These two men want an extra hurdle for sexual harassment claims. It will cost millions
Liberal upper house leader Damien Tudehope and Latham have jointly written amendments to the government's workers' compensation bill, proposing changes to the definition of sexual harassment as well as axing claims made for excessive work demands and vicarious trauma.
The move has heaped pressure on the Liberals for teaming up with Latham, who has been accused of domestic violence against his ex-partner, which he emphatically denies, as well as inappropriate workplace behaviour, including taking photos of female MPs. He has apologised to the women.
Under the Tudehope-Latham amendments, a person who makes a sexual advance towards a colleague would need to have known, or should have known, that the advance was unwelcome.
Treasury secretary Michael Coutts-Trotter asked the state insurer icare, on behalf of Tudehope, to prepare costings for the amendments. Analysis shows that the private sector scheme, known as the nominal insurer, would be almost $800 million worse off under the pair's proposed changes.
The costings, which have been provided to Tudehope, show that the government bill would save the nominal insurer between $4.31 billion and $4.41 billion over the four years to 2029, while the amendments would lead to smaller savings of between $3.53 billion and $3.63 billion.
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Opposition Leader Mark Speakman has insisted that changes to the definition of sexual harassment would still protect workers from 'ignorant bigots' but wouldn't necessarily allow employees to claim compensation if a colleague 'makes a pass' at them.
However, the analysis from icare said the 'amendments will require intent of the perpetrator to harm to be established by an injured worker before compensation for a primary psychological injury caused by bullying, racial and sexual harassment may be paid'.
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The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Convicted MP rapist to oppose motion to expel him from state parliament
Lawyers for convicted rapist Gareth Ward have filed an injunction to stop his explusion from parliament, which means he will remain Kiama MP while he awaits his sentencing from behind bars. Parliament returned on Tuesday and it was expected a notice of motion to expel the disgraced politician would be put forward. However, NSW Premier Chris Minns confirmed Ward's lawyers sought the injunction against leader of the lower house Ron Hoenig, with an urgent hearing to occur in the Supreme Court on Wednesday. Mr Minns told 2GB radio on Tuesday morning that "most people would appreciate, it's an unconscionable situation to have someone who's currently sitting in Silverwater ... who is demanding to remain a member of parliament and continue to be paid". A vote the a motion to expel the former Liberal was to be delayed until Wednesday after lawyers raised concerns about procedural fairness. Ward, 44, has been in jail since last week after Judge Kara Shead SC granted a detention application to revoke his bail, after a jury found him guilty of sexual intercourse without consent and three counts of indecent assault. The Kiama MP since 2011 had faced a nine-week trial, which heard he sexually assaulted a 24-year-old man in Potts Point in 2015, and touched and massaged an 18-year-old man in Meroo Meadow in 2013. He met both men through political circles. On the morning parliament returned NSW Opposition leader Mark Speakman recommitted to supporting Ward's expulsion and working with the government "to get this done as quickly as possible" "However, Mr Ward's legal team should do whatever it takes to get a clear message to him - immediately resign," Mr Speakman said. "Every day he clings to his seat from a jail cell, taxpayers are footing the bill and the people of Kiama are left voiceless. It's not just wrong, it's offensive. "This is about decency, accountability, and basic respect for the community. Mr Ward should spare the Parliament, spare the courts, and above all, spare the people of NSW any further disgrace. "Step aside." Last week, Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig sent a letter to Ward via his legal team notifying him of the parliament's plans to consider his expulsion. "I am sure you would appreciate that in view of the verdict of the jury convicting you of serious criminal offences that the House needs to consider whether your continued membership of the House requires it to act to protect the high standing of the Parliament so that it may discharge with the confidence of the community the great responsibility that it bears," the letter stated. The letter, seen by the Mercury, noted that Ward was in custody and would be unable to attend parliament when the expulsion motion is being debated. "Accordingly, I invite you to submit to me yourself or anyone on your behalf any statement or material you would want the House to consider prior to making any determination," the letter stated. It gave a deadline for submissions of 9am on August 5. Under the NSW Constitution Act, an MPs seat is declared vacant if they are convicted of a crime punishable by five years or more imprisonment. Ward is facing a maximum penalty of 14 years' jail. However, changes to the law in 2000 state that a conviction is considered to mean "once you have reached the end of the appeals process ... and not had the conviction overturned". Ward confirmed his intention to appeal in a press release issued last Friday. "I am taking advice about next steps, but I can confirm that I have provided instructions to my legal team to prepare an appeal at the earliest opportunity," he said. Parliament also has the power to expel an MP for "unworthy conduct". If the expulsioon is passed a byelection will be called for the seat of Kiama. Despite being charged with the offences in 2022, Ward was re-elected to the seat as an independent in 2023. Lawyers for convicted rapist Gareth Ward have filed an injunction to stop his explusion from parliament, which means he will remain Kiama MP while he awaits his sentencing from behind bars. Parliament returned on Tuesday and it was expected a notice of motion to expel the disgraced politician would be put forward. However, NSW Premier Chris Minns confirmed Ward's lawyers sought the injunction against leader of the lower house Ron Hoenig, with an urgent hearing to occur in the Supreme Court on Wednesday. Mr Minns told 2GB radio on Tuesday morning that "most people would appreciate, it's an unconscionable situation to have someone who's currently sitting in Silverwater ... who is demanding to remain a member of parliament and continue to be paid". A vote the a motion to expel the former Liberal was to be delayed until Wednesday after lawyers raised concerns about procedural fairness. Ward, 44, has been in jail since last week after Judge Kara Shead SC granted a detention application to revoke his bail, after a jury found him guilty of sexual intercourse without consent and three counts of indecent assault. The Kiama MP since 2011 had faced a nine-week trial, which heard he sexually assaulted a 24-year-old man in Potts Point in 2015, and touched and massaged an 18-year-old man in Meroo Meadow in 2013. He met both men through political circles. On the morning parliament returned NSW Opposition leader Mark Speakman recommitted to supporting Ward's expulsion and working with the government "to get this done as quickly as possible" "However, Mr Ward's legal team should do whatever it takes to get a clear message to him - immediately resign," Mr Speakman said. "Every day he clings to his seat from a jail cell, taxpayers are footing the bill and the people of Kiama are left voiceless. It's not just wrong, it's offensive. "This is about decency, accountability, and basic respect for the community. Mr Ward should spare the Parliament, spare the courts, and above all, spare the people of NSW any further disgrace. "Step aside." Last week, Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig sent a letter to Ward via his legal team notifying him of the parliament's plans to consider his expulsion. "I am sure you would appreciate that in view of the verdict of the jury convicting you of serious criminal offences that the House needs to consider whether your continued membership of the House requires it to act to protect the high standing of the Parliament so that it may discharge with the confidence of the community the great responsibility that it bears," the letter stated. The letter, seen by the Mercury, noted that Ward was in custody and would be unable to attend parliament when the expulsion motion is being debated. "Accordingly, I invite you to submit to me yourself or anyone on your behalf any statement or material you would want the House to consider prior to making any determination," the letter stated. It gave a deadline for submissions of 9am on August 5. Under the NSW Constitution Act, an MPs seat is declared vacant if they are convicted of a crime punishable by five years or more imprisonment. Ward is facing a maximum penalty of 14 years' jail. However, changes to the law in 2000 state that a conviction is considered to mean "once you have reached the end of the appeals process ... and not had the conviction overturned". Ward confirmed his intention to appeal in a press release issued last Friday. "I am taking advice about next steps, but I can confirm that I have provided instructions to my legal team to prepare an appeal at the earliest opportunity," he said. Parliament also has the power to expel an MP for "unworthy conduct". If the expulsioon is passed a byelection will be called for the seat of Kiama. Despite being charged with the offences in 2022, Ward was re-elected to the seat as an independent in 2023. Lawyers for convicted rapist Gareth Ward have filed an injunction to stop his explusion from parliament, which means he will remain Kiama MP while he awaits his sentencing from behind bars. Parliament returned on Tuesday and it was expected a notice of motion to expel the disgraced politician would be put forward. However, NSW Premier Chris Minns confirmed Ward's lawyers sought the injunction against leader of the lower house Ron Hoenig, with an urgent hearing to occur in the Supreme Court on Wednesday. Mr Minns told 2GB radio on Tuesday morning that "most people would appreciate, it's an unconscionable situation to have someone who's currently sitting in Silverwater ... who is demanding to remain a member of parliament and continue to be paid". A vote the a motion to expel the former Liberal was to be delayed until Wednesday after lawyers raised concerns about procedural fairness. Ward, 44, has been in jail since last week after Judge Kara Shead SC granted a detention application to revoke his bail, after a jury found him guilty of sexual intercourse without consent and three counts of indecent assault. The Kiama MP since 2011 had faced a nine-week trial, which heard he sexually assaulted a 24-year-old man in Potts Point in 2015, and touched and massaged an 18-year-old man in Meroo Meadow in 2013. He met both men through political circles. On the morning parliament returned NSW Opposition leader Mark Speakman recommitted to supporting Ward's expulsion and working with the government "to get this done as quickly as possible" "However, Mr Ward's legal team should do whatever it takes to get a clear message to him - immediately resign," Mr Speakman said. "Every day he clings to his seat from a jail cell, taxpayers are footing the bill and the people of Kiama are left voiceless. It's not just wrong, it's offensive. "This is about decency, accountability, and basic respect for the community. Mr Ward should spare the Parliament, spare the courts, and above all, spare the people of NSW any further disgrace. "Step aside." Last week, Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig sent a letter to Ward via his legal team notifying him of the parliament's plans to consider his expulsion. "I am sure you would appreciate that in view of the verdict of the jury convicting you of serious criminal offences that the House needs to consider whether your continued membership of the House requires it to act to protect the high standing of the Parliament so that it may discharge with the confidence of the community the great responsibility that it bears," the letter stated. The letter, seen by the Mercury, noted that Ward was in custody and would be unable to attend parliament when the expulsion motion is being debated. "Accordingly, I invite you to submit to me yourself or anyone on your behalf any statement or material you would want the House to consider prior to making any determination," the letter stated. It gave a deadline for submissions of 9am on August 5. Under the NSW Constitution Act, an MPs seat is declared vacant if they are convicted of a crime punishable by five years or more imprisonment. Ward is facing a maximum penalty of 14 years' jail. However, changes to the law in 2000 state that a conviction is considered to mean "once you have reached the end of the appeals process ... and not had the conviction overturned". Ward confirmed his intention to appeal in a press release issued last Friday. "I am taking advice about next steps, but I can confirm that I have provided instructions to my legal team to prepare an appeal at the earliest opportunity," he said. Parliament also has the power to expel an MP for "unworthy conduct". If the expulsioon is passed a byelection will be called for the seat of Kiama. Despite being charged with the offences in 2022, Ward was re-elected to the seat as an independent in 2023. Lawyers for convicted rapist Gareth Ward have filed an injunction to stop his explusion from parliament, which means he will remain Kiama MP while he awaits his sentencing from behind bars. Parliament returned on Tuesday and it was expected a notice of motion to expel the disgraced politician would be put forward. However, NSW Premier Chris Minns confirmed Ward's lawyers sought the injunction against leader of the lower house Ron Hoenig, with an urgent hearing to occur in the Supreme Court on Wednesday. Mr Minns told 2GB radio on Tuesday morning that "most people would appreciate, it's an unconscionable situation to have someone who's currently sitting in Silverwater ... who is demanding to remain a member of parliament and continue to be paid". A vote the a motion to expel the former Liberal was to be delayed until Wednesday after lawyers raised concerns about procedural fairness. Ward, 44, has been in jail since last week after Judge Kara Shead SC granted a detention application to revoke his bail, after a jury found him guilty of sexual intercourse without consent and three counts of indecent assault. The Kiama MP since 2011 had faced a nine-week trial, which heard he sexually assaulted a 24-year-old man in Potts Point in 2015, and touched and massaged an 18-year-old man in Meroo Meadow in 2013. He met both men through political circles. On the morning parliament returned NSW Opposition leader Mark Speakman recommitted to supporting Ward's expulsion and working with the government "to get this done as quickly as possible" "However, Mr Ward's legal team should do whatever it takes to get a clear message to him - immediately resign," Mr Speakman said. "Every day he clings to his seat from a jail cell, taxpayers are footing the bill and the people of Kiama are left voiceless. It's not just wrong, it's offensive. "This is about decency, accountability, and basic respect for the community. Mr Ward should spare the Parliament, spare the courts, and above all, spare the people of NSW any further disgrace. "Step aside." Last week, Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig sent a letter to Ward via his legal team notifying him of the parliament's plans to consider his expulsion. "I am sure you would appreciate that in view of the verdict of the jury convicting you of serious criminal offences that the House needs to consider whether your continued membership of the House requires it to act to protect the high standing of the Parliament so that it may discharge with the confidence of the community the great responsibility that it bears," the letter stated. The letter, seen by the Mercury, noted that Ward was in custody and would be unable to attend parliament when the expulsion motion is being debated. "Accordingly, I invite you to submit to me yourself or anyone on your behalf any statement or material you would want the House to consider prior to making any determination," the letter stated. It gave a deadline for submissions of 9am on August 5. Under the NSW Constitution Act, an MPs seat is declared vacant if they are convicted of a crime punishable by five years or more imprisonment. Ward is facing a maximum penalty of 14 years' jail. However, changes to the law in 2000 state that a conviction is considered to mean "once you have reached the end of the appeals process ... and not had the conviction overturned". Ward confirmed his intention to appeal in a press release issued last Friday. "I am taking advice about next steps, but I can confirm that I have provided instructions to my legal team to prepare an appeal at the earliest opportunity," he said. Parliament also has the power to expel an MP for "unworthy conduct". If the expulsioon is passed a byelection will be called for the seat of Kiama. Despite being charged with the offences in 2022, Ward was re-elected to the seat as an independent in 2023.
Perth Now
5 hours ago
- Perth Now
‘Cautious': Visa crackdown sparks worry
Senior Liberal MP Tim Wilson says he is 'cautious' after Anthony Albanese's immigration chief revealed he had blocked dozens of visas to protect 'social cohesion'. Tony Burke holds a suite of powerful portfolios in the Albanese government, including home affairs and immigration. This gives him direct oversight of intelligence and policing concerns as well as the means to curb foreign threats, such as by rejecting visa applications. Immigration Minister Tony Burke says he has blocked dozens of visas to protect 'social cohesion'. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia With deteriorating social cohesion keeping the terror threat level high, Mr Burke has not hesitated to refuse entry to high-profile figures, including rapper Kanye West and conservative conspiracy theorist Candace Owens – both highly publicised ordeals. But in a recent interview, Mr Burke revealed he had refused many more that had not reached headlines. Mr Wilson said on Tuesday he was worried not everyone was being held to the same standard. Senior Liberal MP Tim Wilson says visa approval standards 'should be consistent'. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia 'I'm cautious because what it does is empower the minister,' the opposition industry and workplace relations spokesman told Nine's Today. He went on to say Mr Burke 'in 2018 advocated for a visa for somebody who believed in the enslavement and the punishment of homosexuals and the subjugation of women'. 'You need to make sure that there are clear guidelines that are broadly, equally applicable,' Mr Wilson said. 'If people are going to advocate for harm against Australians, the standard should be consistent, not based on what the minister simply decides based on the whim of the day or his political considerations.' More to come.
Sky News AU
8 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Near 60 per cent jump in price of offshore wind in the UK a cautionary tale for Chris Bowen and his unprecedented new renewables remit
UN climate chief Simon Stiell has warned that megaâ€'droughts could one day make fresh fruit and vegetables a 'onceâ€'aâ€'year treat' in Australia, alongside a forecasted $6.8 trillion GDP loss by 2050 unless emissions targets are dramatically ramped up. It would be funny if it weren't being parroted so earnestly. An unelected Grenadian bureaucrat, clocking up air miles on long-haul jets, presuming to tell Australian taxpayers what their priorities should be, as though it's his divine right. Another climate hypocrite in the conga line of green evangelists, shrieking about catastrophe while living comfortably above the sacrifices they demand of everyone else. Next month, the Albanese government is expected to lock in its 2035 emissions target once the Climate Change Authority, chaired by former NSW Liberal premier Matt Kean, hands down its advice. The figure will likely fall between 65 and 75 per cent cuts compared to 2005 levels, dwarfing the already ambitious 43 per cent reduction due by 2030. This is less a public mandate than a frantic bid to impress international delegates ahead of Australia's COP31 hosting bid. Yet no one seems to have asked Australians whether bankrupting their country for climate kudos is a good idea. Or if they're prepared to see food and energy become luxuries in the name of 'ambition'. Meanwhile, households and businesses are already paying for this grand experiment. Between 2023 and midâ€'2025, energy bills have soared around 40 per cent nationwide. From July, default market offers climbed up to 10 per cent across NSW, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia; slugging families with an extra $280 a year. That's hardly pocket change for people who already turn the heating off to keep costs down. Small businesses are on life support. A family-run grocer in Wagga Wagga expects a $24,000 annual hike despite rooftop solar. Across the country, policy shifts have added roughly $4 billion to energy costs, squeezing margins, fuelling inflation and driving up food prices. Electricity costs rose 8.1 per cent in the past year alone, feeding directly into the 4.3 per cent spike in grocery bills and 4.5 per cent rent increases. The same policymakers who promise to save the planet are making it harder for ordinary people to afford dinner. And here's the kicker: Australia is one of the most resource-rich nations on earth. It has the largest coal deposits in the world, vast gas reserves, uranium for nuclear energy and critical minerals that the green transition itself depends on. Yet these assets are increasingly politically off-limits. Billions are poured into renewables while the grid can't cope with intermittent supply, new transmission lines face fierce local opposition, and large-scale storage remains a fantasy. The government wants 82 per cent renewables by 2030, yet warns of looming blackouts. The numbers don't add up, but the ideology marches on. Simon Stiell's sermon about fruit scarcity and GDP losses comes with theatrical hand-waving but little mention of the obvious: China, which builds coal-fired plants with impunity, emits more in a fortnight than Australia does all year and faces no comparable scolding. If Australia disappeared tomorrow, global emissions would barely flinch. Yet our leaders are desperate for pats on the back from unelected bureaucrats, ready to sacrifice competitiveness and affordability for a headline moment on the world stage. We've reached a point where even questioning the policy orthodoxy (what the UN frames as ambition) is treated as blasphemy. If you ask why the West should commit economic self-harm while other nations refuse to play ball, you're a denier. Nigel Farage found his bank account closed in part for being climate-sceptical. A climate priesthood is emerging, intolerant of dissent, allergic to scrutiny, and intoxicated by its own rhetoric. Britain's experience should be a cautionary tale. Successive governments have thrown billions at offshore wind, locking consumers into spiralling costs. The latest strike prices in Contracts for Difference auctions are around £60 per megawatt hour, nearly 60 per cent higher than two years ago. With wholesale electricity averaging £70–75/MWh, taxpayers are effectively underwriting inflated returns for developers while grid bottlenecks and storage delays mean intermittency remains unsolved. The supposed 'cheap wind revolution' has never materialised on consumer bills. Instead, households face higher costs and dwindling energy security- all for climate milestones that look impressive on a spreadsheet but feel punishing in reality. This hyperbolic messaging is deliberate. Andrew Neil exposed it live on the BBC when an Extinction Rebellion spokesperson admitted that exaggerated claims about climate-related deaths were used because 'alarmism works'. UN Secretary-General António Guterres took it further in 2023, declaring that 'the era of global boiling has arrived', that 'the air is unbreathable, the is heat unbearable'. Apocalyptic wordplay wins headlines, but it breeds despair, not action. A 2021 University of Bath survey found 56 per cent of young people worldwide believe humanity is doomed. If you think the end is guaranteed, why invest, innovate or adapt? Why train as an engineer or put capital into clean tech when the message from leaders is that it's already too late? In Canberra, politics has devolved into theatre. Labor governs with a majority but faces a Senate pulled between Greens and Teal independents demanding even harsher cuts, and a Coalition that only half-heartedly argues for gas and a slower transition. The tug-of-war has left no space for serious debate about cost, reliability or trade-offs. Real people pay real bills, industries consider offshoring, and taxpayers fund green gambles that threaten jobs and prosperity. Yet politicians fall over themselves to show 'ambition' to the UN, treating pain at home as proof of virtue abroad. There is a saner path. We can slash emissions without strangling growth or making families choose between heating and eating. With Australia's vast natural resources, it should be using cleaner coal, advanced gas technology, nuclear power where viable, and investing properly in energy storage and transmission to make renewables work. Innovation, not ideology, will get us to lower emissions faster than bureaucratic diktats and theatrical targets. But for now, the West seems intent on policy masochism, applauded by the same unelected officials who never pay the price. If climate leadership now means empty wallets, unreliable grids and strawberries rationed like wartime luxuries, we've gone badly wrong. We're not decarbonising the planet. We're decarbonising prosperity. It's time to bring common sense back to the table before the only thing we power reliably is fear. Esther Krakue is a British commentator who has regularly appeared on Sky News Australia programs, as well as on TalkTV and GB News in the UK. She launched her career with Turning Point UK, with whom she hosted a show featuring guests including Douglas Murray and Peter Hitchens
