Nationals senator accuses TikTok of intimidating and bullying his workplace
The Nationals senator Ross Cadell mentioned a TikTok employees member known as his workplace whereas he was in a earlier listening to for the age assurance inquiry and intimidated his employees over questions he was asking.
On the parliamentary inquiry he mentioned the TikTok staffer mentioned: “We get on very effectively with the chief’s workplace, we get on very effectively with the shadow minister’s workplace. You shouldn’t be asking these questions.”
He mentioned it was intimidating and bullying.
TikTok’s director of coverage in Australia, Ella Woods-Joyce, mentioned she wasn’t conscious of the incident:
I’m not conscious of the small print that you simply’re speaking about, and what I can say is that the workforce must function professionally and appropriately always, and I’ve confidence that that’s that’s what we do.
Cadell replied:
Do we predict TikTok is just too large to fail? … As a result of I observe there was an apology late final week or earlier this week by the particular person concerned to my employees member, however it got here solely after the affirmation that you’d attend [today]. There was nothing, no handle, no recognition of this issue till you needed to face some consequence and present up.
Cadell questioned whether or not TikTok was a “bullying behemoth that desires to get its personal means at any value”.
Woods-Joyce mentioned “completely not”.
Nationals senator Ross Cadell. {Photograph}: Mick Tsikas/AAPShare
Up to date at 19.18 EDT
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Business minister will ‘exhaust each alternative’ to safe Tomago’s future
A bit of earlier we introduced you information that Rio Tinto is contemplating ceasing operations on the NSW-based Tomago aluminium smelter because it struggles with excessive power costs.
Standing up slightly earlier, the trade and science minister, Tim Ayres, mentioned he’s “decided to exhaust each alternative” to discover a resolution and defend the smelter’s employees.
Ayres says he has been working with the New South Wales authorities, and has come to the desk with a suggestion to Rio Tinto however the events “didn’t attain an agreed end result”. (He wouldn’t give us any particulars of what was in that provide, and what Rio Tinto had been asking for.)
He additionally nudged NSW and its premier Chris Minns to remain engaged within the talks.
Our course of to any extent further can be on two tracks, working with the NSW authorities, Rio Tinto and the opposite house owners of this facility … I’m very centered, regardless of this being difficult information immediately, on exhausting each alternative to safe new energy buying agreements for that facility …
There have been gives made between the 2 governments, we’re working very carefully with the NSW authorities, there are, in fact, challenges in all these sorts of negotiations.
The federal government most lately made a cope with the Queensland state authorities to maintain the Mt Isa copper smelter operating at the price of $600m for 3 years.
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Up to date at 19.45 EDT
Andrew Messenger
Queensland’s supreme courtroom handy down judgment on the state’s puberty blocker ban
The well being minister, Tim Nicholls, introduced the ban, which applies solely to new transgender sufferers, in January. The courtroom heard that well being director common, David Rosengren, was holding legally mandated session with well being executives on the similar time, lasting 22 minutes.
The mum or dad of a transgender youngster challenged the method behind the choice on three grounds: that the session was inadequate, that Rosengren had been unduly influenced by political interference, or that he had taken under consideration irrelevant elements.
However at a listening to final week, Jonathan Horton KC, performing for Queensland Well being, informed the courtroom it was applicable for cupboard to be concerned and that the directive had modified on account of the session.
Supreme courtroom decide Peter Callaghan will hand down the judgment after 11.30am Queensland time immediately.
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Up to date at 19.43 EDT
Benita Kolovos
Malmsbury youth justice facility to reopen a yr after it closed
The Malmsbury youth justice facility will reopen only a yr after the Victorian authorities closed its doorways, on account of a rise within the variety of younger folks on remand.
The Victorian corrections minister, Enver Erdogan, informed reporters outdoors parliament this morning that the power will reopen in a staged method from early subsequent yr beneath a brand new mannequin.
He says the preliminary 30 beds can be for a lower-risk cohort aged 17 years and older – releasing up extra custodial beds at Cherry Creek and Parkville youth justice centres for critical high-risk offenders.
The brand new mannequin at Malmsbury will ship extra schooling, vocational coaching and job alternatives for this lower-risk cohort, Erdogan says.
The price of reopening the power – which solely closed on the finish of 2024 – can be $140m over 5 years. An extra $4.8m can be spent on upgrading safety on the centre.
Erdogan informed reporters it wasn’t a mistake to shut it:
There was no want for a 3rd premises on the time for youth justice however in fact instances have modified, we’ve seen a 46% improve within the remand inhabitants. We’re doing what we mentioned we’d do, and that’s taking repeat harmful offenders off our streets.
Victorian minister for corrections and youth justice, Enver Erdogan. {Photograph}: Joel Carrett/AAPShare
Up to date at 19.10 EDT
Jordyn Beazley
Metropolis of Sydney passes Greens movement condemning NSW weapons expo
The Metropolis of Sydney final night time handed a movement condemning a weapons expo that can be held in Sydney subsequent week with the NSW authorities because the principal sponsor.
The Indo Pacific Worldwide Maritime Exposition is going down subsequent week at Sydney’s Worldwide Conference Centre, and is being marketed as “the area’s premier business maritime and naval defence exposition connecting defence, trade, authorities and academia”.
The movement, which was moved by Greens councillor Matthew Thompson with out amendments and had close to unanimous help, famous that:
Most of the main stakeholders and sponsors of this occasion have direct connections to present, and historic, conflicts – having fun with staggering earnings from the distress and affected by battle and warfare.
The movement included a request for Lord Mayor Clover Moore to jot down to the NSW premier, Chris Minns. It famous the letter ought to condemn the occasion, and categorical that it’s the accountability of the federal government to advertise de-escalation.
It additionally famous the letter ought to request that:
Occasions selling and profiteering from the sale of instruments and weapons of warfare, similar to, however not restricted to, the Indo Pacific Weapons Expo, not be hosted by the NSW Authorities within the Metropolis of Sydney Native Authorities Space sooner or later.
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Up to date at 18.57 EDT
Farrell says commerce with south-east Asia helps keep away from battle and improve prosperity
As Anthony Albanese continues assembly with south-east Asian leaders on the Asean summit immediately, one senior minister says free commerce is the important thing to sustaining peace within the area.
Yesterday, Albanese mentioned the area is rising shortly and can grow to be the fourth largest financial system by the top of the last decade – making it ripe for stronger relations and funding from Australia.
Leaping again to Don Farrell’s look on ABC Information Breakfast, the commerce minister mentioned Australian companies ought to make investments extra within the area and export extra merchandise similar to meals and wine.
We’ve obtained numerous benefits. Clearly, proximity is certainly one of them, a really dependable route for provide chains, and in addition massive numbers of south-east Asian migrants who’ve come to Australia: Filipinos, Indonesians, Vietnamese, Thais.
We don’t need battle in our area, and one strategy to keep away from battle is to extend the prosperity of our area. How can we try this? Properly, free and truthful commerce does that exactly … The extra we will interact economically with the area, then the extra peaceable our area goes to be, and that’s the best way the Albanese authorities want to see it.
Minister for commerce, Don Farrell. {Photograph}: Mick Tsikas/AAPShare
Up to date at 19.01 EDT
Rio Tinto mulling closing Tomago aluminium smelter
Rio Tinto mentioned on Tuesday it’s considering ceasing operations at its New South Wales-based Tomago aluminium smelter on the finish of its present electrical energy provide contract, Reuters studies.
The Tomago aluminium smelter, which has been fighting excessive energy costs, has began a session course of with staff on the potential way forward for its operations, however is but to achieve a call.
The smelter’s current electrical energy provide contract with AGL Power expires in December 2028, with Tomago but to establish a pathway that helps commercially sustainable operations past the interval “regardless of intensive engagement and market approaches”, in accordance with the miner’s assertion.
Tomago Aluminium CEO, Jérôme Dozol, mentioned:
Sadly, all market proposals obtained thus far present future power costs usually are not commercially viable, and there’s vital uncertainty about when renewable tasks can be obtainable on the scale we’d like.
Entry signage at Tomago Aluminium, NSW. {Photograph}: Michael Gorton/AAPShare
Up to date at 19.14 EDT
‘A planning system that claims sure’: Victoria pronounces main overhaul to get properties constructed sooner
Benita Kolovos
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, is holding a press convention to pronounces what she says is the “greatest overhaul” of the state’s planning legal guidelines in many years.
Below adjustments to the Planning and Atmosphere Act 1987, three new planning streams can be created to slash allow approval instances to as little as 10 days for standalone homes and duplexes, 30 days for townhouses and low-rise developments and 60 days for bigger developments.
Third celebration attraction rights – which permit anybody to object to a planning allow – can be scraped for properties, duplexes, townhouses and low rise house streams.
For greater density residences, solely those that are straight impacted – similar to neighbours within the space – will be capable to attraction.
Allan says a planning allow at the moment takes 140 days to get permitted – and if there’s an objection, it blows out to greater than 300 days.
Victoria’s planning legal guidelines had been written many years and many years in the past. It was a really completely different time, a really completely different time. We have to not solely convey our planning legal guidelines into the twenty first century, we additionally must overhaul them, to take them from being quaint nimby-type legal guidelines right into a planning system that claims sure and will get properties and tasks constructed extra shortly.
Victorian premier Jacinta Allan. {Photograph}: Joel Carrett/AAPShare
Up to date at 18.23 EDT
Nationals senator accuses TikTok of intimidating and bullying his workplace
The Nationals senator Ross Cadell mentioned a TikTok employees member known as his workplace whereas he was in a earlier listening to for the age assurance inquiry and intimidated his employees over questions he was asking.
On the parliamentary inquiry he mentioned the TikTok staffer mentioned: “We get on very effectively with the chief’s workplace, we get on very effectively with the shadow minister’s workplace. You shouldn’t be asking these questions.”
He mentioned it was intimidating and bullying.
TikTok’s director of coverage in Australia, Ella Woods-Joyce, mentioned she wasn’t conscious of the incident:
I’m not conscious of the small print that you simply’re speaking about, and what I can say is that the workforce must function professionally and appropriately always, and I’ve confidence that that’s that’s what we do.
Cadell replied:
Do we predict TikTok is just too large to fail? … As a result of I observe there was an apology late final week or earlier this week by the particular person concerned to my employees member, however it got here solely after the affirmation that you’d attend [today]. There was nothing, no handle, no recognition of this issue till you needed to face some consequence and present up.
Cadell questioned whether or not TikTok was a “bullying behemoth that desires to get its personal means at any value”.
Woods-Joyce mentioned “completely not”.
Nationals senator Ross Cadell. {Photograph}: Mick Tsikas/AAPShare
Up to date at 19.18 EDT
Josh Butler
MPs run riot in press v politicians contact soccer match
Barnaby Joyce and Matt Canavan obtained one again on the journalists this morning, claiming victory within the annual press v pollies contact soccer match.
Liberal MP Simon Kennedy bamboozled the press gallery defence, notching up the match spotlight in scoring a strive after a twinkletoes efficiency paying homage to Brisbane star Reece Walsh. Nationals MPs Joyce and Canavan mixed frequently by means of the center, with sturdy defence and dependable carries for yardage, as just a few fleet-footed staffers completed off the actions to attain within the corners.
Even with out Wallabies legend David Pocock taking the sector, the politicians ran riot as the sport went on. Not even the addition of minister Pat Conroy – referred to by some because the minister for rugby league – to the journos’ workforce might flip the tide.
Regardless of the press taking an early lead, with Sky Information reporter Cam Reddin sidestepping by means of the defence with the benefit of a seasoned politician dodging questions, the MPs piled on various unanswered tries to take a transparent victory.
It wasn’t all clean crusing for the pollies although. As Joyce took a carry however fumbled the ball, Canavan yelled in mock outrage “that’s why we’re eliminating him”.
The ultimate rating? Unimportant. The numerical hole didn’t inform the entire story, the sport on the paddock being a lot nearer than it seemed on the scoreboard. The true winner on the day, because it at all times is, was soccer itself.
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Up to date at 18.52 EDT
Minister defends Albanese authorities’s transparency document
Commerce minister and particular minister of state Don Farrell says he doesn’t agree that the federal government has dropped the ball on integrity and transparency.
The most recent report from the Centre for Public Integrity, first launched to 9 Newspapers, has given the federal government a failing grade following Anthony Albanese’s choice to chop opposition employees and makes an attempt to tighten freedom of knowledge legal guidelines.
Farrell tells ABC Information Breakfast the federal government is doing extra to extend transparency, together with by means of its legal guidelines handed final time period on electoral donations.
The quantity [disclosure threshold] was $17,000. So, we have now considerably dropped that cash. Extra importantly, these donations need to be disclosed earlier than the election. So, each … donation above $5,000 must be disclosed earlier than the following election. Now, I’d say that was very vital transparency challenge.
Commerce minister Don Farrell. {Photograph}: Mick Tsikas/AAPShare
Up to date at 18.01 EDT
