February 22, 2024
Key posts
7.00amRevolt over Reserve Bank reforms6.50amPM says working-from-home can be ‘win-win’ but not everyone is on board6.20amThis morning’s headlines at a glance
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7.44am
‘Common sense’ needed for any working from home reforms
Staying with the education minister, who has also spoken about the Fair Work Commission’s investigation into the productivity benefits of working from home.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said while the appropriateness of working from home depended on the job, for many people it provided flexibility as well as improvements in productivity, which the government is determined to boost.
Education Minister Jason Clare said the commission was looking at working from home rights, and other aspects of the award.
Education Minister Jason Clare.Credit: Martin Ollman
“The pandemic showed us there are different ways of working,” he told Seven’s Sunrise program this morning.
“You need to apply common sense. Some jobs like … teachers, cops, nurses, ambos, where you can’t work from home, [but] there are other jobs you can. Some are more productive when they work from home, others that aren’t.”
The minister said the key was common sense and flexibility, and the commission was examining if it works for both companies and workers.
Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said there needed to be a balance on working from home.
“The unions are pushing much of this and I worry that we don’t get that balance right, there are so many workers who can’t work from home, who don’t have that choice but … I agree, flexibility has to be right at the centre of this,” she said.
7.30am
Education Minister says vapes should need a script
Turning to Education Minister Jason Clare, who has been speaking about vaping and the government’s ban on the products.
He told Seven’s Sunrise that school children vaping was a national concern, with one in six children saying they used the products.
“I’ve got to tell you nine out of 10 vape stores are within walking distance of our schools, these companies that make these things are targeting our kids,” Clare told the program.
Jason Clare arrives for a division in parliament on Thursday.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
The education minister said the government had banned the importation of vapes at the border, and are banning them from being sold in stores.
“If this is supposed to be a drug to get you off cigarettes, you should need a script from the doctor and buy it from a chemist, not a vape store or corner store that’s around the corner from a school,” Clare said.
The minister added that he hoped the opposition would support the ban.
Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, who was also on the program, said she was worried about children addicted to the “awful things” and the opposition would work with the government.
“Of course we can’t have a situation … where kids are running off and getting illegal vapes.”
7.15am
Approval looms for student watchdog as ministers meet
A national watchdog to oversee sexual assault complaints at universities following a scathing report into the sector will go before education ministers for final approval.
The nation’s education ministers are meeting today in Melbourne, where they will review a proposed action plan to tackle gender-based violence at universities, which includes a student ombudsman, and decide whether to endorse it.
The draft plan – released in November – recommended more accountability, enhanced oversight of student accommodation and a reduced need for victim-survivors to retell their traumatic stories multiple times.
Education ministers are meeting in Melbourne today to discuss plans for a national watchdog to oversee sexual assault complaints in the education sector.
Our Watch, an organisation dedicated to preventing violence against women, put together the plan.
About half of students at almost 40 universities nationwide knew nothing or very little about where to make a sexual harassment complaint or seek support or assistance, according to new research by the Australian Human Rights Institute.
This dropped to just more than one in three at some universities.
A parliamentary inquiry found the way the university sector handled sexual assault complaints was woefully inadequate, and it could not be trusted with reform without independent oversight.
AAP
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7.00am
Revolt over Reserve Bank reforms
By Shane Wright
Treasurer Jim Chalmers may have to jettison a key element of his overhaul of the Reserve Bank as the Coalition and Greens drive a pushback against a planned revamp to the way official interest rates are set.
At a Senate hearing into a series of reforms to the RBA on Thursday, former treasurer Peter Costello, former bank governors Ian Macfarlane and Bernie Fraser and several prominent economists all raised concerns about ending the ability of the treasurer of the day to overrule a Reserve Bank decision.
Former RBA governor Ian Macfarlane says the government should not give up the power to overrule the bank.Credit: Oscar Colman
There was also concern about creating a separate monetary policy committee within the Reserve Bank that would set interest rates, splitting it from the bank board that would oversee its day-to-day operations.
6.50am
PM says working-from-home can be ‘win-win’ but not everyone is on board
By Angus Thompson and Rachel Clun
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has backed an examination of the productivity benefits of working from home following revelations the government is looking into the obstacles preventing workplaces from tapping into the phenomenon.
Productivity Commission chair Danielle Wood said remote work was not a drag on productivity and, if managed well, could benefit the economy after both Albanese and Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke said there were examples of it boosting efficiency.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says for many people, working from home provides flexibility as well as productivity improvements.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
In a review instigated by Burke, the Fair Work Commission is investigating whether working-from-home rights should be incorporated into industrial awards that cover millions of Australians, inflaming the tug-of-war between bosses and employees over returning to the office and drawing fire from the federal opposition.
6.38am
US promises new sanctions against Iran for supporting Russia’s war
In other overseas news, the White House is promising to unveil new sanctions on Iran in the coming days in retaliation for its arms sales that have bolstered Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
It has also threatened a “swift” and “severe” response if Tehran moves forward with selling ballistic missiles to Moscow.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the US will be “imposing additional sanctions on Iran in the coming days” for its efforts to supply Russia with drones and other technology for the war against Ukraine.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.Credit: AP
And he issued a new warning to Iran that providing ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Kyiv would be met with even more sanctions and actions at the United Nations.
The US has been warning for months of Russia’s efforts to acquire ballistic missiles from Iran in return for providing Tehran with enhanced military cooperation.
“We have not seen any confirmation that missiles have actually moved from Iran to Russia,” Kirby said, but said that at the same time, “we have no reason to believe that they will not follow through.”
He said that if Iran moves forward, “I can assure you that the response from the international community will be swift, and it will be severe.”
He said the US would take the matter to the UN Security Council, where Russia has a veto.
“We will implement additional sanctions against Iran, and we will coordinate further response options with our allies and partners in Europe and elsewhere,” Kirby said.
AP
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6.20am
This morning’s headlines at a glance
Good morning, and thanks for your company.
It’s Friday, February 23. I’m Caroline Schelle, and I’ll be anchoring our live coverage for the first half of the day
Here’s what you need to know before we get started:
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has backed an examination of the productivity benefits of working from home.Treasurer Jim Chalmers may have to jettison a key element of his plan to overhaul the Reserve Bank as he faces pushback against the revamp of how interest rates are set.Australian politicians are being urged to play a more active role in preventing conflict between China and the US.Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek wants to see more fashion retailers sign up to a voluntary scheme planning to put a levy on clothing to reduce landfill.In state news, firefighters are battling fires in Victoria’s west as people evacuate towns.Meanwhile, in NSW three former state Labor ministers have been committed to stand trial for misconduct in public office.And overseas, Israeli forces have reportedly started building a new road across central Gaza as part of the next phase of its ground operation.
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