Shelter WA has called on the state government to invest its substantial budget surplus and GST windfall into fixing the housing crisis as new data shows Western Australian homelessness hitting an all-time high.
The By-Name List, which tracks homelessness in Perth, Geraldton, Bunbury, Mandurah and Rockingham, counted a record 1,889 people experiencing homelessness in February 2024, up from 1,373 two years ago.
A total of 1,029 were sleeping rough, exceeding last month’s record of 947, up from 655 two years ago.
In Perth, the crisis is so bad that only 39% of the 1,355 people experiencing homelessness, including 689 rough sleepers, have a case manager and only 18 could be permanently housed in February.
A homeless person in a Perth park. Photograph: Dave Hunt/AAP
Shelter WA’s chief executive, Kath Snell, said:
WA’s housing crisis is breaking all the wrong records, but we have an incredible opportunity to solve it with this budget.
After five years of large surpluses and a GST windfall, the government must centre this year’s budget on housing and homelessness.
With rents soaring, homelessness surging and the housing shortage worsening, Shelter WA’s budget submission, released today, is calling for immediate action to ensure everyone has a safe and affordable place to call home.
Linda Burney welcomes 'circuit breaker' Alice Springs curfew after unrest
The federal minister for Indigenous affairs, Linda Burney, has welcomed the Northern Territory government’s announcement of a temporary curfew in Alice Springs after violent unrest.
In a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, Burney said:
I hope this is a circuit breaker that will improve community safety.
I welcome the announcement by the NT Government of a temporary curfew in Alice Springs.
I hope this is a circuit breaker that will improve community safety.
I will continue to work with the NTG, the local community & leadership for a better, safer future for Central Australia.
Senate panel accuses PwC of trying to cover up tax leaks scandal
Henry Belot
A Senate committee has accused consultancy firm PwC of attempting to “cover up” the tax leaks scandal and criticised extensive leadership failures by the firm’s former executives.
An interim report by the Senate standing committee on finance and public administration, titled “the coverup worsens the crime”, has accused the firm of withholding information about the conduct of its international partners - a criticism the firm rejects.
The interim report focuses on the scandal triggered after a former PwC Australia partner shared confidential Treasury information about draft multinational tax laws with colleagues, who then sold the information to US companies.
A Senate committee accuses PwC of trying to cover-up the tax leaks scandal. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
Labor senator Deborah O’Neill, who is a member of the Senate inquiry, said she was disappointed that “much is still unknown about the actual misconduct by PwC and its partners amidst the efforts by the firm’s domestic and global leadership to minimise their reputational damage”.
She said:
The report highlights both the immense failures of leadership, professionalism and ethics which enabled the tax leaks scandal to occur in the first place, and the gross failures of professional accountability which saw it go unacknowledged and unpunished for so long.
There is no question that PwC has engaged in misconduct by creating and sharing a product that was expressly designed to deny Australians taxation revenue which they were fairly owed.
The reputational and financial damage that the firm has deservedly suffered as a consequence of their misconduct is not easily erased despite the firm’s attempts to cauterise its Australian operations from its global network.
The Australian federal police is still investigating the tax leaks scandal after a referral from the Treasury department. No finding of criminal wrongdoing has been made.
NT declares Alice Springs youth curfew from tonight
The Northern Territory chief minister, Eva Lawler, has announced there will be a curfew enacted in Alice Springs for young people from tonight.
The curfew will run from 6pm to 6am.
An additional 50 or so police and liquor inspectors will be deployed in the town, following recent unrest.
Crackdown: Alice Springs. Photograph: Blake Sharp-Wiggins/The Guardian
The NT police commissioner, Michael Murphy, said:
The government’s listened to what I’ve had to say as well and we’re responding to that.
You’ll see a real increase in tempo and visibility engagement to drive down the crimes associated with youth activity.
We saw, you know, really violent behaviour yesterday associated with the death of an 18-year-old male on 20 March. That’s led to family feuds and that’s what erupted in Alice Springs yesterday.
Andrew Wilkie claims Labor ‘prevented’ him tabling documents about AFL drug tests
Andrew Wilkie has the first crossbench question. He asks Anthony Albanese:
Prime minister, why has your government twice prevented me from tabling these documents which contain evidence of appalling misconduct by AFL executives and some team staff? Why you trying to keep them secret? Or can I walk down and give them to you personally right now?
Albanese:
I note that walking around the chamber is disorderly, but I do note that the member for Clark has always, always had access to me, as other members do.
There is not a member of parliament here, including over there, up there, or behind me, who has asked to see me or made a phone call who has not had a call returned. Not one. Not one.
That is the way that I deal with parliamentarians. I deal with senators the same – with respect.
In general we have an approach that when documents are requested to be tabled, if people want that, the normal process would be to ask, as when I was a member of the opposition and wanted something to be tabled, if I was serious about it getting tabled, I would ask, show to the person who was the person at the despatch box, and receive that.
But I am aware that the member for Clark has made allegations. Those allegations, I’m not aware of whether they are correct or not.
You know, I have a big job. My job is not to, on the job description, isn’t the control of the Australian Football League. But if issues are raised, the Sport Integrity Australia is aware of the issue, and they have begun their assessment, and I’m sure that the member for Clark will forward any documentation to the appropriate body.
Claire O’Neil takes a big breath before answering this one:
The secretary of my department and I have worked together closely, and boy have we got a job to do – because we’re working together to reform a department that was in an absolute mess by the leader of the opposition.
Look at what we have achieved on this together, over the past year that we have been working together: a migration strategy that is fixing the mess left by the leader of the opposition in that system that isn’t working. A big focus on integrity. It addresses some of the issues raised with parliament before. We work together constructively.
Former One Nation candidate backed by conspiracy theorists set to be Townsville mayor
Eden Gillespie
Townsville mayor Jenny Hill has conceded defeat to former One Nation candidate Troy Thompson.
Speaking to the Townsville Bulletin, Hill said despite the vote count still ongoing, she wanted to provide “some certainty for the city” as there was “no likelihood” of bridging the gap between herself and Thompson.
Hill had been mayor for 12 years and a councillor for 23 years. As of Wednesday morning, Thompson secured 46.77% of the vote and Hill trailed behind on 43.53%.
Guardian Australia reported this week that Thompson’s campaign was backed by the conspiracy theory group My Place Townsville (MPT). Members of the group claimed to have volunteered for his campaign, staffing polling booths and scrutinising the final vote count.
The campaign was Thompson’s second in the past four years, after being named One Nation’s candidate for the marginal state seat of Thuringowa in 2020.
Two months out from the 2020 election, Thompson claimed he had withdrawn from the race for “personal reasons”. A letter from One Nation to Thompson, tabled in Queensland parliament last week, said he was disendorsed by the party over failing to disclose his legal name and directorship in a company that went insolvent.
Troy Thompson in an image from his Troy Thompson for Mayor page on Facebook
Accessing abortion in Australia no longer a criminal act after WA reform bill
Today marks the commencement of the WA abortion legislation reform bill, which means abortion has officially been removed from that state’s criminal code.
WA was the last state with abortion sitting as a criminal act, so the removal marks a national milestone – from today, accessing abortion health care is no longer a criminal act in Australia.
Executive director of Fair Agenda, Renee Carr said it has been a long time coming:
It’s hard to believe that we’re celebrating the official nationwide decriminalisation of abortion care access for patients in 2024. But unfortunately we can never take our reproductive rights for granted. This milestone has only been possible as the result of decades of advocacy by women, healthcare professionals, community members and advocates around the country, who have bravely and relentlessly spoken out on this issue.
There are however, still barriers to accessing this health care, particularly for people in regional and rural Australia, as well as cost barriers.
Australian Women’s Health Alliance Chair, Bonney Corbin said abortion health care is a “post code lottery” and governments need to do more to make it universally accessible:
Governments should be supporting and training health practitioners who want to provide abortion care. Nurses, midwives, and Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander health workers are highly skilled practitioners; who have untapped potential to provide a wide variety of health services in our communities - including medical abortion care. We saw them supported to fill critical healthcare gaps throughout the covid pandemic. Governments should also be supporting them to provide abortion care throughout Australia.
Evidence suggests vaping may affect eye health, as peak bodies call for more legislation
Natasha May
The peak body of eye doctors are calling on politicians in Canberra to support the next stage of vaping legislation, citing emerging evidence vaping may also affect eye health.
Last week the health minister introduced a new tranche of vaping legislation to ban the importation, manufacture, supply and commercial possession of disposable single-use and non-therapeutic vapes. Australians will still be able access to therapeutic vapes from a pharmacy with a prescription.
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (Ranzco) has joined other peak doctors groups including the Australian Medical Association and the college of general practitioners in calling for elected representatives to support the reforms.
Dr Helene Cass, the chair of Ranzco’s public health committee, today said:
We all know that tobacco use is linked with serious illnesses, including heart disease and many forms of cancer. However, there is also emerging evidence that vaping poses risks to users andmay also adversely impact eye health.
Some of the chemicals contained in vaping liquids are known to be highly toxic to the eyes in larger concentrations and it has been shown that e-cigarettes increase oxidative stress on the body. Increased oxidative stress is likely to accelerate ageing processes in the eye such as cataract and age related macular degeneration.”
It is also worth noting that research on the harms of vaping is in its infancy and it is likely that other adverse health impacts will be demonstrated as more research is undertaken.”
Ranzco shares the concerns of minister for health, Mark Butler, that children and young adults are being increasingly drawn to vaping by the aggressive marketing tactics of the tobacco industry.
Shoebridge scathing on Labor's 'crayon drawing' deportation bill as Greens and Coalition push for inquiry
Greens senator David Shoebridge is being brutal in his description of this bill:
This is a pure political play that is unraveling as we watch.
This is about Labor, trying to outflank the Coalition and move to the right of the Coalition in a bill that they seem to have just made up in some long late night drinking session and then brought to the parliament.
You couldn’t make this stuff up.
This was meant to be a government that’s now run by adults. But this was like some sort of kiddies crayon drawing being brought into parliament and then defended by embarrassed officials and half briefed ministers. That’s what we got last night.
He says he would like to see the bill binned – “the recycling bin, we are Greens” – but at the very least wants the bill referred to the legal affairs committee immediately with a reporting date of June 2024.
Michaelia Cash rises to say she supports the motion, but Labor’s Tim Ayres gets precedent to speak on the motion first, and he is not happy.
What we’re seeing is the most right wing extremist Liberal Party in Australia’s history and his [Greens] outfit down here … [getting] together in their usual student politics exercise of putting their own partisan interest over the national interest.
But Labor doesn’t have the numbers here to stop this.
Greens senator David Shoebridge has been brutal in his description of Labor’s deportation bill. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Shorten outlines new NDIS bill prioritising ‘more dignified’ support based on needs
Bill Shorten is introducing the bill in the house and says:
The bill has two parts.
One section lays the foundations for implementing key Review recommendations, particularly those around planning and budget setting.
I want to go through some of that with you.
Once you are in the scheme, you will get a plan based on your support needs.
What we all want is a more dignified, person-centred process that assesses needs to determine a consistent, accurate and fair budget.
And that the budget can be spent flexibly.
He goes on to explain how that will work:
This starts with a needs assessment that will work on with the disability sector to make sure we get it right.
And I want to be clear. Reasonable and necessary remains the core basis on which your support needs are met through the Scheme.
This bill proposes no changes to this ‘Reasonable and necessary’ core operating principle of the Scheme.
But, your needs assessment will look at your support needs as a whole – and we won’t distinguish between primary and secondary disabilities any longer.
If over time your support needs change, because of a significant change in your function, your information can be updated with a new support needs assessment.
The result will be a budget for disability supports that are fit for you; that reflects the support needs for your disability.
You can spend this budget flexibly in line with your own support needs – because you know them best.
But everyone will need to manage their NDIS budget, just as we do our household budget.
Andrew Wilkie says UK delaying Assange appeal decision is good news
The UK high court have delayed their decision on whether or not Julian Assange can appeal his extradition order to the US by three weeks.
A decision had been expected overnight (UK time) and the further delay has had a mixed response.
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie, who has been one of the earliest supporters of Assange’s case said on balance, he believes the delay to be good news. He told ABC News Breakfast:
The fact that the UK High Court of Justice have delayed their decision about giving Julian the right to appeal in full, to delay by three weeks and insist that the US give assurances that he would enjoy the rights of a US citizen, the right to free speech on the First Amendment, and that he wouldn’t face the death penalty, not just on current charges but on future charges that might be brought against him. That’s good.
But the best news is it gives Julian’s legal team and Julian personally time to cut a deal with the US Department of Justice.
Wilkie said he believes the political attitudes around the case have changed.
I think everyone wants a resolution. It’s a case on whether everyone can agree. There’s a range of views about Julian. Some love him, some hate him, but most people think it’s gone on long enough.
Independent member for Clark, Andrew Wilkie speaks to journalists in the Press Gallery at Parliament House on Wednesday. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
NDIS legislation will bring ‘new era of reforms’, Shorten says
On the NDIS legislation, Bill Shorten says the bill will meet the government’s commitment to legislate in the first half of 2024.
Shorten describes the bill as ushering “in a new era of NDIS reforms that ensure the Scheme can continue to provide life-changing outcomes for future generation of Australians with disability and to make sure every dollar in the Scheme gets to the participants for whom the Scheme was designed”.
The legislation is based on recommendations in the NDIS review and will also increase the powers of the NDIS quality and safeguards commission to better protect participants.
Shorten says:
Review recommendations will take years to implement. Today is the next step in the journey. For the past three months, I have travelled around Australia talking to people with disability and the sector. In just over 12 weeks, I hosted a national tour of 8 townhalls, where thousands of Australians heard, discussed and asked questions about the Review’s proposed reforms and what needs to happen next.
There will be a significant piece of work to collaborate with people with disability the reforms and we are seeking the lived experience of the disability community as we continue to strengthen the Scheme together.
We have released this bill to be transparent.
Bill Shorten says he is releasing the NDIS bill ‘to be transparent’. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
Welcome to the final sitting day before the autumn break. Once today ends, parliament will rise and not sit again until budget week, beginning 7 May.
So you can expect today to be a bit of a nightmare. The deportation bill Andrew Giles introduced yesterday is expected to pass the senate today. The coalition has been complaining about the lack of warning over the legislation, but supporting it at the same time. Apparently, the legislation is both rushed, but also understood widely enough to be passed a little over 24 hours after it was first seen.
Human rights, refugee and legal groups are not so sure – they issued urgent warnings the bill goes too far and will have unintended circumstances. But the coalition is on board (mostly, because as Paul Karp has pointed out a few times, the bill is something it could have put forward) and so it will pass the bill, while continuing to complain about how quick the whole process has been.
The process could be slowed down by the coalition siding with the crossbench and sending it to a senate committee, but that doesn’t look like happening.
Today we will also see the NDIS legislation which has been so secretive, anyone who has seen it has apparently had to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
We’ll cover it all, with Karen Middleton, Paul Karp, Daniel Hurst, Sarah Basford Canales and Josh Butler at your service. You have Amy Remeikis on the blog.
Good morning and welcome to our rolling politics coverage. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ll be bringing you the best of the overnight stories before the inestimable Amy Remeikis comes along to guide you through the day.
The NDIS minister, Bill Shorten, will introduce a bill this morning to forge ahead with an overhaul of the scheme – including plans to curb the amount participants can claim in budget top-ups – amid a looming fight with state and territory leaders over who should pay for disability services. It is part of the government’s first tranche of reforms to return the scheme to its original intent of supporting Australians with permanent disability and tackle issues with its ballooning costs.
A controversial government payment system wrongly diverted $700,000 in welfare money from vulnerable Australians to energy company AGL and helped prop up a Christian rehabilitation centre using gay conversion practices and exorcisms, Guardian Australia can reveal. An investigation into Centrepay, which allows businesses access to a person’s welfare payments before they are deposited into their bank accounts, has found disturbing examples of misuse of a system that consumer advocates claim has become “a vehicle for financial abuse” and one Labor senator describes as “rife with exploitation”.
Julian Assange was handed a reprieve overnight in his fight against extradition to the US after two UK high court judges ruled the WikiLeaks founder could take his case to an appeal hearing. If he had lost, Assange could have been extradited to the US to face espionage charges within days.
A coronial inquiry into News South Wales’ 2019-2020 black summer bushfires is due to deliver its report today, on the causes of the 44 fires, including 12 that led to deaths.
And with a push on to compensate university students for the months of unpaid placements they must work while training for their degrees, a new report has put a dollar figure on how much it would cost to support them with a stipend. More on that soon.
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