What we know today, Tuesday March 29
Floods in southeast Queensland have claimed a second life overnight as towns in northern New South Wales brace for more torrential rain and flash flooding.
- Deadly floods hit Queensland, NSW
- VIDEO: Cost of living central to tonight’s federal budget
- Workers target Boothby in budget protest
- Bullying claims substantiated against Labor MP
- Rex Patrick confirms Senate run
- Film academy condemns Oscars Smith slap
- Abramovich, Ukraine negotiators ‘poisoned’
Deadly floods hit Queensland, NSW
A second man has died in floods in southern Queensland with his body found by police in a swollen creek near Toowoomba.
The man in his 40s was swept away after getting out of his car when it became stuck in a torrent at North Branch about 6am on Monday.
Queensland police said the man’s body was found in Spring Creek, downstream from where he disappeared about 9am on Tuesday.
His death comes after a man and five dogs killed when their ute was washed away at Kingsthorpe, northwest of Toowoomba, on Monday.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) has made 14 swift-water rescues and responded to 240 calls for help since a massive low-pressure trough crossed the state’s southeast coast on Monday.
The system dumped almost 300mm of rain on multiple parts of the Gold Coast in the 24 hours to 5am on Tuesday, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
The weather bureau said 80-140mm of rain, and up to 180mm, could fall in parts of the Gold Coast, Beaudesert, Coolangatta, Boonah, Mount Tamborine and Springbrook before the system moves to northern NSW later on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, dangerous rainfall has forced families from their northern NSW homes for the second time in weeks, as flooding hits many of the same areas.
Northeastern NSW has been drenched with widespread falls with totals between 100 and 200mm, and up to 251mm at Murwillumbah.
Large rainfall totals were also recorded to the south in the state’s Central Coast region, in Sydney and the city’s west.
“We have seen overnight very strong river rises through some towns across the northeast,” Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Jonathan How said.
The affected areas include the Tweed and Wilson rivers, Murwullimbah, as well as areas along the Richmond River including Coraki, Kyogle and Casino.
“These are all communities impacted by the recent flooding, but it’s not going to be quite as bad as what we did see earlier this month,” How said.
“Still, because many people are still cleaning up, it’s not good news for them.”
Lismore mayor Steve Krieg said residents were suffering from flood fatigue.
“Obviously everybody is exhausted. We’ve had a month of clean-up,” Krieg told the ABC on Tuesday morning.
It has led to multiple evacuation orders throughout the flood-wrecked regional centre of Lismore on Tuesday.
Further inland, major flooding is occurring at Angledool as flow from Queensland caused the Narran River level to rise.
Flash flooding which could become life-threatening is predicted for the Northern Rivers, the Mid North Coast and Northern Tablelands later today.
You might like
The forecast zone includes Lismore, Grafton, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Tenterfield and Dorrigo, with How saying much of the east coast is under threat of intense falls.
VIDEO: Cost of living central to tonight’s federal budget
[solstice_jwplayer mediaid=”HAeWTd5N” title=”Federal Budget preview” sponsoroption=”352624″ /]
Josh Frydenberg will hand down his fourth budget as treasurer tonight, with the government hoping to use it as a political springboard for the upcoming federal election.
The federal budget is set to focus on the rising cost of living, driven by increases in petrol and grocery prices, with relief measures such as a temporary cut in the fuel excise being touted.
While delivering immediate relief, Frydenberg is also pitching the budget as a long-term economic plan providing skills, building more roads, funding national security, driving down the cost of energy and rolling out essential services.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to trigger a May election after letting the dust settle on the coalition’s post-budget pitch.
The 2022/23 budget is expected to show the unemployment rate dropping to 3.75 per cent by the September quarter this year, its lowest level in almost 50 years.
“All Australians have contributed to our economic recovery from the pandemic, which has been faster and stronger than the US, UK, France, Canada, Italy and Germany,” Frydenberg said.
“This hasn’t been luck, it has been the result of a clear fiscal strategy to save jobs and drive the unemployment rate to historically low levels.”
As petrol prices pass $2 a litre, the fuel excise is largely expected to be cut temporarily by 10 to 20 cents per litre for six months.
The government has hinted at “targeted and proportionate” cost of living relief, particularly helping low and middle-income earners.
The budget will include $49.5 million to be spent over the next two years for additional subsidised vocational education training places.
The new places can be accessed by those working in the aged care sector or those interested in working in the area.
Frydenberg has aimed to emphasise the “fiscal dividend of a stronger economy” ahead of the budget, with the budget deficit expected to be lower than the $98.9 billion estimated for 2022/23 in last year’s mid-year budget review.
Swathes of money have already been set aside for infrastructure projects, with more than $120 billion to be spent over the next decade.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese will deliver his budget reply speech on Thursday night.
“This is a desperate government fighting for itself, not fighting for the interests of Australians,” he said.
“After almost a decade in office, they want to convince people that they’re now concerned about standard of living.”
Workers target Boothby in budget protest
Essential workers will target the southern suburbs seat of Boothby this morning in a union-backed protest against the Morrison government’s budget.
Hospitality, retail, health and community sector workers will protest from 7.30am, using social media, billboards, “high visibility stunts” and wobble-boarding to get their message across.
They’ll be targeting the marginal federal seat of Boothby. Workers will be stationed at various intersections across the electorate including Greenhill Rd and Anzac Highway and Diagonal and Brighton roads.
SA Unions secretary Dale Beasley expected up to 10,000 workers to take part.
“Workers are taking action because Scott Morrison has delivered nothing but huge steps backwards for working people,” Beasley said.
“We expect Scott Morrison will use the federal budget as a last chance to spin his way out of trouble before the federal election, and South Australian workers have had enough of it.
“Scott Morrison’s record for South Aussie workers is appalling. We have skyrocketing rates of underemployment and insecure work. We’re experiencing the highest ever rate of workers requiring more than one job to make ends meet. Most working people do not take multiple jobs by choice. This is a clear illustration of the toll that insecure work is taking on South Australian workers.”
Bullying claims substantiated against Labor MP
An independent investigator has partially substantiated claims a Labor MP bullied a former trainee working in his electorate office.
Bradley Johnson, 22, accused Labor MP for Light Tony Piccolo of “inappropriate comments and general belittlement” during his 12-month traineeship in 2018.
Johnson also claimed Piccolo wanted to replace him with another trainee and forced him to resign.
Former Treasurer Rob Lucas had referred the matter to an independent investigator, who returned their findings shortly before this month’s state election.
In a letter to Johnson dated March 18, Lucas said the investigator, Dentons Lawyers partner Nicholas Linke, had upheld some of the complaints.
“Whilst you are not entitled to a copy of Mr Linke’s report due to confidentiality reasons, I write to advise that based on the evidence recorded in Mr Linke’s report, I have made findings that some of the complaints you made were substantiated,” Lucas wrote.
“The report has recommended that additional measures be put in place to ensure greater scrutiny of any future apparently voluntary decisions by a trainee to resign before the conclusion of their traineeship.
Stay informed, daily
“This will be referred to the Department of Treasury and Finance for implementation.”
Rex Patrick confirms Senate run
Independent Senator Rex Patrick has reaffirmed he’ll run for a South Australian Senate seat at this year’s federal election, facing off against his old boss Nick Xenophon.
Patrick had considered running for the Federal electorate of Grey after Xenophon announced his Senate bid this month.
“I’ve been serving as a strong independent representative for SA for four and a half years and I’m determined to continue to represent SA in Canberra to the best of my abilities,” Patrick told InDaily last night.
“I made a commitment early this year to run for the Senate. Nick’s late decision to run in the Senate does change the landscape.
“I’m not convinced Nick will get a quota, considering his name will be below the line, and there is a real danger a sixth seat could go to a Queensland headquartered party.”
Xenophon said it was a late decision but “it’s never too late in democracy”.
“My job is to get those who are prepared to support me, to get the message across that I’m running. I wish Rex well, but my contest is not with him,” Xenophon said.
“My contest is with the major parties, and it shouldn’t be about cannibalising each other’s votes. It should be about making it clear that it’s important to vote differently in the Senate.”
Film academy condemns Will Smith slap
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group that hands out the Oscars, has condemned Will Smith’s slap of presenter Chris Rock and has started a formal review of the incident.
About 15.36 million people watched the live broadcast on Walt Disney Co’s ABC network in the United States, a major jump from last year but the second-lowest audience ever, according to preliminary ratings data.
The most talked-about moment of the night occurred when Smith slapped presenter Rock’s face on stage shortly before Smith was named best actor.
The incident came moments after the comedian made a joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s hairstyle.
The audio from the show, broadcast on a time delay of a few seconds in the United States, appeared to have been cut from the live transmission for many viewers because of the language Smith used in a verbal outburst after returning to his seat.
But it was audible in some broadcasts, for example in Japan and Australia.
Minutes later, when accepting his first Oscar on Sunday night for best actor for his role in King Richard, Smith apologised to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and his fellow nominees in a tear-filled acceptance speech, but not to Rock
The ratings figure for the film industry’s highest awards rose 56 per cent from last year’s record-low ratings, ABC said on Monday.
Early estimates for the 2021 show, which was scaled down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, came in at 9.85 million viewers.
An updated tally that will include viewership via live stream and at out-of-home locations such as bars and restaurants will be released on Tuesday.
TV viewership of many awards ceremonies has dropped in recent years.
Oscars producers tried a new format this year with three hosts and less time allotted to awards for sound mixing and other film craft categories.
Abramovich, Ukraine negotiators ‘poisoned’
Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and Ukrainian peace negotiators suffered symptoms of suspected poisoning earlier this month after a meeting in Kyiv, the Wall Street Journal and investigative website Bellingcat report, citing people familiar with the matter.
Abramovich, who accepted a Ukrainian request to help negotiate an end to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and at least two senior members of the Ukrainian team, were affected, the WSJ report said.
Ukrainian officials poured cold water on the report.
Asked about the suspected poisoning, Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak said “there is a lot of speculation, various conspiracy theories”.
Rustem Umerov, another member of the negotiating team, urged people not to trust “unverified information”.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba later took a similar line, saying in a television interview that “everyone is thirsty for news and sensations”.
However, he also added wryly: “I advise anyone going for negotiations with Russia not to eat or drink anything (and) preferably avoid touching surfaces”.
A US official said intelligence suggested an “environmental” reason for the sickening of Abramovich and the negotiators, “E.g., not poisoning”.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity and did not elaborate further.
The Kremlin did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
According to the WSJ report, Abramovich and the negotiators showed symptoms that included red eyes, constant and painful tearing, and peeling skin on their faces and hands.
– With AAP and Reuters
