Jacinta Allan defends Victoria after Business Council last-place ranking
Benita Kolovos
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has defended the state’s business credentials after the Business Council of Australia ranked it the worst place to do business in the country.
The Regulation Rumble 2024 report ranked Victoria last for overall business settings and found “with a low ranking for its property taxes and charges, payroll taxes, and business licencing requirements, the state has much room for improvement if it is to attract and generate business-driven growth”.
But speaking in Melbourne this morning Allan says there’s key data missing from the report. She says:
The ABS data tells us that more and more businesses are choosing Victoria as a place to invest in record numbers. … when you look at our energy prices, we have amongst the lowest energy prices of anywhere in the nation and we have a great and strong skilled workforce.
Allan says the report also fails to take into account a string of announcements she made in October to streamline planning and build more homes.
These are the priorities that I’m focused on – a future where we need to keep building homes, renewable energies, building productive transport infrastructure, most certainly focused on building more jobs.
She says she will be releasing an “economic growth statement” “very soon”.
Key events
Meanwhile, over in Japan, replica Harry Potter weapons have been deemed too realistic for souvenir purposes.
Full-size replica swords sold as souvenirs at a popular Harry Potter exhibition in Tokyo have fallen foul of Japan’s strict weapons control law and been recalled.
The 86cm stainless steel blade, which comes mounted on a wooden plaque, is described on the Warner Bros website that promotes the event as an “authentic recreation of Godric Gryffindor’s sword”:
Ram raid and alleged ATM robbery being investigated in Mickleham, Victoria
Police in Victoria are investigating a ram raid and alleged ATM robbery in Mickleham.
A stolen Toyota utility vehicle rammed the front glass doors of a shopping centre on Donnybrook Road just after 4am, Victoria police said.
Once inside, the vehicle reversed into two ATMs. The offenders allegedly stole one ATM and the other was damaged.
Police said it was understood the offenders dumped the damaged vehicle at the shopping centre and, with the ATM in tow, fled the scene in a dark coloured sedan.
Police were called to reports of a dumped ATM on fire near Almurta Avenue in Coolaroo a short time later.
Neither the offenders nor the sedan have been found.
Police are appealing for any witnesses or holders of dashcam and CCTV footage of the incident to come forward.
Peter Hannam
ABS stats point to likelihood of another quarter of per-capita GDP contraction
Meanwhile, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has released the (nearly) final pieces of its GDP puzzle for the September quarter.
Total public demand is expected by the ABS to contribute a sizable 0.7 percentage points to the quarterly growth. Governments’ net operating balance swung from a surplus of more than $14bn to a deficit of $18.3bn in the quarter, helping to keep the economy from contracting.
Net trade also improved by $800m (in seasonally adjusted terms) and will add 0.1ppt to the quarter GDP figure as well.
Economists will be doing their final recalculation ahead of the ABS’s release of the September quarter numbers. The growth rate will probably pick up a bit from the June quarter’s 0.2% quarter-on-quarter expansion pace and 1% annual rate, but let’s see.
We’ll probably get another quarter of per-capita GDP contraction (which would make it a record seven in a row) but at least the overall economy looks to have avoided a contraction and may be past its worst point. (Not that we want to jinx anything.)
Peter Hannam
Consumer confidence rises to highest levels since Albanese government took office
There are a few more stats out today, including the regular weekly survey of consumer sentiment by ANZ and Roy Morgan.
For the week, it was up 2.7 points to 88.4 – or the highest since May 2022, coincidentally when the last federal elections were held.
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The four-week rolling consumer confidence average also nudged higher, as did most of the sub-indices, such as “time to buy a major household item”.
The weekly inflation expectations gauge also eased back 0.2 percentage points to 4.8% (but the four-week rolling average edged up 0.1ppt to 4.9%.)
Are Australia’s landmark social media bans protective or restricting? Australians are about to find out whether stopping under-16s accessing sites will protect against harmful content or stifle creativity and block opportunity. Read more, by Guardian Australia’s Rafqa Touma:
Two-thirds of Australian households agree renewable transition will be good for the country
Almost two-thirds of Australians believe the transition to renewables will be good for Australia overall but few understand what the transition means for them personally.
A new Energy Consumers Australia survey of more than 4,000 householders found just one in five agreed that “how the energy transition will affect households like theirs” had been clearly explained to them.
The consumer energy report card, released today, also found that while most householders believe the energy transition will be good for the environment, their local community and Australia as a whole, just one in four are confident the country has a well-planned approach to managing the transition.
The research found consumers were split over whether the transition to renewables would lower bills in the short term, but 45% were confident bills would come down on the long term.
Energy Consumers Australia’s CEO, Dr Brendan French, said:
Australians feel positive about the transition to renewable energy and believe it will be a good thing for the country – and more than half say they understand why Australia is making the change. They are much less certain about what it means for them and their families, with most believing this is yet to be clearly explained.
Woolworths says warehouse strikes have cost $50m
Jonathan Barrett
Australia’s biggest supermarket chain, Woolworths, says it has lost $50m in grocery sales since the start of industrial action that has disrupted the flow of goods into some of its stores.
More than 1,500 Woolworths warehouse workers have been on strike since 21 November, seeking better pay and safety on the job. Industrial action has affected up to five distribution centres, impacting supplies in some stores in Victoria, NSW and the ACT.
Woolworths told shareholders today that its revenue was being affected.
“Since the start of the industrial action, Australian food sales have been negatively impacted by approximately $50m to date (up to 2 December),” Woolworths said.
Until the industrial action is resolved, a further impact to sales is expected.
It will be dependent on the duration and extent of the ongoing industrial action across the affected sites, and the time taken to rebuild inventory ahead of the Christmas trading period.
The United Workers Union national secretary, Tim Kennedy, said warehouse workers had engaged in good-faith negotiations for almost seven months and have raised concerns about a “punitive” productivity framework imposed on workers.
“They are also fighting for a fair pay rise,” Kennedy said.
Shares in Woolworths were trading slightly higher in morning trade in a broadly positive market.
Energy retailers asked to clear customer debts and accused of price hikes amid cost-of-living crisis
Energy retailers are being called on to clear all customer debts and allow customers in “debt traps” to search for cheaper plans.
Stop the Bill Shock was started by organisations whose members are experiencing energy poverty heading into summer, as new data from the Australian Energy Regulator showed a 37.8% increase in the number of households struggling to pay their energy bills.
The campaign group said it had delivered a $173m bill – the estimated cost for the company to wipe debt for its customers – to Australia’s largest retailer, Origin Energy.
Jay Coonan, a spokesperson for Stop the Bill Shock and the Antipoverty Centre, said:
Energy debt is going up every year and it’s because of energy retailer greed. Ordinary people just trying to meet their basic needs are being punished with price hikes in service of massive profits for huge companies like Origin and AGL.
Energy debt must be wiped, but this is only a first step. We need strong regulation to prevent price gouging and guarantee that customers can always switch to the cheapest plan available.
Emma Bacon from Sweltering Cities said it was “unacceptable that older people, people with chronic illnesses and disabilities, families with young kids and others are making the choice between paying for cooling or groceries”:
The people most at risk of heat related illness can’t afford to keep cool and it is making summer more dangerous. High prices lead to hardship, and hardship leads to debt … It’s time for us to put health over retailer profits.
Jacinta Allan defends Victoria after Business Council last-place ranking
Benita Kolovos
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has defended the state’s business credentials after the Business Council of Australia ranked it the worst place to do business in the country.
The Regulation Rumble 2024 report ranked Victoria last for overall business settings and found “with a low ranking for its property taxes and charges, payroll taxes, and business licencing requirements, the state has much room for improvement if it is to attract and generate business-driven growth”.
But speaking in Melbourne this morning Allan says there’s key data missing from the report. She says:
The ABS data tells us that more and more businesses are choosing Victoria as a place to invest in record numbers. … when you look at our energy prices, we have amongst the lowest energy prices of anywhere in the nation and we have a great and strong skilled workforce.
Allan says the report also fails to take into account a string of announcements she made in October to streamline planning and build more homes.
These are the priorities that I’m focused on – a future where we need to keep building homes, renewable energies, building productive transport infrastructure, most certainly focused on building more jobs.
She says she will be releasing an “economic growth statement” “very soon”.
Ben Doherty
Responses to review into Modern Slavery Act agree more reforms are needed
Staying with the government’s response to the independent review of Australia’s Modern Slavery Act: the president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Michele O’Neil, said five years into the operation of the Act, it was clear the law was not strong enough to deliver real improvements for workers in situations of modern slavery in the operations and supply chains of Australian companies.
We welcome the commitment to implement penalties for companies failing to uphold their reporting obligations. However the commitment must go further and should include a requirement for companies to take concrete action to prevent modern slavery – this means introducing a requirement for companies to undertake due diligence, and penalties for companies failing to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains.
Keren Adams, the legal director at the Human Rights Law Centre, said the modern slavery act was failing workers. The introduction of penalties for companies that fail to report, or falsely report, was welcomed, she said.
But simply enforcing better reporting will not drive the transformational changes to corporate practices we know are needed to help end forced labour. The act should also impose a legal requirement on companies to take action. We urge the Albanese government to move swiftly to implement a due diligence obligation on companies, as recommended by the independent review.
Carolyn Kitto, co-director of Be Slavery Free, said the government’s response had been too slow.
The government has had the Modern Slavery Act review report for 557 days – during which an estimated 15 million more people have fallen into slavery. While these commitments are welcome, urgent action to implement all recommendations is critical. We cannot afford another delay like this.
The federal government’s new anti-slavery commissioner, former Labor senator Chris Evans, started his five-year term on Monday.
Ben Doherty
Advocates say government should make companies take active role in fighting modern slavery
Anti-slavery advocates, human rights groups and unions have welcomed proposed changes to strengthen Australia’s modern slavery law, including through the introduction of penalties for companies that fail to undertake modern slavery reporting requirements.
But they have argued the government should go further and also introduce a legal requirement for companies to take action to prevent modern slavery.
An independent review of Australia’s Modern Slavery Act, enacted in 2018, was given to the government in May 2023. More than 18 months later, the government has now responded.
The review of the act found “no hard evidence that the act, in its early years, has yet caused meaningful change for people living in conditions of modern slavery”.
The Act currently requires companies with a revenue of more than $100m to complete a ‘modern slavery statement’ every year. The statement must describe the risks of modern slavery in the company’s operations and supply chains.
The review made 30 recommendations, including that companies that fail to submit their mandated modern slavery reports or that knowingly publish false information face penalties – currently there is no penalty. The government has agreed to that recommendation.
But the review also recommended the act be strengthened with the introduction of the “due diligence” obligation, such as exists in the EU and other jurisdictions. A due diligence obligation would require companies to actively identify modern slavery risks and take action to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains – action beyond simply submitting modern slavery risk reports.
Home affairs minister to meet Indonesian minister for law as Bali Nine speculation swirls
As developments around the fate of the remaining Bali Nine members continues to dominate Tony Burke’s pre-planned visit to Indonesia, the Indonesian government has confirmed its coordinating minister for law, human rights, immigration and corrections, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, will meet with the home affairs minister today.
The pair will meet in Jakarta at 1pm local time.
The meeting is potential further progress in the ongoing and delicate negotiations around the futures of the five Australians who remain in captivity in Indonesia.
Amanda Meade
Media Watch host Paul Barry thanks ABC managing directors for supporting right to criticise broadcaster
The outgoing ABC Media Watch host, Paul Barry, has thanked managing directors David Anderson and Mark Scott for always supporting the program’s right to critique the public broadcaster.
“It is remarkable that any broadcaster tolerates a program that rips into it as we have done,” Barry said in his final show on Monday. “And two people in particular deserve the credit.”
Mark Scott who was managing director from 2006 to 2016 and David Anderson who has been managing director since 2019.
They have always had my back, and defended Media Watch’s right to criticise, even if they didn’t agree with its criticisms.
Barry said a relentless campaign to hold back action on climate change is the media’s worst crime during his 11 years in the role. Barry was also critical of the News Corp tabloids for “doing their best to keep Labor out of power”.
“But female politicians have been hit even harder and more often than the blokes,” he said. “And none more than Julia Gillard – by Alan Jones in particular”.
Barry said Gillian Triggs at the Human Rights Commission and writer Yassmin Abdel Magied were also targeted by News Corp.
Sportsbet pauses Spotify advertising after children allegedly exposed to gambling content
Henry Belot
Australian gambling giant Sportsbet has paused advertising with the music streaming service, Spotify, after a complaint alleging children were exposed to its content between Disney songs.
Earlier today, Guardian Australia reported on a father’s formal complaint to the streaming service. The father, who declined to be named, said the content was “potentially damaging” to his children and urged Spotify to introduce an opt-out function for wagering content:
I love Spotify and completely understand your need to generate income. However, playing Sportsbet’s ads before and after Disney songs is inappropriate and potentially damaging to my children.
The father was listening to music on his own, free account. Spotify does not have an opt-out of advertising option for free or premium users. Paying Spotify users are exposed to fewer ads, but they are still embedded into some podcasts.
Sportsbet has told Guardian Australia it takes measures to ensure children are not exposed to its advertising:
Sportsbet’s advertising on Spotify and all social media channels uses age gating measures, and excludes kids and family content as an additional control.
We are disappointed this has happened and have paused advertising on Spotify while the issue is rectified.
Woolworths files application with Fair Work to prevent union blockade
The Woolworths Group says it has filed an urgent application with the Fair Work Commission seeking orders preventing the United Workers Union (UWU) from blocking access to its Melbourne south regional distribution centre and three other sites in Victoria and New South Wales.
The UWU commenced indefinite strike action at the four sites on 21 November, with the strike action now extending to 12 days, Woolworths said.
In a statement this morning, the supermarket said the application to Fair Work alleges a breach of the good faith bargaining requirements in the Fair Work Act and that the matter had not yet been listed for hearing.
The application comes after the UWU refused to give any assurance of safe passage for team members seeking to return to work at our Melbourne south regional distribution centre yesterday and this morning.
A majority of the team at the site had indicated they wished to return to work to begin being paid, which will help increase supply of essential food and grocery products such as nappies, toilet paper and drinks to Woolworths’ Victorian stores.
The UWU chose to block the site entry points to MSRDC with cars and protesters, which created an unsafe environment for team members who had shown up to work. The majority of our team members at this site are not members of the UWU.
We will again be attempting to operate the MSRDC today, and we will follow the advice of the Victorian police to ensure the safety of our team.