Key occasions
The opposition communications spokesperson, David Coleman, is chatting with ABC radio RN, criticising the federal government’s laws designed to maintain the NBN in public arms.
He’s having bother saying whether or not the opposition will assist the invoice, or whether or not a future coalition authorities would need to promote the NBN.
Coleman:
We’re not going to simply form of instantly bounce at some foolish theatrical assertion from the federal government. The adults within the room will overview this in a standard approach.
Pressed on whether or not the coalition needs to promote the NBN, Coleman says:
We’ve bought no intention of fixing the possession construction of the NBN. No person does. And admittedly, as a result of the NBN goes so badly, there’s not precisely a lineup of individuals [wanting to buy it].
Extra particulars on in the present day’s social media summit
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, and the SA premier, Peter Malinauskus, are holding a joint summit in the present day to speak concerning the impacts of social media.
It’s fairly probably probably the most leaders of NSW and South Australia have spoken since 1836 when SA was established as a free settlement after colonisation and took a slice from the NSW colony within the course of.
Minns and Malinaukus are united in taking the lead on this problem – Malinaukus commissioned the report which bought the federal authorities heading down an age ban for social media path, and Minns is on board with serving to to form what that can appear like.
Malinaukus says he needs to hear to oldsters, telling ABC Information Breakfast:
Dad and mom are crying out for a level of certainty, they’re crying out for presidency steerage, much more rule that individuals can observe. That doesn’t imply there gained’t be difficult however at the very least supplies a place to begin for folks. It offers them a instrument about the right way to handle this and oldsters who’ve gone via all this and all of the ache that social media can place upon their youngsters, they’re those I believe are probably the most highly effective advocates for this reform.
There are just a few sticking factors with this concept, although. The federal authorities says it’s going to have laws on it by the tip of the 12 months – however there may be nonetheless debate over whether or not mother and father ought to be held accountable if their youngsters do discover a technique to get on social media whereas underage and if there ought to be a punishment connected to that. There’s speak already of permitting teenagers and children who’re already on social media to remain on it as an exemption to the legal guidelines. And little one and psychological well being advocates say it takes away from the give attention to the social media platforms and their duty to create protected areas.
Chalmers particulars merger regulation modifications
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is holding a vibrant and early press convention – he’ll be within the blue room (known as that as a result of – effectively, it’s blue and it’s a room) the place he will probably be speaking concerning the upcoming merger laws.
He’s been calling it the largest change to mergers regulation in 50 years (undecided there have been that many modifications to begin with). In an op-ed printed within the AFR, Chalmers describes the modifications as:
Firstly, any merger will probably be checked out if the Australian turnover of the mixed companies is above $200m, and both the enterprise or property being acquired has Australian turnover above $50m or world transaction worth above $250m.
Secondly, the ACCC will take a look at any merger involving a really giant enterprise with Australian turnover greater than $500m shopping for a smaller enterprise or property with Australian turnover above $10m.
Lastly, to focus on serial acquisitions, all mergers by companies with mixed Australian turnover of greater than $200m the place the cumulative Australian turnover from acquisitions in the identical or substitutable items or companies over a 3-year interval is at the very least $50m will probably be captured, or $10m if a really giant enterprise is concerned.
Melissa Davey
Report into youth justice to be launched in the present day
The nationwide youngsters’s commissioner, Anne Hollonds, will publicly launch her grim report on the truth of Australia’s youth justice system at parliament home in Canberra on Thursday.
As first reported by Guardian Australia in July, the report particulars disabled youngsters in detention being allegedly saved “in cages” in police watch homes. Hollonds interviewed 150 youngsters within the youth justice system and located that prisons detaining youngsters are the place “the most egregious breaches of human rights are occurring in this country”.
The report requires a ban on solitary confinement practices in little one detention services and the institution of a nationwide taskforce for reform of kid justice methods.
Guardian Australia beforehand reported the excessive charges of kids in detention with foetal alcohol spectrum dysfunction and different mind accidents.
The launch will probably be attended by the chair of Justice Reform Initiative, Robert Tickner, the Legislation Council of Australia’s president, Greg McIntyre, the Australian Medical Affiliation’s president, Dr Danielle McMullen, and younger folks with lived expertise. McMullen mentioned:
This report is an extremely sobering learn, because it comprises many uncomfortable truths about youth justice in Australia – egregious human rights violations, the overincarceration of First Nations youngsters and younger folks dying in custody.
She known as for the report’s suggestions to be carried out – particularly elevating the age of prison duty in all jurisdictions to 14 years. Learn extra:
Good morning
Amy Remeikis
Whats up and welcome to the ultimate sitting day for October – and the ultimate joint sitting day till 18 November. (And a really large thanks to Martin for beginning us off early)
You’re nearly on the finish of the parliamentary sitting 12 months – there may be simply two joint sitting weeks left within the 12 months and one week of estimates and home sitting – after which you’re accomplished! (And formally in election mode)
However there’s a bit to get via till then. As we speak is one other try by the federal government to get folks to focus again on the home agenda and what it says it has accomplished. You’ve bought the performing prime minister, Richard Marles, with Anthony Albanese in Laos for the Asean convention, so query time ought to be fascinating.
On the Guardian facet of issues, you have got Karen Middleton, Paul Karp, Daniel Hurst, Josh Butler and Sarah Basford Canales taking you thru the parliament day and Mike Bowers who will take your eyes there too. He’s already strolling the hallways, understanding what’s what. You even have me, Amy Remeikis, on the weblog with you and all the Guardian brains belief at your disposal.
It’s a five-coffee day. And completely a day for cake for breakfast.
Prepared?
Let’s get into it.
College of Sydney spent $12m on contractors to kind employees underpayments
Caitlin Cassidy
The College of Sydney has spent thousands and thousands of {dollars} extra on exterior contractors and consultants – together with PwC – calculating and administering legal responsibility for wage underpayments than it has paid out to employees, solutions supplied to the Greens have revealed.
Within the solutions to supplementary questions, supplied to chair of the NSW schooling committee, Greens MLC Abigail Boyd, it was revealed the college had repaid 514 informal employees a complete worth of $2.8m as of final month, whereas throughout all “remediation work streams”, it had paid 10,692 skilled employees a complete worth of $17.4m.
On the similar time, the prices of its worker cost overview program from 2020 to 2024 was $21.6m. Exterior contractors, advisers and consultants had been engaged at a value of $12.3m.
In its newest annual report, the college anticipated liabilities for wage underpayments of $7.4m to ongoing staff, and an additional $70.1m to informal tutorial employees – the overwhelming majority of which remained unpaid.
Boyd mentioned the most recent revelations had been a “damning indictment” chatting with a “broken governance culture” at prestigious universities.
They’ve gotten away with a lot, for thus lengthy, with subsequent to no accountability. It’s previous time we had a glance underneath the hood of those public establishments, with a correct inquiry into their governance.
A spokesperson for the College of Sydney mentioned paying folks for his or her work was “imperative” and as was commonplace, it had introduced in consultants to supply unbiased recommendation alongside a overview.
We’re persevering with to establish and remediate any previous underpayments. The majority of the work so far has been investigating and calculating incidences of underpayment throughout this era, forward of remediation and cost of backpay.
Our precedence is to pay folks as rapidly as attainable nevertheless that is complicated and essential work, and it should be correct. A number of sources of historic info have to be analysed over a interval of 13 semesters to appropriately classify the work accomplished, establish any incorrect funds and calculate the person remediation quantities.
Caitlin Cassidy
Labor to introduce college funding reforms
The federal authorities will in the present day introduce laws permitting the commonwealth to supply additional funding to public colleges in extra of 20%. If handed, the funding degree would develop into a flooring, not a ceiling, because it has been since modifications enacted by the Turnbull authorities in 2017.
The invoice would carry the federal authorities a step nearer to completely funding public colleges – however is prone to require the assist of the Coalition if the Greens and a band of crossbenchers proceed to press the federal authorities to extend their funding supply to 25% of the Education Useful resource Commonplace (SRS).
The SRS, agreed to by governments as a part of Gonski reforms greater than a decade in the past, is the minimal greenback quantity required to supply a baseline schooling to college students. Information from the Australian Curriculum, Evaluation and Reporting Authority (Acara) reveals 98% of public colleges are underfunded and the vast majority of non-public colleges are overfunded.
The schooling minister, Jason Clare, has put a 2.5% improve on the desk, whereas Victoria, NSW and South Australia are holding out for five% to cowl the remaining funding hole.
Clare mentioned:
In the meanwhile, the utmost the commonwealth authorities can present to public colleges is 20% of the SRS … this landmark laws permits the Albanese authorities to ship extra funding to public colleges and tie that funding to sensible reforms to assist college students catch up, sustain and end college.
Social media summit being held in Sydney
A groundbreaking social media summit that begins in Sydney in the present day should take into account what psychological well being impacts will movement if youngsters are banned from platforms, advocates say.
AAP stories {that a} two-day, collectively hosted summit between the NSW and South Australian governments begins in Sydney in the present day, when discussions are anticipated to give attention to the main points of the youth ban fairly than whether or not it is going to be launched.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and a bunch of state leaders – together with NSW’s premier, Chris Minns, and SA’s premier, Peter Malinauskas – have backed an age restrict however are but to reveal the place the cutoff ought to be set.
Youth psychological well being organisation ReachOut warned eradicating social media would block entry to what has develop into a key assist for a youthful technology. Learn extra in our preview:
The summit will shift to Adelaide on Friday.
Robodebt royal fee suggestions to be legislated
Makes an attempt to cover the following robodebt scandal from unbiased oversight of the general public service will probably be punished by hundreds of {dollars} in fines, the Australian Related Press stories.
Public servents and company bosses can be certain to assist investigations whereas these stonewalling entry to recordsdata could possibly be dragged to court docket. The modifications proposed by the Albanese authorities are geared toward making certain commonwealth companies are topic to stronger and extra rigorous scrutiny.
They fulfil two suggestions from the robodebt royal fee.
“The robodebt royal commission made it clear that strong and effective oversight is necessary to safeguard the community in their dealings with government,” the legal professional common, Mark Dreyfus, mentioned. “Trust in government depends on this.”
Beneath the proposal, an offence can be created for withholding cheap services and help from the commonwealth ombudsman. Anybody penalised for breaking this regulation could possibly be fined greater than $3000.
The watchdog would be capable of entry company data remotely underneath enhanced information-gathering powers. The tax ombudsman would additionally obtain the identical powers.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our rolling information protection from Canberra. I’m Martin Farrer with the highest in a single day tales earlier than Amy Remeikis will get into the principle motion quickly.
One of the senior advisers within the Albanese authorities claims she has successfully been sacked from her job as chief of employees to deputy prime minister Richard Marles. Jo Tarnawsky claims she has been barred from her workplace and has had no direct engagement along with her boss in 5 months.
In a separate growth, the top of the Division of Parliamentary Companies has introduced a sudden “period of leave”, leaving a former anti-corruption commissioner accountable for the division. The secretary, Rob Stefanic, introduced to employees in an electronic mail yesterday that he had decided to “take a period of leave”.
A Senate committee scrutinising Labor’s worldwide pupil cap has really helpful the invoice be handed with vital amendments, together with eradicating the power to set course-level enrolment limits. It additionally needed to offer universities the ability to exempt college students from some nations.
The federal government has proposed new guidelines for the general public service geared toward stopping one other Robodebt scandal from occurring – extra on that quickly.
And a social media summit begins in the present day that can deal with the fraught query of whether or not there ought to be a social media ban for youngsters.
