DIFFICULT DECISIONS AHEAD
It’s trying extra seemingly we’ll ditch the stage three tax cuts. Some fast numbers: Treasury has downsized its forecasts for world development by 0.75% this 12 months, 1% subsequent 12 months, and 0.5% in 2024 as the worldwide economic system hurtles in direction of a possible recession, because the SMH stories. Curiosity on authorities debt will climb 14% a 12 months similtaneously defence spending goes up 4.4%, NDIS spending by 12.1%, hospitals by 6.1%, and aged care by 5%. What does this all imply? Our finances is in ruins. It’s all in accordance with Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who’ll give a speech right this moment about our tough fiscal place — he’s nonetheless not admitting to axing the stage three tax cuts, however they’re the heaviest merchandise within the finances ($243 billion!), as AFR stories, and Chalmers does say “tough selections” will should be made on this finances. It appears on the very least the coverage can be amended — and it’s not essentially going to be unpopular, in accordance with The Australian ($). The paper says Senate powerbrokers the Greens and crossbenchers David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie would again modifications to the 2018-era cuts, although they’d want they go within the bin.
Opposition Chief Peter Dutton says we must always hold the cuts, arguing “so much” of us have taken out residence loans or made funding selections figuring out the cuts are coming, which feels a bit overegged. The paper factors out that the tip of the low- and middle-income tax offset goes to alter issues this monetary 12 months, too. When you make $90,000, your take-home pay of $69,983 will fall to $68,383, or 2%. Spare a thought for these on the coalface of our tax affairs, nonetheless. A whistleblowing former debt collector named Richard Boyle has informed a SA court docket he suffers from PTSD from working on the ATO, ABC stories. Boyle, who labored there for 14 years, says it was distressing receiving managerial directions to rebuff susceptible folks asking for assist. The case marks the primary main check case of protections out there beneath the Public Curiosity Disclosure Act.
HIGGINS FELT JOB WAS ‘ON THE LINE’
Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins has informed the ACT Supreme Court docket she bought the impression her “job was on the road” if she reported an alleged rape from a colleague, Guardian Australia stories, following a gathering with then defence business minister Linda Reynolds in the exact same workplace the place the alleged rape occurred. Higgins additionally secretly recorded a dialog with former minister Michaelia Money (who Higgins labored for after Reynolds) and despatched the recording to journalist Samantha Maiden for safe-keeping (who’s anticipated to be known as as a witness), the SMH stories. Higgins feared she wouldn’t be believed in regards to the alleged assault, The Australian ($) stories, and informed the court docket she needed as “many individuals as potential” to have information of it. Reynolds has additionally been named as a witness, together with Money, former Liberal MP Steven Ciobo and the previous chief of employees to Scott Morrison, John Kunkel.
Information performed fearlessly.
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The trial of former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann continues right this moment after per week of damning accounts and intense scrutiny for each events. Higgins, who has since develop into a vocal advocate for survivors of sexual assault, is making worldwide information for the long-awaited case, because the BBC stories. Lehrmann’s facet denies all prices and says we’ve been “offered a pup”. The case will go on for six weeks.
When you or somebody is affected by sexual assault or violence, name 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or go to 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, name 000.
SOGGY SYDNEY
It’s official: that is Sydney’s wettest 12 months on file, because the SMH stories, and local weather change is the explanation, in accordance with the Bureau of Meteorology. At 1pm town formally handed the 1950 file, and by 6pm yesterday had recorded 2.2 metres of rain for the 12 months. It’s much more dismal when you think about 2022 nonetheless has practically three months to go. And it’s not simply the Harbour Metropolis — swathes of NSW are going through a “very important and elevated flood danger” in the meanwhile. Bathurst is an enormous fear for authorities, whereas Forbes, Gunnedah and Warren within the state’s central west might additionally get main flooding. The Hunter, about three hours north of Sydney, and the Central Coast between the pair, are additionally going through massive danger. It comes as NSW councils are threatening to “begin closing roads” in the event that they don’t get extra funding from state and federal governments. Take the Blue Mountains — excessive climate has triggered $400 million value of harm, the mayor informed Guardian Australia, which is about 10 years’ value of roadworks in 12 months. The council’s revenue is simply $90 million a 12 months.
Simply to complete on some constructive local weather motion information: Melbourne is bringing again bees, butterflies and birds to the CBD by planting streetscapes of cut-leaf daisies, tufted bluebells, wattles, correas, ringed wallaby grass and extra. The Age stories horticulturalists have a listing of greater than 100 largely native species that may assist in the event you really feel like being a inexperienced thumb this weekend — test the remaining out right here. And within the Sunshine State the WWF has welcomed higher safety for whales and dugongs in Queensland’s Nice Sandy Marine Park, The Advocate stories. It’ll see industrial gill net-free zones prolonged within the space that can present higher security and freedom for our sea life.
ON A LIGHTER NOTE
Right here’s one thing you could not find out about me, my pricey Worm reader: I reside in Vancouver. I moved to Canada final April, although I undoubtedly haven’t misplaced my accent — simply ask my Canuck associate Ryan, who typically accuses me of asking for a glass of “worda”. There are specific realities of dwelling in North America, and one is bears. As an Australian, I really feel moderately misled by Playschool’s Huge Ted. They aren’t pleasant. They aren’t cuddly. However every year, they’ve their time to shine, and that point is now. It’s Fats Bear Week — an annual contest that celebrates the bulking bears at Katmai Nationwide Park, Alaska, who’re presently gorging themselves on salmon in preparation for winter hibernation (Australia’s summer time). Greater than 600,000 folks voted within the contest final 12 months, The New York Occasions stories, and this 12 months it’s anticipated to be even greater, with a king or queen to be topped on Fats Bear Tuesday (October 11).
So how does one resolve which chunky bear to vote for? First, the bears within the park should use the river to be a part of the competitors, and tens of millions have been watching this reside stream eagerly to see what number of — and who — do. This 12 months, a dozen certified, together with four-time winner 480 Otis. Rangers have been meticulously constructing every of the 12 bears’ profiles for the competition — as an illustration, do they fancy contemporary salmon or dried salmon? Are they playful or snobbish? And naturally, the before- and after-bulking photographs, a form of panacea to the load loss comparisons we normally see. The founding father of the competition, Mike Fitz, tries to remain impartial, however he can’t. “All of us have bears that we like to observe,” he says. This 12 months, it’s bear 747 “whose girth is similar to that of the airplane mannequin” at 645 kilograms, making him one of many largest teddies on earth. Fitz is blown away by how well-liked the competition has develop into, however the bears don’t care. Tens of millions of individuals watch the bears all 12 months, “they usually’re simply munching on salmon and barely even discover”, one ranger stated. Good life.
Wishing you the physique confidence of a bear right this moment, and have a restful weekend forward.
SAY WHAT?
I hope and pray that they’ll change authorities down there as a result of Daniel Andrews is properly and really previous his use-by date.
Peter Dutton
Pot, kettle? Dutton, who is 2 years older than Andrews, has been in politics since he was 30, by which he has launched two failed management challenges earlier than profitable the third and changing into opposition chief. Since then, Coalition help has fallen to a file low, and simply 22% of Australians want him as PM. The Andrews authorities received each the 2014 and 2018 elections, and Andrews has been the most well-liked premier for eight years.
In terms of commentators, the ABC forgives and forgets
“You’ll discover no argument within the Crikey bunker if you wish to argue that company Australia is topic to pretty toothless regulation. The evaluation offered by economist John Adams on the ABC, alleging that lower than 1% of complaints acquired by the Australian Securities and Investments Fee (ASIC) are investigated, is actually a stunning stat. However this isn’t the primary time the ABC went to Adams for remark — and it didn’t go practically so properly the final time. In June 2020, Adams tweeted, in a caps-heavy hyperbolic fashion typical of his feed…
“BREAKING I simply acquired a telephone name from an ABC Sydney based mostly producer in search of a remark in regards to the sport of chess! The ABC have taken the view that chess is RACIST on condition that white at all times go first!
…Belief the taxpayer funded nationwide broadcaster to use ideological Marxist frameworks to something & every little thing in Australia!”
READ ALL ABOUT IT
Thailand ex-policeman kills 35, together with 23 kids, at nursery (Al Jazeera)
Christian Walker, warrior for the correct, now battles his father (The New York Occasions)
About 82,000 nonetheless with out energy in Puerto Rico two weeks after Fiona (Reuters)
How does New Zealand’s tax invoice examine to different nations? (Stuff)
TikTok guardian ByteDance sees losses swell in push for development (The Wall Road Journal) ($)
French writer Annie Ernaux wins Nobel Prize in Literature (CBC)
Financial institution confirms pension funds nearly collapsed amid market meltdown (The Guardian)
THE COMMENTARIAT
Australia maybe isn’t the large deal it thinks it’s to Solomon Islands — Waleed Aly (The SMH): “Throughout this 12 months’s federal election marketing campaign, Solomon Islands turned a Huge Deal. You’ll recall the Solomons had simply signed a safety take care of China, the air was thick with concern that China would finally set up a army base there, and Penny Wong accused the Morrison authorities of ‘the worst international coverage blunder within the Pacific for the reason that finish of World Battle II’.
“Since then, the Albanese authorities’s narrative has been one among righting such blunders; touring the world and mending relationships that have been broken largely by Morrison authorities incompetence. In some instances, that appears a good sufficient clarification — see the dealing with of AUKUS and French submarines. However within the Solomons case, this at all times appeared a stretch, extra rhetorical than actual. And now we’re beginning to see this.”
The sport is up for conservative Christians — Simon Kennedy (The Australian) ($): “The distinction with the Thorburn case is that Thorburn has by no means as soon as publicly expressed a view on same-sex relationships or something controversial about social coverage points. His sin was by affiliation. Thorburn is concerned with Metropolis on a Hill, a Bible-believing church in Melbourne that continues to carry out in opposition to the prevailing cultural winds on sexuality. Thorburn’s appointment as chief government of the membership was introduced on Monday and he resigned on Tuesday.
“Essendon president David Barham cited two necessary factors. One is that the views that have been of concern have been ‘not … views that Andrew Thorburn has expressed personally’. His sin was attending a specific church. It was not that Thorburn had posted on Twitter or Instagram that anybody ought to burn in hell for his or her sexual preferences. He didn’t do this. It was not that he had acted in a discriminatory method in opposition to any of his workers throughout his (extraordinarily) quick tenure on the Essendon Soccer Membership. He by no means did that, as far as we all know.”
HOLD THE FRONT PAGE
WHAT’S ON TODAY
Eora Nation Nation (also referred to as Sydney)
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Former Bachelorette Brooke Blurton will talk about her new memoir, Huge Love, at Higher Learn Than Lifeless bookshop.
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The College of Expertise Sydney’s Barbara Doran will talk about her new ebook, Catalysing Inventive Intelligence, at Glee Books.
Yuggera Nation (also referred to as Brisbane)
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Writer Fiona McFarlane will chat about her new ebook, The Solar Walks Down, at Avid Reader bookshop.
Kulin Nation Nation (also referred to as Melbourne)
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Avid gamers will head to PAX Aus at Melbourne Conference and Exhibition Centre, with gaming set ups, traditional arcades, impartial Australian sport builders and publishers, tabletop gaming, cosplay competitions, panels, and the nation’s largest YouTubers and streamers.
Crikey is information for readers who can deal with the reality.
We’re amazed by the help we’ve had from all around the world over the previous few weeks — and thanks in the event you contributed to our defence fund.
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