Key events
Health Services Union president Gerard Hayes says the union is “quietly confident” aged care workers will be awarded a 25% pay rise by the Fair Work Commission today.
As we flagged earlier, the FWC is due to hand its decision down at 2pm.
Hayes told ABC News Breakfast:
We have run a very good case and we are quietly confident. We have been able to articulate the issues for women in aged care – the average superannuation balance is about $18,000 and it is not sustainable and if we can get to that 25%, that will go a long way to attract and retain workers and prevent a lot of women working their way into poverty and retirement.
Hayes said that an interim 15% pay rise has led to a “slowing in people leaving the industry”. If the 25% increase is approved, Hayes said this would “no doubt” allow aged care providers to recruit more people.
Security agencies looking into whether Australian TikTok data is accessed in China, Rowland says
Asked if Australian data is being accessed by TikTok staff in China, and if that worries her, Rowland told ABC RN that security agencies are looking into this closely.
But, she added, Australia will make its decisions around this “in a very sober way”.
We take these matters and decisions in a very sober way based on the assessments and the best advice that we have. Our intelligence agencies are the best in the world and we will always be guided by their assessments and their recommendations.
Australia’s privacy laws ‘need to be made fit for purpose’, Rowland says
Q: Could the Privacy Commissioner’s review of Australia’s privacy laws lead to reform around TikTok, if the government isn’t considering an outright ban?
Michelle Rowland:
This is part of the ordinary course of Australian law and Australian law reform. Our office of the Australian Information Commissioner will undertake its own inquiries, which could lead to a formal investigation as well, but there are particular issues that are alleged there …
The attorney-general and I think the broader community and privacy advocates in this space in particular are very aligned to some of the issues that have been raised by TikTok’s practices, in the fact that our privacy laws need to be made fit for purpose and that’s one of the key reasons why the attorney-general has picked up this issue and is prosecuting it.
Australia to ‘make own security assessments’ as US looks to ban TikTok, communications minister says
Communications minister Michelle Rowland just spoke with ABC radio about all things TikTok.
In case you missed it yesterday: TikTok’s future is in peril as the US threatens to implement a nationwide ban. But prime minister Anthony Albanese says Australia has “no plans” to follow its ally’s footsteps, despite national security concerns. TikTok welcomed his comments.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton called on Albanese to “show leadership” on the issue of risks posed to privacy and security from social media platforms – but stopped short of endorsing a ban.
Speaking on the radio just now, Rowland noted the US ban is proceeding through the legislative system with cross-party support, and Australia takes that seriously – but also needs to take the advice of its own security agencies:
As the prime minister has noted, we are an independent country [and] we make our own security assessments. We’re an independent country, [and] of course we know what is happening in other countries [but] we should make our own decisions.
Rowland said the government is continuing to monitor the situation and noted it has already taken steps to ban the app on government devices:
I think the other point that needs to be made is that any entity operating in Australia must comply with Australian law and within the attorney-general’s portfolio. I note that there is already an investigation being undertaken by our Privacy Commissioner into how TikTok is handling personal information and whether that is compliant with the law. I also note that this is an important consideration [to be] made by the attorney-general in his consultation of the review of the Privacy Act right now, as well. So we’ll continue to monitor those developments.
Historic aged care wage case to be handed down
Aged care staff will learn whether they are to receive a major pay rise, with the Fair Work Commission set to hand down a landmark decision, AAP reports.
More than 100,000 indirect employees in the sector are expected to finally enjoy a wage boost after the Health Services Union lodged an application for a 25% across-the-board increase in 2020.
The commission awarded an interim 15% pay rise to direct care employees at the end of 2022 and since then, the union has continued to push for a comprehensive increase for all staff.
HSU national president Gerard Hayes says aged care workers are the under-valued, under-appreciated lifeblood of the care economy:
The women of this sector have been overlooked for too long.
Aged care workers perform physically and emotionally demanding work with our community’s most vulnerable members.
All they have asked for is a proper wage that recognises their skills and dedication.
The Fair Work Commission will hand down its decision on Friday afternoon, at 2pm.
One in eight people can no longer afford home insurance
One in eight households can no longer afford insurance and a global insurance company has blamed a lack of risk reduction and planning laws that allow building on flood-prone land, AAP reports.
Global insurance giant Swiss Re has warned that the risk of large insurance losses needed to be reduced for reinsurance to remain sustainable.
The company’s concerns are revealed in a submission to a House of Representatives inquiry into the insurance industry’s response to major flood disasters in eastern Australia in 2022.
The cost of home and contents insurance had now become unaffordable for one in eight households in 2023, according to Swiss Re. That is up from 2022 when it was one in 10 households.
Swiss Re blames the trend on the lack of risk reduction and planning laws that allow housing development on flood-prone land, saying in its submission:
Risk reduction is the only way to lower the risk and therefore improve affordability.
Swiss Re wants stronger building codes and better land use planning that consider the changing climate over multiple decades.
Representatives from the company will appear before a public hearing today, and the committee will finalise a report by September.
DFAT providing support to family of Australian woman who died in Bali
The department of foreign affairs is providing consular support to the family of a 47-year-old Australian woman who died in Bali.
Two tourists, including the Australian woman, were killed on the Indonesian resort island after heavy rain triggered a landslide that swept away their villa, an official said yesterday.
A DFAT spokesperson said in a statement:
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian woman who has died in Bali.
We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time.
Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.
Miner critical, tributes to worker killed in collapse
A miner is fighting for life in hospital after an underground collapse that killed his colleague, AAP reports.
The 21-year-old Ballarat man was taken to the Alfred hospital in a critical condition hours after becoming pinned underneath fallen rocks at the Ballarat goldmine at Mount Clear on Wednesday.
He remained in a critical condition at the hospital as of 7.10am, local time.
Bruthen man Kurt Hourigan, 37, died in the incident. Heartbroken friends and family took to social media to pay tribute to him and express grief.
Reece Hourigan posted to Facebook:
I still can’t believe you are gone.
Stephanie Coleiro said:
Our brother, our best mate, our son Kurt Hourigan … we are so broken without you.
His local football and netball club extended deep sympathy to the family of their past player. The Bruthen Football Netball Club said:
A dedicated father and friend of many, Kurt always pushed himself to give 110% and will be missed my all.
Welcome
Good morning, and happy Friday – welcome back to another day on the Australia news live blog. I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll be with you for most of the day.
Making news overnight, tributes have been flowing for 37-year-old Bruthen man Kurt Hourigan, who was killed during an underground rockfall at a Ballarat goldmine.
Heartbroken friends and family took to social media to pay tribute to him and express grief, AAP reports, while his local football and netball club extended deep sympathy to the family of their past player.
As of 7.10am, a 21-year-old miner who was injured during the collapse remains in a critical condition at the Alfred Hospital.
AAP is also reporting that one in eight households can no longer afford insurance, according to Global insurance giant Swiss Re who says the cost of home and contents insurance had now become unaffordable for one in eight households in 2023. That is up from 2022 when it was one in 10 households.
Meanwhile, the Fair Work Commission is due to hand down a landmark decision at 2pm today, revealing whether aged care staff will receive a major pay rise.
We will have more all of these stories shortly.
See something that needs attention on the blog? You can get in touch via X, @emilywindwrites, or send me an email: [email protected].
Let’s get started.
