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Your daily download of everything you need to know about politics, national and global affairs. Patricia Karvelas asks politicians the tough questions and talks to key players and experts on the issues driving the news cycle.
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ABC News
18 minutes ago
- ABC News
New Tasmanian crossbencher Carlo Di Falco says gun law reform will be one of his bargaining chips
Newly elected Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party MP Carlo Di Falco says gun law reform will be one of his bargaining chips in the next Tasmanian parliament. Mr Di Falco claimed a seat in Lyons with 6.7 per cent of first-preference votes. He said the party's priorities on gun law reform included amendments about silencers, mandatory three-month sentences for those who steal guns, and to extend the ability to hunt feral animals. He said deer-culling programs involving helicopters and aerial shooting were not the best way to control fallow deer. "It makes more sense to allow shooters to go in and clean up the same deer with one or two shots, and not only that, so the meat's not wasted," he said. The Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service has said the aerial shooting program has been successful in recent years. Stephen Bendle, an advocacy adviser for the Alannah & Madeline Foundation said gun violence was still an issue in Australia. "It is still something we need to be vigilant about and [gun control] can't be taken for granted," Mr Bendle said. The foundation was set up by Walter Mikac, whose wife Nannette and daughters Alannah and Madeline were murdered in the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. Mr Di Falco said the incident was a tragedy. "But that was that was 30 years ago … and from my personal point of view, people who keep on milking this tragedy get points, it's morally reprehensible," he said. Mr Bendle said that type of language was disrespectful, especially in Tasmania. He said gun safety advocates knew there were legitimate uses for guns in Australia, such as on farms. "However, the 97 per cent of the Tasmanian, and in fact the Australian population, who don't have any connection with firearms need to be respected," Mr Bendle said. "Just because a small percentage of Australians have a recreation activity, that shouldn't lead to the proliferation of firearms." Whichever party forms government after the recent state election, it will need support from crossbenchers. Mr Di Falco said that in his negotiations with the Liberals and Labor, he would push for reforms not only to gun laws, but also to telecommunications and health. He said he did not want to jeopardise his bargaining position by disclosing who he intended to support. For the Liberals to form government, they need the support of four crossbenchers, Labor would need the support of eight. And gun law reform is a difficult issue in Tasmania, as the Liberals found out in 2018 when they abandoned an election promise to make changes to gun laws, citing the community's "deeply held concerns" about safety and confidence in the law. A Shooters, Fishers and Farmers bill is expected to be debated in NSW parliament this week, which, if passed, would enshrine a "right to hunt", and open up more Crown land for hunting. NSW Premier Chris Minns said his government would not allow gun restrictions to go backwards. "We will not be voting to water down gun laws in NSW, that's very important they stay consistent following the horror of the Port Arthur massacre," Mr Minns said. Mr Di Falco said he did not understand the opposition to the NSW bill. "All they're doing is letting the shooters go in and clean up feral animals, I would have thought even the Greens would have had agreed to that," he said. Mr Bendle said the changes in NSW were worrying.
ABC News
33 minutes ago
- ABC News
Breakfast Wrap: Gaza protests 'wake up call' for politics
Labor MP Ed Husic says the weekend's pro-Palestinian protests were a "wake-up call for Australian politics". When I looked in this crowd you had the people you would expect who have been there from the start, but there was a lot of middle Australia there and I think that's something that can't be ignored." Today on the Breakfast Wrap we hear from the Labor backbencher about the impact of the rally over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and we get a response from NSW police, who have raised concerns with the scale of the demonstration. We'll also turn to Gaza, to ask what the future of Hamas is, as more countries come to the table on Palestinian statehood. Recap the morning's news, politics and global affairs with the Breakfast Wrap
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
WA Year 12 students who get a D grade will still pass ATAR and achieve WACE under new reforms
Year 12 students in Western Australia who get D grades will still be able to pass ATAR subjects and graduate from high school, education authorities have announced. The School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) hopes the decision to allow students to achieve a WA Certificate of Education with a D, rather than a C, will reverse the trend of students shying away from harder subjects. In a statement, the SCSA said the decision was supported by "extensive analysis of student data and research that compared ATAR and general course content and standards". "This showed that a D Grade in an ATAR course equates to at least a C grade in a comparable general course. "Because a D grade for an ATAR course has been confirmed as aligning to a C grade in a general course, the WACE will continue to maintain its established standards as a robust, rigorous and contemporary senior certificate of education." The move has divided listeners on ABC Radio Perth, with Frank describing the decision as "an absolute joke" that would contribute to a "dumbing down of the nation". "How can you possibly reward someone for being incompetent? If you aren't good enough at something you should fail and you should move down," he said. But teacher Lucy said it was unfair that under the current system, some students who tackled ATAR did not get a WACE graduation even when they worked very hard. "Then there are students who go with a different pathway and get a C and they get their WACE graduation because it's easier and different to ATAR," she said. "We have got students in year 12 who are recommended to not do ATAR because they won't get their WACE graduation. Lucy pointed out they would still need to achieve a high ATAR score to get into university. "I think the students who are trying to do ATAR and get a D should be rewarded ... for two years of really hard work." Year 11 student Ella, who is doing five ATAR subjects and a general course, said a C grade in general "is absolutely equal to a D in ATAR" due to the higher workload. "I do so much more work in my ATAR courses than I do in my general and I am comfortably passing my general without needing to do too much," she said. "The amount of effort required for ATAR is so much more than people think. "It doesn't mean they are going to get into the uni course they want but at least they are passing high school. It's absolutely fair." The SCSA said consultation on the changes across the school sector and with other stakeholders "showed support for providing students studying Year 12 ATAR courses with recognition of their efforts". The change will be in place for year 12 students this year.
