TRANSCRIPT
- The Prime Minister says the government is not considering pausing the federal excise on alcohol
- Pro-Palestinian protest groups welcome news an antisemitic chant was not used at Sydney Opera House protest
- Australia takes an easy win from the West Indies
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has ruled out a freeze on alcohol tax but says the federal government will consider all budget submissions to relieve cost of living pressures.
The Prime Minister has defended the government's actions on cost of living, including what the opposition has described as a "broken" election promise following changes to the stage three tax cuts.
Mr Albanese has justified the changes, under which he said every single taxpayer, and not just some, would get a tax cut and 84 per cent of Australians would get a higher tax cut.
But he has told 3AW pausing the federal excise on alcohol, which goes up twice a year according to inflation, is not a measure the government has considered yet.
“The last time I had schooners, I bought a few, it added up to almost $30 for just three beers, so it is expensive. Obviously in the leadup to budgets, you have submissions and I’m sure that there’ll be submissions along a whole range of ways.”
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Pro-Palestinian groups have welcomed NSW Police's findings an antisemitic phrase was not used at a pro-Palestinian rally on the steps of the Sydney Opera House.
This comes after police said an independent expert had concluded with "overwhelming certainty" footage of protesters allegedly chanting "gas the Jews" was wrongly captioned, but accepted there was evidence other offensive and antisemitic phrases were used.
The Executive Council for Australian Jewry has stood by the captioned footage of protestors at the rally on October the 9th shared by the Australian Jewish Association, which sparked global outrage and changes to domestic hate crime laws.
Amal Nasser, an organiser for the Palestine Action Group, says the widespread sharing of the footage led to unfair portrayals and attempts to curb pro-Palestinian protests.
"In the weeks that followed there were various attempts from various levels of government to curb our civil liberties and to frame Arabs, Palestinians and their supporters as violent people. There was a rise of islamophobia, and of anti-Arab sentiment, and of harassment of organisers of these rallies."
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Australians who were harmed or lost a close family member in Hamas' attack on Israel could receive payments of up to 75,000 dollars.
The federal government has declared the October 7 attack, in which Hamas killed 1200 people and took about 250 hostage, a terror event.
That paves the way for Australians to receive payments previously offered after events including the September 11 attacks in the United States.
Labor had been accused by pro-Israel groups of dragging its feet in facilitating government funding.
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A ship carrying thousands of sheep and cattle that spent almost a month at sea has returned to a West Australian port while it waits to hear if the animals can be re-exported.
About 16,500 livestock have been packed aboard the M-V Bahijah since the 5th of January, when it sailed for the Middle East.
It was forced to abandon the voyage due to Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea, and has since remained in Australian waters - with livestock aboard.
The ship is waiting in Fremantle while the government considers an application to have them reexported on another, 33-day journey.
The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Adam Fennessy, says the animal bedding has been replaced and the vessel is taking on extra food and fuel.
"There should be no doubt that Australia's bio security and the health and welfare of the livestock on board are our highest priorities. The exporter's registered veterinarian remains on board and continues to report daily on the health and welfare of the livestock. My department continues to assess the application to re-export the livestock provided by the exporter."
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Australia have cantered to an eight-wicket win over West Indies at the MCG, in their first One Day International since stunning India in last year's World Cup final.
Despite missing six of the XI who claimed that victory, Australia made light work of a weakened Windies to secure victory with 69 balls to spare on Friday.
The visitors managed just 231 on a good batting wicket, with captain Shai Hope later admitting they needed at least 300 for a competitive score.
Debutant quick Xavier Bartlett claimed the second-best figures by an Australian man on ODI debut.
