Latest news with #ClareONeil
Daily Mail
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Backlash erupts over Pauline Hanson's Acknowledgement of Country stunt in Parliament - so do her critics have a point?
A group of senators who turned their backs during an Acknowledgement of Country inside the federal parliament have been sharply criticised. The four One Nation politicians took the action in the Senate chamber when the statement of respect was read out as part of the traditional ceremonial opening of parliament on Tuesday. Cabinet minister Clare O'Neil lashed the Pauline Hanson-led party, saying it was disappointing their action became a point of focus, despite the shows of unity earlier in the day during Welcome to Country ceremonies. This afternoon in the Senate, every One Nation senator stood with me to turn our backs on the divisive and increasingly forced Acknowledgement of Country. 'It was disrespectful and rude and childish,' she told Seven on Wednesday. The opening of parliament was a day to celebrate the strength of Australia's democracy and recommit to working for Australia's citizens, Ms O'Neil added. Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie said while it was up to the government to determine the ceremonies for the opening of parliament, and that she had listened respectfully to the acknowledgement, others had different perspectives. She also compared the One Nation silent protest to politicians who walk out of the chamber during the morning prayers and those who don't support the monarchy. 'The problem in a liberal democracy like ours is when we can't express different views,' she told Sunrise. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has claimed Acknowledgement of Country is 'divisive' and 'increasingly forced'. But Ms O'Neil said the party still should have treated all Australians with respect. 'Whatever your views about the Welcome to Country - we've got First Nations people who have been invited to come to parliament, to extend that hand of friendship and invite us and talk about 65,000 years of heritage that they bring to our beautiful, great country,' she said. 'To treat people that way on the first day of parliament, I think, it was absolutely appalling.' Welcome to Country ceremonies and land acknowledgements have been at the centre of a right-wing culture war after a group of neo-Nazis booed a Welcome to Country address during an Anzac Day dawn service in Melbourne earlier in 2025. This afternoon in the Senate, every One Nation senator stood with me to turn our backs on the divisive and increasingly forced Acknowledgement of Country. I've made this protest on my own for years, but today, our whole team made it clear: we've had enough of being told we don't… — Pauline Hanson 🇦🇺 (@PaulineHansonOz) July 22, 2025 Labor has backed Welcome to Country ceremonies, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday celebrating the tradition as a powerful way to begin the new parliament and reflect on Australia's history. Mr Albanese also took a veiled swipe at the stance of former opposition leader Peter Dutton and some coalition MPs who branded Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country proclamations as divisive and overdone. 'Like a lot of the more positive things about our nation, we shouldn't take it for granted,' Mr Albanese said, adding the ceremony was not controversial. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the ceremony 'set the tone as we re-commit ourselves to the taking of practical action to improve lives and expand opportunity for Indigenous Australians in every part of our great country'. Welcome to Country is conducted by Traditional Owners, while Acknowledgement of Country is a statement of respect for Traditional Owners and connection to land, which can be given by an Indigenous or non-Indigenous person.
SBS Australia
23-07-2025
- Politics
- SBS Australia
One Nation senators draw criticism over Acknowledgement of Country
One Nation senators criticised for turning backs during Acknowledgement of Country Repeat offenders targeted as government moves to toughen childcare safety laws In NRL, Toby Rudolf dismisses Souths' injury woes ahead of Sharks clash. A group of One Nation senators has drawn sharp criticism after turning their backs during an Acknowledgement of Country in the Senate chamber during the ceremonial opening of parliament. The protest, led by Pauline Hanson's party, took place on Tuesday as the traditional statement of respect was read aloud, prompting outrage from across the political spectrum. Cabinet Minister Clare O'Neil condemned the act, calling it disrespectful, rude and childish. She tells Channel 7, the senators' behaviour detracted from what should have been a moment of national unity. " Whatever your views are on Welcome to Country, we've got First Nations people who have been invited to come to our Parliament to extend that hand of friendship and invite us, you know, and talk about that 65,000 years of heritage that they bring to our beautiful, great country of Australia, and to treat people that way, on the first day of Parliament, I think it was absolutely appalling." Nationals senator Bridge McKenzie compared the One Nation silent protest, to politicians who walk out of the chamber during the morning prayers and those who don't support the monarchy. Independent ACT Senator David Pocock is calling on the Albanese government to go beyond headline-grabbing announcements and embrace hard reform in the higher education sector. While welcoming recent moves to support nursing students with paid placements, Mr Pocock says a broader range of students, particularly in areas facing workforce shortages, deserve the same support. 'Nurses should absolutely have paid pracs but so should a whole bunch of other professions where we are desperate for more workforce. We don't want to live in a country where you have to have wealthy parents to be able to get through a degree and qualify to practice. That needs to change. We need to see a government that is bold enough to expand their program of paid pracs." The Senator also took aim at the Coalition-era Job-ready Graduates scheme that increased the cost of some degrees, calling it a failed program that should be scrapped. He also criticised the timing of HECS-HELP indexation, calling it outrageous that Australians are being charged indexation, essentially interest, on money already repaid to the ATO. Legislation aimed at improving safety in childcare centres has been introduced to parliament. The Strengthening Regulation of Early Education Bill will give the federal government powers to shutdown childcare centres who are not meeting quality and safety standards. It will also expand the powers of the federal education department, allowing regulators to enter childcare centres with no warrant or prior warning. Early Childhood Education Minister Jess Walsh says intervention is needed to improve the system. "We want to rebuild the confidence that our early learning centers are safe and that they do provide quality early education. And of course, the vast majority of our early learning services do that every single day, but there are some repeat offenders who continue to put profit ahead of child safety, and that's what the legislation that we're introducing today is targeted to deal with." Ozzy Osbourne, legendary frontman of Black Sabbath, has died aged 76, his family has confirmed. They say he was surrounded by love in his final moments and asked for privacy as they grieve. Diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2019, Osbourne was a pioneering figure in heavy metal, known for his dark stage persona and wild antics. Dubbed the Prince of Darkness, his influence on rock music was immense, helping to define a generation of heavier, darker sound. Osbourne last appeared on stage three weeks ago in Birmingham in the U-K for a tribute Black Sabbath show. The Osbourne family welcomed viewers into their home for four seasons in an M-TV reality show between 2002 and 2005 following Osbourne and his eccentric family at home in Beverly Hills. Cronulla forward Toby Rudolf says he has not an ounce of sympathy for South Sydney as injuries derail the Rabbitohs' NRL season. Twelve first-grade players, including Latrell Mitchell, Cam Murray and Jamie Humphreys, are sidelined ahead of Saturday's match against the Sharks in Gosford. Coach Wayne Bennett has been forced to hand Ashton Gray his debut and bring in Lewis Dodd, who's seen little game time this year. Rudolf pointed out Cronulla's own injury woes, noting several key players, including himself, have played fewer than 10 games this season. He also recalled the Sharks' 2022 campaign, when they used 29 players, the same number Souths will have fielded after Gray's debut.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
One Nation turns its back on Acknowledgement of Country
A group of right-wing senators who turned their backs during an Acknowledgement of Country inside the federal parliament have been sharply criticised. The four One Nation politicians took the action in the Senate chamber when the statement of respect was read out as part of the traditional ceremonial opening of parliament on Tuesday. Cabinet minister Clare O'Neil lashed the Pauline Hanson-led party, saying it was disappointing their action became a point of focus, despite the shows of unity earlier in the day during Welcome to Country ceremonies. This afternoon in the Senate, every One Nation senator stood with me to turn our backs on the divisive and increasingly forced Acknowledgement of Country.I've made this protest on my own for years, but today, our whole team made it clear: we've had enough of being told we don't… — Pauline Hanson 🇦🇺 (@PaulineHansonOz) July 22, 2025 "It was disrespectful and rude and childish," she told Seven on Wednesday. The opening of parliament was a day to celebrate the strength of Australia's democracy and recommit to working for Australia's citizens, Ms O'Neil added. Nationals senator Bridge McKenzie said while it was up to the government to determine the ceremonies for the opening of parliament, and that she had listened respectfully to the acknowledgement, others had different perspectives. She also compared the One Nation silent protest to politicians who walk out of the chamber during the morning prayers and those who don't support the monarchy. "The problem in a liberal democracy like ours is when we can't express different views," she told Sunrise. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has claimed Acknowledgement of Country is "divisive" and "increasingly forced". But Ms O'Neil said the party still should have treated all Australians with respect. "Whatever your views about the Welcome to Country - we've got First Nations people who have been invited to come to parliament, to extend that hand of friendship and invite us and talk about 65,000 years of heritage that they bring to our beautiful, great country," she said. "To treat people that way on the first day of parliament, I think, it was absolutely appalling." Welcome to Country ceremonies and land acknowledgements have been at the centre of a right-wing culture war after a group of neo-Nazis booed a Welcome to Country address during an Anzac Day dawn service in Melbourne earlier in 2025. Labor has backed Welcome to Country ceremonies, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday celebrating the tradition as a powerful way to begin the new parliament and reflect on Australia's history. Mr Albanese also took a veiled swipe at the stance of former opposition leader Peter Dutton and some coalition MPs who branded Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country proclamations as divisive and overdone. "Like a lot of the more positive things about our nation, we shouldn't take it for granted," Mr Albanese said, adding the ceremony was not controversial. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the ceremony "set the tone as we re-commit ourselves to the taking of practical action to improve lives and expand opportunity for Indigenous Australians in every part of our great country". Welcome to Country is conducted by Traditional Owners, while Acknowledgement of Country is a statement of respect for Traditional Owners and connection to land, which can be given by an Indigenous or non-Indigenous person.
The Guardian
14-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Jim Chalmers insists Labor can meet target of 1.2m new homes despite department warning
Treasurer Jim Chalmers insists Labor is ambitious enough to meet its policy of building 1.2m new homes by 2030, despite his own department warning the federal government's goals will not be met. Calling housing shortages 'one of the defining challenges' facing the Australian economy, Chalmers downplayed advice from Treasury officials saying the current policy settings would not deliver the new homes and warning Labor would need to increase taxes to make the budget more sustainable. The comments were included in the incoming brief delivered to Chalmers after Labor's 3 May federal election victory, and accidentally made public in subheadings in a redacted version of the document released to the ABC under freedom of information rules. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Treasury officials asked the public broadcaster to delete the version released without full redactions. A less revealing version has been posted by the department online. Chalmers said the advice reflected what he and the housing minister, Clare O'Neil, had been saying since before the election. 'We will need more effort to reach that substantial, ambitious housing target,' he said. 'We're investing tens of billions of dollars. We're working well with the states and territories and local governments. We're engaging with the industry. We're trying to get the capital flowing. I've changed the tax arrangements for build to rent. 'But we'll need to do better, and we'll need to do more, and the advice just reflects that.' Economists and industry players have warned Labor will miss its goals. Deloitte Access Economics research released in October forecast Labor would deliver fewer than a million new homes by 2029 – at least 200,000 below its promised target. Separate Housing Industry Association research has found the target for 1.2m new homes within five years would require a 50% increase on 2024 construction levels. To meet its promise, Labor needs an average of 240,000 new homes need to be built each year. But Australia has only ever come close to that level twice, in 2016 and in 2021. In 2023, only 173,000 homes were completed. Before the election, Labor pledged $10bn to build 100,000 homes over eight years, set to be offered for sale to first home buyers, as well as an expansion of a scheme allowing first home buyers to purchase a home with just a 5% deposit. The government has changed tax settings in the build to rent sector and banned foreign buyers from purchasing homes in Australia for two years. Chalmers said he was 'relaxed' about the error that saw extra information from the brief publicly shared, but said he would not make the full unredacted document public. Incoming government briefs from across government departments are routinely released to journalists, but with sensitive advice from senior public servants kept secret. On tax, Chalmers said addressing the federal budget's structural deficit was a key priority for Labor and would be achieved through less spending, more savings from income derived from commodity prices and some higher taxes. 'We've already made it really clear that we will do more to make our economy more productive and more resilient, we have made it clear that we need to build on the progress we've made in repairing the budget so that we can make the budget even more sustainable.' He confirmed next month's productivity roundtable would be structured around the themes of resilience, productivity and sustainability.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Shock tax hike advice to Treasurer
Accidentally published advice from Treasury has revealed Jim Chalmers has been advised to increase taxes in order to return the budget to surplus, with the government also warned it will not meet its 1.2 million homes target as part of the National Housing Accords. First reported by the ABC, the details were mistakenly revealed in an unredacted Freedom of Information request submitted by the broadcaster and shared in an incoming government brief issued by Treasury after Labor won the May 3 election. Although Treasury requested the documents be deleted and unpublished after noting the error, the ABC said the details were 'in the public interest'. While no specific taxes were identified, the Treasurer was told he would need to identify 'additional revenue and spending reductions' in order to put the budget in a 'sustainable' position, the ABC reported. The papers said 'tax should be raised as part of broader tax reform,' and suggested 'indirect taxes' and superannuation taxes as a potential avenues. This comes as Labor intends to double the taxes on superannuation accounts above $3m, from 15 to 30 per cent, with Mr Chalmers stating the move would only affect 0.5 per cent of people. However the Opposition has opposed the tax as the $3m threshold will not be indexed, with the tax also affecting unrealised gains, penalising people who hold property and other assets in their super portfolio. In the unredacted papers, Housing Minister Clare O'Neil was also advised to 'adjust' Labor's 1.2 million homes target, which it currently must meet by June 30, 2029. Ms O'Neil was urged to look at how migration and skills training could boost the construction workforce, and reassess how to best use state and territory grants as 'leverage' for improved home building rates. Speaking on ABC RN on Monday, Environment Minister Murray Watt said it was 'not unusual' for a minister to receive advice from government departments. He also said Labor remained committed to the Housing Accord targets. 'I, of course, haven't seen them (the Treasury advice documents) myself, but you will have seen that we've taken a lot of steps already to ensure that we can meet that housing goal,' he said. 'We recognise that it's ambitious, but it's certainly our intention to meet it.'
