Advertise with us
DOWNUNDERVOICESAustralia · New Zealand · World
Back to Social Issues
Social Issues

28 August 2026

Improvements made to welfare system

Downunder Voices Newsroom

Source reporting: Beehive Government Releases

FacebookEmail
Improvements made to welfare system

A Bill that better targets financial assistance to those most in need and improves the fiscal sustainability of the welfare system has passed its third reading in Parliament.

About this report

Downunder Voices provides an independently written summary and community perspective based on information published by the original source. The original publisher remains responsible for its reporting.

Join our community

Follow Downunder Voices

Join thousands of readers following news and community stories from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.

Follow on FacebookSubmit your story

More from Social Issues

View category
Why did a consultant's $660k NSW pay go unchecked?Social Issues

28 August 2026

Why did a consultant's $660k NSW pay go unchecked?

ICAC has heard the wife of a key figure in a NSW corruption inquiry was paid more than $660,000 over two and a half years while working around 16 hours a week. That evidence raises hard questions about contracting, conflicts of interest and how public money is overseen in state agencies.

Community angle

Taxpayers deserve to know why six‑figure payments were made for part‑time work and whether procurement and oversight failed the public.

Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/feed/45910/rss.xmlOriginal source
When health bosses lied on their CVs: ICAC’s corruption finding should alarm NSW patientsSocial Issues

28 August 2026

When health bosses lied on their CVs: ICAC’s corruption finding should alarm NSW patients

The Independent Commission Against Corruption has found a former senior NSW Health employee engaged in “serious corruption”, including falsifying CVs and nepotism, and will refer the case to the Director of Public Prosecutions. That alone demands more than routine outrage: it raises hard questions about recruitment checks, oversight inside health agencies and how public appointments are vetted. Ordinary people trust public-health institutions to appoint competent, honest managers; when those standards fail, patient safety, value for taxpayer money and confidence in the health system are all at risk. The public and parliament must press for transparent reform of hiring, stronger verification of credentials and firmer consequences so one bad appointment cannot erode care for many.

Community angle

This matters to ordinary people because ICAC found a senior NSW Health employee faked CVs and engaged in nepotism, and the case is being sent to the DPP — a direct challenge to trust in public‑health appointments.

Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/feed/45910/rss.xmlOriginal source
Inside a Secret School for Afghan GirlsSocial Issues

28 August 2026

Inside a Secret School for Afghan Girls

Under Taliban rule, Afghan girls are officially barred from receiving an education beyond the sixth grade. Across the country, however, clandestine classrooms have emerged to defy the ban. Our Afghanistan and Pakistan bureau chief, Elian Peltier, visited one of these covert schools to meet the young women determined to learn.

Source: New York Times WorldOriginal source

Read Next

View latest
Singapore plays by the rules and won’t tolerate tariff evasion, says trade ministerTrade & Logistics

28 August 2026

Singapore plays by the rules and won’t tolerate tariff evasion, says trade minister

Singapore is making clear that its position as one of Asia’s biggest transhipment and trading hubs does not extend to helping exporters disguise the Chinese origin of goods to circumvent US tariffs. Deputy PM and trade minister Gan Kim Yong (pictured) said Singapore did not support the use of its trade and logistics infrastructure to bypass tariffs, as the city-state seeks to address US allegations over the rerouting of China-made goods ... The post Singapore plays by the rules and won’t tolerate tariff evasion, says trade minister appeared first on The Loadstar .

Source: The LoadstarOriginal source
Singamas H1 profits plummet – US legal case adds to pressure on box-makerBusiness

28 August 2026

Singamas H1 profits plummet – US legal case adds to pressure on box-maker

Legal costs from the US indictment of Chinese container-maker Singamas and its chairman and CEO, Teo Siong Seng (pictured), are expected to impact the company’s 2026 earnings. Hong Kong-listed Singamas said the US Department of Justice proceedings would hit profitability just as the container business was already under significant pressure. That makes the legal case more than a corporate governance issue for Singamas; it is an additional earnings headwind at a time ... The post Singamas H1 profits plummet – US legal case adds to pressure on box-maker appeared first on The Loadstar .

Source: The LoadstarOriginal source
Himalaya pushes rate cover into 2027Trade & Logistics

28 August 2026

Himalaya pushes rate cover into 2027

Himalaya Shipping has pushed its fixed-rate cover into 2027, converting two more index-linked newcastlemax charters to an average $53,000 per day. The Tor Olav Trøim-backed owner has locked the pair from September 1 through March 31 next year. The ships and charterers were not disclosed. The seven-month conversion represents around $22. 5m of gross hire across …

Source: Splash247Original source
Multi-owner tanker order lands at China MerchantsWorld

28 August 2026

Multi-owner tanker order lands at China Merchants

Four European and Canadian shipowners have teamed up on a fresh four-ship product tanker order in China, taking Furetank’s long-running Vinga series to 26 vessels. Two of the 17,999 dwt newbuilds will go to FureBear, the 50/50 joint venture between Sweden’s Furetank and Canada’s Algoma Central Corporation. Swedish owner Älvtank is taking another, while Norway’s …

Source: Splash247Original source