Australia federal election 2022 reside: Albanese pressed on Labor costings forward of Thursday announcement; 66 Covid deaths | Australian election 2022

Coalition pledges $11m to combat gamba grass risk

Lisa Cox

There’s been one other environmental announcement at this time, this time from the Coalition, which is promising to sort out the specter of gamba grass in northern Australia.

Late final month, Labor introduced $9.8m to handle the extremely invasive weed, which grows to 4 metres, fuels hotter and extra harmful fires and is acknowledged as one of the harmful threats to the savannas of the Northern Territory. On the time, conservation teams described the dedication as a possible game-changer.

Lingiari is a battleground seat on this marketing campaign and the Coalition at this time has gone barely additional, committing $11m for applications targeted on managing and eradicating gamba grass.

The setting minister, Sussan Ley, says a “Tackling Gamba Grass Fund” will fund grants for native communities, conventional homeowners, environmental scientists and Parks Australia.

She says the cash will fund work on the bottom in addition to in new science and analysis initiatives to discover a long-term answer to cease the unfold of the weed.

The fund is along with just lately introduced gamba grass initiatives in Litchfield Nationwide Park and northern Western Australia and a $450,000 partnership with Territory Pure Useful resource Administration to sort out gamba grass round Arnhem Land.

Ley stated:

The Morrison authorities has prioritised pest and weed management as a key a part of our threatened species technique.

We are going to establish extra precedence websites and ship extra tools, instruments and herbicides to take away this weed.

Setting teams welcomed the announcement and the emergence of cross-party assist for addressing the gamba grass “disaster”.

Dave Liddle, of the Setting Centre NT, says the funding has the potential to show issues round:

Lastly we’re seeing funding commitments from all events which match the size of the gamba drawback and provides us an opportunity to get on prime of the gamba disaster for the primary time.

Land management technician Steph Rouse spraying pesticide on invasive gamba grass on Darwin’s outskirts last year — Land administration technician Steph Rouse spraying pesticide on invasive gamba grass on Darwin’s outskirts final 12 months. {Photograph}: Aaron Bunch/AAP

Littleproud can even not be drawn on whether or not Scott Morrison’s lack of recognition is a drag on the vote, saying:

He put a number of noses out of joint … however he bought stuff carried out. This man’s bought a little bit of ticker.

(The phrase “ticker” has barely been heard since about 2005, when former prime minister John Howard stated Labor’s Kim Beazley didn’t “have the ticker” for the highest job.)

Deputy Nationals chief David Littleproud is refusing to be drawn on whether or not cash being splashed round within the areas is something to do with the “quid professional quo” over its cope with the Liberal celebration on reaching internet zero (regardless of Sky Information host Kieran Gilbert’s greatest efforts).

Littleproud says his celebration’s not taking something without any consideration in Queensland, and that there’s “rising unease” in regards to the possibilities of Australia “sleepwalking” into an Albanese authorities.

And on his colleague senator Matt Canavan declaring the web zero goal was “useless”, Littleproud says:

Matt has his personal view, it’s not one which the Nationwide celebration agrees with.

The Australian Council of Commerce Unions says it has carried out the maths on the Coalition’s costings (NB: the Coalition is unlikely to agree with their conclusion):

In case you missed it earlier, right here’s Sarah Martin’s piece on these public service cuts:

One in 5 Australians risked going to work whereas experiencing Covid-19 signs with a purpose to make ends meet, analysis has discovered.

The Australia Institute surveyed 1,000 folks in February and nearly 20% admitted they left their houses “to the detriment of their very own well being and the well being of their colleagues and the broader group”.

That proportion was larger amongst younger workers (29%), who feared they couldn’t do business from home, even whereas sick with the virus, with a purpose to preserve their jobs.

The institute’s Centre for Future Work director, Jim Stanford, stated tens of millions of staff had both used up their paid sick go away or weren’t entitled to sick pay:

There isn’t any doubt this has contributed to the epidemic of individuals attending work with doable Covid signs.

Greater than a 3rd of employed Australians haven’t any entry to statutory paid sick go away entitlements, together with informal and self-employed staff.

The researchers referred to as for governments to broaden sick pay entitlements to cowl all staff, together with these in informal employment and the self-employed.

(By way of Australian Related Press)

A healthcare employee collects a Covid swab at a testing web site in Melbourne. {Photograph}: Diego Fedele/AAP

Do not forget that a part of the election marketing campaign that was all about wage rises? Was it… final week?

Paul Karp studies that prime minister Scott Morrison has loosened up on the “unfastened unit” language:

Re: that put up under about Howard – if that is the spotlight, I received’t hustle an excessive amount of.

#Breaking: Former Prime Minister John Howard has advised Sky Information he doesn’t suppose Scott Morrison is seen as unpopular.

— David Sharaz (@SharazDavid) May 17, 2022

Thanks a lot to Amy Remeikis. I want I used to be higher at heeding her requires self care.

However with solely 4.5 days left, I reckon I’m gonna make it. OK, let’s see what this afternoon has in retailer. I simply noticed the tail finish of an interview with former prime minister John Howard on Sky Information. I’ll convey you that when I discover the clip. Poor man’s been wheeled out fairly a bit on this marketing campaign.

The campaigns are each on the transfer, with 4.5 days to go.

The fantastic Tory Shepherd will take you thru the afternoon. I can be again with you early tomorrow morning.

Thanks to everybody who has adopted together with me at this time – and for individuals who have requested me questions, I’m doing my greatest to get again to everybody. Till tomorrow – deal with you Ax

It’s an empty chair state of affairs.

There was speak the Reserve Financial institution of Australia was going to attend for the info we’re getting over the subsequent few days earlier than making its fee choice, however clearly it moved forward of these releases. However it’ll feed into the Honest Work Fee’s choice.

And it could have an effect on whether or not or not the RBA raises charges once more.

It’s an enormous week for financial information. The Australian Bureau of Statistics will report the March quarter wages information tomorrow.

April’s unemployment fee can be out on Thursday, and on Friday the ABS will report what number of companies have opened and closed in addition to the variety of buying and selling companies and the charges of survival.

Labor is slated to announce its costings on Thursday.

Adeshola Ore

Victoria’s new Aboriginal social and wellbeing centre has launched in Melbourne in a bid to supply culturally acceptable psychological well being providers.

The centre, led by the Victorian Aboriginal group managed well being organisation, was a key advice within the state’s royal fee into psychological well being which handed down its ultimate report in February final 12 months.

Victoria’s psychological well being minister, James Merlino, stated the state authorities was placing Indigenous communities “entrance and centre in redesigning our state’s psychological well being system”.

The performing Aboriginal affairs minister, Ros Spence, stated the federal government was dedicated to making sure First Nations communities had the “assets and the abilities to proceed to care for his or her communities”.

Victoria’s mental health minister James Merlino. — Victoria’s psychological well being minister James Merlino. {Photograph}: James Ross/AAP

Simon Birmingham is happy with how that press convention ended.

(FWIW, Anthony Albanese stated at a few press conferences everybody would get a query, however he didn’t decide to doing it the entire marketing campaign.)

Mr Albanese began the marketing campaign saying he would reply each query. Now he storms out of press conferences.

Labor’s first advert stated all insurance policies had been costed. But 4 days till #ausvotes & none have been.

Mr Albanese’s less than the job of PM. Don’t threat his weak management. pic.twitter.com/Xn39NFqmvV

— Simon Birmingham (@Birmo) May 17, 2022

Albanese pressed on Labor costings forward of Thursday announcement

Josh Butler

Anthony Albanese was tailed by means of a producing complicated by reporters and cameras in Perth after abruptly ending a quick however fiery press convention the place he refused on a number of events to share any particulars of Labor’s election costings.

Wrapping the press convention after simply 10 minutes of questions, Albanese ended the media alternative as journalists stored yelling questions. Strolling away to a different a part of the complicated, Albanese was adopted by reporters and cameras, earlier than strolling by means of a door that was closed behind him by a safety guard.

“Now we have a pair extra bulletins to go. Now we have till Saturday, however we can be releasing our costings announcement on Thursday,” Albanese stated in the course of the press convention.

Requested whether or not it was “honest” for voters to solely get two days to digest Labor’s monetary projections earlier than Saturday’s election, Albanese stated Labor has “been clear all through the election marketing campaign about these points”.

Albanese’s public appearances for the day at the moment are carried out, after he wrapped the press convention at 11am Perth time.

WA premier Mark McGowan, who joined Albanese on the press convention, remarked on the fiery finish to the media alternative as cameras tailed Albanese whereas he walked off

“I’ll simply wait till this insanity finishes … That is very odd,” he stated as he ready to take a set of questions from the remaining journalists.

Nationwide Covid abstract

Listed below are the most recent coronavirus numbers from round Australia at this time, because the nation information at the least 66 deaths from Covid-19:

ACT