Latest news with #Tasmania
ABC News
10 hours ago
- Health
- ABC News
Hobart personal trainer avoids jail after filming woman with hidden camera
A Hobart personal trainer has been given a wholly suspended sentence after he was found guilty of filming a client undressing without her consent. The Hobart Magistrates Court heard that in July last year, 56-year-old Simon Murray McIntyre set up a video camera concealed within clothing in a room at Hobart Fitness Training at the Tasmanian Hockey Centre in Newtown, in Hobart's north. The female complainant entered the same room and, while getting undressed, noticed the GoPro device. The court heard she later reviewed the footage and went to the police. Magistrate Jackie Hartnett read sections of the complainant's victim impact statement to the court, which she said conveyed the impact of the incident in a "clear, brave and articulate way". In the statement, the complainant said she was left in a "state of disbelief and denial after the incident", which she said "stripped her of self-confidence". After attending the gym, she was "slowing regaining her confidence" but now says her emotional state is "worse than when she started". The client felt "a sense of betrayal" and "self-blame" for trusting Mr McIntyre. Annalee Brumby, owner of Hobart Fitness Training and McIntyre's partner, submitted a character reference for him. McIntyre's lawyer Fabiano Cangelosi said Ms Brumby said there would be "difficulties" if McIntyre could not work as the nature of the role is dependent on his personal relationship with clients, adding there would be a loss in business if he were to go to prison. McIntyre has been working as a personal trainer at Hobart Fitness Training since 2023. Magistrate Hartnett said she was not satisfied that McIntyre did not pose a risk of committing another reportable offence in future and placed his name on the sex offenders register for 18 months. Mr Cangelosi said McIntyre "deeply regretted" the recording had been made and understood the "flow-on effects" of the incident on the complainant. McIntyre was sentenced to three months' imprisonment, wholly suspended, and 49 hours of community service.
News.com.au
21 hours ago
- General
- News.com.au
Jockey Anthony Darmanin chasing first mainland stakes win since 2019 in Bel Esprit Stakes at Caulfield
Winning Saturday's Listed Bel Esprit Stakes would be a good way to help jockey Anthony Darmanin comply with Victorian licence requirements. Victorian jockeys must ride in at least 24 races in the state each year to retain their licence, a condition Darmanin is working through with the aid of leading trainers Ben, JD and Will Hayes. Darmanin rides at all Tasmanian race meetings but lives in Melbourne where he rides work every day he is available at Lindsay Park's Flemington stable. 'They (the Hayes brothers) have been good to me,' Darmanin said. 'I have got to do my 24 Victorian rides to keep my licence in Victoria so I work for them every morning and they throw me a bone here and there, which is good of them. 'If good opportunities to get more come up, I'll take them but, I don't really push myself out there. 'Tassie is working really well for me so I just pretty much focus on Tasmania.' Darmanin said he was happy with his riding life at the moment despite jumping on a plane to cross Bass Strait a couple of times a week. Darmanin has ridden 63 winners in Tasmania at a 20 per cent strike rate, putting him 21 wins ahead of his nearest rival Kelvin Sanderson. Darmanin hit the heights of Australian racing as part of the Mystic Journey story, winning the Group 1 Australian Guineas as well as the inaugural All-Star Mile in March 2019. The jockey, who won the Launceston Cup in February, will chase his first stakes win on the mainland since the 2019 PB Lawrence Stakes in Saturday's Bel Esprit Stakes. Darmanin will ride Stuart Gandy -trained Geegees Gemstone in the $175,000 feature. The gelding is a $34 chance but Darmanin was keen to see how the winner of eight of 19 starts in Tasmania fared in a Melbourne contest. 'He's definitely got good ability but he's definitely a tricky horse to ride because he likes to think things always go his way,' Darmanin said. 'There's no races for him in Tassie so Stuart has decided to have a look to see if he's good enough to measure up in Melbourne. 'He won the (Tasmanian) Newmarket first-up last time in but after that, he wasn't going as well. 'Stuart says the horse, who has already landed in Melbourne, is really well so we're just hoping for a good showing. 'Saturday is obviously an unknown with this bloke but hopefully he can measure up.'
ABC News
a day ago
- Business
- ABC News
Patients worried about the future of Healthscope hospitals around Australia
Vicky Purnell is a cancer survivor, and believes that without the Hobart Private Hospital, the outcome might have been different. In 2016, Ms Purnell, from Devonport in Tasmania's north-west, was diagnosed with uterine cancer. Within four days, she had surgery at the Hobart Private. It is one of Healthscope's 37 private hospitals across Australia, which are under a cloud since the company's owners went into receivership this week. The company has promised it is business as usual for the hospitals, but the uncertainty is causing concern for patients around the country. In Tasmania, surgery for gynaecological cancer is only done at the Royal Hobart and Hobart Private hospitals. Ms Purnell said she had the "full pull-out of everything" in a successful operation. It was only during the surgery it became clear how fast-growing the cancer was. "I very quickly realised I had such swift surgery because I had private health insurance and I was able to go into the Hobart Private, as opposed to waiting for a space at the Royal." Ms Purnell said a longer wait for surgery could have given her a different outcome. She said she was concerned by Healthscope's announcement and the impact it might have if it led to the closure of the Hobart Private and resulted in more surgeries going through the public system. "You don't have to be Einstein to work out that if you're going to take those cases to the Royal [Hobart Hospital] there is going to be a wait. "There's only a finite amount of resources and a finite amount of operating theatre time." Ms Purnell said it was an anxious time for patients linked to Healthscope. "We just don't know what the long-term outcome will be." Hobart-based patient Josie Mackey has used Healthscope hospitals in Tasmania and Victoria multiple times a year for the past decade for chronic health conditions and mental health. The 27-year-old said she was feeling "extremely concerned" about the company's owners' financial woes, especially after it closed its mental health hospital in Hobart in 2023. "All of my specialists work out of Healthscope hospitals, and, as someone with complex chronic health conditions, it gives me a lot of anxiety," Ms Mackey said. "It puts into question future surgeries and procedures and as to where they'll be performed out of. Will these specialists move interstate or elsewhere as they have nowhere to work out of?" Ms Mackey does not believe the public system could meet her complex needs. "My experiences with Healthscope hospitals has been overwhelmingly positive compared to other hospitals, from the nurses, doctors, staff, food services, to getting a fast admission date," she said. Ms Mackey will require ongoing procedures for endometriosis. She said if she were a public patient, she could be waiting for more than a year for surgery, living with pain in the meantime, and unable to access other services. Darwin mum Jess McClusky has private health insurance and is expecting a second child. During her first pregnancy, she said it was comforting to have a private obstetrician caring for her, along with a five-day stay in the private hospital with access to specialists on the ward. But from next week, Healthscope will no longer offer maternity services at the Darwin Private Hospital, leaving no private service. From August, it will also close maternity services in Hobart, leaving Tasmania with only one private operator. Up in the Top End, it's making Ms McClusky question whether it's worth keeping her health insurance. "It's a waste of money … if you're paying for insurance and you can't get anything for it, what's the point in having it? "We're going to continue it until we've had this baby and then we will reconsider our options." Like Josie Mackey, Jess McClusky has concerns about going through the public system. "The public hospital that we've got here in Darwin is overcapacity, often," she said. Australian Medical Association president Dr Danielle McMullen said the balance between private and public care in Australia was essential. "It's what makes our healthcare system unique and is what leads to some of the world-leading outcomes we see in Australia." Dr McMullen said almost 70 per cent of elective or planned surgeries were done in the private sector. "That highlights just how critical our private hospitals are." She said Healthscope's problems would be felt strongly in regional areas, where in some places it is the only private operator. Dr McMullen said change was needed to ensure private hospitals stayed viable. "It's really important that governments come together with insurers and private hospitals and groups like the AMA under a private health system authority to really drive the reforms we need to see." Dr McMullen said many doctors in regional areas worked between the public and private system to offer different services and expand their careers. "We've seen examples across the country that when a private hospital closes, we lose much-needed doctors from the region. "Many of these doctors use their private practices to help support the suitability of their practice in the public hospital as well. It's something Vicki Purnell is worried about too, when it comes to surgeons in Tasmania. "We are down to one gynaecological oncologist at the moment who is performing surgery at the Hobart Private and the Royal [Hobart Hospital]," she said. Jess McClusky is also concerned about losing specialists in Darwin. While she can still use a private obstetrician with her insurance, she's worried the closure of the private maternity ward will mean they'll shut up shop. "We don't know how long the private obstetricians will be here, one is retiring and the other is considering her options," she said.
ABC News
a day ago
- Business
- ABC News
Tasmanian government's road to budget surplus appears built on dreams and optimism
It's the Tasmanian government's yellow brick road — a pathway that will lead to all wishes coming true or, in this case, a surplus. But just like the one in the famous tale The Wizard of Oz, Treasurer Guy Barnett's "sensible pathway to surplus" appears almost fantastical, or at least extremely optimistic. It is built on the dream of selling public companies that may not be worth selling (or possible to sell); arguably unrealistic cuts to spending and a vague plan to reduce the public service. Perhaps it would be more believable if the government had not promised to reduce spending in the past, only to fail dramatically. But here are the undeniable facts. Tasmania's net debt is expected to reach $7.3 billion in the upcoming financial year. In four years, that debt is projected to balloon to almost $10.8 billion, at which point the interest repayments are expected to rise to almost $650 million a year. Labor says that is more than we spend on ambulance and emergency services combined. The forward estimates continue to see Tasmania operating in deficit, albeit reducing to $236 million in 2027-28. And those forward estimates have not proven to be reliable. Last year, the government planned to cap spending at $9.7 billion — and then out-spent that by another half a billion dollars, despite having an efficiency dividend and hiring freeze in place. Independent economist Saul Eslake did not hold back in his assessment of the budget, describing it as presenting an "upbeat view" of the economy that "may not come to pass". "The government is in the financial pickle it's now in because it kept increasing spending without giving any thought as to how that spending (however justified) should be paid for," he wrote. "And this budget shows it still hasn't been able to break that habit." The Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry likewise pointed out the pathway to surplus was only achievable if the government stuck to its spending promises. "In recent years, the final budget result each financial year has proven to be much worse than the budget estimate," TCCI chief executive Michael Bailey said. "At the very least, the Tasmanian government needs to at least stick to its budget and ensure it shows the fiscal discipline to make sure the final result is not worse than the already significant deficit forecast for 2025-26. The problem with the government's plan to cut spending is, it may not always be realistic. Take health — the main reason the government blew its budget this financial year. There is growing demand on the health system, but the budget assumes next year's spending will be roughly the same as this year's, which rarely happens. It also assumes in three years' time, overall government expenses will be less than they are this year. And it leaves little room for surprise events like state elections. Tasmania could barely afford big campaign promises back when elections were held every four years, let alone when they are called early. Part of the government's plan to cut spending is through the recently announced Efficiency and Productivity Unit (EPU). It will oversee the productivity and efficiency measures that will replace the efficiency dividend in 2027-28. The EPU's task is to find $150 million in savings each year from then. The difference is the way it will approach these efficiencies. The dividend required every department to make cuts, whereas the new approach, which the EPU will drive, will apparently be a more targeted "evidence-based" one. That received praise from Mr Eslake, although it came with a qualifier: "Assuming that EPU isn't a Tasmanian version of Elon Musk's DOGE." The problem is, while the government is relying on efficiencies to help it get back on track, it has no clue where it will find them and is optimistically hoping to exceed its targets. It wants to cut the number of public servants by 2,500, bringing the sector back to 2022-23 levels, a measure announced in last year's budget. Unsurprisingly, it drew the ire of Jessica Munday from Unions Tasmania. "It is just completely fanciful. If the government were looking for a road map to take Tasmania forward, this is not it. "If you have tried to access one [of] our public hospitals, if you've got a kid in one of our public schools, despite the best efforts of workers, you know how much pressure they are under. When asked about plans to cut staff, Mr Barnett spoke in the press conference largely about the COVID-19 pandemic, as though there are a spare 2,500 staff still hanging around on the public dollar with little to do since 2021. He pointed out that in the past five years, the Tasmanian population had grown by just 5 per cent, and the public service by 18 per cent. "We do need a right-size public service," he said. "We've obviously been through COVID, we had to save lives, we had to save livelihoods, we did the job and I think most in the community would say we got there. Selling assets is another part of the plan — but it is unclear which ones will be sold or if it is even possible. Mr Eslake is no doubt relieved that the government has taken his advice on board this time, ruling out selling the same list he had in the 'no' pile, plus TT-Line and Hydro Tasmania. He is now taking a closer looking at the potential sale of the remaining government business enterprises (GBE). That does not mean he will suggest they are worth selling — there could very well be another 'no-go' list to come out of this report. Assuming he can identify some that may do better in public hands, and benefit the budget, the government then has that pesky issue of being in minority. That is a problem because many of those GBEs will need parliamentary approval to be sold and Labor, plus most of the crossbench, are dead-set against that idea. There are some, including Aurora, that do not need parliamentary approval to be sold off — though Labor has plans to try and change that. And it is not just GBEs on the chopping block. The government will fill the coffers through the sale of Crown Land, not to mention the Treasury building. The sale of all these, of course, may provide little more than a sugar hit. But perhaps this is all a bit too cynical. Maybe it will work out? There are likely a lot of inefficiencies that can be found in the public service (the problem is solving them will cost money up-front). Maybe there are programs and jobs that are no longer needed and are just waiting to be cut? Maybe companies like Metro and Aurora will be better off in private hands and the government will somehow convince the crossbench of that — and then the state will make a mint? But it seems that only when we get to the end of this road (in 2029-30) will we know if that surplus was a mirage all along.
SBS Australia
a day ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
SBS News In Easy English 29 May 2025
A man accused of murder after allegedly burning down a house in Sydney has been arrested on a train with a machete in his trousers. The arrest followed a 15-hour search for the 50 year old, who police allege set fire to the Croydon home before robbing a service station for cigarettes. The body of an 80 year old man was found in the ruins of the burned-out property on Wednesday morning. The man is appearing in Gosford Local Court today . French surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, after pleading guilty to raping and sexually assaulting 299 people. Many of his victims were children and patients in his care, including those who were under anaesthetic when he abused them. Prosecutors say there may be another trial on behalf of those whose victimisation was not included in this case. There are ongoing investigations into whether agencies, including public hospitals, could have prevented the abuse A United Nations aid warehouse in Gaza has been broken into by hungry Palestinians. The UN says two people have died and more have been injured in the incident at the warehouse in central Gaza. The UN is continuing its calls for an immediate scale-up of aid allowed into Gaza by Israel, saying those still there need reassurance they won't starve. UN Middle East envoy Sigrid Kaag says Israel's recent lifting of its blockade has so far been a case of too little, too late. The Tasmanian government has backed away from pursuing a treaty with the state's Indigenous people, four years after the consultation process began. A government-commissioned report tabled in 2021 had recommended working on treaty and truth-telling at the same time. The government says it will instead be focusing on the truth-telling process with the appointment of truth and healing commissioners. It's committed $4.4 million over the next four years for Closing the Gap initiatives and other economic opportunities. New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Luxon says he is open to a proposed "Anzac" political mission to Kyiv alongside Anthony Albanese, suggesting the pair have spoken about making it a possibility. Ukraine Ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko has invited the pair to visit this European summer, alongside other international summits. Mr Luxon says he received the invitation "a couple of weeks back" and it is under consideration. Mr Albanese has already visited Ukraine, making a two-day visit in July 2022, however Mr Luxon has not done so since taking office in 2023. In rugby league... Queensland coach Billy Slater says his team has to be more disciplined if they want to beat New South Wales. The Maroons must now come from behind to win this year's State of Origin series after losing game one at home, 18 points to 6. Slater says his players have the talent to win, but their discipline let them down. Zac Lomax scored two tries for the Blues in their victory, whilst Blues forward Payne Haas won the official player of the match award. Queensland now must win game two to keep the series alive. It will be played on the 18th of June, on neutral ground in Perth.
