Latest news with #Spender
Sky News AU
15-05-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
Calls for Labor to rethink ‘unfair' super tax
Independent MP for Wentworth Allegra Spender has urged the Albanese government to reconsider its proposed superannuation tax policy. 'This really needs to be the time that the government rethinks this, because there are three fundamental problems with this legislation,' Ms Spender told Sky News Australia. 'Firstly, the taxation of unrealised gains, it's just bad policy. It is unfair… and it really penalises, taxes people for profits they may never see. 'Secondly, the fact that it is not indexed means that even though the Treasurer may say, oh, look, it only affects 80,000 people now, well, there's evidence coming out today saying if it's not indexed, the average 22-year-old will be paying this when they retire. So this is a fundamental problem. 'Finally, the unintended consequences of this is really concerning, particularly in those sectors that need risky capital, such as startups and tech growth companies, those are the companies whose valuations go up and down the most, where the valuations, where being taxed on unrealised gains is really problematic.'
The Advertiser
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Designer brings beach to the runway in playful show
Making swimwear look like editorial runway fashion is a task not many designers take on. But Bianca Spender has found a way. On a blank concrete runway with a sand curtain draped to the side, the Sydney-based designer's Summer 25 collection reformed the bikini and one-piece. The collection named DELIQUESCE alludes to "catharsis, being set free and surrendering to currents", according to Spender. Clean lines contrasted with fluid drapes play into the watery feel as Spender elevates the cocktail summer style. Midnight-black and pearl-white pieces pointed to her signature restrictive palette at the Australian Fashion Week show on Wednesday. But among the binary tones, smudges of playful pink stood out. A rose shell-like top paired with a more classic pink skirt was one of them. The jagged lines of the top contrasted the simplistic ankle hemline of the bottom. This playful piece is an ode to her late mother and fashion mogul Carla Zampatti, who was known for modern and timeless designs. Spender spent her teenage years designing in her mother's studio, which is why modern and timeless designs reminiscent of the matriarch appeared on the runway. Beyond Zampatti, her family are well-known faces of the industry. Her sister, newly re-elected independent MP Allegra Spender, was the former managing director of the family brand, while half-brother Alex Schuman is chief executive of their late mother's line. But what sets Spender's 17-year-old brand apart from her mother's is the blend of masculine and feminine fashion constructs in her pieces. This tailoring builds on her mother's clean-cut designs. A jet-black swimsuit was contrasted by a white linen button-up and a pearl blazer fitted with knee-length shorts allowed masculinity to be seen in the feminine clothes. The most different piece in the collection came in a pink polka dot-top wrapped around the neck and draped like a curtain above the belly button. On the bottom sits gleaming white underwear alluding to the beach style of the show, but vibrant orange-red slippers draw the eye most. However, the inconstant outfit is connected by thin piece of pink fabric running from the top to the shoe, something unseen in Spender's usually seamless designs. Making swimwear look like editorial runway fashion is a task not many designers take on. But Bianca Spender has found a way. On a blank concrete runway with a sand curtain draped to the side, the Sydney-based designer's Summer 25 collection reformed the bikini and one-piece. The collection named DELIQUESCE alludes to "catharsis, being set free and surrendering to currents", according to Spender. Clean lines contrasted with fluid drapes play into the watery feel as Spender elevates the cocktail summer style. Midnight-black and pearl-white pieces pointed to her signature restrictive palette at the Australian Fashion Week show on Wednesday. But among the binary tones, smudges of playful pink stood out. A rose shell-like top paired with a more classic pink skirt was one of them. The jagged lines of the top contrasted the simplistic ankle hemline of the bottom. This playful piece is an ode to her late mother and fashion mogul Carla Zampatti, who was known for modern and timeless designs. Spender spent her teenage years designing in her mother's studio, which is why modern and timeless designs reminiscent of the matriarch appeared on the runway. Beyond Zampatti, her family are well-known faces of the industry. Her sister, newly re-elected independent MP Allegra Spender, was the former managing director of the family brand, while half-brother Alex Schuman is chief executive of their late mother's line. But what sets Spender's 17-year-old brand apart from her mother's is the blend of masculine and feminine fashion constructs in her pieces. This tailoring builds on her mother's clean-cut designs. A jet-black swimsuit was contrasted by a white linen button-up and a pearl blazer fitted with knee-length shorts allowed masculinity to be seen in the feminine clothes. The most different piece in the collection came in a pink polka dot-top wrapped around the neck and draped like a curtain above the belly button. On the bottom sits gleaming white underwear alluding to the beach style of the show, but vibrant orange-red slippers draw the eye most. However, the inconstant outfit is connected by thin piece of pink fabric running from the top to the shoe, something unseen in Spender's usually seamless designs. Making swimwear look like editorial runway fashion is a task not many designers take on. But Bianca Spender has found a way. On a blank concrete runway with a sand curtain draped to the side, the Sydney-based designer's Summer 25 collection reformed the bikini and one-piece. The collection named DELIQUESCE alludes to "catharsis, being set free and surrendering to currents", according to Spender. Clean lines contrasted with fluid drapes play into the watery feel as Spender elevates the cocktail summer style. Midnight-black and pearl-white pieces pointed to her signature restrictive palette at the Australian Fashion Week show on Wednesday. But among the binary tones, smudges of playful pink stood out. A rose shell-like top paired with a more classic pink skirt was one of them. The jagged lines of the top contrasted the simplistic ankle hemline of the bottom. This playful piece is an ode to her late mother and fashion mogul Carla Zampatti, who was known for modern and timeless designs. Spender spent her teenage years designing in her mother's studio, which is why modern and timeless designs reminiscent of the matriarch appeared on the runway. Beyond Zampatti, her family are well-known faces of the industry. Her sister, newly re-elected independent MP Allegra Spender, was the former managing director of the family brand, while half-brother Alex Schuman is chief executive of their late mother's line. But what sets Spender's 17-year-old brand apart from her mother's is the blend of masculine and feminine fashion constructs in her pieces. This tailoring builds on her mother's clean-cut designs. A jet-black swimsuit was contrasted by a white linen button-up and a pearl blazer fitted with knee-length shorts allowed masculinity to be seen in the feminine clothes. The most different piece in the collection came in a pink polka dot-top wrapped around the neck and draped like a curtain above the belly button. On the bottom sits gleaming white underwear alluding to the beach style of the show, but vibrant orange-red slippers draw the eye most. However, the inconstant outfit is connected by thin piece of pink fabric running from the top to the shoe, something unseen in Spender's usually seamless designs. Making swimwear look like editorial runway fashion is a task not many designers take on. But Bianca Spender has found a way. On a blank concrete runway with a sand curtain draped to the side, the Sydney-based designer's Summer 25 collection reformed the bikini and one-piece. The collection named DELIQUESCE alludes to "catharsis, being set free and surrendering to currents", according to Spender. Clean lines contrasted with fluid drapes play into the watery feel as Spender elevates the cocktail summer style. Midnight-black and pearl-white pieces pointed to her signature restrictive palette at the Australian Fashion Week show on Wednesday. But among the binary tones, smudges of playful pink stood out. A rose shell-like top paired with a more classic pink skirt was one of them. The jagged lines of the top contrasted the simplistic ankle hemline of the bottom. This playful piece is an ode to her late mother and fashion mogul Carla Zampatti, who was known for modern and timeless designs. Spender spent her teenage years designing in her mother's studio, which is why modern and timeless designs reminiscent of the matriarch appeared on the runway. Beyond Zampatti, her family are well-known faces of the industry. Her sister, newly re-elected independent MP Allegra Spender, was the former managing director of the family brand, while half-brother Alex Schuman is chief executive of their late mother's line. But what sets Spender's 17-year-old brand apart from her mother's is the blend of masculine and feminine fashion constructs in her pieces. This tailoring builds on her mother's clean-cut designs. A jet-black swimsuit was contrasted by a white linen button-up and a pearl blazer fitted with knee-length shorts allowed masculinity to be seen in the feminine clothes. The most different piece in the collection came in a pink polka dot-top wrapped around the neck and draped like a curtain above the belly button. On the bottom sits gleaming white underwear alluding to the beach style of the show, but vibrant orange-red slippers draw the eye most. However, the inconstant outfit is connected by thin piece of pink fabric running from the top to the shoe, something unseen in Spender's usually seamless designs.
Perth Now
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Designer brings beach to the runway in playful show
Making swimwear look like editorial runway fashion is a task not many designers take on. But Bianca Spender has found a way. On a blank concrete runway with a sand curtain draped to the side, the Sydney-based designer's Summer 25 collection reformed the bikini and one-piece. The collection named DELIQUESCE alludes to "catharsis, being set free and surrendering to currents", according to Spender. Clean lines contrasted with fluid drapes play into the watery feel as Spender elevates the cocktail summer style. Midnight-black and pearl-white pieces pointed to her signature restrictive palette at the Australian Fashion Week show on Wednesday. But among the binary tones, smudges of playful pink stood out. A rose shell-like top paired with a more classic pink skirt was one of them. The jagged lines of the top contrasted the simplistic ankle hemline of the bottom. This playful piece is an ode to her late mother and fashion mogul Carla Zampatti, who was known for modern and timeless designs. Spender spent her teenage years designing in her mother's studio, which is why modern and timeless designs reminiscent of the matriarch appeared on the runway. Beyond Zampatti, her family are well-known faces of the industry. Her sister, newly re-elected independent MP Allegra Spender, was the former managing director of the family brand, while half-brother Alex Schuman is chief executive of their late mother's line. But what sets Spender's 17-year-old brand apart from her mother's is the blend of masculine and feminine fashion constructs in her pieces. This tailoring builds on her mother's clean-cut designs. A jet-black swimsuit was contrasted by a white linen button-up and a pearl blazer fitted with knee-length shorts allowed masculinity to be seen in the feminine clothes. The most different piece in the collection came in a pink polka dot-top wrapped around the neck and draped like a curtain above the belly button. On the bottom sits gleaming white underwear alluding to the beach style of the show, but vibrant orange-red slippers draw the eye most. However, the inconstant outfit is connected by thin piece of pink fabric running from the top to the shoe, something unseen in Spender's usually seamless designs.
Sky News AU
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
'They are still counting': Allegra Spender refuses to admit Teal defeat in Goldstein as Liberal's Tim Wilson claims the win
Allegra Spender has refused to acknowledge defeat for her fellow Teal candidate Zoe Daniel after Liberal Party candidate Tim Wilson secured the Melbourne seat of Goldstein. Mr Wilson now has a 983-vote lead in the seat, and this is likely to increase as the AEC counts the remaining postal votes – which are currently favouring the Liberal candidate by a margin of almost 64 per cent to 36 per cent. The AEC website also lists a further 1,182 absent, provisional and declaration pre-poll votes which need processing, and are unlikely to swing as heavily in favour of Mr Wilson. Monique Ryan's neighbouring seat of Kooyong is still in doubt, with Liberal candidate Amelia Hamer a formidable opponent as she sits roughly 600 votes behind of Dr Ryan. Ms Spender on Wednesday was pressed about why Zoe Daniel and Monique Ryan struggled to gain as impressive a lead as she did in the race for Wentworth. Ms Spender responded: 'At this stage, those two seats are still pretty much in play as I understand.' Sky News called the contest for Mr Wilson shortly after 2pm on Tuesday. Sky News host Laura Jayes reiterated to Ms Spender that Mr Wilson had secured Goldstein for the Liberal Party but the Teal MP was adamant the seat was still in play. 'I think they are still counting, but we'll see. I think the media has called it various ways, but we will see what happens in the end," Ms Spender said. The Independent MP pointed to 'significant redistributions' in both electorates as a factor in the defeat. The redistribution in Kooyong undoubtedly worked in the Liberal Party's favour, earning them several Liberal-leaning suburbs and eliminating at least six polling booths which swung Independent in 2022. However, all recently added booths to the Goldstein electorate - such as Bentleigh Central, Bentleigh South, Moorabbin Central, and Moorabbin South - registered a greater two-candidate preferred vote for Ms Daniel, the Teal MP compared to Mr Wilson. Ms Daniel saw a 12.53 per cent swing her way in Moorabbin South, with 703 votes compared to Mr Wilson's 574. The Teal MP saw an even larger swing of 14.27 per cent in Moorabbin Central, securing exactly 100 more votes than Mr Wilson. Bentleigh South recorded a slimmer swing, of 4.84 per cent swing Ms Daniel's way, securing 839 votes to Mr Wilson's 703. Similarly, in Bentleigh Central, a 4.01 per cent swing towards the Teal MP was recorded, with Mr Wilson earning 498 two-candidate-preferred votes compared to Ms Daniel's 573. Both seats were considered Liberal safe seats, each being strongholds for the party since their inception, with the exception of Ms Daniel's first term after her 2022 victory. 'Let's remember that these are seats that have never been held by non-liberals before and never held by women before, so it was always going to be tough,' Ms Spender said. 'Both of them had smaller margins than mine going into the election, so we'll just have to see. 'You're seeing a lot of seats that are really tightly in play at the moment, and I think that really comes down to lots of local factors' Ms Daniel is also yet to concede the seat, saying in a statement on Tuesday she wanted to 'respect the democratic process'. 'While the media has called the result in Goldstein, I will wait for further counting out of respect for my scrutineers and the democratic process,' the Teal MP said. 'This seems sensible given the margin is in the hundreds and there are about 12 thousand remaining votes to be counted.'
Sydney Morning Herald
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Relative calm as thousands turn out to vote in Sydney's marginal seats
On Friday, acting Australian electoral commissioner Jeff Pope spoke on RN Breakfast to say Wentworth was among Sydney electorates where police had been called to deal with incidents of bad behaviour. Knox said she'd experienced first-hand the heightened aggression particular to this election. 'The teals in particular have been very, very aggressive during this campaign,' she said. 'Personally, I've experienced some relatively poor behaviour from some of the volunteers, definitely not from Allegra Spender though, she's [maintained] high integrity throughout the campaign.' Later in the morning, Spender cast her vote seaside at the Clovelly Surf Life Saving Club. Choosing not to comment on Knox's specific claims about some teals' behaviour, Spender reiterated more generally the need to act cordially. 'To be honest what I try and say and what I've been trying to say to everybody is that people can have different views but in this country we need to disagree well ... it doesn't matter who you're voting for, it doesn't matter what your views are. Let's engage constructively,' she said. There to meet Spender in the queue was 46-year-old filmmaker Daniel Reisinger. 'I think like a lot of people in this electorate, [I'm] just kind of sick of what the Liberal Party's been doing. It's gotten to a point of madness, denying climate change ... I was bitterly disappointed with what happened with the [Voice] referendum, and I think a lot of people are angry and not over that.' Joining the line after a swim in her recently purchased Australian-themed swimsuit, adorned with thongs, barbecues and tiny sausages, Olivia Ford, 27, took a bite out of her first-ever democracy sausage since moving to Australia from the UK. Her verdict: it 'tastes like democracy', she said. South-west Sydney South-west Sydney is considered 'Labor heartland'. Aside from the seat of Fowler at the last election, Watson and Blaxland have only ever been held by Labor. In the seven polling stations the Herald visited on Saturday, there were no food stands, barbecues or community-run stalls. Instead, voters (many from Lebanon, Egypt, Iran, Vietnam, Syria and China) were there to exercise their right to vote in a democracy. Labor's Education Minister Jason Clare said the war in Gaza was a major concern to his constituents in his seat of Blaxland, with a third of his electorate identifying as Muslim. Clare's challenger, independent Ahmed Ouf, deployed an intense grassroots campaign on local issues, aiming to pull disillusioned voters in a seat that had a safe Labor margin of 13 per cent. Saqr Anejdawi voted for Ouf and said his main concern was Gaza, but he was also desperate for a change in government to deliver local infrastructure. 'Labor has taken us for granted,' he said. 'Ahmed Ouf may not win but will show the big parties we have a vote, we will vote against you as a protest. We have the right as [the people voting for] Zali Steggall, Allegra Spender, to vote for our independents as well.' Cost of living was another big issue in south-west Sydney. '[The politicians] they're on top wages. They don't realise what the struggles the families are going through at the moment, middle- and low-income rental, people can't even get into their first home,' Nermine Serour said after voting at the Bankstown Senior Citizens Centre in Bankstown in the seat of Watson. Watson is safely held by Labor with a 15.2 per cent margin. She and Amalia Crossley made a protest vote against the main parties on Saturday after what they felt had been many 'false promises' from Labor by putting the majors last, and Greens and independents first. 'What about us? We're the people of the country, and the No. 1 thing is that we don't have enough housing to support families,' Crossley said. 'That's why I strongly voted towards the Greens.' Over in Fowler, Dai Le retains one of the tightest margins in the state of 1.1 per cent against Labor. 'We've got five cabinet ministers in the current government in western Sydney, five labor MPs … the people in western Sydney can tell you they've done nothing,' Le said. The Labor challenger is Tu Le, but Dai Le predicts 'a swing against Labor in western Sydney now, with other independents'. North shore In Bennelong – NSW's most marginal electorate, with an estimated margin of 0.04 per cent in favour of Liberal challenger Scott Yung over Labor incumbent Jerome Laxale – the Coalition candidate was out early to greet voters alongside an army of volunteers at Eastwood Public School. Loading Yung was seen switching between Mandarin and Cantonese as he moved down the lines speaking to voters from the Chinese community, a key voting bloc in the seat. Later, he was joined by former prime minister Tony Abbott, who dismissed multiple potentially damaging reports about Yung's campaign 'as a lot of beltway bubble stuff'. He said Yung and Dutton had done well to appeal 'to a broad cross-section of Australians', despite the slow shift away from the Liberal Party in the seat of former prime minister John Howard. Yung would not say if any of the volunteers present were members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, formerly known as the Exclusive Brethren, which sent hundreds of its members to pre-polling booths in marginal seats while instructing them to keep secret that they were members of the controversial religion. 'I think it's in everyone's right to participate in Australia's democracy,' he said, before Yung's campaign staff ended his interview with this masthead. At Denistone East Public School, where Laxale went to vote and hand out preference cards to voters, the Labor member was equanimous about the possibility of losing the seat. 'We've never held on to Bennelong. History is not on our side, so we need to make history today, and we'll go right until six o'clock.' Asked whether reports earlier this week that his father, Alain, had made homophobic comments at a pre-polling station that had hurt his campaign in the crucial final stretch, Laxale said: 'We'll see what happens'. 'We've been really focusing on cost of living and housing locally here … my dad regrets what he said, and he's very apologetic, and we'll move on from that.' In neighbouring Bradfield, where Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian holds an estimated margin of 2.5 per cent over teal independent Nicolette Boele, polling places were quiet after record pre-polling. Kapterian declined to speak to the Herald but appeared upbeat, embracing and shaking voters' hands at Turramurra Public School. Boele cast her vote at her alma mater, Killara High School. Accompanied by her daughter and first-time voter Saskia, the teal candidate studied her preferences with the help of Herald photographer Steven Siewert's reading glasses. In 2022, Boele ran unsuccessfully against Liberal MP Paul Fletcher, who is stepping down. She refused to say if she would run again in 2028 if she lost to Kapterian. 'Can I answer that question after we see how we go tonight?' she said, laughing. Western Sydney Across the Parramatta electorate there was an air of politeness. At Parramatta West Public School, a volunteer for Blaxland Independent Ahmed Ouf was seen offering volunteers from all parties some food, while one Labor volunteer said he gave a Liberal supporter a 'leg up' to hoist a sign above the entrance. It comes despite Liberal signs being reportedly slashed and pulled down earlier in the morning at the same location. Over at Ermington West Public School, Liberal volunteers gave out handballs to voters, while Labor had their own collection of drink bottles, personalised with the face of Parramatta incumbent Andrew Charlton. Visiting the polling booth, Charlton, who voted early, appeared upbeat as he chatted to voters queuing up outside the school. He told the Herald he was 'feeling good' about the election and had already enjoyed a democracy sausage during an earlier visit to a polling booth. 'I went a little bit early if I'm honest, at 11.30am, so don't know what that means for the next meal, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it,' he said before heading to the barbecue for another one. Shortly after his arrival, two trucks branded with advertising for Liberal candidate Katie Mullins drove by, the drivers beeping their horns. The queue started early at Parramatta's Arthur Phillip High School, with Sebastian Gerard-Duhau, 28, saying he opted to cast his ballot the day of the election because sickness ruined his chances of an early vote. High school teacher Sonia Emily Hutchinson, 34, said she voted for the Greens and Labor. 'I always vote in regard to health and education because that's where me and my friends work … and sort of looking forward to the future of how we're going to be taken care of in this country. And then also on climate,' she said.
