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Lattouf lands first win in ABC dismissal case
By Calum Jaspan
Antoinette Lattouf landed a major win in her unlawful dismissal case against the ABC on Monday after the Fair Work Commission ruled she was sacked by the national broadcaster.
Deputy Fair Work Commission president Gerard Boyce dismissed the public broadcaster’s attempts to have the case thrown out, on grounds she was not sacked, being hired on a casual contract and was paid in full for the five days.
Antoinette Lattouf alongside her lawyer Josh Bornstein in Sydney for a Fair Work hearing in February.Credit: Kate Geraghty
The decision does not consider the reasons why Lattouf was sacked.
The ABC’s objection was a major obstacle for Lattouf and her wider case arguing she was sacked for expressing political opinion, and that her race was also a factor.
Boyce ruled Lattouf was sacked, after being told not to return after performing three shifts in a five-day contract.
“In this case, I find that the employment relationship between the Applicant and the ABC, was terminated at the ABC’s initiative,” the ruling handed down on Monday morning said.
The decision marks the first major decision in what has become a bitter and drawn out feud between the media figure and the public broadcaster across the past six months, after she shared a Human Rights Watch with the caption “HRW reporting starvation as a tool of war” on Instagram while employed by the ABC on a short-term contract.
Lattouf and her legal team will now consider whether to proceed in the Fair Work Commission over the reasons she was sacked, with a mediation date also set for later this month on 25 June as part of a separate Federal Court case, where the parties could look to settle the matter.
The ABC will decide whether to appeal the Fair Work decision. Both parties were approached for comment.
Stage 3 tax cut changes influenced minimum wage decision
By Olivia Ireland
Inflationary pressures and the federal stage 3 tax cuts influenced the Fair Work Commission’s decision to increase wages by 3.75 per cent.
Fair Work Commission president Adam Hatcher said today’s wage increase was consistent with the forecast return of the inflation rate to be below 3 per cent in 2025. In the year to March, inflation was 3.6 per cent.
Fair Work Commission president Justice Adam Hatcher.
“It is not appropriate at this time to increase award wages by any amount significantly above the inflation rate. This is principally because labour productivity is no higher than it was four years ago and productivity growth has only recently returned to positive territory,” he said.
“We have also taken into account that modern award reliant employees will shortly receive the benefit of the stage 3 tax cuts and the budget cost-of-living measures, which are projected to increase real household disposable incomes over the next 12 months.
“The increase of 3.75 per cent, which we have determined, is broadly in line with forecast wages growth across the economy in 2024 and will only make a modest contribution to the total amount of wages growth this year.
“We consider therefore, that this increase is consistent with the forecast return of the inflation rate to below 3 per cent in 2025.”
Treasury boss cautions against unaffordable company tax cuts
By Shane Wright
Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy has argued that any major tax reform should be revenue neutral, warning unaffordable cuts in company tax rates could lead to higher interest rates and a potential debt crisis.
Kennedy, giving evidence to a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra on Monday, said there was always scope for a debate about the nation’s tax settings. But he stressed that any tax cuts should not lead to a deterioration in the budget, noting that this would cause major economic problems.
Secretary to the Treasury Dr Steven Kennedy in Senate estimates today.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
“Company tax cuts that lead to an unsustainable fiscal position would clearly be bad. So that’s why it always needs to be set in a broader context,” he said.
“I would not want to be in the position that other countries are with fiscal deficits in the order of 6 per cent [of GDP], rapidly rising debt to GDP ratios and potentially much lower tax rates than us – that is an unsustainable and productive position to be in.
“[In the] longer term it will lead to higher interest rates, the potential for debt crisis. Australia will try to avoid it.”
Kennedy said the current tax structure had not been a “significant drag” on the overall economy. By international standards, Australia was not overly taxing residents and businesses, he said.
“We should all remember particularly from a Commonwealth perspective that Australia still remains a relatively low taxing jurisdiction, mostly because it has a fairly targeted welfare system,” he said.
Minimum wage raised by 3.75 per cent
By Olivia Ireland
In breaking news, Australia’s lowest-paid workers will receive $33.10 more a week after the Fair Work Commission decided to lift the minimum wage by 3.75 per cent this morning.
About 180,000 people will see their hourly rate increase from $23.23 to $24.10 from July 1 as a result of this morning’s ruling by the industrial umpire, taking the minimum weekly pay packet to $915.80.
Fair Work Commission president Adam Hatcher said that in reaching this year’s decision, he considered relative living standards, needs of the low-paid, workforce participation, performance and competitiveness of the economy and gender equality.
“Our decision today is to increase the national minimum wage and all modern award minimum wage rates by 3.75 per cent effective for 1 July 2024,” he said.
The annual decision triggers a broader economic debate between businesses and unions about the pressure wages place on living costs, and vice versa, and its effects flow through to the pay packets of up to 2.9 million Australians whose wages are set by industry awards.
Higher rates impacting younger people more than others: Treasury secretary
By Rachel Clun
Treasury Secretary Steven Kennedy has acknowledged that generations have been affected in different ways by interest rate rises.
Greens Senator Nick McKim asked whether authorities were “sitting back and allowing young people to get smashed” by higher interest rates, while older generations were spending more thanks to savings earnings and driving inflation.
Dr Steven Kennedy during a Senate estimates hearing at Parliament House in Canberra on Monday.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Kennedy said he didn’t find the term “smashed” helpful, and pointed out that today’s older Australians had been young people hit by high interest rates 30 or more years ago. But he agreed that there were people being badly affected.
“I do not want to diminish your point that it is having a very significant effect on those groups and no one’s pleased about it, but that is the way our monetary policy works,” Kennedy said. “I accept there are distributional consequences.”
Kennedy said it was for the federal government to try to spread the economic pain more evenly through the economy, including through reshaping the income tax cuts that will kick in from July 1.
On older people, Kennedy said there was some data to show their consumption was now falling, but acknowledged they were potentially benefiting from higher interest rates by opting to save more.
“The intergenerational piece you’re talking about, I think, is more aptly looked at more carefully to the structure of the housing market, where young people are not getting the same opportunities that older people,” Kennedy said.
“I just would caution this [on the] younger, older person dynamic: I don’t think it’s helpful for the policy discussion. There’s nothing particularly unusual in the way macroeconomic policy is working at the moment.
“The best thing we can do for younger people, give them jobs and ensure the economy is growing strongly.”
Treasury boss warns against income tax indexation to tackle bracket creep
By Shane Wright
Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy has cautioned that shifting income tax thresholds in line with inflation would make life more difficult for governments and central banks to control price increases.
Kennedy, giving evidence to a Senate estimates committee this morning, said automatically returning bracket creep to taxpayers could add to inflationary pressures.
Secretary to the Treasury Dr Steven Kennedy and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher during a Senate estimates hearing this morning.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
There’s some support within the Coalition to automatically increase tax thresholds with inflation. The last time this was done in Australia was under the Fraser government in the late 1970s. It was abandoned after 18 months.
But other countries, including the United States, continue to index their thresholds.
Last month, former Reserve Bank senior official and now Westpac chief economist Luci Ellis said tax thresholds should be increased by 2.5 per cent a year – the midpoint of the central bank’s inflation target band – to end bracket creep.
Kennedy cautioned that keeping tax thresholds steady during a period of high inflation driven by global supply shocks had helped keep inflation in check.
“It has it’s been helpful for them to have sort of worked in conjunction with the imbalance of supply and demand to help constrain demand,” he said.
Kennedy said the United States had probably struggled to keep demand in check because of its tax system.
“I would have thought about looking at how strong household consumption has been, for example, in the US, it’s probably been unhelpful in managing the cycle,” he said.
RBA and government budget action getting inflation down, says Treasury secretary
By Rachel Clun
Back at Senate estimates in Canberra this morning, Treasury Secretary Steven Kennedy said the federal government’s budget has worked with the Reserve Bank’s interest rate rises to help reduce inflation.
“The fiscal tightening since the pandemic is the fastest and largest on record in Australia, in more than double what was seen after previous downturns,” he said.
Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy.Credit: AFR
“The rapid fiscal tightening has seen fiscal policy work with monetary policy to reduce inflationary pressures. Cost-of-living support has been designed so as to not undermine policy efforts. To reduce demand pressures and lower inflation.”
Kennedy said the government’s fiscal policy settings were consistent with inflation returning to the Reserve Bank’s target range of 2-3 per cent. Inflation is currently 3.6 per cent, but experts expect it to continue falling slowly as services inflation remains higher for longer.
One key factor in that is rent inflation, which has continued to rise despite inflation falling overall. Kennedy said that is due largely to the supply of homes failing to meet demand in recent years.
“A limited supply of dwellings creates affordability pressures for households, and makes it difficult to find a property to buy or rent,” he said.
Kennedy said those pressures mean home prices and advertised rents have more than doubled since the mid-2000s, and they had increased sharply in the past five years.
“Households are taking longer to save for a deposit and more people are renting. These impacts are disproportionately felt by those on lower incomes,” he said.
He said the federal government was sensibly focused on boosting housing supply, but added that progress could not happen without state government action.
Penny Wong backs ceasefire deal, International Criminal Court
By Matthew Knott
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has urged the Israeli government and listed terror group Hamas to agree to a ceasefire deal outlined by US President Joe Biden.
She also warned that it would damage Australia’s national interest to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC). It comes after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton last month said Australia should consider withdrawing from the ICC after its top prosecutor requested an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for allegedly committing war crimes during the war in Gaza.
Moments ago, Wong told Senate estimates hearings in Canberra it was important for Australia to be consistent in working to uphold the rules-based international order.
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has rebuffed calls for Australia to leave the International Criminal Court after ICC prosecutors applied for arrest warrants for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
“We do nothing to help make it happen by recklessly threatening to pull out of the bodies that uphold international law,” she said. “That kind of talk might sound tough, but it undermines Australia’s core security interests.
“For example, we cannot insist China abides by international legal decisions in the South China Sea, but threaten to pull out of the International Criminal Court.
“We do nothing to shape the kind of region Australia needs by picking fights, blowing up relationships, or beating the drums of war.”
Wong described the situation in Gaza as “catastrophic”, saying: “The death and destruction is horrific. This human suffering is unacceptable.”
Calling on Hamas to release hostages and Israel to allow more aid to flow into Gaza, Wong said that “we welcome the current ceasefire proposal from President Biden and we urge parties to agree to its terms”.
Biden last week said the first phase of the proposed deal would last for six weeks and would include a “full and complete ceasefire,” a withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza and the release of a number of hostages, including women, the elderly and the wounded, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
The second phase would include the release of all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers, with Israeli forces withdrawing from Gaza.
Watch: NSW premier press conference
In state news, NSW Premier Chris Minns, Minister for Transport Jo Haylen and Parramatta MP Donna Davis will make an announcement about Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2.
Watch below.
Treasury boss says migration will ease as international students are cut
By Rachel Clun
Stephen Kennedy, the secretary of the Department of Treasury, said international students have been the biggest driver of increases to migration forecasts, but their numbers are expected to fall as the federal government tightens rules for foreign university students.
“Following the relaxation of COVID-19 border restrictions, we saw a large catch-up in arrivals as many people who wanted to come to Australia to work or study during the pandemic arrived in a compressed time frame,” he said in senate estimates this morning.
Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos
“While there has been a catch-up in arrivals, we are yet to see a pickup in departures, predominantly because many of the international students who arrived over the past couple of years are still studying and yet to depart.”
Kennedy said he expects migrant numbers to have peaked in 2023, as the number of people leaving the country continues to accelerate.
“We expect arrivals to ease and departures to pick up over the next few years, the number of temporary visa holders in Australia to be consistent with pre-pandemic pandemic trends,” he said.
“Treasury expects that net overseas migration (NOM) to have peaked in 2023. In the budget, we forecast NOM to approximately half to 260,000 in 24-25, before falling to 235,000 in 26-27.
“Although student migration had previously been the biggest driver of forecast upgrades, the budget slightly downgraded the forecast for students, with fewer arrivals expected in part due to the government’s actions to improve the integrity of international education.”
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