Well that was another day, wasn’t it.

Speculation is running riot over who will replace Justin Stevens as ABC news boss, so that has the media world busy.

Tim Wilson is still being Tim Wilson.

Labor still doing the least it can do.

The Coalition have no idea what it is

And Pauline Hanson is eating cake with Clive Palmer.

So how about you join us again tomorrow to see where we end up?

In the mean time – please – take care of you.

Stephanie Gardiner for AAP

Are Australian cheesemakers copping stiff cheddar under trade terms with the European Union, or is it actually a gouda deal?

Cheese became the unexpected focus of a 20-minute debate in Senate estimates on Wednesday, as agriculture officials made like a block of Swiss and poked holes in criticism of trade negotiations. 

After nearly a decade of negotiations, Australia and the EU reached an agreement in March, with both sides slashing tariffs and expanding trade.

Domestic dairy producers retained the rights to describe their wares as parmesan under the deal, but other cheese names such as feta, romano and gruyere will eventually be phased out.

It was one win in the negotiations, the department’s trade and regulation deputy secretary Tina Hutchison told the hearing.

“That was an important issue raised by the dairy industry over the course of the discussions,” Ms Hutchison said.

But Nationals leader Senator Matt Canavan said the sector was concerned about the removal of a tariff on European cheese and expanding access to heavily subsidised imports.

Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences boss Jared Greenville suggested producers shouldn’t be too cheesed off.

Subsidies for European dairy farmers were actually quite low, equivalent to $1.70 for every $100 in income, Dr Greenville said.

The trade agreement was also one instrument to improve transparency on market distortion, which can influence prices, he said.

“Australia’s got a long-term position where we’re trying to address trade and production distorting policies across the world to enable a freer market that helps more broadly, not just our own producers.”

Red meat quotas dominated agricultural trade discussions, with industry slamming market access for an additional 30,600 tonnes of beef and 25,000 tonnes of sheep meat as a “bewildering” let down.

Global agricultural trade assistant secretary David Garner said negotiations with the EU were always tough and agriculture was particularly sensitive.

The composition of the quotas meant more fresh meat would enter the European market than frozen goods, Mr Garner said.

“(That) was a good outcome for the industry, given that fresh and chilled beef is of more value than frozen,” he said.

After Senator Canavan questioned market access percentages across the entire trade deal, agriculture secretary Victoria Anderson referred him to the department of foreign affairs.

“Our goal is always to get the best outcome for agriculture, but as you know there’s whole-of-economy agreements,” Ms Anderson said.

Pauline Hanson is posting photos on her socials of her and Clive Palmer enjoying birthday cake (she is, a gemini, but the bad kind) in a high rise. She said Palmer has come to visit, bearing gifts.

Senate estimates is on, but Hanson doesn’t need to go to work – she’s Pauline Hanson!

Good times.

Here is a little more from question time:

Yesterday, Phil Thompson returned from his 24 hour suspension to a heroes welcome from like minded members of the Coalition.

And today, he made a point of going over and speaking with Barnaby Joyce. When we say watch this one, we mean it.

The Inspector-General of the ADF James Gaynor has concluded the investigation his office launched into the weaponisation of the military justice system.

The inquiry was set up last year and was used to examine allegations the military justice system had been, or had the potential to be, weaponised against people. It received 362 submissions from members of the military, former members and their families, as well as other members of the public.

The Inquiry found that while weaponisation of the military justice system is not widespread, it can and does occur at multiple levels of the Australian Defence Force. Implementing military justice processes rigidly, ineptly or blindly can amount to unintentional weaponisation or, at the very least, lead some Australian Defence Force members to the conclusion that the military justice system has been weaponised against them. The Inquiry made 20 recommendations for a more effective, trusted and fairer military justice system.

The Inquiry Report is now available on the IGADF website. The Report and its recommendations will be now be considered by Defence.

The Inquiry may raise matters that cause distress. Details of support services for current and former Australian Defence Force members, their families and members of the public are available on the IGADF website and within the Inquiry Report itself.

A very big thank you to Glenn for taking you through QT while I got some migraine blockers from the GP. It is the season!

Tim Wilson being booted from parliament and then doing a snarky tweet and being called to the principal’s office has cheered me up though.

Onwards!

Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson is either ignorant of the parliamentary rules or thinks he’s above them.

He’s a repeat offender when it comes to breaching standing orders. He was kicked out of question time again today.

But instead of reflecting on his behavior, he’s had a big sook on Twitter, claiming there’s some sort of conspiracy against him:

That little hissy fit has earned the ire of Speaker Milton Dick, who wrapped up question time with this:

It’s been brought to my attention that the Member for Goldstein, after he was directed to leave the chamber for constant interjections after being warned, took to social media and has seriously reflected on the Speaker. I ask when the member returns to the chamber to apologise to the chair and remind all members not to reflect on the chair inside the chamber or on social media.

Independent Member for Clark, Andrew Wilkie:

In my home state of Tasmania, two women have been killed in alleged domestic violence incidents just in the past fortnight.
So, will you join me in Hobart for a round table with family violence advocates, survivors, and families who have lost loved ones to domestic violence to hear directly from them about what urgent action is still needed?

Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese:

I thank the member for Clark for his question, and for his genuine concern and engagement with people in his electorate. There are, of course, four women occupy the other seats in Tasmania in this house, the members for Franklin, Lyons, Bass, and Braddon, and they are all strong women who are strong advocates for the rights of women to live in peace and free from violence that has such a devastating impact. The figures that the member raises of two murders in the last fortnight are horrific. Every act of domestic and family violence is abhorrent and completely unacceptable.

I’m always happy to meet constituents where it’s possible, as sometimes it’s difficult to fit 50 hours into a day, but certainly I engage with the member when I’ve been in Tasmania.

Rather oddly Angus Taylor asked Anthony Albanese a question about the Lib’s current policy of indexing income tax thresholds.

Oddly because the policy has rather died an unloved and quick death – I doubt anyone has thought of it since a couple minutes after he gave his speech.

Indexing tax brackets is often thought of as some wonderful way to get rid of bracket creep – where you go into a higher tax bracket just for getting a wage rise that is in line with inflation.

But in reality, the issue of bracket creep is massively overstated.

Governments routinely overcompensate for inflation.

For example, back when John Howard and Peter Costello last had control of the budget in June 2007 the second tax threshold was $25,000. It is now $45,000.

But if instead a government back then had decided to just raise the thresholds in line with inflation the threshold would be $40,950 – ie you would now be paying more tax if you earned more than $41,000.

The difference with government’s being able to decide when to cut income tax is they can do it at moments that are economically warranted, and also politically favourable. IN a democracy I much prefer political parties being in control and the public being able to decide whether they think the tax changes are good or bad rather than thinking the best way is to do it automatically.

So why does the LNP want this policy?

Well, the one threshold that has not been raises to more than keep pace with inflation is the top tax bracket. Perhaps not unsurprisingly, people are not all that enamoured with giving tax cut to the richest 3%. And so if the indexation had for example begun in June 2007 every group would no be worse off except for those earning more than $190,000

Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke:

Of the two cohorts that have arrived in recent weeks, there are three currently behind bars.

Those three who are currently behind bars: one charged with entering a declared area. Two charged with crimes against humanity.

No one should presume that at any point in time the work of the Australian Federal Police in terms of investigating and gathering evidence is over.

And I would remind those opposite – before we came to office, 45 people who had gone there to fight had self-managed their return.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins:

Our government has locked in over 80,000 tons of additional urea through our $7.5 billion fuel and fertilizer security facility.
Through Export Finance Australia, we’ve partnered with Instatech Pivot to support the purchase of two shipments from Indonesia, with the National Farmers Federation today saying they’re pleased to hear more fertilizer is on the way to Australian farmers, and that every bit counts. We do have enough fertilizer, either in the country or on the water today, for the current planting season, but we’re adding to this to provide some certainty for farmers in the coming months. We have now secured, through the Finance Export Australia, six shipments of over 209,000 tons of urea through our fuel and fertilizer security facility, and of course we also have secured through the Minister for Energy over 800 million liters of additional fuel, including critical diesel for our farmers.

Independent Member for Curtin, Kate Chaney:

Why has your government still not actioned the Robodebt Royal Commission recommendation to legislate safeguards and oversight for automated decision making in government?

Social Services Minister, Tanya Plibersek:

AI is increasingly prevalent right across our society and right across our economy.

We as government have discussed in a great amount of detail the appropriate safeguards that we need when automated decision making tools are used in any of our portfolios, and our approach is that in every case there needs to be human oversight of any of the use of AI. We don’t just hand over decision making to to abstract computer programs, as was the case under Robodebt, which caused such great suffering for 430,000 Australians.

Of the Robodebt Royal Commission recommendations, 93 per cent have been implemented.

The member for Curtin can be reassured that whenever we use the the the opportunities that AI gives us to process information more quickly and more efficiently, that happens with strict guard rails and strict human oversight.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Julie Collins demands the Coalition “stop running scare campaigns” on the capital gains tax changes.

Instead of calling BS herself, she quotes the National Farmers Federation from the day after the budget:

There are several measures in this budget that are welcome and reflect the government listening to the concerns the NFF has consistently raised on behalf of farmers. The NFF welcomes changes ensuring primary production income will be exempt from the new 30 per cent trust tax and confirmation there will be no changes to small business capital gains tax concessions.

Family farms are generational businesses built over decades and often represent a family’s life savings and retirement plan. We’re pleased the government has listened.

Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson asks another version of his previous question about CGT and promptly gets the heave-ho from the chamber.

Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson asks the Prime Minister about winding back the CGT discount.

Anthony Albanese delights in reminding him that’s exactly what he called for when he wrote his book in the three years he was desperately trying to stay relevant after losing Goldstein to Independent Zoe Daniel.

Independent Member for Mackellar, Sophie Scamps:

My question is to the Attorney General. The recent resignations of both the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of the National Anti-Corruption Commission presents an opportunity to rebuild public confidence in the institution, but only if the new appointments are made independently and transparently, in line with best practice. Will the positions be advertised for at least two weeks? Will selection criteria be made public, and will the appointments be made by an independent selection panel? And if not, can you please explain why?

Attorney-General, Michelle Rowland:

The government established a merit-based selection process for all appointments to the NAC, which has been followed to date, and which will be followed in future. The appointment process will be consistent with the Australian Government Appointments Framework and the NACC Act. Candidates for appointment are assessed by a selection panel following public advertisements.

Only candidates assessed as suitable by the panel are presented to me as Attorney-General for appointment candidates are then referred for consideration to the cross-party parliamentary joint committee on the National Anti-Corruption Commission, comprising members and senators from across the parliament, including the Honorable Member for Indi, who serves as its Deputy Chair, and I also thank the member for Indi for her work on this very important committee.

The committee’s decision is then reported to the Parliament. Mr. Speaker, I note that all appointments made to the Commission to date have been unanimously approved by the Parliamentary Joint Committee. The merit-based process for NAC appointments reflects the Albanese Government’s commitment to integrity and accountability in government, and I thank the Honorable Member for her positive engagement in this regard.

The ABC’s Director of News, Justin Stevens, has quit after nearly two decades with the national broadcaster.

He released a statement a short time ago.

For reasons both professional and personal, now is the right time for me to move on and for someone else to take over the helm of the best news team in the country.

Stevens was the long-running EP of 730, before landing to top job in 2022.

His replacement is expected to be announced within a week.

Opposition Leader, Angus Taylor:

Today’s inflation data confirms that if the Coalition’s tax back guarantee were in place right now, a typical taxpayer would receive $410 of tax relief this year, growing to well over $1,000 per year in four years’ time. Will the Prime Minister index income tax brackets to end their inflation tax bracket creep?

Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese:

Tomorrow we’ll be introducing tax reductions, tax reductions, and they’ll have a chance to vote for it or to vote against it. Now we know that when we changed stage three, they said they were going to fight it, they were going to oppose it, that we should call an election on it, and then they voted for it. We know that when it came to the tax cuts that were in last year’s budget, they said that they’d oppose it. They did what they said they’d do, and then you know what they did? They took it to an election, and they got smashed.

We’re off and running with a relatively civil start – predictable question, rehearsed answer:

Opposition Leader, Angus Taylor:

Can the Prime Minister advise the House how many of Australia’s nearly 3 million small and family businesses will be carved out of Labor’s capital gains tax grab?

Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese:

There are four different carve-outs and concessions for small businesses, and all four are staying in place. Now, what that means is, if you sell your active business to retire, or to start a new business, or to relocate relocate, you can still reduce, or in some cases, completely remove your tax on any capital gains. Now 90% of small businesses in Australia are eligible for these concessions, and they’ll continue to remain eligible.

The federal and Tasmanian governments will contribute another $5 million to keep paying the workers at the beleaguered Liberty Bell Bay manganese smelter, which went into administration in March.

But a sale appears to be close, with a consortium headed by Adroit Capital named as the preferred bidder for the northern Tasmanian industrial facility.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics says construction work increased by 3.4% in the first quarter of 2026.

Key statistics
In seasonally adjusted terms in the March quarter:
Total construction work done rose 3.4% to $83.4b
Building work done rose 0.6% to $44.7b
Engineering work done rose 6.9% to $38.7b

The ACTU says while today’s inflation data may not have been as bad as some were predicting, it is still putting huge pressure on Australian households.

It says with inflation still running at 4.2%, the minimum wage should rise by 6%. It says workers are still 4.5% behind where they were in March 2021, when compared to inflation.

Today’s CPI data release was the last before the Fair Work Commission’s Annual Wage Review decision

ACTU Secretary, Sally McManus:

Today’s figures show exactly why Australia’s lowest-paid workers need a 6% pay rise. Inflation is above 4%, and a wage rise below that would be a real pay cut for 3 million workers.

The Fair Work Commission must not allow low-paid workers like those in the hospo’, retail and care industries to go backwards.

One in four workers in Australia rely on the Annual Wage Review as their only way of getting ahead of price rises. Rent, mortgages, and bills are locked in, meaning if these workers’ wages fall short of inflation, they have no choice but to cut back on essentials like food and doctors’ visits.

Minimum and award wage workers’ pay make up about 10% of Australia’s national payroll, and a 6% pay rise only adds 0.64% to the national wage bill. It is simply not possible for the union movement’s claim to be inflationary.

The Greens have responded to the ABC’s expose of BHP, slamming weak government policies and generous taxpayer subsidies:

The retreat of Australia’s biggest miner from emissions reduction shows the consequences of Labor’s weak climate policies and rewarding of failure with billions in taxpayer subsidies.

While BHP was in the process of cleaning up its heavily polluting Pilbara mining operation, these plans were shelved due to a lack of ‘financial and political’ pressure to take climate action.

This lack of climate pressure from the Trump and Albanese governments is shown through the alarming fact that BHP receives five times more in taxpayer subsidies to burn diesel, than it costs them to offset their climate pollution under the Safeguard Mechanism.

Pressure to end these massive taxpayer handouts is picking up steam – with growing discontent within Labor branches over the government continuing to hand billions to highly profitable, heavily polluting corporations that encourages them to continue burning diesel.

The Greens say that Labor must scrap these taxpayer subsidies for fossil fuel corporations and tax their profits, to invest in essential services like dental into Medicare, public housing and wiping student debt.

Greens Leader, Larissa Waters:

Australia’s big mining corporations are cheaping out on climate action because Labor is rewarding failure, with big taxpayer subsidies and weak emissions policies.

BHP’s decision to back out of clean energy promises – leaving everyone else to do the work – is only possible because Labor’s weak climate policy incentivises inaction.

Labor gives BHP billions in taxpayer funded subsidies so they get cheaper fuel, which they then spend on offsets to avoid reducing emissions. BHP gets this luxury treatment from Labor despite making $91 billion in profit in the last ten years and accounting for a third of our total emissions.

If it wasn’t enough of a rort that these companies are getting massive tax breaks on the diesel they use to fuel the climate crisis, they are raking in mega-profits while doing it.

It’s no wonder when, in the last ten years, BHP alone has donated between $15 and $25 million
to Labor & the Liberals.

Labor, the Liberals and One Nation are hopelessly captured by billionaires & big corporations who are buying them off and maintaining the status quo.

You deserve a Government who will scrap these taxpayer subsidies for fossil fuel corporations and tax their mega-profits so we can invest in the things we need: Dental in Medicare. Affordable housing. Wiping student debt.

Greens Resources spokesperson, Senator Steph Hodgins-May:

It’s clear the fossil fuel industry is happy to talk up climate responsibility when it helps secure approvals, then quietly shelve commitments the second profits are on the line.

BHP has abandoned its climate promises the moment they became commercially inconvenient, and Labor barely blinks while fossil fuel donations keep lining party coffers.

The government should have seen this coming and put real climate safeguards in place. Instead they keep siding with corporate lobbyists over ordinary Australians already paying the price of the climate crisis.

The corporate parties are completely captured. Labor, Liberal and One Nation keep making life easier for billionaires and big polluters, while everyone else is left to deal with the consequences.

Ending one-size-fits-all employment services

The Albanese Labor Government is embarking on once‑in‑a‑generation reform to the employment services system, overhauling Workforce Australia’s one‑size‑fits‑all approach to help more Australians into jobs.

For too long, employment services have treated everyone the same regardless of their skills, experience or the barriers they face. 

That approach has failed many people who need more than basic help to find and keep work.

Despite historically low unemployment, around 1 in 5 Workforce Australia participants – approximately 140,000 people – have been in the system for five years or more, a significantly higher proportion than a decade ago. 

The proposed changes will support more Australian jobseeker into work by introducing three new service streams, with tailored service offerings: 

• A digital service that provides participants with individualised resources and brief interventions when they need it for people who are ready to work and need help finding the right job
• High-quality targeted provider-led support for people who need help to build skills and confidence to return to the job market
• Intensive services for people facing complex barriers providing them with more time, more flexibility and more joined up support to build confidence and capability as they move towards work.

A new assessment and triage system will also be used to identify barriers early and match people with the right level of support from the start — with the flexibility to adjust as circumstances change.

Mutual obligations remain and will become more purposeful, individualised and focused on helping people move towards suitable work.

Job Plans will be replaced by a new Employment Goal Plan, giving people a clearer pathway into work by setting out their goals, barriers and the practical steps needed to succeed.

The Government will take the first step on reforming employment services, with consultation on the design of the new model, to support jobseekers into work sooner. 

To facilitate these changes, we have launched a public discussion paper which is open for submissions until 31 July 2026. 

A expert advisory group will also support this work, alongside targeted consultation with jobseekers, employers, providers and communities.

These reforms seek to redesign the system so support is tailored to individual needs, focused on suitable employment, and deliver better outcomes for participants especially those that have been unemployed for years.

The government is backing these reforms with significant investment of $312.1 million through the recent Budget, including:

• $205.5 million to build the new digital service with personalised tools, training and career support, including $5.9 million to trial a virtual advisory service for parents delivered by Future Women
• $52.6 million for an early targeted roll-out to test and refine the intensive service ahead of a national rollout
• $27.5 million to introduce a new holistic assessment and triaging process
• $26.5 million to increase resourcing for the National Customer Service Line.
• These reforms require significant design detail underneath the overarching framework that will need to be carefully worked through. 

Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Amanda Rishworth:

We are determined to get more Australians into work and to do that we need to move beyond a one size fits all approach to employment.

Under our Government, we have seen the lowest average unemployment rate of any government in the last 50 years, and the creation of over 1.2 million jobs. 

However, there are still too many Australians missing out on the benefits of work, because of barriers to their participation in the labour market.  

For too long, the employment services system has struggled to help people who need more intensive employment support.

This is about ending the one‑size‑fits‑all approach and building a system that recognises people’s individual needs.

We’re getting the fundamentals right: identifying barriers early, matching people to the right support, and helping them move into suitable, meaningful work.

Amanda Rishworth is asked who will decide whether or not to strip unemployed people of benefits if they fail to meet their “mutual obligations”.

We put funding in the previous MYEFO to actually fund more humans in the decision making process, so as we move forward, we are fixing some of those concerns that exist in the current system, but when it comes to compliance into the future, we will be continuing to work through when that applies, but of course compliance will be part of the new system.

Follow-up … so if you have more humans, are you still using bots?

The government is working on automated decision making and a framework across the whole of government, that work has been undertaken by the Attorney-General and will apply to the work done in my department, as it will across. To suggest there will be no automation is just incorrect. There will be, but where it materially affects people, we are people, we are looking at how we make sure there is more human decision makers in place.

Amanda Rishworth has described the new ‘streams’:

Service Stream One will be a new, digital service for people who are digitally literate and close to the labour market. 

As I have outlined, the current Workforce Australia online platform is really only a compliance and administration tool that people use to acquit their mutual obligations. 

So in this Budget, we have delivered $205 million to create an actual digital employment service that will provide participants with individualised resources, training and career mapping. 

Where necessary, jobseekers will also have access to brief interventions and targeted support through a national contact centre. 

This digital service stream will still have the capability to support people to acquit their mutual obligations. 

These mutual obligations will be designed to help a person to achieve employment, with a focus on vocational activities like job searches. 

Compared to what’s currently available, Service Stream One will be a truly effective, efficient way to support participants who require less intensive supports. 

To test ways that we can provide complementary online services, our Government has also provided $5.9 million in this Budget for Future Women to trial a virtual advisory service specifically for parents, to help them move back into work. 

Service Stream Two will deliver high-quality, targeted, provider services for people who are not digitally literate or need more support than the online service can provide. 

There will be a clear expectation that providers will support participants to set individual employment goals, and map out meaningful steps to achieve them. 

Supports under this service stream will focus on what we know works to get people into jobs – like active job coaching, work-ready supports and training linked to in-demand jobs. 

But these supports will also need to work for the participant, by being clearly connected to their employment goals and to jobs that are available where they live. 

Similarly, mutual obligations will also need to be explicitly connected to a participant’s employment goals, with the flexibility to adjust as someone moves closer to the labour market. 

Service Stream Three will deliver intensive services for people who are furthest from the labour market. 

We know many people in this service stream won’t have a linear path into work. 

So this service stream will provide more time, more flexibility and more support to build confidence and capability. 

It will include alternative pathways to employment, including social enterprises. 

And participants will have more options to work towards their employment goals, like mentoring, work experience or volunteering. 

Payments to providers will recognise these longer pathways to employment, and strengthen post-placement support for better employer engagement. 

And providers in this service stream will be distinct from those in service stream two – chosen for their deep community connections and relevant experience in delivering intensive support. 

The mutual obligation requirements in service stream three will focus on meaningful engagement and building someone’s readiness to work.

In this Budget we have delivered $52 million for early, targeted delivery of Service Stream 3 over the next year, so we are ready to roll it out nationally. 

These three distinct service streams will fundamentally reshape our employment services system.

Amanda Rishworth noted that the CES was set up by the Chifley Government. It came out of the glorious and what should be a goddamn sacred document, The 1945 White Paper on Full Employment

That report said this of the CES

57. To these ends, the Employment Service will be designed-
    1. to bring to the notice of men and women seeking employment the full range of opportunities offering, and in particular to find employment offering scope for their abilities.
    2. to enable employers to draw upon suitable labour throughout the Commonwealth.
    3. to provide assistance where necessary to enable employees to move to where employment is available.

58. The Employment Service will also work with the relevant State Government Departments and other governmental agencies whose activities affect the employment situation –
    1. in developing and determining the content of training and retraining courses.
    2. in cooperation with public or private bodies concerned with location of industry, public works, housing, social amenities and similar measures;
    3. in disseminating information concerning labour supply, employment opportunities, the skills required to do particular kinds of work, changes in the skill requirements of particular industries, employment trends, special problems of seasonal and casual employment and other information of value in promoting full employment

Back then full employment was “a fundamental aim of the Commonwealth Government. The Government believes that the people of Australia will demand and are entitled to expect full employment, and that for this purpose it will be able to count on the cooperation of servicemen’s associations, trade unions, employers’ associations and other groups. Because the Referendum was not carried, the cooperation of State Governments and local authorities will be particularly necessary.”

No mention of the “Non-accelerating inflation rate of unemployment” and the need for people to be out of work for the good of the economy…

(It should also be noted that the CES focused on white men)

As we listen to Amanda Rishworth talk about the system here’s a quote from the Government’s Employment White Paper:

The level of direct support – averaging 30 minutes a fortnight – currently available in the system is not sufficient for the most disadvantaged job seekers with multiple barriers. Academic research suggests that while the system may work relatively well for an average job seeker, it has failed those who are most disadvantaged.

Taking the time to invest in people and their skills generally delivers better labour market outcomes over the long term. Nonetheless, the system needs to have flexibility to allow tailored responses to individual needs and circumstances.

The current approach drives down the cost of the income support system by getting people into any job rather than matching them with roles that best suit their skills and interests. Around 44 per cent of job seekers retain their employment following placement for less than 12 weeks. Although the work-first approach has the benefit of minimising labour market scarring and helping people build experience in entry level jobs, it can push job seekers into precarious employment that does not lift them out of disadvantage or into jobs that do not develop or fully use their skills.”

Basically Job providers get rich by just giving people any job, taking the govt money and laughing as they bugger off overseas for their holiday while the unemployed person gets the shitty job that is not suited, leaves it and is back with a job provider. 

What a shitty system.

While we watch Amanda Rishworth talk about whether or not she is going to make things better for the unemployed, let’s have a look at the inflation figures. 

The big news on the inflation front in April was petrol prices.

While holidays had the biggest jump in prices, automotive fuels fell 7% and urban transport fairs fell 20% off the back of policies such as in Victoria of free travel.

The 7% fall in petrol prices might not seem as much as expected given prices went from 258 c/l in March to 180c/l in April.

But we need to remember the CPI is an average of the entire month and so you can see prices were lower by the end of the month. That means May will see another fall in the “average prices”

The ABS also provided some petrol price data going back to 2023 which I was able to combine with some older data that went back to 2020 to show you what has happened to petrol prices over the past 6 years. It’s pretty clear the recent price rise and fall was rather extraordinary

But I know you just want to know what will happen to interest rates. 

To be honest, probably not much. The good news on that front is the price growth of services is slowing

As it the odds of a rate rise in June are negligible

Travis Lovett has led the Walk for Truth to Parliament House. It started on April 19 in Naarm and arrived at its destination on May 27. Lovett, a Kerrupmara Gunditjmara man, first walked from Portland to the Victorian parliament in May last year. This is the next step in his journey to get more Australia’s focused on truth telling and reconciliation. You can read more about that from Douglas Smith’s report in the Guardian.

At parliament, he was greeted by Anthony Albanese:

Next year, just down the road there, we’ll celebrate a century since Parliament first met here in Canberra.

And at that time, it was of course, the First Nations man walked here, because First Nations people weren’t included at that time, of course.

And we know that back in 1901 there was no one from First Nations people at the Royal Exhibition Hall in Melbourne, where just a couple of weeks ago we celebrated the formation of Australia as a Federation, when we came together.

But it is unfinished business, the business of reconciliation.

We, those of us who are either descendants of, who’ve come to Australia as migrants or are descendants of people who’ve come here, share a great privilege, that sharing this continent with the oldest continuous culture on Earth.

And today, like every day, I pay tribute to the Traditional Owners of the land on which we’re meeting, and pay my respect to elders, past, present, and emerging. And Auntie Violet, my friend is here as well, as such an important person here in Canberra.

We have a long way to go.

The journey of reconciliation, though, does advance.

There are bumps in the road.

It’s not a straight journey, as progress never is.

But I assure you that we’ll continue to walk with you.

I had the privilege on Friday night of walking with Michael Long near the G, and that was a very uplifting experience, the celebration that occurred there, recognition of First Nations people in the Sir Doug Nicholls Round.

Something – I was there and Richmond hosted the event.

There was absolute respect.

And we’ll be a stronger nation when there is proper and full recognition of First Nations people, and of course a full acknowledgement of our history, the pluses and the negatives.

But First Nations people are the core, the central part of the Australian story going back 65,000 years.

So, I thank you for your leadership.

I thank everyone who’s come from far and distant lands here, from different countries.

I was with Marion and Malarndirri in Alice, just, seems like a long time ago, but just last Wednesday as well with family and elders there for what has been a very difficult and traumatic experience for First Nations people everywhere.

So, my government will continue to engage with you, and I thank you for being here today.

You’ve got a fantasti, I’m very proud of the Minister that we have following along from the work that Linda Burney did.

Pleased to see so many of my colleagues from the government here.

And we will continue to have engagement and dialogue with you on how we continue to walk towards that objective, which is in the interest not just of First Nations people, but in the interests of uplifting all Australians as well.

Bill Browne

One Nation’s victory in the Farrer by-election earlier this month has been formally confirmed this week.

Farrer is the rural NSW seat formerly held by ex-Liberal leader Sussan Ley and before her a long line of Nationals – but between them, the two Coalition parties barely managed 22% of the vote, behind independent Michelle Milthorpe on 28% and One Nation on 40%.

One Nation candidate David Farley was known to have won the seat on election night, but the Australian Electoral Commission – rightly – takes its time distributing votes to understand how much he won by and how close the runner up came.

This distribution of preferences also gives us insight into voter preferences.

Controversially, the Liberals and Nationals recommended preferences for the far-right One Nation ahead of centrist independent Milthorpe, a move criticised by more moderate Liberals.

But did Liberal and National voters toe the party line?

Not particularly. 

As ABC election analyst Casey Briggs shows on his personal site:

• When the National candidate was excluded, the 11,354 votes sitting with him went 17% Milthorpe, 18% One Nation and 65% to Liberals.  
• When the Liberal candidate was excluded, the 21,553 votes sitting with her went 38% Milthorpe and 62% One Nation.

To be clear, those 11,354 votes sitting with the Nationals were not all #1 Nationals votes. They may have gone #1 Legalise Cannabis, #2 Shooters, #3 Family First and #4 Nationals, for all we know. They are just votes in which the Nationals candidate was ranked higher than the Liberal, One Nation and independent candidates.

But, mathematically, most of the votes sitting with the Nationals and Liberals must have come from Coalition voters – and despite the parties’ how-to-vote cards, those votes only split for One Nation over an independent by about 60–40.  

That creates a problem for the parties of the right. Voters who remain with the Liberals and Nationals have presumably stuck around because One Nation does not particularly appeal to them.

Independent and minor parties may be able to come through the middle and pick up votes from all sides.

Whether Coalition politicians choose a closer relationship with One Nation or a more distant one, it’s ultimately Coalition voters who will decide where their votes go. And that’s only possible thanks to the great Australian preferential voting system, where you decide what happens to your vote.

Jim Chalmers has responded to the CPI – he has held a press conference, but the basics are in here, which was released shortly after the ABS released the April figures:

New figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that inflation moderated in April by more than expected.

The moderation in today’s figures was better than the median expectation of the market.

While this tick down in inflation is welcome, it remains much higher than we’d like and that’s why it’s a big focus for the government.

We already had an inflation challenge in our economy before the conflict in the Middle East, but the war is making it worse and today’s data shows that.

Even after recent developments, the impacts of the conflict will continue to linger in the global economy and we’re not immune from that here in Australia. 

Headline inflation was 4.2 per cent in the 12 months to April 2026, down from 4.6 per cent in March.

In the month of April, headline inflation was 0.4 per cent, down from 1.1 per cent.

Trimmed mean inflation was 3.4 per cent in the 12 months to April 2026, slightly up from the 3.3 per cent in March but monthly growth was steady.

The results show that the Government’s decisive action to slash the fuel excise is helping to take some of the sting out of price pressures from the conflict.

Automotive fuel fell 7.0 per cent in April, after rising 32.8 per cent in March. Treasury analysis shows that our cut to the fuel excise reduced headline inflation by around ½ of a percentage point.

While fuel was a big driver of the moderation in today’s data, it wasn’t the only driver. There was also a welcome moderation in rent and food inflation.

As inflation moderated in Australia in April, it rose in most major advanced economies. Inflation picked up in April in Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the United States.

Inflation remains much lower than we inherited.

When we came to office, headline inflation was north of six per cent and rapidly rising, it’s now much lower than that.

Underlying inflation was around five per cent but it is now much lower.

We understand that people are under pressure which is why we are rolling out responsible cost of living relief including cutting taxes five times in three ways, cuts to the fuel excise and cheaper medicines.

The Australian economy is not immune from global uncertainty and volatility, but we’re well placed and well prepared to confront it with faster growth than any major advanced economy at the end of last year, low unemployment, solid wages growth and stronger public finances.

The Budget we handed down this month delivered smaller deficits, less debt and net policy decisions that improve the bottom line and help keep the pressure off inflation.

We’ve made a lot of progress in the economy, but the job’s not done because people are still under pressure and that’s why helping with the cost of living and addressing inflation continue to be a primary focus for the government.

This story is one of those ones you tell forever (mostly because no one was hurt). I love teenagers, I love their curiosity and I love how they see the world – but what do you mean they just found liquid mercury at the local tip? Who is just dumping liquid mercury?!

Via AAP:

Show and tell has gone horribly wrong in a tiny outback town after children brought vials of liquid mercury to school, triggering a hazardous materials scare that shut down large parts of Cunnamulla.

Believing they’d found something special at the local tip, the teenagers picked up the small bottles and later took them to class.

“Thinking they’d do show and tell with the mercury, I think,” Paroo Shire Council Mayor Suzette Beresford told AAP.

“They were high school kids who probably shouldn’t have been at the dump rummaging.”

Instead of an impromptu science display, the discovery has led to Cunnamulla State School, a BP service station, the hospital waiting room, seven private homes, a council depot and the town’s refuse tip being cordoned off while authorities race to contain any contamination.

Some families have been moved into an evacuation centre while emergency crews assess whether their homes are safe.

The mercury scare has effectively frozen daily life in Cunnamulla, a town of about 1000 people some eight hours’ drive west of Brisbane.

The state school, which has about 130 students, has been shut since Monday.

Authorities believe the mercury may be linked to the illegal dumping of medical waste, but they can’t confirm that the dumping was deliberate.

“Whether the people knew there was mercury in whatever they dumped … that’s something we really don’t know much about at this stage,” Ms Beresford said.

The children had been checked and cleared by health staff, she said.

“The children were sent to the hospital, and they were cleared and good to go,” Ms Beresford added.

“Nobody’s sick, everybody’s right. We’ve now got the QFES people there, the specialist HAZMAT people, and they’re going through remediating the sites until we get the all clear.”

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services crews are conducting atmospheric monitoring and site testing across the town and say decontamination could take at least two days, with more locations possibly being added as the investigation continues.

The April CPI figures are out and it sees a fall in the annual rate from 4.6% to 4.2%. 

The monthly growth was 0.4%, but the seasonally adjusted monthly rate – which takes into account what usually happens to prices in April fell 0.1% 

The big drop in prices was obviously petrol 

Underlying inflation moved up a smidge, but not much

I’ll be back later with a more detailed breakdown

The ABS reports:

In the 12 months to April 2026:

• The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 4.2%, down from 4.6% in the 12 months to March 2026.
• The largest contributors to annual inflation were Housing (+6.3%), Transport (+6.6%) and Food and non-alcoholic beverages (+2.8%).
• Trimmed mean inflation was 3.4%, up from 3.3% in the 12 months to March 2026.

In the month of April, the CPI rose 0.4% in original terms and fell 0.1% in seasonally adjusted terms.

In just a few short minutes the ABS will release the latest monthly inflation figures. These tend to zig zag a bit more than the quarterly figures and can send the RBA board into a panic (although the market does not expect another rate rise)

We will bring you what they mean shortly after they drop.

Bill Browne

Gail Furness is the Inspector of the National Anti-Corruption Commission. She “watches the watchmen”, in other words she is responsible for ensuring the integrity of the NACC, even as the NACC is responsible for ensuring the integrity of the rest of the public sector.

She appeared at Senate Estimates yesterday, in a later session to that of the NACC. 

Ms Furness made the first finding of officer misconduct against Commissioner Brereton, in 2024.

It was publicly known that earlier this year she commenced a new investigation.

Last night, she revealed that she has commenced a second, unrelated investigation into Commissioner Brereton. Understandably, she was not able to give much information. 

Dr Gemma Killen, Executive Director of the Working with Women Alliance, welcomed changes to the employment services system and to mutual obligations, so long as they do not create further barriers to accessing income support.

“The current design of mutual obligations and the employment services system places disproportionate pressure on women who are often navigating complex barriers to work such as caring responsibilities, disability, trauma, or poverty.

“The system’s underlying assumption – that people will not seek work without the threat of penalty – fails to recognise both the complexity of unemployment and the essential social and economic contributions of unpaid labour, most of which is performed by women.

“We know that in the current system, women are more likely to be placed in insecure, casualised or short-term work where they routinely face discrimination or harassment. Without ongoing or practical support, women are landing in unsafe jobs or being penalised by the mutual obligations system for not accepting or tolerating unsafe or insecure jobs.”

David Richardson 

Another day, day 15 after the budget, and the press is still full of stories trying to evoke sympathy for the downtrodden rich in Australia. 

Today the Financial Review carried an opinion piece by Geoff Francis, a former Treasury official, complaining about the Government’s plans to tax capital gains.  He says: 

Most Australians start their working lives relying on labour income, build their wealth during their working lives and become reliant on savings income in retirement… savings/investment income should be taxed more lightly than labour. People save from after-tax income, that is, the money that remains after they have been taxed on their labour. Tax savings too heavily and it distorts in favour of consuming now instead of saving for the future.

Francis defers to the Henry Review of taxation that said much the same and so recommended concessional treatment for investment income. 

If it is true that wealth is just ordinary people salting away their hard-eared income to build a nest egg for retirement we might have some sympathy. 

So what do the facts show? 

The ABS provides the data that can clarify this issue with a few simple calculations. The household sector, which includes unincorporated business, saved 5.7 per cent of its disposable income or $102 billion but its wealth grew by $1,564 billion in the four quarters to December 2025. Why the difference? In a word capital gains. Savings adds to wealth but so do capital gains and while savings accounts for 6.5% of the increase in household wealth, capital gains accounts for the rest which was 93.5%.  

It is also worth pointing out total household savings was $102 billion which would include the $71 billion due to net contributions to superannuation based on APRA’s data to June 2025. 

So it is bunkum for the rich say all that wealth is taboo for tax purposes because it is hard earned savings. Savings explains just 6.5% of the increase in household wealth and most of that is superannuation anyway. And super is taxed concessionally which raises its own issues. 

Well we might ask why ordinary Australians are taxed more than those whose income and wealth grow without having to get out of bed. 

Alice Grundy

Yesterday the Allan Government in Victoria announced that it will accept 15 of the recommendations from the Rapid Review into Victoria’s Firearm Laws. 

One point they won’t act on is limiting the number of firearms a licence holder can own. Instead, [http://weeding out evil people who get their hands on one single gun.]Allan said they will focus on “weeding out evil people who get their hands on one single gun”.

Australia Institute research has shown that theft of licenced firearms is the single biggest source of new firearms going onto the black market. If the government is serious about limiting criminal access to firearms then limiting the number of guns in the community is a good place to start. 

Refusing to introduce firearm caps makes Victoria out of step with other states including NSWand WA, which have already legislated firearm ownership limits, and ACT whose own recent inquiry into firearms recommends ownership caps. Those new laws are already working: the number of guns in NSW has gone down for the first time in decades.

Polling has repeatedly shown that most Australians want strict firearm legislation — regardless of where they are on the political spectrum. 

Australia needs consistent firearm laws across jurisdictions given the ease of crossing borders. The Allan Government is missing a major opportunity to introduce laws in line with community sentiment that would support community safety. 

Anara Watson

After almost three years, the sealed chapter of the Robodebt Royal Commission report was tabled in Parliament in March, following the National Anti Corruption Commission’s publication of its Robodebt investigation report.

Contained within that sealed chapter were the names of the eight public servants who were referred to their agency heads for alleged breaches to the APS Code of Conduct for their role in Robodebt.

In the Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee, Greens Senator Barbara Pocock has just asked the Public Service Commission how many of these employees are still employed in the public sector.

According to Melanie McIntyre, General Counsel and Assistant Commissioner of Integrity Operations at the Public Service Commission, as at September 2024, sanctions were recommended for 5 public servants, including reprimands, fines and demotions.

The Commission has taken Senator Pocock’s question on notice.

Bill Browne

Yesterday, the NACC Commissioner Paul Brereton appeared before Senate Estimates for the first time. In the past, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has been represented by the CEO (an administrative role), but this time the Senate required the Commissioner’s attendance.

It came just one day after Commissioner Brereton announced he would resign in July, since investigations into him personally had distracted from the work of the NACC.

His resignation is an opportunity for a reset at the NACC, after it was created with such hope and promise three years ago. The Albanese Government could set the NACC up for success by allowing it to hold public hearings whenever they are in the public interest – as 9,000 Australians have already called for.  

Commissioner Brereton came under sustained questioning from Greens, Liberal, independent and One Nation senators – particularly in relation to potential conflicts of interest from his ongoing work and professional relationship with the Australian Defence Force.

Senator David Shoebridge asked why the Commissioner had not taken “a precautionary approach to conflicts of interest”, since he is the highest-ranking integrity officer in the country. “You wear the uniform, you go to functions.”

He rejected as a false equivalency the Commissioner’s argument that his ADF connections were equivalent to church attendance, something that was a personal matter and no one else’s business.

Questions from One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts confirmed that there have only been three prosecutions emerging from NACC investigations, other than matters inherited from an older, more limited integrity body.

Senator Roberts alluded to the defensive approach Commissioner Brereton had taken, saying:

“With respect, Commissioner Brereton, the people – and there are quite a few – who are complaining about your behaviour or your perceived conflicts [of interest], I wouldn’t see as enemies, naturally, before you.”

Stone-faced, Commissioner Brereton replied:

“Well, you may not know who my natural enemies are.”

Angus Taylor and the Nationals leadership have spent the morning in Bungendore (just outside of Canberra) at Wynella Farm. It was a photo op about how the government’s modest tax changes were ruining the country, or something.

Here is how Mike Bowers saw it:

Also worth noting ahead of Amanda Rishworth’s speech is that the budget papers showed there would be a revising down of the amount of money spent on Jobseeker – about 3.8 per cent, or a $700m saving over two years.

That is weird because the RBA is trying to increase unemployment. So why would treasury think that Jobseeker spending was going down?

Here is something I wrote for the New Daily a couple of weeks ago:

So far, the potential number of unlawful cancellations identified sits above 300,000, and that’s before you consider the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s questions around the lawfulness of how payment suspensions are administered.

Every year around 2.7 million payment suspension notices are issued, and penalties attached to those suspensions remain, despite how many times the government is warned the issue risks becoming its own Robodebt.

At the same time as the RBA is raising interest rates to make more people unemployed, in a heavy-handed attempt to tackle potential future inflation, Treasury is revising down expenditure in Jobseeker, claiming there will be a 3.8 per cent drop or saving of $700 million over two years.

Poverty advocates like the Antipoverty Centre can’t make sense of it, and wonder if it means the government plans to make accessing the unemployment benefit even more difficult. You can’t blame them for their scepticism.

Andrew Brown for AAP

The department responsible for investigating war crimes has asked the federal anti-corruption commission to probe leaks to the media about the arrest of Ben Roberts-Smith.

The Victoria Cross recipient was arrested in April and charged with murdering or ordering the murders of five unarmed detainees while deployed in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012.

The former SAS soldier has promised to use the upcoming trial to clear his name.

Appearing before a parliamentary budget hearing on Tuesday, the head of the Office of the Special Investigator, said he was surprised the media had knowledge of the arrest of Roberts-Smith.

Chris Moraitis said the war crimes investigator and the Australian Federal Police had written to the National Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate.

“It’s matter that concerns me. The media seem to have been privy to things, and therefore we’re taking steps to ascertain what happened there,” he told the hearing on Tuesday night.

“We believe there’s an unauthorised disclosure.

“It surprised me that that would happen, because we’re usually pretty good on keeping a low profile.”

When asked how the media might have known about the arrest ahead of time, the director general responded: “Good question”.

The federal corruption watchdog has yet to respond to the agencies’ request.

Mr Moraitis also revealed the investigator had tried to contact Attorney-General Michelle Rowland about the arrest ahead of time, but the message had gone to a voicemail.

The investigator’s director of investigations Ross Barnett said the agency had carried out careful planning for the arrest, and the choice to arrest Roberts-Smith at Sydney Airport was needed.

“In this particular case, the operational planning process did not support the option of an arrest by appointment,” he said.

Today at the National Press Club, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Amanda Rishworth is to announce changes to the mutual obligations system for Australia’s unemployed. 

While the precise details remain unknown it has been clear ever since mutual obligation and notion “work for the dole” came into being that they fail those looking for work. 

The other failure is the Job Network system entirely. 

Mutual obligations have always been about punishment rather than helping people get a job – it comes from the Howard belief that being unemployed is a failure of the person and that receiving unemployment benefits is something you should be grateful for and more than that, should have to earn.

Then it was decided to privatise the employment system and get rid of the old CES. And as everyone knows when you privatize a public service you make it all about the profit and you end up with someone like Sarina Russo who recently said to the Courier Mail

“Everyone’s going, ‘Oh, what’s in the (May federal) budget?’, well, really, what’s in your budget, and what are you going to do with what you’ve got?  Maybe you need a second job. Maybe you need a third job. Maybe you need higher education. Maybe you need to learn AI.”

Gross stuff. 

The 2023 Employment White paper slammed the system pointing out that Job Networks were great at “finding” jobs for highly-skilled people in cities who didn’t need help, but useless for people in regions, those who were disadvantaged or had low skills. 

Earlier this year the government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee recommended:

“the Government to commit to a timeframe for the creation of a new employment services system and to replace the current Targeted Compliance Framework (TCF) with a new and less punitive employment services system which upholds the right to social security and provides natural justice for people using the service.”

More specially it recommended:

• Immediately stop all Centrelink payment penalties, including suspensions, reductions and cancellations related to compulsory activities. 
• End the Targeted Compliance Framework and move to a new employment services system which upholds the right to social security and provides natural justice for people using the service. As recommended by the Select Committee on Workforce Australia Employment Services, this should include trialing incentives to enhance positive engagement with employment services. 
• Implement the Digital Protections Framework to protect people’s basic human rights and ensure the system complies with administrative law principles.

Rishworth will likely take a softly-softly approach. But let us hope there are some real changes. 

But of course the other big change that is needed is to increase the rate of Jobseeker.

Right now it is around 42% below the poverty line – lower than it ever was even during the time of John Howard

While the government is busy announcing what it is pretending to be the ‘biggest’ reform to welfare in 30 years, it might be timely to revisit the last ‘biggest reform to welfare’ which was announced by Scott Morrison in 2015.

That was in response to the McClure review and it was supposed to do these things:

* People with a disability, parents, carers, students and the jobless would get a tiered working-age payment recognising their ability to work.

* Those with a more severe disability who cannot work more than eight hours a week would get a supported living pension.

* A means-tested payment would be paid to parents or guardians with kids under 22, but conditional on regular immunisations and school attendance.

* A means-tested payment for carers.

* No change to existing age pension payment.

* Supplements for housing, child and family, education and carer and disability costs.

* No reduction in the value of payment rates.

* A “Passport to Work” that ensures no disincentives to work if employment hours change and ensures retention of concession cards.

That might seem like a bit of a tiered system to players at home.

But the biggest issue is that the government is doing nothing to address the unlawfully administered “mutual” obligations system, which involves a compliance framework around compulsory activities. That’s the big elephant in the room here.

The AFR has released its annual Rich List and there are EIGHT newcomer billionaires on the list, with 15 new entrants overall.

It’s mostly tech, property and manufacturing which has led to the billionaire boom, although the owners of White Fox (the oversized hoodies loved by Gen Z) have also cracked the list.

Anyway, Australia now has 188 billionaires, according to the list. Which is an increase from last year, when there were 170 billionaires.

Approximately 14% of the population live in poverty, according to ACOSS and almost one million people hold multiple jobs.

I am sure it’s not related at all.

On today’s estimates schedule we have:

Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee 

Australian Public Service Commission

Workplace Gender Equality Agency

Department of Finance (12pm)

Environment and Communications Legislation Committee

Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts

Australian Communications and Media Authority (1:15pm)

Office of the eSafety Commissioner  (3:15pm)

Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee

National Emergency Management Agency  

Department of Home Affairs (incl. Australian Border Force and Illicit Tobacco and E-cigarette Commissioner)  (10:45)

1.1 Transport Security 1.2 National Security and Resilience 1.3 Cyber Security 1.4 Counter Terrorism 1.5 Regional Cooperation

Anthony Albanese has continued his love of FM radio – here he is speaking to Nova Brisbane about – you guessed it – the Origin.

PRIME MINISTER: I’m in Canberra, so I’ll be watching it on the television tonight. We’ll probably have a few Queenslanders and Blues supporters around to watch it on the telly when Parliament finishes.
 
HOST: So, who do you have over? Do you have other politicians over or do you have –
 
HOST: A good question.
 
HOST: Do you have friends outside politics that you can invite over so you don’t have to, you know, talk politics all the time?
 
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, we’ll probably have pollies, that’s the truth. Anika Wells, though, she gets so excited –
 
HOST: Proud Queenslander.
 
PRIME MINISTER: And Jim Chalmers, they’re all very passionate. You got to be very careful of what tie you wear on Origin Day because if you wear the wrong colour, you’ll be in big trouble. So, I of course will be wearing a blue tie today.
 
HOST: I always say Albo that you’re –
 
HOST: It’s very Liberal –
 
HOST: Political joke.
 
HOST: I always say you’re your worst version of yourself on Origin Day because you get passionate. How do you go like, do you get your, do you swear a little bit? Get your bogan on when you’re watching it?
 
PRIME MINISTER: Oh yeah, I do a little bit. You know any team that I follow seems to get the rough end of the pineapple from referees.
 
HOST: Here we go.
 
HOST: There it is.
 
PRIME MINISTER: It’s just the way that it happens. But I remember the days of – Mr. Gomersall was an interesting referee –
 
HOST: The Grasshopper.
 
HOST: Yeah, he was the –
 
HOST: He was the Queensland referee there. Everyone’s all the Blues, they hate him. Say he was biased. He used to love Wally.
 
PRIME MINISTER: He should have worn a Maroons jumper.
 
HOST: No.
 
HOST: Here we go.
 
HOST: We got Ashley Klein, now he’s a Blue. So, anyway, no, well, Albo, mate, thanks for coming on.
 
HOST: It should be a cracker tonight. Enjoy it, mate.
 
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, well, happy Origin Day everyone. It’ll be absolutely fantastic. It’s really good. Congrats to the NRL too. Just a shout out to Andrew Abdo, retiring CEO. I think he’s done a fantastic job.
 
HOST: Incredible job. And keep, keep funding sport. It’s an important thing for the country. It’s a cultural, important thing.
 
PRIME MINISTER: Absolutely it is. In the end there’s a whole lot of science as well, tells you that if we get kids playing sport and people being fitter, it actually saves money on the health Budget and everything else as well.
 
HOST: Of course it does.
 
PRIME MINISTER: So, important for people’s mental health.
 

News Corp is making a giant deal out of the ‘scuffle’ at an Australian airport following the arrival of women and children returning from Syria – as if The Australian didn’t publish their flight times and arrival information in the national newspaper, creating the very scenario for ‘scuffles’ and ‘chaos’ to occur.

For what it is worth, there were no arrests as the group arrived overnight, but they are being monitored by security agencies and investigations are ongoing.

Missing from a lot of these reports is that women and children have been returning from Syrian refugee camps since the Morrison government and we have heard nothing further – because a lot of work is being done to help the children integrate into Australian life, including deprogramming, intense therapy and other educational help. Police and security agencies know where the different women and their children are, they are being monitored and so far – crickets. Those found to have broken Australian laws are being investigated or have been charged.

This is a rightwing beat up that most other media have jumped on board. There is no suggestion that there will be no consequences, but what sort of country are we if we think its normal to turn our back on citizens – including children who have done no wrong and made no choices – just because it is politically expedient?

Claims data centres are adding renewables to the grid and aiding decarbonisation have been challenged by a prominent environment group that’s calling for a moratorium on development.

In a comprehensive report, Greenpeace has interrogated the industry’s environmental credentials, accusing it of failing to cover its own emissions with new solar and wind and “heaping massive new load” onto the grid.

It’s also sharply critical of data centre proposals that include onsite gas generation, including a NSW Cloud Carrier project involving a 700-megawatt power plant, and questions the “critical infrastructure” status given “AI is being used for abuse, war and other human rights violations”.

Australia has become the second biggest destination for data centre investments worldwide as tech companies rush to meet demand for AI tools.

Questions have been levelled at the sizeable energy, water and land usage needed for the computing power, with a diversity of views among civil society.

While governments have been broadly welcoming of the business investment, concerns have not gone unheeded, with state and federal energy ministers – Queensland excluded – in favour of 100 per cent renewable energy offsets for new data centre proposals.

The Greenpeace report, led by independent climate analyst Ketan Joshi who has been studying data centre environmental issues closely, casts doubt on claims operators are already building new clean energy as “unsubstantiated”. 

Renewable energy credits used by some players are unlikely to be amounting to true additional energy, the report said.

Even the use of power purchasing agreements – contracts with buyers to sell energy upon completion – was questionable as solar and wind projects scrutinised were often close to finalisation and unlikely reliant on the data centre support to go ahead.

Mr Joshi said the findings challenged the notion data centres were actually accelerating the clean energy transition and helping meet net zero goals.

“Unless the data centre industry builds no new fossil fuels and far more new renewables than new demand, we end up worse off,” he said.

“Currently data centres increase coal and gas output and delay shutdowns, while plugging polluting gas into data centres does the damage directly instead.”

Lobby group Data Centre Australia says the industry has invested billions in grid and recycled water infrastructure, is abiding by energy efficiency regulations, and pays 100 per cent of its electricity network costs.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen said data centres could be a “net plus” for the energy system, if done right, while confirming regulatory options were under consideration.

“The best one to look at most urgently is a rule change through the Australian Energy Market Commission to say, ‘if you want a data centre in Australia, great, we welcome the investment, but you’ll bring your own renewable energy and you’ll be flexible and you’ll help us manage the grid’,” he told reporters on Tuesday. 

The Albanese government is also investing $12.4 million into the Rugby League World Cup this October – the series will be played across nine cities in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, and includes money for the Womens’ competition as well.

Albanese:

Australians love rugby league and this World Cup is a chance to show that to the world.
 
This is about packed stadiums, local jobs, children seeing their heroes up close and communities coming together around a game they love.
 
The World Cup will bring communities together across Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, strengthen regional ties and create memories that fans will never forget.
 
Australia has a proud track record of hosting world-class sporting events and this is another chance to show the world what we do best.”
 
 

Morgan Harrington

Back in February, when they were before Senate Estimates, it came to light that Department of Communications had modelled just how much a ban on gambling ads would cost TV, radio, online, and outdoor platforms. But they wouldn’t release the figures, citing the conditions of  contracted they’d signed to get the data.

This is publicly-funded research, conducted by a government department, used to inform the development of public policy — so surely the public has a right to know what the department found? We filed a freedom of information (FOI) request to see if we could get it.

Two months later we got a response and…no, they won’t give us the information either. While the Department confirmed the existence of 38 relevant documents, they denied access for several reasons, including an exemption granted under the Act for documents that have gone to cabinet. Which means the government must have been aware of these numbers as they made the decision earlier this month to not implement the findings of the parliamentary inquiry into online gambling (aka The Murphy Review).

Although the Albanese Government has announced some restrictions on advertising, they have stopped well short of the full ban recommended by the Murphy Review.

So we can’t say how much gambling ads are worth to the networks. But, if broadcast media is dependent on money from gambling ads for survival, there is a simple fix. A 2% levy on gambling companies would be enough to replace all the money the industry spends on advertising across TV, radio and online. And it would mean we wouldn’t have to put up with hearing about the odds when we’re just trying to watch TV.

A full ban would be popular. Australia Institute polling shows that three in four Australians support a ban on gambling advertising. 

So expect to see blue and maroon scarves in the parliament and speeches delivered for the sole purpose of posting on socials to prove to constituents their MP knows about SportsBall.

The PM has already weighed in:

It’s always tough. Queensland fires up and they seem to grow an extra leg at Origin time. But they’re two pretty close sides, I’ve got to say. I don’t think there’s an overwhelming favourite this time round, but I think Nathan Cleary will get us home for the Blues, I certainly hope.
 

The Antipoverty Centre has already responded to Amanda Rishworth’s coming announcement – because, as they rightly point out, what is missing in the dropped reports, is any reference to the welfare compliance scandal of the Targeted Compliance Framework, which was investigated by the Commonwealth Ombudsman. That investigation found the mutual obligations system was being administered unlawfully. And while elements of it have been suspended (because the government is terrified of another Robodebt) it hasn’t been properly addressed.

 Antipoverty Centre spokesperson Jay Coonan said: 

This is like living in Groundhog Day. 

You can’t punish people into employment in an economy designed to keep at least 4 per cent of us unemployed, especially with the RBA aggressively pursuing higher unemployment. 

The current system, just like the one before it, claims to offer tailored support, and Minister Rishworth now seems to be promising us the same again. Many unemployed people want exactly that, but it’s not possible to deliver in any meaningful way under a coercive system. 

It’s not a major overhaul if you keep “mutual” obligations in place. That’s punishment as usual – punishment the government has continued to impose after a Commonwealth Ombudsman investigation raised significant concerns about the number of incorrect penalties applied. 

There are around 2.7 million payment suspension notices issued each year and a huge percentage of them are ultimately reversed because they were incorrect, at enormous personal cost to the people subjected to these penalties. 

The minister must be held accountable for her failure to respond to this welfare compliance scandal instead of distracting from the issue with announcements that fail to address the legal crisis the system is in. 

The Albanese government showed it can do what’s needed when it replaced the harmful compulsory ParentsNext program with a voluntary system designed in consultation with parents. All welfare recipients are asking is that they do exactly the same with other (un)employment services.”

Hello and welcome to hump day – there is a bit to get through today, so we won’t take up too much of your time this early.

Outgoing NACC chair Paul Brereton was pretty defiant in the estimates hearing he was forced to attend last night, claiming he doesn’t need to give any details about his on-going ties to defence (where he was previously part of the Inspector-General of the ADF and its investigations) because he didn’t believe it to be relevant to his job as anti-corruption commissioner:

I was transparent about having an ongoing affiliation with the IGADF, and that I would not be involved (in defence investigations).

Neither the chief executive officer nor others needed to know more than that.

Nor do they need to know whether I go to church on a Sunday, or if so, what church I go to, or whether I play cricket or rugby on a Saturday, and which brand of rugby it might be… the precise nature of what I am doing is beside the point.”

Oh cool beans. Case closed then, I guess.

But as AAP reports, there was also:

A separate inquiry into the NACC’s decision not to follow up referrals from the royal commission into Robodebt found Mr Brereton had engaged in officer misconduct because he failed to remove himself from the decision-making process despite being affected by apprehended bias.

After reconsidering its decision, the commission eventually found two public servants involved in the Robodebt scandal had engaged in serious corrupt conduct.

On that, Brereton thinks that other officials are now “terrified”, as AAP reports:

Mr Brereton said the misconduct finding against him had struck fear into other officials at the corruption watchdog.

“We now have a commission in which staff are terrified of making any mistake of fact or law because they fear they will be visited with a finding of officer misconduct,” he said.

Again, cool beans.

In other news, we have Amanda Rishworth’s press club speech today, where she will be announcing a new employment services model, after 30 years of one size fits all mutual obligations.

Now we will be funnelling unemployed people into three different ‘streams’:

Stream one – ready to work, mostly digital

Stream two – private providers involved, sounds like lots of useless forced ‘confidence’ courses

Stream three – seems like what we have now, but perhaps more intense – ‘intensive’ support for people with ‘complex’ barriers to work.

Mutual obligations are going to be changed, but I am going to bet my next coffee that it won’t be scraped. So stay tuned for that.

You have all the experts you need, my tired butt and the incredible skills of Mike Bowers at your disposal. It’s time for coffee number three and some chocolate (it is, after all, hump day) so shall we begin?