Penny Wong has discussed the issue of recognition of Palestine and the push for a ceasefire in calls with the Palestinian prime minister and a minister from the United Arab Emirates. Photograph: Joel Carrett/EPA
Penny Wong has discussed the issue of recognition of Palestine and the push for a ceasefire in calls with the Palestinian prime minister and a minister from the United Arab Emirates. Photograph: Joel Carrett/EPA
Two students from Yarra Valley grammar school were expelled over a spreadsheet compiled by a group of boys that ranked their female classmates from “wifey” to “unrapeable”.
Australia’s foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, discussed the issue of recognition of Palestine and the push for a ceasefire in calls with the Palestinian prime minister and a minister from the United Arab Emirates.
Senate inquiry recommends supermarkets face break-up threat
A Senate inquiry has recommended that major supermarkets be forcibly broken up if they engage in anti-competitive behaviour in a move designed to empower shoppers and suppliers against Australia’s dominant food retailers.
The inquiry’s final report, released today, has also recommended that legislative changes are made to prohibit food retailers from charging excessive prices, otherwise known as price gouging.
The recommendations come against a backdrop of relentless price rises for basic goods, but robust profits for those which sell them, including major chains Coles and Woolworths.
The Senate committee has made 14 recommendations, which includes measures designed to: address food wastage; provide additional resources and powers to the competition regulator; and improve unit price labelling.
It also wants to address confusing promotions and discounts.
David Pocock said the committee was shown the system was “fatally flawed” and provided with solutions but still failed to offer improvements.
The independent senator has called for an expanded definition to include in-house lobbyists, increased penalties beyond a three-month suspension, the details of sponsored pass holders to be published and for ministerial diaries to be published on a monthly basis.
Pocock said:
The professionalisation of lobbying in this country into what is now a multi-billion dollar industry requires improved regulation, and the time to make those changes is now.
Meanwhile the Greens also expressed disappointment that a recommendation to force the publication of ministerial diaries was not be adopted.
The Greens senator and committee member, Larissa Waters, suggested the “cooling off” period for former ministers and staffers who become lobbyists be increased from 18 months to five years.
It’s time to restore trust in our democracy by increasing transparency, shining a light on who is meeting who, and stopping the revolving door giving donors, former politicians and industry mates lucrative perks.
Pocock criticises major parties over failing to reform lobbying system
Independent ACT senator David Pocock has slammed the major parties for failing to offer up reforms to overhaul Australia’s “weak and ineffective” lobbying system, accusing them of “kicking the can down the road”.
The spotlight has been on which lobbyists can access politicians in Parliament House unaccompanied – and without being formally registered as a lobbyist with the federal government – after a push from independents and the Greens.
The number of “orange” sponsored pass holders in Parliament – many of whom are lobbyists who can enter the building unaccompanied – has soared to more than 2,000 with around three-quarters of those having been issued since July 2022.
Meanwhile, a register of third-party lobbyists who are required to abide by a code of conduct contains the details of 346 lobbyist companies, including 695 registered lobbyists who represent 2,374 clients.
The Liberal-majority report, chaired by Tasmanian Liberal senator Richard Colbeck, supported a review into the lobbyist code of conduct with the view to expanding who is covered by it but did not back other calls, including the publishing of ministerial diaries, revealing the identities of sponsored pass holders and the politicians who sponsored them.
Both major parties backed bringing back the unescorted day pass for occasional visitors but Labor senators, led by Louise Pratt, said it needed to be weighed up against security risks and other concerns.
Labor’s additional comments said:
“The building is large, and escorts often take unnecessary time at the expense of other parliamentary business. Labor senators note that the removal of the day pass does indeed impact the ability of people to participate in the parliament and the many and varied democratic processes within.”
Five Rwandan unauthorised maritime arrivals on Saibai Island, Torres Strait
Paul Karp
Guardian Australia has confirmed that five men categorised as unauthorised maritime arrivals have been located by the Australian Border Force (ABF) on Saibai Island in the Torres Strait.
The group are believed to be Rwandan citizens who entered Papua New Guinea legally, then travelled to Saibai Island, which lies 4km from the PNG mainland.
An ABF spokesperson said:
The ABF does not comment on operational matters. ABF has well established operational processes to manage irregular movements of people in the Torres Strait.
Guardian Australia understands that movements in the Torres Strait are not considered part of Operation Sovereign Borders because they are dealt with instead by an agreement with the PNG government to return people to PNG.
However, it is not clear whether a group of people who are not citizens of PNG will be treated in that way, and ABF declined to comment. The group are undergoing medical checks.
Penny Wong and Palestinian PM discuss recognition of statehood and push for ceasefire
Daniel Hurst
The Australian foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has discussed the issue of recognition of Palestine and the push for a ceasefire in calls with the Palestinian prime minister and a minister from the United Arab Emirates.
It is understood Wong had a phone call last night with Mohammad Mustafa, the relatively new prime minister of the Palestinian Authority (which is dominated by Fatah, a rival to Hamas, and exercises limited self-rule in parts of the Israeli occupied West Bank).
Wong also had a phone call last night with Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed, the UAE foreign affairs minister.
Sources said that in both calls, the discussion focused on the conflict in the Middle East, including Rafah, the release of hostages, and the prospects for a ceasefire agreement.
The discussions also covered the issue of Palestinian recognition, in line with signals from Wong last month that the issue was being considered by the international community. Australia is understood to be “engaging closely” with its partners, particularly in light of the UN general assembly vote scheduled for 10 May.
Wong also met this afternoon with the UAE minister of state for international cooperation and special envoy to Australia, Reem Al Hashimy, who is in Adelaide.
For more on the looming UN vote on giving Palestine full member status, see this analysis piece:
NSW opposition leader adds voice to condolence motion
The New South Wales opposition leader, Mark Speakman, says the Bondi junction stabbing attack was a “reminder of the fragility of life” that left the state “in shock and disbelief”.
Speakman has continued this afternoon’s condolence motions in NSW parliament in memory of the victims of the tragedy, as some of their family members watched on. He said:
No words can adequately express the depth of our sorrow or alleviate the pain of such devastating loss.
As we mourn the loss of precious life, we also reflect on the fragility of human existence and the importance of cherishing each moment we’re given.
The Coogee MP, Dr Marjorie O’Neill, and Vaucluse MP, Kellie Sloane, also addressed parliament to commemorate the victims and thank the first responders who helped them.
NSW opposition leader Mark Speakman. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
BRA on reconciling poor growth and tight jobs market
Asked how the bank can “reconcile exceptionally poor growth, but an exceptionally tight jobs market”, the RBA governor, Michele Bullock, answered:
Yes, consumption is very low … There’s two components to that. Some people are cutting back on consumption and some are cutting back to save, and some are cutting back simply because they just don’t have money. And that’s having an impact.
What’s going on in the labour market is a very interesting question, and I don’t really have a full answer for you.
What I can say is a few things. The first is that a lot of the jobs are being created in education and health, and these are not cyclical things … They’re essential services, in effect, so there’s a lot of employment going on there.
Some of the areas where employment isn’t growing as strongly and in fact may be declining are areas in hospitality and retail where in fact you are observing the impacts of demand. So I would say you are observing some of it.
Bullock added that about 18 months ago “businesses couldn’t hire enough people, they just couldn’t find people,” and they are “only just getting on top of that”. She adds that “hoarding labour” practices may also be going on.
It’s worth remembering too, not only is the unemployment rate really, really low by historical standards, the participation rate is at historical high levels. So it’s not a United States situation where a lot of people have dropped out of the labour force. They’re still there. So I think it’s probably a combination of a number of factors that’s keeping the employment market strong.
‘Interest rates hurt, but that’s the tool I’ve got’: Bullock
Asked “what do you say to people who were expecting and budgeting for a rate cut by the end of the year?,” the RBA governor, Michele Bullock, says she doesn’t believe she gave that impression:
You would understand why I’m very cautious about suggesting any particular rate increases or decreases for that reason.
I would say to people who are struggling that I understand they are struggling. Part of the reason they are struggling is not just interest rates, though. It’s inflation.
The best thing that I can do for them is to try and get inflation back down so that they don’t have to worry about the prices of their everyday things continuing to go up. That’s the best thing I can do for them. I understand the interest rates hurt, but that’s the tool I’ve got and that’s the best thing I can do for them.
Bullock on importance of healthy employment market
The RBA governor, Michele Bullock, hopes Australia’s economy “doesn’t have to stomach further tightening”:
We know that interest rates impact different sectors of the economy and different households differently. And what we are really trying to do is slow things enough to bring inflation down without tipping the economy into recession. That’s what we’re trying to do.
The Reserve Bank of Australia governor Michele Bullock Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
The reason that’s important is because as people, when they have jobs, are able to meet their needs, they’re able to pay for their groceries, they’re able to meet their mortgage repayments. So the worse the employment market becomes, the harder it is for people to meet those. You add an inflation challenge on the top of that, and it’s really hard. So that’s what we’re aiming to do. I hope that we don’t have to raise interest rates again.
‘Watchful on the upside’: Bullock on future rate hike
Asked whether the balance of probabilities has shifted from the need for a cut this year to the need for a hike, RBA governor Michele Bullock says:
Back in the last meeting, we thought that things were reasonably balanced. I think we still think they’re reasonably balanced with perhaps a little bit of a signal that we need to be very watchful on the upside. So I wouldn’t think about it in terms of balance of probabilities. I don’t ever think we said there was a balance of probabilities it would go down last time.
I think I’ve been fairly careful to say when if we’re being neutral, we’re not ruling out an up or a down, and we’re not ruling them in or out. So I don’t think it’s shifted the balance of probabilities dramatically.
‘If we have to, we will’: RBA on raising interest rates
Asked whether the RBA board is more concerned about inflation than it was six weeks ago, governor Michele Bullock says:
It’s true that the data towards the end of last year, [and] early this year, led everyone to sort of think, ‘Oh, it’s OK now.’
I think we’ve always felt that it was a bit too soon to declare victory. And I think the numbers in recent weeks have demonstrated that for us, we don’t we think policy is restrictive. We don’t think we necessarily have to tighten again, but we can’t rule it out. If we have to, we will. If we really think that inflation is going to be persistent and significantly above our forecasts, we will tighten again.
But the board made the judgment at the meeting that the right stance at the moment is to stay where we are, continue to observe what’s going on in the economy, be data driven and as I said, we might have to raise, we might not.
Guardian Australia’s economics correspondent Peter Hannam is asking the RBA governor, Michele Bullock, whether the bank is maintaining a neutral bias.
Bullock says “we are not ruling anything in or out”:
In the past, when we’ve had statements, we’ve said we may increase interest rates. We haven’t put that explicitly back in.
But I think if you read the statement, you will see that the board is signalling that they are very alert to the fact that it might be a little bit higher, and they’re remaining vigilant on that.
We’re not ruling anything in or out because things are uncertain. But … the recent data [has] indicated to us, we need to be a little bit alert and vigilant on this.
Inflation at ‘front of mind’ for government: Bullock
“What is being said” by government points to inflation being front of mind for the upcoming budget, RBA governor Michele Bullock says:
The federal treasurer Jim Chalmers, he says publicly and he says to me in private that he does have inflation in his mind while he is thinking about the budget …
Budgets are very difficult, they are big balancing acts for governments. They’ve got lots of things on their plate. And I think they are all conscious that they want to help us beat inflation.
The signs, at least by what’s being said, are to me that inflation is at front of mind.
The RBA governor, Michele Bullock, says the bank is conscious of households “who are really struggling to make ends meet”:
These people don’t have a lot of extra savings. They might be working a second job, cutting back on discretionary items or making difficult decisions, such as putting off medical appointments. These people are doing it very tough, and the board and I are very conscious of that.
One of the outcomes of this is that consumption, household consumption is very weak. And you can see that in the retail figures from last week. Growth is very subdued, even though population growth is strong. We also know the housing market is very tight, and anyone who is trying to get a rental property can tell you just how challenging that is at the moment.
As I’ve said before, bringing inflation down, we want to keep employment growing. This is the difficult path that we are trying to navigate right now. We believe that rates are at the right level to achieve this, but there are risks and at this stage the board is not ruling anything in or out. We must get inflation back to the target band, low and stable … That’s the best thing we can do for all Australians.
Prepare for 'bumpy' path to lower inflation: Michele Bullock
Australians “should all be prepared” for a “bumpy” path to lower inflation, the RBA governor, Michele Bullock, says:
I’ve said before that we have made progress here, and we’re not going to jeopardise that. The rise in interest rates that has been required to bring down inflation has been painful for many people. Inflation is, though, as I’ve said before, is bad for everyone and we have to see the job through.
We believe we have rates at the right level to return inflation to the target range next year. But as we said in the past, getting inflation back to target will take time, and I think the path will likely continue to be bumpy and we should all be prepared for that.
The Reserve Bank of Australia governor, Michele Bullock, says “we must continue to be vigilant about the continued risk of high inflation”, speaking live to the media.
Keep an eye on the live blog for rolling updates from the bank’s press conference to come.
