Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

Natalie Barr:

For more, we’re joined by Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Good morning to you.

Jim Chalmers:

Morning, Nat.

Barr:

So, when the godfather of AI begins to regret his contribution to the invention, should we be concerned?

Chalmers:

I think there’s a whole range of views about artificial intelligence. I’m optimistic that it will be transformational in a good way in our economy but only if we manage the risks right. And so our government is doing a heap of work, including with Scott Farquhar and others who will be part of our Economic Reform Roundtable, to make sure that we maximise the opportunities of AI at the same time as we manage the risks. The risks can be substantial in our labour market and more broadly as well. We need to manage those. But overwhelmingly, I think AI will be transformational in our economy and in our society, and we need to make it work for us, not against us.

Matt Shirvington:

It’s moving so fast, isn’t it, Treasurer? Let’s talk about that roundtable. You said tech billionaire Scott Farquhar is going to be a part of that. He’s for this. He wants more productivity, more investment to expand AI in Australia. Is that required? Is that what we’re going to do? Are we going to take advantage of the time being now?

Chalmers:

I think there are broadly 3 schools of thought here. There’s a group of people who say, let it rip. There’s a group of people who, I think unrealistically, say that we should kind of turn back the clock and pretend these technological developments aren’t happening. And then there’s a responsible middle path, which is the approach that the government intends to take. And that’s all about making sure that our people are beneficiaries, not victims of these big technological changes. This will be seismic. Artificial intelligence will have a massive impact on our economy and on our society. And it’s up to us as governments and as societies to work out how we make that work for us, not against us. To make people beneficiaries of these changes rather than victims of it.

Barr:

So this is the guy who resigned from Google because he wanted to warn the world about the dangers. Are you confident that our country has the safeguards against the bad parts of AI?

Chalmers:

I’m confident that we can manage the risks, but it won’t be easy. And something that is changing this quickly, the pace of change, the accelerating pace of these technological changes, is a big challenge because we need to catch up and keep up with the way that it’s changing our economy and our society. And we need to make sure that its impact is positive, not negative.

The risks are there, they are substantial. We focus on the risks, for example, in the labour market, but also more broadly, and we need to manage that. Every country in the world is grappling with this challenge. Trying to work out how AI can be a force for good in our economy, making us more productive, making our work easier, augmenting some of the tasks that people do at work. Those are the upsides of AI.

There are potential downsides as well, and that’s why we work so closely with the tech industry and with others – my colleague Tim Ayres and Andrew Charlton and Ed Husic before that. It’s a big focus of the government. It’ll be a big focus of our efforts at the reform roundtable next month as well.

Shirvington:

It’s good to hear, because you just don’t want to miss the boat. Just quickly on inflation figures. You know, you’ve been at the helm, you’ve seen them go down and down and down. Low 2s now, paving the way potentially, for a rate cut next month. What do you think?

Chalmers:

I try not to make predictions about decisions that the independent Reserve Bank will take about interest rates, but I’m really pleased that inflation has come down so substantially. It’s a powerful demonstration of the progress that Australians have made together in the fight against inflation. When we came to office 3 years ago, it was higher than 6 per cent and absolutely galloping. We’ve got it down now into the low 2s. That’s a good thing. But the job’s not finished. It’s not mission accomplished.

We know that people are still under pressure and that’s why the main goal of the parliament the last 2 weeks since it’s returned after the election has been to deliver all kinds of cost‑of‑living relief to help ease some of these pressures. But inflation coming down is a very good thing. The unemployment rate staying relatively low is a very good thing. Real wages are growing as well, but we know there’s always more work to do.

Barr:

Treasurer, thank you very much for your time.

Chalmers:

Appreciate it, guys.

Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

James Glenday:

Welcome back to the show. On this Thursday morning, you’re watching News Breakfast. It is always lovely to have your company.

Emma Rebellato:

We’ll get an update on the latest with the global tsunami alerts in just a moment. But first, borrowers will be hoping the latest inflation data will be the confirmation the Reserve Bank needs to cut rates next month.

Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, joins us now from Canberra. Treasurer, thanks for joining us this morning.

Jim Chalmers:

Thanks for having me back on, Emma.

Rebellato:

So homeowners are hoping for a rate cut. Are you worried though that if there is a cut it will encourage more investors into the market, and that will price out people wanting to buy their own home?

Chalmers:

I’m not going to pre‑empt decisions that the Reserve Bank takes independently. I think rate relief is welcome, certainly when interest rates were cut twice already this year, that provided some very, very welcome rate relief for millions of Australians with a mortgage. That’s how we see it, but I don’t want to make predictions or pre‑empt the decisions that the Reserve Bank will take.

What yesterday’s numbers showed when it comes to those inflation numbers is really quite remarkable progress. The progress that Australians have made together over the course of the last 3 years on inflation has been outstanding because we’ve been able to get inflation down at the same time as we deep unemployment low, we’ve got real wages growing again – but it’s never mission accomplished, because the global environment’s uncertain, we’ve got some persistent structural issues in our economy, growth in our economy is soft and people are under pressure. And that’s why the primary goal, the main priority of the first 2 weeks of the parliament sitting has been to roll out more cost‑of‑living help.

Rebellato:

Treasurer, your productivity roundtable is on in just a few weeks. Will you be looking – and we know housing going’s to be on the agenda – will you be looking specifically at property investors. Do you want to change the capital gains tax discount?

Chalmers:

That’s not why we’ve put this Economic Reform Roundtable together. It’s all about making our economy more resilient and more productive, and our budget more sustainable.

I expect and I hope that building more homes is one of the central considerations of the Economic Reform Roundtable. I’ve been working very closely with Minister Clare O’Neil with a number of people who will be at the roundtable and with a whole range of people around the country.

We’ve all got an interest in building more homes sooner; that’s the government’s priority. The primary focus there, I think, at the roundtable will be around how we speed up approvals and get the zoning for housing right, because we desperately need more homes. The Commonwealth government has come to the table with tens of billions of dollars in investment, our political opponents want to cut funding for housing, but overwhelmingly, people want to see where there’s common ground to build more homes, and that will be the focus.

Rebellato:

Treasurer, one of the stories we’re following today is the latest Productivity Commission report on closing the gap. Again, so many targets are showing so little progress, and some are worsening. How would you characterise this? Is this a failure by governments?

Chalmers:

We need to do much better. I think from memory, 10 of the 15 measures, we’ve seen a little bit of progress in the report released overnight, some have gone backwards in worrying ways.

I think every member of the government, and I think many Australians would acknowledge that we need to do better, and the reason why these reports are so important is because they make sure that we keep governments and the community more broadly up to the mark. We need to do better when it comes to closing the cap.

Minister Malarndirri McCarthy is working in her characteristically diligent way with all of the stakeholders, all of the communities to try and turn these numbers around. There has been progress in 10 of the 15, there has been some worrying outcomes in the rest, but overall, we need to do more and we need to do better.

Rebellato:

Treasurer, we know the issue in the Middle East is a big talking point in parliament and in the government at the moment. Is it now inevitable that Australia will recognise a Palestinian state; do you want to see that happen?

Chalmers:

I do, and I think it’s a matter of when, not if Australia recognises a Palestinian state for a long.

Rebellato:

So could we see it before September, before that UN meeting?

Rebellato:

I don’t want to put a timeframe for it, it’s been a long‑standing bipartisan policy that we see a two‑state solution in that part of the Middle East. From my point of view that progress that has been made, that momentum that we’re seeing in the international community is welcome, but it’s also conditional.

There are a number of obstacles still in the way to recognition of a Palestinian state, for example, the treatment, the release of the hostages, making sure that there’s absolutely no role for Hamas. These are the sorts of things that the international community is working through.

That statement that came out yesterday that we signed as Australians via our Foreign Minister Penny Wong is a really important one. It condemns the terrorist act on 7 October, it demands a ceasefire, the release of hostages and access for humanitarian aid; it encourages countries to work towards recognition as a really important part of that two‑state solution, and the reason we want to see a two‑state solution is because Israeli families and Palestinian families need and deserve to be able to raise their kids in peace, and that’s what this is all about.

Rebellato:

Treasurer, let’s stay with issues overseas, and the issue of tariffs. Now, Donald Trump has now said if he’s not negotiated with a country that they’re now looking at between a 15 and 20 per cent tariff. Is that what you’re working towards now; forget about 10 per cent, it’s now looking 15 to 20?

Chalmers:

We haven’t heard differently from the 10 per cent baseline that’s been levied on Australia; obviously we continue to engage with the Americans on this. It’s one of the main issues playing out in the global economy, it’s a major source of uncertainty in the economy, whether it’s what’s been said overnight about India, whether it’s the back and forth between the US and China or the tariffs levied directly on Australia. We’ve got the baseline rate as far as we are aware, and as we understand it, which is 10 per cent.

Rebellato:

So you don’t expect that to move?

Chalmers:

I think it would be a brave person to assume that there won’t be – whether it’s with other countries or – there will always be more announcements about this. These tariff announcements are a moving feast. But our understanding, our expectation is we get the baseline.

We think that the best outcome is zero because these tariffs are an act of economic self‑harm. We see inflation is going up in the US. Earlier in the year they had slowing growth, interest rates on hold again in the US overnight, they’ve got higher interest rates than we do in Australia.

We think these tariffs are bad for the American economy, certainly bad for the global economy. We’re better placed and better prepared than most countries to deal with that, but we won’t be immune. We’ll continue to engage with the Americans on it.

Rebellato:

Treasurer, just to change things up a little bit, this is possibly the hardest question you’ll be asked today, we’ve been talking about theme songs. Do you have a favourite theme song?

Chalmers:

It’s hard to go past the themes – the 2 theme songs in the Rocky movies, or the theme song to that great Eminem movie, 8 Mile. I’m a hip‑hop guy –

Rebellato:

Oh, yeah.

Chalmers:

– as James on the couch knows, but I think the best theme song, now that you put me on the spot, the best theme song I can remember is when Powderfinger, These Days kicks in during that wonderful Australian movie, Two Hands.

I think These Days by Powderfinger came in at number 14 on the week in the Triple J Hottest 100 Australian songs. Like everyone who loves Powderfinger, I think that should have been higher. But that’s an amazing theme song, and that’s an incredible, Two Hands, Heath Ledger, Bryan Brown, Rose, all the great Australian actors and a wonderful Australian theme song too by Powderfinger from Brisbane.

Rebellato:

Treasurer, thank you so much for joining us this morning, we appreciate it.

Chalmers:

Thanks very much.

Source: New South Wales – News

It will be alleged that three men were present together at the Adelaide Airport about 11.30am on Wednesday 30 July.

The Rebels, an Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, is a declared criminal organisation and it is an offence for participants of a declared criminal organisation to be in a public place with two or more other persons who are also participants in a declared criminal organisation.

The three men, a 43-year-old man, 27-year-old man and a 34-year-old man all from Western Australia, were arrested and charged with criminal association.

They were all refused bail and will appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court later today.

Crime Gangs Task Force will continue to investigate reports of Outlaw Motorcycle Gang members gathering in public places in contravention of this law to ensure the safety of the public.

Source: Australian Human Rights Commission

We’re pleased to announce the release of our updated General Aviation (GA) Workplan 2025, alongside the Forward Regulatory Program and the refreshed RPAS and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Strategic Regulatory Roadmap – 3 key initiatives shaping the future of aviation in Australia.

Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

Woman on assault police charge, dangerous dog seized

Thursday, 31 July 2025 – 9:09 am.

A 57-year-old woman has been charged with assaulting police, and a dangerous dog seized, after an incident in East Devonport on Wednesday.
The North-West woman was remanded in custody overnight and is scheduled to appear in the Devonport Magistrates Court today.
She is facing charges of assaulting police, abusing and threatening police, and being the owner of a dog that attacks a person.
The charges stem from an incident at Melrose Street, East Devonport, on Wednesday afternoon.
Police had been called to assist Devonport Council and North West Animal Control Services issue a warrant to seize an American pit bull, a dog that had been identified as being dangerous.
Police will allege the woman refused to surrender the dog and that she threatened and verbally abused officers during the issuing of the warrant.
Tasmania Police specialist resources were deployed and negotiations with the woman continued for several hours.
During this time, the unrestrained dog was released by the woman and the animal ran off.
The woman is then alleged to have assaulted police officers before being arrested without further incident and taken into custody.
The dog was subsequently located and safely seized by police in collaboration with Animal Control Services. Police drone resources were used to help locate the dog.
Tasmania Police would like to thank members of the public for their assistance in reporting sightings of the dog, which played a key role in its safe recovery.

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force are calling for information in relation to an alleged aggravated assault that occurred in Woodroffe early this morning.

Around 1:20am, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received reports of a man, aged in his 30’s, with puncture wounds to his back and chest in the vicinity of Woodroffe Park.

Emergency Services attended and the man was conveyed to Royal Darwin Hospital in a serious condition.

Initial investigations indicate the man may have been assaulted by an unknown man with a bottle.

A crime scene has been declared and police will be working near the intersection of Woodroffe Avenue and Sirius Road.

Traffic diversions are in place and Sirius Road will be closed from Woodroffe Avenue to Altair Court throughout the morning.

Police urge anyone with information about the incident, particularly if you have home CCTV near Woodroffe Park, to make contact on 131 444, quoting reference number P25203523. Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Source:

31 July 2025

When a cheeseburger costs less than a punnet of strawberries, it’s clear the odds are stacked against healthy choices – especially for teenagers.

Now, new research from the University of South Australia shows that it’s not just unhealthy eating habits affecting teens, but an alarming clustering of poor lifestyle choices that’s putting the majority of teenagers at serious risk of preventable diseases later in life.

In a study of more than 293,770 teenagers aged 12-17 – from 73 countries, across five world Health Organization (WHO) regions – researchers assessed habit clustering, including exercise, healthy food consumption and screen time, finding that:

• 85% did not get enough exercise
• 80% did not eat enough fruit and vegetables
• 50% regularly consumed fast food
• 39% had too many soft drinks
• 32% spent excessive time on screens.

Overall, more than 92.5% of teenagers reported two or more unhealthy behaviours, which puts them at increased risk of developing chronic diseases like obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

Specifically, 7% of teenagers reported one unhealthy behaviour; 30% of teenagers had two; 36.5% had three; 21.5% had four; and 4.5% had five unhealthy behaviours. Across all WHO regions, less than 1% of teenagers exhibited no unhealthy behaviours.

It’s timely research in light of the South Australian government’s new ’LiveLighter’ campaign to tackle obesity.

Lead researcher, UniSA’s Dr Ming Li, says behaviours that are set up in teenage years lay the groundwork for behaviours in adulthood.

“The teenage years are a critical window for growth and development – physically, mentally, and emotionally – and they set the foundation for long-term health,” Dr Li says.

“But with junk food so readily available, and physical activity often replaced by screen time, more teens are picking up multiple unhealthy habits that could lead to serious health issues down the track.”

The study found distinct differences between regions. Teenagers in higher-income countries – including the Americas and Eastern Mediterranean – were more likely to report a higher number of unhealthy behaviours, with 13% of teenagers in these regions recording all five risk factors.

While Australian data was not specifically assessed, Dr Ling says that Australian teenagers would likely report multiple unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, skin to those seen in other high-income countries.

Dr Li says these trends are driven by broader societal shifts.

“Some of what we see comes down to rapid urbanisation, sedentary school environments, and limited access to safe recreational spaces, particularly in low- and middle-income countries,” Dr Li says.

“On top of this, taste preferences, household income, and limited availability of fresh produce – especially in disadvantaged areas – make healthy choices harder to access and maintain.”

While the study reports multiple unhealthy lifestyle behaviours for most teenagers, it also finds some protective factors that can help.

“When teenagers have supportive families and a supportive peer group, their risk of having four or more unhealthy behaviours reduces by 16% and 4% respectively,” Dr Li says “Similarly, food-secure households also reduce risk by 9%.”

Dr Li says the findings point to the urgent need for tailored, multilevel strategies that go beyond individual choices to address social and environmental conditions.

“It’s clear we need systemic action – better school-based physical activity programs, urban design that gives teens access to green spaces, policies that make healthy food affordable, and limits on junk food marketing to children,” Dr Li says.

“Ultimately, good health needs to be an easier, more accessible choice – not one that requires privilege, planning, and willpower.”

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Contact for interview:  Dr Ming Li E: Ming.Li@unisa.edu.au
Media contact: Annabel Mansfield M: +61 479 182 489 E: Annabel.Mansfield@unisa.edu.au

Source: Premier of Victoria

Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

Today, officers from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Services Australia executed search warrants at four properties across Western Sydney associated with individuals allegedly involved in an identity, tax and welfare fraud syndicate targeting innocent Australians.

The ATO-led operation, which commenced in October 2024, has identified four individuals who are alleged to have engaged in an array of offences, including tax fraud, identity fraud, welfare fraud and money laundering.

The alleged fraud involved the distribution of scam emails to unsuspecting Australians which contained links to websites that, when clicked on, enabled the fraudsters to gather their personal information and take over their identity.

When the ATO’s systems identified the fraud pattern, the syndicate is alleged to have then turned to recruiting its victims to become complicit money mules, so that it could continue the fraud.

During the searches, officers found multiple devices containing personal identifiable information and documentation that did not belong to the offenders that could allow them to fraudulently access taxpayers accounts.

The syndicate didn’t confine its wrongdoing to Australians. The individuals are alleged to be part of a sophisticated offshore criminal syndicate that specialises in identity takeovers, romance scams and money laundering, through international money transfers and cryptocurrency transactions.

ATO Deputy Commissioner and Serious Financial Crime Taskforce (SFCT) Chief John Ford said this early intervention will protect many more Australians from having their personal information stolen and used by this syndicate to commit fraud in their names.

‘Through the warrant activity today, we are sending a clear message to the community: our approach to fraud is unwavering and we will hold these individuals to account. Engaging in offences such as these carries a penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment,’ Mr Ford said.

‘The information and capability sharing between our partner agencies means we are able to track down syndicates like this at the source, disrupt the activity and ensure they face the full force of the law.’

‘We have also bolstered the strength of our security systems and ATO online services to stop fraud before it happens.’

AUSTRAC Acting National Manager, Law Enforcement, Markus Erikson, said AUSTRAC was able to provide crucial financial intelligence to the ATO so it could investigate fraudulent activity.

‘AUSTRAC works with Commonwealth partners and law enforcement agencies providing financial intelligence to help identify and track down entities that are directly controlling money mule networks,’ Mr Erikson said.

‘In this instance AUSTRAC also shared, with the ATO, additional mule account data observed in other crime types to assist with understanding the extent of fraudulent activity.’

It is important to be aware of what information you share and to never click on a link from a text or email asking for your personal information. Once the scammers have your personal information, they can access your bank account, sign in to your myGov account, steal money and commit fraud in your name.

The new protective features on the ATO app, such as real-time messages and quick account locking, are an extra safeguard that you can add in keeping your personal information safe. Download it from your Appstore today.

The SFCT brings together the knowledge, resources and experience of relevant law enforcement and regulatory agencies to identify and address the most serious and complex forms of financial crime. Our message is clear to those who evade or cheat the tax system: there is no place to hide. We will not tolerate this behaviour.

For more information about the SFCT, visit www.ato.gov.au/sfct.

For more information on taxpayer protection during tax time, read our media release.

ENDS

Notes to journalists

Images from the warrant activity:

Image 1

Image 2

ATO stock footage and images are available for use in news bulletins from our media centre.