Category Archives: Australia news

Australians’ mortgage payments hit high not seen since before GFC, data shows

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The average mortgage holder is parting with more than a fifth of their pre-tax income, double what they were spending in the 90s

Mortgage holders are spending well over 20% of their pre-tax income on their loans, representing one of the highest levels on record, data compiled by Commonwealth Bank shows.

It has rocketed in recent years amid rising interest rates and high living costs to a level last seen two decades ago when frothy property prices took hold before the 2008 global financial crisis.

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‘Close association’ through army reserve prompted anti-corruption commissioner to recuse himself from robodebt referral

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Exclusive: Paul Brereton delegated decision not to pursue investigation so as ‘to avoid any possible perception of a conflict of interest’

The perceived conflict that resulted in the anti-corruption commissioner, Paul Brereton, recusing himself from decisions on robodebt referrals was an apparent “close association” relating to his service in the army reserve.

That detail is contained in a more complete version of the National Anti-Corruption Commissioner’s “declaration of material personal interests” sent to the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, and released by the Nacc to Guardian Australia.

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Australia looks to modernise organ donation laws to keep pace with scientific advances

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Exclusive: Mark Dreyfus cites strong support from states and territories to update human tissue laws last reviewed almost 50 years ago

Australia’s definition of death is holding organ transplantation back from using the most up-to-date technology and achieving the best outcomes.

On Thursday the government will announce it will establish an Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) inquiry looking to modernise human tissue laws last comprehensively reviewed almost 50 years ago.

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Ecologists warn deadly H5N1 bird flu could arrive in Australia via Antarctica as preparations ramp up

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Influx of highly pathogenic strain a case of ‘not if, but when’ and could devastate native wildlife, experts say

The Australian government is ramping up preparations for a highly pathogenic and contagious strain of bird flu potentially reaching Australia via its Antarctic territory and Macquarie Island, warning it could devastate wildlife and be passed to people.

Government agencies led by the Australian Antarctic Division at a planning exercise in Hobart on Wednesday were told an influx of the virulent H5N1 Avian flu strain that has killed millions of seabirds, wild birds and poultry overseas was a case of “not if, but when”.

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New figures show NSW children are being ‘criminalised for their disadvantage’, advocate says

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More than half the 10- to 13-year-olds who faced court had been a victim of violence and about a third had accessed homelessness services, report finds

Children aged 10 to 13 facing criminal penalties in New South Wales are “overwhelmingly” from disadvantaged backgrounds and disproportionately Indigenous, according to a new report.

It comes amid debate over the minimum age of criminal responsibility, after the Victorian government reneged on a commitment to raise the age from 12 to 14. In NSW, children as young as 10 can be charged, convicted and incarcerated.

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Record-breaking downpours in eastern Australia put emergency services on high alert

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Parts of the Queensland coast copped a battering into Wednesday of more than 100mm in less than six hours

Emergency services are poised to carry out rescues as record-breaking downpours have soaked parts of south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales.

South-east Queensland’s coastal catchments have been issued with a flood watch warning, as have parts of the NSW Northern Rivers.

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Peter Dutton says Australia should not accept Palestinians from Gaza due to ‘national security risk’

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Coalition leader’s escalated rhetoric immediately rejected by senior Albanese government figures

Peter Dutton has escalated the Coalition’s rhetoric against Palestinians fleeing the Gaza war zone, claiming that none should be allowed to Australia “at the moment” due to an unspecified “national security risk”.

The comments from the opposition leader on Wednesday contradict the assessment by the Asio spy chief, Mike Burgess, that rhetorical support for Hamas should not be an automatic bar to Palestinians receiving visas.

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Australia politics live: PM welcomes home Olympic team; CBA records $9.8bn cash profit

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Commonwealth Bank records $9.8bn full year cash profit – a robust result against a backdrop of rising household costs. Follow the day’s news live

It seems Qantas has been forgiven – at least by the prime minister. Anthony Albanese gave the airline a special shout out in his speech welcoming home Australia’s olympians:

I do want to take a moment as well to thank [CEO] Vanessa [Hudson] and Qantas for once again reminding us of why every serious country in the world understands the importance of having a national airline.

And bringing Australian home and once again, looking after Australians as you always do.

Higher interest rates are slowing the economy and gradually moderating inflation,” Comyn said.

Australia remains well positioned but downside risks continue around productivity, housing affordability, as well as ongoing global uncertainty.”

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‘Alarming’ surge in mental ill health among young people in face of ‘unprecedented’ challenges, experts warn

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Insecure employment, climate crisis and social media are driving ‘dangerous’ decline, research finds

Intergenerational inequality, unregulated social media, wage theft, insecure employment and the climate crisis are driving a “dangerous” and “alarming” global surge in mental ill health among youth, a consortium of health experts has warned.

There is an urgent need to address these driving factors and improve mental health treatments to stymie rates of premature death, disability and lost potential, all of which have escalated over the past two decades, the research from The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on youth mental health found.

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Woman charged with murder after girl, 10, found dead at Gold Coast home

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A 46-year-old Carrara woman due to appear in a Gold Coast court, police say

A 46-year-old woman has been charged with murder after investigations into the death of a 10-year-old girl on the Gold Coast.

Police and paramedics were called to a home in the suburb of Carrara at about 6pm on Tuesday.

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Labor urges court to bin obligations so it can keep documents secret in event of ministry changes

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Albanese government brings landmark appeal against original ruling on freedom of information that says documents remain official once portfolio changes hands

The Albanese government is urging the federal court to find that ministerial reshuffles wipe out its obligation to release certain documents under freedom of information law, insisting in a landmark appeal case that documents stop being official and are put beyond public reach whenever a minister changes.

On Friday, the court will hear the government’s appeal against a ruling made in March that “official documents of government” do not suddenly become unofficial just because a new minister takes over the relevant portfolio.

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Murder-accused couple spoke about Amber Haigh in the past tense to police, prosecutors allege

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Crown alleges in closing statement Robert and Anne Geeves acted like teen was already dead when she was still considered missing

As police were still searching for missing teenager Amber Haigh, Robert and Anne Geeves were speaking about her in the past tense in police interviews because they knew she was already dead, prosecutors have argued before the New South Wales supreme court.

In closing submissions to the nine-week trial over Haigh’s alleged murder, the crown prosecutor Paul Kerr argued Justice Julia Lonergan “would be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Amber Haigh is dead and that she is dead because Robert and Anne Geeves – in the execution of a joint criminal enterprise – murdered her”.

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A study has been scathing about toddler foods in Australian supermarkets. Which products can parents trust?

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These 70 items meet WHO standards for nutrients such as protein and do not exceed limits for sugar, salt and fat, researchers say

Infant and toddler foods are a rapidly expanding market in Australia – but a study this week found none of the infant or toddler food products stocked in Australian supermarkets meet World Health Organization standards.

The entire category of toddler foods has been accused of being an unnecessary marketing exercise as nutritional guidelines say children do not require special foods once they are 12 months old and can eat the same as the rest of the family.

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Australia politics live: Michael Sukkar ejected from question time as Coalition and Greens attack Labor over housing

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Pocock: no evidence that gambling companies are good faith actors

There is the possibility that the Coalition will support Labor’s capped advertising plan (as it exists at the moment – the legislation has not been presented and is yet to go through cabinet) which would mean the crossbench and the Greens would not have any negotiating power (Labor and the Coalition in the senate is enough votes).

I’ll be supporting what the Murphy review recommended, which was a full ban phased in over three years.

That has the broad support of the parliament, and is what I’m hearing from people I represent here in the ACT [is] they are sick and tired of seeing gambling ads every time they try and watch something with their kids …

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‘Betrayal’: Indigenous and legal groups condemn Victoria’s backflip on raising the age

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Jacinta Allan says age of criminal responsibility won’t be raised to 14 amid concern about youth crime

Indigenous organisations, legal experts and human rights groups have condemned the Victorian government’s decision to abandon plans to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14, describing it as a “betrayal” of vulnerable children.

As revealed by Guardian Australia, the premier, Jacinta Allan, made the major policy reversal on Tuesday, as she announced several changes to the government’s 1,000-page youth justice bill.

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Sydney man dubbed north shore rapist loses bid to keep identity a secret

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Graham James Kay, who was imprisoned for sexually assaulting eight women, argued he feared for his safety

A man dubbed the “north shore rapist” has failed in a legal bid to keep his identity secret after repeatedly committing predatory acts towards women over several decades.

Graham James Kay had an order prohibiting the publication of his name revoked by the New South Wales supreme court on Tuesday despite the 72-year-old arguing he feared for his safety.

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Free-to-air TV in ‘diabolical trouble’ and needs gambling ads to stay afloat, Bill Shorten says

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Labor minister tells ABC’s Q+A that he is ‘not convinced that complete prohibition works’

Free-to-air TV broadcasters are in “diabolical trouble” and many need gambling ad revenue to stay afloat, Bill Shorten has said while arguing against a total prohibition of gambling advertising on television.

On Monday evening, the government services minister laid bare the rationale for Labor proposing to cap gambling ads during general TV broadcasting, a position short of a total ban that has angered health advocates, the cross-bench and its own backbench MPs.

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Former Australian and British soldiers on charges in US after allegedly impersonating law enforcement officers

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Pair allegedly acted for wealthy Chinese woman who financed bogus Los Angeles raid to settle business dispute, US attorney’s office says

Two former soldiers based in Australia allegedly pretended to be law enforcement officials and threatened a Los Angeles businessman with violence and deportation unless he handed over almost US$37m, according to US court documents.

Matthew Phillip Hart, 41, a former member of the Australian military, and Max Samuel Bennett Turbett, 39, a former member of the British military and UK citizen who lives in Australia, were charged along with two other men on 1 August, the US attorney’s office said in a statement.

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Claims of government cover-up after Brittany Higgins’ alleged rape ‘completely and utterly false’, Scott Morrison says

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Linda Reynolds suing former staffer over a series of social media posts WA senator believes damaged her reputation

Scott Morrison has defended Linda Reynolds’ handling of Brittany Higgins’ alleged rape and dismissed claims of a government cover-up following the allegations as “completely and utterly false”.

And the former prime minister also told the Western Australian supreme court that he did not remove Reynolds from the defence portfolio because she called Higgins a “lying cow”, but instead because she could not continue in the role due to her mental health.

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Nancy Pelosi rebukes former Australian PM Paul Keating over ‘stupid statement’ on Taiwan

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In return, Keating chastises former US House speaker for her ‘recklessly indulgent visit to Taiwan’ in 2022

A war of words has broken out between the former Australian prime minister Paul Keating and the former US House speaker Nancy Pelosi over Taiwan, after the prominent Democrat accused Keating of making a “stupid statement” about the territory.

Keating was quick to hit back on Tuesday, suggesting Pelosi had “very nearly” sparked a military confrontation between the US and China over her “indulgent” 2022 visit to Taiwan.

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