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4 days ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Chaos: 'Part-time' pollies, super unliked tax, Trump's beef and the Wiggles!
A month on from the federal election and it has been chaos as usual on the Australian political scene despite a truce declared on the main post-plebiscite entertainment in the Coalition's civil war and spill talk surrounding Nationals leader David Littleproud dying down. Meanwhile, Labor has hit the ground running by approving Woodside's massive North West Shelf gas project for the next 70 years, putting a big question mark internationally over Australia's climate stripes and stewardship of ancient rock art, and then recruiting a rogue Greens senator who had fought tooth and nail to stop the approval. In fact, Dorinda Cox really let the Albanese government know what she thought about the decision just days before jumping aboard the Albo train because, as all parties involved suggested, including Greens leader Larissa Waters, their "shared values" make the new pairing a good fit. After Senator Cox left the Greens shrinking parliamentary army, bullying allegations against her emerged, including a complaint lodged by former Green and now Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe. The prime minister thought had been resolved, but maybe not, awks. A highly unsavoury text message that Senator Cox allegedly wrote was then leaked regarding her thoughts about Senate colleague Pauline Hanson. Her defection also now makes it four seats the Greens have lost to Labor in recent weeks after former leader Adam Bandt, Max Chandler-Mather and Stephen Bates were waved bye-bye by voters at the ballot box, a perk of the landslide election win that will provide Albo with joy long after he leaves office. Also waving goodbye for now is Liberal candidate for Bradfield Gisele Kapterian, who won the seat by eight votes after preferences were tallied a couple of weeks ago. However, the slender margin demanded a recount, the result of which saw Independent Nicolette Boele handed the seat this week by just 26 votes. She joins Zali Stegall, Allegra Spender and Sophie Scamps as the fourth Independent woman who has taken a formerly safe Sydney seat from the Liberal Party By the by, at least six MPs suspect their devices were hacked over the past year, according to the Department of Parliamentary Services via The Canberra Times, in what an expert says is likely just the tip of the iceberg. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has released the parliamentary schedule for the rest of 2025, and it is a little light on for sitting days. In fact, people who know these things suggest the schedule is the lightest attendance requirement for parliamentarians to travel to Canberra for about 20 years. A very senior MP was so taken aback by the situation that they labelled the workplace a "part-time" Parliament. "I must Google this, obviously in election years we will have fewer sitting weeks than normal, but I'd love to know the last year we only had eight sitting weeks in Parliament," the MP told ACM. "It's really part-time, isn't it? Especially now with the whole not sitting for almost eight weeks after the election." There are always four sides to every story. The ABC quoted a government source on Friday morning to say that US-slaughtered beef was being positioned as a bargaining chip to help reset trade ties in the face of US President Donald Trump's tariff regime that has slapped a 50 per cent impost on steel and aluminium, along with the 10 per cent universal duty. US beef producers have been able to access Australian markets since 2019 if they can ensure that the animals are born, raised and slaughtered in the US, while restrictions remain on Canadian and Mexican cattle slaughtered in America. Australia has been undertaking a review of those biosecurity rules, after the Trump administration requested they be lifted. The media report said pork would stay off-limits due to swine flu and other risks, but the beef bit prompted Nationals leader David Littleproud to urge Labor not to compromise Australia's biosecurity credentials in negotiations with the US. "The United States uses cattle from Mexico and Canada in their supply chain that poses a potential risk to our industry and ignoring those risks would be dangerous," he said. Meanwhile, the PM said in a radio interview that compromising on biosecurity was not on the table. "We'll never loosen any rules regarding our biosecurity," he said. "If things can be sorted out in a way that protects our biosecurity, of course we don't just say no ... but our first priority is biosecurity.. When ABC host Raf Epstein prodded Albo a bit more in asking whether beef slaughtered in the US that was raised in Mexico or Canada would be allowed into Australia, the PM said: "Full stop. Exclamation mark. It's simply not worth it.". Agriculture Minister Julie Collins backed that up in a statement, saying any decision to allow expanded access for US beef to Australia would be based on science and evidence and that "all products entering Australia have to meet rigorous biosecurity standards". Cattle Australia chief executive Chris Parker said the key issue that must be solved before any move can be considered relates to the traceability of cattle born across the US southern or northern borders. Meanwhile, the Chicago Tribune is reporting that US agriculture officials are warning that ground beef sold at Whole Foods markets nationwide may be contaminated with potentially dangerous E. coli bacteria. Why did the Greens entourage cross Adelaide's Hindmarsh Square? Because they didn't see any television cameras. On Monday, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young scheduled a media conference to talk about "South Australia's drought and the Prime Minister's visit to SA". But when print journalists rocked up to hear what the Senator had to say, they found the square was bare. A quick phone call solved the mystery. The senatorial entourage bailed when none of the local television news crews turned up - must of all been up north following Mr Albanese around a drought-stricken sheep property. Nationals' deputy leader Kevin Hogan has slammed Labor's new super tax as "verging on the immoral", while the first policy position agreed by the Coalition's new shadow cabinet is to officially oppose the proposal. Labor's contentious plan to double taxes on superannuation balances above $3 million will be one of the first bills up for discussion when Parliament resumes next month, with a clear pathway to pass the legislation into law opened by the Greens which offered the government in-principle support earlier this week but will push for the policy to go further and drop the threshold to $2m. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was asked in a media conference whether it was fair that some farmers may have to pay the tax, and may end up having to sell their farms, as some of their farms are self-managed super funds? "Well, there's not anything new here. This has been before the Parliament for about two years," Mr Albanese said. "What we need to do is to make sure that our superannuation system is fair. That is what we are setting about to do." Treasurer Jim Chalmers' proposal, panned by economists, academics, ALP luminaries and business leaders since it was introduced in 2023, is to increase taxation on super balances over the high-value threshold from 15 to 30 per cent, including on unrealised capital gains. As it stands, the revenue-raising measure will not be indexed to inflation or wage growth. The situation perfectly illustrates why the words Canberra and chaos sit together so snugly. Around the grounds this week and the South Australian branch of the Liberal Party voted to walk back its support of net-zero, we suspect Alex Antic was somehow involved. The good people of Tasmania may be heading for a by-election after the upper house blew up the leadership of Premier Jeremy Rockliff. And a silly sexist quip made during a debate about gender quotas from the bloke appointed to run the NSW branch of the Liberal Party, Alan Stockdale, was a step back in time, or revealed he had never caught up with it. The lead balloon went down on Tuesday when Mr Stockdale told the NSW Liberal Women's Council that "women are sufficiently assertive now" and that the Libs "should be giving some thought to whether we need to protect men's involvement". The 80-year-old's joke was as popular as a few of the budgets the former Victorian state treasurer delivered for Liberal Premier Jeff Kennett. Stockdale apologised, however, party honchos were forced to spend a chunk of the week dousing the chaos the comments created, with federal leader Sussan Ley saying she "encourages assertive women to join the Liberal Party". Australia's fresh produce industry has formed a very healthy new relationship with The Wiggles for a national campaign to encourage children to eat more fruit and vegetables. The International Fresh Produce Association Australia campaign was launched at Hort Connections in Brisbane and comes as new research shows less than half of Aussie parents say that fruit and veg actually make up most of their children's snacks. The Wiggles have rolled out a jingle by rewording their classic banger 'Fruit Salad Yummy Yummy' to 'Fruit and Veggies Yummy Yummy'. Blue Wiggle Anthony Field said the collaboration was a natural fit. "We are so excited to be part of this campaign," he said. "With more than 30 years of singing songs like 'Fruit Salad Yummy Yummy' and 'Hot Potato', this partnership takes our commitment even further, really showing children just how fun and delicious healthy eating can be." Shire councillor Sherryl Chilcott sent ACM a video capturing the soothing sounds of large hailstones hitting a tin roof after being dumped from a thunderstorm that washed over Wagin, in Western Australia's wheatbelt, earlier this week. A month on from the federal election and it has been chaos as usual on the Australian political scene despite a truce declared on the main post-plebiscite entertainment in the Coalition's civil war and spill talk surrounding Nationals leader David Littleproud dying down. Meanwhile, Labor has hit the ground running by approving Woodside's massive North West Shelf gas project for the next 70 years, putting a big question mark internationally over Australia's climate stripes and stewardship of ancient rock art, and then recruiting a rogue Greens senator who had fought tooth and nail to stop the approval. In fact, Dorinda Cox really let the Albanese government know what she thought about the decision just days before jumping aboard the Albo train because, as all parties involved suggested, including Greens leader Larissa Waters, their "shared values" make the new pairing a good fit. After Senator Cox left the Greens shrinking parliamentary army, bullying allegations against her emerged, including a complaint lodged by former Green and now Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe. The prime minister thought had been resolved, but maybe not, awks. A highly unsavoury text message that Senator Cox allegedly wrote was then leaked regarding her thoughts about Senate colleague Pauline Hanson. Her defection also now makes it four seats the Greens have lost to Labor in recent weeks after former leader Adam Bandt, Max Chandler-Mather and Stephen Bates were waved bye-bye by voters at the ballot box, a perk of the landslide election win that will provide Albo with joy long after he leaves office. Also waving goodbye for now is Liberal candidate for Bradfield Gisele Kapterian, who won the seat by eight votes after preferences were tallied a couple of weeks ago. However, the slender margin demanded a recount, the result of which saw Independent Nicolette Boele handed the seat this week by just 26 votes. She joins Zali Stegall, Allegra Spender and Sophie Scamps as the fourth Independent woman who has taken a formerly safe Sydney seat from the Liberal Party By the by, at least six MPs suspect their devices were hacked over the past year, according to the Department of Parliamentary Services via The Canberra Times, in what an expert says is likely just the tip of the iceberg. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has released the parliamentary schedule for the rest of 2025, and it is a little light on for sitting days. In fact, people who know these things suggest the schedule is the lightest attendance requirement for parliamentarians to travel to Canberra for about 20 years. A very senior MP was so taken aback by the situation that they labelled the workplace a "part-time" Parliament. "I must Google this, obviously in election years we will have fewer sitting weeks than normal, but I'd love to know the last year we only had eight sitting weeks in Parliament," the MP told ACM. "It's really part-time, isn't it? Especially now with the whole not sitting for almost eight weeks after the election." There are always four sides to every story. The ABC quoted a government source on Friday morning to say that US-slaughtered beef was being positioned as a bargaining chip to help reset trade ties in the face of US President Donald Trump's tariff regime that has slapped a 50 per cent impost on steel and aluminium, along with the 10 per cent universal duty. US beef producers have been able to access Australian markets since 2019 if they can ensure that the animals are born, raised and slaughtered in the US, while restrictions remain on Canadian and Mexican cattle slaughtered in America. Australia has been undertaking a review of those biosecurity rules, after the Trump administration requested they be lifted. The media report said pork would stay off-limits due to swine flu and other risks, but the beef bit prompted Nationals leader David Littleproud to urge Labor not to compromise Australia's biosecurity credentials in negotiations with the US. "The United States uses cattle from Mexico and Canada in their supply chain that poses a potential risk to our industry and ignoring those risks would be dangerous," he said. Meanwhile, the PM said in a radio interview that compromising on biosecurity was not on the table. "We'll never loosen any rules regarding our biosecurity," he said. "If things can be sorted out in a way that protects our biosecurity, of course we don't just say no ... but our first priority is biosecurity.. When ABC host Raf Epstein prodded Albo a bit more in asking whether beef slaughtered in the US that was raised in Mexico or Canada would be allowed into Australia, the PM said: "Full stop. Exclamation mark. It's simply not worth it.". Agriculture Minister Julie Collins backed that up in a statement, saying any decision to allow expanded access for US beef to Australia would be based on science and evidence and that "all products entering Australia have to meet rigorous biosecurity standards". Cattle Australia chief executive Chris Parker said the key issue that must be solved before any move can be considered relates to the traceability of cattle born across the US southern or northern borders. Meanwhile, the Chicago Tribune is reporting that US agriculture officials are warning that ground beef sold at Whole Foods markets nationwide may be contaminated with potentially dangerous E. coli bacteria. Why did the Greens entourage cross Adelaide's Hindmarsh Square? Because they didn't see any television cameras. On Monday, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young scheduled a media conference to talk about "South Australia's drought and the Prime Minister's visit to SA". But when print journalists rocked up to hear what the Senator had to say, they found the square was bare. A quick phone call solved the mystery. The senatorial entourage bailed when none of the local television news crews turned up - must of all been up north following Mr Albanese around a drought-stricken sheep property. Nationals' deputy leader Kevin Hogan has slammed Labor's new super tax as "verging on the immoral", while the first policy position agreed by the Coalition's new shadow cabinet is to officially oppose the proposal. Labor's contentious plan to double taxes on superannuation balances above $3 million will be one of the first bills up for discussion when Parliament resumes next month, with a clear pathway to pass the legislation into law opened by the Greens which offered the government in-principle support earlier this week but will push for the policy to go further and drop the threshold to $2m. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was asked in a media conference whether it was fair that some farmers may have to pay the tax, and may end up having to sell their farms, as some of their farms are self-managed super funds? "Well, there's not anything new here. This has been before the Parliament for about two years," Mr Albanese said. "What we need to do is to make sure that our superannuation system is fair. That is what we are setting about to do." Treasurer Jim Chalmers' proposal, panned by economists, academics, ALP luminaries and business leaders since it was introduced in 2023, is to increase taxation on super balances over the high-value threshold from 15 to 30 per cent, including on unrealised capital gains. As it stands, the revenue-raising measure will not be indexed to inflation or wage growth. The situation perfectly illustrates why the words Canberra and chaos sit together so snugly. Around the grounds this week and the South Australian branch of the Liberal Party voted to walk back its support of net-zero, we suspect Alex Antic was somehow involved. The good people of Tasmania may be heading for a by-election after the upper house blew up the leadership of Premier Jeremy Rockliff. And a silly sexist quip made during a debate about gender quotas from the bloke appointed to run the NSW branch of the Liberal Party, Alan Stockdale, was a step back in time, or revealed he had never caught up with it. The lead balloon went down on Tuesday when Mr Stockdale told the NSW Liberal Women's Council that "women are sufficiently assertive now" and that the Libs "should be giving some thought to whether we need to protect men's involvement". The 80-year-old's joke was as popular as a few of the budgets the former Victorian state treasurer delivered for Liberal Premier Jeff Kennett. Stockdale apologised, however, party honchos were forced to spend a chunk of the week dousing the chaos the comments created, with federal leader Sussan Ley saying she "encourages assertive women to join the Liberal Party". Australia's fresh produce industry has formed a very healthy new relationship with The Wiggles for a national campaign to encourage children to eat more fruit and vegetables. The International Fresh Produce Association Australia campaign was launched at Hort Connections in Brisbane and comes as new research shows less than half of Aussie parents say that fruit and veg actually make up most of their children's snacks. The Wiggles have rolled out a jingle by rewording their classic banger 'Fruit Salad Yummy Yummy' to 'Fruit and Veggies Yummy Yummy'. Blue Wiggle Anthony Field said the collaboration was a natural fit. "We are so excited to be part of this campaign," he said. "With more than 30 years of singing songs like 'Fruit Salad Yummy Yummy' and 'Hot Potato', this partnership takes our commitment even further, really showing children just how fun and delicious healthy eating can be." Shire councillor Sherryl Chilcott sent ACM a video capturing the soothing sounds of large hailstones hitting a tin roof after being dumped from a thunderstorm that washed over Wagin, in Western Australia's wheatbelt, earlier this week. A month on from the federal election and it has been chaos as usual on the Australian political scene despite a truce declared on the main post-plebiscite entertainment in the Coalition's civil war and spill talk surrounding Nationals leader David Littleproud dying down. Meanwhile, Labor has hit the ground running by approving Woodside's massive North West Shelf gas project for the next 70 years, putting a big question mark internationally over Australia's climate stripes and stewardship of ancient rock art, and then recruiting a rogue Greens senator who had fought tooth and nail to stop the approval. In fact, Dorinda Cox really let the Albanese government know what she thought about the decision just days before jumping aboard the Albo train because, as all parties involved suggested, including Greens leader Larissa Waters, their "shared values" make the new pairing a good fit. After Senator Cox left the Greens shrinking parliamentary army, bullying allegations against her emerged, including a complaint lodged by former Green and now Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe. The prime minister thought had been resolved, but maybe not, awks. A highly unsavoury text message that Senator Cox allegedly wrote was then leaked regarding her thoughts about Senate colleague Pauline Hanson. Her defection also now makes it four seats the Greens have lost to Labor in recent weeks after former leader Adam Bandt, Max Chandler-Mather and Stephen Bates were waved bye-bye by voters at the ballot box, a perk of the landslide election win that will provide Albo with joy long after he leaves office. Also waving goodbye for now is Liberal candidate for Bradfield Gisele Kapterian, who won the seat by eight votes after preferences were tallied a couple of weeks ago. However, the slender margin demanded a recount, the result of which saw Independent Nicolette Boele handed the seat this week by just 26 votes. She joins Zali Stegall, Allegra Spender and Sophie Scamps as the fourth Independent woman who has taken a formerly safe Sydney seat from the Liberal Party By the by, at least six MPs suspect their devices were hacked over the past year, according to the Department of Parliamentary Services via The Canberra Times, in what an expert says is likely just the tip of the iceberg. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has released the parliamentary schedule for the rest of 2025, and it is a little light on for sitting days. In fact, people who know these things suggest the schedule is the lightest attendance requirement for parliamentarians to travel to Canberra for about 20 years. A very senior MP was so taken aback by the situation that they labelled the workplace a "part-time" Parliament. "I must Google this, obviously in election years we will have fewer sitting weeks than normal, but I'd love to know the last year we only had eight sitting weeks in Parliament," the MP told ACM. "It's really part-time, isn't it? Especially now with the whole not sitting for almost eight weeks after the election." There are always four sides to every story. The ABC quoted a government source on Friday morning to say that US-slaughtered beef was being positioned as a bargaining chip to help reset trade ties in the face of US President Donald Trump's tariff regime that has slapped a 50 per cent impost on steel and aluminium, along with the 10 per cent universal duty. US beef producers have been able to access Australian markets since 2019 if they can ensure that the animals are born, raised and slaughtered in the US, while restrictions remain on Canadian and Mexican cattle slaughtered in America. Australia has been undertaking a review of those biosecurity rules, after the Trump administration requested they be lifted. The media report said pork would stay off-limits due to swine flu and other risks, but the beef bit prompted Nationals leader David Littleproud to urge Labor not to compromise Australia's biosecurity credentials in negotiations with the US. "The United States uses cattle from Mexico and Canada in their supply chain that poses a potential risk to our industry and ignoring those risks would be dangerous," he said. Meanwhile, the PM said in a radio interview that compromising on biosecurity was not on the table. "We'll never loosen any rules regarding our biosecurity," he said. "If things can be sorted out in a way that protects our biosecurity, of course we don't just say no ... but our first priority is biosecurity.. When ABC host Raf Epstein prodded Albo a bit more in asking whether beef slaughtered in the US that was raised in Mexico or Canada would be allowed into Australia, the PM said: "Full stop. Exclamation mark. It's simply not worth it.". Agriculture Minister Julie Collins backed that up in a statement, saying any decision to allow expanded access for US beef to Australia would be based on science and evidence and that "all products entering Australia have to meet rigorous biosecurity standards". Cattle Australia chief executive Chris Parker said the key issue that must be solved before any move can be considered relates to the traceability of cattle born across the US southern or northern borders. Meanwhile, the Chicago Tribune is reporting that US agriculture officials are warning that ground beef sold at Whole Foods markets nationwide may be contaminated with potentially dangerous E. coli bacteria. Why did the Greens entourage cross Adelaide's Hindmarsh Square? Because they didn't see any television cameras. On Monday, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young scheduled a media conference to talk about "South Australia's drought and the Prime Minister's visit to SA". But when print journalists rocked up to hear what the Senator had to say, they found the square was bare. A quick phone call solved the mystery. The senatorial entourage bailed when none of the local television news crews turned up - must of all been up north following Mr Albanese around a drought-stricken sheep property. Nationals' deputy leader Kevin Hogan has slammed Labor's new super tax as "verging on the immoral", while the first policy position agreed by the Coalition's new shadow cabinet is to officially oppose the proposal. Labor's contentious plan to double taxes on superannuation balances above $3 million will be one of the first bills up for discussion when Parliament resumes next month, with a clear pathway to pass the legislation into law opened by the Greens which offered the government in-principle support earlier this week but will push for the policy to go further and drop the threshold to $2m. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was asked in a media conference whether it was fair that some farmers may have to pay the tax, and may end up having to sell their farms, as some of their farms are self-managed super funds? "Well, there's not anything new here. This has been before the Parliament for about two years," Mr Albanese said. "What we need to do is to make sure that our superannuation system is fair. That is what we are setting about to do." Treasurer Jim Chalmers' proposal, panned by economists, academics, ALP luminaries and business leaders since it was introduced in 2023, is to increase taxation on super balances over the high-value threshold from 15 to 30 per cent, including on unrealised capital gains. As it stands, the revenue-raising measure will not be indexed to inflation or wage growth. The situation perfectly illustrates why the words Canberra and chaos sit together so snugly. Around the grounds this week and the South Australian branch of the Liberal Party voted to walk back its support of net-zero, we suspect Alex Antic was somehow involved. The good people of Tasmania may be heading for a by-election after the upper house blew up the leadership of Premier Jeremy Rockliff. And a silly sexist quip made during a debate about gender quotas from the bloke appointed to run the NSW branch of the Liberal Party, Alan Stockdale, was a step back in time, or revealed he had never caught up with it. The lead balloon went down on Tuesday when Mr Stockdale told the NSW Liberal Women's Council that "women are sufficiently assertive now" and that the Libs "should be giving some thought to whether we need to protect men's involvement". The 80-year-old's joke was as popular as a few of the budgets the former Victorian state treasurer delivered for Liberal Premier Jeff Kennett. Stockdale apologised, however, party honchos were forced to spend a chunk of the week dousing the chaos the comments created, with federal leader Sussan Ley saying she "encourages assertive women to join the Liberal Party". Australia's fresh produce industry has formed a very healthy new relationship with The Wiggles for a national campaign to encourage children to eat more fruit and vegetables. The International Fresh Produce Association Australia campaign was launched at Hort Connections in Brisbane and comes as new research shows less than half of Aussie parents say that fruit and veg actually make up most of their children's snacks. The Wiggles have rolled out a jingle by rewording their classic banger 'Fruit Salad Yummy Yummy' to 'Fruit and Veggies Yummy Yummy'. Blue Wiggle Anthony Field said the collaboration was a natural fit. "We are so excited to be part of this campaign," he said. "With more than 30 years of singing songs like 'Fruit Salad Yummy Yummy' and 'Hot Potato', this partnership takes our commitment even further, really showing children just how fun and delicious healthy eating can be." Shire councillor Sherryl Chilcott sent ACM a video capturing the soothing sounds of large hailstones hitting a tin roof after being dumped from a thunderstorm that washed over Wagin, in Western Australia's wheatbelt, earlier this week. A month on from the federal election and it has been chaos as usual on the Australian political scene despite a truce declared on the main post-plebiscite entertainment in the Coalition's civil war and spill talk surrounding Nationals leader David Littleproud dying down. Meanwhile, Labor has hit the ground running by approving Woodside's massive North West Shelf gas project for the next 70 years, putting a big question mark internationally over Australia's climate stripes and stewardship of ancient rock art, and then recruiting a rogue Greens senator who had fought tooth and nail to stop the approval. In fact, Dorinda Cox really let the Albanese government know what she thought about the decision just days before jumping aboard the Albo train because, as all parties involved suggested, including Greens leader Larissa Waters, their "shared values" make the new pairing a good fit. After Senator Cox left the Greens shrinking parliamentary army, bullying allegations against her emerged, including a complaint lodged by former Green and now Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe. The prime minister thought had been resolved, but maybe not, awks. A highly unsavoury text message that Senator Cox allegedly wrote was then leaked regarding her thoughts about Senate colleague Pauline Hanson. Her defection also now makes it four seats the Greens have lost to Labor in recent weeks after former leader Adam Bandt, Max Chandler-Mather and Stephen Bates were waved bye-bye by voters at the ballot box, a perk of the landslide election win that will provide Albo with joy long after he leaves office. Also waving goodbye for now is Liberal candidate for Bradfield Gisele Kapterian, who won the seat by eight votes after preferences were tallied a couple of weeks ago. However, the slender margin demanded a recount, the result of which saw Independent Nicolette Boele handed the seat this week by just 26 votes. She joins Zali Stegall, Allegra Spender and Sophie Scamps as the fourth Independent woman who has taken a formerly safe Sydney seat from the Liberal Party By the by, at least six MPs suspect their devices were hacked over the past year, according to the Department of Parliamentary Services via The Canberra Times, in what an expert says is likely just the tip of the iceberg. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has released the parliamentary schedule for the rest of 2025, and it is a little light on for sitting days. In fact, people who know these things suggest the schedule is the lightest attendance requirement for parliamentarians to travel to Canberra for about 20 years. A very senior MP was so taken aback by the situation that they labelled the workplace a "part-time" Parliament. "I must Google this, obviously in election years we will have fewer sitting weeks than normal, but I'd love to know the last year we only had eight sitting weeks in Parliament," the MP told ACM. "It's really part-time, isn't it? Especially now with the whole not sitting for almost eight weeks after the election." There are always four sides to every story. The ABC quoted a government source on Friday morning to say that US-slaughtered beef was being positioned as a bargaining chip to help reset trade ties in the face of US President Donald Trump's tariff regime that has slapped a 50 per cent impost on steel and aluminium, along with the 10 per cent universal duty. US beef producers have been able to access Australian markets since 2019 if they can ensure that the animals are born, raised and slaughtered in the US, while restrictions remain on Canadian and Mexican cattle slaughtered in America. Australia has been undertaking a review of those biosecurity rules, after the Trump administration requested they be lifted. The media report said pork would stay off-limits due to swine flu and other risks, but the beef bit prompted Nationals leader David Littleproud to urge Labor not to compromise Australia's biosecurity credentials in negotiations with the US. "The United States uses cattle from Mexico and Canada in their supply chain that poses a potential risk to our industry and ignoring those risks would be dangerous," he said. Meanwhile, the PM said in a radio interview that compromising on biosecurity was not on the table. "We'll never loosen any rules regarding our biosecurity," he said. "If things can be sorted out in a way that protects our biosecurity, of course we don't just say no ... but our first priority is biosecurity.. When ABC host Raf Epstein prodded Albo a bit more in asking whether beef slaughtered in the US that was raised in Mexico or Canada would be allowed into Australia, the PM said: "Full stop. Exclamation mark. It's simply not worth it.". Agriculture Minister Julie Collins backed that up in a statement, saying any decision to allow expanded access for US beef to Australia would be based on science and evidence and that "all products entering Australia have to meet rigorous biosecurity standards". Cattle Australia chief executive Chris Parker said the key issue that must be solved before any move can be considered relates to the traceability of cattle born across the US southern or northern borders. Meanwhile, the Chicago Tribune is reporting that US agriculture officials are warning that ground beef sold at Whole Foods markets nationwide may be contaminated with potentially dangerous E. coli bacteria. Why did the Greens entourage cross Adelaide's Hindmarsh Square? Because they didn't see any television cameras. On Monday, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young scheduled a media conference to talk about "South Australia's drought and the Prime Minister's visit to SA". But when print journalists rocked up to hear what the Senator had to say, they found the square was bare. A quick phone call solved the mystery. The senatorial entourage bailed when none of the local television news crews turned up - must of all been up north following Mr Albanese around a drought-stricken sheep property. Nationals' deputy leader Kevin Hogan has slammed Labor's new super tax as "verging on the immoral", while the first policy position agreed by the Coalition's new shadow cabinet is to officially oppose the proposal. Labor's contentious plan to double taxes on superannuation balances above $3 million will be one of the first bills up for discussion when Parliament resumes next month, with a clear pathway to pass the legislation into law opened by the Greens which offered the government in-principle support earlier this week but will push for the policy to go further and drop the threshold to $2m. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was asked in a media conference whether it was fair that some farmers may have to pay the tax, and may end up having to sell their farms, as some of their farms are self-managed super funds? "Well, there's not anything new here. This has been before the Parliament for about two years," Mr Albanese said. "What we need to do is to make sure that our superannuation system is fair. That is what we are setting about to do." Treasurer Jim Chalmers' proposal, panned by economists, academics, ALP luminaries and business leaders since it was introduced in 2023, is to increase taxation on super balances over the high-value threshold from 15 to 30 per cent, including on unrealised capital gains. As it stands, the revenue-raising measure will not be indexed to inflation or wage growth. The situation perfectly illustrates why the words Canberra and chaos sit together so snugly. Around the grounds this week and the South Australian branch of the Liberal Party voted to walk back its support of net-zero, we suspect Alex Antic was somehow involved. The good people of Tasmania may be heading for a by-election after the upper house blew up the leadership of Premier Jeremy Rockliff. And a silly sexist quip made during a debate about gender quotas from the bloke appointed to run the NSW branch of the Liberal Party, Alan Stockdale, was a step back in time, or revealed he had never caught up with it. The lead balloon went down on Tuesday when Mr Stockdale told the NSW Liberal Women's Council that "women are sufficiently assertive now" and that the Libs "should be giving some thought to whether we need to protect men's involvement". The 80-year-old's joke was as popular as a few of the budgets the former Victorian state treasurer delivered for Liberal Premier Jeff Kennett. Stockdale apologised, however, party honchos were forced to spend a chunk of the week dousing the chaos the comments created, with federal leader Sussan Ley saying she "encourages assertive women to join the Liberal Party". Australia's fresh produce industry has formed a very healthy new relationship with The Wiggles for a national campaign to encourage children to eat more fruit and vegetables. The International Fresh Produce Association Australia campaign was launched at Hort Connections in Brisbane and comes as new research shows less than half of Aussie parents say that fruit and veg actually make up most of their children's snacks. The Wiggles have rolled out a jingle by rewording their classic banger 'Fruit Salad Yummy Yummy' to 'Fruit and Veggies Yummy Yummy'. Blue Wiggle Anthony Field said the collaboration was a natural fit. "We are so excited to be part of this campaign," he said. "With more than 30 years of singing songs like 'Fruit Salad Yummy Yummy' and 'Hot Potato', this partnership takes our commitment even further, really showing children just how fun and delicious healthy eating can be." Shire councillor Sherryl Chilcott sent ACM a video capturing the soothing sounds of large hailstones hitting a tin roof after being dumped from a thunderstorm that washed over Wagin, in Western Australia's wheatbelt, earlier this week.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Some Gen Zers are swapping the corporate ladder for entrepreneurship
A growing number of workers in the early innings of their careers are beginning to sour on the idea of the traditional nine-to-five. Gen Zers, the oldest of whom are turning 28 this year, represent the majority of these workers losing interest in the daily slog of corporate life and seeking deeper meaning in their work. To that end, these Gen Zers are starting their own businesses. According to LinkedIn data provided to NBC News, about 18% of business founders in 2024 were Generation Z, compared with 14.5% in 2023. Francesca Albo, 28, and her best friend-turned-business partner Lea Burbidge Izquierdo, 29, swapped their traditional jobs for a life of entrepreneurship. 'I was working in a corporate cubicle, depressed, not feeling very good,' Albo told NBC News, describing how she spent several years stuck with mundane tasks while managing a research team at a biotech lab. Burbidge Izquierdo, who also felt the weight of corporate burnout in her fintech and marketing career, met Albo at a dog park in October 2021. The two said they bonded over their shared professional experiences and love of dogs, and they decided to start a business together. They quit their jobs and launched Puppy Sphere, a wellness space that hosts puppy-filled yoga classes across North America. 'I put every dollar from my corporate job into Puppy Sphere. I actually moved home with my mom, took out a $50,000 loan, and I was in turmoil, but with the delusion that this business would take off,' Albo said. Puppy Sphere's most popular events are 45-minute yoga sessions led by a certified instructor. They have partnered with Animal Planet, Netflix and pop singer Sabrina Carpenter for classes and pop-ups. The co-owners say the dogs offer serotonin boosts for their clientele, but it also provides the puppies with socialization skills. Today, Puppy Sphere is a multimillion-dollar business with over 13 locations and more than 200 employees. Albo and Burbidge Izquierdo are far from alone as young professionals opting out of working for someone else. About 59% of millennials and Gen Zers reported having a traditional job before starting their own company, according to a 2024 American Express survey. A survey by CNBC and SurveyMonkey found that some Gen Z workers report wanting more meaningful work, and find their jobs uninspiring. Nearly half said they are just 'coasting' on the job, which was higher than older generations. Wendy Smith, a senior manager of research science at SurveyMonkey, said the desire for purpose among some Gen Z workers can be seen in various studies. 'We do find that they're motivated ... but what they're craving in the workplace is a little bit different from the other generations. They're really craving connection and creating meaning in their work,' Smith said. A QuickBooks survey found that more young workers are considering starting a business compared with older generations. Gen Z respondents led the pack at 28%, followed by 26% of millennials, 20% of Gen Xers and 10% of baby boomers. Ariana Nathani, 28, worked as a project designer at Johnson & Johnson for five years before she quit and turned her attention to her podcast and in-person social events business, Drinks First. 'I basically waited until my company was financially feasible for me to jump ship from my corporate job,' Nathani told NBC News. Nathani said she credits technological advancements for some of Gen Z's entrepreneurial success. 'I think that has been accelerated with social media and TikTok and AI and all of these tools that help make things that used to feel inaccessible, more accessible,' she added. Drinks First's events allow young folks in major U.S. cities to meet in person and grow authentic relationships, Nathani said. 'Is making money from a typical nine-to-five the only viable option when you graduate college? I think it's becoming clear to most people that the answer is no,' she said. Jake Aronskind, 28, left his job as a proprietary stock trader in 2021 to create his own company. 'I ended up quitting to chase my dream, and it was one of the hardest things I had to do, because I actually loved my job, and I love the people there, but my heart wasn't in it because it wasn't 100% mine and it wasn't something that I felt like I was building,' he told NBC News. Aronskind took his passion for cooking and launched Pepper, an interactive food-centered social app that lets home cooks swap and show off their culinary creations. 'After our first couple months, we ended up scaling to tens of thousands of downloads, got cast on a Gordon Ramsay show, got to a million downloads,' Aronskind shared. 'And then over the last eight to 10 months, we've been scaling a premium subscription … and we'll be breaking through a million in annual recurring revenue the next month.' 'I think the typical corporate nine-to-five does not work for everyone, and a lot of people look to entrepreneurs thinking, 'Wow, that is the way out,'' Puppy Sphere's Albo said. But the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Albo reflected on the sacrifices she and her business partner have made to keep their dream alive. 'Lea and I work 24/7. It is so stressful. It is so hard,' Albo said. 'Even though we are truly living the dream business, it is incredibly difficult. … It definitely isn't the easy route out, but it's definitely very fulfilling.' This article was originally published on
NBC News
29-05-2025
- Business
- NBC News
Some Gen Zers are swapping the corporate ladder for entrepreneurship
A growing number of workers in the early innings of their careers are beginning to sour on the idea of the traditional nine-to-five. Gen Zers, the oldest of whom are turning 28 this year, represent the majority of these workers losing interest in the daily slog of corporate life and seeking deeper meaning in their work. To that end, these Gen Zers are starting their own businesses. According to LinkedIn data provided to NBC News, about 18% of business founders in 2024 were Generation Z, compared with 14.5% in 2023. Francesca Albo, 28, and her best friend-turned-business partner Lea Burbidge Izquierdo, 29, swapped their traditional jobs for a life of entrepreneurship. 'I was working in a corporate cubicle, depressed, not feeling very good,' Albo told NBC News, describing how she spent several years stuck with mundane tasks while managing a research team at a biotech lab. Burbidge Izquierdo, who also felt the weight of corporate burnout in her fintech and marketing career, met Albo at a dog park in October 2021. The two said they bonded over their shared professional experiences and love of dogs, and they decided to start a business together. They quit their jobs and launched Puppy Sphere, a wellness space that hosts puppy-filled yoga classes across North America. 'I put every dollar from my corporate job into Puppy Sphere. I actually moved home with my mom, took out a $50,000 loan, and I was in turmoil, but with the delusion that this business would take off,' Albo said. Puppy Sphere's most popular events are 45-minute yoga sessions led by a certified instructor. They have partnered with Animal Planet, Netflix and pop singer Sabrina Carpenter for classes and pop-ups. The co-owners say the dogs offer serotonin boosts for their clientele, but it also provides the puppies with socialization skills. Today, Puppy Sphere is a multimillion-dollar business with over 13 locations and more than 200 employees. Albo and Burbidge Izquierdo are far from alone as young professionals opting out of working for someone else. About 59% of millennials and Gen Zers reported having a traditional job before starting their own company, according to a 2024 American Express survey. A survey by CNBC and SurveyMonkey found that some Gen Z workers report wanting more meaningful work, and find their jobs uninspiring. Nearly half said they are just 'coasting' on the job, which was higher than older generations. Wendy Smith, a senior manager of research science at SurveyMonkey, said the desire for purpose among some Gen Z workers can be seen in various studies. 'We do find that they're motivated ... but what they're craving in the workplace is a little bit different from the other generations. They're really craving connection and creating meaning in their work,' Smith said. A QuickBooks survey found that more young workers are considering starting a business compared with older generations. Gen Z respondents led the pack at 28%, followed by 26% of millennials, 20% of Gen Xers and 10% of baby boomers. Ariana Nathani, 28, worked as a project designer at Johnson & Johnson for five years before she quit and turned her attention to her podcast and in-person social events business, Drinks First. 'I basically waited until my company was financially feasible for me to jump ship from my corporate job,' Nathani told NBC News. Nathani said she credits technological advancements for some of Gen Z's entrepreneurial success. 'I think that has been accelerated with social media and TikTok and AI and all of these tools that help make things that used to feel inaccessible, more accessible,' she added. Drinks First's events allow young folks in major U.S. cities to meet in person and grow authentic relationships, Nathani said. 'Is making money from a typical nine-to-five the only viable option when you graduate college? I think it's becoming clear to most people that the answer is no,' she said. Jake Aronskind, 28, left his job as a proprietary stock trader in 2021 to create his own company. 'I ended up quitting to chase my dream, and it was one of the hardest things I had to do, because I actually loved my job, and I love the people there, but my heart wasn't in it because it wasn't 100% mine and it wasn't something that I felt like I was building,' he told NBC News. Aronskind took his passion for cooking and launched Pepper, an interactive food-centered social app that lets home cooks swap and show off their culinary creations. 'After our first couple months, we ended up scaling to tens of thousands of downloads, got cast on a Gordon Ramsay show, got to a million downloads,' Aronskind shared. 'And then over the last eight to 10 months, we've been scaling a premium subscription … and we'll be breaking through a million in annual recurring revenue the next month.' 'I think the typical corporate nine-to-five does not work for everyone, and a lot of people look to entrepreneurs thinking, 'Wow, that is the way out,'' Puppy Sphere's Albo said. But the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Albo reflected on the sacrifices she and her business partner have made to keep their dream alive. 'Lea and I work 24/7. It is so stressful. It is so hard,' Albo said. 'Even though we are truly living the dream business, it is incredibly difficult. … It definitely isn't the easy route out, but it's definitely very fulfilling.'
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
How Albanese and his mates are dodging the giant new superannuation tax - and ignoring the experts who have exposed its obvious flaws
The Prime Minister has excluded himself - and other beneficiaries of generous parliamentary pensions - from the new superannuation tax that everyone else must abide by. The new tax on unrealised super gains requires everyone else to pay immediately they reach the taxable threshold. Not our Albo, who can defer paying it until after he actually retires. It's a classic case of politicians creating one rule for themselves and another one for everyone else. Under the looming new law, everyone with a super balance of over $3m must pay tax on paper profits every year, even if that means having to sell off part of their holdings just to pay the tax bill. The PM and other beneficiaries of the old fashion parliamentary super scheme are exempt. They only have to pay it when they actually retire and can receive the money, with a low inflation rate equivalent to the government bond rate. The opposition has accused the Labor Party of double standards, which is undeniable. However there are some Liberal MPs still hanging around parliament who also qualify for the old pension scheme and will benefit just as Albo does. That includes new Liberal leader Sussan Ley, who entered parliament in 2001, three years before the old parliamentary pension system was abolished for new arrivals by John Howard. A spokesperson for Treasurer Jim Chalmers used a word salad to try and justify the preferential tax treatment for the PM and other political insiders, but there is no escaping the criticism that Chalmers has written a special rule into the new legislation that looks after his boss. The new tax goes before parliament when it returns towards the end of July. Of course the decision not to force holders of parliamentary pensions to pay the on-paper profits tax immediately is a sound one, because they can't sell down that pension to cover the tax bill in the same way a standard super holder can. MPs including Albo would be forced to sell other assets to cover the debt, which is a big ask. But that's precisely why the new tax is bad policy, and why experts have labeled it 'flawed'. Nonetheless, Labor is pressing ahead with it anyway despite concerns from all quarters in recent weeks. Even former Treasury head Ken Henry and former RBA Governor Philip Lowe have expressed concerns. While Labor likes to proclaim the new tax will only apply to a small number of tax payers with super accounts that have more than $3m in them, that won't remain true for long, because the rate at which it applies isn't indexed, and over time more and more Australians will be forced to pay it. AMP estimates that by the time Generation Z hits retirement age half of its population will be forced to fork out for the tax unless the $3m threshold is indexed. Labor says it won't be. Treasury estimates that it will earn $40 billion from the tax over the next decade, with much of that coming in the latter part of that time frame when many more people will be hit by it. Criticisms of the new tax go beyond the lack of indexation. It has also been described as worse for women, because they commonly put less into their super due to time out of the workforce to have children, but live longer than men making them more reliant on that nest-egg. If a woman's partner dies first, she will usually get the partner's super transferred to her account, and if that tips her balance over $3million, the new 30 percent tax will apply on what she's inherited. It's therefore been called a 'widow tax' by some tax experts. Farmers and those who use their super to invest in properties will also be hit hard, because those hard assets can't be sold off in pieces to pay tax. If that on paper value goes down in subsequent years too bad, the tax hit doesn't change. While calls for the new tax to be reformed keep growing, so far Labor has given no indication that it will revisit its deep flaws. The new Senate takes effect from 1 July and Labor has the support of the Greens - who will control the balance of power on their own - to legislate the change. Don't expect any push for indexation out of them. Indeed, the Greens want the tax to kick in at $2million and may be able to negotiate that, even if Labor is adamant it will stick by the $3m threshold it took to the election.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Florida man strikes gold after winning $10M top prize from scratch-off game
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida man struck gold after he won a $10 million top prize from a scratch-off game. The Florida Lottery announced that 57-year-old Enrique Albo claimed the top prize from the GOLD RUSH LEGACY scratch-off game at the Lottery's Miami District Office. Albo chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $6,030,000. He purchased the $20 scratch-off ticket at the 7-Eleven located at 7520 N.W. 186th Street in Hialeah. The store will receive a $20,000 bonus commission for selling the winning ticket. More Florida Lottery stories: Florida man strikes gold after winning $10M top prize from scratch-off game Florida man buys $20 Monopoly scratch-off game at Publix, wins $5M Florida woman claims final $5 million prize from $20 scratch-off ticket Florida Lotto ticket worth $8.75 million sold at convenience store The lottery said the $20 ticket launched in April 2024 and featured four top prizes of $10 million and 20 prizes of $1 million. The Florida Lottery's website showed that two $10 million top prizes and 10 $1 million prizes remain. The game's overall odds of winning are 1-in-2.97. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
