Latest news with #UnitingNSWACT
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Morning Mail: fears aged care reform to price out poorest, action on antisemitism, Maroons glory
Morning everyone. One of Labor's big pledges has been to fix the aged care system, but an industry big-hitter says in our top story that the government's reforms risk leaving poorer retirees squeezed out of care options. Elsewhere, the prime minister is set to announce a suite of measures to tackle antisemitism today, there's some relief for tenants as rents show signs of topping out – and why Queensland's Origin triumph was a matter of life and death. Backpacker missing | Fears are mounting for the safety of 26-year-old German backpacker Carolina Wilga (pictured) who has been missing for more than a week in rural Western Australia. Aged care squeeze | Labor's changes to the aged care system risk squeezing out poorer elderly people, the head of Uniting has warned, because government support isn't enough to compete with self-funded care home residents. Antisemitism attack | Victoria police are investigating a video of a person claiming credit for the vandalism of three cars outside a defence industry business linked to Israel while clad in a black balaclava and standing in front of a Palestinian flag. Meanwhile, the prime minister is expected to announce a package of measures today to tackle the problem, including education and online safety. Rental 'easing' | Rents are showing signs of maxing out in Australia capital cities because landlords cannot squeeze any more out of hard-pressed tenants, new data shows. Domestic emergency | A Queensland court has dismissed charges against a woman for driving while disqualified because it judged she faced an 'extraordinary emergency' due to the threat of domestic violence. Ukraine reshuffle | Russia has committed flagrant and unprecedented abuses of human rights since it invaded Ukraine in 2014, including extrajudicial killings, sexual violence and forced labour, the European court of human rights has found. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who met the pope yesterday for talks, is replacing Ukraine's ambassador to the US, who has been heavily criticised by leading Republicans, as part a diplomatic reshuffle designed to strengthen ties with the Trump administration. Our diplomatic editor asks whether the bromance between Donald Trump and Putin is finally over. More tariffs | Donald Trump continued to fire off letters threatening steep US tariffs on foreign exports from six more countries, including Iraq, Libya and Moldova. 'Shoot them in the legs' | Kenya's president, William Ruto, has ordered police to shoot protesters targeting businesses in the legs amid continued unrest that has seen dozens killed in demonstrations. Chips all round | The chipmaker Nvidia has become the first public company in history to reach $4tn in market value, while elsewhere in the tech world the chief executive of X, Linda Yaccarino, has quit Elon Musk's social network after two 'incredible' years in the job. Operation robot | Automated surgery could be trialled on humans within a decade, say researchers, after an AI-trained robot armed with tools to cut, clip and grab soft tissue successfully removed gall bladders from pigs without human help. Kumanjayi Walker inquest findings: racism, reform and reckoning Lorena Allam, an Indigenous media professor at UTS and former Guardian Indigenous affairs editor, and our justice and courts reporter, Nino Bucci, tell Nour Haydar what the coroner's findings mean for truth-telling in the Northern Territory. Sorry your browser does not support audio - but you can download here and listen $ After finding itself at the centre of the media spotlight for more than 10 weeks, Gippslanders might have to get used to more visitors as the Erin Patterson case spawns a ghoulish sightseeing trade – and a stream of filmmakers for the inevitable true crime dramas and documentaries. Benita Kolovos and Stephanie Convery explore why so many are drawn to so-called dark tourism. The school holidays provide a tough test for parents in keeping kids amused – and fed. So this week's supermarket taste test sees Sarah Ayoub wrangle a group of under-10s (and a rogue adult connoisseur) to find the best – and worst – chicken nuggets on the market. Sign up to Morning Mail Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Rugby league | Tagged underdogs and beset by off-field dramas, Queensland delivered one of the great State of Origin performances to beat the NSW Blues 24-12 on their home patch in Sydney to secure the shield for 2025. For the recently bereaved Cameron Munster, new father Josh Papalii and under-pressure coach Billy Slater it was an especially sweet triumph, writes Jack Snape. Rugby union | Fielding close to their best team, the British & Irish Lions prevailed over the Brumbies by 36-24 last night but a watching Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt will have seen enough to take heart for next week's first Test. Formula One | Christian Horner has been sacked as Red Bull's team principal after 20 years in post and will be replaced by Laurent Mekies, the principal of sister team Racing Bulls SpA. Tennis | Iga Swiatek will play Belinda Bencic in the Wimbledon semi-finals after she beat Liudmila Samsonova and the Swiss veteran won through after a thrilling match against Mirra Andreeva. Jannik Sinner eased past Ben Shelton into the semis where he will play Novak Djokovic. Sydney train drivers are set for a big pay bump to end months of industrial action, according to the Telegraph. Coastal areas of South Australia are cleaning up after being battered by heavy rain, high winds and even thunderstorms, the Advertiser reports. The Australian claims that the defence ministry's guided missile section has spent taxpayers' money on a cookbook to promote Harmony Week. It might have been a good night for Maroons fans but the Courier Mail says they couldn't celebrate their Origin win at the Star casino in Brisbane after workers staged a strike for better conditions. Energy | Western Australia's premier, Roger Cook, will speak about the energy transition at a CEDA conference in Perth. Dubbo| There is a mention for a woman accused of killing her two grandsons in Coonabarabran. Victoria | There is a mention in Dandenong court for man charged with antisemitic abuse against a federal MP. If you would like to receive this Morning Mail update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here, or finish your day with our Afternoon Update newsletter. You can follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland. And finally, here are the Guardian's crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Labor's aged care reforms risk squeezing out poorer people, industry boss warns
Labor's changes to Australia's aged care system risk squeezing out elderly people with limited financial means, an industry leader has warned, as advocates call for action to strengthen the reforms. Tracey Burton, chief executive of Uniting will use a speech on the future of care for elderly people on Thursday to argue that equitable access for poorer Australians remains an unmet promise of changes passed by parliament last year. Following a royal commission and a taskforce report to the federal government, Labor introduced new rules requiring wealthier people to pay more for their care and boosting access to support services for people who choose to stay in their own home. Residents who can afford to pay for their own care do so using a payment known as a refundable accommodation deposit (RAD). The average RAD is $470,000, with the lump sum refunded to family members when a resident dies. Elderly people whose care is paid for by the government rely on a supported accommodation supplement, worth $70 per day. Changes from the new laws were due to come into force from 1 July, but were delayed by until November over concerns about implementation capacity. Burton told Guardian Australia the significant difference in value acts as a strong disincentive for homes to accept supported residents. 'If you've got one bed left, it is going to be a difficult financial decision for them,' she said. 'If there's not enough beds to go around, and somebody is going to contribute through the government supplement of $69 a day, compared to someone who will likely pay double that per day, it's a very difficult for providers to actually prioritise the people without means.' Burton wants the government to move more quickly than a planned review of the supplement, due to be completed by mid-2026. She will propose it be raised, or tied to mandated equivalent rate to the RAD. Uniting cares for nearly 8000 residents across 75 homes in NSW and the ACT and supports 8500 home care clients. Burton cited the case of an elderly man from the NSW Central Coast who was moved to a home in Sydney because no bed was available closer to his support network. 'The unintended consequence of people of means contributing more to their aged care is that they could get priority access over people who are relying on the government support,' Burton said. Occupancy in aged care in Australia's major cities is above 94%, according to the most recent research. In regional centres, it exceeds 92%. Demand is expected to surge. The country is on track for a doubling of people over 65 and a tripling of those aged over 85 within 40 years. Grant Corduroy, an aged care expert and member of Labor's expert taskforce, endorsed Burton's calls for action. 'The current accomodation supplement is inequitable for financially disadvantaged people compared to people who have the financial ability to pay,' he said. 'With increasing occupancy levels, where demand will soon start to outstrip supply, it means providers will have greater choice among the residents they accept. We don't want providers to be faced with having to make that choice based on financial reasons, rather than the needs assessment of a resident.' To incentivise providers to prioritise financially vulnerable residents, aged care homes that fall below 40% supported residents have their supplement rates reduced by 25%. The supplement review is expected to consider if it is priced in a way to incentivise providers to accept low-means residents. The minister for aged care, Sam Rae, said Labor was determined to make sure the accommodation supplement provided 'appropriate incentives so that people who need it most can access care, even if they aren't well off. 'The review of accommodation pricing will consult widely, and I look forward to receiving the report and learning how we can further improve care and support for older Australians doing it tough,' he said.
