Nothing to resent here: Lord mayor sends praise in an unexpected direction
One immutable fundamental of federal relations underpinning the Commonwealth of Australia, state-on-state rivalry, was upended recently when Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece undertook a whistlestop tour of Sydney – and commented favourably on the experience.
'Sydney and Melbourne are the two best cities in the world!' Reece said glowingly of the northern metropolis in a LinkedIn post (but not in an official media release, as far as we could tell). Talk about undermining 124 years of slow-burn resentment towards the Harbour City nurtured by Melbourne since Federation.
During his 36-hour outing late last week, Reece also blew smoke in the direction of some of NSW's most prominent power players.
NSW Premier Chris Minns was 'a seriously smart guy … he also has an incredible knowledge of rugby league'. But Reece kept it real, musing that Minns might be lucky enough to score an invite to the AFL grand final, which, no surprises – is in Melbourne!
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore was a 'legend' who had 'copped a bit over the years' but was someone who deserves 'huge credit for her vision and determination'.
Reece also name-checked Business Sydney, and Crown Resorts chairman John Borghetti while all the while being sure to heap praise on Melbourne.
So when meeting hospitality dude Justin Hemmes, he was canny to point out that while he loved his tour of The Ivy in Sydney, Hemmes' Merivale Group was undertaking its biggest project (Parkade) … in Melbourne!
One fascination for CBD was how deftly Reece navigated his way through Sydney's crucial but often unspoken dress codes.
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News.com.au
an hour 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.
ABC News
9 hours ago
- ABC News
Woman who lost money to real estate agent Sarah Dougan welcomes fraud sentencing order
A woman who lost money in a Byron Bay real estate fraud case has vowed to be in court when the real estate agent responsible is sentenced. Now living in the United States, former Belle Property Byron Bay director Sarah Dougan lost her appeal to be sentenced remotely after pleading guilty to charges of fraud. The Supreme Court has ordered Dougan to return to Australia. "I am a firm believer that if you commit a crime, then you should pay for it," Robyn Quickenden, a former nurse, said. "I want to look her in the eye." The NSW Department of Fair Trading began investigating Dougan in 2011 after complaints about conveyancing transactions and missing funds. At the time, Dougan was one of the directors and company secretary of Belle Properties Byron Bay (BPBR Pty Ltd) with control of the trust account. An estimated $540,000 was misappropriated from the trust account. Some of that money belonged to Ms Quickenden, who sold her home through the Belle Properties Byron Bay franchise when it was held by Dougan. As a single woman preparing for her retirement, Ms Quickenden said the home was an important asset and the missing funds meant she could not buy another property. "It affected my mental health and was such a struggle because I was on my own and I had to worry about getting the money back," she said. "It changed the trajectory of my life." In 2013, a warrant was issued for Dougan's arrest on fraud charges but she was living in the United States. The NSW Department of Fair Trading has pursued Dougan since, trying to have the former real estate agent return to Australia for sentencing. After pleading guilty in 2020 and 2021, Dougan faces the possibility of a custodial sentence. Dougan was not present at a 2023 hearing, but made an application to attend by audiovisual link from the United States. The application listed personal reasons why the mother of five could not attend the hearing in Australia, including that she is now the CEO of a company in charge of 70 employees. Magistrate Peter Feather dismissed the application, stating: "I am satisfied in the circumstances that I have set out the serious nature of these offences, the fact that there is a real prospect of the accused serving a sentence of imprisonment, that the sentencing will be more conveniently undertaken in a courtroom." A sentence of imprisonment generally starts the day it is imposed. Dougan's absence would mean she could not immediately be taken into custody if she were ultimately given a custodial sentence. In May this year, Dougan appealed the 2023 finding in the Supreme Court, applying a second time to appear by audiovisual link from the United States. Now that appeal has also failed. In a statement, NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Natasha Mann was adamant Ms Dougan should return to Australia to be sentenced. "The defendant pleaded guilty to serious charges involving a significant amount of money being held in trust for consumers, so it is entirely appropriate the sentencing for those offences occurs in NSW in person," she said. According to court documents, in late 2020, Sarah Dougan repaid the Property Services Compensation Fund around $374,000. Ms Quickenden said she was still traumatised by her experiences. "I actually feel sorry for her [Dougan] because she now has children, but I don't think that allows you to walk away and not pay for what you did," Ms Quickenden said. She said her money was eventually returned through the NSW Department of Fair Trading's insurance scheme. When Dougan signed the franchise for Belle Properties Byron Bay, she was well established in the Sydney real estate scene. Group CEO of Belle Properties Peter Hanscomb welcomed the latest court decision. "I am quite happy to see her held to account," Mr Hanscomb said. He said there was no indication of any issues with Dougan when she was first awarded the franchise. "She had been highly recommended by executives of LJ Hooker where she was a representative of their financial services arm for six years," he said. Mr Hanscomb said she only held the franchise for four months before concerns were raised, and he went to Byron Bay to investigate. "Within a week she had been removed from the franchise," he said. Dougan's case is not the only real estate scandal to rock Byron Bay's property market. In 2009, Nicolette van Wijngaarden set out to market high-end luxury properties in the tourist region through the company she founded, Unique Estates. Between 2016 and 2018, Ms van Wijngaarden took client deposits and rent money from trust accounts, estimated to add up to around $3.6 million. In 2019, she faced 15 charges, 10 of which related to dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception. The 44-year-old was sentenced to three years and six months in jail after pleading guilty to fraud.
SBS Australia
21 hours ago
- SBS Australia
Your guide to what is open over the King's Birthday long weekend
King Charles' birthday is being celebrated on 9 June. His actual birthday is on 14 November. Some stores will have varied trading hours. King Charles' actual birthday might not be until 14 November but many Australians will be preparing to mark a public holiday for the King's Birthday on 9 June. In the Australian Capital Territory, NSW, Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory, and Victoria the public holiday falls on every second Monday in June. However, Queensland observes the monarch's birthday on the first Monday of October. Western Australia usually celebrates at the end of September. It marks WA Day in June. Unlike Christmas Day and Good Friday, most shops are open on the King's Birthday public holiday but may operate on different hours. While schools and universities will be closed, pubs, cafes and restaurants are allowed to stay open on the public holiday. However, some smaller venues may choose to close. Public transport is also expected to be running as usual however may operate on a different timetable. It's recommended to check your state or territories' public transport website to check for any changes. Woolworths stores in South Australia will be closed. However the retailer's stores in NSW, the ACT, Victoria, Queensland, the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Tasmania will be open. Similarly, Coles stores in NSW, the ACT, Victoria, Queensland, the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Tasmania will be open. Stores in South Australia will mostly be closed, however some regional stores may remain open. Aldi and IGA stores have varied opening hours across the country and shoppers should check their nearest store for information.
