The figure, while previously unpublished, is understood to come from within the existing Aukus funding envelope. The Rolls-Royce plant is where the nuclear reactors will come from for Australia’s submarines.
Shoebridge – who has long opposed plans for Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines – said Aukus was “in deep water” because the US couldn’t produce enough nuclear submarines to make any available for Australia (the deal includes the sale of at least three Virginia class submarines in the 2030s):
How could we get a worse deal out of Aukus?
This is an extraordinarily bad deal and a bad day for Australian taxpayers …
I think for anyone to suggest that this is not new money and somehow shouldn’t trouble Australians who are looking for an affordable home, who are desperately waiting to get their dental health sorted out, who are surviving on extremely low benefits – to tell those perhaps previous supporters of the Labor government that this $4.5bn is already budgeted for, I think is a pretty poor answer from the Albanese government.
Greens Senator David Shoebridge. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP
Inner West mayor labels NSW’s new bail laws as ‘inhumane policy’
Inner West council mayor Darcy Byrne has convened an emergency meeting of Aboriginal, legal and human rights organisations opposed to the NSW government’s new bail laws.
Changes to the Bail Act were passed in the state’s upper house overnight, making it harder for teenage offenders to get bail:
Byrne, a senior NSW Labor figure, labelled the changes as “inhumane policy” and said the emergency meeting will be held next Wednesday.
The Aboriginal community have been brutalised in recent months by the referendum result and an increase in vitriol towards them. So for the NSW Government now to make locking up more of their kids its highest Indigenous policy priority is a real kick in the guts.
Locking up children will lead to more crime, not less, and we must now force the Government to actually look at the evidence and fund what’s be proven to work.
Inner West council mayor Darcy Byrne. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian
Severe thunderstorms forecast for south-west Queensland
The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting severe thunderstorms in far south-west Queensland today:
⛈️Today's forecast: severe thunderstorms with heavy rainfall are possible in the far southwest. Thunderstorms are possible in southwestern and northwestern #Qld, as well as the east coast north of Port Douglas with moderate falls. Warnings if needed: https://t.co/FBmpsInT9opic.twitter.com/zSTRP966Cl
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) March 22, 2024
One in 20 mortgage holders spending more than they earn, RBA review says
About one in 20 mortgage holders are spending more than they earn because of higher interest rates and cost-of-living increases, but that share should halve by the end of 2025, the Reserve Bank said in its latest financial stability review.
The semi-annual report, released today, was generally upbeat about the financial health of households and businesses, finding “nearly all borrowers continue to service their debts on schedule” even though conditions are likely to remain challenging for many this year.
Most borrowers remain able to service their debts, even as debt servicing costs have risen about 30-60% since the RBA started hiking its cash rate in May 2022. However, about 5% of owner-occupiers on variable rate loans face expenses exceeding income, with lower-income borrowers most likely to be in this category.
However, many of those with negative cash flow still have savings to draw upon. Those with both low buffers and more money leaving than being received make up less than 2% of the total number of owner-occupiers with loans although the share has risen sharply over the past two years.
Less than 1% of all housing loans were 90 or more days in areas, the report said.
A new house under construction in Western Sydney. Mortgage holders are faring better than expected with less than 1% of loans in arrears by 90 days or more, the RBA says. Photograph: Andrew Merry/Getty Images
Q: If your government does not get bipartisan support, how will you protect these children?
Anthony Albanese:
It does not get carried without bipartisanship support. That’s the maths. If you have any ideas about how we change composition of the Senate between now and the next election, let me know. But that’s the maths… that you don’t get support without having either the Greens plus other votes – independents and crossbenchers – or without the Liberal National Party. That is what we are dealing with, that is the Parliament that the Australian people voted for. I respect that. That is what we have to deal with. We have put forward our legislation… we have given it to the opposition. We await their response, hopefully it is constructive.
Government will respond ‘in due time’ to law reform commission report: Albanese
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is speaking to the media from Eugowra, in the New South Wales central west.
As Josh Butlerflagged earlier, this is his first press conference in a week.
Albanese is asked whether the government agrees with a report from the Australian Law Reform Commission, which says schools shouldn’t be allowed to discriminate against staff and students on the basis of sexuality, gender identity or relationship status.
The PM said the government would respond “in due time” to the report:
What we have is legislation, two pieces of legislation. We want that to be pursued through the Parliament. We want to ensure, one, to amend the Sex Discrimination Act, the other to introduce legislation about religious discrimination. It includes measures for anti-vilification provisions as well, consistent with our long held view about respect for people regardless of who they are, their sexuality, but also respect for people to be able to have religious liberty and to express their faith.
Albanese said he doesn’t want “to go through the old culture wars” when it comes to this issue.
I think Australians do not want to see the culture wars and the division out there. I want this to be an opportunity for unity going forwardand that is why we have provided the legislation to the opposition … we are happy to engage across the Parliament on all of these issues.
Hillsong founder denied payout over failed prosecution
Hillsong founder Brian Houston has failed in a bid to have his legal costs covered after unsuccessfully being prosecuted for allegedly covering up his late father’s child abuse, AAP reports.
The 70-year-old was cleared in August of concealing a serious indictable offence for not reporting his father Frank Houston’s abuse of Brett Sengstock to police.
Magistrate Gareth Christofi refused Houston’s application for costs during a hearing at Sydney’s Downing Centre today. Christofi said he was not convinced police conducted their investigation of the Pentecostal church leader in an unreasonable manner:
I am not persuaded on balance that these proceedings were initiated without reasonable cause.
Brian Houston won’t be paid costs after his acquittal on a charge of concealing his father’s abuse. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP
Lawyers for Houston earlier argued the existence of a cover up was “contradicted by a substantial body of evidence” including that the Hillsong founder publicly disclosed the allegations to police, his congregation and segments of the media.
They also argued police had failed to speak to key witnesses who could have substantiated his innocence.
Christofi said it was appropriate to litigate Houston’s state of mind at the time:
In this case the applicant was the son of the man who committed these offences. The applicant was in a position of authority and had the potential at least to influence how the matter would be dealt with.
Houston did not report his father to police after he admitted in 1999 to abusing Sengstock as a child. The former leader of the international mega-church has said in the past he feels genuine sadness about what the elder Houston did to Sengstock and others, describing his father as a serial child abuser.
Defence industry minister postpones visit to Fiji amid flooding
Defence industry minister Pat Conroy has postponed his upcoming visit to Fiji as the island nation faces heavy rain and flash flooding.
In a post to X, Conroy said:
Due to adverse weather in Fiji impacting communities there, I’ve postponed my planned visit. I would not want my visit to detract from the critical work of local authorities assisting those affected by flooding.
I have spoken with PM [Sitiveni] Rabuka to assure him that Australia stands ready to assist. I look forward to visiting at a later date. My thoughts are with all those impacted at this time.
Due to adverse weather in Fiji impacting communities there, I've postponed my planned visit.
I would not want my visit to detract from the critical work of local authorities assisting those affected by flooding.
Bail laws are no ‘betrayal’ of Indigenous youth, Minns says
Tougher bail laws aimed at curbing youth crime in New South Wales regions do not represent a betrayal of young Indigenous people, premier Chris Minns has said.
The controversial laws, which make it harder for older children to be released if charged for some serious offences while similar charges are pending, passed NSW parliament’s upper house during a marathon sitting last night:
Sparked by community concerns about a rise in violent break-ins and car thefts in regional areas, the laws faced widespread opposition from youth advocates and legal groups amid concerns they could lead to more Indigenous children being put behind bars.
But Minns said the government had struck the right balance with the laws only applying to “two offences and that is break and enter into a premises and theft of a motor vehicle”.
NSW premier Chris Minns during a press conference earlier this month. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP
Minns told ABC Radio today:
It’s in response to the data and information particularly from regional communities that’s showing, for example in Moree, that break and enter into a home is 800% higher than the average.
He said he did not accept the suggestion the changes were a “betrayal” of young people, despite criticism from within his own party about the fresh provisions.
City of Sydney grants $3m for redevelopment of William Booth House
The City of Sydney has given a $3m grant to the Salvation Army to redevelop Surry Hills’ historic William Booth House.
The redevelopment will allow people recovering from drug and alcohol addiction to access improved facilities, a statement from the council said. Multiple shared living spaces and dormitories for 45 people will be transformed to 51 single rooms with ensuites.
Larger shared living areas will be replaced by a residential kitchen, lounge and dining area on each floor.
The funding is part of a broader $28.6m overhaul of the building. The $3m grant is from the council’s affordable and diverse housing fund.
William Booth House will also expand its non-residential rehabilitation programs to enable increased community treatment, the statement said.
NSW public relations secretary at the Salvation Army, Andrew Hill, said:
We employ a best practice model in addiction treatment, informed by decades of experience working in this area. This facility will promote human dignity and independence and the redevelopment will make a positive difference to people and community for decades to come.
Construction is expected to begin towards the end of the year.
