What we learned: Monday 2 December
With that, we will wrap up the blog for today. Enjoy your evening, we’ll be back first thing tomorrow.
Here are today’s major developments:
Police have labelled a shooting on the Mornington Peninsula that left two people dead a “targeted” attack, as the suspect remains at large. One of the two deceased has been identified as a 29-year-old man who lived at the Rye property.
More than a dozen people have been charged over an alleged multimillion-dollar attempted import of cocaine into Australia, the largest in the nation’s history.
The federal government will establish an independent inquiry into sexual violence in the Australian military and ensure serving personnel convicted of sex offences in either criminal or military courts face mandatory discharge, under its formal response to the defence and veterans’ suicide royal commission.
A man in his 60s was bitten by a shark while spear fishing off Curtis Island this morning.
And Penrith Beach, affectionately known by Sydneysiders as “Pondi” – will reopen on 7 December for a second season.
Updated
Federal court hears allegations against Health Workers Union leader
Health Workers Union leader Diana Asmar allegedly claimed so-called “traitors” would regret betraying her, a couple of weeks before five staffers and two officials were stood down.
Lawyers for the national union (HSU) made the allegations in the federal court on Monday as they sought more restrictions on Asmar’s role in its Victorian branch.
The interlocutory application is part of a broader push by the HSU to have administrators appointed to the state branch, called the Health Workers Union.
Justice Craig Dowling made orders on 7 October limiting Asmar’s powers, including preventing her from dismissing any employees or altering their employment. Asmar made an undertaking to the court that she would follow the judge’s orders.
But HSU barrister Malcolm Harding SC told the court Asmar made a speech at a delegates conference on 23 October, saying there were traitors in the union who would regret betraying her. Two union officials from the Victorian branch were then stood down and five call centre workers dismissed on 11 November.
Harding claimed under union rules, Asmar was the only one with the power to terminate someone’s employment. He claimed Asmar had breached her undertaking and the judge should make further orders restricting her.
But Asmar’s barrister Rishi Nathwani KC argued there should not be any changes because his client has not breached any of her court undertakings.
Justice Dowling will make a decision on whether to impose further restrictions at a later date.
-AAP.
Updated
Queensland bill ‘major step in the wrong direction’ says human rights boss
Scott McDougall, the state’s human rights commissioner said:
We’ve now reached the point where the attorney general accepts that this bill is not only more punitive than necessary, will disproportionately affect First Nations children and create a system which better protects adults from arbitrary detention than children, but also will likely result in children being subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
We are forging ahead knowingly violating the UN Convention Against Torture against children in any other context that is called child abuse. Is this really what the public wants?
The Justice, Integrity and Safety Committee will sit a second and last time tomorrow in Townsville.
It will then finalise a report with recommendations about the bill, which will be completed on Friday. The legislation will return to the floor of parliament for a final vote next week.
Updated
Queensland parliament told ‘detention centres are overflowing’
Meanwhile, a series of community and human rights groups have appeared at a parliamentary inquiry into the new legislation.
The committee will hold just two days of hearings into the laws, before releasing a report on Friday.
The Youth Advocacy Centre’s Katherine Hayes estimated about 2,000 children had been sentenced for crimes captured by the legislation in the past 12 months, who would be given longer sentences.
There’s nowhere to put those 2,000 kids. The detention centres are overflowing. The watch houses are disgraceful.
Attorney general Deb Frecklington acknowledged Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children would be disproportionately affected by the legislation, but denied it was racist. She acknowledged to the inquiry it discriminated on the basis of age.
We think that this legislation breaches the federal Racial Discrimination Act, and because of section 109 of the constitution, is going to be void, I think the government needs to look into that before passing it.
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UN calls on Queensland to ditch new youth crime laws
The head of the United Nations committee on the rights of the child has called on Queensland to abandon its signature ‘Adult time, adult crime’ laws.
The state’s attorney general, Deb Frecklington, concedes the Making Queensland Safer bill contradicts state and international human rights law and is discriminatory against children. The legislation drastically increases maximum sentences for children as young as 10 convicted of a schedule of offences, including a mandatory life sentence for murderers.
Ann Skelton, chairperson of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, used social media to call the attorney’s concession “extraordinary”.
“We do not agree that the so called exceptional circumstances warrant what will be a flagrant disregard for children’s rights under international law,” she said, on X.
We also don’t agree that it will make Queensland safer. We urge the government of Queensland to stand firm with the principle that children should be treated differently from adults in the criminal justice system.
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NSW Essential Energy workers to go on strike
Rural residents are warned they may be left without power as electricity workers walk off the job in a lengthy dispute over pay and conditions.
More than 2,000 Essential Energy workers begin a series of rolling 72-hour work stoppages from Tuesday, saying pay negotiations have stalled.
The NSW government-owned company operates one of Australia’s largest electricity networks, covering rural and remote parts of the state and southern Queensland.
Electrical Trades Union secretary Allen Hicks said NSW energy minister Penny Sharpe on Monday indicated the government would not move on five key issues.
The NSW government has made it very clear that we’re in for a tough summer when it comes to strain on our electricity grid and the workers who manage it – the government needs to make sure we’re equipped to deal with what is ahead.
The network services 890,000 homes and businesses across 95% of NSW.
Essential Energy said it had worked constructively to progress an enterprise agreement, including through 19 bargaining meetings since May.
But the union has not shifted its position nor made counter offers to come to an agreement, the company said in a statement.
-AAP.
Updated
Negotiations continue between Woolworths and the United Workers Union
The two parties sat down today to negotiate over worker demands for better pay and conditions, but no agreement was reached. Warehouse workers have been on strike for almost two weeks.
Four Woolworths distribution centres in New South Wales and Victoria have been on indefinite strike since 21 November, leading to shortages in some stores in Victoria, NSW and the ACT.
On Sunday, Woolworths said it would reopen its primary connect Melbourne south regional distribution centre today, but the attempt failed after workers and supporters picketed the site and blocked entrances.
We know that there have been shortages on our shelves in some Woolworths stores and that this is really frustrating for our customers.
We’ve been working tirelessly to reopen our Melbourne south regional distribution centre so we can improve the amount of essential grocery items on our shelves for our Victorian customers.
The United Workers Union (UWU) is calling for a pay increase to at least $38 an hour for warehouse staff, as well as consistent wages and conditions across distribution centres.
It also wants a productivity framework that pushed workers to achieve an 100% efficiency rate to be scrapped for good.
United Workers Union National Secretary, Tim Kennedy, said in a statement Monday afternoon that Woolworths showed signs of recognising how important the issue of the framework was to workers.
We have seen Woolworths threaten escalating industrial conflict and the importation of aggressive US-style industrial relations tactics is regrettable.
But today’s negotiations show Woolworths the way they should be resolving this issue – by talking with and listening to their workers. We are hopeful of a breakthrough because our workers deserve to be safe at work.
Updated
Barnaby Joyce, the shadow veterans’ affairs minister, followed Keogh
He said the royal commission was “very thorough” and had come to the “best spot we would expect”.
I’m not saying it’s perfect, nothing is perfect and no one in that field wants to hear you say this is a grand panacea that will fix all problems. It will assist and we still have a lot of work to do.
Amongst that lot of work to do is to pass legislation. If there’s one thing I’m frustrated about, it is we were promised this would be through by the end of the year and it is not true.
We managed to get through a bill apparently about not selling NBN, which we were never intending to do. Politics started playing its part and took the place of pieces of legislation, this being amongst the most vital.
Asked why the Veterans’ Affairs bill didn’t progress last week, Joyce replied “because they were too busy doing other things”.
Legislation was flying around the chamber like a mad hamburger being made. The thing that was vital was this, we were promised that the legislation that is currently in the house and the Senate would be passed by the end of parliament. It wasn’t and therefore the question has to go to Mr Albanese, why?
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Veterans affairs minister commits to royal commission recommendations
Matt Keogh appeared on ABC Afternoon Briefing earlier, after the acceptance of 104 of 122 recommendations from the royal commission into defence and veterans’ suicide, including establishing a new commission to provide independent advice on suicide prevention.
Keogh said one of the roles of the commission was “making sure we don’t see what has happened in the past” – where reviews with many recommendations weren’t implemented by the government.
It will have a role in that. It will also have a role in looking at research.
We need someone independent and separate from defence and the DVA that has an understanding of the impacts of service life on our serving members, veterans and their families and is able to work with and understand the research requirements and how to conduct proper inquiries, working with the public service to break through some of the roadblocks that have been there in the past.
He said following through on the recommendations was “about making sure we are looking after our people who are serving and our veterans and their families”.
The focus of what we’re doing here though is recognising the important work that has to happen to support our serving personnel veterans.
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Correction to report of Bruce Chapman’s Nation Press Club address
Returning briefly to economist Bruce Chapman’s National Press Club address, and we have a correction to issue from his speech.
Chapman took issue with calls for free higher education and the cancellation of unpaid student debt as advocated by the Greens. He was not taking issue with cancelling 20% of student debt, as Labor has announced if it is elected next year.
The cost of abolishing all student debt is estimated at $80bn.
Chapman compared this with increasing jobseeker payments by $2,000 per annum for 80 years or a year of the total cost of running all hospitals.
What does this mean? For economists there is no such thing as free higher education – or indeed, free anything … there are trade-offs to be made with all policy decisions.
Chapman said 65% of Australian adults were not university graduates, and earned less over their lifetime than university graduates.
The equity issue is this … free to students and graduates means greater tax payments from, or, less services to the disadvantaged.
Updated
Victorian gambling regulator resigns with two years left on term
The chief executive of the Victorian gambling regulator has resigned with two years left to serve on her term.
Annette Kimmitt was appointed to the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission in March 2022 and will leave the regulator in late March next year.
An email announcing Kimmitt’s departure to staff by the commission’s chair, Fran Thorn, who is also departing the organisation, said she had transformed the regulator’s approach to the gambling industry after the Crown Royal Commission.
Kimmitt told Guardian Australia her decision to resign was influenced by “the pull of family”.
I have got my first grand-daughter due in January, my mother is ageing and needs a bit more help. It is just that time of life where I’m deciding to step away from full-time executive work.
Kimmitt admitted it had been “a very challenging and difficult three years” and that she had joined a “pretty shell-shocked and under-resourced regulator on the retreat”.
I am really proud of what the organisation has done in three short years. We are now recognised as the nation’s strongest gambling regulator. We have really held the industry to account. Since January 2022, we have levied nearly $260m in fines. We had 88 disciplinary actions against the industry just last year.
Updated
Man killed in NSW truck accident
A man has died after a truck went through a guardrail and down an embankment on the Princes Highway in the Illawarra.
At about 10.50am, emergency services were called to the highway at Bulli after reports a truck travelling southbound went through the guardrail and down an embankment.
NSW Ambulance paramedics attended, however the man, who is yet to be formally identified, died at the scene.
The Princes Highway is closed in both directions between the M1 Princes Motorway and Lawrence Hargrave Drive.
Updated
Josh Frydenberg announced as co-patron of political leadership prize
The McKinnon Foundation has appointed former Liberal treasurer Josh Frydenberg as co-patron of its annual prize for political leadership, alongside former Labor prime minister Julia Gillard.
The former Morrison government minister and deputy Liberal leader joins the first female prime minister in overseeing the awarding of the annual McKinnon prize, with selection panels for the 2024 prize to be announced on Tuesday ahead of the prize being awarded early next year.
Frydenberg said the prize recognised and encouraged leaders who apply “integrity and intellect, courage and conviction” to addressing the nation’s challenges.
In today’s uncertain world we need leaders with these qualities more than ever, as we strive to create a better future for all Australians.”
Announced in March this year, the 2023 was awarded jointly to ACT independent senator David Pocock and Tasmanian Liberal backbench MP Bridget Archer.
Updated
Peak university body urges action as review begins into research and development
Universities Australia has welcomed the announcement of a review into Australia’s research and development (R&D) system while cautioning Labor it doesn’t need to wait for recommendations to take immediate action.
Its CEO, Luke Sheehy, said including increasing stipends for PhD candidates, who were integral to the research and innovation landscape, and extending the length of research grants would immediately provide financial certainty for researchers.
R&D is the engine room of Australia’s future – it drives productivity, economic growth and progress.
But we can’t afford to kick the can down the road. We don’t need a review to tell us what we already know – Australia needs greater, more sustainable funding for R&D now.
Sheehy said Australia was “falling behind”, with R&D investment at just 1.68% of GDP, compared with the OECD average of 2.73%.
The government can score a few quick wins now by adopting some of the recommendations in the Universities Accord final report, including increasing PhD stipends and extending the duration of research grants to provide researchers with greater job security.p
Updated
Police ‘very concerned’ firearm is still out in the community
Victoria police are placing “a lot of urgency” on apprehending the male:
It is absolutely concerning for us and we are throwing all the resources added at this present time. Any information [will] make that arrest happen a lot quicker and we will be much more confident if that is the case.
Asked why the man and woman attended the address, police said this was still under investigation – however they were alerted to the property by a 000 call. The two people, now deceased, were found within the house.
We don’t know what the dispute was about … we do not know who the man is at the stage and we are yet to identify them. We are piecing that together today.
Police “assume” a getaway car was used but do not have further details or a description, nor do they know where the gun was sourced.
Asked if drugs were involved, police confirmed “that is part of our inquiry”. The 29-year-old deceased male was known to police.
We don’t know the identities of those two people that came into the house. Certainly we will let you know as soon we do.
Updated
Police suspect ‘targeted’ attack in Mornington Peninsula shooting that left two dead
Police say a man and a woman, yet to be identified, visited an address in Rye on the Mornington Peninsula where there was “some sort of altercation”. Shots were fired, and the woman and a 29-year-old man who lived at the property were fatally injured.
The visiting male fled the scene and was still at large.
It appears that a firearm or firearms have been discharged and a man who lived at that property and the woman that attended that property were seriously injured.
The man who attended the property in company with this woman left before police attended. Obviously we are seeking to find out the identity of that man and locate him although I cannot go into specifics, we are actively looking for that man and we are appealing for anyone that may have been in that area at four o’clock this morning that may have seen something.
I understand how distressing this is but we believe that they were known to each other, all of the parties and that it was targeted. I understand this will cause fear in the community but we are actively investigating at this time and I think we will have some good avenues to follow.
Updated
NSW sets minimum pay for musicians at events that receive state funding
New South Wales has become the sixth state or territory to introduce minimum pay for musicians performing at any event that receives state funding, including music festivals and sporting events.
The $250 minimum fee per artist deal brings NSW in line with Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia and the ACT that all now operate under similar schemes introduced since Covid-19 cut a swathe through the live music industry.
According to the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) half of Australia’s working musicians earned less than $6,000 last year, placing the sector in an insecure work crisis.
A survey conducted by Musicians Australia earlier this year found that 60% of working musicians were paid less than $250 a gig, despite more than one-third of them having spent up to 20 hours a week rehearsing, practising or preparing for a gig.
The $250 pay per gig minimum is part of the NSW government’s new 10-year contemporary music strategy.
Updated
In case you missed it earlier, here’s a video detailing the Queensland police’s announced largest-ever alleged seizure of cocaine.
And that’s where I’ll leave you for today. Caitlin Cassidy will steer the blog from here.
Man bitten by shark while spear fishing near Gladstone
A man in his 60s was bitten by a shark while spear fishing off Curtis Island this morning.
The Queensland ambulance service said the man was stable but had lacerations and abrasions to both his arms.
The attack occurred at about 8.25am. The man was transported to Gladstone hospital by police boat.
Updated
Jobseekers protest outside job provider rated worst by members
The Australian Unemployed Workers’ Union has staged a protest at APM Employment Services in Brunswick after the organisation suspended thousands of jobseekers each week and was rated the worst provider by members.
Jobseekers in Melbourne were rallying outside the inner north office, with several handing over the “golden demerit” award in a ceremony.
The AUWU’s Victorian coordinator, Jessica Harrison, said the high rates of suspension, as previously reported in Guardian Australia, had resulted in unnecessary stress for jobseekers:
In a three-month period, APM suspended payments of 32,220 claimants. That’s over 2,600 per work. This is outrageous.
It’s stressful enough to try to make ends meet in the current economic climate, without having your lifeline cut. And the privatised job agencies receive government handouts for this.
One of the protesters carried a sign that said “show us your payslips” in reference to concerns the provider threatened to hand over payslip details, which would trigger a publicly funded payment. APM has previously denied any wrongdoing.
AUWU said this year it had received more complaints about APM than any other provider, with jobseekers rating the agency 1.93/5 in a recent national survey.
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Forrest’s lawyer welcomes Meta move on advertiser verification
The senior legal counsel for billionaire mining magnate and philanthropist Andrew Forrest, Simon Clarke, has welcomed Meta’s announcement that the company will require businesses and individuals to verify themselves before being able to put financial ads on Facebook or Instagram.
Guardian Australia revealed this morning that Meta would begin verifying ads in February in a bid to stop fake celebrity crypto investment scam ads on the platforms.
Forrest’s likeness has been used in many of the ads, and he has taken Meta to court in the US over the scam ads.
Clarke told ABC Perth on Monday that the announcement was “welcome and significant”. He added:
We think it’s something that Dr Forrest has been advocating for for some time, and we think it will make a material difference to the amount of fraud on the platform, it’s essentially a compliance procedure that should work at the front end to stop a lot of the criminals getting on the platform.
He said he would like to see Meta allow elderly or vulnerable people to have to opt in to seeing financial ads in the first place.
Forrest’s case against Meta in the US is still in the discovery process, Clarke said, which he said would give insight into how the decisions are made and to what extent there is automation.
Clarke said since the case was launched, the number of fraudulent ads featuring Forrest had started to diminish, but between April and December last year, there were seven new scam ads a day, or about 1,700 in total.
Updated
Thirteen charged over largest alleged cocaine importation in Australia’s history
More than a dozen people have been charged over an alleged multimillion-dollar attempted import of cocaine into Australia, the largest in the nation’s history.
Australian federal police charged 11 men and two juveniles with conspiring to import 2.34 tonnes of cocaine into the country by sea.
It is alleged the men and crew of a vessel attempted to import the drugs into Queensland with multiple groups planning to collect the cocaine onshore.
The men were arrested on Saturday after a collaborative effort by the AFP and Queensland police investigating a transnational organised crime syndicate.
The amount of cocaine allegedly attempted to be imported weighs the same as a Ford Raptor ute. The AFP said it is estimated to have a street value of $760m and could equate to 11.7 million street deals.
More on this story here:
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NSW foster care system not fit for purpose, government report says
The NSW foster care system is not fit for purpose, a Minns government report has found, and is characterised by “a profound lack of accountability and ineffective oversight”.
The report, which was commissioned by the state’s minister for families and communities, Kate Washington, found the $2bn out-of-home care system was “overly complex, fragmented, and slow to respond in the best interests of children and young people”.
It also found the system was “largely devoid” of robust evidence-based practices.
It comes after a damning audit into the child protection system by the state’s auditor general, Bola Oyetunji, found the state was failing tens of thousands of vulnerable children due to the “ineffective” system.
The government’s report has 13 recommendations to fix the system, including ensuring foster care placements are evidence-informed and reduce the reliance on High-Cost Emergency Arrangements.
Washington said:
It’s shocking that some out-of-home care providers are failing to provide basic supports to children, despite being paid hundreds of thousands, and in some cases, millions, of taxpayer dollars to do so.
Over the past 18 months, the Minns Labor Government has been stabilising the system, now we will begin rebuilding the foundations so that we can invest in better outcomes.
Updated
Hecs architect favours levy on universities over ‘very blunt’ international student cap
The Hecs/Help architect, economist Bruce Chapman, has called the proposed international student cap a “very blunt instrument” but made the case for a levy on universities.
Taking questions at the National Press Club, Chapman said he wasn’t an immigration expert but there was a “better way of doing things” than a hard cap, adding:
Economists hate quantity restrictions.
Chapman instead made the economic case for a levy on universities, pointing to large public sector subsidies that universities had benefited from historically:
Australian universities, some for well over 100 years, have been hugely subsidised in terms of research money which has built up their reputations … and on top of that, they’re rent-free. [Their] properties are getting huge public sector subsidies … the case for a levy is in part about getting a return for taxpayers.
Updated
Woolies warehouse remains closed after staff picket site
Hundreds of supermarket workers fighting for better pay and conditions have picketed a Woolworths warehouse that was due to reopen today after employees began rolling strikes.
The United Workers Union picketed the distribution centre Melbourne’s Dandenong South on Monday, one of several distribution centres across eastern Australia subject to industrial action since 21 November.
Union delegates at the scene told AAP the workers were protesting against unrealistic performance expectations, which they claim had led to frequent injuries.
The supermarket giant allocates workers a certain time for a task, then ranks their performance out of 100, something they say puts undue pressure on them and has a negative impact on wellbeing.
They are also demanding better wages and an agreement that workers at different sites are paid the same amount.
The disruption has caused some product shelves in supermarkets across Melbourne to be left bare.
One union delegate said workers would continue their around-the-clock protest for as long as it took to reach a resolution.
Here’s more from my colleague Ariel Bogle on the impact Woolworths’ efficiency measures are having on workers:
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Hecs architect criticises calls for free university education
The architect of student loans, economist Bruce Chapman, is appearing today at the National Press Club (NPC) on the topic “Hecs isn’t broken, but it needs urgent attention”.
He has called the federal government’s recent changes to raise the minimum repayment threshold and make repayment scales fairer the best changes to the Hecs/Help system in three decades.
But he was less supportive of calls from the Greens to make tertiary education free and cancel all student debt – pointing out the estimated $80bn budget cost could be better used to run the public hospital system for a year or increase the jobseeker payment.
Chapman has also been scathing of the former Morrison government’s Job Ready Graduates Scheme, which vastly increased the cost of some degrees, including humanities. Labor has canned the scheme, but is delaying any reform to the cost of degrees to a yet-to-be-established independent commission.
• This post was amended on 2 December 2024. An earlier version incorrectly said Chapman had criticised Labor’s pledge to wipe debts by 20%, rather than the Greens’ proposal to wipe all student debt.
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Shorten hails changes to Centrepay, which was not ‘working as intended’
Continuing with Bill Shorten’s earlier press conference at Parliament House, the government services minister says he’s “very confident” reforms to bar predatory providers from financially abusing welfare recipients will continue after he’s moved on from federal politics.
As Guardian Australia reported this morning, the government will boot “high-risk services” from the Centrepay system, which includes companies providing consumer leases and household goods.
The Centrepay system allows government-approved providers of essential services, such as rent and electricity, to take money from a person’s welfare payment before it is deposited in their bank account but the types of services available have broadened in recent years.
Shorten said on Monday the system had been “misfiring” nor “working as intended”.
When it does work, it’s very good, but the government was seeing a whole lot of problems, where, in particular, some services that were being provided for Centrepay were really not appropriate for the vulnerable people on the government systems.
About 10,000 businesses offer services to the more than 607,000 users who opt-in to the Centrepay system, Shorten said. Most did the “right thing”, he said, while others were “very inappropriate” and were taking advantage.
The announcement is complicated by Shorten’s departure from parliament next month, when the former opposition leader will take up the role of president and vice-chancellor at the University of Canberra.
But he insisted he was “very confident” the reform would continue after he had left.
Shorten said he believed this for three reasons: an improvement in culture, advocates pushing strongly and the Albanese government recognising not to treat “people as the enemy” or view them “under suspicion”.
This has been a very good process, and I think it sets a pattern for how to do consultation in the future.
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Shorten says NDIS is in good shape for next minister
The outgoing NDIS minister, Bill Shorten, believes the $42bn program is in a good place for the next minister as he embarks on a career move out of federal politics.
Shorten outlined a number of the changes made since the release of the NDIS review almost a year ago, conceding “there are still lots of things to improve, but it’s definitely headed in the right direction”.
The former Labor leader was asked a number of questions about who he thought should take on the NDIS and government services portfolios after he leaves for the University of Canberra in January.
Shorten said:
I think [the NDIS is] a portfolio which requires passion. It requires a commitment to people with disability. It requires a lot of thought, and it requires a lot of effort, and there are many Labor parliamentarians who pass that prescription.
But as for any particular names, Shorten was tight-lipped.
I think the NDIS is a very important portfolio. How the prime minister chooses to construct his cabinet will be up to him … there’s 680,000 people directly benefiting from it so it certainly does require that cabinet level of attention but the machinery of government matters, it’s not on my job description …
Updated
The ANZ and Indeed, meanwhile, this morning released their survey of job ads for November.
While there was a 1.3% fall for the month, the previous numbers were upwardly revised to a 0.7% month-on-month increase.
Yes, ads are down 27.6% from the peak reached in June 2022, but the tally remains 15.1% above pre-pandemic levels.
Stability in the labour market is good for those in work (or looking for it) if not for the chances of an early Reserve Bank interest rate cut. Prior to today, the market was tipping just a 3% (ie negligible) chance of a cut in the cash rate at the RBA’s final board meeting for 2024 on 9-10 December.
Finally, there was some mildly positive news on the building approvals front in October.
There were 15,498 dwellings approved, seasonally adjusted, in the month, the most since December 2022.
The 4.2% increase for the month was better than the 1.3% increase economists had expected. From a year ago, the approvals were up 6.1%.
If maintained for a year, the October approvals would deliver a bit over 180,000 new dwellings (assuming each approval led to a completed dwelling). A bit of an improvement but still only three-quarters of the pace the federal government wants if we are to get 1.2m new homes over five years.
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Latest data points to an economy gathering pace without an interest rate cut
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released a slew of September quarter and October numbers today, most of which point to the economy holding up if not gathering a bit of pace.
Retail sales in October expanded 0.6% for the month, better than the 0.4% pace expected by economists. The annual clip, at 3.4%, was the best since May 2023, and well ahead of the 2.1% headline inflation rate.
It’s always a bit tricky to compare spending with earlier years because “Black Friday” spending – and all the pre-BF events – may be pulling forward some of the spending.
Still, the revised stage-three tax cuts left more money in a lot of pockets/digital wallets. And there are other numbers suggesting resilience in the economy if not a gathering of growth momentum.
Data for the September quarter showed wages advanced 1.2% in those three months to be 4% higher than a year earlier. Profits didn’t go so well, down 8.5%, but lower commodity prices probably played a bit of a role there.
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‘Deeply disappointing’: Victorian gambling regulator criticises federal government delay on ad ban
The chair of the Victorian gambling regulator has criticised the federal government’s delayed action on wagering ads, describing it as “deeply disappointing”.
Fran Thorn is the outgoing chair of the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission who will leave the role on 31 December. She told Guardian Australia the federal government could have at least restricted ads, if not banned them:
As the outgoing chair of the VGCCC, it is deeply disappointing that the federal government has not been able to find the time to pass legislation to ban gambling advertising, even in part.
This would have represented an important step forward for gambling regulation and harm minimisation.
The commission has previously called for the federal government to implement the recommendations of a parliamentary inquiry into gambling harm, including a full ban on wagering ads after a three-year transition period. Its leaders have reported a “bombardment” of concern from parents about gambling ads.
Last week, the communications minister’s office apologised to multiple people harmed by the gambling industry after delaying the long-awaited advertising reforms, admitting government action has taken “longer than hoped”.
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Continuing on from our last post:
As the Aemo executive Michael Gatt says, “for several years, Aemo has flagged these emerging risks and with the support of state governments and network operators are developing appropriate emergency solutions”.
“Aemo does not want to directly control people’s rooftop solar,” Gatt said. That said, if actions to secure the grid aren’t enough, “the temporary management of rooftop solar by network operators under state government solar management programs may still be required although we expect this may only occur in very rare circumstances”.
As independent energy analysts such as Gabrielle Kuiper have noted elsewhere, Aemo could do more to explain and demonstrate the grid has a problem. If they did, it might be clear that alternatives exist before “last-resort measures” are taken to turn off rooftop solar.
Why not, say, set up a contracting market much like Aemo has when demand is forecast to be too strong, and big users get rewarded by powering down. These users might be encouraged to power up during low-demand periods.
Aemo might also give incentives so we get more virtual power plants that connect up batteries (including those in households), Kuiper said.
The Smart Energy Council, too, said its calls for a Battery Booster program would help resolve the issue and help accommodate a lot more households joining the 4m already with solar panels.
The council has been advocating “for a consistent national approach that doesn’t place the burden on equipment manufacturers, installers and the rest of the industry”, its chief executive, John Grimes, said.
And as we noted a few weeks back, using “overvoltage” as the way to turn off solar inverters to stop rooftops’ exports is not without its problems:
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‘Emergency backstop’ tool needed to curb rooftop solar if grid demand too low: Aemo
Last week, we had the prospect of too much demand for the power grid in NSW, and the prospect of repeats during summer (as we noted in this analysis from yesterday).
Well, there are challenges for the electricity market at the other end of the range. On sunny days in spring and autumn (when it’s not too hot or cold), there is so much solar energy being generated that so-called minimum system loads may not be sufficient for the grid to be secure.
We looked at this issue a couple of months ago when MSL alerts were being issued for Victoria:
As it happens, the Australian Energy Market Operator has released a report this morning that highlights the progress (or lack of it) in dealing with those times when rooftop solar panels are exporting a lot – perhaps too much – electricity into the grid.
“Now that rooftop [photovoltaics] is supplying more than half the grid at times, this requires introduction of a new ‘emergency backstop’ mechanism,” Aemo’s report states. This mechanism would “allow rooftop PV systems to be curtailed or turned off briefly if necessary in rare emergency conditions, similar to the capabilities normally required of any large scale generator”.
Now, Aemo is not saying they should be given that mechanism. Rather, the point is that various states have taken some steps to work with the distribution networks, but progress is not uniform and also not moving fast enough. Here’s how things stand:
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PM says service differential allowing veterans injured in ‘operational type service’ to be compensated more will remain
The only recommendation the government did not support by the defence and veterans’ suicide royal commission was the suggestion to remove the service differential for permanent impairment compensation.
Albanese said this wasn’t accepted because it allows for higher levels of compensation for those who are injured in “operational type service”.
The service differential is a longstanding feature of Australia’s support for veterans, it’s been there a long time. While all veterans can access support for all conditions linked to their service through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the service differential supports higher levels of compensation for illness or injury that occurs in operational type service. We regard … that feature as being important. And that is why we have made the decision to maintain it.
Albanese wrapped up the press conference by drawing attention to the suicide figures among Australia’s veterans:
Between 1997 and 2021, there were 1,677 confirmed suicides by either serving personnel or ex-serving members. That’s 1,677 lives too many. Every single one of them is heartbreaking and I want to acknowledge, conclude by acknowledging, that today will be triggering for many families as well. It will be a really difficult day, even though this is, I think, a very strong response for the government.
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Veterans affairs minister says wellbeing strategy and 90-day turnaround for compensation claims to be announced
The veterans affairs minister, Matt Keogh, said the government would also be shortly releasing a wellbeing strategy and another to support military personnel as they transition to civilian life.
Keogh listed a number of other improvements, including compensation claims processed in less than 90 days.
Keogh said:
That is a huge body of work but it’s a huge body of work that happened because of the passionate advocacy of the family members of those who had taken their own life.
It’s for these families, for our serving personnel, for our veterans, that we have worked so quickly to produce this response to the royal commission because we deeply understand the urgency and importance of doing this work.
Keogh was also asked why healthcare fee schedules are higher for NDIS over DVA clients. He said:
This is an issue we need to address with the NDIS but also DVA, the Department of Health and in aged care. That’s why government has done work around an independent pricing authority to guide government on pricing. What we’ve said is instead of dealing with veterans affairs as a stand alone area, we want to make sure we’re addressing the issues holistically across government.
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Marles says work of defence and veterans services commission will begin immediately
The minister for defence, Richard Marles, has provided further details on the defence and veterans services commission which will be established following a recommendation by the defence and veterans’ suicide royal commission.
He said the work of the body would begin immediately rather than waiting until the body is legislated next year.
Marles said:
I thank Julie-Ann Finney, whose advocacy was at the heart of this royal commission occurring in the first place. But for her advocacy, this would not have happened. Her dedication, her persistence, has changed our country much for the better.
I would like to, in acknowledging Julie-Ann, acknowledge all the families of those who have lost loved ones to suicide and who have served. I would like to thank all of those who gave evidence before the royal commission. It was critically important, but to do so was difficult and it was brave.
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New commission announced with goal of ‘comprehensive reform’ of defence culture
Anthony Albanese has announced a new commission to undertake “comprehensive reform” in the wake of the defence and veterans’ suicide royal commission.
The prime minister, speaking to media moments after the government released its response to the royal commission, said:
My government will establish a new defence and veterans services commission, to undertake the most comprehensive reform to the culture, systems and processes across defence, the ADF, and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to prevent suicide and improve the mental health and wellbeing of service personnel and veterans.
The royal commission heard harrowing evidence about the cultural problems within the Australian Defence Force over time, and identified deficiencies with the approach, services and support of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
Albanese said the government had accepted the majority of the recommendations, agreeing in principle to 104 recommendations, noting 17 recommendations for further consideration, and one recommendation is not supported in part.
He said it was a government’s “fastest response ever” to a royal commission.
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Sexual misconduct in the ADF to undergo independent inquiry with perpetrators facing mandatory discharge
The federal government will establish an independent inquiry into sexual violence in the Australian military and ensure serving personnel convicted of sex offences in either criminal or military courts face mandatory discharge, under its formal response to the defence and veterans’ suicide royal commission.
Responding on Monday to the royal commission’s final report produced earlier this year, the government has agreed that sex offences including stalking and abusively distributing intimate images should result in automatic discharge, subject to appeal.
Personnel found to have engaged in sexual and related offences including harassment, unwanted touching and “prejudicial” or obscene conduct – whether through Defence’s disciplinary or administrative processes – will need to demonstrate why they, too, should not be discharged.
The measures are designed to be preventive and well as punitive, serving as a warning that any level of sexually inappropriate behaviour will have serious consequences.
Those facing mandatory discharge would be able to challenge the ruling in a formal process triggered by the conviction.
“Sexual misconduct and unacceptable behaviour have no place in Defence,” the government’s published response to the royal commission said. “The rates of sexual violence being reported in the ADF are completely unacceptable.”
The government has committed to establishing a new statutory body by September next year to oversee a system overhaul in Defence and Veterans’ Affairs aimed at preventing suicide within the defence and veterans’ community.
That body will also provide evidence-based advice, with an interim head to be appointed “as soon as possible”.
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Tesla chair dodges questions on Elon Musk as federal review of research and development announced
Tesla chair Robyn Denholm has dodged questions on her close relationship with Elon Musk and whether she can help build a bridge between the federal government and the controversial figure.
The government announced today a year-long review into research and development investment, which will be led by Denholm.
Asked if she’d spoken to Musk before taking the role, Denholm said:
Today is about our R&D future the country.
Denholm, who was joined by the science minister, Ed Husic, told reporters a little earlier that she was honoured to chair the critical piece of work, saying it was vital to the future of the country:
My objectives for this review is to unlock this immense potential of Australian research by turning it into tangible outcomes that deliver both economic and societal benefits.
I am to shape R&D settings that enhance our global competitiveness and secure our nation ‘s future prosperity.
Denholm will be assisted in the review by former chief scientist Ian Chubb, former Australian of the Year Fiona Wood, and Kate Cornick, the chief executive of the Victorian government’s startup agency, LaunchVic. (We covered the details of the announcement earlier this morning here.)
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Flash flooding and rescues after major storms
Australia’s east coast has been battered by severe storms, causing flash flooding, swamping cars and forcing drivers to call for help, AAP reports.
A brutal thunderstorm battered Brisbane on Sunday, turning roads into rivers and waterlogging cars.
More than 50mm was recorded in 30 minutes in Brisbane City while surrounding suburbs bore the brunt with 70mm falling at Rosalie in an hour and 77mm at Holland Park West.
Farther south, Upper Springbrook on the Gold Coast recorded more than 260mm of rain in the last 24 hours.
Video footage showed water turning Brisbane’s Roma Street into a river while southern suburbs like East Brisbane and Stones Corner became lakes due to flood waters.
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Advocates welcome Centrepay reform to protect vulnerable Australians
Consumer advocates have welcomed the federal government’s proposed reforms to the Centrepay payment system, saying they reverse years of inaction by successive governments.
The government services minister, Bill Shorten, announced on Monday the government would overhaul the Centrepay system to better protect vulnerable Australians from predatory behaviour.
Centrepay is a payment system designed to allow welfare recipients to manage their bills by allowing approved businesses to take money from their welfare payments, prior to it hitting their bank accounts.
But the Guardian revealed this year how the system has been opened up to exploitation and error by lax oversight and a failure to crack down on dodgy operators.
The government will now remove high-risk businesses from the system, including rent-to-buy household appliance operators, and will improve compliance and oversight of the system within Services Australia.
Financial Rights Legal Centre senior policy officer Julia Davis said:
We are reassured that these proposed reforms will proceed next year since some new and critical protections have already been put in place including mandatory end dates and deduction limits for clothing and household goods and a pause on onboarding new risky businesses.
Consumer groups have been calling on successive governments to remove consumer lease companies and funeral expenses providers from Centrepay for over a decade. These announcements are a long time coming and have been the result of years of consistent advocacy.
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Group charged over biggest cocaine seizure in Australian history
Eleven men and two juveniles have been charged by federal police after an investigation into the largest seizure of cocaine in Australia’s history.
The Australian federal police said it had made the charges on Monday, after the men were arrested late on Saturday and in the early hours of Sunday as part of a scheme to import 2.34 tonnes of cocaine into Australia by sea.
Those arrested include the crew of a vessel allegedly attempting to import the illicit drugs into Queensland and multiple groups allegedly planning to collect the drugs onshore.
The AFP has described the incident as relating to a transnational organised crime syndicate.
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Two people shot dead on Mornington Peninsula after reported altercation
Two people have been shot dead, with police searching for the suspected gunman after reports of an early morning fight inside a suburban home.
Homicide detectives are investigating after reports of an altercation between a group of people at a home in Rye, on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, shortly after 4am on Monday.
A man and woman were found with gunshot wounds, police say.
“Despite the best efforts of emergency services to revive the pair, they were declared deceased at the scene,” a spokesperson said.
“It’s believed a second man fled the scene.”
Police believe all three people were known to each.
AAP
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‘Pondi’ to open in western Sydney for a second summer season
Penrith Beach, affectionately known by Sydneysiders as “Pondi” – will reopen on 7 December for a second season.
The swimming spot in western Sydney – where temperatures are routinely 10C hotter than the city’s east – will operate from 10am to 7pm and will be open every day (including Christmas) until 27 April 2025.
The NSW government said it has invested $2.5m to fund amenities and staffing for a second year. The deputy premier and minister for western Sydney, Prue Car, said:
This is about equity. A place like Penrith Beach is critical for the people of Western Sydney. Hundreds of thousands of Western Sydney locals showed up and enjoyed Penrith Beach last year, and I cannot wait to join them for another summer season.
If you want to learn more about Pondi, I suggest checking out my colleague Mostafa Rachwani’s review:
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Man dies after balcony fall during police operation
A man is dead after falling from a balcony during negotiations in a Queensland police operation.
Queensland police said they were called to a Rockhampton home in central Queensland after reports of an unknown trespasser on Saturday night.
When authorities arrived, police found a 37-year-old man standing on a second-floor balcony railing. Officers attempted to negotiate with the man but he fell from the balcony, suffering serious injuries.
He died from his injuries after being taken to Rockhampton hospital.
Police say the Ethical Standards Command is investigating the death and the state coroner has been advised. It will also be subject to independent oversight by the Crime and Corruption Commission.
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Craig Kelly joins Libertarian party for another run at parliament
Craig Kelly is making another run for parliament – this time with the Libertarian party.
The new political home for Kelly comes after he has tried out many others. In 2010, he was elected the Liberal MP for the electorate of Hughes. In 2021, he set up and served as leader of the United Australia Party. He ran as an independent for the 2023 NSW election and most recently was the campaign director for One Nation.
Announcing his news to Ben Fordham on 2GB, Kelly said:
I’m proud to announce today that I’m going to join the Libertarian party.
I believe in small government. I believe in the entrepreneurial ability of Australians. Get government out of the way, get government out of their hands. That’s what the Libertarian party stands for. Unfortunately, the Liberal party that I used to be a member of appears to have abandoned all those values.
Asked what happened with this role with One Nation, Kelly said:
I was there working on a contract basis for a small period of time. But look, I think the future in this country as a conservative party, to the right of the Liberal party, is with the libertarian.
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Water quality decreasing in largest river system
Leading researchers say low-cost, simple changes could improve the declining health of Australia’s long-mismanaged Murray-Darling Basin, AAP reports.
As town tap water quality declines and the politics of water buybacks rage, a dozen environment and water experts on Monday released a damning assessment of the health of the basin that is home to 2.3 million Australians.
The researchers found widespread failures to meet economic, environmental, social, Indigenous and compliance targets.
The failures resulted in lower-than-expected river flows at 90% of sites measured, poor use of environmental flows and declining abundance of waterbirds.
The researchers concluded that “despite $13 billion committed to water reforms, trends of most indicators (74 per cent) show no improvement or are worsening”.
Prof Bradley Moggridge, a Kamilaroi man, said on Monday:
We found Indigenous-owned water entitlements to be grossly inadequate, furthering the disempowerment of Indigenous peoples in the management of water on country and contributing to negative effects on their health and wellbeing.
The assessment comes after a 12-year, multi-government plan to restore sustainability in the complex river system failed, forcing its extension to December 2027.
The researchers proposed several solutions including some form of rigorous, transparent, accountable system for monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the basin’s health.
Low-cost options included centralising data on threats to water quality, water law breaches, mass fish kills and town water security and supply.
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Reports of forced labour and exploitation up by 140% over last six years, AFP says
Forced labour and exploitation reports have increased by 140% over the last six years, according to the Australian federal police, as criminal networks use deceptive tactics to traffic offshore workers to Australia.
The AFP said since 2018 it has received 247 reports relating to forced labour and exploitation. The agency has raised the issue to mark International Day for the Abolition of Slavery today.
In 2024, a Templestowe man was convicted on forced labour offences after he coerced someone to work 14-hour days for two consecutive years under threats of deportation.
AFP’s human exploitation commander, Helen Schneider, said:
Criminal syndicates will use deceptive recruitment tactics to target and force vulnerable individuals into these appalling situations, and trap them into endless cycles of debt, forced labour or domestic servitude.
The AFP is the lead agency in investigating this crime type and we investigate any reports we receive but we also urge members of the public to be vigilant and alert police to any suspicions of human trafficking offences.
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Israel-Gaza conflict will be a ‘big issue’ for some voters, Husic says
Circling back to the science minister, Ed Husic, who was on RN Breakfast a short time ago.
Asked if he expects Muslim voters in Australia to follow the trend in the US where backlash increased during the election in some states over the Israel-Gaza war, Husic said for “some people” in Australia this will be a “big issue” when they go to the ballot box.
There have been people for quite some time that have taken a particularly strong view about whether or not ourselves, or the rest of the world for that matter, have reacted as strongly as they could seeing the loss of so much innocent life in Gaza … and especially mothers and children, women and children who have been killed as a result of the actions by the Israeli government in Gaza, and then obviously the spread to Lebanon.
There will be strong feelings about that. But again, to be able to just say definitively, this will definitely be the case, I think there’s a mix of feelings out there talking with people, but you know, again, people, when they go to the ballot box, mix of different issues will be a play. This will, for some people, be a big issue.
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The Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has said the Greens were “definitively close” to making a deal with Labor on environment laws, but it was clear the prime minister did not want those debated.
Hanson-Young is speaking on RN Breakfast about the deal Anthony Albanese overruled after last-minute negotiations between the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, and the Greens.
It involved a deal to pass Labor’s key election promise to create two new agencies – an environmental protection agency to manage compliance with national laws and an information agency to manage environmental data.
Hanson-Young said it “remains the unfinished business of this parliament.”
She said:
What I was told was that there was problems with the … set of amendments, or the areas that I have been negotiating [on] with Tanya Plibersek and that it was too hard to do this work.
I walk out of the room, of course. And before we know, at the front page of the Australian, the West Australian, virtually every newspaper the next morning was saying that the business lobby, the miners and the loggers had convinced the prime minister to dump these laws.
I want this on the national agenda when parliament returns. Nature’s waited too long, and nature needs us.
Albanese said on Sunday the government still planned to move forward with the changes but indicated it would not concede on Labor’s “values” with crossbenchers.
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Husic denies Elon Musk a factor in choice of Tesla chair to lead R&D review
The science minister, Ed Husic, is speaking on RN Breakfast now about the year-long review of Australia’s research and development investment.
He is being questioned by Patricia Karvelas about the decision to appoint Tesla chair Robyn Denholm to lead the review. Asked if the link to Tesla and Elon Musk and his growing influence was part of the consideration, Husic said:
No, I think, if I may emphasise, I guess, Robyn’s involvement in a company that recognises, crucially, the value of R&D and improving the way to get things done and to be able to create an edge, and particularly if you look at what Tesla has done, be able to turn an idea into reality at a time where there are a lot of doubters over a long period of time.
The type of people that we’ve got involved, we’ve been thinking about for quite some time, and what they bring to the table.
Husic said Australia’s research and development performance has been dropping in the past ten years in comparison to “our competitors in the OECD”.
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Labor announces R&D review in hopes of boosting Australian science and manufacturing
A year-long review of Australia’s research and development investment will soon be under way in an effort to boost the country’s scientific output and manufacturing self-sufficiency.
The science minister, Ed Husic, announced on Monday the review will inquire into the value of existing investments and ties between research and industry in order for Australia to boost its value and drive productivity.
The investment into research and development as a proportion of GDP is at 1.68%, the government said, tailing behind the OECD average of 2.73%. In 2022-23, federal and state government expenditure stood at $4.3bn.
The review will be led by Tesla chair Robyn Denholm, who will be joined by former chief scientist Ian Chubb, former Australian of the Year Fiona Wood, and Kate Cornick, the chief executive of the Victorian government’s startup agency, LaunchVic.
The report will be delivered by the end of 2025.
Husic said:
Our ideas and intellectual property are an indicator of future economic success. This review is designed to give us an evidence-based pathway to stronger growth. We said after the pandemic we would boost our manufacturing self-sufficiency. That is a big challenge, but Australian knowhow can help us do things smarter and sharpening our edge against international competition.
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Apple and Google app stores to be forced to play fair on search and payment
Australians are set to get more choice and control over how they search for apps if new rules to slap big tech companies, such as Apple, Google and Facebook, with $50m fines for not playing fair are passed.
The plans would give the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission more powers to prevent digital platforms from promoting their own apps over competitors, forcing users to pay for in-app purchases through their payment systems and stopping users from switching from a platform’s app to an alternative.
In a speech to be given on Monday night, the assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones, will say:
“We want to knock these practices on the head. And we want to lift transparency in a sector that has often been shrouded in secrecy so that consumers get a fair go. And that small businesses have a chance to deliver good products to the market.”
The plans will focus on app marketplaces and ad tech services and will allow the consumer watchdog to fine offending companies up to $50m or 30% of annual turnover.
Jones will say:
This framework will lead to more choice, lower prices and fairer outcomes for consumers. And it will level the playing field for small businesses and give them a chance to compete with good, innovative ideas.
One of the biggest stoushes in recent years over the prace is between Fortnite developers Epic Games, and Google and Apple.
The popular game developer is taking Apple and Google to court in Australia after Fortnite was removed from their app stores for introducing its own in-game payment system, which circumvented the marketplaces’ fee system.
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Good morning
Good morning, I’ll be with you on the blog today.
Australians are set to get more choice and control over how they search for apps if new rules to slap big tech companies, such as Apple, Google and Facebook, with $50m fines for not playing fair are passed.
A year-long review of Australia’s research and development investment will soon be under way in an effort to boost the country’s scientific output and manufacturing self-sufficiency.
As always, if you see anything you’d like to bring to our attention, please send me an email at jordyn.beazley@theguardian.com.
