The day that was, Tuesday 17 January
That’s where we will wrap up the live blog for today.
Here’s what made the news today:
The Liberal senator Jim Molan died aged 72 after a sudden decline in his health over Christmas.
Singer Renée Geyer died aged 69, following complications after hip surgery.
The family of Australian man Myron Love, who was killed in the Nepal plane crash this week, have mourned their loved one as a “rock” for the family and someone who lived life to the fullest.
Fans were barred from displaying Russian and Belarusian flags at the Australian Open after an incident at a match yesterday involving Ukrainian player Kateryna Baindl.
Temperatures in the high 30s in Melbourne resulted in play being temporarily suspended at the Australian Open.
North Queensland towns isolated by floods remain on alert for further flooding, with dozens of travellers stranded as severe storms drenched the region for a fourth day.
The Heart Foundation has joined the Australian Medical Association in calling for stricter import rules on vaping products.
We will be back again tomorrow with all the latest. Until then, have a good evening.
Updated
Man charged with murder of young western Sydney woman
A man has been charged with murder after a woman’s body was found in a Penrith unit on Monday afternoon.
The woman has been identified as 28-year-old mother Dayna Isaac.
Her burned-out car was found in bushland nearby and is being examined.
Police were informed by a relative of the woman.
The NSW police tactical operations unit arrested a 32-year-old man at a house 5km away in Cranebrook on Tuesday morning.
The man was taken to Penrith police station and charged with murder.
He is due to appear at Penrith local court on Wednesday.
Updated
With six months to go until the big kick-off, over half a million tickets have been sold for the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, although there are still plenty remaining and no match has yet sold out, including the final in Sydney.
Led by fans from the host nations, tickets have so far been bought in over 120 countries for the tournament which starts on 20 July and for the first time features 32 teams.
Labor MP condemns far-right group on social media
Josh Burns has slammed a large group of white nationalists who photographed themselves performing a Nazi-style salute at a popular beach in Melbourne, saying it “goes against everything this community stands for.”
Burns, who is Jewish, tweeted criticism of a photo posted to social media by a group linked to neo-Nazi leader Thomas Sewell. The group, which Guardian Australia has chosen not to name, has posted invitations to its followers for “Australian white nationalist” events in Melbourne, and describes its aim as building “a physical and politicised White Australian community”.
The group posted a photo to its social media profile on Sunday, showing around 25 men - and what appears to be one child - raising their right arms in a Nazi-style salute and brandishing the group’s flag, at Elwood’s Point Ormond lookout. Most of the men’s faces are blurred, but several are visible.
The group has posted similar photos in public places of members from different “chapters” in Sydney and Brisbane holding up the group’s flag.
Burns, MP for the Melbourne seat of Macnamara, tweeted: “The people of Elwood are welcoming and community minded. They look after each other and our beautiful environment.”
“Reports today of a group Neo-Nazis congregating and performing a Nazi salute, goes against everything this community stands for,” he said.
“I know this group of far-right extremists are doing this to provoke a reaction from people like me. However, we can’t be silent and let this happen without calling it out for what it is.”
Burns described the actions as “racism” and “not welcome here.”
“As a proud Jew and a proud Australian I will always stand against this bigotry.”
Updated
It is hot in Melbourne today. Here’s our report on how it resulted in the Australian Open being paused. Play has now resumed.
BoM issues further warning to drenched northern Queensland
North Queensland towns that are already isolated remain on alert for further flooding, with dozens of travellers stranded as severe storms drench the region for a fourth day, AAP reports.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a fresh warning for heavy to intense rainfall between Ayr and St Lawrence, including Mackay, Proserpine and Bowen on Tuesday afternoon.
Senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury says more than 300mm of rain has fallen in 24 hours.
“Catchments in central and northern Queensland are saturated and will respond rapidly to further rainfall,” she told reporters on Tuesday afternoon.
“Dangerous flash flooding remains possible, particularly around the coast and ranges north of Mackay to Nebo.”
The Mackay Regional Council has warned people living in the Sandy Creek, Eton and Kinchant Dam areas that further rainfall could cause more flooding in low-lying parts over the next 12-24 hours.
“Warn friends, family and neighbours in the area. Help others if you can,” the council posted on Facebook.
“Make sure you have enough food, water, medicine and pet food for two days. Stay away from rivers and creeks. Stay informed because conditions may change overnight.”
Thousands of people in the areas north of Mackay including Bloomsbury, Midge Point, Lethebrook, Laguna Quays, Calen, Pindi Pindi, Yalbaroo, St Helens Beach, Mount Ossa and Seaforth are hemmed in by the deluge.
The acting premier, Steven Miles, said the priority would be ensuring locals had adequate access to food, water and other supplies, with some areas likely to be isolated for days.
“Our concern at this stage is resupply for those communities who are now isolated,” he told reporters.
“Those communities may be isolated for days or even up to a week.”
Dozens of travellers have also been stranded in the region with Queensland’s main road artery, the Bruce Highway, cleaved by torrents in at least five different places.
Updated
A company that received nearly $1m in federal government funding has been advised by the disability royal commission to apologise and make appropriate redress to a woman employed in an “artificial” and “inadequate” barista training course that she said left her with a “broken life”.
Here’s the latest afternoon wrap of the news.
Tennis fans have been spotted hoisting a Russian flag at the Australian Open despite a ban introduced by Tennis Australia earlier on Tuesday in response to strong criticism from the Ukrainian ambassador.
TA on Tuesday confirmed a policy reversal that banned flags from Russia and Belarus anywhere at Melbourne Park for the rest of the year’s first grand slam.
Yet the red, white and blue of a Russian flag could been seen in the stands of John Cain Arena during Tuesday’s match between Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev and Austrian Dominic Thiem.
RSL Tasmania to remove all pokies from venues
Pots, parmigianas and pokies are often associated with RSL clubs but there will no longer be any poker machines left in Tasmanian venues from the middle of the year, AAP reports.
The final 20 machines in the Devonport sub-branch will be removed by July over concerns for the wellbeing of veterans and their families.
RSL Tasmania chief executive, John Hardy, said the organisation had “no other choice” but to get rid of the machines after examining its purpose and values.
He pointed to research from Melbourne University showing veterans who left the services for medical reasons and vulnerable community members were at risk of getting hooked on the machines.
“RSL Tasmania is about making Tasmania a place where veterans and their families can thrive. If we’re not about that, then why is there an RSL?” Hardy told AAP.
“If it’s not about commemoration, if it’s not about veterans, if it’s not about recognition of service and if it’s not about families of veterans, then it’s a bar.
“It’s a sports bar, or it’s a pokie den. That’s not an RSL.”
He said no sub-branches had shut because of the ban but instead attributed it to dwindling membership numbers.
“Maybe we weren’t quick enough on becoming relevant and we have to revitalise our relevance,” he said.
The decision only applies to the 49 sub-branches associated with RSL Tasmania, not other clubs which may have RSL in their name but have no connection to the organisation.
Hardy said the decision was not political or prompted by new cashless gaming card laws in Tasmania which cap losses at $100 a day or $5000 a year.
Gaming regulation is shaping as a major election issue in NSW, after premier Dominic Perrottet pledged to implement cashless gaming cards while the Labor opposition has committed to a 12-month trial if elected.
Cashless gaming cards operate in Victoria, South Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland and ACT. Poker machines are banned in Western Australia except for in the one casino in Perth.
Updated
⚠️A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for damaging winds over parts of western Victoria. Stay up to date at https://t.co/HLs2UYFQyQ ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/QC8JHlx24e
— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) January 17, 2023
A camper may have been accidentally shot in the head while her partner wrestled with another man for control of a shotgun, a Victorian court has heard.
Something to watch out for in the flood waters in Queensland.
Here’s just one of the reasons you should stay clear of floodwaters!
— Qld Fire & Emergency (@QldFES) January 17, 2023
Can you spot what’s lurking in the water near the highway in Proserpine? pic.twitter.com/hiIz5BIP7D
Law Council of Australia ‘giving consideration’ to rule change on media access
The Law Council of Australia has said a federal court rule change barring media from accessing documents until the first directions hearing needs to be balanced against informed reporting of court cases as part of open justice.
The rule change, reported by Guardian Australia last week, effectively means journalists will be unable to report on a new case before the court unless supplied documents by one of the parties, or until the first directions hearing or other hearing.
Law Council of Australia President, Luke Murphy said media reporting of cases before the courts is central to open justice:
It means that not only is justice done, it is also seen to be done. In this context, informed reporting of our legal system maintains public confidence in the judiciary and the courts
The extent to which court documents are made available prior to hearings must balance the benefits of journalists having advanced awareness of the substance of a claim, with the potential for sensitive information being disclosed prior to a hearing.
This is a delicate balancing act, and the Law Council is still giving consideration to the amendments.
Updated
Footage of a grass fire in Bundarra, in northern NSW.
ADVICE - Wearnes Rd Fire (Gwydir LGA)#NSWRFS firefighters & waterbombing aircraft work to contain a grass fire burning in a SW direction, south of Cracknells Rd & west of Wearnes Rd, west of Bundarra. Bundarra - monitor conditions & stay up to date. https://t.co/GW7st8rJnd pic.twitter.com/NXPGNZw7le
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) January 17, 2023
NSW Labor candidate for Manly withdraws
An academic who hoped to run for Labor in a hotly contested seat on Sydney’s north shore in the NSW election has withdrawn after a flurry of social media posts, AAP reports.
Caroline Yarnell was apparently endorsed by the party to run in Manly, but her candidate information page was deleted from its website on Tuesday.
Yarnell, who holds a PhD in political science and government, announced her intentions on LinkedIn last year.
She told AAP on Tuesday she would not go into detail about what had happened but still wanted Labor to win the March election.
“I withdrew, sent an email on Friday. However I really did not want to withdraw and my branch here is very unhappy,” she said.
“I wanted the issue dealt with. So, it’s an internal Labor matter.
“They have refused to re-endorse me, so that’s it. They deleted my Facebook page and Instagram today at my suggestion.”
Nomination forms require individuals to deactivate social media accounts ahead of becoming candidates for NSW Labor, AAP understands.
The state party leader, Chris Minns, said he was unclear why Yarnell pulled out of the race and had tried and failed to contact her on Tuesday.
“I intend to have a conversation with her,” he told media.
“Obviously, we don’t like to lose candidates, particularly weeks out before the election campaigns.
“I don’t know the circumstances other than what I’ve read on social media.”
Minns said the party had not secured another candidate.
On Monday, Yarnell shared cryptic posts online saying she could not say why she was no longer standing.
“One festering, worm-addled apple won’t ruin the crop - believe me,” she said in a reply to another Twitter user.
“What I’d love is for (billionaire founder of Atlassian Mike Cannon-Brookes) or similar to sponsor me and help me as an independent candidate for Manly,” she said in another tweet.
“I’d like to wear pink or purple please.”
The seat of Manly is held by the current environment minister, James Griffin, and was previously held by former Liberal premier Mike Baird.
Manly is encompassed by the federal electorate of Warringah, which was won by Independent Zali Steggall from former prime minister Tony Abbott in 2019.
Comment has been sought from NSW Labor.
Updated
Thanks for joining me on the blog today! Time to hand over to Josh Taylor, who will take you through the news of the afternoon.
Indigenous truth-telling commission supports Victoria’s public drunkenness law reform
The Andrews government on Tuesday announced it would abolish public intoxication - which it committed to do in 2019 - from November. The state’s attorney general, Jaclyn Symes, confirmed police would not be granted additional move-on powers to deal with drunk people in public.
Acting chair of the Yoorrook Justice Commission, Sue-Anne Hunter, said the reform - first recommended in 1991 - was “long overdue”:
Over a very long time, Aboriginal leaders, organisations and community members, many of whom have lost loved ones after they died while incarcerated, have advocated for these laws to be abolished and replaced with a public health response. It is pleasing to see progress.
Abolishing public drunkenness laws is an important step – but only one step – on the road to ending the injustices faced by Victoria’s First Peoples, and building a fairer future for all Victorians.”
The reform was first recommended in the 1991 royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody. It was later recommended in the coronial inquest into the death of 55-year-old Yorta Yorta woman Tanya Day, who was arrested in 2017 after being found drunk on a train and who later died in hospital from head injuries sustained in a holding cell.
Marcus Stewart, co-chair of Victoria’s First Peoples’ Assembly, said Indigenous people bore the brunt of “discriminatory laws and policing practices”:
We are often unfairly targeted by police and face a lot of racism. I actually think this debate is a reminder that we need independent police oversight.
Updated
Australian Open suspends play on outside courts
More from day two of the Australian Open, where the extreme heat policy has been enacted with play suspended on the outside courts at Melbourne Park, AAP reports.
The air temperature is above 35 degrees in Melbourne and is set to soar beyond the forecast maximum of 36 degrees.
Play on the outside courts will not resume until 4pm (AEDT) at the earliest.
Action was continuing on the three main show courts, with the roof closed on Rod Laver Arena, John Cain Arena and Margaret Court Arena.
The high-profile round-one encounter between former world No.1 Andy Murray and No.13 seed Matteo Berrettini will now start and finish under the roof on RLA.
Updated
Kimberly Birrell through to second round of Australian Open
The 24-year-old Queenslander is the second Australian woman to advance to round two at Melbourne Park, after sending part-time ice road trucker Kaia Kanepi packing, AAP reports.
The Estonian No.31 seed served for the match at 5-4 in the second set, but Birrell fought back before powering through the third set to win 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 in two and a half hours.
She joins Olivia Gadecki – who beat Russian Polina Kudermetova yesterday – in advancing to the second round at their home slam this year.
“I would say that even without this win today it was all worthwhile,” Birrell said.
“I’m doing what I absolutely love ... living the dream.”
Birrell’s only two previous victories at grand slam level came during her run to the third round of the 2019 Australian Open.
Updated
Renée Geyer dies aged 69
The Mushroom Group release statement on behalf of the Renée Geyer’s family
It is with immense sadness that we announce that Renée Geyer has passed away from complications following hip surgery. While in hospital, it was discovered that Renée also had inoperable lung cancer. She was in no pain and died peacefully amongst family and friends.
Naturally, we are all utterly devastated.
Just last month, Renée sang to a full house and was looking forward to another busy year ahead doing what she loved most – performing for her loyal fans around the country.
Renée is one of the most highly regarded singers in contemporary music – her unique vocal sound influences countless singers to this day.
Renée was irrepressible, cheeky and loyal and her musical legacy speaks for itself, with her performing and recording career spanning five decades. She was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2005; in 2013 she was the first woman to be inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame; and she received the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award at the Australian Women in Music Awards in 2018.
Renée lived her life as she performed – on her own terms and to the fullest. Beloved and respected, she was a force of nature and a national treasure, and her passing leaves a giant void in the Australian music industry.
We would like to thank the staff at the University Hospital Geelong for their care and consideration. In lieu of flowers, Renée would have preferred donations be made to Support Act as a way of giving back to an industry that loved her so much.
Details of Renée’s memorial will be forthcoming.
Updated
Market watchdog releases guidelines on when it might hit gas producers
As we mentioned in earlier posts, the gas industry has complained that it faced $50m penalties for not complying to new conditions related to the Albanese government’s price caps on the fossil fuel. (There are caps on black coal too, but the industry doesn’t seem to be fussed much, if at all.)
Well, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has released the guidelines it will apply to the sector.
The gas lobby, Appea, had warned the market was ‘virtually paralysed’ because of the lack of detail. If in doubt, don’t act, seemed to be the approach.
“Our guidelines are intended to support the gas industry with their obligations to comply with the new laws, so the country experiences the intended benefits from these emergency measures,” ACCC chair, Gina Cass-Gottlieb, said.
While our primary objective is to achieve compliance with these laws, we are ready to exercise our enforcement powers in response to any alleged contraventions, particularly if we become aware of conduct that may be intended to circumvent the price cap.
The maximum penalty for a company that is found to have breached the emergency price order is the greater of $50m or triple the value of the benefit obtained, or, if that value cannot be determined, 30% of the company’s turnover during the period it engaged in the conduct, the ACCC said.
It’s one thing to have a $12/gigajoule price cap but it’s another thing for suppliers to offer customers gas. That’s what the watchdog will be watching, and today’s guidelines lay out when it might decide to bite.
Updated
One of Sydney’s top cycling club races has been cancelled tonight after the death of Myron Love in the Nepal plane crash.
Tuesday Night Heffron – a mainstay of the Sydney cycling scene – won’t be happening this week after Sunday’s Yeti Airlines crash that killed 72 people including the 29-year-old Sydney teacher.
“It is with great sadness we have decided to cancel racing following the tragic loss of much-loved member of Heffron Park and Sydney cycling community Myron Love in the Nepal plane crash,” John Sunde wrote on Facebook.
“Our thoughts and prayers to his mother Susanne, brother and Jackson and partner Annabelle.”
Updated
The NSW Department of Education extends condolences to the family of Myron Love.
We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Myron Love in the Nepalese plane crash. He was a recent and highly valued teacher at Clovelly Public School and Bronte Public School.
Our sincere condolences go to Mr Love’s family and the broader school communities.
The schools will be providing counseling and support for all affected students and staff.
China’s population falls
On the topic of China, the country’s population fell last year for the first time since 1961 – a historic turn that is expected to mark the start of a long period of population decline, Reuters reports.
The country had 1.41175 billion people at the end of 2022, compared with 1.41260 billion a year earlier, China’s National Bureau of Statistics said.
Last year’s birthrate was 6.77 births per 1,000 people, down from a rate of 7.52 births in 2021 and marking the lowest birthrate on record.
China also logged its highest death rate since 1976, registering 7.37 deaths per 1,000 people compared with a rate of 7.18 deaths in 2021.
Much of the demographic downturn is the result of China’s one-child policy that it imposed between 1980 and 2015 as well as sky-high education costs that have put many Chinese off having more than one child or even having any at all.
Updated
China GDP growth ends a poor year on an upbeat note
In breaking news, China’s GDP expanded at its slowest pace since the mid-1970s bar the Covid-hit 2020 year, as the world’s second-largest economy struggled under tight pandemic restrictions that were abruptly ditched late in 2022.
The economy grew 3% last year, well shy of the 5.5% pace the government had targeted at the start of 2022. The annual rate, though, topped predictions by the World Bank earlier this month that GDP expanded 2.7%.
Analysts will focus on the December quarter growth tally of 2.9%, which exceeded market forecasts of 1.8%, according to Reuters. The economy was roughly static compared with the previous three month, dodging the 0.8% retreat pundits had tipped.
The figures meant China’s GDP rose at the slowest pace in about half a century if the 2.2% expansion in the first Covid year of 2020 is excluded.
China is easily Australia’s biggest export market (worth about as much as the next handful of nations), so what happens there has an impact on our growth prospects.
Caveats always apply to official Chinese statistics. For one thing, gathering all that info from a nation as big as China within a couple of weeks of the end of the year is no small feat.
When your correspondent was resident in Beijing in the 1990s, it was notable that official numbers rarely got revised, and not much seems to have changed.
As is well-known, the Chinese government persisted longer than almost everywhere else with rolling shutdowns under its zero-Covid strategy. It abandoned the policy early last month with little warning or preparations in terms of vaccination campaigns or other medical measures.
Still, the policy shift has been widely interpreted as likely to help spur economic growth in China in 2023 and beyond. The World Bank, for instance, forecasts GDP growth will quicken to 4.3% this year and 5% the next, expectations that are now being exceeded by many private economists.
A lot hinges on China’s growth as the country is the largest consumer of most commodities, as Australian exporters of iron ore, gas, and other resources know very well.
More to come, as they say.
Updated
Changes proposed for access to medical abortion
MS Health – who have recently lodged applications to the Therapeutic Goods Administration to make medical abortion easier to access in Australia – have said their suggested changes to the risk management plan “will be a gamechanger” and “make medical abortion more accessible for women and pregnant people everywhere”.
The managing director of MS Health, Jamal Hakim, outlines the key changes proposed:
Allowing medical and other healthcare practitioners to be prescribers of medical abortion – removing any restriction by pharma and the TGA on who can prescribe the medical abortion pills, allowing states and territories to decide who can prescribe
Removing the requirement of pharmacists to be registered, meaning women and pregnant people will be able to go to any pharmacist and order the drugs – just like any other medicine
Remove the requirement for recertification after three years as that is where most doctors had an issue. Additionally, MS Health’s training program is the only free one on medical abortion in Australia.
Updated
Heart Foundation calls for broader vaping restrictions
The Heart Foundation has added its weight to calls for more import restrictions on vaping products and to ban flavouring, as federal regulators mull more changes to national rules.
“The organisation is particularly concerned that e-cigarettes are serving as a gateway for users to take up tobacco smoking,” the foundation said in a statement. “Research shows that use of e-cigarettes can cause people who have never smoked to take up tobacco cigarettes, and reformed smokers to relapse.”
We brought you news yesterday that the Australian Medical Association (AMA) had called for stricter import rules, plain packaging and an end to novelty flavoured vapes, and restrictions to make nicotine vaping products only available with a prescription as a tool to quit smoking.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is running a consultation on new rules on vaping. The AMA wants tighter rules, and the Heart Foundation is making similar calls.
The foundation wants controls on importing all e-cigarette products, whether they contain nicotine or not; for the TGA to establish a regulated source of e-cigarettes that have been successfully evaluated for quality, safety and efficacy for smoking cessation; and to reduce the appeal of e-cigarette products by prohibiting all flavours (except tobacco), reducing the maximum nicotine concentration and modifying labelling and packaging requirements.
“E-cigarettes are simply not safe to use and have been shown to cause non-smokers to take up tobacco smoking – a dangerous double-whammy on a person’s heart health,” the foundation’s chief executive, David Lloyd, said.
As a nation, we are now at a ‘sliding doors’ moment where we risk allowing the health mistakes from tobacco cigarettes more than 60 years ago to be repeated for an entirely new generation.
Updated
Mackay mayor says rain is just a ‘good old fashioned wet season’
The mayor of Mackay, Greg Williamson, says the town “dodged a bullet” last night when the forecast 500mm of rain in the top end of the Pioneer River catchment failed to materialise.
Williamson says that would have sent up to 11 metres of water at its peak in some townships along the Pioneer – those flows peaked at 8.7 metres.
In the end, there were no flood related triple zero calls.
“All in all, I’m pretty pleased about how we’ve come through the last 24 hours,” he says.
The mayor says that even under worst case scenario modelling, authorities had not anticipated that the Pioneer would break its banks at Mackay, or predicted any significant inundations of property or widespread evacuations.
Williamson says his council is making sure residents are keeping abreast of the situation – but remaining calm.
“This is a good old fashioned wet season,” he says.
“We’ve just got a lot more people in town who’ve not been around for an old fashioned wet before.”
Updated
Where else but Queensland?
Shoppers at a Capalaba charity shop had the fright of their lives when they discovered a carpet python chilling in the handbag section, believed to have made its way into the shop via donated goods.#9News pic.twitter.com/w6HYDx5bdI
— 9News Queensland (@9NewsQueensland) January 17, 2023
ChatGPT and the rise of AI
The uncanny ability of the new online chatbot ChatGPT, which converses with humans using the latest in artificial intelligence, has provoked wonder and alarm worldwide. Universities are scrambling to combat AI-assisted cheating and some outlets, like the Australian satirical site the Chaser, will paywall their content to prevent it being used as AI training material.
Updated
Universities should look at root cause of plagiarism not just AI software, expert says
OpenAI’s ChatGPT is just the start of headaches for universities when it comes to how artificial intelligence (AI) is used by students, according to Charles Darwin University AI expert Dr Stefan Popenici.
He said it will be just one of the tools available in the coming years:
Higher education was placed in the last few years at the centre of a perfect storm, accelerated by the pandemic and by an acquired incapacity to have an honest look at a failing corporate governance model that left learning at the margins of the real interests of academia.
AI is now a direct challenge for academic integrity and for the entire assessment process; and this is just the first phase. We have now the opportunity to rethink our ideas of higher education, what a university is and what responsibilities we have to offer genuine higher learning to our students.
He says adopting ubiquitous surveillance would be “poisonous” and universities should look at the root causes of plagiarism, rather than just the software being used:
The AI is here, will be more complex and more available, and institutions of education must realise that returning to the past will have the same fate as those efforts to stop the use of automobiles.
AI is opening now a chance to rethink not only how we design and conduct assessments, but rethink learning and our relationship with our students and the ethos of academia.
Updated
Russian and Belarusian flags banned from Australian Open
Fans have been barred from displaying Russian and Belarusian flags at the Australian Open after an incident at a match yesterday involving Ukrainian player Kateryna Baindl, AAP reports.
Russian and Belarusian players are allowed to compete at the first grand slam tournament of 2023, but must do so under a neutral banner. They were banned by the All England Club from participating at Wimbledon last year in reaction to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Tennis Australia initially permitted spectators to bring Russian and Belarusian flags to Melbourne Park, as long as they did not cause disruption.
But that policy was reversed this morning after a Russian flag was prominently displayed courtside during Baindl’s three-set victory over Russian Kamilla Rakhimova, drawing condemnation on social media from Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko.
I strongly condemn the public display of the Russian flag during the game of the Ukrainian tennis player Kateryna Baindl at the Australian Open today. I call on Tennis Australia to immediately enforce its “neutral flag” policy. @TennisAustralia @AustralianOpen pic.twitter.com/zw8pLN4FIF
— Vasyl Myroshnychenko (@AmbVasyl) January 16, 2023
“Flags from Russia and Belarus are banned onsite at the Australian Open,” Tennis Australia said in a statement.
Our initial policy was that fans could bring them in but could not use them to cause disruption.
Yesterday we had an incident where a flag was placed courtside.
The ban will be effective immediately.
We will continue to work with the players and our fans to ensure that this is the best possible environment to enjoy the tennis.
Updated
Mixed signals on consumer sentiment amid inflation worries
As the seasonal shopping binge starts to subside, we are getting an idea of how consumers feel about their finances and that urge to splurge.
Today, Westpac and the Melbourne Institute’s monthly survey of consumer sentiment rose for a second consecutive month, lifting 5% to 84.3. That was the biggest monthly pickup in about 20 months.
Some signs of consumer confidence picking up, with the @Westpac / Melbourne Institute monthly index registering its biggest pickup since April 2021. pic.twitter.com/wkAr47w4Zg
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) January 17, 2023
For context confidence remains “depressingly low”, Westpac’s chief economist, Bill Evans, says.
“The January read is in the bottom 10% of observations since the mid-1970s,” he says. “We have to go all the way back to the depths of the deep recession in the early 1990s to find a period where Index reads were consistently below those seen over the last six months, including the improved print in January.”
Still, the arrow was pointed up, which is a consolation since we’re coping with eight interest rate rises in as many months by the Reserve Bank of Australia.
A ninth consecutive increase is likely when the RBA returns from its summer torpor on 7 February.
The ANZ and Roy Morgan have their weekly consumer sentiment survey out today too. Their gauge edged up, advancing by 0.3 points.
ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer confidence rose slightly by 0.3pts to 87.7. Household inflation expectations jumped 0.4ppt but are still 0.5ppt lower than the end of last year. #ausecon @AdelaideTimbrel @arindam_chky @RoyMorganAus pic.twitter.com/AiQJWxLgBS
— ANZ_Research (@ANZ_Research) January 16, 2023
One less promising change, though, was a rise in the weekly inflation expectations of respondents. The gauge rose 0.4 percentage points to 5.4% although the previous weekly falls meant the rolling four-week average was 0.1 percentage points lower.
Meanwhile, inflation expectations have lately risen again, according to the latest weekly survey by @ANZ_Research and @RoyMorganAus. pic.twitter.com/lg9Rezu97G
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) January 17, 2023
We did get some generally upbeat economic numbers for November last week, and on Thursday we’ll get labour market numbers for December.
Those will tell us how the jobless rate ended 2022, and provide more pointers to the monetary momentum we carried into 2023.
Updated
Myron Love's family release statement
We would like to express our deep gratitude for the amazing support shown to us by our family and friends in this time of need.
Myron has been a rock to both of our families for many years and he has always lived his life to the fullest.
He has put so much into his short life that most of us couldn’t fit into our lifetime.
We do request at this time that you offer us peace and privacy for us to grieve, and deal with this tragedy.
Regards, the Love and Bailey families.
Updated
Finch Hatton records more than 1,000mm rain in a week
Rainfall over the past week has exceeded one metre at Finch Hatton, just inland of Mackay, Queensland.
🌧️7-day observed rainfall has now exceeded 1000mm at Finch Hatton inland of Mackay, & 800mm at Proserpine. Severe Weather Warning for heavy rainfall remains in place for the Central Coast today, easing into Wednesday. Latest flood and weather warnings: https://t.co/FBmpsInT9o pic.twitter.com/8ahw62TYQI
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) January 17, 2023
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The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is holding a quick press conference after the death of Liberal senator Jim Molan:
It didn’t matter where you went with Jim – diggers, former veterans, would just want to stop and shake his hand because he was a decent, decent man. And everybody who knew him knew that he loved our country and he had a great desire to help people.
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Leaders descend on Davos
This week’s 2023 World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland – which some dismiss as a gathering of elites – is bringing together leaders from politics, business, central banks, the arts, universities and global charities, AAP reports.
Former foreign minister Julie Bishop will head up an Australian National University contingent as chancellor, alongside Nobel prize winner Prof Brian Schmidt and technology anthropologist Prof Genevieve Bell.
Australian business leaders on the main stage include billionaire Andrew Forrest, who is attending with the Fortescue Future Industries chief executive, Mark Hutchinson, and the group’s global ambassador, Elizabeth Gaines.
The Australian government will be represented at the forum by the assistant minister for trade, Tim Ayres.
Bishop is speaking at a number of events, including on a panel about Japan.
Climate activists are also in Davos, protesting against the role of fossil fuel firms.
Climate activists protested in Davos on Sunday against the role of big oil firms at this week's World Economic Forum (WEF), saying they were hijacking the climate debate. https://t.co/PHqWtpiJl2
— Reuters Science News (@ReutersScience) January 15, 2023
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Mackay braces for rain but locals are unfazed
Emergency services and Mackay locals say they are getting on with business as usual despite the central Queensland town bracing for more heavy rain after days of downpours.
State Emergency Services local controller Alex McPhee says he has 25 members on the ground working 11 storm-related jobs.
“Leaky roofs, a little bit of sandbagging of low lying areas … nothing too strenuous,” he says.
“Just progressing as we normally would in storm season in central Queensland.”
Rainfall should start to ease over northern Queensland today but not after more heavy falls around Mackay. (Source: @BOM_au) pic.twitter.com/hmstNHzWLF
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) January 16, 2023
Mackay airport has been operating at business as usual and expects to continue to do so, a spokesperson says.
The manager of an op shop on the banks of the Pioneer River also says the “miserable” weather hasn’t kept customers at home.
“I grew up here, I’m not too phased,” she says. “What we’re having now is the weather we used to have 20, 30 years ago.”
She says the Pioneer was looking “pretty chockas” when it peaked with the high tide earlier this morning, but McPhee says the SES isn’t expecting it to break its banks or cause major flooding.
All eyes will be on how much rain falls today on the already soaked region with the Bureau of Meteorology predicting 180mm with isolated deluges of 300mm which could lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding.
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Australia commits to gender equity in clean energy
Australia has signed an international pledge to have equal pay, leadership and opportunity for women in the clean energy industry, AAP reports.
The Equal By 30 campaign has 180 signatories worldwide including organisations, companies and governments committed to gender equity across the sector by 2030.
“There is an urgent need for gender-responsive policies in Australia and around the world to support women in roles across the clean energy sector,” the energy minister, Chris Bowen, said today.
The assistant minister for climate change, Jenny McAllister, said the campaign would help address women’s low participation rates and help them actively lead Australia’s energy transformation.
Women make up less than 39% of the clean energy sector workforce, with the number even lower in leadership positions.
The federal government will establish an Australian women in energy roundtable for industry to promote and share work on equality. And a new government hub will provide advice and guidelines for companies so they can use all available talent to develop a low-carbon economy.
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Woman’s body found in Penrith
A man is in custody after a woman’s body was found yesterday in Penrith, New South Wales.
A police spokesperson said:
A 27-year-old female had been murdered in her unit at Penrith. Police attended the scene after being informed that the lady was on the premises.
Our investigations revealed that a car was burnt out that was actually owned by the deceased, and as a result of that, investigations have led us to the arrest this morning, early hours of this morning at Cranebrook, and a male has been arrested and he’s currently in custody … in Penrith police station.
There was a relationship between the two. It was a long relationship, as a friendship, and recently became more intimate over the last couple of months, and that’s as far as we’re aware.
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Victoria to abolish public drunkenness laws in November
Victoria’s public drunkenness laws will be abolished in November and not replaced by new move-on police powers, despite opposition from the state’s police union.
The reform of the law – which only exists as an offence in Queensland and Victoria – was first recommended in the 1991 royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody. It was later recommended in the coronial inquest into the death of 55-year-old Yorta Yorta woman Tanya Day who was arrested in 2017 after being found drunk on a train and later died in hospital from head injuries sustained in a prison holding cell.
Victoria’s attorney general, Jaclyn Symes, on Wednesday said the reform would not be “perfect” but said it would provide the “best outcome for the most amount of people”.
People, particularly Aboriginal people are still being arrested, put in cells and subjected to unnecessary trauma as opposed to an appropriate response which will be a health-led response.
Symes ruled out creating additional powers to replace police’s ability to arrest a person for being drunk in public. But the state’s police union says abolishing public drunkenness without enacting additional laws to keep people safe is “negligent and reckless”.
The government committed to repealing public drunkenness as an offence in 2019 but cited the pandemic as a reason to delay implementing the reform.
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Sicilian mafia boss arrested
Matteo Messina Denaro – infamous Sicilian mafia boss who boasted “I filled a cemetery by myself” – was arrested earlier today, after investigators received a tipoff that he had been receiving medical treatment for a tumour at a clinic in Palermo.
Here is how one of the world’s most wanted criminals evaded police for three decades:
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Climate driver update to show risk of El Niño return
As noted in an earlier post, our colleague Damion Carrington has reported we may be in for an El Niño event later in the year that would nudge global temperatures higher. More intense heatwaves and bushfires are among the threats.
We looked at the prospects of the three-peat La Niña years being replaced by an El Niño here:
Later today the Bureau of Meteorology will releases its update on the climate drivers that influence our weather. Their models confirm a tilt away from a La Niña towards neutral and possibly El Niño conditions later in 2023.
@BOM_au will update its El Nino/La Nina readings later today. Its latest model roles confirm the prospects remain for an El Nino later in 2023 - but there is the 'predictability gap' still to cross come autumn. pic.twitter.com/mH2dZfG6JO
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) January 16, 2023
But it’s important to emphasise that each southern autumn the Pacific enters a transition phase beyond which models have less reliability.
The models try to pick how sea-surface temperatures across the equatorial Pacific are likely to change and how they may or may not interact with the usually easterly blowing trade winds.
BoM’s own model is more confident about a tilt towards El Niño than others:
@BOM_au's own model is the most El Nino-tilted among is surveyed range. (Need more time to be certain that we'll get an El Nino in 2023 but we can pretty sure La Nina won't be returning for a while...) pic.twitter.com/mcm0yo24WU
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) January 16, 2023
During La Niña years, those equatorial winds strengthen, effectively piling up warm water in the western Pacific. That warmth helps trigger more convection and hence more rain and storms (and cyclones) in our region.
El Niños see the opposite, with winds stalling and even reversing. Convection shifts eastwards (watch out California and Chile, for instance), while drought and heatwaves become more likely in Australia.
Given how much vegetation has been spurred by three years of wetter-than-average weather in eastern states, there will probably be a lot of fuel for bushfires too.
The US’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) also predicts a rising chance of an El Niño later this year (while applying slightly different thresholds).
As with BoM, NOAA is not ready to call an El Niño as a certainty yet.
One safe prediction is that climate conditions and extreme weather are likely to be in the news a lot this year.
@NOAA in the US isn't calling an El Nino as a certainty yet, but they too see the odds increasing towards the end of 2023. pic.twitter.com/BLG7mlFSuh
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) January 16, 2023
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Police officer who capsicum sprayed photographer at protest won’t be punished
A Victorian police officer who sprayed a photographer with capsicum spray during an anti-lockdown protest will not be punished, AAP reports.
Luis Ascui, who was photographing the September 2021 protest in Melbourne, identified himself as a media representative before he was sprayed in the face.
Victoria police confirmed today the allegations were deemed to be unfounded after professional standards command investigations.
“There will be no further action taken,” a police spokesperson said.
Victoria police last year reached a settlement with Ascui over the incident, reportedly worth thousands of dollars.
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Peter Dutton pays tribute to “popular and respected” Molan
“Whether you knew Jim or met him for the first time, he drew you in immediately with his warm and captivating quality,” Dutton writes. “In turn, you always had Jim’s undivided attention. He always displayed generosity to the views of others, even those with whom he disagreed.”
Our nation has lost a patriot, a decent and honourable man, and - above all and most importantly - an incredible family man. Rest in peace, Jim Molan. pic.twitter.com/e5N7yHzzJb
— Peter Dutton (@PeterDutton_MP) January 16, 2023
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More colleagues offer earnest condolences at the passing of Senator Jim Molan.
Senator Molan was an honourable and gracious man, who was a clear voice for what he believed in.
— Richard Marles (@RichardMarlesMP) January 16, 2023
Many, particularly in the defence community, looked up to Jim and will remember his legacy.
My deepest condolences to Jim Molan’s family.
— Jason Clare MP (@JasonClareMP) January 16, 2023
Thinking today about when we took the descendants of Australian and Turkish soldiers back to Gallipoli and walked in their footsteps.
Rest In Peace my friend. pic.twitter.com/271iFdPpVd
I have many fond memories when Sen. Jim Molan visited Gilmore. We may be from different sides, different policies, but he was always a gentleman when here. May he rest in peace.
— Fiona Phillips MP (@fiboydphillips) January 16, 2023
I’m saddened this morning to hear of the passing of my friend and colleague Jim Molan. He leaves behind a significant legacy of securing Australia’s borders as the co-author of Operation Sovereign Borders. My heartfelt condolences to Anne, his children and grandchildren. pic.twitter.com/tWRTyp3YLq
— Karen Andrews MP (@karenandrewsmp) January 16, 2023
The Molan family have lost a loved one, the Parliament has lost an intellectual giant and the country has lost a great man.
— Sussan Ley (@sussanley) January 16, 2023
Our hearts break for the Molan family and we send Anne, Sarah, Erin, Felicity, and Mick our deepest condolences.
Vale Senator Jim Molan. On behalf of the Greens Senate team, our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and all those grieving his loss. Despite our philosophical differences, his ethic of service has our respect. #auspol
— Larissa Waters (@larissawaters) January 16, 2023
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Senator Simon Birmingham pays tribute to Molan
Australia has lost a true patriot and serviceman who demonstrated unwavering dedication to the safety and security of our nation.
Jim Molan served Australia as a soldier, a senator, a community volunteer and a strategist.
A man of principle, who was willing to make sacrifices for his beliefs, Jim embodied the best of service to nation.
Jim served two terms in the Australian Senate, firstly from December 2017 to June 2019, and again from December 2019 until his death last night. Even in the face of serious health challenges Jim remained diligent in staying abreast of critical issues and determined in his pursuit of actions he believed were critical to Australia’s future security and prosperity.
Bringing 40 years of service in the Australian army to the Senate, Jim served our nation in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, East Timor, Malaysia, Germany, the United States and Iraq. He was rightly proud of the role he played alongside so many others in supporting peace and democracy. Major General Molan retired from the army in July 2008.
As a senator, Jim used his experiences and analytical skills to champion all aspects of national security policy, from assessments of the threats to Australia through to our sovereign industrial needs and future defence posture. We can best honour Jim’s service by remaining diligent to the enduring safety, security and peace of Australia.
Jim’s death will be felt with great sadness by all his colleagues who all valued his abiding commitment to Australia, his diligence as part of our Liberal Senate team and his thoughtful friendship.
I express our sincere condolences to Jim’s wife, Anne, their four children and five grandchildren. Thank you all for sharing Jim with a grateful nation, which is stronger as a result of his tireless work.
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PM Anthony Albanese offers condolences to Molan’s family
Jim Molan lived his life in service of our country. He was a man of principle and a politician of conviction. My condolences to his loved ones, colleagues and friends.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) January 16, 2023
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Tributes to Jim Molan
Colleagues and friends are paying tribute to the late Liberal senator Jim Molan, who has died at 72 after a sudden decline in his health.
Deeply saddened at the death of Jim Molan. I first met him when he commanded the 1st Brigade - he was demanding, professional and a brilliant leader. I loved our long chats over lunch when he was at @ADC_Australia. A servant of his nation, he will be sorely missed. Vale Jim. pic.twitter.com/kEQUaywasg
— Mick Ryan, AM (@WarintheFuture) January 16, 2023
So sorry to hear of the passing of my former colleague and friend, Jim Molan. He was a patriot and a ferocious one at that. He will be missed. Much love to his family in this difficult time. https://t.co/gnn7DmUBa3
— Tim Wilson (@TimWilsonMP) January 16, 2023
Very said to hear of the passing of Senator Jim Molan.
— Michelle Rowland (@MRowlandMP) January 16, 2023
His passionate advocacy for his constituency in Parliament and life-long devotion to our nation’s military was unmatched.
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Helping PNG is in Australia’s interest, says Josh Burns
More from Josh Burns, Labor MP who chairs the foreign affairs and aid subcommittee, on the cross-party delegation to Papua New Guinea to ABC RN earlier this morning:
I think the Papa New Guinea … see us in a way that we really have a shared history. I think Australia shared that history and respects it, but we also have to do it in a way that when we build something, we do deliver it to a high standard. We employ locals, we seek to upskill local people, we seek to ensure that the maximum benefit is for the people, and to provide good governance around some of those infrastructure projects and some of our health programmes.
It isn’t just about going in and delivering upgrades then getting out of there. It’s actually about saying to people, we really care about your outcomes, we really care about the fact that we want women and girls to be able to go to school … you need to have better health outcomes and we’re gonna work with you in order to not just build things, but also help you develop them, help you run them.
And I think if we do that, that will be in Australia’s interest. And we do do it really well.
Updated
Jim Molan has died at 72
Liberal senator Jim Molan has died at 72 after a sudden decline in his health, AAP reports.
Molan suffered a “sudden and rapid” decline after Christmas before dying peacefully on Monday in the arms of his family.
“He was many things – a solider, a pilot, an author, a volunteer firefighter, and a senator. Most of all, he was an adored husband, father, grandfather, and brother,” his family said in a public statement on Tuesday.
“Our loss is immeasurable, but we are comforted in our memories of a full life courageously lived, devoted to family and in service of the country he loved.
“We thank you for your thoughts and prayers, and for respecting our privacy at this difficult time.”
Molan, who represented NSW, was a major general in the army, in which he served for 40 years.
He was re-elected to the Senate at the 2022 federal election.
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Debate over the voice continues, days are getting El Niño-hotter, and robots are getting AI-smarter. Read the morning news wrap here, from Imogen Dewey:
Dreyfus opens discussion about judicial watchdog
Today the attorney-general, Mark Dreyfus, will open consultation for the creation of a federal judicial commission, to police what he described as the “relatively rare” instances of “problematic conduct by judges”.
Dreyfus said the commission was “longstanding Labor policy” which he understands is “supported by the federal courts”.
“I’m trying to do it in tandem with the establishment of the national anti-corruption commission because for constitutional reasons, the [Nacc] cannot cover the courts,” he said.
The commission was an “appropriate companion organisation” that should be up and running “soon after” the Nacc, which will open in mid-2023.
Dreyfus said that calls for a commissioner to protect whistleblowers would be considered by a discussion paper in the second stage of whistleblower reforms.
The government’s first whistleblowing bill is being considered by a Senate inquiry, to report in mid-March.
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Combating disease in PNG
Josh Burns, Labor MP who chairs the foreign affairs and aid subcommittee, tells ABC RN of the focus of the cross-party delegation to Papua New Guinea.
The three diseases that we’re focusing on on this trip – malaria, HIV and tuberculosis – three diseases that Australia has a good control over or good management over.
HIV cases are on the rise for a range of different reasons. Tuberculosis is just devastating and any young child with tuberculosis is an extremely confronting and devastating thing to see it’s a horrible disease. And malaria is an ongoing killer.
So it’s something that that those three are part of the global fund … We recently increased our spend, $280 million over three years, to try and work not only in the region, but also around the world to try and tackle these diseases.
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Guardian’s economics correspondent, Peter Hannam, talks us through the gas price caps.
He says strains in the gas market have not been eased by the Albanese government’s price limits of $12 a gigajoule and black coal to $125 a tonne, as it had hoped, with big commercial gas users hoping new compliance guidelines will be released soon by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to force suppliers to provide an adequate supply.
You can read the full story here:
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‘The government needs to go back to the drawing board’
More from Dan Tehan, shadow minister for immigration and citizenship, on gas caps to ABC RN this morning:
The government said it would be implemented over January, but they are still waiting to see what that implementation will look like. And you’ve got to remember, it’s the wholesalers who placed the price cap, not the retailer. So the retailers are out there trying to work out how can they get a wholesale price and wholesalers don’t know what a reasonable price is going to look like and what they need to negotiate. So the industry is in a state of flux because there is uncertainty.
The government needs to go back to the drawing board and work out what’s gone wrong and actually needs to fix the situation and we’re not seeing any urgency.
Remember also that the government went to the election promising a $275 reduction in people’s electricity bill. And all we’ve seen now in the budget is a forecast of a 60% increase for electricity prices 40% gas prices.
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Gas retailers ‘seeking clarity’, says Tehan
One month on from the government’s rare intervention to cap gas prices, some major energy retailers have stopped taking on new gas customers while others drive up their prices.
Andrew Richards, CEO of the Energy Users Association of Australia, said “the gas industry is still behaving like a bunch of bullies”.
But Dan Tehan, shadow minister for immigration and citizenship, seemingly feels otherwise. He tells ABC RN this morning:
What they are doing is seeking clarity from the government as to what the policy is all about. We were all brought back to parliament in a rush just before Christmas to rush through this legislation. And then the government has gone on holidays.
RN host Hamish McDonald pulls him up on the comment:
Let’s just be straightforward with our listeners. The energy minister [Chris Bowen], I don’t think he’s on holidays. He has been on the program within the last week.
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Bowen, the birthday boy
The Twitter account of Chris Bowen, the minister for climate change and energy, seems to have been taken over by his team for a birthday tribute.
In a lovely spam of behind-the-scenes pictures, Bowen pats a camel, is engrossed in a book called Thelma The Unicorn, and gleefully rests on a pillow.
Happy 50th birthday to a boss who takes his job, but not himself, seriously 🥳 - Team Bowen pic.twitter.com/hYBIUETODP
— Chris Bowen (@Bowenchris) January 16, 2023
— Chris Bowen (@Bowenchris) January 16, 2023
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Opposition responds to wages data
Still on wages.
The Coalition’s acting Treasury spokesperson, Jane Hume, has responded to the Treasury research:
Hume said:
The current wages growth is a result of a strong economy and low unemployment Labor has inherited from the Coalition. When the Coalition came to government in 2013 the unemployment rate left by Labor was 5.7%. Under the Coalition’s prudent economic management and focus on growing the economy to create jobs, and despite having just experienced a once in a century and the associated economic shock, it was 3.7% when we left office.
Under Labor wages have failed to keep pace with the skyrocketing cost of living. As we have seen time and time again, Labor governments get the big economic calls wrong. When the inflation rate called for fiscal restraint, they spent more. After almost a year in office with the benefit of the strong economy they inherited, Labor still doesn’t have a plan to address the cost of living increases that all Australians are feeling.
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Flood level to peak at Mackay
Flooding is expected to peak within the hour for the city of Mackay as severe weather continues to pummel Queensland’s central coast.
Warnings have been reissued, and the Bureau of Meteorology anticipates continued heavy rainfall and flash flooding. The BoM has forecast up to 300mm of rainfall in some parts this morning.
⚠️ Severe Weather Warning has been re-issued for the Central Coast, Whitsundays and adjacent areas. The trough is expected to drift north, with heavy rainfall during the day. Conditions will ease later as the trough begins to move away. Further details at: https://t.co/YNiJb3RgCz pic.twitter.com/NPppcPRpT1
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) January 16, 2023
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Wages rise – but not as fast as inflation
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has released Treasury research of ABS data showing the wage price index increased 1% in the September quarter, up 3.1% through the year.
That is the fastest through‑the‑year growth rate since the March quarter of 2013, well above the annual average growth rate of 2.2% over the past five years and 2.3% over the past decade.
However, with inflation reaching up to 8% in the last quarter of 2022 it’s important to note this still represents real wage cuts.
One of the biggest drivers of wage growth for the low paid was the Fair Work Commission’s 5.2% raise in the minimum wage.
Chalmers said:
Our economic plan is all about getting wages growing again, and it’s already starting to work. If there is one thing that drives this whole government, it’s our ambition to deliver the decent wages that Australians need and deserve. The best way to deal with cost of living pressures is to help ensure ordinary Australian workers can earn enough to provide for their loved ones and get ahead.
We are really pleased to see the beginnings of wages growth after a decade of deliberate wage stagnation and suppression under our predecessors. We don’t have an inflation challenge in our economy because wages are too high, we have an inflation problem because of a war in Ukraine, pressure on global supply chains, and other challenges ignored for too long. We said we’d get wages moving again in responsible ways and we are.
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Good morning
Top of the Tuesday morning to you! Welcome to a fresh Guardian Australia live blog.
We wake up to the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, releasing new data that shows the wage price index increased 1% in the September quarter, up 3.1% through the year. That is the fastest through‑the‑year growth rate since the March quarter of 2013. But with inflation reaching up to 8% in the last quarter of 2022 it’s important to note this still represents real wage cuts.
And flooding escalates: emergency refuges are being opened in north Queensland as rising waters isolate towns and cut off roads, including the Bruce Highway, leaving motorists and freight stranded. The Bureau of Meteorology said the coast and ranges north of Mackay could be pummelled by up to 400mm through the day.
I’m Rafqa Touma, taking the blog through the day. If you spot something you don’t want us to miss, you can Tweet it my way @At_Raf_
Let’s get started with the day’s rolling news coverage.
