Senator and home affairs spokesperson calls Pezzullo’s position ‘completely untenable’. Follow the day’s news live
Residents rescued from suspicious apartment block blaze in Melbourne
Residents trapped inside a burning Melbourne care facility have been safely rescued, with the blaze regarded as suspicious, AAP reports.
Continue reading...University application first preferences dropped almost 20% this year, compared with 2023
Graduating high school students are continuing to turn away from teaching degrees in huge numbers, early application data shows, as concern grows over “unprecedented” workforce shortages.
The data, provided to Guardian Australia from the Universities Admissions Centre, showed education degrees received just 1,935 first preferences this year, a 19.24% decline compared with 2023 and the lowest rate since at least 2016, when public records became available.
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Jim Chalmers is now on RN Breakfast, where he was asked by host Hamish McDonald whether he was reconsidering the stage-three tax cuts given much of the $22.1bn budget surplus comes from the taxes of “hard working Australians”.
Chalmers said the government has not changed its view on the tax cuts, which recent data showed will flow disproportionately to high-income earners and men:
Well, first of all, it’s partly a function that people are working more and earning more. The labor market is incredibly resilient given what’s coming at us from around the world. And so unemployment is lower than what many people anticipated. And wages have began growing again, and that’s a good thing too. And that’s one of the reasons why the budgets in better nick but also getting good better prices for our commodities and what that means for company tax.
We haven’t changed our view about the stage three tax cuts, but we have found a way to provide substantial cost-of-living relief for people on low and middle and fixed incomes, because we recognise people are doing it tough and they’ve been our priority.
Continue reading...The CLC executive – 90 elected members who represent 75 communities across nine regions – said comments insult survivors of 1927 Coniston massacre. Follow the day’s news live
New report combats ‘inaccurate assertions’ about teaching courses
Almost three-quarters of Australian teachers are satisfied with their training programs, a new report has found, undermining the suggestion poor course content is leading to workforce shortages in the field.
Rather than focusing on the unsubstantiated claim that teachers are generally dissatisfied with ITE programs, we should instead focus on the willingness and capacity of ITE providers to continually improve these programs.
This will require a shift in focus from policymakers - away from the overwhelming emphasis on ITE and towards effective, system-wide [development] that becomes a regular part of teachers’ workload rather than a bolt-on.
Not a preamble. Not a footnote in the Constitution. First Nations people want structural change that can make a practical difference.
A mechanism that can make children’s lives better. Not just something that will feel good - something that will do good.
As the Minister, I will go to the voice and say: ‘this school attendance program isn’t working’. Help me to get the best possible advice to fix it … From every corner of the country – about how we can do better.
Continue reading...Residents warned to be prepared on Tuesday as weather bureau predicts Wednesday could be even hotter with extreme fire danger
Soaring temperatures across parts of south-east Australia have resulted in high and extreme fire danger and the closure of more than 20 schools in New South Wales.
Total fire bans were declared for the NSW south coast and greater Sydney region on Tuesday with temperatures forecast to reach 34C in the city. There were 61 fires burning across the state at 9am with 12 yet to be contained.
Continue reading...Shadow Indigenous affairs minister last spoke at forum alongside Marcia Langton and Josephine Cashman in 2016. Follow live news updates today
We’ll be hearing from Michael Long and the Long walkers very soon.
In other news ahead of us, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price will give an address to the national press club and then she is down for an event with the Australian newspaper later this afternoon.
[It’s an issue that’s been identified across international media and domestically, but we need to make sure that there are absolutely no loopholes or ability for people to think that they can operate contrary to Australia’s national interest.
And so we’re making sure that our laws clearly identify and make it clear to any veteran to any firm former service personnel to public servants that have worked in defence that we take the integrity of our information, our national security information and training very seriously, and that we are going to properly regulate any work that they do for a foreign military or companies associated with them so that we’re protecting our national interest.
Continue reading...Labor has already announced the demerger of two ‘super schools’, accusing the previous Coalition government of ‘making a mess’
The New South Wales government has suggested it will not merge any further public schools in regional areas after concerns the so-called “super schools” are failing to achieve improved outcomes.
Super schools have become more common in the past decade as state governments try to improve resource efficiency and boost academic performance at underperforming public schools.
Continue reading...Resignation of associate dean Dr Eddie Cubillo comes after he delivered speech on his encounters with racism at Melbourne Law School
A leading academic at the University of Melbourne (UoM) has resigned from his role heading Indigenous programs after public complaints over institutional racism at the faculty.
Dr Eddie Cubillo, a Larrakia, Wadjigan and Central Arrernte man, was working part-time as an associate dean and senior fellow at the university’s prestigious Melbourne Law School (MLS).
Continue reading...Exclusive: Authorities move to notify families after children’s names were provided in unredacted documents
Authorities are notifying the families of 64 alleged victims of an accused Queensland paedophile after their identities were mistakenly made available to journalists.
The state’s attorney general, Yvette D’Ath, apologised for the “breach of victims’ privacy” on Friday morning and announced an inquiry into the error.
Continue reading...Kathleen Foley, SC, says inquiry will examine other schools where former Beaumaris teachers had worked
An inquiry into historical child sexual abuse at a Melbourne primary school in the 1960s and 1970s will investigate allegations at 18 other state schools where the same teachers also worked.
The Andrews government in June announced a board of inquiry into historical abuse allegations at Beaumaris primary school, in Melbourne’s south-east.
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Stephen Jones on stage-three tax cuts: ‘very, very few’ young Australians he knows will benefit
The assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones, was asked about the stage-three tax cuts while appearing on ABC RN this morning, and reaffirmed the governments commitment to them:
[The] prime minister made a promise before the election and there’s been no change to our policy.
We’ve made it quite clear that our priorities [are] multinational tax avoidance [and] ensuring we have greater compliance with the existing tax laws before we were to go to Australians and say we think you need to pay more.
Very, very few.
[The] stage-three tax cuts benefit everybody over $45,000 a year and before you jump into it, yes, I know, the greatest benefit flows to the people on the highest incomes, no doubt about that.
Continue reading...Researchers say ‘alarming’ lack of representation could be contributing to gender gap in the field of Stem
Female scientists are almost entirely omitted from Australian textbooks, a new study has found, with researchers warning the “alarming” lack of representation could be contributing to the gender gap in the field of Stem.
The study, released by the Australian National University (ANU) and Curtin University on Monday, analysed the curriculum of the four year 11 and year 12 Stem subjects taught in Australian schools – biology, chemistry, physics and environmental science.
Continue reading...Under reforms to sector, foreign students will also need more savings to study in Australia to mitigate cost-of-living increase
Dodgy course providers could be shut down by the federal government as part of a sweeping crackdown on rorts in the embattled international education sector.
A package of reforms, to come into effect immediately, aims to reverse an uptick in exploitation and fraud that risks causing reputational damage for Australia’s higher education system.
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Children’s mental health not improved since Covid, research shows
The pandemic may be behind us but its impacts are still prevalent in the mental health of young people, new research shows.
Now that pandemic restrictions have been lifted, life has not necessarily gone back to how it was pre-pandemic. Wellbeing clearly dropped during Covid and has shown little signs of improvement since then.
The pandemic, sweeping changes in children’s lifestyles – from physical activity and screen time to sleep and diet – and the pervasive influence of social media aren’t regional anomalies. They’re global phenomena likely impacting children’s wellbeing worldwide.
Chief justice designate Gageler has earned a reputation as having an unequalled knowledge and understanding of constitutional law, an expertise that was sharpened before and during his term as solicitor general of Australia.
Justice Beech-Jones has provided extraordinary service to the law in NSW, commencing practice as a solicitor in Sydney for the firm now known as Freehills, before being called to the bar in 1992. His honour’s appointment to the high court of Australia, to replace the vacancy left by Justice Gageler’s elevation, will enhance Australia’s system of justice.
Continue reading...Supermarket operator posts 4.8% rise in full year cash profit, lifted by strong rise in groceries revenue. Follow today’s live news updates
AEC monitoring disinformation about electoral processes
Rogers said the AEC has seen an increase in mis- and disinformation over the last few years, particularly around the electoral process itself.
It’s all about the electoral process. We’re seeing an increase in [disinformation]. We’re seeing an increase in threats to staff. Which is very disappointing. And we’re monitoring that very closely.
At the last federal election, we had similar issues. We’re seeing behaviours we haven’t seen previously. The people who work elections are community members … Treat people with respect and civility.
We’re ready for it whenever it may be. That’s what we do in any case. We’re used to these events when we don’t know the date until a few weeks out. We’ve got all systems go.
We would ultimately like the rate to be exactly the same as the general roll, but it’s very close.
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Warren Mundine said he has kicked two people off his no campaign group Recognise a Better Way, one of which for allegedly making an antisemitic comment.
I’ve actually kicked several people off our campaign in regard to their comments and I intend to keep on doing that.
That’s just between us and the couple of people we had sent off. I don’t appreciate racist comments … All they know is I got rid of them and I don’t accept any racial comments from anyone in regard to these issues.
… It wasn’t particularly about Aboriginals, one was a very antisemitic comment and I’m not gonna wear that crap.
When I talk about treaties, when I talk about constitutional recognition, it is in regard to treaties that are signed between the commonwealth government and First Nations peoples.
… I believe in treaties between the First Nations and the commonwealth and at that, and I put it in that context.
I was involved in the beginning … and then after it got further down the track in regard to [what] it was looking at, [then I said] I don’t support that.
It has to be the First Nations, it has to be the traditional owners who make those agreements. I can’t speak for other people’s country, and they can’t speak for my country.
Continue reading...Many institutions have become increasingly reliant on higher fees from international students to help cover costs
Britain should warmly welcome international students joining universities across the country or risk losing out to the US, Canada and Australia, the higher education admissions chief has said.
The intervention came amid concerns that domestic students hoping to begin undergraduate courses this autumn could lose out to international applicants. Some courses in clearing in the run-up to A-level results day this week are available only to overseas students.
Continue reading...Labelled a ‘postive first step’ by the Greens, the report also recommends more support for parent groups and teacher training on attendance issues
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School students would get better access to mental health care and parent support groups would get more funding under the recommendations of a Senate inquiry to address the “alarming rate” of low school attendance.
The Greens, who initiated the inquiry last October, welcomed the Senate’s report as a “positive first step” and urged the federal government to work with states and territories to immediately begin implementing its recommendations.
Continue reading...‘If the parents of kids aren’t able to exercise discipline … then the state needs to be disciplining these kids’, says victims’ advocate
On a Toowoomba Facebook group, frustrated residents share regular updates about vehicles stolen, shops robbed and homes burgled. Some post photos of children accused of crimes; the “bleeding hearts” are shouted down.
Amid the emotion, Ken Cunliffe calls for calm and for the community to focus on solutions rather than politics.
Continue reading...Chris Minns calls meeting of state government agencies after Queensland childcare worker was charged with 1,623 child abuse offences. Follow live news updates today
In a back and forth between Patricia Karvelas and prime minister Anthony Albanese on whether he supports a federal treaty, he says the no voice to parliament campaign is trying to muddy the waters:
What the no campaign want to do is to focus on everything that’s not happening.
What is happening is a vote in the last quarter of this year for a voice to parliament. And what that is about is recognising First Nations people in our constitution and then listening to Indigenous Australians so as to get better results. That’s what the focus is on. And what I find, I think, very enlightening, is … the no campaign want to talk about everything except for the question.
Well, where does it say that? It doesn’t even say that in the Uluru statement. It doesn’t say that, it doesn’t speak about the commonwealth negotiating treaties. It doesn’t say that Patricia. So don’t get sucked into it.
Today, the Greens need to vote for this legislation. You can’t say that you’re supporting housing, supply, public housing and then vote against it.
I’m not prepared to negotiate on Radio National, Patricia. People talk all the time across the parliament all the time.
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