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What does Trump’s looming ‘revenge tax’ mean for Australia?

<div class="theconversation-article-body">The Australian Labor Party just won an <a href="https://theconversation.com/albanese-increases-majority-and-dutton-loses-seat-in-stunning-election-landslide-255616">election victory for the ages</a>. Now, it may be forced to walk back one of the key achievements of its first term.</p> <p>Here’s why: United States President Donald Trump is about to declare an income tax war on much of the world – and we Australians are not on the same side.</p> <p>Over in the US, the “<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/text">One Big Beautiful Bill act</a>” – a tax and spending package worth trillions of dollars – has been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/22/what-is-trump-big-beautiful-bill">passed</a> by the House of Representatives. It’s now before the Senate for consideration.</p> <p>Within it lies a new and highly controversial provision: <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/05/30/taxes-section-899-big-beautiful-bill">Section 899</a>. This increases various US tax rates payable by taxpayers from any country the US claims is maintaining an “unfair foreign tax” by five percentage points each year, up to an additional 20% loading.</p> <p>Having been an integral part of an international effort to create a global 15% minimum tax, Australia now finds itself in the firing line of Trump’s “<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/revenge-tax-buried-deep-budget-213451951.html">revenge tax</a>” warfare – and it’s a fight we’re unlikely to win.</p> <h2>A global minimum tax rate</h2> <p>The origins of the looming income tax war <a href="https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2013/07/action-plan-on-base-erosion-and-profit-shifting_g1g30e67.html">started in 2013</a>, when the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (<a href="https://www.oecd.org/en/about.html">OECD</a>) released its plan to stamp out “base erosion and profit shifting”.</p> <p>This refers to a range of strategies often used by multinational companies to minimise the tax they pay, exploiting differences and gaps in the tax rules of different countries.</p> <p>The OECD’s first attempt to tackle the problem was a collection of disparate measures directed not only at corporate tax avoidance, but also controlling tax poaching by national governments and “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/apr/29/sweetheart-tax-deals">sweetheart deals</a>” negotiated by tax officials.</p> <p>Under both Labor and the Coalition, Australia was initially an enthusiastic backer of these attempts.</p> <p>However, the project was not a widespread success. Many countries endorsed the final reports but, unlike Australia, few countries acted on them.</p> <p>After the failure of this first project, the OECD tried again in 2019. This evolved to encompass two “pillars” to change the global tax rules.</p> <p><a href="https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/topics/policy-issues/cross-border-and-international-tax/pillar-one-amount-a-fact-sheet.pdf">Pillar one</a> would give more tax to countries where a company’s customers are located. <a href="https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/sub-issues/global-minimum-tax/global-anti-base-erosion-model-rules-pillar-two.html">Pillar two</a> is a minimum tax of 15% on (a version of) the accounting profits of the largest multinationals earned in each country where the multinational operates.</p> <p>Labor picked up this project for the 2022 election, <a href="https://jimchalmers.org/latest-news/media-releases/labor-s-plan-to-ensure-multinationals-pay-their-fair-share-of-tax/">promising</a> to support both pillars – and they honoured that promise.</p> <h2>Mixed success</h2> <p>Around the world, the two pillar project had mixed success. Pillar one was dead-on-arrival: most countries did nothing. But Australia and several other countries, mostly in Europe, implemented pillar two – the global minimum tax.</p> <p>The OECD has always maintained the base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) project was a coalition of the willing, meant to rebalance the way income tax is allocated between producer and consumer countries, and rid the world of tax havens.</p> <p>In the US, Republicans <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/yellen-us-negotiating-rd-tax-credit-part-global-tax-deal-2024-04-30/">did not share that view</a>. For them, BEPS was simply another attempt by foreign countries to get more tax from US companies.</p> <p>This Republican dissatisfaction with the OECD is now on full display. On the first day of his second term, Trump issued an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/the-organization-for-economic-co-operation-and-development-oecd-global-tax-deal-global-tax-deal/">executive order</a>, formally repudiating any OECD commitments the Biden administration might have given.</p> <p>He also directed his officials to report on options for retaliatory measures the US could take against any foreign countries with income tax rules that are “extraterritorial” or “disproportionately affect American companies”.</p> <h2>Why Australia is so exposed</h2> <p>Australia could find itself in the firing line of Trump’s tax warfare on many fronts. And the US doesn’t lack firepower. Section 899 adds to a number of <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-90-year-old-tax-rule-trump-could-use-to-double-us-taxes-on-foreigners-248154">retaliatory tax provisions</a> the US already had at its disposal.</p> <p>The increased tax rates would affect Australian super funds and other investors earning dividends, rent, interest, royalties and other income from US companies. Australian super funds in particular are heavily invested in US markets, which have outperformed local stocks in recent years.</p> <p>It would also affect Australian managed funds owning land and infrastructure assets in the US, as well as Australian entities such as banks that carry on business in the US.</p> <p>And there are other measures that would expose US subsidiaries of Australian companies to US higher tax.</p> <p>The bill would even remove the doctrine of sovereign immunity for the governments of “offending” countries. <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/your-tax-return/if-you-disagree-with-an-ato-decision/object-to-a-decision/what-to-include-in-your-objection/supporting-information-to-provide/sovereign-immunity">Sovereign immunity</a> refers to a tax exemption on returns that usually applies to governments. This means the Australian government itself could have to pay tax to the US.</p> <p>There are <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-30/trump-revenge-tax-would-lower-foreign-investment-in-us-scorekeeper-predicts">concerns on Wall Street</a> this will dampen demand for US government bonds from foreign governments, which are big buyers of US Treasuries. The argument may sway some in the Senate – but how many remains to be seen.</p> <h2>What Australia may need to do next</h2> <p>We may be incredulous that anyone would consider our tax system combative, but enacting the OECD pillar two was always known to be risky.</p> <p>There are other, homegrown Australian tax measures that have drawn American ire.</p> <p>In 2015, Australia enacted an income tax measure (commonly called the “<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/google-restructures-to-avoid-hefty-penalties-in-australia-as-tax-bill-hits-16-million-20160429-goi8fl.html">Google tax</a>”) specifically directed at US tech companies. In 2017, we followed this up with a <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/international-tax-for-business/in-detail/doing-business-in-australia-or-overseas/diverted-profits-tax">diverted profits tax</a>. Trump’s bill specifically targets both measures.</p> <p>Tying ourselves to the OECD’s global minimum tax project might have seemed like a good idea in 2019. In 2025, it looks decidedly unappealing, and not just because of Trump.</p> <p>First, there is not actually any serious revenue in pillar two for Australia. Treasury’s <a href="https://archive.budget.gov.au/2023-24/bp2/download/bp2_2023-24.pdf">revenue estimate</a> totalled only $360 million after four years, just slightly more than a rounding error in the federal budget.</p> <p>Second, we are increasingly alone and vulnerable in this battle. It might feel emotionally satisfying to stand up to the US. If there was a sizeable coalition alongside us, there might be some point.</p> <p>If Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill act does pass through the US Senate, the Australian government and business will be left exposed to much higher costs.</p> <p>Since abandoning the US market is not really an option, it might be time to surrender quietly and gracefully – by reversing, at the very least, the contentious bits of pillar two.<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/257961/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/graeme-cooper-3215">Graeme Cooper</a>, Professor of Taxation Law, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></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/australia-is-in-the-firing-line-of-trumps-looming-revenge-tax-its-a-fight-were-unlikely-to-win-257961">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Pexels / <span style="font-family: 'Canva Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Roboto, -apple-system, blinkmacsystemfont, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre;">Nataliya Vaitkevich</span></em></p> </div>

Money & Banking

Meet the young princess and future queen who's moving to Australia

<p>In a delightful development that has captivated royal watchers and Australians alike, Norway's Princess Ingrid Alexandra is preparing to start an exciting new chapter – right here in Australia. (Sydney, to be more precise!)</p> <p>The 21-year-old royal, who is second in line to the Norwegian throne, will soon trade Oslo’s snowy landscapes for Sydney’s sunny shores as she embarks on full-time university study. The Royal House of Norway confirmed that the princess will begin a Bachelor of Social Science at the University of Sydney this August, with a focus on international relations and political economy.</p> <p>Adding a touch of tradition to this modern tale, Princess Ingrid Alexandra will be living on campus at the prestigious St Andrew's College. In a warm message to students, the college principal, Dr Daniel Tyler, encouraged the community to respect the princess’s privacy as she settles into campus life.</p> <p>While the Norwegian royal family may be lesser-known in Australia compared to their British or Danish counterparts, that’s expected to change quickly. Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Ingrid’s mother, also has ties to Australia, having studied at Wangaratta High School in Victoria as a teenager. Now, it’s her daughter’s turn to embrace life Down Under.</p> <p>Born in Oslo in 2004, Princess Ingrid Alexandra is poised to make history as Norway's first queen regnant in over 600 years. Her grandfather, King Harald V, currently holds the throne as Europe’s oldest reigning monarch at 88. Ingrid is the eldest child of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit and has a younger brother, Prince Sverre Magnus.</p> <p>Far from a traditional royal upbringing, Princess Ingrid has forged a path that blends duty, discipline and adventure. Just this April, she completed 15 months of military service, earning respect as an engineer soldier and rifleman with the Norwegian Army's Brigade North. “You are much stronger together,” she told Norwegian media of the experience. “Without [my team], I would not have enjoyed myself as much here.”</p> <p>Ingrid’s move to Australia will pause her official royal duties for up to three years, though she is expected to return home during breaks. She has only recently begun taking on regular public roles, including a landmark appearance at a state banquet earlier this year and joining her family on the royal palace balcony to celebrate Norway’s National Day.</p> <p>Passionate about the environment and global affairs from a young age, Princess Ingrid’s academic focus aligns with her growing commitment to public service. She began official engagements as a child, attending World Environment Day at just five years old, and by age 11 she had already christened a rescue vessel for the Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue.</p> <p>And she’s not just a scholar or a soldier – she's also a sports fan. A talented surfer, Ingrid was named Norway’s junior surfing champion in 2020. She’s also an avid skier and kickboxer, embodying a refreshingly modern image of royalty.</p> <p>With a surfboard possibly in one hand and a textbook in the other, Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s time in Sydney promises to be a uniquely royal adventure – and Australia will be watching with warm anticipation.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

International Travel

Bubsie rides again: A century-old journey retraced across Australia

<p>A century ago, a humble 5-horsepower car named "Bubsie" made history by becoming the first motor vehicle to circumnavigate the Australian continent. Now, a century later, its spirit roars back to life as a devoted team of enthusiasts prepares to retrace its entire 17,500km journey – in a painstakingly restored replica of the original 1923 Citroën 5CV.</p> <p>The year was 1925. With little more than swags, spare tyres and unwavering faith, 22-year-old Seventh-day Adventist missionary Nevill Westwood and his friend Greg Davies set off from Perth in a tiny yellow car. They had a simple mission: deliver literature to the remote outback. What they accomplished was far more profound: a trailblazing voyage across Australia, at a time when roads were scarce and courage was the only constant.</p> <p>Through flooded riverbeds, makeshift tracks and across the sun-scorched Nullarbor, the young men pressed on. With knees jammed beneath the steering wheel, they bounced across the nation in what Westwood affectionately dubbed "Bubsie". The 5CV was small, simple and entirely unsuited for such a grand expedition – yet it carried them across six states, through monsoonal downpours and desolate plains, forging a path for motoring history.</p> <p>Now, exactly 100 years since that audacious journey, a new crew is preparing to retrace their route in a meticulously restored 1923 Citroën 5CV. The project, dubbed <a href="https://rightaroundaustralia.tij.tv/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Right Around Australia</a>, is led by the faith-based media group The Incredible Journey and has brought together passionate motoring enthusiasts from across the country.</p> <p>Warren May, a car restorer from Western Australia, joined the project in mid-2023 and quickly immersed himself in the mammoth task of rebuilding a vehicle worthy of the original Bubsie. After months of searching, the team found the perfect base: a rare 1923 Citroën 5CV owned by collector Paul Smyth.</p> <p>"It was 102 years old – and in rough shape," Mr May <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-18/bubsie-citroen-circumnavigation-1925-retraced-in-2025/105257744" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told the ABC</a>. “We had to fabricate a lot of new panels because it was just so old.” The motor, miraculously, was still in good shape. But the bodywork was another story.</p> <p>What followed was a year-long restoration odyssey, with over 1,000 hours of labour, rust cut away and replaced, and every nut and bolt sandblasted and repainted. With the help of friends Colin Gibbs and Graham Tyler, the team brought the little French car back to life – ready to relive one of Australia’s great adventures.</p> <p>The replica has been touring Australia since early 2025, and this June, it will officially begin retracing Bubsie’s route. Starting from Bickley, Western Australia – where Westwood once lived – the car will travel thousands of kilometres, mostly by trailer but driving short stretches through regional towns and historic locations.</p> <p>“It’s about commemorating the courage and determination of those early explorers,” said event organiser Kevin Amos. “Nevill and Greg didn’t have highways. Sometimes they had no roads at all. They literally bush-bashed their way across the country.”</p> <p>Indeed, from the Kimberley to Mount Isa, their journey was defined by improvisation and grit. When they came to the Fitzroy River in northern WA, locals rigged a pulley system to carry Bubsie across. In the Northern Territory, they slid through mud and monsoon rains. They stopped to help others – including a stranded trio near the Nullarbor, who were out of water and near death. Westwood gave them water, fixed their car, and saved their lives.</p> <p>For the modern team, this centennial journey isn’t just about honouring history – it’s about reliving a story of quiet faith and mateship.</p> <p>Dr Laura Cook, curator at the National Museum of Australia where the original Bubsie now rests, said Westwood’s photographs and letters provide a vivid, almost daily account of the 1925 expedition. “His story is more than just a motoring milestone,” she said. “It captures the spirit of a generation who dared to push boundaries. These weren’t professional drivers – they were people of vision and courage.”</p> <p>By December 1925, after six gruelling months, Westwood rolled back into Perth – completing the first full circumnavigation of Australia by car. His companion Greg had returned home early to resume nursing studies, but Westwood pressed on alone. When he returned from overseas the next year, he tracked Bubsie down (it had been sold) and bought it back.</p> <p>Today, Bubsie is more than a car. It’s a symbol of Australia’s pioneering spirit. And as its modern twin prepares to hit the road once more, that legacy rolls forward – not in horsepower, but in heart. So keep an eye out for Bubsie's twin as it rolls through your town, and history comes alive.</p> <p><em>Images: National Museum of Australia / Right Around Australia</em> </p>

Domestic Travel

"It's simple": Sussan Ley reveals stance on Welcome to Country

<p>Newly elected Liberal leader <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/sussan-ley-elected-first-female-leader-of-the-liberal-party" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sussan Ley </a>has called on her party to modernise and reconnect with contemporary Australian values following one of its worst electoral defeats in history.</p> <p>In her first press conference since defeating Angus Taylor for the leadership, Ms Ley pledged a fresh approach to politics, saying the Liberal Party must "respect, reflect, and represent modern Australia".</p> <p>“We have to meet the people where they are. And that’s what I am committed to doing and what I am determined to do,” she said. “I want to do things differently, and we have to have a fresh approach.”</p> <p>Ley described her election to the party’s top job as an “enormous privilege”, adding: “I am humbled. I am honoured. And I am up for the job.”</p> <p>The leadership transition follows a bruising election campaign that saw the Liberals suffer significant losses, prompting calls for renewal and deeper engagement with a changing electorate.</p> <p>Cultural recognition also emerged as a flashpoint during the campaign’s final days, with controversy over audience reactions to Welcome to Country ceremonies. Addressing the issue head-on, Ms Ley called for authenticity in cultural acknowledgements.</p> <p>“With respect to Welcome to Country, it’s simple: if it’s meaningful, if it matters, if it resonates, then it’s in the right place,” she said. “If it is done in a way that is ticking a box on a Teams meeting then I don’t think it is relevant. It actually diminishes the value of what it is.”</p> <p>On the issue of national symbols, Ms Ley said she frequently stands in front of the Indigenous flag but would prefer to see Australians united under a single banner.</p> <p>“We should unite under the one Australian flag, that is my firm view,” she stated.</p> <p>Ms Ley now faces the challenge of steering a divided and diminished Liberal Party toward renewal, with pressure mounting to appeal to a broader, more diverse Australia. Her leadership marks a potential turning point for the party as it seeks to rebuild and redefine its identity in opposition.</p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Legal

Sussan Ley elected first female leader of the Liberal Party

<p>Sussan Ley has been elected as the new leader of the Liberal Party, defeating shadow treasurer Angus Taylor in a tightly contested party room vote, 29 to 25. In doing so, she becomes Australia’s first female opposition leader and the most senior woman in the party’s 80-year history.</p> <p>The leadership spill followed the Liberal Party’s devastating loss in the federal election on May 3, which saw then-leader Peter Dutton lose his seat in a historic defeat. The party convened at Parliament House on Tuesday morning to determine a new leadership team and chart a path forward.</p> <p>Ley, 63, has been a Liberal MP since 2001 and most recently served as deputy leader under Dutton. A former environment and health minister, she represents the regional New South Wales seat of Farrer. Her election marks the first time since the 1990s that a regionally based politician has led the federal opposition.</p> <p>Chief opposition whip Melissa Price announced the result just after 10:15am. Ted O’Brien, a Queensland MP and former energy spokesman, was elected deputy leader with 38 votes, defeating Phil Thompson, who received 16. Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who had been expected to stand as Taylor’s deputy, withdrew from the contest following Taylor’s leadership loss.</p> <p>Born in Kano, Nigeria, Ley has a diverse background, having worked as a wool and beef farmer, tax office executive, and pilot. A mother of three and grandmother of six, she has long been seen as a resilient figure in Liberal ranks. Her academic journey includes a bachelor’s degree in economics from La Trobe University and master’s degrees in tax and accounting.</p> <p>Ley's career in politics has spanned the leaderships of Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull, and Scott Morrison. She resigned from cabinet in 2017 over an expenses controversy, but returned to hold industry and small business portfolios from 2022.</p> <p>In the wake of the party’s election defeat, Ley has called for a reset in direction and tone. Speaking last Friday, she acknowledged the loss as a wake-up call.</p> <p>“We suffered a significant election defeat and since then, I have been having many conversations with my colleagues, members of the community, members of the party, and everyday Australians. I have listened,” she said on Sunrise. “We got it wrong. We need to do things differently, going forward, and we do need a fresh approach.”</p> <p>Ley now faces the task of rebuilding the Liberal Party’s credibility and unity from the opposition benches, as it seeks to reconnect with voters and prepare for the next federal contest.</p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Legal

It’s almost winter. Why is Australia still so hot?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p>This year, for many Australians, it feels like summer never left. The sunny days and warm nights have continued well into autumn. Even now, in May, it’s still unusually warm.</p> <p>Much of the southern half of the continent is experiencing both unseasonable warmth and dry conditions. This is linked to persistent high atmospheric pressure (called “blocking”) to the south and southeast of Australia.</p> <p>While temperatures will fall across southern Australia as we approach the winter solstice, early indications are that this winter will be a warm one. Rainfall predictions are less certain.</p> <p>The extra warmth we’ve experienced raises obvious questions about the influence of human-caused climate change. The warming signal is clear and it’s a sign of things to come.</p> <h2>A warm and dry autumn for many</h2> <p><a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/awap/temp/index.jsp?colour=colour&time=latest&step=1&map=meananom&period=month&area=nat">March</a> and <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/awap/temp/index.jsp?colour=colour&time=latest&step=0&map=meananom&period=month&area=nat">April</a> brought unseasonal heat to much of Australia.</p> <p>March was widely hot, with temperatures several degrees above normal across much of the country. But April’s heat was largely restricted to the southeast.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/666591/original/file-20250507-68-vjvcb5.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/666591/original/file-20250507-68-vjvcb5.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/666591/original/file-20250507-68-vjvcb5.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/666591/original/file-20250507-68-vjvcb5.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/666591/original/file-20250507-68-vjvcb5.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/666591/original/file-20250507-68-vjvcb5.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/666591/original/file-20250507-68-vjvcb5.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/666591/original/file-20250507-68-vjvcb5.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Graph of rising Australian-average temperatures in March from 1900-2025" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Australia had its hottest March on record and the heat has continued, especially in Victoria and parts of New South Wales.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/climate/change/timeseries.cgi?graph=tmean&area=aus&season=03&ave_yr=0&ave_period=6190">Bureau of Meteorology</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p>Victoria had its <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/climate/change/timeseries.cgi?graph=tmean&area=vic&season=04&ave_yr=0&ave_period=6190">warmest April</a> on record, and parts of the state experienced temperatures more than 3°C above normal across both March and April.</p> <p>Temperatures normally fall quite quickly over the southeast of Australia during April and May as the days shorten and the continent’s interior cools. But this year, southern Australia was unusually warm at the start of May. Some locations experienced days with maximum temperatures more than 10°C above normal for the time of year.</p> <p>Records were broken in <a href="https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/weather/hobart-parts-of-melbourne-sweat-through-hottest-may-night-on-record-as-warm-windy-weather-sweeps-across-australias-southeast/news-story/8b1c76fc40c7a84842a5aaf6a57eb038">Hobart</a> and <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/jane-bunn-weather-tuesdays-balmy-morning-in-melbourne-was-just-shy-of-all-time-record-c-18600201">parts of Melbourne</a>, which had their warmest May nights since observations began.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/666592/original/file-20250507-62-nf86bk.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/666592/original/file-20250507-62-nf86bk.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/666592/original/file-20250507-62-nf86bk.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=412&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/666592/original/file-20250507-62-nf86bk.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=412&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/666592/original/file-20250507-62-nf86bk.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=412&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/666592/original/file-20250507-62-nf86bk.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=518&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/666592/original/file-20250507-62-nf86bk.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=518&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/666592/original/file-20250507-62-nf86bk.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=518&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="GIF of Australian daily maximum temperature anomalies for 1st to 6th May" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">The start of May saw daytime maximum temperatures across much of Australia well above average for the time of year.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/awap/temp/index.jsp?colour=colour&time=history%2Fnat%2F2025050520250505&step=0&map=maxanom&period=daily&area=nat">Bureau of Meteorology</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p>While Queensland and the New South Wales coast have had very wet spells, including downpours from Tropical Cyclone Alfred at the start of March, other parts of Australia have been quite dry.</p> <p>The area between Adelaide and Melbourne has been exceptionally dry. <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/maps/rainfall/?variable=rainfall&map=drought&period=3month&region=nat&year=2025&month=04&day=30">A drought is unfolding</a> in the region after a <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/maps/rainfall/?variable=rainfall&map=drought&period=12month&region=nat&year=2025&month=04&day=30">severe lack of rainfall</a>, with deficits stretching back over the past year or so. Western Tasmania is also suffering from a severe lack of rainfall since the start of autumn, although welcome rain fell in the past week.</p> <p>And it’s not just on land that unusual heat has been observed. The seas around Australia have been warmer than normal, causing severe coral bleaching to <a href="https://theconversation.com/synchronised-bleaching-ningaloo-and-the-great-barrier-reef-are-bleaching-in-unison-for-the-first-time-252906">the west and east</a> of the continent, <a href="https://www.epa.sa.gov.au/environmental_info/water_quality/harmful-algal-blooms">harmful algal blooms</a> and other ecosystem disruptions.</p> <h2>Blocking highs largely to blame</h2> <p>A high pressure system has dominated over the south and southeast of Australia over the past few months.</p> <p>High pressure in the Tasman Sea can sometimes get stuck there for a few days. This leads to what’s known as “blocking”, when the usual passage of weather systems moving from west to east is obstructed. This can lock in weather patterns for several days or even a week.</p> <p>Repeated blocking occurred this autumn. As winds move anticlockwise around high pressure systems in the Southern Hemisphere, blocking highs in the Tasman Sea can bring moist, onshore winds to the New South Wales and Queensland coasts, increasing rainfall. But such high pressure systems also bring drier conditions for the interior of the southeast and much of Victoria and South Australia.</p> <p>Often, these high pressure systems also bring northerly winds to Victoria, and this can cause warmer conditions across much of the state.</p> <p>High pressure systems also tend to bring more clear and sunny conditions, which increases daytime temperatures in particular. Air in high pressure systems moves down towards the surface and this process causes warming, too.</p> <p>Australia sits between the Pacific and Indian Oceans and is subject to their variability, so we often look there to help explain what’s happening with Australia’s climate. In autumn though, our climate influences, such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation and the Indian Ocean Dipole, are less active and have weaker relationships with Australian climate than at other times of year. Neither of these climate influences is <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/outlooks/#/overview/influences">in a strong phase</a> at the moment.</p> <h2>A warm winter on the cards</h2> <p>One big question is how long the heat will last. In parts of southeast Australia, including <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/cvg/av?p_stn_num=086071&p_prim_element_index=0&p_display_type=statGraph&period_of_avg=ALL&normals_years=allYearOfData&staticPage=">Melbourne</a>, average temperatures drop quickly at this time of year as we approach the winter solstice.</p> <p>However, the seasonal outlook from the Bureau of Meteorology points to a high likelihood of a relatively <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/outlooks/#/temperature/maximum/median/seasonal/0">warm winter</a>.</p> <p>Australians rarely escape having a winter without any significant cold spells, but the long-range forecast suggests we should anticipate above-normal temperatures on average. Both daytime maximum temperatures and nighttime minimum temperatures are expected to be above average generally this winter.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y5NIa7X2H-s?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">Climate and water long-range forecast, issued 1 May 2025 (Bureau of Meteorology)</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>Global warming is here</h2> <p>The elephant in the room is climate change. Human-caused climate change is increasing autumn temperatures and the frequency of late season heat events. As greenhouse gas emissions continue at a <a href="https://theconversation.com/global-carbon-emissions-inch-upwards-in-2024-despite-progress-on-evs-renewables-and-deforestation-243133">record pace</a>, expect continued warming and a greater chance of autumn heatwaves in future.</p> <p>The effect of climate change on rainfall is less clear though. For the vast majority of Australia, there is <a href="https://interactive-atlas.ipcc.ch/regional-information">high uncertainty</a> as to whether autumn will become wetter or drier as the world warms.<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/256071/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-king-103126">Andrew King</a>, Associate Professor in Climate Science, ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></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/its-almost-winter-why-is-australia-still-so-hot-256071">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Supplied</em></p> </div>

Travel Trouble

Gina Rinehart urges Liberal Party to embrace Trumpism after crushing defeat

<p>Mining billionaire and Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, has urged the Liberal Party to adopt policies inspired by Donald Trump in the wake of the Coalition's heavy federal election loss over the weekend.</p> <p>In a statement <a href="https://www.ginarinehart.com.au/comment-from-mrs-gina-rinehart-ao-regarding-the-election-results/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published on her personal website</a>, Rinehart blamed the defeat on left-leaning media outlets and what she described as the party's failure to adopt bold, pro-business, Trump-style reforms.</p> <p>“The left media did a very successful effort, frightening many in the Liberal Party from anything Trump and away from any Trump-like policies,” Rinehart wrote.</p> <p>“This has been especially obvious this year, with the Liberals instead becoming known as the 'me too' party. Trump-style ‘make Australia great’ policies via cutting government tape, government bureaucracy and wastage, and hence being able to cut taxes, [were] too scarce in Australia this year.”</p> <p>Rinehart, whose net worth is estimated at $46.5 billion, has long supported the Liberal Party and has personally backed senior figures including former opposition leader Peter Dutton, notably providing him with flights on her private jet. She is also a vocal Trump supporter, having attended his election night party at Mar-a-Lago last year.</p> <p>Under Dutton’s leadership, the Coalition campaigned on cutting tens of thousands of public service jobs and named Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price as the shadow spokesperson for government efficiency – moves widely seen as echoing Trump-era governance tactics.</p> <p>Despite Rinehart’s praise, Trump himself distanced from Dutton this week, telling reporters he had "no idea" who the former Liberal leader was, while describing re-elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as "very good" and "very, very nice".</p> <p>Rinehart’s position contrasts sharply with that of many within the political mainstream who argue that aligning with Trump-like policies alienates centrist voters. During election night coverage, Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie acknowledged that the "Trump factor" may have influenced voter sentiment and contributed to the Coalition’s defeat.</p> <p>Former senior Liberals have also weighed in. Simon Birmingham, former Senate leader and finance minister, argued the party must reclaim its centrist identity. “The broadchurch model of a party that successfully melds liberal and conservative thinking is clearly broken,” Birmingham said. “The Liberal Party is not seen as remotely liberal and the brand of conservatism projected is clearly perceived as too harsh and out of touch.”</p> <p>Still, Rinehart remains unmoved in her call for a sharp ideological pivot to the right. “No doubt the left media will now try to claim that the Liberal loss was because the Liberal Party followed Trump and became too right! The two simply don't add up,” she said. “It’s important to not throw away truth and analysing skills, and instead learn from the loss and rebuild.”</p> <p>Rinehart also took aim at what she sees as a lack of economic understanding among Australians, stating that “too many Aussies seem very short on understanding that new investment is needed to create revenue and living standards”.</p> <p>Despite her disappointment with the election outcome, Rinehart concluded her statement with a conciliatory note, wishing Albanese well as he begins his second term.</p> <p>“Australians have overwhelmingly voted in a returning ... PM and government, we must wish him well, with carefully considered policies,” she wrote.</p> <p><em>Image: ginarinehart.com.au</em></p>

Legal

Major change to drivers licences across Australia

<p>Thousands of permanent residents across Australia may soon be driving illegally unless they take urgent action to update their licences, as a major change to driving regulations comes into effect this week.</p> <p>From Wednesday April 30, most states and territories will scrap the Experienced Driver Recognition (EDR) program, a scheme that previously allowed permanent residents to convert their overseas licences to Australian ones without retaking a driving test. Under the new rules, many international drivers will now be required to pass a local driving exam to continue driving legally.</p> <p>This shift affects licence holders from a wide range of countries, including Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Hong Kong (SAR of China), Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Cyprus, South Korea, Serbia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa and Taiwan.</p> <p>Permanent residents from these countries will now need to book and pass both the theory and practical components of the Australian driving test if they wish to maintain legal driving status.</p> <p>However, the rules are different for temporary residents, who will still be permitted to drive using their overseas licences.</p> <p>The changes will be implemented across all states and territories on April 30, with a few exceptions. Queensland will enforce the new requirements later in the year, while New South Wales and Western Australia will delay implementation until October 31.</p> <p>Officials say the change is intended to align road safety standards nationwide and ensure all drivers meet consistent local requirements.</p> <p><em>Images: Shutterstock</em></p>

Legal

Why are political parties allowed to send spam texts? And how can we make them stop?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p>Another election, another wave of unsolicited political texts. Over this campaign, our digital mailboxes have been stuffed with a slew of political appeals and promises, many from the new party Trumpet of Patriots (backed by Clive Palmer, a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-11/clive-palmer-united-australia-party-unsolicited-text-messages/10709106">veteran</a> of the mass text campaign).</p> <p>The practice isn’t new, and it’s totally legal under current laws. It’s also non-partisan. Campaigns of all stripes have partaken. Behold, the Liberal Party’s <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/liberal-party-defends-sending-text-messages-to-voters-on-asylum-seeker-boat-intercepts/mmqwk5508">last-minute SMS</a> to voters about asylum seekers before the 2022 federal election, or Labor’s controversial “<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/federal-election-2016-shorten-confirms-labor-sent-mediscare-text-20160705-gpzasl.html">Mediscare</a>” text before the 2016 poll. Despite multiple cycles of criticism, these tactics remain a persistent feature of Australian election campaigns.</p> <p>A recent proposal to update decades-old rules could help change things – if a government would put it into practice.</p> <h2>What does the law say about political spam?</h2> <p>Several laws regulate spam and data collection in Australia.</p> <p>First, there is the Spam Act. This legislation requires that organisations obtain our consent before sending us marketing emails, SMSs and instant messages. The unsubscribe links you see at the bottom of spam emails? Those are mandated by the Spam Act.</p> <p>Second, the Do Not Call Register (DNCR) Act. This Act establishes a “do not call” register, managed by the <a href="https://www.acma.gov.au/say-no-to-telemarketers">Australian Communications and Media Authority</a> (ACMA), which individuals can join to opt out of telemarketing calls.</p> <p>Finally, there is the Privacy Act, which governs how organisations collect, use and disclose our personal information. Among other things, the Privacy Act requires that organisations tell us when and why they are collecting our personal information, and the purposes for which they intend to use it. It restricts organisations from re-purposing personal information collected for a particular purpose, unless an exception applies.</p> <p>This trio of laws was designed to offer relief from unsolicited, unwanted direct marketing. It does not, however, stop the deluge of political spam at election time due to broad political exemptions sewn into the legislation decades ago.</p> <p>The Spam Act and DNCR Act apply to marketing for goods and services but not election policies and promises, while the Privacy Act contains a <a href="https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/UNSWLawJl/2021/21.html#fn13">carve-out</a> for political parties, representatives and their contractors.</p> <p>The upshot is that their campaigns are free to spam and target voters at will. Their only obligation is to disclose who authorised the message.</p> <h2>How do political campaigns get our information?</h2> <p>Secrecy about the nature and extent of campaign data operations, enabled by the exemptions, makes it difficult to pinpoint precisely where a campaign might have obtained your data from.</p> <p>There are, however, a number of ways political campaigns can acquire our information.</p> <p>One source is the electoral roll (though not for phone numbers, as the Australian Electoral Commission <a href="https://x.com/AusElectoralCom/status/1434752533294194692">often points out</a>). Incumbent candidates might build on this with information they obtain through contact with constituents which, thanks to the exemptions, they’re allowed to re-purpose for campaigning at election time.</p> <p>Another source is data brokers – firms which harvest, analyse and sell large quantities of data and profiles.</p> <p>We know the major parties have long maintained voter databases to support their targeting efforts, which have become <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-19/behind-liberal-labor-data-arms-race-this-election/101074696">increasingly sophisticated</a> over the years.</p> <p>Other outfits might take more haphazard approaches – former MP <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/united-australia-party-leader-craig-kelly-defends-spam-messages-20210829-p58mv7.html">Craig Kelly</a>, for example, claimed to use software to randomly generate numbers for his texting campaign in 2021.</p> <h2>What can be done?</h2> <p>Unwanted campaign texts are not only irritating to some. They can be misleading.</p> <p>This year, there have been <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-17/monique-ryan-polling-amelia-hamer-trust-fund-kooyong/105185290">reports</a> of “push polling” texts (pseudo surveys meant to persuade rather than gauge voter options) in the marginal seat of Kooyong. The AEC has <a href="https://www.aec.gov.au/media/2025/03-31a.htm">warned</a> about misleading postal vote applications being issued by parties via SMS.</p> <figure class="align-right zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/664617/original/file-20250429-74-yothae.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/664617/original/file-20250429-74-yothae.jpg?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/664617/original/file-20250429-74-yothae.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=738&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/664617/original/file-20250429-74-yothae.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=738&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/664617/original/file-20250429-74-yothae.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=738&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/664617/original/file-20250429-74-yothae.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=927&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/664617/original/file-20250429-74-yothae.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=927&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/664617/original/file-20250429-74-yothae.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=927&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Screenshot of a text message from Trumpet of Patriots." /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">This election campaign has seen a flood of texts from Trumpet of Patriots, among others.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">The Conversation</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p>Generative AI is hastening the ability to produce misleading content, cheaply and at scale, which can be quickly pushed out across an array of online social and instant messaging services.</p> <p>In short, annoying texts are just one visible symptom of a wider vulnerability created by the political exemptions.</p> <p>The basic argument for the political exemptions is to facilitate freedom of political communication, which is protected by the Constitution. As the High Court has said, that freedom is necessary to support informed electoral choice. It does not, however, guarantee speakers a <a href="http://www6.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/cth/HCA/2019/11.html">captive audience</a>.</p> <p>In 2022, the Attorney-General’s Department <a href="https://www.ag.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-02/privacy-act-review-report_0.pdf">proposed</a> narrowing the political exemptions, as part of a suite of updates to the Privacy Act. Per the proposal, parties and representatives would need to be more transparent about their data operations, provide voters with an option to unsubscribe from targeted ads, refrain from targeting voters based on “sensitive information”, and handle data in a “fair and reasonable” manner.</p> <p>The changes would be an overdue but welcome step, recognising the <a href="https://bridges.monash.edu/articles/journal_contribution/Conceptualising_Voter_Privacy_in_the_Age_of_Data-Driven_Political_Campaigning/27330276?file=50073381">essential role</a> of voter privacy in a functioning democratic system.</p> <p>Unfortunately, the government has not committed to taking up the proposal.</p> <p>A bipartisan lack of support is likely the biggest obstacle, even as the gap created by the political exemptions widens, and its rationale becomes flimsier, with each election cycle.<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/255413/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tegan-cohen-1331144">Tegan Cohen</a>, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Digital Media Research Centre, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</a></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/why-are-political-parties-allowed-to-send-spam-texts-and-how-can-we-make-them-stop-255413">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p> </div>

Legal

Australia has the highest gambling losses in the world. Is it time for mandatory limits?

<div class="theconversation-article-body">Gambling prevalence studies provide a snapshot of gambling behaviour, problems and harm in our communities. They are typically conducted about every five years.</p> <p>In some Australian states and territories, four or five have been conducted over the past 20 or so years. These have provided a snapshot into how gambling has changed – and how it has not.</p> <p>So, how has gambling in Australia changed in the past two decades or so, and where may we be heading?</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Australia has the highest gambling losses in the world.<br />Australia should: <br />🚫 Ban gambling ads<br />🎰 Introduce loss limits on pokies and online gambling<br />📉 Progressively cut the number of pokies in each state</p> <p>Our new report shows how governments should prevent gambling harm.… <a href="https://t.co/7U3IgzOLSp">pic.twitter.com/7U3IgzOLSp</a></p> <p>— Grattan Institute (@GrattanInst) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrattanInst/status/1831297414080176469?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <h2>The intensification of gambling</h2> <p>In 1997-98, the Productivity Commission found <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/gambling/report/summary.pdf">about 82% of Australians</a> had gambled in the previous 12 months.</p> <p>Almost all further prevalence studies show the proportion of adults gambling has declined substantially over time.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.gambleaware.nsw.gov.au/resources-and-education/check-out-our-research/published-research/nsw-gambling-survey-2024">2024 NSW prevalence survey</a>, for example, found 54% reported gambling in the previous 12 months, down from 69% in 2006.</p> <p>While fewer people are gambling, the proportion of people experiencing problems has not changed much, <a href="https://www.qgso.qld.gov.au/statistics/theme/society/gambling/australian-gambling-statistics">nor has gambling turnover</a>.</p> <p>In some states, gambling turnover has increased, even when you take inflation into account.</p> <p>So while a smaller proportion of people are gambling, those who do gamble are doing so more frequently, and spend more money – a phenomenon we have described as the “intensification” of the industry.</p> <p>As figures from the Grattan Institute show, the vast majority of gambling spend comes from a very small proportion of people who gamble.</p> <p><iframe id="Z6EYJ" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: 0;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Z6EYJ/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <h2>What’s the problem?</h2> <p>Typically, the focus in gambling studies has been on “problem gamblers”, a term we now avoid because it can be stigmatising.</p> <p>This refers to those experiencing severe problems due to their gambling, which is typically <a href="https://www.justice.vic.gov.au/justice-system/safer-communities/gambling/victorian-population-gambling-and-health-study-2023">about 1% of the adult population</a>, and around 2% of people who gamble.</p> <p>This doesn’t sound like much, until you remember 1% of adults in Australia is more than 200,000 people. That’s a lot of people struggling with severe problems.</p> <p>Based on recent prevalence surveys in Australia, these gamblers spend <a href="https://www.gambleaware.nsw.gov.au/resources-and-education/check-out-our-research/published-research/nsw-gambling-survey-2024">about 60 times as much</a> as people who do not experience problems.</p> <p>However, that’s just the most severe cases.</p> <h2>How gambling harms people</h2> <p>When most people think of gambling harm, they think about financial harm. But gambling can cause problems with relationships, work and study, emotional and psychological harm, and <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-016-2747-0">even cause health issues</a>.</p> <p>Some degree of gambling harm is experienced by <a href="https://www.gambleaware.nsw.gov.au/resources-and-education/check-out-our-research/published-research/nsw-gambling-survey-2024">around 10-15%</a> of people who gamble.</p> <p>Some groups are overrepresented: young men typically experience very high levels of harm compared to others. Other overrepresented groups are:</p> <ul> <li>those who have not completed tertiary education</li> <li>people who speak a language other than English</li> <li>people who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.</li> </ul> <p>Harm isn’t just experienced by people who gamble, though – it impacts the people around them.</p> <p>While young men are more likely to experience harm from their own gambling, <a href="https://www.gambleaware.nsw.gov.au/resources-and-education/check-out-our-research/published-research/nsw-gambling-survey-2024">women, particularly young women</a>, are most likely to experience harm from someone else’s gambling.</p> <p>When we take all of these sources of harm into account, we get a much better picture of gambling harm in our community: <a href="https://www.gambleaware.nsw.gov.au/resources-and-education/check-out-our-research/published-research/nsw-gambling-survey-2024">around 15-20% of all adults</a> (not all gamblers) experience harm.</p> <p>That’s very different to the figure of 1% we’ve focused on in the past.</p> <p>We’re still missing some accounting, though: we don’t know how much harm is experienced by people under 18, for example, because prevalence studies typically only include adults.</p> <h2>Where does the harm come from?</h2> <p>The most problematic form in Australia is pokies, responsible for <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10260219/#:%7E:text=EGMs%20are%20responsible%20for%2051,problems%20due%20to%20low%20participation.">about 51-57% of problems</a>.</p> <p>Casinos are responsible for <a href="https://ftp.justice.vic.gov.au/justice-system/safer-communities/gambling/victorian-population-gambling-and-health-study-2023">another 10-14%</a>, although fewer people have been gambling in casino games in recent years.</p> <p>Sports betting and race betting together account for about another 19-20% of harm.</p> <p>Between them, pokies, casino games and sports and race betting account for about 90% of harm to Australian gamblers.</p> <p><iframe id="w2wEY" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: 0;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/w2wEY/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <h2>Availability is an issue</h2> <p>This widespread availability of pokies is the biggest single driver behind gambling harm in Australia.</p> <p><iframe id="hIgeD" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: 0;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/hIgeD/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <p>In other countries, pokies are limited to venues that are specifically used for gambling, like casinos or betting shops.</p> <p>We have pokies in a huge number of our pubs and clubs, except in Western Australia.</p> <p>A couple of years ago, we used national prevalence data to compare gambling problems in WA <a href="https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2006/12/3/article-p721.xml">to the rest of the country</a>.</p> <p>A higher percentage of adults in WA gamble, but mostly on the lotteries which are typically <a href="https://theconversation.com/pokies-lotto-sports-betting-which-forms-of-problem-gambling-affect-australians-the-most-240665">not associated with much harm</a>.</p> <p>Gambling on pokies is far less prevalent in WA because they’re only available in one casino. Gambling problems and harm are about one-third lower in WA, and our analysis shows this can be attributed to the limited access to pokies.</p> <p>This also tells us something important. If pokies are not available, people will typically not substitute them with other harmful forms. It points to the role of the availability of dangerous gambling products in gambling harm, rather than personal characteristics.</p> <p>Online gambling has also become a lot more available. Most of us now have a mobile phone almost surgically implanted onto our hand, making online gambling more accessible than ever. Not surprisingly, <a href="https://www.gamblingresearch.org.au/publications/second-national-study-interactive-gambling-australia-2019-20">online gambling continues to increase</a>.</p> <h2>An obvious solution to try</h2> <p>Governments have taken increasingly proactive measures to help address gambling harm, such as the <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/gambling/resource/national-consumer-protection-framework-online-wagering-national-policy-statement">National Consumer Protection Framework for Online Gambling</a>, strategies for minimising harm such as NSW’s investment into <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/gambleaware-week-0">gambling harm minimisation</a>, Victoria’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/nov/26/victoria-pokies-changes-limits-new-laws">proposed reforms on pokies</a> including mandatory precommitment limits, Queensland’s <a href="https://www.publications.qld.gov.au/dataset/gambling-harm-min/resource/84d444db-97e0-4be0-8e87-0c6f0cb412d6">Gambling Harm Minimisation Plan</a> and the ACT’s <a href="https://www.gamblingandracing.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/1436580/Strategy-for-gambling-harm-prevention.pdf">Strategy for Gambling Harm Prevention</a>.</p> <p>Voluntary limits have been trialled to help people keep their gambling under control, but have had <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-03/nsw-government-cashless-gaming-trial-findings-released/104679384">virtually no uptake</a>.</p> <p>For example, the recent <a href="https://www.liquorandgaming.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/1340136/evaluation-of-the-nsw-digital-gaming-wallet-trial-2024.pdf">NSW Digital Gaming Wallet trial</a> was conducted in 14 venues. Only 32 people were active users, and 14 of these were deemed genuine users. <a href="https://www.adelaide.edu.au/saces/ua/media/652/evaluation-of-yourplay-final-report_0.pdf">Another study</a> found only 0.01% of all money put through machines in Victoria used the voluntary YourPlay scheme.</p> <p>The problem with voluntary limits is, no one volunteers.</p> <p>Mandatory limits though are almost certainly necessary, just like we have mandatory limits for how fast you can drive, or how much you can drink before the bartender puts you in a taxi.</p> <p>There will almost certainly be push back against this, just like the introduction of mandatory seatbelts in the 1970s, or <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-04/road-safety-history-australia-toll-increase/102903364">the introduction of random breath testing</a>.</p> <p>Now, we accept them as important public health measures.</p> <p>History tells us the same will happen with mandatory gambling limits, even if we’re a bit uncomfortable about it at first.<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/252389/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alex-russell-133860">Alex Russell</a>, Principal Research Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-browne-97705">Matthew Browne</a>, Senior Lecturer in Statistics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-rockloff-569">Matthew Rockloff</a>, Head, Experimental Gambling Research Lab, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a></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/gambling-in-australia-how-bad-is-the-problem-who-gets-harmed-most-and-where-may-we-be-heading-252389">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p> </div>

Money & Banking

Australia's Next Top Model star passes away at just 27

<p>The fashion world is mourning the loss of Australian model Lucy Markovic, who has tragically passed away at the age of 27 following complications from a brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM).</p> <p>The heartbreaking news was shared via a post on Markovic’s Instagram Story, believed to have been written by her partner.</p> <p>"Dear friends and family, I regret to inform you that Lucy has passed," the message read. "She was at peace. Me, her mother and my mother were present with her. We ask you to please give us space in these hard times. May Lucy rest in peace."</p> <p>Markovic, a former contestant and runner-up on season nine of <em>Australia's Next Top Model</em>, had kept her followers updated on her health journey. Just weeks ago, she had revealed to her 90,000 followers that she was preparing to undergo brain surgery to remove a golf ball-sized AVM. "Excited, thankful, scared, supported, hopeful," she wrote at the time. "Full flood of emotions in this time. Life's a journey and I'm ready for the next chapter."</p> <p>Her modelling agency, Elite Model Management NYC, paid tribute to her spirit and talent in a statement. "We are heartbroken to share that Lucy Markovic has passed away after a brave battle with a brain AVM," the agency wrote on Instagram. "Lucy was a bright shining light, and had an incredible dry sense of humor. Her smile and laughter could light up a room and draw you closer to her. She loved to dance, she really shined."</p> <p>"Modeling was one of Lucy's dreams and we are deeply honoured to have been part of that journey with her," the statement continued. "She brought elegance, strength and beauty to her work. But more than that, she brought herself – her warmth, her laughter, her light."</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/DIRsInvveRP/?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/DIRsInvveRP/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Elite Model Management NYC (@elitenyc)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Tributes have poured in from across the fashion industry. Renowned Italian designer Donatella Versace, for whom Markovic modelled last year, also expressed her sorrow. "I am so sorry to hear the news about Lucy Markovic. Rest in peace, beautiful girl," Versace wrote on her Instagram story.</p> <p>Markovic’s rise in the fashion world was meteoric. After gaining national attention on Australia’s Next Top Model, she went on to walk the runway for global fashion houses such as Versace, Givenchy, and Dion Lee, carving out an impressive international career.</p> <p>In the hours leading up to the announcement of her passing, a heartbreaking post appeared on her social media, sharing that she was "currently battling for her life" and asking for prayers. Six hours later, her loved ones confirmed the devastating news.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Virgin Australia issuing refunds to 61,000 travellers

<p>Virgin Australia has announced it will refund approximately 61,000 customers after discovering a pricing error that led to overcharges on itinerary changes made over the past five years.</p> <p>The airline revealed that a glitch in its pricing system caused some tickets to be incorrectly repriced when passengers adjusted their bookings. The issue affected bookings made between April 21, 2020, and March 31, 2025, representing around 0.1 per cent of total reservations during that period.</p> <p>Affected customers will be contacted directly by Virgin Australia, with the average refund expected to be around $55.</p> <p>“At Virgin Australia, we have policies that determine when and how we reprice a guest's booking when they make a change to their itinerary," a spokesperson said in a statement. "We recently found that in some instances, bookings were repriced in a way that does not align with our policy, and we are refunding all impacted guests for that amount."</p> <p>The airline has apologised to affected travellers and launched an "itinerary change claim program" to manage the process. Deloitte Australia has been appointed to assist with handling claims and expediting refunds.</p> <p>"We want to do the right thing, and that means acknowledging when we get things wrong and fixing it," the spokesperson added. "Guests will have up to 12 months to make a claim, and any unclaimed amounts will be donated to charity."</p> <p>Virgin Australia has also notified the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and pledged to work closely with the regulator to meet any further obligations.</p> <p>The airline confirmed it holds the details of all impacted customers and will be sending out communication, in partnership with Deloitte, on how to claim refunds.</p> <p><em>Image: Virgin Australia</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Despite some key milestones since 2000, Australia still has a long way to go on gender equality

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p>Australia has a gender problem. Despite social, economic and political reform aimed at improving opportunities for women, gender gaps are increasing and Australia is falling behind other countries.</p> <p>The World Economic Forum currently places Australia 24th among 146 countries, down from 15th in 2006. At the current rate of change, the forum suggests it will take <a href="https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-gender-gap-report-2024/">more than 130 years</a> to achieve gender equality globally.</p> <p>Australia has taken important steps forward in some areas, while progress in other areas remains painfully slow. So how far have we come since 2000, and how much further do we have to go?</p> <h2>The good stuff</h2> <p>There are now more women in <a href="https://www.aigroup.com.au/resourcecentre/research-economics/factsheets/factsheet-gender-and-the-australian-labour-market/#:%7E:text=Female%20labour%20market%20participation%20was,gender%20participation%20gap%20of%208%25.">the labour market</a>, in <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/measuring-what-matters/measuring-what-matters-themes-and-indicators/cohesive/representation-parliament">parliament</a>, and leading <a href="https://www.forbes.com.au/lists/people/women-of-the-asx/">large companies</a> than at any other time.</p> <p>Over the past 25 years, there have been major social and political milestones that indicate progress.</p> <p>These include the appointment of Australia’s first female governor-general in 2008 and prime minister in 2010, the introduction of universal paid parental leave in 2011, a high-profile inquiry into workplace sexual harassment in 2020, and new legislation requiring the public reporting of gender pay gaps in 2023.</p> <h2>Timeline of equality milestones</h2> <ul id="timelineList"> <li> <h2>2000</h2> <p>Child Care Benefit introduced, subsidising cost of children for eligible families</p> </li> <li> <h2>2008</h2> <p>First female Governor-General (Dame Quentin Bryce)</p> </li> <li> <h2>2010</h2> <p>First female Prime Minister elected (Julia Gillard) </p> <p>First Aboriginal woman from Australia elected to UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (Megan Davis) </p> <p>Australia’s first national paid parental leave scheme</p> </li> <li> <h2>2012</h2> <p>Julia Gillard misogyny speech </p> <p>Workplace Gender Equality Act becomes law, Workplace Gender Equality Agency established</p> </li> <li> <h2>2013</h2> <p>Dad or Partner Pay Leave commenced</p> </li> <li> <h2>2016</h2> <p>First Indigenous woman elected to House of Representatives (Linda Burney)</p> </li> <li> <h2>2017</h2> <p>Launch of Women’s Australian Football League</p> <p>#metoo movement spreads globally to draw attention to sexual harassment and assault</p> </li> <li> <h2>2020</h2> <p>Respect@Work National Inquiry into sexual harassment in the Australian workplace chaired by Kate Jenkins released.</p> </li> <li> <h2>2021</h2> <p>Grace Tame named Australian of the Year for her advocacy in sexual violence/harassment campaigns </p> <p>Independent review into Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces launched</p> </li> <li> <h2>2022</h2> <p>National plan to end violence against women is finalised</p> </li> <li> <h2>2023</h2> <p>Closing the Gender Pay Gap Bill passes parliament</p> </li> <li> <h2>2024</h2> <p>Superannuation on government-funded paid parental leave from July 1, 2025 </p> <p>Parental leave to be increased to 26 weeks from July 2026.</p> </li> </ul> <p>There are, however, other areas where progress is agonisingly slow.</p> <h2>Violence and financial insecurity</h2> <p>Women are <a href="https://www.wgea.gov.au/newsroom/wgea-bcec-gender-equity-insights-2024-report">more likely</a> to be in casual and part-time employment than men. This is part of the reason women retire with <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-21/carer-credits-proposal-aims-to-reduce-superannuation-gap/10826246">about half</a> the superannuation savings of men.</p> <p>This is also linked to financial insecurity later in life. Older women are among the <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/age-discrimination/projects/risk-homelessness-older-women">fastest-growing groups</a> of people experiencing homelessness.</p> <p>The situation for First Nations women is even more severe. The <a href="https://www.niaa.gov.au/news-and-media/closing-gap-report-released">most recent</a> Closing the Gap report indicates First Nations women and children are 33 times more likely to be hospitalised due to violence compared with non-Indigenous women.</p> <p>They are also <a href="https://theconversation.com/indigenous-women-are-dying-violent-preventable-deaths-endless-inquiries-wont-help-unless-we-act-244815">seven times more likely</a> to die from family violence.</p> <p>Improving outcomes for Indigenous women and children requires tackling the long-term effects of colonisation, removal from Country, the Stolen Generations, incarceration and intergenerational trauma. This means challenging not only gender inequality but also racism, discrimination and violence.</p> <p>At work, <a href="https://www.wgea.gov.au/publications/employer-gender-pay-gaps-report">the latest data</a> from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency suggests the gender pay gap is narrowing, with 56% of organisations reporting improvements.</p> <p>On average, though, the pay gap is still substantial at 21.8% with women earning only 78 cents for every $1 earned by men. This totals an average yearly shortfall of $28,425.</p> <p>There are also some notable organisations where the gender pay gap has widened.</p> <h2>The burden of unpaid work</h2> <p>Another measure of inequality that has proved stubbornly slow to change is women’s unequal responsibilities for unpaid domestic and care work.</p> <p>Without real change in gender divisions of time spent on unpaid housework and care, our capacity to move towards equality in pay gaps and employment is very limited.</p> <p>Australian women undertake almost 70% of unpaid household labour. The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/people-and-communities/how-australians-use-their-time/latest-release">time use data</a> show that of those who participate in domestic labour, women spend an average of 4.13 hours per day on unpaid domestic and care work, compared with men’s 2.14 hours.</p> <p>This gap equates to more than a third of a full-time job. If we add up all work (domestic, care and paid), mothers have the longest working week by about 10 hours. This has changed very little over time.</p> <p>These charts, based on analyses of data from the Households, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) study, show what drives this gap.</p> <p>Women respond to increased demand for care and domestic work by doing more, while men do not. Parenthood significantly increases the time women spend on unpaid care and housework, while also reducing their time in employment.</p> <hr /> <p><iframe id="115GU" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: 0;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/115GU/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <hr /> <p>Men increase their time in unpaid care after a birth, but the jump is minor compared with women, and there is no change to men’s employment hours.</p> <p>Not surprisingly given these patterns, parenthood is associated with substantial declines in women’s <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/research/research-reports/employment-patterns-and-trends-families-children">employment hours</a>, earnings, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/4/275">career progression</a>, and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jomf.12531">mental health and wellbeing</a>.</p> <h2>The way forward</h2> <p>Current policy priorities primarily incentivise women to remain in employment, while continuing to undertake a disproportionate share of unpaid family work, through moving to part-time employment or making use of other forms of workplace flexibility. This approach focuses on “fixing” women rather than on the <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-psych-032620-030938">structural roots of the problem</a>.</p> <p>There is limited financial or cultural encouragement for men to step out of employment for care work, or reduce their hours, despite the introduction of a two-week Dad and Partner Pay scheme <a href="https://www.wgea.gov.au/parental-leave">in 2013</a> and more recent changes to expand support and access.</p> <p>Fathers who wish to be more actively involved in care and family life face significant financial barriers, with current schemes only covering a basic wage. If one member of the family has to take time out or reduce their hours, it usually makes financial sense for this to be a woman, given the gender earning gap.</p> <p>The benefits of enabling men to share care work will not only be improvements for women, but will also improve family relationships and outcomes for children.</p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/roses-are-red-violets-are-blue-ill-stay-forever-if-you-scrub-out-the-loo-72793">Research shows</a> relationship conflict declines when men do more at home. Time spent with fathers has been found to be especially beneficial for children’s <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-48232-001">cognitive development</a>.</p> <p>Fixing the gender problem is not just about helping women. It’s good for everyone.</p> <p>Gender inequality costs the Australian economy <a href="https://womensagenda.com.au/business/the-us225-billion-a-year-australia-could-benefit-from-with-a-focus-on-women/">$225 billion annually</a>, or 12% of gross domestic product.</p> <p>Globally, the World Bank <a href="https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/fd676a12-7ee4-5c6a-ab2b-83365ed25bf1/content">estimates</a> gender inequality costs US$160.2 trillion. We can’t afford to slip further behind or to take more than a century to fix the problem.</p> <hr /> <p><em>This piece is part of a series on how Australia has changed since the year 2000. You can read other pieces in the series <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/first-quarter-of-the-century-series-172070">here</a>.<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/250250/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></em></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/janeen-baxter-611570">Janeen Baxter</a>, Director, ARC Life Course Centre and ARC Kathleen Fitzpatrick Laureate Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></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/despite-some-key-milestones-since-2000-australia-still-has-a-long-way-to-go-on-gender-equality-250250">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: </em></p> </div>

Legal

Amid claims of abuse, neglect and poor standards, what is going wrong with childcare in Australia?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p>On Monday, an ABC’s Four Corners <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-17/betrayal-of-trust/105063150">investigation</a> reported shocking cases of abuse and neglect in Australian childcare centres. This included examples of children being sexually abused, restrained for hours in high chairs, and fed nutritionally substandard meals such as pasta with ketchup.</p> <p>While acknowledging there are high-quality services operating in the community, the program also showed how centre-based childcare is big business, dominated by for-profit providers, who may not be meeting regulatory standards.</p> <p>What is going wrong with childcare in Australia?</p> <h2>Differing levels of quality</h2> <p>Data from Australia’s childcare regulator <a href="https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-02/NQF%20Snapshot%20Q4%202024%20FINAL.pdf">consistently shows</a> for-profit childcare services are, on average, rated as <a href="https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-02/NQFSnapshot_Q4_2020.pdf">lower quality</a> than not-for-profit services.</p> <p>Of those rated by regulators, 11% of for-profit long daycare centres are not meeting national minimum quality standards (they are just “working towards”). This compares with 7% of not-for-profit centres not meeting minimum standards.</p> <p>There are 13% of for-profit centres exceeding the standards, compared to 28% of not-for-profits.</p> <p>Inquiries suggest this divergence is due to staffing levels, qualifications and pay. In 2023, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/inquiries-and-consultations/childcare-inquiry-2023/december-2023-final-report">found</a> large for-profit providers spend significantly less on staffing than not-for-profit providers.</p> <p>Large for-profit providers <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/inquiries-and-consultations/childcare-inquiry-2023/september-2023-interim-report">have a higher proportion of part-time and casual staff</a> than not-for-profits. They also employ less experienced early childhood teachers. On top of this, they are more likely to use award rates of pay, which are typically lower than enterprise agreement rates.</p> <p>Lower pay and less job security is related to higher turnover of staff, which makes it <a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-chaos-has-shed-light-on-many-issues-in-the-australian-childcare-sector-here-are-4-of-them-174404">difficult for educators to establish and maintain</a> the trusting relationships with children and families that underpin high quality.</p> <p>Despite this, the federal government continues to support for-profit services through <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/early-childhood/providers/child-care-subsidy">childcare subsidies</a>.</p> <p>These subsidies are designed to help families with the costs of childcare. But they do not stop some providers increasing their fees. The ACCC <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/changes-proposed-to-make-childcare-affordable-and-accessible-for-all-families">found a consistent pattern</a> of increased government subsidies leading to higher out-of-pocket expenses for families, due to subsequent fee increases.</p> <h2>It hasn’t always been like this</h2> <p>Childcare subsidies haven’t always worked in this way. “Operational subsidies” were introduced in 1972 through the historic <a href="https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/cca197275/">Child Care Act</a>, which set the precedent for Australian governments to fund childcare.</p> <p>This aimed to support women’s workforce participation through an expanded, high-quality childcare sector. Subsidies at the time were only available to not-for-profit services and required the employment of qualified staff, including teachers. In these ways, Commonwealth funding positioned childcare as a public good, like school education.</p> <p>Then, in 1991, federal government subsidies were extended to for-profit providers. This prompted dramatic changes in the childcare landscape, leading to a dominance of for-profit centres.</p> <p>Today, more than 70% of all long day-care centres are <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/childhood/report/childhood-volume1-report.pdf">operated by private providers</a>. Between <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/childhood/report/childhood-volume2-supporting.pdf">2013 and 2023</a>, the number of for-profit long daycare services jumped by 60%, while not-for-profits only grew by 4%.</p> <h2>Quality concerns</h2> <p>There are <a href="https://www.startingblocks.gov.au/large-providers">25 large long daycare providers</a> in Australia and of these, 21 are run for profit. Large for-profit providers impact sector quality in several ways.</p> <p>Many have disproportionately high numbers of staffing waivers, granted by regulators, permitting them to operate centres without the required number of qualified staff.</p> <p>According to unpublished research by Gabrielle Meagher, as of October 2024, 11 large for-profit providers held waivers for a quarter or more of their services and five held waivers for more than a third. This compares to 15% of the sector overall.</p> <p>Large for-profit providers also serve investors as well as families. So there are extra <a href="https://academic.oup.com/qje/article-abstract/112/4/1127/1911721">incentives to cut costs</a> and maximise profits.</p> <p>The dominance of for-profit providers also makes them <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/world-politics/article/abs/institutional-sources-of-business-power/E9D9D945CB59843C4DF8CE4835350602">powerful players</a> in policy-making circles, as governments depend on them to provide an essential service.</p> <h2>Why isn’t the system working?</h2> <p>Given Australia has a <a href="https://www.acecqa.gov.au/national-quality-framework">regulatory and quality assurance system</a> for childcare services, why do we have these quality issues?</p> <p>As the Productivity Commission <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/childhood/report/childhood-volume2-supporting.pdf">found</a>, regulators are under-resourced, and inspections are infrequent. Services that repeatedly fail to meet the minimum standards are still allowed to operate, sometimes for more than a decade.</p> <p>Services are notified about upcoming inspections, potentially giving them time to give a false impression of their quality and safety standards.</p> <p>As Four Corners highlighted, poor-quality services, with bad pay and working conditions are driving good educators away from the sector.</p> <h2>What next?</h2> <p>The Albanese government recently passed legislation to “guarantee” eligible families <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/newsroom/articles/3day-guarantee-legislation-passed#:%7E:text=The%203-day%20guarantee%20will,each%20week%20for%20each%20child">three days of subsidised childcare</a> per week from January 2026.</p> <p>But families need more than access. They also require a guarantee this childcare will be high-quality and keep children safe.</p> <p>Even without the extra spending on the three-day guarantee, government spending on childcare subsidies <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/ACCC%20Childcare%20Inquiry-final%20report%20December%202023.pdf?ref=0&download=y">is due to reach nearly A$15 billion</a> by 2026–27. Thus there is also a corresponding duty to taxpayers to ensure these funds are going to high-quality providers.</p> <p>In the wake of the Four Corners report, the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/worldtoday/childcare-wrap/105066270">Greens are calling</a> for a royal commission into childcare. But we do not need this level of inquiry to tell us the current system needs fundamental change.</p> <p>Stronger regulatory powers, while important, will not be enough on their own. High-quality services need well-educated and well-supported staff. They also need governance and leadership that value educators’ expertise and enable consistently high standards.<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/252493/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gabrielle-meagher-594155">Gabrielle Meagher</a>, Professor Emerita, School of Society, Communication and Culture, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/macquarie-university-1174">Macquarie University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/marianne-fenech-228936">Marianne Fenech</a>, Professor, Early Childhood Governance, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></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/amid-claims-of-abuse-neglect-and-poor-standards-what-is-going-wrong-with-childcare-in-australia-252493">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: ABC</em></p> </div>

After a century of Monday to Friday, could the 4-day week finally be coming to Australia?

<div class="theconversation-article-body">The reality of shorter working hours could be one step closer for many Australians, pending the outcome of the federal election.</p> <p>The Greens, who could control crucial cross bench votes in a hung parliament, have announced plans for a <a href="https://greens.org.au/news/media-release/greens-launch-4-day-work-week-election-policy">four-day</a> working week, with no loss of pay. They say the policy would alleviate stress and burn out, and increase women’s participation in the workforce.</p> <p>Earning the same money for fewer hours would appeal to most workers. But is it too good to be true? Could it really be rolled out cost free to all workplaces, especially to “client facing” companies and service providers?</p> <p>Or does research suggest the Greens could be onto something?</p> <h2>The Greens’ plan</h2> <p>The Greens’ policy would involve a new National Institute for the Four Day Work Week and a test case through the Fair Work Commission.</p> <p>A series of national trials would be set up in a number of different industries, whereby workers would work 80% of their normal hours, while maintaining 100% of their pay.</p> <p>According to Greens Senator Barbara Pocock, it’s a win-win for everyone:</p> <blockquote> <p>It can increase productivity, reduce absenteeism, improve recruitment and retention and give employees more time to manage their home life. This change will allow workers to create a working week that works for them.</p> </blockquote> <h2>The 100:80:100 model</h2> <p>The four-day work week being proposed in this instance is commonly regarded as the 100:80:100 model.</p> <p>It delivers 100% of the pay, for 80% of the hours, in <a href="https://www.4dayweek.com/news-posts/100-80-100-rule">return</a> for maintaining 100% of productivity.</p> <p>This is unlike other forms of shorter working weeks, which compress five days’ worth of work into four longer days. This obviously disadvantages some employees.</p> <p>Recent <a href="https://figshare.swinburne.edu.au/articles/report/Emerging_Four_Day_Work_Week_Trends_in_Australia_New_insights_based_on_interviews_with_Australian_firms_who_have_already_adopted_4DWW_arrangements_Preview_report_/26282311?file=47647063">research</a> conducted by Swinburne University of Technology involved interviews with ten Australian firms that have already adopted the 100:80:100 model.</p> <p>They were a mixture of small and medium sized private sector businesses, including management consulting firms, a shipping and logistics company, and recruitment and marketing agencies.</p> <p>The research underlined the potential for a range of positive outcomes for both employers and employees.</p> <p>Workers reported having better work-life balance, more time to complete “life administration” tasks, and more time to invest in hobbies, exercise, wellness and self-care. Bosses cited productivity gains, reduced sick days, and significant improvements in recruitment and retention rates.</p> <p>However, the 100:80:100 model is viewed with scepticism in some quarters. There is still doubt that productivity and output would be maintained, or in some cases improved, when workers are working one day fewer per week.</p> <p>Also, there could be costs associated with the implementation of this work model for front-line roles, such as retail, schools, hospitals and nursing homes. Additional workers may need to be hired, at extra expense, to cover the hours dropped by the existing workforce.</p> <h2>100 years of working 5 days a week</h2> <p>The year 2026 will mark the 100th anniversary of the five-day work week.</p> <p>It was car maker Henry Ford who <a href="https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/henry-fords-five-day-week/">reduced</a> the working week in the United States from six days to five. Other sectors and countries followed suit. This was at a time when the average life expectancy of Australian workers was just 55 and households typically only had one bread-winner.</p> <p>Despite the time saved by the many technological breakthroughs in the past 100 years – from the photocopier, desktop computer and fax machine, to the internet, mobile phones and AI – the average Australian is now <a href="https://futurework.org.au/report/taking-up-the-right-to-disconnect-unsatisfactory-working-hours-and-unpaid-overtime/">working longer hours</a> in paid and unpaid labour than ever before.</p> <p>The Greens point out Australian society is changing. More women and carers are either in the workforce or would be encouraged into the workforce by more flexible arrangements:</p> <blockquote> <p>yet we are constrained by archaic labour laws that see the fruits of our efforts swallowed up in profits for bosses and shareholders.</p> </blockquote> <p>The role of generative AI technologies in the workplace may also deliver benefits to workers. Separate Swinburne <a href="https://figshare.swinburne.edu.au/articles/report/Generative_AI_at_work_Empowering_employee_mental_wellbeing/27252948">research</a> has revealed an increasing expectation among workers that they will receive a share in the time saved by future technologies in the form of improved work-life balance and wellbeing gains.</p> <h2>Time to enter the 21st century</h2> <p>Earlier this year, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/jan/27/two-hundred-uk-companies-sign-up-for-permanent-four-day-working-week">200 UK companies</a> signed up to the 100:80:100 model, as part of a campaign to “reinvent Britain’s working week”. Large scale trials are also underway in <a href="https://4dayweek.io/country/canada">Canada</a> and several <a href="https://www.euronews.com/next/2024/02/02/the-four-day-week-which-countries-have-embraced-it-and-how-s-it-going-so-far">European</a> countries.</p> <p>The global interest in a shorter working week is not surprising, and has likely been fuelled by the COVID pandemic, which has caused workers and employers to re-imagine their working lives.</p> <p>If the Greens are in a position to leverage any balance of power after the coming election, it could be Australia’s turn to recognise the conventional five-day working week is no longer fit for purpose.<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/252379/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/john-l-hopkins-255434">John L. Hopkins</a>, Associate Professor of Management, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a></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/after-a-century-of-monday-to-friday-could-the-4-day-week-finally-be-coming-to-australia-252379">original article</a>. </em></p> <p> </p> </div>

Money & Banking

AFL royalty unite in a star-studded Noosa wedding

<p>In a celebration absolutely fit for footy royalty, the families of two AFL greats officially became one, as Ruby Brownless and Josh Wallis tied the knot in a breathtaking ceremony in Noosa over the weekend.</p> <p>Ruby, the daughter of Geelong legend Billy Brownless, and Josh, the son of Western Bulldogs icon Stephen Wallis, exchanged vows in a magnificent event that defied AFL traditions. Despite the league's unwritten rule of keeping key dates like Round 1 and grand final day clear, the happy couple chose to mark their special day as the Cats took the field for their season opener.</p> <p>The wedding was a glittering affair attended by a host of AFL stars, past and present, with family and friends flying in to witness the heartwarming union. Among the high-profile guests was Ruby’s mother, Nicky Brownless, who is engaged to Melbourne great and expert commentator Garry Lyon. With Josh’s brother, Mitch, having played 162 games for the Bulldogs and Ruby’s brother, Oscar, once listed with Geelong, the occasion was a true meeting of AFL dynasties.</p> <p>Proud father Billy Brownless, known for his jovial personality, shared his delight in walking his daughter down the aisle. Calling into his Triple M show the following day, he said, “(It was) beautiful. I’ve had a couple of limoncellos so I’m a bit dusty. We got dropped off at this beautiful area and there was just limoncellos. I didn’t think they had any alcohol in them, and after about seven I had a look and they’re nine per cent!”</p> <p>During the speeches, Billy moved guests to laughter and tears with a heartfelt poem. “When your daughters get married, it’s from the heart,” he said before reciting, “Roses are red. Violets are blue. I love you from here to Timbuktu.”</p> <p>The wedding had been highly anticipated ever since Ruby and Josh announced their engagement in 2022 during a romantic getaway to Hayman Island. Leading up to the big day, Ruby kept her 37,000 Instagram followers eagerly waiting, teasing glimpses of the preparations and declaring, “Wedding week begins!”</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/DHHw2YdTHmQ/?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/DHHw2YdTHmQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Ruby Brownless (@rubybrownless)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The celebrations aren’t over for the Brownless family just yet, as another wedding is on the horizon. After a whirlwind romance, Garry Lyon proposed to Nicky Brownless at the end of 2023, marking yet another chapter in the intertwined histories of these AFL legends. </p> <p>With love, laughter, and limoncellos in abundance, the Brownless-Wallis wedding was a truly magical affair, proving that some traditions are worth breaking when it comes to celebrating love.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

Clive Palmer outlines his MAGA party proposals

<p>Billionaire mining magnate Clive Palmer has urged Australian banks to cap interest rates at 3 per cent and called for the removal of Kevin Rudd as Australia’s ambassador to the United States. His proposals were part of a broader campaign to support the Trumpet for Patriots party in the upcoming federal election.</p> <p>Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra, Mr Palmer revealed that the party, which he recently endorsed, had already attracted over 20,000 members, with thousands more joining daily since his announcement on February 19.</p> <p>Palmer, known for his deep pockets in politics, compared his substantial financial contributions to his passion for sports. Referring to his $100 million expenditure on a single Senate candidate, he described political spending as his version of a hobby.</p> <p>“At 70, I could join many Australians and play lawn bowls. I find this more exciting,” he said. “I’m devoted because I also have an investment in Australia. I’ve got four children. I think this is a good place, and it’s worth fighting for.”</p> <p>Mr Palmer outlined a two-pronged policy approach to promote home ownership: capping interest rates at 3 per cent and allowing buyers to utilise up to 30 per cent of their superannuation for home deposits. He argued that this would increase rental availability and lower costs for tenants.</p> <p>“That means Australians can live again, that means that our rentals will be available for people at a much lower price,” he said, citing Australia’s 120,000 homeless population as a national disgrace.</p> <p>Mr Palmer also took aim at Australia’s ambassador to the US, former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, calling for his removal. “There are not too many ambassadors in Washington that have insulted the President of the United States. Kevin Rudd ranks alone in that,” Mr Palmer claimed.</p> <p>He stressed the need for a more effective representative in Washington, particularly during economic and geopolitical challenges. While he did not propose a specific replacement, he praised former ambassadors Kim Beazley and Joe Hockey for their diplomatic abilities.</p> <p>“I think somebody that can have a rapport. There are many prominent Australians that do that with the Trump administration already, or you get someone that’s neutral,” he said while eating Tim Tams.</p> <p>Trumpet for Patriots, under Palmer’s guidance, has outlined several key policies, including:</p> <p>– Mandating Australian superannuation funds to invest solely in domestic businesses.<br />– Banning transgender athletes from competing in sports.<br />– Imposing a 15 per cent licence fee on iron ore exports.</p> <p>The party plans to field candidates in all 150 House of Representatives seats and Senate contests but has not yet decided on preferencing major parties.</p> <p>Mr Palmer dismissed both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton as ineffective leaders, labelling them “whingers” who fail to present viable solutions.</p> <p>“They look at what’s wrong. They don’t look at how we solve the problem. They don’t provide solutions and leadership to solve the serious issues facing Australians every day of the week, whether it’s housing, whether it’s cost of living, a whole range of things,” he said.</p> <p>The party will be led by Suellen Wrightson, who will challenge Labor incumbent Dan Repacholi in the NSW Hunter region. With Palmer’s backing and financial influence, Trumpet for Patriots is set to make a high-profile entrance into the upcoming election campaign.</p> <p><em>Image: NineNews</em></p>

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Australia denied exemption from Trump tariffs

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p>Australia has failed to win an exemption from Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on aluminium and steel, but the government has vowed to fight on for a carve out.</p> <p>The White House spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, told Australian media in Washington “there will be no exemptions” from the tariffs, which come into effect imminently. Pressed on why, she said “America First steel”.</p> <p>She said, “If they want to be exempted, they should consider moving steel manufacturing here”.</p> <p>Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the government would continue to lobby for an exemption. He pointed out it had taken the Coalition government many months to win a carve out from tariffs under the first Trump administration.</p> <p>“Tariffs don’t make any sense, it’s an act of kind of economic self harm. We’ll be able to find other markets for our steel and our aluminium and we have been diversifying those markets. But we’re obviously really disappointed with this.</p> <p>"I would say, though, we’ll keep advocating to the United States on this issue. Last time around it was nine months before we got an exemption in relation to steel and aluminium out of the Trump administration in its first term. So, we’ll keep pressing the case, we’ll keep diversifying our own trade. But look, there’s no hiding this, we’re really disappointed with this decision.”</p> <p>Opposition deputy leader Sussan Ley said the government “just hasn’t done enough”.</p> <p>“All of the other leaders of the Quad and AUKUS, Japan, India, the UK, travelled to the US, and they had face-to-face meetings, and they did what they needed to do. They advocated fiercely in their country’s interests, but this prime minister has been nowhere to be seen.”</p> <p>But given no exemptions are being provided, a personal trip by the Albanese would likely have had little effect. The PM made the case for an exemption to the president in a call some weeks ago. In that conversation Trump indicated he would consider Australia’s case, but the government quickly became pessimistic about the administration giving it a special deal.</p> <p>BlueScope, while expressing disappointment, saw one silver lining. “BlueScope produces more than 3 million tonnes of steel per annum at its NorthStar BlueScope plant in Delta, Ohio. As the US tariffs come into effect the company expects to see the positive impact from an improvement in steel prices.”</p> <p>Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull this week predicted Trump would shy away from exemptions this time around. While some observers said Turnbull’s broad attack on Trump, whom he called a bully, could work against Australia’s lobbying, it almost certainly was irrelevant, given all representations were rejected.</p> <p>The Australian concern is less the direct impact of the tariffs – our exports of steel and aluminium to the US are limited – but the fallout from an international trade war that could be sparked by Trump’s policies.<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/251623/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><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></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/australia-like-everyone-else-fails-to-win-exemption-from-trumps-tariffs-on-aluminium-and-steel-251623">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Samuel Corum/CNP/Shutterstock Editorial</em></p> </div>

Legal

Flight attendant's act after touchdown divides social media users

<p>A United Airlines flight attendant has copped some flak online for playing the violin after touching down in California. </p> <p>The unnamed crew member welcomed travellers to the Bay Area by playing a cheery tune as people got up to disembark from the flight, and while his performance was met with a round of applause from passengers, others weren't quite as pleased. </p> <p>“It was a definite pleasant surprise and welcome change compared to all the news we hear from airlines these days,” the Redditor captioned the clip of the performance shared online. </p> <p>While some viewers agreed it was “lovely” and “awesome,” others found the behaviour “unsettling,” calling the flight attendant “self-indulgent”.</p> <p>“What a sly move,” one wrote. “He has everyone sitting, captivated by his music, while he slowly walks down the aisle with anyone in his way and exiting the plane first.”</p> <p>“Just because I’m trapped and sitting doesn’t mean I have any desire to be serenaded,” another commented. </p> <p>“This would be annoying as hell,” wrote a third. “Can’t imagine breaking out into song on any instrument on a flight."</p> <p>“Honestly I’d struggle not to tell him to sit down and shut the f**k up,” commented another. </p> <p>However, others jumped to the flight attendant's defence, saying: “Of course super mean people as usual telling him to sit down and shut up." </p> <p>“My guess is he actually likes the passengers and is very friendly and kind,” another added, praising the crew member for trying to "entertain passengers." </p> <p>“Not like he’s making much with working at one of the lowest paying mainlines. Yet he has a good attitude despite it.”</p> <p><em>Images: Reddit</em></p> <p> </p>

Travel Trouble

Family breaks silence after five-year-old son fatally hit by car

<p>The devastated family of five-year-old boy Alby Thompson have remembered him for his "laughter and love". </p> <p>The young boy died after being struck by a four-wheel-drive in Broome, Western Australia about 5.20pm last Thursday.</p> <p>The five-year-old was rushed to Broome Regional Hospital where he later died. </p> <p>His family have issued a statement to the <em>ABC</em> on Wednesday and thanked the community for their “outpouring of love". </p> <p>“It is with profound sorrow that we share the news of our beloved son, Alby, who tragically lost his life in a road accident,” the statement began. </p> <p>“His laughter and love filled our hearts and home.</p> <p>“We kindly request privacy during this period of mourning as we come to terms with this devastating loss.</p> <p>“We thank the community for their outpouring of love and support during this heart-wrenching time.”</p> <p>The 34-year-old driver of the Landcruiser is assisting police with inquiries, and no charges have been laid. </p> <p><em>Image: 7News</em></p>

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