<gu-island name="KeyEventsCarousel" deferuntil="visible" props="{"keyEvents":[{"id":"648af1a08f08abfd8db3d1f0","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" The Australian Services Union has criticised the federal government over its handling of a Services Australia procurement process, which it says will leave more than 600 call centre employees out of work in a matter of weeks. ","elementId":"fc30f7f8-0d9f-4585-a708-b140d6cd4cac"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" Services Australia-contracted Serco employees were told today that the company’s contract would end on 30 June. Most are award workers, while some are casual, with little to no termination entitlements. ","elementId":"e159e04d-c05d-464b-9fb3-3138e870cca5"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" ASU Victorian private sector branch secretary Imogen Sturni said the decision would see workers unemployed in a…
Tag: Australian economy
Australia news live: Paul Keating’s blast at cabinet over Aukus revealed; Nazi symbols ban
<gu-island name="KeyEventsCarousel" deferuntil="visible" props="{"keyEvents":[{"id":"64808a8b8f080249d9e1cdd1","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" The Coalition has accused the Albanese government of “delaying the delivery of further assistance to Ukraine despite urgent calls for support”. ","elementId":"60a1a143-562a-49b4-82f0-b41dbf9301e1"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" But the government hit back at the criticism, saying it “continues to engage with the government of Ukraine and our allies and partners to ensure meaningful support continues to be provided to Ukraine in its ongoing battle against Russian aggression”. ","elementId":"9adaa1c8-5a19-49ee-886d-4a4667634fdc"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" The Coalition is today calling on the government to give urgent consideration to a package including Hawkei vehicles, M1 Abrams Tanks, F/A-18 Hornets…
Don Farrell invites Chinese commerce minister to visit SA family vineyard after Beijing meeting
The Australian trade minister, Don Farrell, has invited the Chinese commerce minister to visit his family’s vineyard in South Australia after the pair met in Beijing on Friday night. Speaking after the talks with Wang Wentao in Beijing, Farrell said he was “very pleased to confirm that we agreed to step up dialogue under our free trade agreement and other platforms to resolve our outstanding issues”. Farrell said he had also received assurances from Wang that the recent deal to review China’s tariffs on Australian barley remained “on track”. Earlier,…
Australia’s trade minister says ‘de-escalation of rhetoric’ bearing fruit in trade spat ahead of China trip
Australian exporters are starting to see benefits from the “de-escalation” of tensions with China, the trade minister, Don Farrell, said on the eve of crucial talks in Beijing. Farrell will arrive on Thursday to press for an end to restrictions on a range of Australian exports – including lobster, red meat and wine – in the latest step to “stabilise” the relationship with Australia’s biggest trading partner. It will be the first visit to China by an Australian trade minister since Simon Birmingham travelled to Shanghai in November 2019. Farrell…
Australia’s trade minister hopeful China bans will end but warns against putting ‘all our eggs in one basket’
The Australian trade minister says he wants a quick return to normal trade with China but has warned exporters not to put “all of our eggs in one basket”. In an interview with Guardian Australia, Don Farrell was bullish about the prospect of Australia succeeding in its international challenge against Beijing’s tariffs on Australian barley, saying he thought “we would ultimately win that”. But he said Australia had agreed to hit pause on that World Trade Organization dispute because “even a positive finding in our favour would still have meant…
Australia news live: total fire bans in parts of Victoria, NSW and SA amid autumn heat blast
<gu-island name="KeyEventsCarousel" deferuntil="visible" props="{"keyEvents":[{"id":"6414e8df8f089504f3596e3a","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" Early voting centres have opened this morning across NSW ahead of the state election’s official polling day next Saturday. ","elementId":"23dbfb3a-0756-4d69-bff3-97da39f2c947"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TweetBlockElement","html":" Early voting is open for the 2023 NSW State election. To view the eligibility criteria, and early voting centre locations and opening times visit: https://t.co/oaFDmOvgb2 pic.twitter.com/u4JiQTKlqK — NSW Electoral Commission (@NSWElectoralCom) March 17, 2023 ","url":"https://twitter.com/NSWElectoralCom/status/1636849897096765442?s=20","id":"1636849897096765442","hasMedia":false,"role":"inline","isThirdPartyTracking":false,"source":"Twitter","elementId":"e55ec751-6f7d-4691-b644-4f8a7abf1b4e"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" AAP reports that NSW electoral commissioner John Schmidt expects the early voting centres will see strong demand in the run-up to the day of reckoning on 25 March. ","elementId":"f7cafb73-4c34-432f-83fc-0f79489e7254"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" The state…
Australia news live: Victorian energy prices to jump almost a third as Bowen calls on Coalition to ‘look in the mirror’
From 1h ago Chris Bowen throws back to Coalition on energy price rises The energy minister is borrowing a turn of phrase out of Julia Gillard’s misogyny speech when asked about the Coalition’s suggestion that capping coal and gas prices will, in the longer run, increase prices. Chris Bowen: I invite the Coalition to have a look in the mirror. I mean, he had the independent energy regulator this morning pointing out that without the intervention, the price rises would have been closer to 50%. An intervention that Mr Dutton…
Australia news live: Wong urges China not to arm Russia; Clare O’Neil slams ‘politicisation of national security’
<gu-island name="KeyEventsCarousel" deferuntil="visible" props="{"keyEvents":[{"id":"64009b5b8f08aa11751d2978","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has urged China not to supply weapons to Russia, after she met with her Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in India yesterday. She said she also raised trade issues, human rights and consular cases. ","elementId":"0f6779ff-29dd-440a-8332-cc87b5fea360"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" Wong’s meeting was with Qin Gang, who has been serving as China’s foreign minister since late 2022. Wong previously held talks with then-minister Wang Yi in Beijing in December, following earlier meetings on the sidelines of last year’s G20 and UN…
Australia news live: Albanese says he has confidence in Philip Lowe, Perrottet backs ban on gay conversion practices
From 48m ago Perrottet backs ban on gay conversion practices Tamsin Rose New South Wales is a step closer to banning so-called gay conversion therapy after the premier, Dominic Perrottet, said he would support legislation to end the damaging practices. He said: There is no room for any harmful practices in NSW, particularly if they affect our young and vulnerable. When the parliament returns, my government will provide in principle support for legislation that brings an end to any harmful practices. This is a complex matter and in working through…
Australia closer to a free trade pact with EU but minister warns there won’t be a deal ‘for the sake of it’
Australian and European Union negotiators believe they are getting closer to clinching a free trade agreement as they race to meet a mid-year deadline, but the Albanese government warns it will “not sign a deal for the sake of it”. Guardian Australia understands officials finalised three chapters of the agreement – on competition, telecommunications and maritime services – during a round of negotiations last week in Canberra. The thorny issue of geographical indicators – the EU push to restrict the use of terms such as prosecco and feta by Australian…