If you were forwarded this email (hi! welcome!), you can sign up to the newsletter here.
Good morning!
We’re running a poll to better understand how people are thinking and feeling about the public holiday on January 26. If you want to answer the 30-second survey, you can find it here.
Quote of the day
"People in the warning area should be in the final stages of preparing their properties, to minimise any impact. Make sure your Emergency Kit is stocked with essential supplies to sustain your household for at least three days" - QLD Fire and Emergency Services on Tropical Cyclone Kirrily, which is slowly approaching north Queensland.
Stat of the day
$135,000
The amount Australians have lost to Taylor Swift ticket scams so far, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Today in history
2020
The first case of COVID-19 in Australia was confirmed.
Some headlines from this morning:
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will announce proposed changes to the Stage 3 tax cuts today in a speech to the National Press Club. Speaking after a meeting of the Government last night, Treasurer Jim Chalmers told the ABC's 7.30, “We have changed our view, and we’ve changed our view because we found a better way to provide more cost-of-living relief to more people in a way that doesn’t add to inflation.”
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has defeated Nikki Haley in the New Hampshire primaries. The result brings him a step closer to securing the Republican Presidential nomination. But Former UN Ambassador Haley says she won’t be bowing out of a race that is “far from over”. It comes after Ron DeSantis dropped out of the presidential race following Trump’s win in the Iowa caucuses. The next major test for Trump and Haley will be in South Carolina, where Haley used to be governor.
Kim Williams has been confirmed as the new chair of the ABC. Outgoing chair Ita Buttrose will step down from the role in March.
Williams was formerly chief executive of News Limited — the company now known as News Corp.
The role of ABC chair includes ensuring the national broadcaster maintains standards of independence and accuracy.
In announcing Williams’ new position, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese commended the “breadth of his experience” and his “intellect [and] insatiable curiosity”.
Kim Williams
Williams ran Foxtel for a decade before he became News Limited’s CEO in 2011.
He’s also headed a range of cultural, arts and sporting bodies throughout his career, including as chair of the Sydney Opera House Trust, and one of the commissioners of the AFL.
Williams was recognised for his contribution to the arts in 2006 when he was made a Member of the Order of Australia.
ABC chairperson
The ABC chair oversees the national broadcaster’s nine-member board. They are charged with maintaining the “independence and integrity” of the ABC and ensuring it delivers news in an “accurate and impartial” way to its audience.
Williams will replace Ita Buttrose when she steps down on 6 March.
Reflecting on his new position, Williams said it was a “solemn responsibility” with a “refreshingly broad” scope, including promoting innovation at the broadcaster.
The Federal Government is scrapping a ‘golden visa’, designed to attract wealthy individuals to Australia.
It’s part of a broader visa overhaul under the Government’s Migration Strategy.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said it had been “obvious for years that this visa is not delivering what our country and economy needs”.
The ‘golden visa’
The ‘golden visa’ is formally known as the ‘Significant Investor’ visa. It requires the recipient to invest at least $5 million in Australia.
This could include venture capital funds and managed funds that invest in companies listed on Australia’s stock exchange.
Under the visa, a person can stay in Australia for five years before applying to live here permanently. Significant Investor visa holders can also bring their families.
Unlike a Temporary Graduate visa, recipients aren’t required to learn English and only need to spend 40 days a year in Australia.
Changes
New applications have been paused for the broader Business Innovation and Investment program that the Significant Investor visa falls under.
O’Neil confirmed the changes and said the government was engaged in broader visa reform.
The government initially flagged it would make these changes in December, when it published its migration strategy.
Changes
The strategy indicated the Business Innovation and Investment program was delivering “poor economic outcomes for Australia”.
Government data shows 85% of people granted significant investor visas from 2012 to 2020 were from China.
According to a 2022 report by policy research group the Grattan Institute, the program mostly attracted older people who earned less than other skilled migrants.
What next?
The migration strategy floated reforms to the visa system to make Australia more competitive in the “global race for talent”.
One idea was a streamlined pathway called a ‘Talent and Innovation’ visa, to attract high-performing entrepreneurs, major investors, and global researchers.
We all know life is that little bit sweeter when there’s a holiday on the horizon, and our friends over at Travel Insurance Direct (TID) couldn't agree more. There's nothing quite like the feeling of exploring new cities, embracing new cuisines, and the satisfaction of mastering a new phrase or two.
But let's face it, sometimes while travelling things don't go exactly as planned - that's where TID comes in. With their expertise, cover and top-notch service, they can help you stay on track on your travels. TID takes care of the important stuff, so you can focus on the fun.
To sweeten the deal, they're offering a 12%* discount on travel insurance to TDA readers with the promo code TDA12 (until March 3, 2024). Save the code and share it with your mates so they have cover too! *T&Cs apply.
Take the stress out of your next adventure. Get a quote today!
The national population has reached over 27 million, but in the middle of housing, cost of living and environmental crises, is Australia equipped to deal with its growing population? In today's deep dive, two experts help us unpack the milestone, migration, and 'population panic.'
If you want your friends to wake up with us too, refer them!
We’ll even sweeten the deal for you…
{{rp_personalized_text}}
Or send them your unique link: {{rp_refer_url}}
A 99-year-old competitive swimmer has beaten three world records in her age category.
Betty Brussel set new record times for the 400-metre freestyle, 50-metre backstroke, and 50-metre breaststroke at a competition in Canada. Brussel said, “Swimming is my love. It makes me forget all my worries and I feel great.”
A school in the U.S. state of North Carolina has removed its bathroom mirrors to stop students from filming TikToks in them.
According to local news, Southern Middle School made the decision after it noticed students were taking unusually long bathroom breaks.
The school has since introduced a digital ‘hall pass’ tracking device, which records how long students spend outside the classroom.
Southern Middle School said bathroom break times have significantly reduced, now that its students aren’t excusing themselves to film videos.
