Giggle CEO ‘confident' about court ruling appeal
Giggle Chief Executive Sall Grover discusses her appeal on the 'Giggle vs Tickle' Federal Court Case.
A court decision ruled the women-only social media app Giggle had unlawfully discriminated against a transgender woman.
'I've always been really confident,' Ms Grover told Sky News Digital Presenter Gabriella Power.
'I actually think that the truth always wins.'
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West Australian
2 days ago
- West Australian
Editorial: There are simply not enough people to do all the jobs WA's economy needs to fill
It's a staggering list — 62 professions in WA have been experiencing a skills shortage for at least the past four years. The Jobs and Skills Australia figures reflect what businesses for some time have been saying — and what many West Australians have been experiencing: there are simply not enough people to do all the jobs our economy needs doing. WA's underemployment rate — a measure of people who are working but would like more hours — has consistently been among the lowest of all States for several years, despite us having the strongest population growth for the past two years. Premier Roger Cook has rightly been concerned. Having written to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese outlining 10 key priorities for WA, he's urged his Federal counterparts to excuse WA from broad-brush national rules clamping down on international migration, particularly affecting students. Though critics of migration like to blame it for myriad issues, the simple fact of the matter is WA has not experienced the same problems as Eastern States. International education is a $3.6 billion contributor to the State's economy, but some providers are on their knees, with enrolments plunging after visa fees surged. The result for ordinary West Australians? Fewer people doing the jobs we need done, particularly in the hospitality sector, but fewer people studying in WA and potentially staying, adding to the State's rich culture and making valuable contributions. Aged care is another critical sector facing worker shortages, and with an ageing population, demand is set to keep climbing. Australia — particularly WA — does not have enough people working to service its population. As StudyWest chief executive Derryn Belford has told The Sunday Times: 'If we didn't have international students there are whole sectors that would have no workers.' Western Australia desperately needs the Federal Government to exempt it from blanket national rules restricting international student numbers — and more support on migration caps. It's a blatant impediment to our economy, restricting employers and in turn a handbrake on consumers. Yes, the State is experiencing a housing shortage. But it's not been caused by international students. The State Government has pushed the construction of dedicated student housing, particularly in the CBD, and these go some way to help. And for skilled workers, many companies have shown ingenious solutions to accommodating staff — particularly in regional areas. Construction alone expects to need up to 10,000 more workers every year. If our borders are not opened, where are they to come from? Housing Industry Association WA executive director Michael McGowan expects about three-quarters of the new workforce would need to come through apprenticeships. The rest need to be skilled migrants who can start immediately. By carving our State out of a blunt national rule, the Government would prove it actually 'gets' WA and allow our State to keep moving forward.
West Australian
2 days ago
- West Australian
WA industries still crying out for help from international workers
These are the 62 types of jobs that WA bosses just can't fill. From child care workers to veterinarians, to butchers and anaesthetists, scores of professions have been in need of more workers with specialised skills for years. To make matters worse, unemployment is low and participation rates are still high in Western Australia, leaving few avenues for companies, small and large, to find staff. It's left many looking overseas for their workers, relying on skilled migration. During the 2023-2024 financial year more than 15,300 skilled migrants came to Western Australia, more than one-third of which were sponsored by their employer. And a fresh analysis of Jobs and Skills Australia data reveals all 62 of these jobs have been 'in shortage' of workers since 2021. Among them are butchers, which relies heavily on migrant workers. Greg Ryan owns the butcher shop Ryan's Quality Meats in Jandakot which has operated since 1966. His primary source of labour is the Philippines. 'We've been getting skilled migration in as a business for the last 20 years, our business would not be where it is today without that reliance on skilled labour or the ability to employ skilled labour,' he said. 'The thing with skilled migrant labour is that we can actually employ them as what we need.' The need comes as the Federal Government talks tough on international students, who often fill roles in the hospitality sector. In November the Government's plans to introduce a international student cap through legislation were foiled after the Greens and the Coalition sided together to sink the bill in the Senate. A month later the Federal Government worked around the failed legislative attempt by issuing a ministerial directive, effectively enacting a cap across the country. Following the Federal election, Roger Cook asked the Prime Minister to consider the State's 'particular circumstances' on international students. In 2024, there were more than 71,700 international students studying in Western Australia according to the Federal Government, a 20 per cent increase compared to the previous year and a 67 per cent bump on pre-COVID levels. The Federal Government appears to be remaining steadfast with the order. Education Minister Jason Clare said the direction would be applied throughout the country. 'After the Liberals and the Greens teamed up to oppose the cap on international students we put in place another mechanism to better manage international students numbers,' he said. 'It's called Ministerial Direction 111. It applies right across the country and it is working effectively to better manage international students numbers.' Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre principal research fellow Mike Dockery said a cap on international students would be harmful to the State. 'The caps on student numbers, it's sort of a Trumpian shot in the foot as a policy to my mind,' he said. 'What's being proposed, and I don't think we know the details as yet, we're probably looking at about reduction of about 20,000 students in WA.' Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA chief executive Peter Cock agreed, adding WA's economy was reliant on international students. 'Both the recent changes and those that have been proposed would severely impact WA's ability to attract students by introducing more restrictive visa conditions,' he said. 'It's not just universities who benefit from a healthy international education market – TAFE's and smaller RTO's also rely heavily on overseas students. 'If the private training institutions become unviable, it will not only impact WA's economy but will reduce study options for local students as well.' While overall migration levels plummeted during COVID, many industries had been battling staff shortages long before it — like veterinarians, which as a sector has been short of staff for eight years straight. More than one-third of job advertisements in the industry take more than a year to be filled. According to Australian Veterinarian Association WA division president Katie Kreutz, chronic staff shortages have led to clinics closing or significantly downsizing. 'We've got a couple of issues, there's the demands of the work itself, it is a very taxing job. There's a lot of ethical burdens that contribute to burnout,' Dr Kreutz said. 'There can be very long and unsociable hours in working as a vet, we all love our jobs but there are high demands and sometimes requiring us to work well over our prescribed working week hours. 'There's a pretty high HECS debt associated with studying to become a vet and the payment scheme for veterinarians doesn't reflect what we cash out to go to university.' Talia Morgan, who works at an Osborne Park clinic specialising in dermatology, has felt the impacts of low staff levels firsthand. 'When you're on shift and you're short staffed it puts extra pressure on an already difficult job, I certainly wouldn't want to do anything else (career-wise), but it's not easy,' she said. 'When I've been holding the fort in an emergency practice and I'm short staffed and I'm on the floor doing my fourth euthanasia for the day, just holding it together, it's really rough. 'I love what I do, but it can be really challenging if you haven't got the right support.' Dr Morgan said burnout was common in the industry, often down to long working hours. 'If we're all giving that extra every day, that gets exhausting and there's only so much a koala can bare, isn't there?' she said. 'If we're all just giving 110 per cent again and again, that can't last forever, we can't all do too much for too long.' Skilled migrants are also desperately needed in construction. Housing Industry Association WA executive director Michael McGowan last year estimated the State's industry required about 120,000 new workers in the next 10 years. Mr McGowan told The Sunday Times that figure still stood and would have to come from both local apprenticeship graduations and skilled migrants from interstate and internationally. 'We've certainly made some inroads, and we're seeing more apprentices join the industry, and more skilled workers join from interstate and international destinations,' he said. 'That said, we still need to attract up to 10,000 new entrants into the industry every year to ensure that we can keep up with the demand and the forecast of work that's in the state's pipeline.' Mr McGowan predicted around three quarters of the new workforce would need to come through apprenticeships, with the remaining skilled migrants who could 'hit the ground running'.
ABC News
3 days 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.
