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Happy Monday!
In October, I interviewed QLD Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and asked her if it was a possibility she would leave as Premier mid-term. At the time, she responded, “No, no, I’m absolutely committed.”
Well, fast forward a few weeks and the Premier has announced she will be leaving the job this Friday. Making the announcement yesterday, Palaszczuk said: “I have given it my all and I have a run a marathon. Now is the time for me to find out what else life has to offer.”
Palaszczuk has been the Premier of Queensland since 2015, and was the final COVID-era state leader still in politics.
I've got 10 seconds
The quote
“As the longest serving female leader in Australia’s history, Annastacia showed a generation of young girls that female leadership is not only possible, but entirely normal.” – Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen on fellow Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s time in office.
The stat
10 million
The number of people who signed up to X (formerly Twitter) so far this month according to the platform’s CEO Linda Yaccarino.
Today in history
1946: UNICEF was established.
I've got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
The Federal Government has announced new rules that will see taxes tripled for foreign investors who buy existing houses in Australia, and a doubling of fees if the houses are left vacant. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the changes are to “improve housing affordability and supply.”
2023 has been confirmed as the hottest year on record by the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service. Global temperature records have been broken every month since June, making this year the warmest since records began in 1940.
I've got 1 minute
Legislation banning online gambling platforms from accepting credit card payments has passed Federal Parliament.
Gambling companies like Sportsbet and TAB will have a six-month transition period before the credit card ban comes into effect.
The measure is aimed at preventing gamblers from spending borrowed money they may not have the means to repay.
The credit card ban
Online wagering platforms will use a special bank identification number to detect and block gamblers from using credit cards to place bets.
The new law was included in a list of recommendations by a 2021 Parliamentary committee investigating online gambling.
A ban on credit cards at physical gambling venues, like racetracks or casinos, was introduced before online gambling became popular.
Further details
Companies that don't enforce the ban, which also includes digital currencies, could face fines of almost $235,000.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority will enforce the new laws.
A review of the ban will take place two years after coming into effect.
More gambling bans?
In June, another Parliamentary committee also recommended a gradual phase-out of online gambling ads over three years.
The Government's response to the recommendations is due by the end of the month.
While it hasn't yet released a full response, it said the Committee's advice will "underpin" the next gambling reforms in Australia.
Gambling Helpline: 1800 858 858
I've got 2 minutes
Employers who deliberately underpay their workers could face jail time under new measures that have passed Parliament.
The tougher penalties are part of several changes to mandatory workplace rules, outlined in an Industrial Relations reforms bill.
The reforms include criminalising intentional wage theft and improving protections for workers experiencing domestic and family violence.
Wage theft:
Industrial Relations Minister Tony Burke introduced workplace reforms to Parliament earlier this year, which sought to make wage theft a crime.
'Wage theft' is a term used to describe employers who fail to give employees their legal entitlements (e.g. pay, super, or annual leave).
It means it will be a criminal offence for businesses to deliberately underpay workers. Penalties for employers found guilty of wage theft include 10 years imprisonment or fines over $7 million.
Same job, same pay:
The reforms will also ensure employees hired through labour hire firms (such as temporary recruitment agencies) who do the same work as full-time employees at a company, are paid the same.
According to Burke, this means "labour hire workers will no longer be underpaid".
Extra support:
The new laws also mean employees experiencing domestic or family violence will be better protected from workplace discrimination.
First responders, such as emergency service workers, will also receive more support if they're experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused by their job.
Burke said the reforms would protect Australian "workers’ wages, safety and conditions".
Response:
When the reforms passed, Shadow Employment Minister Michaelia Cash said it was "a devastating day for Australian businesses that are going to be impacted by the changes to labour hire in this country".
Minerals Council of Australia CEO Tania Constable accused the Government of committing an act of "economic vandalism... by dramatically lifting the cost of doing business in Australia".
A message from our sponsor
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Give me some good news
The launch of a new tracking tool could make it easier to track greenhouse gas emissions.
Non-profit Climate TRACE released a tracking tool at the COP28 climate summit that will make information about emissions from individual sites like power plants and mining sites freely accessible to the public.
It’s hoped the tool will be a helpful resource for organisations to track and report on emissions reduction progress.
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A TDA tidbit
Over the past few days, Nick Kygrios fans have been hit with a double whammy.
First, on Friday, Kygrios announced he was joining ’OnlyFans’. That’s right, the subscription-based platform where public figures and influencers create (often sexually) exclusive content for their fans.
Kyrgios announced on his Instagram “It just got a whole lot crazier.” In his OnlyFans bio he says “Subscribe here to interact with me like never before.”
According to a statement, Kyrgios won’t be posting sexual content, but fans will get to see “all different sides” of the athlete.
So what’s the “different side” that fans have gotten so far? Oh, just an announcement that he won’t be competing in next year’s Australian Open, which was posted exclusively on Kygrios’ OnlyFans account over the weekend. It said (in part): “I just want to really get back to playing at the top of my game and doing it right and I need a little more time.”
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