TRANSCRIPT
- Australia elevates its defence cooperation with the U-K
- The opposition says increased migration to Australia is unsustainable
- Australia is unsustainable and the Matildas placed in Group B for the Olympics
Australia has elevated its defence cooperation with the United Kingdom under a new defence and security agreement.
The treaty like agreement will make it easier for Australian and British forces to operate together in each other’s countries and formalises a requirement to consult on issues that impact sovereignty.
UK Defence Minister Grant Shapps says this agreement will continue the close cooperation between the two countries.
"We could not possibly be closer despite it being almost impossible to be geographically further apart. And by that I mean that our view and world outlook is very, very similar, our understanding of the world order almost identical and the need to act together never more pressing than it is today."
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Migration to Australia has spiked, whilst the government works to eliminate dodgy education providers in an overhaul of the migration system.
Net overseas migration totalled 548,800 in the year to September 30 with Australia's population growing by 2.5 per cent to 26.8 million.
Following a migration review, the government has reduced the number of student visa approvals in a bid to stop the rorting of the international education system.
Opposition spokesperson for immigration Dan Tehan says the increase is unsustainable.
"It is too high, it is not sustainable. Now the prime minister himself said that it is not sustainable and the that he wanted to halve it. And he said he was going to put the policies in place to halve it yet what we're seeing from this data is that this is another broken promise by the Prime Minister because the numbers are going up, they're not going down."
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Federal crossbench MPs have written an open letter to the Prime Minister, calling for new powers for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner.
The group want the Commissioner to oversee progress on the 1991 Royal Commission recommendations, many of which have not been implemented in the three decades since they were handed down.
It comes as the nation marks Close the Gap Day - with better outcomes and recognition for First Nations communities in focus.
This community member told N-I-T-V there's a divide between First Nations people and non-Indigenous Australians.
"I think there's a difference of understanding of nature. Spirit connection to country for mainstream are disconnected to country, so they don't understand that connection to country is actually part of the healing process of healing trauma, healing the body, the mind, the spirit. And if you don't heal holistically, you're not going to get any healing."
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New crime statistics for Victoria have found youth crime has reached its highest level in a decade.
Police have expressed concerns over the number of children aged 10-17 committing violent crimes, with overall child and youth offending rising 13.8 per cent year-on-year.
The state’s youngest offenders, those aged 10-13, recorded their highest level of offending since 2010.
Deputy Commissioner Neil Paterson says it's essential households are locking their doors at all times.
"We have over the past 18 months asked the public to really focus on locking their house doors and their car doors. We are still seeing about 50 per cent of all of these crime types. Young people try doors and enter a house where the doors are unlocked. I dunno the reason why people aren't locking the doors, but all I can say is we highly encourage people to lock their doors. Simply locking your door will mean on most occasions that these children, these young people, will move on past your home."
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And in sport,
The world Number 12 Matildas have been dealt a tough hand as they strive to win their first Olympic medal.
The draw for the women's and men's soccer tournaments for the Paris Games have been held at a ceremony in Saint-Denis.
Tony Gustavsson's side was placed in Group B along with the United States, Germany and either Morocco or Zambia.
The World Cup semi-finalists will take on the record four-time gold medal-winning American outfit.
