Source : the age
The Coalition and Greens have teamed up to launch an inquiry into Australia’s housing policies.
The Greens put up the proposal for an inquiry, which comes against the backdrop of a debate on the effects of Labor’s changes to property tax concessions.
The opposition has increasingly been striking up deals with the crossbench to scrutinise Labor.
Coalition housing spokesman Andrew Bragg said he wanted the inquiry to look into the Housing Australia Future Fund, Labor’s ambitious housing targets, and “sagging productivity and growing corruption and waste” in the housing sector.
An elderly couple have been found by rescuers after spending two nights in their car on a remote forest track when it got stuck on a sightseeing drive.
The alarm was raised on Tuesday night when Clementina, 81, and her partner Peter, 79, failed to meet with family for dinner in north-west Tasmania as planned.
The pair, who were visiting from South Australia, had earlier in the day set off to do some sightseeing and were last seen about 44 kilometres west of Burnie.
They were found by police around 10.30am on Thursday a short distance from their car, which had become stuck on a track in the Dial Range area.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Israel’s decision to close its internal investigation into the killing of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom without criminal proceedings was “an outrage”.
He was responding to a question from independent MP Sophie Scamps, who echoed international human rights expert Chris Sidoti in calling for the Israeli ambassador to be expelled from Australia.
Albanese said the government was consulting with Frankcom’s family before further steps were taken.
“Israel’s decision falls far short of the accountability that we expect, despite the admission by Israel that their strikes were the result of serious failures,” he said.
He said the decision was made despite his personal appeals to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and president Isaac Herzog.
“Since the tragic killings, the government has consistently made clear our expectation for transparency, and we’re pressed for full accountability.”
Independent MP Zali Steggall has asked the prime minister how he plans to protect women and girls after a string of sexual assault allegations made headlines again this week.
“Two high-profile sexual assault allegations by boys and men, ranging from 14-year-old students to AFL players, are currently under police investigation,” Steggall said.
“And three 17-year-old boys have now been charged over the alleged group sexual assault of a teenage girl. These are not isolated incidents. They point to a broader culture and problem around respect and keeping women and girls safe.”
Anthony Albanese said reported rates of sexual violence had risen by more than 70 per cent between 2010 and 2024, that too often those involved were under 18, and the violence must end.
A cross-party inquiry into artificial intelligence will launch today, with Labor MP Jo Briskey as chair and Liberal senator Jonno Duniam as deputy.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said striking the right balance on AI was a challenge for all of society.
“Whilst AI can bring significant economic benefits that we need to harness, it can’t be allowed to remove human interaction, and this is a challenge for our entire society,” he told the chamber.
“Social cohesion can be undermined if we can’t recognise what is real and what is not real through AI.”
Question time is now in full swing, and the Coalition is going after Labor following the news that the national debt has surpassed $1 trillion.
Shadow treasurer Tim Wilson asked why the government would not support a future generation fund to pay down debt.
Wilson declared the Coalition had a plan to “fix the economy”, at which point opposition MPs whipped out their policy booklet of the same name.
Speaker Milton Dick was unimpressed – props aren’t allowed in the chamber – and Treasurer Jim Chalmers was unfazed.
Australia’s political leaders have offered their condolences to the family of Lily Hooper, the 18-year-old missing hiker whose family was mistakenly informed she had been found alive.
Hooper was from Angus Taylor’s electorate, and he said the incorrect report that she had survived through the eight-day search made her loss even worse.
“We can only imagine what Lily’s family is going through right now. Such news would be a nightmare for any parent, and we grieve for Lily’s wider family,” the opposition leader said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said a parent losing a child as young as Lily was an unspeakable tragedy.
“Lily Hooper had so much more to offer the world. Her passing, I have no doubt, will be felt very deeply.”
Global sportswear giant Nike has suspended its lucrative sponsorship relationships with Sydney Swans footballers who were suspended yesterday following breaches of club behaviour standards on Sunday night.
In a statement, the company said it was “deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations” involving five Swans players: Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Riley Bice, James Jordon and Nick Blakey.
“While the investigation remains ongoing, Nike has paused its relationships with the Nike-contracted athletes involved and will continue to monitor developments closely.”
Heeney, who was revealed as the focus of Victoria Police’s investigation into an alleged sexual assault at an East Melbourne hotel room on Monday morning, had a lucrative partnership with Nike.
Warner also lists the company in his Instagram bio, and Bice wears Nike boots while playing. The footwear giant has sponsored the Swans since 2017, and that deal remains ongoing.
It comes after Colgate ended its partnership with Heeney on Thursday morning. Telstra also suspended Heeney and Warner from their brand ambassador positions this week.
At her press conference, Foreign Minister Wong was also asked about the Israeli ambassador’s refusal to apologise to Zomi Frankcom’s family. The ambassador, Hillel Newman, said there were “legal connotations”.
“They deserve apology,” Wong replied bluntly. She interjected as the next question was being asked “– at least. I think at minimum they deserve an apology.
“I will engage with Mal and the family about this. I’ve tried in all of this make sure we work with them. They would like things to be very different, and they would like a very different process to the one we’ve had. I’ll meet with them as soon as I’m able to.”
