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Right-wing firebrand the frontrunner in the Argentinian presidential election
Turning to international news, the frontrunner in the Argentinian presidential election this month is Javier Milei, a right-wing populist who admires Donald Trump.
Melei, a firebrand economist-turned-lawmaker, made a name for himself by shouting against Argentina’s “political caste” on television, and characterising politicians as “thieves who live like monarchs”.
Javier Milei at his campaign headquarters after getting the most votes in the primaries for the Argentinian presidential election. Credit: AP
He describes himself as an anarcho-capitalist and says the answer to reining in annual inflation now running at about 140 per cent is to get rid of the central bank and dollarise the economy (meaning to use US dollars instead of or as well as the national economy).
He also vows to privatise state companies, get rid of public infrastructure programs, change labour rules to make it easier to sack employees, and carry out a big overhaul of the government to decrease spending.
He opposes abortion, wants to abolish sex education, calls for eased gun regulations, disputes that humans are responsible for climate change, and says the sale of human organs should be allowed.
Milei, 52, unexpectedly received the most votes in August primaries. He is the favourite to win the October 22 presidential election, although opinion polls, which have been notoriously wrong in the past, suggest he will not get enough votes to avoid moving on to a runoff election next month.
Milei’s strongest competitors are seen as Economy Minister Sergio Massa of the governing left-of-centre Union for the Homeland coalition, and Patricia Bullrich of the main opposition coalition, the right-of-centre United for Change.
Just over 40 per cent of Argentina’s 46 million people live in poverty, a big jump from a little more than 30 per cent in the second half of 2016, according to Argentina’s INDEC statistics agency.
AP
Uber warns fares could rise 55pc under workplace reforms
Uber has warned that consumers could end up paying substantially more for rideshare and delivery services, if penalty rates and other entitlements are extended to gig workers under the federal government’s workplace reforms.
Modelling by the rideshare platform suggests consumers could be forking out roughly 55 per cent more for trips - equating to an extra $16.50 on a $30 fare. Delivery services could be up to 65 per cent more, and Uber warned the price hikes could result in fewer orders from restaurants.
Uber has made a submission to a senate inquiry warning of potential price rises.Credit: Akio Kon
The modelling is based on a scenario where drivers and delivery workers are paid base rates of pay, penalty rates, expense reimbursement and compulsory super.
In a submission to a Senate inquiry into the workplace changes, Uber warned the existing wording essentially granted the industrial umpire “non-exhaustive” powers to regulate the new category, leaving the door open to terms such as penalty rates, super, meal breaks, loadings and leave allowances.
The company called for a definitive list of terms that can be included for employee-like orders to avoid “unintended consequences and extensive Fair Work Commission proceedings”.
An Uber spokesperson said it was still committed to working collaboratively with the government on the “once-in-a-generation reforms”.
The senate inquiry is due to report on the bill on February 1.
AAP
Nearly 6000 submissions to royal commission on veteran suicides
Nearly 6000 current and former defence members, their family members and experts have made submissions to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
There were at least 1600 deaths by suicide within the defence community between 1997 and 2020, about 20 times the number killed in active duty over the same period.
Nick Kaldas, chair of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
The commission was established in 2021 to examine systemic failures with a final report containing recommendations due to be delivered to the federal Government next year.
Some 5889 submissions had been received by the deadline on Friday and any outstanding submissions that arrive by post will still be processed and analysed.
Further private and public hearings will be held in Sydney early next year.
AAP
Gallery of question time photos
By Caitlin Fitzsimmons
Circling back to question time, our photographer Alex Ellinghausen was in the House, and he captured some great frames showing our democracy in action.
Scroll through the gallery:
Number of Australians taking ADHD medication doubles in five years
By Natassia Chrysanthos and Caitlin Fitzsimmons
Turning to national health news, Natassia Chrysanthos reports that new figures are in showing a big rise in people taking medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The health department briefing note, prepared for a Senate inquiry and released under freedom of information laws, found the number of people taking ADHD medication has more than doubled in five years.
Ritalin is the most common medicine prescribed to treat ADHD.Credit: Glen McCurtayne
There were 3.2 million prescriptions for ADHD medication issued to 414,000 Australian patients in 2022. This is a significant increase from 2018, when 1.4 million prescriptions were given to 186,000 people.
ADHD is a form of neurodivergence, estimated to affect 5-7 per cent of the population, and the medication is usually prescribed to boost concentration and impulse control.
The rise in diagnoses and prescriptions could be because awareness of ADHD is rising among doctors and the general public.
Russian governor reported to police after comments against the Ukraine war
By Caitlin Fitzsimmons
I’m Caitlin Fitzsimmons and I’m your blog host this afternoon. Thank you for joining me.
Question time is now over in the House of Representatives. For those just catching up now, Angus Thompson did a great job of blogging it - read the posts from 2.21pm to 3.29pm.
Turning now to world news, a Russian governor was accused by critics of “discrediting Russia’s armed forces” after telling residents in her region that the country had “no need” for its war in Ukraine.
Natalya Komarova, the governor of the Khanty-Mansiysk region and a member of President Vladimir Putin’s governing United Russia party, made the remarks during a meeting with residents in the Siberian city of Nizhnevartovsk on Saturday.
Natalya Komarova, the governor of the Khanty-Mansiysk region.Credit: Kremlin.ru
Critics have called for authorities to launch an investigation into her remarks, but Komarova hasn’t been detained or faced any charges so far.
A video of the event posted on social media showed the politician being confronted by the wife of a Russian soldier who said that mobilised men had been poorly equipped for the front line.
Komarova told residents that Russia hadn’t been prepared for the invasion of Ukraine.
Here’s the full story from AP.
Dutton tries to move motion to condemn PM for the Voice referendum
By Angus Thompson
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has tried to move a motion in the House to condemn Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for “dividing Australians through his Voice referendum”.
Dutton also wants the government’s support for a royal commission into child sexual abuse in Indigenous communities, and an audit of spending on Indigenous programs.
Leader of the House, Tony Burke, in question time today.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
“The Prime Minister has taken our country unnecessarily down a path of division,” Dutton said.
Leader of the House, Tony Burke, has deferred the motion to a later time after denying Dutton’s push to set aside standing orders.
PM backs week of reflection for Indigenous leaders and attacks Dutton over referendum backflip
By Angus Thompson
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has backed the week of silence being undertaken by Indigenous leaders and attacked Opposition Leader Peter Dutton as “all trailer, no movie” for backflipping on his commitment for a second referendum for constitutional recognition.
In a question time so far dominated by recriminations over the Voice, Albanese sidestepped a question from the opposition over whether he was committed to a Makarrata Commission with truth-telling and treaty.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during question time today.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
“What I am committed to post the referendum is respecting what Indigenous people have said. And what they have said is that they are undertaking a week, which is reasonable, for them to deal with what, for many people, regardless of what ... people voted in this referendum, I think it would be acknowledged that for many people, such as the women who I sat with, who I sat in the red dirt of Uluru with last week, it would be a difficult time for them, and I think that should be respected,” Albanese said in a lengthy answer.
Indigenous supporters of the Voice on Saturday night called for a week of silence to grieve the outcome of the referendum, and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags to be lowered to half mast.
Albanese continued: “One of the things about this issue is that I have sought to grant agency to Indigenous Australians, to accept the invitation that they offered, that they worked through, that they had, hundreds of meetings involving thousands of people about.
“Now, the Voice was with constitutional recognition was important. Makarrata is simply a Yolngu word for coming together after struggle.
“I think that that is a reasonable thing to say, and in terms of where we go from here, I note that there has been a change of position again from the opposition when it comes to constitutional recognition.”
Dutton previously said he would pursue a referendum to recognise Aboriginal people in the Constitution, however after the outcome, said the party would create a fresh policy platform in the lead-up to the election.
Albanese accused Dutton of “now opposing himself”.
“The Leader of the Opposition is all trailer, no movie. He never actually sticks to a commitment,” Albanese said.
PM accused of ‘vanity project’, but says referendum had majority support in remote Indigenous communities
By Angus Thompson
Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of a “vanity project” over the referendum, and of making no effort to achieve bipartisanship in pushing for constitutional change.
Here is some of his response: “I fulfilled that commitment that I made. It was not out of convenience, it was out of conviction. I believe that when you make a commitment, including a commitment to Indigenous people, that it should be fulfilled.”
Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley at question time earlier this year.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
He also pointed to the overwhelming support for constitutional change in remote areas dominated by Indigenous communities.
Senior economics correspondent Shane Wright reported on Sunday that polling booths servicing majority Indigenous populations were more likely to support the Yes vote in the referendum.
One of the claims made by No proponents in the run-up to the referendum was that there was a lack of support among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, while the Yes camp used advertisements on poll day arguing there was 80 per cent backing among Indigenous voters.
The referendum results show that in areas with a large proportion of Indigenous residents, the Yes vote did much better than at most other booths in the country.
The community of Palm Island, in the Queensland electorate of Herbert, had an Indigenous population of 91 per cent at the last census. On Saturday, the Palm Island booth had a Yes vote of 75.1 per cent compared to the overall Herbert vote of just 24 per cent.
Mornington Island, within the seat of Kennedy in the Gulf of Carpentaria, has an Indigenous population of more than 80 per cent and delivered one of the highest Yes votes in Queensland at almost 78 per cent.
‘No one is arguing for the status quo’: Albanese calls for new national purpose to solve Indigenous disadvantage
By Angus Thompson
Staying on question time, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the awareness raised about Indigenous disadvantage during the Voice campaign should be channelled into a new national purpose following the defeat of the referendum.
Seeking to recast the nation’s overwhelming rejection of constitutional change, Albanese repeated an earlier statement that he accepted responsibility for the decisions he had taken in the lead-up to the poll.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrives for question time today.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
“This was a constitutional change asked for, requested, in an invitation from Indigenous Australians. I accepted that invitation and I followed through on the commitments that I made,” he said.
“Australians did not accept the constitutional change that was proposed. But no one is arguing for the status quo.
“No-one can say that ‘just keep on doing the same thing’ is good enough for Australia. What has occurred in recent times is now a much greater national awareness. We need to channel that into a national purpose to find the answers.”
Albanese said the referendum “was about listening to people and about getting better outcomes.”
“And these principles will continue to guide me. I will continue to listen to people and communities and consult on Indigenous Australians about a way forward. Because the issues that we sought to address … have not gone away, and nor have the people of goodwill and good heart who want to address them.
“We have an opportunity as parliamentarians to write the next chapter. As government, we have a responsibility to write the next chapter as well.”
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2023-10-16 05:36:45Z
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