☕️ Aged care workers get a pay rise

Good morning!

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Quote of the day

“Just about everyone in politics will agree… three years is too short, four years is about right… You’re not actually giving more time to politicians, you are just ensuring politicians are not in continual campaign mode.”
Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull pitching the idea of longer terms in office, in an interview with 3AW.

Stat of the day

20.4g
The weight of the world’s biggest blueberry, certified last week by Guinness World Records. The hefty fruit was grown at the Costa berry farm in Western Australia. It was picked last year and has been waiting in the freezer ever since.

Today in history

1965
Alexei Leonov became the first person to walk in space. Specifically, he was the first person to walk freely in orbit while tethered to a spaceship.

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

• A new working group made up of Australia’s largest telcos has been formed by the Federal Government to resolve concerns over 740,000 Australians who may not be able to dial 000 when the national 3G network is shut down later this year. The issue relates to certain 4G handsets that were bought overseas, and rely on the 3G network for emergency calls. A public information campaign is one of the potential remedies being floated by the government.

• Assault cases in Australia’s courts rose by 16% in the 2022-23 financial year, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). It also found that over 90% of those who went to court for assault were ruled guilty. Across all kinds of charges, more than 530,000 people had a criminal court case during this period. The ABS says the increase could be attributed to a backlog of cases from the pandemic.

I’ve got 1 minute

Aged care workers will receive an average pay rise of up to 28%

Aged care workers across the country will receive a pay increase of up to 28%, in a decision made by the Fair Work Commission. Pay rises will range from 18% to 28%.

The Commission has previously acknowledged that “work in feminised industries including care work has historically been undervalued and the reason for that undervaluation is likely to be gender-based”.

As of 2020, about 86% of the aged-care workforce was women.

The decision comes after a long-standing dispute between the Health Services Union and the Fair Work Commission.

The Commission awarded an interim (temporary) pay rise of 15% in 2022 while negotiations continued.

“This is one of the best outcomes this union has ever achieved,” Health Services Union secretary Gerard Hayes said in a press conference.

It’s unclear when it will come into effect.

I’ve got 2 minutes

Australia will restore funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

More than a dozen countries halted funding to the UN agency over allegations some of its workers were involved in Hamas' 7 October attacks on Israel.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced the pause in UNRWA funding at the end of January as the UN investigated the claims.

Last week, the Federal Government said it would restore that funding in response to “a humanitarian situation in Gaza which is dire, and only worsening”.

Background

On 7 October, Hamas launched an attack on Israel. According to data cited by the UN, roughly 1,200 people were killed. Hamas, which Australia lists as a terrorist organisation, captured about 240 hostages and 134 hostages remain captive.

Israel responded by declaring war and bombarding Gaza. According to data cited by the UN, more than 31,000 Palestinians have now been killed since 7 October. Israel’s war in Gaza has caused a humanitarian crisis, with UN aid teams warning that famine is “imminent”. Israel has said it will not stop fighting until all hostages are returned and Hamas is destroyed.

UNRWA

UNRWA provides healthcare, education, and funding to Palestinian refugees. It employs roughly 13,000 people in Gaza. Earlier this month, UNRWA’s Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said the organisation was at “breaking point”.

Israel has accused at least 12 UNRWA workers of being involved in the October 7 attacks. An Israeli government spokesperson alleged that one worker had held hostages at their house.

Investigation

Lazzarini responded to the claims against UNRWA by terminating the contracts of those allegedly involved in the October 7 attacks.

In a statement to the UN General Assembly earlier this month, Lazzarini also noted the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services – an independent watchdog – was investigating the allegations.

That investigation remains ongoing.

Several countries, including Australia, withdrew their funding to UNRWA as investigations into the workers were launched.

Since then, UNRWA has repeatedly issued pleas for donor countries to restore funding to the agency.

Last week, Lazzarini told the UN General Assembly that 16 countries in total had withdrawn funding, amounting to $US450 million lost since the allegations surfaced. He said: “The fate of the Agency, and the millions of people who depend on it, hang in the balance.”

Australia

On Friday, the Federal Government confirmed Australia will resume funding “following steps to strengthen the integrity of UNRWA operations “.

A statement said while “the nature of the allegations warranted an immediate and appropriate response,“ the Australian Government had received assurances the $6 million would reach “Gazans in desperate need“.

“Only UNRWA has the infrastructure to receive and distribute aid on the scale needed right now in Gaza,“ it continued.

It comes after Canada and Sweden resumed funding earlier this week.

Opposition

Shadow Foreign Minister Simon Birmingham said in response: “The Coalition does not support the decision of the Albanese Government to reinstate funding at this time.”

Birmingham said UNRWA is still facing the “most grievous of allegations”.

He suggested Australian funding could flow to other organisations delivering aid to Gaza.

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We’ve heard time and time again how important climate change is to our audience.

So, we decided to interview the Climate Change Minister, Chris Bowen, about what the Australian Government is doing to accelerate action.

Plus, we talked about the exact timeline for when the Government expects young people will be able to afford an electric vehicle.

Listen to the interview wherever you get your podcasts!

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Give me some good news

Scientists from the University of Sydney have successfully kept two human livers alive in a lab for a week in a landmark trial.

The livers were not in a human body, but in an organ-preservation machine which is designed to replicate the human body.

The study’s success paves the way for potential liver surgeries and gene therapies in the future.

TDA tidbit

Meghan Markle has made a return to Instagram, announcing a new lifestyle company, American Riviera Orchard.

Currently its website and Instagram page don’t reveal much — just the company name and the name of the town where Markle lives with husband Prince Harry.

According to a trademark application for the brand name, it looks like the company could sell products like recipe books, kitchenware, dinnerware, tablecloths, jams, spreads, and butters.

Could it be a reinvention of her old lifestyle blog, The Tig?

Either way, it is interesting timing from Markle, given all the speculation going on around the whereabouts of her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton.

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