Shrinkflation a ‘difficult decision’ for producers, inquiry instructed – because it occurred

That is the place we’ll depart the weblog for in the present day, however first a fast abstract:

Take pleasure in the remainder of your Thursday night.

Australia’s massive traders have been instructed to maintain the religion on local weather finance, with america anticipated to – once more – dismantle local weather insurance policies beneath a Trump administration, AAP studies.

Chair of the Superpower Institute economist Rod Sims instructed an investor summit in the present day the world should press forward with local weather motion as a result of president-elect Donald Trump will take away America from critical local weather motion.

He instructed the Investor Group on Local weather Change’s annual convention in Melbourne:

The US can rejoin the ranks of like-minded nations when it’s prepared to take action.

Professor Sims, a former head of the competitors fee, additionally urged the group’s members, who’ve $5 trillion beneath administration in Australia, to get behind federal Labor’s Future Made in Australia program.

However be clear you’re supporting its financial logic of addressing market failures, and significantly inexperienced power intensive exports, and never supporting authorities funding to make issues in Australia for its personal sake.

If you happen to assume the world won’t decarbonise, you assume there won’t be a ample marketplace for our inexperienced power intensive merchandise.

However Australia can present the world what’s doable if it begins producing inexperienced iron, aluminium, fertiliser and inexperienced transport gas, Prof Sims added.

Barden, the Australian Meals and Grocery Council chief, additionally refused to reply a query concerning the main supermarkets’ revenue margins whereas the ACCC supermarkets inquiry was being heard publicly.

Through the listening to this afternoon, which is being live-streamed, the counsel helping the inquiry, Naomi Sharp SC, instructed Barden that Coles and Woolworths had instructed the ACCC their grocery store companies had been “high volume, low margin”.

Sharp requested Barden what suggestions the Australian Meals and Grocery Council (AFGC) members had offered concerning the web worth of the products they equipped to the supermarkets in contrast with the retail costs of the identical items.

Barden replied:

I would like questions associated to 2 main gamers, revenue margins and pricing to be taken in non-public listening to.

It’s simply fairly a slender query targeted round two main gamers whom the AFGC does have to collaborate intently with for the good thing about suppliers and shoppers on quite a few completely different issues.

And I feel in these pursuits, it could be higher for us to reply these questions in a non-public listening to to keep up these constructive relationships.

Shrinkflation of meals merchandise a ‘difficult decision’ for firms, peak physique says

Catie McLeod

The pinnacle of Australia’s peak physique for grocery suppliers has defended so-called “shrinkflation”, saying it was a “difficult decision” for producers and never one they “take lightly”.

The Australian Meals and Grocery Council chief government officer, Tanya Barden, has been giving proof earlier than the Australian Competitors and Client Fee’s grocery store inquiry this afternoon.

As Guardian Australia reported final 12 months, meals firms have been repeatedly lowering the scale of their merchandise however not the value beneath a apply referred to as shrinkflation.

A rising record of firms had been doing so to move on prices and improve income by avoiding a delicate worth hike that was extra prone to appeal to the ire of consumers.

Requested about shrinkflation on the listening to, Barden stated:

It’s typically portrayed as being deceptive or sneaky, however the actuality is, it displays a really tough choice {that a} producer has to make in gentle of great price will increase.

They will put the value up for a shopper, or they will scale back the pack measurement, or they will stop to fabricate the product, or transfer the manufacturing of that product offshore.

Now, a producer is aware of {that a} shopper is extremely delicate to cost.

Generally, when confronted with vital price pressures [and] restricted means to soak up these, a producer could resolve that the buyer can’t bear any additional worth improve with out ceasing to buy a product.

Head of CDC can be separate position to chief medical officer, Senate estimates instructed

The pinnacle of the federal government’s Centre for Illness Management can be a separate position from the chief medical officer, the well being division has instructed Senate estimates.

Blair Comley, the division secretary, is offering extra particulars concerning the CDC, which continues to be in improvement and meant to be an skilled advisory physique:

Going ahead, when the CDC is established that we are going to have the chief medical officer, and actually the pinnacle of the CDC can be extra akin to a Chief Well being Officer trying on the surveillance, preventative well being, and so forth, and knowledge in a disaster response. However they’ll work very intently collectively.

So, for instance, the chief medical officer would nonetheless be the chair of the AHPC [Australian Health Protection Committee], so have that direct hyperlink to the states and territories.

And the CDC head, we’d intend to be additionally a member of the AHPC, which is that key Coordination Group within the within the time of a disaster.

Comley stated there is no such thing as a suggestion the CDC will override state and territory public well being choices.

He elaborated will probably be a progressive implementation of the CDC– the place to begin can be communicable illnesses, “setting ourselves up for the next pandemic or other shocks,” however over time it’s going to have a deal with non-communicable illnesses, together with power illnesses, as effectively.

Ariel Bogle

4 males arrested in Victoria in ‘day of action’ in opposition to neo-Nazi group

4 males have been arrested in the present day after what Victoria police known as “a day of action” in opposition to the Australian neo-Nazi group the Nationwide Socialist Community (NSN).

Police sources have confirmed these arrested embrace neo-nazi chief Thomas Sewell, 31.

A 31-year-old man was charged with two counts of intimidating a police officer/member of the family.

The costs comply with incidents alleged to have occurred in late October, police stated in an announcement, together with “online commentary” linked to a rally on Bourke Avenue and an incident outdoors an embassy the place a flag was burned.

NSN members documented their makes an attempt to disrupt a refugee rights rally in Docklands on October 22 on their social media channels, in addition to a stunt outdoors the Chinese language consulate in Toorak 4 days later.

The Wantirna South man was bailed to look at Ringwood magistrates court docket on 18 February, and was launched “pending further enquiries in relation to offences against the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act”.

A North Melbourne man, 25, together with a Baxter man, 23, and an Ashwood man, 21, had been additionally interviewed by detectives in relation to the offences of significant racial vilification and grossly offensive public conduct. All had been launched and are anticipated to be charged on summons, police stated.

The police interviews relate to an incident the night of October 31, Halloween, when quite a few males in offensive clothes are alleged to have verbally harassed two girls in a Port Melbourne automotive park.

Man accused of stealing Eftpos machines and processing $670,000 in fraudulent reimbursements in Brisbane

A 38-year-old man has allegedly dedicated greater than $670,000 in fraudulent reimbursement transactions utilizing stolen Eftpos terminals.

Police say they’ve charged the person with 41 offences after the alleged Eftpos rip-off which focused medical companies.

It will likely be alleged between October 1 and November 2, the person was concerned in a collection of break ins, totally on Brisbane’s southside, the place he stole EFTPOS terminals.

He then dedicated the fraudulent reimbursement transactions utilizing the machines, police allege.

They’ll additional allege simply earlier than 6pm final evening officers tried to intercept a stolen motorcycle travelling dangerously in Wishart.

Police took the person into custody at a gas station.

He was subsequently charged with 17 counts of enter premises and commit by break, 13 counts of fraud, 4 counts of receiving tainted property, two counts of possess harmful medicine, and one depend every of illegal use of motorized vehicle, stealing, dealing identification, possess tainted property, and possess utensil.

He is because of seem at Brisbane magistrates court docket in the present day.

Josh Butler

Coalition desires authorities to move social media ban for youngsters by finish of the month

The Coalition is difficult the federal government to hurry by way of its proposed ban on kids utilizing social media as shortly as doable, with shadow communications minister David Coleman saying they need it handed by the tip of this month.

Coleman, who has lengthy known as for age restrictions on social media, instructed a press convention that the laws have to be “strong” and with out “loopholes” – but additionally stated the opposition needed it drafted and handed by way of each homes of parliament this month. He stated:

This is a matter which we consider is pressing.

One kink in that plan – the federal government’s $6.5m trial of age assurance expertise hasn’t even begun. So we don’t but know whether or not the federal government’s plan is possible, or whether it is, what sort of applied sciences or info Fb, TikTok, Twitter or Instagram would wish to dam their platforms to these beneath 16.

Anthony Albanese and communications minister Michelle Rowland this morning didn’t rule out biometric scanning or having private paperwork made accessible to the platforms to satisfy that age assurance barrier.

Coleman stated the Coalition needed the plan to be bipartisan, however he didn’t say what trade-offs by way of privateness can be acceptable for the opposition. He claimed firms like Fb already did age verification in some circumstances, however stated the federal government ought to legislate “a standard which is sufficiently strong to be meaningful”.

Coleman stated:

Let’s be very clear to Instagram, let’s be very clear to Tiktok, let’s be very clear to Snapchat, you’re captured by this. Your merchandise we consider, as Australians, will not be protected for youthful kids, and we’re going to do every thing we sensibly can to require you to guard these Australian kids.

It received’t be excellent. Will individuals be capable of level to examples of imperfections, certain. Will or not it’s infinitely higher than what we have now in the present day? Completely. And that’s why it’s so vital that we get this completed.

Public sector staff attain 2.5 million individuals with wages of $232bn a 12 months

Peter Hannam

Federal and state governments employed 2,517,900 public sector employees as of June, the ABS reported in the present day, up 3.6% for the fiscal 12 months.

In line with the ABS‘s June employment figures, jobs in the economy totalled 14.406 million, up 2.8% for the year. The private sector provides the bulk of jobs but such hires obviously grew more slowly than for the public sector – perhaps at a pace of about 2.5%, give or take.

Public sector wages, meanwhile, rose 8%, to $232bn for the 2023-24 fiscal year. Overall wages were up 4.1%, according to the separate Wage Price Index, so government employees enjoyed twice that increase. (We’ll get September quarter WPI subsequent Wednesday, which can be intently watched by staff, amongst others.)

Different attention-grabbing stats embrace the actual fact state governments make use of about 4 in 5 public sector staff (1.94 million), with about 15% employed by the commonwealth and the remainder working for native governments. The federal wage invoice rose 10% for the 12 months.

A few of the wage improve will replicate an finish to a number of the Covid-era wage caps (for instance in New South Wales). The upper spending, although, did add to demand within the financial system (and therefore, make it a bit more durable for the Reserve Financial institution to chop rates of interest).

In line with UBS, an funding financial institution, the larger employees invoice added about 2% to GDP. (General GDP rose 1.5%, so subtracting that contribution, the financial system would have shrunk.)

“In Australia, growth in nominal government spending will soon average about 8% year on year for about a decade,” UBS stated, including the RBA “will keep interest rates higher-for-longer” in consequence.

The federal government will search to publish the sealed part of the robodebt royal fee “at the first appropriate opportunity” as soon as they’ve appointed after which consulted a Nationwide Anti-Corruption Fee (NACC) choice maker.

A press release launched Thursday afternoon by legal professional common Mark Dreyfus defined the method by which the federal government intends to nonetheless go forward publishing the confidential extra chapter of the robodebt royal fee report:

In her 7 July 2023 letter to the Governor-Common presenting the ultimate report of the Robodebt Royal Fee, the Hon Catherine Holmes AC SC beneficial an extra chapter “remain sealed and not be tabled with the rest of the report so as not to prejudice the conduct of any future civil action or criminal prosecution”.

With civil and legal issues largely full, the Authorities had deliberate to desk the extra chapter within the Home of Representatives within the present sitting week.

Final week the Inspector of the Nationwide Anti-Corruption Fee (NACC) beneficial that the NACC appoint an acceptable individual to remake the choice on whether or not to analyze six individuals named within the confidential extra chapter, and the NACC accepted the advice.

The Authorities will now search recommendation from the NACC choice maker, as soon as appointed, on whether or not the tabling of the confidential extra chapter would prejudice any present or future choice of the NACC.

Labor ‘trying to out-Dutton Peter Dutton’ on deportation, Greens say

Paul Karp

The Greens’ immigration spokesperson, David Shoebridge, has commented on Labor’s new deportation invoice.

He stated:

This invoice provides the federal government recent powers to pay nations like Nauru and PNG to take individuals in opposition to their will if the Minister orders them to be faraway from Australia.

We already know that individuals who have been forcibly faraway from Australia to Nauru and PNG stay with untreated trauma, entrenched poverty and few if any rights. If this legislation passes then individuals who have come to Australia having fled persecution from Iran, Afghanistan or Russia will face both indefinite detention or elimination to nations which have been bribed to take them.

Simply 24 hours after we noticed a politician take energy within the US on a platform of punching down in opposition to migrants we have now the Albanese authorities doing the identical with this invoice. We invite Labor to withdraw this Invoice, cease attempting to out-Dutton Peter Dutton on migration and respect the choice of the Excessive Court docket.

Sarah Basford Canales

Penny Wong: ‘We don’t need harmless Palestinians to starve’

Returning again to Senate estimates and simply after lunch the subject of Unrwa funding reared once more.

In case you want a fast refresher, the UN Reduction and Works Company, or Unrwa, has been offering meals, water and drugs for the greater than 1.9 million displaced Palestinians within the Gaza Strip for the reason that latest battle started in October final 12 months.

The Israeli parliament voted to ban the help company and designate it a terror group final month after a report discovered 9 Unrwa employees in Gaza “may have been” concerned within the 7 October Hamas assaults that led to the deaths of greater than 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of a whole lot extra.

Responding to the announcement, the overseas affairs minister, Penny Wong, stated Unrwa did “life-saving work” whereas urging Israel to “comply with the binding orders of the ICJ to enable the provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance at scale in Gaza”.

The Liberal senator, Clare Chandler, requested what the federal government’s rationale behind the assertion was.

Wong replied:

Properly, we don’t need kids to starve … we don’t need harmless Palestinians to starve. And let me simply take you thru a few of what we all know. We all know that there’s not sufficient humanitarian help getting into Gaza. We all know that the humanitarian scenario in Gaza is unacceptable. We all know that the ICJ [international court of justice] and worldwide legislation requires Israel to facilitate help into Gaza, however that has been getting worse. Inadequate help has been allowed by way of.

Chandler stated Australia’s assertion was urging Israel to maintain Unrwa’s “reserve privileges and immunities” untouched regardless of its alleged ties to Hamas.

Wong stated:

One factor I by no means hear from you, Senator, I by no means hear you discuss concerning the expertise of civilians in Gaza. I by no means hear you speaking concerning the kids. I by no means hear you speaking about polio, or the variety of vans getting into, or the variety of individuals displaced, or the quantity of people that face meals insecurity. These are the realities.

‘It does reflect data’: Ahpra chief on push for GP examine ups for older docs

The medical board’s most well-liked possibility to make sure older docs are training safely can be for them to get an everyday GP examine up after they flip 70, the board has instructed Senate estimates.

The Australian Well being Practitioner Regulation company (Ahpra) has been consulting on the problem . The CEO of Ahpra Martin Fletcher stated:

It’s actually vital to say this isn’t a compulsory retirement age, however it does replicate information.

Our information that exhibits a rise in complaints concerning the efficiency of docs over 70, and likewise that these complaints are sometimes extra prone to end in regulatory motion than for docs beneath 70.

It’s truthful to say there’s been lots of curiosity on this session. We’ve had over 200 submissions, lots of debate about this, and there may be numerous work to do, I feel, clearly, to contemplate all these submissions.

One in 20 docs training in Australia are over 70, based on Fletcher who stated they make up 5.27% of registered practitioners.

Ranjana Srivastava has written for us on this subject, noting absolutely the distinction in complaints is small: in 2023, for each 1,000 docs there have been 69 complaints within the over-70 group and 38 within the under-70. Regulatory motion occurred in 23% of complaints within the first group and 14% within the second. You’ll be able to learn extra right here:

Natasha Might

Thanks Tory and go effectively! Nonetheless a lot extra information coming your manner this afternoon.

I’m operating away to hitch the circus, Natasha Might can be your smart information this afternoon. Thanks for being right here!

Benita Kolovos

Melbourne lord mayor says ‘the best days for our city are ahead of us’

Extra on that information about Melbourne lord mayor Nicholas Reece being re-elected:

Reece is linked to the Labor occasion and his deputy Roshena Campbell with the Liberals, previously operating for the occasion on the Aston byelection. However neither was operating on their occasion’s ticket.

Liberal Owen Visitor has been elected to council, alongside Gladys Liu, who was on Anthony Koutoufides’ ticket however was previously the Liberal MP for the federal seat of Chisholm.

Greens councillor Olivia Ball has additionally been re-elected, together with Kevin Louey, who has served 4 phrases and is taken into account a little bit of a kingmaker.

Reece is holding a press convention outdoors Queen Victoria Market. He says:

I’m so proud and humbled to have been elected the lord mayor of Melbourne. It’s actually the honour of my life to be serving our metropolis on this position I’m trying ahead to the following 4 years understanding that the perfect days for our metropolis are forward of us. It’s actually the honour of my life to be serving our metropolis on this position.

He thanks his deputy, Roshena Campbell, saying:

She’s been by my aspect by way of this difficult fought contest, and he or she’s been nothing wanting superb. It’s also no small factor that Roshena Campbell is the primary individual of Indian heritage to serve within the place of deputy lord mayor within the 182 12 months historical past of Melbourne. It’s very a lot an indication of contemporary Melbourne that we’re a various and inclusive metropolis and a metropolis of alternative, the place something is feasible.

And that was that, the final query time till 18 November. Then solely two weeks left this 12 months!

Australia urges Israel to ‘allow free, unfettered humanitarian access to Gaza’

Impartial MP Sophie Scamps desires to find out about Israel’s banning of Unrwa and what the federal government can do to “ensure that the people of Gaza do not die of starvation and preventable diseases such as polio”.

Pat Conroy, the defence business minister, says the federal government helps Unrwa as a result of they don’t need civilians to starve to demise:

Let me start by condemning the assaults of October 7 and the ensuing battle and civilian deaths. We name for an instantaneous launch of all hostages for an instantaneous ceasefire and for the free and unfettered circulate of humanitarian help. Unrwa does life-saving work, and that’s why successive Australian governments have funded it since 1951.

The humanitarian scenario in Gaza is catastrophic. Solely Unrwa has the mandate and the infrastructure to obtain and distribute help on the dimensions that’s wanted proper now.

The federal government will proceed to induce a reversal of the choice, he says:

We name on Israel to permit free, unfettered humanitarian entry to Gaza according to the Worldwide Court docket of Justice ruling.

He says Australia has made its opposition clearly identified, and continues to work by way of diplomatic channels to induce entry for help staff and provides. “We’ve provided a total of $94.55m in humanitarian funding to the region since October 23,” he says.

This consists of $6m to Unrwa, which continues to circulate, together with the opposite companion businesses we’ve funded in Gaza, together with Unicef, the World Meals Programme, the Pink Cross, the UN operations companies and the UN Inhabitants Fund. We’ve additionally offered our common annual contribution of $20 million to Unrwa.