Beneath-16s social media ban to incorporate penalties for social media corporations as much as $50m
Josh Butler
The controversial ban on social media for under-16s will probably be launched into parliament at present and will probably be accompanied by a proposal to massively improve fines on social media corporations which breach the laws – as much as $50m.
The workplace of the communications minister, Michelle Rowland, sprinkled out some sparing particulars of the laws in a single day. Rowland stated in some supplied remarks:
This reform is about defending younger folks and letting mother and father know we’ve acquired their backs. The laws locations the onus on social media platforms, not mother and father or youngsters, to make sure protections are in place.
The federal government may attempt to push this by way of earlier than parliament rises on the finish of subsequent week, with the help of the opposition chief, Peter Dutton, who needs it handed earlier than Christmas. However Nationals senator Matt Canavan stated yesterday the invoice ought to get a correct Senate committee course of and never be rushed by way of.
We perceive the laws would require regulated corporations to take “reasonable steps” to forestall younger folks from having a social media account. What’s a regulated entity, you may ask? Nicely the minister may also get the facility to exclude particular courses of providers from these guidelines too, which might embody messaging providers, on-line video games and providers for well being or training.
Tech corporations may also be topic to privateness provisions, together with obligations to guard and destroy any knowledge they acquire.
The federal government had flagged plans to spice up penalties obtainable underneath present laws, saying the present guidelines didn’t do sufficient to power massive tech to take discover. We perceive the brand new laws will improve penalties as much as $50m for systematic breaches of the principles.
Not talked about in a single day, however what we’ll be eagerly anticipating particulars on, is how the federal government thinks tech corporations can implement these guidelines, and the way they may apply to all Australians. Communications division officers have already advised Senate estimates that basically all Australians should bear some type of age assurance or verification, to be able to make sure that these underneath 16 aren’t on these platforms – however the authorities hasn’t been forthcoming on that difficulty but.
We’re additionally to know what knowledge should be supplied to tech corporations, and the way they’ll preserve it secure.
Key occasions
Invoice Shorten says cap on worldwide college students ‘makes sense’
Requested if he agrees with the proposed cap on worldwide college students, Invoice Shorten stated he does.
I feel that is sensible … The opposite factor is that … increased training coverage is one thing which I’ll work on after I’m in increased training, and after I go and work on the College of Canberra I completely should clarify to folks, together with my colleagues, I’ll be working for the college, not for the federal government. That’s the group I’ll be backing then.
Shorten was additionally requested if worldwide college students have been scapegoated for the housing disaster? He responded:
I feel you discover that worldwide college students put some strain, in some elements, on rental markets. We additionally do want worldwide college students. It’s an vital export trade. I feel what the Liberals ought to have completed is sit down with Labor and simply labored it by way of it. However as an alternative, within the shadow of an election the place they’ll sniff the fumes of battle, they’ve determined to … simply oppose.
Invoice Shorten says society ‘fracturing’ when requested about Labor disconnect with working class
Invoice Shorten was requested about an obvious disconnect between the Labor occasion and working-class voters, and a pattern that individuals who earn extra are voting Labor – does that concern him? He responded:
You all the time need extra folks voting for you, so if folks aren’t voting for you, that’s all the time a spotlight. However the way in which you get folks to vote for is you give attention to them, not your self. I feel there’s [disillusionment] with the key events however there’s … a spread of things for that.
He stated a part of this was the place folks selected to get their data from, and stated:
I feel we’re seeing, in elements, the fracturing of society into silos, into individuals who speak to individuals who agree with them and yell at everybody else.
Invoice Shorten to ship valedictory speech at present
The NDIS minister and former Labor chief, Invoice Shorten, is ready to ship his valedictory speech to parliament at present, earlier than he leaves politics to take up the function of vice-chancellor on the College of Canberra subsequent 12 months.
He stated his speech would come with a number of thank yous, and reflections on the “privilege” to serve in three public establishments: the Australian Staff’ Union, Labor occasion and the parliament itself.
I’m excited, although I’ve combined emotions about going. I like my job [and my] portfolios, working with folks with incapacity and [working with] folks [who] want Centrelink and Medicare and youngster help, however I’m enthusiastic about transferring to training.
Requested if it was a deliberate determination to maneuver into the general public sector slightly than the non-public sphere, he stated it was:
I don’t wish to be a lobbyist … There’s fully nothing mistaken with politicians going to work within the non-public sphere, the non-public economic system is what generates Australian financial development. For myself, I like serving folks. I wish to assist folks, and I feel I’m going to wish to try this for the remainder of my life.
New South Wales MPs condemned for ‘part-time’ parliamentary 12 months
Scores of NSW MPs will earn the equal of greater than $10,000 per sitting week in 2025 after a bid to extend the 12 months’s 16-week calendar was rejected, AAP experiences.
The Labor authorities’s decrease home schedule for MPs incomes $172,500 a 12 months is a number of weeks in need of the latest common, barring years affected by state elections or Covid-19. An opposition bid so as to add two further weeks was rejected this week after Labor cited restrictions imposed by higher home occasions.
The change would have completed away with six Friday sittings, which have been criticised for having no query time and depriving regional MPs of a weekday of their citizens with voters. The federal government’s chief within the decrease home, Ron Hoenig, stated holding Friday periods in six of the 16 weeks allowed it extra time to move laws and provided crossbenchers devoted time to advocate for his or her electorates.
However Helen Dalton, impartial MP for the agricultural citizens of Murray, stated the minority Minns authorities wanted to study to “listen to, and work with the crossbench and even the opposition”.
To do that, authorities MPs have to show as much as parliament and focus on issues. Voters gained’t be blissful that authorities MPs would like to cover of their citizens places of work slightly than turning as much as parliament, the place they face scrutiny.
The 16-week schedule additionally prompted the Speaker, Greg Piper, to ship a uncommon rebuke to the federal government, saying efforts to fulfill extra usually had met opposition from higher home Labor chiefs. He stated 20 to 21 sitting weeks a 12 months – as occurred many instances previously decade – appeared extra in step with group expectations.
The opposition stated permitting solely 48 days with query time was “an absolute affront to democracy”. The decrease home chief of opposition enterprise, Alister Henskens, stated Friday sitting days had been “a complete and utter waste of time if they do not have question time”. However the bid so as to add two further weeks, and 6 further query time days, to the calendar was knocked again 51 to 36 votes.
Wells says Future Fund adjustments will give enterprise extra certainty
Anika Wells was additionally requested about adjustments to Australia’s Future Fund. As Paul Karp reported in a single day, the $230bn sovereign wealth fund will probably be retooled to assist construct homes, enhance infrastructure and fight world heating underneath a brand new funding mandate.
Wells stated the enterprise sector is on the lookout for extra certainty and “this is one way that we can give it to them”.
We parliamentarians go to an election each three years to hunt a mandate from the folks and I feel there’s no dispute that the priorities that folks need from its federal authorities in the intervening time are … to do with the housing disaster … extra certainty about our power future and higher infrastructure, and setting us up for future forward. So I don’t suppose these tenets are controversial by any means.
What if it doesn’t truly return the funds that we’d like it to? Wells responded that there are “safeguards in there about this being a medium term … forecast”.
That is simply saying if there’s shares you possibly can spend money on, or if there’s a renewable power or housing mission you possibly can spend money on, choose the one with the general public curiosity.
Wells says $50m fantastic for social media corporations ‘not silver bullet’ however will assist
The sports activities minister, Anika Wells, spoke with the At the moment present earlier, the place she touted the federal government’s proposed social media ban for under-16s – particularly, a transfer to fantastic social media corporations which breach the laws as much as $50m.
Josh Butler had all the main points on this earlier within the weblog, right here.
Wells advised this system that this difficulty of social media a “serious problem” and fogeys are “really worried about it.”
They need their federal authorities to be pulling all the levers obtainable to them to try to deal with this difficulty. Is it a silver bullet? In fact not. Is that this going to treatment every thing? No, most likely not, however it’s one thing that’s going to assist and I feel, for one, it’s a reasonably large stick with be wielding for there to be $50m penalties for social media platforms doing the mistaken factor.
Full Story podcast: A take a look at the Kyle and Jackie O Present
Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O Henderson have dominated the breakfast slot in Sydney for nearly twenty years. However the present’s latest growth into the Melbourne market has tanked.
And whereas they’ve a repute for crude language and stunts, the conversations which are broadcast proceed to boost questions on how the present skirts decency requirements.
In at present’s Full Story podcast, our senior correspondent Sarah Martin and reporter Kate Lyons inform Nour Haydar how Australia’s highest-rating radio program will get round broadcast rules:
And within the second a part of our particular report on Kyle and Jackie O, we ask why they bombed in Melbourne. Is it as a result of, maybe, that Sydney sensibility is only a bit crass for Melbourne? Right here’s our story:
Does Sky Information documentary on ‘Real Cost of Net Zero’ stack up?
Trailed extensively in advert breaks and spruiked within the Information Corp papers, a Sky Information documentary this week presupposed to reveal “The Real Cost of Net Zero”.
Offered by former ABC political editor Chris Uhlmann, the thrust of the present was that “weather-dependent electricity generation” had been discovered wanting and was pushing up costs for shoppers.
However do the claims stack up? On this week’s Temperature Test column, Graham Readfearn kicks the proverbial tyres. Learn his piece right here:
Australia is largest supplier of economic support to Pacific, Lowy Institute says
Sarah Basford Canales
Australia stays the most important supplier of economic improvement help to the Indo-Pacific area by far however China has re-emerged in second-place with a “more competitive, politically targeted model of aid engagement”, a brand new support report exhibits.
The Lowy Institute’s 2024 Pacific Help Map (view right here) exhibits support to the area dropped by 18%, in keeping with 2022 figures, principally owing to discontinuing Covid-19 help, and compounded by cuts to world support budgets and assets diverted to Russia’s battle in opposition to Ukraine.
The figures additionally present infrastructure financing rose by 67% in 2022, whereas human improvement funding fell in contrast with the earlier 12 months.
Australia dedicated $2.2bn to the area in help over the 12 months with $1.5bn of it going to Papua New Guinea and $116m to the Solomon Islands. Whereas the US dedicated $311m within the interval and China dedicated $262m, the nations spent $249m and $256m respectively.
Australia is driving a good portion of regional infrastructure with commitments rising by 60% in 2022 alone.
Taking a look at China, the report stated Beijing had modified its tack following a “pandemic lull” and was now providing extra grants and community-level outreach in contrast with its bigger infrastructure financing initiatives. China has additionally elevated its annual spending in sure nations, comparable to Kiribati and the Solomon Islands, whereas reducing funding to PNG, Fiji and Samoa. The report famous:
Pressures on each donor and Pacific authorities budgets are prone to develop, that means extra will should be completed with much less to safe important improvement wins. The allocation of improvement budgets from the area’s main donors additionally seems more and more formed by geopolitical issues, elevating questions concerning the trade-offs and sustainability of the present course.
Good morning
Emily Wind
And blissful Thursday – because of Martin for kicking issues off. I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll be taking you thru our reside political protection for many of at present.
You’ll have the entire Canberra group bringing you updates – Karen Middleton, Josh Butler, Paul Karp and Sarah Basford Canales, in addition to Mike Bowers capturing all of the motion.
You will get in contact with any suggestions by way of electronic mail, emily.wind@theguardian.com.
Let’s get began.
Woolworths staff on stike
Jonathan Barrett
Greater than 1,500 staff throughout 4 Woolworths distribution centres have began an indefinite strike as employee representatives search a “cost-of-living wage increase” and improved circumstances.
The economic motion, which begins at present, impacts three warehouses in Victoria and one in New South Wales, and threatens to disrupt logistics earlier than the busy Christmas purchasing interval.
The employees are in search of equal pay throughout distribution centres, bringing entry-level charges to not less than $38 an hour. Additionally they wish to dismantle an effectivity system that warehouse workers have described as “bullying” and unsafe.
The nationwide secretary of the United Staff Union, Tim Kennedy, stated:
Woolworths are squeezing consumers on the register and staff on pay and circumstances, whereas making ever rising earnings. That is contributing to rising wealth inequality in Australia.
Nobody needs to see naked grocery store cabinets within the lead as much as Christmas. Woolworths can repair this by coming again to the desk and negotiating a good settlement.
A spokesperson for Woolworths’ provide chain Main Join stated in an announcement the corporate didn’t count on a direct affect to shops in Victoria and NSW, whereas shops in different states wouldn’t be affected.
We’ve got already put ahead a number of presents with aggressive pay that’s above trade requirements, above native market charges, and nicely above the award.
Beneath-16s social media ban to incorporate penalties for social media corporations as much as $50m
Josh Butler
The controversial ban on social media for under-16s will probably be launched into parliament at present and will probably be accompanied by a proposal to massively improve fines on social media corporations which breach the laws – as much as $50m.
The workplace of the communications minister, Michelle Rowland, sprinkled out some sparing particulars of the laws in a single day. Rowland stated in some supplied remarks:
This reform is about defending younger folks and letting mother and father know we’ve acquired their backs. The laws locations the onus on social media platforms, not mother and father or youngsters, to make sure protections are in place.
The federal government may attempt to push this by way of earlier than parliament rises on the finish of subsequent week, with the help of the opposition chief, Peter Dutton, who needs it handed earlier than Christmas. However Nationals senator Matt Canavan stated yesterday the invoice ought to get a correct Senate committee course of and never be rushed by way of.
We perceive the laws would require regulated corporations to take “reasonable steps” to forestall younger folks from having a social media account. What’s a regulated entity, you may ask? Nicely the minister may also get the facility to exclude particular courses of providers from these guidelines too, which might embody messaging providers, on-line video games and providers for well being or training.
Tech corporations may also be topic to privateness provisions, together with obligations to guard and destroy any knowledge they acquire.
The federal government had flagged plans to spice up penalties obtainable underneath present laws, saying the present guidelines didn’t do sufficient to power massive tech to take discover. We perceive the brand new laws will improve penalties as much as $50m for systematic breaches of the principles.
Not talked about in a single day, however what we’ll be eagerly anticipating particulars on, is how the federal government thinks tech corporations can implement these guidelines, and the way they may apply to all Australians. Communications division officers have already advised Senate estimates that basically all Australians should bear some type of age assurance or verification, to be able to make sure that these underneath 16 aren’t on these platforms – however the authorities hasn’t been forthcoming on that difficulty but.
We’re additionally to know what knowledge should be supplied to tech corporations, and the way they’ll preserve it secure.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our reside politics weblog. That is Martin Farrer, bringing you the highest in a single day tales after which it will likely be Emily Wind within the sizzling seat.
The workplace of the communications minister, Michelle Rowland, has launched some particulars in a single day of the social media ban laws that she is going to introduce to parliament at present. The controversial ban will probably be backed by fines for social media corporations which breach the laws – as much as $50m. “This reform is about protecting young people and letting parents know we’ve got their backs,” Rowland stated. Extra developing.
After it emerged yesterday that “Colesworth” was the ANU’s phrase of the 12 months, describing the cost-of-living disaster, it’s the flip at present of Coles to entrance the patron watchdog’s inquiry into supermarkets. We will probably be following developments as they occur. It comes as the opposite half of the portmanteau, Woolworths, will probably be hit by 1,500 staff happening an “indefinite” strike for extra pay. Extra on that quickly.
Considered one of our prime tales this morning reveals how tons of of college executives are raking in more cash than state premiers, a brand new report reveals, pointing to a “governance crisis” threatening the sector. In New South Wales, 89 executives earn greater than Chris Minns’s $416,440 wage whereas in Victoria 62 make greater than Jacinta Allan’s $481,190.
