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Good morning!
And just like that, Christmas is over. Christmas in July, of course.
I mention it because perhaps I was the only one who didn't know Christmas in July is largely a thing for us in the southern hemisphere, and less so for the northern folk?
Our love for Christmas in July has even caught the attention of the BBC, who yesterday published a piece: 'Why Australians celebrate Christmas twice a year'.
Anyhoo. Now that July is over, I guess it's time to start planning the family secret Santa! (Or is it just the 42 members of my family who do that six months early?)
I’ve got 10 seconds
Quote of the day
"There were a lot of regulatory changes that needed to be put in place... That process is now finally completed, so we're looking forward to launching pets onboard before the end of the year."
Virgin Australia CEO Dave Emerson in an interview at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit in Cairns on Thursday. Virgin announced its plan to trial pet-friendly flights last year.
Stat of the day
602
The number of First Nations people who have died in custody since the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe successfully moved a motion in federal parliament yesterday for MPs to formally express sympathy to the families of those who have died in custody this year. The motion came the same day as the latest Closing the Gap report, which showed only four of 19 key targets are on track to improve outcomes for First Nations Australians.
Viral moment of the week
Love is in the air in Hollywood! Three surprising rumoured couples caught the eye of the TDA office this week: Pop star Katy Perry and former Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau were photographed at dinner together; Tom Cruise and Ana de Armas were seen in London; and Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson are confirmed to be dating. The last couple met on the set of ‘The Naked Gun’.
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
Content warning: Child abuse.
A 26 year-old man in Sydney has been “charged with allegedly producing child abuse material at six out-of-school hours care services,” according to the Australian Federal Police (AFP). While the man – David James – has been in custody since October last year, the details of his case have been made public after a court suppression order was lifted. James has been charged with 13 offences including possessing and making child abuse material of a child under 14 years-old. The AFP allege he produced abusive material of 10 victims who were all aged six or younger. AFP Acting Assistant Commissioner Brett James said: “There is no evidence to suggest the man’s alleged offending took place in out-of-school-hours facilities or other care providers which have not yet been contacted by law enforcement.” 1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732.
Canada has announced its intention to recognise Palestine as a state, days after the UK and France made similar declarations. The three nations are the first in the G7 (a group of major global economies) to announce plans to recognise a Palestinian state. When a country formally recognises another state, it acknowledges that state’s independence and accepts it as a legitimate member of the international community. Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused France and the UK of “rewarding” Hamas. France, the UK and Canada have all called for the demilitarisation of Hamas, and agree the group “must play no role in the future governance of Palestine.” In an interview with the ABC on Thursday morning, Australia’s Treasurer Jim Chalmers said “it’s a matter of when, not if Australia recognises a Palestinian state”.
Recommendation of the day
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I’ve got 1 minute
Your questions about the HECS discount, answered
Legislation to reduce HECS debt balances by 20% has now officially passed Federal Parliament.
The discount will apply to the balance before indexation was applied on 1 June.
The compulsory repayment threshold will also increase to $67,000.
So, when will it come into effect? Will it apply to your degree?
Here are the answers to your HECS discount questions.
When will it come into effect?
The Government’s legislation has now passed. The Governor-General now needs to sign it into law.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has told TDA that the 20% reduction should come into effect by the end of the year.
Anyone with an existing student debt won’t have to do anything.
The Australian Tax Office (ATO) will apply the discount to individual accounts over the next few months.
Does it apply to all degrees?
Yes. If you are studying at a private college, university, or TAFE, and have a Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) debt, the 20% discount will apply to you.
The discount applies to individual HECS/HELP balances, not specific degrees.
The cost of any given degree won’t be reduced by 20% under this legislation, but your individual HECS balance will go down.
What if I’ve paid off my debt since 1 June?
If you paid off your debt before 1 June this year, the discount does not apply to you.
If you paid off your full student debt in the past two months (after 1 June), the ATO will provide a ‘credit’ to your HELP account. The credit will compensate for the discount that would have applied to the HECS balance prior to indexation on 1 June.
If you don’t owe other debts to the ATO, the credit will be processed as a refund to your bank/financial institution.
The Government hasn’t flagged whether it would introduce further discounts in future. This means if you’re planning to start TAFE or university in 2026, the discount won’t apply to you.
Reporting by Harry Sekulich.
I’ve got 2 minutes
The annual ‘Closing the Gap’ update is out. Most are not on track.
Most Closing the Gap targets are not on track to be met, according to an annual progress report from the Productivity Commission (PC).
The targets are a commitment from all levels of government to reduce disadvantages faced by First Nations people.
Of the 19 targets, only four are on track to be met, while four are worsening.
Closing the Gap
In 2008, the Federal Government introduced targets “to overcome the entrenched inequality” faced by First Nations people.
These are referred to as the Closing the Gap targets, which aim to make the “life outcomes” of First Nations people “equal to those of all Australians”.
In 2020, new targets were set because the original targets weren’t being met. They have been agreed to by local, state, territory, and federal governments.
On track
First, here are the four targets that are on track:
An increase in the number of First Nations children enrolled in early childhood education/preschool.
An increase in the amount of land under the rights or interests of First Nations people.
An increase in the amount of water under the rights or interests of First Nations people.
A majority of First Nations people aged 25-64 are employed. The data for this target has not been updated since 2021.
Worsening
Four targets have worsened and are not on track, according to the PC’s updated data.
1. Criminal justice
This target is to reduce the rate of First Nations adults by 15% by 2031. In 2024, there were more First Nations adults in prison than in 2023.
2. Children in out-of-home care
This target is to reduce the proportion of First Nations children in out-of-home care. Data from 2023 showed the number of First Nations children in out of home care had increased since 2019. This rate was the same in 2024.
3. Social and emotional wellbeing
The rate of suicide for First Nations people has increased since baseline data was collected in 2018, and is not on track towards zero.
4. Childhood development
In 2024, around a third of First Nations children were “developmentally on track” at the start of school. This is a decline from 2018, and is not on track to meet the target of 55% by 2031.
Progressing
There were some that are improving, but not on track. For example, new data showed the target for more than 90% of First Nations babies born at a healthy birthweight is improving, but not on track.
The rate of young First Nations people in detention has not improved or worsened, according to the updated data.
Several other targets don’t have updated data.
Response
Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy said it was “very concerning” that the rates of incarceration, suicide, and children in out of home care were increasing.
Shadow Indigenous Australians Minister Kerrynne Liddle said the report “paints a stark picture of no meaningful positive change”.
CEO of peak body National Voice for our Children Catherine Liddle said: “These results are… the failings of governments who continue to fall short on their obligations”.
13 YARN: 13 92 76
Reporting by Annabel Whitehouse.
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🍊 Nic White will play his last Wallabies Test this weekend. Details here.
🍊 Mollie O’Callaghan is one medal away from equalling an Ian Thorpe record.
🍊 A German Olympic champion died in a mountaineering accident. Read more.
🗞️ Also in the Sport Newsletter: AFL, athletics, and more…
Give me some good news
Australian swim star Mollie O'Callaghan has equalled Ian Thorpe for the most world championship gold medals won by an Australian.
Overnight, the 21-year-old anchored Australia to victory in the women’s 4×200m freestyle relay at the swimming world championships in Singapore.
The 21-year-old now has 11 world championship gold medals, equal only to Ian Thorpe.
O’Callaghan still has the 100m freestyle race to come.
Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!
Reporting by George Finlayson.
TDA titbit
The U.S. Senate is set to consider a bill to stop sharks eating fish. (Yes, you read that right.)
More specifically, the SHARKED Act will establish a task force of fishermen and researchers to find out how to stop sharks eating fish off fishing lines.
Republicans and Democrats introduced the bill in January.
Research from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2022 said more than 77% of fishermen using a hook and line had had sharks steal fish off their lines.
Environmental organisation Earthjustice criticised the bill, saying it “falls short by… leaving the door open to killing sharks.”
It appears Bruce from ‘Finding Nemo’ was ahead of his time — fish are friends, not food.
Reporting by Annabel Whitehouse.
Want more from The Daily Aus? Listen to our podcast!
During the federal election, Labor said one of its first duties if elected would be to implement a cut to HECS and HELP debts by 20%.
As of yesterday, legislation has passed both houses of Parliament to discount those debts.
We asked you what questions you had about this bill, and in today's podcast we unpack them all.
TDA asks
