NSW rail union pushes forward with industrial motion
Sydney commuters are in for a “very messy day” because the NSW rail union pushes forward with industrial motion that can take out 70% of the practice fleet, AAP stories.
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union has been locked in long-running stoush with the Perrottet authorities over a brand new Korean-made Intercity fleet, which it says is unsafe.
Whereas the federal government has signalled it might be ready to spend $264m to change the fleet, the union says it has refused to signal an settlement confirming it’ll repair the protection points raised by practice drivers. The union mentioned on Friday:
This would be the fourth time the federal government has supplied to make the modifications, introduced the modifications, after which backtracked because of inner politics.
Rail, Tram and Bus Union NSW secretary Alex Claassens mentioned throughout a gathering with the federal government yesterday, components of the modification supply had been taken off the desk:
I’m simply unsure the place we go from right here however our members are resolute. We’re going to proceed preventing to get these trains made secure, and we’ll do no matter it takes to make that occur.
Protected industrial motion deliberate for as we speak goes forward, which can see practice drivers refuse to function international or privately made trains. This implies solely 30% of Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink companies shall be working.
Claassens:
It’s going to be a really messy day. It’ll be a weekend timetable with different trains taken out of it.
Transport minister David Elliott mentioned yesterday that the federal government had supplied railway employees $3,000 bonuses:
The households of the railway employees proper now might be having $3,000 deposited of their account, as a substitute of getting that cash spent on modifying completely good trains.
However Claassens described the funds supplied to railway employees, to get the fleet on the tracks with out modifications, as “bribes”.
Sydney commuters have been suggested to anticipate important practice delays and cancellations. A flow-on impact is more likely to influence folks travelling to Sydney airport and on buses.
Queensland data six deaths from Covid-19 with 597 folks in hospital
There have been 5,313 new Covid-19 circumstances recorded prior to now 24 hours, and 15 individuals are in intensive care.
The rain in Sydney goes to worsen
The Bureau of Meteorology has simply issued a extreme climate warning.
emergency administration minister Murray Watt says Nationwide Resilience & Restoration Company head Shane Stone is “ceasing his employment”
comes as the brand new authorities units up the brand new (and really wordy) Nationwide Emergency Administration, Resilience and Restoration Company (NEMRRA) pic.twitter.com/el5Dpx0F3d
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) July 1, 2022
Albanese on ‘preserving personal conversations personal’
The PM says conversations with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, “will keep personal” forward of a gathering in Paris.
Cait Kelly
Australia’s median weekly lease is $508 – what can that purchase you?
Bailey Perceval has been on the lookout for a home in Melbourne’s interior north for six months. The 24-year-old has a price range of $600 a month, making most leases fully unaffordable:
I’ve seen the median month-to-month rental value in Melbourne enhance in a short time. A lot so that the majority of my associates can now not afford to reside in metropolitan Melbourne.
There isn’t a manner Perceval may afford even a single-bedroom unit for that value, so like everybody else with that price range, it’ll doubtless be a share home. However the market is tight and discovering the proper place with good folks will be tough.
Perceval says:
I’m in search of lodging within the northern suburbs, and what I’ve seen is that except you’re keen to pay [at least] $800 a month, you’re not going to seek out someplace sustainable.
Australia is within the midst of a nationwide housing disaster, and the PropTrack director of financial analysis, Cameron Kusher, says rents have elevated 9% prior to now 12 months.
The median price for a median dwelling nationally is now $508 every week, so let’s check out what that may get you:
VicRoads shall be partially privatised, Victorian authorities pronounces
VicRoads shall be partly privatised for a interval in a bid to generate $7.9 billion for the state, AAP stories.
A consortium of Conscious Tremendous, Australian Retirement Belief and Macquarie Asset Administration will run licensing and registration for the following 40 years, whereas the state authorities maintains possession of the service.
The transfer is the results of a 15-month modernisation program that began final 12 months. Funds raised will go into the Victorian Future Fund to handle pandemic debt.
The state authorities will proceed to handle information, privateness provisions and important payment costs, and can regain management of all operations after the partnership ends, treasurer Tim Pallas mentioned on Friday:
This isn’t a privatisation in anyone’s language. We’re all the time seeking to see how we are able to drive higher companies, higher efficiency, however we are going to by no means divest the possession of property.
Impartial integrity our bodies, together with the Victorian ombudsman, will nonetheless present oversight.
Underneath the modifications, learners and probationary licences in addition to on-line testing shall be made free.
Drivers who haven’t incurred demerit factors or dedicated street security offences within the three years previous to their licence expiring can even obtain a 25% low cost on their licence renewal.
Highway security minister Ben Carroll instructed reporters the state was “embedding a tradition of street security in Victoria”.
Christopher Knaus
Girls nonetheless behind on pay and management in NSW authorized career
New information has revealed a obvious pay disparity between women and men within the authorized career. Girls are nonetheless being shut out of senior positions inside authorized corporations and from the highest pay bracket for solicitors in New South Wales, the info exhibits.
The NSW Legislation Society on Friday launched its annual profile of the career. It discovered “feminine legal professionals proceed to lag behind their male counterparts, as does the chance for ladies to advance to observe management positions”.
President Joanne van der Plaat mentioned:
The Legislation Society is dedicated to working with the career to help legislation corporations to develop methods of nurturing all their expertise. What we as legal professionals can have fun is a youthful, extra culturally various and extra gender various career. There’s a strategy to go but, however 12 months by 12 months, I feel we’re seeing the career in NSW rising to replicate extra precisely the Australian group. That may solely be factor.
The information exhibits ladies make up the vast majority of the state’s solicitors, but account for simply 33% of personal observe management roles.
In addition they earn much less in all ages bracket. For solicitors aged 30-34, simply 34% of girls earned greater than $150,000, in contrast with 41% for males.
Within the 35-39 age bracket, simply 26% of girls earn greater than $200,000, in contrast with 33% for males.
For these aged 40-49, solely 23% of girls earned greater than $250,000. The determine was 34% for males.
Chris Bowen pronounces assessment into carbon credit scheme
Local weather change minister Chris Bowen has formally introduced the impartial assessment into the carbon credit scheme.
A panel of 4 consultants, led by Prof Ian Chubb, will assessment the scheme after consultants questioned the integrity of credit utilized by firms to stability their books on emissions.
The assessment follows claims by an ex-chair of the federal emissions discount assurance committee Andrew Macintosh that Australian carbon credit are a “fraud on the setting”.
Chris Bowen mentioned in an announcement:
Issues have been raised just lately about a number of features of Australia’s carbon crediting system, together with the integrity of its key strategies and the Australian carbon credit score models issued underneath it.
The federal government desires to verify it stays a powerful and credible scheme supported by individuals, purchasers and the broader group.
The assessment will obtain that aim.
You’ll be able to learn the total Guardian report on the assessment right here:
Simply name me Tony …
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau seems to have forgotten Anthony Albanese’s first identify, upon introducing him as “prime minister Albanese” at a media occasion in Madrid on Thursday.
According to News.com.au, Trudeau then went on to name Albanese “Tony”:
It’s an actual pleasure to be assembly with, ah, ah, ah … a … nice … progressive chief. We’re actually, actually excited to have … ah, a … good friend in Australia. Australia has been a long-time good friend. We’ll be speaking heaps with, ah …. with Tony and all our associates in Australia.
I imply, look, “Tony” isn’t all that far off the mark – it’s not fairly traditional Joe Biden, in any case:
Telehealth cuts – how will they have an effect on you?
On the cuts to telehealth subsidies, our reporter Caitlin Cassidy is on the lookout for folks to talk to who could be affected by this. If that is you, please do attain out to her.
The federal government has confirmed greater than 70 telehealth consultations shall be lower, together with 33 preliminary advanced specialist objects, 40 specialist inpatient objects & GP consultations <20 minutes. If this results you, dm me Caitlin.cassidy@theguardian.com https://t.co/IrED8VouVx
— Caitlin Cassidy (@caitecassidy) July 1, 2022
Ben Doherty
Cross-party assertion on twenty fifth anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China
Right now marks a quarter-century since Hong Kong was returned to Chinese language rule as a Particular Administrative Area of China, and the midway mark of the promised 50 years of autonomy underneath the “One Nation, Two Methods” framework.
The co-chairs of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, Labor MP Peter Khalil and Liberal senator James Paterson, have launched an announcement decrying, of their phrases, the “direct undermining” of One Nation, Two Methods by Beijing.
Australia has lengthy maintained shut ties with the folks of Hong Kong. Hong Kong turned a world-leading worldwide enterprise hub due to its openness, its rights and freedoms, its impartial judiciary and rule of legislation. Australians and Australian companies have contributed considerably to, and benefited from, Hong Kong’s success.
Hong Kong’s success was underpinned by the commitments made by the Chinese language authorities within the 1997 UN-registered Sino-British Declaration which assured the area’s autonomy, by the One Nation, Two Methods association.
As we mark this anniversary, we word with deep concern the speedy erosion of Hong Kong’s distinctive autonomous standing because the passage of the nationwide safety legislation two years in the past.
Throughout this era there was a direct undermining of the One Nation, Two Methods association together with the diminishment of the rule of legislation, democratic rights and freedoms, together with the proper to freedom of expression and the independence of the judiciary.
We have now seen an alarming sample of suppression; arrests of pro-democracy figures, and their prosecutions underneath the nationwide safety legislation, in addition to the curbing of Hong Kong’s impartial legislative authority.
Hong Kong has held a particular place for a lot of Australians as a metropolis of vibrant tradition, commerce and civic freedoms.
The folks of Hong Kong have proven immense braveness in striving to guard and uphold the freedoms which have enabled their prosperity and stability over generations.
We as soon as once more urge the Chinese language authorities to uphold and shield human rights and freedoms and fulfil their commitments made earlier than handover.
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has issued a statement alongside related traces, excoriating China’s management for the hastening erosion of democratic freedoms:
It’s now evident that Hong Kong and Beijing authorities now not view democratic participation, elementary freedoms and an impartial media as a part of this imaginative and prescient.
In 2019, thousands and thousands of Hong Kongers joined public protests to oppose controversial extradition laws. Beijing’s response – the Nationwide Safety Legislation – set the stage for an erosion of autonomy and dismantling of the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents during the last two years. Authorities have jailed the opposition, with many imprisoned for greater than a 12 months.
Hong Kong’s leaders have raided impartial media organisations, shuttered museums and eliminated public artworks, weakened democratic establishments, delayed elections, prevented vigils, disqualified sitting lawmakers, and instituted loyalty oaths. Authorities officers have unfold disinformation that grassroots protests have been the work of international actors. They’ve accomplished all of this in an effort to deprive Hong Kongers of what they’ve been promised.
