Key posts
- Greens lay out list of demands for Voice support
- Government promises to fund pay rise for aged care workers
- This morning’s headlines at a glance
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Greens lay out list of demands for Voice support
The Greens will pursue a treaty with Indigenous Australians and a truth-telling commission in exchange for backing the Voice to parliament in negotiations with the Albanese government as it seeks to build cross-party support for the constitutional change.
Greens leader Adam Bandt and Senate deputy leader Lidia Thorpe will lead negotiations with Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney. The talks are expected to begin by the end of this month.
Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe will pursue a treaty with Indigenous Australians and a truth-telling commission in exchange for backing the Voice to parliament in negotiations with the federal government.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
“Treaty will provide that mechanism for us to negotiate [on] equal terms on how we can live together in the same country and celebrate us as well,” Thorpe told this masthead.
“We’ve made it clear that the Greens want to see progress on all elements of the Statement [from the Heart].”
Thorpe has previously argued that a treaty between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians should come before a Voice, but her comments suggest the Greens are now more open to supporting the Voice to parliament.
More on this issue here.
Government promises to fund pay rise for aged care workers
The federal government has promised to fund an increase in aged care workers’ wages, telling the Fair Work Commission pay rates in the sector should be “significantly higher” without nominating a figure.
Ministers argued low pay provided little incentive for people to work in the area, leading to chronic workforce shortages that jeopardised the care of Australia’s ageing population.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meeting residents at an aged care facility during the election campaign. His government has now backed a “significant” pay rise for aged care workers.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Unions have asked the commission to consider a 25 per cent pay rise for aged care workers and nurses. They argue aged care workers have been historically undervalued because of the feminised nature of the workforce and their jobs.
The Commonwealth submission, lodged on Monday, backed this argument. It said the evidence before the commission supported the claim that “‘invisible’ skills, broadly describable as social and emotional and interpersonal skills” had not been fully valued under previous wage deals.
Read the full story here.
This morning’s headlines at a glance
Good morning and thanks for your company.
It’s Tuesday, August 9. I’m Broede Carmody and I’ll be anchoring our live coverage for the first half of the day.
Here’s what you need to know before we get started.
- The federal government has promised to fund an increase in wages for aged care workers, according to Katina Curtis. The Albanese government’s submission to the Fair Work Commission, made public yesterday, argued that pay rates should be “significantly higher”. Aged care was a significant issue during the recent election campaign.
- James Massola reports that the Greens will pursue a treaty with Indigenous Australians and a truth-telling commission as part of their negotiations with the government over a Voice to parliament. Thorpe has previously argued that a treaty between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians should come before a Voice.
- In NSW, former deputy premier John Barilaro has described himself as the victim and not the perpetrator when it comes to his appointment to a $500,000-a-year trade posting. The parliamentary inquiry investigating his appointment continues.
- Victorian Liberals are divided over Opposition Leader Matthew Guy’s pick for his new chief of staff. It comes as the state’s integrity agencies work to determine how best to probe the donations scandal that led to his former top staffer resigning last week.
- And Australian singer and actress Olivia Newton-John has died. She was 73 years old.
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