Key events
Sarah Basford Canales
And one more post from Sarah on the NDIS.
On the other side, the Greens delivered a blistering dissenting report last night over the federal government’s proposed NDIS changes.
Western Australia Greens senator, Jordon Steele-John, also noted the time pressures around the inquiry, noting he only had 45 working minutes to “read and review the report”.
Citing a focus group report by RedBridge Group for NDIS message testing, Steele-John accused the Albanese government of focusing on NDIS “rorts” and “cheats” in an effort to “elicit a level of qualified tolerance”.
Steele-John said:
Just like the previous government proactively dropped stories on so-called ‘dole bludgers’ to undermine the calls for a royal commission into robodebt, is the view of the Australian Greens that this government is undermining the NDIS in the same way.
The Greens senator also targeted plans to replace the concept of “reasonable and necessary” supports to “NDIS” supports in the bill, calling it a “blatant attempt to control the choices that participants make”.
Choice and control is one of the central pillars of the NDIS and removing it in this way makes it clear that the government prioritises their bottom line over the wellbeing of the disability community.
The Greens’ report said it should not pass, adding that the Labor senators decision not to extend the committee played a role.
Sydney trains disrupted
Sydney commuters have been disrupted this morning after a train had to stop at Green Square for urgent repairs.
Passengers on the T8 Airport and South Line have been advised to allow for extra time.
Allow extra travel time towards the City due to urgent train repairs at Green Square.
Trains may be stopped at platforms or between stations for longer than normal.
You may need to change at Central to continue your journey.
More info:https://t.co/ATF1zMGjk7 pic.twitter.com/Ljxub1IrsM
— T8 Sydney Trains (@T8SydneyTrains) June 20, 2024
You can check the timetable here:
https://transportnsw.info/alerts#/metro-train
Hobart’s annual nude winter solstice swim is on this morning – with thousands of people expected to brave the chill conditions in the river Derwent.
The annual event where swimmers take to the river in nothing but a red cap has been running for more than a decade and marks the passing of the longest night of the year.
We will bring you pics soon!
Sarah Basford Canales
Sarah has more on the NDIS report:
However, Liberal senators Hollie Hughes and Maria Kovacic were less than impressed about the “government’s unwillingness to grant an extension to the committee for further scrutiny on sensible and necessary measures for the sustainability of the NDIS”.
In the senators’ one-page of additional comments, they noted there hadn’t been sufficient time to consider the proposed changes to the NDIS and the community had expressed “widespread misgivings” about them.
They said:
The opportunity to properly engage with this bill is important in bringing the NDIS back onto sustainable footing in a manner that does not disadvantage or impact negatively on participants most in need … The two-and-a-half days of hearings conducted by the committee pointed to significant concerns from the disability community about the lack of detail and potential unintended consequences of the current legislation without significant amendment.
While the Coalition was not able to provide “fully-informed commentary”, the senators noted the opposition’s “willingness to work constructively with the government”.
Committee urges Labor to give more details on NDIS changes
Sarah Basford Canales
The federal government should offer more details on exactly how changes to the NDIS will impact the disability community, a Labor-majority committee has recommended.
Further information on how the consultation and co-design process will work with those on the scheme should also be explained better as soon as possible, the parliamentary committee looking into changes to the NDIS proposed by the Albanese government added.
The proposals, as announced by the scheme’s minister, Bill Shorten, in March, are aimed at getting the scheme “back on track”. Shorten has warned the NDIS cannot continue to grow at its current rate of 20% a year.
The bill will overhaul how participant budgets are calculated and would give the National Disability Insurance Agency, which runs the NDIS, more powers to knock back requests for budget top-ups.
The NDIS’s watchdog would also get more powers to crack down on dodgy companies incorrectly auditing the scheme’s providers.
The committee’s report, released on Thursday, acknowledged the “significant concerns” raised by disability groups and participants about aspects of the bill but recommended its “prompt passage”.
“The committee is of the view that its prompt passage is necessary to restore certainty and sustainability for participants and their providers and to tackle fraudulent practices,” it said.
First public hearing of social media inquiry
The parliamentary inquiry into social media today is expected to probe why Meta abandoned deals with local media outlets, as well as proposed age limits, AAP reports.
The inquiry, which was announced after Meta revealed in March it would not renew commercial deals with publishers, will hear evidence from Nine Entertainment, News Corp and Seven West Media.
The assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones, at the time said the federal government would take “all of the steps available to it under the news media bargaining code” to get the tech giant back to the negotiating table with media companies.
The social media inquiry, established on 16 May, will also hear from regional media outlets, as well as regulators including the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the Australian Communications and Media Authority and the eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant.
In addition to probing tech giants’ deals with news companies, the parliamentary committee is expected to investigate proposals to limit children’s access to social networks, probe social media’s effect on mental health, and consider harmful and illegal content on digital platforms.
The committee is due to present an interim report to parliament by 15 August, and a final report by 18 November.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to the final live blog of the week. I’m Martin Farrer, flagging the best of the overnight stories before my colleague Cait Kelly guides you through the day.
Peter Dutton may be dreaming of a nuclear dawn for Australia but our top story this morning heaps pressure on him to shed some more light on how he thinks it’s going to cut bills. Australians could face an increase in annual household power bills of up to $1,000 under a Coalition plan to slow the rollout of large-scale renewable energy and use more gas-fired electricity before nuclear plants are ready, analysts say. More coming up.
A major scrap is developing over the future of the rights to televise major sporting events. The Albanese government wants to add events such as AFLW and NRLW finals to those deemed of national importance such as the Olympics and Test cricket to ensure they don’t end up behind a paywall. But the lobby group for free-to-air broadcasters want the changes tweaked because they are worried the current proposals could result in homes that do not have a terrestrial TV connection, or use a smart TV, might miss out on seeing those sports for free.
Facebook’s decision to stop funding Australian journalism is expected to come under the microscope at a parliamentary committee into social networks today. The Social Media and Australian Society inquiry’s first public hearing will take place with media outlets Nine Entertainment, News Corp and Seven West Media due to give evidence in Canberra. The inquiry comes after Facebook’s parent company, Meta, announced in March it would not renew commercial deals with publishers, in a move estimated to have cost the industry $70m.
