Category Archives: Anthony Albanese

Thousands rally in solidarity on Invasion Day in Melbourne, Sydney; AFL clubs call for 26 January date change – as it happened

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Australian and Aboriginal flags raised during Canberra ceremony

Following the welcome to country, the flag-raising ceremony has begun, with six flags raised including two Australian flags, two Aboriginal flags and two Torres Strait Islander flags.

Australia is home to the oldest continuous culture on Earth, 65,000 years of uninterrupted heritage, demonstrated by the unique archeological evidence found in the very ground that you may are sitting on, found in the rocks and stones of this very place. That makes this continent unique in the whole world.

Ngunnawal’s view of heritage transcends time, it is our way of being with nature, best expressed in the Ngunnawal language through the concepts of respect and deep honour, coming together in the wellbeing for all.

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‘It’s a no-brainer’: what voters in upcoming Dunkley byelection say about Labor’s stage-three tax cut changes

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Victorian electorate will be first test of support for overhaul that shifts more of the benefit to low- and middle-income earners amid cost-of-living pressures

Ilene Jones’s wishlist for a tax cut is simple – more money to spend on school fees, a laptop for her son and groceries.

“It’s just the basics. It’s not extravagant,” she says.

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Australia news live: Townsville residents advised to shelter in place ahead of Cyclone Kirrily reaching Queensland coast

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The latest advice from the Bureau of Meteorology is that Tropical Cyclone Kirrily will begin crossing the coast from 10pm tonight. Follow the day’s news live

As we flagged just earlier, wind gusts associated with Tropical Cyclone Kirrily have already begun around the Whitsundays, with gusts over 100km/h.

In a Facebook group for Whitsundays locals, a new resident has asked an innocent question:

Hey there I’m kind of new to town from Melbourne. Does anyone know how to tie my tree down so that it doesn’t blow away?

“I would use fairy lights.”

“If you hop around clockwise on your left leg 3 times and then do a Kangaroo hop to the right, the drop bears will take care of it by having the tree extend it’s roots deeper.”

“If you’re really from Melbourne you would know how to tie down a tree with the windy crap weather down there. Ride a kangaroo to bunnings [and] get some ratchets.”

“From the state of the supermarket shelves I’m guessing everyone is using toilet paper to tie their trees down.”

“Take the leaves off and store inside. The rest will be fine.”

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Albanese promises to double tax relief for average income Australians in stage-three overhaul

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Prime minister to use National Press Club address to defend new plan as the ‘right thing to do’

Anthony Albanese has pledged to more than double tax relief for Australians on the average income in a suite of low and middle income tax cuts paid for by trimming benefits to high income earners.

At the National Press Club on Thursday the prime minister will defend Labor’s plan by arguing it will still deliver “a tax cut for every taxpayer” and that modification of the stage-three tax cuts was “the right thing to do” in changed economic circumstances.

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Three dead after being pulled from water off Phillip Island – as it happened

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Morrison to take up separate position at Dyne Asset Management

As we brought you just earlier, Scott Morrison will be taking up a role with international advisory and consulting firm American Global Strategies after his resignation from politics late February.

Well, firstly, I think we should be quite thoughtful of which category we’re talking about for farmers. If you’re talking about fruits and vegetables, we are in material deflation and have been for about four months … That is because of demand and supply in Australia. It’s a domestic product, it’s subject to demand and supply. It is causing pain for many of those farmers. But hopefully that situation will change with regard to the new year.

… We buy directly [where we can] from farmers, and we try and smooth out the price that they get so that they can plan and manage their business effectively.

But when you look at the red meat index, it does look like it’s trending up based on what’s happening offshore. So these things do flow through …

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Australia news live: SA swelters as heatwave warnings issued in other states; fire ants nest south of Byron Bay destroyed

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Follow the latest updates live

Homelessness increasing across Australia, report finds

In January every year, the Productivity Commission releases its Report on Government Services, which “monitor[s] the performance of Australian governments in the delivery of important services to the community”.

The first thing is to stay connected with the emergency messaging and understand the alerts that may and will come out as the cyclone approaches the coast.

But more importantly, use the next 48 hours to 72 hours to prepare yourself and your family for a potential cyclone crossing and flooding event after. You can do simple things like keep the fuel in your car topped up now, make sure you have enough food in your house for 72 hours, [and] make sure you have battery charging packs for your phone. Very simple things you can do.

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Albanese fuels cost-of-living relief expectations as MPs debate sticking with stage-three tax cuts

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PM says Labor government will receive advice by Wednesday’s caucus meeting on how best to assist Australians struggling with rising costs

Anthony Albanese has continued to raise expectations of further cost-of-living relief as some backbench MPs debate the possibility Labor could modify stage-three income tax cuts to pay for new measures.

On Monday the prime minister said “if we can find ways to put extra dollars in people’s pockets, particularly those low and middle income earners who are doing it tough, then we’re prepared to do so”.

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Weather warning for north Queensland – as it happened

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‘No plans to change’ Australia Day, minister says

Speaking on the Today show, Amanda Rishworth is asked about a decision by Cricket Australia to scrap the term Australia Day at the Brisbane Test match this Friday.

We have absolutely no plans to change that. The prime minister has said that on a number of occasions.

I think it is important that we do, though, acknowledge that Australia Day for some people is a difficult day. For others, it’s a day that is the day they became an Australian citizen and that’s really important to them.

This is something you’ve been aware of for several months, in fact, perhaps longer than that. So, why fly to Canberra now?

This year will be a year of delivery. And so at the beginning of the year, it’s not uncommon for political parties to get together. I would suggest that the opposition, from time to time, has flown people to all one place. So, it is a bit two-faced to be criticising the Labor party here. But it will be an important meeting, as will this year be of us continuing to deliver help for Australians.

We don’t have parliament by Zoom. We don’t have a number of political meetings, committee meetings by Zoom. They are done in person. It is important that MPs do get together and actually put their views forward.

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Albanese government secures further gas supply before meeting on cost-of-living relief

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Deal aimed at keeping energy bills affordable will see 260 petajoules supplied to gas-fired power stations in Australia’s south-east coast until 2033

Australia’s south-east coast will be further guaranteed gas supply in an effort to keep lights on and energy bills affordable before predicted supply shortages at the decade’s end.

It comes as the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has called Labor MPs and senators to Canberra on Wednesday for a snap caucus to discuss further cost-of-living relief measures put forward by Treasury.

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Labor MP condemns Netanyahu’s rejection of Palestinian state as a step toward apartheid

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Julian Hill labels Israeli prime minister’s position ‘appalling’ as he calls for financial consequences for Israeli settlers

Benjamin Netanyahu’s declaration he rejects any moves to establish a Palestinian state after Israel’s offensive in Gaza has been labelled “appalling” and a step toward “apartheid” by influential Labor MP Julian Hill.

Hill has called for a suite of measures to respond, including financial consequences for Israeli settlers and an international push to fast-track recognition of a Palestinian state. The left faction convener argued that the “vast majority of the world recognises Israeli sovereignty only within the 1967 borders”.

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BoM forecasts category three storm – as it happened

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Victoria police recover over $600,000 worth of drugs in raids

A man has had to let go of his prized Lego collection yesterday after police seized more than $600,000 worth of 1,4-Butanediol – a chemical that mirrors the drug GHB when ingested.

34kg of iodine – a precursor to methylamphetamine.

32kg of hypophosphorus acid – a precursor to methylamphetamine.

Illegal steroids.

Methylamphetamine.

A handgun.

An extendable baton.

Ammunition.

Three digital devices.

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Data shows ‘collapse’ in full-time roles – as it happened

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Pat Conroy says Ukraine-requested helicopters are not cleared for flight

The defence industry minister, Pat Conroy, is speaking to ABC RN about a request from Ukraine to receive Australia’s retired fleet of MRH-90 Taipan helicopters. The helicopters were retired earlier than planned after a crash in Queensland killed four Defence personnel during a training exercise last year:

Anyone who suggests that these aircraft have been cleared is wrong and they are making, quite frankly, really offensive suggestions at a time when people are really grieving.

I think it’s really important that those investigations keep working to establish the cause of that accident. These aircraft are [not in] flying condition, and we still do not know whether they’re safe to fly.

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Conservative politicians stoking Australia Day debate online with paid ads, analysis finds

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Several Liberal MPs share advertisements on Facebook lobbying against changing the date after Woolworths’ decision to pull national merchandise

Conservative politicians are dominating Facebook advertising about changing the date of Australia Day, analysis shows.

After Woolworths announced last week that it would no longer stock Australia Day merchandise due to declining demand, the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, condemned the move as an “outrage” born from the retailer’s “woke agenda”, and said most Australians likely thought the same.

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News live: Australia was ‘aware in advance’ of Nauru’s decision to sever ties with Taiwan, Conroy says

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Meanwhile, Penny Wong begins Middle East visit amid mounting fears of escalating violence in the crisis-torn region. Follow the day’s news live

Western Australian police have confirmed that child abuse detectives are currently in Broome as part of an ongoing investigation into historic child sex offences.

The ABC reported that they were searching a property owned by the Catholic Church, where Broome’s former Catholic bishop Christopher Saunders lived up until late last year.

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Labor says it’s looking for ways to ease cost-of-living pressures. Just don’t mention the stage-three tax cuts

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The cuts are already baked into the RBA’s forecasts and economists say there is little point looking at alternatives

Come 1 July, Australian taxpayers will have $20bn more to spend, a pulse of demand in the economy that will keep interest rates higher than they otherwise would be.

That is courtesy of the controversial stage-three tax cuts that are legislated and, it seems, unlikely to be delayed or modified by the federal government.

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NSW police say man they shot dead outside medical clinic was armed – as it happened

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Victoria floods: affected communities urged to prepare up to three days of supplies

A watch and act alert is in place along the Goulburn River from Murchison and Shepparton to south of Lake Eildon.

We’re not expecting the levels of October 2022 which is pleasing, but there will still be a significant amount of water around and we’re asking community to be really vigilant and have that awareness of what’s happening.

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Labor could raise welfare payments for cost-of-living relief without stoking inflation, economists say

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Albanese government would need to couple any increases in unemployment benefits and pensions with savings, experts say

Addressing competition issues and increasing unemployment benefits and pensions are ways the Albanese government could tackle cost-of-living pressures but they would have to be coupled with savings to avoid reigniting inflation, economists say.

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, on Wednesday said he had asked Treasury and the finance department to develop “further propositions” for providing cost-of-living relief by the May budget.

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Albanese and Dutton praise ‘resilience’ of Australians in face of disasters and cost-of-living pressure

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Political leaders also thank emergency services workers in annual Christmas messages

Anthony Albanese has used his annual Christmas message to pay tribute to flood-affected residents in northern Queensland while expressing gratitude to medical and hospitality workers.

The prime minister issued a short video message to the nation on Christmas Eve, wishing Australians well over the holiday period and paying particular tribute to defence force personnel.

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Albanese and Marles defend MPs’ parliamentary expenses after release of long-delayed reports

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Coalition MP Colin Boyce claimed highest travel allowance of $29,623 for third quarter in 2022, while Adam Bandt claimed $15,309 for plane charter

Anthony Albanese and Richard Marles have defended themselves and their colleagues over millions in taxpayer-funded expenses claimed by federal politicians, as political spending again comes under the microscope after the release of long-delayed reports.

The Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (Ipea) this week published new reports giving the public insight into how politicians spend public funds on office expenses and travel.

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Makarrata commission in limbo after failure of Indigenous voice referendum

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Indigenous Australians department says it is giving advice on treaty and truth processes, but declines to reveal commission’s status

After the failed voice referendum, the Indigenous Australians department says it is still giving advice to the federal government on treaty and truth processes but the future of the Makarrata commission remains in limbo.

The 2022 budget provided $5.8m to start work on setting up the Makarrata commission, which was to oversee processes for making agreements and truth-telling. During the election, the government pledged more than $27m to establish the body.

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