TRANSCRIPT
- Carers' advocates welcome government's reform to offer greater flexibility over working hours.
- New South Wales prepares for a weekend of wet weather and possible flooding.
- The Australian Olympics Committee say athletes have been briefed on security issues ahead of the Paris games.
Carers will now be able to work up to 100 hours over four weeks without losing federal government support payments.
About one-in-ten people across Australia provide unpaid care for a loved one with a disability or an older person and roughly 304,500 of them receive the government carer payment.
Those who currently receive the government support can have their payments cancelled if they work more than 25 hours per week.
But the federal government says it will commit $18.6 million over five years to adjust this requirement when it delivers its budget on May 14.
Carers Australia CEO Annabel Reid told Channel Nine their organisation welcomes the government's reform.
"It's so important that we've been asking for this for over 10 years, and it was a recommendation in our budget submission because under the current rule, the 25 hour limitation includes not just work, but also study, volunteering and travel. So as you can imagine, for someone in a regional or remote area, including their travel really restricts their ability to participate in part-time employment."
She added that the flexibility of the hours worked also ensures more carers can engage in study, volunteer work and travel.
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Australian authorities are yet to provide further update on three bodies that have reportedly been found in an area of northern Mexico just a couple of kilometres away from where two Australian brothers and a friend are missing.
Reuters cited two sources with knowledge of the investigation as saying Mexican authorities had found three bodies in Baja Peninsula.
A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson told SBS the Australian Embassy in Mexico City is working closely with the Australian Federal Police and local authorities regarding the two Australians reported missing in Mexico, but added they are unable to provide further comment at this time.
Criminologist Dr Xanthe Mallett told Channel Nine that authorities will be looking closely at evidence at the scene where three bodies have been located.
"Well, in terms of the Australian authorities, the AFP and WA police won't actually be part of the investigation. They have no jurisdictional authority, obviously, in America, but they will be working very closely with both the FBI and Mexican authorities and primarily providing all of the information they can to help determine if the remains are those of Jake Callum and their friend Jack. So identification information, for example."
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Opposition leader Peter Dutton has called for a Royal Commission into domestic violence, as advocates plead for more immediate support for frontline services.
Many advocates are opposed to the idea, saying there is already plenty of research in the area, and instead call for funds allocated to the right services.
The Opposition leader told 2GB he thought a Royal Commission was a good step moving forward.
"I think there's a strong argument for a Royal Commission if we know that it's going to produce the evidence that can give us a pathway and an answer to. So that's a yes. The scourge, it's a yes if that's what's required."
This comes as the federal Attorney-General held a meeting with state and territory police ministers on Friday, with leaders agreeing to figure out ways to improve police responses to high risk and serial perpetrators of violence against women.
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New South Wales is preparing for a weekend of more wet weather, with up to 100 milimetres of rainfall expected and possible flooding.
The heaviest rainfall at the moment has occurred over the western, inland parts of the state, but the Bureau of Meteorology warns that heavy rainfall is expected to mvoe across to the more populated coastal parts of the state.
The Bureau is forecasting the Illawarra district and even coastal parts of Sydney should expect the greatest rainfall over the weekend.
The wet weather is expected to last through to the next week in New South Wales.
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The Olympic compittee have met to discuss further funding for athletes, greater opportunities for First Nations athletes, and security ahead of the games in Paris this year.
In their annual meeting, the Olympic committee stressed concerns around security in Paris during the course of the games, and emphasised that the Olympics was essentially a peace movement.
Matt Carroll from the Australian Olympic Committee says athletes have been briefed on heightened global political tensions, including around the war in Gaza and Ukraine.
"We do provide briefing session to athletes on all those issues, and including the security as well. We have our own security consultant who works very closely with Australian Federal Police, who will also allows an officer with the team. We'll also be providing briefings to family and friends, both those who stay are staying here and those who are going to the games to make sure that family and friends aren't anxious because that anxiety can often obviously affect the performance of athletes. So we don't want that to happen either."
Mr Carroll rejected the idea that athletes have been warned not to protest in relation to any political issues, but did say there were protocols that recommend not to protest on the podium or on the field of play.
