Treasurer says ‘troublesome choices’ forward

DIFFICULT DECISIONS AHEAD

It’s wanting extra probably we’ll ditch the stage three tax cuts. Some fast numbers: Treasury has downsized its forecasts for world progress by 0.75% this 12 months, 1% subsequent 12 months, and 0.5% in 2024 as the worldwide economic system hurtles in the direction of a possible recession, because the SMH stories. Curiosity on authorities debt will climb 14% a 12 months concurrently defence spending goes up 4.4%, NDIS spending up 12.1%, hospitals 6.1%, and aged care by 5%. What does this all imply? Our finances is in ruins. It’s all in line with Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who’ll give a speech at present about our difficult fiscal place — he’s nonetheless not admitting to axing the stage three tax cuts, however they’re the heaviest merchandise within the finances ($243 billion!), as AFR stories, and Chalmers does say “troublesome choices” will should be made on this finances. It appears on the very least the coverage will probably be amended — and it’s not essentially going to be unpopular, in line with The Australian ($). The paper says Senate powerbrokers the Greens, and crossbenchers David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie would again adjustments to the 2018-era cuts, although they’d want they go within the bin.

Opposition Chief Peter Dutton says we should always hold the cuts, arguing “rather a lot” of us have taken out residence loans or made funding choices figuring out the cuts are coming, which feels a bit overegged. The paper factors out that the tip of the low and middle-income tax offset goes to alter issues this monetary 12 months, too. If you happen to make $90,000, your take-home pay of $69,983 will fall to $68,383, or 2%. Spare a thought for these on the coalface of our tax affairs, nevertheless. A whistleblowing former debt collector named Richard Boyle has instructed a SA courtroom he suffers from PTSD from working on the ATO, ABC stories. Boyle, who labored there for 14 years, says it was distressing receiving managerial directions to rebuff susceptible individuals asking for assist. The case marks the primary main take a look at case of protections obtainable underneath the Public Curiosity Disclosure Act.

HIGGINS FELT JOB WAS ‘ON THE LINE’

Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins has instructed the ACT Supreme Courtroom she bought the impression her “job was on the road” if she reported an alleged rape from a colleague, Guardian Australia stories, following a gathering then defence trade minister Linda Reynolds in the exact same workplace the place the alleged rape occurred. Higgins additionally secretly recorded a dialog with former minister Michaelia Money (who Higgins labored for after Reynolds) and despatched the recording to journalist Samantha Maiden for safe-keeping (who’s anticipated to be known as as a witness), the SMH stories. Higgins feared she wouldn’t be believed in regards to the alleged assault, The Australian ($) stories, and instructed the courtroom she wished as “many individuals as doable” to have data of it. Reynolds has additionally been named as a witness, together with Money, former Liberal MP Steven Ciobo and the previous chief of employees to Scott Morrison, John Kunkel.

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The trial of former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann continues at present after per week of damning accounts and intense scrutiny for each events. Higgins, who has since change into a vocal advocate for survivors of sexual assault, is making worldwide information for the long-awaited case, because the BBC stories. Lehrmann’s facet denies all prices and says we’ve been “bought a pup”. The case will go on for six weeks.

If you happen to or somebody you recognize is affected by sexual assault or violence, name 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or go to 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, name 000.

SOGGY SYDNEY

It’s official: that is Sydney’s wettest 12 months on document, because the SMH stories, and local weather change is the rationale, in line with the Bureau of Meteorology. At 1pm the town formally handed the 1950 document, and by 6pm yesterday had recorded 2.2 metres of rain for the 12 months. It’s much more dismal when you think about 2022 nonetheless has almost three months to go. And it’s not simply the Harbour Metropolis — swathes of NSW are going through a “very important and elevated flood threat” in the mean time. Bathurst is an enormous fear for authorities, whereas Forbes, Gunnedah and Warren within the state’s central west may additionally get main flooding. The Hunter, about three hours north of Sydney, and the Central Coast between the pair, are additionally going through huge threat. It comes as NSW councils are threatening to “begin closing roads” in the event that they don’t get extra funding from state and federal governments. Take the Blue Mountains — excessive climate has precipitated $400 million value of harm, the mayor instructed Guardian Australia, which is about 10 years value of roadworks in 12 months. The council’s earnings is simply $90 million a 12 months.

Simply to complete on some optimistic local weather motion information: Melbourne is bringing again bees, butterflies, and birds to the CBD by planting streetscapes of cut-leaf daisies, tufted bluebells, wattles, correas, ringed wallaby grass and extra. The Age stories horticulturalists have a listing of greater than 100 largely native species that may assist in the event you really feel like being a inexperienced thumb this weekend — examine the remaining out right here. And within the Sunshine State the WWF has welcomed higher safety for whales and dugongs in Queensland’s Nice Sandy Marine Park, The Advocate stories. It’ll see industrial gill net-free zones prolonged within the space, that can present higher security and freedom for our sea-life.

ON A LIGHTER NOTE

Right here’s one thing it’s possible you’ll not learn about me, my expensive Worm reader: I dwell in Vancouver. I moved to Canada final April, although I positively haven’t misplaced my accent — simply ask my Canuck associate Ryan, who typically accuses me of asking for a glass of “worda”. There are particular realities of residing in North America, and one is bears. As an Australian, I really feel fairly misled by Playschool’s Large Ted. They aren’t pleasant. They aren’t cuddly. However yearly, they’ve their time to shine, and that point is now. It’s Fats Bear Week — it’s an annual contest that celebrates the bulking bears at Katmai Nationwide Park, Alaska, who’re presently gorging themselves on salmon in preparation for winter hibernation (Australia’s summer time). Greater than 600,000 individuals voted within the contest final 12 months, The New York Instances stories, and this 12 months it’s anticipated to be even greater, with a king or queen to be topped on Fats Bear Tuesday (October 11).

So how does one determine which chunky bear to vote for? First, the bears within the park should use the river to be a part of the competitors, and hundreds of thousands have been watching this dwell stream eagerly to see what number of — and who — do. This 12 months, a dozen certified, together with four-time winner 480 Otis. Rangers have been meticulously constructing every of the 12 bears’ profiles for the competition — for example, do they fancy recent salmon or dried salmon? Are they playful or snobbish? And naturally, the before- and after-bulking photographs, a form of panacea to the burden loss comparisons we normally see. The founding father of the competition, Mike Fitz, tries to remain impartial, however he can’t. “All of us have bears that we like to look at,” he says. This 12 months, it’s bear 747 “whose girth is similar to that of the airplane mannequin” at 645 kilograms, making him one of many largest teddies on earth. Fitz is blown away by how fashionable the competition has change into, however the bears don’t care. Thousands and thousands of individuals watch the bears all 12 months, “they usually’re simply munching on salmon and barely even discover,” one ranger mentioned. Good life.

Wishing you the physique confidence of a bear at present, and have a restful weekend forward.

SAY WHAT?

I hope and pray that they’ll change authorities down there as a result of Daniel Andrews is properly and actually previous his use-by date.

Peter Dutton

Pot, kettle? Dutton, who is 2 years older than Andrews, has been in politics since he was 30, wherein he has launched two failed management challenges earlier than successful the third and turning into opposition chief. Since then, Coalition help has fallen to a document low, and simply 22% of Australians want him as PM. The Andrews authorities received each the 2014 and 2018 elections, and Andrews has been the popular premier for eight years.

On the subject of commentators, the ABC forgives and forgets

“You’ll discover no argument within the Crikey bunker if you wish to argue that company Australia is topic to pretty toothless regulation. The evaluation introduced by economist John Adams on the ABC, alleging that lower than 1% of complaints obtained by the Australian Securities and Investments Fee (ASIC) are investigated, is definitely a stunning stat. However this isn’t the primary time the ABC went to Adams for remark — and it didn’t go almost so properly the final time. In June 2020, Adams tweeted, in a caps-heavy hyperbolic fashion typical of his feed…

“BREAKING I simply obtained a telephone name from an ABC Sydney based mostly producer looking for a remark in regards to the recreation of chess! The ABC have taken the view that chess is RACIST provided that white all the time go first!

…Belief the taxpayer funded nationwide broadcaster to use ideological Marxist frameworks to something & all the pieces in Australia!”

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Thailand ex-policeman kills 35, together with 23 youngsters, at nursery (Al Jazeera)

Christian Walker, warrior for the appropriate, now battles his father (The New York Instances)

About 82,000 nonetheless with out energy in Puerto Rico two weeks after Fiona (Reuters)

How does New Zealand’s tax invoice examine to different nations? (Stuff)

TikTok dad or mum ByteDance sees losses swell in push for progress (The Wall Road Journal) ($)

French creator Annie Ernaux wins Nobel Prize in Literature (CBC)

Financial institution confirms pension funds virtually collapsed amid market meltdown (The Guardian)

THE COMMENTARIAT

Australia maybe isn’t the massive deal it thinks it’s to Solomon Islands — Waleed Aly (The SMH): “Throughout this 12 months’s federal election marketing campaign, Solomon Islands grew to become a Large Deal. You’ll recall the Solomons had simply signed a safety take care of China, the air was thick with concern that China would finally set up a navy base there, and Penny Wong accused the Morrison authorities of ‘the worst overseas coverage blunder within the Pacific for the reason that finish of World Warfare II’.

“Since then, the Albanese authorities’s narrative has been considered one of righting such blunders; touring the world and mending relationships that have been broken largely by Morrison authorities incompetence. In some circumstances, that appears a good sufficient clarification — see the dealing with of AUKUS and French submarines. However within the Solomons case, this all the time appeared a stretch, extra rhetorical than actual. And now we’re beginning to see this.”

The sport is up for conservative Christians — Simon Kennedy (The Australian) ($): “The distinction with the Thorburn case is that Thorburn has by no means as soon as publicly expressed a view on same-sex relationships or something controversial about social coverage points. His sin was by affiliation. Thorburn is concerned with Metropolis on a Hill, a Bible-believing church in Melbourne that continues to carry out in opposition to the prevailing cultural winds on sexuality. Thorburn’s appointment as chief government of the membership was introduced on Monday and he resigned on Tuesday.

“Essendon president David Barham cited two vital factors. One is that the views that have been of concern have been ‘not … views that Andrew Thorburn has expressed personally’. His sin was attending a specific church. It was not that Thorburn had posted on Twitter or Instagram that anybody ought to burn in hell for his or her sexual preferences. He didn’t do this. It was not that he had acted in a discriminatory method in opposition to any of his workers throughout his (extraordinarily) quick tenure on the Essendon Soccer Membership. He by no means did that, as far as we all know.”

HOLD THE FRONT PAGE

WHAT’S ON TODAY

Eora Nation Nation (also called Sydney)

• Former Bachelorette Brooke Blurton will talk about her new memoir, Large Love, at Higher Learn Than Lifeless bookshop.

• The College of Expertise Sydney’s Barbara Doran will talk about her new e book, Catalysing Inventive Intelligence, at Glee Books.

Yuggera Nation (also called Brisbane)

• Creator Fiona McFarlane will chat about her new e book, The Solar Walks Down, at Avid Reader bookshop.

Kulin Nation Nation (also called Melbourne)

• Players will head to PAX Aus at Melbourne Conference and Exhibition Centre, with gaming set ups, traditional arcades, unbiased Australian recreation builders and publishers, tabletop gaming, cosplay competitions, panels, and the nation’s largest YouTubers and streamers.

Crikey is information for readers who can deal with the reality.

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Originally published at Irvine News HQ