Main events
PwC’s response was ‘hateful and slow’, the Greens senator said
Greens senator Barbara Pocock spoke to ABC radio AM about the Senate committee report on PwC. Paul Karp looking at that report for you:
Consulting firm PwC engaged in a “calculated” breach of trust by using confidential information to help its clients avoid taxes and engaging in a “deliberate cover-up” for years, it found. of a Senate committee.
PwC should be “open and honest” by immediately publishing the names and details of partners and staff involved, the finance and public administration committee recommended.
In a unanimous report, presented on Wednesday, the committee also recommended that PwC cooperate with the investigations of the Australian federal police and the Tax Practitioner Board, which removed the registration of the former head of international tax, Peter Collins.
Pocock said he would keep the heat and wanted to see the firm banned from any new government contracts until he saw “real action” taken by PwC to address the issue:
I am awaiting action from PwC so I have confidence that we will not see further stoppages or further misconduct. And you know, PwC has not yet faced a media conference – their response is angry and slow and I want to see real responsibility and transparency, but I think we are still waiting.
The eSafety commissioner says Australia has levers it can pull. Julie Inman-Grant says:
Well, we have extra-territorial reach. So, you know, if they want to continue to serve Australia, they have to obey our laws. One of the main things that Elon Musk said, when he made this general amnesty, so he would promote freedom of speech but not something that violates the law.
Well, if you’re breaking the law – and this is what we’re trying to get to the bottom of – then you have to comply if you want to continue serving.
I had a call with regulators from around the world last night, and many countries around the world are creating online harms regulators like the eSafety Commission, including the European Commission.
And they have very powerful powers. We’re going to work with other governments to make sure we’re promoting these companies and holding them up to their standards and doing the right thing.
Removed ‘spewers of hate’ from Twitter
The eSafety commissioner issued a legal notice to Twitter, asking it what it is doing to prevent hate on its platform.
(Given Elon Musk It was announced yesterday that calling someone “cis” is now a hate crime on the platform, and will lead to the banning of accounts – while Twitter allows anti-trans abuse to flourish – I think you know- We have the answer to that.)
Julie Inman-Grant says the reinstatement of 60,000 accounts permanently banned under the previous regime contributed to the platform’s problems:
I think it’s safe to say that these are the worst of the worst accounts. Therefore, 75 of these accounts have more than one million followers. Therefore, they have an outsized effect on the toxicity of the platform.
So, again, like you said, it’s very difficult to permanently ban Twitter. You have to be the worst, most repetitive haters to break Twitter’s rules multiple times and get banned. Two of them, we know, have been re-banned, but what we want to know is: who are these accounts? Are they given special dispensation? Will they be able to tweet with impunity, especially if they pay for a blue Twitter subscription?
A lot of changes in algorithms have made people feel like you’re seeing more toxic, more extreme, more extreme discourse, but without removing the hood and using these powers to transparency we don’t really know what’s going on. And here we try to get to the bottom of things.
Twitter is an ‘absolute bin fire’, the eSafety commissioner has confirmed
The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman-Grant proved you’re not the only one – Twitter has been an absolute sh*t show ever since Elon Musk took over.
Inman-Grant uses slightly more professional words, but that’s enough.
He told ABC News Breakfast:
Well, one-third of all reports to our office of online hate come from Twitter. This is the biggest increase since October 2022, when Elon Musk took over. Of course, there is a confluence of factors that add to this. Twitter is always on fire in terms of discourse, but it turned out to be a complete bin fire.
Anthony Albanese The day started at another FM radio station, where we thought he would agree to let the hosts rule the country for a day, because of his habit of giving the FM hosts everything they want.
This morning mate Jonesy and Amanda on WSFM.
Good morning!
Happy winter solstice!
A big thank you to Martin as we all begin this morning – you have Amy Remeikis to bring you these hours of the day, with Josh Butler and Paul Karp in Canberra.
In Lithuania, it is a day of eating and celebrating the coming return of the sun.
But alas, I’m in Canberra, where the shortest day of the year is celebrated with the last day of parliament (hopefully – Tony Burke warned that if the Senate does not finish its work the parliament will sit on Friday and I will lead the riot if that happens).
This is at least a five-day coffee.
Ready?
The ‘Voice from the bush’ calls for a yes vote
The Northern Territory Aboriginal land councils are asking the people of Australia to stand with them and vote yes in the upcoming referendum on an Indigenous voice, AAP reports.
And they handed over the prime minister Anthony Albanese along with helping them spread the message.
The chairs of the four land councils traveled to Canberra to meet with Albanese on Thursday to present him with the 2023 Barunga declaration.
Chairman of the Northern Land Council Samuel Bush-Blanasi said the declaration came directly from the Aboriginal people of the NT:
This is the voice from the bush calling on all Australians to recognize us, support us, and help us make the changes that are so needed for a better future, together.
The declaration calls “for the recognition of our people in our young constitution by strengthening our voice to the parliament and executive government, which will no longer be silenced with a stroke of a pen”.
Members of the Northern, Central, Tiwi and Anindilyakwa land councils signed the declaration of the Barunga festival in early June.
Yes, the dress steals the show at the Midwinter Ball
labor senator John Stewart stole the show at Canberra’s Midwinter Ball with an Indigenous voice-themed dress emblazoned with words from the Uluru statement from the heart and also emblazoned with “yes”. It is produced by the Indigenous label Clothing the Gaps.
There were also honorable mentions for the teal MPs, although only one appeared to be wearing their team’s colour.
Prime minister Anthony Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon played it straight to black.
As it was done Peter Duttoneven his wife Kirilly went for a midnight blue number.
See all styles of Mike Bowers photo gallery:
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our rolling news coverage. I Martin Farrer and I’ll run into a couple of the best nightly news lines ever Amy Remeikis in charge.
A huge influx of migrants next year will keep home prices on the boil until next year, despite headwinds of higher interest rates and tighter budgets at home, according to the Domain group. It said Sydney, which led the decline last year, will lead the rebound with increases of between 6% and 9% over the next 12 months, pushing the city’s median price to a record. which is over $1.6m. Perth and Adelaide will also see new records with Melbourne and Brisbane just short. It will also keep pressure on rents as the Greens feel the push from Labor states over their rental prospects.
We’ve got the latest in our series of reports about people pushing back against the gas industry in the Top End. TODAY Lisa Cox Reports from the Tiwi Islands where locals hope a federal court ruling forcing Santos to consult with them on the massive Barossa offshore gas project will draw a line in the sand in their fight over expansion and ” white fella rules”.
The World Airline awards announced at the Paris Air Show confirmed what many Australians already knew – Qantas is not as good as it used to be. The national carrier ranks 17th in the league table of airlines compiled by Skytrax, a fall of 12 places from last year after 12 months beset by lost luggage, delays and cancellation.
A Qantas spokesperson said:
This survey began nine months ago when it was clear that our service was not back to our best.
