Category Archives: Tony Burke

Four foreign nationals removed from Australia after reportedly being found on remote NT island

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Australian government won’t say if four reportedly found on Croker Island have been taken to country of departure, of origin, or to regional processing centre on Nauru

Four non-citizens reportedly found on remote Croker Island in the Northern Territory have been removed from Australia.

The ABC reported the four foreign nationals were found on Monday on the island north of Garig Gunak Barlu national park, near Arnhem land.

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‘We don’t want them in Australia at all’: Labor wants more powers to re-detain and remove non-citizens to third countries

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Tony Burke introduces bill to facilitate removal of unlawful non-citizens and regulations to reimpose ankle bracelets and curfews on those released after high court’s NZYQ decision

The Albanese government has introduced a bill to facilitate removal of non-citizens from Australia, including paying third countries to accept people released from immigration detention, triggering cancellation of their bridging visas and possible re-detention.

The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, introduced the bill to “strengthen the government’s power to remove people who have had their visas cancelled to third countries” on Thursday.

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Burke accuses Dutton of trying to ‘throw kerosene’ on public debate over Middle East

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Home affairs minister says he will cancel visas of people waving Hezbollah flags at rallies as experts point to nuanced community perspectives on group

The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, has accused Peter Dutton of seeking to “raise the temperature” of public debate over conflict in the Middle East, after protests on the weekend included some people holding the Hezbollah flag.

The opposition leader on Monday suggested parliament should be recalled to enact new anti-terror laws that would cover such actions, if it was not already illegal.

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Assange says he is free because he ‘pled guilty to journalism’ – as it happened

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National weather forecasts

Sticking with the weather, here’s a look at the forecasts across Australia’s capital cities today:

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Ex-Manus Island detainees stranded in PNG threatened with eviction over unpaid rent

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Exclusive: About 70 people who sought asylum in Australia remain in Port Moresby, having been previously held in immigration detention

Asylum seekers stranded in Papua New Guinea have been threatened with eviction if an alleged $110,000 rental arrears debt is not paid, leading to urgent calls for the Australian government to intervene to prevent them becoming “homeless”.

The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) wrote to the home affairs department revealing that refugee families with 10 children at Latitude apartments in Port Moresby face eviction on Friday unless the bill is paid by Thursday.

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Government gives itself power to pay any non-citizen to leave Australia

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Exclusive: Greens decry expansion of scheme to ‘all non-citizens’ – including those whose asylum claims were rejected after arriving by air – as a ‘bribe’

The federal government has quietly given itself the power to pay any unlawful non-citizen to leave Australia or for foreign countries to resettle them, in what the Greens have labelled an attempt to “bribe” asylum seekers.

New regulations made on 15 August expanded the return and reintegration assistance program (RRAP), which currently pays up to $7,500 cash plus expenses to people on bridging visas, or those who arrived by boat, to leave Australia.

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‘Grade five instincts’: why sook is the new insult of choice in Australia’s parliament

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In the rough and tumble of the House of Representatives, this barb stands out as an oldie but a goodie

In the hardbitten bear pit of politics, any sign of weakness is pounced on.

The latest favourite barb to be hurled about the federal chamber is “sook” – an oldie but a goodie. A slightly gentler insult than “snowflake”, “bedwetter” or “old jellyback”.

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‘Labor doesn’t care what we think’: doctor to take on Tony Burke in safe western Sydney seat

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Exclusive: Dr Ziad Basyouny is the first of several independents expected to challenge federal Labor seats amid the Israel-Gaza war

While there are many things driving the independent candidate Dr Ziad Basyouny to challenge Tony Burke for the seat of Watson in Sydney, there is one word that wraps them all together.

“Injustice,” Basyouny declared, speaking from his medical practice in Lakemba.

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Government will consider pathways for Palestinians fleeing Gaza to stay longer in Australia, Burke says

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Calls for humanitarian approach offered to Afghans in 2021 and Ukrainians in 2022 to be extended to Palestinians as visitor visas expire

The new minister for home affairs, Tony Burke, has confirmed he is looking at ways to allow Palestinians who fled to Australia to stay longer, saying no country should send people back to Gaza right now.

Burke said it was understandable that the government used visitor visas as its first response to the crisis, but acknowledged action was needed because the visas were expiring and the Israeli offensive was continuing.

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CFMEU could be deregistered ‘if that’s what needs to be done’ after allegations, minister says

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Federal workplace minister Tony Burke has asked for advice on the extent of powers following claims of criminal links within construction division of union

All options are on the table when it comes to tackling allegations of links between the construction union and organised crime, the federal workplace relations minister says.

Tony Burke has asked his department to advise him on ministerial powers to respond to reports alleging bikies were acting as union delegates and other links between construction projects and organised crime.

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Brain tumour patient had Centrelink payments suspended while in hospital recovering from surgery

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Australian Council of Social Service says ‘unconscionable’ case shows why mutual obligations system must be ‘replaced with a fair system’ for jobseekers

A jobseeker is calling for an overhaul to the way suspensions are handled after his Centrelink payments were suspended while he was in hospital recovering from brain surgery.

The Albanese government is mulling an overhaul of the employment services system following a damning parliamentary review that criticised the mutual obligations system, which can suspend jobseekers’ welfare payments if they do not fulfil tasks such as attending meetings and submitting job applications.

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Australia joins international call for local content quotas on streaming TV platforms

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Statement from peak bodies argues independence and viability of global screen industry under threat unless mandatory quotas for non-US content introduced

Australia has joined an international campaign calling on governments to provide better protection for local screen industries in a market dominated by global streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime.

Screen Producers Australia (SPA) issued a joint statement with counterparts in Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand and Canada, demanding regulation to force streaming services to make content that is relevant to local markets where they operate.

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Victorian Labor at odds with federal party on industrial relations bill

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State treasurer Tim Pallas warns amendments will encourage unions to refuse to bargain as he seeks meeting with Tony Burke

The Victorian government and employer groups have raised the alarm about amendments to Labor’s industrial relations bill, warning they will embolden unions to refuse to bargain with industry.

The Victorian treasurer, Tim Pallas, has written to the federal workplace relations minister, Tony Burke, warning the amendments will guarantee unions “will be no worse off on a clause by clause basis” if they dig in and seek an arbitrated outcome from the industrial umpire, encouraging unions to do so.

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Australian TV shows including Home and Away handed tax breaks in battle against Hollywood

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‘We want to see more Australian stories shown on screen,’ arts minister Tony Burke says

Australian television shows such as Home and Away will be able to compete on a level playing field with Hollywood streaming companies such as Netflix, Apple Tv and Disney+, after federal government changes to tax laws in the industry.

Australian producers have long complained that local productions are unfairly disadvantaged because the tax breaks offered to the industry only apply to mega-budget productions that invariably only Hollywood studios can afford in Australia.

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Climate protesters arrested at Port of Newcastle blockade – as it happened

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‘The biggest transformation in our country’s history’

Chris Bowen has been talking about Labor’s plans for reducing emissions, but he’s pressed on the fact that the government has been approving new coalmines and gas projects, which add to global emissions.

The way I see this, David, you can enter into a discussion with your international counterparts which we are doing which is us saying to them, “We will continue to be a reliable energy supplier but we want to work with you on your decarbonisation because we have advantages that you don’t have. We can provide renewable energy.” That is an important conversation to have.

Frankly the approach of others is more a slogan than a policy. We are making the biggest transformation in our country’s history and that involves both domestic policies and strong international engagements, as I will be doing over the next couple of weeks and we have been doing all the way through.

It will be treated in the budget statement of risks and liabilities in the normal fashion. But this is the right policy for the right times to ensure emissions come down and reliability goes up.

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Uproar in parliament as pharmacists jeer ministers – as it happened

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Liberal deputy leader Sussan Ley is told to leave the chamber during chaotic question time. This blog is now closed

Liddle says ‘we don’t have the detail’ on how voice would work

When it is pointed out that what Liddle is describing sounds like the voice, the Liberal senator says:

No, because we don’t have the detail about who is going to be on that voice and how that’s going to work.

When you actually consider that funds for health, housing, jobs and actually come from Canberra and are sent to the states and territories, there is a lot more accountability that [doesn’t just sit] at the commonwealth level, but also in the states and territories and in those very organisations that are actually charged to deliver change, not just putting a grant application and deliver the same same, but deliver the change.

So that’s why I support that proposition much more and I want to make sure that people who are experts in the particular area of focus are actually the right people at the table.

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Australian government to close labour hire loophole to help 67,000 workers being ‘ripped off’ by employers

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Workplace relations minister, Tony Burke, says move will be ‘life changing’ for workers it is intended to protect

The federal government will move to close a loophole allowing employers to undercut workers with cheaper labour hire as part of what it calls a “life-changing” tranche of workplace reforms to be introduced to parliament this week.

Under the proposed laws to be introduced to parliament on Monday, companies with more than 15 workers will be forced to pay labour hire staff the same wages as those engaged under enterprise agreements.

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Australian employers who deliberately underpay workers to face million-dollar fines or up to 10 years in jail

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Workplace relations minister Tony Burke says he is ‘surprised’ move to close loopholes has been controversial

Workplace relations minister Tony Burke has said sending employers to jail for wage theft is a loophole that needs to close, adding he is surprised it has been controversial.

The minister also has hit back again at industry critics warning the laws promising to improve conditions for gig workers will make services more expensive.

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Australia’s gig economy workers set to benefit from minimum pay and protection against ‘unfair deactivation’

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Labor bill gives Fair Work Commission power to set minimum standards for hundreds of thousands of ‘employee-like workers’ on digital platforms

Gig economy workers in Australia including ride-share drivers and food delivery riders could soon benefit from minimum pay and protection against “unfair deactivation”.

Under a bill to be introduced by the Albanese government next week, the Fair Work Commission will be given the power to set minimum standards for hundreds of thousands of “employee-like workers” on digital platforms from 1 July 2024.

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‘Simply about survival’: ACTU calls for 7% pay rise for lowest-paid workers to keep pace with inflation

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Minimum hourly rate would rise to $22.88 – or $45,337 a year – if the Fair Work Commission grants the increase

Australian unions have called for a pay rise of 7% for the lowest-paid workers, a raise in the national minimum wage of $1.50 an hour to keep pace with inflation.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions made that submission to the Fair Work Commission’s annual minimum wage review, which sets the pay of more than 2.6 million employees on the national minimum or award wages.

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