CANBERRA, Australia — Labor’s Penny Wong has challenged Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison to boot Member of Parliament Andrew Laming from parliament or face losing any credibility he has on the issue of women’s safety. The opposition leader in the Senate attended a protest against Laming in his electorate of Bowman in Brisbane on May 8, ahead of his return to parliament next week. It follows a month of medical leave Laming took after multiple women alleged he had harassed them. As per Senator Wong, Laming had a history of persistent harassment of women and was shocked the Liberal National Party had condoned his behavior for so…
Author: zenger.news
CANBERRA, Australia — Australia is treading a dangerous path by ignoring its own range of expertise on China and listening only to “China hawks”, says Australian expert author Linda Jaivin. “The government should listen to a range of opinions and not have their ideological blinkers on,” she said. The American-born Australian sinologist believes we have some of the best expertise on China in the western world but the current government only has ears for so-called China hawks. At the same time, some politicians are “beating the drums of war”. The Shortest History of China, ranges over the juiciest parts of Chinese history…
CANBERRA, Australia — May 11 federal budget assumes Australia’s international border will open next year, but the government admits it won’t jeopardize its Covid-19 suppression strategy in favor of restriction-free travel. Australians live like few others around the world, and the government will do everything to prevent a third wave, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on May 9. “International borders will only open when it is safe to do so. We still have a long way to go, and there are still many uncertainties ahead,” he said on Facebook on May 9. Travel beyond Australia’s border is expected to happen in stages as more travel…
CANBERRA, Australia — As the Australian government cops criticism for not extracting its own citizens out of Covid-ravaged India, the government is being warned about the vulnerable at home. Anglicare Australia claims many renters are turning to homelessness due to eviction moratoriums and rent deferrals coming to an end. A survey of 10 of the charity’s member agencies shows that many people still need the rental relief measures that carried them through the pandemic. All members informed Anglicare they had clients needing help with rental arrears and that their debts range from between AUD 500 ($392) and AUD 20,000 ($15,718). “While…
PERTH, Australia — A royal commission into Crown Perth is set to hear evidence from representatives of Western Australia’s gaming regulator. Gaming and Wagering Commission chair Duncan Ord is expected on May 10 to be the inquiry’s first witness at a hearing in Perth. Crown Perth is a luxury resort in Western Australia consisting of three hotels, a convention center, spa, and entertainment facilities. Other witnesses slated to appear in coming weeks are Gaming and Wagering Commission members Barry Sargeant and Katie Hodson-Thomas, Western Australia’s chief casino officer Mark Beecroft and his predecessor Michael Connolly. Connolly stood aside from his role…
BRISBANE, Australia — A new study has found employment and hours worked have held steady despite the removal of crucial support measures that were in place during the heat of the pandemic. Both the successful JobKeeper wage subsidy and coronavirus JobSeeker supplement ended in March. The survey of more than 3500 adult Australians by the Australian National University found employment stayed at around 60 percent of the population between January and April 2021. Australian National University’s Matthew Gray says there has not been a dramatic decline in employment. The influential National Australia Bank monthly business survey showed confidence jumped nine points to a record 26 index points…
CANBERRA, Australia — Skepticism towards the Covid-19 vaccine is higher among people experiencing homelessness than the general population, advocates say. The Australian Alliance to End Homelessness says there are multiple barriers to receiving a vaccination for those without a roof over their head, including widespread doubt about the safety of the jab. The Australian Alliance to End Homelessness (AAEH) is an independent champion for preventing and ending homelessness in Australia. The organization’s chief executive David Pearson says a mix of issues in people’s lives such as drug and alcohol abuse, severe mental ill-health, and long-term economic hardship can lead to distrust…
BRISBANE, Australia — North-eastern Australian state of Queensland’s Treasurer Cameron Dick says his state is being short-changed in the federal budget for much smaller “city-states” like South Australia. South Australia is getting AU$ 2.6 billion ($2.04 billion) for infrastructure in the budget on May 4, while the South-eastern states of New South Wales and Victoria are getting AU$ 3 billion ($2.36 billion). Dick says that doesn’t make sense because Queensland’s population of 5.1 million is more than double South Australia’s population of 1.77 million. “These are specific decisions the federal government’s made to fund specific projects in specific states,” he said on May…
CANBERRA, Australia — Almost three-quarters of Australians would back a Covid-19 vaccine passport, a new poll shows, as health officials weigh up a potential nationwide policy. In the first survey of Australian attitudes to a jab mandate, 73 percent of respondents agreed the government should make it compulsory for work, travel and study. David Smith, the lead author of the University of Sydney and University of Western Australia study, noted that was more than the 66 percent who reported they would get the shot voluntarily. “It’s a surprising finding,” Smith said in a statement on May 9. A poll’s found most Australians back…
CANBERRA, Australia — Australian treasurer Josh Frydenberg has promised a much-needed AU$ 10 billion-plus ($7.86 billion-plus) aged care package spread over four years in his third budget which will be announced on May 11. While larger that was has been speculated in the media, it is still seen as inadequate after years of neglect in the sector. The Royal Australasian College of Physicians points out the royal commission into aged care estimated successive government cuts had already left a shortfall of almost $10 billion annually. “The findings of the royal commission were damning,” Royal Australasian College of Physicians’ spokesman John Maddison…