The government's NDIS reforms facing a strong backlash at a Senate inquiry; A state of emergency declared for parts of New Zealand's capital city amid severe weather; Caitlin Foord to make history with the Matildas tonight.
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TRANSCRIPT:
- The government's NDIS reforms facing a strong backlash at a Senate inquiry;
- A state of emergency declared for parts of New Zealand's capital city amid severe weather;
- Caitlin Foord to make history with the Matildas tonight.
The government has faced fierce backlash against proposed reforms to the NDIS during the first day of hearings from a Senate inquiry called to evaluate the legislation.
Greens spokesperson Jordan Steele-John is among those calling for a much longer inquiry into the overhaul.
"What I'm really struck by is every single witness we have heard from so far today has said either this bill must be withdrawn, this bill must not pass in its current form, or that the Senate needs more time to consider the legislation in detail."
More than a third of the savings in the federal budget rely on cuts to the NDIS, and the government is pushing to pass the changes before Parliament rises for a five-week winter break.
Opposition leader Angus Taylor has refused to be drawn on whether he will support the Federal Government's proposed changes, but Shadow Minister for the NDIS, Melissa McIntosh, says the Coalition fought hard for an inquiry.
"Because we want a sustainable NDIS. But clearly the government did not consult with the disability community. They were hoodwinked by the announcement, and now they're trying to consult after the fact. So, it's really important that these three days is three days of advocates, participants, and organisations coming forward to express their views and to get answers from the government, because we do want this to be sustainable in the future."
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Meanwhile, senior Labor Minister Murray Watt has said the government will continue to consult across the parliament as it seeks to pass the NDIS legislation through the Senate.
He says Labor created the scheme and continues to support it strongly.
"We'll obviously continue to talk with other parties within the Parliament and the general community about the changes that we're proposing to the NDIS. The reality is that the NDIS is growing at an unsustainable rate, and if we don't take action now, we risk a situation in the future where a future government decides to make massive unfair cuts to the NDIS and deprive people of the support that they require."
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Trade Minister Don Farrell has rejected U-S assertions that a new 12.5 per cent tariff due to come into force from July is linked to genuine concerns about modern slavery.
He says the reason given by the US for the plan is not accepted by Australia.
Modelling from EY also shows the changes could impose an annual cost of $1.6 billion on Australian exports.
With a final decision still weeks away, Mr Farrell says he met with US trade representative Jamieson Greer last week in Paris and expects America to honour the US-Australia free-trade agreement.
"I put my case as strongly as I could on behalf of Australia. We reject the suggestion that we should be linked in with any countries that are not doing enough on modern slavery. We very strongly rejected that proposition. So, the Americans are in no misunderstanding as to what Australia's position will be."
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Australians who lose money to scams will soon have access to a new independent pathway to seek compensation.
The federal government has formally authorised the Australian Financial Complaints Authority [[AFCA]] to oversee disputes under the Scams Prevention Framework, if consumers cannot resolve matters directly with businesses.
AFCA says the framework reflects the increasingly complex nature of scams, which often involve multiple organisations across different sectors.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and China's Xi Jinping have agreed to expand their ties after a summit in Pyongyang.
Kim has told the Chinese President that he would fully support the One China principle, which Beijing views as meaning both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one country, regardless of how the international situation changes.
The North Korean media did not mention whether the leaders discussed Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program.
China has long been North Korea's economic lifeline and main diplomatic backer, and both nations have sought to fully restore their traditional alliance in the face of separate confrontations with the US.
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A state of emergency has been declared for parts of Wellington as gale-force winds and rough seas batter New Zealand's capital city.
Wellington City Council has told residents in a Facebook post to shelter in place if they are in the evacuation zone and have not yet left their property.
Police officers have set up cordons on surrounding roads to prevent people from heading to the coast, as the weather bureau predicts waves of up to nine metres along the city's southern shore.
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In sport,
Donald Trump has become the first sitting US president to attend an NBA Finals game.
But he's been booed loudly by fans outside New York's Madison Square Garden, and again inside when his image appeared on the screens during the national anthem.
Back home and Caitlin Foord will make her 150th national appearance for the Matildas tonight when the team takes on Mexico in Sydney.
Foord scored on debut with the Matildas as a 16-year-old in 2011 and wants a repeat in her milestone game tonight.
