Key occasions
What we discovered, Wednesday 19 August
Achol Arok
So much has occurred at the moment, however that’s the place we’ll go away our reside protection.
Earlier than we go, let’s recap the day’s high headlines:
Thanks for sticking round; we’ll see you tomorrow to do it yet again!
Marcia Langton tells antisemitism royal fee racism must be tackled in ‘coordinated approach’
Earlier, the royal fee heard proof from First Nations advocate and senior educational Marcia Langton about racism that she had skilled in her private {and professional} life, AAP studies.
The Yiman and Didjara girl and senior educational was a key contributor to the royal fee into Aboriginal deaths in custody from 1989 to 1992, together with her workforce gathering proof from folks residing in distant Aboriginal communities.
On Wednesday, Langton instructed the listening to she was arrested by NT police who have been sad together with her work, alleging police have been behind an incident the place the door of her Darwin lodge room was kicked in throughout the evening. She instructed the fee:
The door was damaged; it was off its hinges, so it seemed like an explosion, and the [hotel] supervisor was stumped and clearly frightened.
The matter didn’t go any additional.
Segregation of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal folks was regular throughout Langton’s childhood in south-west Queensland.
She was expelled from a Brisbane highschool after objecting to her trainer reciting a “very racist” poem to the category.
That racism in direction of First Nations folks remained a part of Queensland’s tradition to at the present time, Langton mentioned.
Aboriginal and Jewish folks have a longstanding alliance as a result of each communities skilled genocide, she mentioned, and that bigotry in opposition to each teams was knowledgeable by “myths and lies”.
As a part of a gaggle of different main social science consultants, Langton really useful the federal government implement a coordinated response to all types of antisemitism, racism and social division. She mentioned:
In the mean time, the strategy is cut up up with all these committees and dealing teams, and we have to carry all of it collectively and deal with racism and xenophobia in a scientific approach, in a coordinated approach.
Jewish-Muslim dialogue stalled after terror assaults, royal fee hears
An interfaith chief says Jewish and Muslim communities have stopped interacting since terror assaults, AAP studies.
Religion Communities Council of Victoria’s Sandy Kouroupidis gave proof about work the group did to advertise concord between folks of various faiths at a royal fee on antisemitism and social cohesion.
The 14 December 2025 Bondi bloodbath, and the 7 October 2023 Nova music competition assault in Israel by Hamas, had a huge effect on Victoria’s Jewish group and its relationships with different spiritual teams, he mentioned.
Interplay between the Muslim and Jewish communities has stopped altogether, Kouroupidis mentioned. He mentioned.
Now we have two vice-chairs; certainly one of them is the chair of the Islamic Council of Victoria and the opposite one is the chair of the Jewish Neighborhood Council of Victoria.
It has been very, very difficult to get these two communities in the identical room.
Jewish folks had stopped attending interfaith occasions and faculties stopped collaborating in visits to Muslim and Christian institutes, Kouroupidis mentioned. He mentioned:
Loads of the Jewish faculties merely don’t really feel secure.
Tanya Plibersek condemns on-line misogynistic victim-blaming following AFL sexual assault allegation revelations
The federal social providers minister, Tanya Plibersek, has condemned the web misogynistic and victim-blaming commentary after the choice to face down 5 Sydney Swans gamers over a breach of requirements linked to an investigation into an allegation of sexual assault.
Following the information, social media platforms have been flooded with abuse focusing on girls who got here ahead.
Talking on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, Plibersek mentioned:
It’s disgusting, and isn’t this simply one of many causes so few girls come ahead?
One of many causes folks don’t come ahead is precisely the type of social media backlash we’ve seen at the moment, with surprising cases of misogyny and victim-blaming. It’s extremely disappointing and that’s when our establishments want to face up probably the most.
No arrests or prices have been laid in reference to the allegation.
Tanya Plibersek welcomes AFL participant bans after hyperlinks to sexual assault allegation investigation
The federal social providers minister, Tanya Plibersek, has welcomed the Sydney Swans’ choice to ban 5 gamers for “critical breach” of requirements over an incident that has been linked to an allegation of sexual assault.
No arrests or prices have been laid in reference to the allegation.
Talking on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, she referred to as on the AFL to recognise that it “performs an essential function in our group” as an organisation that “boys and younger males look as much as”.
I’m actually happy to listen to about a number of the measures the membership has taken at the moment.
It is very important present that sporting golf equipment, faculties and different establishments take allegations of sexual assault critically.
It’s actually essential that, in any response, we centre victims and survivors of sexual assault. Listening to the membership take robust measures is a very essential step ahead.
Luca Ittimani
Monetary victims to obtain much less compensation below Labor reforms, Selection says
Victims of monetary establishments’ failures are set to obtain smaller payouts below authorities reforms to a compensation scheme, a shopper group has warned.
The assistant treasurer, Daniel Mulino, outlined the reforms to the compensation scheme of final resort (CSLR) at the moment as a part of Labor’s response to the collapses of funding funds Defend and First Guardian.
The CSLR will now solely pay out on customers’ precise losses, moderately than anticipated losses. The scheme is funded by sure kinds of firms working in lending and monetary recommendation however has grown costlier. Australians with self-managed tremendous funds might even have to start out paying levies to fund the scheme.
The Australian Banking Affiliation welcomed the reform, with its chief government, Simon Birmingham, urging all politicians to help the reforms to “scale back prices throughout the monetary trade”.
Client group Selection says the adjustments will “water down” the CSLR and Treasury had not defined how badly the reforms might value victims. Head of coverage Morgan Campbell mentioned:
The price of the CSLR for the monetary recommendation trade is so excessive as a result of there may be a lot extra misconduct within the sector than anybody thought when the scheme was arrange. The monetary recommendation trade must be targeted on cleansing itself up, moderately than urgent the federal government to water down the compensation obtainable to victims.
ADF joins seek for lacking 18-year-old bushwalker
Australian defence power personnel have joined the seek for 18-year-old Lily Hooper, who has been lacking in Nattai nationwide park within the southern highlands for per week.
Hooper was final seen leaving a house on Burragorang Highway in Oakdale at about 8am final Wednesday to go climbing. Her household reported her lacking after she did not return house by 10pm.
Her automobile was discovered close to the Bonnum Pic strolling path within the nationwide park at about 11pm that evening.
About 200 emergency providers and defence personnel are persevering with air and land searches throughout the world, utilizing specialist crews, path bikes, horses, canine and helicopters.
Hooper is described as being of Caucasian look, about 175 centimetres tall, with a slim construct, lengthy blonde hair and blue eyes. She was final seen sporting a shirt and shorts.
Learn extra:
Ima Caldwell
Journey subsidies introduced for households hit by Victoria Go closure
The NSW authorities has prolonged monetary help to Blue Mountains households dealing with prolonged faculty commutes, backdating faculty drive subsidies to the beginning of the Victoria Go closure in March.
Eligible college students residing in Hartley, Little Hartley, Hartley Vale, Kanimbla and Oberon can declare the subsidy. The latest fee is $0.75 per km for journey by automobile.
Guardian Australia just lately spoke with mother and father from Little Hartley, together with Edwina McCarron, who spends hours every faculty day driving her two youngsters to entry a extra direct bus route:
We didn’t transfer to Hartley with the idea that it’s an remoted space … we moved 20 minutes from our children’ faculty.
The brand new help additionally commits to “additional enhancements to high school bus providers which have been in place since time period 3 commenced”.
A Hartley Households Community survey reveals common commute instances have surged by two to 3 hours, with spokesperson Steve McCammon citing a major influence on household wellbeing. The group is lobbying authorities to permit faculty buses on to a restricted local-access street, requiring joint approval from Transport NSW, and the Lithgow and Blue Mountains councils.
Learn the total story:
Ima Caldwell
$100m federal funding enhance for Blue Mountains freeway
The federal authorities has dedicated $100m to the Nice Western Freeway, funding an additional eastbound climbing lane for the hyperlink between the Blue Mountains and central west.
The NSW roads minister, Jenny Aitchison, mentioned widening the street will permit motorists “to securely overtake slower-moving autos and vans”.
Victoria Go has been closed since March, redirecting drivers on to harmful detours and typically including hours to common commutes. A substitute construction over the collapsing, 194-year-old Mitchells Causeway is predicted to open between April and June 2026, with the state authorities having already dedicated $100m from its 2026-27 funds.
The NSW shadow regional transport minister, Paul Toole, welcomed the federal announcement however mentioned there’s a “lack of enterprise help”:
Guarantees of round the clock work imply nothing to those communities, they want and deserve an correct opening date.
Affected companies reporting a 40% loss can entry grants of as much as $25,000. In late June, an extra $20m in monetary help was revealed to extend small enterprise grants in some areas to $25,000.
Krishani Dhanji
Thanks all for becoming a member of alongside on the weblog with me at the moment!
I’ll go away you with Achol Arok and see you right here vibrant and early tomorrow.
Tl;dr right here’s what occurred in query time
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The veterans’ affairs minister, Matt Keogh, and the housing minister, Clare O’Neil, have been firmly within the opposition’s sights at the moment.
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It bought to the purpose the place Angus Taylor requested Anthony Albanese if he would sack Keogh over his dealing with of veterans after a call to cap particular person funding of allied well being providers to $5,000.
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Amanda Rishworth may need been listening too carefully to the opposition this week, unintentionally saying “labour liar loophole” as an alternative of “labour rent loophole”.
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O’Neil accused the opposition of extra division after a query from an unbiased on the 5% deposit scheme being utilized by everlasting residents.
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And two Labor MPs have been kicked out at the moment, Dan Repacholi and Libby Coker, for making an excessive amount of noise on the backbench.
Nationwide debt reaches $30k per particular person
Patrick Commins
Australia’s nationwide web debt has doubled over the previous decade to $30,000 per particular person, and is ready to climb by an extra 50% by the top of the last decade, in keeping with the Parliamentary Finances Workplace.
The unbiased PBO in its newest nationwide fiscal outlook pulled collectively the budgets from the federal and state and territory governments to current a whole image of the nation’s funds.
Regardless of warning of the rising value of servicing that debt, the PBO finds that Australia’s “long-term fiscal outlook is sustainable”.
This evaluation that we’re not headed for fiscal catastrophe is underpinned by commonwealth and state governments’ forecasts that deficits will slender and ultimately disappear by the top of this decade.
The PBO’s “fiscal sustainability evaluation” reveals that in 24 out of 27 situations nationwide debt as a share of GDP will decline over the following 4 many years.
This means that the nationwide fiscal place is prone to stay sustainable besides in probably the most excessive circumstances, the place state funds balances don’t enhance whereas rates of interest are excessive or GDP progress slows markedly.
In fact, this assumes no new insurance policies that might have an effect on authorities income or bills, in both course.
Sam Reinhardt, the parliamentary funds officer, in a current speech famous that whereas this assumption “is a wise and clear approach to put together a funds, it might probably nonetheless lead the printed outlook to understate future bills relative to what’s prone to happen in follow”.
After a closing dixer to the small enterprise minister, Anne Aly, the PM calls time on QT.
Earlier than he leaves the chamber, he provides a shoutout to Sydney Morning Herald and the Age author Tony Wright, who’s “calling it a day” after 50 years in journalism.
‘Disgraceful reflex for division’: O’Neil takes goal at Coalition on migration
Impartial MP Rebekha Sharkie asks the housing minister why Australian residents are uncovered to the chance of mortgage default from non-citizens accessing the 5% house deposit scheme.
Clare O’Neil says solely everlasting residents, not momentary visa holders, are eligible for the scheme, who she says are prone to have already lived in Australia for a very long time.
These are people who find themselves working as medical doctors and nurses. They’re aged care employees caring for our aged, carers who’re working in incapacity and different sectors.
She then turns to the opposition, to start out taking some jabs, however the Coalition rapidly stands as much as shut that down.
There’s a bunch of (frankly fairly boring) argy bargy over whether or not O’Neil can use her reply to criticise the opposition. Milton Dick guidelines she will do some evaluate and distinction so long as it’s related.
So O’Neil continues:
I used to be reporting to the parliament that within the sitting break, the chief of the opposition was busted saying behind closed doorways Labor has made the 5% deposit program obtainable to anybody the day they arrive within the nation. And I wish to name that out, Speaker, as a result of it speaks to the disgraceful reflex for division that they bring about reverse to the issues in our nation.
It is a program our authorities is extremely happy with – 260,000 folks have the keys to their very own house at the moment due to this unbelievable help that we’re providing. Not solely have they targeted on division, they don’t have a single smart factor to say about housing.
‘I’ve each confidence’: Albanese rejects name to sack Keogh
There’s been a gradual crescendo within the questions put to the veterans’ affairs minister, which has now reached its peak with Angus Taylor asking his first query of the day, and placing to the prime minister that he ought to “sack this incompetent and disrespectful minister”.
Earlier than Anthony Albanese can begin talking, Milton Dick boots out Labor MP Libby Coker for interjecting.
The prime minister says:
I’ve each confidence within the minister for veterans’ affairs.
Albanese says he considers it “one of many nice privileges” as an MP and prime minister to have interaction with women and men who’ve served for Australia who “deserve our whole respect always for what they do”.
He then begins talking in regards to the system the federal government inherited, and the actions the previous veterans affairs minister below the Coalition needed to take, which will get Phil Thompson to face up and object. However Albanese sits down, indicating he’s completed together with his reply.
Allegra Spender asks treasurer to curb ‘pink tape impulse’
Impartial MP Allegra Spender is up subsequent and asks the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, what extra the federal government will do to chop pink tape. She says the funds went a way in direction of spending constraint however “didn’t curb what the [Productivity Commission] calls Australia’s pink tape impulse”.
Chalmers says the finance minister, Katy Gallagher, is the minister answerable for regulation and that the federal government is doing one thing about it.
Our expectation right here is that the mix of our efforts on regulation will lower compliance prices in our financial system by greater than $10bn a yr, Mr Speaker. Nearly a tenth of that’s within the monetary sector a lone.
Matt Keogh faces extra questions on therapy of veterans
The questions for Matt Keogh proceed, with Liberal MP Phil Thompson now asking the minister if he’s calling a former fighter jet pilot, Tim Nelson, a “liar” after he yesterday mentioned he disagreed with Nelson’s characterisation of their assembly.
Keogh gives a reasonably quick reply:
I meet with many veterans, veteran members of the family, defence personnel, frequently and respect each place they put to me in what they are saying and describe, however I additionally am not within the behavior of repeating the content material and element of all of these conversations and conferences … And I supplied the reply that I supplied yesterday.
‘I’m sorry he holds that view about me’ Keogh feels the warmth on engagement with veterans
Michael McCormack is again on the despatch field and digs in on his criticism of Matt Keogh, asking, “how can the minister proceed as minister for veterans’ affairs and defence personnel if he can’t uphold defence values?”
McCormack quotes former Royal Australian Navy diver and Honest Look after Veterans spokesperson John Armfield, who mentioned after a gathering with Keogh: “I enlisted below the navy values of braveness, honour, honesty and loyalty, but you fail to show any of those values, minister.”
Keogh says that he heard Armfield’s proof to the royal fee into defence and veteran suicides:
[The] navy apologised for a few of that conduct to him as properly. And really a lot ought to have completed so. So I can very a lot perceive why he would really feel that there was a breach of religion with him by way of the upholding of the Australian Defence Pressure values and his engagement. So I perceive that. I’m sorry that he holds that view about me.
Liar, liar, pants on fireplace: Rishworth fumbles on dixer
Amanda Rishworth has made just a little fake pas, because it have been, by unintentionally together with one of many Liberal’s speaking factors into her personal dixer.
This authorities closed the labour liar loophole which meant many individuals – I’ll [do] it once more. The labour rent loophole. The labour rent loophole.
Cue tons and many laughter and one Speaker attempting to maintain everybody on observe.