Minister accused of intervention in penalty rates case
In what employers called 'a highly unusual intervention', new Workplace Relations Minister Amanda Rishworth wrote to FWC president Justice Adam Hatcher last week to advise she planned to legislate to ban reductions in award penalty rates 'as soon as possible' and highlighted the government's opposition to the retailers' penalty rates case.
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Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Perth Now
Shock sector driving the Aussie economy
Australia's economy is getting a surprising boost from the wellness sector, which has quietly grown to one of the nation's leading sectors. According to a new report by Global Wellness Institute, Australia ranks seventh in the world when it comes to spending on their healthcare. In total this added $194.4bn in 2023, up 10.9 per cent year on year or around $7,402 per person. Wellness now makes up seven per cent of Australia's GDP, placing it behind the construction sector. Currently the construction industry accounts for around 9 per cent of GDP and employs more than 1.3 million people. Australians are spending billions to stay fit. NewsWire/Sarah Matray Credit: News Corp Australia Anytime Fitness managing director Simon Thompson says the results show the wellness economy is doing its share of the heavy lifting when it comes to Australia's economy. 'When you consider our population, Australia is punching above its weight and has pioneered many wellness communities that support healthy lifestyles, vibrant social connections, and sustainable living in its growing housing markets,' Mr Thompson said. Mr Thompson said the push was coming from younger Aussies. 'Gyms, instead of pubs and clubs, are now often the number one choice for weekend outings, and even dates,' he said. 'Gen Z now spends seven times the amount of money on getting fit than Gen X.' According to the report, Australia's overall wellness growth is coming across a number of sub-sectors. Wellness tourism has swelled by 32.9 per cent between 2019 to 2023 while thermal/mineral springs are up 21.5 per cent. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) and federal Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen talk about the benefits of building things in Australia Dan Peled / NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia Wellness real estate, mental wellness and physical activity round out the top five sectors. The report comes as prime minister Anthony Albanese separately spruiks the benefit to Australia reviving its building and manufacturing sectors. During a doorstop in the electorate of Bonner in Brisbane the prime minster and Energy Minister Chris Bowen talked up the home battery incentive and solar panel uptake. 'It's good for everyone because what it does is take pressure off the grid during peak times, and that's why this is such good public policy, good for households … of course, good right throughout Australia,' Mr Albanese says. According to the ministers, 28,000 Australian homes have installed a home battery under the government's policy. But Mr Albanese wants more Australians to take up the scheme and for the panels to be built in Australia. 'Chris (Bowen) was at the South Australian factory producing solar panels earlier this week, or at the end of last week, that's expanding by nine times,' Mr Albanese said. 'We also want to produce more things here. We have everything that goes into a battery. One of the progress we have is for battery manufacturing.' Mr Albanese went further calling for more large infrastructure projects such as trains and boats to be built in Australia. 'We want things made here and here in Queensland. I want more manufacturing, more jobs to be created here.'
AU Financial Review
4 hours ago
- AU Financial Review
Chalmers moves to phase in EV road user charge
The Albanese government is working on a plan to phase in a road user charge that would begin with a trial of heavy electric vehicles before being applied to all cars. As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese backed Treasurer Jim Chalmers' view that the government had a mandate to implement the charge before the next election, industry sources familiar with deliberations said drivers of lighter electric and other low-emissions vehicles would initially be spared.
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Put it in your gob': Albo delights crowd at Brisbane Ekka, continues tradition of awkward food snaps with sundae moment
Anthony Albanese has delighted crowds at the Ekka on the public show holiday, enjoying snaps and following the pollie tradition of awkwardly tucking into the food staples. The Prime Minister touched down at the landmark Brisbane agricultural show on Wednesday and quickly set about mingling with show attendees while flanked by photographers and his press team. Mr Albanese spent some time sampling the Ekka's delicacies – from Queensland-made honey to luscious bananas – and even tucked into a famous strawberry sundae as photographers captured the unflattering moment. But unlike in 2023 – when awkward snaps captured Mr Albanese taking a cautionary lick of the sundae's cream – he spent no time in enjoying the sweet treat. In video captured by The Courier Mail, Mr Albanese even jokingly gestured to an ABC reporter holding her own sundae to 'put it in your gob'. He then quipped: 'I had to for the interview!' Politicians who have graced the Ekka have followed a tradition of being snapped in unflattering moments while trying to eat. Most notably, former opposition leader Peter Dutton caused a stir by tearing into a dagwood dog in 2022. He revealed it prompted some outrageous messages. 'Most of my mates actually were pretty rapid-fire texting me like, 'WTF', but anyway, what do you do?' Mr Dutton joked on 2Day FM the following day. 'With the cameras there, I mean you can't eat it from the side because the sauce drips off and you do a Bill Shorten … so it leaves one angle and it's not a great one. 'There is no good angle, so you just accept your fate, right? But chewing from the side was definitely not an option.' Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie was snapped in a similar position with a dagwood dog but took it on the chin – even taking it tongue-in-cheek by making prints of her eating the show staple. Even outside of the show, politicians have always looked awkward trying to dine. Tony Abbott was infamously captured biting into a raw onion, Bill Shorten almost forgot how to eat a sausage and roll as he tried to tackle it sideways, while Malcolm Turnbull ate a meat pie with a knife and fork.
