BKFC Perth: Headline act revealed as Government ignores pleas to call off Australia's first bare knuckle fight
BKFC Perth: Headline act revealed as Government ignores pleas to call off Australia's first bare knuckle fight
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ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Queensland government to begin social housing rent reviews to free up spaces for those in 'most need'
Social housing recipients in Queensland earning more than they should will soon be evicted from their homes to make way for new tenants. The state government claims there are some recipients earning well above the income limit that determines who is eligible for social housing. This includes a couple in Brisbane taking home more than $200,000 a year while paying less than $200 a week to live in their social housing unit. The government says another family in Townsville is paying less than $190 per week in rent despite earning an annual income of more than $160,000. From July 1, the government will launch annual rent reviews to determine if social housing recipients are still within the income limit. In Queensland, the income limit for a single person with no children is $609 per week, while for a couple it is set at $755. Tenants pay 25 per cent of their income. Those who are found to earn more than the limit will be charged at market rental rates, before they are evicted and transitioned to other housing options. Tenants who are within the housing limit but not paying 25 per cent of their income will have their rent increased, but the increase will be capped at $15 per week. Housing Minister Sam O'Connor said the government wants to make social housing available for vulnerable people and families. "We're empowering our housing officers to do what they do best — support the Queenslanders who most need a roof over their heads," he said. "These are long overdue changes to fix the system so it's better targeted to help the people who need housing most." In a bid to free up properties that are underoccupied, the government will also introduce a scheme to incentivise tenants to downsize to smaller social homes. The government hopes this will allow more families to move into social housing. The incentives will include rent free periods, as well covering the costs of removalists. The government estimates thousands of bedrooms in the state's social housing stock are vacant. About 50,000 people were on Queensland's social housing register as of December last year.
West Australian
9 hours ago
- West Australian
Steve Martin: Green hydrogen can't solve WA's impending energy woes
When the Premier announced a new Energy Minister in March, we were optimistic Amber-Jade Sanderson would bring a fresh and practical approach and a practical and responsible view to the energy debate. For far too long the State Government has been talking big about the upcoming energy transition but delivering mighty small. In an opinion piece in The West this month, Ms Sanderson said her 'job is supporting our heavy industry to decarbonise to meet national emissions targets'.That is only one part of her job and not her first and most important responsibility. Her first job is to keep the lights on and power running to all the houses, businesses and heavy industries that need it, and to do it at a cost that householders, businesses, and industries can afford. The Government's lack of a clear and coherent energy plan means they are on their way to failing their first responsibility. Fortunately for all West Australians, the Energy Minister admitted that gas was needed as a transition fuel. It was good to see Premier Roger Cook also support gas as an export commodity that can reduce emissions overseas and in turn resist a 2030 State target. The bad part was the reinforcement of the Government position that they are relying on green hydrogen to save their bacon. As reported by The West in May, a competitive target price for green hydrogen would be $2 per kilogram, but a trial running in WA, partially funded by taxpayers, is producing the hydrogen at $24.50 a kilo. With a price 10 times the competitive rate, it is no wonder green hydrogen projects are being abandoned at a rapid rate. In the State Government's other trial of green hydrogen in Denham last year, it turned out it took 379,503 kWh of wind energy to be converted into 1,422kg of hydrogen, which was then converted back into a tiny 16,044 kWh of electricity being returned to the grid. In other words, a paltry 4 per cent of the energy used to make green hydrogen made it into the grid as electricity. They would have been 96 per cent better off just transmitting the power straight from wind turbines into the grid. If the Labor Party is relying on green hydrogen to save the day, I suggest we all start cutting and storing firewood and buying matches. The State Government's current energy plan simply won't work. It is underfunded, and about to run out of time. There is not enough generation, distribution, or storage in the current Government plan to fulfil its first and primary obligation of providing enough affordable energy for homes and businesses. The real danger is energy prices are about to rise and rise dramatically. WA has been somewhat insulated from power price rises compared to the eastern States, but we are about to start catching up. Businesses are the Government's first targets, with new contracts in Synergy's contestable markets seeing price increases of 25 to 45 per cent on total power bills. This is the first sign that the system is broken and not being fixed. Households have been protected from this pain, so far, but you shouldn't expect that will last. The mismanagement of the power system in this State means taxpayers are subsidising it to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars every year. While being hit with regular ongoing price increases, households have been hidden from the real pain of major price increases. But that cannot last, especially if green hydrogen is the proposed solution to the problem. The State Government needs to find real, practical energy solutions, otherwise families will start to feel the pain that businesses have been suffering the last few years. Steve Martin is the shadow energy minister
News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
Experts back NSW Premier Chris Minns' plea for cigarette tax cut despite opposition
NSW Premier Chris Minns says law-abiding citizens are being 'dragged into the black market' by the federal government's tobacco tax – and he wants that to change. Mr Minns threw down the gauntlet this week when he called for a re-evaluation of the tobacco excise, kicking-off political rows in both Sydney and Canberra. Twice yearly, the federal government sets the excise for tobacco products but in this year's budget recorded a $5.2bn decline in revenue since 2022-23. The NSW Premier has pointed the finger at illicit sales at tobacconists, some 5000 of which have opened up across NSW over the past few years. 'There's a whole bunch of law-abiding people who wouldn't break the law in a million years,' Mr Minns said. 'But, they're being dragged into a black market where they go to the store and they can either buy a $17 packet of illegal cigarettes or a $60 packet of cigarettes. 'It's a no-brainer.' Despite pushback, Mr Minns said every tax change started with 'an idea from someone who calls out a policy that's no longer fit for purpose'. 'So, let's get the ball rolling here because these illegal tobacco stores are pushing out hot bread shops, small businesses and restaurants. 'Because the sales from illegal tobacco are so lucrative, they can just pay the rent at a higher price. 'Something's gone amiss here and we need to have a crack at fixing it alongside our federal colleagues.' Mr Minns earlier signalled that police resources may have to be moved from domestic violence and organised crime to combat illicit tobacco. Mr Minns said the situation was 'intolerable', with 'every to-let shop in every high street in Sydney taken over by a tobacconist'. 'The biggest supporters of a massive excise on tobacco sales in NSW are probably organised criminals,' he said. 'It's a giant black market and major display on every street in every suburb in NSW.' No easy answers On Wednesday, federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers ruled out any change to the excise, saying making cigarettes cheaper wouldn't solve the issue of the booming illegal tobacco trade. In NSW, there are about 19,500 tobacco stores across the state – up from 14,500 a few years earlier – that are overseen by only about 30 health inspectors. A parliamentary inquiry into illicit tobacco sales, pushed for by the NSW opposition, will later this year examine which agency is best suited to the task. Until now, Liberal leader Mark Speakman has remained mum on whether NSW Police should takeover illicit tobacco enforcement from NSW Health. On Thursday, Mr Speakman said illicit tobacco had exploded under Mr Minns and organised criminal gangs were 'raking in big money'. 'They know NSW has minimal enforcement and some of the weakest penalties in the country,' Mr Speakman said. 'While other states have acted to drastically increase penalties and improve enforcement, Chris Minns has been missing in action. 'Now that the federal Treasurer has ruled out changes to the federal excise, Chris Minns needs to tell people how he is going to tackle this issue.' Under law, an individual found to be selling a prohibited tobacco product faces a maximum fine of $55,000 for a first offence. Those laws will change on July 1 when a new tobacco licensing scheme is introduced, requiring businesses to obtain a tobacco retailing licence. Businesses found to be selling tobacco products without a licence will face fines of up to $220,000 and $44,000 for an individual. Nonetheless, the issue sparked a fierce debate in NSW parliament on Wednesday between Mr Speakman and Police Minister Yasmin Catley. Asked about whether anti-gang Taskforce Falcon will expand its remit to illicit tobacco, Ms Catley struck out. 'The leader of the opposition knows that it is Health that enforce illicit tobacco. He knows that,' she said. 'And, he has come in here and has the audacity to come in here and say the police are not doing their job. Well, shame on you. Shame on you. 'NSW Police are doing absolutely everything they can and I am disgusted that the leader of the opposition could come to the NSW parliament and suggest otherwise.' For his part, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park has pointed the finger at the former Coalition government for not earlier introducing a licensing scheme. What do the experts say? Over the past six years, the duty price put on a 20-pack of cigarettes has gone up by about 75 per cent – from $16 to $28. As a result, the price of a packet at the counter sits about $40-50, with the cheapest little more than $30. Illicit cigarettes, meanwhile, cost about $13-15 per 20-pack and up to $20 for premium brands. University of Sydney School of Public Health researcher Edward Jegasothy supported Mr Minns' comments on the tobacco excise. He said there was no solution to the prevalence of illicit tobacco without a re-examination of the 'punitive' policy. 'There's really no ethical basis for the policy because it's essentially just a punitive policy attack on the poor,' he said. Mr Jegasothy said the policy had failed to demonstrate any 'meaningful health benefits and certainly no equitable health benefits'. 'I can't see a solution that doesn't have involve bringing down the tax,' he said. 'It has to be part of the solution … because it is essentially putting more holes in the bottom of the boat.' Mr Jegasothy said the belief that the excise, in increasing the cost of cigarettes, would reduce rates of smoking 'didn't hold water'. With rates of smoking higher among poor and marginalised groups, he instead encouraged solutions that addressed the root causes, 'which is largely poverty'. He urged for a review of the excise as a public health policy, including up until the explosion of black market sales in the early 2020s. That explosion, Mr Jegasothy suggested, came as a result of a combination of factors, including the cumulative impact of the excise and a tightening on loose leaf tobacco. The Australian Association of Convenience Stores has also backed Mr Minns' call for a rethink of the tobacco excise. Chief executive Theo Foukkare said it was 'extraordinary that it's gotten to this point'. 'Tobacco is a price-sensitive consumer product,' he said. 'If you put a price on it that is manifestly higher than what people can afford, they'll find a cheaper alternative and that's where this incredibly dangerous black market is cashing in – and even worse, they're using that money to fund the most atrocious crimes.' What about other states? NSW is far from the only state or territory in Australia where the issue of illicit tobacco has become a hot-button topic in recent years. In Victoria, police have continuingly battled the so-called tobacco wars, conflict between organised crime groups during which stores have been burned. According to Victoria Police, there were about 1300 stand-alone tobacco stores in the state – of these, 1000 sell some kind of illicit tobacco. From July 1, business caught possessing or selling an illicit tobacco product in Victoria face fines of up to $1.7m. For an individual, that penalty is about $830,000 or 15 years in prison. Further north, Queensland Health seized more than 15.2 million illicit cigarettes worth $12.2m across the state between July 1, 2024 and February 28, 2025. Mr Jegasothy said outside of NSW and Victoria, there was little publicly available information about the prevalence of illicit tobacco.
