Category Archives: Australia news

Proposed work-from-home tax changes would mean lower deductions or more paperwork

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If adopted, Australian Tax Office draft guidelines would cut 80c flat rate to 67c and affect tax returns from next July

People working from home would lose hundreds of dollars in tax deductions if new draft guidelines released by the Australian Tax Office are adopted.

Under the proposed changes, those working from home would not be able to claim expenses such as internet, electricity and mobile separately using the popular shortcut method, which sets out a flat rate for hours worked at home, rather than calculating the actual costs.

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Insurance firms must lower premiums as government funds disaster prevention, minister says

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Murray Watt says Canberra is funding disaster mitigation infrastructure and ‘expects the insurance industry to fulfil its end of the bargain’

Insurance companies need to reduce premiums for customers in disaster-prone regions now the federal government is investing heavily in infrastructure to minimise loss during extreme weather, the emergency management minister, Murray Watt, says.

Ahead of confirming funding on Friday for 34 new mitigation projects to reduce the impact of coastal erosion accelerated by the climate crisis, Watt used an insurance industry conference to put the sector on notice.

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US group campaigning against Australia’s reversal of recognition of West Jerusalem as Israeli capital

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StandWithUs places ad in the Weekend Australian and asks readers to email Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong about issue

A US-based pro-Israel group has launched a campaign against the Albanese government’s decision to revoke recognition of West Jerusalem as the capital – and now plans to expand its operations in Australia.

But the campaign has sparked accusations that the Los Angeles-based organisation was “trying to trick the Australian government into thinking that the only way to be pro-Israel was to follow the Trump playbook”.

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Australia news live: Ed Husic says government must intervene in gas market; Pocock backs fossil fuels super profits tax

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Industry minister says gas companies are ‘not picking up the signals’. Follow all the day’s news live

Gas supply not a problem, ‘glut of greed is’, industry minister says

Husic:

This is not a shortage of supply problem; this is a glut of greed problem, that has to be basically short-circuited and common sense prevail.

The pricing mechanism is the one that I think needs to be seriously examined.

The LNG exporters are offering gas to the domestic market at prices they couldn’t reasonably expect on the international market.

We have the ACCC looking at that [code of conduct] and that code of conduct is to help better guide the way in which these contracts get negotiated … in terms of the other areas, we want to work through that internally.

If you look at what the treasurer has said over the last few days, he is examining those type of options and again that will be in the mix of things he thinks through.

I think the bigger focus long-term is the price mechanism.

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Queensland offers $1m reward in pursuit of man in India suspected of Toyah Cordingley’s murder

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The 24-year-old’s body was found on a beach north of Cairns in 2018, prompting international manhunt

A $1m reward is on offer to help catch a man who police suspect may have murdered Toyah Cordingley on a Queensland beach before fleeing to India.

It has been four years since the 24-year-old was found in the dunes of Wangetti Beach, north of Cairns, after what police have called “a personal and intimate attack”.

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Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 802 9999. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html

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Zachary Rolfe bragged about injuring innocent man, Kumanjayi Walker inquest told

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‘Treated him to the old illegal shoulder charge,’ Northern Territory police officer wrote in text message, inquiry hears

A Northern Territory police officer who fatally shot Kumanjayi Walker bragged about injuring a man wrongly suspected of escaping custody, an inquest has heard.

Walker, 19, died after Constable Zachary Rolfe shot him three times during a botched arrest in Yuendumu, north-west of Alice Springs, on 9 November 2019.

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New Covid-19 wave to hit NSW within weeks, chief health officer says

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Exclusive: Kerry Chant expected to reiterate importance of vaccine boosters as Omicron subvariants BQ.1 and XBB tipped to become dominant

A new wave of Covid-19 infections is looming in New South Wales, the state’s chief health officer, Dr Kerry Chant, will warn on Thursday, with transmission of the virus predicted to increase in coming weeks.

It follows Victoria’s chief health officer, Prof Brett Sutton, making a similar announcement last week, with Omicron subvariants BQ.1 and XBB tipped to overtake BA.5 as the dominant variants throughout Australia.

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Landlord demands 60% increase in rent from Brisbane tenant amid Queensland housing crisis

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Tenants Queensland says the hike is far more than the average increase of 35% that renters seek advice over

A Brisbane tenant has been asked to pay a 60% rent increase, as Queensland renters advocates say some landlords are hiking prices well above normal market rates.

Nicolas* moved into a two-bedroom apartment in South Brisbane earlier this year which he currently rents for $470 a week.

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Rental price growth slows from unprecedented highs as tenants hit ‘affordability ceiling’

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Experts say Australia is ‘definitely still in a rental crisis’ but there is only so much people can pay

Twelve months ago, during the height of rental market demand, Carley Eder was issuing lease renewals with price increases of up to $80 a week. Now, her clients will be lucky to have tenants approve $25.

“The market has definitely shifted,” the Central Coast rentals principal said.

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Indonesian ambassador warns Australia Aukus pact must not fuel a hypersonic arms race

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Siswo Pramono says the two countries remain in close talks on ensuring the safety of Australia’s plans to acquire nuclear-powered submarines

Indonesia’s ambassador to Australia has raised new concerns about the sharing of advanced weapons technology under the Aukus security agreement, warning that it must not fuel a hypersonic arms race in the region.

In an interview with Guardian Australia, Siswo Pramono said the two countries were “not in quarrel” and remained in close talks about how to ensure the safety of Australia’s plans to acquire at least eight nuclear-powered submarines.

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Australia ordered to negotiate with 122 Indonesians wrongly held in adult jails when they were children

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The Indonesians launched a class action over being imprisoned as adult people smugglers on the basis of flawed medical evidence

The Australian government has been ordered to attempt to negotiate a settlement with more than 100 Indonesians who say they were wrongly imprisoned as adult people smugglers when they were children, on the basis of flawed medical evidence.

The 122 Indonesians launched a landmark class action against the federal government two years ago claiming wrongful detention between 2008 and 2011.

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‘Don’t run from police’: Zachary Rolfe boasted to mother about injuring suspect, inquest told

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NT inquiry into death of Kumanjayi Walker in 2019 hears Rolfe separately bragged to paramedic he ‘mashed some dude’s face against a wall’

A Northern Territory police officer who shot and killed Kumanjayi Walker bragged to his mother about injuring another man wrongly suspected of escaping custody, an inquest has heard.

Kumanjayi Walker, 19, died after Const Zachary Rolfe shot him three times during a botched arrest in Yuendumu, north-west of Alice Springs, in November 2019.

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Two men missing in NSW flood waters as Gundagai braces for worst flooding in 33 years

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Search continued for two people swept off ute near Boorowa as prime minister said he hoped for positive news

Anthony Albanese says he is concerned about two men missing in flood waters after their ute was washed off the road in central New South Wales.

As the Riverina town of Gundagai braced for its worst flooding in 33 years, the State Emergency Service undertook 39 flood rescues in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning.

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Australia delivers police vehicles and rifles to Solomon Islands in ‘game-changer’ donation

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Handover ceremony comes after turbulent year when Pacific country signed controversial security agreement with China

Australia has announced the donation of police vehicles and 60 MK18 rifles to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) in a move described as a “game changer” for Australia’s relationship with Solomon Islands police.

The announcement comes after a turbulent year in the relationship between Australia and Solomon Islands, particularly on the question of security, after the Pacific country signed a controversial and secretive security agreement with China.

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Crowds gather for national Cassius Turvey vigils – as it happened

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Budget forecast doesn’t predict wage price spiral: finance minister

The Reserve Bank says it wants to avoid a wage price spiral. Does Gallagher think the government’s policies are risking that?

The bank obviously will keep looking at that … we’re not seeing that, the budget in its forecast doesn’t predict that.

Looking at the regulatory arrangements is our first inclination. That work is under way, I can’t give you a timeframe on the completion of that.

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Robodebt went ahead, despite legal doubts, after earning Scott Morrison’s backing, inquiry hears

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The then social services minister wanted Centrelink debt recovery proposal worked up for 2015 budget process, royal commission told

The social services department received “catastrophic” draft legal advice warning the robodebt scheme was unlawful from a top private law firm in 2018, a royal commission has heard.

The inquiry is investigating the failed debt recovery scheme, which ran from July 2015 until November 2019 and culminated in a $1.8bn settlement covering hundreds of thousands of people issued unlawful Centrelink debts.

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‘Our worst nightmare’: Sydney’s Taronga zoo locked down after five lions escape enclosure

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Father of two staying overnight on ‘roar and snore’ experience says family told to flee tents and ‘it was pretty shocking – imagine facing a lion’

Five lions broke out of their enclosure at Sydney’s Taronga zoo, forcing staff and visitors to hide in “safe zones” and triggering a review of zoo safety.

The lions – four cubs and one adult – were seen outside their enclosure about 6.30am on Wednesday. A “code one” alert soon after sent the zoo into lockdown. Police were called at 7.10am and the lions returned to their enclosure just before 9am.

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Cassius Turvey’s mother urges calm at vigils saying she is angry but ‘violence breeds violence’

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Mechelle Turvey says ‘outpouring of tributes across the nation has been so appreciated’ after her son was allegedly murdered

The mother of schoolboy Cassius Turvey, allegedly murdered in Perth, has called for calm ahead of nationwide vigils to honour her son who she says was the “heart and soul” of the local community.

A 21-year-old man has been charged with the Indigenous teenager’s murder after the alleged attack on 13 October when Cassius and several of his friends were walking home from school in Middle Swan.

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Interest rates to keep rising as RBA warns it will do ‘what is necessary’ to curb inflation

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Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe says half percentage point increases to cash rate possible if economic conditions do not improve

Interest rates will be rising for the foreseeable future and the Reserve Bank of Australia will not hesitate in making higher increases than predicted if inflation does not begin to settle, the RBA governor, Philip Lowe, has warned.

Tuesday’s seventh interest rate hike saw the cash rate increase by the standard quarter of a percentage point, taking rates to a nine-year high of 2.85%, and Lowe said the RBA board would not hesitate to move to half percentage point increases if economic conditions didn’t improve.

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Reserve Bank ‘consulting’ with government on whether King Charles should be on $5 note

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RBA governor Philip Lowe says ‘monarch has been on at least one banknote since 1923’ but decision won’t be made until talks with Labor are complete

He’s on the throne but should he be on the fiver?

The Reserve Bank of Australia has begun consultations with the federal government to answer one of the burning questions following the death of Queen Elizabeth II – should King Charles III take her place on the $5 note?

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