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Rail union to bring forward industrial action
Elias Visontay
Sydneysiders have been warned to expect imminent disruptions across the city’s rail network – including in the lead up to the busy New Years period – after a court quashed the state government’s bid to halt industrial action paving the way for unions to resume work stoppages.
On Thursday, the federal court dismissed the Minns government’s attempt to ban industrial action that rail unions had voted to take, undoing an interim injunction the government secured two Sundays ago which effectively paused rolling industrial action – which had been launched after an intense negotiating period for a new pay deal broke down.
Following the federal court’s decision, Toby Warnes, the New South Wales secretary of the Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU), said the union would now tell its members they could bring forward industrial action. Prior to Thursday’s ruling, the union had applied for a fresh protected industrial action ballot – which members voted in favour of – that would be exempt from the interim injunction.
“As a result, industrial action will recommence immediately. We’re going back to our office to inform our members to enforce the bans that were on immediately before the injunction two Sundays ago,” Warnes said.
Work stoppages, as well as distance limits for drivers and orders to deactivate Opal readers, are among the industrial actions that can now take place.
Key events
Caitlin Cassidy
The Greens’ reaction to Labor’s new international student policy is lukewarm at best, with deputy leader and spokesperson for higher education, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, accusing the government of continuing to “dog whistle” on migrants.
Faruqi said the replacement of Ministerial Direction 107 with Ministerial Direction 111 was welcome, but the “heart of the issue remains unchanged”.
Instead of targeting regional universities and “high risk” countries, the new policy will slow visa processing after institutions reach 80% of their proposed international student cap.
Faruqi said Labor was using the “same flawed international student caps that were thoroughly rejected by … the sector” with their new direction.
This might be a small reprieve for a sector that has been crushed for too long, but implementing international student caps by stealth through a ministerial direction is sneaky and does not tackle the issues universities face.
Labor continues to dog whistle and blame international students and migrants for the housing crisis they did not cause. The Albanese government should be ashamed of competing with Dutton’s Coalition in the terrible race to see who wins on punching down on migrants the hardest.
Rail union to bring forward industrial action
Elias Visontay
Sydneysiders have been warned to expect imminent disruptions across the city’s rail network – including in the lead up to the busy New Years period – after a court quashed the state government’s bid to halt industrial action paving the way for unions to resume work stoppages.
On Thursday, the federal court dismissed the Minns government’s attempt to ban industrial action that rail unions had voted to take, undoing an interim injunction the government secured two Sundays ago which effectively paused rolling industrial action – which had been launched after an intense negotiating period for a new pay deal broke down.
Following the federal court’s decision, Toby Warnes, the New South Wales secretary of the Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU), said the union would now tell its members they could bring forward industrial action. Prior to Thursday’s ruling, the union had applied for a fresh protected industrial action ballot – which members voted in favour of – that would be exempt from the interim injunction.
“As a result, industrial action will recommence immediately. We’re going back to our office to inform our members to enforce the bans that were on immediately before the injunction two Sundays ago,” Warnes said.
Work stoppages, as well as distance limits for drivers and orders to deactivate Opal readers, are among the industrial actions that can now take place.
Continued from previous post:
Weather conditions are forecast to ease in the south-east on Thursday, as a south-easterly surge from New South Wales pushes north.
“That means showers will start clearing from the south-eastern areas while continuing in parts further to the north,” the Bureau of Meteorology’s Miriam Bradbury said.
As residents in the south-east wait for flood waters to subside, Queensland’s north is preparing for the next deluge of wet weather.
The bureau has warned a trough offshore the coast of Townsville will drift northward from Thursday and linger for days.
A weak embedded low may form in the trough later in the week but the bureau believes it is unlikely to become a tropical cyclone.
Daily rainfall totals up to 60mm are forecast on Thursday and up to 80mm on Friday but there could be heavier localised falls of up to 200mm.
“There is significant uncertainty in the timing and location of the heaviest rainfall, though small coastal catchments may receive the highest rainfall totals,” the bureau said.
“Localised river level rises and flash flooding are likely within the areas of heaviest rainfall, with isolated minor riverine flooding possible.”
– Australian Associated Press
Emergency alerts as deluge raises rivers
Anxious residents in two regional areas are waiting for flood waters to subside after emergency alerts were issued for rising river levels after days of heavy rain.
People in the Western Downs and South Burnett in Queensland have been told to be prepared to evacuate homes ahead of possible inundation.
“Residents in low-lying areas should PREPARE NOW,” Queensland police said in an alert early on Thursday.
Warn neighbours, secure belongings and enact your emergency plan.
It follows days of heavy rain across south-east Queensland which caused flooding and power outages.
Conditions are forecast to ease but the state’s north could next be in the firing line of torrential downpours with a possible storm system forming off the coast.
The Western Downs mayor, Andrew Smith, said the council was monitoring the situation in Jandowae after the local dam started spilling overnight.
“We still have water coming into the dam. It is very much a watch and see,” he told ABC Radio.
We’ll wait and see what unfolds during the day but I think the forecasts are very favourable.
A major flood warning has also been issued for downstream of the Logan River at Beaudesert, expected to reach 8.3 metres on Thursday.
– Australian Associated Press
Caitlin Cassidy
The National Tertiary Education Union (Nteu) has urged the federal government to ensure no jobs will be lost as a result of its new policy on international student visa applications.
Ministerial Direction 111, which comes into effect today, will slow down visa processing once an institution reaches 80% of its proposed international student allocation in place of smaller universities and “high risk” countries, as was in practice.
Nteu national president, Dr Alison Barnes, said the federal government must guarantee there would be no job losses stemming from a reduction in international students.
We are calling for a transition fund to be put in place to ensure universities have no excuse but to protect their most precious asset – staff.
Vice-chancellors have already shown a willingness to use changes to international student arrangements as fig leaf to cover their own failures, and unfairly threaten job cuts.The scaremongering must now end once and for all.
We need an iron-clad commitment from universities and the federal government that this ministerial direction will not lead to a single job being cut.
Australian shares plunge, Australian dollar hits 26-month low
The Australian share market has plunged to a six-week low after the US Federal Reserve indicated it expected to cut interest rates just twice next year, while the Australian dollar hit its lowest level in 26 months.
At 10.40am AEDT on Thursday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 166.4 points, or 2.0%, to 8,143.0, while the broader All Ordinaries had fallen 172.8 points, or 2.02%, to 8,384.9.
Overnight the Federal Reserve cut interest rates as expected, although it was a split vote, with one official favouring leaving rates on hold.
The consensus of its rate-setting committee was for just two rate cuts in 2025, half the number previously predicted.
“As we think about further cuts, we’re going to be looking for progress on inflation,” the Fed chairman, Jerome Powell, told a news conference.
“We have been moving sideways on 12-month inflation.”
– Australian Associated Press
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) is working with Commbank (CBA) to subsidise electric vehicles for customers earning less than $100,000 a year, as well as essential workers including police, teachers, fire fighters and healthcare workers.
CEFC has committed $150 million to CBA’s EV Access Program, supporting a discounted rate that will apply to new and used EVs valued up to $55,000, as well as home charging infrastructure.
The program could save customers between 1% and 5% for EV specific loans compared to secured internal combustion engine vehicle loan, according to a CEFC statement.
“For example, on a loan of $40,000, a five% interest rate discount over seven years could save customers more than $8,000 in interest,” as put in the statement.
The loan aims to support CBA customers earning less than $100,000 a year, as well as police, teachers, fire fighters, health care, and other essential workers.
ABS reveals 4.5% of Australians are LGBTI+
Paul Karp
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has revealed for the first time that an estimated 4.5% of Australians 16 years and over are lesbian, gay, bi, trans or gender diverse, or Intersex (LGBTI+).
According to ABS head of health statistics, Robert Long, this is the “first nationally representative data of their kind in Australia”.
The ABS estimated that:
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About 0.3% of Australians 16 years and over report they know they were born with variations of sex characteristics
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LGB+ Australians 16 years and over make up about 3.6% of the population
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About 0.9% of Australians 16 years and over are trans and gender diverse, including trans men, trans women and non-binary people
Young Australians were more likely to be LGBTI+, with 9.5% of people aged 16 to 24, and 7.5% in the 25-34 category identifying as LGBTI+.
The jurisdictions with the most LGBTI+ people were in the ACT (5.9%) and Victoria (5.3%), statistically significantly more than other states and territories – although LGBTI+ people are found everywhere in Australia.
Benita Kolovos
Jaclyn Symes is speaking about her appointment as Victoria’s first female treasurer.
She says she’s very excited about the new challenge, though sad to leave her role as attorney general and emergency services minister:
When you are a minister and you have the opportunity to work in a portfolio, it’s somewhat a part of your family, it becomes part of your identity. Leaving attorney and emergency services is hard, but I am excited about a new challenge.
Asked how she will she be different to Tim Pallas, Symes says:
I have an enormous amount of respect for Tim, but I’m a very different person. I will bring a different approach, and I’ll let you guys, perhaps do comparisons at some time in the future.
Benita Kolovos
Allan says Symes will be first female treasurer in state history
Allan says Jaclyn Symes will bring “new energy” and focus to the role of treasurer. She says:
I am particularly proud to note that Jaclyn is the first woman in Victoria’s history to serve in the role of treasurer, and alongside myself, we are the first two women to hold these roles in the state’s history, and that is something that reflects enormously on Jacqueline’s great work ethic, great dedication and commitment, and also has the Victorian parliament and the Victorian government reflect the community that we represent.
Allan says:
This team backs in my priorities in housing, jobs and supporting busy families.
Jacinta Allan unveils new cabinet
Benita Kolovos
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has unveiled her new cabinet.
As we reported earlier the state attorney general, Jaclyn Symes, will become treasurer as well as minister for industrial relations and regional development, with the planning minister, Sonya Kilkenny, to take over her role as attorney general. Vicki Ward will take Symes’ emergency services portfolio, equality and a new minsitry for “natural disasters and recovery”
In a demotion for Danny Pearson, he has lost his transport infrastructure ministry to Gabrielle Williams and responsibility for the suburban rail loop to Harriet Shing, who will also take the newly created “housing and building” portfolio. His portfolios of Worksafe and TAC will be handed to deputy premier, Ben Carroll.
Instead, Pearson will become minister for economic growth, jobs and a new portfolio for “finance”.
Labor’s newest minister, Nick Staikos, will take on the ministries of consumer affairs and local government.
Minns says pill-testing is not permanent and they will be ‘led by the information’
Minns reiterated that the introduction of trial pill testing at music festivals is not a permanent decision.
He said to press:
We [are] not making the decision to make it permanent today, we want to be led by the information that is presented over [the] summer period. Ultimately our responsibility is to keep people alive and to save lives and we believe this decision is a step in the right direction.
Minns acknowledges ‘essential contradiction’ in NSW pill testing turnabout but says it’s better than risking deaths
Speaking to press about the introduction of trial pill testing at music festivals, the NSW premier, Chris Minns, says his government has decided to “live with a contradiction” in law “rather than risk someone dying as a result of not having it in place”.
He said:
I want to make it clear from the beginning, we acknowledge there is an essential contradiction to this change in policy. Drugs are illegal in the state yet we have made a decision to allow for pill testing at major music festivals. There is no perfect law here, there is no law that we can craft that can do both things at the same time.
The government has made a decision to live with a contradiction rather than risk someone dying as a result of not having it in place.
AGL fined $25m for wrongly taking welfare money via Centrepay
Christopher Knaus
AGL has been fined $25m for wrongly taking money from the pockets of welfare recipients who were no longer its customers using the government-run Centrepay system.
The federal court issued the substantial fine on Thursday morning. It had previously ruled that AGL had breached the energy rules 14,000 times in its use of Centrepay, a debit system designed to help welfare recipients pay for essentials.
The Centrepay system was used to allow AGL to take deductions from hundreds of welfare recipients who had long ago left as customers.
The court ordered that AGL implement a compliance and training program to ensure that it was automatically alerted when money came to it via Centrepay from former customers. It must also set up a compliance and training program to ensure staff do not breach energy retail rules when dealing with inactive customers, with the program to be regularly and independently reviewed.
AGL was also ordered to appoint a compliance officer to ensure the company meets the court’s orders.
The company is not alone in its alleged misuse of Centrepay. The government services minister, Bill Shorten, has referred three other energy retailers to the regulator over similar allegations. The regulator is still considering whether to take enforcement action against them.
The federal government recently announced a suite of reforms to Centrepay, including measures to stop energy retailers using the system to continue receiving money from former customers.
Jonathan Barrett
Shareholders rebuke ANZ over executive pay
ANZ’s outgoing chief executive, Shayne Elliott, will forfeit $3.2m in bonuses in a bid to quell backlash by shareholders against the bank’s executive remuneration plans at the annual general meeting today.
The forfeited 2025 bonus is called “long term variable remuneration”, which refers to various incentives linked to performance. Last financial year, he secured a $3.4m long-term bonus, and a total statutory pay packet of $5.7m.
The long-serving CEO is due to step down next year, and will still earn his base pay plus any other available bonuses. Elliott’s base pay last financial year was $2.5m.
Earlier, the ANZ chairman, Paul O’Sullivan, told shareholders in Melbourne today that a “sizeable group” of shareholders will voting against the remuneration report.
“We will ensure we take the lessons into account in our future deliberations,” O’Sullivan said.
Early voting results from appointed proxy groups showed that the protest vote would exceed 25% when votes are finalised today, which would represent a first strike against the remuneration report.
A second strike next year would open the bank up to a potential board spill.
The corporate regulator has previously announced it is investigating ANZ over its handling of a bond sale.
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