What we learned, Wednesday 22 February
And that’s where we’ll leave you this evening. Here’s a wrap of the main events today:
Anthony Albanese fronted the National Press Club today, where he insisted Australia will be maintaining its sovereignty as part of the Aukus deal.
The defence minster, Richard Marles, said shortly after that he is pursuing joint patrols with Philippines in South China Sea.
The assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones, said the government ‘clearly are’ thinking about a cap on superannuation tax concessions.
The home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, said Australia’s migration system is “broken” and “set up backwards”.
A coalition of national religious groups wrote to all federal parliamentarians urging them to “cooperate across political divides” in support of the upcoming voice referendum.
Firefighters are battling a large, fast-moving and uncontrolled grassfire north of Melbourne as it heads towards more towns.
Australian oil and gas company Santos more than doubled its profits on gas after a merger and surging oil and gas prices.
The My School website buckled under the weight of traffic as parents flocked to receive the latest Naplan results.
The wage price index for the December quarter was 3.3%, seasonally adjusted, according to the ABS, and weaker than the 3.5% economists had expected.
Woolworths reported a $907m net profit for the six months to December, up 14% from the previous corresponding period, backed by bumper grocery sales and strong trading momentum at its discount retailer Big W.
Thank you so much for your company, please join us again tomorrow.
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Call for Australia to collect more data on food insecurity
AAP is reporting that millions of Australians are skipping meals or eating low-quality food as cost of living and other pressures drive more people into food insecurity, prompting an urgent call to action.
Contributing to the largely unseen issue are recent floods and the Covid-19 pandemic that left many people unemployed and without government benefits.
A group of 18 academics have formed the Australian Household Food Security Data Coalition and on Wednesday renewed calls for the government to collect more data to help tackle the issue.
More than two million, or one in five Australian households, are experiencing severe food insecurity, based on research released last year by hunger relief charity Food Bank.
Young people and single parent households are most at risk, as well as renters, the unemployed and low income earners, the online survey of 4,024 people revealed.
The report is the main source of data on food insecurity in Australia.
Urban geographer and senior lecturer at Macquarie University Miriam Williams, who is part of the coalition, said the Food Bank report was more comprehensive than past research but fell short of painting the whole picture.
In Australia we’re reliant on Food Bank, which does a really great job of filling the gaps … but we don’t have the full picture of food insecurity in Australia without data being collected.
What we need is a comprehensive food plan to ensure everyone has access to healthy, affordable, sustainable and culturally appropriate food across Australia.
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Home affairs minister Clare O’Neil says Australia’s migration system is ‘broken’ and ‘set up backwards’
O’Neil adds that the system needs “radical simplification”.
Addressing the AFR workforce summit in Sydney earlier today, O’Neil lamented the “staggering shift” away from permanent migration, towards a focus on “temporariness” which she attributed to negligence and a lack of planning.
Our migration system has been on continental drift for a decade.
Australia’s migration system is broken, it is un-strategic, it is complex, expensive, it’s slow.
It’s not delivering for business, it’s not delivering for migrants and it’s not delivering for the nation.
Highly-valued migrants that the world is fighting for today face bureaucratic delay coming to Australia, and the red carpet treatment migrating elsewhere.
We just can’t let that continue. And our government doesn’t intend to.
We’ve got to simplify those arcane rules and reduce complexity, no more spaghetti diagrams.
She went on to say the system is set up “backwards”, adding that significant structural reform was necessary.
It is relatively easy for a low-skilled, temporary migrant to come to Australia, but difficult, slow and not particularly attractive for high-skilled permanent migrants who come here.
This reliance on temporary migration that we have today is having enormous social and economic consequences for the country.
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Good afternoon, Mostafa Rachwani with you to take you through the rest of the day’s news.
Thank you all for following along, I’ll now be handing you over to my colleague Mostafa Rachwani.
Speculation government could offer Coalition concessions on remit or power of voice
More on a fair sprinkling of new information on the voice held in Anthony Albanese’s address to the National Press Club.
Albanese went on to say he wanted to “reach out across the aisle about the legislation, and I’ll have more to say about that down the track”. He seemed to be talking about the legislation to set up the voice - in another attempt to get the Coalition on board. Albanese didn’t say at all what that could include, but some have speculated that the government could offer concessions to the Coalition on the remit or power of the voice (such as, which minister it specifically advises, or what status its reports are given by government) to get them on board.
Already the government has relented to opposition requests to reinstate an official referendum pamphlet for voters, and negotiations are ongoing about what that could look like. Those negotiations will have to happen quickly, with government timetables for legislation on the voice requiring the machinery act changes to happen in March.
But back on the powers and remit of the voice, Albanese said the government hadn’t decided on any changes (yet) on limiting its reach. To step back a bit, there’s been consternation among constitutional conservatives about whether it will be simply a voice to parliament, or a voice to parliament and the executive - with concerns raised that the latter option would make the voice too wide-ranging and have input into a wide gamut of government decisions such as pay rises, international agreements and public servants.
Linda Burney said in an ABC podcast last week that the voice would be “not to the government, but a voice to the parliament”, even though the PM’s draft idea for the constitutional amendment mentions the executive.
Asked about that, Albanese said “we haven’t determined” any change to that yet.
But watch this space, would be our tip.
Updated
Albanese wants voice legislation to be ‘in place’ during this term of parliament
For those keeping a close eye on developments around the voice to parliament, Anthony Albanese’s address to the National Press Club had a fair sprinkling of new information, including a hope for major advances in the structure during this term of parliament, plus further plans for more compromise with the Coalition opposition.
Natasha earlier brought you nearly the whole speech, but it’s worth stepping through some of the dense rhetoric to get at the new nuggets of information. Asked about the voice, Albanese said he wanted “that legislation to be in place during this term” of parliament.
Now that’s a new formulation of words since he told your correspondent here that he wanted to introduce the legislation for the voice (pending a successful referendum) in this term, due to expire in mid-2025 if the government goes full term. “In place” seems to hint at the voice being operational by then, not simply having the legislation introduced.
Asked about such a timetable by the Australian newspaper two weeks ago, Indigenous Australians minister Linda Burney wouldn’t commit to standing up the voice in this term. So, “in place” seems a bit new.
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What are Australia’s tax concessions on super and are they a problem?
The Albanese government wants superannuation to be “equitable and sustainable”, leaving the door open to caps on balances or trimming tax concessions.
Now that Labor and the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, have started the “national conversation” around potential changes, our Paul Karp explains what the tax concessions on super are and why they are a growing cost to the budget.
Malarndirri McCarthy on voice: ‘an ongoing process’
Assistant minister for Indigenous Australians senator Malarndirri McCarthy has been asked on ABC if there was significance in comments made today by minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney that there would be a voice to the parliament, not the government.
McCarthy said:
This is an ongoing process. We are going to introduce legislation into the Australian parliament in March and politicians and Australians will have an opportunity to respond.
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Airbnb opposes short-term rental caps in Byron
Airbnb has opposed a proposal to cap short-term rentals in Byron Bay to 90 days a year, questioning whether it would ease the housing crisis gripping the town.
Steven Berveling, a representative of the company, told the New South Wales Independent Planning Commission’s public hearing into the proposal that reducing the number of days available for short-term rentals would have a “questionable impact”.
He said:
Airbnb questions whether the proposal will make a positive contribution to the rental market, given the consequential negative impacts that you’ve heard about. It’s very much a balancing act.
We recognise that and we understand and we hear the concern in Byron local government area regarding the rental housing market.
The imposition of a 90-day cap will significantly reduce the employment in the tourism and hospitality sector in Byron local government area, and will have a questionable impact on the rental market, especially for affordable housing.
It comes on the second day of the public hearings, where the commission heard from a variety of small businesses who argued that the proposed cap, which would apply to certain zones in the shire, would reduce tourism numbers and negatively affect the local economy.
The commission heard yesterday of the impacts short-term rentals were having on the region, which has been deeply affected by a housing crisis, with many essential workers unable to find housing and being forced to leave.
Today is the final day of the public hearing, with the IPC due to produce advice to the minister in the coming weeks.
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Man arrested over Flowerdale grassfire north of Melbourne
A man has been arrested after a large grassfire broke out north of Melbourne, AAP reports.
The 71-year-old man was arrested earlier on Wednesday by local detectives, the arson squad and CFA investigators.
He was released pending further inquiries and the investigation is ongoing.
It’s believed the fire started in the Spring Valley Road area on Tuesday afternoon before spreading to nearby bushland.
The blaze has grown to more than 710 hectares in size and is heading in a northerly direction.
An emergency warning was initially issued for Flowerdale residents, although it was downgraded to a watch-and-act message on Wednesday morning.
People in Flowerdale, Dairy Creek, Homewood, Kerrisdale and Strath Creek are being told to monitor conditions and be prepared to act.
More than 50 CFA units and 10 water-bombing aircraft have been battling the grassfire across steep, inaccessible terrain.
No homes have been confirmed as lost although one property was superficially damaged in the blaze, a CFA spokesperson told AAP.
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Santos more than doubles its profits on gas
Australian oil and gas company Santos has more than doubled its profits on gas after a merger and surging oil and gas prices.
Reuters reports Santos lifted its final dividend by more than 77% on Wednesday after reporting a more than doubling of profit on beefed-up LNG portfolio after its merger with Oil Search and surging oil and gas prices, sending its shares more than 4% higher.
Energy firms globally are seeing their profits balloon, as LNG prices remained higher after European sanctions on Russian energy exports, squeezing an already tight oil and gas market.
Santos also saw its underlying annual profit shoot up from increased LNG position in Papua New Guinea after its merger with Oil Search in late 2021, boosting its annual output 12%, with average realised price for LNG up 68% at US$15.5 a million British thermal units.
The Santos chief executive, Kevin Gallagher, said:
Demand for our products has remained strong in both Australia and internationally, due to increased demand and shortages of supply from producing nations because of global underinvestment in new supply sources.
Underlying profit rose to US$2.46bn (A$3.6bn) for last year from US$946m (A$1,384m) a year earlier.
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Queensland takes next step on path to Indigenous treaty
The Queensland government has proposed Indigenous treaty laws, AAP reports. The bill includes:
Setting up a First Nations treaty institute to prepare and support Indigenous treaty negotiations, with the majority of the institute’s 10 members being Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people with all members chosen by the minister.
The institute will draw up a framework for the treaty-making process but it will not represent the state or be a party to any negotiations.
A truth telling and healing inquiry will be set up to hear and document the continuing impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Hearings must be conducted in a way that accords with the right to a fair hearing and the bill includes a clause that the inquiry must observe natural justice.
Certain laws affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that are not compatible with human rights or the government’s treaty aims will be repealed.
These include a 1984 law allowing the chief executive of Community Enterprise Queensland to manage the money and property of Indigenous people indefinitely.
Updated
Thanks Natasha for all your work today! I’ll now be with you for the rest of the afternoon.
Thanks for your attention today, especially those of you who followed all the posts that came out of Albanese’s National Press Club speech. Jordyn Beazley now has the blog – see you tomorrow!
Education minister wants ‘a blueprint for change’ for universities
The minister for education, Jason Clare, says he wants to deliver “long-lasting change” following the release of the Australian universities accord discussion paper.
Submissions for the next stage of the accord will be open until 11 April, with the process to plan for the next three decades of growth in the higher education sector.
Clare said:
More than nine in 10 jobs in the future will require post-school qualifications, so it is critical that we build a higher education sector that is fit-for-purpose.
This is about creating a sector that meets future skills needs and delivers real opportunity for all Australians regardless of their background. I want this to deliver a blueprint for real and long-lasting change.
Universities Australia has welcomed the release of the discussion paper to guide the development of the accord.
The chief executive, Catriona Jackson, said Australia’s future success, safety and prosperity depended on a strong university system and the accord was the change to “get the policy and funding settings right”:
We welcome confirmation that the review will focus on making university more accessible to all Australians, regardless of their background, and look at reforming university structures.
More jobs in the future will require a university degree. We need to get this right for the benefit of universities, students and, most importantly, our economy and the nation more broadly.
This is the biggest opportunity for policy reform in our sector in decades. We must grasp it with both hands and be bold in ambition and rigorous in process.
Clare will appear at the Universities Australia gala dinner on Wednesday evening.
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‘Goldilocks’ wages result (unless you’re fed up with gruel)
A couple of economists have described ABS’s 3.3% wage price index (WPI) result for the December quarter (from a year earlier) as a “Goldilocks” report. Neither too hot nor too cold, in other words.
The head of Australian economics for Commonwealth Bank, Gareth Aird, is one of them.
Aird said:
Wages in Australia, as measured by the WPI, are simply tracking exactly where the RBA would like them to settle over the medium term.
Along with the rise in the jobless rate to 3.7% in January from 3.5% in December, we’ve now had two key sets of data since the Reserve Bank lifted its interest rate on 7 February (for a record ninth consecutive time).
“[The] peak tightness in the labour market is now behind us,” Aird says, with the tightest point landing in the September quarter. Since then, we have also had a drop in vacancies and job ads, and migration has picked up too.
Aird notes that WPI including bonuses also slowed from 3.8% in the September quarter to 3.5% in the December one. While the RBA does look into wider salary measures such as bonuses, Aird makes the point that one-off payments to keep or attract workers tend to be discarded when the economy slows.
The Commonwealth Bank thinks the WPI will peak at 3.8% in the middle of this year, shy of the 4.2% maximum predicted by the RBA. “As such, we expect inflation to subside more quickly than the RBA,” Aird says.
The RBA, in other words, now has a good reason to pause before too long in its series of rate hikes.
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NSW Labor promises more than $100m for live music scene
The New South Wales Labor party says if it is elected in the March state election it will invest $103m in the state’s music scene to revive lost venues.
🪩 Labor announces it will invest $103 million in NSW’s music scene to bring back lost music venues if it wins at the election. More pressers with disco balls, please. 🪩 pic.twitter.com/9gQNHHIDnx
— Tamsin Rose (@tamsinroses) February 22, 2023
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Review into higher education identifies placements as biggest challenge
Prof Mary O’Kane, who is leading a major review into higher education, is speaking at the Universities Australia conference.
Today, the body’s first accord discussion paper was released, highlighting seven broad terms of reference.
O’Kane says the three that must be delivered on are knowledge and skills of the future, including encouraging higher take-up in bachelor degrees, improvement in access and opportunity among underrepresented groups and improving research issues.
The system isn’t perfect, none of us think it is … funding is still a real problem, recognition of higher learning is hardly where it needs to be … industry often complains it can’t link university research, it’s not practical.
Australia is very weak in terms of its results against its OECD peers [in terms of innovation] … there is something going wrong. We might be educating people well but not educating them for what is needed.
Above all, people want opportunity for all. Students want … a rethink of the contributions they make in student fees [and] those of you who work in education raised funding in all its forms.
She says the biggest issue that has been raised thus far was regarding placements – compulsory for many degrees including nursing and social work – and whether students should be paid for work-integrated learning.
O’Kane said she has received “every indication” the accord has bipartisan support, and dialogue with the Coalition will take place in the next phase.
The full report, the largest reform to the sector in 15 years, will be released at the end of 2023.
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Defence pursuing joint patrols with Philippines in South China Sea, Marles says
Marles went on to say what is on the agenda for the two nations:
Today, building on that sense of strategic alignment, we have talked about the way in which we can take what has been a very strong relationship between our two countries over many decades to an even higher level. And really an unprecedented level.
Later this year we look forward to signing the strategic partnership between our two countries which comes on top of the first meeting between prime minister Albanese and president Marcus in November of last year.
As we have both said, we will be establishing an annual basis as a result of today’s meeting, defence ministers meeting between our two countries it becomes a form institutional part of the architecture of our two countries. We look forward to the first of those meetings after this occurring in Australia where will be welcoming Carlito back to his second home.
We’re going work together to look at ways in which we can deepen the opportunities where Filipino servicemen and women can work alongside Australian servicemen and women. To that end, we are building upon the trading occurring right now and looking at ways in which we can pursue joint patrols together in the South China Sea. Looking at ways in which we can do more exercises together.
We are sending one of the largest contingents to exercise Balakatan in the coming months. We look forward to the Philippines for the first time sending servicemen to exercise Talisman Sabre in Australia in August.
All of this speaks to a deepening relationship, a relationship built by very strong foundation. Both at the level of government and the level of people. We’re really excited and filled with optimism about where this relationship goes.
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Marles steps up afterward, emphasising the friendship between Australia and the Phillipines and saying there has never been greater strategic alignment between the two nations.
Can I start by thanking the secretary and general for having me and my delegation here. It feels very significant to be leading the first ministerial delegation from our country to the Philippines since the election here and the election in Australia last year. What is really clear, as Carlito and I got to meet straightaway, there is a sense of rapport and warmth and friendship in our relationship which I think speaks to the one that exists between our two nations.
There are deep connections over a long period of time between Australia and the Philippines, the people to people connections. Today the Filipino Australian community numbers are 400,000, one of the largest in our country and one of the largest Filipino diasporas around the world.
What it means is that there are so many people across both of our countries that have deep connections with each other in our respective countries. Those connections underpin a sense of warmth, sense of trust, a sense of affection. When we start talking about our strategic interests and the matters which go to our nations, those discussions happen upon a really solid personal human foundation of trust, friendship and affection.
Today I think Australia and the Philippines have a greater strategic alignment than we have had in any prime minister area, and our respective history. Both countries are allies of the United States, both countries have China as our largest trading partners. Both the Philippines and Australia are completely committed to a global rule-based order. It is deeply connected to our respective national interests that the rules of the road as they apply in a body of water such as the South China Sea, the word conviction, all these principles are completely essential to our national interest. And to our collective security.
Updated
The defence minster, Richard Marles, has just met with his Philippine counterpart, Carlito Galvez Jr, in Manila. The pair are now giving a media conference.
Galvez Jr says:
This visit has demonstrated the commitment of the Australian and Philippine governments to further deepen our bilateral defence relations between nations. As deputy prime minister Richard Marles said, Australia’s leadership is founded on a history of personal connections and shared interest. Our nations look forward in elevating our partnership as agreed by the Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese last November.
During our meeting, the deputy prime minister and minister for defence and I discussed the defence cooperation between our countries. In particular, we recorded a successful conduct of last year’s bilateral dialogue. An engagement across several areas of collaboration because we also agreed to explore other possible areas of cooperation.
We reaffirmed the need to continue working together towards a common goal of maintaining a free, open and secure diplomacy agreement. The Philippines also said its appreciation for Australia support and its continued support during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Australian government donated more than 8m doses of vaccine.
The Philippines and Australia believe the importance of the collaboration along like-minded security. In the region where nations stood freely and sidestepped someone by pursuing stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific and Indo-Pacific region. Building on our defence departments to regularly meet, I look forward to the next meeting with the deputy prime minister in Australia. I really love Australia.
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Yes campaign begins in South Australia
A key part of the yes campaign for a voice to parliament kicked off in Adelaide this morning, with organisers declaring it the start of a nationwide conversation.
After a two-day “campaign lab”, discussing strategies for the referendum with a range of organisations, community groups, faith groups and businesses, the official launch of the campaign will be held tomorrow afternoon.
From the Heart campaign director, Dean Parkin, said it was about bringing the conversation “out of the bubble and bringing it back to the ground”. He said:
We put our belief in the people of Australia, not the politicians and government so much. There’s been a lot of talk from them over the last little while. Today is all about bringing it back to where this conversation and this campaign should be, which is back with community.
Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition co-chair, Rachel Perkins, said it was “the beginning of a conversation with the whole nation”. She said:
There’s a lot of people out there who are trying to confuse the issue, trying to bring misinformation. And what we want to say to Australians is this is a simple, modest proposal.
It is about our people having a voice in parliament, so that when laws are made … that we are able to have a say in them, to improve those laws, so that they’re better, so that we get good outcomes for our people.
That is the message that we want Australians to hear. We also want Australians to be able to acknowledge the deep history of this country, 65,000 years, at least, our people have been in this country. That should be reflected in our foundational document.
A successful referendum would allow Australians to “move forward positively together knowing that a majority of us have supported this change in our modern democracy and given our people a rightful place in our own country”, Perkins said.
Updated
In that response, Albanese went on to praise the coalition of religious leaders who’ve come out in support of the voice, saying the joint letter they released this morning was “incredibly significant.”
As our Indigenous affairs editor Lorena Allam wrote in a blog post earlier, the coalition of national religious groups has written to all federal parliamentarians urging them to “cooperate across political divides” in support of the upcoming voice referendum.
And I am very hopeful that the Australian people will vote to recognise First Nations people in our Constitution to show them that respect. And I note today, it wasn’t splashed anywhere, but today, the significance of faith leaders, Catholics, Anglicans, Muslims, Hindu, Buddhist leaders, putting a joint statement pleading – pleading – for support for the Voice and support for constitutional recognition was, in my view, incredibly significant. Because it was them putting forward their values proposition just as sporting organisations, the business community and others, the trade union movement, are all backing so strongly in civil society this change.
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Albanese was also asked by The Australian for his response to critics who say it’s been a failure of his government not to outline a preferred model on an Indigenous voice to parliament at this stage in the debate.
PM:
People can choose to try to spread misinformation or pretend that they don’t know about issues which are so clear even though they all know that it won’t have a right of veto, it won’t be a funding body, it won’t run programs.
It’s not going to sit around the cabinet table. It is just a request for consultation.
Good manners is the way that I was brought up. If I’m going to have an impact on you, then you go and ask. If the press gallery is about to change its structure and knock down the Australian bureau and move it somewhere else, chances are that someone would come in and tell you that and say - what do you think?
You know, it is not too much to ask.
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The ABC’s Andrew Probyn asks the PM to clarify some comments the minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, made about the voice:
As you’re well aware, there’s a bit of a debate about the inclusion of executive government in the proposed wording. And there’s some views for and against, including the views of Frank Brennan.
My good colleagues, Patricia Karvelas and Fran Kelly had the minister for Indigenous Australian on their podcast earlier this week. And on that, Linda Burney said, “There will be a voice - not to the government, but a voice to the parliament.”
Are we to conclude from that statement that a decision has been made to remove executive government from that proposed amendment? Can you explain it?
Albanese:
No.
Probyn:
Can you explain it?
Albanese:
You asked a question, I gave a very straight answer. No. We haven’t determined... There’s a process here. Again, it’s not my decision. There’s a process of working this through. And one of the things that I’ve said to the members who sit opposite is, they’re participants in this process.
I want to bring as many people as possible on this journey. That’s my starting point. Very clearly. Now, I don’t know the context in which you’ve said that. There is, I’m aware that there is a view over whether it be executive government or government. Those things will be worked through.
You will have, in March, the presentation of legislation to the parliament. It will be moved in the parliament. There will then be a parliamentary committee process allowing people to have all of the input and every person, either a legal expert or someone who thinks they’re a legal expert will be able to make submissions to that process. I am not being prescriptive. I have never been prescriptive. I want this to happen. Australia needs this to happen. But it’s not my process.
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Albanese insists Australia will maintain sovereignty in Aukus deal
Our very own political editor Katharine Murphy takes the PM back to Aukus:
Hello, PM I want to return to Aukus if I can and sovereignty which has been a major feature of your speech today. Military history gives us plenty of examples where the interests of Australia and a major security ally have not aligned. John Curtin thrashed that out at the Lodge during World War II on a number of occasions.
So my question is quite simple. In relation to nuclear submarines, if there is a conflict between the United States, the United Kingdom and ourselves, about where these assets would be deployed during a conflict - we might have different views about where they should be - who is the decision maker? Is it us? Or is it more muddy than that? Because, will it require concurrence, because there’ll need to be operational oversight of the vessels by either the UK or the US?
Albanese:
Australia will maintain our sovereignty.
Murphy:
In all circumstances?
Albanese:
Australia will maintain our sovereignty. That’s a decision for Australia as a sovereign nation, just as the United States will maintain its sovereignty and the United kingdom will maintain its.
Michelle Grattan from The Conversation pressed the PM further on superannuation:
Just to take up this question of the purpose of superannuation - if and when you get a definition of that purpose, a new definition, would that rule out the sort of policy that the Coalition offered? In other words, would that purpose be legally tight? Or would there still be flexibility for that sort of promise?
Albanese:
Well, that’s something that pre-empts us receiving it, and then determining how we will proceed once we have that.
If you look at what occurred during the pandemic, where, for so many people, particularly younger people, and younger women, they were left with zero in their superannuation accounts because money was withdrawn during that. Now, that was a tough time. But down the track, that is going to cost much more for those people and for their quality of life than the amounts that were withdrawn, which is why we expressed concern at the time about how that was being used.
So, we’ll receive the report. One of the things about my government is that sometimes to the frustration of some people in this room, and I understand that you’ve got a job to do as well. But our job is to act in an orderly fashion, to receive advice, to consider it through a proper cabinet process and then to make announcements. And that was part of the theme I hope came through in the speech today. It is a different way of trying to frame the way that government acts beyond the 24-hour media cycle, and sometimes, that can cause political issues. But I think it’s a price worth paying because you get better policy and outcomes if you react that way. And that’s how we intend to deal with this issue as well.
Updated
Circling back to the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, at the National Press Club. He’s been asked about how it’s fair to low to middle-income people, particularly women, who have little to no superannuation, to see people on high incomes getting billions of dollars in super tax concessions at a time of an unprecedented cost of living crisis.
His response:
One of the things that we have said is that if you look at projections going forward, potentially the concessions in superannuation will be higher cost to the budget than the aged pension is down the track. Now, it is right to look at sustainability of progress.
We said that we would not have any major changes in superannuation, and that is certainly our intention. But we’ll receive the review and the report into superannuation. We think that it is important that this continue, and that we do have a debate about the purposing of superannuation, of reinforcing what it is there for, as opposed to, we saw during the election campaign, a last minute, or last week commitment or promise from the Coalition. One that we rejected and one that we won’t be proceeding down that track with.
A car has crashed into a popular cafe in Cairns injuring at least six people.
Police were called to Ozmosis Cafe and Trattoria Bar on Collins Ave at 11.24am on Tuesday.
They said they understood the driver to be an elderly woman in her 80s.
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DHS wiped the debt of woman challenging robodebt, inquiry told
The robodebt royal commission is hearing how the Department of Human Services (DHS) sought to make a landmark test case “go away” by zeroing the debt of the welfare recipient challenging the scheme’s legality.
Guardian Australia revealed in May 2019 how the department had wiped Madeleine Masterton’s debt, before telling the federal court it no longer had a case to answer. Government lawyers denied in court that it had acted in bad faith.
Appearing at the royal commission on Wednesday, Matthew Roser, who was general counsel at DHS and among those handling the litigation, was asked about advice from the Australian government solicitor showing the department had not wanted the court to make a ruling on the scheme.
The inquiry heard the department decided to recalculate Masterton’s debt using basic information contained in her affidavit to the court – a method which was entirely contrary to its usual policy.
According to the commissioner, Catherine Holmes SC, this effectively meant the department was willing to “accept her word” that she had reported her income correctly. The inquiry heard the affidavit merely said that Masterton had reported her income to the best of her knowledge, providing no payslips or other information to substantiate the claim.
Roser – who repeatedly insisted his focus was only on finalising the litigation appropriately – said he was relying on advice from the department’s customer compliance team, which advised it was possible to use the affidavit as evidence. He noted Masteron’s affidavit was “sworn evidence”.
Holmes replied:
So if all those people had contacted Centrelink saying I declared my income properly and had just put stat decs in that would have been accepted?
Roser said that was a question for the customer compliance team.
Holmes said that welfare recipients who had done this would have not stood an “ice cube’s chance” against the robodebt scheme, which she said was designed to use “income averaged” ATO data unless the recipient provided other evidence.
Counsel assisting, Angus Scott KC, said: “The way this looks, Mr Roser, was the department was proposing to act contrary to its normal approach, and risked setting a precedent for future customer contact, in order to make this litigation go away.”
Roser said he accepted this was how it appeared, but reiterated his focus was only on finalising the litigation appropriately.
He said:
My thinking, as I said, was to [resolve] the litigation in accordance with the directions, that was my driver. And this seemed to be a perfectly reasonable opportunity to do that.”
The inquiry continues.
Updated
RBA’s wage-price spiral fears not realised - so far
If RBA governor Philip Lowe was fronting the parliamentary committee or estimates this week, he’d probably be less confident about the need for more interest rate rises in coming months, given the December quarter wage price index was only 3.3%.
While the WPI is not the only gauge of salary pressure in the economy, it is a key one. According to the RBA’s quarterly statement on monetary policy released 12 days ago, wage growth had “picked up, particularly in the private sector, consistent with the tight labour market”.
The bank forecasts the WPI to peak “at around 4.25% late in the year.” Given unemployment is starting to rise again - albeit the January jobless tally of 3.7% remains near half-century lows - it’s reasonable to ask whether the WPI is likely to accelerate almost a whole percentage point by the December quarter.
Reaction to today’s wage numbers includes a slight weakening in the Australian dollar against the US counterpart as investors pared bets of future RBA rate hikes. Lower borrowing costs are good for corporate profits, so it’s not surprising to see stocks halve their earlier losses for the day to be about 0.4% lower in recent trading.
Economists such as David Bassanese of BetaShares reckon that a 50 basis-point hike in the cash rate when the RBA board next meets on 7 March will be off the agenda.
Among the states and territories, Western Australia led gains in wages at the end of last year.
WA led other states and territories in wage gains (excluding bonuses, etc) at the end of 2022. (Source: ABS) pic.twitter.com/hHUfzTZF3n
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) February 22, 2023
Unemployment in January was 3.7% in WA. NSW, which had the lowest jobless rate last month of 3.2%, wasn’t doing so well on the wages front, at least for the December quarter. Its 3.3% annual advance was only in line with the national average.
You can follow along at home here:
Updated
Mark Dreyfus reveals he applied for Alan Johns sentencing remarks
This morning we reported on the ACT supreme court mention of the Alan Johns (also known as Witness J) matter, and the fact sentencing remarks are now likely to be released.
The attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, who Guardian Australia reported in December had approved a version of the sentencing remarks for release, has now revealed he applied for the court to release them.
A spokesperson for Dreyfus said:
The attorney general believes court proceedings, including judgments and reasons, should be as open as possible whilst ensuring national security information is protected.
The attorney general requested this matter be listed for a hearing on the publication of reasons and first wrote to the court in relation to the matter in August 2022.
It is a matter for the court to determine what is published. The government is committed to ensuring that appropriate laws are in place to ensure the proper administration of justice and protection of national security information.
Updated
Albanese is now taking questions – we’ll bring you what he has to say but first just a few news items from my colleagues that have come through while the PM was speaking.
Albanese wraps up his speech on a note of optimism of Australian’s being able to rise to the opportunities of the nation’s advantages:
In all its forms, our future security depends on engaging with the world and shaping change. That’s what drives our government’s ambition for Australia - not division and fear and negativity, but optimism and purpose and urgency.
Because, as I said here at the National Press Club just three days before polling day, unless we shape the future, the future will shape us. And I have no doubt that Australians can rise to this moment and make this decade and beyond our own. We have enormous advantages if we’re prepared to seize the opportunities that are right there before us.
My government is working every day to build greater security for the nation in our economy and in people’s daily lives by engaging in our region, by investing in our sovereignty, our self reliance, our capacity to make things here again. By seizing the opportunities of renewable energy. By building an economy that embraces innovation and productivity, repays hard work and rewards initiative. And by strengthening the services people rely upon.
This is the better and more secure future we are determined to deliver. A better future made right here in Australia. Thank you very much.
Updated
Albanese is now digging into his frustration with the opposition’s refusal to cooperate with his government’s plans.
We recognise there are very few quick fixes here. We want to build to last. And that takes time. And yet for every question facing the nation, our opponents offer the same answer - no. For a decade in government, they created these problems, and now in opposition, they stand in the way of solutions.
Using the favourite rhetorical technique of anaphora, Albanese repeats “they’ve said no to” at the beginning of successive phrases to drive home his point they are continuing the “no-alition” tradition of the Abbott years:
After a decade of inflicting low wages as a deliberate design feature of their economic architecture, they said no to increasing the minimum wage. They’ve said no to secure jobs and better pay. They’ve said no to making gender equity and job security objectives of the Fair Work Act. They’ve said no to helping the heroes of the pandemic by increasing their wages.
After a decade of denial and delay on climate change, a decade of chaos and paralysis on energy policy, they said no to the new jobs and opportunities of renewable energy. They said no in December to helping families with their power bills. They said no to energy security for Australian manufacturing. No to the safeguard mechanism that they designed in government and that the Australian business community are crying out for them to support to give them the certainty that they need.
After a decade of hollowing out our skills base and driving manufacturing offshore, they’re saying no to the national reconstruction fund. No to making things here again. No to 180,000 fee-free Tafe places. And after a decade of ignoring Australia’s housing challenges, they’re saying no to the housing Australia future fund. No to the housing supply and affordability council. No to more crisis accommodation for women and children escaping domestic violence. No to better housing for veterans. No alternatives, no amendments, no compromise, no contribution. Just the same relentless negativity that defined the “No-alition” under Tony Abbott.
Such a contrast to the constructive approach that we took in opposition during the pandemic. Where even if we disagreed with elements of various economic stimulus, even if we sought to move amendments, they gave an assurance of our bipartisan support, because we understood that in tough times, we knew the responsibility that we had to the nation.
I want Australians to enjoy a more secure nation with more secure industries and more secure jobs. To have a better future. The Liberals want the next 10 years to look like the last 10 years. Well, you can’t deliver for people if you’re just trying to divide the nation.
Updated
Albanese moves on to climate, industry, and skills and the way these different sectors overlap in shaping the future economy.
But I do want to make this point - I’ve made it before, but it’s worth repeating. The entry ticket, the threshold credibility test for so many of these conversations is our commitment to act on climate change.
Upgrading our national emissions reduction target to 43% by 2030 sent a message to the world about Australia returning to the ranks of responsible nations. But the target, the number, is only the what. The safeguard mechanism before the parliament right now is a big part of the how. It will empower business and industry with the certainty and confidence to invest in reducing their emissions.
Meaningful action on climate change is our environmental responsibility. But it is also central to our diplomatic strategy, and it represents a transformative economic opportunity. Energy security is national security, and Australia can be a renewable energy superpower.
… Powering our industries here at home to produce low emission products like green steel and green aluminium and green ammonia, and exporting clean energy, green hydrogen, critical minerals and value-added products. Energy security is a pressing global challenge. We can make it a national economic strength if we get it right.
Albanese says the $15bn National Reconstruction Fund (NRF) is modelled on the success of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, which has been “a proven vehicle for driving an enhancement of private sector capital.”
The NRF is linked to Jobs and Skills Australia, is linked to fee-free Tafe, is linked to clean energy plans as well. It’s a plan for the future growth of our economy. Of taking advantage of where we find ourselves in 2023. Shaping the future - not being scared of it. These reforms boost economic security for business and industry.
Updated
Thousands of lightning strikes hit Sydney
Dipping out of the prime minister’s speech for a second to bring you this pretty startling figure: there have been more than 22,000 lightning strikes in Sydney since 3pm yesterday. That’s according to Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino.
This map shows more than 22,000 lightning strikes that were detected within 100 km of Sydney during the 12 hours starting at 3pm on Tuesday. In addition to prolific lightning, this system also produced flash flooding and waterspouts!
— Ben Domensino (@Ben_Domensino) February 22, 2023
Details here: https://t.co/ZGEPPD05OQ pic.twitter.com/sPyqA08NSw
Updated
Albanese moves onto international engagement, saying the government is taking a “family-first approach” to regional security with a focus on the Pacific. He says the government is “seeking to build security in the Indo-Pacific - not from it.”
Today, I also want to make this point - Australia’s international engagement is an essential part of my Government’s approach to national security. From day one, we have made it a priority to rebuild Australia’s standing and influence, emphasising that we work with our Pacific neighbours as partners and equals, with a shared interest and a shared responsibility to build a more secure and peaceful and prosperous region.
And in the months ahead, reflecting the focus our Government has placed on a family-first approach to regional security, we expect to sign our bilateral security agreement with Papua New Guinea and ratify our newly-signed bilateral security agreement with Vanuatu.
Through APEC, ASEAN and the East Asia Summit, we’ve worked to deepen our connections and our strategic dialogue in South-East Asia, making sure that Australian companies can seize the extraordinary chance we have to be a partner of choice to some of the fastest growing economies in the world. And towards the middle of the year, I’ll be hosting the Quad Leaders summit. I’m looking forward to welcoming the leaders of three of our Indo-Pacific partners, Japan, the United States and India, for prosperity.
Our government has worked hard to stabilise our relationship with China, our major trading partner, recognising the value of direct dialogue, seeking to cooperate where we can, while being prepared to disagree where we must. And always acting in the national interest and in support of regional stability.
In the best tradition of outward looking engaged Labor governments, we’re seeking to build security in the Indo-Pacific - not from it. And this is where Penny Wong has done such an extraordinary job demonstrating that Australia is back at the table as a supporter of the rules-based order, as a constructive member of multilateral forums, and as a trusted partner for regional cooperation and bilateral negotiations.
Albanese makes the announcement that a cybersecurity summit will take place next week:
As Richard Marles has said, national security demands a whole-of-nation effort. It also presents a whole-of-nation opportunity for new jobs, new industries and new expertise in science and technology and cyber.
Our collective cyber capability is, of course, a critical asset for our national security. And, as if we needed a reminder, the data breaches of last year gave it to us. It’s vital to protect our economy, our businesses, and our privacy.
And that’s why next week in Sydney, I’ll be convening a cyber security roundtable. Clare O’Neil and I will be bringing together representatives from civil society security agencies and the public service to discuss the shared imperative we all have to uplift our cyber security. This will be another important step ahead of the delivery of our national cyber security strategy later this year.
Updated
Albanese has moved on to Aukus:
I want to outline to you, a section from the review’s foreword, and it said this. “Australia has a strong and deep alliance with the United States. A professional defence force and defence organisation, and an enviable international reputation as a capability in peacekeeping and humanitarian and disaster relief.”
All Australians can take pride in this, and we should take confidence from it, because with the right investments in our capability and our sovereignty, our defence force can be made ready for future challenges.
These investments include: Announcing, through Aukus, the optimal pathway, by which Australia will operate our nuclear-powered submarines. Now, this will be the single biggest leap in our defence capability in our history.
Aukus is about much more than nuclear submarines, or even technological inter-operability. Aukus is about the future. It further formalises the common values and the shared interests that our three nations have in preserving peace and upholding the rules and institutions that secure our region and our world.
Australia has long understood that partnerships and alliances are key to our security. And that’s still true today. But we recognise that pursuing and defending our sovereign interests and contributing to regional stability requires us to build our sovereign defence capability, including advanced manufacturing.
Updated
Albanese says he was handed the final report of the defence strategic review last week by former Chief of Defence Force, Sir Angus Houston, who has described it as the most important work he’s done in defence.
My team and I are determined to bring a greater sense of purpose to the work of Government. Lifting Australia out of the cycle of neglect and crisis and hurried announcement, and instead, balancing urgent action with a focus on long-term reform and investment, delivering the lasting progress that Australia needs. Building greater security for our nation, greater confidence in our economy and greater stability in people’s lives.
This begins, of course, with the first priority and the foremost responsibility of any government and national security.
Last week, the deputy prime minister and I received the final report of the defence strategic review. The former Chief of Defence Force, Sir Angus Houston, has described this as the most important work he’s done in defence. Quite an extraordinary statement for him to make given his incredible contribution to this nation.
Updated
Albanese opens his speech saying his government’s focus is on providing stability, confidence and security despite the “decade of national policy failures” under the previous Coalition government and global shocks.
Greater security in the economy, in energy, and industry, and jobs and wages. Greater security in Medicare and childcare and aged care, in education and skills and housing, in building and delivering the infrastructure and the services that Australians rely on, and in defence and national security, investing to our sovereignty, strengthening Australia’s relationships in the region, and securing our place in the world.
After nine months in government, my colleagues and I are fully aware of the size and scale of the problems that we inherited. Across portfolios we are confronting a decade of national policy failures. Failures which have been exposed and compounded which global shocks.
The cost of living pressures Australians are facing can be traced back to a global pandemic that constricted supply chains, making it more difficult and more expensive to bring things here. But also a hollowing out of local manufacturing that meant we weren’t making enough things here. Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine has pushed up energy prices around the world. And it comes on top of years spent attacking renewables and neglecting to upgrade our energy grid, meaning that energy prices were more vulnerable to international movements than they should have been.
Albanese steps up to speak for National Press Club address
After an acknowledgement of country, the PM also recognises the other attendees including the the Crown Prince of Tonga:
I would also like to acknowledge that His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of Tonga, is joining us in the audience. I want to acknowledge my colleagues who are here, Katy Gallagher, Tony Burke, Michelle Rowland, Andrew Leigh, Swanson and Dave Smith.
Updated
PM about to address National Press Club
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is about to step up to deliver his address to the National Press Club in Canberra – Laura Tingle is just introducing him now.
Our political editor, Katharine Murphy, has seen an advanced copy of the speech and has already brought you this dispatch this morning:
Anthony Albanese will flag additional investment in Australia’s military capability during a major speech in Canberra on Wednesday, while characterising the next steps in the contentious Aukus nuclear-powered submarine pact as the “single biggest leap in our defence capability in our history”.
Amid persistent speculation the prime minister will travel to the US in March to unveil next steps in Aukus, Albanese will use a speech to the National Press Club as a scene setter for the government’s response to the landmark Defence Strategic Review, undertaken by the former defence force chief Angus Houston and the former defence minister Stephen Smith.
Read the story here:
Updated
Yes campaign in voice referendum launches offical name
The Yes side for the Indigenous voice to parliament referendum has officially launched its new name, logo and branding - and will formally work under the name Yes 23.
Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition, one of the major campaign vehicles for the referendum, is behind the new branding. From The Heart, a different campaign organisation but linked to AICR, is also involved. The Yes23 website launched today, presenting options for supporters to volunteer and sign up to mailing lists.
The website said the referendum would bring “the kind of change that only comes once in a generation.”
Every minute counts. Together we can cut out the bureaucracy and party politics to ensure that real community voices are heard,” it said, in encouraging volunteers to sign up.
This is a moment for all of us to come together and make a positive impact for future generations.
It’s a rare chance to make a major positive impact now and for future generations.
From The Heart is running a field campaign lab in Adelaide this week, bringing together hundreds of campaigners for strategy and planning sessions. There will be a major campaign launch there tomorrow, which we’ll bring you more news on later.
This is a simple and powerful step that we can take as a nation to recognise and honour the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The website also offers campaign resources like information sheets on “a guide to talking about voice to parliament”, posters, flyers, email signature blocks, merchandise designs, selfie frames and other branding.
Updated
The storms that battered NSW last night have also started multiple fires in the central west, the New South Wales’ Rural Fire Service says.
With fires, floods and storm damage all occurring yesterday evening, it’s been a busy 24 hours for #NSWRFS crews. The storms that moved across NSW started multiple fires in the central west, before heavy downpours caused flash flooding and storm damage to coastal communities. pic.twitter.com/VuexVS2ZP8
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) February 22, 2023
Updated
Public sector wage gains lagged private ones
The data from the ABS on weak wage growth seems to owe a lot to meagre rises for government workers.
Compared with a year ago, private sector workers were pulling in 3.6% higher wages while those in the public sector only 2.5%, seasonally adjusted.
Private sector wages were up 3.6% in the December quarter from a year earlier, while public sector wages rose only 2.5%, the ABS says. pic.twitter.com/NseLMGykiw
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) February 22, 2023
It’s interesting to note that public sector wages are subject to caps, such as the 3% (plus a couple of extras) for NSW. Labor, which is trying to win office in a month’s time, wants to do away with those caps.
On a quarterly basis, wages overall rose 0.8%, which was a decline from the pace in the September quarter alone. Economists had been tipping wages would pick up 1%, and hence, another sign of weak growth.
Those in the accommodation and food services sector had the largest quarterly rise in wages at 1.7%, while those in admin and support services needed a bit more support of their own, trailing with a gain of just 0.3%, the worst performer.
On an annual basis, those in the wholesale trade fared best with a 4.2% increase. Education and training only recorded a 2.4% rise, not exactly good news for those worried about a shortage of teachers.
Updated
Davis says it is the “role of universities” to get behind the yes movement
I don’t really stomach that we are mere facilitators of the debate ... universities say they don’t want to be political, but the decision not to take a stance for Uluru and the referendum for a voice to parliament is a political decision.
Silence is political. We have strong positions on freedom of speech which is political. We withdraw from investing in some industries, which is political. Such a position is even more irksome for those universities with Reconciliation Action Plans ... universities work on dispossessed land. That is a fact.”
The UNSW lecturer thanked her university for developing its own Indigenous strategy and listening to its First Nations staff.
I’m tremendously proud of the University of New South Wales ... they’re very firm and unequivocal support for the referendum on a First Nations voice ... because to be frank, it’s not easy being Aboriginal in the university sector.
Updated
Davis has refuted suggestions voting should be on a specific model
Speaking at the Universities Australia conference, she said the Uluru Statement from the Heart in 2017 was “unprecedented” in the nation’s history and not about politicians - but “Australians working together, like we did in 1967”.
What we’re asking Australians to do later this year is to vote on a principle - to vote on law. That is what constitutions are, they are for principle. Parliament is for the legislation, parliament is for the operating manual.
She reiterated the model should have the agility to evolve with time in parliament.
That’s how it’s always been done ... we don’t want Australians to vote on a fully fledged model A or B or C. Because then they’ll be voting on that model. And we don’t want the model to be stuck in time ... the model of 2023 might not be the model of 2052.
The vote is really critical here. It’s Australians who are saying that the norm, the practice of Australia’s parliamentary system and its government of the day should be that they consult First Nations people when they make laws and policies about them. A constitution is different to the legislation. It’s Australians we are asking to say yes to this, because if you leave it to the politicians, we will never get there.
Updated
Prof Megan Davis has rebuffed “extraordinary” claims that the prime minister is withholding detail on the voice to parliament referendum.
Speaking at the opening address of the Universities Australia conference, Davis said some in the Australian community thought the idea of a voice “began with the Albanese government election”.
But it didn’t. And as we continue … down the path of walking towards this referendum in the latter part of the year, you can see already in the conversations about the draft and about the model our voices being erased, like they always are.
The law can oppress and the law can redeem. Constitutions can create the material conditions for a dignified human life. And constitutions can create the fundamental resources and material conditions that humans need to live a flourishing life and for self determination.”
She said the narrative in the media that the prime minister was withholding detail was “inexplicable” and “extraordinary”, but had been repeated over and over again.
The prime minister set out a process in September of 2022, after spending months working out how they’re going to ... get us to a referendum. And there’s two major working groups working on the detail of something like 60 to 70 First Nations peoples, we’ve been working on that detail since September, we meet every month ... and it’s it’s probably a novel concept at the federal level, that a prime minister is consulting with First Nations peoples before moving on, but that is what he’s doing.
He’s not withholding detail, we are working on the detail. And we will release this detail in the next month or so when the Referendum Bill ... goes to committee, that detail is forthcoming. We want this referendum to succeed. And we want Australians to have a sufficient amount of information - to have a fully informed vote at the ballot box.
"You can see already in the conversations about the drafting, about the model, our voices being erased, like they always are." Professor Dr Megan Davis on the Uluṟu Statement from the Heart and path to the referendum #UAconf2023 pic.twitter.com/CkrWVJVX4N
— Caitlin Cassidy (@caitecassidy) February 21, 2023
Updated
Neither Liberal or Labor Aston candidates currently live in electorate
Peter Dutton said Roshena Campbell had made a commitment to move to the electorate if successful, unlike Labor’s candidate, Mary Doyle:
So, on election day, there will be a choice between the Liberal candidate who will live in this electorate and the Labor candidate who does not live in this electorate. I think coupled with the fact that Roshena is an established advocate for people within this electorate, small businesses and others that she has represented over her years in the law. I think, stand her in good stead in terms of somebody who has the capacity to take the fight up on behalf of locals and that’s what she’s committed.
The duo set the stage for the 1 April byelection to be fought on cost-of-living issues including rising interest rates and power bills, which will probably resonate in the mortgage-belt seat, which encompasses suburbs including Bayswater, Boronia and Knoxfield.
Dutton accused Labor of choosing the April byelection date to avoid backlash in the wake of the May budget:
It’s clear the fact that they’ve rushed the byelection. They want to get it over and done with before the May budget, which is going to contain a walk away from the tax cuts, a hit on your superannuation, and further taxes that we’re not yet fully aware of.
Updated
Roshena Campbell says she will be ‘a champion for every voter in Aston’
The Liberal’s candidate for the upcoming Aston byelection, Roshena Campbell, says she will be a “champion” for the local community despite not living in the electorate.
With less than six weeks to polling day, the Victorian Liberals’ administrative committee handpicked Campbell as the party’s candidate to retain the seat vacated by the retirement of former minister Alan Tudge.
Speaking alongside the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, in Wantirna South on Wednesday, Campbell – who lives in Melbourne’s inner north – spruiked her ties to the community:
As a barrister, I’ve acted for small businesses in Aston. So when the stakes were high, they wanted me to be their champion. It’s my job now to be a champion for every voter in Aston. Every family, every small business and I’m going to take the time to listen to them because they deserve a strong voice for the communities in Aston. So that’s going to be my first job. I’m going to earn their trust and I want them to know that I will be a champion for them in Canberra.
The Liberals hold the seat by a slim 2.8% margin after outgoing MP Alan Tudge suffered a 7.3% swing at last year’s federal election.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton with the Liberal’s candidate, Roshena Campbell, who was preselected last night. “I voted for Roshena as others did because she's got a compelling story to tell about wanting to fight very hard on behalf of a local community,” Dutton says. pic.twitter.com/CFil3fFKpe
— Benita Kolovos (@benitakolovos) February 21, 2023
Updated
Travis Lovett announced as a new commissioner for Victoria’s Yoorrook
Gunditjmara traditional owner Travis Lovett has been appointed as the new commissioner of Victoria’s Indigenous truth-telling inquiry.
Lovett, who has held senior positions in the Victorian public service, will commence his role on the nation’s first truth-telling commission- Yoorrook- next month.
In a statement, Lovett said he was “humbled” to serve on the commission:
Yoorrook is our people’s opportunity to tell Victoria our story, the full story, the truthful story.
Yoorrook offers the entire Victorian community the historic chance to listen, learn and through recommendations for change, move forward together into a better future. I am deeply honoured to be a part of this commission.
Victoria is the only jurisdiction in Australia to have already enacted the treaty and truth-telling components of the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart.
Updated
Wages increased a slower-than-expected pace at the end of 2022
The wage price index for the December quarter was 3.3%, seasonally adjusted, according to the ABS, and weaker than the 3.5% economists had expected.
For the quarter itself, the 0.8% rise was also less than the 1% economists had been tipping.
What that means is the RBA’s concerns about a wage-price inflation spiral may be overdone (although they would say they take in bonuses, and so on).
Anyway, it also means that the gap with consumer price inflation is at a fresh record level, with the gap yawning to 4.5 percentage points.
US Embassy tweets ‘how to pronounce emu’
Did the US embassy just tweet when it should have Googled?
how to pronounce emu
— U.S. Embassy Australia (@USEmbAustralia) February 22, 2023
‘Addiction’ to contact sport likened to smoking at Senate inquiry
Our inequality reporter Steph Convery is listening into the second day of hearings for the Australian Senate inquiry into concussions and repeated head trauma in contact sports.
The inquiry is hearing from legal experts, doctors, people with personal experience of head injury as well as historian Dr Stephen Townsend.
Townsend has drawn a particularly interesting parallel between Australia’s relationship to contact sport and a smoker’s addiction, as part of his argument that sports concussion is fundamentally a social problem because it’s the result of choices.
Science alone cannot solve this crisis. Sports concussion is fundamentally a social problem because it’s the result of choices … We cannot classify concussion sport as an accident. Australians choose to play games which are designed to produce brain injuries.
Townsend says the comparison of the concussion crisis to smoking is apt: "Australia in many ways, is addicted to contact sport. We love it even though it kills us."
— Stephanie H Convery (@gingerandhoney) February 21, 2023
You can follow along Steph’s entire tweet thread from the inquiry here. And if you haven’t already be sure to read her amazing feature that came out last week showing the lived reality for one family as a result of their father and husband suffering the effects of head trauma:
Updated
Wages data to stoke debate over rate rises, sinking real salaries
At 11.30am AEDT, we’ll get the wage price index figures for the December quarter from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Economists expect the WPI to come in at 3.5% annually (and about 1% for the quarter), which would be the highest since the 3.8% pace recorded in the September quarter of 2012.
Before you rush out and splurge, it’s worth remembering consumer prices rose 7.8% in the December quarter, and a rough Y - X equation suggests real wages retreated at a clip of more than 4% at the end of 2012. In fact, the retreat is probably running at a record pace.
Ahead of today's wage price index ... a measure of inflation, wage growth and the gap since 1998. If wages hit 3.5% (market consensus), the gap between wages and inflation (7.8%) will reach a new record pic.twitter.com/rii6LaaV8a
— Shane Wright (@swrighteconomy) February 21, 2023
Another issue is that should wages climb much faster than 3.5%, the Reserve Bank is ready to pounce. Governor Philip Lowe has warned repeatedly of late that he’s worried about a wage-price inflationary spiral, and so will be more likely to lift rates higher (and leave them there longer) if salaries look like they are accelerating.
For now, the RBA is expected to lift its cash rate at least another three times (assuming each increase is 25 basis points), perhaps even more:
Ahead of today's December quarter's Wage Price Index figures, investors are expecting the RBA's cash to top 4.25% (vs 3.35% now). Economists expect the WPI to come in at 3.5%, quickening from the 3.1% pace in the September qtr. pic.twitter.com/MW7dhQoM9o
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) February 21, 2023
Stay tuned for the WPI numbers.
Premier Daniel Andrews is reminding Victorians to heed emergency warnings as firefighters attempt to contain the grassfire near Flowerdale, north of Melbourne.
Fire crews have been working overnight to contain the Flowerdale grassfire.
— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) February 21, 2023
It's moved quickly through steep and challenging terrain, into forested areas.
More than 50 CFA crews are on site as of this morning - in addition to aviation teams who've waterbombed the area.
— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) February 21, 2023
As always, we can't thank them enough for the work they've done and will continue to do.
Active emergency warnings are still in place. So if you are in the area, please follow advice from @vicemergency
— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) February 21, 2023
And most importantly, stay safe.
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Queensland to introduce legislation formalising Path to Treaty and establishing First Nations institute
The Queensland government will today introduce legislation marking a historic step towards a treaty with First Nations people.
The Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, said an independent First Nations Treaty Institute will be established in legislation to develop a treaty-making framework for agreement with the government.
The government will also hold a three-year Indigenous truth-telling inquiry to detail injustices faced by First Nations people, she said.
The premier said:
Today we make history. Today we introduce legislation formalising our
Path to Treaty.Treaty is not a gift to be bestowed. It is a dignity long since owed.
This is not about guilt. This is about revealing the truth of our state, denied and buried for too long.
Updated
ACT supreme court intends to publish Alan Johns sentencing remarks
The ACT supreme court held a mention on Wednesday in relation to the Alan Johns/Witness J matter.
Johns was secretly convicted and detained in a Canberra prison after pleading guilty and being convicted of secrecy offences in a mysterious case that only came to public attention due to a later court fight about the publication of his prison memoir.
Johns’ conviction related to disclosures that he made by unsecure means, communicating classified information in a complaint to an agency after the termination of his employment due to loss of his security clearance.
In December Guardian Australia revealed that despite the independent national security legislation monitor preparing a redacted version of sentencing remarks, the ACT supreme court was yet to release them. This was because the judge who sentenced Johns had since retired without determining the issue.
On Wednesday, the chief justice, Lucy McCallum, told the court she was coming to the matter “completely blind” and was unaware if there is still a dispute between Johns and the crown about releasing the information.
Tim Begbie KC, from the Australian Government Solicitor, said that the only remaining disagreement between the parties was “a disagreement as to the proper form” in which sentencing remarks should be released, and there was “no dispute” about whether sensitive and classified information should remain secret.
Justice McCallum agreed to proposed consent orders between the crown, Johns and the attorney general allowing them until 4 April to come to agreement on the form the remarks will be released in. The judge confirmed that “the end game is to publish the sentencing remarks in some form”.
Guardian Australia was represented at the hearing by barrister Marcus Hassall, but Chief Justice McCallum said at this stage there was “no issue in which the Guardian has an interest” because parties appeared to be prepared to reach an agreement among themselves. A hearing will be held on 4 April if no agreement is reached and orders made for release.
Earlier, McCallum warned about an “inappropriate” attempt by a national security agency to have her staff sign undertakings that could expose them to criminal penalties for disclosing material in order to receive a briefing from the agency about the case.
McCallum said an earlier judgment by Justice Mossop in the Bernard Collaery matter had established that court staff should not be required to enter such undertakings “for doing what is their job”.
She said:
A measure of pressure was applied to sign the undertakings, which I hope you will accept was inappropriate ... For my part, and I don’t want to sound judgey, but this is my court and I won’t have it.
Begbie said he did not “resist” anything the judge had said, and assured the judge that the agency had not done anything “deliberately contrary” to the court’s practice.
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Victorian MP to propose parliamentary inquiry into child sexual abuse in state schools
The Victorian Liberal MP Brad Roswell will push for a parliamentary inquiry into child sexual abuse in state schools.
It comes after the Andrews government earlier this month committed to formally apologising to victim-survivors of child sexual abuse in Victorian government schools.
After the death of Cardinal George Pell, former students who suffered abuse at the hands of paedophile teachers in state schools in the 1970s renewed their push for formal recognition by the Victorian government. Roswell said he had spoken to numerous victim-survivors who felt their voices had not been heard:
How can the premier apologise for something that he does not have a full understanding and appreciation of the scale of? Which is why a dedicated parliamentary inquiry to the systemic abuse of children in Victorian government schools is needed.
Roswell will move a motion for an inquiry in parliament today.
Andrews, who met with survivor-victims of child sexual abuse in schools this month, on Wednesday said he wanted to ensure the cohort was involved in the wording of his apology.
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Woolworths records bumper sales despite high food prices
Fruit and vegetable prices started to moderate late last year, Woolworths Group said on Wednesday, although poultry and dairy products are keeping overall food prices high.
The supermarket chain and retailer has reported a $907m net profit for the six months to December, up 14% from the previous corresponding period, backed by bumper grocery sales and strong trading momentum at its discount retailer Big W.
Its financial results resemble those delivered by Coles, with both supermarket chains increasing their margins during a period of high inflation that has prompted households to purchase cheaper brands.
Woolworths’ chief executive, Brad Banducci, said:
Inflation is continuing to affect the way that customers shop but the overall impact on our business at this stage remains modest.
Woolworths reported a 2.5% lift in Australian food sales from already elevated levels. Sales at Big W were up by more than 15% in the half year, which reflected strong demand for budget products as well as a return to trading at some stores that were temporarily closed early last year.
The company declared a dividend of 46 cents, up 18% from 39 cents a year ago.
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Victorian Greens call for probe of ‘undemocratic’ group voting system
The Victorian Greens are calling on the Andrews government to establish an expert panel to probe the state’s controversial group voting system in the upper house, labelling it “undemocratic”.
Victoria is the only jurisdiction in Australia that uses a particular type of group voting system in the legislative council that allows parties to allocate voters’ preferences when they select just one party above the line on the ballot paper. The system means minor parties can harvest the preferences of other minor parties and elect MPs who receive less than 1% of the vote.
The state Greens leader, Samantha Ratnam, says she wrote to the premier on the issue last week:
We must do it now if we’re going to restore faith and confidence in our democracy.
Ratnam said the panel would make recommendations for reform.
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Universities Australia’s chief executive, Catriona Jackson, has used her opening remarks at the body’s conference to encourage the sector to back the Universities Accord process on the same day the body’s discussion paper was released.
Speaking at the National Convention Centre in Canberra, Jackson urged the sector to grasp the opportunity with both hands.
This year’s conference, of course, is being held against the backdrop of the all-important Universities Accord. Through the review process, we will be working with the independent panel and government, in genuine partnership, to shape our sector’s future and that of the nation.
This is the biggest opportunity for policy reform in our sector in decades. We must grasp it with both hands and be bold in ambition and rigorous in process.
We must take up the opportunity to demonstrate the value of universities and reinforce the impact we have everywhere, every day.
Jackson said “everyone in the room” understood the opportunity the accord process presented.
To make the most of it, we must come together as a sector: not uniform, but unified. Our sector is high on the national and political agenda – which is exactly where it should be.
Working together as a sector, we can turbocharge our efforts to maximise the contribution universities make to society and the nation – not just here in the coming days but in everything we do.
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The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, says the views of the Liberal MP Moira Deeming - who used her inaugural parliamentary speech to attack the state’s ban on gay conversion practices - do not meet “Dcommunity expectations.”
On Tuesday evening, Deeming gave her first speech in the state’s parliament where she attacked gender affirmation practices for trans people, the rights of sex workers to care for their children and Victoria’s ban on gay conversion practices.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Andrews said Deeming’s views was “not an example of the best of us”:
We are an inclusive, harmonious, respectful place where equality is not negotiable. And that’s always been my view.
The Greens leader, Samantha Ratnam, condemned Deeming’s speech, saying “hateful and harmful words” had a “devastating impact” on trans and gender-diverse Victorians:
Every MP in this parliament should be today calling out and denouncing those comments that were made yesterday.
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NSW premier spoke in favour of investing in coal mines last year
We saw earlier this week that electricity supply gaps could emerge in eastern Australia within a few years without “urgent” new investments, according to the market operator Aemo.
The NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, meanwhile flagged an unusual idea late last year, suggesting he was in discussions about possible investments in coal mines themselves. That’s according to a recording of a meeting in Engadine on Sydney’s southern edge last November that has been provided to Guardian Australia, and can be read about here:
It’s an odd suggestion, not least because coal miners are busy making record profits these days and probably aren’t the most obvious industry in need of public funds. (What next, subsiding Santos to develop its coal seam gas field in Narrabri, northern NSW?)
We haven’t got much a response from the premier’s office, other than to deflect the questions to the deputy premier, Paul Toole ... which is a bit odd, too, since the comments came from Perrottet and presumably he’s best-placed to explain his thoughts.
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More storms are on the way for NSW, with thunderstorms and heavy rainfall predicted for the Hunter and Newcastle.
Severe thunderstorm warning for heavy rainfall issued for parts of the Hunter region in NSW. Localised heavy falls are likely, leading to flash flooding. Stay vigilant and follow advice from the State Emergency Service. #NSWWeather #ThunderstormWarning #FlashFloods pic.twitter.com/y2Rj57eSVi
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) February 21, 2023
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning for HEAVY RAINFALL may lead to flash flooding for people in the Hunter Forecast District. Locations which may be affected include #Newcastle, #Cessnock, #Maitland, #RaymondTerrace, #Wallsend and #Toronto.https://t.co/LEUGgpnLze pic.twitter.com/5c29AJcKmo
— NSW SES (@NSWSES) February 21, 2023
Australia faces unprecedented grassfires next summer ‘supercharged’ by global heating: report
Australia should prepare for grassfires on a scale not experienced before, with new analysis warning spring and summer 2023-24 could see widespread fire risk “supercharged” by the climate crisis.
The report by the Climate Council and Emergency Leaders for Climate Action (ELCA) said there is also an increased risk of more grassfires breaking out in NSW, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia during the current fire season up to April.
Firefighters have battled multiple grassfires in recent weeks, including in regional Queensland and NSW, with an uncontrolled fire currently raging in northern Victoria. Fire authorities have said back-to-back La Niñas in eastern Australia have led to prolific vegetation growth.
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Wild storms lash parts of Sydney and the Central Coast
Severe storms and strong winds have lashed Sydney and the NSW Central Coast, causing flash flooding, felling trees and leaving hundreds of homes powerless.
The State Emergency Service received hundreds of calls for help on Tuesday night and several roads are closed due to flooding, fallen trees and hanging wires.
An SES spokesman said 400 volunteers responded to 370 incidents and performed 12 flood rescues, mostly in Sydney’s north and on the Central Coast but also impacting the state’s Central West and Southern Tablelands.
Most of the jobs involved leaking roofs and flash flooding as well as trees that had crashed into homes and across roads.
Several Manly ferry services have been cancelled due to the high swell on Sydney Harbour and passengers are being advised to make alternative travel arrangements.
The SES was also called to help after an internal roof collapsed in a nursing home in Sydney’s inner west.
The deluge hit Orange in the Central Tablelands and Queanbeyan, near Canberra, late on Tuesday afternoon before advancing on Sydney and surrounds in the early evening.
SES co-ordinator duty operations Neil Wiblin says Sydney’s north shore, northern beaches and eastern suburbs copped the worst of the weather. He told ABC radio on Wednesday:
The main type of jobs that we saw were trees and branches down due to the strong winds followed by roofs damaged and leaking and the heavy rain also caused localised flooding in a number of areas as well as road closures.
Some places recorded more than 100mm of rain, with Terry Hills in Sydney’s north getting 121mm.
Ausgrid says power is out in the southern suburbs of Caringbah, Miranda, Sylvania Waters and surrounds but has been restored to properties in Allambie, Allambie Heights, Manly Vale, Killara, Lindfield, Asquith, Eastwood, Hornsby and surrounding suburbs.
- AAP
Here are some of the images from that major grassfire near Flowerdale captured by the Wonga Park Country Fire Association.
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My School website down following Naplan update
The My School website has buckled under the weight of traffic as parents flock to receive the latest Naplan results.
The website was updated overnight with new profile information on schools and the latest school-level Naplan data. On Wednesday morning, parents were reporting glitches, while the main site read: “The My School website will be back again shortly.”
2022 NAPLAN results are being uploaded today and this is the cutover experience. #naplan #myschool pic.twitter.com/CxaJJanJ0p
— Ying Lee (@its_ying) February 21, 2023
The CEO of the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), David de Carvalho, said the website was an “important resource” for parents to make informed decisions about their children’s schooling.
My School provides data on schooling right across Australia, helping parents, carers, schools and governments to understand the performance of schools.
The overnight updated included 2022 school profile and population data, attendance data Naplan results and 2021 school financial information, including capital expenditure and funding sources and post-school destinations.
It shows a decline in students’ attendance during Semester 1 and Term 3 last year, attributed to the impacts of the Covid-19 Omicron outbreak, high influenza outbreaks and floods.
ACARA was approached for comment.
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McKinnon Prize in Political Leadership shortlist announced
The shortlist for the 2022 McKinnon prize in political leadership has been announced this morning, with the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, amongst the contenders.
The minister for Indigenous affairs, Linda Burney, has also been nominated as she leads the nation towards the referendum on the voice to parliament later this year.
The Liberal MP for Bass, Bridget Archer, is also on the list. That follows her decision to exercise her right to cross the floor on an integrity commission and her views on religious discrimination.
The nominees can come from local, state and territory or federal level as they long as they have more than five years in elected office. The federal foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, is also nominated, as is the NSW treasurer, Matt Kean, and independent Alex Greenwich.
There is also a separate prize for the McKinnon emerging political leader of the year, for which the Teal independents have been given a collective nomination. Independents Helen Haines and David Pocock have also been individually nominated.
The prize recognises leaders with fewer than five years in elected office. Councillor Anthony Tran of the Maribyrnong city council has been nominated, as have Geraldine Atkinson and Marcus Stewart, the co-chairs of the First Peoples’ assembly of Victoria in a joint nomination.
Danielle Wood, the chair of the shortlisting committee and CEO of the Grattan Institute, said good political leadership should be recognised amid ongoing policy challenges facing the nation.
While you might not agree with the politics or policies of everyone on the shortlist, what is very clear is each political leader showed qualities of great leadership the McKinnon Prize aims to represent.
The shortlist has displayed integrity, vision, and collaboration, and within their areas of influence have demonstrated courage to change our country for the better. This is worth celebrating.
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Fast-moving, uncontrolled fire growing north of Melbourne
A large, fast-moving and uncontrolled grassfire north of Melbourne is growing and heading towards more towns, AAP reports.
The blaze started at Flowerdale, about 90 minutes from the Victorian capital, on Tuesday afternoon and is burning north towards Yea.
Waterbombing aircraft were used overnight and it is believed no homes have been impacted, but the full extent of damage to fences and sheds is unknown. The fire is more than 700ha in size and burning across steep, inaccessible terrain towards forested areas.
An emergency warning is in place for Flowerdale, meaning it is too late for many residents to leave. However, those located between Dairy Creek Road and Handleys Road and Upper King Parrot Creek Road and Landmark Lane have been told to go before conditions get worse.
Smoke is visible across the areas and an incident control centre has been set up at Alexandra. More than 50 CFA units are fighting the blaze with support from Forest Fire Management.
An image posted to social media by the Wonga Park CFA on Tuesday night showed thick terrain glowing bright orange against the night sky.
Flowerdale still under serious threat from fire tonight, this photo taken by the Wonga Park CFA team. Going to be a long, sleepless night for many. @CFA_Updates pic.twitter.com/7GSNdGYXBO
— Christie Cooper (@ChristieCooper7) February 21, 2023
A heatwave warning has been issued for Victoria and temperatures are expected to reach more than 30 degrees for the next three days.
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Heatwave warning for south-west Victoria
The Victorian health department is warning residents in the south-west of the state to take extra precautions to stay hydrated and cool in the midst of a heatwave.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a heatwave warning for South West District. For more information visit https://t.co/nkKd2J60dM https://t.co/aVDbEXG2ep
— Victorian Department of Health (@VicGovDH) February 21, 2023
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Government 'clearly are' thinking about superannuation concessions cap, Jones says
The assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones, has also spoken with ABC News this morning. He’s asked to defend the Jim Chalmer’s (the treasurer’s) announcements about super, given Labor said there would be no changes to super before the election.
Yes, we will not be making a major overhaul of the superannuation system, but we also specifically said that we would legislate a purpose of superannuation. We also specifically said that we’d undertake a review of the way superannuation funds were being managed. We also specifically said that we wanted to form partnerships with superannuation industries to ensure that we can find ways to invest in the national interest.
Jones is following Chalmers’ language leaving the door open to changing superannuation tax concessions, saying “we need to have a debate about it.”
If we all agree that the purpose of superannuation is to provide retirement income in retirement, it beggars belief you could have $100m in a superannuation account attracting very generous tax concessions that aren’t available outside the taxation system and that’s about retirement income.
Clearly it’s not. It’s about tax management, it’s about estate planning, but not about retirement income. That’s an obvious place to look at.
Asked about a cap of $5m on super or, as the Grattan Institute is calling for, a cap of $2m, Jones says a final view hasn’t been formed but “I’m not going to say we’re not thinking about it, clearly we are.”
What we’re thinking about is what is a reasonable amount of money which is consistent with that objective of having … tax-assisted savings for retirement income.
This is not about … the government saying to people can’t save more than $5m, $10m, $100m for their retirement. That’s not what we’re saying. We’re saying what is a reasonable contribution that the Australian taxpayer, through the budget, should be making to assisting people save for retirement incomes?
To put that in context … the average superannuation fund balance at retirement is around about $150,000. That’s a long, long way from $100m.
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Flood victim buybacks begin in Northern Rivers
The first buyback offers have been made to flood victims in the Northern Rivers under the joint federal-NSW program.
The Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation (NRRC) will make buyback offers to the first 250 residents whose homes are in the region’s highest flood risk areas by the end of April.
First voluntary home buyback offers have now been made to flood victims in the Northern Rivers, under the joint Federal-NSW program. An important step towards long-term resilience. https://t.co/eCzvp0FJPQ
— Senator Murray Watt (@MurrayWatt) February 21, 2023
The corporations chief executive, David Witherdin, said all residents registered with the Resilient Homes program would be contacted about their eligibility to receive a buyback or funding support for house raising or home retrofitting by mid-2023.
Witherdin said:
I know for many people, receiving a buyback offer will be life changing and the next step on their recovery journey. I want to assure everyone there is no pressure to decide and people can take as long or as little time as they need to consider their offer and their options.
I cannot overstate the scale, complexity and importance of the Resilient Homes Program and want everyone to know we are committed to working with and listening to the community, ensuring homeowners have the information they need and providing access to independent support and advisory services.
There is also a separate Northern Rivers program to provide financial assistance of up to $100,000 for house raising or up to $50,000 for retrofitting so flood risk can be reduced by better building standards, which is expected to commence from mid-2023 onwards.
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Clare: Australians’ chances in life should not depend on circumstances of their birth
The education minister, Jason Clare, is speaking to ABC Radio following the release of the discussion paper from the Universities’ Accord Panel which my colleague Caitlin Cassidy has been covering earlier on the blog this morning.
Clare says the data tells us the university system is only set to become more important in the decades to come and these discussion papers are the first big review of the Australian higher education system since Julia Gillard commissioned Denise Bradley’s report.
Clare says while some targets have been met, Australia has failed more disadvantaged students from poor backgrounds:
We certainly hit that target that Denise set forth: 40% of young people in their 20s and 30s have a university degree, but she also set equity targets … about the proportion of young people from poor backgrounds that go to university, and we failed on that front.
We did make those targets that almost 50% of young people have a university degree today, but only 20% of [them are] Aussies from poor families. Only 20% of Australians [are] from the regions, only 7% of Australians from an indigenous background.
Now I’m not naive. You can’t fix all of this at the university gate. You can do some real things here, but it’s got to go back further into the system, and even further back than that into our early education system. So this is one of three big pieces of work this year: the most comprehensive review of early education here in Australia’s history. Next month, the changes that we need to make the school to make sure that we’re targeting funding to help children who are falling behind. And then this review here.
I don’t want us to be a country where your chances in life depend on who your parents are or where you live, or the colour of your skin. The awful truth is, that’s where we are today.
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Jason Clare speaks on hopes for education reform and bipartisanship
The minister for education, Jason Clare, will use an address to Universities Australia (UA) to pay homage to the musical Hamilton while marking the release of the Universities Accord Panel’s first discussion paper.
Speaking at a dinner this evening as part of the UA conference, Clare will tell vice-chancellors in attendance that 2023 is a “year for ideas” and “long-lasting change”.
In this room are the brains and ideas that can help reshape and reimagine higher education. Set it up for the next decade and beyond. This is a year for ideas. To test them and weigh them. To work together to imagine something different. And if we can do that, then next year the hard work of implementing them begins.
My six-year-old is currently obsessed with two things. Soccer and the musical Hamilton. It has been on high rotation in the last few months. There is a line in one of the songs that talks about “planting seeds in a garden you never get to see”.
Writing this speech that line kept repeating in my head. Planting seeds in a garden you never get to see. That’s what real, long-lasting reform is. It grows with time. That sort of reform though, only happens, and only endures, if it is planted in good soil and if it’s tended to by bipartisanship. That’s my hope for this year. That we forge a genuine accord. A blueprint for real and long-lasting change. That we make the most of this moment.
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Chalmers on foreign espionage: we ‘can’t let things slide’ on our national interests
What does Jim Chalmers think about Asio boss Mike Burgess saying he had been “directly pressured” to ease up on on espionage operations by business leaders (and others) in his annual threat assessment speech?
(You can catch up on that speech here, with Daniel Hurst)
I think that is concerning. You know, we’re very lucky to have someone of the caliber of Mike Burgess who provides these threat assessments every year for the last few years. And I think it’s a really important way of explaining to people that the complexities and the challenges and the changing security environment that our agencies like Asio confront, and what Mike has said, and the view that we share and minister Clare O’Neill and others have been talking about … is that foreign interference and espionage is a big threat to our national security and Asio works around the clock to try and protect Australians from it. It’s deliberately designed to undermine our democracy and our values.
And it shouldn’t be tolerated by the government or its agencies and it’s not tolerated. And I think the point that Mike was making about that specific issue he raised is that we can’t let these things slide when our national interests are at stake. That’s Asio’s view, it’s Mike Burgess view and it’s the government’s view as well.
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Religious leaders urge MPs to support voice
A coalition of national religious groups has written to all federal parliamentarians urging them to “cooperate across political divides” in support of the upcoming voice referendum.
The alliance of nine national organisations, representing diverse Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Buddhist and Jewish communities, has thrown its collective weight behind the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
The joint letter was sent on Wednesday morning as part of the campaign’s “week of action”. It urges parliamentarians to find ways to “collaborate constructively across political divides to achieve the modest constitutional recognition First Nations people seek: a constitutionally guaranteed voice in their own affairs.”
The letter says:
We draw upon our diverse traditions, beliefs and cultures to unite in support of this just cause.
We respectfully ask our political representatives to do the same.
We call on our fellow Australians to consider the voice proposal on its merits, and for whatever information is needed to inform the community to be supplied promptly.
Future generations of Australians will not forgive us if we fail to grasp the historical moment, and ‘advance Australia’ further along the path of justice.
Whatever our disagreements, let us work together to resolve them. The voice referendum deserves cross-party cooperation.
If we work together across political divides, the referendum will succeed, and we will have put Australia on both a moral and practical path to reconciliation.
The letter is signed by Catholic and Anglican bishops, as well as the National Imams Council, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry as the National Sikh and Hindu councils.
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Treasurer: we should be able to have a national conversation about pressures on the budget
Jim Chalmers then moves on to responsibilities in the budget. There are a lot of things to pay for and not a lot of wriggle room, which is why there are these “conversations” about where money can be found.
You know, I suspect what we’ll get a lot of interest [in] today for example is the fair work commission decision on aged care wages. Now we’ll have to find room for that in the budget.
“You have to find room to strengthen Medicare and you have to find room to fund our national security,” ... One of the things I’ve tried to do since I’ve been treasurer is not to try and kind of pretend away some of the pressures on the budget. And this is one of them. What we’re talking about today is one of them, here’s no point ignoring that fact. And we should be able to have a national conversation about it.
Anthony Albanese is giving a speech at the National Press Club today where he will also be talking about defence spending. Which is another thing Chalmers will have to find money for (although there always seems to be money for defence).
Chalmers:
Well, this will be one of the things that we will have to make room for in the budget and cost up for the budget. I think the prime minister’s got an opportunity to give a really important speech today … about our partnerships. It’s about our sovereign capability. It’s about this big industrial economic opportunity we have in defense industries as well.
But it’s broader than that. And one of the reasons why I’d encourage your listeners to tune in when Anthony is at the National Press Club later today as he’s talking about national security … he’s talking about security in a much broader sense as well, including economic security in uncertain times. You know, we’ve got a lot of challenges not just to our national security, but to our economic security as well.
I think one of the defining features of his government is trying to introduce an element of security and stability and reliability, and that’s what his speech is about.
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Chalmers on removing tax concessions for high-balance super holders
So what about capping tax concessions for people who have super balances into the millions?
Jim Chalmers again says it’s something that needs to be looked at, but he is not putting a deadline on when he’s looking at it.
RN Breakfast’s host, Patricia Karvelas, mentions the Grattan Institute proposal of removing tax concessions for people with super balances above $3m. Does Chalmers think that is achievable?
Well, it depends on your definition of achievable obviously, I’m aware of those Grattan Institute proposals. They’ve been engaged in the national debate about superannuation for some time. And if you think about that example that you gave, I’ve got a slightly different one … the average balance in super is about $150,000 I think, but for less than 1% of people in the system, they’ve got balances higher than $3m.
The average amongst that group is $5.8m and they have access to a whole bunch of tax concessions, and I think the point that Gratton has made repeatedly over a period of time and others and the point that we’re making is we’ve got to work out where we get the most value for money when it comes to some of these tax concessions.
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Chalmers highlights importance of sustainability of superannuation
Treasurer Jim Chalmers isn’t ruling in or out whether there will be any changes on superannuation tax concessions in the May budget.
I’ll tell you what I think. I gave a longish speech about this on Monday, where I said the priority [of] super is and should be nailing down the objective. For too long, the lack of an agreed objective has meant that our predecessors could mess with superannuation when it came to all kinds of ideological pursuits. We want to take that out of the system.
Ideally, we’d want to get some kind of broad agreement amongst the industry in the community … about what super is for, so that we can build from that. And as part of that speech, I pointed out the fact … that the cost of superannuation tax concessions will overtake the cost of the pension. That’s a fact.
I was asked later … ‘What does sustainable mean?’ And I pointed out, as I pointed out to you this morning, that when you believe in super and there’s an important role for these tax concessions, you need to make sure that you can afford them against all of the other pressures on the budget.
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Good morning from Canberra.
Chalmers says no decisions on super changes in May budget at this time
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is up early this morning and chatting to ABC Radio RN Breakfast about superannuation tax concessions. He is tripling down on the “conversation” he started on Monday.
Will these changes appear in the May budget?
Not necessarily.
I just think as part of a broader assessment of where our superannuation system is at and how we locked down the objective of super so that we can provide more certainty and security around its purpose, as part of that I acknowledged earlier in the week, that these concessions in the superannuation system, they’re not cheap. I don’t think it’s especially controversial to acknowledge that.
And when you believe in superannuation and its capacity to deliver a dignified retirement for people, then you need to make sure that these kinds of tax concessions are sustainable and affordable into the future. And I don’t think it should be beyond any government really of either political persuasion to acknowledge that.
So will there be changes in the May budget?
Well, as I keep saying, we haven’t changed their view. We haven’t taken any decisions.
Asked another three times, Chalmers gives the same answers.
We haven’t determined that.
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SES reports on overnight storm rescues
The NSW State Emergency Service has performed 12 flood rescues and responded to 377 alerts overnight as severe storms lashed the Sydney metropolitan area, the Central West region and the Southern Tablelands.
Sydney accounted for the most of those incidents (227) and rescues (11), which mainly involved cars driving into floodwaters.
SES said their focus areas were Warringah Pittwater with 51 incidents, Orange (42), Queanbeyan (33), Ku-ring-gai (21) and Sutherland (17).
Here’s some vision of those storms in Sydney:
Photo of tonight’s storm in Sydney posted on here with permission by Christopher Szumlanski #SydneyStorm pic.twitter.com/khAoPCq0op
— Gary Nunn 🏳️🌈🚴🏼🇬🇧🇦🇺 (@GaryNunn1) February 21, 2023
Careful on the roads, folks! This is the eastern distributor right now. #moorepark #sydneystorm pic.twitter.com/vaYwl8JMex
— Kellie Sloane - Liberal candidate for Vaucluse (@kelliesloane) February 21, 2023
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Challenges for tertiary sector
The Australian universities accord panel has released its first discussion paper ahead of a mid-year interim report, outlining broad terms of reference including addressing casualisation in the workforce, financial sustainability challenges emerging from the pandemic and the impact of emerging technologies on learning.
The accord is the first major review of the sector since the Bradley review 15 years ago.
Since it was established in November, the panel has received more than 180 submissions and 1,900 survey responses.
The discussion paper noted Australia scored poorly in terms of international innovation rankings compared to OECD peers, lagging 37th in knowledge and technology outputs. It also warned against the higher education sector’s “over-reliance” on any one country as a source of revenue for education, research and infrastructure as the sector rebuilds post-Covid:
The Covid-19 pandemic significantly affected Australia’s entire international education sector, including our higher education providers, and continues to present ongoing challenges ... rebuilding and strengthening it in the wake of the pandemic is a key focus for the sector.
The paper noted targets for access and participation among people from low socioeconomic backgrounds, regional and rural areas, people with disabilities and First Nations Australians hadn’t been met and remained “substantially under-represented”:
Many stakeholders have highlighted the costs of undertaking higher education, including the increased cost of living and the need to supplement income support, as a significant barrier to successful participation. This is particularly challenging for students who have dependents, are relocating to take up the opportunity to study, or come from financially disadvantaged backgrounds ... the voices of people with lived experience should be at the centre of new solutions.
Support for the pipeline of researchers will be necessary for the research system to continue to deliver well into the future. Building the diversity of the academic workforce and supporting early career researchers will be crucial. The panel has heard that adequacy of research training program stipends is one factor limiting the number of people who can enter the research workforce.
The final report will be submitted in December.
Updated
Good morning!
Thanks to Martin Farrer for kicking things off, Natasha May now with you and severe weather events are being experienced across the country.
Residents north of Melbourne in Flowerdale and Yea have been warned it is too late to leave as a major grassfire blazes out of control.
Firefighters have spent the night trying to contain the fire that broke out yesterday afternoon, triggering the emergency warning in the early hours of this morning that the time to safely evacuate has passed.
This EMERGENCY WARNING - GRASS FIRE - Shelter Indoors Now is for Flowerdale, Yea.
— VicEmergency (@vicemergency) February 21, 2023
You are in danger, act now to protect yourself. It is too late to leave. The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately.
More details at https://t.co/AOIlMjntpN pic.twitter.com/qB1GjMq9Tn
In NSW, Sydney has been hit by storms last night which have caused flash flooding and fallen trees.
South Australia is in the grips of a heatwave, with a code red to be introduced later today meaning shelter can be offered to rough sleepers.
Updated
‘This is foreign interference at its most brutal’
Daniel Hurst has more from that Q&A with Asio boss Mike Burgess:
The Asio chief has declined to rule out the possibility that members of diaspora communities in Australia have experienced real harm as a result of harassment by foreign government-linked agents on Australian soil.
His annual threat assessment speech has garnered headlines for his comments about a “hive of spies” being kicked out Australia but it also included two startling examples of the targeting of Australian residents critical of foreign governments:
Burgess said his agency had “detected and defeated attempts by intelligence services from two different countries to physically harm Australian residents”. Without naming the countries, he explained:
In one case, the intelligence service started monitoring a human rights activist and plotted to lure the target offshore, where the individual could be … ‘disposed of’.
In another, a lackey was dispatched to locate specific dissidents and … ‘deal with them’. This is what foreign interference can become if left unchecked. This is foreign interference at its most brutal. It is unacceptable and untenable. It is an assault on our sovereignty, an affront to our freedoms.
Burgess said both plots had been stopped before harm could be done, adding that Asio had “zero tolerance for this despicable behaviour”.
But in a question-and-answer session with journalists, Burgess was unable to rule out the existence of other cases where harm may have occurred. He said he wouldn’t speak about operational matters (beyond the two examples he had given). He underlined the importance of people reporting any harassment or threats they have experienced:
If people feel threatened on the street, they should call 000 immediately and the police will respond.
Read the full news wrap here:
Updated
Laws needed to stop leaking of secrets by former defence staff, Asio chief says
The head of spy agency Asio, Mike Burgess, has called for changes to the law to clearly prevent former defence personnel and other government insiders “transferring any form of sensitive know-how to authoritarian regimes”.
In a question-and-answer session after delivering his annual threat assessment speech in Canberra last night, Burgess confirmed he had given advice to the government on potential gaps in the law. But he added that he would not go into detail in public because “that’s a matter for government to respond to and act on and comment on further”.
The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, confirmed last week that the government was working on legislation to “remove any doubt” that former Australian defence personnel must maintain their country’s secrets. This follows a Defence review into concerns about China’s attempted recruitment of former fighter pilots.
Burgess, without naming China, said in his threat assessment speech:
For several years now – well before the issue became public – Asio, through our leadership of the counter foreign interference taskforce, has been tracking former Defence insiders willing to sell their military training and expertise to foreign governments.
While the overwhelming majority of our veterans are Australian patriots in every sense, a small but concerning number are willing to put cash before country.
Third-party companies have offered Australians hundreds of thousands of dollars and other significant perks to help authoritarian regimes improve their combat skills.
In some cases, we and our partners have been able to stop the former insiders travelling overseas to provide the training, but in others, legal ambiguities have impeded law enforcement’s ability to intervene …
These individuals are lackeys, more ‘top tools’ than ‘top guns’. Selling our warfighting skills is no different to selling our secrets – especially when the training and tactics are being transferred to countries that will use them to close capability gaps and could use them against us or our allies at some time in the future.
My concerns are not limited to the defence sector, either – if we are to take security seriously, Australia needs to ensure our laws and obligations prevent former insiders transferring any form of sensitive know-how to authoritarian regimes.
Read the full news wrap here:
Australia’s Eurovision contenders revealed
Synth metal fans rejoice. Australia’s entrant and song for the 2023 Eurovision song contest have been revealed: a Perth band called Voyager with a song called Promise.
It’s … well, it starts off kind of poppy, then gets kind of growly in the middle. How will it fare? Last year Sheldon Riley placed 15th after his ballad Not the Same did well with the judges but was scorned in the public vote. So we’re trying something different. And why not.
Student debts grow
Rising student contributions under the higher education loan program (Help) will form a key part of the university accord review of tertiary education.
In its discussion paper, released today, the panel acknowledged students had been increasingly bearing the costs of learning and teaching over a period of decades:
The proportion paid by students increased from just over 20% in 1989 to a projected 47% in 2024. Help removes the upfront financial barrier that would otherwise exist for entry and opens the doors to higher education for many Australians. However, many stakeholders expressed concern about the current level of debt for some students, how long individuals can spend paying back their debt, and the impact of current indexation (which has been increasing in recent years due to increases in CPI).
The panel noted that the debts also impacted upon the borrowing capacity for students seeking other loans, while those on lower incomes may never pay back their Help in full:
While the average student has paid off their Help debt in under 10 years, people on lower incomes may never pay it off and will make a small repayment from their already low incomes for their entire working life. Some stakeholders raised concerns that students who choose to undertake undergraduate study in full-fee paying places at non-university providers are charged an additional 20% fee on their loan, which can discourage students from enrolling with these providers.
Last month Guardian Australia revealed modelling that suggests the average Help debt will increase for students by at least $1,700 when next indexed on 1 June.
Welcome
Hello and welcome to our live blog of the day’s news in Australia. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ll get you up to date on the main stories overnight before my colleague Natasha May takes over shortly.
Defence and security will be among the big themes of the day after Asio chief Mike Burgess made a punchy speech in Canberra last night saying that a “major network of spies” has been removed from the country – including some people working undercover for years. He said the agency was taking a “more aggressive counterespionage posture” and warned that foreign agents were targeting government officials, bank workers, doctors, police and journalists to steal sensitive information. In a Q&A with reporters later, he also called for changes to the law to clearly prevent former defence personnel and other government insiders “transferring any form of sensitive know-how to authoritarian regimes”. We’ll have full details on that Q&A soon.
Security is also on the agenda for Anthony Albanese today as he prepares to flag additional investment in military capability during his own speech to the Press Club in Canberra. There’s a lot of talk that the prime minister will travel to the US next month to unveil the next steps in Aukus, which he will today call the “single biggest leap in our defence capability in our history”.
And we’ve also got our own exclusive story this morning – an investigation into a decision by the NSW government to fast-track rezoning for 12,900 houses on Sydney’s fringe. The decision is set out in documents obtained by Guardian Australia and they show that it has gone ahead despite the land having no public transport, inadequate water supplies and being part of an endangered koala habitat. It raises questions about developers, lobbyists and the state government.
With all that, let’s get going …
