Australians may notice they are paying more for a pint from this week, as the government’s twice-yearly tax hike on alcohol kicks in. Beer and spirits will be hit by the federal government’s automatic indexation of the alcohol excise, which rises twice a year in February and August based on inflation. Under the change, the … Read more
Australian writer Yang Hengjun has received a suspended death sentence in China, almost five years after he was initially arrested. The government was appalled at the news, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said. “This is harrowing news for Dr Yang, his family and all who have supported him,” she said. Watch the latest news and … Read more
A little-known Centrelink rule has shocked Australians, with a young mum going viral on social media for calling it her “Roman Empire” — a new slang term for something you can’t stop thinking about. Rachel March revealed that parents of twins do not qualify for the government’s Multiple Birth Allowance, as only triplets or higher … Read more
A NSW mum is calling on the government to put in place laws that prevent life insurance companies from what she says discriminates against people based on their genes. Kristie Ivone was diagnosed with breast cancer last September, and later discovered she carried a cancer gene linked to four different types of the disease. WATCH … Read more
The peak Australian community services body says JobSeeker and related government payments must be “urgently raised and without further delay” following the announcement that an additional $115 million in funding will be committed to cost-of-living support services over the next five years. Beneficiaries of the funding include emergency relief organisations, financial counselling and other hardship … Read more
Millions of dollars will be put towards a new campaign to reframe Australia’s dangerous obsession with sun tanning. The Cancer Council linked high rates of the cancers, in part, to beauty standards causing young Australians to feel uncomfortable in their own skin, which is why the government has recruited digital content creators to help shift … Read more
Anthony Albanese has ruled out an increase to welfare payments in exchange for crossbench support to ensure the passage of the government’s proposed changes to stage three tax cuts. Under a reworked scheme unveiled by the prime minister on Thursday, anyone earning less than $150,000 will receive a larger tax cut while those earning more … Read more
Millions of Australians will be able to pay a lower Medicare levy, or avoid the fee altogether, following changes by the Albanese government announced alongside stage three tax cuts on Thursday. The low-income threshold, for which a two per cent Medicare levy applies, will increase by 7.1 per cent according to figures obtained by the … Read more
Anthony Albanese has unveiled a major redesign of stage three tax cuts in a move aimed at helping low- and middle-income earners battling through Australia’s cost-of-living crisis. The stage three cuts — which were introduced and legislated while the former Coalition government was in power and before the current economic environment marred by crippling inflation … Read more
Anthony Albanese insists a broken election promise on tax cuts is the right thing to do in changed economic circumstances, promising middle-income earners an extra $800 a year. The prime minister will use a National Press Club address to outline his case for overhauling stage three tax cuts due to take effect in July. In … Read more
