Australia to donate 49 Abrams tanks to Ukraine
Daniel Hurst
Australia will donate 49 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, the federal authorities has introduced.
The donation is along with beforehand introduced assist, which included 120 Bushmaster protected mobility automobiles.
Authorities figures point out the worth of the 49 M1A1 Abrams tanks is about $245m in whole. It implies that the overall worth of Australia’s army help to Ukraine because the begin of Russia’s full-scale invasion of the nation has topped $1.3bn. When non-military assist is included, Australia’s general assist to Ukraine is valued at $1.5bn up to now.
The minister for defence business, Pat Conroy, will characterize Australia on the Nato defence ministers’ assembly in Brussels this week. Australia is just not a member of Nato however Conroy is predicted to satisfy along with his Ukrainian counterpart.
Conroy mentioned in a press release that the tanks would “deliver more firepower and mobility to the Ukrainian armed forces, and complement the support provided by our partners for Ukraine”.
The 49 tanks to be donated are close to the tip of their life. Sources mentioned this meant {that a} small variety of these tanks might have to be fastened by Australia earlier than being delivered. Alternatively, the Australian authorities has supplied to ship all the tanks rapidly and Ukraine might use those with points for spare elements. It will likely be left to Ukraine to determine which choice to take up.
The Australian military, in the meantime, is predicted to retain a small variety of M1A1 Abrams tanks to help the transition and introduction of the brand new M1A2 fleet.
The defence minister, Richard Marles, mentioned:
Australia’s assist for Ukraine has not wavered since Russia’s unlawful invasion, and Australia will proceed standing with Ukraine.
Key occasions
Supermarkets ‘public enemy No 1’ in value of residing disaster, in keeping with survey
New polling from the Australia Institute reveals that Australians view the supermarkets as “public enemy No 1” in the price of residing disaster.
The Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work surveyed 1,014 voters, and 83% mentioned supermarkets deserve some blame – or an excessive amount of blame – for the hovering value of residing.
It places the supermarkets forward of vitality firms on 82%, banks at 73%, and the federal government on 71%. Sixty per cent of voters mentioned groceries had probably the most notable value improve – far forward of the subsequent highest results of utilities at 21%.
Sixty-four per cent mentioned they supported growing grocery store competitors. Centre For Future Work senior researcher and report co-author Lisa Heap mentioned the outcomes had been “emphatic.”
Australians are pointing the finger squarely at supermarkets as public enemy No 1 within the cost-of-living disaster … Extra individuals blame supermarkets for the cost-of-living crunch than governments or banks.
The general public’s urge for food for elevated grocery store competitors is unmistakable. Practically two-thirds of voters see it as essential for assuaging cost-of-living pressures … There’s more likely to be political rewards for taking actions that improve grocery store competitors.
The price of residing disaster means persons are spending much less on important providers, the survey additionally discovered, with 37% spending much less on heating/cooling their dwelling, 29% spending much less on wholesome meals and 26% much less on seeing a health care provider.
King Charles to reach in Australia tomorrow
Tomorrow, King Charles will contact down in Australia. The six-day tour will absorb Sydney and Canberra and is the primary go to by a sitting monarch in 13 years. However not everybody is worked up.
Reporter Kate Lyons tells Matilda Boseley how the King’s go to has reignited the republic debate – even when the federal government appears to have given up on the thought.
Commonwealth Financial institution pays $7.5m effective over spam emails
Josh Taylor
Commonwealth Financial institution has paid a $7.5m effective after the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma) discovered the financial institution had despatched over 170m emails that didn’t adjust to Australian spam legal guidelines.
The Acma investigation discovered that between November 2022 and April 2024, CBA had despatched over 170m advertising and marketing messages to Australians that didn’t embrace a strategy to unsubscribe. Acma discovered that 34.8m of those messages had been additionally despatched to individuals who both had not consented or had withdrawn their consent to obtain these messages.
It follows a $3.55m effective towards CBA in Could final 12 months over 65m emails that didn’t have working unsubscribe preparations. Acma chair, Nerida O’Loughlin, mentioned:
Australians are sick and bored with this sort of spam intruding on their privateness and it’s clear CBA didn’t have its methods so as.
The foundations are clear, if a message consists of advertising and marketing content material or direct hyperlinks to advertising and marketing content material, it’s a business message and should give individuals the choice to unsubscribe.
The confusion usually lies for companies in whether or not messages despatched to clients are thought-about business (which might require an unsubscribe choice) or non-commercial.
Acma has additionally accepted a three-year court-enforceable enterprise from CBA to handle the problems. A spokesperson for CBA mentioned the financial institution apologised for sending the non-compliant messages, and accepted the findings of the investigation:
Well timed and related data for our clients is extremely vital, and the way in which we classify that data to satisfy our regulatory necessities and buyer expectations is an absolute precedence. We’re dedicated to assembly our obligations and we’re dedicating vital time and sources to this.
Sarah Basford Canales
Extra on the joint union’s assertion
Yesterday’s rift between commerce union factions coincided with a discussion board between constructing and development contractors and unions and governments on challenges for the sector.
At yesterday’s assembly, the Nationwide Development Trade Discussion board agreed to develop a blueprint for reform attributable to be delivered in six months’ time.
The office relations minister, Murray Watt, mentioned “working together to address the persistent challenges facing this industry is key to ensuring it is an industry that works for everyone”.
Watt later informed ABC radio he didn’t imagine there was a divide within the commerce union motion in any respect. Watt mentioned:
There isn’t any doubt in any way that the overwhelming majority of unions and union members assist motion being taken to wash up the CFMEU. I believe that the union motion typically acknowledges that it has been very damaging for the union motion as an entire to have a small variety of individuals inside the union motion deliver shame on the union motion and the superb work that unions do for Australians.
Requested whether or not the break up would current points with the federal authorities’s reform, Watt mentioned he was “going to get on with it”.
We’re going to get on with cleansing up the CFMEU Development Division and growing a development business that works for everybody. If different individuals wish to go and produce other conferences, that’s effective. However I’m extra satisfied than ever, having spoken to the ACTU nationwide govt, that the union motion helps change.
Group of 20 unions defy Albanese overhaul
Sarah Basford Canales
A gaggle of greater than 20 commerce unions have defied the Albanese authorities’s makes an attempt to overtake unions inside the development business after allegations of corruption and prison hyperlinks made towards the CFMEU earlier this 12 months.
Yesterday afternoon, the Nationwide Constructing Trade Group of Unions condemned the federal Labor authorities for putting the embattled union underneath administration.
In a press release, the group mentioned the CFMEU had been denied “basic natural justice” in a trial by parliament and the media. The assertion continued:
If a authorities can legislate outcomes for one union, then all unions are in danger. A union belongs to its members. Union members and their democratically elected leaders determine the way forward for their union, not knee-jerk laws.
The group, which incorporates leaders from the CFMEU, and the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU), will maintain a Commerce Unions for Democracy Summit in December to debate proposals for the creation of an alternative choice to the Australian Council of Commerce Unions (ACTU), which has backed the federal government’s response to allegations towards to the CFMEU.
Good morning
Emily Wind
And completely happy Thursday – because of Martin for kicking issues off for us. I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll be taking you thru our rolling protection in the present day.
As at all times, you may attain out with any suggestions or questions by way of X, @emilywindwrites, or you may ship me an e-mail: emily.wind@theguardian.com.
Crossbenchers to deliver whistleblower safety invoice subsequent month
Sarah Basford Canales
4 unbiased crossbenchers will introduce a invoice to ascertain a whistleblower safety authority when Parliament resumes subsequent month.
Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie will introduce the proposal, supported by crossbench colleagues Helen Haines, David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie, to create a brand new physique that may assist federal whistleblowers, examine potential retaliation by employers, and guarantee disclosures are correctly dealt with.
The non-public member’s invoice will come nearly a year-and-half after the Nationwide Anti-Corruption Fee first opened its doorways, and greater than a 12 months after the lawyer basic, Mark Dreyfus, confirmed a safety physique was one in all various choices into consideration.
Dreyfus has beforehand mentioned the federal government is “committed to ensuring that Australia has effective protections for whistleblowers”.
However Wilkie mentioned the introduction of a standalone safety physique was “long overdue”.
The federal government should finish the conflict towards whistleblowers by supporting my invoice. Solely then can we guarantee whistleblowers are protected, not punished, prosecuted or imprisoned.
The crossbenchers are urging the main events to assist the invoice.
The announcement coincides with a listening to within the ACT supreme courtroom this morning to find out when former military lawyer David McBride – who is taken into account by some to be a conflict crimes whistleblower – will be capable to have his attraction heard.
McBride was jailed in Could for 5 years and eight months after pleading responsible to 3 expenses in November 2023 of stealing commonwealth data and passing that to journalists on the ABC.
The paperwork fashioned the premise of the 2017 investigative collection exposing alleged conflict crimes by Australian defence pressure personnel in Afghanistan, titled the Afghan Recordsdata.
BCA says altering zoning legal guidelines will open up housing provide
Karen Middleton
Massive enterprise is urging the federal authorities to vary zoning legal guidelines to permit extra housing improvement near infrastructure and providers as a part of a push to pressure a higher concentrate on growing housing provide.
Earlier than publishing a report subsequent week analyzing the housing provide problem, the Enterprise Council of Australia has proposed a program of land rezoning and modifications to generate higher consistency in zoning legal guidelines throughout the states and territories.
The BCA chief govt, Bran Black, mentioned:
We want state and territory governments to unlock extra land for properties in cities and cities throughout Australia so we are able to repair this provide disaster.
These modifications want to permit for higher density and peak close to good transport providers, whereas on the identical time defending the standard of life, inexperienced house and heritage of an space.
He mentioned there needs to be extra streamlined processes for dwelling builders to place ahead their very own proposals to spice up housing provide thorough rezoning.
The BCA can be calling for what it describes as a “competition payment” to create incentives for housing improvement.
Earlier this week, the BCA known as for native councils to be compelled to set, and abide by, deadlines for making selections on housing improvement functions, to ease what it argued had grow to be a bottleneck on the native authorities degree.
Australia to donate 49 Abrams tanks to Ukraine
Daniel Hurst
Australia will donate 49 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, the federal authorities has introduced.
The donation is along with beforehand introduced assist, which included 120 Bushmaster protected mobility automobiles.
Authorities figures point out the worth of the 49 M1A1 Abrams tanks is about $245m in whole. It implies that the overall worth of Australia’s army help to Ukraine because the begin of Russia’s full-scale invasion of the nation has topped $1.3bn. When non-military assist is included, Australia’s general assist to Ukraine is valued at $1.5bn up to now.
The minister for defence business, Pat Conroy, will characterize Australia on the Nato defence ministers’ assembly in Brussels this week. Australia is just not a member of Nato however Conroy is predicted to satisfy along with his Ukrainian counterpart.
Conroy mentioned in a press release that the tanks would “deliver more firepower and mobility to the Ukrainian armed forces, and complement the support provided by our partners for Ukraine”.
The 49 tanks to be donated are close to the tip of their life. Sources mentioned this meant {that a} small variety of these tanks might have to be fastened by Australia earlier than being delivered. Alternatively, the Australian authorities has supplied to ship all the tanks rapidly and Ukraine might use those with points for spare elements. It will likely be left to Ukraine to determine which choice to take up.
The Australian military, in the meantime, is predicted to retain a small variety of M1A1 Abrams tanks to help the transition and introduction of the brand new M1A2 fleet.
The defence minister, Richard Marles, mentioned:
Australia’s assist for Ukraine has not wavered since Russia’s unlawful invasion, and Australia will proceed standing with Ukraine.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our reside information weblog. I’m Martin Farrer with the highest in a single day tales after which it’ll be Emily Wind.
In a lift to Ukraine’s conflict effort – as its president presents a brand new army technique dubbed a “victory plan” towards Russia – Australia has supplied Ukraine nearly all of its Abrams tanks, which had been attributable to retire subsequent 12 months. Extra on this quickly.
The South Australian invoice to vary the regulation on later terminations was narrowly defeated within the state’s higher home final night time. By the narrowest margin of 10 votes to 9, the higher home final night time voted to reject laws that may pressure ladies in search of an abortion after 27 weeks and 6 days – a particularly uncommon incidence – to be induced, to ship the kid alive, and maintain it or undertake it out.
Anthony Albanese might face renewed backbench stress to ease capital positive aspects tax concessions, as Labor MPs privately specific dismay at his resolution to purchase a $4.3m waterfront dwelling on the New South Wales Central Coast earlier than an election in the course of a housing disaster. In the meantime, huge enterprise is urging the federal authorities to vary zoning legal guidelines to permit extra housing improvement near infrastructure and providers as a part of a push to pressure a higher concentrate on growing housing provide. Extra arising.
Probably the most outstanding republicans concede the challenges they face to have an Australian head of state, but in addition declare the arrival this week of King Charles and Queen Camilla would be the shot within the arm their marketing campaign wants. We have now a full report and evaluation, plus our Full Story podcast on the topic.
And a bunch of constructing business unions say they plan an alternative choice to the ACTU as they unite to reject Labor’s crackdown on the CFMEU. Extra on that additionally arising.
