The Centrepay revelations should shock Australians – but not the government, after years of complaints about financial exploitation
In the months since the government announced it would overhaul its controversial Centrepay debit system, one thing has become abundantly clear.
Many already knew it was failing.
Continue reading...Prime minister to tell gathering he remains ‘committed to Makarrata’, as Malarndirri McCarthy hits back against Peter Dutton’s rejection of truth telling
“Anthony Albanese has returned to the Garma festival – a hub of excitement a mere 12 months ago around the referendum on an Indigenous voice to parliament – telling his hosts he did as he promised but the nation did not agree.
Still received with honour at the annual Indigenous festival in north-east Arnhem Land on Friday, Albanese faced gratitude that the proposed constitutional change was put to the people as promised, but grief that it was also overwhelmingly rejected.
Continue reading...Kevin Burrowes received additional salary from the firm’s international arm but did not initially reveal it to parliamentary inquiry into company
The chief executive of PwC Australia, Kevin Burrowes, received a $1.2m payment from the consulting company’s international arm which he did not initially reveal to the parliamentary inquiry into the 2015 leaking of confidential government tax reform information.
A parliamentary inquiry was told on Friday that Burrowes first told the corporations and financial services committee that he was paid an annual salary of $2.4m. That was later corrected to $2.8m.
Continue reading...Reynolds is suing former staffer over social media posts she alleges damaged her reputation
Linda Reynolds’ lawyer has told a court “every fairytale needs a villain” and has claimed Brittany Higgins and her husband schemed to ambush the Western Australian senator as part of a sophisticated media plan.
Reynolds is suing Higgins in the Western Australia supreme court over social media posts she alleges damaged her reputation, marking the latest in a series of legal battles related to Higgins’ rape in Parliament House five years ago.
Continue reading...Malarndirri McCarthy suggests bipartisan approach needed for ‘positive change’ as report shows key Indigenous measures sliding backwards
The number of Indigenous Australians imprisoned, taking their own life and losing children to out-of-home care have all increased in the first Closing the Gap report since the voice referendum was defeated.
Not only were key measures to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians sliding backwards, prompting concern from leaders, but parties to the national agreement for closing the gap still cannot agree on an approach to measure priority areas.
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Murray Watt says advice needed from administrators to determine government support amid administration
Murray Watt, the newly-appointed minister for workplace relations, also weighed in on the Rex Airlines administration on ABC RN just earlier.
In terms of equity stakes or other financial government support, we’ll make those decisions once the situation becomes clearer through the administrator.
This would only be activated if the company is unable to repay entitlements to any workers who are retrenched, and let’s hope it may not get to that.
But also, our department would be providing employment support to workers who do lose their job to ensure that they can get back into work as quickly as possible.
Continue reading...Foreign minister’s ‘alarming’ phrasing echoes sovereignty recognised only by Israel and the US under the Trump administration, Palestine advocates say
The Australian government has insisted it still regards the Golan Heights as occupied territory after Penny Wong described the site of a weekend attack as a “northern Israeli town”.
The foreign minister’s statement was met with a flood of comments online asking why she had effectively recognised Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights – which Israel seized from Syria in the six-day war in 1967 – and not described it as occupied.
Continue reading...Employees reportedly told the airline will no longer operate flights between capital cities
As many as 360 staff at Rex Airlines have been sacked already and hundreds more are on the chopping block after administrators were called in to run the embattled carrier, with remaining staff told they may not get paid until a new buyer is found.
It comes amid speculation that Asia-based private equity firm PAG, which funded Rex’s $150m expansion to jet operations, was considering becoming the airline’s new owner out of administration.
Continue reading...Approved dwellings drop 6.5% in June amid high interest rates and building costs as CoreLogic rues ‘dismal result’
New dwelling approvals in Australia have sunk to their lowest in 12 years, as developers battle high interest rates and rising labour and material costs.
For the year to June, 162,892 houses and apartments secured approval, down 8.5% on the previous year and the least since 2011-12, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported on Tuesday.
Continue reading...Survey records 15-point surge in support for Republican presidential nominee since November 2020, with 36% now considering him favourably
Australians are feeling less opposed to a Donald Trump presidency than four years ago, and less sure the Aukus agreement will make Australia more secure, the latest Guardian Essential poll shows.
Trump, who recently survived an assassination attempt, has seen a 15-point surge in support since November 2020, with 36% of polled Australians now considering him “favourable”.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Documents reveal what transport minister Catherine King was advised to say in public as budget Australian airline headed for collapse
The Albanese government turned down a plea from budget airline Bonza for financial assistance 10 days before it entered voluntary administration and ultimately collapsed, and new documents have questioned what transport department officials knew and when.
Documents obtained by Guardian Australia through freedom of information laws reveal the transport department prepared a brief on Bonza’s financial assistance request for the transport minister, Catherine King, on 20 April. Ten days later the airline’s planes were repossessed and thousands of passengers stranded across the country.
Continue reading...S&P Global projects total state and territory debt to hit $600bn by late 2024. Follow the day’s news live
Peter Khalil on new role as special envoy on social cohesion
As Anthony Albanese unveiled changes to his cabinet ministry yesterday, he also announced three special envoys.
The act of forming that united whole, it really is about the relationships that we have with each other within our city, how we work together, common goals we share, what common ground we have, how that society works effectively …
It’s not just about multiculturalism [and] it’s not just about religious background or ethnicity. It’s much broader than that … We [have] our political beliefs, the intergenerational differences, the socioeconomic differences, and that is really important that we find ways and policies to strengthen our ability to form that united whole society, especially when it’s being threatened with fragmentation through many different challenges that we’re facing.
Continue reading...Nationals MP apologised after telling anti-renewables protesters to ‘load that magazine’ and that the ‘bullet you have is that little piece of paper’
Prime minister Anthony Albanese says Barnaby Joyce should be sacked from shadow cabinet after the National party MP likened ballot papers to “bullets” during a protest against wind turbines.
Speaking to an anti-renewables rally at Lake Illawarra south of Sydney on Sunday, Joyce compared ballot papers to bullets and urged the crowd to “load that magazine” at the voting booth against the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the energy minister, Chris Bowen.
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Turning to US politics, Greber says:
It’s a massive shift. You can see it in the way the Democrats feel the momentum.
One of my old sources, I used to be a correspondent in DC, one of my old sources it was as if a month ago the doctor walked in and said, “I’m sorry the test results are terrible, you got three months to live.”
They don’t have many options other than hitting people with mortgages to reduce demand in the economy, which by the way has been driven by an awful lot of federal and state government spending.
The RBA needs to get on top of this and unfortunately people who have mortgages will be the ones who are hit hardest.
Continue reading...Opposition leader receives hero’s welcome at Victorian Liberal state council, talking up Coalition’s prospects for upcoming federal election
Peter Dutton has blasted the beleaguered CFMEU and identity politics as the opposition leader rallies Liberal Party faithful ahead of the federal election.
In a wide-ranging speech at the Victorian Liberal state council on Saturday, Dutton went on the offensive and laid out an alternative vision for Australia during difficult times.
Continue reading...Prime ministers release joint statement saying they are ‘gravely concerned about the prospect of further escalation across the region’
The prime ministers of Australia, Canada and New Zealand have declared that a ceasefire in Gaza is “needed desperately” and urged Israel to “listen to the concerns of the international community”.
In a strongly worded joint statement issued on Friday, the three leaders said they were “gravely concerned about the prospect of further escalation across the region”, including between Hezbollah and Israel.
Continue reading...Delegates expect event to pass only what insiders consider the ‘bare minimum’ on recognition motions
Senior Labor figures are attempting to prevent an outbreak of discontent at this weekend’s New South Wales state conference, with delegates expecting the event to pass only what insiders consider the “bare minimum” on recognition motions.
Despite strong pushes from Labor branches and grassroots members for a strong statement on the recognition of Palestine and sanctions on the Israeli government, sources say the party is focused on avoiding a show of disunity.
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Q: Will Malarndirri McCarthy, the assistant minister for Indigenous Australians, replace you?
Linda Burney said that was “way above [her] pay grade” but that McCarthy was a dear friend:
The most important thing is for me to support whoever it is in the role and to give them the space to be able to chart their own path … Aboriginal affairs is every minister’s responsibility, not just the minister for Indigenous Australians.
My job is to support that person as much as I can.
Continue reading...Two out means two up and two in. Beyond that simple calculation, reconfiguring Labor’s frontbench becomes more complicated
As Anthony Albanese prepares to reveal changes to his ministry on Sunday, the basic calculations are straightforward: two out means two up and two in.
The two confirmed ministerial resignations, from Linda Burney and Brendan O’Connor, create vacancies for two more from the left faction. If Albanese sticks strictly to the formula, it should be one from New South Wales, in place of Burney, and a Victorian in for O’Connor.
Continue reading...Burney, a Wiradjuri woman and the first Aboriginal woman to be elected to the federal House of Representatives, has ‘a record of profound firsts’, PM says
Kindness, grace, resilience and integrity are the values Linda Burney says have driven her 21-year political career, and they were on display as she announced her departure as minister for Indigenous Australians on Thursday.
Burney is relinquishing the ministry but will stay on as the member for Barton until the next election. The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said he would announce her successor on Sunday.
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