Latest news with #AppleIsle
The Australian
28-07-2025
- Business
- The Australian
Tasmania must get rid of Hare-Clark electoral system
It's time the Apple Isle grasps the nettle with electoral overhaul With Saturday's election of yet another lame-duck minority government in Tasmania, the time is ripe for the state to abandon the obsolete Hare-Clark electoral system, which has long deprived it of confident, enterprising governments. Hare-Clark worked tolerably well in Tasmania after the rise of the two-party system. Since 1972, when the Bethune government was pointlessly brought down by a disaffected coalition partner, Tasmania has had a succession of Labor and Liberal administrations that have governed with razor-thin majorities or with pistols held to their heads by crossbench partners. Hare-Clark has become a gateway to disaster, ultimately placing the power of the state in the hands of perhaps 10 per cent or even less of the electorate. Across the past 50 years we have witnessed chronic neglect of the great responsibilities of government, a marked deterioration in the standards of parliament. It would greatly serve the interests of both major parties if they were to collaborate on major and historic electoral reform in Tasmania. Single-member electorates and preferential voting would provide governments of either stripe with the security of numbers to confidently get on with the job. John Francis, Lauderdale, Tas What's in a name? The productivity reform roundtable has now become the economic reform roundtable, which means the easiest way to progress productivity reform, through changes to industrial relations laws and regulations, will be stifled by the union representation on the committee assembled. This leaves us with taxation reform being the main agenda item, and even then it appears that any discussion on the GST, a consumption tax and not a tax on savings, will be out of favour with the Prime Minister, who has stated he only approves of a progressive taxation system. While the proposed committee reviewing the need for productivity improvements appears to be a good starting point, it is likely there will be too many conflicts of interest to achieve any notable ways forward. Without meaningful productivity gains, small businesses will continue to fail and the increase in unemployment will become locked in. David Gray, Peppermint Grove, WA Xi's charm offensive It would seem that Anthony Albanese has fallen for the Chinese charm offensive. Our Prime Minister seems be in no hurry to meet President Donald Trump, nor Trump with Albanese. Meanwhile AUKUS, a compact uniting our traditional like-minded friends, is withering on the vine of ambivalence while awaiting needed nurture and reappraisal. Amid this ambiguity, lack of leadership is leaving us in a parlous position. Australia continues to change dramatically with thousands of new arrivals seeking pastures greener than the troubled homelands they have come from, but so often coming with the unresolved baggage from that past with its consequences. Stephanie Summers, Turramurra, NSW Blind bureaucracy The latest revelations of child abuse in the childcare sector highlight again the need for national co-ordination of offenders. It also points again to the disadvantages of having states and territories with different laws and regulations. The absurdity of unnecessary differences between jurisdictions was highlighted to me in an experience of obtaining a Working With Children Check. As a resident of NSW, I held such a check for the state for coaching junior cricket teams. When I needed a check to work at a youth organisation event in Victoria, I attempted to apply for it online and found the Victorian government website would not accept my identity documents because of a system glitch. To complete the application process I had to drive five hours from the southern highlands of NSW to a Victorian Post Office at Wodonga to lodge the application. One wonders how working with children in Victoria differs from working with children in NSW, and why there are not national regulations or at least uniform legislation across the jurisdictions. Mike Walker, Bowral, NSW Call this progressive? Tina Kordrostami's resignation from the Greens is telling. That someone who fled the Iranian regime now feels silenced by a so-called progressive party should concern all of us. Her experience points to a deeper problem. The Greens speak the language of justice and inclusion, but too often their positions seem driven more by extreme ideology than by a commitment to universal human rights. Their refusal to condemn terrorist groups – while relentlessly targeting Israel – suggests something far more opportunistic than principled. Kordrostami's call for a third path, one that rejects extremism on all sides, deserves to be taken seriously. John Kempler, Rose Bay, NSW
Daily Mail
20-07-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I lived fast and hard dealing drugs while hooked on meth… then came the sliding doors moment that completely turned my life around
A reformed drug dealer has recalled the horrific moment he found his brother trying to save his friend after he choked on his own vomit and died from an overdose. Braiden Tonks, 32, has lived through a decade of addiction, violence and crime that ultimately left him scarred, alone and hanging on to life by a thread. Mr Tonks managed to turn his life around and is now a father of three, partner and activist who is trying to help other addicts by sharing his own life experiences. The young father said he was the son of a pub brawler who had a reputation among locals and that he leaned into his violent legacy. Six-foot-five, covered in tattoos, and sporting stretched earlobes, he began smuggling methamphetamine into the Apple Isle in his 20s. His exploits afforded him nice cars, Harley-Davidsons, and enough cash to use meth on the side. But his addiction took it all away, leaving him with a stolen mountain bike and no roof over his head. 'I went from that guy with all the money, all the assets, and dealing drugs, to the absolute bottom of the spectrum,' he told Daily Mail Australia. When he thought he'd lost everything, he sought solace in other users. One introduced him to heroin – the worst drug he ever tried – and soon he was on the brink of death. In a hotel with his brother, Mr Tonks tried some, felt dizzy, and collapsed. CPR from his brother saved him, but the next morning he had to watch as his new friend wouldn't wake up. His brother tried CPR again, then turned to Mr Tonks, bile in his mouth, and said: 'This is exactly what I was doing to you'. The incident rattled Mr Tonks. The turning point came when he was caught in a hailstorm, wearing a T-shirt with nothing but a suitcase of drug paraphernalia behind an electrical box. He weighed just 68kg at the time. 'I remember sitting down behind this thing and bawling my eyes out,' Mr Tonks said. 'I wasn't born a Christian or anything, but I just remember sitting there and all of a sudden looking up, saying, "God, if you are real, help me, or kill me". 'I literally had nowhere to go. Nobody. My family had given up on me, my mum was in jail, my dad is completely anti-drugs.' It was a moment he's now grateful for. Soon after, he was nabbed at Hobart Airport following a failed trip to purchase $20,000 of meth. Detectives hauled him from the tarmac. 'They fully strip searched me, they found the cash, a couple of satchels with residue from drugs in the bag. That was enough to take me back to the station,' Mr Tonks said. He copped a 12-month suspended sentence with two years on good behaviour before a variety of minor offences landed him inside Risdon Prison Complex for six months. After leaving prison, he knew he couldn't stay in Tasmania. He feared he'd be pulled back into old habits. His mother, just out of jail herself, and his ex-partner – who is the mother of his two kids – gave him a chance to stay in their lives if he cleaned up. He said his current partner, Bec, and their daughter was a 'big factor' to his recovery. Mr Tonks said surrounding yourself with people who want the best for you is key to overcoming addiction. While working in construction and raising his kids, he started talking about his previous experiences on a podcast and trying to become that helping hand for others. His content joins a growing group of 'underworld' podcasters - like Sydney phenom Spanian - speaking to forgotten Australians and those curious about life on the edge. An estimated 10.2million Australians aged 14 and over have used an illicit drug in their lifetime. Drug use has declined in most age groups since 2019, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. But street drugs are growing more dangerous due to synthetic ingredients and powerful cutting agents. Mr Tonks also shares stories from others on the path to recovery. He has received dozens of messages a week from young people wanting to turn their lives around. Not everyone likes what he has to say – and that's fine with him. 'There's 100 per cent way more positivity than negativity on social media for me through the message I carry, but once upon a time I wouldn't have been able to handle it,' Mr Tonks said. 'My father was a very violent man... I sort of copped that reputation of him myself.' He admits he used to threaten those who criticised him, a habit shaped by his upbringing. 'Since I went to jail, I wouldn't say I found the Lord, but I found something,' Mr Tonks said. 'I believe in a higher power, whatever it is. I definitely believe in something higher than me. It's helped me, man, to switch off, grow more and not deal with a negative s***.' His podcast is available on Tonksy Media Podcast via social media, YouTube and Spotify. Lifeline: 13 11 14
The Guardian
11-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Australia news live: productivity commissioner warns of job cuts coming from AI; aged care provider to close
Update: Date: 2025-06-11T20:32:16.000Z Title: Welcome Content: Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I'm Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Nick Visser to take you through the day. The new industry and science minister, Tim Ayres, warns today that Australia must 'lean in hard' to the benefits of artificial intelligence or else risk ending up 'on the end of somebody else's supply chain'. His comments follow an appearance by Australia's productivity commissioner on 7.30 last night in which she said AI could cost jobs. More coming up. We'll bring you news soon of a big aged care provider which is closing next month. And parties in Tasmania will be gearing up for another election campaign today after the state's governor said she had been left with no choice but to call a poll to resolve the Apple Isle's political crisis. We'll have the latest.
ABC News
11-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
The state of play as Tasmanian election 'no-one seems to want' is called
Tasmanians are off to the polls for a rare mid-winter election, one that no-one particularly seems to want. How voters make their decision on July 19 may be influenced by who they regard as responsible for sending them to the polls. This was not an election that needed to happen, even after Labor's no-confidence motion in the premier passed earlier in June. Premier Jeremy Rockliff could have resigned and allowed a Liberal colleague to attempt to form government. His colleagues could have pushed him out the door. Labor could have attempted to gain the confidence of the house and form government instead. Perhaps sensing that all those options were fraught with difficulty and may have only been staving off the inevitable, the major parties have opted to roll the dice on an election barely a year since the last one and see what the next parliament brings. The question is: Will Tasmanians endorse the government of Jeremy Rockliff, or will they, perhaps inspired by the season, opt for Winter? Or, will the state end up in much the same place as it currently is? This election represents Labor's best chance of returning to the government benches since it lost power in 2014. But unless sentiment shifts, it would have a fragile grip on power and Dean Winter would likely still need to negotiate his way to the premier's office. Very few pollsters are regularly surveying voting intention in the apple isle, but the most recent poll from Enterprise Marketing and Research Services (EMRS) turned heads when it recorded a significant slump for the Liberals, and Labor leading the statewide primary voting intention for the first time since 2009. EMRS is owned by Font PR — a firm with extensive Liberal Party links. Labor's support was roughly steady statewide at 31 per cent and, mirroring trends seen nationally, there was a big shift towards independents and minor parties. Under Tasmania's electoral system, it is nigh on impossible to convert primary votes like that into majority government. The state uses the same electoral boundaries as the federal parliament, with each of the state's five electorates choosing seven members. To win majority government, a party needs at least three seats per electorate, and a fourth in three of them. Getting to four almost certainly requires a vote above 40 per cent, a tall order in our current era of fragmented parties. The EMRS poll recorded the biggest falls in Liberal support in the north and north-west, putting their third member in each of Bass and Braddon at risk. To that end, former federal MP Bridget Archer has now been recruited (pending a pre-selection process) in the hopes her personal profile will help prevent losses. The Liberals are looking to defend their existing 14 seats but would need to see a turnaround during the campaign to make gains. Labor currently holds 10 seats, two in each electorate. The opposition will be looking to improve its position in all seats. A gain of one in each electorate would get the party to 15 in parliament, and give it some potential paths to government that don't involve talking to the Greens (something Dean Winter has been keen to avoid). Election results are never uniform, but to give you an idea, a uniform statewide vote of 31 per cent would represent Labor winning roughly 2.5 quotas in each seat. Tasmanian elections are also highly dependent on the candidates. Labor has lost former leader Rebecca White in Lyons, who easily topped the vote there last year. Speaker Michelle O'Byrne's decision not to run means Labor has also lost its biggest draw card in Bass. In short, there is a lot of uncertainty, and both major parties could face challenges, especially in the north. This election (again) presents the peculiar scenario of a campaign likely to (again) be dominated by plans for an AFL stadium that voters aren't in love with, which the major parties are united behind. In May, EMRS found a growing minority of voters ranking the stadium their most important election issue, and its post-budget polling found support for the stadium enabling legislation deep underwater in all five electorates. Despite that, the leaders of both major parties are committed to the new Hobart stadium, with Dean Winter declaring over the weekend, "we are absolutely committed to the stadium", and the premier affirming the stadium is a rock solid guarantee, when asked by reporters. This steadfast support by the major parties is likely to motivate anti-stadium minor parties and independents who may well be pivotal in picking the next Tasmanian Premier. That's if they can get elected, because while the polling suggests there's an opportunity for new crossbenchers to join the parliament, they're also disadvantaged more than major parties by a snap election. It's a lot of work to get a campaign off the ground, and they only have a matter of days to do it. Want even more? Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on ABC iview and ABC Listen Three members were elected under the Jacqui Lambie Network last year, with two later leaving the party to sit as independents, but Lambie is not endorsing candidates this time around. Will they all run again, and have they done enough to secure re-election without the Lambie brand name? There's also the newly registered Tasmanian Nationals promising to field candidates including former Liberal John Tucker. The party has never been that successful in the state, but is looking to carve out a space among the minor parties. Further south, will independent Peter George run in Franklin after a strong showing in the federal election? What will the field look like in Clark, where there's never a shortage of independent candidates. And who else might join the fray? Meanwhile, the Greens, having won 1.58 quotas in Franklin last year, would love to pick up a second MP there and grow the size of their party room. It could be that voters start to drift back towards the major parties as the campaign gets going. This election could resolve the political instability and deliver a government that can run a full term. Equally, it may not resolve much at all. When combined with the current trends in voting, Tasmania's electoral system tends to create hung parliaments. Making those parliaments work, with all the careful negotiation required between parties, requires a different kind of political culture than we see on the mainland. As Labor member and speaker Michelle O'Byrne said in her valedictory speech: "If minority government is the way of the future, then it requires us all to behave differently". This snap election may well bring 11 years of Liberal government in the state to an ignominious end. But in a state with a history of long-running Labor governments, it's far from clear if this election will usher in a new era of stable Tasmanian politics. But let's not get too ahead of ourselves. As we've spectacularly seen recently in federal politics, a lot can change in an election campaign.
News.com.au
06-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Would rip the heart out of the state': ‘Brutal reality' of Tasmania's $1 billion AFL saga
The blowtorch has turned on the AFL over its handling of the Tasmanian stadium saga, with fears the expansion team's entry into the league may be delayed or cancelled for good. The future of the AFL's 19th team is in serious doubt after a no-confidence motion against Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff was passed amid debate over the new stadium proposed to be built in Hobart. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Thursday's no-confidence motion means Tasmanians are set to return to the polls, with an election date yet to be determined. The move comes after ongoing allegations the Rockliff Government has mismanaged the Apple Isle's budget and bungled key infrastructure projects, including the proposed Macquarie Point Stadium — the venue the Devils hope to call home when they enter the AFL in 2028. Rockliff has been one of the emerging football club's strongest supporters — even in a climate where there has been widespread anger towards the planned $1 billion stadium. Tasmania's parliament was due to vote within the next six weeks on special legislation designed to grant planning approval, but an election could derail the stadium plans. Debate has erupted this week over whether the new stadium needs a roof or whether Hobart needs a new stadium on top of the existing Bellerive Oval. Others have highlighted the fact AFL games have been held this year in Darwin, Ballarat and Alice Springs at venues that don't exactly boast the modern day infrastructure the Tasmanian franchise is being asked to deliver. Premiership winning Collingwood defender Jeremy Howe, a proud Tasmanian, has warned that pulling the rug out from the Tasmanians and cruelling hopes of an AFL team would permanently scar the state. 'It will rip the heart out of the state if it doesn't go forward,' Howe told Triple M's Rush Hour with JB & Billy on Thursday. 'The carrot has been there dangling for decades, and then all of a sudden, it's within reaching distance and everyone's become attached to it. 'Everyone's talking about it, there's a genuine excitement about it. If it doesn't get done, I fear for what the state might look like.' 'Tasmania needs the AFL more than the AFL needs Tasmania' It has long been expected Tasmania and then a Northern Territory team will complete the AFL as a 20-team competition, but the league's expansion is in serious doubt now. The stadium saga has exposed an uncomfortable truth for Tassie fans — the Devils have been given a much higher bar for entry into the AFL than the GWS Giants and the Gold Coast Suns, who joined the league in the early 2010s. Seven's AFL reporter Mitch Cleary wrote on X: 'The brutal reality is that the AFL was desperate to introduce the Giants and Suns to grow the game into NSW/QLD so they were always going to have a lower bar for entry. 'Tasmania needs the AFL more than the AFL needs Tasmania. So the deal was always going to be tougher to secure.' For what it's worth, this season GWS has an average home crowd of 11,715, while the average attendance for Gold Coast Suns home games is 13,625 — with MCG and SCG matches bolstering the league's attendance figures. Aussie Rules has a rich history in Tasmania, with countless legendary players including Jack Riewoldt and Matthew Richardson growing up in the island state before getting drafted to the AFL. Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan spent his entire playing career in Tasmania before going on to become the first AFL premiership winning coach who hasn't played V/AFL football. Launceston's UTAS Stadium hosted two elimination finals during the Covid-affected 2021 season. The political uncertainty in Tasmania means the Devils' future is in doubt and the timeline of the team's entry into the AFL The new 23,000-seat stadium, was supposed to be built in time for the 2029 AFL season, with the hope it would host cricket matches and other entertainment events. 'The stadium, everything, has been thrown into chaos,' Cleary said on Seven. Nick Riewoldt added: ''90 percent of the (Tasmanian) people I speak to or hear from, want the stadium. I think Tasmanian's are united in their desire for a stadium and a team. 'This (the no-confidence motion) is a really risky move. Either we come through with a clear mandate, which will push it through, or the whole thing blows up. It's on a knife's edge.' 'Incredibly frustrating, I hope Dean Winter has got a plan.' Labor opposition leader Dean Winter said he supported the AFL team and the stadium, but the state had other priorities as well. 'We support the Tasmanian Devils and the AFL team that Tasmanians have dreamed of forever,' Winter said. 'But I've got to say that I've got a lot of very high priorities around health and education. 'Yes, we absolutely support getting this team, but Tasmanians, when I talk to them, they talk about cost of living, they talk about education, they talk about the future for our young people. 'I'm not prepared to stand idly by and let this Liberal government led by Jeremy Rockliff ruin this state.' Liberal senator Jonathon Duniam has told ABC News he is 'angry' with no-confidence vote in Rockliff and the decision to head back to the polls. 'Thirty-five members of the Tasmanian government in their collective wisdom to not find a way to not send Tasmanians back to an election just baffles me,' he said on Friday morning. 'No stadium, no team' Devils CEO Brendon Gale has said the 'no stadium, no team' condition for Tasmania's AFL entry remains crucial, stressing Hobart and Launceston's major venues are still 'not fit' to 'underpin a team in the big league on a sustainable basis'. When asked on Fox Footy's AFL 360 if the 'no team, no stadium' policy to introduce Tassie was 'too ambitious' and that 'too many stumbling blocks' had been placed in front of the key stakeholders. Gale said: 'No, I just think it's been a difficult concept to explain (why we can't play at existing venues). 'Firstly, there's no good time to build a stadium around the world. They're always big and they're expensive, and there's always a whole range of other priorities … Whether it's Adelaide or Perth Stadium, they're difficult to get through and get popular support. 'I guess that's compounded by the fact that people in Tasmania think: 'Well, we've got two perfectly good stadiums in Hobart and Launceston, why can't we just have those?' And they're reasonable stadiums and they've been fit for purpose. But they're not fit for the purpose of providing sustainable commercial business model to underpin a team in the big league on a sustainable basis.'
