Category: World

Loved ones of a high-ranking Queensland police officer are set to gather to celebrate his life nearly two months after he went missing in NSW. Detective Inspector Jay Notaro went missing in March, with alarm bells raised after he failed to show up for work on March 25. His car was found parked and unattended at the Broken Head Beach carpark in NSW’s Northern Rivers region at some point the morning of March 25, while his surfboard was later found by someone walking along the beach about 500m north of where his car was found. The surfboard was not damaged ... Read more

A senior minister has defended Labor’s military spending and slammed the Coalition’s election pledge to boost the defence budget to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030 as “plucked out of air”. With the Trump White House’s “America First” agenda casting doubt on the US’ commitment to global security, many of Washington’s closest allies – including Australia – have been scrambling to bolster their defences. The Coalition has accused the Albanese government of dropping the ball on defence, despite tens of billions going into expanding the country’s defensive and offensive capabilities. Health Minister Mark Butler said on Sunday that Labor ... Read more

The Liberal Party’s new ‘whinging Wendy’ ad features a paid actor, who once appeared in a Thor movie, posing as a struggling nurse that simply can’t afford another three years of Anthony Albanese’s broken promises. Highlighting the use of paid actors in ads by both sides of politics, a simple internet search reveals that the mum in the ad is an actor and acting coach Cassie Zorko. Her real-life husband also appears in the ad as a tradie. In the couple’s other life, they run a successful wellness company that sells $20,000 saunas and manufactures the yoga mats that the ... Read more

Victoria is a key battleground state this election. For both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, there’s a path to the Lodge through Victoria. Both leaders hold a swathe of seats across the city’s west and southeast. However, Victoria is home to at least 16 seats that are too close to call, with the outcome of several electorates deemed crucial to both major parties’ success on May 3. NewsWire headed out to early voting booths this week and spoke to residents in the key electorates of Chisholm, Kooyong, Dunkley and Macnamara. Most residents agreed there were three ... Read more

A payments surcharge in retail businesses is an indicator of how well the business is run and how much it genuinely cares for its customers. In my opinion. At a local market here in Melbourne yesterday morning across 10 different butchers and fishmongers there were 8 different surcharge percentages ranging from 1% to 1.75%. Most had a sign saying they were passing on the cost to their business. The businesses are similar in size and would, I expect, have similar capacity for negotiating with their payments provider. To me, the surcharge percentage is a way to compare businesses. I switched ... Read more

Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton will leave nothing to chance in their bid to win Saturday’s federal election, with an intense final week of campaigning expected. The Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader are expected to hit as many key electorates as possible in the final seven days of the five-week campaign. Opinion polls are pointing to Mr Albanese winning a second term, but Mr Dutton is not giving up on his bid to win the election from a first-term government. The Coalition needs to gain 21 seats to secure a majority in the 150-seat parliament, and Mr Dutton intends ... Read more

I first wrote here in 2013 that state and federal politicians should be required to undertake a week of genuine paid work experience in a small business in their electorate every year. I have shared this here and elsewhere several times since. I believe it today more than ever. This next federal election will likely go as many before it when it comes to small business. we will be told how important we are, that they will cut red tape and that they support us. No matter who forms government, it’s likely that little will change when it comes to small ... Read more

A man has been arrested in Sydney’s eastern suburbs after allegedly rolling a stolen Coles truck on Saturday evening. The 32-year-old allegedly kicked a police officer and tested positive to drugs and alcohol following the crash on Day Ave in Kensington about 6.40pm. The incident caused residents in the area to pour out onto the street. According to a NSW Police spokesman, officers were called to the scene following reports an allegedly stolen truck had struck a parked car. “He was subjected to a roadside breath test and drug test, which allegedly returned positive results for both,” he said. “He ... Read more

Anthony Albanese is set to announce a new free, nationwide 24/7 health advice line and after hours GP telehealth service called 1800 MEDICARE as his last big political gamble of the election. As the Liberal leader Peter Dutton prepares to launch a nationwide blitz of marginal seats in the final week of the campaign, Labor is returning to the issue that has seen the Prime Minister’s stocks rise in the polls. Betting his prime ministership on Medicare remaining the key to his political resurrection, the Prime Minister will pledge that the new service will allow Australians to order prescriptions and ... Read more

Sick Australians who require urgent medical attention will be able to access a free telehealth appointment with a GP on weekends and weeknights between 6pm to 8am, in a major election pitch Anthony Albanese is set to unveil on Sunday. A re-elected Labor government will rebrand current national Healthdirect services, known as Nurse-on-Call in Victoria into the aptly-named 1800MEDICARE hotline, with a slated start date of January 1, 2026. The announcement also comes with a $204.5m funding boost to increase the Medicare-backed telehealth capabilities of the health system. A caller will be able to access medical advice via a registered ... Read more