TRANSCRIPT
- Treasurer Jim Chalmers says there will be a tax cut for all Australians in the upcoming federal budget
- Domestic violence offenders in New South Wales to find it harder to get released on bail
- Climate protesters forced two matches to be suspended at the Italian Open.
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Treasurer Jim Chalmers says there will be a tax cut for all Australians in the upcoming federal budget among other cost of living relief measures.
Dr Chalmers says the government's forecasted second $9.3 billion surplus, which is the first back-to-back surplus in almost two decades, is a result of responsible economic management.
Dr Chalmers said the biggest driver of the second surplus was a strong labour market as opposed to purely increased commodity prices.
He said tax cuts are not the only measure of relief for Australians and that there will be additional support for those on the lowest incomes, but failed to specify how those measures would look.
"We found a more effective way to help people who are doing it tough. The La Mito was legislated to end by my predecessor and it ran out on the schedule that he determined in his last budget. We have found more effective ways to give a tax cut to every tax payer an average tax cut of $36 a week, in addition to other cost of living help in this budget, which will help people make ends meet."
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Opposition leader Peter Dutton says a 'Labor budget' is the worst possible outcome for Australians.
Speaking to the Liberal party room, Mr Dutton said a Labor budget means the government is going to tax and spend at the detriment of Australians.
"When Labor taxes and spends, it means you've got less money in your own pocket. And it means when you go to Kohl's or Woolies, when you go to fill up your car, when you pay your insurance bill and every other bill in your budget, it means that you're just going to pay more and more and more under Anthony Albanese and Australians can't afford what's going to be in this budget for them."
He pledged that his party will work hard to offer policies that repair the economy after three years under the Albanese government.
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High-risk domestic violence offenders in New South Wales will either be refused bail or subject to electronic monitoring in "long overdue" plans to keep women and children safe.
Reforms will target the most serious offenders facing a maximum penalty of 14 or more years in jail and defined as those accused of sexual assault, strangulation with intent to commit another offence, kidnapping or coercive control.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns says the presumption that high-risk offenders can be released on bail will be reversed, with the onus of proof placed on accused perpetrators to demonstrate why they should be out in the community.
"These reforms are long overdue, but will keep women and children safer in New South Wales. As a result of these changes, the New South Wales Government can announce that we will introduce legislation reversing the presumption of bail for serious domestic violence offences in the state. In effect, we will expand the category of show cause offences in the New South Wales judiciary making it incumbent upon those people accused of those serious crimes, that they have to present evidence to the New South Wales courts, that they that they don't represent an unacceptable risk to the community."
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Australia has sanctioned five Iranians and three entities in response to what it calls Tehran's destabilising behaviour in the Middle East.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced the targeted people include Iran's Defence Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Brigadier General Esmail Qaani.
Former defence minister Amir Hatami, managing director of Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries Mehdi Gogerdchian and Major General Gholam Rashid are also targeted.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, Aircraft Engine Design and Manufacturing Company and an Iranian communication technology company also had sanctions applied.
Today’s listings mean the Albanese Government has now sanctioned 90 Iranian-linked individuals and 100 Iranian-linked entities.
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David McBride, who provided documents to the ABC exposing alleged war crimes by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan, was in court this morning for sentencing.
The former military lawyer pleaded guilty to three offences in the A-C-T Supreme Court last year.
Mr McBride's crimes include stealing Commonwealth information and passing it on to the media.
He initially pleaded not guilty, but changed that plea to guilty in November last year.
Mr McBride had this to say as he walked into court.
"I've got one thing to say this morning. I have never been so proud to be an Australian as today. I may have broken the law, but I did not break my oath to the people of Australia and the soldiers who keep us safe."
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And in sport, climate protesters have forced two matches to be suspended at the Italian Open.
Two protesters ran on to the court wearing orange vests and threw confetti, while other activists cemented their feet to the stands on Tuesday.
Madison Keys' last-16 win against Sorana Cristea was one of the matches that was interrupted.
She said her first thought was whether she should tackle them but says she stopped herself.
The players returned to the locker room and the protesters did not resist when security intervened before police and firefighters also arrived to handle the situation.
