Australia news live: Victorian government to slash 1,000 roles including 300 executives; Chalmers warns energy bill rebates ‘not forever’

From 1h agoVictoria government to cut 1,000 public service jobsBenita KolovosThe Victorian government will slash 1,000 public service jobs – including more than 300 executive positions – and merge several entities, as part of its response to an independent review into the sector it claims will save $4bn. But the treasurer, Jaclyn Symes, hasn’t accepted all the recommendations of the review into the Victorian public service (VPS), led by Helen Silver and released on Thursday, which would have led to 2,068 job losses.The government has accepted Silver’s recommendation to cut 332 executive roles across the VPS, saving $359m over four years. It has also accepted a recommendation to cap the number of VPS5 and VPS6 positions at 15%, saving $125m over four years, but this is not expected to lead to an immediate reduction in headcount.Victorian premier Jacinta Allan. Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAPThe government estimates it will also save $50m by cutting CBD office costs and $113m on spending less on consultants and labour hire.But the biggest savings come from overhauling the number of government agencies, boards and advisory committees.Silver recommended 78 entities be either scrapped or consolidated and 90% of the state’s 90 advisory committees wound up – though the government has only supported the recommendation in part, committing to merging 29 entities.Legislation will be introduced to parliament today to facilitate these changes.Symes and the premier, Jacinta Allan, will be holding a press conference at 9am to provide more information on the changes.Key events1h agoVictoria government to cut 1,000 public service jobs2h agoTreasurer says Australians can’t rely on energy rebates to ‘go on for ever’3h agoNSW government commits to make preventative health a government priority3h agoMan charged with murder after shooting in north-eastern NSW3h agoChalmers rebuffs RBA suggestion economy stuck with slow growth3h agoIllegal cigarette sales distort economic growth figures3h agoAustralia pledges more military support for Ukraine4h agoWelcomeShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featurePatrick ComminsTreasury secretary says ‘clear signals’ crucial for clean energy investorsThe Treasury secretary, Jenny Wilkinson, says “a clear articulation of government policy” is crucial for investors to confidently make the green investments the country needs to reach its emissions reduction goals.The Coalition recently dumped its commitment to net zero, and said that it would reorient government incentives towards fossil fuel energy sources, including extending the life of coal-fired power plants.The Treasury secretary, Jenny Wilkinson. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPWilkinson, speaking at Senate estimates, said there had been “a significant transformation” in the energy system over the past 15 years. There’s no question that there’s further investment that has to take place. It’s the combination of moving to net zero, but it’s also in the management of the retirement of existing generators which are coming to the end of their life. From a treasury perspective … what’s important is that clear [signals] are provided to the private sector to enable them to make those decisions, and that investments that are made are consistent with what the long run objective or the long run needs of the economy are. So that’s where a clear articulation of government policy in relation to its objectives, around net zero, but also around other factors is really important for the private sector to have the confidence to make those sorts of investments. Brittany Higgins says she feels like she can ‘breathe again’ after Bruce Lehrmann’s court lossBrittany Higgins says she feels “like I can breathe again” after Bruce Lehrmann lost his appeal against a defamation judgment on Wednesday, which found on the balance of probabilities he had raped her.Higgins wrote on Instagram that she was thankful to the court, her defence team and to Channel 10 for being “such ardent supporters of survivors of sexual assault”. While on the face of it this was a defamation case against a media outlet, in reality this was once again a rape trial. I cannot begin t tell you how retraumatising it is to have your rapist weaponise the legal system against you for daring to speak out. Higgins went on to say she still believes in the “importance of speaking out about gendered violence”, urging everyone to “keep talking”.Benita KolovosContinuing on from last post …Symes says an independent review by Helen Silver recommended the merger of 78 entities – which would have saved the government $427m – but the government will only merge 29 at this stage.Symes said: That is not necessarily indicating that we won’t go further in the future. It’s a recognition that some of her recommendations will take some time. For example, her recommendation to combine a lot of the workplace regulators is something that has merit, but right now, I’ve got a piece of legislation in the parliament that affects the labour hire authority. Now is not the time to merge in other entities into that organisation. Symes also admits to an error in her media release, saying these mergers will save $27m not $427m.She won’t provide a breakdown of how the government estimates it will save a total of $4bn. She says this estimate has been calculated by the Treasury.Of Silver’s recommendations, the government has accepted 27 in full, three in part and 15 in principle. Seven have been rejected by the government.About 332 of the cuts are coming from executive levels of public service.The Victoria treasurer, Jaclyn Symes, said the state had a “situation where we have too many executives, too many in the top … and not enough entry-level positions and graduate positions”.Those lower-level positions, she said, “are really necessary for career progression, adopting innovation, ensuring we are well placed to adopt AI and the like. So this is about a transformation of how the public sector will look in the future.”Allan says Victoria will always support a strong public serviceThe Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, is speaking in Melbourne after the announcement of job losses in the public service.She said: Victorian families are watching every dollar in their household budgets and they expect their government to do the same and that’s exactly what we are doing. To do that, we need to examine how the government can continue to deliver those frontline services, but look at areas where we can reduce waste inefficiency and keep the public service focused on delivering those services for the future. Allan maintained the decision was about ensuring the public service was robust in the future. We’ll always support a strong public service because they are working to deliver those frontline services that Victorian people, working people and families, rely on. Victoria government to cut 1,000 public service jobsBenita KolovosThe Victorian government will slash 1,000 public service jobs – including more than 300 executive positions – and merge several entities, as part of its response to an independent review into the sector it claims will save $4bn. But the treasurer, Jaclyn Symes, hasn’t accepted all the recommendations of the review into the Victorian public service (VPS), led by Helen Silver and released on Thursday, which would have led to 2,068 job losses.The government has accepted Silver’s recommendation to cut 332 executive roles across the VPS, saving $359m over four years. It has also accepted a recommendation to cap the number of VPS5 and VPS6 positions at 15%, saving $125m over four years, but this is not expected to lead to an immediate reduction in headcount.Victorian premier Jacinta Allan. Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAPThe government estimates it will also save $50m by cutting CBD office costs and $113m on spending less on consultants and labour hire.But the biggest savings come from overhauling the number of government agencies, boards and advisory committees.Silver recommended 78 entities be either scrapped or consolidated and 90% of the state’s 90 advisory committees wound up – though the government has only supported the recommendation in part, committing to merging 29 entities.Legislation will be introduced to parliament today to facilitate these changes.Symes and the premier, Jacinta Allan, will be holding a press conference at 9am to provide more information on the changes.Opposition agrees energy subsidies can’t last for everJames Paterson, the shadow minister for finance, said he agreed the energy rebates couldn’t go on in perpetuity, saying they masked the true cost of the energy system. The Coalition has spent months hammering the Albanese government over energy prices, which has become a key feature of Sussan Ley’s opposition.Paterson told RN Breakfast earlier: Our priority would be fixing the energy system so that these kind of subsidies weren’t necessary … We want to have an energy system which is competitive and affordable, and we wouldn’t want to have in perpetuity, as I think the treasurer doesn’t want, subsidies which mask the costs of the energy system. So that would be our focus and our priority. I think in the long term, everybody agrees with a budget heading to a $42bn deficit this financial year, it’s just not sustainable in perpetuity to pay these bills. James Paterson. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPTreasurer says Australians can’t rely on energy rebates to ‘go on for ever’Chalmers was also asked about the future of energy rebates, saying he would make a decision on the matter in the final days before he locks down the mid-year budget update. I’ve made it very clear … when I’ve been asked that people shouldn’t expect that those energy rebates will be a permanent feature of the budget. They are an important way that we’re helping people with the cost of living, but not the only way that we’re doing that. … We haven’t finalised the mid-year budget update, but people shouldn’t expect those rebates to go on for ever. Photograph: Dave Hunt/AAPChalmers says GDP growth figures ‘very positive and very promising’Chalmers also said he was encouraged by the release of national accounts figures yesterday, which showed annual GDP growth hitting 2.1%, even though the quarterly pace of growth was a disappointing 0.4%.Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPHe said he was not “for one second” disappointed in those figures himself, adding: The reason for that is because the overwhelming story of these national accounts was a very substantial recovery in the private sector. We saw business investment absolutely galloping. We saw investment in the building of new homes growing strongly as well. We saw the fourth consecutive quarter of productivity growth. And so, overwhelmingly, this is a very positive and a very promising story emerging out of these national accounts. Chalmers says $95m for Ukraine about supporting ‘brave’ effort to oppose Russian aggressionTreasurer Jim Chalmers said the newly announced $95m in military support for Ukraine was about supporting the country’s “brave” effort to stand up against “Russian brutality”.Chalmers spoke to RN Breakfast after Richard Marles and Penny Wong announced the plan this morning. He said: We’re steadfast supporters of the brave Ukrainian people who are standing up to this Russian brutality and the end of this war can’t come soon enough, but it needs to be a lasting peace that does justice to the courage that the Ukrainians have shown. All of these things are about supporting the bravery, the courage of the Ukrainian people in the face of these years now of completely unacceptable Russian brutality and aggression. Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPNatasha MayContinued on from last post …The Health Services Union secretary, Gerard Hayes, was pleased to note that the Minns government’s response to the commission recognised the expertise of healthcare workers and that the government was “supporting the need to replace outdated awards to recognise the critical role our members play in a modern health system”.The health minister, Ryan Park, said: Today’s response does not mark the end, but the beginning of a new chapter of reform that supports and empowers health workers; embraces preventative care; ensures hospitals meet the health needs of the community; and secures NSW’s fair share of health funding. We know the Liberals are determined to brush over this health inquiry – but they cannot rewrite their history of cuts to wages; cuts to staff; and delays in delivering the hospitals and beds our community needs and deserves. NSW government commits to make preventative health a government priorityNatasha MayThe NSW government has formally responded to the special commission of inquiry into healthcare funding, accepting the recommendation that “preventive health should be made, and remain over the long term, a standing whole of NSW government priority”.The review of the NSW public healthcare system and how it is funded, led by commissioner Richard Beasley, visited every local health district and speciality health network across metropolitan as well as regional NSW, receiving 226 written submissions, hearing testimony from 225 witnesses over 70 days of hearings, including clinicians, patients, unions, providers and policy experts.To summarise the 1,000-plus page report, Beasley found while the NSW health system is “a very good one”, he said it was in the main was a “reactive system” and called for greater focus on preventive health in order to avert the “substantial risk that it will soon be overwhelmed by what looms as a huge increase in healthcare demands by an ageing population with high expectations”. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPIn its response to the 41 recommendation, the government said it supports 18, supports in principle 11, notes 10 and does not support two.As part of the response, NSW Health will review its approach to statewide clinical service planning over the next year, and develop a statewide paediatric plan to clearly define care pathways for the delivery of care to children across the state.It will also establish a central workforce unit to better monitor data on workforce supply and demand to guide strategies that will help to address and prevent future workforce supply challenges as well as create a “chief wellbeing officer” for its staff.The government says this is in addition to other work already announced and under way including the establishment of an internal locum agency, as opposed to the use of third-party locum agencies which used tactics to increase rates paid by the government in order to maximise their own profits.Man charged with murder after shooting in north-eastern NSWNSW police have charged a man with murder after two other men were allegedly shot, one fatally, and another hit by a ute at a property in the NSW town of Eungella yesterday.Police said emergency services were called to the property about 1.30pm on Wednesday. On arrival, paramedics treated one man, 41, for a gunshot wound, but he died at the scene.Another man, 38, later sought treatment at a hospital for a gunshot wound as well.Police then heard of a second incident nearby where a man, 45, was allegedly hit by a ute. He is being treated in hospital and is under police guard.Later Wednesday, police arrested a fourth man, 36, after using dog squad teams to find him in bushland. He has been charged with murder and will appear in court today.Good morning. Nick Visser here to take the reins. Let’s giddy-up.Chalmers rebuffs RBA suggestion economy stuck with slow growthLuca IttimaniThe treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has rejected the Reserve Bank’s suggestions the Australian economy may not be able to grow any faster.Data on Wednesday showed the economy grew slower than expected in the September quarter, lifting annual growth to just 2.1% - still the fastest rate in two years, helped by a lift in productivity growth.Inflation picked up over the same period, which in November prompted the Reserve Bank deputy governor, Andrew Hauser, to suggest the economy was hitting its speed limit, beyond which higher spending would push up prices.Chalmers denied Australia was stuck at that speed limit, when asked on ABC’s 7.30.He pointed to the productivity uptick: The government’s economic plan is about lifting the speed limits on the economy, trying to make it more productive [but] you can’t turn these things around overnight … Today’s numbers represent good progress. Higher growth and inflation, though, have lifted expectations for an interest rate rise. Asked how that would impact his economic credibility, Chalmers said:“I don’t provide a running commentary on decisions taken independently by the Reserve Bank … We know there’s still challenges. Inflation is persistent.”Illegal cigarette sales distort economic growth figuresLuca IttimaniThe Australian Bureau of Statistics is planning to account for illegal cigarette sales as years of falling legal purchases start to weigh on economic growth.The ABS measures tobacco sales through supermarket chains’ scanner data but consumers are swapping away from legal sales toward black market tobacco and illegal vapes.Legal tobacco sales have fallen 29% across the country in the past year, including a near-11% fall from June to September, dragging down overall measured economic activity. There’s no sign Australians are actually smoking 29% less.To fix that statistical quirk, the ABS yesterday announced it would estimate purchases of illicit tobacco and vapes. Last night at Senate estimates, Matt Canavan, the Nationals senator, asked the deputy statistician, Brenton Goldsworthy, how that would work: How are you going to do this? Are you going to infiltrate the gangs yourself, Mr Goldsworthy, to try and estimate the true sales volumes? I think you could pull it off. The bespectacled, besuited Goldsworthy said consumption could be estimated with wastewater detection, a method used by the crime intelligence commission, but the ABS also needed to figure out where the tobacco was imported from and the size of profit margins going to the retailers – who in this case would be criminal gangs.The new tobacco sales estimates would be included in GDP in about 12 months time, Goldsworthy said.Australia pledges more military support for UkraineTom McIlroyAustralia will give Ukraine another $95m in military support for the war against Russia and has beefed up sanctions against Moscow’s shadow fleet of oil tankers.The defence minister, Richard Marles, and the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, announced the plan this morning, saying it brought Australia’s overall support for Ukraine to more than $1.7bn since the start of the conflict.Together with New Zealand, the commitment from the Albanese government will go to the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a Nato-led initiative to provide Ukraine with critical military equipment.Included in the new funding is $43m in ADF materiel and equipment, including tactical air defence radars, munitions and combat engineering equipment, as well as $2m for the Drone Capability Coalition.The final tranche of Australia’s gifted 49 M1A1 Abrams tanks will also be delivered to Ukraine in the coming weeks.The new sanctions will target 45 so-called shadow fleet vessels, being used to support Russia’s efforts to circumvent sanctions imposed by Australia and like-minded partners.“Australia is unwavering in its support for Ukraine,” Marles said. “These commitments will make a tangible difference in Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion.”WelcomeGood morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the best of the overnight stories before Nick Visser takes you through the day.The defence minister, Richard Marles, and the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, have announced more support for Ukraine with another $95m in military support for the war against Russia. Australia will also beef up sanctions against Moscow’s shadow fleet of oil tankers, they said. More to come.The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has rejected the Reserve Bank’s suggestions that the Australian economy may not be able to grow any faster. However, amid fears that the RBA might have to increase interest rates, Chalmers told the ABC’s 7.30 that “persistent inflation” was among the challenges he faced. More coming up.And speaking of the economy, the sales of illicit tobacco are now so large that they’re going to become part of our official economic statistics, the ABS says.