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"No-brainer": Call for Jack's law to be introduced nationwide

<p>A Queensland father whose son was stabbed on a night out is pushing for Jack's Law to be introduced nationwide in the wake of the <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/family-of-bondi-killer-break-silence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bondi Junction attack</a> and <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/teenage-boy-in-custody-after-stabbing-at-sydney-church" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wakeley Church stabbing</a>. </p> <p>Brett Beasley is urging NSW premier Chris Minns and other states to introduce the anti-knife law which allows police officers to conduct random searches for knives at public transport hubs and Safe Night precincts using metal detecting wands.</p> <p>“It’s an absolute no-brainer,” he told <em>news.com.au</em>.</p> <p>“It’s absolutely extraordinary how well it’s working here in Queensland. I believe every single police officer Australia-wide should have the same powers.” </p> <p>Beasly and his wife Belinda have spent years campaigning for the law following the tragic death of their son Jack, who was stabbed by a group of teens outside a Surfers Paradise convenience store during a night out in 2019. </p> <p>It's been three years since the law was introduced in Queensland, and since then 55,000 people have been searched, 800 weapons have been confiscated and 1400 people have been charged. </p> <p>“It’s the same as being pulled over for a random breath test, it’s exactly the same and it’s working,” Beasly said. </p> <p>“I can guarantee the NSW government, if they were to adopt Jack’s Law, then they will start finding thousands of weapons. It’s scary to think how many of these young offenders are walking around actually armed and getting away with it.”</p> <p>Beasly, who was “absolutely devastated” after hearing about the Bondi Junction stabbing spree, said that the NSW premier should waste no time introducing the law. </p> <p>“Chris Minns shouldn’t even contemplate it. He should just say, ‘Absolutely. Let’s do this’.</p> <p>“I get thousands of messages from people in New South Wales who say ‘We want Jack’s Law down here, we need it down here’.”</p> <p>“To lose a child in any way is absolutely horrendous, and to lose a child to murder is the worst way possible. Your child’s life is taken from them.”</p> <p>Beasly is keen to meet with Minns to discuss rolling out Jacks law in NSW saying: “if Chris Minns is open to a meeting with me, I’ll be on the next flight to Sydney because this government need to make this happen. It’s as simple as that." </p> <p>A NSW government spokesperson has told<em> news.com.au</em> that they “need to look carefully at our current policies to ensure the public is safe”.</p> <p> “The NSW Sentencing Council is currently undertaking a review of the sentencing laws for firearms, knives and other weapons offences. The NSW Government will also look at knife laws,” they said.</p> <p>“We will await the review findings and consider all recommendations carefully.”</p> <p>Beasly is also planning to meet with  the Governor of Western Australia on Monday and hopes that they will also adopt the law. </p> <p>While waiting for other states to adopt the law, Beasly and the Jack Beasley Foundation are delivering free presentations about knife crime in schools. </p> <p>“Let’s work on this together and bond together and make a change and see if we can stop this,” he said.</p> <p><em>Image: Jerad Williams/ news.com.au</em></p>

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Jelena Dokic slams government superannuation legislation

<p>Jelena Dokic has lashed out at the government's proposed superannuation plan, saying it would stop women in vulnerable positions being able to get the financial help they need. </p> <p>On ABC's <em>Q+A</em>, the tennis champion-turned-commentator shared her own story of being forced to flee a violent home at the age of 19, and the financial burden of such a difficult situation. </p> <p>While she said she’d been lucky to have her professional tennis career to support her, she said most women did not have the financial means or stability to flee. </p> <p>Her comments come after Treasurer Jim Chalmers began a proposal to legislate a new superannuation objective plan, meaning superannuation money would exclusively be reserved for retirement income, with Aussies being unable to draw on these funds in times of crisis. </p> <p>Ms Dokic said the matter was not “black and white”. </p> <p>“There are a lot of different areas where I think you should be able to access it (super),” Dokic said.</p> <p>“I think there is so much we’re seeing today when it comes to domestic violence, for example; women are so afraid to leave and one of the reasons is because they feel like they won’t be able to start again – they won’t be able to set themselves up." </p> <p>“I was in that position when I was 19. I was just lucky with the fact that I was a professional athlete. I had the ability to go and earn a living, but I left home with nothing. I was basically on the street."</p> <p>“There are so many women out there that are in the same position, so maybe making it where you can withdraw $10,000 and put your money to use when you really need it."</p> <p>“There are so many people who are not even going to be able to get to retirement or be able to have a dignified retirement because they are not going to make it. They might not even be here.”</p> <p>As superannuation legislation currently stands, access to superannuation before the age of 65, is limited only to situations where someone is permanently incapacitated, has a physical or mental condition which prevents them from working, is dying, or their loved one is. </p> <p>There are also provisions for severe financial hardship, but domestic violence is not specifically mentioned.</p> <p>Dr Chalmers' proposal follows the release of $36 billion of Australians’ super during Covid-19, where early access was allowed during the initial months of the pandemic. </p> <p>To that, Dr Chalmers has vowed “never again”, saying his proposal would ensure Australians are less reliant on government subsidies in their retirement.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Q+A</em></p>

Retirement Income

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Karl shoots down legislation banning parents smacking their children

<p dir="ltr">Karl Stefanovic has shot down suggestions that Australia should implement a ban on parents smacking their children. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>The Today Show</em> co-host said it makes “my head explode” at the thought of people wanting to legislate the way he should be raising his kids.</p> <p dir="ltr">University of Melbourne Professor Sophie Havighurs appeared on the show in support of the ban, explaining to Karl that smacking has “effects on children in a whole range of different ways”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We now know that that doubles their chances of anxiety and depression,” she told Karl. </p> <p dir="ltr">A furious Karl however shot down any need for legislation banning parents from smacking their children. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I don't want to see any more legislation around me as a parent, my head explodes,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The idea of parents being charged or going to court for smacking a child, I mean come on give me a break. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I just don’t want an incident with my child who will turn around and say ‘I’m calling my lawyer’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Professor Havighurs noted that 63 countries around the world have made physical punishment against children illegal including Scotland, Sweden and Korea.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite making physical punishment illegal, she said there hasn’t been an increase in prosecution of parents who hit their kids in any of those countries. </p> <p dir="ltr">Instead, she said there has been a cultural and attitude change when it comes to parents hitting their children. </p> <p dir="ltr">Co-host Ally Langdon piped in, confessing that her parents hit her as a child and it was to “straighten her up”.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I don't know about you guys, when I grew up, we were smacked - not very often, but it was just the threat of a smack that would pull you into line," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"If dad said it, he meant it or mum got the wooden spoon out."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Today/Shutterstock</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Optus data breach: regulatory changes announced, but legislative reform still needed

<p>In response to Australia’s biggest ever data breach, the federal government will <a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/jim-chalmers-2022/media-releases/changes-protect-consumers-following-optus-data-breach" target="_blank" rel="noopener">temporarily suspend regulations</a> that stop telcos sharing customer information with third parties.</p> <p>It’s a necessary step to deal with the threat of identify theft faced by 10 million current and former Optus customers. It will allow Optus to work with banks and government agencies to detect and prevent the fraudulent use of their data.</p> <p>But it’s still only a remedial measure, intended to be in place for 12 months. More substantive reform is needed to tighten Australia’s loose approach to data privacy and protection.</p> <h2>Changing regulations, not legislation</h2> <p>The changes – <a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/jim-chalmers-2022/media-releases/changes-protect-consumers-following-optus-data-breach" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Federal Communications Minister Michelle Rowland – involve amending the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2022C00329" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Telecommunications Regulation 2021</a>.</p> <p>This a piece of “subordinate” or “<a href="https://peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/your-questions-on-notice/questions/whats-the-difference-between-a-legislative-act-and-a-regulation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">delegated law</a>” to the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A05145" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Telecommunications Act 1997</a>. Amending the act itself would require a vote of parliament. Regulations can be amended at the government’s discretion.</p> <p>Under the Telecommunications Act it is a criminal offence for telcos to share information about “the affairs or personal particulars of another person”.</p> <p>The only exceptions are sharing information with the <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/media-communications-arts/phone/services-people-disability/accesshub/national-relay-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Relay Service</a> (which enables those with hearing or speech disabilities to communicate by phone), to “authorised research entities” such as universities, public health agencies or electoral commissions, or to police and intelligence agencies <a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us/our-portfolios/national-security/lawful-access-telecommunications/telecommunications-interception-and-surveillance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with a warrant</a>.</p> <p>That means Optus can’t tell banks or even government agencies set up to prevent identity fraud, such as the little-known <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/telecommunications/banks-treasury-team-up-to-protect-optus-customers-20220928-p5blm3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian Financial Crime Exchange</a>, who the affected customers are.</p> <h2>Important safeguards</h2> <p>The government says the changes will only allow the sharing of “<a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/jim-chalmers-2022/media-releases/changes-protect-consumers-following-optus-data-breach" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved government identifier information</a>” – driver’s licences, Medicare and passport numbers.</p> <p>This information can only be shared with government agencies or financial institutions <a href="https://www.apra.gov.au/register-of-authorised-deposit-taking-institutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regulated by</a> the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority. This means Optus (or any other telco) won’t be able to share information with the Australian branches of foreign banks.</p> <p>Financial institutions will also have to meet strict requirements about secure methods for transferring and storing personal information shared with them, and make undertakings to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (<a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/publications/section-87b-of-the-competition-consumer-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which can be enforced in court</a>).</p> <p>The information can be shared only “for the sole purposes of preventing or responding to cybersecurity incidents, fraud, scam activity or identify theft”. Any entity receiving information must destroy it after using it for this purpose.</p> <p>These are incredibly important safeguards given the current lack of limits on how long companies can keep identity data.</p> <h2>What is needed now</h2> <p>Although temporary, these changes could be a game changer. For the next 12 months, at least, Optus (and possibly other telcos) will be able to proactively share customer information with banks to prevent cybersecurity, fraud, scams and identity theft.</p> <p>It could potentially enable a crackdown on scams that affect both banks and telcos – such as <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/General/Online-services/Identity-security-and-scams/Scam-alerts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fraudulent texts and phone calls</a>.</p> <p>But this does not nullify the need for a larger legislative reform agenda.</p> <p>Australia’s data privacy laws and regulations should put limits on how much data companies can collect, or for how long they can keep that information. Without limits, companies will continue to collect and store much more personal information <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-do-tiktok-bunnings-ebay-and-netflix-have-in-common-theyre-all-hyper-collectors-187274" target="_blank" rel="noopener">than they need</a>.</p> <p>This will require amending the federal Privacy Act – subject to a <a href="https://www.ag.gov.au/integrity/consultations/review-privacy-act-1988" target="_blank" rel="noopener">government review</a> now nearing three years in length. There should be limits on what data companies can retain, and how long, as well as bigger penalties for non-compliance.</p> <p>We all need to take data privacy more seriously.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/optus-data-breach-regulatory-changes-announced-but-legislative-reform-still-needed-192009" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

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New law to prompt pensioners into downsizing

<p>Australian pensioners are being encouraged to downsize their homes under a potential new law. </p> <p>Labor is set to introduce a Bill to parliament that would give age pension recipients more time before the proceeds from the sale of their homes affect their pension payments.</p> <p>The Albanese government’s legislation would give pensioners an additional 12-month asset test exemption on their home sale proceeds.</p> <p>Labor says the exemption is designed to give people more time to purchase, build, rebuild, repair or renovate a new principal home before their pension is affected.</p> <p>They also said the new law is to help free up larger homes for young families struggling to get on the property ladder. </p> <p>More than 8000 pensioners downsized last year and Labor hopes this number will increase if its changes are legislated.</p> <p>“We don’t want people putting off downsizing to a more suitable home because they are concerned about the impact it could have on their payment rate and overall income,” Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said.</p> <p>“These changes will give pensioners more flexibility to find a suitable new home and it will hopefully free up larger housing stock for younger families who need it.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Grace Tame confirms government will tackle sexual assault legislation

<p dir="ltr">Former Australian of the Year and sexual assault survivor Grace Tame has previously called on consistent sexual abuse legislation across all jurisdictions.</p> <p dir="ltr">She has now shared a letter from Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus who is taking “sexual abuse seriously at a national level”. </p> <p dir="ltr">The letter contains a five-year plan agreed to by Mr Dreyfus and the other Australian Attorneys-General on August 12, to discuss state and federal movements. </p> <p dir="ltr">The plan is described as “one of its kind” and comes with Mr Dreyfus thanking Ms Tame for her consistent hard work to tackle the issue when it was first raised on 12 November, 2021.</p> <p dir="ltr">“All Attorneys-General agreed to endorse and publish the Work Plan to Strengthen Criminal Justice Responses to Sexual Assault 2022-2027,” the letter read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It focuses on three national priority areas: strengthening legal frameworks, building justice sector capability, and supporting greater research and collaboration.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The five-year Work Plan builds on existing and prospective activities across Australia to improve justice responses to sexual assault.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Under the Work Plan, the Australian state and territory governments will take individual and collective action on the important issue of criminal justice responses to sexual assault. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">This letter is the result of survivors and advocates working over many years. </p> <p>Thank you, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, for taking sexual abuse seriously at a national level.</p> <p>Thank you to our team, and to the Attorneys-General for listening.</p> <p>Lived experience shaping history: <a href="https://t.co/KxJvd9zLyf">pic.twitter.com/KxJvd9zLyf</a></p> <p>— Grace Tame (@TamePunk) <a href="https://twitter.com/TamePunk/status/1558619419643117569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Its implementation will be supported by a multi-jurisdictional Working Group comprised of justice officials.” </p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Dreyfus revealed that for the Work Plan to progress, his department and The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) is working on a national review and comparative analysis of sexual assault and child abuse legislation around the country. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The review will identify the impact of any substantive inconsistencies between legal frameworks, any gaps in criminalised conduct and explore best practice approaches.” </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

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Has Labor learnt from the failure of the cashless debit card?

<p>Legislation passed through the House of Representatives this week to wind down the cashless debit card (CDC), which was introduced into the East Kimberley and Ceduna in 2016 and since applied at other trial sites around Australia. The card compulsorily quarantines 80% of social security payments received by working-aged people.</p> <p>Implementing the CDC has cost more than <a>$170 million</a>.</p> <p>Yet <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2020/02/compulsory-income-management-disabling-study-shows" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research</a> shows it does more harm than good to people forced to use it. First Nations organisations, social service organisations, and others have consistently <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/nov/03/cashless-welfare-card-fewer-than-10-of-senate-inquiry-submissions-back-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued against its expansion</a>.</p> <p>The Albanese government says winding back the CDC will “leave no one behind”. But its legislation leaves more than 23,000 mainly First Nations people in the Northern Territory – as well as people in other parts of the country – on the <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/FlagPost/2017/June/BasicsCard_and_Cashless_Debit_Card" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasicsCard</a>, a longer-standing compulsory income management scheme run by the Department of Social Services.</p> <p>We have known since 2014 that the BasicsCard <a href="https://caepr.cass.anu.edu.au/highlights/evaluating-new-income-management-northern-territory-final-evaluation-report-and-summary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fails to meet its stated objectives</a>. Research published by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course found its use correlated with <a href="https://www.lifecoursecentre.org.au/research/journal-articles/working-paper-series/do-welfare-restrictions-improve-child-health-estimating-the-causal-impact-of-income-management-in-the-northern-territory/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reductions in birth weight</a>, falls in <a href="https://www.lifecoursecentre.org.au/research/journal-articles/working-paper-series/the-effect-of-quarantining-welfare-on-school-attendance-in-indigenous-communities/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">school attendance</a> and other negative impacts on children.</p> <p>These are significant findings. The research suggests several possible explanations for reduced birth weight, including income management’s potential role in increasing stress on mothers, disrupting financial arrangements within the household and creating confusion about how to access funds.</p> <h2>Strong opposition</h2> <p>Given the government’s talk of <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/anthony-albanese-s-speech-at-garma-festival-annotated-20220729-p5b5sp.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">respect and reconciliation</a>, it’s hard to know why it would continue a program introduced as part of the Howard government’s racially discriminatory and widely criticised <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/sep/02/northern-territory-intervention-violates-international-law-gillian-triggs-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Northern Territory Emergency Response</a>.</p> <p>When the Morrison government attempted to move people in the Northern Territory from the BasicsCard onto the CDC, <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/CashlessCardTransition/Submissions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">First Nations</a> leaders were clear about how damaging the BasicsCard has been, and recommended <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/CashlessCardTransition/Submissions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">genuinely voluntary schemes</a> instead.</p> <p>As shadow minister, Linda Burney supported that position. “Our fundamental principle on the basics card and the cashless debit card [is that] it should be on a voluntary basis,” she <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/19/cashless-welfare-labor-vows-to-end-compulsory-use-of-basics-card">said</a> earlier this year, adding:</p> <blockquote> <p>If people want to be on those sorts of income management, then that’s their decision. It’s not up to Labor or anyone else to tell them what to do. At the moment it’s compulsion and that’s not Labor’s position.</p> </blockquote> <p>Yet the legislation introduced into the house last week maintains compulsory income management via the BasicsCard, promising only consultation. It leaves the door wide open for continued compulsory income management. As social security minister Amanda Rishworth said in her second reading speech, the bill allows her:</p> <blockquote> <p>to determine, following further consultation with First Nations people and my colleagues, how the Northern Territory participants on the CDC will transition, and the income management arrangements that will exist.</p> </blockquote> <h2>Policy from above</h2> <p>We have learnt a lot from the CDC, including how government claims that communities can decide about who goes on and off income management are often used to legitimise the continuation of compulsory income management.</p> <p>Both the CDC and BasicsCard are ideas that were developed and lobbied for by the Australian political and business elite. They never came from the “community”.</p> <p>The BasicsCard was one of many measures implemented under the Northern Territory Emergency Response, which included the suspension of the Racial Discrimination Act and the use of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/ten-years-on-its-time-we-learned-the-lessons-from-the-failed-northern-territory-intervention-79198" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian Defence Force</a>.</p> <p>The CDC, on the other hand, was a key recommendation of mining billionaire Andrew Forrest’s 2014 <a href="https://www.niaa.gov.au/resource-centre/indigenous-affairs/forrest-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Indigenous Jobs and Training Review</a>. Since it was introduced, Forrest and his Minderoo Foundation have advocated for its extension.</p> <p>The government used much-needed funding for local services as a sweeetener to gain communities’ agreement for the CDC to proceed. In some cases, the threat of <a href="https://caepr.cass.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/docs/Working_Paper_121_2017.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">funding cuts</a> was used in negotiations. In contrast, proposals from communities themselves for appropriate community- and Aboriginal-controlled services had long been overlooked.</p> <h2>Real consultation?</h2> <p>Governments routinely use “consultation” as a label for what are essentially information sessions, with no alternatives on the table, in an effort to signal broad-based support. In the case of the CDC, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi__I3yoKf5AhU9R2wGHSjBAuwQFnoECC8QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aph.gov.au%2FDocumentStore.ashx%3Fid%3D9e59ccc9-b9e6-4fad-9fb6-2a992d84fd44%26subId%3D516467&usg=AOvVaw19C21P3oIBS4l5A1b2pr0R" target="_blank" rel="noopener">calls for the program to be aborted</a> or changed dramatically were long ignored.</p> <p>Those who were forced onto the BasicsCard as part of the intervention were not offered a consultation process by the Howard government. And now, the Labor government has also failed to embrace their views and opted for a path of more consultation.</p> <p>If Labor forces people to stay on the BasicsCard, what has it learnt from the CDC? Governments have spent more than $1 billion implementing the two failed compulsory income management schemes, and the new government has implicitly committed to spending more. Imagine what else this money could be going towards.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/has-labor-learnt-from-the-failure-of-the-cashless-debit-card-188065" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

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Supermarkets could face fines of $13,750 over MAJOR issue

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A law that could drastically cut down on the number of trolleys left abandoned has just been introduced in New South Wales, coming as a significant improvement to current laws.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new Public Spaces (Unattended Property Bill 2021 was introduced by NSW Parliament this week, which Local Government NSW President Linda Scott said has come after numerous past efforts failed to address the issue.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“These abandoned trolleys pose a very real risk to motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, while others clog our local waterways,” Ms Scott </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/woolworths-coles-to-face-fine-of-13750-every-time-this-happens-080458026.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There are 8,900 supermarkets right across NSW, and thousands more stores offering the use of shopping trolleys every day,” she added, noting that, “recently four Western Sydney councils alone collected 550 abandoned trolleys in a single day”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Scott said the popular app </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://trolleytracker.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Trolley Tracker</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> has reported over three million abandoned trolleys since it was launched in 1994, capturing the extent of the problem local councils are dealing with.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The app works by allowing people to report abandoned trolleys belonging to retailers such as Dan Murphy’s, Woolworths, Big W and IKEA.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Each time a person makes a report, they enter a draw to win $1,000.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the incentives, Ms Scott said trolleys continued to plague NSW neighbourhoods.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Past efforts to deal with the problem, including deposit-based systems, geofencing, wheel locks and trolley trackers have not prevented the abandonment of millions of trolleys, which is why local governments have pushed so hard for legislative change just like this,” she explained.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Scott said the new bill is a significant improvement to the almost 30-year-old Impounding Act 1993, by placing the onus on retailers to collect their trolleys.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Under the new legislation, a three-hour collection time limit will be placed on trolleys, vehicles and other items causing a safety hazard, and a seven-day limit on others.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fines range from $660 to $13,750, depending on the items left abandoned and how long it takes for them to be collected.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Essentially these new rules put the onus right back on the owners to ensure their property is not abandoned throughout our communities,” Ms Scott said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Those who fail to collect items can also face harsher penalties and enforcement orders </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.lgnsw.org.au/Public/News/2021-Media/1119-Abandoned-Trolleys.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">according</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to Ms Scott.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result, supermarkets such as Coles, Woolworths and ALDI, as well as other retailers who provide trolleys, will be responsible for removing abandoned items within an appropriate time frame.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Scott said the cost-recovery aspects of the new law will help the community save almost $10 million of the $17 million spent each year to recover trolleys.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The legislation will also apply to other items such as abandoned vehicles and will help police and other agencies keep public spaces clear.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Officers will now be able to enter an abandoned motor vehicle to identify its owners, and then charge that individual fees for recovery and possible storage of that item,” Ms Scott said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s a sensible move, and councils are grateful to the government for the extensive consultation and other work it has done with councils and supermarkets to help resolve the problem.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Money & Banking

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Paris Hilton calls on Biden to take account for troubled teen industry

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Paris Hilton has shared her own shocking experiences while calling on US President Joe Biden and Congress to do something about the “troubled teen industry”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The former reality TV star previously revealed she had faced mental and physical abuse as a teenager in youth facilities.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Appearing outside Capitol Hill, </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/paris-hilton-strangled-slapped-watched-in-the-shower-troubled-teen-industry-reform/c0ee9436-162e-48e1-988b-503af5584097" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hilton said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">: “For 20 years I couldn’t sleep at night as memories of physical violence, the feeling of loneliness, the loss of peers rushed through my mind when I shut my eyes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This was not just insomnia. It was trauma.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hilton appeared on October 20 alongside other teen survivors to announce the Accountability for Congregate Care Act. They were joined by lawmakers representative Ro Khanna and Senator Jeff Merkley, who are co-sponsors of the legislation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 40-year-old star called on Biden to support the legislation, which would establish a bill of rights for children in youth facilities and act as oversight for the “troubled teens industry”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Ensuring children are safe from institutional abuse isn’t a Republican or Democratic issue,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s a basic human rights issue that requires immediate attention.”</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVQrDczvaPA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVQrDczvaPA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Paris Hilton (@parishilton)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In her speech, Hilton also shared her experiences and the trauma she endured as a teenager.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“One night when I was 16 years old,  I woke up to two large men in my bedroom asking if I wanted to go the easy way or the hard way,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Thinking I was being kidnapped, I screamed for my parents. As I was being physically dragged out of my house, I saw them crying in the hallway. They didn’t come to my rescue that night.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This was my introduction to the troubled teen industry.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“My parents were promised that tough love would fix me and that sending me across the country was the only way.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hilton went on to share details about her treatment at the facility she was taken to.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I was strangled, slapped across the face, watched in the shower by male staff, called vulgar names, forced to take medication without a diagnosis, not given a proper education, thrown into solitary confinement in a room covered in scratch marks and smeared in blood,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I was forced to stay indoors for 11 months straight - no sunlight, no fresh air.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845046/paris-hilton2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b08c4c74198f46a29f4b7cbdf2203326" /></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I wish I could tell you what I experienced or witnessed was unique or even rare, but sadly,it’s not,” she continued.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Every day in America, children in congregate care settings are being physically, emotionally and sexually abused.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the past, Hilton has also called on Biden to support another bill which would require youth residential treatment centres to be under additional government oversight and document when they use restraints.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Testifying at a February state Senate committee hearing in favour of the bill, Hilton told the committee that talking about such a personal subject “was and is still terrifying”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But I cannot go to sleep at night knowing that there are children that are experiencing the same abuse that I and so many others went through, and neither should you.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Relationships

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Employees could soon be paying for their own super

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With compulsory superannuation contributions set to increase from 9.5 to 10 percent on July 1, 2021, most workers are expecting a big jump in their super payments.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But, some employment lawyers are warning that some bosses could be looking to avoid passing on the legislated increase in super to their workers.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Workers whose contracts state their super should be paid on top of their salary are safe, but those who have super included as part of their total package could be missing out.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This means it could be legal for employers to take the additional super out of their employees’ base pay.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Provided the employees don’t drop below the minimum permitted wages in an award enterprise agreement, or the minimum wage, then yes, it is permitted,” said Fay Calderone, a partner at Hall &amp; Wilcox.</span></p> <p><strong>Who’s doing it?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Calderone also said she has received a number of queries from employers asking whether they have to pass on the increase.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She said large employers generally don’t deny workers super rises, with the four big consultancy groups - PwC, Deloitte, EY, and KPMG - proving that by publicly stating their workers will see a 0.5 percent increase to their total pay package.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But other employers may not pass on the increase according to Ms Calderone, and there’s a history of it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The businesses in the middle - where they are large enough where they’ve had their contracts prepared - they’ve had the history behind them where this has happened before,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Richard Denniss, Australia Institute’s chief economist, has also heard historical reports of this kind of behaviour, but has said it could be even worse this time around.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There have been instances of this in the past, but I fear it’s becoming even more prevalent for the simple reason that more and more employees are on the kind of contracts that allow it to happen,” Mr Denniss said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Unfortunately, I think a bunch of smaller and medium sized businesses are feeling that they’re going to get away with it. That no one’s going to notice. And even if someone notices, no-one’s really going to care,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But let’s be clear, if thousands of employers do this, that’s exactly why we don’t get wage growth in Australia.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A survey of 145 organisations conducted by the firm Mercer found that 62 percent of the organisations using a “base plus” super model said they are maintaining their employees’ take-home pay, meaning the employer is covering the cost of the increase in super contributions without cutting their employees’ pay.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the other hand, almost two thirds of organisations offering packaged super and salaries are only covering some of the cost of the super contribution increase.</span></p> <p><strong>Unions are outraged</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This statistic has unions outraged, saying the 0.5 percent increase works out to cost less than $5 a week for most employers.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s absolutely shocking to me that employers would be trying at this point to try and avoid paying that small increase in superannuation,” said ACTU President Michele O’Neil.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This [the super rise] is something that is going to mean that for … the economy, and for our social security and pension system, we’ll be better off if people have enough money to retire on and retire without living in poverty.”</span></p> <p><strong>What this means</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wages have been stagnating for a long time already - and the pandemic making future pay rises seem unlikely - and data from the Treasury and Reserve Bank suggests a growth in wages won’t be seen anytime soon.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With this in mind, unions are arguing the super rises effectively replace a wage rise. They argue that employers choosing to not pass on increases isn’t within the spirit of the law.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Calderone said “it’s a real conundrum at the moment” for employers deciding what to do.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Employers are struggling … but we also know that many employees are living hand to mouth,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“So, employers need to balance what the financial consequences are going to be from passing on the pay reduction to employees, against the potential that those employees will go elsewhere.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“And then even if they do stay - because many employees will stay in this current environment - it’s a disengagement and the impact on morale.”</span></p>

Retirement Income

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Tax legislation unfairly targets seniors

<p>An online petition has exposed legislation unfairly targeting seniors.</p> <p>The petition was started by Linda Aldridge, who had been affected by the legislation. Linda had been made redundant at her workplace, but because she was just over 65 years of age when this happened she was taxed highly on her severance payment.</p> <p>The difference was startling, and had Linda been made redundant a mere eight months earlier she would have been $14,000 better off. Linda has been on ABC Radio and contacted the Treasurer of Australia and her local Member of Parliament.</p> <p>The latter, the Hon Alan Tudge Federal Member for Aston, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and Assistant Minister for Social Services wrote, “I have taken on board your comments and will take this into consideration when this issue arises in Parliament.”</p> <p>Linda notes that she still wants to work, but $14,000 is a lot of money. “I still have a Mortgage and have had to cancel my health fund. There has been a drive to keep older people in the work force but to lose thousands of dollars as a penalty for being over 65 is wrong,” she said.</p> <p>At time of publishing Linda was close to her target of 25,000 signatures.</p> <p>To view her online petition, <a href="https://www.change.org/p/federal-government-taxation-on-redundancy-payment-for-seniors?recruiter=306657321&amp;utm_source=share_petition&amp;utm_medium=copylink" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>click here</strong></span></a>.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/finance/money/2015/10/how-weak-aussie-dollar-affects-investments/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>How will the weak Aussie dollar affect your finances</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/finance/money/2015/11/is-australia-becoming-cashless/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Will Australia become a cashless society?</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/finance/money/2015/11/how-to-build-a-food-bank/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>6 ways a food bank will help you save money on groceries</strong></em></span></a></p>

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