Latest news with #AFR
9 News
2 days ago
- Business
- 9 News
Aussies are spending way more on booze than they were last year
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Households might be holding back on their spending, but there's one thing Australians have been happy to splash out on recently: booze. New ABS data released this morning showed spending growth was essentially flat in April, rising by just 0.1 per cent for the month, it fell 1.2 when only goods were considered. That came on the back of fresh GDP figures yesterday , which showed the proportion of income Australians are saving has risen to 5.2 per cent – up from less than 4 per cent late last year. Australians are spending more on beer each month than they were this time last year. (Chris Hopkins) But while households are clearly still keeping their belts tight after years of high inflation and interest rate rises, they've been happy to spend more on alcohol recently. A survey by comparison site Canstar Blue found Australians are spending $77 on wine every month, on average, an increase of 17 per cent from the same time last year, when the figure was sitting at $66. The jump in beer spending has been even steeper: up 30 per cent, going from $76 to $99. That's well in excess of inflation, as the average price of beer rose a far more modest 4.5 per cent in the 12 months to March. Spending on wine is also up, although not by as much. (Louie Douvis/AFR) "The Easter holidays helped pick up spending slightly for the month of April, but these latest figures show households chose to spend more on experiences than on discretionary items, like clothing and footwear," Canstar Blue spokesperson Eden Radford said. "Despite spending on alcoholic beverages and tobacco falling for the month, Canstar Blue research shows average monthly spending specifically on wine and beer has increased over the last year, with survey data showing $99 for beer and $77 for wine. "If this month's figures are anything to go by, households will continue to keep a close eye on their budgets, with many likely holding out for big sale seasons or tax returns, before making any big purchases." Yesterday's relatively weak GDP figures have fuelled expectations that the Reserve Bank will reduce interest rates again when it next meets in July, with the market now pricing in an 86 per cent chance of a cut, up from 81 per cent on Tuesday. Consumer national Australia money Cost of Living finance alcohol CONTACT US
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
City's little-known dispute board activated for mayor versus council showdown
Jun. 4—A years-old city mechanism was used for the first time Tuesday to resolve a power struggle between Albuquerque's mayor and City Council over how ambulances should be staffed — a debate both sides say could affect public safety. The Intragovernmental Conference Committee (ICC), established in 2009, had never been used before, according to a spokesperson from the City Clerk's Office, because the board was not fully staffed until June 2024. On Tuesday, the committee members on the ICC, all lawyers, heard arguments from attorneys for the mayor and council. The committee said it needed more time to decide the issue after approximately an hour of deliberations. The three committee members — Luis Stelzner as chair, council appointee Linda Vanzi and mayor's appointee Bob White — did not indicate which way they would rule. Stelzner did not set a future date for a new meeting to resolve the matter. For the mayor's office, the question was one of separation of powers with public safety implications. "We're here because requiring two paramedics on every rescue vehicle is detrimental to the public safety of Albuquerque because you're using both paramedics on one vehicle for one call instead of one paramedic on two different vehicles for two calls," said Brian Nichols, who represented the mayor's office. Historically, Albuquerque Fire Rescue teams have had two paramedics on each ambulance. More recently, AFR announced plans to implement changes at six of its 22 stations, where one paramedic would be assigned to the ambulance and the other to the fire engine. This change has been in place at two AFR stations since 2023 and is a longstanding practice of Bernalillo County Fire Rescue. On a 7-2 vote March 3, the City Council passed a resolution sponsored by Councilors Dan Lewis and Joaquín Baca that reversed the move and required AFR to have two paramedics per ambulance. AFR Chief Emily Jaramillo said splitting the paramedics between the engine and ambulance would leave one free for an emergency should the other be tied up on a call. The council's move was a violation of enshrined separation of powers, the mayor's office argued. The council, in turn, argued that they have broad power to enact legislation around public welfare. They also argued that they've made legislative decisions involving staffing in the past, and this was no different. "Fundamentally, this case is about preserving the City Council's ability to legislate on matters of public welfare," said Justin Miller, representing the council. But instead of vetoing the measure approved by more than two-thirds of the council, the mayor sought to utilize a never-before-used dispute mechanism of the ICC. While the ICC has been around for over a decade, a 2024 amendment to the Albuquerque Charter forced the mayor to appoint a representative within 60 days of a vacancy. Councilors at the time said that the mayor's office or the council had failed to select appointees over the last decade, rendering the dispute mechanism useless. Vanzi, the council appointee, was placed on the board in 2022. White, the mayoral appointee, was placed on the board in May 2024. Stelzner, chosen as chair by the other members, was placed on the board in June 2024. All three of the committee members bring extensive legal experience to the new committee. Stelzner is a founding member of the firm Stelzner, Winter, Warburton, Flores & Dawes. Vanzi is a former 2nd Judicial District judge and Court of Appeals judge, and now an attorney with Rodey Law. White is a former Albuquerque city attorney and is currently with Robles, Rael & Anaya. Outside the ICC, the mayor's office has filed a lawsuit in the 2nd Judicial District Court requesting a judge to intervene in the matter. The judge is allowing the ICC process to continue before intervening.
Sky News AU
3 days ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
Brittany Higgins announces return to the workforce after four years as she seeks her 'own identity' outside of media interest
Brittany Higgins is returning to the workforce four years after the ex-political staffer quit parliament, joining the same company currently employing her husband. Ms Higgins, 30, has been appointed public affairs director at independent public relations agency Third Hemisphere, the Australian Financial Review (AFR) reported on Wednesday. It comes after the former Liberal Party media adviser's husband David Sharaz also joined the boutique Sydney agency as a director in April. Ms Higgins' will head strategic advocacy and reputation management for target clients and oversee stakeholder engagement, media relations, and public affairs initiatives aimed at moulding public perception and change. Her female-focused clients include non-profit organisations, women's advocacy and support groups, and female leaders at large organisations. The clients represent an extension of Ms Higgins' advocacy for workplace safety, gender-based violence, and cultural reform in politics. Third Hemisphere founder and CEO Hannah Moreno is also a rape survivor, and her social justice advocacy helped convince Ms Higgins to join the firm. 'There was this general feeling of 'how long do I have to be the story for?' At what point do I get to put it to rest and actually get on the tools and be a working person again, and have my own identity outside this narrative of Brittany Higgins,' the former parliamentary staffer told the AFR. 'Who I was was really founded in my work. I was the most intense person back in the day – the first one in and the last one out – I had no work-life balance, and it was exactly how I liked it. 'To lose that was really quite tough. To start to reclaim that sense of identity feels good.' Ms Higgins, who in March welcomed her first child with Mr Sharaz, a boy named Freddie, said she has a "brand reputation" to uphold and did not want to associate herself with an "untoward" new workplace corporately. Instead, the first-time mother wished to join a team she believed in and one that believed in her, too. Alongside her career in government, Ms Higgins helped advance feminism and influence national legislative reform. In 2021, she was appointed as the inaugural Visiting Fellow at The Australian National University's Global Institute for Women's Leadership. Her lobbying was key to prompting Australia's Sex Discrimination Commissioner's historic review of parliamentary workplace culture. The review led to the federal government's commitment to implement the full slate of recommendations of the Set The Standard report. Reflecting on her efforts to the AFR, Ms Higgins said she's passionate about advocacy, but "it's not forever" nor a "self-sustaining career." She said she aspires to follow in the footsteps of gender equality advocate Sam Mostyn, social activist Tanya Hosch and business executive Christine Holgate and hopes her new role is the first step. "To feel sidelined and forever be living in your trauma is really reductive,' she said. Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz, 33, will work from home full-time as they navigate being parents to three-month-old Freddie. Mr Sharaz previously worked as a journalist and media advisor and it is understood his role at Third Hemisphere entails boosting the agency's political media engagement. The ex-reporter proposed to Ms Higgins at Byron Bay on New Year's Eve in 2022, months after the former political staffer was paid compensation after Bruce Lehrmann raped her in Parliament House. Ms Higgins received a $2.4 million payout from the Commonwealth in 2022. The newlyweds were previously living in France in a home purchased by Ms Higgins to start afresh following intense media coverage in Australia. However, they listed their chateau in the south of France and returned to Australia, where they have set up a home in Melbourne.
Herald Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- Herald Sun
TikTok's advertising push as under-16 social media ban looms
Don't miss out on the headlines from Social. Followed categories will be added to My News. TikTok is pushing the app's benefits for teens into as many faces as it can as the under-16 social media ban looms at the end of this year. The social media giant took out sprawling ads in the Australian Financial Review last week, covering 4½ full pages with marketing, promoting the platform's utility for getting teens to read, engage with education and even cast a lure. The newspaper ads, along with a big spend on billboards and bus shelters, comes as the under-16 social media ban is just six months away. Advertisements in the May 26 edition of the AFR claim TikTok serves up 10 million videos in its science, technology, engineering, and maths feed. Another of the full-page ads extols the benefits of the massively popular 'bookTok' – TikTok's literary community. The third subject-specific ad claims Australian teenagers are 'getting outside', inspired by the platform's fishing content. A TikTok Australia spokesman said the company had also invested in billboard and bus shelter ads recently but was unable to provide numbers or details. In six months', any Australian under the age of 16 will be banned from all social media; YouTube has been granted an exemption on educational grounds, drawing the ire of the other platforms. How the social media ban will work is still up in the air. The federal government has been sitting on a report since January concerning Australians' attitudes toward age assurance technologies. A British company has been tasked with trialling which technologies could be used to implement the world first, under-16 ban. On Friday, that UK firm revealed a report on its findings had been pushed back to July. Originally published as TikTok's advertising push as under-16 social media ban looms
West Australian
5 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
TikTok's advertising push as under-16 social media ban looms
TikTok is pushing the app's benefits for teens into as many faces as it can as the under-16 social media ban looms at the end of this year. The social media giant took out sprawling ads in the Australian Financial Review last week, covering 4½ full pages with marketing, promoting the platform's utility for getting teens to read, engage with education and even cast a lure. The newspaper ads, along with a big spend on billboards and bus shelters, comes as the under-16 social media ban is just six months away. Advertisements in the May 26 edition of the AFR claim TikTok serves up 10 million videos in its science, technology, engineering, and maths feed. Another of the full-page ads extols the benefits of the massively popular 'bookTok' – TikTok's literary community. The third subject-specific ad claims Australian teenagers are 'getting outside', inspired by the platform's fishing content. A TikTok Australia spokesman said the company had also invested in billboard and bus shelter ads recently but was unable to provide numbers or details. In six months', any Australian under the age of 16 will be banned from all social media; YouTube has been granted an exemption on educational grounds, drawing the ire of the other platforms. How the social media ban will work is still up in the air. The federal government has been sitting on a report since January concerning Australians' attitudes toward age assurance technologies. A British company has been tasked with trialling which technologies could be used to implement the world first, under-16 ban. On Friday, that UK firm revealed a report on its findings had been pushed back to July.
