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When can you expect to benefit from Albanese's election promises?

Following the sweeping victory for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Labor Party over the weekend, Australians are now looking to the government to deliver on a suite of cost-of-living promises aimed at easing financial pressures across the country. Finance expert and Money editor Effie Zahos told the Today show that the scale of the Labor win should pave the way for campaign commitments to be swiftly translated into policy. "The strength of the government's win should make the passage from promise into law a lot easier," Zahos said. "And there were so many promises made – everything from a two-year beer tax freeze to a new 1800 Medicare line." Among the most anticipated reforms is a no-receipt $1000 tax deduction for work-related expenses, set to roll out on July 1 next financial year. Zahos described the measure as an "exciting" step in a broader tax overhaul, but she also offered a word of caution: "This is a tax deduction, not a refund. So how much you get will come down to your tax bracket. Assuming you're on a 30 per cent tax rate, your relief will be $300." The Albanese government estimates around six million Australians will benefit, with average savings of $205 per person. However, a broader income tax cut for those earning between $45,000 and $80,201 – reducing the rate from 16 per cent to 14 per cent – won't take effect until July 1, 2027. Housing and Construction Promises On the housing front, the government has committed to enabling five per cent deposits for home buyers and offering shared equity loans, starting July 1. However, Zahos noted that implementation could vary. "The shared equity one still is uncertain because they've got to be pushed out through the states as well," she said. Additional measures include the construction of 100,000 new homes and a $10,000 bonus for apprentice tradies such as bricklayers, electricians, carpenters, and plumbers living away from home. The bonus will be distributed in $2000 instalments beginning in the new financial year. Support for Students and Parents In a bid to appeal to younger voters, the government has pledged to cut 20 per cent off student HELP debts before June 1. The move is expected to reduce the average student loan by more than $5000. From January 5, 2026, parents will be entitled to three days of subsidised childcare per week – a policy that removes the activity test, meaning employment will no longer be a requirement for access. Energy Relief on the Horizon Households can also expect temporary relief on energy costs, with rebates and a 30 per cent discount on home batteries starting from July 1. But Zahos warned these benefits will expire by the end of 2025. "And then the pain will continue," she said, hinting at the ongoing challenges Australians face despite the short-term reprieve. With expectations high and timelines tight, all eyes are now on the Albanese government to turn its electoral promises into tangible support for everyday Australians. Image: ABC News

Money & Banking

Chaotic ending to final leaders' debate ahead of election

In what historians are already calling The Great Final Showdown (With Bonus Egg Chat), Anthony Albanese has emerged victorious in the fourth and final leaders' debate, with Peter Dutton bravely losing while armed only with a calculator set to 1998 and a deep mistrust of mobile phones. Held six days before the election and hosted by Channel 7 (who have now applied for hazard pay), the debate covered serious national issues like cost of living, housing and why Elon Musk is apparently a Marvel villain. Dutton, swinging from the very first second like a man who accidentally stepped on a plug, declared: "This election is all about who can best manage the Australian economy..." before launching into a heartfelt monologue about crying families, inflation and the distinct lack of cheaper servo pies. Albanese, armed with his Clear Decisive Policies™, clapped back: "Australians have a real choice this Saturday to continue building Australia's future or go back to the past," ... which definitely didn’t sound at all like the slogan of a time-travel movie starring Dutton as a confused tourist in 1973. The real drama came when the leaders tried to guess the price of eggs, which quickly devolved into an episode of The Price is Wrong. Dutton confidently guessed that a half dozen free-range eggs cost "$4.20", missing the mark by about the same distance Pluto misses Earth. Albanese, meanwhile, coolly suggested "$7 if you can find them", proving once again that he’s a man of the people – or at least a man who occasionally braves the horror of the supermarket dairy aisle. Dutton, adopting the highly relatable persona of Uncle Who Complains at BBQs, complained that Welcome to Country ceremonies were "overdone", claiming: "It divides the country." In response, Albanese reminded everyone that Australia shares its continent with "the oldest continuous culture on earth", and managed not to roll his eyes even once, a feat of diplomacy possibly more impressive than anything discussed on foreign policy. Speaking of diplomacy, the two also managed a spirited debate on international relations when Albanese mused: "I'm not sure that he has a mobile phone, the US president, or Joe Biden." ... leading many to wonder if Albanese thinks Biden communicates solely through carrier pigeons or interpretive dance. Not to be outdone, Dutton called Elon Musk an "evil genius", officially making this the first Australian leaders' debate to include a Marvel Cinematic Universe reference. Albanese, playing it safer, described Musk as "Tesla, and a very rich man", thereby demonstrating a deep and comprehensive understanding of modern economics. When it came to energy policy, Dutton insisted that renewable energy was going to "wreck the economy", while Albanese insisted that it was actually already powering "10 million homes". Dutton’s alternative? Nuclear energy, because nothing says "vote for me" like proposing billion-dollar facilities that won't be ready until somewhere around the next ice age. At the end of the night, 60 undecided voters declared Albanese the winner by a margin that was less "narrow victory" and more "rugby team versus toddlers". Albanese took home 50% of the vote, while Dutton earned a modest 25% and the other 25% presumably began Googling "how to move to New Zealand". Whether that final debate will actually change the outcome of the election is unclear. What is clear is that both men left their marks – one as the man who priced eggs like it was still 2005, and the other as the guy who thinks world leaders might communicate exclusively by yelling really loudly across the Pacific Ocean. Images: Network Seven

Labor’s in with a fighting chance, but must work around an unpopular leader

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> The Albanese government has a fighting chance of winning the 2025 election, but will need to achieve in five weeks of campaigning what it hasn’t in three years in office. That is, work out a narrative explaining what it’s about and that can persuade Australians to back it for a second term. Convincing voters that electing a Peter Dutton-led Coalition government would be risky is the other essential element for a Labor victory – a task made easier by the evident chaos arising from the Trump administration’s recent actions in the US. The main Coalition promises announced ahead of the election being called were to start a nuclear power industry, slash the public service and, without explaining how, cut immigration. These policies are sufficiently Trumpesque in tone to lend some credence to Labor insinuations that Dutton could be a mini-Trump if elected. Attacks on Dutton’s integrity and policy credibility have improved Labor’s position in the run-up to the election. With Prime Minister Anthony Albanese somewhat lifting his performance this year, and getting Dutton slightly off balance, the trend is perceived to be moving Labor’s way. Government insiders hope the 2025 election will mimic the 1998 election, where the incumbent government survived despite losing the two party-preferred vote 48.5% to the opposition’s 51.5%. This paradoxical outcome, which saw the Howard government survive, was because the swing to the Beazley Labor opposition was concentrated in seats the opposition already held, rather than those it needed to win office. There’s little room for complacency, though. A handkerchief-sized set of policies such as Dutton’s did not stop opposition leader John Howard winning the 1996 election. Nor did a campaign built entirely on a three-pronged slogan stop opposition leader Tony Abbott winning the 2013 election. Labor will need to do deliberately what it did on the fly last time, when opposition leader Albanese got COVID during the 2022 campaign. That is, showcase attractive and articulate Labor frontbenchers to glow up, by association, an unloved leader. Both Albanese and Dutton have negative net approval ratings and are a drag on each of their party’s vote. In the <a href="https://theconversation.com/anthony-albanese-gains-in-newspoll-but-the-race-remains-neck-and-neck-251352">latest Newspoll</a> before the election was called, Albanese was on –12% and Dutton on –14%. An aggregate analysis of Newspoll by state and gender, covering the three months in the run up to the election, underlines the problem. Both leaders had double digit net negative approval ratings in every state except Queensland, where Dutton has a positive net rating of 9%. Both leaders have negative net approval ratings by gender, though Albanese’s (men –16%, women –18%) is worse than Dutton’s (men –8%, women –15%). Albanese has been famously indifferent to advice in the government’s first term. He long resisted the urgings of some cabinet colleagues to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-27/stage-three-tax-cut-changes-pass-senate/103519338">restructure the stage 3 tax cuts</a> legislated by the Morrison government, for example, until the need for a mid-term political circuit-breaker made him budge. However, the risk of not getting a second term will make the prime minister more open to the advice of senior colleagues, ALP national secretary Paul Erickson, and party elders during the campaign. Albanese’s solution to all problems, as one Labor figure puts it, is to “apply more Albo”. Since voters rate Labor more highly than its leader, however, “more Albo” during the campaign is not the answer. Effective communicators such as Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, Education Minister Jason Clare, Housing Minister Clare O'Neil, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and Employment Minister Murray Watt must be showcased. Their job is to embody an implicit promise that inside the Albanese government there’s a better one waiting to break out, and through that to stir voters’ hopes. So if the Albanese government can finally work out its story and get the message out via frontbenchers to whom voters are willing to listen, it could get across concrete promises that make them want to give it another go. What those concrete policy promises are will, of course, be crucially important. Labor has a tremendous challenge ahead. When up against one of the worst governments since Federation – that led by prime minister Scott Morrison – Albanese Labor won with a majority of just two seats in 2022. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BenaVvL8BbE?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Voters have accorded new governments a second term at every federal poll since Federation, with the exception of the Depression-era 1931 election. But in 2025, this is far from assured. The unusual situation is partly a product of what systems thinkers describe as an “eroding goals” problem. After the loss of the Voice referendum campaign, the government’s leadership quickly conditioned Labor MPs to settle for the likelihood of minority government after the 2025 election. Now that election is here, and there are real fears even this lower hurdle might not be achieved. Having a leader who can do both the substance and theatre of politics is crucial to winning elections. If people don’t want to listen to you, the best government policies and performance can’t be communicated, recognised and rewarded. Having the right people in key portfolios is another. The prime minister prioritised the containment of potential leadership rivals over party and the national interest in some portfolio allocation decisions. This hurt the government’s performance and disappointed voters. Australians have signalled in repeated polls that they believe neither the current Labor prime minister nor the current Coalition alternative prime minister are up to the job. It is striking that the major parties, which claim to listen to voters, disrespect those voters by offering them deeply unpopular choices for prime minister. The spraying of votes to minor parties and independent candidates evident at the 2022 election could well accelerate as a consequence. People and parties often seem to be determined to learn the hard way. Now the election is here, Labor needs to tack around its shortcomings in this term of office and convincingly project there’s better ahead to win.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/248663/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chris-wallace-314481">Chris Wallace</a>, Professor, School of Politics Economics & Society, Faculty of Business Government & Law, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra-865">University of Canberra</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/labors-in-with-a-fighting-chance-but-must-work-around-an-unpopular-leader-248663">original article</a>. Image: Instagram </div>

Legal

Controversy after former officer who tasered Clare Nowland learns his fate

Kristian James Samuel White, the now-former police officer who fatally tasered 95-year-old Clare Nowland, has avoided a prison sentence. A judge described the act as a "terrible mistake" but ruled it fell at the lower end of seriousness for manslaughter cases. White, 35, left the NSW Supreme Court on Friday under strict conditions, including a two-year community corrections order requiring good behaviour and an order to complete 425 hours of community service. The sentencing follows the tragic events of May 17, 2023, when White fired a Taser at Nowland at the Yallambee Lodge aged-care home in Cooma, NSW. Justice Ian Harrison acknowledged the unlawful and dangerous nature of White's actions, stating he had misread or misunderstood the situation. “A frail and confused 95-year-old woman in fact posed nothing that could reasonably be described as a threat of any substance,” he said. Nowland, who suffered from dementia, was holding a knife while using a walking frame and had ignored staff attempts to disarm her. White, after only a few minutes at the scene, discharged his Taser, reportedly saying, "nah, bugger it," before the weapon’s barbs struck her chest. The force of the Taser caused her to fall and suffer a brain bleed, leading to her death in hospital a week later. Justice Harrison recognised the grief and anger of Nowland’s family, stating, “The complete and utter frustration and despair exhibited by her family in the circumstances is easy to understand when things could have so easily been handled better.” While White’s actions were deemed unlawful, the judge noted that he had been called to the aged-care home lawfully and had been required to resolve the situation. “He could not have chosen to do nothing,” Justice Harrison said. During sentencing, White stood expressionless, while members of Nowland’s family were visibly emotional. In a letter to the family submitted to the court, White expressed deep remorse, writing, “I take full responsibility for my actions – I felt and still feel horrible for what happened. I do not expect you to take my apology as a request for forgiveness and I understand that you suffer greatly.” Since the incident, White has been diagnosed with major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Due to public outrage in Cooma, he will be forced to relocate. White was dismissed from the NSW Police Force in December following his guilty verdict. However, he has initiated legal action to seek a review of the decision. The case has sparked widespread debate over police use of force, particularly in interactions with vulnerable individuals, with the lenient sentence leaving many questioning whether justice was adequately served for Nowland and her grieving family. Images: Supplied

Legal

Albanese calls May 3 election, with cost of living the central battleground

<div class="theconversation-article-body">Australians will go to the polls on May 3 for an election squarely centred on the cost of living. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Governor-General Sam Mostyn at Yarralumla first thing on Friday morning. Later he told an 8am news conference at parliament house the election choice was “between Labor’s plan to keep building or Peter Dutton’s plan to cut. "Only Labor has the plan to make you better off over the next three years,” he said. “Now is not the time for cutting and wrecking, punching down.” Less than a week after the federal budget and following an earlier delay caused by Cyclone Alfred, the formal campaign starts with government and opposition neck and neck and minority government considered a real possibility. But in recent days, the government has gained more momentum and Labor enters the campaign more confident than at the start of the year. The aggregated January-March quarterly Newspoll had the Coalition leading Labor 51-49%, but Albanese leading Peter Dutton as preferred PM 45% to 40%. A YouGov poll published March 21 had Labor and Coalition on 50-50. Polling only shows a snapshot of the present, and the campaign itself could be crucial to the election result. This is the fourth consecutive election launched off the back of a budget, with both sides this week bidding for voters’ support with big handouts. Labor pushed through legislation for its $17 billion tax cut, the first stage of which comes in mid next year. Opposition leader Peter Dutton in his budget reply promised a 12-month halving of excise on petrol and diesel and a gas reservation scheme. Labor goes <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/federal/2025/guide/pendulum">into the election</a> with 78 seats in the lower house, and the Coalition with 57 (counting the seats of two recent Liberal defectors). The large crossbench includes four Greens and half a dozen “teals”. With a majority being 76 seats in the new 150-seat parliament, the Coalition needs to win 19 seats for an outright majority. This would require a uniform swing of 5.3% (although swings are not uniform). A swing of less than 1% could take Labor into minority. The Coalition would need a swing of about 3.6% to end with more seats than the government. While all states are important if the result is close, Victoria and NSW are regarded as the crucial battlegrounds. If the Coalition won, it would be the first time that a first-term government had been defeated since 1931, during the great depression. Since the end of the second world war, while all first term governments have been reelected, each saw a two-party swing against them. One challenge for Albanese is that he has only a tiny majority, providing little buffer against a swing. The combined vote of the major parties will be something to watch, with the vote steadily declining from 85.47% of the vote just 19 years ago at the 2007 election, to only 68.28% at the 2022 election. Labor won the last election with a two-party vote of 52.13% to the Coalition’s 47.87%. As of December 31 2024, 17,939,818 Australians were enrolled to vote. The start of the formal campaign follows a long “faux” campaign in which both leaders have been travelling the length and breadth of the country non-stop, with the government making a series of major spending announcement but the opposition holding back on policy.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/250774/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <h2>Marginal seats based on the redistribution</h2> <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2025/03/Antony-Greens-ABC-Electoral-Pendulum.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="1535" /> * Seat with a sitting ALP member ** Seat with a sitting Liberal member *** Warringah MP Zali Steggall was elected before the 2022 ‘teals’, but is regarded as one of them. <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/dat/news/elections/federal/2025/guide/FED2025_PostRedistPendulum.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Antony Green's ABC Electoral Pendulum</a> By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-grattan-20316">Michelle Grattan</a>, Professorial Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra-865">University of Canberra</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/albanese-calls-may-3-election-with-cost-of-living-the-central-battleground-250774">original article</a>. Images: <em style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box;">Image credits: LUKAS COCH/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Editorial <div class="footer-container" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;"> </div> </div>

Legal

Tragic final moments of Lilie James revealed at inquest

The final moments of Lilie James, a beloved 21-year-old water polo coach, were captured on CCTV just minutes before she was <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/tragic-new-details-emerge-in-alleged-murder-of-lilie-james" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brutally murdered</a> by her ex-partner, Paul Thijssen, inside a Sydney school. Shocking new details have emerged during a coronial inquest into the October 25, 2023, killing, revealing the calculated planning behind the horrific crime that shook the nation. Lilie was viciously attacked with a hammer in a bathroom at St Andrew’s Cathedral School in Sydney’s CBD. The inquest heard that Thijssen, 24, a fellow teacher at the school and Lilie's former boyfriend, meticulously stalked her and rehearsed the attack in the days leading up to her murder. Court proceedings detailed how Thijssen, a Dutch national, spent days stalking Lilie, watching her movements and even performing dry runs of the attack. CCTV footage played at the inquest showed him practising how to burst into the bathroom where he would ultimately kill Lilie. The court heard that he placed a “cleaning in progress” sign outside a different bathroom to manipulate her into using the one where he planned the attack. On the evening of October 25, Lilie was seen on CCTV chatting with Thijssen as she walked to the bathroom. Moments later, footage captured him switching a hammer to his right hand before charging inside at 7:14pm. While the attack itself was not recorded, Thijssen was seen lingering outside, seemingly listening to the aftermath, before locking the bathroom door to prevent entry. He remained inside for an hour and 12 minutes before leaving. After the murder, Thijssen took Lilie's phone and sent messages to her father, Jamie, pretending to be her. “Don’t ask why or call please come to the school now and pick me up,” he texted. When Mr James responded with concern, Thijssen continued the deception, replying, “All good just came (sic) trouble.” In a chilling turn, Thijssen later made a triple-0 call after driving to Diamond Bay Reserve in Vaucluse. Described by the operator as eerily calm, he reported the location of Lilie's body before refusing to disclose his identity. He ended the call with an unsettling message: “I think someone should just go in there before people arrive in the morning. Thank you.” At 11:59pm, CCTV captured Thijssen entering the reserve, where he later took his own life by jumping from a cliff. His body was discovered in the water 32 hours later. Police found Lilie's body around the same time they began searching for Thijssen. Due to the sheer amount of blood in her hair, officers initially mistook her for someone else, leading to early misinterpretations of the crime scene. A post-mortem examination later confirmed she had suffered at least 25 blows to the head and neck. The inquest also heard that Thijssen had a history of stalking behaviour, having previously followed another ex-girlfriend. Additionally, he had forged documents in an attempt to extend his Australian working holiday visa. Investigations revealed that in the six days leading up to Lilie's murder, he had driven to her house multiple times in a hired car, taken photographs of vehicles parked outside and tracked her movements. Further footage showed him buying a hammer and duct tape from a hardware store, though that hammer was later found unused in a school storeroom. The brutal murder of Lilie James has left the community reeling. St Andrew’s Cathedral School was closed for two days following the tragedy, and the inquest continues before Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan, seeking to provide further insights into how such a devastating crime unfolded. Images: 7News / Facebook

Legal

WombatGate explodes!

Australia’s latest national outrage comes courtesy of Sam Jones, an American hunting influencer and self-proclaimed wildlife biologist, who has managed to do the impossible: unite an entire country in their collective disdain. Jones, whose credentials in “wildlife biology” appear to include snatching baby animals and boasting about it online, has triggered a full-scale diplomatic crisis after gleefully abducting a baby wombat and uploading her crime to Instagram. The now-infamous 34-second video, which has since been deleted (presumably after Jones realised that we take or wildlife more seriously than our politicians), shows her sprinting back to a vehicle, baby wombat in hand, while her Aussie colleague laughs and films. Meanwhile, in a tragic cameo, the mother wombat can be seen pursuing her offspring with the determination of an underpaid retail worker chasing down a shoplifter. Minister for Immigration Tony Burke wasted no time in weighing in on the scandal, stating that his department is now reviewing whether Jones has violated Australian immigration laws. “Either way, given the level of scrutiny that will happen if she ever applies for a visa again, I’ll be surprised if she even bothers,” he remarked, adding, “I can’t wait for Australia to see the back of this individual. I don’t expect she will return.” A Change.org petition to permanently ban Jones from re-entering the country has already gathered over 10,000 signatures, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also joined the fray, taking a moment from his busy schedule to issue a rather novel suggestion to Jones: “I suggest to this so-called influencer maybe she might try some other Australian animals,” he said. "Take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there. Take another animal that can actually fight back rather than stealing a baby wombat from its mother. See how you go there.” As the backlash intensifies, even Americans are scrambling to disown their rogue citizen. Social media has been flooded with messages from US users hastily clarifying that they, too, find Jones’ behaviour reprehensible. “I’m American, and I say kick her out,” wrote one X user. Meanwhile, medical experts have pointed out that the stolen wombat and its mother appear to be suffering from sarcoptic mange, a disease that can be transferred to humans as scabies. This has prompted some to suggest that Jones may have, quite literally, scammed herself. As the dust settles on this debacle, one thing is clear: we as Australians do not take kindly to wombat theft. While Jones may have thought she was creating engaging social media content, she instead succeeded in getting herself blacklisted from an entire continent. Images: Instagram

Legal

Cricket great takes aim at Albo's beer tax freeze

Cricket great David Warner has slammed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's move to combat soaring beer prices. On Monday, Albanese promised to pause the government's tax hike on beers poured at pubs for the next two years. Albanese announced the policy while enjoying his "first beer of the year" at the Bob Hawke Beer and Leisure Centre in Marrickville. "This will make a difference. It is a positive announcement. As I said, good for beer drinkers, good for pubs and clubs, good for cost of living pressures," he said. Australia's inflation-indexed alcohol tax - which increases twice annually - has long been an issue for breweries, pub owners and customers. This month, there was a 3.5 per cent rise on the price of beer, an additional cost that usually gets passed onto the customer. The Prime Minister said if he is re-elected, the Labor government would freeze the indexation on draught beer excise for 24 months from the next indexation date this coming August. However, Warner believes this move is a "few years too late," slamming the Prime Minister's pledge on social media. Warner, who is an investor and director of Victoria's St Andrews Beach Brewery, has been affected by the rising prices. Shortly after Albanese's announcement, Coalition treasury spokesman Angus Taylor said Peter Dutton, if elected, would also freeze tax. "The government has chosen the eve of an election to promise voters a freeze on a tax that has skyrocketed due to its failure to address inflation at its core," Taylor said. Image: LUKAS COCH/EPA-EFE/ Shutterstock Editorial/ Instagram

Money & Banking

Man who saved the lives of over 2 million babies dies aged 88

James Harrison OAM, the famous Australian blood donor who saved the lives of 2.4 million babies by donating his rare plasma, has died aged 88. Australian Red Cross Lifeblood has confirmed that Harrison died "peacefully" on February 17 at Peninsula Village Nursing Home on the NSW Central Coast. Harrison, also known as the Man with the Golden Arm, began donating in the 1950s became the world's most prolific blood and plasma donor thanks to his rare antibody, Anti-D, which helps mothers who are at risk of passing on deadly antibodies to their babies. Since he started donating at the age of 18, Harrison has donated 1173 times, continuing his kind act up until his retirement in 2018 aged 81. His family have since paid tribute to him, with his daughter Tracey Mellowship, remembering him as a generous soul. "James was a humanitarian at heart, but also very funny," she said. "In his last years, he was immensely proud to become a great grandfather to two beautiful grandchildren, Trey and Addison. "As an Anti-D recipient myself, he has left behind a family that may not have existed without his precious donations." Lifeblood Chief Executive Officer Stephen Cornelissen added that Harrison's impact has made a difference all around the world. "James was a remarkable, stoically kind, and generous person who was committed to a lifetime of giving and he captured the hearts of many people around the world," Cornelissen said. "It was James' belief that his donations were no more important than any other donors', and that everyone can be special in the same way that he was. "James extended his arm to help others and babies he would never know a remarkable 1173 times and expected nothing in return." "He leaves behind an incredible legacy, and it was his hope that one day, someone in Australia would beat his donation record," he added. "On behalf of Lifeblood, and the entire Australian community, we thank James for the incredible life- saving contribution he made and the millions of lives he saved." Harrison's rare blood and plasma may continue to save lives even after his death, with researches hoping they would be able to use his blood to develop lab-grown Anti-D. Image: Nine News

Caring

Albo quizzed over luxury home purchase

Anthony Albanese has been grilled by Karl Stefanovic over the recent purchase of a multi-million dollar home, that was widely slammed by the public as being "out of touch". As part of his pre-election campaign, the Prime Minister and his fiancé Jodie Haydon sat down with 60 Minutes where they discussed the controversial real estate move. Karl Stefanovic described as the $4.1 million purchase of the Copacabana holiday home as “harebrained", as Albo defended his decision to buy the home. “Whose harebrained idea was Copacabana?” Stefanovic asked as the program began. Mr Albanese, who is notoriously sensitive about the purchase amid claims it was tone-deaf during a cost-of-living crisis, laughed at the question as he responded, “Look, Jodie and I are getting married.” “What you don’t do is move into the family home where Carmel and I raised Nathan together as a family. And guess what, Karl? At some stage … I won’t be Prime Minister into my 80s and therefore we have bought a place close to where Jodie grew up … where her family are all based.” In the program, Stefanovic observed that, “I’ve spent some time with her these last couple of days and I get the feeling the girl from the Central Coast would sooner rather than later have her feet up at Copacabana, whether you are there or not!” “No — well, she’s a Coastie and a proud one,” Mr Albanese replied. “And it was very much a personal decision, not a political one. And I think Australians get that.” Karl then asked about the controversy around the home, asking the PM, “Did it sting you at all the criticism around that, the perception being during a cost-of-living crisis, the PM shouldn’t be seen as being, you know, so lavish?” Albanese responded, “I’m pretty resilient, Karl, and if you’re worried about every bit of criticism that was out there, then life would be much more difficult than it is." Image credits: 60 Minutes <p style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">

Money & Banking

Princess Diana's former lover opens up in rare interview

Army Major James Hewitt, who had a five-year affair with the late Princess Diana from 1986, has spoken about the royal in a rare television interview with Good Morning Britain on Tuesday. When asked about whether he thinks Diana may have been able to reunite her sons, who have barely spoken in five years, he replied: "I think any mother would be worried and concerned about such a rift, as you put it." "And she'd do her best to try and get them together." Major Hewitt, who now spends his time doing aid work in Ukraine, revealed that the last time he had spoken to the late Princess was "just after" her BBC Panorama interview with Martin Bashir in November 1995, during which she admitted to their affair. He described the conversation as "distant" and admitted that the interview did "create problems" for him from which he was "trying to move on". After the affair was revealed, Major Hewitt was labelled as a "love rat" by the tabloid media and found his reputation in ruins. He also said that the interview was "very distressing" for the late Princess, as someone she had trusted had used their connection to make money. "It was a stitch-up job," he said of the Panorama interview. "It was appalling of Bashir to [have] inveigled, lied to her, criminal activity, absolutely appalling." "As I've said, I hate bullies and bullying and arrogant people and I think it's appalling." Major Hewitt, who was Diana's riding instructor at the time, has previously denied claiming to have been a "father figure" to the princes but has said that he "played with them, swam with them, taught them to ride". The Duke of Sussex had also addressed the rumours that Major Hewitt was his biological father in his memoir Spare, saying that he felt the rumours were designed to turn him into a "laughing stock". "One cause of the rumour was Major Hewitt's red hair, but another was sadism," he wrote in his memoir. Image: Ken McKay/ITV/ Shutterstock Editorial

Relationships

Anthony Albanese avoids cyclone namesake

A tropical cyclone heading for North Queensland won't be called 'Anthony' as previously planned to help "avoid any confusion" ahead of the upcoming election. The Bureau of Meteorology shuffled the name to avoid any confusion with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, announcing that next cyclone will be titled "Alfred". Following Tropical Cyclone Zelia in Western Australia, the next name on the list was planned to be the prime minister's first name "Anthony". "When a name matches a prominent person of the time, we reorder to the next name starting with that same letter to avoid any confusion, " a bureau spokesperson said. However, the bureau plans to retain the long tradition of alternating alphabetically with male and female names, and the next cyclone will be titled "Alfred". The name could potentially go to the low-pressure system in the Coral Sea off North Queensland, if it grows to tropical cyclone level over the weekend. The bureau has been christening tropical cyclones in Australia with human names since 1963, with some of the most destructive cyclones in Australian history have been named Tracy, Larry, Ada, Glenda, Mahina and Debbie. Initially, the cyclones were only given female names with the first official names being Audrey and Bessie in 1964, before the bureau broadened its options to include male names in 1975. Authorities decided to name tropical cyclones to raise public awareness of the powerful weather systems and to help the bureau easily communicate information and warnings for those impacted by severe storm systems. Image credits: Today/LUKAS COCH/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Editorial

Travel Trouble

Anthony Albanese shares wedding details

Anthony Albanese and his fiancé Jodie Haydon have revealed details of their upcoming wedding for the first time. Chatting candidly with Australian Women's Weekly, the couple admitted they are planning to tie the knot in a "small, intimate ceremony" in spring after the federal election. "Our wedding will be a moment when we make that commitment," Haydon told the magazine. "We're doing it in front of family and loved ones, and I see that as … for us. It's something we're looking forward to — an important and symbolic way to reaffirm our commitment with each other." Albanese and Haydon are planning on waiting until after the election, which is expected to be held in April or May, to get married in order to not have their big day wrapped up in politics. The ceremony will not be held in a Catholic church due to Albanese's prior divorce but could be outdoors, Haydon added, with their dog Toto playing a role. "It will be small, intimate," Haydon said. "Probably a spring wedding." "Possibly outdoors, in the second half of this year, with our family and loved ones … And you can be sure Toto will make an appearance." Albanese revealed the moment he decided Haydon was the woman he wanted to marry, and how he decided to <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/anthony-albanese-announces-engagement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">propose</a> on Valentine's Day last year. While gesturing towards the Lodge, the Prime Minister told the reporter, "This will end one day, and the thing about our relationship is that we enjoy spending time together. Just us." "So, when it became clear to me that Jodie was the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, and that I couldn't imagine a life without her, I made the decision." Image credits: X (Twitter)

Relationships

Man whose partner lost $1.6 BILLION at a rubbish tip now wants to buy the entire dump

In what can only be described as the most expensive game of "Where’s Wally?" ever attempted, James Howells, 39, is continuing his decade-long battle to recover a hard drive that contains 8,000 bitcoins – now worth a staggering $1.6 billion AUD – from a landfill site in Newport on the southwest coast of Wales. The saga began in 2013 when Howells’ partner, in a move that will forever be known as the most expensive spring cleaning mishap of all time, accidentally tossed out the hard drive. Since then, Howells has been on a mission to reclaim his digital treasure from what is now essentially a very smelly version of Fort Knox. However, Newport City Council has repeatedly refused his requests to excavate the site, citing environmental concerns and, possibly, an extreme reluctance to deal with a man on a personal mission to unearth a high-tech pirate's chest. A recent legal bid to force the council’s hand was swiftly dismissed by the UK High Court, with the judge describing Howells’ plight as "akin to looking for a needle in a haystack" – though in this case, the haystack is 1.4 million tonnes of garbage, and the needle is worth more than most small countries’ GDP. But Howells refuses to be deterred. His latest plan? If he can’t dig through the dump, he’ll just buy it. Yes, the father-of-three is now looking to purchase the landfill site outright, a bold strategy that has left both financial analysts and waste management professionals scratching their heads. “I have discussed this option recently with investment partners, and it is very much on the table,” he told the BBC. This development adds a fascinating twist to the drama, as parts of the landfill are slated to be turned into a solar farm in the coming years. In what might be the most ironic plot twist in financial history, the very place where Howells’ fortune lies buried could soon be used to power the homes of Newport – while he continues to live in metaphorical darkness. “If they had just worked with me, Newport could have looked like Las Vegas or Dubai,” Howells lamented, apparently envisioning a city built on the back of Bitcoin-funded extravagance rather than well-placed street lamps and reliable waste collection. Despite his enthusiasm, Newport City Council remains unswayed. “Excavation is not possible under our environmental permit,” a council spokesman reiterated, likely while rolling his eyes for the hundredth time. “Mr Howells’s claim has no merit, and the council is vigorously resisting it.” Undeterred, Howells insists he has a team of AI experts ready to streamline the search, making the job “as easy as possible”. As things stand, it appears that for now, Newport’s garbage will remain just that – garbage. But if one thing is certain, it’s that Howells is not giving up anytime soon. Whether his future includes billions in Bitcoin riches or simply a very expensive pile of rubbish remains to be seen. Image: Supplied

Money & Banking

Albanese clashes with Karl Stefanovic over alleged terror plot

Anthony Albanese has clashed with Karl Stefanovic over when he was briefed about an alleged anti-Semitic terror plot in Sydney. The Prime Minister reportedly had not been informed about the discovery of an explosive-laden caravan until just before it was made public on January 29, ten days after the initial discovery. In an interview with the Today show on Thursday morning, Stefanovic suggested that Albanese "must have been absolutely livid” that he was not notified earlier. The Prime Minister responded: “Now you’re making an incredible assumption there, Karl." “What’s important here is that we don’t play politics with national security. “And when it comes to a range of the issues related to the anti-Semitic attacks, what I haven’t done is go out there and reveal intelligence.” Stefanovic pushed on asking Albanese if he would support an inquiry into whether there “was an embarrassing communications failure”, to which the Prime Minister shot back with: “So stop the investigations?” “Stop doing the work to track down the perpetrators of these crimes and engage in politics?” He continued: “Do you think that that is a sensible use of resources?” Stefanovic said it deserved "some focus", adding: “If the prime minister of this country is not told about something of this magnitude ... I’d be scratching my head going ... ‘why not?’” But Albanese shut him down by saying what was “important is tracking down the perpetrators of these crimes”. “I find it frankly absurd that people think, for example, that resources should be diverted, that the AFP (Australian Federal Police) and intelligence agencies should be engaged in a political process rather than doing their job,” he said. “And you know what my job is, Karl? It’s really simple. It’s to back our authorities to do their job. All right. And that’s what I do.” Police discovered the caravan in Dural, Sydney, with authorities saying that it was packed with mining explosives. They have also allegedly found a list of targets, which reportedly included the Great Synagogue in Sydney’s CBD and the Sydney Jewish Museum. Image: Nine

Legal

Anthony Albanese's rental income revealed

Anthony Albanese has rented out his luxury home on the NSW Central Coast that he bought for $4 million last year. The Prime Minister updated his official register of interests in January to list for the first time unspecified “rental income” for the clifftop Copacabana retirement home. While his real estate agent declined to reveal how much rent he is charging, online estimators suggested he could ask for $1,000 a week or about $52,000 a year. On top of the Central Coast home, Albanese is now also renting out his Sydney home, a mortgage-free federation bungalow with a pool for $1,350 a week while he lives rent-free at the Lodge. Between the two properties, the prime minster's rental income is around $2,350 a week or $9,400 a month. His annual rental income on top of his salary is an estimated $122,200 and his salary is $564,356 a year. Greens housing spokesman Max Chandler-Mather has previously taken aim at Mr Albanese for owning investment properties as he stepped up his campaign to scrap negative gearing laws. “Let’s be real, if Labor wants to deal with housing affordability then it’s time to phase out the billions of dollars in tax concessions property investors get every year in the form of negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions,” Mr Chandler-Mather said. “We could be investing that money in building public housing but instead it is going to people like the Prime Minister with his three investment properties.” He went on to question why Australia has a “property investor as a prime minister” during the “worst housing crisis we’ve seen in a generation”, adding, “I think what they’ve got to realise on the politics of this in the course of this year a lot of renters are going to start asking the question.” Image credits: realestate.com.au/RICHARD WAINWRIGHT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Editorial

Money & Banking

John Farnham's son shares major health update

John Farnham's son James has shared a major update on his father's health condition, as he prepares to become a grandfather. The Aussie singer, 75, is recovering from 12-hour surgery for throat cancer, with doctors removing a tumour from his mouth and reconstructing his jaw in August 2022. He has since received an “all clear" as his cancer remains in remission. Speaking candidly to Nat Barr and Matt Shirvington on Sunrise, James updated viewers on his father's condition. “He’s doing great, he’s doing really well, walking around, kicking goals .... annoying mum,” James said with a laugh. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> FARNHAM FAMILY ANNOUNCEMENT 🎤 James Farnham on his dad’s health, an exciting family announcement and the incredible Logies tribute. WATCH SUNRISE FOR MORE | <a href="https://twitter.com/7plus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@7plus</a> ☀️ <a href="https://t.co/pY48wTiLNU">pic.twitter.com/pY48wTiLNU</a> — Sunrise (@sunriseon7) <a href="https://twitter.com/sunriseon7/status/1886532531001884967?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2025</a></blockquote> James, who is expecting his first child later this year with his partner Tessa, also revealed that Farnham has decided what he wants his first grandchild to call him. “We’re all really excited, another little Farnham on the way,” James said. “I can’t wait to take him up to the farm and get dad to teach him everything he taught me.” He then revealed that his famous father wants to be called “Pa” when the baby is born. James went on to share details about Cancer Research Giving Day, as since their father’s diagnosis, James and his brother, Rob, have supported cancer awareness and fundraising events including Daffodil Day “Given the fact that dad went through a brutal cancer, we were asked by Daffodil Day to be ambassadors — we jumped at the chance,” Rob told Sunrise last August. “It’s such an amazing opportunity to push that forward. And the things that they do for fundraising and research, it helps recovery process, helps families, helps the people who have the cancer." “Cancer is one of those things that doesn’t just affect the person going through it, it affects everyone else around them.” Image credits: Getty Images / Sunrise

Family & Pets

Anthony Albanese fast-tracks cost of living relief

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to fast-track legislation to introduce new measures to help struggling families and students during the ongoing cost of living crisis. The legislation will be introduced to parliament in the next two weeks which will include a guarantee of three days of subsidised childcare each week for Australian families, and will make fee-free TAFE permanent. The Labor government said three days of subsidised childcare is “about putting in place the building blocks for a universal childcare system”, with Education Minister Jason Clare saying the policy “is fundamentally about making sure every child gets a great start in life and start school ready to learn." “At the moment the children who need early education the most can’t access it,” Clare said. “They are missing out. As a result they start school behind and often never catch up. This will help fix that. Every child has the right to go to school — and governments have a responsibility to make that possible." “We believe every child has the right to go to early education, to help make sure they don’t start school behind — and our Labor government is going to make this possible.” Passing laws to make fee-free TAFE permanent will save “students thousands of dollars to train in key occupations, while delivering the skilled workers Australia needs”, the Albanese government said. “Our focus is on Building Australia’s Future while helping with the cost of living now,” Leader of the House Tony Burke said. “This fortnight we’ll continue delivering on that agenda — securing cost-of-living support for families through childcare reforms, while setting up our future prosperity through skills, training and future industry,” Burke said. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has opposed most cost-of-living measures, claiming they will have the opposite effect by pushing up inflation and delaying interest rate cuts. However, underlying inflation is now sitting at 3.2 per cent, and most economists believe the Reserve Bank will cut rates on February 18th. Image credits: LUKAS COCH/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Editorial

Money & Banking

"Spineless and cowardly": Grace Tame hits back at Albo

Grace Tame has penned a blistering attack on Anthony Albanese and his Labor government after the PM called out her "disrespectful" outfit choice. T<span style="caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px;">he former Australian of the Year winner was greeted by Albanese and his fiancee, Jodie Haydon, at The Lodge in Canberra on Saturday to honour the 2025 Australian of the Year finalists, as she donned a t-shirt that said "F*** Murdoch". <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">Speaking with <a style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #258440; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;" href="https://www.abc.net.au/listen/live/perth" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link-type="article-inline">ABC Radio Perth</a> on Monday, Albanese was asked about his meeting with Tame and his views on her T-shirt, as he said her stunt was <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/disrespectful-pm-hits-out-at-grace-tame-s-australia-day-stunt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disrespectful</a> towards the award finalists. <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">“I held a function. It is something that, in my view, took away from the people who were there, and my focus was simply on that,” he said. But now, Tame has hit back at the Prime Minister, accusing Mr Albanese of presiding over a "spineless" and "cowardly" government, revealing the real response to her t-shirt inside The Lodge. In a damning 1,500-word essay published by news website <a href="https://www.crikey.com.au/2025/01/29/grace-tame-t-shirt-rupert-murdoch-anthony-albanese/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Crikey</a>, Tame took issue with Mr Albanese's suggestion that her outfit took attention away from other award nominees. "Surely these were not the same people who asked to take selfies with me wearing the t-shirt in the courtyard, who commended me for taking a stand and staying true to myself?", she wrote. "These people — including medical doctors, academics, scientists, musicians, writers, entrepreneurs, athletes, advocates and even a former soldier who proudly showed me their own anti-Murdoch merchandise?" "As I was leaving The Lodge, one of the prime minister’s staff remarked, 'There are many of us here who wish we could wear that shirt.' Afterwards, journalists wanted to pose beside me." Tame also called out the Prime Minster and his government for having "weak knees" over its stance on Israel during the country's devastating occupation of Gaza. "We’ve all watched in disgust over the past 16 months as the once-impassioned politician, who used to make speeches in Parliament supporting Palestinian liberation, has overseen the contortion of his government’s PR apparatus in defence of Israel’s genocidal operation," she wrote. She went on to describe Australia as a "spineless colony of the United States" and accused both Labor and the Coalition of being in hock to the Murdoch-owned Press. "When presented with a petition that received more than half a million signatures demanding a royal commission into the Murdoch regime, Anthony Albanese did nothing," Ms Tame wrote. She added, "Anthony’s predictable response to my two-word statement has reinforced just how poisonous Murdoch’s grip on the Western world still is." "It’s also revealed that while Australia casts itself as a laidback larrikin, game for a laugh, it is in fact a cowardly cop bought by the illusion of civility politics." Despite her decimation of the PM and his government, Tame conceded that Opposition Leader Peter Dutton would be a "more dangerous prime minister than Anthony Albanese". Tame concluded her essay by writing that "Big conversations start with simple, effective messages," and despite the PM's disapproval of her statement, she does not regret her actions. Image credits: Instagram

Legal

John Farnham to become a grandfather for the first time

John Farnham is set to become a grandfather for the first time. On Thursday, the legendary singer's son James took to Instagram to announce that his partner Tessa is pregnant with a baby boy due later this year. The clip showed James setting alight a burn away cake with the words "coming 2025" inscribed on it. The inscription peeled away to reveal the word "Boy", confirming that the couple are having a son. He also shared a photo of an ultrasound of their unborn baby's hand, with the caption: "Coming 2025! Tessa, I love you so much!" James' celebrity friends were quick to congratulate the couple's joyous baby news. "Congratulations guys. Great news to kick off the year," wrote Sunrise weatherman Sam Mac's fiancée Rebecca James. "Ahhhhhhh this is the best ever! So happy for you guys," added Neighbours star Bonnie Anderson. "Yeah wooohooo, so happy for you both. Congratulations to the coolest parents," wrote one person. "Woohoo! Massive congratulations to you both! Baby Boy is very lucky to have you both as their mummy and daddy! Big love," added another. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEj0BaHzmRM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEj0BaHzmRM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by James Farnham (@jimbofarnham)</a> </div> </blockquote> James has been in a relationship with Tessa for several years, and even attended the premiere of the John Farnham: Finding the Voice documentary together in Melbourne in 2023. The joyful news comes after a challenging period for Farnham and his family following his battle with mouth cancer. In August 2022, Farnham underwent surgery and treatment for mouth cancer. The following year, he was declared cancer free following multiple surgeries and eight weeks of radiation therapy. However, the beloved singer later shared that the life-saving surgery has left him unable to sing. “My facial disfigurement from the surgery means I can’t open my mouth wide enough for a strip of spaghetti, let alone to sing,” Farnham said in an excerpt from his memoir published by the Sydney Morning Herald. “I can’t get the movement to make the sounds I want to make, that’s where the vibrations and my voice come from. It’s a very disconcerting thing. And trying hurts.” Despite the challenges, the legendary singer hopes that he will be able to perform again one day. “I was given a gift and to be able to get out there and affect people in some way was special, I would like to continue doing that,” he said. “Though I am not putting all my hopes into it, we’ll see.” Images: Instagram

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