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Beyond the spin, beyond the handouts, here’s how to get a handle on what’s really happening on budget night

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-martin-682709">Peter Martin</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/crawford-school-of-public-policy-australian-national-university-3292">Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University</a></em></p> <p>Three weeks from now, some of us will be presented with a <a href="https://budget.gov.au/">mountain</a> of budget papers, and just about all of us will get to hear about them on radio, TV or news websites on budget night.</p> <p>The quickest way to find out what the budget is really doing will be to listen to the treasurer’s speech, or to peruse online the aptly-named “<a href="https://treasury.infoservices.com.au/page/budget2023">glossy</a>” – a document that last year was titled “<a href="https://archive.budget.gov.au/2023-24/overview/download/budget_overview.pdf">Stronger foundations for a better future</a>”.</p> <figure class="align-right zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/589444/original/file-20240422-23-vkinrm.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/589444/original/file-20240422-23-vkinrm.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/589444/original/file-20240422-23-vkinrm.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=848&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/589444/original/file-20240422-23-vkinrm.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=848&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/589444/original/file-20240422-23-vkinrm.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=848&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/589444/original/file-20240422-23-vkinrm.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1066&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/589444/original/file-20240422-23-vkinrm.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1066&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/589444/original/file-20240422-23-vkinrm.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1066&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Cover of 2023 budget glossy" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Glossies are used to make each budget attractive.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://archive.budget.gov.au/2023-24/overview/download/budget_overview.pdf">Commonwealth Treasury</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p>But they will tell you exactly what the government wants you to hear, exactly as it wants you to hear it.</p> <p>If you are looking instead for the truth – what the government is actually trying to achieve and what it is holding itself and its officials to, I would suggest something else, tucked away on about page <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/3225/8787.pdf">87</a> of the main budget document.</p> <p>It is required by the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A05333/latest/text">Charter of Budget Honesty Act</a> introduced in 1998 by Peter Costello, the treasurer under Prime Minister John Howard.</p> <p>On taking office in 1996, Costello set up a <a href="https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20101119021633/http://www.finance.gov.au/archive/archive-of-publications/ncoa/execsum.htm">National Commission of Audit</a> to examine the finances he had inherited from the Hawke and Keating governments, presumably with an eye to discovering they had been mismanaged.</p> <p>But the members of the commission weren’t much interested in that. Instead, they decided to deal with something more fundamental.</p> <h2>Budget as you wish, but explain your strategy</h2> <p>Governments were perfectly entitled to manage money in whatever way they wanted, and they were perfectly entitled to spend more money than they raised (which they usually do, it’s called a <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/deficit.asp">budget deficit</a>).</p> <p>What the commission wanted was for governments to make clear what they were doing, and to spell out the strategy behind it.</p> <p>Only part of it was about being upfront with the public. The commission also wanted governments to be upfront with themselves – to actually develop frameworks for what they were doing, rather than doing whatever they felt like.</p> <p>The commission recommended a <a href="https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20101119021633/http://www.finance.gov.au/archive/archive-of-publications/ncoa/execsum.htm">Charter of Budget Honesty</a>, which among other things requires officials to prepare independent assessments of the finances before each election, requires budget updates six months after each budget, and requires <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/BriefingBook45p/TaxExpenditures">tax expenditures</a> (tax breaks) to be accounted for like other expenditures.</p> <p>And it requires the publication and regular updating of a <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/3227/CBH_Fiscal_strategy.pdf">fiscal strategy statement</a>.</p> <h2>Where treasurers hold themselves accountable</h2> <p>The <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/3225/8787.pdf">fiscal strategy</a> can be thought of as an exam question set by the student who is being examined – something along the lines of “this is what you say you want your budget to achieve, please set out the means by which you plan to achieve it”.</p> <p>It turns out to have been exceptionally effective in getting governments to organise their thoughts, make budgets at least try to achieve something, and let the rest of us know what they are trying to achieve.</p> <p>Every few years, treasurers change the strategy, as is their right. Treasurer Jim Chalmers says he’ll change it again this budget, to de-emphasise the fight against inflation and to more greatly emphasise the need to <a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/jim-chalmers-2022/transcripts/press-conference-washington-dc-0">support economic growth</a>.</p> <p>His statement will tell us what’s behind his actions in a way the glossy words in his brochure and speech might not.</p> <h2>The strategy that has signposted 26 years</h2> <p>Previous statements have signposted all the important turns in what the budget is trying to do.</p> <p>The first, in <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/589686/original/file-20240423-16-rncqg3.PNG">1998</a>, committed Costello and Howard to achieving a budget surplus on average over the economic cycle and whenever “growth prospects remain sound”.</p> <p>Making that commitment more difficult was another “not to introduce new taxes or raise existing taxes over the term of this parliament”.</p> <p>Two years later, after the government had won an election promising a new goods and services tax, that commitment was <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/589692/original/file-20240423-18-q843xn.PNG">changed</a> to “no increase in the overall tax burden from its 1996-97 level”, a condition met by calling the GST a state tax.</p> <h2>Hockey and Morrison wound back spending</h2> <p>The Labor budgets from 2008 <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/589702/original/file-20240423-18-mikx6f.PNG">loosened</a> the tax target to the <em>average</em> share of GDP below the reference year, which they changed to the higher-tax year of 2007-08.</p> <p>The first Coalition budget under Treasurer Joe Hockey in 2014 changed the target from tax to spending, pledging to bring down the ratio of <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/589705/original/file-20240423-16-9spkdy.PNG">payments to GDP</a>, and pledging a surplus of 1% of GDP by 2023-24.</p> <p>Any new spending would be more than offset by cuts elsewhere, and if the budget did receive a burst of unexpected revenue it would be “banked” rather than spent.</p> <p>In 2018 Treasurer Scott Morrison reintroduced tax as a target, that he spelled out precisely. Tax was not to increase beyond <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/589706/original/file-20240423-16-b7gj5d.PNG">23.9%</a> of GDP.</p> <h2>During COVID, Frydenberg spent big</h2> <p>In 2020, in the face of a COVID-induced recession and soaring unemployment, Finance Minister Mathias Cormann and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg pushed the old strategy to one side.</p> <p>They would spend big now to keep the economy afloat so they wouldn’t have to spend more bailing it out later, and they wouldn’t return to their old concern about the deficit until the unemployment rate was “<a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/3228/fs2020.pdf">comfortably below 6%</a>”.</p> <p>So well did they succeed that in 2021 Frydenberg made the momentous decision to keep going, abandoning the promise to return to worrying about the deficit when unemployment fell below 6%.</p> <p>Instead he promised to keep spending big until unemployment was “<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/589709/original/file-20240423-16-9pmpaf.PNG">back to pre-crisis levels or lower</a>”.</p> <p>The decision propelled unemployment down to a 50-year low of <a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/wPfXO/">3.5%</a>.</p> <p>Along with high iron ore prices, that one change of strategy has probably helped deliver Chalmers two consecutive budget surpluses – the one he announced last year for 2022-23, and the one he is set to announce this year for 2023-24. More of us have been in jobs <a href="https://www.finance.gov.au/publications/commonwealth-monthly-financial-statements/2024/mfs-january">paying tax</a>, and fewer have been out of jobs <a href="https://theconversation.com/half-a-million-more-australians-on-welfare-not-unless-you-double-count-227342">on benefits</a>.</p> <p>It’s a powerful demonstration of the real-world difference budget decisions can make, and the way in which the <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/3225/8787.pdf">fiscal strategy</a> tells the story.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/228387/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-martin-682709">Peter Martin</a>, Visiting Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/crawford-school-of-public-policy-australian-national-university-3292">Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>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/beyond-the-spin-beyond-the-handouts-heres-how-to-get-a-handle-on-whats-really-happening-on-budget-night-228387">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

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What to expect from the federal budget

<p>There's just three weeks left until Treasurer Jim Chalmers unveils the federal budget.</p> <p>With the cost of living crisis still a major issue across the country, we can expect to see some policies aimed at alleviating the pressure. </p> <p>Some policies, have already been announced and here are a few others that we can expect to hear from Chalmers on May 14. </p> <p>Stage 3 cuts announced in January, will form a key part of this year's budget, which will direct more benefit towards low- and middle-income earners – although Australians on high salaries will still receive a tax cut.</p> <p>The decision was made to alleviate the cost-of-living pressures and partly address the bracket creep. The cuts lower the threshold for the lowest two brackets (so they pay less tax on that income), and raise the threshold for the highest two brackets (so they need to earn more to be taxed at a higher rate). </p> <p>This means that someone with average income of around $73,000 will get $1504, but how much you actually receive will depend on your income. </p> <p>The new version of the stage 3 cuts will come into effect on July 1.</p> <p>Superannuation will be paid on government-funded parental leave, with the change due to kick in for parents with babies born after July 1, 2025.</p> <p>They will receive a 12 per cent superannuation on top of their government-funded parental leave, with around 180,000 families expected to benefit from it. </p> <p>The figures will be included in the May 14 budget. </p> <p>Although nothing has been officially announced,  there will likely be HECS-HELP debt relief for current and former students. </p> <p>"I think there's a range of areas where we need to do much better with the younger generation, and HECS is one of them," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on radio on April 18.</p> <p>"We've received a review of that... and what that has said is that the system can be made simpler and be made fairer.</p> <p>"We're examining the recommendations and we'll be making announcements pretty soon on that. We, of course, have a budget coming up."</p> <p>There have also been some hints from the government that energy bill relief will continue in this year's budget. </p> <p>"Our government understands that for small business – as for Australian families – energy bills remain a source of financial pressure," Albanese said, citing the existing policy that gives eligible families up to $500 off their power bills and eligible small businesses up to $650.</p> <p>"Our government understands that for small business – as for Australian families – energy bills remain a source of financial pressure," he said.</p> <p>"That's why the energy bill relief package I negotiated with the states and territories delivered up to $650 in savings for around 1 million small businesses, along with 5 million families.</p> <p>"And as we put together next month's budget, small businesses and families will again be front and centre in our thinking."</p> <p>Energy bills are also set to go down, or remain stable for the most part from July 1. </p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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Roger Federer breaks royal protocol with Kate Middleton

<p dir="ltr">Roger Federer is being scrutinised by royal watchers after an awkward moment with the Princess of Wales was caught on camera at Wimbledon.</p> <p dir="ltr">Kate had welcomed Federer and his wife to the Royal Box to watch the match between Elena Rybakina and Shelby Rogers on Tuesday.</p> <p dir="ltr">It was when Federer greeted Kate to a standing ovation in front of the packed crowd, that he had made the controversial mistake of putting his arm around Kate as he said hello.</p> <p dir="ltr">Royal watchers have accused the eight-time Wimbledon champion of breaking royal protocol, as they believed this action caused Kate to “flinch”, and claimed that Federer was “overstepping”.</p> <p dir="ltr">As part of the royal protocol, it is improper for someone to touch a member of the royal family unless they offer their own hand in greeting.</p> <p dir="ltr">This extends to the royal children, who are expected to bow and curtsy to their own parents when in public, which prompted further questions for Federer’s actions.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite people finding fault in Federer’s actions, the pair of good friends had laughed and enjoyed their time throughout the game.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It did seem that Kate and Roger were getting along pretty well,” <em>Seven News Europe </em>Bureau Chief Hugh Whitfield told <em>Sunrise</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Some might say that Roger, overstepped, the mark stepped, across the fault line by putting his arm, around Kate. They’ve known each other for a long time.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There’ll be questions about whether he broke royal protocol. I think most people were just happy to see them enjoy the day.”</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

International Travel

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Kate Middleton takes on Roger Federer in astounding match

<p>Undoubtedly one of the best tennis players of all time, Swiss star Roger Federer may have just met his match with the Princess of Wales.</p> <p>While Federer has 20 grand slam titles to his name, the Princess managed to get a shot past the star, which was met with his response, “I think it was on the line. Amazing!”</p> <p>Kate also took the opportunity to grab some coaching advice from the former world No. 1.</p> <p>“Any tips on my serve at the same time would be very helpful,” she asked.</p> <p>However, Federer seemingly had no advice to offer the Princess, responding, “The serve looks good.”</p> <p>The duo were playing a doubles match on No. 3 Court – where Federer won his first match on the way to earning his first Wimbledon title in 2003 – to acknowledge the hard work of ball boys and girls at the tournament.</p> <p>A clip of their encounter surfaced on YouTube and tennis enthusiast Kate is heard saying, “It’s so good to see you, Roger,” before stepping out onto the court ahead of their match.</p> <p>After she got her shot past the tennis legend, who retired from the sport in 2022, Kate gave a celebratory pat on the shoulder to her doubles partner Joel Eboewe, a coach with the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative, which offers free lessons to local children.</p> <p>During their visit earlier in June, the pair accompanied the ball boys and girls in training for the 2023 tournament which commences Monday, 26 June.</p> <p>Federer himself started out as a ball boy in Basel in 1993 at just age 12, but it seemed as though he may have forgotten a thing or two about what goes on beyond playing the game.</p> <p>As tennis balls bounced around at his feet, Federer – with an estimated net worth of $820 million – asked, “Is that supposed to be me picking them up?”</p> <p>Kate also appeared slightly confused, with the royal being told that she was not allowed to catch a ball until it had bounced off the back wall.</p> <p>Every year, about 1,000 children aged 11 to 13 from schools near Wimbledon participate in training sessions, with a lucky quarter of them selected to take part in the tournament.</p> <p>For those being tested, Kate had a message to share, “With all the discipline and everything you’ve learned, you’ll be able to take it into so many other parts of your life; things like confidence and that feeling of pride with being on any of the courts is such a big moment.”</p> <p>Kate and Federer were due to participate in a charity tennis day in 2022, but the Princess pulled out after the Queen’s funeral.</p> <p>Federer has become friends with the Royals and the Middletons, with the tennis legend even spotted at the wedding of Kate's sister Pippa to James Matthews in 2017.</p> <p>He has also visited Prince William and Princess Kate at their home in Anmer Hall in Norfolk and has given Prince George a private tennis lesson.</p> <p>Wimbledon ball boys and girls manager Sarah Goldson said, “We’re proud of the young people who dedicate so much time and effort to their role which plays an integral part in delivering successful championships.”</p> <p>As patron of the All England Club, Kate will present the trophies to the winners of Wimbledon 2023.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

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Energy bill relief to benefit just one Aussie demographic

<p>Nearly half a million older Australians will receive hundreds of dollars in energy bill relief as the federal government looks to battle rising power prices.</p> <p>Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth revealed that all Commonwealth seniors health card holders will be given up to $500 per household.</p> <p>The 490,000-plus recipients will include an extra 16,320 people granted access to the card after the federal government introduced higher income thresholds for eligibility in November 2022.</p> <p>The new income limits are $90,000 for singles and $144,000 (combined) for couples.</p> <p>The government claimed this would benefit 52,000 older people by 2026-27.</p> <p>Rishworth explained the energy relief would be available from July 2023.</p> <p>The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) released its final determination on May 25, with a revised price increase higher than the March draft that saw a 20 to 22 per cent rise.</p> <p>AER chair Clare Savage said it had been a “difficult decision” but high wholesale energy costs continued to hike up retail prices.</p> <p>“No one wants to see rising prices, and we recognise this is a difficult time, that’s why it’s important for consumers to shop around for a better deal,” she said.</p> <p>Following the AER’s announcement, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton appeared on <em>Today</em> and said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had “lied” to Australians about energy prices.</p> <p>“Let’s be very clear about it, he promised on 97 occasions your bill would go down by $275,” he told <em>Today</em> host Karl Stefanovic.</p> <p>“I think the government’s completely underestimating how much families and small businesses are hurting at the moment.”</p> <p>The bill comes shortly after the Australian Energy Regulator revealed electric prices were set to increase by 25 per cent for about 600,000 customers across three states from July 1.</p> <p>The federal government’s latest budget committed to $3 billion in financial support for those struggling to pay their power bill.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p>

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"What am I going to do?”: Centrelink mother points out crucial flaw in new budget policy for parents

<p>An unemployed mother who relies on Centrelink benefits has broken down while noting a fatal flaw in Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ Federal Budget promises to parents.</p> <p>Jessica Blowers told ABC’s <em>Q&amp;A</em> program that she will be forced off the Single Parent Payment when her daughter turns eight in August, leaving her unable to afford the rent increases.</p> <p>Currently, single parents can claim the Parenting Payment of $949.30 a fortnight until their youngest child turns eight. By September 2023, the age limit for the pay rise to when the youngest child is 14, as part of Chalmers’ budget.</p> <p>Ms Blowers is one of many copping the brunt of it as her daughter’s 8th birthday is four weeks before the new rules begin.</p> <p>She will also see a rent increase during that period from $900 a fortnight to $960.</p> <p>“What am I going to do? What is my choice, other than I am doing my best to get a job so that I can keep a house over my daughter's head,” she stressed to the treasurer.</p> <p>“When I'm applying for the jobs, I am faced with being told that more than 100 other candidates have applied for the same jobs - I'm not sure how I am supposed to compete against 100 other people for one job.”</p> <p>Ms Blowers added she “would like to know what measures the government has in place to bridge the gap that I and other parents in similar situations will find ourselves in”.</p> <p>“I don't have anywhere to go because I am paying my entire pension in rent. Everywhere else in Sydney is comparable to that.”</p> <p>Although sympathetic to her situation, Chalmers said those suffering like Ms Blowers were “the reason why we are lifting the age from eight to 14”.</p> <p>“This is something we were really keen to do in the Budget because we recognise the pressure that you are under as a single mum,” he explained.</p> <p>However, Chalmers was adamant that the new system could not be introduced any earlier than September 20, 2023.</p> <p>“We've tried to do is bring that change in as soon as possible. We think September is the soonest that we can do it,” he said.</p> <p>“I understand that that means a few weeks for you going from the current payment onto JobSeeker and (then) back onto the single parenting payment.</p> <p>“I would love to avoid that if we could, but what we're trying to do is provide this extra assistance ... that you need and deserve. If we could avoid those couple of weeks, we would, but September is the best we can do.”</p> <p>In total, some 57,000 single parents, 90 per cent of whom are women, will benefit from the new scheme.</p> <p>Previously they would have been moved onto the lower JobSeeker rate when their youngest child turned eight.</p> <p>“By age 14, children have typically settled into high school and need less parental supervision, and single parents are in a much stronger position to take on paid work," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said when the policy was announced.</p> <p>Historically, the single parent payment was eligible for singles with children aged up to 16.</p> <p>But former prime minister John Howard, later supported by Julia Gillard, cut the age to eight in an attempt to encourage parents back into the workforce.</p> <p>Two advisory bodies have called for the government to extend the payment and the eligibility criteria.</p> <p>It is understood mutual obligation requirements will remain in order to continue encouraging parents to go back to work.</p> <p>Speaking to Nova radio in Perth, Mr Albanese explained he knew “firsthand what it's like to grow up with a single mum doing it tough”.</p> <p>“We want to look after single parents because we know that the role that they play in raising their children is such a priority for them and they’re deserving of more support,” he said.</p> <p><em>Image credit: ABC Q&amp;A</em></p>

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ATO cracks down on landlords submitting dodgy tax returns

<p>The Australian Taxation Office (ATM) has plans to crack down on landlords submitting dodgy tax returns after an interview found nine in 10 made mistakes and wrongfully claimed expenses.</p> <p>Those working at home, including those who run home-based businesses and people who earn via short-term rental sites like Airbnb or Stayz, will also be under the thumb this year to file returns correctly, in a new bid to eliminate tax fraud.</p> <p>The review comes in the wake of a major funding boost to the ATO, announced in the 2023 federal budget, which saw an $89.6 million injection.</p> <p>The ATO claims there was a tax gap of $9 billion in the 2019-2020 financial year.</p> <p>Taxpayers paid 94.4 per cent of the whole amount theoretically owed to the Commonwealth, with deductions for rental expenses, including those incorrectly claiming negative gearing deductions, contributing $1.4 billion to the gap.</p> <p>Australian Tax Commissioner Tim Loh said the ATO will be taking action in 2023.</p> <p>"We encourage rental property owners and their registered tax agents to take extra care this tax time and review their records before lodging their return," Loh reportedly told <em>The Age</em>.</p> <p>"You can only claim interest on a loan used to purchase a rental property to earn rental income – don't forget, if your loan also includes a private expense, such as for a new car or a trip to Bali, you can only claim an interest deduction for the portion relating to producing your rental income.”</p> <p>Loh warned Australians who work from home and advised against the “copy and paste" tax return method.</p> <p>He said, ” We know a lot of people are working back in the office more compared to last year”, and the method the ATO uses to calculate working from home expenses has now changed.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p>

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Federal Budget 2023: How to make the most of the key promises

<p dir="ltr">Treasurer Jim Charles has handed down his first budget for 2023/24, offering a series of measures aimed at tackling the cost-of-living crisis.</p> <p dir="ltr">Millions of Australians will receive a boost from the federal government medical care, bills and welfare payments, amid the forecast that the budget will be be in the black with a surplus of $4bn.</p> <p dir="ltr">Here’s what it means for you:</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Bill help</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Those who are on the pension, a seniors card holder or a recipient of family tax benefits A and B will be eligible to get help with energy bills thanks to a deal between the states and Commonwealth that’s worth $1.5bn.</p> <p dir="ltr">That means over five million eligible households and one million eligible small businesses will benefit from the scheme.</p> <p dir="ltr">The relief will come in the form of credits that apply directly to their power bills rather than cash, and the amount they receive will depend on the state they live in.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Medicare Relief</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">The incentives paid to GPs who bulk bill 11.6m eligible Australians including children under 16, pensioners and other concession card holders will increase.</p> <p dir="ltr">GPs will be able to claim the incentives for in-person consultations over six minutes long and certain telehealth consultations.</p> <p dir="ltr">GPs who bulk bill patients in the city will be paid a new incentive of $20.65 compared to the previous rate of $6.60, while regional GPs will receive a $31.40 incentive, up from $10.05.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Welfare recipients</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Over 1.1 million vulnerable Australians will benefit from a $40 fortnightly boost from September, if parliament agrees.</p> <p dir="ltr">The increased base rate will apply to people receiving JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Parenting Payment (partnered), ABSTUDY, Disability Support Pension (Youth) and Special Benefit.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Rental assistance</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">For many renters, this budget means that rent is forecasted to increase over the next year as the market tightens.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, for those currently receiving the maximum Commonwealth Rent Assistance allowance their payments will increase by 15 per cent.</p> <p dir="ltr">Here’s what the Federal Budget will look like at a glance:</p> <ul> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Budget deficit of $13.9 billion in 2023/24</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Commonwealth net debt to rise to $574.9 billion (22.3 per cent of GDP) in 2023/24</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Economic growth to fall to 1.5 per cent in 2023/24</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Unemployment rate to rise to 4.25 per cent in 2023/24</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Inflation as measured by CPI to be 3.25 per cent in 2023/24</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Wages to rise by four per cent in 2023/24</p> </li> </ul> <p dir="ltr"> </p> <p dir="ltr">And here are the key measures the federal budget has promised:</p> <ul> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Energy bill relief for five million households and one million businesses</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Triple bulk-billing incentives and more funding for urgent care clinics</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Base rate of JobSeeker and other payments to be raised for 1.1 million households</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Commonwealth Rent Assistant rise for 1.1 million households</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Housing boost including tax breaks for build-to-rent investors</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">$4 billion extra for renewable energy</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Tax breaks for small business to write-off assets and reduce energy costs</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Targeted help for jobless aged over 55</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Cut to cost of medicines</p> </li> </ul> <p><em>Image: Getty Images/ Martin Ollman / Stringer</em></p>

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Workers eligible for $10,000 salary bump in federal budget revealed

<p>Treasure Jim Chalmers has revealed the frontline workers who will receive a hefty pay rise in the federal budget to help with the cost of living pressures and improve equal pay for women.</p> <p>Some frontline workers will see a pay rise of $10,000 a year under the historic changes.</p> <p>It is part of the biggest pay rise to date for aged care workers that will distribute pay rises to 250,000 people working on the frontline to care for older Australians.</p> <p>Those eligible include nurses who could receive an extra $200 a week, enrolled nurses, assistants in nursing, personal care workers, head chefs and cooks, recreational activities officers (lifestyle workers) and home care workers.</p> <p>Under the changes, the following will secure a significant pay rise for working in aged care.</p> <ul> <li>A registered nurse on a level 2.3 aware wage will receive an additional $196.08 a week (more than $10,000 a year)</li> <li>An enrolled nurse on a level 2 award age will receive an additional $145.54 a week (more than $7500 a year)</li> <li>An assistant in nursing on a level 3 award wage will receive an additional $136.68 a week (more than $7100 a year)</li> <li>A personal care worker on a level 4 (aged care award) or a home care worker on a level 3.1 (SCHADS award) will receive an additional $141.10 a week (more than $7300 a year)</li> <li>A recreational activity officer on a level 3 (aged care award) will receive an additional $139.54 a week (more than $7200 a year)</li> <li>A head chef/cook on a level 4 (aged care award) will receive an additional $141.12 a week (more than $7300 a year)</li> <li> A staff member with a Certificate III qualification will see a change from $940 per week to $1,082</li> </ul> <p>Treasurer Jim Chalmers said it was hoped the investment would help the industry retain staff and lure new employees to the sector.</p> <p>“Every worker deserves a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work and that’s what this will deliver for thousands in aged care across the country,’’ he said.</p> <p>“For too long, those working in aged care have been asked to work harder for longer without enough reward but with this Budget, that changes.</p> <p>“This investment recognises the incredible contribution that aged care workers make to our economy and community and will help to create a bigger incentive for young Australians looking for a rewarding career to pick aged care in the future.”</p> <p>Anika Wells, Minister for Aged Care, said the increase in pay reflected that aged care was physically and emotionally demanding work.</p> <p>The 15 per cent pay rise means that a staff member with a Certificate III qualification moves from earning only $940 per week to $1,082.</p> <p>“This record $11.3 billion investment is a historic and deserved pay rise for a workforce undervalued for far too long,’’ she said.</p> <p>“Fair wages play a major role in attracting and retaining workers to provide around the clock care for some of Australia’s most vulnerable people.</p> <p>Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler said the pay rise would make history.</p> <p>The wage increase is designed to help women and families struggling with the cost of living crisis and ensure that quality aged care workers are less inclined to consider leaving the sector over pay concerns.</p> <p>“Our commitment is long overdue recognition of the skilled work our aged care workers deliver day in, day out,’’ he said.</p> <p>Other workers in the budget are expected to include older Australians who are seeking employment and they will receive pay rises if they are over 60 but not yet eligible for the aged pension.</p> <p>The Albanese Government are also expected to boost payments for single parents after former Prime Minister Julia Gillard introduced changes to force parents - particularly women - to return to work earlier.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

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“Pattern of bigotry”: Pauline Hanson being sued by senator over tweet

<p>Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi has launched legal action against Pauline Hanson over a tweet telling her to "pack your bags and piss off back to Pakistan”.</p> <p>Documents filed in the Federal Court on May 3 allege the One Nation leader breached section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act with the tweet in 2022.</p> <p>Faruqi is seeking a sum of $150,000 be donated to a not-for-profit or community organisation of her choice.</p> <p>She also wants Hanson to undertake anti-racism training and pay legal fees.</p> <p>Faruqi revealed in a statement that she had “taken on bullies” her whole life and had no choice but to take on Hanson.</p> <p>"I refuse to let Senator Hanson get away with racist bullying and harassment," she said.</p> <p>"Senator Hanson crossed a line when she tweeted those hateful comments and I am hoping the Federal Court puts an end to this pattern of bigotry.</p> <p>"Not just for me, but for the almost 30 per cent of Australians born overseas, and their next generations.</p> <p>"I shouldn't have to take the personal risk and trauma of taking Senator Hanson to court."</p> <p>In 2022, the Greens attempted to reprimand Hanson in the upper house but the motion was amended by the government and opposition to instead condemn all forms of racism.</p> <p>Hanson defended her comments and denied she is racist.</p> <p>Farqui said she decided to launch proceedings following Hanson’s refusal to apologise for her tweet and her rejection of conciliation attempts from the Australian Human Rights Commission.</p> <p>"Senator Hanson has used her decades in the spotlight and immense public platform to spew vicious hate towards people of colour," Faruqi said.</p> <p>"She has caused incalculable harm and gotten away with it for far too long.</p> <p>"It's time that she was held accountable.</p> <p>"Senator Hanson has been contacted for comment on the court action."</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty/Instagram</em></p>

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Roger Federer stuns with unlikely photo op

<p>Roger Federer has taken the world by storm with more than just his tennis prowess after posting a new picture to Instagram. </p> <p>The retired 20-time Grand Slam champion is in France for Paris Fashion Week with his wife, Mirka. Mirka had been turning heads with her outfit, with many believing the creature on her vest to be a nod to her husband, the GOAT, but it was Roger who seized the attention of fans with his surprising post. </p> <p>The image features Roger posing with all four members of K-pop sensation Blackpink - Jisoo, Jennie, Rose, and Lisa. </p> <p>The group, formed in 2016 and dubbed the world’s greatest girl group, boast their own following of 52.4m followers on Instagram.</p> <p>It appears that Roger’s four children are included in that impressive count, with Roger captioning the picture, “My kids said this was a definite IG post.”</p> <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/p/Cn9Dii3oSEF/?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/p/Cn9Dii3oSEF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Roger Federer (@rogerfederer)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The meeting between international superstars immediately caught the attention of fans and friends, skyrocketing to over one million likes in one day. </p> <p>Fans of Blackpink are known affectionately as “Blinks”, and dozens took to Roger’s comment sections to express their surprise while questioning his position in the fan network.</p> <p>American teen tennis star and current World Number 7 Cori Dionne “Coco” Gauff asked, “blink????” </p> <p>“Your kids definitely understood their assignment,” declared one fan, referencing Roger’s caption.</p> <p>“Iconic!” The agreement came from none other than CEO of TAG Heuer, Frédéric Arnault. </p> <p>“You win everything,” commented London’s Instagram account, “now you’ve won at instagram!”</p> <p>Roger also posted the picture to his Twitter account, where the comments reflected those seen on Instagram, with the additional, “not sure if I’m jealous of Roger or Blackpink LOL.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">not sure if im jealous of Roger or Blackpink LOL</p> <p>— Iggy Wan (@officialiggywan) <a href="https://twitter.com/officialiggywan/status/1619451939045122050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>Amid the excitement, many voiced their surprise at the unexpected meeting of stars. Others praised Roger’s kids for keeping the 41 year old on top of trends, with one writing, “Roger’s kids really keeping him updated with pop culture. Love to see it” to over 250 likes. </p> <p>Since both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have overtaken Federer’s Grand Slam victory tally, a debate has broken out as to whether or not he is the tennis GOAT. This doesn’t seem to be troubling Federer, who seems to be making the most of and enjoying his time away from the game. </p> <p>Although Federer did not attend the Australian Open, Djokovic took an opportunity to honour the retired champion, and expressed his support for Roger and his family, “he is enjoying life, for sure. It’s nice to see that. Obviously, for tennis, he has been one of the most important players ever to play the game. So, you know, big regards to him and his family.”</p> <p><em>Image: Twitter</em></p> <p> </p>

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"Please believe me": Roger Federer refused entry into Wimbledon

<p>After being refused entry to Wimbledon, Roger Federer has been forced to boast about his tennis achievements to a security guard. </p> <p>Speaking with Trevor Noah on <em>The Daily Show</em>, the tennis champion shared the details of the incident that happened in November, where he was refused entry into the prestigious All England Lawn Tennis Club. </p> <p>Despite winning the major tournament a whopping eight times throughout his glittering career, the 20-time Grand Slam winner says he was initially turned away at the entrance gate.</p> <p>“I drive up to the gate where usually guests would come in. So I get out, and I tell my coach who was with me, ‘I’ll quickly go out and speak to the security lady. I got this,’” he recalls.</p> <p>“So then I get out and I’m like, ‘Hello I was wondering how I could get into Wimbledon?’ She asked if I had a membership card. When you win Wimbledon, you become a member automatically. And honestly I don’t know about membership cards, they are probably at home somewhere and I’ve just been travelling so I had no idea.”</p> <p>“I told her, ‘No I don’t have my membership card, but I am a member. I’m just wondering where I can get in,’” he told the guard, however his plea fell on deaf ears.</p> <p>“I’m like, ‘No, I am a member and normally when I’m here, I’m playing. And now it’s the first time the tournament is not on and I’m here.’"</p> <p>“I look at her in a panic one last time, and say, ‘I’m so sorry but I have won this tournament eight times, please, believe me, I am a member,’” he added.</p> <p>After an unsuccessful attempt at gaining access to the club, Federer decided to try another gate on the opposite side, where he was instantly recognised by another guard.</p> <p>He told the host, “The security guard standing there says, ‘Oh my god, Mr. Federer what are you doing here? Do you have your membership card? I said I don’t, but the security guard let me in and organised it all.”</p> <p>The tennis legend said after he finally gained access, he ended up having tea with the Wimbledon chairman for an hour.</p> <p>“And I thought of going over to the other side and giving the other security guard a wave, but I didn’t do it,” he said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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What explained the seismic 2022 federal election?

<p>The 2022 Australian federal election was distinctive in two ways.</p> <p>First, it was held in the wake of a major crisis – the COVID-19 pandemic. While the salience of the pandemic had subsided by the time of the election, voters’ assessments of the Coalition government’s performance on the pandemic proved to be a major factor in their voting decision, as did the cost of living crisis it helped create.</p> <p>Second, almost one in three voters cast their ballots for a minor party or independent candidate, the highest since the 1930s. Of the two major parties, the Liberals fared worst, winning their lowest seat share since 1946 (the first election the party contested). But Labor didn’t reap the benefits of this Liberal decline, with the party recording its lowest primary vote since the 1930s.</p> <p>What explains this seismic result, and what does it tell us about the future of electoral politics in Australia?</p> <p>Using the just-released 2022 Australian Election Study (AES) – a comprehensive post-election survey conducted at each election since 1987 – we can answer these questions.</p> <h2>Why the Coalition lost</h2> <p>A perception of poor government performance played a key role in the Coalition defeat. In 2022 there were three performance explanations for the Coalition’s defeat – the economy, the pandemic, and Scott Morrison’s leadership.</p> <p>With rising inflation and a cost of living crisis, around two-thirds of voters thought the economy had worsened in the 12 months leading up to the election. This was the most pessimistic view of the economy in over three decades.</p> <p>In previous elections, voters have usually preferred the Coalition over Labor on economic issues. In 2022, however, voters preferred Labor over the Coalition on the cost of living – the single biggest issue in the election.</p> <p>The Coalition’s performance on the pandemic was also regarded as unsatisfactory. Just 30% of Australians thought the federal government had handled the pandemic well. Indeed, voters had much more favourable views of their state governments’ performance. Because virtually the whole period between the 2019 and 2022 elections was dominated by the pandemic, the public’s evaluations of the Morrison government’s performance were therefore closely associated with the pandemic.</p> <p>The third reason for the Coalition defeat was the negative opinions many voters formed of Morrison’s leadership. While Morrison was generally popular when he won the election in 2019, by 2022 he had become the most unpopular major party leader since at least 1987. Morrison wasn’t considered honest and trustworthy, two of the traits most closely associated with how favourable we view leaders. The public’s dislike of Morrison has its origins in his Hawaii holiday during the 2019-20 bushfires, and was strengthened by a perception of poor performance in the second year of the pandemic.</p> <h2>Labor’s ‘victory by default’</h2> <p>Labor won the election despite their record low vote and a 0.8% swing against them. Indeed one newspaper <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/anthony-albanese-wins-but-its-a-victory-by-default-for-labor/news-story/75b7d87c9b61157a16dc6d772c306deb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">described</a> it as a “victory by default”.</p> <p>During the election campaign, Labor adopted a “small target” strategy. While Labor fought the 2019 election on ambitious proposals for tax reform, in the 2022 election they avoided putting forward policies that would deter voters, and emphasised their policy agreement with the Coalition – even promising to keep the Coalition’s stage three income tax cuts.</p> <p>The effects of this change in Labor strategy are evident in the AES data. Fewer voters cast their ballots based on policy preferences than in 2019, and the proportion of voters who saw “a good deal of difference” between the parties declined from 40% in 2019 to 28% in 2022.</p> <p>Labor also entered the election with Anthony Albanese as leader, who was more popular than both Scott Morrison and Labor’s predecessor, Bill Shorten. The previous majority government win for Labor in 2007 was one that generally inspired voters. Indeed in 2007, Kevin Rudd was the most popular prime minister in the history of the AES, and satisfaction with democracy was at a record high at that time.</p> <p>By contrast, Labor’s 2022 win was more about directing attention to the Coalition’s weak performance, rather than putting forward a policy agenda that was really attractive to voters.</p> <h2>The big movers: women and young people</h2> <p>The 2022 election brought into sharp focus two major changes in party support that have been slowly eroding the social bases of the major parties: gender and generation.</p> <p>There’s a significant gender gap in voter behaviour – since the early 2000s, fewer women have voted for the Coalition than men. Labor has the opposite gender voting gap, attracting more votes from women than men (though to a lesser extent).</p> <p>Since 2016, the gender gap in voting has been greater than in all previous elections covered by the AES. In 2022 just 32% of women voted for the Coalition, the lowest share ever. One contributing factor to this collapse in female support for the Coalition is the treatment of women within the Liberal party.</p> <p>The divide between how younger and older generations of Australians vote is more pronounced than the gender gap. Millennials (the oldest of whom are now in their 40s) and Generation Z (those born after 1996) make up an increasing proportion of the electorate, greatly outnumbering Baby Boomers.</p> <p>These younger generations have different voting patterns to previous generations at the same stage of life, and are also much further to the left in their party preferences. Just 27% of Millennials said they voted for the Coalition in 2022.</p> <p>At no time in the 35-year history of the AES has there been such a low level of support for either major party among younger people.</p> <p>The assumption that Millennials and Gen Z will shift to the right as they age hasn’t been supported by the evidence thus far. Which generation one is in seems to have a much more significant effect on voting behaviour than one’s age.</p> <p>Therefore, the implication is the electorate is moving further to the left and becoming more progressive across a range of policy areas.</p> <h2>Increasing voter volatility</h2> <p>As the traditional social bases of the major parties have gradually changed, so too have the political ties that have bound voters to parties. Around one in four voters say they don’t have an attachment to a political party, the highest figure ever recorded in the AES. The proportion of voters who considered voting for another party during the election campaign, at 36%, has at no time been higher.</p> <p>This is reflected most dramatically in the proportion of voters who said they had always voted for the same party. In 1967 this figure was 72%, and in 2022 it declined to an all-time low of 37%.</p> <h2>What now for the party system?</h2> <p>If voters are drifting away from the major parties, who are they choosing instead and what are the implications for the party system?</p> <p>The “teal” independents were obviously an important beneficiary. However, most teal voters were former Labor and Green voters casting a tactical vote to unseat a Liberal candidate. The medium-term fate of the teals will depend on how far they can create a distinct political identity to hold their support together at the 2025 election. More broadly, support for minor parties and independent candidates will continue to increase.</p> <p>The gradual changes in voting behaviour that are taking place, and which were especially pronounced in the 2022 election, represent an existential crisis for the Liberals. With their support base declining through generational replacement, they must not only attract new voters but also stem defection to give themselves a chance of election.</p> <p>As the political agenda moves towards support for action on climate change, constitutional recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and (perhaps) moving to a republic – all issues on which the Coalition is divided – it’s unclear where these new voters will come from.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-explained-the-seismic-2022-federal-election-the-australian-election-study-has-answers-195286" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

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See inside Roger Federer’s teenage bedroom

<p dir="ltr">While Roger Federer’s adult life has been filled with fame and success on and off the tennis court, a throwback photo has revealed that his teenage years were more similar to most of ours than we might expect.</p> <p dir="ltr">A photo of the tennis maestro’s bedroom has been doing the rounds on social media and shows a 17-year-old Federer grinning for the camera with bleach-blond hair, some spots, and wearing a baggy Nike sweatshirt.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-80512efe-7fff-5421-80f7-aa93133a3cae"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">The future World No. 1’s bedroom walls were covered in posters of his teenage idoles, including Pamela Anderson, and NBA stars Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">A 17-year-old Roger Federer with pin-ups of Jordan, Pamela Anderson and a Macedonian flag 🇲🇰 in his bedroom in Basel 😀 <a href="https://t.co/IPEIqzV9sw">pic.twitter.com/IPEIqzV9sw</a></p> <p>— Luigi Gatto (@gigicat7_) <a href="https://twitter.com/gigicat7_/status/1584598092065648642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Other items dotted around his room included what appears to be an Akubra hat, along with the Montenegrin flag, a mini basketball hoop and a collection of trophies.</p> <p dir="ltr">Just five years after the photo was taken, Federer would win his first Major at Wimbledon in 2003.</p> <p dir="ltr">Fans were quick to share their thoughts on the photo, with many sharing lighthearted jokes and commenting on how normal the future star’s room looked.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Lol i like the 90s randomness of it all,” one person shared.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Looks like any normal kids room at the time,” another said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Really been living up to his two as the blandest white guy on earth since day one,” a third teased.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The GOAT with my country’s flag 😍,” one fan enthused.</p> <p dir="ltr">As for his bleached locks, one fan dubbed it his “Eminem phase”, referencing American rapper’s iconic bleach blond hair which he had during the 1990s and 2000s.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-845b454f-7fff-8174-435d-f678f04b1e2a"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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“You couldn’t pull it off”: Kochie grills Anthony Albanese over election promises

<p dir="ltr">Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has come under fire from <em>Sunrise</em> host David ‘Kochie’ Koch over two election promises the host says were broken in Tuesday’s federal budget.</p> <p dir="ltr">Kochie brought up two promises Mr Albanese made to Australians before taking on the top job, including real wage increases and a drop in power bills by $275.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Now, those two in this budget are a fail,” the Sunrise host said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“What do you say to voters … you have broken two promises?”</p> <p dir="ltr">Refuting that promises regarding wages were broken, the Prime Minister said the minimum wage had increased by 5.2 percent, with inflation at the time sitting at 5.1 percent.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That is a real wage increase for minimum wage workers out there,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">As for slashing power bills, Kochie pointed out that they were instead going up by more than half over the next year and a half.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You said you’d save $275 a year on power bills, and now they are going up 56 percent over the next 18 months,” Kochie said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The Ukraine war has been going a fair while. We knew this was happening.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Albanese conceded that the war in Ukraine was one contributor to increasing prices while also attributing it to “failed energy policies” under the previous Coalition government.</p> <p dir="ltr">“One [reason] is the Ukraine war, which has been going on for some time, that has flowed through into global prices,” the Prime Minister explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We know global energy prices have fed into global inflation.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In our competitors, many of them are looking at double-digit inflation. You are aware of that pressure.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As well as that, we had 10 years of failed energy policies, we saw four gigawatts leave the system, and only one go back in. If you have less supply, that has an impact on price. That is why we are dealing with that through our Powering Australia Plan.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Kochie didn’t let up though and questioned why Mr Albanese made the promise in the first place if he knew he “couldn’t pull it off”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But you shouldn’t have made the promise because you knew you couldn’t pull it off,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Co-host Natalie Barr also weighed in, pointing out that election promises influence who Australians vote for.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When it comes to power prices, there are real pressures out there,” Mr Albanese continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We understand people are doing it tough. We understand the power price issue is a difficult one. That’s why we’ve flagged the preparedness for further regulatory reform.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Treasurer Jim Chalmers received similar treatment from the morning show host, with the war in Ukraine being a sore point.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think Australians understand, Kochie, that when you’ve got a war in Europe which is causing havoc on global energy markets, then that has consequences for electricity prices here in Australia,” Mr Chalmers said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think people do understand that, and I think they also understand that renewable energy, it’s not just cleaner energy, it’s cheaper energy as well, that remains the case.</p> <p dir="ltr">“What we’re doing in this budget is investing in new sources of energy, which is important over time, but we have also got necessary regulatory steps.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There is more work to be done when it comes to the electricity market and we do understand these electricity price rises make it harder for Australians who are already under the pump, and that is why we are taking some of the steps that we are taking.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In the new budget, the Powering Australia Plan will see $20 billion spent on upgrading the electrical grid, including connecting Tasmania’s Battery of the Nation, a network of hydropower and power stations, to the East Coast transmission network.</p> <p dir="ltr">The government also plans to spend $224.3 million on a program delivering 400 community batteries to store excess solar energy, as well as $102.2 million on a program to help up to 25,000 households access solar-powered energy.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-55c6cc6b-7fff-6ff4-a709-6821f16e69b5"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Sunrise</em></p>

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Big winners and losers of the 2022 federal budget

<p dir="ltr">The Albanese government has shared their first budget since being in power, with little to be done to help everyday Aussies with the ongoing cost of living crisis.</p> <p dir="ltr">Treasurer Jim Chalmers said Australia cannot afford to “spray money around indiscriminately”, although there were real winners in Labor's first Federal Budget in almost a decade.</p> <p dir="ltr">Parents, students, seniors, first home buyers and Australians needing medication have been put forward in the budget, with the government assuring to spend the money needed to help Aussies doing it tough.</p> <p dir="ltr">When it comes to losers, low and middle income earners, renters and young Australians won’t be receiving any handouts from the government.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Winners</strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Australians who need medication</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">From the beginning of next year, the minimum cost of each script will drop from $42.50 to $30, with the government picking up the difference.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Budget estimates this will save about 3.6 million Australians more than a combined $190 million a year</p> <p dir="ltr">Dozens more prescriptions will also be added to the scheme at a cost of $1.4 billion to the Budget, saving patients who need them thousands of dollars.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>First home buyers</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">As Australia’s population grows, the government wants a million new homes built over the next five year.</p> <p dir="ltr">For its part, a $10 billion grant to a Housing Australia Future Fund will be set up, interest from which will be used to deliver 30,000 social and affordable homes over the half a decade.</p> <p dir="ltr">A more limited assistance scheme will help 10,000 first homebuyers in regional areas by guaranteeing up to 15 per cent of the purchase price.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Seniors</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Homeowners aged 55 and over are eligible for a tax break on a one-off post-tax contribution to their superannuation of up to $300,000 after selling their home.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Budget also extends the asset test exemption for pensioners to downsize their homes without losing any of their payments.</p> <p dir="ltr">Age and veteran pensioners will also get a one-off $4,000 tax credit to increase how much they can earn, from $7,800 to $11,800 without having their payments cut so they can work longer hours if they choose to go back to work.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Climate change efforts</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">The government has pledged over $30 billion in climate-related spending.</p> <p dir="ltr">Some $20 billion will be allocated to rewire the nation for renewable energy takes the lion's share, along with $630 million for a new disaster ready fund.</p> <p dir="ltr">Some $1.9 billion for a Powering the Regions fund, $275 million for driving the use of electric cars, and $224 million for community batteries to support household solar are also on the climate books.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Women</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">A record $1.7 billion will be spent over six years to end violence against women and children and an initial $3.4 million will be set aside to introduce a program offering 10 days of paid domestic and family violence leave.</p> <p dir="ltr">Education for consent and respectful relationships will receive $83.5 million over six years, with $42.5 million set aside for sexual harassment at work, to implement recommendations of the Respect@Work report.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Losers</strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Low and middle income earners</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">The government has chosen not to extend the popular Lower and Middle Income Tax Offset (LMITO) for the 2022-23 financial year.</p> <p dir="ltr">Known as 'the Lamington' scheme, the offset saved Aussies up to $1500 in tax in the last financial year - meaning taxpayers will feel the pinch once they have lodged their annual taxes.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Motorists</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Despite public outcry, the government discontinued the 22c cut to the fuel excise implemented by the Morrison Government that cost $3 billion over six months.</p> <p dir="ltr">The cost of petrol remains above $2 a litre and shows no signs of falling.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Renters</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Landlords have already started raising rental prices to accommodate for the price of inflation and the surge of mortgage repayments.</p> <p dir="ltr">Treasury forecasts rental costs will spike over the next couple of years, Budget documents said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Getting a rental is already extremely difficult in most capital cities and there was nothing in the Budget to specifically address the concerns of tenants.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Young Australians</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Australia's debt levels are expected to surpass the $1 trillion mark for the first time ever and someone is going to have to pay for it.</p> <p dir="ltr">Gross government debt is expected to reach $1.004 billion in 2023-24, making up 40.8 per cent of gross domestic product or economic output.</p> <p dir="ltr">This was expected to rise to $1.091 trillion in 2024-25, comprising 42.5 percent of GDP, and $1.159 billion by 2025-26 comprising 43.1 percent of the economy, which will inevitably fall to the next generation to solve.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Small group of Aussies set to be $9000 better off

<p>Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to hand down his Labor government's first federal budget on October 25th, in the face of soaring inflation and an ongoing cost of living crisis. </p> <p>Despite the cost of groceries continuing to rise in the wake of the devastating floods, treasurer Jim Chalmers is warning Australians to brace for spending cuts and limited cost-of-living relief. </p> <p>While most Aussies are battling day to day with the reality of inflation and a dark outlook for the global economy, Labor has refused to cancel the former government’s stage three tax cuts – meaning some 600,000 high-income earners will be better off by up to $9075 per year when the changes come into effect in 2024-25.</p> <p>“There will be a substantial impact on the cost of living [from the floods], there will be a substantial impact on the budget and there’s no pretending otherwise,” Dr Chalmers told the Nine’s <em>Today</em> on Tuesday.</p> <p>“We don’t yet know what the full impact will be on the cost of living, we don’t yet know how many billions of dollars this flood and its recovery will cost. What we don’t want to do, and we’ve seen this overseas, is provide cost-of-living relief in a way that just creates more inflation and pushes interest rates up higher than they would otherwise be.”</p> <p>Chalmers then referenced the UK, where Prime Minister Liz Truss and Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng’s tax-cutting mini-budget last month caused chaos in money markets and brought the country’s pensions schemes to the brink of implosion, while the cost of the Great British Pound tanked around the world. </p> <p>“The UK government itself is recognising that perhaps they got this balance wrong and they’re trying to recalibrate their settings,” he said.</p> <p>“That is an important lesson for all of us. What we’ve tried to do is make sure that the cost-of-living relief that we give doesn’t make the job of the Reserve Bank harder.”</p> <p>Labor has warned of a tough budget as global recession fears continue to loom, with Chalmers saying, “It won’t be fancy. It won’t be flashy. It will be responsible. It will be solid.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Aldi ordered to fork out millions in backpay

<p dir="ltr">Aldi has been found to be underpaying its warehouse staff after ordering employees to start their shift 15 minutes before they actually clock in. </p> <p dir="ltr">The German supermarket may be liable to pay millions of dollars in compensation to past and present employees after the Federal Court found Aldi breached employment laws. </p> <p dir="ltr">Judge Douglas Humphreys said that it was “clear implied direction” that employees were required to start 15 minutes prior to their shift to complete safety checks on their machines. </p> <p dir="ltr">“There was no personal benefit to the employee in the activities carried out. Each was to the benefit of the employer,” Judge Humphreys said in his findings.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In these circumstances, the court is satisfied that the activities carried out constitute work.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The SDA Union for Retail, Fast Food &amp; Warehouse Workers has further claimed that Aldi owes $10 million in unpaid wages for working an extra 10 minutes per shift. </p> <p dir="ltr">This is likely to affect 4,000 previous and present warehouse workers.</p> <p dir="ltr">Aldi has accepted the court’s findings and is currently reviewing ways to implement the payment toward affected employees but questioned the number given by the SDA. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We are reviewing the implication of the court’s decision on other employees across our business and will seek to apply the principles of the court’s decision fairly to any other affected employees,” an Aldi spokesperson said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Numbers quoted by the SDA are significantly inflated and are not representative of the number of employees we believe may be impacted by the decision.”</p> <p dir="ltr">NSW branch secretary Bernie Smith said they are still working on individual back payments required to their members.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Unlike the way the multinational likes to present itself in its advertisements, it turns out Aldi is not good and not different.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Multinational companies operating in Australia can’t set their own rules.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Judge Humphreys will make an order in regards to payments on Friday. </p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

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Federer opens up on emotional moment with Rafael Nadal

<p dir="ltr">Roger Federer has spoken about the moment he was snapped holding hands with Rafael Nadal during his emotional final match at the Laver Cup, describing it as a “secret thank you”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though Nadal and Federer lost their doubles match, there wasn’t a dry eye in the arena as the reality of Federer’s retirement and completion of his final match sunk in.</p> <p dir="ltr">The icons have been both rivals and teammates over the years, winning a combined 42 Grand Slam singles titles.</p> <p dir="ltr">After the match emotions were high with the pair sitting next to each other and crying, with Federer then reaching out to hold Nadal’s hand.</p> <p dir="ltr">With a photo capturing the moment going viral, Federer told the New York Times the act was a “secret thank you” to Nadal.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Well, I mean, it was a short moment,” Federer said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think at one point, I was sobbing so hard, and I don’t know, everything was going through my mind about how happy I am to actually experience this moment right there with everybody.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And I think that’s what was so beautiful about just sitting there, taking it all in while the music was playing, and the focus was maybe more on her (the singer Ellie Goulding). So, you almost forgot that you’re still being taken pictures of.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I guess at one point, just because obviously I couldn’t speak and the music was there, I guess I just touched him, and I guess it’s maybe a secret thank you.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I don’t know what it was, but for me, that’s maybe what it was and how it felt and some pictures came out of it. Different ones.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Not just that one but other ones, too, that were just completely crazy, you know, so with different angles, and I hope to get those because they mean a lot to me.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The emotional moment comes after the 41-year-old <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/retirement-life/i-love-you-and-will-never-leave-you-federer-s-message-to-fans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced his retirement</a> earlier this month.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though the potential to add more wins to his lengthy list of victories, Federer said he hopes he can continue to play in exhibition matches.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think it would be beautiful to somehow have a goodbye exhibition game, you know, and thank the fans, because obviously Laver Cup was already sold out before I knew about retirement,” Federer said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A lot of people would have loved to get more tickets and couldn’t, so I just feel maybe it would be nice to have one more or several goodbye exhibitions, but I’m not sure if I could or I should do that now.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But obviously I would love to play exhibitions down the road, take tennis to new places or take it back to fun places where I had a blast.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e6ea1229-7fff-18f5-380c-255e00edf0b8"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

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The retirement of Roger Federer is the abdication of tennis royalty

<p>This is a time of endings. In the midst of the all-consuming <a href="https://theconversation.com/media-coverage-of-queen-elizabeths-death-began-well-but-quickly-descended-into-farce-190645" target="_blank" rel="noopener">media spectacle</a> surrounding the death of Queen Elizabeth II, “tennis royalty” in the form of Roger Federer <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-15/roger-federer-announces-retirement-from-tennis/101446316" target="_blank" rel="noopener">retired</a> in the same week and in the same city that she is laid to rest.</p> <p>When the career of a sporting celebrity concludes, it is widely represented as if they have died, in what journalists call “sports obituaries”.</p> <p>The person in question is usually still alive and will probably go on to be successful in the business, media and/or charity sectors. But the experience of watching them perform live at the stadium or on screen immediately mutates into nostalgic reflection.</p> <p>So, what can be said about the sporting life of “Roger”, one the few people often known solely by their given name?</p> <h2>The final curtain</h2> <p>When the institution of sport emerged during the late industrial revolution in the 19th century, it changed, as Allen Guttmann famously put it, “<a href="http://cup.columbia.edu/book/from-ritual-to-record/9780231133418" target="_blank" rel="noopener">from ritual to record</a>”. It became all about the numbers and the score.</p> <p>By this measure, Federer’s sporting record is <a href="https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/roger-federers-records-milestones-2022-09-15/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">formidable</a> – world men’s number one for the best part of six years, 20 Grand Slam singles titles (including six Australian Opens), the only player to win at least ten titles on clay, grass and hard court surfaces, and sundry other tennis achievements.</p> <p>Of course, it has not all gone smoothly. The body that was his finely tuned instrument on the tennis court increasingly failed him, although the steely determination of the champion never wavered.</p> <p>Until, facing one last hurrah but probably playing on one leg, he chose to lower the curtain at the event that he co-created.</p> <p>Named after his tennis hero, the <a href="https://lavercup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Laver Cup</a> is a testament to Federer’s unusually intense immersion in tennis history and, ultimately, his own place within it. Federer, who arrived as a <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/The_Master/2N79DwAAQBAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=1&amp;dq=federer+biography&amp;printsec=frontcover" target="_blank" rel="noopener">teenage firebrand</a>, admires not just the impressive tennis record but also the demeanour of <a href="https://www.tennisfame.com/hall-of-famers/inductees/rod-laver" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rod Laver</a>.</p> <p>An elegant and courteous stylist who was instrumental in the professionalisation of tennis in the 1960s, he has been a significant role model for Federer.</p> <p>Laver is not just acknowledged as a superlative tennis player, but widely respected and admired. In emulating him, Federer generally behaved well on and off court, although unlike Laver, he sometimes wept with frustration or joy.</p> <p>In the pure aesthetics of tennis, Federer arguably eclipsed the master. No cold-eyed counting of tournament wins can capture the beauty of his backhand, the flourish of his forehand.</p> <h2>King Roger and the big three</h2> <p>In the early days of his career, the Swiss-South African Federer could have gone the way of Australian <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-the-ash-barty-and-special-k-tennis-triumphs-say-about-australia-and-the-buttoned-up-sport-industry-175993" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nick Kyrgios</a>, who is more than a decade younger. Both supremely talented and combustible, Federer and Kyrgios went in different directions.</p> <p>Federer became “<a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/king-roger-c6xpgkd8t?region=global" target="_blank" rel="noopener">King Roger</a>”, as he was anointed by the august Times of London in 2018 – a player who trained hard, curbed his temper, and won Wimbledon at the age of 21.</p> <p>Kyrgios, by contrast, emerged as “<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-10964325/Wimbledon-2022-Stars-slam-Nasty-Nick-Kyrgios-SPAT-direction-abusive-fan.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nasty Nick</a>”, attracting media and spectator interest as much for his confrontational on-court antics as his sometimes sublime tennis.</p> <p>Even if Kyrgios begins to win Grand Slams while continuing to <a href="https://www.crikey.com.au/2022/07/05/people-cant-look-away-from-nick-kyrgios/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fascinate younger tennis</a> fans, it is unimaginable he will come close to Federer’s elevated place in the pantheon.</p> <p>Federer’s place in tennis history has been enhanced in part by his membership of the “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/feb/01/obsession-with-big-three-nadal-djokovic-federer-ruined-tennis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Big Three</a>” alongside Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic – or the “Big Four” if Andy Murray is included.</p> <p>With more than 60 Grand Slams between them, the three rivals dominated men’s tennis, supplying the kind of “golden age” narrative so beloved of terminally sentimental sport fans.</p> <p>Now, with Nadal also prone to injury and Djokovic sacrificing tournaments by refusing to be <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-59890943" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vaccinated</a> against COVID, Federer’s retirement signals the end of this era.</p> <p>The departure of “<a href="https://nypost.com/2022/08/28/all-hail-queen-serena-williams-on-the-verge-of-future-triumphs-in-new-fields/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Queen Serena Williams</a>” from the women’s game and the youth of the singles winners in the 2022 US Open is further evidence that the wheel has, perhaps mercifully, turned in favour of renewal.</p> <p>But longevity is a major aspect of Federer’s status. He has been at or near the top of tennis for most of the 21st century.</p> <p>Just as most people have only known one Queen of England, young and middle-aged tennis fans have had the comforting certainty of King Roger plying his trade on the world tennis circuit.</p> <p>Unlike constitutional monarchies, though, those of the sporting world are produced by performance, not heredity. The new tennis regime is yet to take shape.</p> <h2>Astonishing athleticism</h2> <p>I only saw Roger Federer in the flesh once.</p> <p>It was two decades ago in London’s shiny <a href="https://www.nike.com/retail/s/niketown-london" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NikeTown</a>, and young Roger – an up-and-coming professional contracted to Nike – was playing an exhibition game with oversized tennis balls and undersized racquets. My initial cynicism was overwhelmed by the astonishing athleticism on display.</p> <p>I thought he’d do well then, but had no idea I was witnessing the rise of the House of Roger.</p> <p>Federer, we are told, may return to such spaces to play post-retirement exhibition games. The <a href="https://rogerfedererfoundation.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Roger Federer Foundation</a>, dedicated to alleviating child poverty through education, could use the money.</p> <p>But before the next phase of King Roger’s life there must be the <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Media_Events/MxzQnVZhQE0C?hl=en&amp;gbpv=1&amp;dq=live+events+broadcasting&amp;printsec=frontcover" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ceremonial media moment</a> of his appearance in the O2 arena in London, this week’s global capital of farewell ceremonies.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-retirement-of-roger-federer-is-the-abdication-of-tennis-royalty-190832" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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