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Disgraced Olympian sentenced over failed drug plot

An Olympic silver medallist and his younger brother, who tried to smuggle hundreds of kilograms of cocaine worth about $200 million into Australia, have been sentenced a second time. Nathan Baggaley, 48, a former champion kayaker and his brother Dru Baggaley, 42, faced Brisbane supreme court on Monday after pleading guilty to attempting to import a commercial quantity of drugs. Dru and another man were intercepted by the navy in July 2017, after he was found using a seven-metre inflatable boat to pick up 650 kilograms of cocaine from a ship near Australia's east coast. The inflatable boat, which was launched from Brunswick Heads on the NSW north coast, had been bought by Nathan and was registered in his name. The brothers were previously found guilty of attempting to import cocaine by a Brisbane Supreme Court jury in April 2021. Nathan was sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment and his brother 28 years, but they later won appeals against their convictions and were ordered to face the retrial that was supposed to start on October 28, but instead pleaded guilty to the same charge. On Monday, Justice Declan Kelly sentenced Nathan to 13 years in jail and his brother 15 years. With time already served, they are now eligible for parole. During their sentencing hearing, Justice Kelly said there was insufficient evidence to prove Dru knew he was importing cocaine, after the court was told he thought he was collecting tobacco. “Dru was reckless that there was a substantial quantity of a border-controlled drug but there is insufficient evidence that he knew the precise quantity,” Justice Kelly said. He said that Nathan didn't initially know that it was an attempt to import a border-controlled drug until July 30 2018. "From that point in time he was aware of the attempt to import a substantial quantity of a border-controlled drug but was reckless as to the identity of that drug," Justice Kelly said. “It cannot be shown that Nathan knew the drug was cocaine or the precise amount of the drug.” Kelly accepted a defence barrister's submission the facts were profoundly different” compared to their 2021 sentencing, but said that regardless, the importation size was a "“very relevant factor” in his sentencing. Image: Erik S Lesser/EPA/ Shutterstock Editorial

Legal

Coles and Woolies shoppers could claim thousands over alleged deceptive pricing

Coles and Woolworths shoppers could claim up to $5,000 if the supermarket giants are found out for deceiving customers with dodgy pricing tactics, according to a leading lawyer. Carter Capner Law is one of two firms investigating whether a class action suit on behalf of shoppers is viable in conjunction with the ACCC's legal action against the two chains. Both Coles and Woolworths have bee accused of violating Australian consumer law by the consumer watchdog after allegedly intentionally misleading customers by driving up prices and then putting those items on sale for their original prices under the "Prices Dropped" and "Down Down" campaigns. “Early estimates suggest that households could claim between $2,000 and $5,000, depending on the amount spent and the impact of the deceptive pricing,” law director Peter Carter said, who began advocating for people after he received an "avalanche of calls from outraged customers". While Carter said the firm initially had no plans to commence a class action, he admitted that after speaking about it to the media, the company were inundated with Coles and Woolworths customers "demanding action and compensation". He believes Australians already doing it tough through the cost of living crisis felt "betrayed" by the supermarkets, while Flinders University research fellow in law Dr Joel Lisk said that the class action is "a positive" for shoppers. "The ACCC proceedings aren't about getting refunds for customers," he told Yahoo. "But if they are successful it would mean customers have, in theory, been misled and deceived and could be entitled to damages." When it comes to damages, it's something Dr Lisk said "starts to add up" for customers, although it's "hard to say" if financial penalties to businesses found guilty of wrongdoing would impact misleading and deceptive conduct in the future. "If [fines are] seen as just the cost of doing business it doesn't really dissuade businesses from engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct," he said. "Seeking damages from business for the losses that individuals like us have incurred is one way of doing that. But of course, we're talking probably about dollars and cents in transactions when businesses like Coles and Woolworths deal in the billions." Image credits: Shutterstock

Legal

"Can you sleep at night?" Frustrated shopper confronts Woolies CEO over price gouging

A frustrated Woolworths shopper has called out the supermarket's CEO in store to demand answers about Woolies' record-breaking profits during the cost of living crisis. Chief executive Amanda Bardwell was walking around a Woolworths store in Wollongong when the heated exchange took place, with the whole thing captured on camera. The customer fired off hard-hitting questions to the CEO and other senior staff members, asking, "What do you have to say to the fact that your company is profiting off price gouging during the cost of living crisis?" Ms Bardwell, looking visibly shocked by the confrontation, replied, "Thank you for reaching out to us, we're doing everything we can to recognise that customers are doing it tough to make sure that they're able to get great prices." The woman didn't accept her answer, firing back, "I really don't believe that. Millions of people in Australia right now have to skip meals in order to survive, while you continue to make big bucks and working class people suffer. Can you sleep at night knowing that?" Ms Bardwell replied, "Our team are doing everything that we can to support our customers. We understand that it is an incredibly difficult time right now." A staff member then intervened, adding, "We have lowered prices and you see that right throughout our store… that's great value for our customers." Ms Bardwell thanked the customer for sharing her views and said Woolworths was doing "everything we can" to keep prices low for customers, before another staff member chimed in to say "It's actually illegal to film people in NSW without permission, with the CEO walking away. Social media users were quick to praise the woman for confronting Miss Bardwell, while sharing their own stories of being stung by hefty supermarket prices. "I'm sick of paying nearly $300 a week on groceries. That's choosing the cheapest products. My fridge still looks half empty when I unpack," one said. "I'm sure Coles and Woolworth management don't have cost of living crisis as they are getting bigger and bigger bonus year after year," a second wrote. Others took aim at one particular comment in the video, pointing out, "'It’s illegal to film in NSW without permission', yet Woolworths has how many cameras in every store? Cameras in people’s faces in self serve on every screen. Did they get our permission?" Another added, "If only their empathy was as big as their prices." Image credits: TikTok

Legal

Shoppers outraged over Coles bin full of discarded groceries

A shocking photo of a bin filled with discarded groceries at the back of a Coles supermarket has gone viral, outraging many shoppers. The photo, taken behind the Drouin store in West Gippsland, Victoria, shows a skip bin measuring over a metre high overflowing with tens of thousands of dollars worth of food, including meat, ice cream, pasta, pizzas, dips, cheeses, juice and smoked salmon. According to 7News, the products were thrown out after the region was hit with a storm that caused a power outage, and as the store did not have a backup generator, the refrigerated food was spoiled and needed to be thrown out. Coles has explained that items had to be discarded to ensure customer safety, but many shoppers were left shocked and infuriated about the waste, arguing the store should have been ready for the storms with backup generators. “For the 2023/24 financial year, Coles Australia reported a net profit of $1.1 billion and can’t afford back up generators, go figure,” one wrote. Others insisted some of the food could have been saved or donated, as one person said, “Butter that stays on the bench for two weeks (is) fine!” while another insisted, “at least donate it”. A supermarket worker commiserated with the upset shoppers, as they wrote online, “As someone who works for one of the supermarket chains, I have had to partake in this due to a prolonged power outage earlier this year.” “I feel for these staff, there’s nothing worse than having to throw out so much refrigerated stock. Coming from a family who didn’t have much, I get the pain people feel from this incident.” However, one social media user noted that regarding donations, “legally they cannot, if they give someone food poisoning and kill them they are liable”. A Coles spokesperson told <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/photograph-of-coles-bin-full-of-discarded-items-stuns-shoppers/news-story/871cedeb7daf66422534e4aee55f1ee4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a> that food safety is a top priority, saying in a statement, “Due to the extreme weather that hit much of Victoria early last week, there were widespread power outages, including in the Drouin and surrounding areas.” “Food safety is paramount at Coles and unfortunately as a result of products being un-refrigerated for an extended period of time, for safety and quality reasons, we needed to dispose of a number of products to ensure customer safety. “Where possible, Coles always donates product that is fit for use and safe for consumption to food rescue organisations.” Image credits: 7News

Money & Banking

Couple's retirement plans "ruined" after investment fail

A couple from Brisbane claim their retirement has been "ruined" after an investment went wrong. After first visiting Coffs Harbour in 1976, Raymond and Wendy Dibb saw potential in the area, land-banking 2.7 hectares of rural acreage in the late 1980s. The couple bought the land in Korora for $118,000 in 1988 and sat on it for decades, waiting for the day they could make their retirement fortune by subdividing and selling it off. However they never got the chance, as the land was compulsorily acquired by Transport for NSW back in 2021 in order to make way for the Pacific Highway bypass. The $2.2 billion highway is now currently being built over the top of the block, which will be the site of a major intersection when the project opens to traffic in late 2026. The couple believed the land was worth a hefty $5.5 million, although Transport NSW valued it at just $1.062 million back in 2021. A gruelling three-year legal battle finally ended in the NSW Court of Appeal on June 28th, with the Dibbs being awarded $1.359 million in compensation, although they argued they deserved more. “This was a pretty significant financial transaction that’s really gone bad for us,” Raymond Dibb told the <a title="www.smh.com.au" href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/couple-loses-property-fight-after-highway-swallows-5-5-million-dream-20240703-p5jqrx.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sydney Morning Herald. </a>“And it’s got nothing to do with our investment choices." “We’re talking about landowners just minding their own business, and someone comes knocking on your door, saying, ‘We’re going to take your land’”. Mr Dibb slammed the entire process of the acquisition, saying that he believed an independent body should conduct compulsory acquisitions rather than the government. In the Land and Environment Court, Justice Nicola Pain ended up increasing the couple’s compensation to $1.42 million after it was determined the land could have produced seven residential lots with less risk and cost. She found they were also entitled to money to cover fees and stamp duty on a replacement block for their land bank, which the couple argued they would need to buy to delay paying capital gains tax. Transport for NSW argued that they should not have been granted any money for stamp duty, with Justices Kristina Stern, Anthony Payne and Jeremy Kirk agreeing. This was stripped from the award and they refused to revalue the block of land. The couple were also ordered to pay the government’s costs of the two-day appeal. Mr Dibb is considering seeking leave to appeal against the High Court’s decision. He added that the couple’s retirement plans had been ruined by Transport for NSW, which originally offered just $470,000 for the land back in 2019. A spokesperson for Transport for NSW said the government body “empathises with residents and landowners affected by property acquisitions” and said they always “try to minimise the need for property acquisition”. Image credits: Shutterstock

Money & Banking

Just 15 centimetres of water can float a car – but we are failing to educate drivers about the dangers of floodwaters

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amy-peden-1136424">Amy Peden</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kyra-hamilton-331594">Kyra Hamilton</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Every year in Australia, people driving into floodwaters drown and many more are <a href="https://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/disaster-tabs-header/flood/">rescued</a>. Do you know what to do when there’s water on the road? We searched all state and territory learner and driver handbooks for information about floodwaters, including signage. Our findings, published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022437524000860?via%3Dihub">Journal of Safety Research</a>, are disturbing. Across half of Australia’s states and territories, the driver handbook ignores flooding. That’s a missed opportunity, considering the handbook contains road rules and provides advice on how to navigate safely. While some states fail to provide any flood-related information, others give detailed practical guidance. Only the New South Wales handbook includes explanation of the meaning and purpose of flood signage. This is despite almost all states and territories experiencing vehicle-related flood <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jfr3.12616">deaths</a>, including <a href="https://currents.plos.org/disasters/article/causal-pathways-of-flood-related-river-drowning-deaths-in-australia/">drowning</a>, between 2001 and 2017. It’s a major problem that is only going to get worse as the climate changes. So our research shows driver education needs to come up to speed, fast. <h2>Why do people drive into floodwaters?</h2> Our previous <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212420918301869">research</a> revealed motorists can feel compelled to drive into floodwaters for a range of reasons. These include time pressures such as being late for work or school, or needing to get home to family or pets. Sometimes they feel pressured by their passengers, or motorists behind them on the road, urging them to cross. People also report having been encouraged or instructed as learners to drive into floodwaters. Past experience as a passenger also influences a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369847823000475">learner driver’s</a> future willingness to drive into floodwaters. So the views of significant others, such as their supervising driver, strongly influence decisions around driving into floodwaters. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZtlXpDBjU1Q?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Avoid driving into floodwaters, for life’s sake.</figcaption></figure> <h2>What we did and what we found</h2> We assessed all publicly available, government-issued learner and driver handbooks (12 documents) across all six Australian states and two territories. We also looked for flood-related signage. We used a method for reviewing online material through a systematic search including in-document key words and imagery. Four jurisdictions provided no information on flooding in the handbook. In the ACT, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria, drivers need to look elsewhere for information on floodwaters and driving safety. Only one jurisdiction provided information on flood signage such as depth markers and “road subject to flooding”. Hats off to the <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-11/Road-User-Handbook-English.pdf">NSW Road User Handbook</a>, which warns: <blockquote> Floodwater is extremely dangerous. Find another way or wait until the road is clear. It’s safer to turn around than to drive in floodwater. </blockquote> For the states and territories that did provide information on floodwaters in the handbook, the content varied. NSW, Queensland and the Northern Territory warned against entering floodwaters in a vehicle. They highlighted the dangers and financial penalties associated with driving on closed roads. In the NT and Western Australia, handbooks provided practical information on when and how to cross floodwaters safely, such as how to gauge safe water depth based on vehicle size, and to avoid fast-flowing water. Although well-intentioned, judgements around what constitutes fast-flowing water are subjective and hard for any driver to assess, let alone learner drivers. Even drivers of larger vehicles such as four-wheel drives are regularly involved in flood-related <a href="https://currents.plos.org/disasters/article/causal-pathways-of-flood-related-river-drowning-deaths-in-australia/">vehicle drowning fatalities</a>. Just <a href="https://www.ses.vic.gov.au/news-and-media/campaigns/15-to-float">45cm</a> of water can float a large 4WD, and considerably less for smaller vehicles. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t4ilUbMXZAQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>A small car can float in just 15cm of water.</figcaption></figure> Handbooks represent valuable sources of safety information, particularly for new drivers who must learn important road rules to progress from one licence to another. Such graduated driver licensing schemes reduce road traffic injury, particularly among <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022437523000385">young people</a>. However, many of these handbooks fail to provide consistent, practical evidence-based information about flooding. There is an opportunity here to support safer driving behaviours. <h2>Safety tips for all drivers</h2> We encourage drivers to follow these safety tips: <ul> <li>avoid driving into floodwaters</li> <li>identify alternative routes, so you have a <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-roads-become-rivers-forming-a-plan-b-can-stop-people-driving-into-floodwaters-183036">plan B</a></li> <li>familiarise yourself, and any learner drivers in the household or under your care, with the meaning and purpose of flood signage</li> <li>understand the legal consequences of crossing a road closed sign</li> <li>discuss the dangers of driving into floodwaters with learner drivers and help them formulate their own plan B</li> <li>model safe driving for all passengers, including children.</li> </ul> <h2>Time to lift our game</h2> Driving into floodwaters remains the main cause of <a href="https://currents.plos.org/disasters/article/causal-pathways-of-flood-related-river-drowning-deaths-in-australia/">flood-related drowning</a> in Australia. For our emergency service personnel, driver behaviour, including people ignoring road closed signs, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/hpja.181">significantly complicates</a> the already dangerous act of performing a flood rescue. Extreme weather and flooding are likely to become more frequent and intense in the future. That means the chance of being faced with a flooded road is growing. So information about driving during floods is vital for all, from the newly licensed to the experienced driver. We hope our research will encourage all states and territories to include provide practical, evidence-based advice on floods in driver handbooks as soon as possible.<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/233116/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amy-peden-1136424">Amy Peden</a>, NHMRC Research Fellow, School of Population Health & co-founder UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kyra-hamilton-331594">Kyra Hamilton</a>, Associate Professor in Applied Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock 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/just-15-centimetres-of-water-can-float-a-car-but-we-are-failing-to-educate-drivers-about-the-dangers-of-floodwaters-233116">original article</a>. </div>

Travel Trouble

Woman dies after police fail to respond to 000 call in time

A delayed police response is under investigation after a woman in her 40s died when police officers took almost an hour to respond to a 000 call. Sarah Miles, a mother-of-three from Byron Bay, died after she was allegedly beaten by her boyfriend in her home on Saturday morning. A triple-0 call was made at 1:30am after neighbours reportedly heard screams coming from the house, but NSW Police didn’t acknowledge the call until 2:25am. By the time they arrived on the scene, they found Miles fighting for life in her final moments. She was unconscious but breathing, with “obvious injuries” to her head caused by a physical assault, NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said. “Police assisted her and called for an ambulance immediately (which) arrived very shortly after, but unfortunately, her condition deteriorated, and she died at the scene,” McKenna said. “The delay in the timing of police acknowledging that call and attending the scene has given me enough concern that I’ve asked for an independent review of this investigation as to what that delay was and if it was justified." “We want to see what happened from the time that call was made, how the radio operator dispatched that call, the circumstances around the timings until it was acknowledged and until police attended.” The NSW Police Homicide Squad is working separately with local officers to investigate Miles’ death. McKenna said the force takes domestic violence very seriously and the issue is at the “top of our priority list”. “It is one of the most serious crimes there is, and we will do everything we can to take this as seriously as we can and make sure people are held to account and put before the courts,” he said. Miles's partner, Dwayne John Creighton, 31, was arrested at the scene and taken to Lismore Police Station, where he was charged with one count of murder. Image credits: 7News

Legal

Karl Stefanovic reveals real meaning behind "controversial" tattoo

Karl Stefanovic has revealed the real meaning behind his own tattoo fail. The Today show host opened up about his youthful mistake during an appearance on Nova's Jase & Lauren show, as they were discussing unfortunate tattoos. Stefanovic showed off the Japanese phrase inked on his shoulder to hosts Jason Hawkins, Lauren Phillips and Clint Stanaway, and explained that he found out it was mistranslated 20 years after he got it. "I got this when I was at uni. Look at that bad boy!" Stefanovic said on the show. When asked what the tattoo was supposed to mean he answered: "Well, it's controversial, because when I got it done, I wanted to say to be real and to love, right?" "And then, like, 20 years later, I'm in this pool with this Japanese lady and I said 'what does this mean?' She goes, 'it doesn't mean that'," he continued. "And I said, well what does it mean? She goes, it means you really love yourself!" A clearly amused Lauren replied: "Perfect!" Stefanovic isn't the only star who has a tattoo with an error. Ariana Grande, Christina Aguilera and Hayden Panettiere are some of the other famous names who have made the same mistake. Back in the 2000s Britney Spears also got a tattoo with the wrong translation. According to the New York Times, the pop star wanted the word "mysterios" written in Chinese characters on her hip, but ended up with a word that translated to "strange" instead. Images: Instagram/ Nine <div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="ob-smartfeed-wrapper feedIdx-0" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div id="outbrain_widget_0" class="OUTBRAIN" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;" data-src="//celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/karl-stefanovic-discovered-tattoo-meaning-20-years-later/184996a1-6709-4aef-8f8e-d61ad95da58b" data-widget-id="AR_8" data-external-id="70508f2b6f72d5ccede0a8c344e8e8b2" data-ob-mark="true" data-browser="chrome" data-os="macintel" data-dynload="" data-idx="0"> <div class="ob-widget ob-feed-layout AR_8" style="box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; position: relative; width: auto; min-width: 0px; clear: both;"> <div class="ob-widget-header" style="box-sizing: content-box; margin: 24px 0px 14px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 18px; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: #303030; direction: ltr; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: center;"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Body

The hidden risks of buy now, pay later: What shoppers need to know

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/vivek-astvansh-1318943">Vivek Astvansh</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/mcgill-university-827">McGill University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chandan-kumar-behera-1479139">Chandan Kumar Behera</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/indian-institute-of-management-lucknow-6023">Indian Institute of Management Lucknow</a> <iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/the-hidden-risks-of-buy-now-pay-later-what-shoppers-need-to-know" width="100%" height="400"></iframe> <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency/services/loans/buy-now-pay-later.html">Buy now, pay later</a> is a relatively new form of financial technology that allows consumers to purchase an item immediately and repay the balance at a later time in instalments. Unlike applying for a credit card, buy now, pay later <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4591446">doesn’t require a credit check</a>. Instead, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-11-2021-0923">these programs use algorithms</a> to perform <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/soft-inquiry.asp">“soft” credit checks</a> to determine <a href="https://theconversation.com/if-it-looks-like-debt-lets-treat-it-like-debt-buy-now-pay-later-schemes-need-firmer-regulation-in-nz-211820">a shopper’s eligibility</a>. This means buy now, pay later loans target <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/jan/27/buy-now-pay-later-schemes-entice-consumers-spend-more">low-income, tech-savvy</a> <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/27/gen-z-and-millennials-prefer-buy-now-pay-later-services.html">millennials and Gen Z shoppers</a> in an effort to <a href="https://libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2023/09/who-uses-buy-now-pay-later/">supposedly improve financial inclusion</a> for these groups. However, the newness of buy now, pay later programs means existing <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/acfi.13100">consumer credit laws don’t cover it</a>. This lack of regulation puts shoppers at financial risk of accumulating higher levels of debt. <h2>Credit cards versus buy now, pay later</h2> There are three key differences between credit cards and buy now, pay later loans. First, while buy now, pay later loans are a line of credit like credit cards are, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/04/klarna-to-report-buy-now-pay-later-data-to-uk-credit-bureaus.html">they don’t impact credit reports</a>. Because of this, shoppers might be less cautious when using buy now, pay later services. Credit cards typically have annual interest rates ranging from <a href="https://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/what-is-credit-card-apr/#credit-card-apr-vs-credit-card-interest">15 to 26 per cent</a>. While most buy now, pay later loans have no interest, longer term loans have <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/buy-now-pay-later-loans-interest-rate-fees-tips-what-to-know/">annual interest rates of about 37 per cent</a>. Shoppers are <a href="https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/buy-now-pay-later-how-retails-hot-feature-hurts-lower-income-shoppers">at risk of overusing buy now, pay later programs</a> and accumulating more debt than they can manage. In addition, formal lenders, such as banks, currently have no way of knowing what buy now, pay later debt a person is carrying. The lender, therefore, likely incurs more risk than they are aware of. Second, credit cards typically provide <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2022.2161830">an interest-free period</a>, after which <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/03128962211032448">borrowers must pay interest</a>. In contrast, buy now, pay later users typically don’t have interest fees, but can incur <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/IJBM-07-2022-0324">late fees for missed or late payments</a>. Falling behind on payment terms <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/andriacheng/2020/12/16/why-retailers-are-embracing-buy-now-pay-later-service-this-holiday-season/">can result in charges</a> that exceed <a href="https://stateline.org/2022/02/02/regulators-scrutinize-buy-now-pay-later-plans/">typical credit card interest rates</a>, causing more harm than interest payments. Low-income buy now, pay later users are <a href="https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/buy-now-pay-later-how-retails-hot-feature-hurts-lower-income-shoppers">particularly vulnerable</a> to <a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/research-reports/consumer-use-of-buy-now-pay-later-insights-from-the-cfpb-making-ends-meet-survey/">using overdrafts to cover their buy now, pay later payments</a>. Third, people typically have just a few credit cards, making it easier to keep track of payments. Buy now, pay later users, on the other hand, usually engage with multiple buy now, pay later lenders through retailers. As a result, it’s difficult for them to keep track of all the buy now, pay later lenders and retailers they made purchases from. <h2>What are the Canadian governments doing?</h2> Canada classifies buy now, pay later as an unsecured instalment loan, which means lenders are subject to laws at the federal and provincial levels. Under federal law, there is an <a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1711291/000171129122000011/curo-20211231.htm">annual interest rate cap of 60 per cent</a>. Provincial laws require buy now, pay later lenders to disclose the cost of credit and extend consumer protection rights to buy now, pay later shoppers. At the provincial level, <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency/services/loans/buy-now-pay-later.html">specific laws come into play</a>. Manitoba, Alberta, Québec, and Ontario have passed laws that require lenders to be licensed before they offer these products and be subject to regulatory oversight. These laws regulate high-cost credit products that have annual rates of 32 per cent or higher. This means buy now, pay later services should fall under this category. However, I found no evidence of buy now, pay later lenders being licensed in Canada. This means either lenders are not aware they fall under these laws, or no one is enforcing them. This ambiguity over whether or not buy now, pay later lenders are subject to regulatory oversight could be a hindrance for banks like the <a href="https://financialpost.com/fp-finance/fintech/why-higher-interest-rates-threaten-the-buy-now-pay-later-bubble">Bank of Nova Scotia and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce</a>, as it deters them from entering the buy now, pay later market despite its profitability. <h2>Questions to ask before using buy now, pay later</h2> Before signing up for a buy now, pay later loan, shoppers should consider the following six questions. 1. Payment structure. How much of the invoice amount needs to be paid upfront? The norm is typically 25 per cent. What is the number of remaining instalments? The answer to this is usually four. Lastly, what is the frequency of instalments? The norm is biweekly. 2. Sensitive information. Does the lender require you to provide information about your chequing account? This is sensitive information to give away and puts you at risk of data breaches. Most buy now, pay later lenders withdraw instalment amounts from chequing accounts or debit cards, potentially exposing shoppers to greater risks than credit cards. 3. Interest charges Does the buy now, pay later lender charge interest on instalment payments? The norm is no. 4. Late fees How much is the late fee, when does it apply and what is the maximum amount of the late fee? Typically, late fees don’t exceed $8 or one-quarter of the invoice amount. Late fees usually kick in if your scheduled payment remains unpaid after 10 days. 5. Data responsibility. Who is responsible for your data? Whether it’s the retailer, the buy now, pay later lender or a company whose cloud storage the provider may be using, you should know. In general, the buy now, pay later lender holds this responsibility. 6. Licensing. Is the buy now, pay later lender licensed to sell the loan? Usually, the <a href="https://dfpi.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/337/2020/03/afterpay-settlement.pdf">answer to this question is no</a>. <h2>Buy now, pay later regulation</h2> Two sets of laws and regulations should be implemented to address some of these issues. The first set of regulations focuses on how buy now, pay later lenders interact with consumers. These lenders should clearly communicate <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4359956">all terms and conditions of their loans</a>, including late charges, interest charges and payment schedules, on their platforms to ensure shoppers are fully informed of their financial obligations. The Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom recently issued guidelines allowing buy now, pay later lenders to <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/ca428bc8-65c3-49ed-8ba6-0d6f206098aa">terminate, suspend or restrict access to shopper accounts</a> for any reason without notice. Effective September 2024, New Zealand will require buy now, pay later lenders to <a href="https://theconversation.com/if-it-looks-like-debt-lets-treat-it-like-debt-buy-now-pay-later-schemes-need-firmer-regulation-in-nz-211820">check a shopper’s credit</a> before providing them a buy now, pay later loan. The second set of regulations defines the scope and boundaries of buy now, pay later lenders. On Dec. 9, 2022, California became the first American state to <a href="https://dfpi.ca.gov/2022/12/09/buy-now-pay-later-protect-yourself-before-you-check-out/">classify buy now, pay later as a loan</a>. Such classifications allowed California regulators to <a href="https://stateline.org/2022/02/02/regulators-scrutinize-buy-now-pay-later-plans/">question lenders about their transparency in disclosing the terms of their offerings</a>. The hope is that these laws and regulations will facilitate microlending and not impede the existence of buy now, pay later services, but rather make it safer and more secure for both lenders and users.<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/215421/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/vivek-astvansh-1318943">Vivek Astvansh</a>, Associate Professor of Quantitative Marketing and Analytics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/mcgill-university-827">McGill University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chandan-kumar-behera-1479139">Chandan Kumar Behera</a>, PhD Student in Marketing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/indian-institute-of-management-lucknow-6023">Indian Institute of Management Lucknow</a> Image credits: Shutterstock 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/the-hidden-risks-of-buy-now-pay-later-what-shoppers-need-to-know-215421">original article</a>. </div>

Money & Banking

Brutal cost of Bruce Lehrmann’s failed defamation case

Bruce Lehrmann has been ordered to pay the majority of Network Ten's multi-million dollar legal fees after his failed defamation case. In April, Lehrmann faced a huge loss after the Federal Court found an allegation that he raped Brittany Higgins in a Parliament House office in March 2019 was most likely true, therefore is unable to be defamed for the allegations. The 28-year-old had sued Network Ten for defamation over a February 2021 report on The Project, in which journalist Lisa Wilkinson interviewed Higgins over the rape allegation. Since the defamation case drew to a close, the parties have been in dispute over the legal costs and who should foot what is expected to amount to a sizeable legal bill for the long-running and high-profile case. On Friday afternoon, Justice Michael Lee found in favour of Ten's application for indemnity costs for most of the trial, as Lehrmann is now ordered to pay for the network's and Wilkinson's costs on an ordinary and indemnity basis, but he will not have to pay costs for some affidavits. "In the end, it comes down to the order for costs that best does overall justice in the circumstances," Lee told the court. "On balance, the appropriate exercise of discretion is to make an award that Network Ten recover its costs against Mr Lehrmann on an indemnity basis, except for costs incurred in relation to the statutory qualified privilege defence." In explaining his decision, the judge said he found Lehrmann had defended the criminal charge "on a false basis, lied to police, and then allowed that lie to go uncorrected before the jury". "He wrongly instructed his senior counsel to cross-examine a complainant of sexual assault, in two legal proceedings, including, relevantly for present purposes, this case, on a knowingly false premise," he said. Earlier in the week, the court heard Lehrmann had no financial backers and that his lawyers had agreed they did not need to be paid if he lost the case. The total amount he will have to pay will be determined at a hearing later in May. Image credits: Getty Images <p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; color: #333333; caret-color: #333333; font-family: 'Proxima Nova', system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol';">

Legal

"Words fail me": Rod Stewart devastated by passing of iconic rocker

The world of music is mourning the loss of one of its iconic figures as Steve Harley, the frontman of British rock band Cockney Rebel, has passed away at the age of 73. News of his death, reported by BBC, came as a shock to fans and fellow musicians alike. According to reports, Harley's family confirmed that he "passed away peacefully at home". This sad news marks the end of an era for the music industry, as tributes pour in from across the globe. One of the most heartfelt tributes came from Sir Rod Stewart, who expressed his devastation over the loss of his fellow musician. "Absolutely devastated, words fail me," he wrote. "The Cockney Rebel has left us. Loved you and admired you Steve and always will," said Stewart, as reported by the PA news agency. Harley's recent cancellation of tour dates due to cancer treatment had already alerted fans to his health struggles. "Whoever you know him as, his heart exuded only core elements. Passion, kindness, generosity. And much more, in abundance," his family wrote in a statement. "The birdsong from his woodland that he loved so much was singing for him. His home has been filled with the sounds and laughter of his four grandchildren. "We know he will be desperately missed by people all over the world, and we ask that you respectfully allow us privacy to grieve." The announcement of Harley's hiatus from touring, made through his official website, shed light on his ongoing health journey. "Due to ongoing treatment for cancer, Steve cannot commit to any concerts in 2024," the statement read. However, there was a glimmer of hope for the future as it conveyed Harley's optimism for a different outcome in the following year. Born Stephen Malcolm Ronald Nice in Deptford, UK, in 1951, Harley's journey in music began to take shape in the 1970s when he became the frontman of Cockney Rebel. The band, known for its contribution to the glam rock genre, left an indelible mark on the British music scene. Harley's distinctive voice and songwriting prowess, evident in hits like "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)," endeared him to fans and secured his place as a legendary figure in rock history. As fans and the music community come to terms with Harley's loss, his legacy will undoubtedly endure through his timeless music and the memories he created. Images: Instagram \ Wikimedia

Caring

"Cruel" shopper slammed for leaving dog in hot car

A woman has been slammed on social media for allegedly leaving her dog in an unattended car for 40 minutes on a hot day. The incident occurred at Warringah Mall in Sydney's north on Monday, when temperatures reached up to 28 degrees. Claire, claimed the dog-owner pulled up next to her in an undercover car park, and then watched the woman leave her pet locked in an unattended car while she shopped. "Myself and my mother waited till she got back," she told Yahoo News Australia. "It was around 3.15pm and she didn’t come back till just before 4pm". During that time, Claire said she called security, who attempted to contact the owner via a mobile number on the dog's harness. She also tried calling the RSPCA and police but claimed that not much could be done. When the owner finally returned, Claire questioned her about leaving the "panting and drooling" animal unattended, but the woman reportedly just "laughed and scoffed" before "driving away as quick as possible". Claire shared photos of the pup on Facebook and criticised the owner, for her "absolute irresponsibility and disgusting behaviour", calling her an "absolute d**khead". "People like you should not own animals," she wrote. While many agreed that the woman's actions were "absolutely awful," a few others argued the act was fine as the car was undercover and "the dog doesn't look hot and distressed at all." Another person who claimed to know the owner, said that the woman's car "has an aircon function which allows the air-conditioning to run when the engine is not running" and the pet is generally "very spoiled and happy". A few others disagreed, and said that the act was "cruel" and "simply disgusting" regardless. "Undercover or not you don't lock a baby in a car, you don't lock an animal in a car ... no excuse," one wrote. An RSPCA spokesperson has also spoken out and said that leaving a dog inside a car unattended is "always dangerous" no matter the location or the temperature outside. They said that even on mild days, temperatures in a car can "rapidly heat up" and can reach "double" the outside temperature. "When it’s 22 degrees Celsius outside, the inside of a car can reach a stifling 47 degrees and this is no environment for a dog," the spokesperson said. Image: Facebook

Family & Pets

Aldi shopper mercilessly mocked over "shotgun pellet" claims

An Aldi shopper has been slammed online after claiming she found "shotgun pellets" in a piece of meat. The mum from Canberra took to a Facebook group dedicated to parents who shop at Aldi, to share pictures of a mysterious find in her corned beef. She claimed the slab of meat was laced with small metal balls, and after her growing concern about what she ingested, the woman went so far as to book in an abdominal x-ray. “Today I prepared a whole piece of meat in a pressure cooker that I bought at ALDI in Gungalhin, I was in a hurry so I only added one garlic and salt,” she wrote on Facebook. “While I was tasting a piece that had just been taken out of the pot, I felt something hard and noticed that it was a metal ball." “I checked the pot thoroughly but it was not part of the pot. Then I helped myself to another piece and realised there was one more I didn’t chew, I took it out and looked — ball was IN BETWEEN. “Can I complain to Aldi? Has it happened to you? I was going to give that meat to my two-year-old daughter, now I’m afraid. I prefer to throw it away.” She later added, “Update: shotgun pellets inside the cow meat! I have an abdominal [x-ray] for tomorrow to check if I ate some before noticed. There are more inside the meat." Despite her grave concerns, other shoppers were quick to slam her claims, with many arguing back that the small black balls appeared to be peppercorns and maintained that “no livestock are slaughtered with shotguns”. “Aren’t cows shot with a power head not bullets?” one said. Another wrote, “Cows aren’t shot with a shotgun they get a metal rod through the brain. Farmers don’t even use a shotgun, they use a gun that uses one bullet through the brain. This is very odd.” Many people also claimed that the round balls seemed to be peppercorns, prompting the mum to defend herself. She said, “That is not peppercorn! It’s completely round, the other one half is being covered by the meat. Definitely looks like something that shouldn’t be in there.” An ALDI Australia spokesperson has told <a href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link-type="article-inline">7News</a> that it has not received any similar complaints. “We are in direct contact with customer and are investigating the possibility that this product has not met our strict quality and safety standard,” the spokesperson said. “We have not received any further complaints of a similar nature, however, customers can return any product they are not satisfied with for a full refund or replacement.” Image credits: Getty Images / Facebook

Legal

Coles shopper humiliated after being accused of shoplifting

A Coles shopper has been left feeling humiliated after they were forced to lift up their shirt to prove they weren’t shoplifting. Tony Jones, 39, was about to pay for his groceries at self-checkout on Saturday morning when he was confronted by the employee of the Brisbane Coles who made the accusation. “And what about what’s under your shirt?” Mr Jones said the staff member loudly asked him, causing the other customers to look around. Mr Jones has a stoma as a result of having his entire bowel removed from bowel cancer a few years ago, and later developed an “extremely obvious” hernia at the site which “sticks out about 15 centimetres from my stomach”. “My initial reaction was flat-out shock, because she didn’t say it in a way of asking me, she flat-out accused me,” he told <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/customer-with-obvious-hernia-humiliated-at-selfservice-checkout/news-story/56980cdcada75ba9ae0cca9cb90c75f0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>. “She seemed quite proud. Everybody in the self-checkout bay heard what she accused me of, and she walked over to me. I was just stunned, I guess I kind of shut down — I’ve never been accused of being a thief before — so I just lifted my shirt.” After revealing his condition, Jones was left feeling “violated” as the supermarket worker simply said, “Yeah, sorry, we’ve had a few of those lately,” apparently referring to shoplifting incidents. Coles has since apologised to Mr Jones, but that hasn’t made up for the trauma he endured in the supermarket. “I’ve lived here for 12 or 13 years, I’ve been at that Coles plenty,” he said. “Obviously I don’t expect retail staff to recognise everybody … I assume they’ve had some thefts lately, I’m not sure whether they’ve been given instructions to pull up more people because they don’t have a [security] gate yet.” Mr Jones took to Reddit to share the story of his encounter, asking those on the social media site, “Is Coles allowed to ask what’s under my shirt? When it’s just my hernia.” The post quickly went viral, attracting hundreds of comments. “Former loss prevention officer here — they cannot detain you in any way unless they have witnessed you select the goods and witnessed you not take advantage of a reasonable opportunity to pay,” one person wrote. Another woman said, “I have a permanent ileostomy and have had retail workers accuse me of stealing too. It’s annoying because most of the time I wear clothes where the top of it pokes out the top and it’s happened when I’ve worn clothes that completely covered it.” A third person commented, “Gentle reminder Coles turned a record profit in the midst of the Covid recession, then decided to install hard arse security detectors to catch thieves.” Mr Jones said the whole experience left him feeling rattled and upset, especially as he continues to undergo treatment for his condition and prepare for another surgery. “I’m not dealing with it great, if I’m truthful,” he said. “I’m seeing doctors weekly at the moment. Things add up, and getting called out on Saturday, it basically shut me down for the entire day, [left me] for lack of a better word feeling like s**t. I had all eyes on me. I’m not a social person so I just wanted to get out of there to be honest. I don’t think I’ll ever be going back to Coles.” Image credits: Getty Images

Body

Coles shopper admits to stealing to feed her family amid cost of living crisis

A woman has made a desperate plea to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after overhearing a teary Coles shopper admit to shoplifting to feed her family. The woman was shopping in her local Coles supermarket when she overheard another shopper confess the desperate act to her friend, as the cost of living crisis continues to impact struggling Aussies. Australia’s cost of living crisis is continuing to see millions struggle with soaring interest rates and rent prices, high energy bills and rising supermarket costs, with many being forced to take drastic measures to survive. Sharing on Facebook, the woman said she was feeling “let down” and “hoodwinked” by the Albanese government after listening to the Coles customer’s heartbreaking story. “Anthony Albanese, I am so deeply saddened to hear someone shopping at Coles admit to her friend in tears that sometimes she now steals food because she simply can’t put food on the table any other way,” she wrote. “Of course there is food relief et al (but those services are also at breaking point). It’s disheartening to witness firsthand the desperation that leads someone to resort to theft just to put food on the table." “While I have you, I am feeling let down and somewhat hoodwinked by you. Your sentiment around truly understanding hardship because of your upbringing seems to have been just talk." “What I heard today made me realise that not enough is being done that was promised to make a positive impact on the lives of those struggling with adversity.” Many commented on the post saying not enough was being done to help battling Aussies, and urging the government to do more. “The line at ReachOut (food pantry) was around the corner and down the street this afternoon,” one said. Another added, “Food costs are beyond ridiculous right now. I fear that the horse has bolted and once it’s out ... it’s not coming back for pats. “And sorry to say but Albo is just another politician. Hope he sees this and listens but I’m not holding my breath. Sad state of affairs.” Image credits: Shutterstock

Money & Banking

"Dead dodgy": Outraged shopper uncovers sneaky Coles practice

One disgruntled shopper has called out Coles for their "deceptive" tactic to mislead customers about their special deal prices. After finding that prices online were often mismatched to prices in store, regular Coles shopper Rowan Element got into the habit of checking if the price of an item was the same on the specials tag and its original tag, with the initial price often exaggerated on the specials tag to make the promotion appear more appealing. On Thursday, Element discovered one Coles store in Canberra employing this sneaky practice with the original tag conveniently hidden behind the promotion. "I bought this humble pack of sliced mushrooms, they were on special 'two for $6.50' or $4 for one. When I moved the specials tag the price was $3.50... It is not the first time that I’ve noticed something like this," she told <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/coles-customer-catches-supermarket-in-dead-dodgy-practice-062334548.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yahoo News Australia</a>. "Clearly Coles put the price up to make the 'special' look better but forgot to take off the original price ticket." After taking the mushrooms to the checkout and being charged $4 for the one pack, Element asked to speak to a manager and called out the "deceptive advertising". Staff provided a refund for the mushrooms and allowed the shopper to keep the produce before "literally running" to remove the offending tag from the shelf. Despite the small price discrepancy, the shopper believes the issue lies with the dishonestly of the supermarket giant, rather than with the small 50 cent disparity. "Sadly I think it's what we've come to expect from large corporations determined to make massive profits at the expense of their customers. There's total disregard for morality of their behaviour... It's dead dodgy" she said. Coles confirmed to Yahoo News the price tag in question at the Canberra store has been "corrected", however, it did not respond to questions regarding accusations that the supermarket was doing it on purpose. "Coles takes clear and accurate pricing information on tickets very seriously," a spokesperson said. "We always aim to ensure that our specials represent value for our customers and have confirmed that the special tickets were indeed correct in these instances." Image credits: Yahoo News / Shutterstock

Money & Banking

“Absolutely disgusted”: Why shoppers are outraged over Woolies Christmas charity request

An outraged shopper has called out Woolworths for asking struggling Aussies to donate to a Christmas charity appeal, despite raking in record-breaking profits. The Woolies shopper snapped a photo of a donation trolley in one of the supermarkets, asking shoppers to donate food to OzHarvest ahead of the festive season. The supermarket, who recorded profits of $1.62 billion in the last financial year, have long been accused of price gouging in the face of the ongoing cost of living crisis. As a result, the angry shopper said the supermarket giant "needs a stern talking to", saying the company should "be forced to donate themselves" as many shoppers are "struggling to put food on the table". “We are in one of the worst cost-of-living crises in Australian history, and Woolworths, a multi-billion dollar company, is currently being accused of price hiking during the crisis", the shopper recently fumed on social media. "But they have the audacity to ask us to donate to those suffering from the cost-of-living crisis, instead of lowering their prices to be affordable or donating themselves." The shopper admitted to wanting to help those in need, but shared they were one of millions of Aussies who had to rethink the way they approached their Christmas shopping as soaring grocery prices continue hurting household budgets. "I'm absolutely disgusted that they are asking us to buy stuff from their store and donate it instead when they have the audacity to charge $7 for 2kg of potatoes or $7.50 for 4kg of potatoes," the shopper continued in the post on Reddit. Despite many people sympathising with the shopper’s post, one commenter pointed out that Woolworths has vowed to match all donations from the public to OzHarvest. "Until the 26th December, Woolworths will match your donations to OzHarvest to help provide even more meals to people who need it most this Christmas," it says. "Every 50 cents donated supports OzHarvest to deliver the equivalent of one nutritious meal from our surplus fresh food.” "These funds support the cost of drivers, vans, warehouses, fridges, freezers and more. All helping to ensure that as much fresh, healthy surplus food can get to as many Australians in need of food relief as possible". Image credits: Getty Images / Reddit

Money & Banking

“Imagine being offended by gingerbread": Woolies shopper slammed online

A Woolies customer has come under fire after pointing out a "woke" change in the iconic Christmas cookie. The shopper took to Reddit to slam the Woolworths Bakery for renaming the festive packs of cookies to Gingerbread People, rather than Gingerbread Men. “Woolworths has renamed their biscuits Gingerbread ‘people’,” they wrote in the forum, with a picture of the new label. “Apparently Gingerbread ‘man’ isn’t woke enough.” Instead of people agreeing, many thought he was a weir-dough (pun intended), and said that it was “no big deal”. “I’m trying really hard but too busy caring about my electricity bill doubling in the last year to have energy left over for gingerbread people,” one wrote. “Imagine being offended by gingerbread," another commented. “Seriously? Like if you wanted some gingerbread, you wouldn’t buy them because they’re called people?" a third wrote. “Once again confirming that anyone that actually uses the word ‘woke’ is a pathetic little manbaby," a fourth slammed. Others agreed that it was strange to see people get annoyed about a name change. “And you got so offended you came to Reddit to post about it. Who is the d***head here them or you?” “God I love watching the snowflakes melt over this," responded another. There were only a few people who agreed with the shopper, and said that the supermarket giant had gone too far. “At some point soon I’m just not going to care about offending people. If you can’t handle a biscuit with man in the name, simply grab a box of tissues and retreat to your safe space,” wrote one user. “Jesus Christ. It’s a f***ing biscuit vaguely shaped like a human. Do we need to make a biscuit gender neutral so we don’t offend people?” added another. Images: Getty/ Reddit

Food & Wine

Mother dies after ambulance fails to arrive

A mother from Queensland has tragically died while waiting for an ambulance, after she called 000 complaining of chest pain. Cath Groom called paramedics just before 10:30pm on Friday after growing increasingly concerned about persistent chest pain, but was left waiting more than an hour and a half for the ambulance to arrive. Given the nature of Groom's symptoms, her case was deemed urgent, and she should've been tended to by paramedics within 15 minutes. It is believed that Cath was found dead by her teenage son while still waiting for the ambulance to arrive, the day before her 52nd birthday. Her friends and family have taken to social media to pay tribute to the “amazing mother” and to express their “deepest shock, grief and sadness” at the news of her sudden passing. “She was and will always be my favourite human on this earth, I loved her to bits we were like a brother and sister I’m going to be lost without her,” one person wrote. “What an absolute shock. Such a beautiful girl taken way too soon,” another said. Ms Groom had long been a single mum after she was left to raise her son on her own after her husband died when the boy was just a baby. “Rest In Peace Sis, may you rest easy now with Dad and your life’s love and husband Warren,” her sister wrote on social media. The shock death has renewed calls for the Queensland and federal government to address ambulance delays, with Australian Medical Association Queensland president Dr Maria Boulton saying the state’s healthcare system is “not good enough”. “This is what happens because the system is under such strain, we know that our healthcare workers do the best they can in a system that is completely broken,” she told the Today Show. “This is not on them but it also affects them because they don’t want to lose any lives.” Image credits: Facebook

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Ally Langdon cited as a reason the Voice failed

The tense interview between Ally Langdon and Ray Martin has been cited as one of the key reasons why most Australians voted No in the Voice to Parliament referendum. The <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/i-would-say-it-again-ray-martin-doubles-down-on-voice-comments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a>, which took place two weeks before the nationwide vote, saw Langdon and Martin butt heads on A Current Affair, where Martin defended his comments about no voters being "ignorant". During the interview, Langdon, who repeatedly interrupted Martin throughout the conversation, went on to say that the proposed law was confusing, and people "didn't understand it". Since the defeat of the Voice referendum on Saturday, prominent author and former journalist Martin Flanagan collated the list of reasons the county voted No in a <a href="https://footyology.com.au/the-voice-a-letter-to-the-39-per-cent/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"letter to the 39 per cent"</a>. Flanagan cited the ACA interview as crucial in voters minds, and contributed to the resounding defeat of the Voice. “Ally said Australians didn’t understand the Voice and, as proof of this proposition, said, ‘I mean, my parents don’t understand it. They’ve looked at it, their group of friends who have looked at it and don’t understand it, that is a massive problem’,” he explained. He appeared to take a shot at Langdon for using the revelation about her family’s lack of understanding to make a point about the entire Australian population. Flanagan wrote that the No campaign's slogan “If you don’t know, vote no” was an extremely effective tool in making sure undecided voters voted No, rather than educate themselves, describing it as is “the second most epoch defining campaign slogan I have seen in my adult lifetime, the other being ‘It’s Time’ in 1972,” which was the slogan used by Gough Whitlam in the federal election. Flanagan then went on to lay some of the blame squarely at Langdon's feet: "To commemorate the 2023 slogan, I would like to establish a media award named after Ally Langdon from A Current Affair. "Ally grilled Ray Martin after he said dinosaurs were voting NO. Ally said Australians didn’t understand the Voice and, as proof of this proposition, said, 'I mean, my parents don’t understand it. They’ve looked at it, their group of friends who have looked at it and don’t understand it, that is a massive problem.'" "The prize for my media award is a cartoon with a group of dinosaurs looking up at a billboard saying “If You Don’t Know, Vote No”. It’s not just the Voice referendum – it’s all the other things we don’t want to know about. We’ve got an overpopulated, overheating planet with two global conflicts raging as we speak. Major environmental catastrophes could have hundreds of millions of people on the move, the effect of climate change on the world’s agricultural regions could cause widespread famine etcetera etcetera. But back to you in the studio, Ally. Tell us what do your parents and their friends think." According to Flanagan, the Yes vote failed due to "Trump-like tactics" from the No side, as he accused them of tactfully confusing and besieging Australians to “make the whole thing dull and heavy” so no one had “energy to explore the Yes case”. He went on to say that a lack of organisation within the Yes team and a lack of continuation of momentum that was prevalent at the beginning of campaigning were also contributing factors to the Voice defeat. Image credits: A Current Affair

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Ally Langdon cited as a reason the Voice failed

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