☕️ Why pads and tampons may get cheaper

Good morning!

There was finally some good news to report yesterday, with NSW Police confirming a 12-year-old boy was found “safe and well” after a search lasted more than 48 hours in Sydney.

NSW Police raised concerns for the boy’s welfare after he disappeared on Saturday morning, as he has Down syndrome, and is Autistic and non-verbal.

He was reunited with his family yesterday afternoon.

I’ve got 10 seconds

Quote of the day

"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.”
The Princess of Wales in a statement after a photo of her with her kids was removed from news sites over concerns it was digitally “manipulated”.

Stat of the day

80
The estimated number of trees that fell across South Australia over the weekend due to heat stress, according to emergency services.

Today in history

1957
The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss was first published.

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

• The Muslim festival of Ramadan has begun, with billions of people giving up eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset. It is also a month to give donations, or Zakat. At the end of the month, Muslims will celebrate Eid Al-Fitr, which is expected to be on 9 April.
  

• National domestic violence support service 1800 RESPECT is launching a video chat support line. It comes after 1800 RESPECT launched a text message support service late last year. Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth said video calls will allow victim-survivors to “virtually connect face-to-face” with 1800 RESPECT staff, allowing them to access support “without the need for an appointment” or travelling.

I’ve got 1 minute

Here’s why the price of pads and tampons could go down on 1 July

A 5% import tax (tariff) on nearly 500 products will be scrapped from 1 July, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has announced.

It means businesses will save money on imported products including pads, tampons, washing machines, toothbrushes and pens.

The tariffs were designed to boost Government revenue on imported goods and ensure fair competition between Australian and international producers.

However, Chalmers said the penalties had become a costly “nuisance” for businesses and customers.

Import tariffs

Hundreds of goods are regularly imported into Australia without penalties or taxes thanks to free trade deals with other countries.

However, Australian tariff rules mean governments and businesses still have to prove they don’t need to pay extra charges to import their products.

Chalmers said it’s led to an unnecessarily costly process for businesses which could be increasing prices and directly affecting customers.

Tariff costs

Chalmers estimated that Australian companies are spending $30 million a year to prove the goods they’re importing comply with tariff systems and trade agreements. He said these tariffs “do nothing” to support businesses.

14% of Australia’s total tariffs will now be scrapped, which Chalmers said would remove this burden and support productivity.

Chalmers added the government would look to repeal more tariffs as trade negotiations continue.

What happens next?

Members of the public can submit their thoughts on the proposed tariff cuts before the measures are expected to be finalised.

The full list of scrapped tariffs will be detailed in the Federal Budget in May.

Crossbench Senator Jacqui Lambie downplayed the importance of repealing the tariffs, saying businesses would “hardly notice” the measure.

I’ve got 2 minutes

Sexual assault cases in NSW will now be reviewed before they can go to trial. Here's why.

CW: Sexual assault

A review is underway for all sexual assault cases scheduled to go to court in NSW.

It comes after a group of judges criticised the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for taking cases to trial without enough solid evidence.

It’s the ODPP’s job to decide whether charges should be heard in court.

Going to trial

If someone wants to launch legal action over a sexual assault in NSW, they must first report the incident to the police.

Police will then launch an investigation and collect any evidence before deciding if they will arrest a suspect.

After a person is charged, the ODPP will take over the next stage of the case from the police. Lawyers from the ODPP will look through the evidence to determine if the charge should be heard in court, or dismissed.

Before determining if a case should go to trial, NSW public prosecutors are required to consider factors like the strength of the evidence and witnesses, and the likelihood of a trial reaching a conviction (where the alleged offender is found guilty).

For a sexual assault charge to reach a guilty verdict, a case needs to be proven “beyond a reasonable doubt” in court. Evidence is analysed closely during the trial.

Judge’s claims

Over the past few months, a group of NSW judges have suggested some rape cases have gone to trial without strong evidence.

In one case, a judge said the prosecutor’s case was “hopeless” and the evidence was never likely to lead to a conviction.

Justice Robert Newlinds suggested ODPP lawyers had an “unwritten policy” to bring matters of sexual assault to trial without a “sensible and rational” basis.

One prosecutor admitted her sexual assault case was “not the strongest”. It prompted Judge Peter Whitford to question whether the case should have been brought to trial.

Whitford echoed Newlinds’ concern that matters being taken to trial without a reasonable prospect of conviction is a widespread issue.

Director of Public Prosecutions Sally Dowling has rejected suggestions her lawyers aren’t following proper guidelines. She denied any assault cases are going to trial on “insufficient evidence”.

Review

During a NSW parliamentary inquiry, Dowling said there would be an “audit” (review) of sexual assault cases currently set to go to trial.

The review will be carried out by senior prosecutors.

She said: “The suggestion that there are secret policies or opaque policies is completely preposterous”.

1800 RESPECT
Call: 1800 737 732
Text: 0458 737 732

A message from our sponsor

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Last weekend, a major music festival in Victoria was cancelled due to severe weather warnings, but it's not the first time this has happened. There have been around 45 Aussie music festivals that have been partially or fully cancelled due to weather impacts since 2015. So, with temperatures soaring and climate change an increasing concern, what does the future of festivals look like in Australia?

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Give me some good news

Older residents of Vancouver’s Chinatown have reclaimed a space in their local shopping centre for group tai chi sessions.

The seniors, part of a group called Chinatown Together, were kicked out of the space last year for not having the appropriate permissions. The local council later apologised for their removal. Chinatown Together member Melody Ma said the neighbourhood is a space where people should “feel welcomed to practise their culture.”

TDA tidbit

Yesterday, the Oscars honoured the best films of 2023. The day before, the Golden Raspberries (aka the Razzies) honoured the worst.

A horror film based on a children's literary character won (or, lost?) in five Razzies categories.

‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey’ took out the prize for worst picture, director, screenplay, screen couple and remake/rip-off/sequel.

But how is it possible that Winnie the Pooh, the adorable, honey-loving cartoon bear of our childhoods, is now the face of a horror movie?

The beloved bear first appeared in A.A. Milne’s 1926 book before Disney brought the world the on-screen version of Winnie the Pooh.

U.S. copyright law protects the rights to characters for 95 years. That time has now ended, meaning the creators of Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey were perfectly within their rights to… reinvent Milne’s iconic character.

Oh, bother!

TDA asks