TRANSCRIPT
- Kim Williams set to become the next chair of the ABC.
- The Prime Minister defends changes made to his stage three tax cuts.
- And in sport, surfing world champion Stephanie Gilmore announces she is taking a break from full-time competition.
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The Prime Minister has announced Kim Williams will be recommended to the Governor General to become the next Chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Mr Williams is the ideal leader and shares a life experience and breadth of capacity which is central to the role.
Mr Williams has operated various media companies, including Newscorp, has worked in the theatre and music space, and is also the former AFL Commisioner.
He says it's an honour to take on the challenge of fulfilling the ABC's charter for informing, entertaining and ensuring a cultural diversity and strong national identity in the Australian public imagination.
"It speaks to the necessity of being innovative and comprehensive in the approach that is taken across all the delivery methodologies of digital media, broadcasting on television and radio, and clearly in a lot of written information. I certainly think giving life to those responsibilities is one of the great enduring challenges in Australia, and it's a privilege to do so."
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended the changes made to his stage 3 tax cuts, saying it's vital to consider the needs of struggling low to middle income earners.
The PM is expected to alter his plan to maintain the 37 per cent tax cut and increase the Low-Income Tax Offset for those earning up to $50,000.
Various media reports say middle-income earners will be offered a more generous deal while those on higher salaries will receive more modest returns than originally anticipated.
The Prime Minister says the proposal he is introducing to the Labor caucus this afternoon is all about assisting middle Australia, or low to middle income earners, during a cost-of-living crisis.
"We know that there are cost of living pressures on middle Australia and we are determined to follow the Treasury advice to provide assistance to them. My determination and my job is to get the best outcome for Australians, is to respond to the circumstances which we confront."
Mr Albanese will be outlining his economic policy at the National Press Club on Thursday.
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Turkiye's parliament has ratified Sweden's NATO membership bid after nearly two years of delay.
Turkiye's general assembly voted 287-55 to approve the application that Sweden first made in 2022 to bolster its security in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
All NATO members need to approve applications from countries seeking to join the alliance.
When Sweden and Finland asked to join in 2022, Turkiye raised objections over what it said was the two countries' protection of groups it deems terrorists.
It endorsed Finland's membership in April last year but, along with Hungary, had kept Sweden waiting.
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Another federal by-election is to take place in the Sydney seat of Cook early this year, following former Prime Minister Scott Morrison's resignation from politics.
Mr Morrison will depart federal parliament at the end of February for a Vice Chairman position at American Global Strategies, a US global defence and strategic advisory firm led by former Trump administration officials.
The upcoming Cook by-election, which is not expected to be held until at least April, is believed to be in safe Liberal hands as Mr Morrison held the southern Sydney seat by a safe margin of 12 per cent in the last election.
The seat has been controlled by the Liberals since 1975.
Voters in Cronulla expressed their disappointment in Mr Morrison's resignation to Channel 10.
"I think he did a great job and I like him. If he stayed for the next election I would've voted for him, I'll put it that way.”
"I think it's disappointing because he's a good person, I like him. A lot of people don't, each to their own. But then again, a lot of people don't like Donald Trump either and I like the both of them."
The by-election will follow another by-election in Dunkley in Victoria on March 2 triggered by the death of Labor MP Peta Murphy.
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And in sport,
Eight-time surfing world champion Stephanie Gilmore has announced she is taking a break from full-time competition in the upcoming World Surf League championships.
The 35-year-old Australian star says she intends to return next year and the WSL says she will receive the wildcard for the 2025 championship tour, ensuring she can do so.
Gilmore says she is planning to take the time to refresh physically and mentally and enjoy surfing in new places.
WSL chief of sport Jessi Miley-Dyer backed Gilmore's decision to step away, having started competing on the championship tour back in 2007.
Gilmore has accumulated a record 33 Championship Tour event wins and won her record-breaking eighth world title in 2022.
