What we learned, Friday 31 March
We’re going to wrap up the live blog now. Here’s what made the news today:
The Sydney state MP Alex Greenwich has vowed to reform laws in New South Wales to better protect the LGBTQ+ community after being brought to tears by a homophobic tweet from fellow parliamentarian Mark Latham.
One of Australia’s largest home builders Porter Davis has collapsed and construction firm Lloyd Group has gone into voluntary administration in a hit to the sector.
Federal attorney general Mark Dreyfus “does not agree” with the human rights commissioner that the proposed Indigenous voice to parliament would undermine human rights principles of equality and non-discrimination.
An independent investigation into repeated failings on Sydney’s train network will be launched by the New South Wales Labor government, but the state’s new transport minister insists it will not be a “witch-hunt”.
Veteran Australian entertainer and radio identity Doug Mulray has died aged 71.
Thanks for sticking with us today. We’ll be back bright and early to bring you tomorrow’s news, including results from the Aston by-election in Melbourne’s east.
Laura Tingle becomes ABC staff-elected director
Laura Tingle has won the vote for staff-elected director and will take up the part-time position on 1 May, sitting on the ABC board alongside chair Ita Buttrose.
The Australian Electoral Commission declared the 7.30 political correspondent the winner among a field of eight candidates after ballots closed on Friday morning.
Melbourne business journalist Dan Ziffer was a close second, securing just 30 fewer votes than Tingle after preferences were counted.
Ziffer, who campaigned hard for the position, received more primary votes than Tingle, with 615 to her 568. But after preferences Tingle had 889 and Ziffer 859.
Of the 5,450 ABC staff eligible to vote a total of 2,073 ballots were returned.
The incumbent, Dr Jane Connors, who finishes her term on 30 April, is an adviser on ABC editorial policies and a former Radio National manager.
Updated
Assistant minister says trade sanctions raised ‘in very direct way’ with China
The assistant trade minister, Tim Ayres, has confirmed he discussed ongoing trade sanctions hurting Australian industry with his Chinese counterpart while on an official visit.
Here’s what he told the ABC a short time ago:
Of course those issues were raised in a very direct way. They were raised in direct discussions between [trade] minister [Don] Farrell and his Chinese counterpart, the minister for commerce.
At a ministerial level we are engaging and trying to make sure that there is momentum towards resolving these impediments, but there are also discussions at the official level. Some of these issues are highly technical and require a highly technical approach from Australian officials and those discussions are under way.
Updated
Melbourne’s John Curtin hotel given heritage status
This one is for those who love politics and pubs. It is 5pm on Friday, after all. The John Curtin hotel in Melbourne has been given heritage status. The pub has a history as a meeting place for the Labor party. The Victorian Trades Hall is a stone’s throw a way. This tweet is from the deputy lord mayor of Melbourne, Nicholas Reece.
JOHN CURTIN HOTEL added to the Victorian Heritage Register for its “cultural heritage significance”.
— Nicholas Reece (@Nicholas_Reece) March 31, 2023
A win for everyone who loves heritage pubs. Not just bc they are old or their architecture but bc of their importance to the social history and cultural fabric of Melbourne. 🙌🏼 pic.twitter.com/qRzVa8XuNk
Updated
Cultural burning expansion to reduce bushfire risk
Indigenous groups will conduct cultural burns across Victoria to reduce bushfire risk and protect habitat in an expansion of the practice across the state, AAP reports.
The burns will be carried out by Indigenous corporations under a grants program designed to support the state’s efforts towards Aboriginal self-determination.
Forest Fire Management Victoria’s Jarrod Hayse said the grants would enable traditional owners to take the lead in cultural burning on their lands and reduce bushfire risk:
The grants will strengthen existing partnerships with traditional-owner groups, as we support them to plan, implement and monitor burning projects.
The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action is spending $22.5 million over four years to support Indigenous-led cultural land and fire management practices.
Before colonisation, cultural burning was used for purposes including protecting the land, providing habitat for wildlife and the harvesting of resources.
- AAP.
Tasmania left with ‘unusable’ $23m PPE stockpile
Tasmanian health officials are figuring out what to do with an almost $23 million stockpile of personal protective equipment considered “unusable”, AAP reports.
Liberal premier Jeremy Rockliff has defended purchasing the gear, which was bought in 2019/20 and 2020/21 during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic.
It was revealed in state parliament $22.8 million worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) had been deemed “unusable” and the relevant department was investigating options for its disposal.
The state Labor opposition labelled the revelation “staggering and scandalous” and one of the worst wastes of taxpayers’ money in Tasmania’s history.
Mr Rockliff said the PPE was purchased at the height of the pandemic during a period of great uncertainty:
Are (Labor) seriously saying we should not have been prepared?
It’s not wasted. It has not been thrown out. There is an opportunity to utilise the PPE at a lower grade. That has not been ruled out.
We had to act and prepare in the interests of protecting our nurses, doctors and patients.
‘Devastating’: Customers may lose ‘dream home’ after building company collapse
AAP has spoken to customers who’ve been caught up in the collapse of major builder Porter Davis.
The company has more than 1,500 homes in progress across Victoria and 200 properties in Queensland, while a further 779 customers have signed contracts for new builds yet to start.
One of those affected customers is Melbourne mum Katharyn Borg, who put down a $1,500 deposit to build her dream home on Queensland’s Bribie Island.
Borg and husband Simon were awaiting their first tender from Porter Davis when the news came through on Friday:
We’re definitely not in the worst position but it’s still devastating. We thought we had locked in our dream home.
Borg said she had already contacted another builder but was worried about the next steps:
Porter Davis, to me, was a massive company. So many people would have never thought they would go into liquidation.
Is there any guarantee for this home build now? It’s just another level of stress.
Liquidators Grant Thornton cited rising input costs, supply chain delays, labour shortages and falling demand as reasons behind Porter Davis’s collapse.
Updated
Wage rise to match inflation ‘absolutely essential’ for lowest earners, economist says
The director of the Centre for Future Work, Jim Stanford, has told the ABC that it is essential wages keep pace with inflation for the nation’s lowest earners.
The employment relations minister, Tony Burke, has confirmed the government’s submission to the Fair Work Commission will urge it to ensure the real wages of low income workers do not go backwards.
Here’s what Stanford told the ABC.
We know that inflation has accelerated dramatically since the Covid pandemic, currently running at about 7% a year. Wages, on the other hand, are going much, much slower.
So what that means is what you can buy with your pay is shrinking, year after year, and that’s tough for anyone, but for someone who can barely pay for the essentials of life in the first place, that’s a disaster.
We are seeing households in Australia that can’t buy their groceries and other essentials of life. So it’s absolutely essential that lower-paid workers at least keep up with inflation.
Updated
And here’s the national tally of Covid cases, which are up 13.5% on last week.
This weekly📅infographic provides an overview of the current #COVID19 situation in Australia.
— Australian Department of Health and Aged Care (@healthgovau) March 31, 2023
Find out more here💻 https://t.co/xomakKtvzE pic.twitter.com/19gccYqS51
Victorian Covid cases up but hospitalisations stable
Victoria’s chief health officer has released weekly figures of Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations. Cases are up but hospitalisations remain stable. Here’s part of the update:
There were 5,225 Covid-19 cases reported in Victoria this week, an increase of 17% on the previous week.
The average daily number of new cases this week was 746, up from 638 last week. The seven-day rolling average of patients with COVID in Victorian hospitals is 184. There are currently 185 COVID patients in Victorian hospitals.
There are currently 8 COVID patients in intensive care. There are 4 cleared cases in ICU. There are 2 COVID patients on a ventilator. The seven-day rolling average of patients in intensive care in Victorian hospitals is 9.
In the past three months, 2,591 COVID patients were hospitalised in Victoria.
Treaty roadmap released in Victoria
The First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria has declared its intent to begin treaty negotiations with the Victorian government before the end of the year.
The assembly has released a roadmap that outlines the steps it will take between its own elections in May and the start of negotiations with the government.
Assembly co-chair and Nira illim bulluk man of the Taungurung nation, Marcus Stewart, said the roadmap was the embodiment of the promise the assembly made to the Aboriginal community.
We’ve been entrusted by our communities to find a path for the important and long overdue journey towards treaty.
This statement is the map that will guide the next elected members to complete the journey and get treaty done. Treaty will benefit everyone who calls this state home.
If you’re interested, you can read the roadmap here.
Updated
John Farnham being treated in hospital
John Farnham’s family have confirmed the singer is currently being treated for a respiratory infection in hospital. Farnham has been receiving ongoing treatment since undergoing surgery to remove mouth cancer in August.
In a statement, Farnham’s family say he is comfortable and receiving “the very best care”. Jill Farnham, his wife, has provided this update:
John continues his recovery following last year’s successful surgery. He’s always been a strong and determined person with everything he’s ever done and we are all so very proud of him. He is responding well to the specialist care he’s receiving.
The family has also thanked medical staff for their support over the past six months and fans from across the world, who’ve passed on their best wishes.
Updated
Review to address ‘alarming’ Sydney train problems
An independent investigation into repeated failings on Sydney’s train network will not be a “witch-hunt”, NSW’s incoming transport minister insists.
Jo Haylen said urgent briefings she received in the days since being sworn in had laid bare the dire state of NSW’s heavy rail system:
What I have learned alarms me. There are serious problems when it comes to our train network.
Sydney rail commuters have endured a year of delays, disruptions and widespread outages including a digital radio system failure on 8 March that left every train stationary for 90 minutes at the start of the afternoon peak.
Haylen promised to get to the root cause of the city’s heavy rail issues as the worst on-time running since the pandemic puts Sydney’s global city status at risk.
- AAP.
Updated
NSW transport minister says Latham ‘not fit for office’
The new New South Wales transport minister, Jo Haylen, has labelled homophobic comments made by the One Nation MP Mark Latham towards the independent MP Alex Greenwich “disgusting”, saying he is “not fit for parliament”.
Latham is facing a severe backlash - including from his party leader in Queensland, Pauline Hanson, after making gratuitous comments about a sexual act aimed towards Greenwich.
On Friday, Haylen, the newly-sworn NSW transport minister, said:
Mark Latham’s comments were disgusting. Of course he should apologise but it’s Mark Latham [so] I don’t think anyone should be holding their breath.
Personally I don’t think he’s fit for parliament.
But asked whether Latham should face formal sanction for the comments she said:
Right now Mark Latham should apologise and apologise rapidly.
The influential Sydney MP, who is gay, addressed the comments on Friday by saying he was focused on moving legislation in the new parliament to address LGBTIQ+ discrimination, including a push to ban gay conversion therapy in the state.
Latham has come in for repeated criticism in the past. The former federal Labor leader has previously been sacked by both Sky News and the Australian Financial Review.
After deleting the Tweet, Latham is yet to respond.
Committee chair says more transparency required before future troop deployments
As Daniel Hurst mentioned earlier, the joint standing committee on foreign affairs, defence and trade has recommended some changes about the process in which Australia would go to war.
Labor MP Julian Hill is the chair of the defence subcommittee and has issued a statement, saying there is a clear need to improve transparency and accountability:
The power to declare war and send military personnel into conflict is arguably the most significant and serious institutional power, and the gravest decision a government can make.
Through this inquiry, the committee has carefully and seriously considered fundamental questions regarding decision-making in relation to international armed conflict and parliamentary oversight, both preceding and during the commitment of the Australian Defence Force.
The committee has concluded there is a clear need to improve the transparency and accountability of government decision-making in relation to armed conflict.
Australia’s system of parliamentary democracy is likely to be kept healthy, effective, and well-adapted by making sensible changes that respect our well-established institutions and conventions.
NSW premier Chris Minns calls Mark Latham a ‘bigot’ after ‘vile’ comments
New South Wales premier Chris Minns has called Mark Latham a bigot and labeled his comments as vile and shameful.
Speaking at a Lifeline International lunch in the Sydney CBD on Friday, Minns said:
They’re vile and shameful comments and I think he’s revealed himself to be a bigot ... One of the things that can’t be forgotten is that comments like this, even though in and of themselves they’re terrible, they unleash ghouls on people.
He said politicians needed to join in “unambiguous and universal condemnation” of comments like Latham’s.
Minns also praised Greenwich’s work in the parliament and his poise in the wake of the comments.
Updated
Sure, there’s a byelection, talk of war, and other hefty news items to focus on today… but we know what you really need, and that’s cartoonist Fiona Katauskas on Gwyneth Paltrow:
Aukus chief confirms Keating’s criticism
For context, this is known as the “rule of threes” and it has always been thus. One submarine on active duty, one preparing to go out, and one back in for maintenance.
If you want to revisit former prime minister Paul Keating’s other memorable attacks on Aukus, enjoy:
Speaking exclusively to Sky's @TrudyMcIntosh, AUKUS Chief Jonathan Mead confirms Paul Keating's criticism that as few as a third of the nuclear submarines will be operational at one time.
— Cam Reddin (@CamReddin) March 31, 2023
Even when Australia has 8 subs, not all 8 can be on water at once #auspol @SkyNewsAust
Updated
‘It’s crippling families’: Liberal candidate focuses on cost of living before Aston byelection
We’ve already brought you comments from prime minister Anthony Albanese about this weekend’s byelection in the Melbourne seat of Aston. Now let’s contrast them with what the Liberal candidate, Roshena Campbell, has said this morning.
The barrister and Melbourne City councillor is focusing on cost of living, which has been a central issue in this byelection and a real challenge in the seat of Aston. Here’s what Campbell told ABC radio:
It is crippling families that are struggling with rising interest rates, energy bills and grocery prices. What they’re saying to me is, ‘I was promised all of those things would come down if a Labor government was elected and instead, everything’s gone up’.
In particular, [they mention] that broken promise on energy prices. They were promised $275 off their bills and in Aston they’re up by $800 to $900 on average in this year. The Victorian regulators says expect 30% more increases.
So a lot of families are wondering how on earth they’re going to be able to afford that payment. And it’s clear to them [the government] has no plan.
Updated
Key event
Committee recommends changes to how government sends troops to war
An inquiry has called for tweaks to the Australian government’s powers to send troops to international conflicts, including requiring the parliament to be recalled to allow for a debate.
A new parliamentary defence committee should also be set up to give MPs and senators access to intelligence briefings, according to the proposals published on Friday.
But the recommendations will disappoint campaigners for substantial reform of the war powers, because the report does not go as far as calling for a binding parliamentary vote that could, in effect, veto a cabinet decision to join a conflict.
The joint standing committee on foreign affairs, defence and trade argued the changes it outlined on Friday would ensure more transparency, accountability and scrutiny about how the nation goes to war.
The recommendations include rewriting the cabinet handbook to “require a written statement to be published and tabled in the parliament setting out the objectives of major military operations, the orders made and their legal basis”.
The amended cabinet handbook would also require parliament “to be recalled as soon as possible to be advised, and facilitate a debate in parliament at the earliest opportunity following a ministerial statement, based on the 2010 Gillard model, including a statement of compliance with international law and advice as to the legality of an operation”.
They also suggest a new defence committee modelled on the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security. This committee, to be established via legislation, would be “able to receive classified information to improve parliamentary scrutiny of defence strategy, policy, capability development acquisition and sustainment, contingency planning, and major operations”.
This committee would likely comprise members of the major parties, in a move likely to irk the Greens, which have been campaigning for substantial reform to prevent a repeat of the Iraq war debacle. The Greens have written a dissenting report.
The committee inquiry had been established by the defence minister, Richard Marles, in line with a Labor commitment. But Marles had told the committee at the outset that while he wanted more debate, he was “firmly” against giving parliament the power to actually veto deployments.
More details soon.
Updated
‘Do not believe the misinformation’: Labor and Liberal MPs speak in support of trans community
Labor MP Graham Perrett and Liberal MP Warren Entsch have delivered a strong statement in parliament on International Transgender Day of Visibility.
Both Queenslanders are members of the parliamentary friends of LGBTIQA+ Australians.
Perrett has shared a video of his statement, which was delivered while standing next to Entsch:
Transgender people have been with us for a long, long time. This isn’t a new trend. They belong here, now. They always have, and always will. Gender dysphoria is not an illness.
A rise in the number of transitions is not a nefarious plot to bring down the world, but a demonstration that they now feel an acceptance of who they are, that they belong.
I can assure all that someone watching Ru Paul’s Drag Race or attending a drag time library story isn’t going to suddenly start questioning who they are. Do not believe the misinformation and lies.
Today’s@International Transgender Day of Visibility. Warren Entch MP & I showed our support for the Trans and gender diverse community in parliament.
— Graham Perrett (@GrahamPerrettMP) March 31, 2023
Being your true self takes courage and today and every day we celebrate your strength & fight fear, discrimination & violence. pic.twitter.com/1FE1Bo8AHP
Updated
NSW Liberals retain Goulburn
The New South Wales Liberals have retained the seat of Goulburn.
The southern tablelands seat was one of four still in doubt following Saturday’s vote but had been expected to remain in the Coalition column.
With about 80% of the vote counted, incumbent MP Wendy Tuckerman leads her Labor opponent, Michael Pilbrow, by about 400 votes and is expected to retain that lead as the final postal ballots are counted.
Tuckerman, the outgoing local government minister, suffered a 2.5% swing against her, far lower than the state average.
On Friday the ABC election analyst Antony Green called the seat for the Liberals.
While Labor has already sworn in an interim cabinet, it faces an uphill battle to govern in majority. It requires two more seats to govern in its own right with only three yet to be called. The party trails in two out of three of those contests.
Updated
Debra Mortimer to be first female chief justice of federal court
The federal government has announced Debra Mortimer will become the new chief justice of the federal court. Justice Mortimer has served on the federal court since 2013.
Here’s part of the joint statement from attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, and the prime minister, Anthony Albanese:
The government congratulates Justice Mortimer on her appointment and looks forward to her distinguished contribution to the justice system as she leads the federal court.
The attorney general consulted extensively on the appointment, including all state and territory attorneys general, the heads of the federal courts and state and territory supreme courts, the Law Council of Australia, and the Australian Bar Association.
Justice Mortimer is widely recognised for her legal acumen, intellectual capacity and judicial leadership.
The government is grateful to all members of the legal profession who provided nominations and assisted with its consideration of candidates for this very important role.
Updated
Political blame game on builder collapse begins
Well, it didn’t take long for this to become political. The former federal minister for housing Michael Sukkar has blamed the collapse of Porter Davis Homes on the Albanese government.
Sukkar has tweeted:
This is devastating for so many customers, employees and contractors. Labor was warned about the issues in the industry and refused to help. The Coalition’s support for the industry through Covid is now being jeopardised by Labor’s neglect.
This is devastating for so many customers, employees and contractors. Labor was warned about the issues in the industry and refused to help. The Coalition’s support for the industry through COVID is now being jeopardised by Labor’s neglect. https://t.co/Ox14trTcK1
— Michael Sukkar (@MichaelSukkarMP) March 31, 2023
Updated
Thanks for your attention this morning – handing the blog over to Henry Belot! Have a great weekend.
Key event
Major builder Porter Davis collapses
One of Australia’s biggest home builders, Porter Davis Homes, has collapsed, with work on many projects stopping immediately.
The company is currently building more than 1,500 homes in Victoria and another 200 in Queensland. It has signed 779 contracts with customers where building is yet to start. The company has around 470 employees across Australia.
Grant Thornton Australia has been appointed as liquidators for 14 companies within the Porter Davis Homes Group.
Here’s the statement from Grant Thornton Australia:
The liquidators’ appointment is over all PDH Group operating and employing companies in Victoria and Queensland, except Englehart Homes. Englehart Homes, which was acquired by the Group in late 2021, is not subject to the appointment and is continuing to operate in its own right.
The liquidators will not be trading the PDH Group companies and works on current builds will cease immediately. However, the liquidators are working urgently to determine if a solution can be found to support customers and some employees, including by engaging with key stakeholders and potential interested parties who may be willing to take over the current customer contracts.
It’s not known why the builder collapsed, but many construction companies have struggled with supply chain delays and labour shortages since the pandemic. Here’s more from the liquidator’s statement:
The extremely challenging environment for residential home building has directly contributed to the PDH Group’s financial position, with rising input costs, supply chain delays, labour shortages, and a drop in demand for new homes in 2023 impacting the group’s liquidity.
Updated
PM workshipping Eeyore comparisons
Circling back to the press conference with the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, on the Aston byelection. The PM extended the comparison of the opposition to the Winnie-the-Pooh character Eeyore he made in question time yesterday.
The Liberals should retain Aston with a massive majority. The fact that the Liberal party are having to spend so much money, and they have massively out-spent Labor in this byelection, in order to hang on to one of their heartland seats says everything about the state of the Liberal party brand.
Albanese said a key factor in the erosion of the Liberal branch was federal leader Peter Dutton, who he compared to a Winnie-the-Pooh character.
Federally, they just sit there and vote no to everything…They are the Eeyores of Australian politics and Peter Dutton is the angry Eeyore - he just sits there ‘woe is me, the sky is falling in’ every time an initiative is put forward.
Yesterday in question time, responding to the Liberal member for Lindsay (whose electorate includes Penrith), Albanese first made the comparison, pointing to her constituent’s swing towards Labor at the state level:
Last Saturday they responded by electing Karen McKeown as the member for Penrith, with a record swing in that electorate. One of the things they were looking for in Penrith when I was there was an end to the sort of Eeyore philosophy of those opposite – ‘It’s all doom. The world’s going to end. Everything’s terrible’.
Those opposite are turning into one of those cults that say the world’s going to end. Every time the Senate passes a piece of legislation they put their robes on and they all get ready, because it’s all going to end!
Whether it’s the safeguard mechanism, the national reconstruction Ffund or industrial relations – remember the IR legislation? They said small business was going to be destroyed by that. There were going to be mass strikes.
The only strike we’ve seen has been from the leader of the opposition entering New South Wales. That’s the only strike that we’ve seen.
- with AAP
Updated
Greenwich: ‘I didn’t think I’d still be subject to homophobic abuse’
Sydney MP Alex Greenwich had a “bit of a cry” last night following New South Wales One Nation leader Mark Latham’s homophobic tweet.
Speaking outside parliament on Friday, Greenwich said he did not expect to still be dealing with homophobia in 2023 and after being reelected, but that it had made him still more resolved in progressing LGBTQ+ rights in the state.
He said:
I have not heard from Mr Latham. I do not expect to hear from him. I do not expect an apology from him. I also know that nobody has seen or heard from Mr Latham in the past 24 hours and, at a very human level, I hope he’s OK. The comments that he made are obviously not comments of a well person.
The powerful independent was called by the new premier, Chris Minns, on Thursday and the pair discussed what is next for LGBTQ+ laws in NSW.
Greenwich said:
I spoke to him about how I really want to work with his government to address outstanding LGBTQI law reform and that’s something that we are going to do together. We know that Labor has already committed to a ban on conversion practices and I’m looking forward to working with the government towards a review of the anti-discrimination act and changes in the anti-discrimination act.
He added:
This has obviously been hurtful for me. I had a bit of a cry late yesterday at the end of the day. After being in this gig for a decade and getting reelected I didn’t think I’d still be subjected to homophobic abuse. But I woke up refreshed and really recommitted to dealing with LGBTI law reform in NSW to working with my colleagues, a majority of whom I know support the community.
Updated
Burke on link between grades, awards and the lowest-paid
Our chief political correspondent Paul Karp asks Burke:
It’s actually quite hard for the Fair Work Commission to lift the pay only for the lowest paid because they try to preserve the relatively between grades and awards and between separate awards. So is the government running the risk that by only recommending the low-paid keep up with inflation, only the relatively small proportion of people on a national minimum wage, will get a pay rise in line with inflation?
Burke:
The point on relativity is something that the Fair Work Commission referred to themselves in the decision they brought down last year, but they refer to their willingness to do that based on the economic circumstances and they are not that different now.
There are two different concepts. One is to what extent do you preserve the relativities. But the other is what do you do for the people who have got nowhere to move? That’s the low-paid workers.
What do you do for the people who have got nowhere that they can shift, know whether they can move, where they are effectively, as I said before, chasing prices and can’t quite keep up? And for those people, the government’s view is regardless of arguments about relativities, we just don’t want to see a situation where they go backwards and that’s what we’ve submitted to the commission.
Updated
Burke says the government’s submission does not include a figure because “we don’t have all the inflation data”:
We put forward a submission that puts our focus on low-paid workers and that is where our focus is. In terms of what that number is [that will] depend on the future instalments of inflation data as well.
Updated
Burke: ‘Peter Dutton talking about cost of living is a joke’
Taking questions, Burke says the Liberal party claiming they care about cost of living is a “cruel hoax.”
I say to our political opponents, Peter Dutton talking about cost of living is a joke, if he doesn’t care about getting wages moving. Every time they have had a chance to back something that would get wages moving they have opposed it on the basis that it increase wages!
Cost of living is about the difference between wages and prices. And it is just a cruel hoax against Australian workers [that] the Liberal party claimed they care at all about cost of living when … to this day, they are still trying to get wages down.
Updated
Who are the lowest-paid workers?
Burke ends saying he wants to provide a reminder of who lowest paid workers are.
They are disproportionately women. They are disproportionately casuals. They are disproportionately people who lack bargaining power.
… this submission is not the only thing we are doing to look after those workers … if you have a look at the legislation Katy Gallagher put through parliament that it is just becoming law now, and what has gone through in the last week, what I put through with [the] ‘secure jobs, better pay’ [bill] last year – we are making sure we have the full range of measures to get wages moving, to close the gender pay gap, to improve people’s capacity for secure jobs.
This submission, this commitment today, is the next chapter in the process.
Updated
Tony Burke: inflation’s effects on low-wage earners disproportionate to rest of the economy
Burke evokes the image of Australia’s lowest earners “trying to chase a bus” going faster than they can run. That bus of course, is an economy being propelled by rising inflation, and the government says they want to help minimum wage earners get back on it.
Burke says “what is happening to low-wage earners is disproportionate to what is happening in the rest of the economy.” Acknowledging it won’t make great television, he reads from the report:
Low-paid workers have a higher average propensity to consume out of income than middle- and high-income earners. This means cost of living [increases], especially for essential goods and services, will affect low paid workers more than middle and high income earners. It goes on: large price increases have been particularly pronounced for non-discretionary goods and services.
He summarises:
Effectively what is happening for low-paid wages is when you are trying to chase a bus and it is going faster than you can run. And as bills are coming in and people’s wages aren’t keeping pace and we want to make sure that those low-paid workers are able to catch up, effectively get them back onto the bus.
What this submission does is consistent with that one word that caused such horror from the previous government when Anthony Albanese said “absolutely”. For the lowest paid workers, we don’t want to go backwards.
Updated
Labor submission to Fair Work Commission recommends real wages 'do not go backwards'
The employment relations minister, Tony Burke, is speaking in Canberra following the government’s submission to the Fair Work Commission on the minimum wage.
Effectively, this document is the next chapter in the Albanese Labor government to get wages moving in Australia. The submission carries the same values that we put forward in the submission last year.
… It says the following, the Australian [government] recommends that the cash, real wages of Australian … do not go backwards. They are the words that the previous government never would have put in the submission, because they basically read an economic argument that was consistent with their determination that low wages be a deliberate design feature of the management of the economy.
While no government – or no Labor government certainly never wants anybody to go backwards, with the current circumstances there is a particular determination to look after what is happening to low-wage earners in Australia … the lower your wage, the more you are going to be pressured by inflation. But there is also a particular issue with the nature of where inflation is hitting hardest.
Updated
Sydney’s faltering train system to be reviewed
Repeated failures on Sydney’s train network will be the subject of a major independent investigation, AAP reports.
Sydney rail commuters have endured a year of delays, disruptions and widespread outages, including a digital radio system failure on 8 March that left every train stationary for 90 minutes at the start of the afternoon peak.
The state’s new transport minister, Jo Haylen, said:
It’s clear that our heavy rail network is facing significant issues.
After 12 years of neglect from the former Liberal government, passengers have faced shutdowns, cancellations and delays across the network and on-time running is the worst it has been since the pandemic.
The review by the former National Transport Commission chairwoman Carolyn Walsh will investigate the causes of repeated infrastructure issues and attempt to find “rapid and durable solutions” and reforms to reduce problems in the future.
The terms of reference will be worked out in the coming days, the government said.
Updated
Like all politicians, Peter Malinauskas is used to facing the heat from journalists, but the form it came in an interview with TikToker Craill was hard to handle for the South Australian Premier.
Malinauskas accepted Craill’s “One Chip Challenge,” sharing a box of the world’s hottest corn chips (rated 1.5 m Scoville heat units) while answering questions about what got him into politics.
Trying to earnestly convey he got into politics “to do something to help people’s lives,” the premier visibly struggles in the viral video:
Oh my god. This is unique. I’ve done a few interviews in my life. Nothing like this.
Eventually breaking down to ask for water, Malinauskas is offered a Farmer’s Union Iced Coffee which he downs.
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Penny Wong issues Cheng Lei statement
The minister for foreign affairs, Penny Wong, has issued a statement saying her thoughts are with detained Australian journalist Cheng Lei on the first anniversary since her closed trail in Beijing.
Today marks one year since Australian citizen, Ms Cheng Lei, faced a closed trial in Beijing on national security charges.
Twelve months on, she is still waiting to learn the outcome of the trial.
We share the deep concerns of Ms Cheng’s family and friends about the ongoing delays in her case.
Our thoughts today are with Ms Cheng and her loved ones, particularly her two children.
The Australian government has advocated at every opportunity for Ms Cheng to be reunited with her family.
Australia has consistently called for Ms Cheng to be afforded basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment in accordance with international norms.
We will continue to provide consular support to Ms Cheng and her family, and to advocate for her interests and wellbeing.
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Albanese urges voters to send 'disappearing' opposition a message
Nevertheless, Albanese has urged voters in Aston to send a message to the opposition that their “disappearing” performance in parliament is not good enough.
Albanese says electing Liberal candidate, Roshena Campbell, will only mean “one more person sitting there saying no”, which he says won’t do anything for the people of Aston.
Send a message to the opposition that they need to do better than Peter Dutton, because all we see from the Coalition is just saying no to everything.
This week they said no to the national reconstruction fund, they said no to manufacturing jobs, no to the safeguard mechanism, which is their policy that was established by Tony Abbott. They are saying no to the housing Australia future fund for more affordable housing.
They just sit there, they don’t participate in any of the debates or negotiations that occur in the parliament. Having one more person sitting there saying no won’t do anything.
Mary Doyle will be able to be an advocate as a member of government, will be able to get things done for the people of Aston.
Send a message that the Liberal party need to do better than just disappearing, which is what Peter Dutton’s strategy seems to be.
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Labor winning Aston would be a one-in-a-century event, says PM
Albanese is not talking up Labor’s chances of winning the byelection in Aston this weekend, saying if it does, it “will be a more than one-in-a-century event.”
Aston is a byelection in a seat that’s held by the opposition. A government has not won a seat off the opposition in a byelection for more than 100 years. History tells you what the chances are of success. If it happens, it will be a more than one-in-a-century event.
This is a seat that has been a very safe Liberal party seat. The former member, Mr Tudge, received 54.7% of the primary vote – the primary vote – in 2019, just four years ago. How it is that the Liberal party aren’t expecting a two party preferred vote with a six in front? … The average swing away from governments when Labor has been in government in byelections is around about between 5% and 6% away from the government.
That having been said, though, Mary Doyle is a great candidate. She hasn’t shopped around for seats. She stood in Aston last time in the election less than a year ago. She is a single mum who knows what it is like to do it tough. She is a cancer survivor, who has come through all of that to raise her family in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne, where she has lived for 35 years.
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Labor inherited decline in public housing investment, Albanese says
Albanese is coming under heat from the press pack on Queensland’s housing crisis and says:
I am very conscious of the fact that, on housing issues, we need to do more to work across different levels of government.
That is what we’re doing with the commonwealth state housing agreement. That is what we do with private rental assistance, that is what we are doing with the housing Australia future fund, with the national housing affordability scheme also.
We will continue to work with different levels of government, as well as with the private sector to make sure that we address issues, such as supply. We inherited a system of a decline in housing investment from the commonwealth in public housing going forward.
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Albanese swipes at Coalition over minimum wage rises
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is speaking in Brisbane. Taking questions from the media, Albanese says his government supports increasing the minimum wage:
The Fair Work Commission will take into account a range of factors including the fact that people who are on the minimum wage are doing it tough. The Fair Work Commission, I am sure, will take that into account.
And we will make a submission. We won’t put a figure on it, as governments haven’t done.
But what we have not done and - in a difference with the Coalition - who talk about the cost of living but never, ever stand up for or support increases in the minimum wage, ever.
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Dutton’s leadership not at stake in Aston byelection, Birmingham says
Birmingham says he does not think Peter Dutton’s leadership is at stake on the basis of the Aston byelection.
He indicated he was confident the Liberals will hold the seat this weekend. While no election in the modern age can be taken for granted, he says “there shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone” that the Liberals do retain Aston.
Especially because I think at the last election there was a clear message that people want to see the Liberal party do better and better reflecting modern Australia. And in Roshena Campbell, our candidate in Aston, there is an outstanding professional woman of diverse background who will better reflect modern Australia in the Liberal party ranks. And this is a wonderful opportunity to take one step, a very important one, to secure that type of improvement that I think the electorate was looking for from us at the last election and that she will be a genuine asset in the party room and in the parliament if she’s elected.
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Birmingham defends absence of Liberals when voice bill was intorduced
Birmingham also spoke on the voice, saying he doesn’t want to see the referendum on the voice to parliament fail and that the Liberal party will continue to “engage in the process”.
Karvelas asked Birmingham about what signal it sent that when the government introduced thereferendum bill yesterday, only a handful of Liberal MPs were in the chamber with leader Peter Dutton not present.
I’m not sure it’s intended to send any particular signal. For the introduction of virtually any bill, there are very few members of parliament there. The debate comes at a significantly later stage, and for this one, the debate will come after an important joint select committee process … and I look forward to that process being undertaken.
On the likelihood that the Liberal party can land on a yes position supporting the referendum, Birmingham said he does not want to see the referendum fail and that “we will continue to engage in this process carefully.”
Birmingham hopes that the Senate representative select committee all come with an open mind:
I hope that everyone comes to that with an open mind in terms of testing those propositions and the government comes with an open mind to still change the wording of the proposed constitutional amendment, if the evidence is there that changing it would provide a safer more stable outcome for our constitution.
Birmingham said the inclusion of the word “executive” had been one of the most contested elements of the wording. However, he said:
I’m not going into this joint Senate select committee process drawing red lines, and I would urge others not to as well.
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Birmingham says raising tax on gas could be bad for climate
Circling back to the interview with Simon Birmingham, who was asked about that report in the AFR and whether he believed a tax on gas was a good reform to pursue.
He told ABC Radio he believed raising the petroleum resource rent tax could ultimately be counterproductive, pointing the government to heed the warnings from a speech given the CEO of Inpex corporation, one of the biggest foreign investors in Australian gas:
It needs to be weighed against the context of a very impactful speech given by one of the biggest investors in Australia yesterday, the global CEO of Inpex corporation who are responsible for the largest liquid natural gas project foreign investment of any sort from Japan in our nation’s history.
And they sent some pretty clear messages and warning signals about the government’s gas market interventions that occurred late last year, the risk that that is going to deter foreign investment in the future. The risk that it will actually regionally drive an increased use of coal as against gas, and it will drive negative climate change consequences. And the risk that it opens up new opportunities for countries like Russia or Iran or China.
So I think there are a lot of messages that were provided quite directly by the Inpex CEO yesterday and the government really does need to heed those messages and if it’s looking at tinkering with, with taxes on that sector, it wants to be pretty careful that it doesn’t act in a way that deters investment in the future, and ultimately is entirely counterproductive to any measures to either control prices and support exports or raise revenue is if you just end up driving investment away.
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Report of new gas tax for Australia
The Australian Financial Review is this morning reporting that a new gas tax looms as the government tries to raise revenue to begin budget repair.
The Fin’s economics editor, Jon Kehoe, writes that the Albanese government is seeking to raise billions of extra dollars from the petroleum resource rent tax (PRRT).
Major companies such as Woodside Energy, Santos and Shell and their tax advisers have signed confidentiality agreements with Treasury on the PRRT consultation.
Since Treasury resumed the stalled work for Labor late last year, it has cast the net wider to probe other PRRT areas, such as deductions, in an attempt to raise revenue sooner for the government from the profits-based tax.
“They’re trying to find a way to bring the PRRT receipts forward,” a source familiar with the discussions said.
The timing of any changes remains unclear, but the May 9 budget is shaping as a likely trigger point.
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Donald Trump indicted in New York – report
Big news out of the US this morning. The New York Times is reporting Donald Trump has been indicted in New York, over a hush money payment made to the adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election.
Read more:
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Doug Mulray dies, age 71
The legendary commercial radio host Doug Mulray, best known for hosting Sydney’s Triple M breakfast slot in the early 1980s, has died aged 71.
Vale, Doug Mulray. pic.twitter.com/bBUTPEKfTo
— 2GB Sydney (@2GB873) March 30, 2023
Andrew Denton said on 2GB this morning:
If the world is water, he was a giant Berocca.
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Government submission on minimum wage rise due
The government will today makes its submission to the industrial umpire’s yearly update to the minimum wage. My colleague Paul Karp has the story:
Employers have warned that an “excessive” 7% minimum wage rise in line with inflation advocated by unions could tip Australia into recession.
It comes as the Albanese government has argued the Fair Work Commission should “ensure the real wages of Australia’s low-paid workers do not go backwards”.
The workplace relations minister, Tony Burke, and the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, noted the government submission to the commission’s annual minimum wage review “does not suggest that across-the-board wages should automatically increase in line with inflation”, implicitly leaving room for those on higher award wages to receive a lower increase.
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Greenwich: “I don’t need or want Senator Hanson’s support”
Greenwich is doing the rounds of breakfast news shows responding to Latham’s homophobic tweets – a time he says he’d normally be walking his dog, Max, with husband Victor – but is now speaking with ABC News Breakfast.
Pauline Hanson has called on Latham to apologise to Greenwich, but the independent MP says he has not heard from the NSW One Nation leader.
When it comes to Senator Hanson those are really empty words. I don’t need or want Senator Hanson’s support.
She is someone who will target the LGBT community when she wants to. She just did it last week with a motion in the Senate.
What I’d like to see is more work being done to call out people like Pauline Hanson and Mark Latham.
Look, obviously, she’s embarrassed by the content of what Mark Latham tweeted, but the work she has done in our Senate to target the trans community in particular, is pretty cruel.
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Greenwich says he will not seek Latham censure motion
Greenwich says he does not expect any action from his workplace (the NSW parliament) but does hope his colleagues will support reforms removing discrimination from the state.
Patricia Karvelas:
Now, Mr Latham has been reelected to the New South Wales upper house following last week’s election. What’s the recourse? I mean, if someone had said this to you in any other workplace, it would pretty much be a sackable offence. And yet, in your workplace, what is the recourse? What happens?
Greenwich:
I’m not expecting anything to happen in our workplace.
What I can hope for in our workplace is to pass reforms that make it clear to the rest of the community that the majority of parliamentarians support and celebrate the LGBT community and want to see discrimination removed.
We’re talking about state laws, where you can currently fire someone from a school for being gay or expel a student when they come out.
Just as horrific as Mr Latham’s comments are, the impact of current legislation in New South Wales is more horrific, and I’m more focused on dealing with that, rather than dealing with some sort of censure or condemnation, motion against Mark Latham which will only give him to spray his vile homophobia on the floor of the parliament.
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Alex Greenwich responds to Mark Latham tweet
Independent member for Sydney Alex Greenwich says he is more motivated to deliver LGBTIQA+ reforms after homophobic remarks against him were tweeted from One Nation leader Mark Latham.
Greenwich has told ABC Radio he does not want to engage with that content of Latham’s tweet, or engage with Latham in the next parliament.
Asked whether he believes Latham’s deletion of the tweet goes to show even he knows he went too far, Greenwich says:
I’m not sure. I don’t want to even begin to understand how Mark Latham’s mind works. I’m certainly not expecting him to apologise.
We’re talking about a person who adopts the cruelest politics from the US and tries to impose it in NSW parliament.
I’ve described him as a cruel and lazy person. I don’t intend to engage with the content of the tweet, nor do I intend to really engage with him in the next parliament.
… It is extremely hurtful when there is a vile homophobic attack, which is directed to you. It’s not the first time this has happened to me. I’m lucky I’m someone who is supported by an amazing electorate, and amazing husband and family.
… That hurt, though, quickly turned into motivation to make sure we stamp out laws which allow my community to be discriminated against.
For those wondering how I’m doing after Latham’s homophobic attacks today, I’m fine and I’m more motivated than ever to deliver long overdue LGBTIQA+ reforms… and I have the most handsome husband. pic.twitter.com/MRA8pI6xE5
— Alex Greenwich MP (@AlexGreenwich) March 30, 2023
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Birmingham denies Greens have effectively become the federal opposition
The opposition leader in the Senate, Simon Birmingham, is speaking with ABC Radio after the final sitting week has wrapped up before the May budget.
In a sitting period in which the Greens have taken the lead in negotiations with the government, Birmingham denies Greens leader Adam Bandt has effectively replaced Peter Dutton as the opposition leader.
No, that’s a ridiculous proposition.
Asked why the Coalition dealt itself out of negotiations, Birmingham said:
If I look back to the week before this one, most of that week was spent on the Referendum Machineries Act, a bill that was passed with the opposition’s support after plenty of negotiation.
We will choose on what is effectively responsible to negotiate on, what is keeping with our values and policies to negotiate on and make decisions on a case-by-case basis.
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“Players are getting sick of it,” Ugle-Hagan says of racism in AFL
Western Bulldogs forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan last night recreated Nicky Winmar’s famous anti-racism gesture as he led the team to victory over Brisbane.
Scoring the first goal of the game, Ugle-Hagan lifted his jumper and pointed to his skin five days after he was racially abused during and after the club’s round-two loss to St Kilda.
Here’s what Ugle-Hagan had to say about the gesture at last night’s post match press conference:
I was thinking back in the day, [Winmar] would have had it a lot worse. Now, players are getting sick of it and we’re making a stance and we’re pointing them out and sorting it out, and everyone is getting behind us.
Those comments hurt you as an individual. You can hear a thousand compliments and then one bad comment, you will remember the bad comment more than the other thousand compliments.
We’re making a stance and making an impact and hopefully we change and educate the people that have no idea that that is racism and it shouldn’t be a thing or allowed.
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Good morning!
Western Bulldogs forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has made a powerful stand against racism as he led the team to victory over last night’s match against Brisbane.
After scoring the first goal of the game, Ugle-Hagan lifted his jumper and pointed to his skin, recreating the iconic anti-racism gesture by St Kilda Saints great Nicky Winmar almost 30 years ago to the day.
Five days ago, Ugle-Hagan was racially abused during and after the club’s round-two loss to St Kilda.
In Canberra, the final sitting week has wrapped up before the budget is delivered in May.
Today, the federal government will call for the Fair Work Commission to lift wages for the lowest paid workers when it makes its submission to the industrial umpire’s yearly update to the minimum wage.
The government will say wages shouldn’t be outstripped by inflation, which has reached 6.8% annual growth, but the opposition and business groups have called for moderation and said inflation could stay higher for longer if wage rises are “excessive”.
In NSW, the independent member for Sydney Alex Greenwich has said he is more motivated to deliver LGBTIQA+ reforms after homophobic remarks against him were tweeted from One Nation leader Mark Latham.
Voters in the Melbourne electorate of Aston are preparing to head to the polls tomorrow for a byelection after former cabinet minister Alan Tudge announced he would step down from parliament.
Let’s get going!
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