‘Arrogant’ banks leaving bush residents at the bus stop
The Senate inquiry into the closure of regional bank branches has received nearly 300 submissions from country communities around Australia.
social issue
Australian children spend more hours on small screens
The amount of screen time Australian children spend watching TV, playing games or using the internet has increased dramatically, figures show.
‘Inhumane’ debt collection of welfare overpayments ends
Welfare recipients owing debts will no longer be pursued by third-party debt collectors, with the process to be handled by the department in charge of payments.
Ditch tobacco vending machines in pubs, lawmakers told
Health groups are urging Queensland politicians to take proposed smoking laws further, but the hospitality industry wants tobacco vending machines left alone.
Qld tobacco and vape amendments ‘too little, too late’
The Queensland government has heard public submissions into the illegal sale of tobacco and rising use of vapes across the state.
‘Easter treat’ as chill brings snow to ski resorts
As Christians gathered to mark the resurrection on Easter Sunday, cooler temperatures swept across the nation with some ski resorts reporting snow.
Trans advocate issues call to action: ‘Don’t be silent’
Actress, writer and transgender rights advocate Georgie Stone has urged all Australians to call out bigotry and stand up for LGBTQI rights.
Labor’s stymied $10b housing fund could be revived soon
Federal Labor minister Ed Husic says a housing fund hasn't been abandoned after the government failed to secure the votes needed to get it passed in the Senate.
Premier slams ‘vile, shameful’ homophobic Latham tweet
NSW Premier Chris Minns has strongly condemned a tweet from One Nation leader Mark Latham, saying it has unmasked him as a bigot.
The long and winding road to banking in rural Australia
The Senate inquiry into regional bank closures has heard from more than 150 rural Australians about the devastating effects of losing essential services.
Suspended MP calls anti-trans rally attendance an error
Victorian MP Moira Deeming says attending an anti-trans rally crashed by neo-Nazis was as an "error of judgment", costing her suspension from the Liberal Party.
Deeming day: Victorian Liberals to decide MP’s fate
Victorian MP Moira Deeming will face the music as Liberal colleagues vote on expelling her from the parliamentary caucus after her part in an anti-trans rally.
Tasmania follows Victoria in push to ban Nazi salute
The Tasmanian government has announced it will pursue laws to ban the Nazi salute after an anti-transgender rally in Melbourne caused outrage.
Neo-Nazi crackdown on the cards after Melbourne clash
A ban on the Nazi salute has been floated after white supremacists performed the gesture during a clash with transgender rights activists.
Vic Liberal MP to fight expulsion, condemns neo-Nazis
Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming has condemned neo-Nazis who attended an anti-trans rally and will contest a motion to boot her from the parliamentary party.
Rent caps on the table as Qld confronts housing crisis
Families are at the heart of Queensland's housing crisis as a new report shows the scale of the problem.
Unquenched Aussie thirst for world’s most costly water
Aussies are among the top consumers of bottled water globally and we are paying the most for it, a new UN report shows.
Qld educator to review non-state school accreditation
An educator has been appointed to review Queensland school accreditation rules after controversy over a Christian college's gender and sexuality contracts.
Gendered violence still a ‘national crisis’, data shows
Women continue to face higher rates of sexual, physical and economic violence, the Australian Bureau of Statistics' latest personal safety data release shows.
One in five women experience sexual violence
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released its latest personal safety data, showing an estimated eight million Australians have experienced violence.
Carers of older Australians need more support
Aged care is being hit both ways by the ageing of Australia’s population. While population ageing is increasing the number of Australians in need of formal care, it’s also reducing the proportion of working age people able to provide formal care.
All-female flight crew an Australian first
Women have helmed a Virgin Australia flight that has taken to the skies in celebration of International Women's Day.
UN secretary-general says women’s rights under threat
The UN chief says 'the patriarchy is fighting back' against gains made in gender equality and women are losing rights in many countries.
Bank closures hurt communities, Westpac admits to probe
Westpac and NAB executives are facing the regional banking inquiry, which is examining the impact of branch closures in country towns.
Housing squeeze pushing country people to other regions
The quarterly Regional Movers Index shows a post-pandemic disruption to the housing market is pushing growth of migration between country areas.
Gender pay gap narrows but parity remains elusive
The gap between women's and men's pay has tightened slightly but women are still earning just 87 cents in every dollar earned by men.
Queensland lays groundwork to outlaw coercive control
Queensland has changed the definition of domestic violence to include patterns of behaviour over time ahead of plans to criminalise coercive control.
Westpac halts rural closures amid political pressure
Westpac says it will postpone closures of rural banks during a Senate inquiry, the second major bank to heed calls to act in good faith.
‘Bloody-minded’ banks under pressure to halt closures
Major banks are being urged to stop regional branch closures as a Senate inquiry prepares to hold its first hearing in Sale, Victoria.
Aussie professor earns global equity post
An Australian has been entrusted by the United Nations to tackle inequalities that affect millions world wide, including being locked out of education.
Towns putting up a fight as banks close
Regional communities are continuing to fight back against bank branch closures which could force some locals to travel hundreds of kilometres for service.