Fiji leader to spruik security, unity to Australia
Sitiveni Rabuka will address the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday after he was welcomed to Government House by Governor-General Sam Mostyn on Tuesday afternoon.
Later in the week, Mr Rabuka and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will attend the Wallabies-Fiji Test in Newcastle to watch the two national teams clash for the Vuvale Bowl in a statement of the cultural bonds shared through rugby.
Fiji's prime minister, whose nation is a key regional ally of Australia, has previously advocated for the concept of the Pacific being the "ocean of peace".
That includes adopting foundational ethics and principles for "Pacific regionalism" and outlines themes of climate protection in addition to managing increasing strategic competition between China and the US.
Blake Johnson, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute's Pacific Centre, said Mr Rabuka would likely want to elaborate on the proposal in his televised address.
"It's trying to unite the Pacific to push back against some of the competition that's taking place," he told AAP.
"To really focus on taking care of the oceans and getting a more unified approach to getting partners like the US and Australia and others to commit to supporting climate change adaptation projects."
Mr Johnson said the concept also pushed for a cohesive approach from within the Pacific in trying to resolve the region's security challenges.
"That's something that Australia has been getting better at over the last 12 months," he said.
"A lot of its different initiatives are trying to support a Pacific-driven security solution that doesn't involve drawing in all of this additional support from Beijing or from the US."
Any visit by a Pacific leader to Australia was an opportunity for Canberra to spruik its support for the bilateral relationship, Mr Johnson added.
"The security of Australia depends on the security of our surrounding region," he said.
"There can sometimes be unrest in Pacific Island countries and if that all spills over, it creates an unstable region around Australia, and that's not good for our overall security."
Strengthening security and regional unity in the Pacific will be on the agenda when the Australian prime minister meets with his Fijian counterpart.
Sitiveni Rabuka will address the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday after he was welcomed to Government House by Governor-General Sam Mostyn on Tuesday afternoon.
Later in the week, Mr Rabuka and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will attend the Wallabies-Fiji Test in Newcastle to watch the two national teams clash for the Vuvale Bowl in a statement of the cultural bonds shared through rugby.
Fiji's prime minister, whose nation is a key regional ally of Australia, has previously advocated for the concept of the Pacific being the "ocean of peace".
That includes adopting foundational ethics and principles for "Pacific regionalism" and outlines themes of climate protection in addition to managing increasing strategic competition between China and the US.
Blake Johnson, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute's Pacific Centre, said Mr Rabuka would likely want to elaborate on the proposal in his televised address.
"It's trying to unite the Pacific to push back against some of the competition that's taking place," he told AAP.
"To really focus on taking care of the oceans and getting a more unified approach to getting partners like the US and Australia and others to commit to supporting climate change adaptation projects."
Mr Johnson said the concept also pushed for a cohesive approach from within the Pacific in trying to resolve the region's security challenges.
"That's something that Australia has been getting better at over the last 12 months," he said.
"A lot of its different initiatives are trying to support a Pacific-driven security solution that doesn't involve drawing in all of this additional support from Beijing or from the US."
Any visit by a Pacific leader to Australia was an opportunity for Canberra to spruik its support for the bilateral relationship, Mr Johnson added.
"The security of Australia depends on the security of our surrounding region," he said.
"There can sometimes be unrest in Pacific Island countries and if that all spills over, it creates an unstable region around Australia, and that's not good for our overall security."
Strengthening security and regional unity in the Pacific will be on the agenda when the Australian prime minister meets with his Fijian counterpart.
Sitiveni Rabuka will address the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday after he was welcomed to Government House by Governor-General Sam Mostyn on Tuesday afternoon.
Later in the week, Mr Rabuka and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will attend the Wallabies-Fiji Test in Newcastle to watch the two national teams clash for the Vuvale Bowl in a statement of the cultural bonds shared through rugby.
Fiji's prime minister, whose nation is a key regional ally of Australia, has previously advocated for the concept of the Pacific being the "ocean of peace".
That includes adopting foundational ethics and principles for "Pacific regionalism" and outlines themes of climate protection in addition to managing increasing strategic competition between China and the US.
Blake Johnson, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute's Pacific Centre, said Mr Rabuka would likely want to elaborate on the proposal in his televised address.
"It's trying to unite the Pacific to push back against some of the competition that's taking place," he told AAP.
"To really focus on taking care of the oceans and getting a more unified approach to getting partners like the US and Australia and others to commit to supporting climate change adaptation projects."
Mr Johnson said the concept also pushed for a cohesive approach from within the Pacific in trying to resolve the region's security challenges.
"That's something that Australia has been getting better at over the last 12 months," he said.
"A lot of its different initiatives are trying to support a Pacific-driven security solution that doesn't involve drawing in all of this additional support from Beijing or from the US."
Any visit by a Pacific leader to Australia was an opportunity for Canberra to spruik its support for the bilateral relationship, Mr Johnson added.
"The security of Australia depends on the security of our surrounding region," he said.
"There can sometimes be unrest in Pacific Island countries and if that all spills over, it creates an unstable region around Australia, and that's not good for our overall security."
Strengthening security and regional unity in the Pacific will be on the agenda when the Australian prime minister meets with his Fijian counterpart.
Sitiveni Rabuka will address the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday after he was welcomed to Government House by Governor-General Sam Mostyn on Tuesday afternoon.
Later in the week, Mr Rabuka and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will attend the Wallabies-Fiji Test in Newcastle to watch the two national teams clash for the Vuvale Bowl in a statement of the cultural bonds shared through rugby.
Fiji's prime minister, whose nation is a key regional ally of Australia, has previously advocated for the concept of the Pacific being the "ocean of peace".
That includes adopting foundational ethics and principles for "Pacific regionalism" and outlines themes of climate protection in addition to managing increasing strategic competition between China and the US.
Blake Johnson, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute's Pacific Centre, said Mr Rabuka would likely want to elaborate on the proposal in his televised address.
"It's trying to unite the Pacific to push back against some of the competition that's taking place," he told AAP.
"To really focus on taking care of the oceans and getting a more unified approach to getting partners like the US and Australia and others to commit to supporting climate change adaptation projects."
Mr Johnson said the concept also pushed for a cohesive approach from within the Pacific in trying to resolve the region's security challenges.
"That's something that Australia has been getting better at over the last 12 months," he said.
"A lot of its different initiatives are trying to support a Pacific-driven security solution that doesn't involve drawing in all of this additional support from Beijing or from the US."
Any visit by a Pacific leader to Australia was an opportunity for Canberra to spruik its support for the bilateral relationship, Mr Johnson added.
"The security of Australia depends on the security of our surrounding region," he said.
"There can sometimes be unrest in Pacific Island countries and if that all spills over, it creates an unstable region around Australia, and that's not good for our overall security."
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The Advertiser
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The average home is now worth $1 million. This boom is blowing up in a bad way
More than two decades ago, former prime minister John Howard said, "I don't get people stopping me in the street and saying, 'John you're outrageous, under your government the value of my house has increased".' The nation's home owners would have been pleased by recent news from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) that the national mean price of residential dwellings had risen to $1,002,500, the first time it has passed the million-dollar mark. Of course, that level was exceeded long ago in many city suburbs, with prices in regional areas also going sky-high as sea and tree changers took real estate windfalls and relocated. Around 66 per cent of Australian households own their own home with or without a mortgage. Home ownership, with a consistent rise in values, is Australians' most important asset, along with superannuation, which ticks over in the background, accessible only in later years. Renters, numbering one-third of Australian households, have also experienced the impacts of the ongoing property boom, except not in a good way. They are mostly dependent on the one-in-five households that own residential properties other than their usual domicile. For the record, one in 25 of these owners has four or more properties. Yet very few are affordable to low-income earners. Anglicare Australia's 2025 Rental Affordability Snapshot surveyed 51,238 rental listings across Australia and found that just 352 rentals (0.7 per cent) were affordable for a person earning a full-time minimum wage. Almost none was affordable for a person on JobSeeker wanting a room in a share house, and none for a person on Youth Allowance. Median advertised rents have risen 35 per cent since this government came to office, more than three times the rise in wages. Another recent report, Rights at risk: Rising rents and repercussions, by ACOSS and the University of NSW, carries further alarming findings. 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As the Human Rights Law Centre puts it, "every person should have a safe, secure and healthy place to call home, regardless of your postcode or bank balance. Yet too many Australians are homeless, live in inadequate, insecure or unsafe housing, or need to sacrifice other necessities - from food to school uniforms - to keep a roof over their heads." Our members see these challenges every day, and while we can offer assistance within our means, structural change to the national housing market is needed urgently. More than two decades ago, former prime minister John Howard said, "I don't get people stopping me in the street and saying, 'John you're outrageous, under your government the value of my house has increased".' The nation's home owners would have been pleased by recent news from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) that the national mean price of residential dwellings had risen to $1,002,500, the first time it has passed the million-dollar mark. Of course, that level was exceeded long ago in many city suburbs, with prices in regional areas also going sky-high as sea and tree changers took real estate windfalls and relocated. Around 66 per cent of Australian households own their own home with or without a mortgage. Home ownership, with a consistent rise in values, is Australians' most important asset, along with superannuation, which ticks over in the background, accessible only in later years. Renters, numbering one-third of Australian households, have also experienced the impacts of the ongoing property boom, except not in a good way. They are mostly dependent on the one-in-five households that own residential properties other than their usual domicile. For the record, one in 25 of these owners has four or more properties. Yet very few are affordable to low-income earners. Anglicare Australia's 2025 Rental Affordability Snapshot surveyed 51,238 rental listings across Australia and found that just 352 rentals (0.7 per cent) were affordable for a person earning a full-time minimum wage. Almost none was affordable for a person on JobSeeker wanting a room in a share house, and none for a person on Youth Allowance. Median advertised rents have risen 35 per cent since this government came to office, more than three times the rise in wages. Another recent report, Rights at risk: Rising rents and repercussions, by ACOSS and the University of NSW, carries further alarming findings. Almost seven in 10 people who rent privately worry about asking for repairs in case they face a rent increase, with 56 per cent fearing it would lead to eviction and 52 per cent fearing being placed on a blacklist that would prevent them renting another property. Half of all renters live in homes that need repairs, one in 10 urgently. Almost one-in-five bathrooms has mould, which is a major health risk. Some 82 per cent of renters would find a 5 per cent rent hike "difficult or very difficult". A significant problem, and a major eyesore, is that many potential rentals are left empty - around a million Australia-wide. If occupied, these so-called "speculative vacancies" could greatly assist would-be renters. St Vincent de Paul Society calls for taxation reform to incentivise the use of long-term vacant residential properties and land. Homes that are rented have the added benefit (to owners) of generous tax concessions, both during ownership and at point of sale. This creates a considerable loss to the Treasury, with the Parliamentary Budget Office calculating that tax revenue foregone over the decade to 2034-35 due to negative gearing deductions and the capital gains tax (CGT) discount on residential investment properties will total a massive $165 billion. This is money lost to healthcare, education, housing and other social essentials. St Vincent de Paul Society regards housing as a basic human right and we firmly believe all Australians deserve a secure place to live. Properties should be treated primarily as homes, not investment opportunities. The Society supports reducing CGT concessions from 50 per cent to 37.5 per cent to generate revenue that could be used to improve social services, plus a review of negative gearing. The government should increase needs-based funding of homelessness services and permanent supportive housing, including client-led support services. If not now, when? The last census recorded 122,494 people experiencing homelessness, and that was four years ago. Governments should fund and perhaps mandate policies that improve energy efficiency in low-income households, including apartment buildings. This goes hand in hand with funding and legislating national minimum standards for renters. The package known as "A Better Deal for Renters" was endorsed by national cabinet in 2023 with the promise that, "These changes will make a tangible impact for the almost one-third of Australian households who rent". The plan is yet to be fully implemented. Meanwhile, rent increases have accelerated, and pests are the most common tenant complaint, affecting one-third of premises. We're urging for a compassionate review of the base rate of working-age payments to lift recipients above the poverty line. So many people simply cannot afford decent housing. Achieving this basic goal is fundamental to Australia's future and for our much-prized social harmony. As the Human Rights Law Centre puts it, "every person should have a safe, secure and healthy place to call home, regardless of your postcode or bank balance. Yet too many Australians are homeless, live in inadequate, insecure or unsafe housing, or need to sacrifice other necessities - from food to school uniforms - to keep a roof over their heads." Our members see these challenges every day, and while we can offer assistance within our means, structural change to the national housing market is needed urgently. More than two decades ago, former prime minister John Howard said, "I don't get people stopping me in the street and saying, 'John you're outrageous, under your government the value of my house has increased".' The nation's home owners would have been pleased by recent news from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) that the national mean price of residential dwellings had risen to $1,002,500, the first time it has passed the million-dollar mark. Of course, that level was exceeded long ago in many city suburbs, with prices in regional areas also going sky-high as sea and tree changers took real estate windfalls and relocated. Around 66 per cent of Australian households own their own home with or without a mortgage. Home ownership, with a consistent rise in values, is Australians' most important asset, along with superannuation, which ticks over in the background, accessible only in later years. Renters, numbering one-third of Australian households, have also experienced the impacts of the ongoing property boom, except not in a good way. They are mostly dependent on the one-in-five households that own residential properties other than their usual domicile. For the record, one in 25 of these owners has four or more properties. Yet very few are affordable to low-income earners. Anglicare Australia's 2025 Rental Affordability Snapshot surveyed 51,238 rental listings across Australia and found that just 352 rentals (0.7 per cent) were affordable for a person earning a full-time minimum wage. Almost none was affordable for a person on JobSeeker wanting a room in a share house, and none for a person on Youth Allowance. Median advertised rents have risen 35 per cent since this government came to office, more than three times the rise in wages. Another recent report, Rights at risk: Rising rents and repercussions, by ACOSS and the University of NSW, carries further alarming findings. Almost seven in 10 people who rent privately worry about asking for repairs in case they face a rent increase, with 56 per cent fearing it would lead to eviction and 52 per cent fearing being placed on a blacklist that would prevent them renting another property. Half of all renters live in homes that need repairs, one in 10 urgently. Almost one-in-five bathrooms has mould, which is a major health risk. Some 82 per cent of renters would find a 5 per cent rent hike "difficult or very difficult". A significant problem, and a major eyesore, is that many potential rentals are left empty - around a million Australia-wide. If occupied, these so-called "speculative vacancies" could greatly assist would-be renters. St Vincent de Paul Society calls for taxation reform to incentivise the use of long-term vacant residential properties and land. Homes that are rented have the added benefit (to owners) of generous tax concessions, both during ownership and at point of sale. This creates a considerable loss to the Treasury, with the Parliamentary Budget Office calculating that tax revenue foregone over the decade to 2034-35 due to negative gearing deductions and the capital gains tax (CGT) discount on residential investment properties will total a massive $165 billion. This is money lost to healthcare, education, housing and other social essentials. St Vincent de Paul Society regards housing as a basic human right and we firmly believe all Australians deserve a secure place to live. Properties should be treated primarily as homes, not investment opportunities. The Society supports reducing CGT concessions from 50 per cent to 37.5 per cent to generate revenue that could be used to improve social services, plus a review of negative gearing. The government should increase needs-based funding of homelessness services and permanent supportive housing, including client-led support services. If not now, when? The last census recorded 122,494 people experiencing homelessness, and that was four years ago. Governments should fund and perhaps mandate policies that improve energy efficiency in low-income households, including apartment buildings. This goes hand in hand with funding and legislating national minimum standards for renters. The package known as "A Better Deal for Renters" was endorsed by national cabinet in 2023 with the promise that, "These changes will make a tangible impact for the almost one-third of Australian households who rent". The plan is yet to be fully implemented. Meanwhile, rent increases have accelerated, and pests are the most common tenant complaint, affecting one-third of premises. We're urging for a compassionate review of the base rate of working-age payments to lift recipients above the poverty line. So many people simply cannot afford decent housing. Achieving this basic goal is fundamental to Australia's future and for our much-prized social harmony. As the Human Rights Law Centre puts it, "every person should have a safe, secure and healthy place to call home, regardless of your postcode or bank balance. Yet too many Australians are homeless, live in inadequate, insecure or unsafe housing, or need to sacrifice other necessities - from food to school uniforms - to keep a roof over their heads." Our members see these challenges every day, and while we can offer assistance within our means, structural change to the national housing market is needed urgently. More than two decades ago, former prime minister John Howard said, "I don't get people stopping me in the street and saying, 'John you're outrageous, under your government the value of my house has increased".' The nation's home owners would have been pleased by recent news from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) that the national mean price of residential dwellings had risen to $1,002,500, the first time it has passed the million-dollar mark. Of course, that level was exceeded long ago in many city suburbs, with prices in regional areas also going sky-high as sea and tree changers took real estate windfalls and relocated. Around 66 per cent of Australian households own their own home with or without a mortgage. Home ownership, with a consistent rise in values, is Australians' most important asset, along with superannuation, which ticks over in the background, accessible only in later years. Renters, numbering one-third of Australian households, have also experienced the impacts of the ongoing property boom, except not in a good way. They are mostly dependent on the one-in-five households that own residential properties other than their usual domicile. For the record, one in 25 of these owners has four or more properties. Yet very few are affordable to low-income earners. Anglicare Australia's 2025 Rental Affordability Snapshot surveyed 51,238 rental listings across Australia and found that just 352 rentals (0.7 per cent) were affordable for a person earning a full-time minimum wage. Almost none was affordable for a person on JobSeeker wanting a room in a share house, and none for a person on Youth Allowance. Median advertised rents have risen 35 per cent since this government came to office, more than three times the rise in wages. Another recent report, Rights at risk: Rising rents and repercussions, by ACOSS and the University of NSW, carries further alarming findings. Almost seven in 10 people who rent privately worry about asking for repairs in case they face a rent increase, with 56 per cent fearing it would lead to eviction and 52 per cent fearing being placed on a blacklist that would prevent them renting another property. Half of all renters live in homes that need repairs, one in 10 urgently. Almost one-in-five bathrooms has mould, which is a major health risk. Some 82 per cent of renters would find a 5 per cent rent hike "difficult or very difficult". A significant problem, and a major eyesore, is that many potential rentals are left empty - around a million Australia-wide. If occupied, these so-called "speculative vacancies" could greatly assist would-be renters. St Vincent de Paul Society calls for taxation reform to incentivise the use of long-term vacant residential properties and land. Homes that are rented have the added benefit (to owners) of generous tax concessions, both during ownership and at point of sale. This creates a considerable loss to the Treasury, with the Parliamentary Budget Office calculating that tax revenue foregone over the decade to 2034-35 due to negative gearing deductions and the capital gains tax (CGT) discount on residential investment properties will total a massive $165 billion. This is money lost to healthcare, education, housing and other social essentials. St Vincent de Paul Society regards housing as a basic human right and we firmly believe all Australians deserve a secure place to live. Properties should be treated primarily as homes, not investment opportunities. The Society supports reducing CGT concessions from 50 per cent to 37.5 per cent to generate revenue that could be used to improve social services, plus a review of negative gearing. The government should increase needs-based funding of homelessness services and permanent supportive housing, including client-led support services. If not now, when? The last census recorded 122,494 people experiencing homelessness, and that was four years ago. Governments should fund and perhaps mandate policies that improve energy efficiency in low-income households, including apartment buildings. This goes hand in hand with funding and legislating national minimum standards for renters. The package known as "A Better Deal for Renters" was endorsed by national cabinet in 2023 with the promise that, "These changes will make a tangible impact for the almost one-third of Australian households who rent". The plan is yet to be fully implemented. Meanwhile, rent increases have accelerated, and pests are the most common tenant complaint, affecting one-third of premises. We're urging for a compassionate review of the base rate of working-age payments to lift recipients above the poverty line. So many people simply cannot afford decent housing. Achieving this basic goal is fundamental to Australia's future and for our much-prized social harmony. As the Human Rights Law Centre puts it, "every person should have a safe, secure and healthy place to call home, regardless of your postcode or bank balance. Yet too many Australians are homeless, live in inadequate, insecure or unsafe housing, or need to sacrifice other necessities - from food to school uniforms - to keep a roof over their heads." Our members see these challenges every day, and while we can offer assistance within our means, structural change to the national housing market is needed urgently.
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
China flexing its muscles in ways that ‘differ from Australia's interests'
China is 'asserting its influence' in ways that do not align with Australia's national interest, Foreign Minister Penny Wong says. Senator Wong is in Washington for a Quad summit with her Indian, Japanese and US counterparts. The Quad is a partnership broadly seen as a check on China's economic and increasingly militaristic might. Fronting media on Wednesday (AEST), Senator Wong said the four countries were under no illusions about the threats posed by China. 'China is a great power,' she told reporters in the US capital. 'It is asserting its influence using all aspects of national power. 'The challenge for Australia and for other countries is that … one can see where those interests differ from Australia's interests.' Pacific power grabbing and threatening freedom of navigation are among Canberra's key grievances with Beijing. The Albanese government has spent billions on countering China's efforts to boost its sway in the region, including by debt-trapping Australia's smaller Pacific neighbours. The Chinese government has also stepped up military activity in the South China Sea and around the democratically self-governed island of Taiwan, threatening key shipping lanes that Australia depends upon. 'Certainly … China has interests, which it presses, which are not the same as our interests,' Senator Wong said. 'And we have to navigate that, and we do that and we have not stepped back as a government from those things where we disagree, but we will continue to engage.' She repeated the Albanese government's mantra on China, saying 'we co-operate where we can, disagree where we must'. Despite the tough words, Senator Wong said she and State Secretary Marco Rubio did not discuss Australia's defence spending. The Trump administration last month requested the Albanese government hike the military budget to 3.5 per cent of GDP. The demand ignited a furious debate that has somewhat poured cold water on Anthony Albanese's post-election high amid severe scrutiny over his relationship with Donald Trump. 'The issue of Australia's defence budget was not raised with me, either in the Quad or in my bilateral meeting,' Senator Wong said. 'What we did discuss is a number of areas of co-operation that we want to see more concrete outcomes … critical minerals is one of them, maritime security is another.'
