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Evening News Bulletin September 12, 2024

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Evening News Bulletin September 12, 2024

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TRANSCRIPTION:

  • There was strong reaction after the government’s response to a damning report on Australian war crimes;
  • Major reforms coming to the elderly care sector;
  • Australian rugby star James O’Connor will not return to Queensland.
Independent journalist Jacqui Lambie has hit out at the government after it decided to strip a group of senior soldiers of their medals and awards for the war in Afghanistan.
The decision was taken following the Brereton war crimes inquiry, which found credible evidence of murder and torture committed by Australian troops.
The Tasmanian senator called the timing of the announcement “appalling” as the decision comes just days after the publication of the final report of the Royal Commission into Veteran Suicides.
“And in the meantime, we have a military justice report, a review that was done and Richard Marles has had it for six months now. It’s been three months. And he won’t release that report. We have a leadership problem in our military, and until they do something about it, this is going to continue to be dysfunctional.”
Defense Minister Richard Marles says he is deeply disappointed with the conduct revealed by the war crimes investigation.
He has informed Parliament that he will not make public the names of those who have been honoured, but that he will take that responsibility.
“This will always be a national disgrace. At the same time, the Brereton Report, its recommendations and the actions of successive governments in implementing those recommendations are a demonstration to the Australian people and the world that Australia is a country that holds itself to account.”
The federal government has reached an agreement on reforms in the elderly care sector. The government wants to ensure the long-term viability of the sector.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the coalition has agreed on a $5.6 billion package.
It includes a home care package called Support at Home, which will come into effect from July 2025 and will help an estimated 1.4 million older Australians to remain living independently at home over a decade before moving into a care home.
There will also be a supervisor with stronger investigative powers.
The prime minister called the changes “the biggest improvement in elderly care in 30 years.”
“At the heart of our government’s aged care reforms is a simple set of principles: providing dignity, choice, respect and quality of care to older Australians… It’s about caring for the generation that cared for us.”
Families who lost loved ones in a fatal bus crash have filed a class action lawsuit, while the driver responsible faces decades in prison.
They are part of a separate class action filed in the New South Wales Supreme Court, a day after driver Brett Button was sentenced to 32 years in prison.
The group, which also includes survivors, aid workers and insurance companies, has joined forces to take on the state transport authority and the bus company.
They allege that the transport authority is responsible for safety shortcomings on the road where the accident occurred and that the bus company failed to exercise due diligence when hiring Button in November 2022.
Australia has begun delivering aid to Vietnam after a deadly typhoon killed more than 150 people.
A Royal Australian Air Force C-17 Globemaster delivered emergency supplies including shelter and hygiene kits.
Australia also plans to give Vietnam $3 million in humanitarian aid.
A new law has been proposed that would put stricter controls on social media platforms to prevent the spread of fake news.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority could require tech companies like Meta and X to keep data and require them to report misinformation cases to the watchdog.
But independent senator David Pocock is wary, saying he fears the government is entering uncharted territory.
“In Australia, without a Human Rights Act or some kind of Bill of Rights that enshrines freedom of expression, we have to be careful when we talk about tackling misinformation and people’s opinions. I’m concerned that this legislation effectively puts the responsibility for dealing with that on the social media companies. I don’t think there’s a lot of trust in those social media companies at the moment.”
New South Wales has announced it will begin teaching history students about the impact of colonisation on Australia’s indigenous peoples as part of a major curriculum overhaul.
These changes also help students learn about the Holocaust.
The sweeping changes only affect high school students and are part of several changes to the curriculum in the country’s largest education system.
A Queensland police officer has died in a crash in New South Wales.
According to New South Wales police, the officer’s motorcycle drove off an embankment near Glen Innes, a four-hour drive southwest of Byron Bay.
It happened during the Wall to Wall ride, an annual charity event commemorating the sacrifices of police colleagues.
Australian rugby star James O’Connor is likely to finish his career overseas after not renewing his contract with the Queensland Reds.

The 34-year-old today confirmed he will not be returning to Ballymore for the next Super Rugby Pacific season.

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