Tony Burke declares unbiased administrator of CFMEU
Amy Remeikis
Workplace relations minister Tony Burke has appointed the Fair Work Commission common supervisor, Murray Furlong, as an unbiased administrator of the CFMEU in response to allegations of organised crime hyperlinks with the union.
The common supervisor of the Fair Work Commission is the most effective particular person positioned to take this motion…
Any motion that the overall supervisor takes – with respect to any half of the development division of the CFMEU – I, as minister, will intervene in help of that motion. I do imagine these actions are finest taken by the regulator, however any motion to appoint an administrator will probably be supported by me as minister.
Burke mentioned if there was a want for additional laws to permit Furlong to take motion, then that may be the precedence of the federal government when parliament returned on 12 August.
Burke has additionally requested for the AFP to examine any allegations of criminality together with state police.
Key occasions
The Bureau of Meteorology has additionally shared a picture of a “tarn” that has reappeared at Mount Wellington in Tasmania, following days of heavy rain.
A tarn is a lake that kinds when a steep hole fills with rain or snow run-off.
The Bureau mentioned within the three days to Tuesday, 124mm of rain was reported on the mountain and the tarn will drain away after a few days.
This beautiful tarn has reappeared at #kunanyi/#MtWellington! A tarn is a lake that kinds when a steep hole fills with rain/ snow run-off. In the three days to Tuesday, 124mm of rain was reported on the mountain. The tarn will drain away after a few days, so ensure to test it out! pic.twitter.com/qHrj9NmCw8
— Bureau of Meteorology, Tasmania (@BOM_Tas) July 17, 2024
The Bureau of Meteorology has revealed a nationwide climate replace, trying on the chilly entrance shifting throughout southern Australia:
‘Potential’ to deregister CFMEU as Tasmania weighs choices
The union representing development, forestry and maritime employees in Tasmania could possibly be deregistered after allegations of legal hyperlinks with bikies, AAP studies.
The Tasmanian authorities is investigating to decide what actions to take in opposition to the state’s union department together with potential de-registration, after a collection of alleged corruption scandals.
The revelations of alleged legal conduct within the CFMEU had been extraordinarily disturbing and a betrayal of hard-working development employees in Tasmania, attorney-general Guy Barnett mentioned.
I’m looking for recommendation on what actions could be taken at a state degree to defend Tasmanians – together with potential de-registration of the CFMEU in Tasmania.
I may even be writing to the unbiased administrator appointed to examine the CFMEU to request the investigation additionally covers the actions of the Tasmanian division.
The Tasmanian department of the CFMEU is managed by the Victorian department, which has been positioned into administration together with its South Australian department by the union’s nationwide workplace.
Praise for cane toad containment zone
The Invasive Species Council has welcomed a transfer by the Western Australian authorities to launch a cane toad containment zone, west of Broome.
Conservation and biosecurity analyst Lyall Grieve mentioned:
This initiative will probably be a frontline defence in opposition to this incoming invasion, which is able to devastate native species, affect farmers and injury Indigenous connection to Country.
These poisonous pests have already unfold west all through the Kimberley and are knocking on the door of the Pilbara. The looming menace of cane toads pushing 20 to 24 extra native animals to the brink of extinction in the event that they make their means west of Broome, is a disaster we can not afford to ignore.
Some of these species are discovered nowhere else exterior the Pilbara. Small mammals such as Kaluta, Ningaui and Planigales together with reptiles just like the Pilbara Rock Goanna are anticipated to be some of the worst hit of the distinctive animals discovered solely on this half.
Josh Taylor
Parks Australia trialling AI to detect crocodiles in watering holes
Parks Australia is trialling utilizing synthetic intelligence to detect crocodiles in watering holes to forestall guests to the parks encountering them unexpectedly, a Senate committee has heard.
Parks Australia’s director of the workplace of the chief distant pilot, Dr Renee Bartolo, advised the Senate choose committee on adopting AI that the company has been utilizing drones to undertake wildlife surveys, after which utilizing AI to do detections:
We additionally use it performing some trials in phrases of customer security with a crocodile AI detection mannequin for swimming holes. That’s not to change present survey strategies, however to add additional strains of proof.
Bartolo mentioned it was additionally used for environmental monitoring and administration for points like weeds, ghost nets, and marine particles in northern Australia.
The company has adopted a “crawl, walk, run” strategy to AI and is figuring out what the advantages is likely to be notably round environmental monitoring, the committee heard, and for methods to probably acquire real-time data that’s a lot extra complete and cheaper to acquire.
Amy Remeikis
What else is the federal government doing?
Tony Burke has requested the Fair Work Ombudsman to “undertake a targeted review of all enterprise agreements made by the Victorian branch of the construction division of the CFMEU that apply to Victorian “Big Build” initiatives”.
That is separate to what the Fair Work Commission is doing – this half of the evaluate will probably be “seeking information on coercive behaviour and has no intention of taking any action which would put at risk terms and conditions of employment for the workers covered by these agreements. This is not their fault”.
Burke says “the government will use its procurement powers to ensure that enterprise agreements used on Government funded projects are genuinely agreed and that workplaces are free from coercion and intimidation”.
On high of all of this, Burke has written to the AFP commissioner, asking that the AFP “investigate the recent allegations and work cooperatively with state police to investigate and prosecute any criminal breaches”.
There will probably be extra coming – so watch this house.
Amy Remeikis
Let’s undergo the announcement Tony Burke simply made concerning the CFMEU
Burke is utilizing industrial relations regulation to permit the Fair Work Commission common supervisor, Murray Furlong, to appoint an unbiased administrator to oversee the CFMEU whereas the investigations into the allegations are carried out.
To try this will probably be a little bit sophisticated.
Burke says Furlong has mentioned he desires to take authorized motion to appoint directors to the development division. So far, this on the recommendation stage.
If it can’t be labored out earlier than parliament sits in mid-August, then the federal government will legislate to permit the work to happen. Burke has mentioned he’ll again Furlong in any motion he believes wants to be taken.
So it’s nuanced, however Furlong will lead the method appointing directors, however gained’t be the administrator himself, and he’ll have the backing of the federal government in doing that.
Here’s the complete story from Amy Remeikis on news that office relations minister Tony Burke has introduced an unbiased administrator will probably be appointed as investigations into the CFMEU start.
Stephanie Convery
Aged care knowledgeable says for-profit amenities not passing on public funding
When revenue is a motive for offering aged care, weak folks will miss out, the manager officer of Housing for the Aged Action Group has mentioned.
Today we reported on current evaluation from the University of Technology Sydney, which discovered almost two-thirds of residential aged care properties that turned a revenue within the first half of the final monetary 12 months didn’t meet necessary care-minute targets, regardless of substantial authorities funding.
Since October final 12 months, residential aged care suppliers have been required to present a necessary common of 200 minutes of direct care to every resident a day, together with 40 minutes from a registered nurse and are funded as such.
But the Ageing Research Collaborative discovered that 63.9% of residential aged care centres turning a revenue had been doing so by basically pocketing the federal authorities’s direct care subsidy, as an alternative of offering sufficient workers to meet care necessities.
Fiona York, govt officer of Housing for the Aged Action Group, mentioned:
Profit making companies shouldn’t be receiving taxpayer {dollars} to present aged care companies. We know that when there may be a revenue motive, older people who find themselves probably the most weak will miss out. This contains financially deprived older folks on low incomes and with few belongings, older individuals who have skilled homelessness, older folks dwelling in regional and distant areas, culturally and linguistically various older folks, LGBTIQA+ older folks and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elders.
Older folks deserve equal entry to high quality care and authorities wants to make sure that aged care funding is being spent within the locations that want it probably the most. Enforcement of high quality requirements and minimal care necessities, and persevering with to enhance pay and situations for the aged care workforce would go a way to enhancing the lives of residents.
Bowen says renewables traders have raised considerations with him about lack of bipartisan help for 2030 local weather goal
Taking a last query, Chris Bowen is requested whether or not the renewables rollout has already been “materially harmed” as a result of there’s now not bipartisan help for the 2030 local weather goal?
He responded:
It has been raised with me as a concern by renewable vitality traders, sure. I’m not conscious of any explicit resolution that has been taken to say ‘we were going to invest here in renewable energy and now we’re not’.
I’m not conscious of any resolution that’s been taken on the idea of the uncertainty attributable to nuclear power, however has it been raised with me as a concern by renewable vitality traders? Have they paid consideration and are they fearful about it? Yes.
Moving away from vitality coverage for a second: A reporter asks Chris Bowen about his voters of McMahon, after studies indicated the Muslim neighborhood is organising candidates to run on the subsequent election.
As for a way this shapes the federal government’s international coverage, Bowen responded:
We make our international coverage selections and selections primarily based on the proof and good coverage, not on electoral politics.
It generally annoys me to see newspaper articles saying this MP has argued for this, and right here’s the proportion of Muslim voters of their voters, they have to by definition have a view about Palestine that’s pushed by electoral functions and never good coverage causes.
We’ll proceed to make our international coverage selections like we have now – just like the vote within the UN, which gave better rights to Palestine – we’ll proceed to try this thorough cupboard processes and a dialogue of the coverage deserves.
As for his voters of McMahon, Bowen mentioned “we take no vote for granted [and] no seat for granted”, and that he works intently with the unbiased mayor.
Outright local weather change denial changed with ‘all-too-hard-ism’, Bowen says
Chris Bowen argued that local weather change denial is a minority and “the science of climate change is now as certain as the science that tobacco causes cancer”.
Full on, open local weather change denial is now much less trendy than it was 10 or 15 years in the past within the public debate. It used to be fairly frequent. Now it’s not so frequent. Andrew Bolt nonetheless does it, however most different folks don’t trouble with it.
What it had been changed with, is what I name all-too-hard-ism [or] local weather in-activism.
It’s all too had. Renewables, it’s all too arduous. Building the system is just too arduous. Not saying we don’t want to do it, however it’s all too arduous. That’s extra harmful within the public debate than full on, straight out local weather change denial, which you see much less and fewer of.
Bowen says ‘conspiracy theory rabbit hole’ rhetoric wants to be referred to as out
A reporter asks what could be finished to “shepherd a more constructive conversation” round Australia’s vitality future, when “many Australians may listen to this debate and feel cynical about the tone it takes on.”
Chris Bowen mentioned it’s not the function of paperwork or the division to take part in public debate, however to advise the federal government.
He mentioned that polarisation is a “symptom of a broader problem” and local weather change is “the pointy end of that problem”.
He mentioned that individuals’s motives are “increasingly” being questioned, notably on social media, which is impacting debate. And this happens with well being and vaccination coverage as properly as the local weather, he mentioned.
If you’re pro-renewables, you’re accused of being a traitor as a result of one way or the other it’s referred to as up in a conspiracy about China. Or you’re accused of taking part in a local weather hoax, which is one way or the other a conspiracy by scientists to maintain getting funding…
Conspiracy idea rabbit gap develops from local weather change to anti-vaxing, to, , international affairs fairly simply. And as I mentioned, there’s an excessive amount of of it allowed and perpetrated in Parliament House in my very sturdy view. And having local weather denial and anti-vaxxer sentiment expressed recurrently by a minority … just isn’t in my opinion, okay with out it being referred to as out.
Bowen takes questions on obligatory acquisition of land to rollout transmission hyperlinks
Chris Bowen mentions the rollout of transmission strains for HumeLink – a 360km connection between the deliberate Snowy 2.0 enlargement within the Mount Kosciuszko nationwide park to Bannaby, north-west of Goulburn.
He mentioned TransGrid has reached settlement with 74% of landholders:
It’s not 100, however it’s not zero, and it’s good progress [that’s growing] on a regular basis … I work with all of the states and with the businesses to get the job finished. Decisions about obligatory acquisition are usually not ones on the federal authorities degree. Inevitably, you attempt very arduous, the businesses attempt very arduous to get as a lot settlement as attainable from land holders earlier than that’s contemplated.
He later added: “I’m far from complacent, but I’m relatively satisfied with where we’re at.”
Some landholders, who had been first knowledgeable in regards to the venture months after the black summer time bushfires, have been advocating for the powerlines to go underground.
Bowen requested about significance of gasoline in potential second-term Labor authorities
This is on condition that the federal government labelled gasoline as a key vitality supply “to 2050 and beyond”, whereas it’s not inspired underneath the proposed greens scores system and excluded from the capability funding scheme.
Chris Bowen responded:
I don’t agree with the premise about blended alerts. But we’re the wise folks, pragmatic folks when it comes to gasoline.
You’ve bought the Liberals who had a gasoline restoration, which was a gasoline bin fireplace. You’ve bought the Greens who say gasoline has no function to play within the system going ahead. I disagree with each of these and the federal government disagrees with each of them.
Bowen argued gasoline would play “an important role” by way of firming renewables, and for business. He later added:
By definition, while you flip it on, it’s very worthwhile, however it might’t compete in phrases of price to construct with renewables – therefore the capability funding scheme just isn’t the correct means to cope with gasoline.
Chris Bowen ended his speech with an election enchantment, noting a “choice” between renewables and nuclear and urging folks to “stay the course” with renewables, and Labor:
The alternative for affected communities will probably be stark. The alternative for Australia is, and can, be stark. We can have a debate on this by all means, however a mature debate requires details and the Liberals and Nationals have supplied pitifully few thus far. The authorities will probably be staying the course and making the case to the Australian people who we must always keep the course, as properly.
