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Quote of the day
"I’m Barnaby Joyce.”
Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce in response to a question from Sky News about how he identifies politically. Joyce recently announced he intends to quit the Nationals and won’t run for his seat of New England at the next election.
Stat of the day
27,000
The number of people in Queensland without power on Monday afternoon following major storms, according to data from energy provider Energex.
Random fact of the day
Beavers have an extra set of eyelids that are transparent. Known as nictitating membranes, they allow beavers to see as they swim underwater.
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is suing Microsoft over allegations it misled 2.7 million customers. It comes after the tech company increased the price of its Microsoft 365 personal and family plans by 45 and 29% respectively last year. Microsoft attributed the increase to the integration of its AI assistant Copilot. The ACCC claims customers were told they had no option but to accept the pay increase or cancel their subscription. The watchdog called this “false or misleading” because there was an undisclosed third option, allowing users to keep their subscriptions without Copilot, “at the previous lower price.” The ACCC has launched proceedings in the Federal Court, where it will argue “Microsoft deliberately omitted reference” to the third option “to increase the number of consumers” on the more expensive plans. If it’s found to have breached Australian Consumer Law, Microsoft faces penalties of up to $50 million. The ACCC will also seek compensation for impacted customers.
Israeli spy agency Mossad has named a senior Iranian official as the leader behind a spate of global antisemitic attacks, including in Australia. A statement from the Israeli Government alleges that Sardar Amar, a senior commander in the Iranian armed forces, led a secret unit “to promote attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets in both Israel and abroad”. In August, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed security officials had linked an attack on a synagogue in Melbourne and another at a restaurant in Sydney to Iran. In response, the Federal Government expelled the Iranian ambassador. Along with the Australian attacks, Israel claimed Amar was responsible for “major attempted attacks” in Greece and Germany. It said Mossad will “act decisively to thwart terrorist threats from Iran and its proxies”.
Recommendation of the day
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I’ve got 1 minute
The contraceptive ring will be subsidised from next month
The contraceptive ring will soon be available at a lower cost under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
From 1 November, the NuvaRing, which is inserted into the vagina, will be available for $31.60 per script ($7.70 for concession cardholders).
The PBS advisory committee recommended the ring be subsidised in May, noting reports of “undesirable side effects” from oral contraceptives.
Minister for Women Katy Gallagher said the change is about ensuring “women have genuine choice… that isn’t limited by cost or access”.
NuvaRing
The NuvaRing is a contraceptive ring that is inserted into the vagina for three weeks at a time.
It releases small amounts of two different hormones – etonogestrel and ethinylestradiol – over the course of a menstrual cycle.
Insertion and removal can be done at home.
The Government estimates women previously paid around $270 a year for a NuvaRing prescription, which includes three rings.
PBS
Under the PBS, the Government subsidises a wide range of prescription medicines for Australians with a Medicare card.
Earlier this year, the Government passed legislation reducing the maximum cost of PBS medicines from $31.60 to $25.
The cost for pensioners and concession cardholders will remain capped at $7.70 per prescription.
Reporting by Achol Arok.
I’ve got 2 minutes
Corporations would have to report the carbon emissions of large projects under a new Govt bill
The Government will introduce a new environmental bill to Parliament this week.
It says the bill will strengthen Australia’s environmental protections, while also “improving productivity” and “economic prosperity”.
The bill would establish a National Environment Protection Agency, and require large projects to report their carbon emissions.
Both the Greens and the Coalition have criticised the bill.
New bill
Australia’s current environment law is called the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC). It was passed during then-Prime Minister John Howard’s second term in 1999.
A 2020 review commissioned by then-Environment Minister Sussan Ley found it is ineffective and outdated. Since the review, successive governments have attempted to pass major reforms.
Current Environment Minister Murray Watt will this week propose a new bill to reform the EPBC to Parliament.
The Government is seeking to make approval processes for big projects more efficient and transparent.
It also wants to establish a National Environment Protection Agency (NEPA) to monitor gas and coal projects’ legal compliance.
Companies could be fined up to $825 million if their projects fail to meet the new requirements.
The NEPA will also be involved in decisions to approve or deny new projects. Final decisions will be made by ministers in either the state or federal Government.
Currently, both levels of government need to approve a project. Watt told the ABC this will reduce the approvals process by “months or years”.
Watt has ruled out adding a ‘climate trigger’ to the bill. The Greens and independents have long called for this to be added to the approvals process. It would require consideration of a project’s emissions impact, not just its immediate environmental impact.
Response
On Sunday, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley proposed the bill be divided into two halves: one dedicated to project approvals, and a separate piece of legislation on the “broader, more contentious environmental elements” of the reforms.
Ley wrote on Instagram: “Labor’s new environment laws… risk being a gift to our overseas competitors, a handbrake on investment and a red light to jobs.”
The Government has rejected Ley’s proposal to split the bill.
Greens environment spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young also criticised the bill, telling the ABC: “These are meant to be environment protection laws, not business approval laws... We want to make sure these laws protect our forests and protect our climate.”
Business Council of Australia Bran Black welcomed the bill, saying: “If we’re serious about delivering the energy transition, increasing housing supply, technology infrastructure and unlocking growth sectors like critical minerals, then creating a faster and more efficient EPBC system is critical.”
Reporting by Annabel Whitehouse.
A message from Bell Shakespeare
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Playing at Sydney Opera House from 19 November – 7 December.
Give me some good news
A spacecraft filled with essential supplies is on its way to the International Space Station (ISS), after Japan’s space agency successfully launched an unmanned rocket on Sunday.
The purpose-built craft lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Centre, ahead of a four-day journey to the ISS. Astronauts will use a 17 metre robotic arm to capture the cargo spacecraft as it approaches the space station on Thursday. President of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, Hiroshi Yamakawa, said the launch is “a major step forward,” with the craft able to be connected to the ISS for up to six months, as well as transport goods that need refrigeration.
Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!
Reporting by Emily Donohoe.
TDA titbit
Albania has an AI-generated minister in its Parliament, and she’s pregnant.
Prime Minister Edi Rama (who is real) announced Minister Diella (who is AI) is pregnant and “expecting 83 kids” at a conference in Berlin over the weekend.
Diella was generated earlier this year and serves as Albania’s AI Minister, choosing which companies receive government contracts in an effort to combat corruption.
Rama said the number of children corresponds to the number of MPs in his party in Albania’s Parliament.
The ‘kids’ will “serve the MPs,” be involved in parliamentary meetings and “keep a record of everything,” according to Rama.
Rama said the kids “will tell [MPs] what’s been said when [they] were not there and if [their] name was mentioned and if [they] have to counter attack someone”.
Reporting by Annabel Whitehouse.
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