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Colin Farrell completes marathon while pushing friend in wheelchair

Colin Farrell has completed the Dublin Marathon by pushing his friend in a wheelchair across the finish line. The 48-year-old actor ran the final 4 kilometres of the 42km race while pushing his friend Emma Fogarty, who lives with a rare skin condition, to the end of the race. Back home in his native Ireland, Farrell ran the marathon to raise money for DEBRA, an Irish charity supporting people who, like Fogarty, have the incurable genetic condition epidermolysis bullosa (EB) – also known as butterfly skin. Fogarty is Ireland's oldest surviving person with the condition, and after reaching a milestone of turning 40 in June, her and Farrell pledged to complete the race together. According to the PA Media news agency, Emma was born with a severe form of the condition, as she was born with no skin on her left foot and right arm and can develop very painful blisters from even the slightest touch. Farrell told PA, "I have known Emma for many years and she epitomises bravery, she is what courage and pure determination are all about." "That run was nothing compared to the pain she is forced to endure every single day, even though she doesn't show it." "It was an honour to see her waiting for me with 4km to go, each of those representing a decade of her life, and to do the final stretch together. I'll never forget it." Also speaking to PA, Fogarty said, "This was a dream come true for me and I want to thank Colin, who has been the most supportive, generous and loyal friend I could wish for." "He has always shown his compassion and empathy for people living with EB and is a true champion in my eyes. Running a marathon is never easy but once he committed to it there was no going back, he is a man of his word." Fogarty and Farrell originally set out to raise €400,000 ($660,000 AUD) for the charity but now aim to hit the million-euro mark ($1.6 million AUD), after the pair completed the marathon in just over four hours. Image credits: CNN

Caring

Shocking new emails reignite push for Matildas' Olympic bronze medal

The Matildas have a case to argue that why were robbed of a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, with damning new emails coming to light that may help their argument. The scandal began when Canadian football coach Bev Priestman was removed from the team during the ongoing Paris games after Canada Soccer found evidence of drone spying ahead of the nation’s opening match against New Zealand. Canada claimed a 2-1 win over New Zealand in their opening match, but multiple reports of drones flying over New Zealand’s practice threatened to destabilise their gold medal defence. The drone was found to be operated by an accredited Canadian team analyst, who was taken into police custody in what he described as "the worst day of my life". The Canadian team was stripped of six points and Priestman was sent home for the remainder of the Olympics. Now, damning new emails have come to light about alleged previous cheating scandals after Canada protested the removal of their points. The global sports integrity court became involved after Canada's attempt to have their points penalty reduced or lifted, which appears to have backfired as historic evidence shown in the hearing has raised suspicion the spy operation could stretch back all the way to the beginning of Priestman’s reign as coach in 2020. This would mean that their spy tactics could have been used back in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where Canada emerged with a gold medal, as the Matildas just missed out on the podium by placing in fourth. There has since been a push to have Canada stripped of its gold medals, which would see the Matildas elevated to the bronze medal position. A series of damning emails have not helped Canada's position, as one exposing thread from an unnamed analyst to Priestman detailed how the analyst was not comfortable with spying. “Moving forward I will have a discussion ... and reach out to the wider tech team with regards to how we could potentially look for other solutions,” the analyst wrote. “But just wanted to confirm that you will not be asking me to fulfil the role of ‘spying’ in the upcoming camp and future camps. I am sure you will respect my reasoning and thank you for your understanding.” The Canadian coach appeared to react to the email by looking for a workaround. “Seeking your advice and input here regarding this formal email on spying,” she wrote to the redacted recipient. “It’s something the analyst has always done and I know there is a whole operation on the Men’s side with regards to it (we had **** in with us recently and he was outstanding in this area). “Yesterday in a meeting when discussing it, I asked to propose an alternative solution as for scouting it can be the difference between winning and losing and all top 10 teams do it." Priestman’s comment that “spying” is something her analyst “has always done” is the most telling in backing suspicion the behaviour stretches back to Tokyo. She issued a letter of apology on Sunday in which she admitted to being “absolutely heartbroken” and promised to cooperate with an investigation into the affair. Image credits: Pete Dovgan/Speed Media/Shutterstock Editorial

Legal

Teen who pushed 79-year-old woman off pier escapes conviction

A teenager who pushed a 79-year-old woman off a pier and later posted a video of it to social media has not been given a criminal conviction. The 14-year-old, who was on bail at the time of the attack, shoved the elderly woman off Mornington Pier in January, with his his friends cheering him on. Bystanders had to rescue her because she couldn't swim. A court has heard that he was remorseful his actions and he has since been handed a diversion, meaning that he will have to undergo a mandatory program which includes counselling and education courses. If he completes the four-month order, the charges will be removed from his record. "We're very pleased with the outcome," the teenager's dad said outside of court. During his sentencing, the magistrate said it was "not going to be an easy process" but "you're remorseful for your behaviour, which is a positive step for you and the community". "You're a smart young man, with support things can change," the magistrate said. The 14-year-old is currently serving a diversion for assaulting a a 35-year-old woman in Hastings in November, which he was on bail for in January. Although the teen was remorseful inside the courtroom, according to Nine News, he reportedly raised his middle finger to those waiting outside when he left. Images: Nine

Legal

Supermarkets accused of pushing "confusing" promo labels

Coles, Woolworths and Aldi have all been accused of saturating their stores with "confusing" promotional labels that offer little to no discount. Research by consumer advocacy group Choice suggests one-in-four shoppers feel "misled" by discount stickers, finding it difficult to discern the promo price from the original price. More than 1,000 customers across the country took part in the <a title="www.choice.com.au" href="https://www.choice.com.au/unclearsupermarketspecials" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research</a>, which surveyed price tags regularly used by Woolworths, Coles and Aldi that featured phrases such as “down down”, “member price” and “prices dropped”. According to the report, which has been passed on to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Supermarkets Inquiry, it was Coles that caused the most confusion, with their "while stocks last" stickers proving to be unclear to the average shopper. Coles told <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/woolworths-coles-and-aldi-accused-of-confusing-promotional-labels/news-story/c2a350bd62dd0a0ba9c4fad04fa69435" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a> its “while stocks last” tickets offer customers the chance to buy items which are only available at Coles for a limited time, and which are unlikely to be restocked once the products are sold out. But according to Choice, one-third of shoppers surveyed believed products tagged with the bright yellow tag were discounted, while another third were unsure of its meaning. Woolworths’ “member price” was also found to cause “considerable confusion”, according to the consumer watchdog. Meanwhile Aldi’s “super savers” label were also found to leave many Aussies confused, with a third of those surveyed unsure if it was a discount, according to the research. “Consumers look for products that are the best value for money but it is becoming increasingly difficult for people to decipher the promotional tags being used by the supermarkets,” Choice said. “Consumers are drawn to promotional tags that make it look like one product is potentially better value or a good deal, compared to other products." However, the labels are “confusing and potentially misleading” and without contextual information or historical pricing data, “consumers have no way of knowing if they are getting a good deal or not." Coles, Woolworths and Aldi have all responded to the report, with Coles saying in a statement, “Customer feedback is important to us. Our goal is to always be as clear as possible and we are taking steps to update this ticket over the coming months.” Choice has called for “transparent pricing” from supermarkets in the report “to ensure that people are able to effectively compare products, recognise genuine discounts and make informed decisions” when buying their groceries. Choice is also calling for strong enforcement action from the ACCC to “send a clear message to the supermarkets that misleading pricing is unacceptable”. Image credits: Choice

Money & Banking

Loyalty programs may limit competition, and they could be pushing prices up for everyone

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alexandru-nichifor-1342216">Alexandru Nichifor</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/scott-duke-kominers-1494057">Scott Duke Kominers</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/harvard-university-1306">Harvard University</a> Loyalty programs enable firms to offer significantly lower prices to some of their customers. You’d think this would encourage strong competition. But that isn’t always what actually happens. <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4377561">New research</a> shows that paradoxically, by changing the way companies target customers, loyalty programs can sometimes reduce price competition. The research also points to solutions. <h2>A win-win proposition?</h2> Joining a loyalty program is supposed to be a win-win. You – the customer – get to enjoy perks and discounts, while the company gains useful commercial insights and builds brand allegiance. For example, a hotel chain loyalty program might reward travellers for frequent stays, with points redeemable for future bookings, upgrades or other benefits. The hotel chain, in turn, records and analyses how you spend money and encourages you to stay with them again. Such programs are commonplace across many industries – appearing everywhere from travel and accommodation to supermarket or petrol retailing. But they are increasingly coming under scrutiny. In 2019, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/publications/customer-loyalty-schemes-final-report">cautioned</a> consumers about the sheer volume of personal data collected when participating in a loyalty program, and what companies can do with it. Hidden costs – such as having to pay a redemption fee on rewards or losing benefits when points expire – are another way these schemes can harm consumers. But a larger question – how loyalty programs impact consumers overall – remains difficult to settle, because their effect on competitiveness is unclear. As the ACCC’s <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/publications/customer-loyalty-schemes-final-report">final report</a> notes, on the one hand: "Loyalty schemes can have pro-competitive effects and intensify competition between rivals leading to competing loyalty discounts and lower prices for consumers." But on the other hand: "Loyalty schemes can also reduce the flexibility of consumers’ buying patterns and responsiveness to competing offers, which may reduce competition." <h2>How a two-speed price system can hurt everyone</h2> A new economic theory research <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4377561">working paper</a>, coauthored by one of us (Kominers), suggests that on competitive grounds alone, loyalty programs can sometimes harm all consumers – both ordinary shoppers and the program’s own members. It’s easy to see how the ordinary shopper can be worse off. Since a firm’s loyalty program enables it to offer discounted prices to its members, the firm can raise the base prices it offers to everyone else. Those not participating in the program pay more than they otherwise would have, and the firm can respond by saying “join our program!” instead of having to lower its price. But sometimes, even the program’s own members can end up worse off. When a given customer’s loyalty status is not visible to a firm’s competitors – as is the case in many loyalty programs today – it’s hard for those competitors to identify them and entice them to switch. The main way to compete for those customers becomes to lower the base price for everyone, but this means missing out on the high base margins achieved through the existence of your own loyalty program – remember, having a loyalty program means you can charge non-members more. It’s often more profitable for firms to just maintain high base prices. This, in turn, reduces overall price competition for loyal customers, so firms can raise prices for them, too. <h2>What’s the solution?</h2> Despite these effects on competition, loyalty programs still offer benefits for consumers and an opportunity for brands to form closer relationships with them. So, how do we preserve these benefits while enabling price competition? The research suggests an answer: making a customer’s loyalty status verifiable, transparent and portable across firms. This would make it possible for firms to tailor offers for their competitors’ loyal customers. This is already happening in the market for retail electricity. While there aren’t loyalty programs there per se, a consumer’s energy consumption profile, which could be used by a competitor to calibrate a personalised offer, is known only to their current electricity supplier. To address this, in 2015, the Victorian government launched a <a href="https://compare.energy.vic.gov.au">program</a> encouraging households to compare energy offers. This process involved first revealing a customer’s energy consumption profile to the market, and then asking retailers to compete via personalised offers. By opening information that might have otherwise been hidden to the broader market, this approach enabled firms to compete for each other’s top customers, in a way that could be emulated for loyalty programs. Such systems in the private sector could build upon “<a href="https://thepointsguy.com/guide/airline-status-matches-challenges/">status match</a>” policies at airlines. These allow direct transfer of loyalty status, but currently rely on a lengthy, individual-level verification process. For example, a design paradigm known as “<a href="https://hbr.org/2022/05/what-is-web3">Web3</a>” – where customer transactions and loyalty statuses are recorded on public, shared blockchain ledgers – offers a way to make loyalty transparent across the market. This would enable an enhanced, decentralised version of status match: a firm could use blockchain records to verifiably identify who its competitors’ loyal customers are, and directly incentivise them to switch. Both startups and established firms have experimented with building such systems. <h2>What next?</h2> New academic research helps us model and better understand when loyalty programs could be weakening supply side competition and undermining consumer welfare. A neat universal solution may prove elusive. But targeted government or industry interventions – centred on increasing the transparency of a customer’s loyalty status and letting them move it between firms – could help level the playing field between firms and consumers.<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/220669/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alexandru-nichifor-1342216">Alexandru Nichifor</a>, Associate Professor, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Melbourne, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/scott-duke-kominers-1494057">Scott Duke Kominers</a>, Sarofim-Rock Professor of Business Administration, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/harvard-university-1306">Harvard University</a> Image credits: Getty Images 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/loyalty-programs-may-limit-competition-and-they-could-be-pushing-prices-up-for-everyone-220669">original article</a>.

Money & Banking

Shocking twist on teen accused of pushing elderly man off pier

Just hours after a 14-year-old boy was <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/teenager-arrested-after-shoving-elderly-man-off-pier" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested for allegedly shoving an elderly man </a>off the Mornington Peninsula pier, the teenager has been accused of previously assaulting a woman. Jamie Tilbrook, 35, was allegedly bashed by the same group of teens who pushed the 79-year-old off the pier. Shocking CCTV footage of the alleged attack showed two boys throwing a series of punches towards Ms Tilbrook's head in broad daylight, after she confronted them for vandalising a bus and tipping bins over. "I said, 'What the f--- are you doing?' They turn around and jump me," she said. "Two boys just come and started smashing me in the head. I was telling my girlfriend to get away, like, I didn't want her to get attacked." The 35-year-old had to be rushed to hospital after losing consciousness and spent a night at The Alfred, where doctors had to glue her wound shut. Ms Tilbrook told 9News that she no longer goes out and night and has to constantly watch her back after the alleged assault. The incident came just two months before the alleged attack of the elderly man, and the 14-year-old boy was on bail when he pushed the man off the pier. Ms Tilbrook revealed she was "disgusted" that the same boy who was charged after allegedly assaulting her, was now accused of pushing a fisherman off the pier. His friends had filmed the horrific incident before posting it online. <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/melbourne-news-teen-who-allegedly-pushed-elderly-man-off-melbourne-pier-was-on-bail/db6c8d5e-7e49-4ccc-ab47-cb4738979dc6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9News</a> revealed that the teenager has since been charged over the assault and allegedly breaching his bail conditions. He will reportedly face children's court at a later date. Images: 9News

Legal

Meet the grandmothers pushing boundaries with their New Year's resolutions

Each year, millions of people around the world decide it is their year to try new things and push boundaries. For many, these New Year's resolutions include getting fit and eating healthy, travelling, or saving money for a big purchase. But for these Aussie seniors, they are pushing their resolutions even further, taking part in activities that will keep them young. For Gold Coast great-grandmother Hilda Wren, she knew she wanted to make a change after she had never been on a plane before. So, naturally, she decided to make her first trip in a plane one to remember, by jumping out of the aircraft and skydiving over the coast. "I've done sort of kickboxing, tennis, dancing, everything and I thought skydiving would be something different," Hilda told <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/today/rise-of-granfluencers-and-why-more-aussies-over-60-are-living-their-best-life/741432b9-4e3d-4831-a1c0-1134d66ac949" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Today</a>. "The grandkids think I'm absolutely marvellous." The 90-year-old admitted her first skydive was a little nerve-wracking, but after going up in the plane and jumping out another two times, she admitted it gets easier each time. "If anybody wants to do something different, do it while you can," she said. "I mean, I'm 90 now, and I'm glad I've done it three times - if I could do it again, I would." Melbourne pensioners Carmen and Ginger took up interesting resolutions last year, and this year have decided to try out pole dancing. "Take the opportunity to embrace whatever you want to embrace, more of what you love," Carmen said. Image credits: Today

Retirement Life

How 1920s high society fashion pushed gender boundaries through ‘freaking’ parties

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dominic-janes-347508">Dominic Janes</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/keele-university-1012">Keele University</a> The 1920s brought about a rise in androgynous fashion among a high society set that broke boundaries and caused controversy. This drew on a subculture that had existed for decades, perhaps centuries, but after the first world war gender-bending fashions became front page news. It was a time of upheaval. Established regimes were toppling across Europe. In Britain, women over 30 had finally been given the vote and there was widespread concern about the new hedonism of their younger “flapper” sisters. There was also a new market for novels, such as Radcylffe Hall’s <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/stories/articles/2019/4/1/radclyffe-hall-well-of-loneliness-legacy#:%7E:text=On%20November%2016%2C%201928%2C%20Biron,its%20immediate%20removal%20from%20circulation.">banned book</a> <a href="https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20221121-the-well-of-loneliness-the-most-corrosive-book-ever">The Well of Loneliness</a> (1928) that focused on, rather than merely hinted at, queer lives. Daring male university students <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/tcbh/hwab036">started wearing makeup</a>. One of these was <a href="https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/cecil-beaton-an-introduction">Cecil Beaton</a>, the future celebrity photographer, who <a href="https://www.digitaltransgenderarchive.net/files/ht24wj66t">delighted in cross-dressing</a> both on stage and off. Beaton became part of a set of high society socialites who were known as the “<a href="https://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/cecil-beaton-bright-young-things/exhibition">bright young things</a>”. They were often socially privileged, many of them were queer and their antics were <a href="https://djtaylorwriter.co.uk/page10.htm">widely followed in the media</a> with a mixture of horror and fascination. The “things” took partying seriously and paid great attention to their outfits. They dressed to transgress. In 1920, high society magazine <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/freak-to-chic-9781350172609/">The Sketch reported</a> that what it termed “freak parties” were suddenly in vogue with the younger set. Before the war, <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/freak-to-chic-9781350172609/">articles had appeared</a> condemning unusual styles as “freak fashions”, but suddenly “<a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/freak-to-chic-9781350248083/">freaking</a>” was all the rage. Until this point, menswear had been heavily circumscribed. Black was the default colour for formal occasions and tweed for informal settings. But suddenly there was a circle who were keen to try out new looks, no matter how bizarre – or queer-looking – the results. <h2>Queer parties, queer fashions</h2> These styles were often worn as fancy dress, but they borrowed looks from marginalised queer communities such as feminine-styled queer men, some of whom made a living by selling sexual services. One such man was Quentin Crisp, whose memoir <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/324730/the-naked-civil-servant-by-quentin-crisp/">The Naked Civil Servant</a> (1968) was dramatised as a <a href="http://www.crisperanto.org/news/NCSusa2007.html">pioneering TV drama</a>. Another source of inspiration was the <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo3682948.html">freak show</a>. These displays, horrifying from a 21st century point of view, were a popular element of circuses at the time. They featured such stock characters as the muscled giant and the bearded lady, some of whom <a href="https://www.thehumanmarvels.com/annie-jones-the-esau-woman/">became celebrities</a> in their own right. Masquerade and fancy dress parties had long been a feature of urban social life, but the bright young things innovated in that they impressed less through the expense of their outfits and more through their queer implications. Many such parties were themed, such as a Greek-themed freak party that was hailed as the greatest “Dionysia” of 1929 (Dionysus being the Greek god of sex and pleasure). Androgynous and cross dressing looks were common and men such as Beaton designed their own frocks. In July 1927, <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Her-Husband-was-a-Woman-Womens-Gender-Crossing-in-Modern-British-Popular/Oram/p/book/9780415400077">one magazine declared</a> that an event attended by Beaton’s friend Stephen Tennant dressed as the Queen of Sheba and bisexual actress Tallulah Bankhead dressed as a male tennis star was: “one of the queerest of all the ‘freak’ parties ever given in London”. <h2>The party’s over</h2> The Wall Street crash of 1929 led to a rapid shift in public mood. Economic recession led people to favour sobriety over flamboyance. Money for the parties ran out and media attention faltered. Gender-bending style vanished from the fashionable arena, although it persisted on inner cities streets. Quentin Crisp’s mode of <a href="https://bodleianshop.co.uk/products/british-dandies">queer dandyism</a> was daring for its time, but it only became extraordinary by virtue of his unwillingness to modernise. Seemingly he, and pretty much he alone, continued to wear the queer looks of the interwar period into the television age. He duly <a href="http://www.crisperanto.org/news/AnEnglishmanInNYmovie.html">became a transatlantic celebrity</a> late in life when he became the inspiration for Sting’s song <a href="https://www.sting.com/discography/album/189/Singles">Englishman in New York</a> in 1987. Cecil Beaton, meanwhile, became a leading photographer for Vogue magazine and was commissioned to take official <a href="https://www.rct.uk/cecil-beaton-1904-80">coronation portraits of Elizabeth II</a>. He also designed the fantastic dresses worn by Audrey Hepburn in the film <a href="https://www.tatler.com/article/in-cecil-beatons-show-stopping-designs-for-my-fair-lady-lies-a-story-of-tantrums-and-top-hats">My Fair Lady</a> (1964), inspired by the gowns he and his compatriots had dreamed up for themselves some 40 years earlier.<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/205893/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dominic-janes-347508">Dominic Janes</a>, Professor of Modern History, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/keele-university-1012">Keele University</a> Image credits: Getty Images 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/how-1920s-high-society-fashion-pushed-gender-boundaries-through-freaking-parties-205893">original article</a>.

Beauty & Style

Marine species are being pushed towards the poles. From dugong to octopuses, here are 8 marine species you might spot in new places

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gretta-pecl-128477">Gretta Pecl</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/curtis-champion-1373045">Curtis Champion</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/southern-cross-university-1160">Southern Cross University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/zoe-doubleday-393169">Zoe Doubleday</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> If you take a plunge in the sea this winter, you might notice it’s warmer than you expect. And if you’re fishing off Sydney and catch a tropical coral trout, you might wonder what’s going on. The reason is simple: hotter water. The ocean has absorbed the vast majority of the extra heat trapped by carbon dioxide and other greenhouses gases. It’s no wonder heat in the oceans is building up rapidly – and this year is <a href="https://theconversation.com/ocean-heat-is-off-the-charts-heres-what-that-means-for-humans-and-ecosystems-around-the-world-207902">off the charts</a>. That’s even without the likely arrival of El Niño, where the Pacific Ocean gets warmer than usual and affects weather all over the world. Our coastal waters <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/oceanography/oceantemp/sst-outlook-map.shtml">are forecast</a> to be especially warm over the coming months, up to 2.5℃ warmer than usual in many places. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=482&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=482&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=482&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=605&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=605&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=605&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption>Oceans around Australia are forecast to be much warmer than usual. SSTA stands for projected Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly, the difference between forecast ocean temperatures and a historical baseline period encompassing 1990–2012. Bureau of Meteorology</figcaption></figure> Many marine species live within a narrow temperature range. If the water heats up, they have to move, and if they don’t, they might die. So those that can move, are moving. In Australia, at least 200 marine species have <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gcb.15634">shifted distributions</a> since 2003, with 87% heading south. This pattern is happening all around the world, both on land and <a href="https://theconversation.com/thousands-of-photos-captured-by-everyday-australians-reveal-the-secrets-of-our-marine-life-as-oceans-warm-189231">in the ocean</a>. This year, the warmer ocean temperatures during winter mean Australia’s seascapes are likely to be more like summer. So, the next time you go fishing or diving or beachcombing, keep your eyes peeled and your camera ready. You may glimpse the enormous disruption happening underwater for yourself. <h2>Here are eight species on the move</h2> 1. Moorish idol (Zanclus cornutus) Historic range: northern Australia Now: This <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/1/204/">striking fish</a> can now be seen south of Geraldton in Western Australia and Eden in New South Wales. This is a great fish for divers to spot on hard-bottomed habitats. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="moorish idol" /></a><figcaption>Moorish Idols are heading south to escape the heat. Shutterstock</figcaption></figure> 2. Branching coral (Pocillopora aliciae) Historic range: northern NSW Now: Look out for this <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/2/255">pale pink beauty</a> south of Port Stephens, not far from Sydney. Seemingly immovable species like coral are fleeing the heat too. They’re already providing habitat for a range of other shifting species like tropical fish and crab species. 3. Eastern rock lobster (Sagmariasus verreauxi) Historic range: common in NSW Now: South, as far as <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/2/167">it can get.</a> It’s now found in Tasmania and even in <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-marine-biological-association-of-the-united-kingdom/article/westward-range-expansion-of-the-eastern-rock-lobster-sagmariasus-verreauxi-in-australia/8DE945E58E1DDA1A2BB7431065AAC8EC">South Australia</a>. This tasty greenish crustacean <a href="https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v624/p1-11/">doesn’t like heat</a> and has moved south into the territory of red southern rock lobsters (Jasus edwardsii). 4. Gloomy octopus (Octopus tetricus) Previous range: common in NSW Now: As far south as Tasmania. Look out for this slippery, smart invertebrate in <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/2/127">Tasmanian waters</a> this winter. You might even spot the octopus nestled down with some eggs, as this looks to be a <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/mf/mf14126">permanent sea change</a>. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=581&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=581&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=581&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="gloomy octopus" /></a><figcaption>The gloomy octopus is also known as the common Sydney octopus. Niki Hubbard, Wikimedia, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></figcaption></figure> 5. Whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus) Previous range: northern Australia Now: <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/3/185">South of K'gari</a> (formerly known as Fraser Island). Classed as vulnerable in parts of the world, this tropical shark is a slow swimmer and never sleeps. It poses very little danger to humans. 6. Dugongs (Dugong dugon) Previous range: northern Australia Now: As far south as Shark Bay in WA and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-17/tweed-river-dugong-sighting-boaties-warned/102355438">Tweed River</a> in New South Wales. Our waters are home to the largest number of dugong in the world. But as waters warm, they’re heading south. That means more of us may see these elusive sea-cows as they graze on seagrass meadows. Some of the most adventurous have gone way out of their normal range – in 2014, a kitesurfer <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/articles/2021/07/26/are-dugongs-hitching-a-ride-south/">reported</a> passing a dugong at City Beach, Perth. As a WA wildlife expert says, dugongs may occasionally stray further south of Shark Bay but “given the recent warming trend […] more dugong sightings might be expected in the future” 7. Red emperor (Lutjanus sebae) and other warm water game fish Previous range: northern Australia Now: Appearing much further south – especially in WA. Look for <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/1/108/">red</a>, threadfin, and redthroat emperors in southwest WA as the Leeuwin current carries these <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/articles/2021/07/26/game-fish-follow-warm-route-south/">warm water species</a> south. As WA fisheries expert Gary Jackson has said, this current is a warming hotspot, acting like a warm water highway for certain marine species. These fish are highly <a href="https://goodfish.org.au/species/red-emperor/">sought after</a> by fishers. 8. Long-spined sea urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersii) Historic range: NSW and Victoria Now: Tasmania Look out for these <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/2/34/">spiky critters</a> in southern and western Tasmania. The larvae of these urchins have crossed the Bass Strait and found a new home, due to warming waters. Urchins are grazers and can scrape rocks clean, creating urchin barrens where nothing grows. That’s bad news for kelp forests and the species which depend on them. In response, Tasmanian authorities are working to create a <a href="https://fishing.tas.gov.au/community/long-spined-sea-urchin-management/long-spined-sea-urchin-strategy#:%7E:text=%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8BTackling%20the%20longspined%20sea%20urchin&text=Unchecked%2C%20the%20urchin's%20presence%20is,at%20around%2020%20million%20individuals.">viable urchin fishery</a> to keep numbers down. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="long spined sea urchins" /></a><figcaption>Long-spiked sea urchins are voracious eaters of seaweed. <a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnwturnbull/32131133496/in/photostream/">John Turnbull/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></figcaption></figure> <h2>You can help keep watch</h2> For years, fishers, snorkellers, spearfishers and the general public have contributed their unusual marine sightings to <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/">Redmap</a>, the Australian citizen science project aimed at mapping range extensions of species. If you spot a creature that wouldn’t normally live in the waters near you, you can upload a photo to log your sighting. For example, avid spearfisher Derrick Cruz logged a <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/sightings/1624/">startling discovery</a> with Redmap in 2015: A coral trout in Sydney’s waters. As he told us: “I’ve seen plenty of coral trout in tropical waters, where they’re at home within the coral. But it was surreal to see one swimming through a kelp forest in the local waters off Sydney, much further south than I’ve ever seen that species before!” How does tracking these movements help scientists? Many hands make light work. These vital observations from citizen scientists <a href="https://data-blog.gbif.org/post/gbif-citizen-science-data">have helped</a> researchers gain deeper understanding of what climate change is doing to the natural world in many places, from bird migrations to flowering plants to marine creatures. So, please keep an eye out this year. The heat is on in our oceans, and that can mean sudden change. <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/207115/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gretta-pecl-128477">Gretta Pecl</a>, Professor, ARC Future Fellow & Director of the Centre for Marine Socioecology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/curtis-champion-1373045">Curtis Champion</a>, Research Scientist, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/southern-cross-university-1160">Southern Cross University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/zoe-doubleday-393169">Zoe Doubleday</a>, Marine Ecologist and ARC Future Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> 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/marine-species-are-being-pushed-towards-the-poles-from-dugong-to-octopuses-here-are-8-marine-species-you-might-spot-in-new-places-207115">original article</a>. Images: Getty

International Travel

As the US pushes to make daylight saving permanent, should Australia move in the same direction?

Sunday marked the end of the Daylight Saving Time (DST) in eastern Australia, but there are many who would like to see it last longer or permanently. Twice a year, New South Wales, Victoria, Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania and South Australia make this shift. Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory do not change times. In those states the issue has been hotly debated for years. But what would be the benefit of making time permanent, and is it feasible? In the United States, the push to fix time has gathered pace, with a bipartisan bill <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/02/us/politics/daylight-savings-bill-marco-rubio.html">reintroduced</a> to the House this month. The Sunshine Protection Act is set to bring uniformity in fixing the time, starting from November 2023. If enacted, it means daylight saving would be permanent across the US. The bill passed the Senate in March 2022. It was received at the House, but Americans are split on whether they prefer permanent daylight saving time or permanent standard time – the bill then expired and so had to be reintroduced. The proponents argue the biannual ritual of switching time <a href="https://healthnews.com/news/forwarding-time-potentially-a-health-hazard-expert-suggests/">is a health hazard</a> leading to insomnia, decline in mental health, increased risk of hospitalisations and accidents. The solution, they argue, is to <a href="https://fortune.com/well/2023/03/06/daylight-saving-time-is-hurting-your-health/">restore</a> permanent, year-round standard time. Would fixing time permanently have benefits in Australia? <h2>Why the US is considering fixing permanent time</h2> One of the US policy’s goals is to reduce energy consumption. However, according to the latest research, contrary to the policy’s intent,<a href="https://direct.mit.edu/rest/article-abstract/93/4/1172/57919/Does-Daylight-Saving-Time-Save-Energy-Evidence">daylight saving caused</a> increased electricity demand in the US. Research has also found it <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=981688">does not conserve electricity in Australia</a>. Overwhelmingly, recent research opposes the current situation of changing the clocks twice year. In particular, the loss of one hour of sleep in spring has been <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/380/bmj.p622.full">linked</a> to an increase in heart attacks, strokes, road accidents and negative mood. Moreover, with mobile phones available in offices and bedrooms, the shift to daylight saving was shown to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22369272/">result in a dramatic increase</a> in “cyberloafing”. On the Monday following the switch, <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2009-12532-013">employees sustain more workplace injuries</a> and injuries of greater severity, according an analysis of data from the US Department of Labor and Mine Safety and Health Administration between 1983-2006, although there is a decrease in injuries when employees are gaining one hour of sleep. In a study of Australian suicide data from 1971 to 2001, researchers found <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1111/j.1479-8425.2007.00331.x">a rise in male suicide rates</a> in the weeks following the commencement of daylight saving, concluding the shifts could be destabilising for vulnerable people. The <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35622532/">health evidence</a> is, in fact, contrary to idea behind the current legislation and instead suggests a permanent switch to standard time may offer the maximum health and public safety benefits. Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who is strongly supporting the bill, <a href="https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/us-news/2022/11/03/6363f0ab46163fe7848b4571.html">told the Senate, "</a>There’s some strong science behind it that is now showing and making people aware of the harm that clock-switching has. I know this is not the most important issue confronting America, but it’s one of those issues where there’s a lot of agreement. If we can get this passed, we don’t have to do this stupidity anymore. Pardon the pun, but this is an idea whose time has come." <h2>Australian legislation - move to uniformity</h2> Standard time legislation dates back to 1890s. That is when jurisdictions enacted uniform legislation related to standard Greenwich Mean Time. For example, Tasmania fixed the time of the <a href="https://www.legislation.tas.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/2003-12-01/act-1895-004">150th meridian of longitude east of Greenwich</a> and Western Australia <a href="https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/law_a772.html">declared the mean time of the 120th meridian</a> as the standard time. At that stage, the legislation was consistent. This continued until the daylight saving debate commenced. Daylight saving was first considered at the Premiers’ Conference in May 1915. During the first and second world wars, national daylight time operated in Australia. Tasmania and Victoria introduced daylight saving in 1916. In Tasmania, the act was repealed by the Daylight-Saving Repeal Act 1917 (Tas). In 1967, Tasmania again introduced daylight savings. By 1990, <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-19-3292-2">the jurisdictions were changing the dates</a> on which to introduce daylight savings, and their positions were not uniform. Liberal Senator Paul Calvert <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/calls-for-pm-to-set-daylight-saving-dates-20051113-ge18b2.html">described</a> the “maze of different times” as a “shackle on the economy, as well as causing interruptions to work and family balance”. Then-prime minister John Howard <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/calls-for-pm-to-set-daylight-saving-dates-20051113-ge18b2.html">stated</a>: “I think it’s a great pity that we have this month when Tasmania and NSW and Victoria are on different time zones.” Starting from September 1 2005, all jurisdictions adopted the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) standard. Following long deliberations, in April 2007 they agreed on a uniform start and end date. Queensland, WA and the NT have fixed permanent time. South Australia became an international anomaly by having 30 minutes difference, rather than full hour, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-12/business-backs-sa-time-zone-shift,-but-some-regions-worried/6385030">to achieve a compromise</a> between strong advocacy groups within the jurisdiction. One of the arguments against fixing is geographical location. Tasmania has more drastic variation in sun activity compared to Northern Territory. The scientific solution would be to <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2019.00944/full#B47">fix the time</a> but reassign the regions to the actual sun-clock based time zones. Where does all this leave us? While daylight saving is not the most pressing problem facing Australia today, it may be that soon enough, the scientific evidence and practical convenience of fixing time might be preferred to biannual shifts. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-the-us-pushes-to-make-daylight-saving-permanent-should-australia-move-in-the-same-direction-202627" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Legal

Push for four-day working week gains fresh momentum

Major union, Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation have renewed calls for the country to move towards a four-day working week. The Victorian branch have made submission to a federal parliament senate committee, calling for the one day reduction of the working week, reducing working hours from 38 to 32. The ANMF told the Select Committee on Work and Care, which is due to hand down an interim report next month, that the reduction “would enable all employees a better opportunity to balance work with personal responsibilities.” In their submission, they also called for the circumstances in which carers can apply for personal leave to be broadened from beyond illness, injury and emergency events. It comes as author Alex Soojung-Kim Pang told Sky News Australia recently that “a few dozen” Australian companies were due to begin trialling the four day working week which would start in October and run for six months. Mr Soojung-Kim Pang said the signs from an earlier trial beginning in the UK were promising, with “more than half, I think about 55%, saying that productivity is at the same level it was when they were working five days or higher,” he said. "people say that they are happier, they’re less stressed, they feel like they have a better work-life balance.” In Iceland, as many as 85% of workers now work four days a week, while more trial are underway in Canada, the US, Spain and New Zealand. Image: Getty

Money & Banking

Swapping stamp duty for land tax would push down house prices but push up apartment prices, new modelling finds

In the state budget, NSW have announced a switch from stamp duty to <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/nsw-to-phase-out-stamp-duty-introduce-property-tax-20220612-p5at3p.html">land tax</a>. It will become the second Australian jurisdiction to do so, with the ACT halfway through a <a href="https://www.treasury.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/1618407/cops-final-report.pdf">20-year</a> switchover. Homebuyers who accept the offer will be taxed annually on the value of their land, instead of hit with an upfront fee (that averaged $50,000 for Sydney in 2018) when they buy. Once they have accepted, their property will be out of the stamp duty system and subject only to land tax for future owners. It’s become conventional wisdom to say that such a revenue-neutral switch would <a href="https://www.treasury.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-10/FFR%20Final%20Report%20-%20200828%20%281%29.pdf">boost productivity</a>. Why? Moving house sets in motion a chain of transactions: residents engage lawyers to transfer titles, real estate agents to manage the property sale, removalists to transport possessions, and so on. Stamp duties compound these costs, by adding a significant, additional layer of taxation, which in some states makes up 80% of the total cost of moving house. Land tax, in contrast, is one of the least-damaging taxes. It encourages land owners to put land to its <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/publication/understanding-the-economy-wide-efficiency-and-incidence-of-major-australian-taxes">highest-value use</a>. In a landmark <a href="https://www.copsmodels.com/ftp/workpapr/g-330.pdf">modelling exercise</a> completed this month, my team at the Victoria University Centre of Policy Studies finds that the productivity gains are large by the standards of tax swaps. After 20 years, replacing stamp duty with a land tax would boost national income by A$0.30 for each dollar of revenue swapped, or up to $720 per household if implemented Australia-wide, about 0.34% of annual gross domestic product. Of greater interest for homeowners and buyers is what it would do to prices. <h2>Houses versus apartments</h2> Broadly, we find that the switch would put downward pressure on prices, but not for every type of home. Across the market as a whole, we expect downward pressure on the price paid by buyers of about 4.7%, and downward pressure on the price received by sellers of about 0.1%. But for houses, we expect much stronger downward pressure than the average suggests. We expect the price paid by house buyers to fall by about 7.6%, and the price received by sellers to fall 3%. Interestingly, for apartments we expect movements in the other direction, pushing up the price paid by buyers by 2%, and pushing up the price received by sellers by 6.4%. <h2>What’s so different about apartments?</h2> Why would the switch put downward pressure on the price of houses but upward pressure on the price of apartments? It is because of how two offsetting effects play out. One is that higher land taxes depress land prices. Buyers who know they will be lumbered with future bills find their purchases less valuable. This effect is much bigger on house prices than apartment prices, because houses occupy more land on average. The other effect is that removing stamp duty not only removes an impost on the current buyer, but also removes an impost that will have to be paid when the current buyer sells, and when the subsequent buyer sells, and so on, making resale more valuable to the current buyer than it would have been. For properties that aren’t turned over often this effect isn’t very important, but for properties that are turned over frequently, it becomes significant. Apartments are turned over twice as frequently as houses, meaning that for apartments the upward effect on prices from removing stamp duty overwhelms the downward effect from imposing land tax. <h2>Much depends on exactly what’s proposed</h2> It would be possible to lessen this upward pressure on apartment prices by imposing higher land taxes on higher density housing, an idea canvassed by the <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/review/the-australias-future-tax-system-review/publications">Henry Tax Review</a> in 2010. Planning and zoning rules could also play a role. Other policy design decisions could have other effects on prices. Our modelling is based on an immediate swap of stamp duty for land tax. This is not the same as the NSW government’s opt-in proposal, which could have different price consequences to the policy we modelled. The NSW government is also reported to be considering excluding the most <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/stamp-duty-move-puts-pressure-on-other-states-20220613-p5ataj.html">expensive 20%</a> of properties from the switchover, so it can continue to collect stamp duties on high-value transfers. In future work we plan to extend our modelling beyond a simple swap of stamp duty and land tax. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/swapping-stamp-duty-for-land-tax-would-push-down-house-prices-but-push-up-apartment-prices-new-modelling-finds-184381" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Real Estate

Furious tradies surround luxury car for pushing in a Covid testing line

Images: Facebook Despite changes to isolation and testing requirements for most of Australia in recent days, it hasn’t put an end to the huge lines of cars and people at testing clinics around the country. As case numbers spike, thousands of Aussies have reported spending hours in a queue waiting for a PCR test. While they’ve been urged to exercise patience, and treat frontline workers with compassion, not everyone has followed this advice. Facebook page Sydney Name and Shame, shared a clip of a BMW attempting to cut the line at a testing centre. “We’d been lining up in the covid test line for hours and this guy just pushes in behind me,” the driver captioned the clip. Zooming in on the BMW in her side mirror, she explained: “This guy has pushed in and everyone is so mad, as they should be. We’ve been in line for hours, and they’re (the workers) trying to usher him out.” As the BMW tries to advance their way in the queue, a group of furious tradies surrounded the car to stop them from moving any further, and letting the people the car cut off go back in their original place. Despite the confrontation, the driver just would “not go”. “It’s just this guy, he’s just shaking his head, he will not leave the line,” she said. “What a d**k. The footage comes as it was announced that 54 Covid testing sites across Victoria will shut to cope with a backlog of testing due to the overwhelming demand. Private laboratories 4Cyte Pathology, ACL, Melbourne Pathology and Dorevitch Pathology will temporarily close testing centres in the state. “I’m afraid that today four of our private sector laboratory partners have confirmed they are closing, temporarily suspending a number of their testing centres,” Victorian Covid commander Jeroen Weimar told reporters. Mr Weimar said the labs would continue to work 24/7 to process the backlog of tests built up over the last few weeks. In NSW, it’s a similar story, with 28 test sites across the state set to close.

Travel Trouble

VB revives classic ad to join the vaccine push

The growing list of companies encouraging Aussies to roll up their sleeves for a COVID-19 jab has a new addition: Victoria Bitter. The iconic beer brand has rehashed their classic jingle in a new campaign video, arguing that you can’t get “a hard earned thirst” from being in lockdown. “Right now, you can’t get it goalin’. You can’t get it bowlin’. You can’t get it taking a vow, or chasing a cow,” the iconic voiceover says. <img style="width: 0px; height:0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843950/f68a6b112d50f34d3a585c614e3e9c71fee536d7-16x9-x29y0w1941h1092.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b690f15f2e6141c99571bb74099ab130" /> Image: Supplied “A hard earned thirst comes from being all over town, not from being in lockdown. “So if you’d like to get back to leading a band, or lending a hand, rolly up your sleeves and get the jab.” VB spokesman Brian Phan said the company has joined the vaccination push “so we can re-open all of Australia’s pubs, clubs, construction sites, offices, shops and everywhere you earn a hard earned thirst”. <img style="width: 0px; height:0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843949/vb-matter-of-fact-get-the-jab-tvc-via-clemenger-bbdo-melbourne-0-28-screenshot.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/df5f2fa515ba4ab89c654868316f3f62" /> Image: Victoria Bitter “And let’s be honest, you can’t really earn one sitting on the couch or doing a puzzle,” he said. “It’s a serious issue, but our Aussie sense of humour is still important during a pandemic.” Watch the ad here. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T7GZ10PCjXY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Image: Victoria Bitter

Caring

New reports show lockdowns may push into 2022

As Australia's Covid crisis rages on, it's been reported that Scott Morrison and national cabinet leaders are preparing for targeted lockdowns which will run into next year. This has been backed up by the PM’s own refusal to rule out 2022 lockdowns, when he stated “No one can give those guarantees.” “The virus is unpredictable and it would be irresponsible to do so,” Morrison added. According to The Australian, the Doherty Institute has prepared scenarios to be presented to national cabinet today which show the outcomes of the different approaches including the vaccination rates we need for Australia to start opening up. The Treasury department will then work on the economic cost of different outcomes and they will use this data to formulate our future COVID-19 policies. This news comes as Greater Sydney's lockdown has been extended by another month with NSW recording its worst day since the pandemic began on Thursday with 239 new infections. Hard-hit hot spot zones say they have an “unfair deal” The mayors from Sydney's eight hot spot zones have taken to social media and other means to state they feel they’re not being treated fairly. Cumberland mayor Steve Christou joined in today telling the Today show, his community was getting an "unfair deal". "I'm just here trying to do the best and represent the interests of my community, who, at the moment, are getting an unfair deal," he told the program. "They don't deserve this," he added. Growing push to restrict the unvaccinated There's a growing push to make moves to restrict the movements of the unvaccinated when Australia opens up after the pandemic. Speaking to 3AW, NAB boss Ross McEwan said a bank survey had found 80 per cent of the population planned to get the jab, while 10 per cent were undecided and 10 per cent were against it. McEwan said those who got the jab should be rewarded: “Let’s target the 80 per cent who do want to get the job done and get the vaccination into their arms. Then work on the 10 per cent who can be swung across. Then let’s open this economy up because everybody’s had a chance," he said. “Let’s get 90 per cent of the population vaccinated and give them freedom. For those that don’t want the vaccination, well they can stay at home.” he said. There are also plans to ease travel restrictions on those who are vaccinated, including international travel and quarantine-at-home when arriving back from overseas trips. Other plans include restrictions on restaurants and cinemas for those who aren’t vaccinated. Image: Getty Images

Caring

Desperate push to restart cruising in Australia

Cruise heads are urging the Federal government to figure out a way to bring cruising back to Australia, however the future remains uncertain. Australians working in the cruise industry are desperate to create a solid “plan” for their lives, the Cruise Lines International Association Managing Director Joel Katz told Sky News. The coronavirus pandemic set the once-booming cruising industry to a crashing halt at the beginning of 2020, but Mr Katz says that considering 1 in 17 Australians opted to cruise before COVID-19 hit; not enough is being done to bring it back. He went on to say Aussies are certainly itching to set sail again, and he believes the Australian government’s current international border restrictions could help elevate tourism to regional areas. “18,000 jobs around Australia are dependent on the cruise industry, and what they’re saying is they need some certainty about the pathway forward,” he told Sky News. “That’s what we’re saying to the government, let’s work out what the framework is for cruise resumption so that all these Australians who are looking [for] the pathway ahead can plan their lives. “We have the opportunity, while our international borders are closed, to offer domestic cruising to the amazing ports and destinations right around Australia, our communities. “Our regional areas are crying out for tourism and cruise has the ability to deliver to those communities while the international borders remain closed safely within the Australian bubble.”

Cruising

Insane moment teen pushes away huge mama bear

A teenager is lucky to have escaped with just a sprained finger after pushing away a mother bear to protect her pet dogs. Californian resident Hailey was caught on CCTV coming face-to-face with the black bear, which had climbed along her backyard fence with its two cubs. In a TikTok video, Hailey said she initially thought her dogs were barking at another dog or a squirrel. "I go to tell them to stop, and when I go over there to see what they're barking at, I'm like 'that's a funny-looking dog'," Hailey said. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> A 17-year-old wasted no time fending off a huge bear, pushing it off a wall, before it could get to dogs—including her mother's service dog—in her backyard. <a href="https://t.co/5rjCTRJ8uH">https://t.co/5rjCTRJ8uH</a> <a href="https://t.co/6dJ14fLy2y">pic.twitter.com/6dJ14fLy2y</a> — ABC News (@ABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1399773964629590016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2021</a></blockquote> The CCTV shows the two bear cubs scurrying along the brick fence to escape the four barking dogs, while the mother bear starts to swipe at the pets. Hailey then rushes towards the bear and pushes it off the wall. "By the time I get there, the bear is literally picking up one of my dogs," Hailey said. "I go over to the bear, I look it in the eyes and the first thing I think to do is push it. "I don't think I pushed her that hard, I just pushed her enough to make her lose her balance. "So she drops my dog and I run out of there." Hailey said she sprained her finger and scraped her knee but her, and her pets, were "all OK". A female black bear can weigh up to 80 kilograms.

Family & Pets

Push to rename iconic Aussie ice cream over "offensive" name

There is increasing amounts of pressure to rename beloved Aussie favourite Golden Gaytime amid concerns it causes offence to the gay community. Australian man, Brian Mc, launched a petition online earlier in the month and has since gone to war with ice-cream giant Streets and its parent company Unilever. The petition has over 800 signatures so far. According to Mr Mc, the name of the ice cream, which was first released in 1959, is "outdated" and "offensive" and is asking for the term "gay" to be banished from the title. “As a part of the LGBTQIA+ community I believe my sexual identity is owned by me, not a brand and that the outdated meaning no longer applies. Isn’t it time for this double entendre to end?” he said in the notes below the petition. Other brands have changed their names in the last year to remove racist connotations. For instance, Redskins became Red Ripper, Chicos became Cheekies and Coon Cheese was renamed Cheer Cheese. Now Mr Mc is calling for Golden Gaytime to receive the same treatment. “Under the law they are seen the same, discrimination means being treated unfairly or not as well as others because of a protected characteristic like age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, race or disability,” he said. “It’s not my place to tell Streets what to call their rebranded product, but I do feel it’s time that the Golden Gaytime is called out for being outdated, especially when Streets is releasing new products and cross promotions in 2021.” Mr Mc revealed he had faced a lot of grief for speaking out about the name but refused to back down. “Just to be a gay man, even in 2021 is still hard … (we) still have a long way to go to be fully accepted as equals, but if we see an area in life that’s not equal, and we are able to change it for the better, why wouldn’t you speak up,” Mr Mc said. “This is why I'm speaking out against Golden Gaytime. “I’m not calling for the product to be cancelled, I’m calling for the product to remove Gay from its name.” A Streets spokesperson told NCA NewsWire that the Golden Gaytime was released in Australia during 1959 when the word “gay” had not yet been applied to gender preference. “The origin of the ‘Gaytime’ name was and remains related to having a joyous or happy time and is meant to capture the pleasure that comes with enjoying an ice cream,” they said in a statement. “The ‘Gaytime’ name is not and never has intended to cause offence and this petition is the first that we have been made aware of. “As a Unilever brand, Streets has a deep and longstanding commitment to help build a more diverse, equitable and inclusive society for all.” Golden Gaytime has a different name in other countries. In New Zealand it is known as a Cookie Crumble. “Gay and Gaytime no longer mean what it used to. Now gay is either ‘I'm gay’, and not as in happy, or ‘that’s so gay’, which is an insult. But either way this ice cream should be called happytime, “ one respondent to the petition said. Unilever has been contacted for comment.

News

Fatal dog attack pushes for ban on animals in stores

Bunnings is being pressured to ban dogs from their stores after a fatal incident inside a Brisbane store over the weekend left staff and customers shaken up. An unrestrained dog attacked and killed a smaller animal that was sitting in a trolley at the Stafford outlet. Despite the smaller dog’s fight, they did not make it after being rushed to emergency services. Bunnings currently do allow dogs into stores but stipulates that the animals must be friendly, and need to be secured safely in a vehicle or trolley, or on a lead and wearing a muzzle, or being carried. Gina Gilmore was shopping in the store when she saw the “pit bull” begin to attack the smaller, white fluffy pet. Ms Gilmore said the attack had been “brutal and graphic” and said it never should have happened. “I’m all for businesses allowing pets if people follow the rules,” she said. “I think in this case the pit bull owner let that dog down terribly. It was clearly vicious and should never have been in a public place, let alone Bunnings.” Bunnings say they have been in touch with the owner of the deceased dog to “offer support. The incident sparked fury online, with many questioning why dogs, other than assistance or guide animals, are allowed in stores. The Courier Mail conducted a survey which saw 3400 Facebook users calling for a ban on dogs in stores, while over 2100 ruled the possible new ban an overstep. “Only guide and assistance dogs should be allowed into any shop, retail store or shopping centre anywhere. All other dogs should be left at home period,” Gail Kelly commented. “Unless they are a help dog they should not be allowed in any store or market. Regardless of what the owner might say, sometimes things happen that upset the dog,” Irwin Carrier went on to say. “Why the bloody hell do people have to take their dogs with them everywhere they go. Surely they can go to the hardware (store) and leave it at home,” Jeff Campbell also said. Others took to the comments to place blame on the “pit bull” owner, saying most shoppers happily abide by the rules. “Bunnings is a fantastic place to socialize your dog and for many people, their dogs are their children. If people simply obided (sic) by the rules regarding having their dogs in Bunnings, none of this would have happened,” Izzy Willis wrote. “If the dog was on a leash and muzzled as per company policy this wouldn’t have happened. Why should one gronk ruin it for so many others,” Zee Marincowits wrote. “Surely owner has to be held accountable for their pets actions. If they can’t be controlled, don’t take them out in public,” Brett Simpson said. Bunnings and Brisbane City Council are currently conducting an investigation into the incident. “Pet owners must show responsibility, and we expect all owners to ensure their animal is under effective control at all times when in public and at home,” Councillor Kim Marx said. “The State Government’s Animal Management Act outlines what action Council can take following an investigation into an incident.”

News

"We don't have a choice": Jacqui Lambie's detention centre push

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> Tasmania Senator Jacqui Lambie has made a controversial call to send returned overseas travellers to Christmas Island for quarantine. She says that officials "have no other choice" to deal with the infectious UK COVID strain, saying that the current system doesn't work. "Those in power in Canberra don't have any other choice. We have a new strain running around now. Lot more contagious. We have to lift the bar," Ms Lambie told Today. "We have empty detention centres, (I) don't give a stuff if it's Christmas Island. If you're an overseas traveller coming home, and we have to get a little bit hardcore for you for the safety of everybody else in the country and that means you have to stay in these places, so be it. "If that means we can also get more home in quicker time than we owe it to Australians to do that". She also urged Prime Minister Scott Morriston to develop a coordinated national response to COVID. "We have a new strain running around now. Lot more contagious. We have to lift the bar. We don't have a choice," she said. "What I'd like to see is some leadership over this whole COVID stuff from Scott Morrison. "We let the state leaders and premiers work this out and I have to be honest with they've done a good job, but it's about time the Commonwealth stood up and started actually taking lock stock and barrel of this. "Get them in those camps. Get them in those detention centres so we can get them back to daily lives and back in the country and get them working." Many on Facebook agreed with Lambie's comments. "Christmas Island is better alternative than being quarantined in a hotel room for two weeks! Even criminals in gaol get daily outdoor exercise," one agreed. "They should have been doing this from the start. Hotel quarantine clearly isn't working," another said. </div> </div> </div>

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Swapping stamp duty for land tax would push down house prices but push up apartment prices, new modelling finds

Furious tradies surround luxury car for pushing in a Covid testing line

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Desperate push to restart cruising in Australia

Insane moment teen pushes away huge mama bear

Push to rename iconic Aussie ice cream over "offensive" name

Fatal dog attack pushes for ban on animals in stores

"We don't have a choice": Jacqui Lambie's detention centre push

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