SHORTEN CUTS

Fallout from the federal budget continues as news of federal cuts to remote housing and the banking regulator emerges, and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten aims to almost double income cuts for low- and middle-income earners.

In his budget reply speech, Shorten pledged to increase the Coalition’s tax cuts for 10 million low- and middle-income earners, which contrasts to new analysis showing that more than half of the Coalition’s cuts would go to Australia’s wealthiest 20%. Shorten also announced support for the ABC, health, education, climate action and the establishment of a federal ICAC. But, in a follow-up 7.30 interview, Shorten was challenged for failing to mention or confirm action on stagnant Newstart payments.

Elsewhere in budget news, The Guardian reports that Indigenous leaders have warned of community housing and local employment programs shutting down, after the government set aside no remote housing funding for Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia; separate modelling confirms that well-off inner-city dwellers will be better off than regional Australians under flatter taxes. And The Age examines the politics of cutting ASIC funding by $26 million per year right in the middle of the banking royal commission.

ON THE DISSENT

A second federal Liberal MP has joined calls to phase out long-haul live sheep exports following the release of shocking whistleblower footage.

The Australian ($) reports that Victorian backbencher Sarah Henderson will support Sussan Ley’s private member’s bill to ban the practice, only hours after Ley effectively confirmed that she had rejected Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull‘s request to drop the bill.

GOODALL DIES

After flying out of Perth last week, Australian scientist David Goodall has died at 104 from a voluntary lethal injection in Basel, Switzerland.

According to The Age, advocates have confirmed that Goodall, who was not terminally ill, “died peacefully” around 12.30pm yesterday at the assisted dying organisation Life Circle. Among his final public words, Goodall said that, “at my age, and even rather less than my age, one wants to be free to choose death when the death is at an appropriate time”.

Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention, depression and anxiety can reach Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 22 4636.

THEY REALLY SAID THAT?

An Australian on $200,000, they get four times as much income but they pay more than seven times as much tax. How is that fair?

Leigh Sales

The 7.30 host asks Opposition Leader Bill Shorten how progressive taxation works.

CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF YESTERDAY

Half a billion extra on national security and the government won’t tell us whyBernard Keane

“Less than a month after the Productivity Commission issued a warning about governments using national security to hide wasteful expenditure, the government has served up a contemptuous example of exactly that in the budget.”

Poll Bludger: more byelection angst for ShortenWilliam Bowe

“Bill Shorten’s niggling byelection headache following Tim Hammond’s resignation last week has now developed into a full-blown migraine, after another uncompromising High Court ruling on Section 44 triggered mass layoffs in the House of Representatives yesterday.”

What’s the difference between Australian states’ sexual consent laws?Charlie Lewis

“The harrowing story of Saxon Mullins has raised serious questions about the complicated laws of sexual consent. The New South Wales government has referred the state’s consent laws to the Law Reform Commission in response to Mullins’ story.”

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Police officer stood down after dramatic new footage emerges of police car hitting man

‘Hidden curriculum’ keeping best and brightest from becoming surgeons

Citizenship cloud hovers over Labor’s Anne Aly ($)

Fremantle Dockers refer second complaint involving Ross Lyon to AFL integrity unit

ICAC to hold public inquiry into the ‘regulatory functions’ of SafeWork SA ($)

Hobart floods: Havoc as wild weather floods city and Tasmania’s South East ($)

Students devastated as vandals break into Alawa Primary School, kill animals ($)

Child protection worker sues state government for overwork and stress

Donald Trump to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on June 12 in Singapore

Fears grow as Israel and Iran edge closer to conflict

WHAT’S ON TODAY

Sydney

  • Winner of the 2018 Archibald Prize will be announced, as well as the Sulman and Wynne prize winners.

  • Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton will deliver her second and final Australian speaking event in conversation with former prime minister Julia Gillard.

  • Federal Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities Paul Fletcher and Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen will speak at the Sydney Business Chamber’s post-budget lunch.

  • NSW Governor David Hurley will head an anti-bullying ceremony celebrating the results of not-for-profit Interrelate’s poster competition “Bullieve In Yourself”.

  • The Parliamentary Standing Committee of Public Works will hold a public hearing into a proposed plan for $286.5 million worth of repairs at Sydney’s Garden Island.

Melbourne

  • More than 80 mums will attend Motherhood Melbourne, an expert panel discussion on modern motherhood.

  • Day five of Melbourne Knowledge Week, to feature a panel from Dr Laura Welcher, Director of the Long Now Library, on the Long Now Foundation’s mission to reframe our understanding of “here” and “now” through projects such as a monument scale mechanical clock designed to tick and keep time for 10,000 years, a microscopic archive of all human languages built to last for millennia, and projects to bring species like the passenger pigeon and woolly mammoth back from extinction. Weekend highlights include a screening of Ron Fricke’s non-narrative documentary Baraka set to a live musical performance from a custom-built robotics band, and a team-building day with local creators featuring games, workshops, talks, community hangouts and virtual reality programs.

  • The Australian Road Safety Foundation will launch its Fatality Free Friday campaign in Victoria by releasing new research and remembering the 254 people killed on the state’s roads last year.

  • Thirteen ambassadors and a high commissioner from the European Union will meet with the Governor of Victoria Linda Dessau at Government House as part of a tour promoting economic and cultural ties between Victoria and the EU.

  • Postal votes for the Melbourne Lord Mayor byelection close.

Perth

  • State Treasurer Ben Wyatt will attend a post-WA budget breakfast.

Canberra

  • Government cyber experts will discuss new and emerging cyber-threats at a Joint Committee on Law Enforcement inquiry.

  • A committee hearing will look into the quality of care in aged care facilities.

Hobart

  • Tasmanian aged care staff will call for greater resources mandated staffing ratios ahead of a national Day of Action gathering tomorrow. ANMF Branch Secretary Emily Shepherd will speak on the issue at a press conference.

Brisbane

  • XXXX brewery workers will walk off the job for a sixth time in six weeks over contract workers and rumours of an interstate move, today targeting drinkers at the Alehouse and commuters along Milton Road.

Australia

  • The World Fairtrade Challenge will run from today over the weekend and highlight the state of millions of farmers who produce food but do not earn enough to feed their own families. Activists will host Fairtrade coffee breaks and post images of the number 4 along with the hashtag #Stand4Fairness.

THE COMMENTARIAT

Aboriginal people with disabilities and their families need our support — Joseph Archibald (IndigenousX/The Guardian): “Before I worked in the sector, I didn’t know much about disabilities and felt it had little to no relevance to my personal life. How wrong I was. I have been a carer for immediate and extended family and have grown up around family members with disability, but as in many of our Indigenous communities across the country, care and acceptance were our cultural norm and labels were not required.”

Why the government should spend $50 million on ABC rather than Capt Cook — Jenna Price (The Age): “Monday the ABC forces the NSW Government to review consent laws after the horrifying story of Saxon Mullins. Wednesday, we discover the Federal Health Minister was moved to spend $500 million on genomics after he saw the ABC story of a family whose baby daughter died of a fatal genetic condition. Now the small business ombudsman is inquiring into whether the ATO is targeting small businesses (ABC with Fairfax’s warrior Adele Ferguson). Dutton gets tough on Australian fighters in the Ukraine. Uber Eats is being investigated by the ACCC.”

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