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6 September 2026

News live: parents of Australian surfers killed in Mexico fly in for trial; Labor pressured to toughen lobbying rules

Downunder Voices Newsroom

Source reporting: Guardian Australia Politics

News live: parents of Australian surfers killed in Mexico fly in for trial; Labor pressured to toughen lobbying rules

Follow the day’s news live The communications minister, Anika Wells , has challenged the Coalition and the Greens to pass legislation strengthening powers for the eSafety Commissioner related to the social media ban for under 16s. Labor will try to secure passage of the legislation in parliament this week. It would toughen information-gathering powers to investigate non-compliance by social media platforms related to the ban, and double the maximum penalty for breaches to nearly $110m. It’s been more than two months since the Albanese government introduced an urgent law to strengthen eSafety’s powers to enforce the social media minimum age law. Australian kids and parents needed these laws eight weeks ago, but the Coalition and Greens teamed up to send our four-page bill to an eight-week inquiry.

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7 September 2026

$3.2 billion lost: ABNs are being used to underpay migrant workers — time for an urgent fix

Recent reporting shows employers are increasingly using Australian Business Numbers (ABNs) to misclassify and short-change workers, costing a cohort of employees about $3.2 billion a year. Many bosses are perpetrating underpayment through 11‑digit ABNs, exposing cracks in enforcement and labour protections.

Community angle

Local communities rely on fair workplaces. When migrant workers are underpaid through ABN misclassification it not only harms those individuals and their families, it also corrodes wages and conditions for everyone in sectors that depend on migrant labour. Ordinary Australians should care because wage theft distorts competition, pressures services and undermines social cohesion.

Source: https://www.bing.com/news/search?q=Australia&qft=sortbydate%3d%221%22&format=rssOriginal source

7 September 2026

One Nation's super plan: risky short-term relief that could hollow out retirements

One Nation proposes letting renters and mortgage holders divert part of their superannuation into take-home pay for up to three years. It looks like a quick fix for cost-of-living pressures, but risks long-term harm to retirement savings and shifts responsibility from governments to individuals.

Community angle

Many Australians juggling rent or mortgage payments will understand the immediate appeal of extra cash now. But ordinary savers should also be warned that draining super balances to pay living costs transfers future hardship to older Australians and increases pressure on the public purse. This affects tenants, homeowners, retirees and taxpayers alike.

Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/feed/45910/rss.xmlOriginal source