Key events
Ben Doherty
Greens say big tech has been ‘laughing all the way to the bank’ and ‘we need proper regulations’
Sarah Hanson-Young is leading the Greens’ negotiations with the government over legislation designed to hold tech companies responsible for preventing harm to Australians, in particular children. The legislation is expected to be tabled in parliament this week.
Hanson-Young, the Greens’ manager of business in the Senate, said the party would wait to see the details of the legislation before deciding whether to support it. But the senator said the Greens supported the imperative, telling the ABC’s ۷:۳۰ program that big tech companies had been “running amok for far too long and we want laws that will actually hold them to account”.
Hanson-Young added:
Putting in place a duty of care on these big tech platforms is something that’s well and truly overdue.
And these big tech companies, social media platforms have been getting away with profiting off content that has been harmful, of technologies that have been designed to be deliberately addictive, even though they know the harm that that can do.
And they’ve just been laughing all the way to the bank. We need proper regulations on these tech companies.
Krishani Dhanji
Good morning, Krishani Dhanji here with you, thanks to Martin Farrer for getting us started.
The government is touting pay rises for health, disability and community service workers, while former Liberal treasurer Josh Frydenberg is continuing his media blitz today to promote his new memoir and keep everyone asking “will he or won’t he” return to parliament.
I’ve got my coffee, I hope you’ve got yours – let’s get cracking!
Greens at odds about Ukraine weapons
Australia sending tanks, weapons, infantry and ammunition to Ukraine has put Greens politicians at odds.
Sarah Hanson-Young on Monday said she supported giving Kyiv military aid if that’s what was needed, contradicting her party’s freshly minted leader David Shoebridge during his first sitting week in the top job, who has said Greens policy is not to provide military support – only humanitarian.
“If that’s the support that people need in order to defend themselves from the invasion of Russia, I think Australians need to support that,” Hanson-Young told ABC’s ۷.۳۰.
We always come from a position of wanting to de-escalate military violence … we want to see humanitarian support, we want to see diplomatic support, but of course you can’t allow people to be left fending for themselves.
Labor’s $۶۳۰m funding boost for charities
Sarah Basford Canales
Charities and not-for-profit organisations will receive a $۶۳۰m funding boost from the federal government after the Fair Work Commission awarded pay rises for health, disability and community services workers.
The government said the funding would go to ۱۲۸,۰۰۰ charities and not-for-profit organisations across ۹۲ government programs to cover the wage rises that seek to address historic undervaluing in female-dominated sectors.
The finance minister and minister for women, Katy Gallagher, said:
We cannot close the gender pay gap without … addressing the historic undervaluation of work performed predominantly by women.
Australia’s gender pay gap is at a record low, and this is another significant step towards ensuring women are properly recognised and rewarded for their contribution.
This move is also a clear signal to the community that this workforce and the support they provide our community is important and valued.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it’ll be Krishani Dhanji with the main action.
