Qantas faces fleaquent flyer accusations after couple's journey ends with bite-covered ankles
'The 5000 frequent flyer points was provided to the customer as a gesture of goodwill, not compensation,' Qantas said. 'On average, aircraft are sprayed with pest control treatments every 45 days.'
The last word then goes to Gibson, who's now done quite a bit of research on these fleas and has serious doubts the airline's actions would have addressed the issue.
'The fact is, Kathy got onto the plane without bites and got off with them,' he said.
I dreamed a PMO dream
On Tuesday, CBD brought word about Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's chief of staff, Tim Gartrell, taking a somewhat dim view of political staffers posting about their jobs on social media.
Gartrell's friendly reminder in an all-hands meeting last week came after a flurry of posts from departing PMO staffers toasting their heroic work in the Labor government, which he clearly must not have enjoyed.
But those leaving Albanese's employ aren't guided by any directive from above. In fact, hours after our item ran, former strategic communications director Katie Connolly produced her own LinkedIn farewell dump, including a picture of her hugging the PM. A coincidence, we are sure.
'Some kids dream of being famous or going to space. I dreamed of working for a Labor Prime Minister. And I'll be forever grateful that dream came true,' was the glowing caption.
As for just how many staff have departed the prime minister's office right after securing a landslide victory and immense second-term mandate, CBD hears the number is close to 20, although the exact figure is in dispute.
And while most of those leaving are women, a PMO source reminded us that most of Albanese's staff are female, so it tracks. The same probably can't be said about the other side of politics, who tend to do everything in their power to discourage women from getting involved.
Wine and dine
Before Anthony Albanese's all-important meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the prime minister attended a business lunch in Shanghai on Monday.
The PM was accompanied by a smattering of Australian corporate titans during the Shanghai leg of the trip, including billionaire mining magnate turned clean-energy evangelist Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest, Rio Tinto's Kellie Parker, Macquarie Bank's Shemara Wikramanayake and BHP's Geraldine Slattery.
Before the meetings, Chinese state media praised Albo for taking a more co-operative approach to Sino-Australian relations than the Morrison government, which presided over a diplomatic deep freeze with Beijing.
The biggest sign of the thaw was on the lunch table. Last year, China removed a series of tariffs it placed on Australian produce in 2020 in retaliation towards then-prime minister Scott Morrison's call for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19. China's wine tariffs (Penfolds was hit with a 175 per cent tariff) crippled the $1.2 billion export industry for Aussie wineries.
On Monday, it was Australian beef and seafood for lunch in Shanghai. There was also wine by Penfolds (a brand with an oversized footprint in the Australian political landscape), including a $150 a bottle of cabernet sauvignon from grapes grown in the Shangri-La region of China's Yunnan province. Talk about teaming with the theme.
It was a situation unthinkable five years ago, when Canberra's National Press Club served up Australian beef and barley to a top Chinese diplomat in an act of culinary trolling.
Rupert and the Don
Where there is sport, money and politics can't help but stick their noses in.
A few months after from his infamous sofa-sitting appearance in the Oval Office, billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch joined US President Donald Trump in his box at MetLife stadium in New Jersey to continue what we term their 'frenemy bromance' and watch the pride of London, Chelsea FC, stun Paris Saint-Germain in the final of FIFA's inaugural Club World Cup, its latest fake tournament to further bloat the international football calendar.
For Trump, it marked one year since an assassin's bullet grazed his ear and changed the course of American politics. He spent the occasion hanging out with Murdoch, former NFL star Tom Brady and FIFA's ghoulish president-cum-Dr Evil lookalike Gianni Infantino.
Expect a repeat experience next year when the United States co-hosts the FIFA World Cup with trade war enemies Canada and Mexico.
Murdoch, meanwhile, knows better than anyone how to use sport to expand power and influence. News Corp built its fortune in Britain thanks to the UK government handing it exclusivity on the Premier League, which turned it into an irrepressible, multibillion-dollar global juggernaut.
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The Advertiser
29 minutes ago
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One Nation turns its back on Acknowledgement of Country
A group of right-wing senators who turned their backs during an Acknowledgement of Country inside the federal parliament have been sharply criticised. The four One Nation politicians took the action in the Senate chamber when the statement of respect was read out as part of the traditional ceremonial opening of parliament on Tuesday. Cabinet minister Clare O'Neil lashed the Pauline Hanson-led party, saying it was disappointing their action became a point of focus, despite the shows of unity earlier in the day during Welcome to Country ceremonies. "It was disrespectful and rude and childish," she told Seven on Wednesday. The opening of parliament was a day to celebrate the strength of Australia's democracy and recommit to working for Australia's citizens, Ms O'Neil added. Nationals senator Bridge McKenzie said while it was up to the government to determine the ceremonies for the opening of parliament, and that she had listened respectfully to the acknowledgement, others had different perspectives. She also compared the One Nation silent protest to politicians who walk out of the chamber during the morning prayers and those who don't support the monarchy. "The problem in a liberal democracy like ours is when we can't express different views," she told Sunrise. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has claimed Acknowledgement of Country is "divisive" and "increasingly forced". But Ms O'Neil said the party still should have treated all Australians with respect. "Whatever your views about the Welcome to Country - we've got First Nations people who have been invited to come to parliament, to extend that hand of friendship and invite us and talk about 65,000 years of heritage that they bring to our beautiful, great country," she said. "To treat people that way on the first day of parliament, I think, it was absolutely appalling." Welcome to Country ceremonies and land acknowledgements have been at the centre of a right-wing culture war after a group of neo-Nazis booed a Welcome to Country address during an Anzac Day dawn service in Melbourne earlier in 2025. Labor has backed Welcome to Country ceremonies, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday celebrating the tradition as a powerful way to begin the new parliament and reflect on Australia's history. Mr Albanese also took a veiled swipe at the stance of former opposition leader Peter Dutton and some coalition MPs who branded Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country proclamations as divisive and overdone. "Like a lot of the more positive things about our nation, we shouldn't take it for granted," Mr Albanese said, adding the ceremony was not controversial. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the ceremony "set the tone as we re-commit ourselves to the taking of practical action to improve lives and expand opportunity for Indigenous Australians in every part of our great country". Welcome to Country is conducted by Traditional Owners, while Acknowledgement of Country is a statement of respect for Traditional Owners and connection to land, which can be given by an Indigenous or non-Indigenous person. A group of right-wing senators who turned their backs during an Acknowledgement of Country inside the federal parliament have been sharply criticised. The four One Nation politicians took the action in the Senate chamber when the statement of respect was read out as part of the traditional ceremonial opening of parliament on Tuesday. Cabinet minister Clare O'Neil lashed the Pauline Hanson-led party, saying it was disappointing their action became a point of focus, despite the shows of unity earlier in the day during Welcome to Country ceremonies. "It was disrespectful and rude and childish," she told Seven on Wednesday. The opening of parliament was a day to celebrate the strength of Australia's democracy and recommit to working for Australia's citizens, Ms O'Neil added. Nationals senator Bridge McKenzie said while it was up to the government to determine the ceremonies for the opening of parliament, and that she had listened respectfully to the acknowledgement, others had different perspectives. She also compared the One Nation silent protest to politicians who walk out of the chamber during the morning prayers and those who don't support the monarchy. "The problem in a liberal democracy like ours is when we can't express different views," she told Sunrise. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has claimed Acknowledgement of Country is "divisive" and "increasingly forced". But Ms O'Neil said the party still should have treated all Australians with respect. "Whatever your views about the Welcome to Country - we've got First Nations people who have been invited to come to parliament, to extend that hand of friendship and invite us and talk about 65,000 years of heritage that they bring to our beautiful, great country," she said. "To treat people that way on the first day of parliament, I think, it was absolutely appalling." Welcome to Country ceremonies and land acknowledgements have been at the centre of a right-wing culture war after a group of neo-Nazis booed a Welcome to Country address during an Anzac Day dawn service in Melbourne earlier in 2025. Labor has backed Welcome to Country ceremonies, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday celebrating the tradition as a powerful way to begin the new parliament and reflect on Australia's history. Mr Albanese also took a veiled swipe at the stance of former opposition leader Peter Dutton and some coalition MPs who branded Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country proclamations as divisive and overdone. "Like a lot of the more positive things about our nation, we shouldn't take it for granted," Mr Albanese said, adding the ceremony was not controversial. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the ceremony "set the tone as we re-commit ourselves to the taking of practical action to improve lives and expand opportunity for Indigenous Australians in every part of our great country". Welcome to Country is conducted by Traditional Owners, while Acknowledgement of Country is a statement of respect for Traditional Owners and connection to land, which can be given by an Indigenous or non-Indigenous person. A group of right-wing senators who turned their backs during an Acknowledgement of Country inside the federal parliament have been sharply criticised. The four One Nation politicians took the action in the Senate chamber when the statement of respect was read out as part of the traditional ceremonial opening of parliament on Tuesday. Cabinet minister Clare O'Neil lashed the Pauline Hanson-led party, saying it was disappointing their action became a point of focus, despite the shows of unity earlier in the day during Welcome to Country ceremonies. "It was disrespectful and rude and childish," she told Seven on Wednesday. The opening of parliament was a day to celebrate the strength of Australia's democracy and recommit to working for Australia's citizens, Ms O'Neil added. Nationals senator Bridge McKenzie said while it was up to the government to determine the ceremonies for the opening of parliament, and that she had listened respectfully to the acknowledgement, others had different perspectives. She also compared the One Nation silent protest to politicians who walk out of the chamber during the morning prayers and those who don't support the monarchy. "The problem in a liberal democracy like ours is when we can't express different views," she told Sunrise. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has claimed Acknowledgement of Country is "divisive" and "increasingly forced". But Ms O'Neil said the party still should have treated all Australians with respect. "Whatever your views about the Welcome to Country - we've got First Nations people who have been invited to come to parliament, to extend that hand of friendship and invite us and talk about 65,000 years of heritage that they bring to our beautiful, great country," she said. "To treat people that way on the first day of parliament, I think, it was absolutely appalling." Welcome to Country ceremonies and land acknowledgements have been at the centre of a right-wing culture war after a group of neo-Nazis booed a Welcome to Country address during an Anzac Day dawn service in Melbourne earlier in 2025. Labor has backed Welcome to Country ceremonies, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday celebrating the tradition as a powerful way to begin the new parliament and reflect on Australia's history. Mr Albanese also took a veiled swipe at the stance of former opposition leader Peter Dutton and some coalition MPs who branded Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country proclamations as divisive and overdone. "Like a lot of the more positive things about our nation, we shouldn't take it for granted," Mr Albanese said, adding the ceremony was not controversial. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the ceremony "set the tone as we re-commit ourselves to the taking of practical action to improve lives and expand opportunity for Indigenous Australians in every part of our great country". Welcome to Country is conducted by Traditional Owners, while Acknowledgement of Country is a statement of respect for Traditional Owners and connection to land, which can be given by an Indigenous or non-Indigenous person. A group of right-wing senators who turned their backs during an Acknowledgement of Country inside the federal parliament have been sharply criticised. The four One Nation politicians took the action in the Senate chamber when the statement of respect was read out as part of the traditional ceremonial opening of parliament on Tuesday. Cabinet minister Clare O'Neil lashed the Pauline Hanson-led party, saying it was disappointing their action became a point of focus, despite the shows of unity earlier in the day during Welcome to Country ceremonies. "It was disrespectful and rude and childish," she told Seven on Wednesday. The opening of parliament was a day to celebrate the strength of Australia's democracy and recommit to working for Australia's citizens, Ms O'Neil added. Nationals senator Bridge McKenzie said while it was up to the government to determine the ceremonies for the opening of parliament, and that she had listened respectfully to the acknowledgement, others had different perspectives. She also compared the One Nation silent protest to politicians who walk out of the chamber during the morning prayers and those who don't support the monarchy. "The problem in a liberal democracy like ours is when we can't express different views," she told Sunrise. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has claimed Acknowledgement of Country is "divisive" and "increasingly forced". But Ms O'Neil said the party still should have treated all Australians with respect. "Whatever your views about the Welcome to Country - we've got First Nations people who have been invited to come to parliament, to extend that hand of friendship and invite us and talk about 65,000 years of heritage that they bring to our beautiful, great country," she said. "To treat people that way on the first day of parliament, I think, it was absolutely appalling." Welcome to Country ceremonies and land acknowledgements have been at the centre of a right-wing culture war after a group of neo-Nazis booed a Welcome to Country address during an Anzac Day dawn service in Melbourne earlier in 2025. Labor has backed Welcome to Country ceremonies, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday celebrating the tradition as a powerful way to begin the new parliament and reflect on Australia's history. Mr Albanese also took a veiled swipe at the stance of former opposition leader Peter Dutton and some coalition MPs who branded Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country proclamations as divisive and overdone. "Like a lot of the more positive things about our nation, we shouldn't take it for granted," Mr Albanese said, adding the ceremony was not controversial. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the ceremony "set the tone as we re-commit ourselves to the taking of practical action to improve lives and expand opportunity for Indigenous Australians in every part of our great country". Welcome to Country is conducted by Traditional Owners, while Acknowledgement of Country is a statement of respect for Traditional Owners and connection to land, which can be given by an Indigenous or non-Indigenous person.
The Advertiser
31 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Kerbside EV charging coming to Victoria as Aussie firm's network continues to grow
RACV Commercial Energy Solutions and electric vehicle (EV) charging company EVX are partnering up to bring kerbside EV chargers to Victoria, with the first two installations going online in the coming weeks. The first chargers will be located in High Street and Warner Avenue in Ashburton, with further installations to be located within the cities of Port Phillip, Stonnington and Yarra in the greater Melbourne area. All up, RACV and EVX plan to install up to 40 dual EVX chargers across the state, supported by a $2.4 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) that will see EVX install 250 chargers across over 60 local government areas in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. These chargers are installed directly onto existing utility poles, which EVX says provides flexibility for EV drivers who park on the street, including those who live in apartments or who lack private parking or the ability to install home chargers. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Each EVX charging unit is Australian-designed and made and features dual 22kW sockets, allowing EV drivers to charge their vehicles using AC power. EV drivers will need to download the EVX Australia app, which shows the chargers currently available, and scan a QR code to start charging. It costs $0.50 per kWh to charge a vehicle using an EVX charger. EVX, which manufactures, installs and operates kerbside EV chargers, already has around 100 chargers throughout NSW and plans to install another 120 more across not only Victoria and NSW but also South Australia and the ACT, all within the next 10-12 months. "Partnerships like this with RACV are helping us to accelerate the transition to EVs by providing a reliable, accessible, affordable and sustainable EV charging network across the country," said EVX CEO Andrew Forster. The company alone will soon have more than half – or 278 – of the kerbside chargers being rolled out across Sydney's suburbs as part of a new grant program in NSW. It's receiving 27 per cent of the total co-funding – $2.8 million – from the NSW Government. The state government has announced plans to roll out 436 chargers across 130 suburbs, with the $2.8 million investment being accompanied by $2.2 million in private investment. In addition to EVX, Charge Post, Connected Kerb, Plus ES and EF Asset Management are receiving kerbside charging grants. EVX is set to be the first kerbside charging provider in Victoria, but it may not be alone for long. Victorian energy distributors CitiPower, Powercor and United Energy confirmed last year they plan to install, own and maintain kerbside chargers across 100 locations. It has applied for a ring-fencing waiver from the Australian Energy Regulator to be able to install and maintain this infrastructure. Should this plan be approved, the energy distributors will install 22kW single- and dual-port chargers on existing power poles, with a third-party charging company to manage interactions with customers. Content originally sourced from: RACV Commercial Energy Solutions and electric vehicle (EV) charging company EVX are partnering up to bring kerbside EV chargers to Victoria, with the first two installations going online in the coming weeks. The first chargers will be located in High Street and Warner Avenue in Ashburton, with further installations to be located within the cities of Port Phillip, Stonnington and Yarra in the greater Melbourne area. All up, RACV and EVX plan to install up to 40 dual EVX chargers across the state, supported by a $2.4 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) that will see EVX install 250 chargers across over 60 local government areas in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. These chargers are installed directly onto existing utility poles, which EVX says provides flexibility for EV drivers who park on the street, including those who live in apartments or who lack private parking or the ability to install home chargers. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Each EVX charging unit is Australian-designed and made and features dual 22kW sockets, allowing EV drivers to charge their vehicles using AC power. EV drivers will need to download the EVX Australia app, which shows the chargers currently available, and scan a QR code to start charging. It costs $0.50 per kWh to charge a vehicle using an EVX charger. EVX, which manufactures, installs and operates kerbside EV chargers, already has around 100 chargers throughout NSW and plans to install another 120 more across not only Victoria and NSW but also South Australia and the ACT, all within the next 10-12 months. "Partnerships like this with RACV are helping us to accelerate the transition to EVs by providing a reliable, accessible, affordable and sustainable EV charging network across the country," said EVX CEO Andrew Forster. The company alone will soon have more than half – or 278 – of the kerbside chargers being rolled out across Sydney's suburbs as part of a new grant program in NSW. It's receiving 27 per cent of the total co-funding – $2.8 million – from the NSW Government. The state government has announced plans to roll out 436 chargers across 130 suburbs, with the $2.8 million investment being accompanied by $2.2 million in private investment. In addition to EVX, Charge Post, Connected Kerb, Plus ES and EF Asset Management are receiving kerbside charging grants. EVX is set to be the first kerbside charging provider in Victoria, but it may not be alone for long. Victorian energy distributors CitiPower, Powercor and United Energy confirmed last year they plan to install, own and maintain kerbside chargers across 100 locations. It has applied for a ring-fencing waiver from the Australian Energy Regulator to be able to install and maintain this infrastructure. Should this plan be approved, the energy distributors will install 22kW single- and dual-port chargers on existing power poles, with a third-party charging company to manage interactions with customers. Content originally sourced from: RACV Commercial Energy Solutions and electric vehicle (EV) charging company EVX are partnering up to bring kerbside EV chargers to Victoria, with the first two installations going online in the coming weeks. The first chargers will be located in High Street and Warner Avenue in Ashburton, with further installations to be located within the cities of Port Phillip, Stonnington and Yarra in the greater Melbourne area. All up, RACV and EVX plan to install up to 40 dual EVX chargers across the state, supported by a $2.4 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) that will see EVX install 250 chargers across over 60 local government areas in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. These chargers are installed directly onto existing utility poles, which EVX says provides flexibility for EV drivers who park on the street, including those who live in apartments or who lack private parking or the ability to install home chargers. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Each EVX charging unit is Australian-designed and made and features dual 22kW sockets, allowing EV drivers to charge their vehicles using AC power. EV drivers will need to download the EVX Australia app, which shows the chargers currently available, and scan a QR code to start charging. It costs $0.50 per kWh to charge a vehicle using an EVX charger. EVX, which manufactures, installs and operates kerbside EV chargers, already has around 100 chargers throughout NSW and plans to install another 120 more across not only Victoria and NSW but also South Australia and the ACT, all within the next 10-12 months. "Partnerships like this with RACV are helping us to accelerate the transition to EVs by providing a reliable, accessible, affordable and sustainable EV charging network across the country," said EVX CEO Andrew Forster. The company alone will soon have more than half – or 278 – of the kerbside chargers being rolled out across Sydney's suburbs as part of a new grant program in NSW. It's receiving 27 per cent of the total co-funding – $2.8 million – from the NSW Government. The state government has announced plans to roll out 436 chargers across 130 suburbs, with the $2.8 million investment being accompanied by $2.2 million in private investment. In addition to EVX, Charge Post, Connected Kerb, Plus ES and EF Asset Management are receiving kerbside charging grants. EVX is set to be the first kerbside charging provider in Victoria, but it may not be alone for long. Victorian energy distributors CitiPower, Powercor and United Energy confirmed last year they plan to install, own and maintain kerbside chargers across 100 locations. It has applied for a ring-fencing waiver from the Australian Energy Regulator to be able to install and maintain this infrastructure. Should this plan be approved, the energy distributors will install 22kW single- and dual-port chargers on existing power poles, with a third-party charging company to manage interactions with customers. Content originally sourced from: RACV Commercial Energy Solutions and electric vehicle (EV) charging company EVX are partnering up to bring kerbside EV chargers to Victoria, with the first two installations going online in the coming weeks. The first chargers will be located in High Street and Warner Avenue in Ashburton, with further installations to be located within the cities of Port Phillip, Stonnington and Yarra in the greater Melbourne area. All up, RACV and EVX plan to install up to 40 dual EVX chargers across the state, supported by a $2.4 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) that will see EVX install 250 chargers across over 60 local government areas in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. These chargers are installed directly onto existing utility poles, which EVX says provides flexibility for EV drivers who park on the street, including those who live in apartments or who lack private parking or the ability to install home chargers. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Each EVX charging unit is Australian-designed and made and features dual 22kW sockets, allowing EV drivers to charge their vehicles using AC power. EV drivers will need to download the EVX Australia app, which shows the chargers currently available, and scan a QR code to start charging. It costs $0.50 per kWh to charge a vehicle using an EVX charger. EVX, which manufactures, installs and operates kerbside EV chargers, already has around 100 chargers throughout NSW and plans to install another 120 more across not only Victoria and NSW but also South Australia and the ACT, all within the next 10-12 months. "Partnerships like this with RACV are helping us to accelerate the transition to EVs by providing a reliable, accessible, affordable and sustainable EV charging network across the country," said EVX CEO Andrew Forster. The company alone will soon have more than half – or 278 – of the kerbside chargers being rolled out across Sydney's suburbs as part of a new grant program in NSW. It's receiving 27 per cent of the total co-funding – $2.8 million – from the NSW Government. The state government has announced plans to roll out 436 chargers across 130 suburbs, with the $2.8 million investment being accompanied by $2.2 million in private investment. In addition to EVX, Charge Post, Connected Kerb, Plus ES and EF Asset Management are receiving kerbside charging grants. EVX is set to be the first kerbside charging provider in Victoria, but it may not be alone for long. Victorian energy distributors CitiPower, Powercor and United Energy confirmed last year they plan to install, own and maintain kerbside chargers across 100 locations. It has applied for a ring-fencing waiver from the Australian Energy Regulator to be able to install and maintain this infrastructure. Should this plan be approved, the energy distributors will install 22kW single- and dual-port chargers on existing power poles, with a third-party charging company to manage interactions with customers. Content originally sourced from:
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Relief for graduates as government slashes student debt
Students and graduates will soon see a reduction in their HECS debts and save hundreds of dollars a year. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare will introduce legislation to slash student debt by 20 per cent and increase the income that graduates need to earn before minimum repayments kick in. It is the first bill the Albanese government will put before parliament at the start of its second term. People earning between $60,000 and $180,000 will save hundreds of dollars each year under the changes. Someone earning $70,000 will save the most — $1300 a year — on minimum repayments due to an increase to the thresholds at which the debts must be paid back. Savings vary between incomes in the bracket, with people pocketing anywhere from $200 to $850. Professor Bruce Chapman, the architect of the HECS scheme, said it would make it fairer by giving those on lower salaries more money in their pockets, while their debts remain the same in nominal terms. 'It looks bigger, in real terms it's not bigger,' he told AAP. But the top priority should be reviewing the price of each degree because humanities students finish with the highest level of debt and end up being the lowest-paid graduates. 'All the prices are wrong,' Chapman said. Education Minister Jason Clare will introduce legislation to reduce university student debt. Credit: AAP Clare said reforms were being looked at, after the failure of the former Liberal government's job ready program. The program aimed to fill skills shortages by making it cheaper to study courses such as teaching, nursing and psychology while doubling the cost of popular degrees including law, communications, business, humanities and the arts. 'If the intention there was to reduce the number of people doing arts degrees, it hasn't worked,' Clare said. 'People study the courses they're interested in, that they want to do, that they love.' The universities accord final report branded the program 'deeply unfair' because it punished students following their interest, and called for it to be scrapped. It recommended that fees reflect future earning potential, as part of 47 recommendations to reform the sector. Other aspects about how HECS is paid off also needed to be addressed, Chapman said. HECS repayments are taken from a person's pay slip if they earn above an income threshold. But the money is not immediately taken off the HECS debt and is instead deducted as a lump sum at the end of the financial year after indexation has been applied on June 1. This means a higher debt is indexed as the repayments have not been deducted and the university accord recommended it be reformed to make the system fairer. The Australian Tertiary Education Commission has been established in an interim capacity to implement long-term university reform and will review the HECS system over the next 12 months. Clare will introduce further legislation in the coming months to set the commission up as a permanent body.
