Why more Aussies are letting AI organise their divorce
An AI-powered legal service is helping former couples divide marital assets and, while it will not suit everyone, organisers say it is saving users money.
laws
Blood, sweat and fears: laws may not protect workers
Changes to Australian privacy laws may not stop employers from requesting invasive medical tests with little explanation, a report has found.
Scaffold crumbles on construction union crackdown law
Hopes new laws would put the construction union into administration quickly following allegations of organised crime links have been dashed as talks stall.
CFMEU crackdown laws lodged as calls mount to go harder
CFMEU officials who attempt to disrupt the work of external administrators have been threatened with heavy penalties, but not everybody is happy with the laws.
Laws to demolish resistance by CFMEU bosses to takeover
The scaffolding will be pulled from under the CFMEU as the union's construction division fights administration with legislation about to be introduced.
Call for ad ban on easy credit for groceries, medicines
A popular form of credit to encourage online shopping has morphed into a crutch for trying to stay a step ahead of financial disaster, an inquiry has been told.
Learner drivers should learn first aid, after toll rise
Emergency groups are calling for mandated first aid training for learner drivers after new figures showing at least three Australians die on the road each day.
Calls for law as AI rogues plunder Australian creatives
One actor's voice was cloned after producers cancelled his contract while another's was used in a pornographic ad without her consent, an AI inquiry has heard.
Sexual assaults in Australia reach 31-year high
Sexual assaults recorded by police in Australia rose by 11 per cent in 2023 to reach the highest rate of the Bureau of Statistics' 31-year data set.
New governor-general to put an arm around Aussies
Former lawyer and gender equality advocate Sam Mostyn promises to put humanity as a top order of her time as 28th governor-general.
New Zealand presses ahead with media content pay law
New Zealand's proposed changes to the digital bargaining law will align it more closely with Australia's, Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith says.
‘Pressure-relief valve’: curfew hits Alice Springs
A three-night curfew has been declared to defuse tensions in Alice Springs after a weekend of violent crimes, including a brawl involving 80 people.
Ecstasy and agony as pill testing gets another backer
Victoria has become the third Australian jurisdiction to legalise pill testing following a spate of drug overdoses and deaths at music festivals.
Pharmacy lobby blasts plan for chemists to sell vapes
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia has slammed a new plan that would allow smokers to buy vapes at pharmacies without the need for a doctor's prescription.
agriculture
animal
breaking_news
exports
international (foreign) trade
laws
livestock farming
politics
trade agreements
Abandon sheep: report backs future ban on live exports
A parliamentary committee has thrown its weight behind laws to ban live sheep exports, with its chair saying the "time has come" to bring an end to the trade.
Direction 110 doesn’t add up for immigration experts
Community safety will be prioritised in changes to a contentious immigration direction, following weeks of political pressure on the minister in charge.
‘Wanding’ knife laws green light boosts police powers
A second state has passed laws allowing police officers to use hand-held metal detectors on suspects without warrants in certain locations.
Actors, writers, voice artists call for urgent AI laws
Almost three in four workers in Australia's creative industries are calling on the government to restrict the use of AI, with many fearing for their jobs.
Calls for federal carbon capture ban after Qld decision
Queensland's decision to ban carbon capture and storage projects in the Great Artesian Basin has sparked calls for the federal government to follow suit.
Corruption reports might be brought to light by reforms
Every recommendation of a corruption watchdog review will be adopted by the Queensland government, including the release of reports retrospectively.
Narrators call for laws to prevent losing their voice
Australian voice actors are already losing animation, audiobook and ad voiceovers to AI creations and they're calling for regulations to protect the industry.
Coal super tax to be legislated, ‘protecting’ royalties
Deputy Premier Cameron Dick has ensured future modifications to a Queensland super tax on coal royalties will require legislative changes.
Childrens Court media access, detention scrutinised
A parliamentary hearing has heard a history of inaccurate reporting should disallow some media organisations access to Queensland Childrens Court cases.
Croc hunting on the cards in big game tourism plan
In a move toward big game tourism, crocodile hunting is among a number of reforms proposed under a shake-up of Queensland's management of the reptiles.
Reforms target scrutiny of fertility clinic services
Proposed laws in Queensland will bring greater scrutiny to IVF and fertility services, as well as the introduction of a donor conception register.
Revamped emergency services to improve response times
Queensland emergency services will fall under new departments after state parliament passed laws to better align diaster management responses.
State parliament votes to make sex work legal and safe
A fourth Australian jurisdiction has voted to fully decriminalise sex work in a bid to prevent discrimination and ensure safety.
Bob Carr to sue Winston Peters over China claim
New Zealand opposition leader Chris Hipkins has called on Winston Peters to be stood down as foreign minister after a potentially defamatory swipe at Bob Carr.
Concerns raised over police stop and search powers
The Queensland government's decision to expand police stop and search powers after a spate of NSW knife attacks has raised concerns.
Weapon search laws extended in $1.2b safety pledge
Shoppers and pub patrons could be searched for weapons by police under a proposed expansion of "wanding" laws that have attracted interstate attention.
Tougher laws call to tackle organised crime profits
Measures to stamp down on the profits of organised crime in a digital world have been recommended in a Crime and Corruption Commission report.