Category: Australia

MIL-OSI Australia: UPDATE: Additional charges – Child exploitation offences – Darwin

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force has further charged a 72-year-old male in relation to child exploitation offences in Darwin.

Since the 72-year-old was arrested in January, three more victims have come forward. All four victims, including the original victim, were known to the male.

A total of 21 charges in relation to child abuse offences have been laid against the alleged offender.

He has been further remanded to face Darwin Local Court 7 May 2025.

Anyone affected by child abuse and exploitation or who has information that may assist police are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or https://crimestoppers.com.au/.

An online report can also be made via the Australian Centre of Counter Child Exploitation via the ‘Report Abuse’ button at www.accce.gov.au/report.

MIL OSI News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Arrests – Crime series – Greater Darwin Region

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested five males in relation to a crime series across the Greater Darwin Region overnight.

Earlier in the night, a group of alleged offenders attended a residence on Westralia Street in Stuart Park, where they gained entry whilst armed via a dog door and subsequently stole two vehicles.

About 1:15am, police received reports of one of the vehicles ramming a residential gate in Moulden whilst brandishing a machete and hammer, allegedly threatening residents. A short time later the group attended a government facility where the group attempted to damage the gate and security screens.

The second stolen motor vehicle was recovered in Coconut Grove.

Around 3am, the group were observed by police CCTV operators within one of the stolen motor vehicles nearby a commercial premises in Fannie Bay. Strike Force Trident members were nearby and a pursuit was initiated after the group failed to follow police directions. The vehicle lost control a short time later and crashed into a power pole at the intersection of Nadpur Street and Dickward Drive. All of the offenders self-extracted from the vehicle and fled by foot into the mangroves whilst additional Strike Force Trident, Darwin general duties and Dog Operations Unit members set up a cordon.

Patrol Dog Fitzy tracked three of the offenders with the first located hiding up in a tree who surrendered to police without incident. The second was found lying in a pool of water in an attempt to conceal himself and again surrendered upon being discovered. The third was located hiding in thick vegetation and was apprehended by PD Fitzy.

Patrol Dog Drax deployed from the cordon in a different direction and located articles of clothing from the offenders and as Drax was indicating direction of travel the offender surrendered to a member of Strike Force Trident.

Patrol Dog Cheeko was also deployed and tracked the fifth offender into thick grassland where he was located hiding in the verge of the mangroves.

This is another great example of the effectiveness of the Dog Operations Unit in tracking and apprehending offenders involved in violent criminal offending and the close working relationship with SF Trident.

The five males arrested, aged 13, 14, 15, 16 and 19-years-old were all transported to the Royal Darwin Hospital for medical assessment.

Strike Force Trident have carriage of the investigations and charges are expected to follow.

MIL OSI News –

March 27, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Peter Dutton promises $6 billion 12-month halving of petrol and diesel excise

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

Opposition leader Peter Dutton will promise in his Thursday budget reply that a Coalition government would immediately halve the fuel excise on petrol and diesel.

The cut, which would take the excise from 50.8 cents a litre to 25.4 cents, would be for a year, at a cost of A$6 billion.

The opposition says the measure would mean a household with one vehicle filling up once a week would save about $14 weekly, on average. This would amount to about $700 to $750 over the year, based on a 55 litre tank.

A two-car household would save about $28 a week on average – nearly $1500 over the year.

Legislation for the excise cut would be introduced on the first parliamentary sitting day after the election so it could come into effect “as quickly as possible”.

Dutton contrasted the immediate relief with the longer time frame before people received the tax cuts announced in the budget.

Under the tax changes, taxpayers will receive a tax cut of up to $268 from July 1 next year and up to $536 every year from July 1 2027.

The $17.1 billion income tax package was being rushed through the Senate on Wednesday night, as the parliament readies to rise for the election, that could be called as early as Friday for May 3.

The government wanted to pass the legislation immediately to put the Coalition, which opposed the bill and voted against it in parliament, on the spot.

Also, having the tax cuts in law gives greater certainty to them, as Labor promotes them in the coming campaign.

Dutton said of his proposed excise cut: “If elected, we will deliver this cost of living relief immediately – whereas people have to wait 15 months for Labor’s 70 cent a day tax tweak.”

“This cost of living relief will make a real difference to families and small businesses – everyone from tradies, to mums and dads, to older Australians, and to transport delivery workers,” he said.

“The commute to work, taking the kids to school or sport, the family drive, or the trip to the shops will all cost less under the Coalition. Our plan will save many hundreds of dollars for families across Australia.

“Lowering costs to small businesses, means lower costs for goods and services at the checkout.”

The Morrison government introduced a six-month cut to fuel excise in 2022. The Albanese government declined to extend it when it expired.

Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Peter Dutton promises $6 billion 12-month halving of petrol and diesel excise – https://theconversation.com/peter-dutton-promises-6-billion-12-month-halving-of-petrol-and-diesel-excise-250896

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

March 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Interview – Triple J Hack with Dave Marchese

Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

E&OE TRANSCRIPT

PRESENTER DAVE MARCHESE: So, let’s get into this a bit more now with Anne Aly, the Youth Minister. Minister, thank you very much for joining us on Hack. The government hoping to pass its tax cuts for all Australians. The Opposition, calling them a cruel hoax, says Labor’s bribing voters. Are you bribing voters?

MINISTER ANNE ALY: No, these are tax cuts. And I think that every Australian out there who knows the value of the dollar, particularly for young people, for whom cost of living is a particularly acute issue that’s impacting on them every day, knows exactly what it means to have an extra dollar or two or three or four in your pay packet. These are pretty significant tax cuts. They build on the tax cuts that we already gave. And everyone will remember that if it was up to the Coalition, people earning under $45,000 —which is a lot of young people —would have got absolutely zero, zilch, nothing, nada in terms of tax cuts, according to their plan for tax cuts. So, they voted against the tax cuts today. Shows exactly where their heads are at when it comes to giving a little bit of cost-of-living relief.

MARCHESE: But is it fair everyone gets them? Like, do you think it’s fair that a nurse is going to be paying for a tax cut for someone like an MP, like a politician, you.

ALY: Well, we all pay tax according to what we earn. One of the important things to note is bringing the lower tax bracket down to 14,000. And I think, you know, I think most Australians understand the more you earn, the more tax you pay. So, if you’re going to get a tax cut, of course it’s going to be a bigger tax cut.

MARCHESE: But I guess people are asking, why not give more relief to those who need it, those who below the poverty line? Because there are some people out there saying, we don’t need this.

ALY: Whether it’s like the largest, you know, increase in rent assistance, 45 per cent increase in rent assistance. Whether it’s increasing JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, ABSTUDY, Austudy. You know. The increases that we’ve made to the minimum wage, the increases that we’ve made in industrial relations to allow wages to increase. Whether it’s energy bill, rebates, medicines, cost of medicines, bringing the cost of medicines down, particularly also for young people, the HECS debt, saving them an average of $5,500. So, it’s not just the tax cuts in isolation. And I don’t think you could ever just give cost of living relief through one mechanism.

MARCHESE: You mentioned HECS, which is obviously something a lot of our listeners are really keen to hear reform on. You’re promising to cut a further 20 per cent off all student loan debts, but only if you’re re-elected. Why do people have to wait for this? Why do students have to wait? Because the government’s had three years.

ALY: I think it’s got to do with like setting everything up and everything like that. To be honest, you know, that’s more of a question for the Minister for Education around the timing of it as well…

MARCHESE: It does affect young people though, and you’re the Youth Minister.

ALY: It does, but the thing is. Yeah, yeah, you’re right there, Dave, I’ll give you that one. But look, I think the thing is that we’ve been doing a whole lot of reform across the whole education sector. Now when you get into government, there’s a whole lot of stuff that you have to do and you do them – you know, sometimes it’s incremental, sometimes you can do things straight away, sometimes you can’t do things straight away. I tell you what, if I had a magic wand or some kind of superpower, I would have loved to have done everything straight away.

MARCHESE: But do you understand why some voters might think, well, it is a bribe. It’s only if I vote that I get this relief that I’ve needed not just this year but for years.

ALY: I guess that is kind of reflective of also a more broader cynicism towards politics where every measure that we do is, you know, put into the basket of, oh, well that’s just a bribe or that’s just a bribe…

MARCHESE: Or is it people just saying you’ve had three years and why can’t we see these changes in your term of government? Is it time to give someone else a go?

ALY: Well, if they give someone else a go, that someone else is Peter Dutton. I can guarantee you he’s not going to give you any cuts off your HECS debt. I can guarantee you he’s not going to give you any cost-of-living relief. I can guarantee you he’s not going to fix the indexation or give you a fee-free TAFE. In fact, they voted against all of those things.

MARCHESE: Alright, this is Hack. I’m Dave Marchese getting into the details of the budget with Youth Minister Anne Aly. Hearing from you on the text line. Someone says doing better than the coalition is not a flex. Someone else ‘This is so disappointing and disgusting, never ever voting Labor or Liberal again. And I know a lot of young people doing the same.’ Minister hearing loud and clear from the Hack audience, a lot of them asking about the long term because it is deficits as far as the eye can see. Young Australians are going to be the ones dealing with all this. Is there any plan for how we’re going to pay all of this off in the years ahead?

ALY: Yeah, you know, I hear the term deficit and surplus. I’ll remind everyone that we did deliver two surpluses in a row and that there are a lot of global headwinds that contribute to the deficits and that the Treasurer has been very upfront in saying that we will be looking at deficits largely due to a lot of global kind of economic trends and activities. I’m not, you know, for the young people that I speak to, Dave, and I do speak to a lot of young people, not just in this portfolio. The starkest and most acute issue is what is impacting on their life currently and that is cost-of-living and that is being able to have the kind of life that they see that their parents had.

MARCHESE: But that won’t be possible if there’s all this debt that has to be paid off later. Like Australia is spending $50 billion more per year than we’re collecting in tax. Shouldn’t we be seeing some sort of structural changes in the budget that will paint a picture of how this is all going to be dealt with in the future, how young Australians are going to deal with this.

ALY: Well, the Treasurer has talked about how we’ve made some structural reform and structural repair of the budget too in terms of banking revenue back into the budget and continuing to bank revenue into the budget as well. What I think I would say is that, you know, in some senses deficit is, as the Treasurer said, unavoidable when there are global kind of economic headwinds at play that we have little control over. The role of a government, a responsible government, particularly at a time where there is high inflation and where people are facing real cost of living pressures, is to really ensure that we give that cost of living, ease those cost-of-living pressures without putting upward pressure on inflation. And we’ve managed to bring inflation down. I think one of the things that you’re talking about here is, you know, long term vision. I would say to you, and I would probably agree with the point that it’s when you have three year terms in government which actually effectively work out to about two and a half years of actually being able to work in your role as a Minister or as a representative in Parliament, it’s very difficult to instigate and put into place really long term reform.

MARCHESE: But that is the system that we have, and we’ve had for a long time. And I mean, some of the concern here that we’re hearing from listeners. You’ve got someone on Hack’s Instagram now, Danny, that says, you know, ‘This isn’t a budget, it’s a slap in the face’, is that people think that they’ve been promised something that hasn’t been delivered. That when Anthony Albanese was pitching to be in government at the last election, he was saying nobody would be left behind. But the reality is now we’ve had the biggest fall in disposable income in the OECD over the past two years, that people are feeling worse off than they were a few years ago at that last election. How do you convince young Australians to vote for you with all of that in mind?

ALY: Oh, we’re not sugarcoating anything here, Dave. We know that people are doing it tough. We know that. But I would say to young people and indeed, you know, all Australians, have a look at what we have done. Have a look at what we have managed to achieve in a situation where many, many other countries have been unable to achieve what we have. And, you know, it was, Peter Dutton said it the other day, he said judge people by their actions. And I would say if you were to judge the Labor government over the last two and a half years by the actions that we have taken to stave off for Australians some of the most egregious and worst impacts that we could have had, with global inflation being what it is, with the global economic headwinds being what they are, I think that if you looked at what we’ve done I think we have a good story to tell. By no means does that mean everything is hunky dory and everyone’s doing, you know, ‘beauty one mate’. But it does mean that we are conscious of people doing it tough. There’s more work to do.

MARCHESE: I didn’t expect you to quote Peter Dutton in your pitch to voters, Anne Aly. But look, thank you very much for joining us. Youth Minister Anne Aly appreciate you coming on Hack.

ALY: Thaks so much Dave. Appreciate you having me on.

MIL OSI News –

March 27, 2025

MIL-OSI: YieldMax™ ETFs Announces Distributions on PLTY (100.21%), MARO (75.43%), ULTY (75.27%), MRNY (69.46%), LFGY (61.87%), and Others

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

CHICAGO and MILWAUKEE and NEW YORK, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — YieldMax™ today announced distributions for the YieldMax™ Weekly Payers and Group B ETFs listed in the table below.

ETF Ticker¹	ETF Name	Distribution Frequency	Distribution per Share	Distribution Rate^2,4	30-Day SEC Yield³	ROC⁵	Ex-Date & Record Date	Payment Date
GPTY	YieldMax™ AI & Tech Portfolio Option Income ETF	*Weekly*	$0.2787	34.11%	0.00%	98.94%	3/27/25	3/28/25
LFGY	YieldMax™ Crypto Industry & Tech Portfolio Option Income ETF	*Weekly*	$0.4749	61.87%	0.00%	0.00%	3/27/25	3/28/25
QDTY	YieldMax™ Nasdaq 100 0DTE Covered Call ETF	*Weekly*	$0.2711	–	–	55.02%	3/27/25	3/28/25
RDTY	YieldMax™ R2000 0DTE Covered Call ETF	*Weekly*	$0.3037	–	–	100.00%	3/27/25	3/28/25
SDTY	YieldMax™ S&P 500 0DTE Covered Call ETF	*Weekly*	$0.2133	–	–	0.00%	3/27/25	3/28/25
ULTY	YieldMax™ Ultra Option Income Strategy ETF	*Weekly*	$0.0986	75.27%	0.00%	100.00%	3/27/25	3/28/25
YMAG	YieldMax™ Magnificent 7 Fund of Option Income ETFs	*Weekly*	$0.0837	27.36%	61.87%	21.53%	3/27/25	3/28/25
YMAX	YieldMax™ Universe Fund of Option Income ETFs	*Weekly*	$0.1315	47.15%	85.03%	61.95%	3/27/25	3/28/25
BABO	YieldMax™ BABA Option Income Strategy ETF	Every 4 Weeks	$0.7578	47.80%	2.36%	0.00%	3/27/25	3/28/25
DIPS	YieldMax™ Short NVDA Option Income Strategy ETF	Every 4 Weeks	$0.5851	61.41%	2.90%	96.87%	3/27/25	3/28/25
FBY	YieldMax™ META Option Income Strategy ETF	Every 4 Weeks	$0.5506	39.97%	3.47%	0.00%	3/27/25	3/28/25
GDXY	YieldMax™ Gold Miners Option Income Strategy ETF	Every 4 Weeks	$0.6394	50.38%	3.08%	0.00%	3/27/25	3/28/25
JPMO	YieldMax™ JPM Option Income Strategy ETF	Every 4 Weeks	$0.3717	28.32%	3.40%	42.17%	3/27/25	3/28/25
MARO	YieldMax™ MARA Option Income Strategy ETF	Every 4 Weeks	$1.4783	75.43%	4.21%	95.22%	3/27/25	3/28/25
MRNY	YieldMax™ MRNA Option Income Strategy ETF	Every 4 Weeks	$0.1827	69.46%	5.01%	94.71%	3/27/25	3/28/25
NVDY	YieldMax™ NVDA Option Income Strategy ETF	Every 4 Weeks	$0.7874	57.94%	4.02%	100.00%	3/27/25	3/28/25
PLTY	YieldMax™ PLTR Option Income Strategy ETF	Every 4 Weeks	$5.3257	100.21%	2.63%	97.91%	3/27/25	3/28/25
Weekly Payers & Group C ETFs scheduled for next week: GPTY LFGY QDTY RDTY SDTY ULTY YMAG YMAX ABNY AMDY CONY CVNY FIAT MSFO NFLY PYPY

Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost and current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted above. Performance current to the most recent month-end can be obtained by calling (833) 378-0717.

Note: DIPS, FIAT, CRSH and YQQQ are hereinafter referred to as the “Short ETFs”.

Distributions are not guaranteed. The Distribution Rate and 30-Day SEC Yield are not indicative of future distributions, if any, on the ETFs. In particular, future distributions on any ETF may differ significantly from its Distribution Rate or 30-Day SEC Yield. You are not guaranteed a distribution under the ETFs. Distributions for the ETFs (if any) are variable and may vary significantly from period to period and may be zero. Accordingly, the Distribution Rate and 30-Day SEC Yield will change over time, and such change may be significant.

Investors in the Funds will not have rights to receive dividends or other distributions with respect to the underlying reference asset(s).


¹	All YieldMax™ ETFs shown in the table above (except *YMAX, YMAG, FEAT, FIVY* and *ULTY*) have a gross expense ratio of 0.99%. *YMAX, YMAG* and *FEAT* have a Management Fee of 0.29% and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses of 0.99% for a gross expense ratio of 1.28%. *FIVY* has a Management Fee of 0.29% and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses of 0.59% for a gross expense ratio of 0.88%. “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other investment companies, namely other YieldMax™ ETFs. *ULTY* has a gross expense ratio after the fee waiver of 1.30%. The Advisor has agreed to a fee waiver of 0.10% through at least February 28, 2026.
²	The Distribution Rate shown is as of close on *March* 25, 2025. The Distribution Rate is the annual distribution rate an investor would receive if the most recent distribution, *which includes option income*, remained the same going forward. The Distribution Rate is calculated by annualizing an ETF’s Distribution per Share and dividing such annualized amount by the ETF’s most recent NAV. The Distribution Rate represents a single distribution from the ETF and does not represent its total return. Distributions may also include a combination of ordinary dividends, capital gain, and return of investor capital, which may decrease an ETF’s NAV and trading price over time. As a result, an investor may suffer significant losses to their investment. These Distribution Rates may be caused by unusually favorable market conditions and may not be sustainable. Such conditions may not continue to exist and there should be no expectation that this performance may be repeated in the future.
³	The 30-Day SEC Yield represents net investment income, *which excludes option income, earned by such ETF over the 30-Day period* ended February 28, 2025, expressed as an annual percentage rate based on such ETF’s share price at the end of the 30-Day period.
⁴	Each ETF’s strategy (*except those of the Short ETFs*) will cap potential gains if its reference asset’s shares increase in value, yet subjects an investor to all potential losses if the reference asset’s shares decrease in value. Such potential losses may not be offset by income received by the ETF. Each *Short ETF’s* strategy will cap potential gains if its reference asset decreases in value, yet subjects an investor to all potential losses if the reference asset increases in value. Such potential losses may not be offset by income received by the ETF.
⁵	ROC refers to Return of Capital. The ROC percentage is the portion of the distribution that represents an investor’s original investment.

Each Fund has a limited operating history and while each Fund’s objective is to provide current income, there is no guarantee the Fund will make a distribution. Distributions are likely to vary greatly in amount.

Standardized Performance

For YMAX, click here. For YMAG, click here. For TSLY, click here. For OARK, click here. For APLY, click here. For NVDY, click here. For AMZY, click here. For FBY, click here. For GOOY, click here. For NFLY, click here. For CONY, click here. For MSFO, click here. For DISO, click here. For XOMO, click here. For JPMO, click here. For AMDY, click here. For PYPY, click here. For SQY, click here. For MRNY, click here. For AIYY, click here. For MSTY, click here. For ULTY, click here. For YBIT, click here. For CRSH, click here. For GDXY, click here. For SNOY, click here. For ABNY, click here. For FIAT, click here. For DIPS, click here. For BABO, click here. For YQQQ, click here. For TSMY, click here. For SMCY, click here. For PLTY, click here. For BIGY, click here. For SOXY, click here. For MARO, click here. For FEAT, click here. For FIVY, click here. For LFGY, click here. For GPTY, click here. For CVNY, click here. For SDTY, click here. For QDTY, click here. For RDTY, click here.

Important Information

This material must be preceded or accompanied by the prospectus. For all prospectuses, click here.

Tidal Financial Group is the adviser for all YieldMax™ ETFs.

THE FUND, TRUST, AND ADVISER ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY UNDERLYING REFERENCE ASSET.

Risk Disclosures (applicable to all YieldMax ETFs referenced above, except the Short ETFs)

YMAX, YMAG, FEAT and FIVY generally invest in other YieldMax™ ETFs. As such, these two Funds are subject to the risks listed in this section, which apply to all the YieldMax™ ETFs they may hold from time to time.

Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.

Call Writing Strategy Risk. The path dependency (i.e., the continued use) of the Fund’s call writing strategy will impact the extent that the Fund participates in the positive price returns of the underlying reference asset and, in turn, the Fund’s returns, both during the term of the sold call options and over longer periods.

Counterparty Risk. The Fund is subject to counterparty risk by virtue of its investments in options contracts. Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared (“cleared derivatives”). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund’s counterparty is a clearing house rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house (“clearing members”) can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members.

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, or funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. The Fund’s investments in derivatives may pose risks in addition to, and greater than, those associated with directly investing in securities or other ordinary investments, including risk related to the market, imperfect correlation with underlying investments or the Fund’s other portfolio holdings, higher price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty risk, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions.

Options Contracts. The use of options contracts involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, including the anticipated volatility, which are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political, changes in the actual or implied volatility or the reference asset, the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract and economic events.

Distribution Risk. As part of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund seeks to provide current income. There is no assurance that the Fund will make a distribution in any given period. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next.

High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may actively and frequently trade all or a significant portion of the Fund’s holdings. A high portfolio turnover rate increases transaction costs, which may increase the Fund’s expenses.

Liquidity Risk. Some securities held by the Fund, including options contracts, may be difficult to sell or be illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil.

Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund.

New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors do not have a track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.

Price Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of call option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will participate in increases in value experienced by the underlying reference asset over the Call Period.

Single Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment in the Fund to be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment which diversifies risk or the market generally. The value of the Fund, which focuses on an individual security (ARKK, TSLA, AAPL, NVDA, AMZN, META, GOOGL, NFLX, COIN, MSFT, DIS, XOM, JPM, AMD, PYPL, SQ, MRNA, AI, MSTR, Bitcoin ETP, GDX^®, SNOW, ABNB, BABA, TSM, SMCI, PLTR, MARA, CVNA), may be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole.

Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions, if any, may decline.

Indirect Investment Risk. The Index is not affiliated with the Trust, the Fund, the Adviser, or their respective affiliates and is not involved with this offering in any way.

Risk Disclosures (applicable only to GPTY)

Artificial Intelligence Risk. Issuers engaged in artificial intelligence typically have high research and capital expenditures and, as a result, their profitability can vary widely, if they are profitable at all. The space in which they are engaged is highly competitive and issuers’ products and services may become obsolete very quickly. These companies are heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by loss or impairment of those rights. The issuers are also subject to legal, regulatory and political changes that may have a large impact on their profitability. A failure in an issuer’s product or even questions about the safety of the product could be devastating to the issuer, especially if it is the marquee product of the issuer. It can be difficult to accurately capture what qualifies as an artificial intelligence company.

Technology Sector Risk. The Fund will invest substantially in companies in the information technology sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. Market or economic factors impacting technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability.

Risk Disclosure (applicable only to MARO)

Digital Assets Risk: The Fund does not invest directly in Bitcoin or any other digital assets. The Fund does not invest directly in derivatives that track the performance of Bitcoin or any other digital assets. The Fund does not invest in or seek direct exposure to the current “spot” or cash price of Bitcoin. Investors seeking direct exposure to the price of Bitcoin should consider an investment other than the Fund. Digital assets like Bitcoin, designed as mediums of exchange, are still an emerging asset class. They operate independently of any central authority or government backing and are subject to regulatory changes and extreme price volatility.

Risk Disclosures (applicable only to BABO and TSMY)

Currency Risk: Indirect exposure to foreign currencies subjects the Fund to the risk that currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates and the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the U.S. or abroad.

Depositary Receipts Risk: The securities underlying BABO and TSMY are American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”). Investment in ADRs may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market.

Foreign Market and Trading Risk: The trading markets for many foreign securities are not as active as U.S. markets and may have less governmental regulation and oversight.

Foreign Securities Risk: Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in securities of U.S. issuers, such as risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability, as well as varying regulatory requirements applicable to investments in non-U.S. issuers. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Non-U.S. issuers may also be subject to different regulatory, accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers.

Risk Disclosures (applicable only to GDXY)

Risk of Investing in Foreign Securities. The Fund is exposed indirectly to the securities of foreign issuers selected by GDX^®’s investment adviser, which subjects the Fund to the risks associated with such companies. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities.

Risk of Investing in Gold and Silver Mining Companies. The Fund is exposed indirectly to gold and silver mining companies selected by GDX^®’s investment adviser, which subjects the Fund to the risks associated with such companies.

The Fund invests in options contracts based on the value of the VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX^®), which subjects the Fund to some of the same risks as if it owned GDX^®, as well as the risks associated with Canadian, Australian and Emerging Market Issuers, and Small-and Medium-Capitalization companies.

Risk Disclosures (applicable only to YBIT)

YBIT does not invest directly in Bitcoin or any other digital assets. YBIT does not invest directly in derivatives that track the performance of Bitcoin or any other digital assets. YBIT does not invest in or seek direct exposure to the current “spot” or cash price of Bitcoin. Investors seeking direct exposure to the price of Bitcoin should consider an investment other than YBIT.

Bitcoin Investment Risk: The Fund’s indirect investment in Bitcoin, through holdings in one or more Underlying ETPs, exposes it to the unique risks of this emerging innovation. Bitcoin’s price is highly volatile, and its market is influenced by the changing Bitcoin network, fluctuating acceptance levels, and unpredictable usage trends.

Digital Assets Risk: Digital assets like Bitcoin, designed as mediums of exchange, are still an emerging asset class. They operate independently of any central authority or government backing and are subject to regulatory changes and extreme price volatility. Potentially No 1940 Act Protections. As of the date of this Prospectus, there is only a single eligible Underlying ETP, and it is an investment company subject to the 1940 Act.

Bitcoin ETP Risk: The Fund invests in options contracts that are based on the value of the Bitcoin ETP. This subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it owned shares of the Bitcoin ETP, even though it does not. Bitcoin ETPs are subject, but not limited, to significant risk and heightened volatility. An investor in a Bitcoin ETP may lose their entire investment. Bitcoin ETPs are not suitable for all investors. In addition, not all Bitcoin ETPs are registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Those Bitcoin ETPs that are not registered under such statute are therefore not subject to the same regulations as exchange traded products that are so registered.

Risk Disclosures (applicable only to the Short ETFs)

Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.

Price Appreciation Risk. As part of the Fund’s synthetic covered put strategy, the Fund purchases and sells call and put option contracts that are based on the value of the underlying reference asset. This strategy subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it shorted the underlying reference asset, even though it does not. By virtue of the Fund’s indirect inverse exposure to changes in the value of the underlying reference asset, the Fund is subject to the risk that the value of the underlying reference asset increases. If the value of the underlying reference asset increases, the Fund will likely lose value and, as a result, the Fund may suffer significant losses.

Put Writing Strategy Risk. The path dependency (i.e., the continued use) of the Fund’s put writing (selling) strategy will impact the extent that the Fund participates in decreases in the value of the underlying reference asset and, in turn, the Fund’s returns, both during the term of the sold put options and over longer periods.

Purchased OTM Call Options Risk. The Fund’s strategy is subject to potential losses if the underlying reference asset increases in value, which may not be offset by the purchase of out-of-the-money (OTM) call options. The Fund purchases OTM calls to seek to manage (cap) the Fund’s potential losses from the Fund’s short exposure to the underlying reference asset if it appreciates significantly in value. However, the OTM call options will cap the Fund’s losses only to the extent that the value of the underlying reference asset increases to a level that is at or above the strike level of the purchased OTM call options. Any increase in the value of the underlying reference asset to a level that is below the strike level of the purchased OTM call options will result in a corresponding loss for the Fund. For example, if the OTM call options have a strike level that is approximately 100% above the then-current value of the underlying reference asset at the time of the call option purchase, and the value of the underlying reference asset increases by at least 100% during the term of the purchased OTM call options, the Fund will lose all its value. Since the Fund bears the costs of purchasing the OTM calls, such costs will decrease the Fund’s value and/or any income otherwise generated by the Fund’s investment strategy.

Options Contracts. The use of options contracts involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying reference asset, including the anticipated volatility, which are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political, changes in the actual or implied volatility or the reference asset, the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract and economic events.

High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may actively and frequently trade all or a significant portion of the Fund’s holdings.

Liquidity Risk. Some securities held by the Fund, including options contracts, may be difficult to sell or be illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil.

Price Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of put option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will participate in decreases in value experienced by the underlying reference asset over the Put Period.

Single Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment in the Fund to be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment which diversifies risk or the market generally. The value of the Fund, for any Fund that focuses on an individual security (e.g., TSLA, COIN, NVDA), may be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole.

Risk Disclosures (applicable only to YQQQ)

Index Overview. The Nasdaq 100 Index is a benchmark index that includes 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, based on market capitalization.

Index Level Appreciation Risk. As part of the Fund’s synthetic covered put strategy, the Fund purchases and sells call and put option contracts that are based on the Index level. This strategy subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it shorted the Index, even though it does not. By virtue of the Fund’s indirect inverse exposure to changes in the Index level, the Fund is subject to the risk that the Index level increases. If the Index level increases, the Fund will likely lose value and, as a result, the Fund may suffer significant losses. The Fund may also be subject to the following risks: innovation and technological advancement; strong market presence of Index constituent companies; adaptability to global market trends; and resilience and recovery potential.

Index Level Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of put option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will benefit from decreases in the Index level experienced over the Put Period. This means that if the Index level experiences a decrease in value below the strike level of the sold put options during a Put Period, the Fund will likely not experience that increase to the same extent and any Fund gains may significantly differ from the level of the Index losses over the Put Period. Additionally, because the Fund is limited in the degree to which it will participate in decreases in value experienced by the Index level over each Put Period, but has significant negative exposure to any increases in value experienced by the Index level over the Put Period, the NAV of the Fund may decrease over any given period. The Fund’s NAV is dependent on the value of each options portfolio, which is based principally upon the inverse of the performance of the Index level. The Fund’s ability to benefit from the Index level decreases will depend on prevailing market conditions, especially market volatility, at the time the Fund enters into the sold put option contracts and will vary from Put Period to Put Period. The value of the options contracts is affected by changes in the value and dividend rates of component companies that comprise the Index, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived volatility of the Index and the remaining time to the options’ expiration, as well as trading conditions in the options market. As the Index level changes and time moves towards the expiration of each Put Period, the value of the options contracts, and therefore the Fund’s NAV, will change. However, it is not expected for the Fund’s NAV to directly inversely correlate on a day-to-day basis with the returns of the Index level. The amount of time remaining until the options contract’s expiration date affects the impact that the value of the options contracts has on the Fund’s NAV, which may not be in full effect until the expiration date of the Fund’s options contracts. Therefore, while changes in the Index level will result in changes to the Fund’s NAV, the Fund generally anticipates that the rate of change in the Fund’s NAV will be different than the inverse of the changes experienced by the Index level.

YieldMax™ ETFs are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC. Foreside is not affiliated with Tidal Financial Group, or YieldMax™ ETFs.

The MIL Network –

March 27, 2025

MIL-Evening Report: Politics with Michelle Grattan: Jim Chalmers and Angus Taylor on tax top-ups and budget bottom lines

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

As the election starter’s gun is about to be fired, Tuesday’s budget announced modest income tax cuts as the government’s latest cost-of-living measure. The Coalition has opposed the tax relief, with Peter Dutton’s Thursday budget reply to put forward his policy counters on the cost of living.

Meanwhile, the domestic economic debate is being conducted as President Donald Trump prepares to unveil more tariffs, which are likely to produce further uncertainty in the world economy.

On this podcast we are joined by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor.

Chalmers says the government is making every last-minute effort to argue against Australia being hit with more US tariffs. He’s ready to make personal representations if that’s thought useful.

I’ve been discussing that with Don Farrell, the minister for trade, whether or not that would be helpful to some of the efforts that he’s currently engaged in. So we’re working as a team on it. We’re working out the best [and] most effective ways to engage with the Americans. Again, speaking up for and standing up for our national interest.

We’re not uniquely impacted by the tariffs either already imposed or proposed. But we’ve got a lot of skin in the game here. We’re a trading nation, we generate a lot of prosperity on global markets.

A criticism from some about the budget was that climate change wasn’t mentioned explicitly. Chalmers takes issue with that.

I would have thought that an extra A$3 billion for green metals, which is about leveraging our traditional strengths and resources, our developing industries and the energy transformation to create something that the world needs, I think that’s a climate change policy.

And also the Innovation Fund, another $1.5 billion or so for the Innovation Fund in terms of sustainable aviation fuels, that’s a climate policy and also we’re recapitalising another couple of billion for the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

So in every budget, we’ve made new investments in climate change and in energy and this week’s budget was no different in that regard.

Angus Taylor is scathing about Labor’s “top-up” tax cuts, which were the budget’s centrepiece, saying:

A government that has overseen an unprecedented collapse in our living standards, unrivalled by any other country in the world, and they’re trying to tell Australians that 70 cents a day, more than a year from now, is a solution to that problem?

It’s laughable, it is not even going to touch the sides, it’s Band-Aid on a bullet wound. It’s a cruel hoax. And frankly, the idea that this is good government is absolutely laughable.

On what change of approach a Coalition government would take, Angus Taylor points to the “fiscal rules that we adhered to when we were last in government”.

They were on the back of the rules that were established in the Charter of Budget Honesty that was established by Peter Costello in the 1990s to make sure your economy grows faster than your spending. That doesn’t mean spending doesn’t grow, it just means your economy grows faster.

So both of those things matter, a faster growing economy and managing your spending so that it’s not growing faster. Jim Chalmers doesn’t get that.

Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Politics with Michelle Grattan: Jim Chalmers and Angus Taylor on tax top-ups and budget bottom lines – https://theconversation.com/politics-with-michelle-grattan-jim-chalmers-and-angus-taylor-on-tax-top-ups-and-budget-bottom-lines-253112

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

March 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: From Art to Science. The Best Educational Programs for Children in Moscow

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

Modern education goes far beyond school lessons. Museums, cultural centers and scientific sites offer many exciting programs that help children develop creativity, interest in science, history, literature and art. The best educational programs for children in Moscow in a variety of areas are in the mos.ru article.

Art: developing visual acuity and creative potential

Museums and art studios actively support interest in fine arts from an early age. In classes in the art studio “Classics” of the Museum of Moscow Children will get acquainted with the history of world art – from cave painting to modern street art. Each lesson includes a theoretical part and a practical master class – a real excursion into art history, understandable to a child.

The State A.S. Pushkin Museum has prepared regular classes for children aged six to eight years from the series “Artist’s Studio. Cities and Crafts”. Participants will learn about the history of folk toys and Russian crafts, and will learn techniques of traditional painting and sculpting applied art objects. On the course “Fairy tale around us” Children aged five or six will discuss famous fairy tales and, under the guidance of an artist, draw magical animals.

History: Exploring the Past with Interactive Programs

Historical programs of Moscow museums provide children with a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the past and learn more about the culture and life of different eras. The Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve hosts several interactive classes for budding historians: “Introduction to Tsaritsyn” (6 ), “Catherine II” (3 ), “Once upon a time” (3) Each of them, in a theatrical form, immerses even the youngest guests in the history of the country.

The Museum of Moscow is open for family fun Exhibition “History of Moscow” with an amazing museum collection: archaeological finds, ancient clothing, weapons, household items, old books and other authentic monuments of the past.

The Moscow Museum of Archaeology has organized a program for family leisure. Course “Entertaining Archeology” will tell about the history of the development of medieval Moscow. For lovers of practical classes, a “Archaeological Workshop” program. Everyone can feel like a real archaeologist and examine authentic objects from different eras.

Science: Understanding the world through experimentation and research

Studying natural sciences and technology is becoming a priority for many schoolchildren. Moscow museums and educational centers pay special attention to developing and maintaining interest through exciting experiments. The Darwin Museum has cycle “Life under the microscope”– children explore the microworld, study DNA, insect jaws and life in a drop of water.

Nature lovers, such as bird watchers, can attend an interactive ecology class “Riddles of Moscow Birds”The children will learn whether birds can nest on concrete poles, how birds live in the capital, and much more.

Literature: love of reading and the Russian language

City libraries offer exciting formats that are sure to spark children’s interest in reading. A renewed club is starting work in Zelenograd Administrative Okrug on the formation of a reading culture “Chitalkin”. On weekends, children aged five to six can pretend to be librarians, writers, literary critics, illustrators and readers at the Children’s Book Playground.

Immersive readings await children in SAO “Visiting the Book Fairy”. During the lesson, you will be able to depict your impressions and emotions on paper to the sounds of classical music. Children aged seven to 10 years old living in the southwest of the capital are invited to the meeting to the Book Laboratory club. They will hear excerpts from different works, take part in discussions and will be able to take the book home.

In the library-reading room named after I.S. Turgenev, as part of the All-Russian Children’s Book Week, which runs from March 22 to 30, there will be Master class “Read – sculpt – play”. And in the North-West Administrative District in library #244 Young guests will be able to meet writers, illustrators and publishers, attend master classes on creating book miniatures, images and bookmarks, take part in literary readings “Bedtime Stories” and do much more.

Anyone over the age of seven has a unique opportunity to practice oratory at the State Museum of A.S. Pushkin. As part of cycle “The Art of Speech” Teacher and theater and film actress Ulyana Chilindina will help improve articulation, eliminate accent, and also master the basics of speech improvisation.

Music: developing musical ear and taste

Music is an integral part of development, Moscow concert halls and cultural centers provide children with the opportunity to get acquainted with the classics and the work of modern performers. For example, the Museum of Moscow offers program “World Music” for children aged six to 11. Young listeners will explore the music of different countries and nations, gain experience playing musical instruments and engage in rhythmic tasks together with their parents.

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/151813073/

MIL OSI Russia News –

March 26, 2025
MIL-OSI China: RCEP emerges as anchor for free trade amid rising protectionism

Source: China State Council Information Office

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has emerged as an important anchor for global free trade, injecting momentum into the world economy amid rising protectionism and geopolitical uncertainties, according to sources from the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) conference.

The RCEP has become a major driving force and institutional pathway for economic globalization, further opening up the regional market and advancing regional liberalization, said Kuang Xianming, deputy head of the China Institute for Reform and Development.

Three years after its implementation, the trade pact has delivered initial benefits, with the total trade value within the region expanding 3 percent year on year in 2024, a significant figure given the headwinds facing global trade, Kuang said.

Under the agreement, the RCEP region has become the most dynamic hub for cross-border capital flows, according to Kuang. In 2023, the RCEP region attracted 35 percent of global foreign direct investment and contributed 30 percent of global outbound investment, he added.

The RCEP, the world’s largest free trade deal to date, covers 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and its five free trade agreement partners, namely China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.

The RCEP, as a major achievement of Asian economic integration, has injected new vitality into the member economies, bringing certainty into the uncertain global economy and trade landscape, according to a report released at the BFA.

The trade pact has integrated the free trade agreement arrangements within the region, optimized the configuration of economic resources, and demonstrated the determination of Asian economies to promote open cooperation, the report said.

MIL OSI China News –

March 26, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK-Southeast Asia Tech Week 2025 in Manila
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

World news story

UK-Southeast Asia Tech Week 2025 in Manila

The UK Government recently hosted UK-Southeast Asia Tech Week in Manila, driving innovation, collaboration and investment.
His Majesty’s Ambassador Laure Beaufils (second from right) and His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner Martin Kent (rightmost) sign a Strategic Partnership with Fintech Alliance Philippines, represented by Martha Borja and Lito Villanueva, to enhance UK-Philippines cooperation in the fintech sector, driving financial inclusion and technological advancement.

Under the theme “Bridging Boundaries, Building a Resilient, Innovative, and Inclusive Tech Ecosystem,” the event held from 24 to 25 March 2025 showcased British cutting-edge technology and expertise while fostering partnerships to strengthen the region’s tech landscape.

His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific, Martin Kent led the delegation of 12 pioneering British artificial intelligence (AI) and data companies, exploring opportunities for collaboration with Philippine partners in the tech ecosystem. He stated:

The UK is a global leader in science and technology, with our tech ecosystem worth US$1.2 trillion – the 3rd largest in the world after the US and China.

I am delighted to lead this delegation of cutting-edge companies to Manila for UK-Southeast Asia Tech Week to represent the UK’s tech prowess. The UK is committed to building opportunities for mutual prosperity with the Philippines, and I look forward to the innovation and new partnerships that will unfold from this week.

Companies including NCC Group, iProov and Revolut took centre stage during the UK Tech Showcase, demonstrating their latest innovations in cybersecurity, biometric authentication, and digital banking.

Panel discussions on AI and cybersecurity were conducted, providing insights on latest trends, emerging threats and best practices. The discussions also underscored the need for collaboration to address common challenges.

Furthering the UK and Philippine tech partnership, His Majesty’s Ambassador Laure Beaufils signed a Strategic Partnership with Fintech Alliance Philippines to enhance cooperation in the fintech sector, driving financial inclusion and technological advancement across the industry. She shared:

The UK is proud to be a long-standing partner in the Philippines’ digital journey, supporting initiatives that foster innovation, improve cybersecurity resilience and develop a skilled tech workforce.

British Embassy Manila and Kickstart Ventures, the Philippines’ largest corporate venture capital firm, also launched the UK Tech Growth Programme. This new collaboration is designed to match UK startups to receive potential investment from Kickstart Ventures through The Ayala Corporation Technology Innovation Venture Fund (ACTIVE Fund), the largest venture capital fund to come out of the Philippines.

Kickstart Ventures Managing Partner and Co-Founder Minette Navarrete said:

We recognise the vital role of forging partnerships beyond borders in fuelling innovation that benefits all– a commitment we take to heart at Kickstart. Our collaboration with the British Embassy is integral to this commitment, allowing us to lead transformative investments with UK startups and bring in tech-driven solutions that ensure mutual growth.

Ambassador Beaufils added:

Technology is not just about infrastructure—it’s about partnerships, trust, and shared progress. The UK is working hand in hand with the Philippines on this, supporting it to expand its tech ecosystem.

UK-Southeast Asia Tech Week 2025 reaffirms the UK’s commitment to driving innovation, strengthening partnerships, and shaping a resilient and inclusive tech ecosystem across the region.

The delegation includes British Companies Content Guru, CyberQ Group, Encompass, Intelligent AI Solutions, Kraken IM, Newcastle University, Open Data Institute, Smart Pension, Summatic, Sumsub, Synectics and Veracity Trust Network APAC.

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Published 26 March 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
March 26, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: ‘The bush calls us’: the defiant women who demanded a place on the walking track

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruby Ekkel, PhD student in Australian History, Australian National University

Fairfax Corporation (1932)

➡️ View the full interactive version of this article here.

Ruby Ekkel does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. ‘The bush calls us’: the defiant women who demanded a place on the walking track – https://theconversation.com/the-bush-calls-us-the-defiant-women-who-demanded-a-place-on-the-walking-track-241126

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

March 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Investigations ongoing into death at Christie Downs

Source: New South Wales – News

Police are investigating a death at Christie Downs this morning.

About 10am on Wednesday 26 March, police and paramedics were called to a unit at Rufus Crescent, Christie Downs after a woman was found collapsed at the property.

Police and paramedics located the woman at one of the units. Sadly, the 43-year-old Christie Downs woman was pronounced deceased at the scene.

A 54-year-old Christie Downs man at the scene was arrested after allegedly assaulting officers. He is currently in hospital undergoing treatment and will appear in court at a later date.

Southern District CIB detectives and forensic officers attended and examined the scene and are conducting further investigations.

Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death are ongoing.

Anyone who saw or heard any suspicious activity or has any information, dashcam or CCTV footage that may assist the investigation into the woman’s death is asked to speak to police at the scene or contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

Further information will be provided when known.

MIL OSI News –

March 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Interview with Peter Fegan, 4BC, Brisbance

Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

Peter Fegan:

It’s Labor’s $17 billion pledge. But is it enough to save the election? The Labor Party or the government has delivered its fourth Budget last night. Plenty of savings, but given the cost‑of‑living crisis, we’re in no position to bite the hand that could potentially feed us for the next 3 years, at least. Joining me on the line is the Treasurer, Jim Chalmers. Treasurer, it is always great to have your time on the programme.

Jim Chalmers:

Thanks for having me back on your show, Pete. Good morning.

Fegan:

$268 in tax cuts in the first year, which is 2026. That’s $538 in the second. You’ve conceded, Treasurer, that that is modest cuts. It equates to about $5 a week. You add in the Stage 3 tax cuts, that will be around $56 bucks a week. So, when you consider how much groceries, fuel, beer, health, childcare, aged care is; most Australians would say that $50 bucks doesn’t go very far at all.

Chalmers:

I understand that, Pete. I understand that there’s always an appetite to do more. My job is to make sure that we’re providing this cost‑of‑living relief in the most responsible way that we can. The tax cuts are an important part of that, that $50 a week in income taxes is all about helping people but so is strengthening Medicare because more bulk billing means less pressure on families.

So are the energy rebates, the cheaper medicines, cutting student debt. There are a number of ways that we’re providing cost‑of‑living help in the Budget, but we’ve got to do that in the most responsible way. We know that there will always be calls to do more. We’re doing the most that we can afford to do for the time being.

Fegan:

Treasurer, I would argue what is missing from this Budget are tough decisions, serious structural reforms and addressing the elephant in the room. We know what that is, Treasurer. It’s spending. Now, there’s $40 billion set aside for decisions not yet announced. That means that the Prime Minister has another $40 billion up his sleeve to throw around during the election campaign. So, let’s just call this Budget what it is. It’s a Budget to win the election. Surely.

Chalmers:

I don’t agree with you, Pete. It’s a Budget to build the future and to help people with the cost of living and strengthen Medicare. Those are the 3 primary objectives of the Budget. It’s all about making our economy more resilient in the face of all this global economic uncertainty. That’s what’s motivated us here when it comes to this Budget.

Now, when it comes to spending, about half of the new spending in the Budget is the tax cuts. A big proportion of the rest of it was already provisioned for in the mid‑year Budget update. We’ve been responsible, we’ve gone for what’s affordable and we’ve done that in the context where we have taken difficult decisions. There are billions of dollars in savings.

There is much less debt this year in the Budget than when we came to office 3 years ago in terms of the $177 billion less debt this year. We are making good progress in the budget. We’re making especially good progress in the economy more broadly. We know that that doesn’t always immediately translate into how people are feeling and faring in the economy. That’s why the cost‑of‑living help is so important.

Fegan:

Migration. 260,000 new migrants will flood into Australia by the end of July, the majority of which will come into Australia. Now Treasurer, historically yes, migration does help fuel economy, we know that. But unfortunately, here in Australia we have a living crisis, we have a housing crisis.

We have a major supply issue here in Queensland. You know that, you live in Logan. You know how bad supply is at the moment. Are you putting them up? Because I don’t know where 260,000 new migrants will go. I know that they’ll work. But we’re in a housing crisis. It doesn’t make sense to me.

Chalmers:

Two important things about that, Pete. Firstly, we’re investing $33 billion in building more homes.

Fegan:

But you haven’t built any yet though, Treasurer. That’s the issue. You haven’t built any new homes yet. That’s the big issue here. You can invest all your money, all the money you want. You can’t put them in camps until they’re built.

Chalmers:

We are building new homes. We’re making a very substantial investment in making sure that’s the case. Secondly, you refer to those migration numbers. Those migration numbers have actually been very substantially managed down from their peak after COVID. When Australia more or less shut down during COVID in the year or 2 after that, couple of years after that, there was a big rebound in the net overseas migration number spanning 2 governments.

We’ve been able to manage that down to more normal levels. That is what you’re seeing in the budget. That number that you refer to is right, but it is much lower, very, very substantially lower than it was a couple of years ago.

Fegan:

Okay, Treasurer, this is an interesting one and I think all eyes will be on this when it comes to the election.

Let’s talk energy.

Okay, Treasurer, the Prime Minister and yourself and all your Ministers all maintain that energy prices are lower under a Labor government. So, why has the government, if that’s the case – if we are paying less for energy, why has the government spent $6.8 billion on energy subsidies to date? Is that not an abject failure of the last 3 years? And your energy policy, why give Australians another $150 bucks if, according to Labor, energy is affordable? I don’t understand it. I mean, if it is affordable, I don’t need the $150 bucks.

Chalmers:

This is another important way that we’re helping people with the cost of living. We know that in the last year in the official inflation data, we were able to get electricity prices down. That’s a good thing. That’s been a combination of rebates, but also the efforts that we’re making to introduce more cleaner and cheaper energy into the system.

If you think about the independent experts from a body called AEMO, what they talk about is what’s pushing electricity prices up is actually the old parts of the system, the traditional parts of the system, becoming less and less reliable.

We’re providing these energy rebates in the near term to take some of the sting out of these electricity bills while people are under cost‑of‑living pressure. At the same time, we’re introducing more cleaner and cheaper, more reliable energy into the system because that’s the best way to put downward pressure on energy prices over the medium and long term.

Fegan:

Yeah, there’s no. But there’s no funding for green energy. There’s no funding for net zero.

Chalmers:

That’s not true, Pete.

Fegan:

Well, there’s no extra funding. Is there, in this Budget? Is there extra investment in –

Chalmers:

Yeah, there’s some extra investment out of an innovation.

Fegan:

How much?

Chalmers:

For about one and a half billion, I think from memory.

Fegan:

But it’s not in Budget. Is it in Budget papers released?

Chalmers:

Yeah, it’s in the Budget papers. We’ve also recapitalised the Clean Energy Finance Corporation because that’s playing an important role as well, financing cleaner and cheaper energy.

I accept your broader point. Electricity prices are a pressure on family budgets we’re seeing around the world. We’re not immune from that. The energy bill rebates are an important, responsible way that we take some of the edge off that while we introduce more cleaner and cheaper, and more reliable energy into the system.

Fegan:

Treasurer, why should Australians trust Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers for another 3 years?

Chalmers:

I think after the Coalition’s brain explosion on tax last night, the choice at the election is becoming absolutely crystal clear now. We’re helping people as a Labor government with the cost of living by cutting their taxes. Peter Dutton has an agenda of secret cuts which will make people worse off. Now, Peter Dutton wants to cut everything except people’s taxes, and that’s really the contest which was set up last night when Angus Taylor, quite bizarrely, said that he would oppose our cost‑of‑living help.

What we’ve seen over the course of the last 3 years is every time we’ve tried to help people with the cost of living, our opponents have opposed that. Peter Dutton and Angus Taylor have both said the best predictor of future performance is past performance. They have opposed cost‑of‑living help; they’re opposing these cost‑of‑living tax cuts in the Budget last night.

I think that sets up a very clear choice. If people want a Labor government helping with the cost of living, managing the budget responsibly, investing in building Australia’s future, they can choose that over Peter Dutton, who has secret cuts which will make people worse off, and that’s because he wants to cut everything except taxes.

Fegan:

Do you accept that Australians don’t trust you?

Chalmers:

I don’t necessarily accept that, Pete. I mean, that’s a judgement for people to make. I understand that, and it’s something that journalists and commentators can speculate about. What we did last night was keep faith with the Australian people and do justice to the progress and the sacrifices that they have made. Together as Australians, we’ve made a lot of progress in our economy. We’ve got –

Fegan:

But a trillion dollars in debt. A trillion dollars, though, Treasurer?

Chalmers:

It’s $177 billion this year lower than what it was when we came to office for this year. That’s a really important thing. You will read a lot of stuff in the papers about debt and deficits. Don’t forget, we delivered 2 surpluses, we shrunk the deficit, we got the debt down, we’re saving on interest costs.

Fegan:

But it’s still a trillion dollars. You grilled the former government on this. It’s still a trillion dollars. And I know it’s not all your fault, but it’s a trillion dollars. We’ve got kids that need to buy homes in 20 years’ time.

Chalmers:

That’s why we’re investing substantially in housing, $33 billion program. On the debt, don’t forget, we would have already had a trillion dollars of debt under our opponents. It’s $177 billion lower this year. I think that’s too easily dismissed and diminished the progress we’ve made in the budget. Same goes for the progress we made in the economy together as Australians.

As I was saying a moment ago, we’ve got growth rebounding solidly in our economy: inflation down, real wages up, unemployment is low, interest rates have started to be cut, we’ve got the debt down. This is good progress, and we would be crazy to interrupt that progress with Peter Dutton’s secret cuts which would make Australians worse off.

Fegan:

What’s happening with the Coalition at the moment, Treasurer? Seems to be some rumblings. I hear or see reports yesterday that Peter Dutton had to lay down the law, that David Littleproud got pretty fired up.

Chalmers:

Yeah, they got fired up because basically the Coalition members and senators are forming an orderly queue to say that Angus Taylor’s not up to the job. It’s quite bizarre that Angus Taylor’s asking Australians to take him seriously when his own colleagues don’t. He’s been found out and he’s been found wanting.

I think genuinely, it was a proper brain explosion we saw last night when he said, at a time when people are under cost‑of‑living pressures, they won’t support our tax cuts to help people meet the cost of living. I think that was a bizarre decision. I think it will come back to haunt him, and I think his colleagues will have a view about it behind the scenes.

Fegan:

Treasurer, you’re on the front page of every paper today, but can I just say congratulations to you because you are drinking out of a Brisbane Broncos mug. How good is that?

Chalmers:

I get a bit of feedback about that. Mostly from Dolphins, mostly from people –

Fegan:

Well, do you know what? You’re still a staunch. You’re still a staunch Bronco supporter. Right?

Chalmers:

Pick and stick. Absolutely.

Fegan:

Thank you.

Chalmers:

Broncos until I die, Pete.

Fegan:

Because I see that Peter Dutton has changed his tune a little bit. He’s now, well, Dolphins is in his electorate. A little bit of his electorate. Well, I don’t know.

Chalmers:

Right. I’m not sure about that. In fairness to him, I’m not sure about that. I’m certainly, I will always be a very enthusiastic supporter of the Brisbane Broncos. I still remember their first game in the comp in 1988 as a little tacker. I’m looking forward to watching the Battle of Brisbane on Friday night. Always a good contest.

Fegan:

Go the Broncos. Yeah, exactly. Go the Broncos. Good on you, Treasurer. Great to have your company this morning.

Chalmers:

Nice to talk to you again, Pete. All the best.

Fegan:

There he is, the Treasurer, Jim Chalmers.

MIL OSI News –

March 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Regional Ministerial Budget Statement 2025-26

Source: Workplace Gender Equality Agency

On behalf of the Albanese Labor Government, I’m proud to deliver our fourth Regional Ministerial Budget Statement.

I’d like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of where we are today, and pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

Mr Speaker, across our first term in Government, our message to regional Australians has been loud and clear – your postcode shouldn’t be a barrier.

Just because you grow up in Bega on the NSW Far South Coast, or in Gladstone in Central Queensland, and just because you live at Mount Gambier in regional South Australia, or in the Pilbara Region in outback WA – doesn’t mean that the services, and the opportunities available to you should be second best.

I say this as a proud regional Member of this place, and on behalf of my fantastic regional colleagues here with me today.

I say this as someone that’s always lived in our regions – from Traralgon in regional Victoria, to Merimbula on the NSW Far South Coast – where I watched my parents work hard every day to build a small business, and to provide our family with a better life.

A regional community where I myself now run a small business with my husband, and where we’re raising our kids.

And I say this as someone that’s had the privilege of spending a lot of time talking to regional people across Australia – both as the Member for the Mighty Eden-Monaro, and as Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories.

From the Hunter region in NSW, Caboolture in regional Queensland, Devonport in Tasmania – to communities across the 42,000 square kilometres in my electorate.

Regional Australia is a great place to live, work, study, visit and invest – and I wouldn’t live anywhere else.

Our regions generate a third of the nation’s economic output, and there’s so many opportunities that our Government wants to take advantage of.

But you’d be living under a rock if you said life outside of our big cities doesn’t come without its unique challenges – it absolutely does.

Unlike those opposite though, on this side of the House we’re not shying away from that.

I’m proud to be part of a Government that across its first term, has delivered record investments to improve the reliability and the accessibility of critical services that regional people rely on.

To support more regional people to work and train closer to home – because you shouldn’t have to pack your bags to build your career.

To build more things in our own backyard, investing in the hard-work and know-how of regional people.

To give regional Australians more support to buy or rent a home.

To support local businesses and local economies to grow – with small businesses in particular the backbone of our regions.

To ensure the local roads we drive every day to drop the kids off at school and to get to work, are safe, and keep pace with growing communities.

To improve our major highways linking our cities to our regions, so more visitors support our local businesses, and experience everything we have to offer.

To keep our regions connected and better prepared for natural disasters – something many regional communities, including across Eden-Monaro, have needed to rebuild from.

And most importantly, to relieve immediate pressures on regional families and businesses.

Which let’s not forget, those opposite talk a big game on – despite opposing every single cost of living measure to date, and committing to tearing apart every measure that’ll support regional Australians into the future.

Because while we’re delivering record investments to Build Regional Australia’s Future, the wreckers opposite are determined to leave regional communities which aren’t the right colour on their spreadsheets behind.

The Albanese Government is delivering better outcomes for every regional community – because we’re addressing the challenges, harnessing the opportunities, and taking the needs of our regions seriously.

Through our Regional Investment Framework, we’re ensuring targeted investments support regional people, the places they live, the services they need, and the industries that stimulate local economies.

With investments through the 2025-26 Budget building on everything we’ve delivered across our first term.

Our number one priority has been easing pressures faced by regional families and businesses today, while supporting more work, training and economic opportunities outside of our big cites.

We’ve delivered tax cuts for every regional taxpayer – a huge impact for taxpayers in my own electorate of Eden-Monaro, putting an average of $1,633 back into their pockets, with another two tax cuts on the way – something those opposite just voted against.

We’ve delivered $300 in Energy Bill Relief to millions of households and $325 to small businesses, along with cheaper childcare and cheaper medicines.

We’ve cut $3 billion in student debt, with a further 20 per cent to be cut if we’re re-elected.

And we’ve supported over 127,000 free TAFE places in our regions – from construction courses to childcare.

We’re getting more people into industries screaming out for workers, after those opposite gutted the vocational education system during their failed decade.

We’ve introduced legislation to make free TAFE permanent – something those opposite have said they’ll repeal, because as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition said in this very chamber – “if you don’t pay for it, you don’t value it.”

But I want my kids and every regional person to know – your postcode and your bank balance shouldn’t limit your potential.

Through this Budget we’ll provide additional cost-of-living relief, along with increased investments to remove study barriers.

$1.8 billion to provide all households, and around one million small businesses, with an additional $150 in Energy Bill Relief.

$800 million to expand our Help to Buy scheme to support more people get into their own home – including in our regions.

This builds on the 32,000 regional Australians we’ve already helped into home ownership, through the Regional Home Guarantee.

$626.9 million to support $10,000 incentive payments for construction sector apprentices – with $7.0 million to increase the Living Away from Home Allowance for apprentices.

As an operator of a small plumbing business that hires apprentices, and having recently spent time with bricklaying apprentices at Queanbeyan – I know that every cent counts when you’re starting out, especially when you’re living away from home.

That’s why we’re boosting apprentice wages and easing cost-of-living pressures – because we value their hard work, and we know that building this workforce is essential to delivering more regional homes.

My mum, dad, brother, sister and husband all went to TAFE, which is why I’m incredibly proud to be part of a Government that’s strengthening the sector – and ensuring more regional people can build a better future.

Through this Budget, we’re delivering $407.5 million to states and territories, as part of the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement.

Record funding to give our teachers, including in our regional schools, more support – to lift education standards, and to better support students from kindergarten through to year 12.

And if you want to go onto further study, existing investments like the 56 Regional University Study Hubs we’re delivering – from Port Augusta in South Australia, to Goulburn in my own electorate – will mean you don’t have to leave the region you love.

A further $33.6 million will also flow to the Clontarf Foundation to support up to 12,500 First Nations boys and young men access better education support.

We’re delivering record investments to continue improving the affordability and accessibility of regional healthcare – because when you need to see the doctor, and when you need to buy your script, your street address and wallet shouldn’t stop you.

We’ve already delivered $3.5 billion to triple the bulk billing incentive, supporting over 2.4 million additional claims across regional Australia.

Through this Budget, we’re investing an additional $7.9 billion to deliver more bulk billing to all Australians, including in our regions.

Having delivered the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, we’re now making cheaper medicines even cheaper.

$689 million to bring a PBS script down to $25, keeping more money in the hip pockets of regional Australians – with our pensioners and concession cardholders to continue paying $7.70 for PBS medicines until 2030.

$792.9 million to deliver more choice, lower costs and better health care for women – including the first PBS listing for new oral contraceptive pills in more than 30 years.

Along with more bulk billing for long-term contraceptives, more endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics to treat more conditions, and more Medicare support for women experiencing menopause.

Regional health and aged care were left in crisis under those opposite – a mess the Albanese Government has been cleaning up from day one.

We’ve delivered $17.7 billion to fund increases to the minimum award wage for aged care workers – to not only support and retain these critical workers – but to ensure that our loved ones get the care they need, as they get older.

We’re delivering an additional $1.8 billion to strengthen our public hospitals and to reduce waiting times across Australia, bringing our hospital funding to a record $33.9 billion in 2025-26.

We’ve also increased the number of regional GP training places, along with waiving HECS for doctors and nurses that work in our regions – getting more skilled workers where we need them most.

Through this Budget, we’re investing $662.6 million to grow our health workforce.

There will be hundreds more GP and rural generalist training places to grow the pipeline of future GPs – with fairer salary incentives for junior doctors who choose general practice as their specialty.

100 more Commonwealth Supported Places for medical students a year from 2026, increasing to 150 more a year by 2028 – with a focus on encouraging students to pursue general practice in our regions.

And hundreds of scholarships for nurses and midwives, to help meet our current and future demands.

A re-elected Albanese Government will deliver another 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics across Australia, from Burnie in Tasmania, to Bega in my own electorate – with our $644.3 million investment.

This builds on the 87 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics we’ve already delivered, which are making a huge difference.

With 48 of these 137 clinics to be in our regions– from Broome in Western Australia, Townsville in Queensland, to Tamworth in New South Wales.

The Urgent Care Clinic we delivered in Queanbeyan has already supported over 7,000 fully bulk billed presentations.

Rusty, a local constituent of mine told me about the huge difference it made for him, when he had an infection.

He walked right into the clinic and received the help he needed, for free – a service that’s also supported his children and grandchildren.

As Rusty said, this type of clinic is critical to taking pressure off our hospitals – as we continue to rebuild the health sector.

But regional services like this will cease to exist under those opposite, because you only have to look at the billions cut from Medicare by the Leader of the Opposition when he was Health Minister, to know their only plan for Medicare is cuts.

No government has done more for regional services than the Albanese Government – but healthcare wasn’t the only service completely abandoned during the wasted decade by those opposite.

We’re already investing $2.2 billion to strengthen regional communications, particularly in disaster-prone areas – after programs like the Mobile Black Spot Program were pork-barrelled by those opposite.

Through our record investments in the NBN, we’ve fixed half of some streets being stuck on the unreliable copper network they rolled out, including just 15 minutes down the road at Jerrabomberra.

Because it actually takes a little bit more than a string and a can to run a small business, and to work and study from home.

In this Budget, we’re providing an additional $3.0 billion in equity funding to NBN Co to complete upgrades for all remaining Fibre to the Node premises, including connecting an additional 334,000 regional premises to high speed internet.

A service that we can’t forget, would be sold off to the highest bidder under those opposite.

We’re also introducing a Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation – requiring telcos to provide access to mobile voice and SMS almost everywhere across Australia – which will have huge benefits for regional and remote communities, particularly during emergencies and disasters.

Natural disasters are something my own electorate of Eden-Monaro has felt deeply, which is why I’m proud the National Emergency Management Agency that we launched continues to support regional communities – most recently in Queensland and NSW during Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

That’s on top of our $1 billion Disaster Ready Fund continuing to support regional communities to be better prepared.

And our additional $35 million investment to boost our national aerial fleet – giving regional communities more emergency support when they need it most.

But it’s not just during disasters when our regions need reliable aviation.

Despite the Leader of the Nationals in the Senate telling Sky News just last week that the Opposition had been fighting for a more competitive aviation sector – the reality is they’ve sat idle at the departure gate.

Those opposite did nothing with the Sydney Airports Slot Review handed to them in 2021 – something we’ve responded to with our Aviation White Paper.

And they’ve said that keeping Rex Airlines’ regional routes operating during the voluntary administration process is sabotaging the sale process.

I’m proud the Albanese Government has kept Rex’s regional flights in the air, with an $80 million loan facility to Rex Administrators, and additional support to reduce the debt Rex owes.

Because for regional communities like mine, these flights are critical to our local economy, accessing important health services, and for getting around.

The reality of living in our regions is we need to travel longer for some services, which is why we’ll continue standing up for a strong regional aviation sector.

But travelling by car is generally how we get around, which is why we’ve already increased local road funding for every council.

Roads to Recovery funding is going up from $500 million to $1 billion per year, road Black Spot funding increasing to $150 million per year, we’ve launched our $200 million per year Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program – and we’ve continued investing in major transport projects.

Because every local community should have confidence in the roads they’re driving on.

In his Budget reply last year, the Leader of the Nationals said those opposite would deliver the strong infrastructure funding pipeline that our regional communities need.

But let’s not forget, they were responsible for an infrastructure pipeline that below out from 150 projects to 800 projects, without a single dollar extra being added to the Budget, and without the delivery.

Regional communities deserve better than promises in press release with no follow through, which is why we continue to deliver critical projects to Build Regional Australia’s Future.

Funding through this Budget includes $7.2 billion for Bruce Highway safety upgrades in Queensland, $200 million towards duplicating the Stuart Highway from Darwin to Katherine.

$40 million for the Main South Road Upgrade in South Australia, and $1.1 billion towards upgrades along the Western Freeway in Victoria.

After colour-coded spreadsheets from those opposite, we’ve delivered on our commitment to establish transparent grant programs that every postcode can apply for.

Our $600 million Growing Regions Program is already supporting 112 projects, with 29 projects supported under our $400 million Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program so far.

I had the pleasure of visiting Wagga’s Lake Albert – one of this region’s most popular recreational sites, which will be completely transformed thanks to $4.4 million in Growing Regions Funding.

Projects like this are making our regions better places to live, to work and to invest – but having more housing to attract and retain workers is something every community tells me they need.

We’ve already committed $32 billion in housing measures, including over 13,000 homes nationally under the first round of our Housing Australia Future Fund – many of these in our regions.

That’s more than those opposite delivered in an entire decade – when they had no plan for building, and their only idea for turning more keys was letting people raid their super for a deposit.

To their credit, they’ve now said they’ll fund enabling infrastructure – labelling this a fantastic idea.

So fantastic, we’re already doing it – through our $1.5 billion Housing Support Program.

Including $27.2 million to support upgrading Marulan’s sewage treatment in the Mighty Eden-Monaro – laying the foundations for more housing.

Through this Budget, we’re delivering $54 million to turbocharge advanced manufacturing of prefabricated and modular homes, getting more homes into our regions where we need them most – lifting our total housing commitments to $33 billion.

More housing is a key part of how we’re Building Regional Australia’s Future, as is supporting our regional businesses and regional economies to grow.

Under those opposite, car manufacturers left our shores, leaving our regional people behind.

But Labor has always had the back of regional manufacturing, and we’ve shown that again with our new investment of $2.4 billion with the South Australian Government to save the Whyalla Steelworks.

Supporting 1,100 direct workers, and encouraging more investment into Australian made steel.

This builds on our existing $22.7 billion Future Made in Australia agenda, ensuring we build more in our own backyard – which includes over $500 million to boost Australia’s battery manufacturing capabilities, and $1 billion to supercharge the production of solar panels in our regions.

Our investments are putting regional communities at the centre of industries of the future – unlocking more secure and well-paid regional jobs, and ensuring that we train and retrain regional workforces.

This includes $38.2 million to boost the diversity of our STEM workforce, with a focus on supporting more women secure jobs in these critical industries.

Through this Budget, we’re delivering further investments to Build Regional Australia’s Future – by leveraging the competitive advantages that come with our vast energy resources, world-leading agricultural sector, and regional innovation.

$250.0 million to accelerate the pace of Australia’s growing domestic Low Carbon Liquid Fuels industry – helping to drive economic growth and jobs in regional areas.

$1.0 billion under our Green Iron Investment Fund to boost green iron manufacturing in our regions.

This builds on our existing commitment of $2.0 billion to support aluminium smelters transition to renewables – in places like Portland in Victoria, Tomago in NSW, and in Queensland’s Gladstone region.

From our factories to our fields, we’re backing our regions – with $11.0 million to tackle established pests and weeds in our agriculture and forestry sectors – keeping them productive

An additional $20 million for a new round of the On Farm Connectivity Program so farmers can use the latest technology to make their work more efficient.

And $20.0 million to encourage more Australians to buy Australian-made products, which will have huge benefits for regional economies – because so much of what we love and rely on comes from our regions.

In his Budget reply last year, the Leader of the Nationals said the Opposition will take decisive action to give regional Australians a fair go.

But all we’ve seen since then is those opposite continue to vote against every single cost of living measure, while petrifying regional communities with their Nuclear thought bubble.

An idea that was announced with zero consultation, and most importantly – one that will deliver zero savings for regional Australians and their power bills.

Since my last Regional Budget Statement, the Albanese Government has continued to relieve pressures on regional families and businesses, while improving access to the services and support regional people rely on – regardless of their postcode.

Through our 2025-26 Budget we’re delivering more energy bill relief, making cheaper medicines even cheaper, and providing extra support to get more regional Australians into their own home.

We’re strengthening Medicare and expanding regional health services, delivering further investments to boost regional connectivity, and investing in more support to help build workforces in our in-demand sectors.

That’s because only the Albanese Government is serious about Building Regional Australia’s Future.

MIL OSI News –

March 26, 2025

MIL-OSI: GAM announces 2024 full year results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

26 March 2025

PRESS RELEASE

Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 Listing Rules:

GAM announces 2024 full year results

Strong progress in implementing turnaround strategy. GAM continues to target profitability in fiscal year 2026.

Financial Highlights for Full Year 2024

IFRS net loss of CHF 70.9 million compared to CHF 82.1 million for FY 2023.
Underlying loss before tax of CHF 66.8 million compared to CHF 49.5 million for FY 2023.
AuM at CHF 16.3 billion compared to CHF 19.3 billion as at 31 December 2023.
Cost optimisation initiatives across the business resulted in a 20% decrease in underlying expenses compared to FY 2023. The full impact of these cost optimisation initiatives will be reflected in FY 2025 and beyond.
Successful CHF 100 million rights issue completed in November 2024, which resulted in our anchor shareholder, NJJ Holding SAS (through its holding in Rock Investment SAS (“Rock”)) becoming our majority shareholder.
The maturity of the existing CHF 100 million Rock loan facility has been extended until 31 December 2027.
GAM is now a highly scalable pure investment platform with strong global distribution capabilities focusing on three core areas to drive sustainable growth and profitability: Specialist Active Investing, Alternative Investing and Wealth Management.
GAM continues to target profitability in fiscal year 2026.

Strategic Highlights

Launched GAM Alternatives, providing access to in-house and third-party alternative managers focusing on absolute return strategies and best-in-class talent.
A new, high performing and successful European Equity team joins GAM in 2025.
Partnering with Sun Hung Kai & Co. Ltd to drive growth and enhance our distribution capabilities across Greater China including Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, and Macau.
In 2025, GAM will continue to partner with best-in-class external managers, to include the development of new products and the distribution of their own existing products to GAM clients.

Elmar Zumbuehl, Group CEO at GAM said: “We have made strong progress in implementing GAM’s turnaround strategy and have now evolved into being a pure play investment management firm, but we are not finished yet. The cost optimisation initiatives implemented in 2024 will yield their full benefit in 2025 and beyond. While we stay focused on further cost optimisation, our main emphasis is growing our AuM and revenues as we continue our turnaround. With an unwavering commitment to our clients, and an expanding suite of innovative and distinctive products, we continue to build positive momentum and strengthen our market position. Backed by our majority shareholder, we continue to target profitability in fiscal year 2026 and remain focussed on delivering for our clients and all our stakeholders.”

Summary Financials

In 2024, we reported IFRS net loss after tax of CHF 70.9 million, compared with an IFRS net loss after tax of CHF 82.1 million in 2023. The loss in 2024 was mainly driven by the underlying net loss after tax of CHF 66.9 million.

Please refer to the ‘Financial Results for FY 2024’ section later in this press release for full information.

Financial Strength

In November 2024, GAM completed its CHF 100 million fully underwritten ordinary capital increase by way of a rights issue to support the implementation of GAM’s strategy and provide long-term financial stability. Given Rock’s underwriting commitment, NJJ Holding SA (indirectly) is now the majority shareholder of GAM following the rights issue.

The existing CHF 100 million Rock loan facility remains in place with its maturity extended to 31 December 2027.

Strategy Update

GAM’s strategy is designed to achieve sustainable growth and profitability by delivering best possible investment performance and exemplary service for our clients by focusing on our Investment and Wealth Management capabilities. The four pillars of our strategy remain:

Focusing on clients in existing core markets;
Amplifying and growing core active equity, fixed income and multi-asset strategies by investing in talent and product ideas;
Diversifying into new investment product areas and our Wealth Management offering by leveraging GAM’s heritage in active management, building strategic partnerships, and its alternatives and hedge funds platform; and
Enhancing effectiveness by reducing complexity.

GAM is now focusing exclusively on its Investment (Specialist Active and Alternatives) and Wealth Management businesses, expanding its distribution reach and capabilities, amplifying its core active strategies, and diversifying into new product areas, including building out our higher margin alternatives capabilities.

We have made strong progress throughout 2024 on our four-pillar strategy to transform GAM into a focused, client-centric, and profitable business.

Focusing on clients

Focusing on our clients in our existing core markets has been the most important way to rebuild GAM. In key markets where we have clients, but lack scalable distribution, we have, and will continue to, add partnerships to support our growth strategy and provide a broader range of client’s access to unparalleled investment expertise, opportunities, and exceptional outcomes across specialist active and alternative investment strategies.

We established a strategic alliance with Sun Hung Kai & Co. Ltd. to grow our client base, distribute our products, and innovate our alternatives offering across the Greater China region, including Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, and Macau.

We have also enhanced our regional presence and client coverage by hiring new Heads of Distribution across Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Iberia, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and France to drive our local market presence. This significant investment into our client facing teams will enable GAM to provide clients with excellent local contacts, strong relationship management and access to unparalleled investment expertise targeting exceptional outcomes.

We additionally expanded our client reach through opening a second US office in Miami to cover the US international and Latin American markets and we are close to gaining customary approvals to open our planned branches in Paris and Milan.

Amplifying and growing core active equity, fixed income, and multi-asset strategies by investing in talent and product ideas

We are enhancing our capabilities by recruiting first-class investment talent in alternatives, systematic and equities teams.

We have established a multi-asset centre of excellence in a global team to optimise all our multi-asset investment capabilities, enhance client outcomes, and align with evolving market dynamics and client needs. The high quality and excellent performance of this team will allow GAM to grow its wealth management business.

In February 2025, we announced the hiring of three high performing and successful European Equity team members from Janus Henderson Investors. These strategic hires underscore GAM’s steadfast dedication to providing clients with access to unparalleled investment expertise and exceptional outcomes. The team brings extensive experience, having managed over EUR 6.5 billion in European Equity funds on behalf of institutional and retail clients globally.

In addition, we have strengthened our sustainability and stewardship practices, meeting the principles of the UK and Swiss Stewardship Codes. Today GAM released its 2024 Sustainability Report which is available at www.gam.com

Diversifying into new investment products while expanding the wealth management offering by leveraging GAM’s heritage in active management, strategic partnerships, and its alternatives and hedge funds platform

Randel Freeman joined GAM in 2024 as Co-head / Co-CIO of GAM Alternatives to build out our alternative investments platform to meet growing investor demand with differentiated offerings. In addition, in 2025, we hired two senior sales specialists with deep experience in Alternatives distribution.

In 2024, we launched GAM funds to introduce and distribute Avenue Capital’s Sports Opportunities fund, plus partnered with Arcus Investment to distribute their Japanese long/short equities fund. GAM also partnered with world leading Trafigura Group’s subsidiary Galena Asset Management to manage the GAM Commodities fund providing best-in-class sector expertise. This provides our clients access to exclusive and attractive commodity investment opportunities.

We are launching the GAM LSA Private Shares strategy in Europe to provide access for European clients to this award-winning evergreen, late-stage private equity fund.

Throughout 2025, GAM will be assessing M&A opportunities to enhance existing offerings, attracting best-in-class long-term strategic partnerships, and recruiting top talent to our core business areas globally.

Enhancing effectiveness by reducing complexity

Following the transfer of our fund services business for third-party funds we also successfully transitioned our Luxembourg, Irish and Swiss fund management company (ManCo) activities to Apex Group and 1741 Group in Q4 2024. In addition, we consolidated our operations onto our cloud based SimCorp investment management platform. GAM now operates on a global platform that delivers operational efficiencies.

These implementations pave the way to a much less complex operating model underpinning and delivering best outcomes for our clients.

GAM is now a highly scalable global investment platform with strong global distribution capabilities focusing on three core areas to drive sustainable growth and profitability: Specialist Active Investing, Alternative Investing and Wealth Management.

Business Areas

GAM Investments is focused on three core business areas to drive sustainable growth and profitability:

GAM Specialist Active: Deep expertise, experience and specialisms unlocking core and niche returns in equities, fixed income, and multi-asset investing;
GAM Alternatives: Access to in-house and third-party alternative investment managers focusing on absolute return strategies and best-in-class talent; and
GAM Wealth Management: Multi-asset solutions with tailored portfolios for high-net-worth individuals, charities and trusts, utilising best-of-breed GAM and third-party products.

These three core business areas share and benefit from GAM’s global platform and agile operating model and modern technology.

Investment Performance

GAM has continued to deliver strong overall investment performance across our diverse and distinctive products, with 64% of assets under management (AuM) outperforming their three-year benchmark and 89% outperforming their five-year benchmark, as at 31 December 2024. Despite some weaker short-term performance in equities, the longer-term 5-year performance remains strong.

Percentage of GAM Fund AuM Outperforming Benchmark

		3 years	3 years	5 years	5 years
Business Area	Asset Class	31 Dec 2024	31 Dec 2023	31 Dec 2024	31 Dec 2023
Specialist Active	Fixed income	94%	98%	95%	91%
Specialist Active	Equity	1%	39%	79%	59%
Alternatives	Alternatives	60%	73%	75%	96%
Total		64%	78%	89%	81%

% of AuM in funds outperforming their benchmark (excluding mandates and segregated accounts) across our business areas. Three- and five-year investment performance based on applicable AuM of CHF 9.0 billion and CHF 9.0 billion, respectively.

Compared to our peer group performance remained strong, 66% of AuM outperformed their three-year Morningstar peer group and 82% outperformed their five-year Morningstar peer group, as at 31 December 2024.

Percentage of GAM Fund AuM Outperforming Morningstar Peer Group

		3 years	3 years	5 years	5 years
Business Area	Asset Class	31 Dec 2024	31 Dec 2023	31 Dec 2024	31 Dec 2023
Specialist Active	Fixed income	61%	53%	60%	50%
Specialist Active	Equity	20%	51%	89%	89%
Alternatives	Alternatives	91%	89%	95%	96%
Total		66%	66%	82%	76%

GAM continues to be recognised for its investment performance, including having been awarded the overall best European small group 2025 by Lipper. Four GAM funds (including two funds of our Swiss Equity strategy) won Lipper’s 2025 top performance awards across multiple countries. For the second time, at the Citywire Investment Performance Awards, GAM Multi-asset won the Best Large Firm Award. GAM won the Wealth Management PAM 2024 award for its growth portfolios. GAM’s Sustainable Climate Bond strategy won and was chosen as the best ESG Investment Fund in the Green, Social and Sustainability Bonds category at the ESG Investing Awards 2024. For further details on these and other awards please visit http://www.gam.com/awards.

Assets Under Management and Net Flows by Business Area

Total AuM were CHF 16.3 billion as at 31 December 2024, compared to CHF 19.3 billion as at 31 December 2023. Net outflows of CHF 4.4 billion were partially offset by positive market and foreign exchange movements of CHF 2.0 billion.

Business Area	Opening AuM 1 Jan 2024	Net flows	Disposal⁽¹⁾	Market/FX movements	Closing AuM 31 Dec 2024
Specialist Active	17.5	(3.9)	(0.6)	1.9	14.9
Alternatives	0.9	(0.4)		–	0.5
Wealth Management	0.9	(0.1)		0.1	0.9
Total	19.3	(4.4)	(0.6)	2.0	16.3
⁽¹⁾ In the second half of 2024, the sale of the UK Equity Income Fund to Jupiter Asset Management completed and subsequently is reflected as a disposal. Therefore, net outflows of CHF 0.6 billion in 2024 have been reflected as a disposal.

Financial Results for FY 2024

The average management fee margin earned on investment management AuM in 2024 was 40.4 basis points, compared with the average margin for the financial year 2023 of 49.7 basis points. The change in average management fee margin primarily reflects the mix of assets under management across products and sub-advisory agreements with existing and new partners.

Net management fees and commissions in 2024 totalled CHF 75.9 million, down from CHF 124.4 million in 2023 due primarily to the sale of the third-party fund services business in January 2024, lower average AuM and reduced average management fee margin in investment management.

Underlying net performance fees totalled CHF 1.9 million, down from CHF 4.8 million in 2023.

Underlying net other income/expenses includes net interest income and expenses, the impact of foreign exchange movements, net gains and losses on seed capital investments and hedging, as well as fund-related fees and service charges. In 2024, a net loss of CHF 2.3 million was recognised, compared with a CHF 0.4 million net loss in 2023. The 2024 net loss was mainly driven by the interest expenses incurred on the Rock Investment SAS loan facility and the impact of foreign exchange movements. The IFRS net other expense in 2024 amounts to CHF 4.4 million. The difference between the underlying and the IFRS net other expense of CHF 2.1 million mainly relates to a net foreign exchange loss on pension loan note offset by other income driven by the assignment of the UK property lease to a third party.

Underlying personnel expenses decreased by 26% to CHF 76.6 million in 2024, compared with CHF 96.8 million in 2023. Fixed personnel costs decreased by 28%, driven by lower headcount. Headcount stood at 294 FTEs as at 31 December 2024, compared to 478 FTEs as at 31 December 2023. Variable compensation in 2024 fell to CHF 11.2 million from CHF 13.1 million in 2023, mainly driven by lower management and performance fees which impacted variable compensation arrangements. The underlying personnel expenses compares to IFRS personnel expenses of CHF 81.0 million. The difference between the underlying and the IFRS personnel expenses of CHF 4.4 million primarily relates to a reorganisation charge. (For further information, see note 6 of the condensed consolidated interim financial statements).

Underlying general expenses in 2024 were CHF 52.1 million, down from CHF 65.0 million in 2023 due to cost optimisations initiatives across the business. This compares to IFRS general expenses of CHF 54.0 million. The difference between the underlying and the IFRS general expenses of CHF 1.9 million mainly relates to the Group’s reorganisation initiatives.

Underlying depreciation and amortisation charges were CHF 13.8 million in 2024 compared to CHF 16.5 million in 2023. There is no difference between underlying and IFRS amounts.

The underlying pre-tax loss in 2024 was CHF 66.8 million, compared to a CHF 49.5 million underlying pre-tax loss in 2023. The higher loss was driven mainly by lower net fee and commission income being only partially offset by lower personnel and general expenses. The underlying loss compares to an IFRS net loss before tax of CHF 69.6 million. The difference of CHF 2.8 million mainly relates to the remeasurement of the brand intangible, strategic initiative expenses and foreign exchange loss on pension loan note. (For further information, see note 6 of the condensed consolidated interim financial statements).

The underlying income taxes in 2024 was a tax expense of CHF 0.1 million compared to a tax expense of CHF 0.3 million in 2023.

Diluted underlying losses per share in 2024 was a negative CHF 0.25, compared to a negative of CHF 0.32 in 2023. This compares to a diluted IFRS earnings per share of negative CHF 0.27 in 2024. The difference between the diluted underlying and the diluted IFRS earnings per share of CHF 0.02 relates to the lower underlying net loss.

Cash and cash equivalents as at 31 December 2024 were CHF 65.1 million, down from CHF 87.2 million as at 31 December 2023.This reduction was driven by the losses made by the Group partially offset by the proceeds received from the ordinary capital increase made by way of a rights offering in November 2024.

Adjusted tangible equity as at 31 December 2024 was CHF 58.5 million, up from CHF 20.9 million as at 31 December 2023.The main contributor to this increase was ordinary capital increase by way of a rights issue that took place in November 2024. See page 17 of our Annual Report 2024 for full definition of adjusted tangible equity.

The Board of Directors proposes to shareholders that no dividend will be paid for financial year 2024 given the underlying net loss in 2024.

Outlook

GAM continues to focus on implementing its strategy. Our priority is to achieve sustainable overall positive net inflows by rebuilding GAM’s distribution capabilities with a focus on our existing products and new product launches. The timeline for achieving these net inflows will be driven by our success in delivering our strategy, subject to market conditions. GAM continues to target profitability in fiscal year 2026.

Additional information

Investor Relations
Magdalena Czyzowska
T +44 (0) 207 917 2508

Media Relations
Colin Bennett
T +44 (0) 207 393 8544

Visit us: www.gam.com
Follow us: X and LinkedIn

About GAM Investments

GAM Investments is a highly scalable global investment platform with strong global distribution capabilities focusing on three core areas, Specialist Active Investing, Alternative Investing and Wealth Management, that is listed in Switzerland. It delivers distinctive and differentiated investment solutions across its Investment and Wealth Management businesses. Its purpose is to protect and enhance clients’ financial future. It attracts and empowers brightest minds to provide investment leadership, innovation and a positive impact on society and the environment. Total assets under management were CHF 16.3 billion as of 31 December 2024. GAM Investments has global distribution with offices in 14 countries and is geographically diverse with clients in almost every continent. Headquartered in Zurich, GAM Investments was founded in 1983 and its registered office is at Hardstrasse 201 Zurich, 8037 Switzerland. For more information about GAM Investments, please visit www.gam.com

Other Important Information

This release contains or may contain statements that constitute forward-looking statements. Words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “estimate”, “aim”, “project”, “forecast”, “risk”, “likely”, “intend”, “outlook”, “should”, “could”, “would”, “may”, “might”, “will”, “continue”, “plan”, “probability”, “indicative”, “seek”, “target”, “plan” and other similar expressions are intended to or may identify forward-looking statements.

Any such statements in this release speak only as of the date hereof and are based on assumptions and contingencies subject to change without notice, as are statements about market and industry trends, projections, guidance, and estimates. Any forward-looking statements in this release are not indications, guarantees, assurances or predictions of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the person making such statements, its affiliates and its and their directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors and may involve significant elements of subjective judgement and assumptions as to future events which may or may not be correct and may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any such statements. You are strongly cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and no person accepts or assumes any liability in connection therewith.

This release is not a financial product or investment advice, a recommendation to acquire, exchange or dispose of securities or accounting, legal or tax advice. It has been prepared without taking into account the objectives, legal, financial or tax situation and needs of individuals. Before making an investment decision, individuals should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to their own objectives, legal, financial and tax situation and needs and seek legal, tax and other advice as appropriate for their individual needs and jurisdiction.

Attachment

GAM announces FY 2024 results_EN_adhoc

The MIL Network –

March 26, 2025

MIL-OSI Australia: Press conference – Rockhampton, Queensland

Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

JASON CLARE, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: Thanks very much for coming along. It’s great to be back in Rocky, and it’s particularly fantastic to be here with my friend JP. We were together only a couple of days ago in Canberra.

On Monday we made a really big announcement worth $2.8 billion of extra Commonwealth funding for public schools right across Queensland, an agreement that was struck by the Prime Minister and the Queensland Premier as well as the two of us, working together in the interests of kids right across Queensland. And that investment over the next decade is going to make sure that all public schools right across Queensland are fully funded.

It’s the last piece in the puzzle to make sure that all public schools right across the nation are fully funded. And it’s going to change lives. It’s a classic example of two Governments working together. And that’s what today is all about as well. We got a great opportunity just a minute ago to meet the doctors of the future – young people that are studying medicine right now that are going to be doctors in Rocky in the years ahead.

And what we’re announcing today is that the Australian Government will provide $80 million to help build the health sciences school that Rockhampton needs. It’s a health sciences academy for Year 10 to 12. The Premier made this commitment in the election campaign. I’m glad that the Commonwealth Government can contribute to help make this a reality. It’s a great example of two Governments working together – Commonwealth Government chipping in, State Government chipping in – to help make sure that young people in regional Australia get the skills they need to produce the doctors and the nurses and the ambos and the health science professionals that we need now and that we’re going to need in the years ahead.

And as we all know, if you study local, you’re more likely to stay local. If you become a doctor in Rocky – if you study medicine in Rocky, you’re more likely to become a doctor who works in Rocky. And that’s why this is so important. Young people while they’re still at high school, getting the skills they need to go and study a university degree in health sciences, and help make sure that we’ve got more doctors and nurses and ambos here in Rocky and across regional Queensland.

I’ll hand over to you, mate.

JOHN-PAUL LANGBROEK, QUEENSLAND MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: Thanks, Jason. Well, thanks, everyone, for being here today. And I want to thank Jason Clare, our Federal Minister, as well for the partnership that we’ve had over the last couple of months working on that public school funding scheme that we were able to finalise on Monday. But importantly today is another piece of the puzzle about the election commitment that we made about the new health sciences academy that we want to bring to central Queensland and Rockhampton specifically.

So, we really want to thank the Federal Government for the $80 million commitment. It’s an $80 million commitment by the Federal Government that’s going to be a big help in us delivering our election commitment. So, it’s great to be here with the vice-chancellor and two of our local MPs as well.

But as Jason Clare has just mentioned, seeing the students in action and hearing their stories – many of them here from the local community – and it’s a very, very important partnership between the Federal Government, the State Government, our local health services and schools and, of course, the university.

So, we’re very appreciative, and we know it’s going to lead to better outcomes. I was here just a month ago, here at the university and also at local high schools. And we know there are over 30 different jobs in health that young people can aspire to. And as Jason Clare has mentioned, if they study here, they’re more likely to stay here.

We don’t expect everyone to stay here forever necessarily. We want them to travel and go see other places but come back to where your roots are and build a growing state that’s got increasing needs into the future. So, we’ll be working with Health Minister Tim Nicholls as well about delivering that increased workforce that we know we’re going to need over the next few years.

I’ll hand over to Nick Klomp now, the Vice-Chancellor. Thanks for having us here, Nick.

NICK KLOMP: Thanks. Thank you, I’m Nick Klomp, Vice-Chancellor and President of CQ University. CQ University is delighted about this cross-government announcement today of locating the Queensland Academy of Health Sciences here in Rockhampton. And, you know, almost on behalf of the community I want to congratulate Jason and JP and our local members here, Donna and Glen, for recognising the importance of workforce in the regions. It’s one of the things that is top of mind for everyone that lives here. It’s top of mind for businesses and communities, and no discipline is more important perhaps than the health disciplines.

CQ University, we provide graduates, we train graduates in a whole range of health disciplines, from the regional medical pathway, nurses, doctors, psychologists, oral health, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, paramedics, and I could keep on going. We can’t produce enough graduates. That’s how important it is in the region. And this announcement of the Queensland Academy of Health Sciences helps build aspiration for people that are thinking they would like to get a head start in their studies, they’d like a career in health sciences. And CQ University just stands ready to work in partnership with the schools, with the state on what can we do to use this academy to really prioritise the potential of health careers in the region.

It’s really exciting. We need all the graduates in health science we can get, and, of course, CQ University recognises our obligation to help produce those graduates. So, a great day for health sciences.

DONNA KIRKLAND: Thank you. So, what we see today is the coming together of a number of stakeholders, different levels of Government, and that in itself speaks to the need for regional health services in our area. So very excited about this announcement today. And I want to continue to just reiterate that 70 per cent of the people who study in the regions stay in the regions. And that’s what we are wanting out of this. We’ve just been next door speaking to some of our doctors to be – four of those from Rockhampton, another from Gladstone – all with aspirations to continue to stay here in the regions to be of service to our community.

And so it will be that Grades 10, 11 and 12 right across Central Queensland will be able to access the Health Services Academy. This is a great outcome, and as the Member for Rockhampton and certainly Assistant Minister for Central Queensland I welcome this funding here today.

GLEN KELLY: Glen Kelly, Member for Mirani. Well today what an announcement. I’m a great believer in education and keeping people in the bush from where they grow up. And just visiting in next door here and seeing the students of the future, our doctors of the future who have to study for seven years – seven years to become a doctor – that’s dedication for you. That really shows that these young people – teenagers coming into adults – are so focused on helping people with health issues and other things that might appear in their life.

Today it’s a great honour to have Jason Clare, our Federal Education Minister. And obviously we’ve got Nick here, which we’ve seen so many times of late, and we have JP and obviously Donna Kirkland. It’s a great honour this for regional Queensland because if just keeps us focused on how important we are. And the doctors of the next generation, they’re just next door here, and with this announcement of $80 million to support these ones just next door and the coming on is so important to us. Thank you.

JOURNALIST: So just on the funding, will that carry through regardless of the outcome of the federal election?

CLARE: Certainly, if the Albanese Government is returned that money will be delivered, and we’ll work with JP and the team to make sure that this school is built over the course of the first term, I think it is, of your Government. I can’t speak for if we’re not returned.

JOURNALIST: And so, the $80 million, was that just Federal funding?

CLARE: That’s a Federal contribution. The State Government will make an important contribution as well. We’re going to work really closely with Nick and the team at the University. There’s the potential for co-location here at the University. We’ve just got to go through the details of that to see what might be possible. If that’s possible, that’s great because young people going to school on university grounds get a chance to see what life is like once you go to university before you even get there.

The other thing that makes this special is that there’s the potential to earn credits while you’re doing your studies at high school for the degree or for the diploma that you do once you leave high school and start a health science course, whether it’s a TAFE course or whether it’s a university degree.

JOURNALIST: And why did the Government see this as a priority, and was there a lot of legwork bring this to fruition?

CLARE: Well, JP’s a former dentist – he’s good at pulling teeth! This is honestly a classic example of great teamwork. To get things done in this country it requires Australian Governments to work together – Commonwealth Governments and State Governments. Forget political parties; it’s about the people, it’s about what does a community need. This community needs more doctors, it needs more nurses, it needs more ambos, it needs more health professionals. And if we work together, we can get this done.

JOURNALIST: And will this benefit students as well as the teachers and, if so, how so?

CLARE: Will it benefit the students?

JOURNALIST: Will it benefit the community as well sorry?

CLARE: I think it benefits the community. The ultimate goal here is that Rockhampton has more health professionals so that people who live in Rocky and call it home – my grandmother was born and raised in Rocky – have the health services they need and the health services that they deserve.

Do you want to jump in?

LANGBROEK: Well, look, I think there’s no doubt that it’s going to benefit teachers as well. It comes up with the university. When it comes to university and rankings, the more that you can have offerings at a university with local students it’s going to benefit lecturers, tutors and enhance the reputation of one of our finest universities. We’ve got nine in Queensland out of 40 nationally, and we want our universities to be seen as amongst the best in the country. And this is only going to help CQU as well as the students who are going to be here to benefit, as well as the local community.

ENDS

MIL OSI News –

March 26, 2025

MIL-OSI Australia: Automotive sector outlook: what’s driving recent trends

Source: Allens Insights (legal sector)

Regulation and scrutiny set to intensify 11 min read

Whether it be consumer guarantees or vehicle emissions, the automotive sector continues to be highly regulated, and the target of scrutiny from regulators and private litigants alike. In this Insight, we reflect on some of the key issues facing the sector.

Class action risk regaining momentum

In recent years, the automotive sector has been a prominent target of class actions, with multiple claims filed each year. However, the rate of new claims noticeably stalled in mid-to-late 2023. Although there were eight claims in 2023, seven of these were filed by May.

In our 2024 Class Action Risk Report, we suggested that class action promoters may have been adopting a ‘wait and see’ approach, pending the High Court’s guidance in the Toyota and Ford proceedings on the availability of ‘reduction in value damages’ for breaches of the acceptable quality guarantee under section 272(1)(a) of the Australian Consumer Law (the ACL). This form of damages has been a mainstay in previous automotive class actions and a substantial driver of significant damages awards.

The High Court provided that guidance late last year. As reported previously, it held that reduction in value (RIV) damages are a ‘performance based remedy’, reflecting the monetary difference between the value of what the consumer bargained for and what they ultimately received. The majority found that RIV damages are to be calculated as the amount by which the value of the goods was reduced by the failure to comply with the guarantee at the time of supply, with regard to ‘all that is known at the time of trial about the “state and condition of the goods”‘. Accordingly, the assessment includes consideration of both the nature of the defect, and the likely availability, timing, effectiveness, cost and inconvenience of any repairs.

Automakers can find welcome relief in this decision because the High Court’s approach gives recognition to ‘field actions’ carried out by manufacturers in reducing their liability. However, depending on the seriousness of the defect and/or how long it takes to repair, manufacturers’ potential exposure to damages may still be considerable.

It remains early days in assessing how class action promoters may respond to the High Court’s decision. Even so, there are initial signs that automotive class action filings may be regaining momentum, with two new claims filed in the past few months.

Changes to dealership operating models

Recent years have seen a number of Australian automakers consider, and implement, changes to their distribution models—away from a traditional dealer structure and towards an agency arrangement. Under this change, instead of dealers purchasing cars from automakers and onselling them to customers at a mark-up, they act as agents and sell cars on the automaker’s behalf (generally at an agreed price and in exchange for commission).

While an agency approach gives automakers far more control over pricing and margins, the transition has been opposed by many franchisees, who fear a loss of profitability and goodwill in their business. Following Mercedes-Benz’s implementation of an agency model between 2016 to 2020, 38 of its 49 dealers commenced a class action alleging the loss of A$650 million in expropriated goodwill.

We have now seen two distribution model changes litigated through the Australian courts—Mercedes-Benz (referred to above) and Honda Australia, which restructured its dealership network in 2020. While Mercedes-Benz emerged (relatively) unscathed, Honda had mixed success before different courts, and the two cases provide a helpful illustration of the current state of the law. Importantly, the decisions confirm that:

automakers are generally entitled to change their business models in the interest of improving profitability (even where it causes financial loss to their dealers); and
there is no current right under Australian franchising laws for a franchisee to be compensated for any loss of goodwill upon the non-renewal of a franchise agreement.

With that said, in implementing any changes to distribution models, automakers should be very careful to honour existing contractual relationships and avoid misrepresentations or inaccurate statements. Compensation may be available where automakers eg :

terminate dealership agreements early, and without a contractual right to do so;
inform dealers they will be no worse off under a new model without a proper basis; or
represent to customers that former authorised dealers can no longer service their vehicles, when this is inaccurate.

The Mercedes-Benz and Honda cases concerned restructures that occurred before 2021, when the Franchising Code was amended to codify a compensation mechanism in circumstances where a motor vehicle franchisor terminates dealership agreements early. This regime will continue to apply under the new Franchising Code (see below). It will be interesting to see—in light of these decisions and the reforms to the Code—whether other automakers decide to follow in Mercedes-Benz and Honda’s footsteps.

New Franchising Code on the way

The Federal Government has now legislated a new Franchising Code of Conduct, which will take effect on 1 April 2025 and replace the current version of the Code, which is due to ‘sunset’.

For motor vehicle franchisors, the changes in the Code will start applying on the following dates:

Almost all changes apply only to conduct that occurs on or after 1 April 2025, in relation to franchise agreements entered into, transferred, renewed or extended from this date.
Disclosure requirements in relation to significant capital expenditures will change, but the new requirements apply only to disclosure documents created on or after 1 November 2025. In all other respects, disclosure documents provided to franchisees in relation to franchise agreements to be entered into on or after 1 April 2025 (including disclosure documents provided before 1 April 2025 but relating to franchise agreements to be entered into after 1 April 2025) must comply with the form required by the new Code.

Automakers will need to make some changes to the standard form of their dealership agreements, and a new form of disclosure document is required to be created.

The new Code contains very few surprises for industry players who have been following its progress, as it largely aligns with the recommendations of the Independent Review released in February 2024 and the Exposure Draft released in October 2024.

For automakers, it is important to note that the new Code has retained, without substantive changes, the provisions relating to compensation where a franchisor terminates dealership agreements early (with the changes proposed in the earlier Exposure Draft not implemented). The new Code also retains the obligation on motor vehicle franchisors to ensure that dealership agreements give franchisees a reasonable opportunity to make a return on their investment.

The following reforms in the new Code are relevant to automakers who distribute through dealership or agency networks in Australia:

Inclusion of service and parts agreements: The new Code includes a revised definition of ‘motor vehicle dealership’, which expressly captures ‘any servicing or repairing of motor vehicles’ conducted by dealers, or associated with a dealership agreement, where the dealer buys, sells, exchanges or leases motor vehicles.
This change aligns the statutory definition with judicial interpretation of the Code in the AHG v Mercedes-Benz case.¹ It is broadly designed to prevent franchisors from structuring contracts with dealers so as to exclude service and repair work from the Code’s application, while ensuring that pure service and repair franchise businesses are not subject to obligations specific to ‘motor vehicle dealerships’.

Simplification of termination rights for franchisors: In relation to a limited set of serious termination events—eg the franchisee ceasing to hold a licence it needs to carry on the business, being deregistered as a company, or being convicted of a serious offence—the franchisor will be entitled to include in its franchise agreements a right to terminate on seven days’ notice, and the franchisee will not be permitted to raise a dispute under the alternative dispute resolution mechanism for such termination.
Disclosure obligations: The new Code no longer requires franchisors to provide a key facts sheet to franchisees, separate from the disclosure document. Existing franchisees will be entitled to opt out of receiving disclosure documents, and also the 14-day cooling-off period, at the time of renewal or extension of the franchise agreement.
Civil penalties apply to all substantive obligations: Whereas in the existing Code, only a limited number of substantive obligations will attract a civil penalty if breached, under the new Code, all substantive obligations will attract civil penalties if breached.

Outside of the new Code, the Government has legislated to empower the ACCC to issue infringement notices with penalties at the upper end of what is currently available under the ACL (ie $19,800 for a body corporate).

The New Vehicle Efficiency Standard begins to bite

With the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard Act 2024 (Cth) (the NVES Act) taking effect at the start of this year, and the accumulation of the associated units and penalties commencing on 1 July 2025, the new standard is now kicking into gear.

The NVES Act forms a central part of the Government’s National Electric Vehicle Strategy, which aims to promote Australia’s transition to a decarbonised transport system by providing a national framework to enhance the supply of, and access to, electric vehicles. Under the NVES Act, suppliers are incentivised to uptake more fuel-efficient, low or zero emission vehicles (including electric vehicles) through the following mechanisms:

Suppliers of new light vehicles into the Australian market are required to keep CO₂ emissions below annual emissions targets calculated based on the emissions and weight of vehicles sold. Stricter emissions targets are imposed for ‘Type 1’ vehicles (eg sedans and hatchbacks) than ‘Type 2’ vehicles (eg vans and utilities, and larger SUVs). The emissions targets of both vehicle types are expected to become more stringent over time.
Central to the statutory regime is the concept of ‘Interim Emission Value’ (IEV), which measures the emissions performance of each supplier’s covered vehicles for a given year against the annual emissions targets set for the relevant vehicle type.
Suppliers whose average fleetwide emissions fall below legislative targets (and therefore generate a negative IEV) will accrue tradeable ‘units’ or credits that can be sold to or purchased by other suppliers, and will be valid for up to three years.
By contrast, suppliers that exceed their emissions targets (and therefore generate a positive IEV) may be liable for civil penalties, although liability will not crystallise immediately. Suppliers will have two years to bring their IEV down to zero, and can do so either by generating sufficient units themselves to meet any shortfall (ie by importing more fuel-efficient vehicles) and/or by purchasing units from other suppliers.
If the supplier’s IEV has not been fully offset at the end of this period, the supplier will be liable for a civil penalty calculated at the scale of $100 for every gram of CO2 per kilometre of the supplier’s IEV that has not been offset. As the penalty regime applies to each covered vehicle, there is potential for significant fleetwide penalties, presenting a substantial new regulatory risk for automakers importing new vehicles into Australia.

NGOs play a growing part in the enforcement of greenwashing claims

We continue to see non-government organisations (NGOs) playing an increasingly prominent role in highlighting alleged instances of greenwashing by automakers, often with the dual aims of raising public awareness and agitating for regulatory enforcement action.

Recent examples of this phenomenon are widespread. In 2023, the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO), an Australian environmental legal centre, published a report assessing climate-related claims made by the largest automotive companies in Australia. Most significantly, the report alleged that almost all automakers had made exaggerated climate-related claims, particularly by misleadingly comparing hybrid vehicles to ‘lower emitting electric vehicles’.

To similar effect, United States-based advocacy group Ekō published a report in 2024 reviewing one automaker’s online marketing of its electrified vehicle line. The report surveyed 23 jurisdictions, including Australia, and alleged (among other things) that the automaker had misled consumers by using words such as ‘electrification’ on its website to describe hybrid, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The automaker was said to have capitalised on growing electric vehicle demand to sell more of its hybrid (and allegedly polluting) vehicles.

Ekō urged regulators worldwide, including the ACCC, to investigate its findings and those contained in EDO’s 2023 report, highlighting the growing relationship between NGOs and regulators in the enforcement of greenwashing claims.

Data, privacy and cyber risk

In May 2024, it was reported the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner had commenced an inquiry aimed at ensuring that connected vehicles purchased in Australia protected sensitive personal data.

While details of the inquiry have not been released, the Privacy Commissioner, Carly Kind, has stated that ‘cars are now [a] kind of computers on wheels’ that collect a lot of personal information and there is ‘not a lot of transparency or understanding about how that data is being used’.

Whether this inquiry becomes public remains to be seen, but it contributes to growing public and media attention on the auto industry regarding privacy and data security issues, following several recent high-profile data breach incidents—as well as various studies released over the past several years that have been highly critical of the privacy compliance of connected vehicles. Privacy advocates have also raised concerns around intrusive surveillance made possible through connected services.

These trends in the auto sector reflect the broader scrutiny being placed on privacy and large-scale data use, in the context of a number of pieces of law reform in late 2024, such as:

material changes to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), including expanding enforcement options— further tranches of reform to the Privacy Act are expected this year; and
whole-of-economy changes to cyber security laws, with the passage of the Cyber Security Act 2024 (Cth). While vehicles have been largely excluded from the new cyber standards for connected products under this Act, it will have broader ramifications, and cyber standards for manufacturers remain a key area of risk.

We anticipate that car manufacturers and auto financiers will come under increasing privacy and cyber scrutiny, given the volume and potential sensitivity of data collected at scale through connected vehicles. We will be providing an in-depth look into these issues in a future Insight.

Consumer law reforms

There is momentum building for consumer law reforms that, if introduced, could significantly affect the automotive sector. Among other things, the Government signalled its commitment late last year to a suite of reforms including to the consumer guarantees in the ACL, and the introduction of a prohibition on unfair trading practices.

The proposals to strengthen the consumer guarantees were set out in a Consultation Paper released in October 2024 for feedback. The paper cited evidence that for high-value goods, and vehicles in particular, consumers find it difficult to obtain a remedy for breaches of the consumer guarantees. The proposed reforms include:

clarifications to the meaning of a ‘major failure’ under the ACL;
introduction of a new prohibition on suppliers refusing to provide remedies to consumers for a major failure;
introduction of a prohibition on manufacturers failing to indemnify suppliers; and
civil penalties for contraventions of the above.

Treasury is expected to publish a Decision Regulation Impact Statement that will set out the Government’s preferred options in relation to these proposals.

Separately, the Government has outlined proposals for a new prohibition on unfair trading practices. This prohibition would target conduct that might not meet the ACL thresholds for misleading or unconscionable conduct, but nonetheless causes consumer detriment through the distortion or manipulation of consumer choices (eg online pressure tactics). A Consultation Paper from November 2024 set out proposed general and specific prohibitions in this regard, and a Decision Regulation Impact Statement is now also anticipated, furthering these proposals.

MIL OSI News –

March 26, 2025

MIL-OSI Australia: Mix 104.9 with Katie Woolf

Source: Workplace Gender Equality Agency

KATIE WOOLF: And we are going to be catching up with the Minister for Northern Australia. I believe that I have got her on the line hopefully right now, the Minister for Northern Australia, Madeleine King. Good morning to you.

MADELEINE KING: Oh, good morning, Katie. How are you going?

KATIE WOOLF: Lovely to have you on the show. I’m really good. Thank you so much for joining us with a late call up this morning. It is very much appreciated. Now, Minister, talk us through what is in the budget from overnight for the Northern Territory.

MADELEINE KING: Well, thanks, Katie. It’s a real pleasure to be calling back in to Darwin again. So, you know, overall the Federal Government will be providing over $7 billion in funding to the NT, which is a huge boost for the Northern Territory and that’s part of a great relationship we have with the Chief Minister, Lia Finocchiaro and of course their deputy, Gerard Maley. Now, I speak to the Member for Solomon, Luke Gosling all the time about how important the territory is to Australia because without a strong north, we don’t have a strong Australia. So, we’re going to keep on investing in the NT backing in one of our first commitments on coming into government, the $1.2 billion in Middle Arm investment precinct – industrial precincts with hundreds of millions of dollars on roads into the NT. But for every single NT taxpayer though, it is really, I want to be really clear about the magnitude of the tax cuts the Albanese Labor Government has delivered.

KATIE WOOLF: I might get to those in just a moment and you know, I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but it does seem as though the only new money announced for the Northern Territory is a conditional $200 million out of a total budget of $786 billion. That is what the Northern Territory’s Treasurer Bill Yan is saying. I mean, is that correct when it comes to new money, it is just that, conditional $200 million?

MADELEINE KING: Well, there are many things that will benefit the Territorians. Every single Territorian in this budget, one, of course, is the accumulated tax cuts. There are some already came in in July of last year. There is more now coming as the Treasurer spoke about last night. But there’s also savings on medicines that will save Northern Territory residents more than $1.3 million. Student debt will be slashed for Territorians and particularly important for young Territorians. We’ve made a commitment to a further Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in the Territory, bringing the total number in the NT up to nine. So, they’re really important commitments that will affect so many Territorians and of course the tax cuts will affect and be good for every single Territorian.

KATIE WOOLF: So, just in relation to any sort of specific projects at this point in time, it is that $200 million for the Stuart Highway, that conditional $200 million. Is there any money going towards, you spoke before about Middle Arm and that development, but any new money or anything new in that space and certainly in the gas development space?

MADELEINE KING: Well, no, excuse me. The focus is on Middle Arm and that $1.2 billion is, you know, one of the biggest commitments this Government has made to any single project in the country. So, it is of untold significance and it reflects the importance of Darwin’s position in relation to our neighbours in the north. And of course, the whole of the NT’s opportunity to be a renewable superpower. But there will be other industries involved in that like hydrogen and critical minerals processing and as you know, it’ll be Middle Arm is very close of course to the existing Inpex plant. So, there’s a lot of work going on on the planning for Middle Arm. It is a game changer for Darwin and our commitment to it remains solid.

KATIE WOOLF: And Minister, in terms of, because there has been some discussion again as well about the Darwin Port, nothing in last night’s budget around the Darwin Port. Where does the Albanese Government stand on this? I mean, is there going to be some further announcements on the Darwin Port?

MADELEINE KING: Well, as we know, the Darwin Port was permitted to be sold off under the former Coalition Government and that’s not something we agreed with at the time. But, you know, that’s a contract that was signed by that government and we have to work within those contractual laws. So, at the moment, you know, we will keep a watching brief, of course, on the solvency of the Port owner, Landbridge, I think it is. And make sure we’re well aware of what’s going on there, as we always are. I mean, Darwin remains and will always remain an integral part of Australia’s national defence. In the defence review we identified how important Darwin and other northern ports are. So, you know, obviously, we’ll keep a very close eye on everything that goes around with the Darwin Port. But the infrastructure spend on the Northern defence positions, including in Katherine as well, of course, are going to be vitally important to the country.

KATIE WOOLF: Minister, look, there’s a lot of people messaging through to the show this morning. You know, they’re not like they are not hearing that there is, there’s a lot in it for the Northern Territory. I mean, is the Federal Government feeling as though at this point in time, you know, the Northern Territory seats are not winnable at the next election? Is that why there doesn’t seem to be a big focus on us.

MADELEINE KING: Well, I mean, $7 billion to the Northern Territory –

KATIE WOOLF: It’s not new money, though. Like, it’s not. They’re not new announcements, is the point that our listeners are making this morning.

MADELEINE KING: Well, $7.2 billion is an extraordinary contribution to the NT economy and we as a government have a solid commitment and an ongoing commitment to the Territory. But I’ve taken you through a number of commitments already around urgent care clinics, obviously around the scripts being reduced under Medicare and strengthening Medicare as well. And also the tax cuts to every single Northern Territorian and we –

KATIE WOOLF: Let’s talk about those. Let’s talk about those because we do know obviously the Federal Opposition, Angus Taylor, he’s come out and said what was offered was a bribe. He reckons the election bribe of 70 cents a day starting in a year’s time. He said, frankly, it’s not even going to touch the sides of the economic pain that Australian households have felt over the last two and a half years. Is it a bit insulting when you look at the cost of living and the rises that we are experiencing, particularly in regional parts of Australia? I know you’d understand that more than most, you know, as the Minister for Northern Australia.

MADELEINE KING: Well, yeah, I do, and thanks for acknowledging that. But I would remind your listeners that Angus Taylor and Peter Dutton voted against tax cuts to Territorians worth over $2,700 per year. So, that’s what they have voted against and that they stood against it this morning in the Parliament, and I witnessed that myself. So, whilst we have had larger tax cuts in the last two budgets, and they were really important, and then this latest tax cut, of course, it’s smaller, but that’s why we are a responsible government. But the point of them is the accumulation of up to over $2,500 per Territorian taxpayer is undeniably a very good thing for everyone that lives there. And if it’s an extra $50 a week, as announced last night by the Treasurer, that’s nothing to be sneezed at. I mean, who wouldn’t want an extra 50 bucks in their pocket at the end of the week?

KATIE WOOLF: So, how are we getting the, how’s the breakdown of the $50 happening? Is that in addition to the $5, what exactly is that breakdown for the $50?

MADELEINE KING: Well, that’s the same thing, I think. I’m not sure what figures Angus Taylor has given you, but what it adds up to is, on average, for taxpayers, and of course, people pay different rates of tax. It’s an extra $50 a week in the pockets of Territorians on top of the over $2,000 worth of tax cuts we’ve introduced over the term of our Government.

KATIE WOOLF: I just want to make it really clear for our listeners because I’m obviously reading off some other info that we have received, and it says that the Federal Treasurer obviously announcing the $17 billion tax cuts and that it will equate to most Australians to about $5 per week if you’re on a wage of around $79,000 a year.

MADELEINE KING: Well, so what, doc – I don’t know what document that is, Katie. I’m sorry, I don’t know. But the figures I have is that for most Territorians it’s about $50 a week.

KATIE WOOLF: All right. We’ll make sure we can do that.

MADELEINE KING: Well, we can clear that up. I’m really happy to do that.

KATIE WOOLF: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Hey, now, do we know what date this election’s going to be called? Madeleine King, when is it going to happen? We’re all waiting to find out.

MADELEINE KING: Yeah. I mean, aren’t we all? But I can assure you it will be in May.

KATIE WOOLF: We don’t know what date though.

MADELEINE KING: Elections are an excellent opportunity for our democracy to demonstrate how great it is. And really important that there are so many more Territorians now on the electoral roll as well, which has been a great effort of the Special Minister of State, Don Farrell and his team to make sure more people across remote regions of the Territory are able to, you know, have their say in Australia’s future. And I really look forward to being part of that.

KATIE WOOLF: Yeah, absolutely. Well, Minister for North Australia and Resources, Madeleine King, really appreciate your time this morning. Thanks very much for joining us on the show.

MADELEINE KING: Thanks, Katie. I’ll see you up there soon.

MIL OSI News –

March 26, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Going to the dentist is expensive. Here are 3 things you can do to protect your oral health – and 3 things to avoid

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dileep Sharma, Professor and Head of Discipline – Oral Health, University of Newcastle

Jiri Hera/Shutterstock

Around one in three Australians delayed their visit to a dentist in the last financial year – or didn’t go at all – due to cost.

Given it doesn’t look like dental treatment is being added to Medicare any time soon, what can you do?

Most oral and dental diseases are preventable, if you take care of your teeth and mouth. In-between visits to the dentist, here’s what you can do to avoid preventable issues – and blow-out costs.

What causes diseases in your mouth?

More than 1,000 species of microbes live in the mouth. Most dental and oral diseases are due to an imbalance or overgrowth in these microbes within the plaque (or “biofilm”).

Plaque gathers on the hard surfaces inside the mouth (your teeth), as well as soft surfaces (such as your tongue). Removing plaque manually with brushing and flossing is the most effective way to maintain oral health.

Plaque starts to form immediately after brushing, which is why you should remove it regularly.

Things to do

1. Brush twice a day

Use a toothbrush with soft bristles (either electric or manual). Soft bristles remove plaque without damaging the teeth or gums. A fluoridated toothpaste will help strengthen the teeth.

Brush for at least two minutes, using a sweeping and scrubbing motion, away from the gums. It’s a good idea to start at the back teeth and work your way through to the front teeth. Don’t forget to scrub the biting surface of the teeth.

2. Floss

Don’t skip this step – it’s crucial to clean in-between the teeth where a toothbrush can’t reach. Once a day should be enough.

Whether you use floss, a pick, a bottle brush or other devices may depend on the space between your teeth.

3. Clean your tongue

To completely remove the microbes, it’s also important to clean your tongue regularly (twice daily). You can use a toothbrush while you’re already brushing, or a special tongue scraper – just don’t brush or scrape too hard.

Brushing twice a day is important to remove bacteria in the mouth and on the teeth.
PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

Things to avoid

1. Sugary drinks and refined food

What we eat and drink can affect the mouth’s pH.

When bacteria in the mouth break down sugars, they produce acids. The acidity can dissolve minerals in the teeth and lead to decay.

Refined foods – such as white bread, cakes and pastries – can easily be broken down by the mouth’s bacteria. So, having a lot of them, as well as sugary drinks, can damage the teeth and cause cavities.

Water is the best choice to drink with your meals. Sparkling and soda water are acidic and can lead to mineral loss from the teeth, even when they are unflavoured. There is evidence flavoured sparkling water can be as harmful as orange juice.

2. Tobacco and vaping

Smoking or using smokeless tobacco (such as chewed tobacco or snuff pouches) is linked to oral cancer.

Nicotine is also known to increase the severity of gum diseases – even when inflammation isn’t visible.

This is true for both smoking and smokeless tobacco (such as chewed tobacco or snuff pouches).

Vaping also increases your risk of developing cavities and gum disease.

3. Too much alcohol, tea and coffee

Drinking a lot of coffee, tea or red wine can stain your teeth. So if you’re concerned about your teeth appearing yellow or brown, it’s best to limit your intake.

Drinking alcohol is also linked to an increased risk of developing oral cancers, which most commonly affect the tongue, floor of the mouth, cheek and palate.

Drinks that are fizzy and sugary can damage the teeth.
Svetlana Foote/Shutterstock

Your mouth’s health is linked to your overall health

Leaving oral diseases untreated (such as gum disease) has been linked to developing other conditions, such as liver disease, and pre-existing conditions getting worse.

This is particularly evident if you have diabetes. Evidence shows it’s easier to manage blood sugar levels when gum diseases are properly treated.

You can keep an eye on symptoms, such as bleeding gums which may be an early sign of gum disease. If symptoms that worry you, talk to your GP or diabetes educator. They may be able to refer you to a dentist if needed.

Dileep Sharma receives funding from Dental Council of NSW, International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research, Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, International College of Dentists and Tropical Australian Academic Health Centre for his dental research projects. He is affiliated with The International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and Australian Dental Association.

– ref. Going to the dentist is expensive. Here are 3 things you can do to protect your oral health – and 3 things to avoid – https://theconversation.com/going-to-the-dentist-is-expensive-here-are-3-things-you-can-do-to-protect-your-oral-health-and-3-things-to-avoid-250786

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

March 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Southern suburbs man charged after child exploitation material found

Source: New South Wales – News

A southern suburbs man was arrested today charged with two counts of disseminating child exploitation material and two counts of possessing child exploitation material.

On Wednesday 26 March, Investigators from the South Australian JACET, a joint taskforce between South Australia Police and Australian Federal Police, attended a southern suburbs address as a result of an online conversation between the accused and a covert online police officer.

Investigators and Digital Evidence Specialists arrested a 43-year-old man from the address.

Initial forensic digital examinations allegedly located child exploitation material on the man’s two mobile phones.

Further forensic examination will be conducted, and additional charges may be laid.

The arrested man was refused police bail and will appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court today.

Detective Senior Sergeant Graham Tomkins, Investigations Manager of JACET, stated, “Alongside our partner agencies, we are absolutely committed to prosecuting anyone who goes after our community’s most vulnerable.

“We maintain our online presence with an unwavering dedication to identify those who would prey on our children, who quite innocently are utilising the internet for a variety of reasons.

“It is confronting and challenging for the investigators to engage with such persons however the officers are relentless in their pursuit of those who believe they can operate on the internet and prey on our children.”

Members of the public who have information about people involved in child abuse and exploitation are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.accce.gov.au/report

If you know abuse is happening right now or a child is at risk, call police immediately on Triple Zero (000).

CO2500012584

MIL OSI News –

March 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Austria

Source:

There’s an ongoing threat of terrorism in Austria. There have been terrorist attacks and arrests relating to planned attacks. Most recently, there was an attack in Villach in February 2025. Be vigilant in public places and follow the advice of local authorities. Report anything suspicious to the police.

MIL OSI News –

March 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Belgium

Source:

There’s an ongoing threat of terrorism in Belgium. The threat level issued by Belgian authorities remains at level 3 of 4 – ‘Serious’ (see ‘Safety’). Crowded places, such as music and cultural events, festivals, tourist areas, shopping areas, transport hubs, major sporting events and other public areas, are possible targets. Be vigilant in public places and follow the advice of local authorities. There are temporary border controls in place to travel into France and Germany from Belgium (see ‘Travel’).

MIL OSI News –

March 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Roxy’s rocky rescue

Source:

As the sun was setting over Safety Beach on Tuesday night crews from SES, CFA, Victoria Police, FRV, and members of the community worked together to free a dog that had become stuck in the rocks.

Crews responded just before 7pm and after a long and careful operation to remove Roxy from the rocks that create the breakwater for the entrance to Martha’s Cove, the crews were then faced with the challenge of getting the injured dog off the rocks.

Roxy was unable to walk after her ordeal, the crews had the options of carrying Roxy over the rough terrain or waiting for a boat to arrive from Marine Rescue or Coast Guard to take her by sea.

Light was fading quickly as a Jet Ski operator passed by slowly, allowing firefighters to ask his assistance.

He was happy to help however, the sore Roxy didn’t much like the idea of getting on board.

Eventually a boat returning to the dock came along, hoping to be in by dark they were swept willingly into the rescue operation.

With surgeon like precision, the boat’s captain manoeuvred his craft close to the rocks near the rescuers.

Roxy, safely in a stretcher, and her owner were then able to board the vessel and return safety to dock.

“This is a great example of the community coming together to assist strangers, without question or hesitation” Commander Tony Ford said.

“We really would like to thank the boat and Jet Ski operators for coming to the assistance of the rescue operation” he said.

“And the good news is the Roxy was able to walk off the boat and jump in the family wagon waiting at the end of the pier.”

Submitted by CFA Media

MIL OSI News –

March 26, 2025
MIL-OSI: Fivecast revolutionizes financial crime investigations with AI-driven online insights

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LONDON, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fivecast today launched its cutting-edge, AI-driven digital intelligence platform into the financial crime compliance market, enabling financial institutions to radically streamline financial crime investigations, anti-money laundering (AML), know your customer (KYC), and enhanced due diligence (EDD) through online data analytics.

Fivecast empowers financial investigation teams to swiftly and efficiently assess customer risk across masses of online information. The Fivecast platform delivers relevant and actionable information from a vast range of online data sources, enabling broad digital footprint discovery combined with in-depth, AI-driven multi-media data analysis. Current sources and methods used for financial intelligence investigations are missing critical, risk-based information about customers, leading financial institutions to grossly underestimate their risk exposure.

The need for accurate, timely, and global data has never been greater. The global regulatory landscape is rapidly changing, demanding new data sources to meet evolving due diligence requirements for AML compliance. This is highlighted in guidance and consent orders from Government agencies and financial regulatory bodies across Europe, the US, and Australia. In 2024, global penalties related to financial crime imposed by U.S. regulators alone surpassed $4.3 billion.

Duane Rivett, Fivecast Co-founder and VP of Strategic Growth, said: “The vastly superior speed and accuracy of our digital intelligence platform streamlines slow, labor-intensive processes in a highly sensitive area for financial institutions. Just as national security agencies use our solutions to analyze extremist or terrorist networks online, banks are doing the same with a slightly different focus on EDD, AML, and KYC.”

Fivecast solutions empower financial investigation units to efficiently and accurately assess a customer’s risk profile to rapidly identify predicate crimes and customer risk exposure and adopt a genuine risk-based approach to compliance while minimizing compliance costs.

About Fivecast:
Fivecast is a world-leading provider of digital intelligence solutions that enable financial institutions to efficiently and accurately assess a customer’s risk profile, uncovering actionable insights critical to reducing business risk while driving down the cost of compliance. Fivecast was born out of a unique collaboration between government agencies and world-leading research institutions to tackle big data challenges like those facing financial institutions today.
www.fivecast.com

Media Contact:
Monica Brink – Sr Director, Marketing
Monica.brink@fivecast.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c3bca299-cead-4de1-9142-e768a865dc69

The MIL Network –

March 26, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Non-compete clauses make it too hard to change jobs. Banning them for millions of Australians is a good move

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William van Caenegem, Professor of Law, Bond University

Zivica Kerkez/Shutterstock

The Labor government used this week’s budget to announce it plans to ban non-compete agreements for employees on less than A$175,000 per year, a move that will affect about 3 million Australian workers.

Describing them as “unfair”, a media release by federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers said non‑compete clauses “are holding back Australian workers from switching to better, higher‑paying jobs”. Banning non-compete clauses could lift the wages of affected workers by up to 4%, the government has said.

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry quickly called the measure “heavy-handed”, arguing that very few employees, according to businesses, turn down employment due to non-compete clauses.

However, research I did with colleagues from Melbourne and Monash universities showed very few employees signing a new job contract ever think about the end of the relationship and what might happen after.

Workers often accept non-compete clauses with little understanding or regard for their practical implications.

What the law currently says

The current law says contractual clauses that stop departing workers from taking a new job in their preferred line of work, often for long periods of time, are – in principle – unenforceable.

That is, however, unless a court says a particular non-compete clause is “reasonably required” to protect a “legitimate interest”.

Therein lies the problem: it is hard to predict when, where or under what circumstances a court will find a particular clause is “reasonably required”.

Our research concluded this uncertainty favoured employers with greater nous and resources.

These employers have the advantage over employees, who are rarely willing or able to go to court arguing their non-compete clause is invalid.

This has a chilling effect on the mobility of employees. In other words, these clauses make it harder for workers to change jobs.

That’s detrimental to labour market competition and can hold back knowledge-sharing and economic growth.

Global efforts to ban non-compete clauses

In California, non-compete clauses have long been banned. Many economists have identified this as among the key reasons for the success of the Californian knowledge economy. This example also featured in a submission I made (with researcher Caitlyn Douglas) to a 2024 Treasury review into non-compete clauses in Australia.

US research from 2021 also found non-compete clauses can hinder labour mobility. They can impede fundamental freedoms such as freedom of employment and freedom of general competition.

In 2024, under President Biden, the US Federal Trade Commission banned non-competes clauses across the US.

However, the ban has been blocked due to legal challenges in the US Federal Court. It’s also been reported the Trump administration may kill off these reforms altogether.

The UK government proposed in 2023 limiting non-competes to a maximum of three months.

Holding employees back

Unlike in some countries, Australian law does not require employers to compensate their ex-employee for loss of income during their non-compete period.

This means that if workers comply and do not work in the field they’re most skilled for, they will take a serious financial hit for months or more.

This is another detrimental effect of non-compete clauses. They really hurt if the worker in question is lower paid and has very specific skills (such as hairdressers or dental assistants).

In that respect, Labor’s mooted ban on such clauses for employees on less than $175,000 is well conceived.

Courts will usually only enforce a non-compete clause if its terms are reasonable to protect a legitimate interest, such as trade secrets an employee has learned during their employment.

However, it’s mostly higher-ranked employees that have access to really significant trade secrets, such as technical information, confidential business plans or pricing structures.

Higher paid employees are also more often the “public face of the business”. A court might decide it’s fair to say such workers can’t leave and the next day turn up as the main face of a competing business.

And the new government proposal won’t leave employers without any recourse against employees who take their genuine trade secrets and pass them on to their new employers. They will still be able to sue for breach of confidence.

Non-competes really hurt if the worker in question is lower paid and has very specific skills (such as hairdressers or dental assistants).
Dorde Krstic/Shutterstock

Challenges for reform

The proposed reforms are well supported by authoritative legal and economic research.

The federal government will have to consider carefully how to make sure the prohibition cannot be easily circumvented.

And they’ll have to ensure these reforms don’t make it more likely judges will find restraints valid for those on more than A$175,000. Labour and knowledge mobility remain crucially important for them too.

Another key challenge will be ensuring a ban doesn’t encourage practices or clauses restricting competition to emerge or become too prevalent.

That could include “garden leave” clauses. These give a departing employee a long notice period, during which they are paid but do not work and are isolated from their employment (and instead “doing the gardening” at home).

The risk is that if employers can no longer include non-compete clauses in contracts, they might use long garden leave provisions more often.

Although it is good that “garden leave” employees get paid during that period (unlike during a non-compete term), they are still isolated from their work, stagnating in their skills and unable to move to new employment.

William van Caenegem received funding from the Australian Research Council a decade ago for some of the research referred to in this article.

– ref. Non-compete clauses make it too hard to change jobs. Banning them for millions of Australians is a good move – https://theconversation.com/non-compete-clauses-make-it-too-hard-to-change-jobs-banning-them-for-millions-of-australians-is-a-good-move-253101

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

March 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Police investigating after man taken into custody at Goodwood

Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

Police investigating after man taken into custody at Goodwood

Wednesday, 26 March 2025 – 3:04 pm.

Police are continuing to investigate after a man was taken into custody at Goodwood earlier today.
About 9.30am police were called to a disturbance at a private residence at Claremont where a man was behaving erratically while in possession of an edged weapon.
The man then allegedly stole a vehicle and fled the scene before police arrived. Nobody was physically injured.
Police will allege the man then drove to Goodwood where he crashed into a building in the Technopark area and entered the premises.
Police arrived within minutes and the man was quickly taken into custody.
A woman, believed to have been known to the man, received minor injuries during an altercation with him.
She was taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital.
The building at Goodwood was evacuated and declared a crime scene.
A second crime scene was declared at the Claremont residence before police were called to a residence at West Moonah following reports of a fire.
That property has also been declared a crime scene, and police are investigating whether the fire is connected to the incidents at Claremont and Goodwood.
Nobody was home at the time of the fire.
Inspector Jason Klug said the suspect -– a 55-year-old West Moonah man – remained in custody.
“This is a concerning incident, involving a private workplace, and we recognise the impact this may have on staff as well as the broader community,” he said.
“However, we’d like to reassure the public the suspect was quickly taken into custody and there is no ongoing threat.”
Anyone with information should contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au

MIL OSI News –

March 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Measles alert for Sydney Airport and western NSW

Source: Australian Green Party

NSW Health is advising people to be alert for signs and symptoms of measles after being notified of a confirmed case who was infectious while visiting locations at Sydney Airport and western NSW.
The case recently returned from South East Asia where there are ongoing outbreaks of measles in several countries including Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
People who were on board the below flight or attended the following locations at the times stated should watch for the development of symptoms. These locations do not pose an ongoing risk.
Wednesday 19 March 2025

Jetstar Flight JQ62 departed Ho Chi Minh City at 10:30pm on Tuesday 18 March 2025, arriving in Sydney at 10:50am on Wednesday 19 March 2025
Sydney International Airport arrivals terminal and baggage claim from 11:00am to 12:00pm

Friday 21 March 2025

Ochre Medical Centre Parkes, 335 Clarinda St, Parkes from 10:15am to 11:15am

Monday 24 March 2025

Parkes Health Service Emergency Department, 2 Morrissey Way, Parkes 12:00pm midday to 7:00pm

Dr Victor Carey, Western NSW Local Health District Public Health Physician said anyone who visited the above locations at those times should monitor for symptoms.
“Measles is a vaccine preventable disease that is spread through the air when someone who is infectious coughs or sneezes,” Dr Carey said.
“Symptoms to watch out for include fever, sore eyes, runny nose and a cough, usually followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy rash that spreads from the head and face to the rest of the body.”
“It can take up to 18 days for symptoms to appear after an exposure, so it’s important for people who visited these locations to look out for symptoms up until 11 April 2025.
“It’s important for people to stay vigilant if they’ve been exposed, and if they develop symptoms, to please call ahead to their GP or emergency department to ensure they do not spend time in the waiting room with other patients.
“We want to remind the community to make sure they are up to date with their vaccinations. The measles vaccine can prevent the disease even after exposure, if given early enough.
“This should be a reminder for everyone to check that they are protected against measles, which is highly infectious.
“Anyone born after 1965 needs to ensure they have had two doses of measles vaccine. This is especially important before overseas travel, as measles outbreaks are occurring in several regions of the world at the moment.”
The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and effective, and is given free for children at 12 and 18 months of age. It is also free in NSW for anyone born after 1965 who hasn’t already had two doses.
Children under the age of 12 months can have their first dose of MMR up to six months earlier if they are travelling to areas with a high risk for measles. Parents should consult their GP.
People who are unsure of whether they have had two doses should get a vaccine, as additional doses are safe. This is particularly important prior to travel. MMR vaccine is available from GPs (all ages) and pharmacies (people over 5 years of age).
For more information on measles, view the measles factsheet.
If you, or a loved one, is experiencing measles symptoms, or have questions about measles, please call your GP or Healthdirect on 1800 022 222.

MIL OSI News –

March 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Understanding early access to super
Source:

Superannuation is intended to support people during their retirement. There are only a few situations where early access to super is permitted and if you take out your super without meeting these conditions, serious penalties could apply.

Illegal early access is the most significant regulatory risk impacting the SMSF sector, with an estimated $250.1 million in illegal early access from SMSFs in the 2021–22 period. It can have a significant impact on an individual’s retirement savings, result in additional tax, penalties, and interest.

To reduce illegal early access through SMSFs, we provide support and guidance on obligations as a trustee, review new registrants, and remove non-compliant SMSFs from SuperFund Lookup. If an SMSF is removed from SuperFund Lookup, it cannot receive contributions and may face liquidity issues.

If you’re a SMSF trustee and you illegally release benefits to a member who hasn’t met a condition of release, you may face administrative penalties and be disqualified as an SMSF trustee.

If you have illegally accessed your super or been involved in a scheme promoting illegal early access, contact us immediately using our voluntary disclosure service. We will take your voluntary disclosure and circumstances into account when determining any penalties.

We also investigate late or non-lodgements of SMSF annual returns (SARs) as that can be an indicator to us that SMSF members may be illegally accessing their super early and it raises questions about the trustees’ ability to fulfill their obligations and the purpose of having an SMSF.

We continue to collaborate with ASIC to identify non-compliant funds and take corrective actions.

For more information, we have a factsheet (PDF, 157 KB)This link will download a file to help individuals understand:
- permitted reasons you can access your super
- risks of accessing your super early
- steps to take if someone offers to help you access your super early.
Prohibited loans

Loans to members are prohibited under the law and can result in significant penalties, regardless of whether repayments are made.

In the 2021–22 financial year, the amount inappropriately withdrawn from SMSFs via prohibited loans was estimated to be $231.7 million.

Looking for the latest news for SMSFs? – You can stay up to date by visiting our SMSF newsroom and subscribingExternal Link to our monthly SMSF newsletter.

MIL OSI News –
March 26, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: The 2025 federal budget fails the millions of voters who want action on Australia’s struggling environment
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Neal, Senior lecturer in Economics / Institute for Climate Risk and Response, UNSW Sydney

Commentators have branded last night’s federal budget as an attempt to win over typical Australian voters concerned about the cost of living, ahead of what is expected to be a tightly fought federal election.

The budget’s big-ticket items included tax cuts and energy bill relief, plus measures to make childcare and healthcare cheaper.

There was little in the budget dedicated to stemming Australia’s environmental crises. Given this, one might assume the average voter cares little for action on conservation and curbing climate change. But is this true?

Polling suggests the clear answer is “no”. Voters consistently say they want more government action on both conservation and climate change. As the federal election looms, Labor is running out of time to show it cares about Australia’s precious natural environment.

What environmental spending was in the budget?

The main spending on the environment in last night’s budget had been announced in the weeks before. It includes:
- A$250 million over five years to help protect 30% of Australia’s land and waters by 2030
- $2 billion over 19 years to help Australia’s aluminium smelters transition to renewable electricity
- $1 billion over seven years to support new facilities and supply chains for “green” iron.
These measures are welcome. However, the overall environment spending is inadequate, given the scale of the challenges Australia faces.

Australia’s protected areas, such as national parks, have suffered decades of poor funding, and the federal budget has not rectified this. It means these sensitive natural places will remain vulnerable to harms such as invasive species and bushfires.

More broadly, Australia is failing to stem the drivers of biodiversity loss, such as land clearing and climate change. This means more native species become threatened with extinction each year.

Experts say conserving Australia’s threatened species would cost an extra $2 billion a year. Clearly, the federal budget spending of an extra $50 million a year falls well short of this.

And global greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase. This contributes to ever-worsening climate change, bringing heatwaves, more extreme fires, more variable rainfall and rising seas.

Contrary to what the federal budget priorities might suggest, Australians are concerned about these issues.

What does the average voter think about the environment?

Results from reputable polling provide insight into what the average voters want when it comes to environmental policy and spending.

When it comes to conservation, the evidence is clear. Polling by YouGov in October last year (commissioned by two environment groups) estimated that 70% of Australians think the Labor government should do more to “protect and restore nature”. The vast majority of voters (86%) supported stronger national nature laws.

Essential Research polling in October 2023 found 53% of voters think the government is not doing enough to preserve endangered species. About the same proportion said more government action was needed to preserve native forests, and oceans and rivers.

On climate change, the average voter appears to have views significantly out of step with both major parties. The Australia Institute’s Climate of the Nation report last year found 50% of voters believed the government was not doing enough to prepare for and adapt to climate impacts.

The report also found 50% of voters supported a moratorium on new coal mines in Australia, 69% support charging companies a levy for each tonne of carbon pollution they emit, and 69% are concerned about climate change.

Also in 2024, a Lowy Institute poll found 57% of Australians supported the statement that “global warming is a serious and pressing problem, and that we should take steps now to mitigate it even if it involves significant costs”.

There’s a caveat here. As the cost-of-living crisis has worsened, the issue has edged out all others in terms of voter concerns at the upcoming election.

For example, in January this year, Roy Morgan polling found 57% of voters considered cost of living one of their top-three issues of concern. Only 23% considered global warming a top-three issue.

However, global warming was still more of a concern for voters than managing the economy (22%), keeping interest rates down (19%) and reducing taxes (15%). It was tied with reducing crime (23%).

It’s also important to note that climate change and cost-of-living pressures are not separate issues. Research suggests that as climate change worsens, it will cause inflation to worsen.

Labor’s unmet election promises

The singular focus on the cost of living in last night’s federal budget means environmental spending has been neglected.

Context matters here. Labor has utterly failed to deliver its 2022 election promise to rewrite federal environmental protection laws and create an environmental protection agency.

The government could have used this budget to repair its environmental credentials going into the next election – but it didn’t. The many voters concerned about the environment might well wonder if Labor considers the environment a policy priority at all.

The upcoming election result may show whether minor parties and independents better reflect the Australian electorate’s views on this important issue.

Timothy Neal does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The 2025 federal budget fails the millions of voters who want action on Australia’s struggling environment – https://theconversation.com/the-2025-federal-budget-fails-the-millions-of-voters-who-want-action-on-australias-struggling-environment-253099
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
March 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Delivering a new Academy for Health Sciences in Central Queensland

Source: Historic Cooma Gaol listed on the NSW State Heritage Register

The Albanese Government and the Crisafulli Government will fund the establishment of a new Academy for Health Sciences in Rockhampton.

The Academy will help to fast track high-achieving local students into careers as doctors, nurses, paramedics and allied health professionals.

This is an investment to strengthen Medicare and boost the pipeline of health workers in regional Queensland.

The Academy will cater for students from Years 10 to 12 and connect them to professionals in health sciences and research.

The Albanese Government will support the establishment of the Academy through a $80 million investment, towards the Crisafulli Government’s existing commitment to deliver this key regional project.

The Crisafulli Government will seek to establish a direct partnership with Central Queensland University.

This will also allow students to gain credit for university health science degrees while still at school, and follow their passion for health sciences without needing to move away from their families or communities.

The recent record number of graduates to progress through Queensland’s Regional Medical Pathway program demonstrates the strong pipeline of home-grown future health professionals outside metropolitan areas.

The Rockhampton campus will be the first regionally-based Queensland Academy, and demonstrates the Crisafulli and Albanese Government’s commitment to restoring and strengthening regional health services.

The details of the Academy’s implementation are under consideration by the Crisafulli Government, with the final location to be determined through further planning and consultation.

Comment attributable to Minister Clare:

“This is an important investment which will support young people in Central Queensland to become nurses, paramedics and doctors.

“This is all about building a better and fairer education system and strengthening the pipeline of key workers that regional Queensland needs.”

Comment attributable to Minister King:

“The Albanese Government is delivering the infrastructure and facilities our communities need.

“This health sciences academy is part of our landmark investment in Central Queensland, alongside the $7.2 billion being invested by the Australian Government in the Bruce Highway safety upgrade.”

Comment attributable to Minister Langbroek:

“This funding contribution from the Albanese Government is incredibly significant, coupled with the planning and consultation work we’ve already done, this election commitment is well underway.

“The Academy will help students across Central Queensland who are interested in a health career to connect with professionals in health sciences and research.

“I look forward to continuing to work with State Health Minister Tim Nicholls and our local MPs to fulfill our commitment to deliver this vital project for Central Queensland.”

MIL OSI News –

March 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Recycling made easy at City’s waste drop-off weekend
Source: South Australia Police

Take part in the City’s annual Community Waste Drop-Off Weekend on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 April 2025 at the Ashby Operations Centre.
Open from 8am to 4pm all weekend, this event offers an easy and environmentally friendly way to dispose of bulky and hard-to-recycle items including:
- Tyres (limit of four per household)
- E-waste
- Cardboard
- Polystyrene.
Last year, more than 900 residents took part in the event, which saw an impressive amount of waste collected, including:
- 9,775 kg of e-waste, equivalent to 36.89 tonnes of carbon offset, the same as 12 flights between Perth and Sydney in carbon emissions
- 1,341 tyres, stacked up they would cover half the area of the Sydney Opera House
- 5.5 tonnes of cardboard, which is about the weight of three adult elephants; and
- 29 cubic metres of polystyrene, enough to fill roughly 14 average-sized refrigerators!
Mayor Linda Aitken said the annual event helped reduce waste to landfill and tackle illegal dumping

“The community waste drop-off weekend is the perfect opportunity to clear out unwanted, bulky items and make sure they’re disposed of responsibly,” she said.

“Recycling isn’t just about disposing of waste, it’s about coming together as a community to protect our future.

“Together, we’re creating a cleaner, greener community, and this event is just one way to help reduce waste.”

Can’t get down to drop off your bulky waste? You can always check out more info on the City’s bookable bulk service or head to nearby recycling centres like Wangara Greens Recycling Facility, Tamala Park or Balcatta Recycling Centre.

Event details:
- Date: Saturday 5 April and Sunday 6 April 2025
- Time: 8am to 4pm each day
- Location: Ashby Operations Centre, (north entrance), 1204 Wanneroo Road, Ashby
After dropping off your recycling, tree’t yourself!

The City will also be giving away free native shrubs and tree seedlings as part of the City’s Wannagrow program for the WA Tree Festival. These will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis on Saturday 5 April until stocks last.

For more details including what you can and can’t drop-off, visit the Community Waste Drop-Off Weekend event page. Limits and conditions apply.
MIL OSI News –
March 26, 2025

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