Adam Bandt to announce latest public schools spending pledge
Caitlin Cassidy
Every public school child would receive an $800 “back to school” payment and fees and charges would be abolished under a suite of election announcements to be announced by the Greens in Brisbane today.
The $800 payment, to be distributed to students enrolled in primary and secondary schools from 1 July, is estimated to cost $7.6bn to 2028 and would be spent on out-of-pocket costs like uniforms, technology and school supplies.
Additional funding of $2.4bn over forward estimates would also be distributed to public schools to abolish public school fees, charges and contributions, estimated to have risen by 20.58% from 2021 to 2022.
The Greens said the policy was the latest in a suite of “Robin Hood reforms” that would be put on the table in the instance of a minority parliament.
The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, will make the announcement at Coorparoo State School in Brisbane on Tuesday, alongside the Greens spokesperson for primary and secondary education, Senator Penny Allman-Payne, and Griffith MP Max Chandler-Mather.
The Greens were reduced to one seat in Queensland’s state election in October, placing pressure on the party to maintain its three federal seats when voters hit the polls later this year.
Bandt said the cash boost would be funded via the Greens’ planned “big corporations tax”. He said:
Parents are forking out thousands on ‘voluntary’ fees, uniforms and out-of pocket costs, but meanwhile one in three big corporations pays no tax. We can’t keep voting for the same two parties and expecting a different result. If Brisbane voters return their Greens MPs, they can keep Peter Dutton out and get Labor to act on the cost-of-living crisis.
Key events
Watt defends government response to antisemitism as ‘very strong’
Asked if the federal government has been going enough to combat antisemitism, Murray Watt argued it had responded “very strongly here.”
He said there had been dozens of arrests, and in recent years the federal government moved to ban the display of hate symbols, including the Nazi salute and certain flags, and doxxing.
Unfortunately, there are some people in the community who are engaging is disgusting behaviour and the AFP and state police have demonstrated they will be caught and go to jail, which is where they belong.
Watt says news of foreign interference in antisemitic attacks is ‘worrying’
The workplace relations minister, Murray Watt, says it is a “worrying development” that “overseas actors” have potentially funded antisemitic attacks in Australia using cryptocurrency.
Speaking on Sunrise, he said these attacks were happening “far too frequently in Australia.”
I [will] leave it to the AFP to confirm some of the details about this, but I think this demonstrates exactly how far our police authorities are going to try to crack down on the shocking behaviour …
[The number of arrests made] sends a really clear message from the whole community that there is no tolerance that this kind of hate, and you will be caught if you do these kind of disgusting attacks.
Paterson calls on PM to ‘urgently clarify’ what he knows on potential foreign interference in antisemitic attacks
Yesterday, federal police revealed they were investigating whether a spate of antisemitic attacks have been funded by “overseas actors” using cryptocurrency.
Earlier this morning, the shadow home affairs and cybersecurity minister, James Paterson, called on the prime minister to “urgently clarify” what he knows and what action will be taken. He wrote in a post to X:
It is a gravely serious claim to suggest foreign actors may be behind the spate of terror attacks targeting the Jewish community. The PM must urgently clarify what he knows about it and what action he will take to address it.
Paterson is due to speak on ABC RN later this morning – we’ll bring you those comments when he speaks.
Anthony Albanese is also due to address reporters in Parramatta today, about 8.15am AEDT. We’ll bring you the latest here in the blog – there are sure to be questions asked around this.
Stephanie Convery
More effort needed to ensure free pads and tampons in public schools, study finds
Australian state government policies to provide free pads and tampons in public schools are a step in the right direction to alleviate period poverty but more effort is needed to ensure the people most in need receive them, a study has found.
Researchers at the Burnet Institute conducted in-depth interviews with menstruating people aged 19-45 from marginalised groups, including First Nations people, recent migrants, trans and nonbinary people, people with disability, those experiencing homelessness, and welfare recipients.
The study, published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health today, sought to understand how free product provision could best be targeted to help vulnerable people.
Interviewees in housing insecurity, recent refugees and asylum seekers, and those fleeing intimate partner violence, were among those experiencing severe period poverty, and described improvising with old towels and clothes, stealing products, and accessing them from social services when they could due to need.
Those on low incomes, welfare payments, and people with disability also described high levels of insecurity, with rural or remotely located participants struggling with travel costs, limited supply or stigma causing barriers to access. They described prolonged wear of menstrual products, stealing from friends or family, and purchasing products only when on sale as ways of getting by.
The study found that what was convenient and accessible could be vastly different depending on a person’s situation. Those experiencing severe period poverty were much more likely to already frequent food banks and community centres, while the option for provision methods like home delivery or collection from a specified location was more likely to help participants living with a disability or based in rural areas.
Participants also emphasised the need to balance privacy in the provision of free period products with visibility of the service for those who needed it.
Good morning
Emily Wind
Emily Wind here, signing on for blogging duties. Thanks to Martin for kicking things off for us – I’ll be taking you through our rolling coverage for most of today.
As always, you can reach out with any tips, questions or feedback via email: emily.wind@theguardian.com. Let’s go.
Analysis: Albanese has pledged action on antisemitism – but Dutton still setting agenda
In an analysis piece this morning, our political correspondent Josh Butler writes that although Anthony Albanese has pledged action on antisemitic attacks and called a national cabinet meeting, he still looks like “he’s playing catchup” to Peter Dutton on this issue.
Albanese has reacted quicker than he did with the Melbourne attack at the end of last year when he as panned for an allegedly slow response.
But no matter which he goes, he seems to end up being panned, as Josh writes:
Of course, despite taking the course demanded by the Coalition, Albanese will receive little credit from opponents. Once again he has been criticised first for a lack of action, and then for taking too long to act after he moves. Moments after reports of a snap national cabinet meeting emerged, the deputy opposition leader, Sussan Ley, slammed him for ‘mealy-mouthed words’.
Read Josh’s whole piece here:
University heads to front antisemitism inquiry
University heads will be confronted over hate on campus as Australia struggles through a crisis of antisemitism, AAP reports.
Vice-chancellors from the University of Sydney, the Australian National University, the University of Queensland and Western Sydney University, alongside members of the student and educators’ unions, are due to front a federal inquiry on the topic when it resumes today.
With university students set to return in a matter of weeks, the institutions have acknowledged an increase in antisemitism and committed to prevent its occurrence on campus with education and disclosure initiatives.
Western Sydney University’s submission said:
We support freedom of speech but draw the line at hate speech.
Boy dies after being crushed by falling parking meter
A child has died in hospital in Western Australia after being crushed by a falling parking meter stored in a museum courtyard.
The five-year-old boy was seriously injured last week at Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre south of Perth.
He died two days later, police said in a statement yesterday.
The incident happened during an environmental education school holiday program run by the state’s biodiversity and conservation department.
Paramedics were called to the scene about 10.30am and transported the boy in a critical condition to Bunbury hospital.
He was later airlifted to Perth children’s hospital.
The City of Bunbury’s chief executive, Alan Ferris, said the organisaton was “heartbroken”.
WorkSafe is investigating the incident and police will prepare a report for the coroner.
Adam Bandt to announce latest public schools spending pledge
Caitlin Cassidy
Every public school child would receive an $800 “back to school” payment and fees and charges would be abolished under a suite of election announcements to be announced by the Greens in Brisbane today.
The $800 payment, to be distributed to students enrolled in primary and secondary schools from 1 July, is estimated to cost $7.6bn to 2028 and would be spent on out-of-pocket costs like uniforms, technology and school supplies.
Additional funding of $2.4bn over forward estimates would also be distributed to public schools to abolish public school fees, charges and contributions, estimated to have risen by 20.58% from 2021 to 2022.
The Greens said the policy was the latest in a suite of “Robin Hood reforms” that would be put on the table in the instance of a minority parliament.
The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, will make the announcement at Coorparoo State School in Brisbane on Tuesday, alongside the Greens spokesperson for primary and secondary education, Senator Penny Allman-Payne, and Griffith MP Max Chandler-Mather.
The Greens were reduced to one seat in Queensland’s state election in October, placing pressure on the party to maintain its three federal seats when voters hit the polls later this year.
Bandt said the cash boost would be funded via the Greens’ planned “big corporations tax”. He said:
Parents are forking out thousands on ‘voluntary’ fees, uniforms and out-of pocket costs, but meanwhile one in three big corporations pays no tax. We can’t keep voting for the same two parties and expecting a different result. If Brisbane voters return their Greens MPs, they can keep Peter Dutton out and get Labor to act on the cost-of-living crisis.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with some of the best overnight stories before Emily Wind takes the reins.
Sydney’s Jewish community is in shock after the latest antisemitic attack in the city targeted a childcare centre in Maroubra and left people fearful about their safety. Since late November, there have been six major antisemitic incidents in Sydney and one in Melbourne, five of those involving arson. Yesterday federal police revealed they were investigating whether the attacks have been funded by “overseas actors” using cryptocurrency.
It comes as vice-chancellors from some of Australia’s leading universities front a federal inquiry on antisemitism today.
The Greens leader Adam Bandt is on the pre-election trail this morning and is due to visit a school in Brisbane to promote his party’s new policy of giving every public school child an $800 “back to school” payment. The party would also abolish other fees and payments faced by parents under a suite of announcements to be announced today. More coming up.
A young boy has died in Western Australia after being crushed by a falling parking meter. The five-year-old was on an education trip to a museum in Bunbury south of Perth last week when the parking meter, which was being stored in a courtyard, fell on him. More details coming up.
