TRANSCRIPT:
- LGBTIQ+ activists criticise government for removing sexuality and gender identity questions from census
- Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles says defence agreement with Indonesia is unrelated to China's activities...
- South Sydney hit Latrell Mitchell with $100,000 fine over white powder social media image.
LGBTIQ+ activists have condemned the government for choosing to exclude specific questions about sexuality and gender diversity in the census.
Labor promised to amend the Census before the last election but has scrapped any possible changes due to fear of division in the community.
Equality Australia says the decision will diminish the existence of LGBTIQ+ people in Australia and impact future policy decisions made by the government based on Census data.
Queer activist and drag performer Courtney Act says Labor are compounding the issue.
"The census is all about visibility. It's all about allocating resources. And we know that LGBTQ+ Australians suffer poor mental health at twice the rate than our heterosexual counterparts. That is largely due to stigma and discrimination that we're witnessing right now by the Australian Labor Party."
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has blamed the "woke agenda" for calls for LGBTIQ+ people to be counted in the next census.
Labor promised to include questions about sexuality and gender identity in the Census prior to the last election, but has since decided it will make no changes to the questions used in 2021.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles says the government is trying to avoid division within the community by keeping the census questions the same.
Mr Dutton says there is no need for changes to the questions.
"I think the set of questions that we've got at the moment, the long term, way in which we've collected this data has stood as well as a country. If you've got the woke agenda, which I think is at odds with the vast majority of Australians, then the Prime Minister should argue that that case. But I think we're pretty happy with settings that we've got in place at the moment."
Defence Minister Richard Marles says that the defence pact the government is set to sign with Indonesia is irrelevant to China's increased activity in the Pacific.
The agreement will see the two nations take part in joint military exercises and increase their defence cooperation.
The treaty was agreed during the visit of Indonesian president-elect Prabowo Subianto to Australia last week.
Mr Marles, who is in Indonesia to sign the agreement, has told Sky News it is about protecting each other's interests.
"This is fundamentally about Australia and Indonesia. It's about the fact that as two neighbours who've had a long journey when you think about it over the last several decades coming to a moment in time where we see that our security lies in each other. And that's absolutely true. I mean, if any independent observer looking at the map would understand, we do have a shared destiny inevitably."
Commonwealth Bank chief Matt Comyn says inflation has forced members of younger age groups to use up their savings, while older Australians are stuck trying to pay back their mortgages.
It comes during a parliamentary committee into the four big banks of Australia.
Mr Comyn also revealed that monetary policies are being felt unevenly across the economy, with interest rate rises and inflation depleting savings accounts.
The Commonwealth Bank CEO says it is crucial for the future of the economy to get inflation levels under control.
"Quite clearly and simply, even (in) those that do not have debt, you can see the impact of inflation and why it is critical to get inflation back into a normal range because it has a very deleterious effect across all aspects of both households and businesses but disproportionately impacts lower income."
In NRL,
The South Sydney Rabbitohs have hit fullback Latrell Mitchell with a $100,000 fine over an image that has been circulating on social media that shows him standing over what appears to be a white substance.
The player will be called to pay the $20,000 of the fine immediately, with the rest being suspended pending any further violations.
Mitchell has also been handed a $20,000 fine and a one-match ban from the NRL, and will be required to sit through a training and education program.
South Sydney coach Ben Hornby has said there is a small possibility that the player could be available for the upcoming last match of the season against the Sydney Roosters.
