☕️ The NT has a new leader

Have you already heard from your boss this morning?

Well, as of today, you have a legal right to ignore them (…outside of work hours).

In case you missed it, the Government passed new measures for workers earlier this year, which come into effect today. The measures mean workers now have the legal power to “refuse to monitor, read, or respond to” work-related contact outside working hours.

To understand more about employees’ new rights, listen to today’s podcast! And then send it to your boss to let them know x

“To quote the great Beyoncé: We gotta lay our cards down, down, down ... we got this one wrong.”
American gossip outlet TMZ in a post to X after it reported Beyoncé was set to perform at the Democratic National Convention last week. The singer did not perform.

37.9°C
The temperature at Oodnadatta in South Australia on Friday afternoon, the state’s hottest-ever winter temperature according to WeatherZone.

1920
Women in the U.S. were officially allowed to vote. Women were given the right to vote on 18 August 1920, however it was not made official by the U.S. Government until 26 August when a proclamation was signed in Washington D.C.

The Northern Territory will have its fourth leader in two years after the Labor Government lost this weekend’s election.

The Country Liberal Party (CLP) defeated Labor in a landslide victory. With just over half of the votes counted, the CLP has won 16 seats and Labor has won four.

This means CLP leader Lia Finocchiaro will become the territory’s next Chief Minister. In her victory speech, she said: “The territory of tomorrow will be better than the territory of today.”

Heading into the election, Labor held 14 seats, the CLP had seven, and independents had four.

As the voting currently stands, Labor has four seats, the CLP has 16, independents have three, and two are still in doubt.

In her concession speech, Labor leader Eva Lawler, who also lost her seat of Drysdale, said it was “absolutely a sad night for Labor”.

Lia Finocchiaro delivered her victory speech on Saturday night, saying the CLP will “deliver change for the better”.

"It is an absolute honour and a privilege to stand here before you as the first female Country Liberal Party chief minister of the Northern Territory," she said.

Finocchiaro added that her government will do “whatever it takes to restore community safety”. Rates of violent crime have increased in the NT in recent years, and Alice Springs has been placed under two separate curfews this year due to youth crime.

Reporting by Harry Sekulich.

Victoria’s gambling industry watchdog has hit Tabcorp with a $4.6 million fine after it found the betting giant repeatedly breached the state’s laws.

Tabcorp was found to have breached marketing codes of conduct, failed to adequately train staff members, and failed to provide appropriate customer support.

The breaches occurred between August 2020 and February 2023.

Tabcorp is one of the country’s largest betting companies. It owns clubs, hotels, and other licensed venues across multiple states.

Last year, it was awarded Victoria’s Wagering and Betting Licence for the next 20 years, meaning it holds exclusive rights to all wagering and betting activities in the state (outside of racetracks).

Tabcorp has been issued multiple fines over recent years, including a $45 million Federal Court fine for failing to manage the risks of money laundering.

The VGCCC found that on six different occasions, Tabcorp sent marketing to a customer who had opted out of receiving these materials.

The betting giant was also found to have “failed to minimise potential gambling harms” by not adequately training employees, and not giving customers enough support.

In one instance, an account manager placed a “responsible gambling call” to a customer who had shown concerning betting patterns. The call ended with the customer receiving a “deposit match promotion” of $2,000 in their account.

The VGCCC says the repeated breaches are “indicative of a culture” that reflects ”systemic operational deficiencies”.

Commission chair Fran Thorn said the “hefty fine... is proportionate to the seriousness” of Tabcorp’s breaches, which “reflect systemic operational deficiencies”.

“[The fine] sends a clear message to the gambling industry that this kind of behaviour is not acceptable and will not be tolerated,” Thorn said.

The fine comes amid intensifying calls for the Federal Government to commit to stronger gambling reforms.

In June 2023, a federal inquiry into gambling harms made 31 recommendations. It proposed a phased ban of all TV, radio, and online gambling ads within three years.

It’s expected the Government will introduce legislation to restrict TV gambling ads, not a total ban.

The VGCCC has instructed Tabcorp to create a “transformation program” to ensure it complies with the law.

Tabcorp said it will work cooperatively with VGCCC.

It said it has already “taken significant steps” to improve customer safety, and will introduce new customer monitoring systems.

Reporting by Achol Arok.

Charlie the African elephant was captured in Zimbabwe as a two year old in 1984. After forty years in captivity, Charlie has now been moved to a 10,000-hectare reserve.

It follows lengthy negotiations between advocates and the South African Government, after concerns were raised over the elephant’s health. Charlie will be supported by veterinary experts as he gets used to his new home, before his planned integration into an existing elephant community.

Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!

Reporting by Chloe Christie.

U.S. drug officials in San Diego found themselves in a seedy situation last week, when they found methamphetamine in packages designed to look like watermelons.

The drugs were allegedly being driven across Mexico’s border with the U.S. in a commercial tractor-trailer.

They had an estimated street value of over $US5 million ($AU7.43 million) — a lot more than watermelons.

One official said this was evidence that “cartels continue to evolve their smuggling techniques”.

Reporting by Chloe Christie.

Ever been out with mates after work when your manager’s number flashes up on your phone screen?

From today, you can now legally refuse a call or text from your boss once you’ve clocked off. The laws were developed over concerns about modern workplaces and smartphones invading personal lives.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll take a closer look at what’s changing, what this law means for workers and employers, and what the TDA audience told us they think about the right to disconnect.