☕️ Harvey Weinstein's conviction overturned

Good morning!

Thanks to everyone for your feedback on yesterday’s poll. We’re reviewing all your responses and are excited to continue building this organisation with you. We’ll keep you updated on what comes next!

Until then, enjoy your Friday (even though it should be illegal to have one work day after a public holiday).

I’ve got 10 seconds

Quote of the day

“However, noting our God-given right of freedom of speech and freedom of religion, I’m not opposed to the videos remaining on social media. I would be of great concern if people use the attack on me to serve their own political interests to control free speech.”
Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, who was stabbed earlier this month, commenting in a new YouTube video on recent efforts to take the live stream of his stabbing down.

Stat of the day

33 million
The number of children impacted by the closure of all schools in Bangladesh this week due to extreme heat.

Today in history

1986
The Chernobyl Disaster, the worst nuclear accident in history, took place.

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

• Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction has been overturned by the New York Court of Appeals. The Court found the judge in the previous trial made “egregious errors” by allowing the court to hear testimony from women who claimed that Weinstein assaulted them, even though they were not part of the charges he faced. According to the decision, “the remedy is…a new trial”. Weinstein will remain imprisoned due to a separate conviction.

• Five young people have been charged following a Joint Counter Terrorism Team operation in Sydney. According to NSW Police, the young males are facing a range of charges, including possessing extremist material and engaging in an act of preparation for a terrorist act. All five were refused bail by the Children’s Court. NSW Police confirmed there is no specific threat to public safety.

Recommendation of the day

I’ve got 1 minute

In 1770, Captain James Cook and his crew stole spears from First Nations people in Sydney. More than 250 years later, they’re being returned.

Four spears carved and used by the Gweagal people in Kamay (Botany Bay) were stolen by Captain James Cook and other English colonisers who came to Australia in 1770.

The spears ended up at Cambridge University in the UK a year later.

More than 250 years later, Cambridge has returned the spears to the La Perouse Aboriginal Community in a formal ceremony.

They are the earliest artefacts taken by the British from any part of Australia that still exists.

Comments

Ray Ingrey, director of the Gujaga Foundation at La Perouse: “The spears were pretty much the first point of European contact, particularly British contact with Aboriginal Australia. I think for us it’s a momentous occasion that... the spears that were undoubtedly taken without permission are returned to the rightful people.”

I’ve got 2 minutes

Early analysis suggests your HECS debt could rise by 4.8% in June

Analysis commissioned by The Greens has shown student loans could increase by 4.8% this year, unless the Federal Government changes the way the debt is indexed.

Loans are increased once a year to reflect today’s rising prices (inflation) in a process called ‘indexation’. Last year, debts increased by 7.1%, the biggest rise since 1990.

The formula for calculating indexation is based on the last quarterly inflation rate (rising prices) released before the end of the financial year in June. Yesterday's number was 3.6%.

What is HECS?

When you begin a university course, you can either pay upfront or apply for a Higher Education Contribution Scheme loan (HECS) under the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP). Most students apply for this loan.

The system, which rolled out in 1989, requires students to make loan payments based on their income. From 1974 to 1989, degrees were free.

The repayment threshold is currently $51,550, meaning that if you earn above that amount yearly, you will start paying off your debt.

Indexation

Student loans increase every year through ‘indexation’, reflecting changes in the value of money over time.

The formula to calculate indexation is based on the March quarterly inflation data, which was released yesterday.

The Greens asked the Parliamentary Library to estimate this year’s indexation.

If the traditional formula is adopted, it’s suggested HECS indexation this year will be 4.8%.

Calls to change

Independent MP Dr Monique Ryan has led calls to change the way student loans are indexed. Ryan launched a petition demanding changes to indexation, which has more than 275,000 signatures at the time of publication.

Dr Ryan told TDA she’s concerned young people are “putting off starting their tertiary degrees because they’re frightened of accumulating debt”.

Greens Deputy Leader Mehreen Faruqi said: “Anything less than scrapping indexation in the May budget is a betrayal to students.”

Govt remarks

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has left the door open to changes to HECS indexation.

Last week, he said: “I think there’s a range of areas where we need to do much better with the younger generation basically, and HECS is one of them.”

Earlier this year, a Government-commissioned review of tertiary education recommended linking indexation to wages rather than inflation. Education Minister Jason Clare has said he is considering the review’s recommendations.

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Give me some good news

The U.S. Department of Transportation has issued new laws that make it easier for travellers to get a full cash refund if their flights are delayed.

Under the new scheme, customers are entitled to refunds if their domestic flights are delayed for more than three hours and their international flights for more than six hours.

There are also mandatory cash refunds for lost bags, and all refunds must be paid in under seven days.

TDA tidbit

Rebel Wilson’s memoir ‘Rebel Rising’ will be released next month in Australia with… an entire chapter redacted.

That’s right, a full chapter of Wilson’s book will have blacked-out lines covering the words.

The chapter in question is called ‘Sacha Baron Cohen and Other Assholes’ and was published as normal in the U.S. a few weeks ago. That’s why we know its contents, which include Wilson alleging that Baron Cohen acted inappropriately on set of a movie they were in together. Baron Cohen has denied the allegations.

Wilson’s publisher, Harper Collins, confirmed to The Guardian that the chapter had been redacted for “legal reasons”.

Want more from The Daily Aus? Listen to our podcast!

In a first for Australia, two people have launched an independent campaign to win a single seat at the next federal election. Bronwen Bock and Lucy Bradlow hope to run together for the same seat of Higgins and share the responsibilities of a federal politician

Today on the podcast, we speak to Bronwen and Lucy to ask them all our questions about how and if this could work

TDA asks