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Karl Stefanovic and Nine reportedly being sued by convicted con man

<p>Convicted conman Peter Foster has reportedly launched a $4 million lawsuit against <em>Today</em> show host Karl Stefanovic and the Nine Network, accusing them of orchestrating a sensationalised arrest for television cameras.</p> <p>Foster, a career fraudster with a long history of legal troubles, claims his dramatic takedown on a Port Douglas beach in August 2020 was staged in collaboration with police to create captivating footage for Nine’s <em>60 Minutes</em> program. The arrest, which was captured by a Nine news crew and drone footage, followed a <em>60 Minutes</em> investigation alleging Foster had tried to hire a hitman to eliminate international scam investigator Ken Gamble.</p> <p>In the exclusive report titled "King Hit", Stefanovic confronted Foster at a Gold Coast café with secret recordings that appeared to capture Foster negotiating a $100,000 deal to make Gamble "completely disappear". Foster denied the accusations during the televised encounter.</p> <p>Weeks later, Nine cameras rolled as undercover police officers tackled Foster on the beach, handcuffed him and extradited him to New South Wales. However, charges related to alleged fraud were dropped six months later due to insufficient evidence of offences committed within NSW.</p> <p>The network followed up with a second explosive segment, "Despicable Him", chronicling Foster’s arrest and legal battles.</p> <p>Foster, who successfully sued NSW Police for $140,000 over false arrest and wrongful imprisonment, has now escalated his fight to the NSW Supreme Court, targeting Stefanovic and Nine. While the Nine Network has told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14570091/karl-stefanovic-peter-foster.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail Australia</a> it is unaware of the lawsuit, Foster insists the case focuses on his arrest and the role the network allegedly played in it.</p> <p>“We're pursuing Channel Nine and Stefanovic – and it’s not just for your simple old defamation because, you know, my reputation isn't worth a hell of a lot,” Foster told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14570091/karl-stefanovic-peter-foster.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail Australia</a>.</p> <p>“What we're aiming for is (suing over) the arrest on the beach in Port Douglas.”</p> <p>Foster claims the “made-for-TV” arrest left him with a significant knee injury and emotional distress, alleging Nine’s involvement inflamed the situation.</p> <p>“Channel Nine put fuel on the fire. They were a willing participant. They didn't do the due diligence," he said. "The bottom line is, you know, I wrongly copped seven-and-a-half months of imprisonment."</p> <p>Estimating his damages at over $4 million, Foster and his legal team are now actively trying to serve legal papers to Stefanovic, who has been absent from the <em>Today</em> show for the past two weeks. The network maintains Stefanovic is on scheduled leave and is expected to return on Monday.</p> <p>Foster, however, speculates otherwise, cheekily suggesting on social media that Stefanovic's absence is tied to his legal pursuit.</p> <p>"I'm currently trying to serve legal papers on Karl Stefanovic," Foster posted on Facebook alongside a satirical "Where's Wally?"-inspired image renamed "Where's Karl?".</p> <p>“Karl – if you're reading this, you can run but you can't hide. Believe me... I should know.”</p> <p>As the legal saga unfolds, Foster’s high-stakes battle against one of Australia's most recognisable TV faces and its media giant promises to keep making headlines.</p> <p><em>Images: 60 Minutes / IFW Global</em></p>

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1975 was declared International Women’s Year. 50 years on, the ‘revolution in our heads’ is still being fought

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/marian-sawer-3336">Marian Sawer</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877">Australian National University</a></em></p> <p>In December 1972, the same month the Whitlam government was first elected, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 1975 as International Women’s Year (IWY). This set in train a series of world-changing events, in which Australia was to play a significant part.</p> <p>The aim of IWY was to end discrimination against women and enable them to participate fully in economic, social and political life. Fifty years later, such participation has become an indicator of development and good governance. But the full promise of International Women’s year has yet to be fulfilled, hampered by pushback and the scourge of gender-based violence.</p> <h2>‘The greatest consciousness-raising event in history’</h2> <p><a href="https://history.duke.edu/books/international-womens-year-greatest-consciousness-raising-event-history">Dubbed</a> “the greatest consciousness-raising event in history”, the UN’s first World Conference on Women took place in Mexico City in June 1975. Consciousness-raising had been part of the repertoire of women’s liberation. Now it was taken up by government and intergovernmental bodies.</p> <p>The Mexico City conference was agenda-setting in many ways. The Australian government delegation, led by Elizabeth Reid, helped introduce the world of multilateral diplomacy to the language of the women’s movement. As Reid said:</p> <blockquote> <p>We argued that, whenever the words “racism”, “colonialism” and “neo-colonialism” occurred in documents of the conference, so too should “sexism”, a term that had not to that date appeared in United Nations documents or debates.</p> </blockquote> <p>Reid held the position of women’s adviser to the prime minister. In this pioneering role, she had been able to obtain government commitment and funding for Australia’s own national consciousness-raising exercise during IWY.</p> <p>A wide range of small grants promoted attitudinal change – “the revolution in our heads” – whether in traditional women’s organisations, churches and unions, or through providing help such as Gestetner machines to the new women’s centres.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UinNIfzUglQ?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>IWY grants explicitly <a href="https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-3519">did not include</a> the new women’s services, including refuges, women’s health centres and rape crisis centres. Their funding was now regarded as an ongoing responsibility for government, rather than suitable for one-off grants.</p> <p>IWY began in Australia with a televised conversation on New Year’s Day between Reid and Governor-General John Kerr on hopes and aspirations for the year. On International Women’s Day (March 8), <a href="https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/original/00003643.pdf">Prime Minister Gough Whitlam’s speech</a> emphasised the need for attitudinal change:</p> <blockquote> <p>Both men and women must be made aware of our habitual patterns of prejudice which we often do not see as such but whose existence manifests itself in our language and our behaviour.</p> </blockquote> <p>The Australian postal service celebrated the day by releasing a stamp featuring the IWY symbol, showing the spirit of women breaking free of their traditional bonds. At Reid’s suggestion, IWY materials, including the symbol, were printed in the purple, green and white first adopted by Emmeline Pankhurst in 1908 and now known as the suffragette colours.</p> <h2>Policy power</h2> <p>Inside government, Reid had introduced the idea that all Cabinet submissions needed to be analysed for gender impact. After the Mexico City conference, this idea became part of new international norms of governance.</p> <p>Following the adoption at the conference of the World Plan of Action, the idea that governments needed specialised policy machinery to promote gender equality was disseminated around the world.</p> <p>Given the amount of ground to be covered, IWY was expanded to a UN Decade for Women (1976–85). By the end of it, 127 countries <a href="https://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/egm/nationalm2004/docs/EGM%20final%20report.26-jan-05.pdf">had established</a> some form of government machinery to advance the status of women. Each of the successive UN world conferences (Copenhagen 1980, Nairobi 1985, Beijing 1995) generated new plans of action and strengthened systems of reporting by governments.</p> <p>The Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing was a high point. Its “platform for action” provided further impetus for what was now called “gender mainstreaming”. By 2018, every country recognised by the UN except North Korea had established government machinery for this purpose.</p> <p>The global diffusion of this policy innovation was <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3096100">unprecedented</a> in its rapidity. At the same time, Australia took the lead in another best-practice innovation. In 1984, the Commonwealth government pioneered what became known as “<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/1354500110110029?needAccess=true">gender budgeting</a>”. This required departments to disaggregate the ways particular budgetary decisions affected men and women.</p> <p>As feminist economists pointed out, when the economic and social division of labour was taken into account, no budgetary decision could be assumed to be gender-neutral. Governments had emphasised special programs for women, a relatively small part of annual budgets, rather than the more substantial impact on women of macro-economic policy.</p> <p>Standard-setting bodies such as the OECD helped promote gender budgeting as the best way to ensure such decisions did not inadvertently increase rather than reduce gender gaps.</p> <p>By 2022, gender budgeting had been taken up around the world, including in 61% of OECD countries. Now that it had become an international marker of good governance, Australian governments were also <a href="https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/gender-equality-in-australia_54c8b400-en.html">reintroducing it</a> after a period of abeyance.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pH9V0GIGr-4?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Momentum builds</h2> <p>In addition to such policy transfer, new frameworks were being adopted internationally. Following IWY, the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was adopted in 1979. CEDAW became known as the international bill of rights for women, and has been ratified by 189 countries. This is more than any other UN Convention except that on the rights of the child.</p> <p>All state parties to CEDAW were required to submit periodic reports to the UN on its implementation. Non-government organisations were encouraged to provide shadow reports to inform the questioning of government representatives. This oversight and dialogue relating to gender equality became part of the norm-building work of the UN.</p> <p>However, this very success at international and regional levels helped fuel “<a href="https://theloop.ecpr.eu/feminist-governance-here-to-stay-or-gone-tomorrow/">anti-gender movements</a>” that gathered strength after 1995. No more world conferences on women were held, for fear there would be slippage from the standards achieved in Beijing.</p> <p><a href="https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/gender-equality-in-australia_54c8b400-en.html">In Australia</a>, the leveraging of international standards to promote gender equality has been muted in deference to populist politics. It became common to present the business case rather than the social justice case for gender-equality policy, even the cost to the economy of gender-based violence (<a href="https://plan4womenssafety.dss.gov.au/resources/useful-statistics/">estimated by KPMG to be $26 billion in 2015–16</a>).</p> <h2>The battle continues</h2> <p>Fifty years after IWY, Australia is making up some lost ground in areas such as paid parental leave, work value in the care economy, and recognition of the ways economic policy affects women differently from men.</p> <p>However, all of this remains precarious, with issues of gender equality too readily rejected as part of a “woke agenda”.</p> <p>The world has become a different place from when the Australian government delegation set out to introduce the UN to the concept of sexism. In Western democracies, women have surged into male domains such as parliaments. Australia now has an almost equal number of women and men in its Cabinet (<a href="https://www.pmc.gov.au/resources/ministry-list-20-january-2025">11 out of 23 members</a>).</p> <p>But along with very different expectations has come the resentment too often being mobilised by the kind of populist politics we will likely see more of in this election year.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/241791/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/marian-sawer-3336"><em>Marian Sawer</em></a><em>, Emeritus Professor, School of Politics and International Relations, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877">Australian National University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: National Archives of Australia </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/1975-was-declared-international-womens-year-50-years-on-the-revolution-in-our-heads-is-still-being-fought-241791">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

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Best hotels in Australia revealed

<p>The <a href="https://www.forbestravelguide.com/award-winners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2025 Forbes Travel Guide</a> has announced the winners of the Star Awards, with nine hotels and experiences in Australia being named in the list.</p> <p>Every property in the running for the awards is visited by highly trained inspectors who provide an evaluation based on up to 900 objective criteria.</p> <p>According to Forbes, the Star Rating system "emphasises service because your experience at a hotel, restaurant or spa goes beyond looks".</p> <p>Over 2000 hotels, experiences, restaurants and cruises were named on the global list, with nine Aussie winners featuring in the prestigious list. </p> <p>The only property in the country to receive a 5-star accommodation rating in the 2025 Forbes Travel Guide was Crown Towers in Perth. </p> <p>Touted as "the pinnacle of Perth luxury", Forbes described the property as "Perth's most extravagant stay. Exuding understated glamour."</p> <p>In the spa category the Crown Spa Perth, which is tucked away in Crown Towers Perth, was awarded 4-stars for its "unbridled opulence".</p> <p>The Darling Sydney has once again received recognition in the Forbes Travel Guide for the ninth consecutive year, while The Darling's "world class" spa was also featured. </p> <p>Check out the list below.</p> <p>9. The Langham - Sydney</p> <p>8. Park Hyatt - Sydney</p> <p>7. Park Hyatt - Melbourne </p> <p>6. Capella - Sydney</p> <p>5. Como The Treasury - Perth</p> <p>4. The Darling Spa - Sydney</p> <p>3. The Darling - Sydney </p> <p>2. Crown Spa - Perth</p> <p>1. Crown Towers - Perth</p> <p><em>Image credits: Crown Hotels</em></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; font-family: 'Proxima Nova', system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Fira Sans', 'Droid Sans', 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: #333333;"> </p>

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Being carers costs women more than $500,000 over a lifetime, leaving them with less in retirement than men

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/myra-hamilton-8638">Myra Hamilton</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841"><em>University of Sydney</em></a></em></p> <p>By the time they retire, women typically have about <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-97-5461-8">one third</a> less superannuation than men.</p> <p>This can amount to more than <a href="https://www.carersaustralia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Final-Economic-impact-income-and-retirement-Evaluate-Report-March-2022_2024EDIT.pdf">$500,000</a> when wages and super are combined over their lifetime.</p> <p>The gendered super gap has narrowed over the last few decades, as women have joined the workforce <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/articles/changing-female-employment-over-time#:%7E:text=Women's%20participation%20in%20paid%20work,women%20are%20also%20working%20longer.">in increasing numbers</a> and the superannuation system has matured.</p> <p>But progress is too slow. If we keep tracking as we are, we can’t expect parity until <a href="https://www.womeninsuper.com.au/application/files/3816/8782/3898/7._Not_up_for_discussion.pdf">2070</a>. So why is the gap so persistent?</p> <h2>Making super compulsory</h2> <p>For most of the 20th century, Australia’s retirement incomes system produced more equal outcomes because the age pension is not linked to a person’s lifetime earnings.</p> <p>But the introduction of <a href="https://www.australianretirementtrust.com.au/learn/education-hub/superannuation-history-australia">compulsory super</a> in 1992 linked lifetime earnings and retirement income.</p> <p>The gender super gap arises because women and men have different patterns of paid work and earning over their lifetimes. Women have <a href="https://www.wgea.gov.au/the-gender-pay-gap#:%7E:text=conscious%20and%20unconscious%20discrimination%20and,responsibilities%2C%20especially%20in%20senior%20roles">14% lower</a> average weekly earnings than men. This is due to <a href="https://www.wgea.gov.au/the-gender-pay-gap#:%7E:text=conscious%20and%20unconscious%20discrimination%20and,responsibilities%2C%20especially%20in%20senior%20roles">three factors</a>:</p> <ul> <li> <p>women are much more likely to have unpaid care responsibilities. As a result, they take career breaks, work fewer hours, or work in jobs incommensurate with their skills</p> </li> <li> <p>discrimination, bias and lack of workplace flexibility mean better pay and career outcomes for men and fewer opportunities for people to combine work and career with care responsibilities</p> </li> <li> <p>occupational segregation means women are concentrated in female-dominated industries, which tend to attract lower wages than male-dominated ones.</p> </li> </ul> <p>Over a lifetime, these factors limit women’s capacity to earn and to accumulate super.</p> <p>On average, a woman in full-time permanent employment accumulates <a href="https://www.wgea.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Women%27s%20economic%20security%20in%20retirement.pdf">17.7% less</a> superannuation per year than a man in an equivalent role. That amounts to A$1,540 less per year. This annual shortfall compounds over time resulting in a wide gender super gap by the time women retire.</p> <h2>How does this work in practice?</h2> <p>The interruptions to work caused by providing unpaid care reduces people’s opportunities for accumulating superannuation. For example, having a child leads to substantial reductions in mothers’ workforce participation and earnings. Women’s earnings <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-03/p2023-372004.pdf">fall</a> by an average of 55% in the first five years after entry into parenthood.</p> <p>In contrast, research suggests men’s earnings are <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-03/p2023-372004.pdf">unchanged</a>, or even <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5340267/#:%7E:text=Over%20time%2C%20unmarried%20but%20coresident,support%20for%20egalitarian%20gender%20roles.">increase</a>, after they become parents. So parenthood has a much greater impact on a mothers’ super than a fathers’. One <a href="https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/assets/documents/hilda-bibliography/hilda-conference-papers/2007/Parr,-Nicholas_final-paper.pdf">estimate</a> suggests having a child reduces a woman’s superannuation balance at age 60 by about $50,000 and a man’s by $5,000.</p> <p>It’s not just parenthood. <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/informal-carers">One in 10</a> Australians provide care for an ageing relative or person with a disability or chronic illness. Women do most of this unpaid care. Unpaid carers <a href="https://bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/view/journals/ijcc/6/3/article-p318.xml">often</a> reduce their working hours, withdraw from work, or put their careers on hold. Among primary carers <a href="https://www.wgea.gov.au/gender-equality-and-caring#:%7E:text=Primary%20carers%20are%20carers%20who,carers">only 58%</a> are in paid work.</p> <p>According to a <a href="https://www.carersaustralia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Final-Economic-impact-income-and-retirement-Evaluate-Report-March-2022_2024EDIT.pdf">recent study</a>, on average, by age 67, primary carers have lost $392,500 in lifetime earnings and $175,000 in super.</p> <p>Some older workers, especially women, also care for their grandchildren. More than a <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-07/Grandparents%20and%20child%20care%20in%20Australia_0.pdf">quarter</a> of grandparents of a child aged 13 or under provide care for the child in a typical week, usually while the parents work.</p> <p>In a <a href="https://nationalseniors.com.au/uploads/09151356PAC_GrandparentsChildcareLabourForceParticipation_Report_FINAL_Web_0.pdf">recent</a> study, 70% of grandparents, mostly grandmothers, providing regular childcare reported they adjusted their work to accommodate it. One in three reported it had negative impacts on their financial security as they aged.</p> <p>These factors compound over a lifetime. Many Australians provide care for multiple family members simultaneously, or at different times throughout their lives.</p> <p>Women in employment are more likely to be in lower paid positions, and lower paid industries and occupations. Employees in feminised industries such as community services (including paid care workers) and retail have among the <a href="https://www.superannuation.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2311_An_update_on_superannuation_account_balances_Paper_V2.pdf">lowest</a> median super balances, less than half of those of managers and professionals.</p> <h2>What is the solution?</h2> <p>The gender super gap reflects deep inequalities in the distribution of work, incomes and care responsibilities between women and men across their lives. How do we fix it?</p> <p>Policy and public debate has focused on boosting women’s workforce participation. More women in work, means higher incomes and more saving, reducing the gender super gap, right?</p> <p>Yes, up to a point and rates of <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/articles/changing-female-employment-over-time">women’s workforce participation</a> are increasing.</p> <p>But we also know in Australia, we have a <a href="https://nationalseniors.com.au/uploads/09151356PAC_GrandparentsChildcareLabourForceParticipation_Report_FINAL_Web_0.pdf">preference</a> for some family care of young children, and for care of adults with disability and older people in the <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/australias-welfare-2017-in-brief/contents/ageing-aged-care">community</a>. This means many parents and carers will continue to have at least some interruptions to paid work, reducing their super contributions.</p> <p>We also know when women are encouraged to enter paid work, care responsibilities are often “redistributed” to other women. When mothers enter or re-enter paid work it’s often <a href="https://theconversation.com/caught-in-an-intergenerational-squeeze-grandparents-juggle-work-and-childcare-47939">grandmothers</a> who step in, frequently reducing their incomes and super. For care of ageing <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/ageing-and-society/article/abs/an-integrative-analysis-of-sibling-influences-on-adult-childrens-caregiving-for-parents/038C6F299E62380F9C954A9A586A28CD">parents</a> it is often non-working female siblings that step in.</p> <p>As the savings potential of one group of women increases, the savings potential of another decreases.</p> <p>Where care can’t be redistributed to other women within the family, it is redistributed to paid early childhood education and care, disability support, and aged care services. All of these services are dominated by women. As a highly feminised industry, the caring roles are <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-14/why-are-nurses-and-childcare-workers-so-poorly-paid/104218868">poorly remunerated</a>, so those doing the care, while paid, are themselves limited to save enough super.</p> <p>Boosting women’s workforce participation is an important step. But another is to pay super contributions to parents during the time they are off work providing childcare, as <a href="https://ministers.pmc.gov.au/gallagher/2024/super-boost-new-parents#:%7E:text=It%20means%20that%20eligible%20parents,to%20their%20nominated%20superannuation%20fund.">recently</a> agreed by the federal government.</p> <p>But we need an <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2015/04/carers-deserve-more-credit-in-the-retirement-incomes-debate">equivalent</a> for other kinds of unpaid carers.</p> <p>Even so, as long as care continues to circulate between different groups of women – older women, low paid women – and as long as care isn’t valued for the large social and economic contribution it makes, the gender super gap will persist.</p> <p>To close the persistent gender gap, we need to go further, encouraging greater men’s involvement in care, and providing better recognition and remuneration of unpaid and paid care.</p> <hr /> <p><em>This article is part of The Conversation’s retirement series, in which experts examine issues including how much money we need to retire, retiring with debt, the psychological impact of retiring and the benefits of getting financial advice. Read the rest of the series <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/retirement-series-2024-168372">here</a>.</em><!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/240323/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/myra-hamilton-8638"><em>Myra Hamilton</em></a><em>, Associate Professor, gender, ageing and care, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/being-carers-costs-women-more-than-500-000-over-a-lifetime-leaving-them-with-less-in-retirement-than-men-240323">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

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"Cheeky and playful": Five-year-old remembered after being killed by parking meter

<p>Tributes have poured in for a five-year-old boy who was tragically crushed by a parking meter at a museum in Western Australia. </p> <p>Paramedics were called following reports the five-year-old, known as Sammy, had been critically injured by the disused parking meter outside the Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre, about 170km south of Perth, on January 15th.</p> <p>Sammy was airlifted to Perth Children’s Hospital where he later died from his injuries. </p> <p>In a statement, Sammy’s family thanked everyone for their support following the death of the young boy who “brought so much joy”. </p> <p>“We are so grateful for the support that we have received from family, friends and the general public,” the family said. </p> <p>“We would also like to acknowledge the support from the staff at the museum, first responders and the care given to Sammy at the BRH and PCH, which was so loving and respectful." </p> <p>“Sammy impacted everyone he met. He was wise beyond his years and brought so much joy with his cheeky, playful nature.”</p> <p>More than $21,000 has been raised by the community for the boy’s family as they come to terms with the tragedy.</p> <p>The GoFundMe campaign was set up to help with ongoing expenses “during this difficult time”. </p> <p>“This tragedy has deeply impacted those who know and love this family, as well as the hospital staff, colleagues, friends, and community members who have been involved,” the GoFundMe campaign said.</p> <p>“No family should have to face such heartbreak while also worrying about financial burdens. Let’s come together as a community and show this family they are not alone."</p> <p>A spokesman for WorkSafe WA previously told media the boy had been hit by a disused parking meter in a courtyard at the Bunbury Museum, not the parking area.</p> <p>City of Bunbury chief executive Alan Ferris told the ABC the city would work closely with authorities to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident, as an investigation into the incident remains ongoing. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Nine</em></p>

Caring

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Eight people take their own lives after being denied voluntary assisted dying

<p><em><strong>Warning: This article contains discussions on suicide which some readers may find distressing. </strong></em></p> <p>Eight people with declining health who were denied access to voluntary assisted dying have taken their own lives after the laws came into effect in Victoria, a coroner said. </p> <p>Coroner Simon McGregor reviewed cases in which people had died by suicide after failing to meet the strict eligibility requirements for voluntary assisted dying, and has asked the state's Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board to take the suicides into consideration.</p> <p>He did this while investigating the death of Melbourne man Geoffrey McConachy, who suffered from a stroke in late 2022 while on a trip to visit his son overseas, and as a result had lost his life enjoyment after his speech was profoundly impacted. </p> <p>McConachy took his own life year later in September 2023, aged 83, after he was deemed not eligible for voluntary assisted dying because he did not have a terminal prognosis.</p> <p>The coroner found that McConachy had a “greatly reduced quality of life” after he developed a depression and lost interest in life. </p> <p>Under Victorian law, voluntary assisted dying is accessible to those who are suffering from an incurable disease, are experiencing intolerable suffering and are expected to die within six months (or 12 months in the case of neurodegenerative conditions).</p> <p>Coroner McGregor said there had been eight deaths by suicide since the laws came into effect in 2017, and found that their decline in health was irreversible, but their access to voluntary assisted dying were denied “because they did not meet the strict criterion”. </p> <p>“A recurring theme throughout many of these deaths was the impact that voluntary assisted dying refusal had on the deceased,” McGregor said in his findings.</p> <p>“Family members often reported that when people believed they would have access to voluntary assisted dying they maintained hope that they would be able to exercise control over how they died; when their access to voluntary assisted dying was refused, their consequent despair and frustration contributed to their decision to take their own life." </p> <p>“I would ask the Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board to remain open to considering this finding as part of a developing body of evidence about where there may be opportunities to improve the operation of voluntary assisted dying in the state.”</p> <p>Image: Shutterstock</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">Need to talk to someone? Don't go it alone.</span></em></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Lifeline: <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">13 11 14</span>, <a style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #258440; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: transparent; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;" href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lifeline.org.au </a></em></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">SANE Support line and Forums: <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">1800 187 263,</span> <a style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #258440; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: transparent; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;" href="https://saneforums.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saneforums.org</a></em></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Headspace: <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">1800 650 890,</span> <a style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #258440; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: transparent; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;" href="https://headspace.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">headspace.org.au</a></em></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Beyond Blue: <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">1300 224 635</span>, <a style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #258440; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: transparent; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/beyondblue.org.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beyondblue.org.au </a></em></p>

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"I thought I was Bear Grylls": Woman speaks out after being trapped upside-down for 7 hours

<p>A young woman who spent hours stuck upside-down between two boulders has spoken out about her horrific <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/woman-rescued-after-getting-stuck-in-between-two-boulders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ordeal</a> as she was reunited with her rescuers. </p> <p>Matilda Campbell, a 23-year-old from Newcastle, was on a trip away with friends in Laguna, about a 30-minute drive from Cessnock, when she dropped her phone between two huge rocks.</p> <p>The young woman climbed down to retrieve her phone, and when she got stuck upside-down, her friends called 000 for help. </p> <p>Paramedics had to move the boulders using a specialist winch to reach Matilda, before facing the tricky task of “navigating” her out from her precarious position.</p> <p>After suffering minor injuries from the ordeal, Matilda has spoken out about how she ended up in the sticky situation. </p> <p>“We wanted to see nature ... and we saw these beautiful rocks so we sat there ... and then my friend had my phone and it slipped off the rock,” she told <em>7News</em>.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBsj-x1CYI2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBsj-x1CYI2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by 7NEWS Sydney (@7newssyd)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“And I thought oh no I’m still paying off that phone I need it ... so I ventured down and thought I was Bear Grylls ... and I slipped head first into the crevice where I was stuck for seven hours."</p> <p>“I didn’t freak out at the start ... it took me about half an hour to realise I was fully stuck and then I started to have a big cry."</p> <p>“I’m very thankful I was with my friends, otherwise it would have been a very different story.”</p> <p>Campbell has since been reunited with her rescuers, to whom she says she owes her life, as she said, “I’m just thankful to see them again ... I wouldn’t be here today without them. So, I’m really thankful.”</p> <p>Specialist rescue paramedic Peter Watts said the rescue was “challenging but incredibly rewarding”, saying after the rescue, “In my 10 years as a rescue paramedic, I had never encountered a job quite like this.”</p> <p>In total, the woman spent seven hours hanging upside-down before she was freed, with only minor scratches and bruises but still without her phone, which could not be retrieved.</p> <p><em>Image credits: 7News</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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"A wonderful human being": Tributes flow for George Negus

<p>Tributes have poured in for George Negus, a founding presenter of Nine's <em>60 Minutes</em> and ABC's <em>Foreign Correspondent, </em>following his death at age 82. </p> <p>News of the broadcaster's death was announced by his family in an emotional statement saying that he had <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/george-negus-dies-at-age-82" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died peacefully</a> surrounded by loved ones after a "gracious decline" from Alzheimer's disease. </p> <p>His family also said while Negus would be celebrated for his "unique contribution to journalism, football, and the environment" he would also want to be remembered for the  "incredible family man he was". </p> <p>"To us, 'Negsy' was the greatest father, grandfather, and partner there ever was," they said in the statement. </p> <p>"We created a beautiful life together and we will miss him dearly.</p> <p>"We would ask for privacy and time to farewell George in our own way with family, and his and our closest friends."</p> <p>Now, tributes have poured in from fellow colleagues, with TV personality Ray Martin saying that Negus was "more than a colleague, he was a mate".</p> <p>"He was probably the strongest TV character I can remember on Australian television," Martin said.</p> <p>"He was outrageous, he was charismatic, he was loud, he was heavily opinionated, he was funny but he was just a great bloke."</p> <p>Fellow journalist Liz Hayes has honoured him for being a "trailblazer" in Australian journalism, and praised his  "larger than life" personality. </p> <p>"George always had an insatiable appetite for information, but he was a regular guy too," Hayes said.</p> <p>"This is a guy who loved the cooking segment on the <em>Today</em> show, this is a guy who enjoyed sport and he was a family man."</p> <p>Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also paid tribute to Negus, remembering him as "a giant of Australian journalism".</p> <p>"His courage, curiosity and integrity gave millions of Australians a sense of the big issues on <em>60 Minutes</em>, and a window to the world through<em> Foreign Correspondent</em>," he said.</p> <p>"George sought and served the truth with steely determination and a twinkle in his eye, and along the way, he made even the smallest TV screen feel that much bigger.</p> <p>"He was a wonderful human being and his loss will be deeply felt by so many Australians.</p> <p>"We offer his family the heartfelt condolences of our nation. May he rest in peace."</p> <p>Negus is survived by his partner Kirsty, his two sons Ned and Serge as well as the rest of his family. </p> <p><em>Images: Nine News</em></p>

Caring

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Grandparents found hugging after being killed by fallen tree

<p>Marcia Savage, 74, and Jerry Savage, 78, had already turned in for the night as Hurricane Helene roared outside. </p> <p>Their 22-year-old grandson, John Savage, had checked in on them to make sure they were fine after he heard a snap. </p> <p>“We heard one snap and I remember going back there and checking on them. They were both fine, the dog was fine." he recalled. </p> <p>But not long after disaster struck and John and his father heard a "boom" as one of the largest trees on their property in Beech Island, South Carolina came crashing down on top of his grandparents' bedroom, killing them. </p> <p>“All you could see was ceiling and tree,” he said. “I was just going through sheer panic at that point.”</p> <p>John said his grandparents were found hugging one another in the bed, in what he described as a final heroic act from Jerry who tried to protect his wife. </p> <p>“When they pulled them out of there, my grandpa apparently heard the tree snap beforehand and rolled over to try to protect my grandmother,” he said.</p> <p>Jerry did all sorts of handy work but worked mostly as an electrician and carpenter. Jerry went “in and out of retirement because he got bored”. </p> <p>“He’d get that spirit back in him to go back out and work," his grandson said. </p> <p>Marcia was a retired bank teller who was very involved in their church. </p> <p>Their daughter Tammy Estep said Marcia loved cooking for her family, especially for Thanksgiving, and was known for her banana pudding. </p> <p>The couple were high school sweethearts and were married for more than 50 years, with Tammy recalling that "their love was immediate, and it was everlasting”.</p> <p>“They loved each other to their dying day,” John said.</p> <p>The couple are among more than 150 people confirmed dead in one of the deadliest storms in US history. </p> <p>A GoFundMe organised for their funeral expenses says that they were survived by their son and daughter, along with their four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. </p> <p><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

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Kiwi pilot freed after being held hostage for 592 days

<p>After 592 days in <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/rebel-fighters-share-eerie-footage-of-abducted-kiwi-pilot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">captivity</a>, a New Zealand pilot is finally going home.</p> <p>Phillip Mehrtens was taken hostage in Indonesia by a West Papua rebel group in February 2023 when he was working for Indonesian airline Susi Air.</p> <p>The pilot was kidnapped by rebels from the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) insurgent group at Papua’s Nduga airport on February 7th 2023, and spent over a year and a half in captivity. </p> <p>On Saturday, the 38-year-old was collected by police and military forces from a village in Nduga district before being given medical and psychological checks.</p> <p>He was then flown to the Papuan city of Timika before jetting to the capital Jakarta where he was handed over to New Zealand’s ambassador.</p> <p>“Today I have been freed,” Mehrtens told reporters. “I am very happy that shortly I will be able to go home and meet my family."</p> <p>“Thank you to everybody who helped me today so I can get out safely in a healthy condition.”</p> <p>New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters earlier said Mehrtens was “safe and well” and had been able to speak with his family, saying, “This news must be an enormous relief for his friends and loved ones."</p> <p>Mehrtens' long-anticipated release came after intense negotiation efforts between Wellington and Jakarta, with Indonesian President Joko Widodo saying that Jakarta had secured Mehrtens’ freedom through negotiation, not force.</p> <p>“We prioritised the safety of the pilot who was held hostage. It took a long process and I appreciate the authorities,” he told reporters.</p> <p>The rebels had demanded that the Indonesian government recognise Papuan independence in return for his freedom, as Mehrtens' kidnapping was part of a long-term, often brutally violent conflict between the Indonesian government and West Papua’s Indigenous people.</p> <p><em>Image credits: The West Papuan National Liberation Army / Handout</em></p> <p> </p>

Travel Trouble

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Schoolgirl identified after allegedly being murdered by mother

<p><em><strong>Warning: This article contains distressing content that some readers may find upsetting. </strong></em></p> <p>The 10-year-old girl who was allegedly murdered by her mother has been identified as Sophie Wang, a young schoolgirl from the Gold Coast. </p> <p>Wang's mother, 46-year-old Yingying Xu, has been arrested and charged with the violent murder of her daughter. </p> <p>Detective Acting Inspector Kent Ellis described the crime scene as "incredibly confronting", after Sophie was allegedly killed by having her throat slashed in her Carrara home. </p> <p>“In my 15-year career as a detective, it’s one of the most confronting things I have seen.”</p> <p>According to Ellis, it was Sophie's father who found his daughter dead at the scene after he arrived home and called police.</p> <p>“It was an extremely distressing scene for not only the ... father there, but attending police, and I can understand the significant distress amongst the community,” the detective said.</p> <p>The woman was arrested on a “nearby street” some four hours after Sophie’s body was found, according to Ellis.</p> <p>Sophie's death was made public by her school Emmanuel College, who is offering counselling to the school community over the tragic incident. </p> <p>“The Emmanuel College community is devastated by the tragic passing of one of our students at a home within Emerald Lakes last night,” the school principal Dan Brown said in a statement.</p> <p>“Our prayers are with the family, friends, first responders and all affected by the loss of this beloved child in her home. Our priority is supporting our community at this difficult time."</p> <p>“We have mobilised our counselling and pastoral care teams to provide comprehensive support to students, staff and parents as our community comes to terms with this distressing news."</p> <p>“We ask for understanding and respect for the privacy of our families and students at this time. While words cannot ease the shock and pain of such a tragic loss, please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you all."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Emmanuel College</em></p>

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"Really upsetting": Man turned away from concert for being in a wheelchair

<p>A man from Melbourne has been left devastated after he was denied entry into a concert due to being a wheelchair. </p> <p>Dylan Taylor and his friends arrived at the Pier Bandroom in the suburb of Frankston to see one of his favourite heavy metal bands Polaris, when he ran into problems getting in the door. </p> <p>“I got to the front of the line, and they were checking IDs like normal, and one of the bouncers wouldn’t even acknowledge that I was there,” Taylor told <em><a href="https://7news.com.au/news/dylan-was-turned-away-from-seeing-his-favourite-band-because-he-uses-a-wheelchair-experts-say-its-a-common-issue-c-15618393" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a></em>.</p> <p>“I was holding up my licence, and he wouldn’t look at it or take it, and they had taken everyone else’s licence."</p> <p>“I hadn’t really figured it out at this point ... but then the other bouncer said: ‘Nup, sorry mate, no wheelchairs’.”</p> <p>Taylor’s group of friends called for a manager to discuss the potential for them to “make it work”.</p> <p>The group was asked to wait around the side of the building for the manager, who was unable to offer any solutions. </p> <p>Dylan said he was told it would be a fire safety risk to let him in, and that even though in a scenario where a person injured in the venue would be carried out by bouncers during a fire, that the bouncers would not carry a wheelchair user out in the same scenario.</p> <p>“I’m spewin’ because, at this point, I haven’t even paid my friends back for the ticket, and I’ve ruined their night out,” he said.</p> <p>His friends continued to try to reason with the manager to let Dylan in, even saying they had seen a wheelchair user in the venue two weeks earlier, but to no avail.</p> <p>“Technically, you can have wheelchairs, but you have to be ambulant, that’s what we got out of them, in the end,” Taylor said.</p> <p>According to Dylan, there was no wheelchair access disclaimer on his tickets, nor on the Pier Bandroom’s website or social media, with Google Maps even displaying an accessibility widget which claimed there was a “wheelchair-accessible entrance”.</p> <p>A spokesperson from the Pier Bandroom parent company Endeavour Group told <em>7News</em> it was sorry for the distress caused by the incident.</p> <p>“The Pier Hotel was originally built in the 1800s and is a historic landmark in Frankston. While the Pier Hotel has various rooms on the ground floor, the Pier Bandroom function space is only accessible by stairs, and is not wheelchair accessible,” it said.</p> <p>“We apologise to any ticket holders who were not given adequate information about our venue’s policies at the time of purchasing tickets to recent concerts. We regret any inconvenience or distress this may have caused.</p> <p>“We are taking action to update the Pier Bandroom’s website with this information and communicate with any show promoters to do the same.”</p> <p>Taylor said the incident at the Pier Bandroom “was the first time I’ve faced, I would say, pretty blatant discrimination”, as he has only required the wheelchair for 18 months after sustaining a permanent spine injury. </p> <p>“You feel pretty empty inside, and I did have a little cry in the car on the way home."</p> <p>“It just really upsets me thinking about people who have maybe been dealing with disability for their whole life. Who maybe haven’t had the other half of life I’ve had, to be able to go and experience these things before being in a wheelchair.”</p> <p>While learning to live with his disability, Taylor was pleased to learn “how many people will go out of their way to help you out” but said it was disappointing to discover just how much his autonomy was curbed by poor accessibility.</p> <p>“It’s been a steep learning curve,” Taylor said.</p> <p>“Melbourne will accept the reputation of being inclusive and accepting, but it’s not necessarily accessible.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Google Maps / 7News / Dylan Taylor </em></p>

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Country boycotts Paris Games after being stripped of medal

<p>The prime minister of Romania has vowed to boycott the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics over what he described as “flagrant injustice” to two of the country’s gymnasts.</p> <p>Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has called out the "scandalous situation" surrounding Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Voinea, who both missed out on medals after the women's floor routines. </p> <p>Barbosu was initially believed to have won bronze and was beginning to celebrate the win, when the judges then adjusted the difficulty of American gymnast Jordan Chiles' routine, bumping her up into third place and sending the Romanian gymnasts into fourth and fifth position. </p> <p>The president of the country’s gymnastics federation Carmencita Constantin told AFP she would file two complaints to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after both Romanian gymnasts left the competition in tears.</p> <p>Voinea, 17, who filed an unsuccessful appeal of her own, complained she had been unfairly penalised.</p> <p>Fellow Romanian gymnastics legend Nadia Comaneci chimed in on the controversy, urging a review of Voinea’s routine, after she claimed the athlete didn’t step outside the floor surface, an act she had been punished for.</p> <p>It comes as heartbreaking new footage of Barbosu’s medal being taken away emerged, after the final scores were updated and resulted in her coming in fourth place. </p> <p>As a result, the Romanian gymnastics team, who qualified for the first time in 12 years, left Paris without a medal after coming in seventh in the team competition.</p> <p>Prime Minister Ciolacu shared his upset over the loss, saying the athletes were treated "dishonourably" and would be boycotting the closing ceremony in protest. </p> <p>“I have decided not to attend the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics after the scandalous situation in gymnastics, where our athletes were treated in an absolutely dishonourable way,” he wrote on Facebook.</p> <p>Romania also sent a letter of protest to the International Gymnastics Federation, after it was revealed that Voinea has now quit gymnastics after the dramatic Olympics loss. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Daniela Porcelli/SPP/Shutterstock Editorial</em></p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </p>

Travel Trouble

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Grandfather killed after being mistaken for kidnapper

<p>An Indian grandfather has been tragically killed in a one-punch attack after being mistaken for a kidnapper. </p> <p>Mewa Singh, 60, was visiting his son and grandson in Christchurch when he suffered the fatal blow at the hands of a stranger.</p> <p>His 32-year-old attacker, whose name has been suppressed, was spending time at a park on April 7th 2023 with his son when he drove off and left his child behind to “teach his son a lesson” after the boy was misbehaving, according to <em><a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350337161/totally-unfair-how-one-punch-changed-familys-life-forever" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link-type="article-inline">Stuff</a></em>.</p> <p>When he returned a short time late to pick up his son, the man saw a stranger, later identified as Singh, holding his son’s hand near a bus stop and became enraged, shoving Singh and yelling “that’s my f****** son”.</p> <p>He drove the child back to his ex-partner’s house and explained the situation, when his son allegedly said, Singh was “trying to walk him to daddy’s car”. </p> <p>The man then decided to drive back to the park to find Singh, where he confronted the grandfather by grabbing his shirt collar and accusing him of trying to abduct his son.</p> <p>He then delivered a “haymaker-style punch” to his jaw, which caused Singh to fall backwards and hit his head on the pavement.</p> <p>Believing Singh to be dead, his attacker left and told his ex-partner he thought he killed him, prompting her to phone emergency services.</p> <p>Despite being treated in the ICU at Christchurch Hospital, Singh did not regain consciousness and died on April 9th.</p> <p>Singh’s attacker faced Christchurch High Court on Friday, when he pleaded guilty to manslaughter, and is scheduled to be sentenced in October. </p> <p>Speaking to <em><a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350337161/totally-unfair-how-one-punch-changed-familys-life-forever" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stuff</a></em> about the attack 15 months on, Singh’s son Himanshu Keshwer said his family was still beyond devastated at the sudden loss.</p> <p>“He was a very good human being,” he said.</p> <p>Keshwer said what happened to his father was “totally unfair”.</p> <p>“Someone killed my dad and I couldn’t do anything, and still can’t do anything,” he told the outlet.</p> <p>“It makes me sad, it shouldn’t have happened.”</p> <p>A <a href="https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/helping-and-support-the-family" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link-type="article-inline">fundraiser</a> was launched to support Singh’s family and transport his body back to India, raising $16,316, which exceeded the $15,000 goal.</p> <p><em>Image credits: givealittle.co.nz</em></p>

Caring

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“Greedy” woman slammed after being “disappointed” with engagement ring

<p dir="ltr">A woman has been dubbed “ungrateful” and “greedy” online after sharing a lengthy post about how she was “pretty disappointed” with the ring her boyfriend proposed with. </p> <p dir="ltr">The bride-to-be took to Facebook to say that while she still loves her fiancé, she was upset at being given a lab-made diamond as opposed to a natural one. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I'm not going to lie, I was pretty disappointed, especially since my future husband has enough income to afford a real diamond,” she said in the lengthy post. </p> <p dir="ltr">She also confessed to feeling like “a spoiled brat for complaining”, but went on to compare how her fiancé was previously engaged to another woman and proposed with a ring costing more than $75,000, so the cheaper diamond left her feeling “second best”. </p> <p dir="ltr">The woman’s post was met with ridicule online, as thousands of people commented on her post to express their disbelief. </p> <p dir="ltr">One person quipped, “I require my diamonds to be exploitative.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“People sure do get upset when their diamonds aren't the result of human rights abuses and environmental destruction, huh,” another said, slamming the woman's “entitled attitude”. </p> <p dir="ltr">Another woman was quick to agree that the bride-to-be's “greedy” disappointment was in bad taste.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Carbon is carbon,” another person said, referring to the material that diamonds are made of, whether from the ground or in a lab.   </p> <p dir="ltr">“Such a weird hill to die on! I told my husband I wanted a lab created diamond for this exact reason: because diamond mining claims lives! Having a chemically perfect diamond is a bonus,” another woman said. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Relationships

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Three children dead after allegedly being forced into house fire

<p><em><strong>Warning: This article contains disturbing content that readers may find distressing. </strong></em></p> <p>Three children have tragically died in a house fire in Sydney's west, with police allegedly treating the incident as a domestic violence attack. </p> <p>At 1am on Sunday morning, neighbours raised the alarm after spotting the fire in a family home in the suburb of Lalor Park.</p> <p>Firefighters arrived on the scene in six minutes to battle what neighbours called an "intense" blaze. </p> <p>"The flames were shooting out the front window at 20 feet," Brett said.</p> <p>Two adults and seven young children were inside when the fire broke out, with neighbours saying they were awoken by screaming. </p> <p>Two boys aged three and six years old were given CPR on the street but could not be revived, and a 10-month-old baby girl was also found dead inside the home.</p> <p>As rescue crews, emergency services and locals battled to extinguish the powerful flames and rescue those inside, father Dean Heasman was allegedly seen pushing the children back in.</p> <p>"We're alleging that 28-year-old man took direct actions to prevent the rescue of those young lives that were lost," NSW Police Homicide Squad Superintendent Danny Doherty said.</p> <p>"We will allege that this 28-year-old man's actions were directly the cause of the death of these three young people."</p> <p>"We've seen three young lives have just been taken away in the most tragic of circumstances, quite unimaginable how the family is coping with this."</p> <p>A 29-year-old woman, a nine-year-old girl, and three boys aged four, seven and 11 were also in the house during the blaze, but escaped and were rushed to Westmead hospital. </p> <p>Neighbours said the surviving children told them the man ordered them to stay inside the home as it burned, one of them claiming he tried to fight in a bid to save his siblings.</p> <p>"Dad tried to kill us," the child allegedly told rescuers.</p> <p>Residents claimed they saw the man attempting to drag the terrified children back inside, as they said he was shouting "leave me here to die".</p> <p>It's understood the man, who was arrested at the scene and remains in a coma with significant injuries, was not previously known to police and had no existing apprehended violence order against him.</p> <p>NSW Premier Chris Minns labelled the incident "horrifying and senseless" and offered the family support, as an investigation into the cause of the blaze begins. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Nine News</em></p> <p> </p>

Legal

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Australia’s tax system is being weaponised against victims of domestic abuse. Here’s how

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ann-kayis-kumar-466422">Ann Kayis-Kumar</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p>When women seeking financial help from the government-funded UNSW <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/business/our-schools/accounting-auditing-taxation/about-us/unsw-clinic">Tax and Business Advisory Clinic</a> are asked whether they have ever been affected by family or domestic violence, most say they have.</p> <p>In the past year this number has grown from <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/3339/sub009.pdf?1718777706">65%</a> to over 80%.</p> <p>And about <a href="https://ssrn.com/abstract=4746954">14%</a> of the clinic’s clients say their tax debts are a result of intimate partner violence. These debts often arise from business debts, bankruptcy, corporate directorships and director penalty notices.</p> <p>We know that economic abuse is a red flag for other forms of domestic violence. Economic abuse occurs in nearly all Australian domestic and family violence cases, affecting more than <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/personal-safety-australia/latest-release">2.4 million Australians</a> and costing the economy an estimated <a href="https://www.commbank.com.au/content/dam/caas/newsroom/docs/Cost%20of%20financial%20abuse%20in%20Australia.pdf">A$10.9 billion</a> a year.</p> <p>Unfortunately, existing laws fall well short of protecting abuse victim-survivors from financial loss.</p> <h2>How violent partners weaponise tax</h2> <p>The perpetrators of violence can effectively weaponise the tax system by placing tax debts solely in the names of former partners, often because they have made them directors of companies or through family businesses operating through partnerships or trusts.</p> <p>There is a policy assumption that family members benefit from family partnerships.</p> <p>But this does not always hold in practice and can be problematic when there is economic abuse because Australian tax law requires victims report and pay tax on their “share” of the family partnership’s income.</p> <p>The average tax debt at the tax clinic is about $90,000. This can result in debilitating financial burdens, exhausted savings, insecure housing and prolonged economic instability, well after abusive relationships end.</p> <h2>Change is needed</h2> <p>Australia has no specific strategy for relief of tax debts caused by financial abuse. There are “serious hardship” provisions in Australian taxation law, but these are outdated and in need of <a href="https://theconversation.com/sometimes-people-can-do-with-a-break-3-ways-tax-debt-relief-rules-are-too-tough-156948">reform</a>.</p> <p>Usually people do not have the funds up front so the only way the Australian Taxation Office can collect debts from the abused partner is through (generally two-year) payment plans, offsetting future tax refunds, engaging external debt collectors and initiating bankruptcy proceedings.</p> <p>To that end, the decision announced in this year’s budget to give the Tax Commissioner discretion <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/about-ato/new-legislation/in-detail/businesses/changes-to-offsetting-debts-on-hold">not to offset</a> against tax returns debts previously placed “on hold” is welcome.</p> <p>It will provide short-term relief by enabling abuse victims to get their refunds instead of having it used by the Tax Office to reduce their debt.</p> <p>Colleagues Christine Speidel, Leslie Book and I want this power extended to all <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4746954">forms of tax debts</a> not just for tax debts that have been placed “on hold” especially where the taxpayer is known to have experienced financial abuse.</p> <p>But this wouldn’t go far enough – the victim-survivors would still have the perpetrator’s tax debt hanging over them.</p> <p>Where this happens, financial instability can <a href="https://www.commbank.com.au/content/dam/commbank-assets/support/2021-01/unsw-report-key-findings.pdf">drive women back</a> into abusive relationships.</p> <h2>The US shows what can be done</h2> <p>Legislative reform to shift tax liability from abuse survivors to perpetrators is the key to helping solve the problem.</p> <figure class="align-right zoomable"></figure> <p>The United States has offered some form of “<a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/innocent-spouse-relief">innocent spouse relief</a>” since 1971. In 2011 it widened eligibility and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-news/ir-11-080.pdf">removed a two-year time limit</a> for requesting relief.</p> <p>It is important to understand the US provisions apply because the country offers jointly filed “married” tax returns. In Australia tax returns are filed by individuals.</p> <p>Australia’s laws would need to change to ensure abused women do not find themselves jointly liable. Any changes should also include debts incurred in the name of partnerships and company directors.</p> <p>The US is the first and only country to do this, largely because of the advocacy of US low-income tax clinics over decades. Australia now has such clinics, funded as part of the Tax Office <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/financial-difficulties-and-disasters/support-to-lodge-and-pay/national-tax-clinic-program">National Tax Clinic Program</a>.</p> <p>Australia’s adoption of US-style rules could provide a model for other jurisdictions, increase tax debt collection (as perpetrators are likely to have better capacity to pay than victims) and foster greater confidence in the Tax Office.</p> <p>Most importantly, it would acknowledge that victim-survivors with tax debts should not bear responsibility for debts incurred by perpetrators.</p> <hr /> <p><em>For information and advice about family and intimate partner violence contact 1800 RESPECT (<a href="https://www.1800respect.org.au/">1800 737 732</a>). If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, contact 000. The Men’s Referral Service (<a href="https://ntv.org.au/get-help/">1300 766 491)</a> offers advice and counselling to men looking to change their behaviour.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/232609/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></em></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ann-kayis-kumar-466422">Ann Kayis-Kumar</a>, Founding Director of UNSW Tax and Business Advisory Clinic, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-tax-system-is-being-weaponised-against-victims-of-domestic-abuse-heres-how-232609">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Money & Banking

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Worried your address, birth date or health data is being sold? You should be – and the law isn’t protecting you

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katharine-kemp-402096">Katharine Kemp</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p>Australians don’t know and can’t control how data brokers are spreading their personal information. This is the core finding of a newly <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Digital-platform-services-inquiry-March-2024-interim-report.pdf">released report</a> from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).</p> <p>Consumers wanting to rent a property, get an insurance quote or shop online are not given real choices about whether their personal data is shared for other purposes. This exposes Australians to scams, fraud, manipulation and discrimination.</p> <p>In fact, <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/consumers-lack-visibility-and-choice-over-data-collection-practices">many don’t even know</a> what kind of data has been collected about them and shared or sold by data firms and other third parties.</p> <p>Our privacy laws are due for reform. But Australia’s privacy commissioner <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4224653">should also enforce</a> an existing rule: with very limited exceptions, businesses must not collect information about you from third parties.</p> <h2>What are data brokers?</h2> <p><a href="https://cprc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/CPRC-Singled-Out-Final-Feb-2024.pdf">Data brokers</a> generally make their profits by collecting information about individuals from various sources and sharing this personal data with their many business clients. This can include detailed profiles of a person’s family, health, finances and movements.</p> <p>Data brokers often have no connection with the individual – you may not even recognise the name of a firm that holds vast amounts of information on you. Some of these data brokers are large multinational companies with billions of dollars in revenue.</p> <p>Consumer and privacy advocates provided the ACCC with evidence of highly concerning data broker practices. <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Salinger%20Privacy.pdf">One woman</a> tried to find out how data brokers had got hold of her information after receiving targeted medical advertising.</p> <p>Although she never discovered how they obtained her data, she found out it included her name, date of birth and contact details. It also included inferences about her, such as her retiree status, having no children, not having “high affluence” and being likely to donate to a charity.</p> <p>ACCC found another data broker was reportedly creating lists of individuals who may be experiencing vulnerability. The categories included:</p> <ul> <li>children, teenage girls and teenage boys</li> <li>“financially unsavvy” people</li> <li>elderly people living alone</li> <li>new migrants</li> <li>religious minorities</li> <li>unemployed people</li> <li>people in financial distress</li> <li>new migrants</li> <li>people experiencing pain or who have visited certain medical facilities.</li> </ul> <p>These are all potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited, for example, by scammers or unscrupulous advertisers.</p> <h2>How do they get this information?</h2> <p>The ACCC notes <a href="https://cprc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/CPRC-working-paper-Not-a-fair-trade-March-2025.pdf">74% of Australians are uncomfortable</a> with their personal information being shared or sold.</p> <p>Nonetheless, data brokers sell and share Australian consumers’ personal information every day. Businesses we deal with – for example, when we buy a car or search for natural remedies on an online marketplace – both buy data about us from data brokers and provide them with more.</p> <p>The ACCC acknowledges consumers haven’t been given a choice about this.</p> <p>Attempting to read every privacy term is near impossible. The ACCC referred to a recent study which found it would take consumers <a href="https://www.mi-3.com.au/06-11-2023/aussies-face-10-hour-privacy-policy-marathon-finds-study">over 46 hours a month</a> to read every privacy policy they encounter.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/595623/original/file-20240522-23-2zkuc.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/595623/original/file-20240522-23-2zkuc.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/595623/original/file-20240522-23-2zkuc.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=131&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/595623/original/file-20240522-23-2zkuc.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=131&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/595623/original/file-20240522-23-2zkuc.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=131&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/595623/original/file-20240522-23-2zkuc.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=165&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/595623/original/file-20240522-23-2zkuc.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=165&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/595623/original/file-20240522-23-2zkuc.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=165&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">The approximate length and time it would take to read an average privacy policy in Australia per month.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/publications/serial-publications/digital-platform-services-inquiry-2020-25-reports/digital-platform-services-inquiry-interim-report-march-2024">ACCC Digital Platform Services Inquiry interim report</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p>Even if you could read every term, you still wouldn’t get a clear picture. Businesses use <a href="https://cprc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/CPRC-Singled-Out-Final-Feb-2024.pdf">vague wording</a> and data descriptions which <a href="https://theconversation.com/70-of-australians-dont-feel-in-control-of-their-data-as-companies-hide-behind-meaningless-privacy-terms-224072">confuse consumers</a> and have no fixed meaning. These include “pseudonymised information”, “hashed email addresses”, “aggregated information” and “advertising ID”.</p> <p>Privacy terms are also presented on a “take it or leave it” basis, even for transactions like applying for a rental property or buying insurance.</p> <p>The ACCC pointed out 41% of Australians feel they have been <a href="https://www.choice.com.au/consumers-and-data/data-collection-and-use/how-your-data-is-used/articles/choice-renttech-report-release">pressured to use “rent tech” platforms</a>. These platforms collect an increasing range of information with questionable connection to renting.</p> <h2>A first for Australian consumers</h2> <p>This is the first time an Australian regulator has made an in-depth report on the consumer data practices of data brokers, which are generally hidden from consumers. It comes <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/data-brokers-call-transparency-accountability-report-federal-trade-commission-may-2014/140527databrokerreport.pdf">ten years after</a> the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) conducted a similar inquiry into data brokers in the US.</p> <p>The ACCC report examined the data practices of nine data brokers and other “data firms” operating in Australia. (It added the term “data firms” because some companies sharing data about people argue that they are not data brokers.)</p> <p>A big difference between the Australian and the US reports is that the FTC is both the consumer watchdog and the <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2312913">privacy regulator</a>. As our competition and consumer watchdog, the ACCC is meant to focus on competition and consumer issues.</p> <p>We also need our privacy regulator, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), to pay attention to these findings.</p> <h2>There’s a law against that</h2> <p>The ACCC report shows many examples of businesses collecting personal information about us from third parties. For example, you may be a customer of a business that only has your name and email address. But that business can purchase “<a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4224653">data enrichment</a>” services from a data broker to find out your age range, income range and family situation.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A03712/latest/text">current Privacy Act</a> includes <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/australian-privacy-principles/read-the-australian-privacy-principles">a principle</a> that organisations must collect personal information only from the individual (you) unless it is unreasonable or impracticable to do so. “Impracticable” means practically impossible. This is the direct collection rule.</p> <p>Yet there is no reported case of the privacy commissioner enforcing the direct collection rule against a data broker or its business customers. Nor has the OAIC issued any specific guidance in this respect. It should do both.</p> <h2>Time to update our privacy laws</h2> <p>Our privacy law was drafted in 1988, long before this complex web of digital data practices emerged. Privacy laws in places such as California and the European Union provide much stronger protections.</p> <p>The government has <a href="https://ministers.ag.gov.au/media-centre/speeches/privacy-design-awards-2024-02-05-2024">announced</a> it plans to introduce a privacy law reform bill this August.</p> <p>The ACCC report reinforces the need for vital amendments, including a direct right of action for individuals and a rule requiring dealings in personal information to be “fair and reasonable”.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/230540/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katharine-kemp-402096">Katharine Kemp</a>, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law &amp; Justice, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/worried-your-address-birth-date-or-health-data-is-being-sold-you-should-be-and-the-law-isnt-protecting-you-230540">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

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Our housing system is broken and the poorest Australians are being hardest hit

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-ong-viforj-113482">Rachel Ong ViforJ</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a></em></p> <p>Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s <a href="https://www.anglicare.asn.au/publications/2023-rental-affordability-snapshot/">Rental Affordability Snapshot</a> by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like never before.</p> <p>In fact, if you rely on the <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/youth-allowance">Youth Allowance</a>, there is not a single rental property across Australia you can afford this week.</p> <h2>How did rental affordability get this bad?</h2> <p>Several post-COVID factors have been blamed, including our preference for <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/bulletin/2023/jun/new-insights-into-the-rental-market.html">more space, the return of international migrants</a>, and <a href="https://www.corelogic.com.au/news-research/news/2023/could-the-peak-in-interest-rates-signal-an-end-to-rising-rents">rising interest rates</a>.</p> <p>However, the rental affordability crisis pre-dates COVID.</p> <p>Affordability has been steadily declining for decades, as successive governments have failed to make shelter more affordable for low-to-moderate income Australians.</p> <h2>The market is getting squeezed at both ends</h2> <p>At the lower end of the rental sector, the growth in the supply of social housing persistently lags behind demand, trending at under <a href="https://povertyandinequality.acoss.org.au/data/annual-growth-rates-social-housing-stock-and-population-2011-2020/">one-third</a> the rate of population growth.</p> <hr /> <p><iframe id="OA0cS" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/OA0cS/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <hr /> <p>This has forced growing numbers of low-income Australians to seek shelter in the private rental sector, where they face intense competition from higher-income renters.</p> <p>At the upper end, more and more aspiring home buyers are getting <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03085147.2021.2003086">locked out</a> of home ownership.</p> <p>A recent <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/2024-02/AHURI-Final-Report-416-Affordable-private-rental-supply-and-demand-short-term-disruption.pdf">study</a> found more households with higher incomes are now renting.</p> <p>Households earning <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/2024-02/AHURI-Final-Report-416-Affordable-private-rental-supply-and-demand-short-term-disruption.pdf">$140,000</a> a year or more (in 2021 dollars) accounted for just 8% of private renters in 1996. By 2021, this tripled to 24%. No doubt, this crowds out lower-income households who are now facing a shortage of affordable homes to rent.</p> <h2>Why current policies are not working</h2> <p>Worsening affordability in the private rental sector highlights a housing system that is broken. Current policies just aren’t working.</p> <p>While current policies focus on supply, more work is needed including fixing <a href="https://theconversation.com/governments-are-pouring-money-into-housing-but-materials-land-and-labour-are-still-in-short-supply-205471">labour shortages</a> and providing greater <a href="https://theconversation.com/people-want-and-need-more-housing-choice-its-about-time-governments-stood-up-to-deliver-it-122390">stock diversity</a>.</p> <p>The planning system plays a critical role and <a href="https://theconversation.com/confusing-and-not-delivering-enough-developers-and-councils-want-new-affordable-housing-rules-139762">zoning rules</a> can be reformed to support the supply of more affordable options.</p> <p>However, the housing affordability challenge is not solely a supply problem. There is also a need to respond to the <a href="https://theconversation.com/home-prices-are-climbing-alright-but-not-for-the-reason-you-might-think-158776">super-charged demand</a> in the property market.</p> <p>An overheated market will undoubtedly place intense pressure on the rental sector because aspiring first home buyers are forced to rent for longer, as house prices soar at a rate unmatched by their wages.</p> <p>Yet, governments continue to resist calls for winding back the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-15/ken-henry-australias-tax-system-in-worse-position-after-15-years/103465044">generous tax concessions</a> enjoyed by multi-property owners.</p> <p>The main help available to low-income private renters - the Commonwealth Rent Assistance scheme - is <a href="https://theconversation.com/1-billion-per-year-or-less-could-halve-rental-housing-stress-146397">poorly targeted</a> with nearly one in five low-income renters who are in rental stress deemed ineligible, while another one in four receive it despite not being in rental stress.</p> <h2>Can affordable housing occur naturally?</h2> <p>Some commentators support the theory of <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/2022-09/Executive-Summary-FR387-Filtering-as-a-source-of-low-income-housing-in-Australia-conceptualisation-and-testing.pdf">filtering</a> - a market-based process by which the supply of new dwellings in more expensive segments creates additional supply of dwellings for low-income households as high-income earners vacate their former dwellings.</p> <p>Proponents of filtering argue building more housing anywhere - even in wealthier ends of the property market - will eventually improve affordability across the board because lower priced housing will trickle down to the poorest households.</p> <p>However, the persistent affordability crisis low-income households face and the rise in homelessness are crucial signs filtering <a href="https://cloud.3dissue.com/122325/122578/143598/WhyNewSupplyisnotExpandingHousingOptionsfortheHomeless/html5/index.html?page=1&amp;noflash">does not work well</a> and <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/2022-09/AHURI-Final-Report-387-Filtering-as-a-source-of-low-income-housing-in-Australia-conceptualisation-and-testing.pdf">cannot be relied upon</a> to produce lower cost housing.</p> <h2>Location, location, location</h2> <p>Location does matter, if we expect building new housing to work for low-income individuals.</p> <p>What is needed is a steady increase of affordable, quality housing in areas offering low-income renters the same access to jobs and amenities as higher-income households.</p> <p>The <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/housing-policy/accord#:%7E:text=The%20Accord%20includes%20an%20initial,5%20years%20from%20mid%E2%80%912024.">National Housing Accord</a> aims to deliver 1.2 million new dwellings over five years from mid-2024. But it must ensure these are “well-located” for people who need affordable housing, as suggested in the accord.</p> <p>Recent <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02673037.2023.229051">modelling</a> shows unaffordable housing and poor neighbourhoods both negatively affect mental health, reinforcing the need to provide both affordable and well-located housing.</p> <h2>The upcoming budget</h2> <p>While the <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/05_2023/payments-cra_budget_fact_sheet_fa_0.pdf">15% increase</a> in the maximum rent assistance rate was welcomed in the last budget, the program is long overdue for a major restructure to target those in rental stress.</p> <p>Also, tax concessions on second properties should be wound back to reduce competition for those struggling to buy their first home. This would eventually help ease affordability pressures on low-income renters as more higher-income renters <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-8454.12335">shift into homeownership</a>.</p> <p>The potential negative impacts on rental supply can be mitigated by careful design of tax and other changes that guard against market destabilisation concerns.</p> <p>Overall, housing affordability solutions have to be multi-faceted. The housing system is badly broken and meaningful repair cannot be achieved unless policymakers are willing to confront both supply and demand challenges.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/228511/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-ong-viforj-113482">Rachel Ong ViforJ</a>, ARC Future Fellow &amp; Professor of Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/our-housing-system-is-broken-and-the-poorest-australians-are-being-hardest-hit-228511">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

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Millions of phones at risk of being cut off from calling triple-0

<p>Over a million Aussies may be unable to contact triple-0 as two major telcos cut their 3G networks. </p> <p>Telstra's network will be closed on June 30 this year followed by Optus, which will shut their 3G network in September.</p> <p>While most late model phones are now serviced by either 4G or 5G networks, there are many devices that still rely on 3G. </p> <p>Approximately 113,000 Telstra customers have not upgraded their 3G handsets, while Optus have not disclosed a figure.</p> <p>The greater concerns lie for older 4G-enabled handsets that may not be able to call triple-0 once the 3G networks are switched off, because of the way those phones are configured.</p> <p>In March, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland was informed that 740,000 Australians were in that category.  </p> <p>A month later, that figure was revised to over a million. </p> <p>"I welcome the industry’s first report to government but am concerned around their disclosure of around one million potentially impacted consumers,” the minister said. </p> <p>“I am considering the detail provided and next steps, and the government will have more to say about the 3G switchover soon.”</p> <p>She also said that they were open to delaying the switchover  "if warranted in the public interest”.</p> <p>“Options exist under law for the government to consider proposals to delay the planned switchover, subject to consultation and procedural processes,” she said.</p> <p>Telstra has informed customers about what to do if they are affected, and how they could check. </p> <p>“If your mobile device doesn’t have Voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology, even if it uses 4G data, it will not be able to make voice calls on our network after 30 June 2024,” they informed their customers. </p> <p>“Not all VoLTE enabled devices support emergency VoLTE calling, meaning they will not be able to make an emergency call to triple-0 once 3G closes." </p> <p>“Without taking the recommended action you won’t be able to connect to a network after 30 June 2024,” they warned. </p> <p>Customers who are worried that they might be impacted, are encouraged to text 3 to the number 3498, so that the telco can inform the customer on their connection status.</p> <p>Optus have also encouraged customers to contact them if they think they may be affected. </p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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