Dumped shadow minister Sarah Henderson set for clash with Opposition Leader Sussan Ley on HECS debt relief
The Australian reports Senator Henderson will publicly canvass support to amend Labor's 20 per cent student debt reduction proposal by indexing loans with inflation to prevent major jumps in future.
Ms Ley has already flagged she will move to let the legislation pass both Houses unchallenged.
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7NEWS
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stares down internal push for Palestine recognition
The prime minister is staring down internal pressure to recognise a Palestinian state as Labor figures decry the 'unspeakable cruelty' being thrust on civilians in Gaza. Anthony Albanese has been urged to follow in the footsteps of his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, but on Sunday said he would not 'imminently' recognise Palestinian statehood. Both major parties in Australia support a two-state solution for Palestinians and Israelis, however Albanese said any resolution would need to guarantee Hamas, the de-facto ruling authority in Gaza, played no part in the future nation. There would also need to be agreements on the rebuilding of Gaza and the West Bank, and a resolution of issues over the expansion of Israeli settlements. But former Labor frontbencher Ed Husic pointed out that recognition of a Palestinian state had been part of Labor's national platform since at least 2018. 'We've already green-lighted it through our party, we've taken it to elections — the circumstances demand it,' the MP told reporters in Canberra on Monday. 'The announcement by the (Israeli) government to partition or reshape the way in which borders exist in Gaza means that we need to send a strong signal that we are opposed to that.' Former Labor Foreign Minister Bob Carr echoed the call. There were ways to address the various obstacles to the new nation being established, he said, adding those considerations were outweighed by a 'bigger fact and bigger truth'. 'Deaths are coming fast, unspeakable cruelty is being visited against babies and children in the enforcement of something not seen in the modern world — that is, an advanced state using mass starvation as a weapon of war and giving effect to a genocide,' he said. 'We will insist that the Palestinian state that comes into being will be one that opts to be a non-militarised state ... that is a serious security guarantee that can be delivered in negotiations, and which the Palestinians have already offered.' More than 140 out of the 193 members of the United Nations already recognise the state of Palestine, including EU members Spain and Ireland. The international push to recognise Palestine has been fuelled by the escalating crisis in Gaza, where more than two million people are facing starvation. Israel cut off aid to Gaza in March before re-opening channels under tight restrictions in May, measures it says are necessary to stop the supplies being diverted to fund Hamas operations. Its officials say enough food has been let into Gaza during the war and Hamas is responsible for the suffering of civilians. Israel's military offensive has already killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to health authorities in Gaza. The campaign began after Hamas, a designated terrorist organisation in Australia, attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and took 251 hostages. Opposition frontbencher Dan Tehan said Hamas was responsible for continuing to 'politicise and weaponise the use of aid in Gaza'. Multiple aid organisations, including Amnesty and Medecins Sans Frontieres, have condemned the Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation for the trickle of aid being supplied in recent months.

Sky News AU
17 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
‘There is a better way': Sussan Ley hits out at Labor's renewable charge
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley discusses Labor's net zero rush, emphasising how much Australia needs an energy grid which 'works'. 'You have to have a grid that works and that is the most important thing because we are not going to stand by … and see this government trash energy policy in this country,' Ms Ley told Sky News Australia. 'Without making it very clear to Australians that there is a better way.'

Sky News AU
17 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
Webjet fined $9m for misleading Aussie travellers after the ACCC took the online travel agency to Federal Court
A major Australian travel company has been fined $9m for misleading Aussies about the price of flights and booking confirmations after an investigation from the consumer watchdog. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in November took online travel agency (OTA) Webjet to Federal Court for misleading advertisements it ran between 2018 and 2023 that excluded compulsory fees. Webjet also admitted it misled 118 customers between 2019 and 2024 by providing flight bookings for travel plans it had not actually confirmed. The OTA then asked for additional payments upwards of $2120 for customers to complete the booking. Webjet has since handed back this money. ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said the investigation into Webjet began after a traveller complained about a ticket price advertised as 'from $18' ended costing three times as much after fees were added. 'We took this case because we considered that Webjet used misleading pricing by excluding or not adequately disclosing compulsory fees in its ads,' Ms Cass-Gottlieb said. 'Seeking to lure in customers with prices that don't tell the whole story is a serious breach of the Australian Consumer Law.' The OTA hit customers with a 'servicing fee' and a 'booking price guarantee' fee ranging between $34.90-$54.90 per booking. These additional fees were not disclosed in Webjet's social media posts and varied depending on where the traveller was heading. Some users had to scroll to the fine print near the bottom of the screen in their booking to see information about the fees. 'Retailers must ensure their advertised prices are accurate,' Ms Cass-Gottlieb said. "They should clearly disclose additional fees and charges." These fees made up 36 per cent of Webjet's total revenue from November 2018 to November 2023. The consumer watchdog noted that Webjet had co-operated with the ACCC throughout the investigation, admitted liability and agreed to make joint submissions to the Court about orders, including the penalty.