Jim Chalmers comes out swinging against Taylor’s attack on super changes
Treasurer Jim Chalmers defended the government’s proposed changes to superannuation saying that it is a “modest change that only affects half a percent of Australians”.
This is a modest change and is a simple choice and the choice is this: to do as we are proposing, to make tax concessions a little bit generous for people with tens of millions of dollars in the super or to do what the Coalition did when they were last in office which was to chase and demonise the most vulnerable people with robodebt and to try and diminish and undermine and hack away at the foundation of Medicare.
Chalmers accused the Coalition of demanding the government “borrow even more” saying that Labor inherited “$1tn in debt”.
The treasurer also responded to criticisms form Angus Taylor during his appearance on ABC Insiders this morning describing it as a “ridiculous and dishonest scare campaign falling down all around him under the weight of his own lies”.
The approach we are taking is the approach that the former Liberal party took when Scott Morrison was treasurer. In it consulting on the best way to include defined benefit.
Updated at 02.04 GMT
Key events
A 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit the Kermadec Islands in New Zealand.
Thankfully the quake did not result in a tsunami along Australian shores on Sunday morning.
New program to help aphasia patients
When Paul Fraser collapsed in his Byron Bay home his wife, Julie Brown, called an ambulance thinking he was having a stroke.
He was speaking gobbledygook.
He was speaking like an alien. But now, it’s chalk and cheese.
Fraser, a retired social sciences teacher, was among the first cohort of regional Australians to use a new high-intensity telehealth therapy program for people living with aphasia.
More than 140,000 people nationally have the condition which limits the ability to communicate, usually after a stroke damages parts of the brain responsible for language.
The University of Queensland’s Aphasia Research Centre has spent a decade developing the CHAT program which delivers 50 hours of intense speech therapy, compared to an average of 10 hours under usual models of care.
It has been trialled at Brisbane hospitals and will be expanded across seven metro and regional health districts in Queensland, NSW and South Australia to better assess its effectiveness.
Centre director David Copland said patients with aphasia had to learn a whole language from scratch which often left those in regional areas behind.
Now rural patients can access the TeleCHAT program, which offers regular online sessions with a speech therapist.
There’s a postcode lottery where if you have a stroke, you’ll get fewer services. We want people with aphasia to access this no matter where they live.
– AAP
‘Everyone should be concerned’: Antarctic sea ice reaches lowest levels ever recorded
For 44 years, satellites have helped scientists track how much ice is floating on the ocean around Antarctica’s 18,000km coastline.
The continent’s fringing waters witness a massive shift each year, with sea ice peaking at about 18m sq km each September before dropping to just above 2m sq km by February.
But across those four decades of satellite observations, there has never been less ice around the continent than there was last week.
“By the end of January we could tell it was only a matter of time. It wasn’t even a close run thing,” says Dr Will Hobbs, an Antarctic sea ice expert at the University of Tasmania with the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership.
“We are seeing less ice everywhere. It’s a circumpolar event.”
In the southern hemisphere summer of 2022, the amount of sea ice dropped to 1.92m sq km on 25 February – an all-time low based on satellite observations that started in 1979.
But by 12 February this year, the 2022 record had already been broken. The ice kept melting, reaching a new record low of 1.79m sq km on 25 February and beating the previous record by 136,000 sq km – an area double the size of Tasmania.
For more in this story, read the full report by Guardian Australia’s environment reporter Graham Readfearn.
Rent bidding is still the curse of Sydney tenants despite new laws: how can it be stopped?
Real estate company Viewey wrote to its mailing list last week about an apartment in inner Sydney that had just been let for $175 above the original asking price.
Despite “very recently” being leased for only $600, the one-bedroom apartment in Camperdown had been listed for $650. After only one viewing, the agency wrote, it decided to bump up the asking price to $675.
By last weekend, the company says it received 31 applications from would-be tenants. On Tuesday, it received an offer of $825. The company said in its email:
So you’ve heard the rental market is hot at the moment … But how hot is it exactly?
This is only one example of many.
The increasingly tight rental market and spiralling prices have put the rental crisis at the centre of many people’s minds in recent months, and Viewey’s principal, Nicholas Viewey, concedes the company has been “smashed” over the email.
But, he insists, the email was not “bragging”, but simply a reflection of what’s happening in the Sydney rental market; “a way of showing how the market is going at the moment,” he says.
For more on this story, read the full report by Michael McGowan here:
Updated at 02.44 GMT
Queensland announces new plan to handle end of life PV solar
The Queensland government has announced it will partner with the Smart Energy Council to introduce a solar panel stewardship scheme to process old PV solar systems when they reach end of life.
Minister for energy, renewables and hydrogen Mick De Brenni launched the policy where he said the plan would help create “an opportunity to deliver more jobs in the clean energy transition”.
Decades ago we decided as a nation to send our solar panel manufacturing overseas, to China. We lost those jobs – today’s announcement about the product stewardship scheme means we are able to bring high-end manufacturing jobs back here to Queensland as we recycle, reuse and repurpose those solar panels.
The scheme is part of a broader draft e-Products Action Plan introduced by the Queensland state government and the $1.1bn Recycling Jobs Fund.
He said right now solar panels only account for 1,000tn of waste in Queensland but by 2030 that could increase to 17,000tn
If we don’t take action, that will end up in the ground, we’ll miss out on those jobs and our transition to a clean energy economy won’t be as productive as it possibly could be.
Updated at 02.57 GMT
Interest rate hike expected this week
Mortgage holders are likely to be hit with another lift in their monthly repayments if the Reserve Bank delivers its 10th interest rate hike in a row this week, as is widely expected.
The central bank is tipped to deliver another 25 basis point rise after communications following the February decision struck a hawkish tone and suggested the bank was growing impatient with high inflation.
This would take the cash rate from 3.35 per cent to 3.6 per cent when the board meets on Tuesday.
The final resting place for this round of policy tightening remains highly contested, with the market pricing in a peak in the low fours while some economists anticipate another one or two more increases.
Since the February decision, both December quarter wage and growth data have come in softer than expected.
The monthly consumer price index was also weaker than expected, sinking to 7.4 per cent in the 12 months to January from 8.4 per cent in the year to December.
While the monthly indicator is relatively new and considered volatile, treasurer Jim Chalmers said inflation had likely passed its peak.
A speech from the RBA governor Philip Lowe at the AFR Business Summit in Sydney on Wednesday will likely provide some insights into the March decision and how the new data has influenced the board’s thinking.
– AAP
Updated at 02.14 GMT
Albanese attacks ‘No-alition’ during campaign stump speech
Here’s a little more from the PM’s speech at the NSW Labor campaign launch on Sunday where he attacked Dominic Perrottet’s government and the broader federal Coalition as the “No-alition”.
Friends, in just three weeks, we can come together to choose a better future for New South Wales. The choice is oh so clear.
On the one hand, a government falling apart before our eyes.
Cracking like an imported light rail carriage, breaking down like an outsourced ferry.
Plagued by scandal, dogged by resignation, and it still boggles my mind to say this, even stooping so low as to rort bushfire aid.
Imagine the deficit of character that it takes to even think of doing that, let alone do it.
To look at fellow Australians who have been through hell and left with nothing, and calculating how they might help you secure a political advantage.
And at their shoulders stand their big cousins, the federal Liberals and Nationals, a No-alition ready to say no to any solution that will help Australians, even though they created so many of the problems we face.
After all the damage they did, the No-alition have nothing left but a grab bag of negativity and scare campaigns. To adapt the Franklin D Roosevelt quote, they have nothing to offer but fear itself.
Friends, something so much better awaits.
Updated at 01.55 GMT
Jim Chalmers comes out swinging against Taylor’s attack on super changes
Treasurer Jim Chalmers defended the government’s proposed changes to superannuation saying that it is a “modest change that only affects half a percent of Australians”.
This is a modest change and is a simple choice and the choice is this: to do as we are proposing, to make tax concessions a little bit generous for people with tens of millions of dollars in the super or to do what the Coalition did when they were last in office which was to chase and demonise the most vulnerable people with robodebt and to try and diminish and undermine and hack away at the foundation of Medicare.
Chalmers accused the Coalition of demanding the government “borrow even more” saying that Labor inherited “$1tn in debt”.
The treasurer also responded to criticisms form Angus Taylor during his appearance on ABC Insiders this morning describing it as a “ridiculous and dishonest scare campaign falling down all around him under the weight of his own lies”.
The approach we are taking is the approach that the former Liberal party took when Scott Morrison was treasurer. In it consulting on the best way to include defined benefit.
Updated at 02.04 GMT
More senior Australians receive cheaper healthcare
New figures show thousands of senior Australians have received access to cheaper medicine and GP visits since changes late last year to the commonwealth seniors health card.
Eligibility amendments to the card in November led to 10,893 people benefiting from the cheaper healthcare measures.
The changes brought in by the federal government saw the income threshold for singles increase from almost $58,000 to $90,000, while the limit for couples rose from $92,416 to $144,000.
Social services minister Amanda Rishworth said they have allowed more people to gain concessions, which extends to the PBS, as well as bulk-billed GP visits.
It’s incredible to see such a great take up in a short time.
We know seniors value their concession cards and, importantly, this change isn’t temporary. It’s permanent and will provide older Australians with ongoing benefits in the years ahead.
It’s estimated 52,000 senior Australians would benefit from the larger eligibility threshold for the health card by 2026/27.
It comes as figures show more than $36m has been saved on medicines listed on the PBS in the first two months of the year.
The government lowered the maximum out of pocket cost by $12.50, which came into effect from January.
– AAP
Updated at 01.29 GMT
PM launches NSW Labor campaign with attack on premierMichael McGowan
Prime minister Anthony Albanese has issued a scathing attack on New South Wales premier Dominic Perrottet’s government, saying it was “falling apart before our eyes”.
Despite making a series of public appearances with Perrottet since the federal election last May, Albanese took aim at a Coalition government he accused of being plagued by “waste and dysfunction” during a speech at the launch of the NSW Labor campaign in Hurstville on Sunday.
Three weeks out from the state election, Albanese, who has previously worked closely with Perrottet on energy reform, among other measures, was scathing in his assessment of the Coalition.
Saying voters could “come together to choose a better future for NSW”, Albanese ridiculed the NSW Coalition over a series of public infrastructure missteps and grant scandals, saying it had been “plagued by scandal and dogged by resignations”.
[The government is] falling apart before our eyes, cracking like an imported light rail carriage, breaking down like an outsourced ferry, plagued by scandal, dogged by resignation.
Albanese also took aim at the government over an auditor general report released last month which found that former deputy premier John Barilaro’s office effectively excluded Labor electorates from bushfire recovery funds by changing the threshold for the funds, saying it “still boggles my mind”.
Imagine the deficient of character that it takes to even think of even doing that let alone doing it.
NSW Labor leader, Chris Minns, and Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, at the launch of Labor’s campaign for the 2023 NSW state election. Photograph: Steven Saphore/AAP
Updated at 03.05 GMT
Body of Sydney man found at popular Sydney beach
Police are working to formally identify the body of a man found at Freshwater beach on Sydney’s northern beaches on Sunday morning. They are liaising with the family of the 18-year-old who went missing from the beach on Saturday evening.
Emergency services were called to the beach after reports an 18-year-old man had gone missing.
Police were told he was swimming with two other male friends when they lost sight of him. The males returned to shore and contacted emergency services after they could not locate him.
A short time later, an extensive search operation of the beach and surrounding area commenced, from North Curl Curl headland along the coastline to Bluefish Point and further out to sea.
Police are working to formally identify the body of a man found at Freshwater beach on Sydney’s northern beaches on Sunday morning Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Meanwhile, a man’s body has been found at a lake in Melbourne’s outer east after he was reported missing while paddle-boarding.
The 38-year-old man from Clayton was reported missing at Lysterfield Lake on Saturday afternoon.
Passers-by told police they last saw him just after 2.30pm.
His body was found following a search operation by rescue divers at the State Emergency Services.
His death comes after four teenagers survived being swept from one side of Port Phillip Bay to the other on two inflatable paddle boards in December, with two others rescued in the area the next day.
– with AAP
Updated at 03.11 GMT
Backstreet’s back in Sydney, Brisbane
WordPride is not the only event to shut down Sydney’s streets this week – the Backstreet Boys were back alright with a show on Saturday night.
Those at the show was treated to something of a twist when AJ McLean and Kevin Richardson threw their underwear to members of the crowd – usually it’s the crowd showering the performers with their undergarments.
The band has another show on Sunday night at Qudos Bank Arena before it heads north to Brisbane on Wednesday, so everybody everywhere, don’t be afraid – don’t have no fear – I’m going to tell the world, make you understand, there will be music.
They’re coming back – back, again.
Well, unless you’re in Adelaide and Perth.
Updated at 00.48 GMT
‘We have come a long way. There’s more to go’: PM recognises WorldPride legacy
Prime minister Anthony Albanese says the huge turnout at the WorldPride march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge was a sign of how much things have changed – and how much more there is to be done.
The PM said the WorldPride march was a chance for Sydney to celebrate its diversity and hear stories from the 78ers – the term given to those who took part in Sydney’s first Mardi Gras as an act of protest in 1978.
These are people who could have been subject to arrest, and many of them were of course. It was a radical act in 1978, and a very gutsy thing to do, to demonstrate, but supporting human rights, and that is something that is also being acknowledged.
We have come a long way. There’s more to go. But what a great celebration it is.
No matter who you are, who you love or where you live – you should be valued, equal and celebrated.
It was incredible to walk across Sydney Harbour Bridge with WorldPride this morning, supporting human rights campaigners from Australia and across the world. pic.twitter.com/oQv6Q9wOdw
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) March 4, 2023
Updated at 00.40 GMT
Victorian bail law reforms to curtail reverse onus test
Low-level offenders will no longer need to prove they don’t pose a community risk when seeking bail under reforms proposed by the Victorian government.
Victoria’s contentious reverse onus test for bail will no longer apply to low-level offenders and the “unacceptable risk” provision refined so the risk of minor reoffending cannot be used to refuse bail.
Attorney general Jaclyn Symes conceded bail is not working as it should but said the Andrews government had no plans to weaken laws for those who pose a serious risk to people’s safety.
Victorians know the difference between violent and non-violent crime – our current bail laws however, don’t properly distinguish between the two.
What is under consideration seeks to strike the right balance, but the next few months will be crucial as we consult with Aboriginal Victorians, victims groups, the legal sector, Victoria police and others on how to make these changes work.
Bail laws were strengthened after James Gargasoulas drove into a busy Bourke Street mall in January 2017, killing six people and injuring dozens of others.
He was on bail at the time of the attack.
Previously, the reverse onus test was only used for the most serious offenders but was expanded to cover those caught repeatedly carrying out low-level crimes, such as shoplifting.
Offenders can also be denied bail on the basis they pose an “unacceptable risk” to the safety or welfare of any person, among other things.
The changes have disproportionately impacted Aboriginal Victorians and women.
Coroner Simon McGregor in January found the death of Indigenous woman Veronica Nelson in custody in 2020 was preventable and called for an urgent review of the state’s bail act.
In a further change, the government intends to amend the act to update the existing list of factors decision makers must consider when a bail applicant identifies as Aboriginal and introduce Aboriginal child-specific decision-making principles.
Legislation to reform bail, child protection and youth justice laws is expected to be brought before Victorian parliament in the first half of this year.
Other aspects of the bill will be detailed in coming months following further consultation, including with the Aboriginal Justice Caucus and other Indigenous groups.
– AAP
Updated at 00.20 GMT
Fight over duck hunting set for Victorian parliament
A long-running battle over duck shooting in Victoria is shifting to the halls of power ahead of what animal welfare advocates suspect will be the state’s last season.
A motion to establish an upper house inquiry to examine the practice’s future will be introduced on Tuesday, before being debated on Thursday.
Victoria’s Game Management Authority last month confirmed a shortened five-week season would run from late April, with a bag limit of four birds a day and ban on potting the threatened blue-winged shoveler and hardhead.
Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania are the only states where duck shooting is permitted.
Western Australia, NSW and Queensland banned it in 1990, 1995 and 2005 respectively.
In SA, the Malinauskas Labor government also established an inquiry into recreational native bird hunting when announcing its 2023 season.
Minister Lizzie Blandthorn and cabinet secretary Steve McGhie have expressed dismay at Victoria’s duck season going ahead while backing the review.
Another Labor MP speaking on condition of anonymity said about two-thirds of the party room is opposed to duck shooting and the caucus was led to believe this season would be different.
Premier Daniel Andrews says he’s not concerned about the issue dividing his party room and has branded the parliamentary committee an important step.
If one set of stakeholders think you’ve gone too far and the other set of stakeholders think you haven’t gone far enough, sometimes you’ve found the right place.
While less than half of Victoria’s 23,000-odd licensed duck hunters are thought to have participated last season, more than 260,000 birds were killed and estimates of those wounded vary between 15,700 and 105,000.
– AAP
Updated at 23.50 GMT
Andrew Bragg accuses government of raising taxes
Liberal senator Andrew Bragg has hit out at the changes, saying the government should have explored other options to bring debt levels down.
Bragg followed Bourke on Sky News on Sunday where he accused the government of raising taxes.
Raising taxes is the last thing they should be doing, and I just think it sends the wrong message to people that the government will pull the rug from underneath you.
If the change was going to go ahead, it would be better if it was indexed. If it’s not indexed, then over half million people will hit by this creeping tax.
Senator Bragg has previously argued for superannuation to be voluntary so people can choose to spend their fund as needed, rather than save it for retirement.
He said the fund would be better served by people such as first-home buyers being able to use their super to purchase a property
If you’re a low income person, and the biggest pool of money you have is locked away in a super fund, then you’re never going to get access to a first home.
The Greens have called for a further boost on tax rates for super accounts, with the party proposing the threshold be lowered from $3m to $1.9m, and for the changes to come into effect from July this year.
Costings from the Parliamentary Budget Office have shown those changes would affect 210,000 people and raise $54.6bn over the next decade.
– AAP
Updated at 23.31 GMT
Tony Burke defends changes to taxes on superannuation
Workplace relations minister Tony Burke has defended changes to taxes on superannuation, arguing tax concessions on retirement savings would soon cost more than the aged pension without intervention.
The government doubled the tax rate on super accounts with more than $3m from 15% to 30%, with the changes set to come into effect from mid-2025.
Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, Burke said the changes put forward were only modest ones and necessary to lower spiralling levels of government debt.
How can we have a situation where we keep hurtling towards a time where superannuation tax concessions cost more than age pensions, which is where we’re heading.
If you’ve got more than $3m, good on you, you’ll still get a tax concession, it just won’t be as generous as for what it is for the 99.5% of Australian balances.
The minister said those with wealthy super balances would have the next two years before the changes kick in to reorganise their finances if they want to.
We already have taxation on superannuation, it’s concessional, it’s already there, it’s an advantage to have your money in superannuation.
People know that we do need to raise additional revenue. We’ve been left with a trillion dollars of Liberal debt.
He also ruled out any tax changes on capital gains tax exemptions for the family.
– AAP
Updated at 23.34 GMT
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