberg had tipped the RBA would leave its interest rate unchanged. The 11 who forecast a rate rise had expected a 25 basis points increase.
Updated
‘I love Bunnings,’ Rod Stewart admits after store visits
The British singer Rod Stewart is not only touring Australian stadiums, but also the nation’s Bunnings stores.
Stewart, who is a model train enthusiast, yesterday visited the Balgowlah Bunnings in Sydney’s northern beaches, a week after he was spotted at the hardware and gardening chain in Melbourne.
In an interview with 3AW radio station on Thursday, the singer said he visited the store for model train supplies, and he wasn’t afraid to admit:
I love Bunnings.
Rod Stewart spotted at Bunnings in Balgowlah feeling somewhat disappointed to hear that they only do snags in bread on the w/e. pic.twitter.com/KAVX0ElSQD
— Stanley Johnson (@BrandDNA) April 3, 2023
Stewart is not alone amongst celebrities with a model train collection. If you want to see his and other pop and rock greats, this is the article for you:
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Sportsbet defends political donations as ‘common networking’
Sportsbet has defended political donations to federal politicians including the then shadow communications minister, Michelle Rowland, before last year’s federal election.
When the donations were revealed by the Age and Sydney Morning Herald, federal crossbenchers called for Rowland to resign or be sacked given she had a policy responsibility for interactive gaming.
Rowland has since confirmed she will no longer accept donations from the gambling industry.
Here’s what the Sportsbet chief executive, Barni Evans, told the parliamentary inquiry into online gambling harm:
We seek to understand changes and thinking regarding policy and we seek to ensure the political system is aware of trends affecting the business community too.
This is just an example of common networking and engagement between the business community and other elements of the community and the democratic process.
We fully disclose any of our behaviour and activity in this space through the Australian Electoral Commission.
The independent MP Kate Chaney asked Evans whether he was aware of the level of community concern about the political donations. Here’s his response:
We are aware of that sentiment in the broader community but I think our job is to comply with all of the regulations, which we have done in all instances.
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Trade minister ‘not far away’ from China trip
The trade minister, Don Farrell, has said he is “not far away” from embarking on a trip to Beijing to meet with his Chinese counterpart, although he wouldn’t specify whether that meant within the next few weeks.
In early February Farrell held a 90-minute virtual meeting with China’s commerce minister, Wang Wentao. This was the first meeting between an Australian trade minister and a Chinese commerce minister in three years. Shortly after that meeting, Farrell announced that he had “accepted an invitation from Minister Wang to travel to Beijing in the near future to continue our productive dialogue”.
In an interview with Sky News today, Farrell said of the forthcoming trip:
Look, we’re not far away. I think I can tell you that …
The discussions are going well. I don’t want to pre-empt how they might finish, but all the messages that are coming back to me from China are very, very positive.
Asked about the potential impact of the Aukus nuclear-powered submarine plans – announced last month – on the stabilisation of the relationship, Farrell said there was “none whatsoever”. He said:
We’ve got officials up there [having talks with counterparts in Beijing] this week … Things are going well, but of course, it’ll take some time to turn this ship around and we’re working very hard on it.
Farrell was reluctant to be specific about whether China could be accepted into the regional trade bloc known as the CPTPP.
He stressed that Australia had “raised very publicly our concerns about the trade impediments that China has imposed on Australia” and would seek to apply the same high standards that applied to the UK’s own application to join. He inadvertently mentioned Taiwan in the list of “countries” that are seeking to join (a descriptor that doesn’t fit with Australian government policy, but is likely just a slip of the tongue):
So the good thing about the United Kingdom trade agreement was that we’ve established the boundaries or the rules for accession. So, there’s a range of countries, including China, Taiwan, perhaps Korea, Ecuador, Costa Rica. A lot of countries want to join that agreement because it’s obviously very good for long-term trading arrangements. We’ll consider all of those applications on their merits, but bear in mind this, it’s got to be a unanimous decision.
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WA law reform needed to improve abortion access, federal inquiry hears
The Greens senator Larissa Waters is sharing on Twitter what’s being heard at a parliamentary hearing into universal access to reproductive healthcare which is taking place in Perth today.
Sexual Health Quarters says it is subsidising thousands of dollars of reproductive healthcare every month for clients who can’t afford the co-payment. However, it says the situation is not sustainable:
We don’t turn anyone away, but this is not a sustainable practice for us. Access to contraceptives and termination needs to be free.
Waters says clinical providers all agree that law reform is essential in WA to address abortion access, with the state lagging behind others.
Lily, the co-founder of The Abortion Project, tells the hearing terminations can cost anywhere between $7 (if you have a healthcare card) and $2,200 in WA, largely due to inequitable legislation across states and territories.
Sexual Health Quarters says that it’s difficult to find information about service providers in WA, even for clinicians wanting to make a referral or find a pharmacy that stocks MS-2 Step. It says a publicly available map of services is needed so people can get timely access to care.
The requirement for two clinicians to approve abortion in WA presents a very significant barrier in regional areas, particularly if your local doctor is a conscientious objector, Waters says the hearing has been told.
Senator Jordon Steele-John asks:
How do we build a system that ensures that a person’s right to conscientiously object does not impact somebody’s ability to access healthcare?
The hearing is told that there’s no requirement for anyone – in WA or nationally – to report that they are a conscientious objector, which makes it difficult for people seeking abortion care to manage that risk.
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Independent MP calls on Albanese government to act on Medicare review
The independent member for Kooyong, Monique Ryan, a paediatric neurologist before entering parliament, has called on the Albanese government to act on the Philip review.
The review by health economist Dr Pradeep Philip released today found that Medicare compliance errors were likely costing taxpayers $1.5bn to $3bn a year.
The health minister, Mark Butler, said the problem was repeatedly highlighted to the former government in no fewer than five separate reviews between 2016 and 2021.
Ryan said that Medicare was no longer fit for purpose, but that the Albanese government has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to lead that reform.
It’s no surprise that the Philip report has identified major issues with Medicare; our once world-class system is no longer fit for purpose and it needs major reform.
— Dr Monique Ryan MP (@Mon4Kooyong) April 4, 2023
The Albanese government has a once in a generation opportunity to lead that reform. pic.twitter.com/DtzYTzXKct
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AFL receives a cut of gambling turnover on matches, McLachlan confirms
The AFL boss, Gillon McLachlan, has confirmed the organisation receives a cut of gambling turnover on its matches beyond official sponsorship deals with wagering companies.
The confirmation comes as fans, players, clubs, politicians and health experts raise serious concerns about the sport’s reliance on gambling revenue and the volume of ads encouraging people to place a bet on AFL matches.
The AFL’s revenue from “product fees” on gambling is rarely spoken about by senior executives and is not commonly known by fans. McLachlan did not state how much money the product fees generate but said it was “a percentage of the volume of turnover on our sport”.
Here’s what McLachlan told a parliamentary inquiry into online gambling harm:
We have product fee arrangements with all the wagering operators where we get a percentage of their operations on the AFL.
Most online gambling companies are registered in the Northern Territory for tax minimisation and have an annual turnover of nearly $50bn, according to the NT regulator. The AFL’s official wagering partner, Sportsbet, estimates the Australian sports betting market is worth $8.2bn a year.
Last year, the gambling industry veteran Matthew Tripp, who now runs News Corp-affiliated gambling company Betr, told Nine Newspapers the product fees were “the engine beneath the might of the AFL”.
The AFL is not the only sport to receive product fees from the gambling industry, but the revenue they generate has increased significantly in recent years as online wagering has exploded in popularity.
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NSW premier Chris Minns to receive TikTok briefing this afternoon
The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, will be briefed on national security developments regarding TikTok this afternoon.
Speaking in Lismore on Tuesday, the leader said he would have more to report soon:
I know the recent moves in the last 24 hours from the commonwealth government in relation to that and I understand the Victorian government’s made a similar statement and a similar policy pledge. I’m taking briefings on that this afternoon when we’ve completed our run through Lismore and I’ll have more to say in the coming days about this.
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Liberal party ‘needs to talk more about’ past achievements, Dutton says
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has given a press conference in Albury alongside deputy Liberal leader, Sussan Ley.
In front of a bed of flowers at a local nursery, Dutton sported glasses and a soft grey houndstooth jacket, looking more like a genial academic than a former Queensland cop. Perhaps we are finally seeing the fruits of Dutton’s promise in 2018 while challenging Malcolm Turnbull for the leadership that he would “smile more”.
Dutton also put a new spin on the Coalition’s record, arguing that getting the budget back to balance (once) was not an end in itself but “about providing a better outcome for families”.
He said:
We have a lot of things that we’re good at. One of the things that we’re not good at is selling what we’ve done and how effective we’ve been in the past, and we need to talk more about that. The highest uptake of solar per capita anywhere in the world is in our country, as a result of Liberal-National party investments and policy decisions. So, lots more we can talk about, and we will.
Dutton brushed off the once-in-a-century defeat at the Aston byelection, telling reporters “we’re looking forward now”.
He said:
The opportunity for us is to make sure we work on the policies that are relevant to Australians. Australians heard the government promise that they were going to reduce power prices and reduce mortgages. And instead under Labor in the 10 months they’ve only gone up. I think there are many things we’ve been able to support the government on and we’ll continue to do that, but we want to make decisions that are going to help families and small businesses not hurt them.
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Access to healthcare, funding and legal protections needed for LGBTQ+ people, Georgie Stone tells NPC
Georgie Stone is delivering a call to action for the nation’s leaders how they can support the trans community at the National Press Club:
I call on our political leaders, our law and policymakers, community leaders and our nation to stand with trans people by supporting the following calls to action.
First, we need increased funding for family support organisations that are working to protect and uplift families of trans youth who are distressed or under attack.
Second, we need to ensure and protect access to life saving gender affirming health care for transgender diverse and non-binary young people.
Third, we need to extend legal protections to stop the harmful spread of misinformation, vilification and hate speech to further protect vulnerable LGBTIAQ+ communities.
Stone receives a standing ovation from the audience at the conclusion of her address.
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Opposition supports TikTok ban
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has voiced support for the federal government’s ban on the use of the TikTok app on government devices.
Speaking to reporters in East Albury, Dutton said:
If the government has advice that it’s unsafe to have TikTok on those government phones, then they’re acting on that advice and we would support that decision.
Dutton questioned, however, why the government had not announced the ban sooner. Dutton suggested that the government might have its “own reasons” for not announcing it last week or the week before, and he was “sure that’s an answer they can provide to you”.
(The Australian newspaper quoted an unnamed source this morning as claiming there may have been some link to the Aston byelection that was held on Saturday, but the government has denied this.)
Dutton said MPs should heed the advice:
I think if the director general of security is giving advice to members of parliament, they should follow it.
Dutton went on to caution younger Australians to take care with what information they share online.
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Allies celebrating at WorldPride ‘also have to stand with’ trans people ‘when it’s uncomfortable and scary’: Georgie Stone
Circling back to Georgie Stone’s address at the National Press Club, she’s urging allies to not only celebrate at WorldPride, but to also support the community as they have come under attack:
We need our allies to shoulder some of the burden. Because you can’t celebrate with us at WorldPride and then scatter when the attacks come. If you want the pride and the glitter and the confetti, you also have to stand with us when it’s uncomfortable and scary, too.
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Holmes à Court tweets retort to Gerard Rennick over coalmining remarks
Australian businessman and convener of Climate 200, Simon Holmes à Court, has hit back at a tweet from LNP Senator for Queensland Gerard Rennick.
Rennick questioned why mining coal was singled out from mining copper, lithium, cobalt and nickel. Holmes à Court provided his own analogy to explain it to the senator.
next from @SenatorRennick?
— 💧simon holmes à court (@simonahac) April 4, 2023
“when you are told that eating babies is bad, but eating bread, potatoes and carrots is good, you know you are being conned.”
rennick, you are a first class idiot. https://t.co/8lWHBIXDIQ
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The attorney general’s department has released the direction on the TikTok application.
The secretary, Katherine Jones, wrote:
The TikTok application poses significant security and privacy risks to non-corporate Commonwealth entities arising from extensive collection of user data and exposure to extrajudicial directions from a foreign government that conflict with Australian law.
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Submissions open for parliamentary inquiry into voice referendum
The parliamentary inquiry into the Indigenous voice referendum has opened submissions, ahead of public hearings to commence soon.
The Constitution Alteration (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice) 2023 was introduced last week into parliament, and will be examined by the newly established Joint Select Committee on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice Referendum over the next six weeks. The committee will report back by mid-May.
As we brought you last week, the 13-member committee includes Labor’s Nita Green, Jana Stewart, Linda White, Sharon Claydon, Peta Murphy, Shayne Neumann and Gordon Reid; Coalition members Andrew Bragg, Kerrynne Liddle, Pat Conaghan and Keith Wolahan; Greens senator Dorinda Cox; and independent (and former Nationals) MP Andrew Gee.
Green is the committee chair and Wolahan the deputy.
Green said in a statement that the committee was “a critical opportunity for the parliament to examine the legislative provisions and hear from experts to ensure that the bill gives effect to the creation of the voice”.
She told Guardian Australia that she was “honoured” to be chosen as chair, and said she would strive to ensure the process was fairly run so that “everyone gets a chance to have their say”.
The committee had its first meeting yesterday, and no hearing dates or locations have been set yet; but Green, a Cairns-based senator, said she planned to ensure hearings would be held in key locations outside Canberra to allow people to have their say.
Submissions to the committee have been requested by Friday 21 April.
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Transgender activist Georgie Stone the youngest person to speak at National Press Club
Australian actor and transgender activist Georgie Stone is speaking at the National Press Club today. She is the second trans person to speak at the Press Club, and the youngest person to be invited to speak at just 22 years old.
At 16, Stone successfully challenged family court intervention into treatment options for young transgender people, allowing those with gender dysphoria to undergo hormone treatment without court approval.
She is speaking of her experience growing up as a transgender young person in Australia:
This last month has been incredibly difficult for us. I am holding the hearts of fellow trans Australians in my mind and acknowledge the collective trauma and pain caused by recent events.
…We have heard dangerous anti-trans rhetoric amplified in every major city in Australia. We have seen neo-Nazis out in the open on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne. And it has been repeated again and again every time we open social media or turn on the news.
Usually in speeches like these, I try to put on a brave face. But the truth is, I’m genuinely fearful for my safety. I’m tired of feeling targeted. I am tired of going to sleep at night worried about what hateful, horrible messages I will wake up to.
This last month has been a taste of what has been happening to trans people here and all around the world. The words that have been espoused by those who wish for our eradication. That we are treacherous and deceitful, and worse – are not new sentiments. We have been attacked and threatened our whole lives. This is what happens on school play grounds, in unsupportive households, in workplaces, on the street and in every corner of our lives. I should not feel ashamed to be who I am. I just want to live my life free from harassment and abuse. To live in peace. But it’s hard to live in peace in a world that wants you to disappear.
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Sea World Helicopters reopens following January crash
Today, Sea World Helicopters resumed their operations from the Sea World Park helipad. According to a statement, SWA safety systems have been fully assessed and approved by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and was cleared to operate some weeks ago.
In January, two helicopters operated by SWH collided mid air on the Gold Coast near Sea World. Four people died in the collision, with six people sustaining serious injuries and three sustaining minor injuries.
SWH director, John Orr-Campbell, said:
In many ways today is a difficult day for all of us as we pay our deepest respect to Vanessa Tadros, Diane and Ron Hughes, and our friend and late chief [SWH] pilot Ash Jenkins, their families and those who suffered physically and mentally in the accident.
I know Ash would have wanted to have been flying with us today. Helicopter flying is what we do and our staff wanted to get back to work and continue to provide the service to those who want to fly with us.
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Extension granted for Tasmania child abuse inquiry report
An inquiry into child sexual abuse in Tasmanian government institutions has been granted a four-month extension for its final report, AAP reports.
The state government on Tuesday agreed to the extension at the request of the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings.
The final report will now be due on 31 August instead of 1 May. The governor then has up to 10 sitting days to table it in parliament, which is when it will be made public.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said in a statement:
The government shares the Commission’s view that it is vital that the final report provides a basis for real change and reform.
I would like to sincerely acknowledge, and thank, victim-survivors, their families and loved ones, for their bravery and courage in coming forward.
It is so important your voices are heard, and lessons learned so we can make the future a safer place for children and young people in Tasmania.
The number for Lifeline is 13 11 14
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Funding needed for more free access to contraception, panel told
A parliamentary hearing into universal access to reproductive healthcare is taking place in Perth today.
Greens senator Larissa Waters says the panel discussion is hearing that funding is need to provide free contraception in sporting clubs, universities and community centres in order to reduce stigma and encourage safe sex.
Waters says there is also “powerful evidence” from Secca, an organisation which supports people with disability to learn about relationships, sexuality and sexual health, that good education can prevent coercion, sexual abuse and STIs.
Jordina Quain from the organisation tells the hearing:
Almost all sex ed is too little, too late, and too straight. Which means it’s incredibly irrelevant for a lot of people.
Waters tweeted:
Young people are crying out for positive, comprehensive information about sex, menstruation, and relationships, but they’re not getting it at school or at home so they’re turning to social media and getting lots of misinformation.
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$270m heroin seizure arrived ‘covered in hundreds of kilograms of concrete’, ABF says
Commander James Coburn of the Australian border force has provided more details about the seizure at that same press conference:
On 18 March 2023, Australian border force officers commenced examining a container which arrived into Brisbane from Malaysia. After X-rays, officers identified several anomalies they were not happy with.
The container itself – the contents declared as solar panel, base, accessories and portable steel – weighed just over 12.5 tonnes.
Once the unpack had occurred, officers focused their attention on two concrete-laden stands and, using industrial heavy duty equipment, commenced deconstruction of the goods.
Our detector dog unit was called to run on the display stands with the narcotic detector dog demonstrating a positive reaction.
Using trace and substance technology, our officers gained a presumptive positive result for the extremely harm narcotic heroin.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a gram of cocaine in an envelope, 100kg of meth concealed in heavy duty machinery or 336kg of heroin covered in hundreds of kilograms of concrete, the Australian border force has a range of sophisticated technology … to prevent these harmful substances from making their way into the Australian community.
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Seizure of 336kg of heroin in Queensland in March was Australia’s second largest, AFP says
Commander John Tanti of the Australian federal police is speaking in Brisbane about the seizure of Queensland’s largest ever detection of heroin.
The AFP has charged a Sydney man with importing and attempting to possess 336kg of heroin which the ADF detected after it arrived at the port of Brisbane on 13 March.
This is the largest ever seizure of heroin landed in Queensland and the second largest landed in Australia.
Based on current intelligence, we estimate the heroin had a street value of some $268.6m.
This is an ongoing investigation and we do not rule out further arrests.
This heroin represents more than one-third of Australia’s annual consumption.
By detecting this amount of heroin before it hits the streets of Australia, the AFP and ABF have protected Australia from a wave of associated crime – domestic and family violence, drug addiction, on our roads and deaths associated with this particular drug.
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Delays for Victoria’s Yoorrook Indigenous truth-telling commission
Victoria’s landmark Indigenous truth-telling commission will push back the publication of its update report after the Andrews government failed to produce key documents on time.
At a hearing on Tuesday, a legal representative for the state government said the governor general had granted a two-month extension until August for the Yoorrook commission to produce its interim report. Last week, the Victorian government apologised for not submitting crucial evidence to the inquiry into the historical and present injustices against Indigenous people.
Chair of the commission, Eleanor Bourke, said the government’s failure to submit key documents on time had been an “unwelcome distraction” from the inquiry’s work:
We remind the state that Yoorrook is not only a royal commission, it is also a truth-telling commission. We expect the state to work openly and honestly in this process.
A final report will now be due by 30 June 2025 after a year-long extension was granted.
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AFL bosses clarifies earlier criticism of gambling ads and warns against total ban
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan has sought to clarify his remarks about the volume of online gambling ads associated with the sport last month.
Here’s what he told 3AW on 17 March:
I think there is probably too much, yeah. I don’t have a problem that other people do around wagering, I just think the volume is too much. It’s in your face.
I think, broadly, there is a hell of a lot of wagering advertising and potentially too much. But we don’t believe in prohibition, so it’s about what the right balance is.
McLachlan is appearing at a parliamentary inquiry into online gambling and has told the committee chair, Labor MP Peta Murphy, that he was referring to inducements, not the ads themselves.
If you want my specific views, I don’t believe the brand advertising is too much. I think the inducements are a problem.
I think this broad discussion needs to be nuanced and that’s why if you look at what we did proactively, there is brand advertising restricted to advertisers at venues but there are not inducements and the free bets and money back [offers]. I think that’s what our supporters and fans are talking [about].
McLachlan acknowledged community concern about the volume of ads but said over-regulation or a complete ban would compromise the integrity of matches.
We understand community concern about the current volume of betting ads, particularly around those that offer inducements.
We believe this needs to be balanced with a concern that over-regulation will have on the integrity of AFL matches and the wider sporting environment.
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Richard Marles said the technology sharing announcements embodied in the Aukus deal was “central to our strategy in terms of improving the technology within our defence forces and within our nation’s defence industry”.
The first major Aukus project is the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines with help from the US and the UK, but the three countries also plan to collaborate on other advanced technologies.
Marles, the deputy prime minister and defence minister, told The Sydney Dialogue:
Certainly acquiring a nuclear-powered submarine capability for Australia and becoming just the seventh country in the world to be able to operate that technology will be a very significant step forward in capability for our nation.
But the pillar two area of Aukus, which seeks to look at other emerging technologies, is going to be fundamentally important for our nation as well.
In areas such as hypersonics, artificial intelligence, quantum; making sure that we are at the forefront of all of that is critically important in terms of making sure that when it comes to human contest, we are right there with a technological edge.
And this is very central to how we are thinking about our strategic circumstances and how we’re thinking about advancing our national interests in the context of those strategic circumstances.
Marles called for a focus on “how Australia specifically should be and absolutely can be at the centre of global technology advancement”.
Australia must change its ‘cultural relationship to science’ to secure national interest, says deputy PM
Australia will secure its national interest only if it can “climb the technological ladder when it comes to defence industry”, the deputy prime minister has warned.
Richard Marles, who is also the defence minister, said in a speech in Sydney today that “in so many ways the history of human contest is ultimately a history of technology competition – and we must be at the forefront of that”.
He told the Sydney Dialogue, an event organised by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute:
The Harvard Index of Economic Complexity is a measure, which has at one end of the spectrum, the most hi-tech sophisticated services economy, which happens to be Japan, and at the other end, the most basic subsistence economy. It is, in many respects, an index of modernity - an index of technology.
Right now, Australia ranks 91st on that index. We are sandwiched between Namibia and Kenya. And while that’s obviously not a true reflection of where we stand in the list of modernity in the world, it does speak to the fact that as an economy, we are highly dependent upon our primary industry.
Now, primary industry is really important for our country and right now it is the hope. But we as a nation must be more than that.
And that really means that we have a national challenge, to climb the technological ladder and in the process, change our relationship, our cultural relationship to science.
In many respects, I think there is no greater micro-economic reform in Australia today than infusing our economy with science and technology, which is why what you’re talking about over the next two days is so profoundly important for our country.
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Daniel Andrews to delete TikTok account after ban for Australian government devices announced
Daniel Andrews will close his TikTok account as his government follows the commonwealth in banning the Chinese-owned app on government-issued mobile phones.
Andrews in 2019 became one of the first Australian politicians to begin using the app.
Asked on Tuesday if he would keep his TikTok account, Andrews said no:
Because we’ll be consistent with the national framework as well – all of us should be.
The premier has more than 100,000 followers on the app. A post by Andrews announcing the government’s plan to make university degrees free for more than 10,000 nursing students has been viewed more than 4m times.
Andrews regularly posts TikToks for announcements such as the flying of the transgender flag at Victorian parliament. Others are lighthearted, such as a video showing the premier walking through state parliament to the tune of 500 Miles by the Proclaimers.
Andrews said he did not raise security concerns about the app on his recent trip to China.
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Shorten deletes TikTok to ‘set an example’ amid security concerns
Prior to that announcement from the attorney general that TikTok will be banned on government devices, the government services minister, Bill Shorten, said he had already deleted his account.
Shorten told Sky News this morning:
I already have given it up on a government phone but I’m happy to give up the issue of being on TikTok if we need to set an example.
The environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, had last week said she was reluctant to give up the app on a private phone so she could still engage with her younger supporters who are active on the platform.
Shorten said:
Tanya’s got a point. A lot of young people really do live on TikTok and we want politics to be comprehensible and engaging to younger Australians. On the other hand, I’ve got no hassle at all about being ahead of the government ban on government devices.
There is a legitimate concern that the information on TikTok is being harvested by the Chinese government. So we need to make sure that government devices are secure.
This is where the Europeans have gone, where a number of … nations around the world has gone and that’s I think sensible.
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‘TikTok ban misses the big risk, first blow in endless game of online whack-a-mole’, Greens say
The Greens are criticising the government’s move to ban TikTok, saying they are missing the bigger picture problem around online platforms’ data harvesting more broadly.
In a media statement, the Greens said the government’s ban refuses to confront the scale of the problem which extends to the use of data across the board “from Meta, to Twitter, Google, Amazon and more”.
The party believes the focus on TikTok “signals a worrying lack of understanding within government and public policymaking”.
The party’s digital rights spokesperson, David Shoebridge, said he was concerned Australians were being left without effective privacy protections:
Despite the political rhetoric, banning TikTok isn’t serious reform. If we’re not careful it will just be the first hammer blow in an endless game of online whack-a-mole. We’re in a data security and privacy crisis and we’re fixated on one platform.
The data security issues for TikTok are mirrored in pretty much every other social media platform, the difference is that our government is not running a fear campaign against the governments that host those platforms.
… Banning TikTok from government devices is a publicity stunt which masks the fact our data is being exploited by every corporation that can get its hands on it – social media platforms, health apps, the games our children play.
We must enshrine principles that all platforms are required to comply with that limit data harvesting and provide strong privacy protections that you can’t surrender with a click.
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TikTok to be banned for Australian government devices
The attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, has confirmed a TikTok ban for Australian government devices:
After receiving advice from intelligence and security agencies, today I authorised the Secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department to issue a mandatory direction under the Protective Security Policy Framework to prohibit the TikTok app on devices issued by Commonwealth departments and agencies. The direction will come into effect as soon as practicable.
Exemptions will only be granted on a case-by-case basis and with appropriate security mitigations in place.
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Defence department to develop “high energy” laser
Defence says it has awarded a $13m contract to a company to help develop and manufacture a “high energy defensive laser system prototype”.
In a statement issued this morning, Defence said this should be “capable of deployment in a wide range of operational environments”.
The contract was awarded to QinetiQ Australia, which will be required to work in collaboration with the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) to establish a high energy laser manufacturing capability in South Australia.
The chief defence scientist, Prof Tanya Monro, said in the statement:
DSTG is partnering with industry to build advanced and competitive Australian sovereign capabilities for our Defence Force in critical technology areas.
The high energy laser manufacturing capability is an example of how we can work with industry to support emerging and disruptive technologies.
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Human rights case lodged over Tiwi Islands gas field
A group of Tiwi Islanders have lodged human rights complaints with 12 Australian and international banks over their support for a major offshore gas field development north of Darwin, arguing they were not properly consulted.
The complaint relates to a $1.5bn loan to Santos for its troubled Barossa gas field proposal and other loans for the planned Middle Arm industrial development, which includes a new liquified natural gas (LNG) production facility.
Six Tiwi Islands traditional owners and a Larrakia traditional owner have lodged human rights complaints directly with the banks, including ANZ, the Commonwealth Bank and Japan’s largest bank, MUFG.
In a statement focused largely on ANZ, they said the bank had a human rights policy founded on UN guiding principles that required it to avoid contributing to adverse human rights impacts.
They said the loan to Santos was arranged while Tiwi Islanders were fighting the Barossa project in the federal court, that their communities were not adequately consulted and that this had denied them free, prior and informed consent, a key human right for traditional owners.
Paulina Jedda Puruntatameri, a Munupi clan elder, said:
My aim is to stop whoever is supporting Santos with all the funds. It is our right to protect the sea and the land.
The mayor of the Tiwi Islands and also a Munupi elder, Pirrawayangi Puruntatameri, said:
We are educating these banks to look at this from our perception.
The Tiwi Islanders had a landmark win in the federal court case against Santos in September last year. The judgment required the company to remove drilling equipment from the sea north of Melville island.
The 12 banks that have received receiving human rights complaints are Australia’s big four – ANZ, CBA Westpac and NAB – and eight overseas institutions: ING (Netherlands), DNB (Norway), Citigroup (USA), the Royal Bank of Canada (Canada), DBS (Singapore), MUFG (Japan), SMBC (Japan) and Mizuho (Japan).
The islanders have also lodged human rights complaints with export credit agencies in Korea and Japan.
We will let you know in this blog if the banks or Santos respond to the claim today.
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NSW government expected to update TikTok policies after federal announcement
The New South Wales government is expected to update its policies covering the use of TikTok on government devices after the federal government announces its new policy.
A spokesperson confirmed the new Minns government was working with the Australian Cyber Security Centre run by the Australian Signals Directorate on guidance for social media and messaging apps.
The government spokesperson said:
Cyber Security NSW is continuing discussions with the commonwealth regarding its updated position on TikTok and federal government devices.
Currently, NSW departments and agencies are allowed to decide their own course of action.
Ahead of the state election, then-opposition digital spokesperson Yasmin Catle, said the Coalition had “failed” to provide an overarching policy and vowed to fix it if Labor formed government, as they since have.
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Ladbrokes and Neds change approach to regulation after “fundamental shift” over gambling ads
The gambling company Entain, which runs the brands Ladbrokes and Neds, has changed its position on whether tougher federal government regulation is needed to reduce community harm.
In its submission to a parliamentary inquiry into online gambling harm, Entain had argued the current government regulations were sufficient. Here’s its statement from November:
Entain believes the current level of government regulation, combined with industry’s commitment to innovation and self-regulation, is appropriate. Regulation that is not proportionate risks undermining the customer experience and driving growth in the use of black market illegal offshore gambling providers.
But Entain’s director of regulator strategy, Stephen Lang, has today conceded the company has changed its approach to regulation. Lang cited concerns about the volume of gambling ads and promotions.
We are certainly supportive of considered and evidence-based reform. The messages that we’ve heard, loud and clear through this inquiry, have been around community sentiment and advertising.
There has been a fundamental shift and we have heard that from the members of the community who have provided evidence, we’ve heard that from the research community and the members of this committee who are representing the voices of their own constituents.
That’s been a really consistent message. The level of concern around advertising has changed and we absolutely want to be part of the solution in terms of what those changes look like.
Lang said Entain had taken steps to reduce some forms of gambling ads. Its brands no longer sponsor major sports teams or have their logos on jerseys.
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Daniel Andrews to quit TikTok after security review
Daniel Andrews has confirmed Victoria will follow the Albanese government in banning the Chinese-owned TikTok app on all government-issued mobile phones due to national security concerns.
The announcement of the ban – days after the premier returned from a China trade mission – follows a Department of Home Affairs review into national security implications of data collected by social media companies.
Andrew said he had not been briefed yet on the security review and did not specify when the ban would be introduced:
When it comes to the issues of national security, whenever we can have one policy, we have one framework that operates across our country.
Andrews also confirmed he would not keep his own TikTok account.
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Public servants advised to avoid “extreme” behaviour and expressions on the voice
The Australian Public Service Commission has released new guidance for public service’s employees and agencies about their obligations when engaging in a personal capacity on the voice to parliament yeferendum.
You can read the full advice here. It says employees don’t necessarily need to be neutral but must consider how the public will perceive their stance:
The risk to public confidence is greater the more extreme your behaviour or expression in participating in the national conversation, including the tone and language of your comments.
For example, extreme criticism or praise of the Government’s position on the referendum, or of the Yes or No campaigns, may lead a reasonable member of the community to believe you are so entrenched in your position that you can’t put aside your personal views to behave impartially and respectfully at work.
This does not mean that you must always be neutral in your personal engagement with the referendum – the range of acceptable expression is broad. The question is whether a reasonable member of the community would conclude, on the basis of your behaviour, that you can’t be trusted to work impartially, respectfully, or with integrity in the APS.
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TikTok ban update
Just on the TikTok issue that is bubbling away today, Guardian Australia understands the federal government has advised the states and territories in favour of a ban on the app on government devices. The federal government has yet to make its own announcement about banning the app on its own government devices but one is expected today or tomorrow.
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Fire tears through historic railway in Tasmania
A fire has caused significant damage to the historic Don River railway in Devonport in Tasmania.
The Mercury is reporting that the fire has destroyed two historic coaches which were being restored in a shed with fears the site’s wedding function centre could also have suffered smoke damage.
The railway is a major tourist attraction in Tasmania’s North West and run entirely by volunteers.
Eamonn Sedden, the general manager of the site has told the Mercury he is devastated at the loss of “so much hard work” by volunteers:
We will not know the extent of that damage until we get inside.
We believe at this early stage the fire, which we learned about just before 5am, started with a smoulder.
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Gambling industry has reached a critical turning point on ads, Tabcorp says
One of Australia’s biggest gambling companies has told federal parliament the industry has reached a “critical line-in-the-sand moment” and tougher regulation must be urgently introduced to minimise community harm and protect children.
Tabcorp’s chief executive, Adam Rytenskild, has told a parliamentary inquiry into online gambling harm that Australians are clearly concerned about children being exposed to wagering promotions around live sport coverage.
Rytenskild has told the inquiry gambling advertisements should be banned between 6.30am and 8.30pm, unless aired during dedicated racing coverage.
The amount of gambling advertising has gone too far. The community doesn’t want it and won’t tolerate it. Australian families and children should be able to watch live sport and television without being bombarded by gambling advertisements.
A generation of children now talk about the odds of their team winning this weekend and see betting as a norm, rather than a choice. We don’t want that for the next generation.
Labor MP Peta Murphy asked Rytenskild whether that stance was motivated by intense competition with other companies in an effort to distinguish Tabcorp. He said that argument was commonly put forward by competitors:
Frankly, we believe this is right. These are sports and entertainment opportunities that are enjoyed by families and kids … It’s not about a competitive advantage. It’s good for us as an industry.
Two of Tabcorp’s closest competitors, Entain and Sportsbet, will appear before the inquiry later today. The AFL and the NRL will also give evidence.
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Gambling advertising under the microscope
Australia’s biggest online gambling companies as well as the AFL and NRL will appear before a parliamentary inquiry today, amid ongoing concern about children and addicts being exposed to gambling ads.
Sportsbet, Entain and Tabcorp will be asked to justify the volume of promotions and face questions about whether they are doing enough to limit community harm.
Many premiers and chief ministers have called for a ban or strict restrictions on ads and the parliamentary inquiry will make recommendations to government in coming weeks.
The inquiry chair, Labor MP Peta Murphy, said gambling companies and major sporting codes were making big profits despite community harm and concern:
Research released last week by the Australian Institute of Family Studies shows that Australians support greater restrictions on gambling advertising, and that gambling advertising encourages people to gamble and to do so in more risky ways.
The AFL and NRL are major beneficiaries of sports betting, including through sponsorship and advertising, and receiving a proportion of each bet placed on their games.
The committee is interested in hearing how this aligns with the promotion of their codes as family-friendly and socially responsible organisations.
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Reserve Bank’s pre-Easter surprise?
Today’s meeting of the Reserve Bank board on interest rates is arguably among the most anticipated since the central bank began lifting its cash rate last May.
Back then, it was all about whether the RBA would nudge rates higher during the federal election. As there had been no warning of the rate rise, well-regarded economists such as Gareth Aird at CBA assumed they wouldn’t move.
To the Coalition’s dismay and Labor’s glee, the RBA lifted its rate by 25 basis points, at the start of a record run of now 10 increases.
As we noted earlier today, economists are split about which way the RBA will go (Aird reckons they will pause). Eleven of 27 economists surveyed by Bloomberg reckon they will hike for an 11th time.
A lot has happened over the past month, from bank collapses or takeovers in the US and Switzerland, and a mixed bag of economic news.
After the March rate rise, we speculated that there would be one more rate rise this month before the RBA stepped back to look at the results of its handiwork:
The broad-based nature of inflation in the economy at home and abroad, which is the RBA’s focus, point to at least another rate rise.
We’ll find out in about five hours’ time.
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Recommendations to improve Medicare
The loss of billions of dollars a year in taxpayer money due to Medicare compliance errors was repeatedly highlighted to the former government in five separate reviews between 2016 and 2021, by bodies like the Australian National Audit Office, Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey and others.
Philip’s review released today made 23 recommendations, which the government is considering, including:
Strengthening the governance model that oversees integrity from a whole-of-Medicare perspective, from policy and legislation through to payment systems and compliance.
Removing the veto power of professional bodies in the selection process of the director of the professional services review.
Ensuring that the legislation that underpins Medicare integrity is amended to be effective and fit for purpose.
Improving the detection and disruption of fraud and non-compliance, and mechanisms to address inappropriate and incorrect claiming.
Improving clarity and consistency for health providers through system improvements, simplification of policy, closer coordination and better education on Medicare rules.
Increasing technological and systems capabilities across Medicare.
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Medicare compliance errors costing tax payers up to $3bn a year, government review finds
Medicare compliance errors are costing taxpayers between $1.5bn and $3bn a year, a government review has found.
The government released the findings today into the independent review commissioned in response to reports about the potential for widespread Medicare rorting and fraud.
Our health editor, Melissa Davey, broke this story about Medicare fraud in March last year and reporting by other media later in the year suggested an $8bn figure.
The review by health economist Dr Pradeep Philip found no evidence to support the $8bn figure but that non-compliance errors were likely costing taxpayers $1.5bn to $3bn a year.
In a statement on behalf of the health minister, Mark Butler, the figure is described as significantly “stemming from non-compliance errors rather than premeditated fraud.”
It said the review “makes clear that the overwhelming majority of health practitioners are well meaning and protective of Medicare” but the problems have been “a long time in the making”.
Butler says the loss of billions of dollars a year in taxpayer money was consistently and repeatedly highlighted to the former government, which failed to protect Medicare:
The former government was given five separate reviews, including from the Australian National Audit Office, that told them billions of dollars in taxpayer money was being lost each year. They failed to act to protect Medicare.
Strengthening Medicare also means safeguarding the taxpayer funds that underpin it and this government is committed to that task.
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Newly elected NSW premier unveils fresh start ministry
The NSW Labor government has unveiled its ministry and, for the first time, women make up half of ministers.
My colleagues Tamsin Rose and Jordyn Beazley write:
A number of portfolios will also be held by women for the first time in history, with Yasmin Catley announced as minister for police and counter-terrorism and Jennifer Aitchison taking on regional transport.
Courtney Houssos will become finance minister, while Tara Moriarty will have the agriculture, regional NSW, and western NSW portfolios.
It will also be the first time a woman has led the government in the upper house, with Penny Sharpe taking on the portfolios of energy and climate change, and environment and heritage.
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Australia becoming a republic is inevitable, high commissioner says
Australia’s new high commissioner to the UK, Stephen Smith, says becoming a republic is “inevitable” even if Australians are proud to have the British monarch as their head of state.
In his first interview since taking up the post, Smith told the Times newspaper that most British people would be “indifferent” to Australia getting rid of the monarchy and it would not damage the countries’ relationship.
Smith said Australians were “absolutely” proud to have the king as their head of state.
There is a lot of affection and respect for the monarchy in Australia.
That affection and respect hasn’t gone away because of Australia contemplating from time to time what it should do about its constitutional arrangements.
However, Smith said it was only a matter of time before the monarchy was abolished.
My personal view is it’s inevitable. But how that’s progressed is entirely a matter for the Australian government of the day.
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Victorian public-sector wage cap doubled
The Victorian government’s public-sector wage cap has been doubled from 1.5% to 3%, the treasurer, Tim Pallas, has confirmed.
Pallas on Tuesday morning released details of the new Victorian public-sector wages policy, which also includes a lump-sum sign-on bonus equal to up to 0.5% of a worker’s overall agreement costs.
The new policy will apply immediately, including to public-sector enterprise agreements that have expired and where bargaining for replacement agreements is already under way.
Pallas:
Our public-sector workers do a great job serving their fellow Victorians and we’re proud to support them. In addition to wage increases, workers will be able to obtain a sign-on bonus while productivity improvements will bring the potential for further advancement of conditions.
The policy provides fair outcomes for employees while being responsible as we deal with the types of budget challenges faced by families, businesses and governments across the world.
Victoria’s 1.5% wage cap was the lowest in the country and did not provide pay increases in line with inflation.
In NSW, the premier, Chris Minns, promised to remove the state’s 3% wage cap in the lead-up to the March election.
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Idea of voice ‘should sell itself’ but has incurred brand damage, Bragg says
Unlike Julian Leeser who called for the referendum to be delayed if it can’t pass, Andrew Bragg believes it’s “too early to say that, we need to see what the committee recommends”.
Patricia Karvelas:
Indigenous and Torres Strait leaders have made it clear that they want it this year – don’t you need to honour what they’re asking for?
Bragg:
Yeah, I think so, and that’s why I’m pleased this committee has been set up because it can now look at the wording and it can look to generate some positivity, I believe, about the benefit of new institutions to support Indigenous people in our community.
I think this idea should sell itself. It’s a very good idea, I feel it’s incurred some brand damage because of the way the process has been run in some way. And I’m not saying it’s anyone’s fault.
Bragg won’t admit any negativity from his own party has contributed to this “brand damage”. He says Leeser has “sounded extremely constructive”.
On whether the voice could be an opportunity to reposition the party after its Aston byelection result, Bragg believes “some things are more important than politics”:
Setting up these new institutions is beyond the day-to-day political discussion and clearly that is needed. on the politics, we obviously have a lot of work to do … I think [Peter Dutton] has made a good start, but we’ve got a lot to do.
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Bragg expects ‘mixed views’ on voice in Liberal party room
One of the Liberals who has been outspoken in support the voice, Andrew Bragg, has spoken to ABC Radio before that party room meeting tomorrow.
Bragg expects there will be “mixed views” but believes the starting point will be the party’s history of never seeking to bind its members to a position in past republic and marriage equality debates.
In the past you’ve had [former prime minister] John Howard voting ‘no’ on the republic and [former treasurer] Peter Costello voting ‘yes’.
Then you had [former prime minister] Malcolm Turnbull voting ‘yes’ on marriage equality and other members of his cabinet voting ‘no’.
Asked if he agrees with Julian Leeser’s calls for the second clause that allows for the voice to make representations to the executive government to be scrapped, Bragg says:
It needs to be there in some form, but it needs to be the right sort of words. And now we have this parliamentary inquiry we can do the job that should have been done last year of looking at these words.
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Victoria’s TikTok restrictions
As mentioned earlier, the Victorian government has come out with a statement saying it will be banning TikTok on government devices following the move from the commonwealth – despite the federal government not making any formal announcement of its own.
Here’s the statement in full from a Victorian government spokesperson:
The Victorian Government will now work to adopt the Federal Government’s new restrictions on using TikTok on all government devices.
We’ve always said we’ll follow the Commonwealth’s guidance when it comes to cybersecurity – and we’ll now work on implementing these changes across the public service as soon as possible.
We agree with a nationally consistent approach on these policy settings and that’s what we’ll get on and deliver.
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Dingo attacks young girl swimming at K'gari
A primary school-aged girl has been flown to hospital after a dingo attacked her while she swam at K’gari in Queensland, AAP reports.
The girl was swimming in shallow water on the eastern side of the island – also known as Fraser Island – yesterday when the dingo grabbed her and tried to hold her underwater.
Nearby family members were able to free the girl. She suffered bites to her head and fingers.
An RACQ LifeFlight Rescue arrived about 5pm. The girl was treated by paramedics and a critical care doctor before being flown to Hervey Bay hospital in a stable condition.
Late last year a five-year-old boy was flown to hospital after being jumped on by a dingo that bit his arm, head and buttocks while playing on a beach at K’gari.
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Dreyfus calls on Liberals to back voice
Mark Dreyfus is urging the opposition to support the referendum on an Indigenous voice to parliament when it meets to decide on its position tomorrow.
The attorney general insists the government’s proposal is constitutionally sound despite the concerns raised by the shadow attorney general, Julian Leeser, in his speech at the National Press Club yesterday.
One of Leeser’s suggestions was that removing the clause in the constitutional amendment that refers to the voice advising executive government could secure opposition support. Asked if he would be prepared to consider that to achieve bipartisan support, Dreyfus says:
I fear that most of the comments that have come from the Liberal party since the election seem to have been more directed at finding reasons to oppose the voice, than supporting it.
I’ve also heard that the Liberal party are meeting tomorrow. I’d be urging Peter Dutton and his Liberal colleagues to support the voice. I think that that is what is needed. Mr Dutton should show some leadership and get together on what will be a moment of national unity if this referendum succeeds later this year.
This is a very simple proposal. It’s about recognition in the Constitution and providing a source of advice to the parliament and executive government on matters that concern Aboriginal people. And I am really I am looking forward to the referendum succeeding. I want the Liberal party to support it, too.
Madeleine Morris:
If the support involves meeting them halfway, would you be prepared to meet them there?
Dreyfus:
I haven’t heard support from the Liberal party. That’s what I’m calling on Peter Dutton and their colleagues to get to tomorrow. That’s what we’re wanting. I think that this is a really important moment for Australia. And I’m really hoping that they will come with us on this journey.
Morris:
Do you, yourself, have any personal or concerns about advising executive government?
Dreyfus:
No. This is a constitutionally sound proposal. The overwhelming consensus of constitutional lawyers in Australia, starting with former high court justice Robert French, is that this is constitutionally sound. It’s a proposal that’s been out there for a long time. It’s been commented on and the overwhelming consensus of constitutional lawyers is to back it.
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‘Proceeding as fast as we can’ on national firearms register
On the meeting Mark Dreyfus led of state and territory police ministers yesterday to discuss the creation of a national firearms registry, he said:
We advanced this proposal for a national firearms register, which will have as a single source, in near real time, information about firearms licence holders and the number of firearms that they have in their possession. Which, of course, is something that police have asked for. We think that this will improve both police safety and community safety.
Dreyfus said the ministers were on track to report back by the middle of the year with the group “proceeding as fast as we can to get this national firearms register set up”.
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Dreyfus tightlipped on reported TikTok ban
Attorney general Mark Dreyfus is staying tightlipped on whether the federal government has banned TikTok on government devices, despite the Victorian government having already made an announcement saying it will be following the commonwealth’s decision.
Appearing on ABC News Breakfast, Dreyfus is asked by Madeleine Morris if reports are correct that the PM has signed off on the decision:
We’ve been considering advice from the security agencies. When we’re ready to make an announcement, we will.
Morris:
You may have been gazumped by the Victorian government, attorney general, because we received this media release saying:
“The Victorian Government will work to the new restrictions on using TikTok on all Government devices. We’ve always said that we’ll follow the Commonwealth’s guidance when it comes to cyber security and we’ll now work on implementing the changes across the public service as soon as possible.”
So I’ll ask you again – has the decision been made?
Dreyfus:
The Victorian government is in charge of their devices. But as I said, we have advice from security agencies. When we’re ready to make an announcement, we will.
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Good morning!
Australians will find out at 2.30pm AEST whether the central bank will pause its interest rates hikes after 10 consecutive rises.
Although inflation seems to have come off its peak, at 6.8% it is still well above the RBA’s target range of 2% to 3%.
Economists are divided on whether that’s enough for the Reserve Bank to take a breather or hike rates by another quarter percentage point when its board meets today.
In other news, there are reports the social media app TikTok could be banned from Australian government-issued devices over security concerns.
The Australian newspaper is reporting that prime minister Anthony Albanese has issued the directive after a review by the home affairs department into the risks posed by the Chinese-owned app.
The paper says the decision is in line with Australia’s Five Eyes intelligence network partners the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand, and that state and territory governments were briefed on Monday and are expected to implement similar bans.
The Age is reporting that the Victorian government will be joining the federal government in banning the app on government devices.
A spokesperson for the state government told the Age it would “work to adopt the federal government’s new restrictions on using TikTok on all government devices”.
In NSW new premier Chris Minns has unveiled his cabinet with, for the first time in the state’s history, an equal ratio of men to women – with the portfolios of energy, police, finance, regional transport and regional being assigned to women for the first time.
Let’s get stuck in.
