WA government accused of ‘financial trickery' to hide real blow to household budgets
The Cook government has been accused of 'cooking the books' and hiding the financial hit to household budgets by omitting last year's $400 power credit from a crucial table in the budget papers.
Treasurer Rita Saffioti boasted about a 0.8 per cent, or $52, cut in government fees and charges to households, thanks in large part to the $2.80 Transperth flat fare, which the budget said would save the average household $200 a year.
According to the household fees and charges section in the budget, the total cost to households would drop from $6617 this year to $6565 in 2025-26.
A closer look at that table though reveals the government has removed mention of the $400 credit for 2024-25. This was despite the credit having been included in that column in every budget since 2023.
With the power credit included in the calculations, households are actually being slogged with a 5 per cent increase in fees and charges – or $348.
The change to the electricity charge is actually $447 or 22 per cent as opposed to the 2.5 per cent suggested in the budget.
Shadow Treasurer Sandra Brewer lashed the government for omitting its much vaunted power credit.
'To make matters worse, the Treasurer has tried to cook the books – deliberately excluding last year's $400 electricity credit to give the illusion of a saving. It's financial trickery, plain and simple,' she said.
'There is no $52 saving as claimed. That's a lie. What families are actually facing is nearly $400 in extra costs – and they're right to feel furious.
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Legal bill bailout to spare ex-Liberal boss bankruptcy
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It left him facing bankruptcy, which would trigger his exit from parliament and a subsequent by-election, unless the debt was paid back in a matter of weeks. Mr Pesutto, who has already coughed up $315,000 in damages, had raised only about $750,000 through wealthy backers and a GoFundMe campaign. An offer to defer some of the legal bill in exchange for Mrs Deeming's guaranteed preselection and Mr Pesutto swearing off trying to return as leader for three years were rebuffed. Entering parliament on Thursday morning, Mr Pesutto was upbeat about the committee agreeing to his loan request. "I certainly hope it gets resolved," he said. "Tonight's an opportunity to square (the issue) off and put it all behind us." Mrs Deeming, who was expelled from the party room before being welcomed back in December, was sceptical it would end the infighting that has engulfed the party since March 2023. "I assume that they will continue with their quest to try to annihilate me," the upper house MP said. Mrs Deeming said the party can "do what they like" but she would take any support of Mr Pesutto as a "direct rebukement (sic)" of the court judgement. She said her party room colleagues "don't speak to me" because she "had the audacity to defend myself against false claims". "Some of them are very nice," Mrs Deeming said. "But I really do get treated as though it is my fault and that I'm the aggressor, and that's ridiculous." Opposition Leader Brad Battin has not escaped internal criticism of his handling of the saga despite inheriting it when he replaced Mr Pesutto as leader in December. He attended the meeting but would not reveal how he intended to vote. "I'll go through the process with the administrative committee and keep all my conversations with them confidential," Mr Battin said on Thursday afternoon. Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the party before the next state election in November 2026. He had a message for Mr Pesutto or Mrs Deeming if the outcome of the meeting did not go their way. "Should any person wake up unhappy tomorrow, I would say to them, 'Have a look around and smell the roses and let's see what Victoria really needs'," Mr Battin said. "They need an opposition whose ready to govern and we'll ensure that is us." A state Liberal party has come to the financial rescue of its axed leader to spare him from bankruptcy and avoid a politically dangerous by-election. The Victorian Liberals' administrative committee met on Thursday night and agreed to lend former leader John Pesutto $1.55 million to settle his debt to first-term MP Moira Deeming. The party will pay the money directly to Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto will be required to repay the loan at market-rate interest. In a letter to party members, Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis said the outcome would ensure there was no by-election in Mr Pesutto's marginal seat of Hawthorn. "Settling this matter once and for all is in the interests of the party as it will see an end to the ongoing commentary that is letting Labor get away with their appalling performance," he wrote. The Hawthorn MP was ordered to pay $2.3 million in legal costs to Mrs Deeming after the Federal Court found he defamed her by implying she was associated with neo-Nazis. It left him facing bankruptcy, which would trigger his exit from parliament and a subsequent by-election, unless the debt was paid back in a matter of weeks. Mr Pesutto, who has already coughed up $315,000 in damages, had raised only about $750,000 through wealthy backers and a GoFundMe campaign. An offer to defer some of the legal bill in exchange for Mrs Deeming's guaranteed preselection and Mr Pesutto swearing off trying to return as leader for three years were rebuffed. Entering parliament on Thursday morning, Mr Pesutto was upbeat about the committee agreeing to his loan request. "I certainly hope it gets resolved," he said. "Tonight's an opportunity to square (the issue) off and put it all behind us." Mrs Deeming, who was expelled from the party room before being welcomed back in December, was sceptical it would end the infighting that has engulfed the party since March 2023. "I assume that they will continue with their quest to try to annihilate me," the upper house MP said. Mrs Deeming said the party can "do what they like" but she would take any support of Mr Pesutto as a "direct rebukement (sic)" of the court judgement. She said her party room colleagues "don't speak to me" because she "had the audacity to defend myself against false claims". "Some of them are very nice," Mrs Deeming said. "But I really do get treated as though it is my fault and that I'm the aggressor, and that's ridiculous." Opposition Leader Brad Battin has not escaped internal criticism of his handling of the saga despite inheriting it when he replaced Mr Pesutto as leader in December. He attended the meeting but would not reveal how he intended to vote. "I'll go through the process with the administrative committee and keep all my conversations with them confidential," Mr Battin said on Thursday afternoon. Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the party before the next state election in November 2026. He had a message for Mr Pesutto or Mrs Deeming if the outcome of the meeting did not go their way. "Should any person wake up unhappy tomorrow, I would say to them, 'Have a look around and smell the roses and let's see what Victoria really needs'," Mr Battin said. "They need an opposition whose ready to govern and we'll ensure that is us." A state Liberal party has come to the financial rescue of its axed leader to spare him from bankruptcy and avoid a politically dangerous by-election. The Victorian Liberals' administrative committee met on Thursday night and agreed to lend former leader John Pesutto $1.55 million to settle his debt to first-term MP Moira Deeming. The party will pay the money directly to Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto will be required to repay the loan at market-rate interest. In a letter to party members, Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis said the outcome would ensure there was no by-election in Mr Pesutto's marginal seat of Hawthorn. "Settling this matter once and for all is in the interests of the party as it will see an end to the ongoing commentary that is letting Labor get away with their appalling performance," he wrote. The Hawthorn MP was ordered to pay $2.3 million in legal costs to Mrs Deeming after the Federal Court found he defamed her by implying she was associated with neo-Nazis. It left him facing bankruptcy, which would trigger his exit from parliament and a subsequent by-election, unless the debt was paid back in a matter of weeks. Mr Pesutto, who has already coughed up $315,000 in damages, had raised only about $750,000 through wealthy backers and a GoFundMe campaign. An offer to defer some of the legal bill in exchange for Mrs Deeming's guaranteed preselection and Mr Pesutto swearing off trying to return as leader for three years were rebuffed. Entering parliament on Thursday morning, Mr Pesutto was upbeat about the committee agreeing to his loan request. "I certainly hope it gets resolved," he said. "Tonight's an opportunity to square (the issue) off and put it all behind us." Mrs Deeming, who was expelled from the party room before being welcomed back in December, was sceptical it would end the infighting that has engulfed the party since March 2023. "I assume that they will continue with their quest to try to annihilate me," the upper house MP said. Mrs Deeming said the party can "do what they like" but she would take any support of Mr Pesutto as a "direct rebukement (sic)" of the court judgement. She said her party room colleagues "don't speak to me" because she "had the audacity to defend myself against false claims". "Some of them are very nice," Mrs Deeming said. "But I really do get treated as though it is my fault and that I'm the aggressor, and that's ridiculous." Opposition Leader Brad Battin has not escaped internal criticism of his handling of the saga despite inheriting it when he replaced Mr Pesutto as leader in December. He attended the meeting but would not reveal how he intended to vote. "I'll go through the process with the administrative committee and keep all my conversations with them confidential," Mr Battin said on Thursday afternoon. Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the party before the next state election in November 2026. He had a message for Mr Pesutto or Mrs Deeming if the outcome of the meeting did not go their way. "Should any person wake up unhappy tomorrow, I would say to them, 'Have a look around and smell the roses and let's see what Victoria really needs'," Mr Battin said. "They need an opposition whose ready to govern and we'll ensure that is us." A state Liberal party has come to the financial rescue of its axed leader to spare him from bankruptcy and avoid a politically dangerous by-election. The Victorian Liberals' administrative committee met on Thursday night and agreed to lend former leader John Pesutto $1.55 million to settle his debt to first-term MP Moira Deeming. The party will pay the money directly to Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto will be required to repay the loan at market-rate interest. In a letter to party members, Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis said the outcome would ensure there was no by-election in Mr Pesutto's marginal seat of Hawthorn. "Settling this matter once and for all is in the interests of the party as it will see an end to the ongoing commentary that is letting Labor get away with their appalling performance," he wrote. The Hawthorn MP was ordered to pay $2.3 million in legal costs to Mrs Deeming after the Federal Court found he defamed her by implying she was associated with neo-Nazis. It left him facing bankruptcy, which would trigger his exit from parliament and a subsequent by-election, unless the debt was paid back in a matter of weeks. Mr Pesutto, who has already coughed up $315,000 in damages, had raised only about $750,000 through wealthy backers and a GoFundMe campaign. An offer to defer some of the legal bill in exchange for Mrs Deeming's guaranteed preselection and Mr Pesutto swearing off trying to return as leader for three years were rebuffed. Entering parliament on Thursday morning, Mr Pesutto was upbeat about the committee agreeing to his loan request. "I certainly hope it gets resolved," he said. "Tonight's an opportunity to square (the issue) off and put it all behind us." Mrs Deeming, who was expelled from the party room before being welcomed back in December, was sceptical it would end the infighting that has engulfed the party since March 2023. "I assume that they will continue with their quest to try to annihilate me," the upper house MP said. Mrs Deeming said the party can "do what they like" but she would take any support of Mr Pesutto as a "direct rebukement (sic)" of the court judgement. She said her party room colleagues "don't speak to me" because she "had the audacity to defend myself against false claims". "Some of them are very nice," Mrs Deeming said. "But I really do get treated as though it is my fault and that I'm the aggressor, and that's ridiculous." Opposition Leader Brad Battin has not escaped internal criticism of his handling of the saga despite inheriting it when he replaced Mr Pesutto as leader in December. He attended the meeting but would not reveal how he intended to vote. "I'll go through the process with the administrative committee and keep all my conversations with them confidential," Mr Battin said on Thursday afternoon. Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the party before the next state election in November 2026. He had a message for Mr Pesutto or Mrs Deeming if the outcome of the meeting did not go their way. "Should any person wake up unhappy tomorrow, I would say to them, 'Have a look around and smell the roses and let's see what Victoria really needs'," Mr Battin said. "They need an opposition whose ready to govern and we'll ensure that is us."
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Putin and Xi condemn Israel over Iran strikes: Kremlin
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The Advertiser
19 minutes ago
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UK rates on hold due to 'highly unpredictable' world
The Bank of England is warning about the "highly unpredictable" geopolitical environment as it keeps its main interest rate unchanged at a two-year low of 4.25 per cent. With concerns mounting over the conflict between Israel and Iran, and uncertainty over US President Donald Trump's tariff agenda, rate-setters at the bank were widely expected to keep borrowing costs on hold as they await developments. However, the news that three of the nine policymakers on the Monetary Policy Committee voted to cut rates by a quarter of a percentage point has swelled market expectations that rates will be cut again in August. Minutes to the meeting showed that policymakers were mindful of how the conflict in the Middle East will affect oil prices, which have risen sharply in recent days to more than $US75 a barrel. The prevailing view at the bank was that inflation, which stands at 3.4 per cent, would remain high in the coming months but start to head back towards 2026, especially as unemployment has started to rise, a development that can keep a lid on wage demands and hence lower inflation. The uptick in oil prices has the potential to offset that. "Interest rates remain on a gradual downward path, although we've left them on hold today," bank governor Andrew Bailey said on Thursday. "The world is highly unpredictable." Since its first quarter-point rate cut last August from the 16-year high of 5.25 per cent, the Bank of England has played it steady, reducing interest rates every three months. That would mean the next reduction is in August. Economists believe that remains the most likely outcome but cautioned that geopolitical events such as further escalation of the conflict in the Middle East could prompt a reassessment. The cuts have come even though inflation has been above the bank's target rate of two per cent for most of that time. Rate-setters cannot do much about current inflation so set policy on a longer-term horizon, such as over two years. Uncertainty over the level of tariffs US President Donald Trump will impose around the world is also clouding the outlook for prices around the world. Though the UK looks like it will be spared a raft of tariffs, the backdrop for the global economy remains highly uncertain. The Bank of England is warning about the "highly unpredictable" geopolitical environment as it keeps its main interest rate unchanged at a two-year low of 4.25 per cent. With concerns mounting over the conflict between Israel and Iran, and uncertainty over US President Donald Trump's tariff agenda, rate-setters at the bank were widely expected to keep borrowing costs on hold as they await developments. However, the news that three of the nine policymakers on the Monetary Policy Committee voted to cut rates by a quarter of a percentage point has swelled market expectations that rates will be cut again in August. Minutes to the meeting showed that policymakers were mindful of how the conflict in the Middle East will affect oil prices, which have risen sharply in recent days to more than $US75 a barrel. The prevailing view at the bank was that inflation, which stands at 3.4 per cent, would remain high in the coming months but start to head back towards 2026, especially as unemployment has started to rise, a development that can keep a lid on wage demands and hence lower inflation. The uptick in oil prices has the potential to offset that. "Interest rates remain on a gradual downward path, although we've left them on hold today," bank governor Andrew Bailey said on Thursday. "The world is highly unpredictable." Since its first quarter-point rate cut last August from the 16-year high of 5.25 per cent, the Bank of England has played it steady, reducing interest rates every three months. That would mean the next reduction is in August. Economists believe that remains the most likely outcome but cautioned that geopolitical events such as further escalation of the conflict in the Middle East could prompt a reassessment. The cuts have come even though inflation has been above the bank's target rate of two per cent for most of that time. Rate-setters cannot do much about current inflation so set policy on a longer-term horizon, such as over two years. Uncertainty over the level of tariffs US President Donald Trump will impose around the world is also clouding the outlook for prices around the world. Though the UK looks like it will be spared a raft of tariffs, the backdrop for the global economy remains highly uncertain. The Bank of England is warning about the "highly unpredictable" geopolitical environment as it keeps its main interest rate unchanged at a two-year low of 4.25 per cent. With concerns mounting over the conflict between Israel and Iran, and uncertainty over US President Donald Trump's tariff agenda, rate-setters at the bank were widely expected to keep borrowing costs on hold as they await developments. However, the news that three of the nine policymakers on the Monetary Policy Committee voted to cut rates by a quarter of a percentage point has swelled market expectations that rates will be cut again in August. Minutes to the meeting showed that policymakers were mindful of how the conflict in the Middle East will affect oil prices, which have risen sharply in recent days to more than $US75 a barrel. The prevailing view at the bank was that inflation, which stands at 3.4 per cent, would remain high in the coming months but start to head back towards 2026, especially as unemployment has started to rise, a development that can keep a lid on wage demands and hence lower inflation. The uptick in oil prices has the potential to offset that. "Interest rates remain on a gradual downward path, although we've left them on hold today," bank governor Andrew Bailey said on Thursday. "The world is highly unpredictable." Since its first quarter-point rate cut last August from the 16-year high of 5.25 per cent, the Bank of England has played it steady, reducing interest rates every three months. That would mean the next reduction is in August. Economists believe that remains the most likely outcome but cautioned that geopolitical events such as further escalation of the conflict in the Middle East could prompt a reassessment. The cuts have come even though inflation has been above the bank's target rate of two per cent for most of that time. Rate-setters cannot do much about current inflation so set policy on a longer-term horizon, such as over two years. Uncertainty over the level of tariffs US President Donald Trump will impose around the world is also clouding the outlook for prices around the world. Though the UK looks like it will be spared a raft of tariffs, the backdrop for the global economy remains highly uncertain. The Bank of England is warning about the "highly unpredictable" geopolitical environment as it keeps its main interest rate unchanged at a two-year low of 4.25 per cent. With concerns mounting over the conflict between Israel and Iran, and uncertainty over US President Donald Trump's tariff agenda, rate-setters at the bank were widely expected to keep borrowing costs on hold as they await developments. However, the news that three of the nine policymakers on the Monetary Policy Committee voted to cut rates by a quarter of a percentage point has swelled market expectations that rates will be cut again in August. Minutes to the meeting showed that policymakers were mindful of how the conflict in the Middle East will affect oil prices, which have risen sharply in recent days to more than $US75 a barrel. The prevailing view at the bank was that inflation, which stands at 3.4 per cent, would remain high in the coming months but start to head back towards 2026, especially as unemployment has started to rise, a development that can keep a lid on wage demands and hence lower inflation. The uptick in oil prices has the potential to offset that. "Interest rates remain on a gradual downward path, although we've left them on hold today," bank governor Andrew Bailey said on Thursday. "The world is highly unpredictable." Since its first quarter-point rate cut last August from the 16-year high of 5.25 per cent, the Bank of England has played it steady, reducing interest rates every three months. That would mean the next reduction is in August. Economists believe that remains the most likely outcome but cautioned that geopolitical events such as further escalation of the conflict in the Middle East could prompt a reassessment. The cuts have come even though inflation has been above the bank's target rate of two per cent for most of that time. Rate-setters cannot do much about current inflation so set policy on a longer-term horizon, such as over two years. Uncertainty over the level of tariffs US President Donald Trump will impose around the world is also clouding the outlook for prices around the world. Though the UK looks like it will be spared a raft of tariffs, the backdrop for the global economy remains highly uncertain.
