TRANSCRIPT
- Fallout after US announces review of AUKUS
- Mixed feelings amonst Tasmanians as they prepare for a state election
- And in cycling, Belgian Remco Evenepoel wins stage four and takes the overall lead in the Criterium du Dauphiné
Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the Pentagon's review into the AUKUS security deal is no cause for alarm.
Mr Morrison - who signed the deal in 2021 - has told Sky News, he expects the US to maintain the pact.
"It's totally within their remit that incoming governments do reviews. Kier Starmer did a review, and that resulted in the UK being even more committed to AUKUS as a result of that. The issues being raised are actually very well known. It's being driven out of the Department of Defence, by the under-secretary, who has made clear his concerns in the past about the production rate of US submarines."
Meanwhile, former Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating has issued a strongly-worded statement, saying the US review could save Australia from itself.
He has characterised AUKUS as the most poorly conceived defence procurement program ever adopted by an Australian government.
Greens defence and foreign affairs spokesperson, David Shoebridge, says Australia needs to pursue more independent defence and foreign policies.
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Tasmanians say they have mixed feelings about voting in another state election - the second in less than two years.
Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff's request for the snap vote was granted by the governor on Wednesday night, six days after he lost the confidence of parliament.
The July 19 election is the fourth for Tasmania in the space of seven years.
These voters told SBS, it's frustrating to have to go to the polls again.
Male voter 1: "It has been a lot negativity about politics I would imagine over the last year. And yeah, it has come to this. Obviously, it is needed. It is necessary. So yeah, putting it on. Yeah, I know what I'm voting for."
Female voter 2: "Just the cost of it. Not happy at all. At all."
Male voter 2: "I think it is a pointless exercise. Labor could have agreed to the Liberals appointing another leader. And the same would have applied."
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The Filipino community in Australia is marking Philippines Independence Day, with festivities to showcase the country's heritage, culture and community spirit.
June 12th commemorates the declaration of Philippine independence from Spain in 1898, and has been the country's National Day since 1978.
Filipino-Australian Siegfrid Bacani was born in the Philippines and came to Australia as a teenager.
He told SBS Filipino it is important that his son knows his heritage.
"I keep telling him he is Filipino. I read storybooks to him. Not that my Tagalog is that great, but it is important to celebrate culture."
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Industry body the National Disability Services says the new pricing arrangements that will apply from 1 July, could see quality providers leave the sector.
The National Disability Insurance Agency - which implements the NDIS - has released its annual pricing review for supports determined by the NDIS Disability Support Worker Cost Model.
The review includes an increase to wages for support workers - and small reductions in what some therapists can charge to better align with non-NDIS market rates.
The National Disability Services says it is concerned the changes could lead to a reduction and stagnation of prices for critical services; especially therapy and early childhood intervention, which would intensify financial pressures for high-quality service providers.
It has urged the federal government to urgently implement what it called meaningful temporary pricing relief.
It also backed the implementation of the findings of the Independent Pricing Committee - released yesterday - recommending the creation of a new pricing approach that drives high quality services.
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In cycling, Belgian Remco Evenepoel has won Stage 4 of the Critérium du Dauphiné.
The 25-year-old was 21 seconds faster than Jonas Vingegaard in the 17.4-kilometre time trial, and has also moved to the top of the General Classification.
Evenepoel says he didn't expect to be the overall race leader, but he is glad it's happened.
"This morning we did not expect to take the yellow especially with the gap towards the leader and (Florian) Lipowitz. But yeah, it just means I did a good time trial and we can only be happy and proud with the performance - and the result of today. It is going to be a very hard weekend . It is something completely different than what we had in the past few days. It should only be a motivation boost towards my teammates and towrads myself. Day by day and we will see where we end up on Sunday."
The last three stages of the race take place in the Alps.
