Australia politics live: NAB passes on full rate hike; pre-departure Covid testing to end for China, Hong Kong, Macau travellers

Covid measures had been in place since 5 January, after China halted a lot of its own protocols. Follow the day’s news live

Gallagher aware of funding issue on national partnership agreements

A lot of funding in Australia is tied up in national partnership agreements. They are usually for short periods – the commonwealth works with the states to come to an agreement on funding, but it often means that agreements almost come to an end (or indeed, do end) and need emergency funding to continue while the next national partnership is worked out.

That agreement, which this money flows through is part of the national housing and homelessness agreement. And we are in active negotiations with the states. I’m aware of the funding issue. This is, you know, to give appropriate remuneration funding for or funding for payment for staff and Julie Collins is working hard on it. I can’t give you an answer today because it is right literally on our table.

We certainly were aware of the inflation problem in October. So you saw that we were we had upside, revenue coming in to the budget that we banked that – I think it was 99% in the first two years and 94% of the upside revenue over the forward estimates.

Now that was an important message, not just from the fact that we’re going to be fiscally responsible, but that where we can, you know, show restraint in spending.

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Sydney train commuters to get free transport day after rail network outage causes chaos

Cybersecurity attack ruled out as rail shutdown puts pressure on NSW government before state election

The New South Wales premier, Dominic Perrottet, has apologised for a peak-hour meltdown of the Sydney rail network less than three weeks out from the state election.

The shutdown on Wednesday afternoon left tens of thousands of passengers stranded, with Uber fares spiking to hundreds of dollars in surge-price fees.

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Malka Leifer feigned ‘love and attention’ to groom and abuse Melbourne sisters, court told

Prosecutors close their sexual abuse case against former ultra-Orthodox Jewish principal, urging jurors to convict her of 27 charges

Using pretend love and concern, the former ultra-Orthodox Jewish principal Malka Leifer groomed and sexually abused three young students for her own gratification, jurors have been told.

Leifer, 56, is facing 27 charges over the alleged abuse of Melbourne sisters Nicole Meyer, Dassi Erlich and Elly Sapper when she was head of religion and principal of the Adass Israel School in the city’s eastern suburbs between 2003 and 2007.

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Aukus submarine deal: Australia expected to choose UK design, sources say

Rishi Sunak said to have been ‘buzzing’ about result of 18-month negotiations, part of Aukus defence pact with US

An enthusiastic Rishi Sunak has told ministers to expect a positive outcome next week when he travels to San Diego to unveil a deal to supply nuclear-powered submarines to Australia as part of the Aukus pact with the US.

Multiple sources said they believed the UK had succeeded in its bid to sell British-designed nuclear submarines to Australia, a deal that will safeguard the long-term future of the shipyard at Barrow-in-Furness.

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Labor meets Greens demand for ban on reconstruction fund investment in coal, gas and native logging

Deal secures passage of NRF bill through lower house and provides likely pathway to pass it in Senate

The Albanese government has agreed to the Greens’ demands to ban the national reconstruction fund from direct investment in coal, gas and native logging projects.

The deal secured the passage of the NRF bill through the lower house on Thursday and gives Labor a likely pathway to pass it in the Senate with the support of the Greens and crossbench in late March.

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Smoke from Australian bushfires depleted ozone layer by up to 5% in 2020, study finds

Lead researcher says destruction was similar to process of Antarctic ozone hole forming each spring ‘but at much warmer temperatures’

Particles in bushfire smoke can activate molecules that destroy the ozone layer, according to new research that suggests future ozone recovery may be delayed by increasingly intense and frequent fires.

A study published in the journal Nature has found that smoke from the 2019-20 Australian bushfires temporarily depleted the ozone layer by 3% to 5% in 2020.

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Australia will put nuclear safety ‘above all else’ as it builds submarines, vice admiral says

In interview with Guardian Australia, Jonathan Mead moves to allay concerns as Aukus partners prepare to announce detailed plans

Australia will put nuclear safety “above all else” as it begins the “generational challenge” of building and operating nuclear-powered submarines under the Aukus pact, the government’s top adviser has said.

Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead has moved to allay concerns – both at home and across the region – about nuclear safety as Australia, the US and the UK prepare to announce their detailed plans within days.

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Former robodebt investigator becomes emotional after learning documents were withheld by department

‘I find it upsetting,’ former senior assistant ombudsman Louise Macleod says to inquiry

A former investigator from the commonwealth ombudsman’s office broke down as she told a royal commission she feels like a “failure” because she could not convince her superiors to publish her legal criticisms of the robodebt scheme.

The commission is seeking to understand the role of the commonwealth ombudsman, whose report identified a number of process flaws in the scheme but stopped short of declaring the “income averaging” debt calculation process unlawful. The report was used by the Coalition to defend the scheme over several years.

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Malka Leifer took advantage of students’ vulnerability to sexually exploit them, prosecutor alleges

Justin Lewis began his closing address on Wednesday afternoon after four weeks of evidence about Leifer’s alleged abuse of three Melbourne sisters

Malka Leifer, the former principal of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish school, allegedly used her position of power to sexually exploit her teenage students, taking advantage of their vulnerability, a jury has been told.

Leifer, 56, is facing 27 charges over the alleged abuse of Melbourne sisters Nicole Meyer, Dassi Erlich and Elly Sapper when she was head of religion and principal of the Adass Israel School in the city’s eastern suburbs between 2003 and 2007.

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Brisbane watch house officer tells inquest she did not check if Aunty Sherry Tilberoo was breathing

Debra Haigh tells hearing she now understands she should have stood in front of cell for longer and used a torch to look for movement

A Brisbane watch house officer who was suspended after the death of First Nations woman Shiralee Tilberoo has admitted during an inquest that she did not check whether she was breathing or shine a torch into the darkened cell on nine occasions.

The Birri Gubba woman – also known as Aunty Sherry – died of a brain aneurysm in Brisbane City watch house in the early hours of the morning on 10 September 2020.

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Sydney trains delayed due to ‘communication issue’ – as it happened

This blog is now closed.

Facing up to financial distress

It is not just academic though – there have been increased reports of people feeling distressed because of financial pressures.

When people are under extreme financial pressure, that has implications for their wellbeing more broadly. I mean, I think that is understood. And I’m sure that the governor in accepting that meeting understands that.

What we want to do as government is make life a little bit easier for people where we can, whether it’s with energy bills, whether it’s with cheaper early childhood education, cheaper medicines, trying to get wages moving again, financial security is a big part of what we’re focused on, particularly when these cost-of-living pressures are so acute.

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Bruce Lehrmann to argue defamation proceedings delayed by legal advice, mental health and court case

Lehrmann is suing Network Ten and News Corp, and reporters Lisa Wilkinson and Samantha Maiden, for defamation outside the usual 12-month time limit

Bruce Lehrmann will argue he was delayed in launching defamation proceedings against Network Ten and News Corp because of his mental health, the high-profile criminal case against him and due to prior legal advice, a court has heard.

Lehrmann is suing the two media outlets and reporters Lisa Wilkinson and Samantha Maiden in the federal court, alleging he was defamed in stories reporting Brittany Higgins’ allegations of rape in February 2021.

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NSW Coalition accused of racism and paternalism after pledge to stop controversial development

Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council proposed to build 450 homes at Sydney’s Lizard Rock

The New South Wales Coalition has been accused of racist, paternalistic and politically expedient decision-making after it vowed to spike a proposal to build 450 homes in bushland on Sydney’s northern beaches by its Indigenous proponents.

The Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council’s chief executive, Nathan Moran, said the decision by the government to block its plan for the 71 hectare Lizard Rock site was an attempt to save three seats at risk from teal independents at the 25 March election.

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Why more Australian universities are outsourcing courses to for-profit providers

As courses go online, institutions are increasingly using external companies to deliver them, sparking concerns about quality and value for money

Australian universities have dramatically increased their use of third-party, for-profit companies to deliver courses, a Guardian investigation has found.

The companies, known as online program managers, or OPMs, offer a variety of services – from digital platforms for delivering courses through to total course management and support.

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Philip Lowe leaves clues his rate-rising work may be done – bar an Easter finale | Peter Hannam

The RBA governor has ditched his hawkish tone and the odds now seem to favour just one more rise, probably in April – but that could change

There are, as Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe reminded us as he announced a record 10th consecutive interest rate rise, “a range of potential scenarios for the Australian economy”.

One scenario, it seems, involves interest rates not rising much further. In fact, the RBA’s pre-Easter gathering on 4 April may mark the final rate hike in this cycle.

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Lidia Thorpe denies dating former bikie boss and is cleared of wrong doing by senators

Exclusive: Former Greens senator denies relationship with Dean Martin and says she was told by her then party’s lawyers to say she dated him

Senator Lidia Thorpe has denied she ever dated former Rebels bikie boss Dean Martin and instead alleged she was told by lawyers for the Greens to claim the pair had a relationship.

A Senate privileges committee report into “possible obstruction” of the law enforcement committee – of which Thorpe was once a member – has found she should have declared her links to Dean Martin. However, it found that the former Greens senator did not disclose any of the committee’s sensitive activities and that she should not be found in contempt.

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Women earn $1m less than men over lifetime and retire with $136,000 less super, study finds

Research adds to growing calls to pay more parental leave and for superannuation on paid parental leave

Women in Australia earn $1m less on average over their lifetimes than men and retire with $136,000 less in superannuation, according to research released on International Women’s Day.

The research by the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work, released on Wednesday, suggests that the biggest driver of the gap in retirement savings is still the gender pay gap.

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British high commissioner to Australia to declare UK must project multicultural image on world stage

Vicki Treadell will set out a case that the UK has made progress to shake off its colonial history in speech to Press Club in Canberra

The British high commissioner to Australia, Vicki Treadell, will declare that the UK must do more to project a modern, multicultural image on the world stage.

Treadell will talk about the UK’s “journey beyond colonialism” on Wednesday, saying she is proud that in modern Britain “the daughter of immigrants can start at the lowest level of the civil service and become the British high commissioner to Australia”.

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Paul Keating blasts Age and SMH for ‘provocative’ China war story

Former Australian PM criticises ‘extent of the bias’ in newspapers’ front-page report warning of armed conflict in Indo-Pacific

The former Australian prime minister Paul Keating has accused two of the country’s biggest newspapers of “the most egregious and provocative news presentation” in five decades, after they published front-page stories warning the country faced war with China within three years.

The former Labor leader, who has long argued Australia should not be drawn into a war over the status of democratically governed Taiwan, took aim at the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age on Tuesday.

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Australia politics live: RBA interest rates decision due today; Atlassian cuts 500 jobs in latest tech layoffs

Australian software company to cut about 500 jobs, representing 5% of its workforce. Follow the day’s news

Climate change minister: many industries cannot comply with emissions reduction without offsets

What about what David Pocock wants – limits on the number of carbon credits big polluters can use? Chris Bowen says:

My position publicly is the same as it is privately – that if you put hard caps on carbon credits when you’re requiring 4.9% emissions reduction each and every year, then that is a problem, because you’ve got industries which won’t be able to comply with that without without accessing [credits].

Now, people say you can’t offset your way to net zero and you can’t offset your way to the 1.5 degrees. And I agree with that.

Mr Bandt with respect says ‘well, there’s this pipeline of projects and Labor wants to approve them’, now that is not the case.

What there is, is a register of projects which companies have … filled in and said one day we might want to develop this or we’re interested in developing this … many of them are yet to get environmental approvals, finished final investment, decisions for board approval, insurance, finance, etc.

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