Key Points
- Prime Minister issues warning about Hamas "propaganda"
- Treasurer does not want to limit ideas ahead of productivity roundtable
- Concerns test cricket is becoming increasingly unviable
TRANSCRIPT
Anthony Albanese has denounced reports Hamas, which governs parts of Gaza and is listed as a terrorist organisation by the Australian Government, has welcomed his decision to recognise Palestinian statehood.
The prime minister today repeated his assertion that Hamas would be opposed to the decision, which is also dependent on the future Palestinian government recognising an Israeli state.
Australia's recognition of Palestinian statehood will still be dependent on Hamas having no role in a future state, he says, despite the terror organisation apparently praising the government's move in the past day.
"I notice in the statement it has made today, they say the alleged statement from someone yesterday was someone who has been in prison in Israel since October 2023 and has no means of communication. What that should be is a warning to the media to be very careful about the fact that Hamas will engage in propaganda."
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The Productivity Commission has released a number of proposals, including reformation of construction investment, a transition to cleaner energy and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help ease teachers' workloads and improve education equality.
Unemployment data will be released tomorrow, which is used as a key indicator of the economy's performance.
Mr Chalmers says he does not want to limit the scope of discussions next week.
"This is a genuine attempt to try and build consensus around the suggestions that people might have for us, to agree on some reform directions for the government to do more work on."
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(This story has been corrected: 550 job cuts were announced in recent weeks)
As telecommunications giant, Telstra, reports a major profit boost, its leadership are backing calls for a national digital infrastructure plan.
Telstra's CEO, Vicky Brady addressed investors today, referencing recent Productivity Commission recommendations for the use of AI, as she called on the Federal Government to coordinate its approach on the issue.
"We need the right policy and regulatory settings to make sure we can roll out large scale digital infrastructure projects more quickly and efficiently."
Telstra has posted a 2.34-billion-dollar profit for the past financial year, over thirty per cent higher than the previous 12 months.
The company made major savings with thousands of job losses since mid-2024, including 550 job cuts announced in recent weeks.
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Allegations of sexual offences in the childcare sector have increased by almost 50 per cent, with advocates blaming cultural and regulatory failures in the sector.
Body Safety Australia, which promotes childhoods free from violence, says there is a growing safety crisis in New South Wales, where more than 400,000 children attended a care service.
It cited a 47 per cent increase in sexual offence notifications to the New South Wales Office of the Children's Guardian between 2023-2024.
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Body Safety Australia lists several gaps offenders had taken advantage of, including workforce instability, inadequate training and qualifications, inconsistent oversight and confusing reporting frameworks.
A warning that the following story contains the name of an Aboriginal person who has died, used with permission of his family.
A funeral is being held today in Cowra for Wiradjuri Elder, activist and lawyer Paul Coe, who passed away in late July.
He is being remembered for his dedication to improving the lives of First Nations people.
Born in 1949, he grew up at the Erambie Mission in Cowra in central NSW on Wiradjuri Country before moving to Sydney in the 1960s.
Mr Coe was instrumental in establishing the Aboriginal Legal Service and was the first Aboriginal person to study law at the University of New South Wales becoming one of the first Indigenous barristers in Australia.
He was 76 years old.
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Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg has warned some nations will go bankrupt if they continue to play the longest format of the game, stressing he sees a future with less Test nations.
Greenberg is calling for a lighter Test game schedule, to ensure the format remains viable.
The comments come after The International Cricket Council recently set up a working party to look at the Test format and ways to make it more viable.
Greenberg says less is more.
"Scarcity in Test cricket is our friend, not our foe. I don't think everyone in world cricket needs to aspire to play Test cricket, and that might be OK. A lot of traditionalists might not like that. I'm not suggesting I know the number that will play, but literally we're trying to send countries bankrupt if we force them to try to play Test cricket."
