Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kellie Toole, Lecturer in Law, University of Adelaide

Australian public prosecutors are far less visible than defence lawyers, judges and police, yet they are the most powerful actors in the criminal justice system.

Every Australian state and territory, and the Commonwealth itself, has a Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Their main role is to initiate and conduct prosecutions of serious crimes in the superior courts.

If police charge a suspect for a serious crime, they prepare a brief of evidence and provide it to the office of the DPP. The office of the DPP then assesses whether the charge is appropriate. For example, it may reduce an attempted murder charge to intentionally causing serious harm.

The DPP also has to decide whether to actually prosecute the offence. The main consideration is whether there is evidence from witnesses and the crime scene that can prove the offence. If there’s insufficient evidence, the DPP shouldn’t prosecute.

If the prosecutor decides not to prosecute a serious crime, there’s no role for defence lawyers and judges, the police investigation is of no consequence, and the suspect is free.

If the prosecutor decides to prosecute a serious crime, the lives of the defendant and the victim are changed forever.

The aborted trial of Bruce Lehrmann for an alleged rape in Parliament House in 2019 has raised multiple problems with the prosecution of rape allegations that need to be addressed (Lehrmann has maintained his innocence, and no findings have been made against him).

The resulting inquiry, which is ongoing, has shone a light on the role of the DPP.

The DPP of the ACT, Shane Drumgold, was cross-examined for a week over his handling of Lehrmann’s prosecution. Drumgold expressed concerns with the conduct of police before and after the aborted trial, and even levelled explosive allegations that he thought the case may have been subject to improper political influence. He later walked this back, and instead claimed his concerns with the police were most likely due to “a skills deficit”.

This week, Detective Superintendent Scott Moller alleged Drumgold had “lost objectivity” in the case. Moller said police “were concerned for the presumption of innocence. They were worried about putting Mr Lehrmann before the court when they didn’t believe there was enough evidence.”

Disagreements between police and DPPs are not unusual and are not necessarily a problem. Reasonable minds often differ on prosecutorial decisions, and disagreement can be a healthy “check and balance” within the system.

However, the tension highlights broader issues within the DPP system.

What is a DPP?

Australian DPPs are independent, non-political statutory officers.

They differ from District Attorneys in the United States.

In the US, District Attorneys are elected by the people, and it’s common to see television adverts and posters of candidates spruiking their conviction rates and, in some states, their execution rates. They sell their worth to voters by showing themselves to be “tough on crime” and on the people who commit crime.

Australian DPPs are ministers of justice, appointed by the governor, to prosecute crimes fairly, frankly, and without fear or favour.

They are prosecutors, not persecutors. They work for the good of the whole community, in the interests of justice. They do not represent the police, the government, complainants or victims of crime.

They should only prosecute a case if it’s in the public interest and there’s a reasonable prospect of a conviction.

The popularity of the decision with the public or the government isn’t relevant to whether a prosecution goes ahead.

DPPs generally keep a low public profile – public touting of conviction rates is not acceptable. They explain controversial or complex decisions to the public through their websites, annual reports and media releases.

The outcome of any trial must be fair and just, and not simply a “notch in the belt” of a prosecutor.

Political dilemma

Prosecutions have not always been non-political in Australia, and in some ways they are still not. Until the 1980s and ‘90s, the attorney-general was responsible for prosecutions – but in their capacity as First Law Officer of the Crown, not as an elected party politician.

An increasingly cynical public had trouble accepting that an attorney-general could really make decisions about prosecutions without being influenced by the political consequences for themselves, their party or their government.

The independent, statutory offices of DPP were established so prosecutorial decisions were made at “arm’s length” from politics, and only matters of law and evidence determined whether a prosecution went ahead or was discontinued.

However, there was a dilemma.

Political involvement in criminal prosecutions is not all bad. Having elected representatives involved in prosecutions means that public views and community concerns about cases and trends are heard and considered.

So there’s a balancing issue: how to make sure prosecutorial decisions are not so political that they are made in the short-term interests of governments, but political enough that they reflect community standards.

To put the dilemma in legal terms, how do we achieve independence, accountability and the public interest in prosecutorial decisions?

An odd compromise

The question is answered in Australia by way of a rather odd compromise.

The DPP makes prosecutorial decisions in a statutory office independent of politics, but the DPP is appointed by the governor, who is advised by the government. DPPs are appointed for limited terms (unlike judges who are appointed until retirement), so if they displease the government, they may not be reappointed.

Also, the DPP is overseen by the attorney-general. The attorney-general’s powers differ across the country, but some can direct the DPP to take certain actions or step in and take actions with which the DPP disagrees. These decisions are not made in court, so are not necessarily transparent and they may be politically motivated.

Read more:
Lehrmann retrial abandoned because of ‘a significant and unacceptable risk’ to Brittany Higgins’ life

The decision to prosecute or not raises big political and philosophical questions. But most importantly, it directly affects peoples’ lives in profound and lasting ways.

A person prosecuted for rape or murder may face extreme stigma, even if they are not found guilty.

A victim who reports a serious crime that is not prosecuted may be retraumatised and their faith in the criminal justice system shattered.

The question of who decides whether or not to prosecute is fundamental to our community and democracy. At the moment, our system has not really resolved the question of how much politics we want in prosecutions, if we want any at all.

Kellie Toole is a member of the Australian Labor Party

– ref. Lehrmann inquiry: what’s a director of public prosecutions or DPP? A legal expert explains – https://theconversation.com/lehrmann-inquiry-whats-a-director-of-public-prosecutions-or-dpp-a-legal-expert-explains-206194

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yana Wengel, Associate Professor in Tourism and Geography, Hainan University

Mountains – their height, their mass, their climates and ecosystems – have fascinated humans for thousands of years. But there is one that holds extra-special meaning for many – Mount Everest, or Chomolungma as the Nepalese Sherpa people call it.

A sacred mountain for some, for others the world’s highest peak represents a challenge and a lifelong dream. Seventy years ago, on May 29, 1953, that challenge and dream became reality for two members of a British expedition: New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first people to reach the 8,848.86-metre summit.

Their achievement was a testament to endurance and determination. It was also the crowning glory of the British expedition’s nationalistic motivations on the eve of the young Queen Elizabeth’s coronation.

From our vantage in the present, it also represents a high point, not just in climbing terms, but in what we now think of as the modern era of mountaineering. Since then, mountaineering has become massively popular and commercial – with serious implications for the cultures and environments that sustain it.

Scaling the heights

The early mountaineering era began in 1786 when Jaques Balmat and Michel Paccard reached the summit of Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the European Alps at 4,808 metres. From 1854 to 1899 (known as the classic mountaineering period), advances in climbing technology saw ascending peaks by challenging routes become possible and popular.

During the modern era from 1900 to 1963, mountaineers pushed further into the Andes cordillera in South America, explored polar mountains and began high-altitude climbing in Central Asia.

Read more:
How Mount Everest helped Britain’s post-war bid to burnish global power credentials

Shishapangma, the last of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks to be climbed, was scaled in 1964, marking the start of contemporary mountaineering. Since then, all of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks have been climbed in winter, culminating in the historic winter scaling of the 8,611-metre K2 by a Nepalese expedition in 2021.

The record-setting assault on the world’s 14 highest peaks by Nirmal Puja in 2019 set the stage for a new period of commercial mass mountaineering – involving expectations and conditions that would have stunned the likes of Hillary and Norgay.

Mass mountaineering

The relatively recent influx of what some call novice mountaineers, who may expect luxury packages and a guarantee of summiting, can have dangerous consequences.

Sleeping in heated tents, not preparing their own food or helping to move equipment, does not test mental and physical fitness in such challenging environments. Pushing to the summit may put their own lives, and the lives of other climbers and rescue teams, at risk.

And yet the number of people attempting to climb famous peaks such as Kilimanjaro in Tanzania or Aconcagua in Argentina has increased dramatically. In 2019, there were 878 successful summits on Everest alone.

Read more:
Death on Everest: the boom in climbing tourism is dangerous and unsustainable

The days when true mountaineers were looking for new routes and climbing with minimum support have almost disappeared from commercial peaks like Everest. And many of these commercial climbers would not have a chance without professional support.

In 1992, for example, when the first commercial mountaineering expeditions on Everest began, 22 Sherpas and 65 paying mountaineers summited – one Sherpa for three clients. Nowadays, two or even three Sherpas for each member of a commercial expedition is common.

But the romance and achievements of past mountaineers, combined with social media images and an “all-inclusive” adventure tourism industry, can lull inexperienced climbers into a false sense of security. On Everest, this has led to overcrowding, environmental degradation and increased risks for all climbers.

During the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nepal’s Khumbu region – where Everest sits – was effectively shut for climbing. This year, however, some estimate a record of more than 1,000 people could reach the summit.

The next challenge

Experienced mountaineers are responding to the challenges of overcrowding, pollution and socio-cultural impacts on mountain communities by advocating for more responsible and sustainable mountaineering practices.

They want stricter regulations and better training to protect the fragile ecosystems of the Himalayas and other mountain ranges worldwide.

Read more:
Is it time to stop climbing mountains? Obsession with reaching summits is a modern invention

This will require many stakeholders to play their part, including governments, mountaineering organisations, tourism operators and local communities. Ultimately, the future of mountaineering depends on preserving these unique mountain environments in the first place.

Finally, maybe it’s time to introduce minimum skill requirements for climbing the world’s highest peak.

As we mark the 70th anniversary of the first ascent of Everest, we need to reflect on the changes that have taken place in mountaineering since. Paradoxically, while it has become more accessible and popular, it has also become more challenging and complex.

Meeting those challenges and solving the problems will be the best way to honour the extraordinary achievement of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. 70 years after the first ascent of Everest, the impact of mass mountaineering must be confronted – https://theconversation.com/70-years-after-the-first-ascent-of-everest-the-impact-of-mass-mountaineering-must-be-confronted-204270

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bjorn Sturmberg, Senior Research Fellow, Battery Storage & Grid Integration Program, Australian National University

Consumers struggling with cost-of-living pressures were dealt another blow on Thursday, when the Australian Energy Regulator confirmed energy price hikes of up to 25% from July.

For the one in three Australian homes with rooftop solar, the bill shock will be reduced – together with their carbon emissions. But households without solar, such as renters and social housing tenants, are missing out on the benefits.

In this month’s federal budget, A$1 billion was allocated to low-interest loans to homeowners for energy efficiency upgrades, solar panel installation and swapping out gas for electric appliances. Details are sketchy so far, but the government says the package “will focus on households that most need support”, including renters.

But do low-interest loans encourage landlords to install solar on rental homes? Our research suggests in many cases, the answer is no. New measures are needed to make sure renters benefit from solar technology – both through lower bills, and more liveable homes.

Solar haves and solar have-nots

Rents in Australia are on the rise. But as of 2017-2018, there was only a 3-4% chance a rental property had solar panels on the roof.

The conventional view is that two main barriers exist to solar being installed on rentals.

The first is that property investors don’t want to pay for the technology when they aren’t directly reaping the benefits of lower bills and a more comfortable home temperature.

But this dynamic is an inherent part of the rental arrangement. And it ignores the fact that landlords routinely make other improvements to investment properties, such as kitchen upgrades, even though they’re not using the kitchen. Instead, landlords benefit by collecting higher rents.

The second perceived barrier is the upfront cost of installing solar. Until now, efforts to increase solar on rental properties have focused on reducing this cost through subsidies and low-interest finance.

But are upfront costs really preventing landlords from installing solar on rental properties? Our research set out to answer that question.

First, we surveyed 931 property investors with all types of buildings. This involved a ranking exercise where landlords selected the most and least important reasons for not yet putting solar panels on their rental home.

We then surveyed 147 owners of stand-alone rental homes. We asked them to choose between hypothetical policy options involving system costs, billing arrangements and interest-free loans.

Read more:
Community batteries are popular – but we have to make sure they actually help share power

Our findings

Our research found landlords are concerned about the upfront cost of solar. They ranked it as one of two top reasons why they hadn’t installed rooftop panels.

But when offered a choice of hypothetical policy options, about two-thirds opted for upfront payment of solar systems rather than an interest-free loan. So for the majority of landlords, loans don’t seem to be the key tipping point.

And the other top reason landlords don’t install rooftop solar? Because they think renters aren’t willing to pay higher rent in exchange.

However, this perception runs counter to a 2021 study that found Australian renters with solar panels pay about A$19 more in rent each week than non-solar renters. This meant landlords could recoup the cost of installation in about five  years.

So for policymakers wanting to get more solar on rental homes, initiatives must go beyond low-interest loans.

Other research we’ve conducted found many landlords saw energy efficiency measures, such as electric heating, as extremely expensive – and, in the case of insulation, invisible and therefore not valued by renters.

Our research also examined barriers for apartment landlords when it comes to energy efficiency upgrades and installing solar panels. Many worried about issues such as body corporate approval, and physical and legal barriers.

This suggests policies to increase the energy efficiency of the rental housing stock must cater to different dwelling types.

Read more:
Check your mirrors: 3 things rooftop solar can teach us about Australia’s electric car rollout

So what next?

The federal government should be commended for spending on energy efficiency. But further actions are needed.

One potential group that should receive more attention is the real estate industry. Property managers have relationships with both landlords and tenants, and deep knowledge of the rental market.

Resources could, for instance, be invested into teaching property managers about the benefits of rooftop solar and energy efficiency upgrades. Property managers could then include such features in home advertisements and talk about these benefits in discussions with landlords and prospective tenants.

Additional incentives could be provided to investors and property managers who, say, make a home less reliant on gas over time. This would mean as old appliances fail, they’re replaced with efficient electric versions – for hot water, heating and cooking.

What’s more, information about a property’s energy-efficiency performance should be made available to all prospective renters.

The ACT government has made steps towards this. It requires a home’s energy efficiency rating be disclosed to prospective buyers at the time of sale, and be disclosed to renters when a rating is available.

This should occur nationally, and be expanded to include the amount of energy generated by solar panels on a property, and the amount of money to be saved on energy bills.

Lastly, tax breaks for property investing, such as negative gearing, should be conditional on rental properties meeting minimum energy efficiency standards.

It’s good to see rental properties on the federal government’s agenda. But our research shows improving Australia’s rental stock requires far more than low-cost financing.

Bjorn Sturmberg received funding from Energy Consumers Australia for the research on solar for rental properties discussed in this piece (grant number APAPR21003. The views expressed in this document do not necessarily reflect the views of Energy Consumers Australia). He was previously the founder and CEO of SunTenants, a company making solar work for rental properties. SunTenants was aquired by Solar Analytics in 2019. Bjorn Sturmberg remains a shareholder in Solar Analytics.

Lee White received funding from Energy Consumers Australia (APAPR21003) for the research on solar for rental properties discussed in this piece. The views expressed in this document do not necessarily reflect the views of Energy Consumers Australia.

Mara Hammerle received funding from Energy Consumers Australia for the research on solar for rental properties discussed in this piece. She currently works at the Centre for Policy Development.

– ref. Electricity prices are rising again. Here’s how to ensure renters can cash-in on rooftop solar – https://theconversation.com/electricity-prices-are-rising-again-heres-how-to-ensure-renters-can-cash-in-on-rooftop-solar-205928

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathy Gunn, CSIRO

Antarctica sets the stage for the world’s greatest waterfall. The action takes place beneath the surface of the ocean. Here, trillions of tonnes of cold, dense, oxygen-rich water cascade off the continental shelf and sink to great depths. This Antarctic “bottom water” then spreads north along the sea floor in deep ocean currents, before slowly rising, thousands of kilometres away.

In this way, Antarctica drives a global network of ocean currents called the “overturning circulation” that redistributes heat, carbon and nutrients around the globe. The overturning is crucial to keeping Earth’s climate stable. It’s also the main way oxygen reaches the deep ocean.

But there are signs this circulation is slowing down and it’s happening decades earlier than predicted. This slowdown has the potential to disrupt the connection between the Antarctic coasts and the deep ocean, with profound consequences for Earth’s climate, sea level and marine life.

Our new research, published today in the journal Nature Climate Change, uses real-world observations to decipher how and why the deep ocean around Antarctica has changed over the past three decades. Our measurements show the overturning circulation has slowed by almost a third (30%) and deep ocean oxygen levels are declining. This is happening even earlier than climate models predicted.

We found melting of Antarctic ice is disrupting the formation of Antarctic bottom water. The meltwater makes Antarctic surface waters fresher, less dense, and therefore less likely to sink. This puts the brakes on the overturning circulation.

Read more:
Torrents of Antarctic meltwater are slowing the currents that drive our vital ocean ‘overturning’ – and threaten its collapse

Why does this matter?

As the flow of bottom water slows, the supply of oxygen to the deep ocean declines. The shrinking oxygen-rich bottom water layer is then replaced by warmer waters that are lower in oxygen, further reducing oxygen levels.

Ocean animals, large and small, respond to even small changes in oxygen. Deep-ocean animals are adapted to low oxygen conditions but still have to breathe. Losses of oxygen may cause them to seek refuge in other regions or adapt their behaviour. Models suggest we are locked in to a contraction of the “viable” environment available to these animals with an expected decline of up to 25%.

Slowdown of the overturning may also intensify global warming. The overturning circulation carries carbon dioxide and heat to the deep ocean, where it is stored and hidden from the atmosphere. As the ocean storage capacity is reduced, more carbon dioxide and heat are left in the atmosphere. This feedback accelerates global warming.

Reductions in the amount of Antarctic bottom water reaching the ocean floor also increases sea levels because the warmer water that replaces it takes up more space (thermal expansion).

Signs of a worrying change

Making observations of bottom water is challenging. The Southern Ocean is remote and home to the strongest winds and biggest waves on the planet. Access is also restricted by sea ice during winter, when bottom water forms.

This means observations of the deep Southern Ocean are sparse. Nevertheless, repeated full-depth measurements taken from ship voyages have provided glimpses into the changes underway in the deep ocean. The bottom water layer is getting warmer, less dense and thinner.

Satellite data shows the Antarctic ice sheet is shrinking. Ocean measurements taken downstream of regions of rapid melt show the meltwater is reducing the salinity (and density) of coastal waters.

Read more:
Antarctica’s heart of ice has skipped a beat. Time to take our medicine

These signs point to a worrying change, but there are still no direct observations of the deep overturning circulation.

What did we do?

We combined different types of observations in a new way, taking advantage of each of their strengths.

The full-depth measurements collected by ships provide snapshots of ocean density, but are usually repeated about once a decade. Moored instruments, on the other hand, provide continuous measurements of density and speed, but only for a limited time at a particular location.

We developed a new approach that combines ship data, mooring records, and a high resolution numerical simulation to calculate the strength of Antarctic bottom water flow and how much oxygen it transports to the deep ocean.

Our study focused on a deep basin south of Australia that receives bottom water from several sources. These sources lie downstream of large meltwater inputs, so this region is likely to provide an early warning of climate-induced deep ocean changes.

The findings are striking. Over three decades, between 1992 and 2017, the overturning circulation of this region slowed by almost a third (30%) causing less oxygen to reach the deep. This slowing was caused by freshening close to Antarctica.

We found this freshening reduces the density and volume of Antarctic bottom water formed, as well as the speed at which it flows.

The observed slowdown would have been even greater if not for a short-lived climate event that drove a partial and temporary recovery of bottom water formation. The recovery, driven by increased salinity, further illustrates the sensitivity of bottom water formation to salinity changes on the Antarctic continental shelf.

Worryingly, these observations show that changes predicted to occur by 2050 are already underway.

What next?

Ice loss from Antarctica is expected to continue, even accelerate, as the world warms. We are almost certain to cross the 1.5℃ global warming threshold by 2027.

More ice loss will mean more freshening, so we can anticipate the slowdown in circulation and deep oxygen losses will continue.

The consequences of a slowdown will not be limited to Antarctica. The overturning circulation extends throughout the global ocean and influences the pace of climate change and sea level rise. It will also be disruptive and damaging for marine life.

Our research provides yet another reason to work harder – and faster – to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Read more:
Record low Antarctic sea ice is another alarming sign the ocean’s role as climate regulator is changing

Matthew England receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC).

Steve Rintoul receives funding from the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership.

Kathy Gunn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Antarctic alarm bells: observations reveal deep ocean currents are slowing earlier than predicted – https://theconversation.com/antarctic-alarm-bells-observations-reveal-deep-ocean-currents-are-slowing-earlier-than-predicted-206289

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Siostrom, Associate Lecturer in Science Education, University of the Sunshine Coast

Teacher shortages around Australia mean there is an ongoing debate about how to attract, retain and educate more teachers.

One part of the push to increase teacher numbers is encouraging people to swap their current career for a teaching role.

Mid-career or “career change” students are increasingly common in teacher education programs. The most recent Australian data shows as of 2017, one-third of new applicants were 25 or older.

We also know there are plenty of people interested. A 2022 survey by the federal government’s Behavioural Economics Team found one in three mid-career individuals was open to the idea of teaching.

Last August, the Albanese government set up an expert panel on teacher education, in part due to concerns about teacher shortages. Led by Sydney University vice-chancellor Mark Scott (who also chairs The Conversation’s board), the panel is due to submit a report next month. One of the key items it is looking at is how to “improve” teaching degrees to attract mid-career entrants.

What does the research tell us about the people who go into teaching mid-career? And what lessons does it hold for policymakers wanting them to stay in their new job?

Our research

Our new research reviewed studies on career-change teachers from the past two decades.

It examined 29 studies on career-change teachers, to identify who chooses to enter teaching, why they make the switch, and the barriers that can stop them changing careers. This international review explored the experiences of career-change teachers worldwide, including Australian, US, UK and New Zealand studies.

Read more:
A new review into how teachers are educated should acknowledge they learn throughout their careers (not just at the start)

Who enters teaching?

Career-change teachers come from many different backgrounds. We identified more than 140 prior careers.

There were former tradespeople, lawyers and scientists. Others had hospitality, administration or retail experience.

We also found people often chose teaching after experience in teacher-like roles.

Many previously worked in childcare, tutoring, volunteering in classrooms, coaching sports, or working with children in community organisations. Some mentioned work leadership roles such as staff training or mentoring.

These experiences helped career changers see they were suited to teaching. Many realised having skills such as effective communication, organisation, resilience, and being able to build relationships were useful for teaching.

Others chose teaching because they liked working with children or wanted to share expertise in a field they were passionate about, such as science. Several were inspired by role model teachers or had family who were teachers.

What makes someone switch to teaching?

Many had thought about becoming a teacher for a long time, calling it a longstanding interest or “someday” career. This desire often predated their first career choice, but life circumstances played a big role in choosing when to make the switch.

Some had become dissatisfied in their job because of boredom, long hours or poor conditions, or because they wanted a career that felt more meaningful.

Having children made teaching a more attractive option for many. Career changers felt the shorter working days, hours that aligned with children’s school, and regular holidays would allow them to better manage family responsibilities.

We also found global circumstances influenced the choice to teach. Some career changers chose this pathway when their jobs became unstable during industry declines, offshore outsourcing, or due to events such as the global financial crisis.

Read more:
We won’t solve the teacher shortage until we answer these 4 questions

What does and does not support career changers?

Our research also found career changers often faced challenges when choosing to teach.

Career-change teachers reported friends and family usually supported the idea of choosing teaching. However, in some cases when individuals were switching from high-status careers (as scientists or doctors), people questioned the change, seeing teaching as a drop.

Mature entrants sometimes struggled in teacher education programs, because of study costs and lack of financial support, especially during lengthy unpaid professional placements.

Others felt teacher education programs often lacked flexibility or didn’t recognise the unique needs, skills and experiences of mid-career students.

Supports such as scholarships, flexible timetables and mentoring helped them balance teaching studies with their existing life responsibilities.

Read more:
‘We can no longer justify unpaid labour’: why uni students need to be paid for work placements

Expectations vs reality

Once mid-career teachers made it into a job, their ideas about teaching did not always match reality.

Some were shocked by the high workloads, excessive administration demands, continual government-driven changes and lack of professional autonomy.

Indeed, many career-change teachers end up leaving the profession early. An estimated 30-50% of all new Australian teachers leave the profession within the first five years, and for career-change teachers, this figure is estimated to be 25% higher

What can we do differently?

To encourage more mid-career entrants to join the teaching profession, we need to better appreciate the unique strengths and experiences they bring from their previous lives. Mid-career entrants come to schools with new ideas and enthusiasm to make a difference and share their real-world and industry experiences.

One option is to formally recognise extensive industry experiences or advanced subject area qualifications (such as a PhD in chemistry) these career changers bring to schools. This could be done with expedited career progression or specialist roles within schools.

Schools could also offer increasingly flexible employment pathways (such as jobshare arrangements or innovative timetabling) for career changers who want to maintain industry connections.

This could allow for school-industry partnerships that benefit students, and let these teachers use their professional experiences to make a difference. In doing so, this crucial teaching workforce may feel they are making a positive contribution to their students and be more likely to stay.

Read more:
Many teachers find planning with colleagues a waste of time. Here’s how to improve it

Reece Mills receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

Theresa Bourke receives funding from the ARC.

Erin Siostrom does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Working with kids, being passionate about a subject, making a difference: what makes people switch careers to teaching? – https://theconversation.com/working-with-kids-being-passionate-about-a-subject-making-a-difference-what-makes-people-switch-careers-to-teaching-205999

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Koh, Honorary Associate, Faculty of Business, School of Management, University of Technology Sydney

A court judgement handed down last Friday has delivered what years of promises from Australia’s life insurance industry have not – insurance that pays out on what it says it will.

I first raised the issue of outdated medical conditions within the insurance industry almost 15 years ago. Then in 2016, after stepping down as chief medical officer for CommInsure, then owned by the Commonwealth Bank, I spoke on Four Corners about the practice of using outdated definitions of conditions such as heart attacks to refuse payouts.

A random audit conducted of 40 heart attack claims found CommInsure had knocked back more than half by using a threshold for diagnosing substances in the blood that was by then out of date.

This then led to two parliamentary inquiries and an investigation by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission that found that while selling policies with outdated medical definitions was not against the law, it was “out of step with community expectations”.

ASIC belatedly got tough

The banking royal commission was critical of ASIC’s performance in this area, and in 2021 ASIC commenced action against the insurer MLC for denying payouts to customers because it had failed to promptly update its definition for the insurance benefit of severe rheumatoid arthritis.

On May 18, Justice Moshinsky of the Federal Court found that MLC’s failure to promptly update the medical definition for severe rheumatoid arthritis had contravened the Corporations Act 2001.

The section of the Corporations Act in which the breach occurred has been in place for a long time, suggesting failure to update medical definitions would have been illegal for a long time.

Tight definitions quickly date

There are generally four types of life insurance in Australia. The most common is death (or more euphemistically, “life”) insurance, which pays a benefit when a policyholder dies. The others are

• total and permanent disability insurance, which pays a sum of money when a person becomes disabled

• income protection, which pays a monthly benefit when someone is sick

• and trauma or critical illness insurance, which pays out a lump sum when a policyholder experiences a defined medical event.

For death insurance (“life” insurance) the definition is usually uncontentious, as it is for income protection insurance, which kicks in after a period of waiting if a treating doctor diagnosed a condition that prevents work in an occupation covered by the insurance policy.

More contentious are the definitions for total and permanent disability insurance and trauma insurance.

The problem with tightly and strictly-worded definitions is they can get out of date very quickly, whereas the policies they are written into can stay in place for decades. Unless updated, they can turn the policies into near-useless; so-called “junk insurance”.

The MLC policies that ASIC took action against required the claimant to develop a level of deformity now uncommonly seen, given available treatments – even for clinically severe cases. In essence what the court has found was that the holders of those policies were holding something close to junk.

Loopholes in the industry’s code

The Code of Practice for life insurers is only voluntary, and is administered by the Financial Services Council.

Insurers who subscribe to it now do have to review medical definitions at least every three years, but only for new policies that are currently on sale – not for existing policies held by existing customers.

The new code due to come into effect in July 2023 continues to leave out existing customers, but adds a commitment that seems to offer new customers more.

It says where a policy

has a medical definition which specifies an obsolete method of diagnosis or treatment that is no longer used in mainstream medical practice in Australia, we will assess your claim, including whether it meets the required degree of severity defined in your policy, using a current method of diagnosis or treatment approved for use in Australia

But for sufferers of severe rheumatoid arthritis the offer is near meaningless.

Whereas rheumatoid arthritis can be diagnosed by various clinical criteria, including blood tests, such diagnostic criteria does not equate to the level of severity.

The outdated definition of “severe” used in insurance policies commonly requires a number of things in addition to a diagnosis.

Read more:
New life insurance code riddled with loopholes

The extra requirements include (and all of them are needed) joint deformity, and bilateral and symmetrical joint soft tissue swelling or fluid.

These extra requirements are in addition to what is required for diagnosis, meaning that code, which refers to methods of “diagnosis or treatment” doesn’t cover them.

They are also obsolete, but the wording of the code only requires the updating of obsolete methods of diagnosis or treatment – not obsolete methods for determining severity.

Thankfully, claimants are now able to rely on more than the code. Friday’s judgement established that outdated medical definitions are a breach of the law regardless of the code, and have been for a long time.

Dr Benjamin Koh was the chief medical officer at two life insurers. He was involved in the media exposé of insurer bad conduct, assisted in the parliamentary and ASIC inquiries into the issue of outdated medical definitions, and advocated for claimants of life insurance policies. He was quoted with approval at the Banking Royal Commission and now works as a class action solicitor at Shine Lawyers.

– ref. I helped expose insurers for denying medical claims. 15 years on, a court has found what they did is illegal – https://theconversation.com/i-helped-expose-insurers-for-denying-medical-claims-15-years-on-a-court-has-found-what-they-did-is-illegal-206078

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

Stuart Robert, one of the ministers involved in the notorious Robodebt scheme, can anticipate some sharp criticism when the royal commission’s findings come. Robert won’t be able to avoid the flak, but he has made sure he is out of parliament before it lands.

The commission’s report is due early July; on July 15 voters in Robert’s Gold Coast seat of Fadden go to the polls in the byelection to choose his replacement.

Labor has yet to say whether it will contest the seat Robert held on a comfortable 10.6% margin, after a 3.5% swing against him on the two-party vote.

There are arguments both ways. After seizing the Victorian seat of Aston from the Liberals in April, there’s the smell of blood. Even in these volatile times the government doesn’t think it could “do an Aston” in Fadden, but a swing to Labor could further wound Peter Dutton.

But Queensland – Dutton’s home state – is hard going for Labor. A swing against the ALP would be a (minor) setback for the government and a morale boost for the Liberals.

It might also be seen as sending a message against the Queensland Labor government, which has lost its pandemic shine and faces an election next year.

A month after the byelection, the Labor Party will hold its national conference in Brisbane on August 17-19. Coincidentally, the venue is in the electorate of Griffith, which Labor lost to the Greens in 2022.

This will be the first face-to-face national conference in five years (a virtual conference, which didn’t amount to much, was held in 2021).

Read more:
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Labor’s Julian Hill on employment, AI, Julian Assange and TikTok

While some state delegations are still being chosen and so the numbers remain uncertain, the conference might possibly be the first in recent times where the left has the numbers.

But the notions of “left” and “right” don’t mean a lot in today’s Labor, except as groupings to dole out preselections, frontbench representation and other spoils.

Journalist Michael Pascoe, writing in the New Daily this week and focusing on the parliamentary party, declared: “Mr Albanese, the former leader of the left, has effectively abolished it.”

Most notably, a prime minister from the left has delivered the former Coalition government’s AUKUS deal, with hardly a murmur from that faction.

In a twist on how the story might have gone in earlier times, the most vocal criticisms of AUKUS and the implications of the submarine deal have come from two major figures from the right, former PM Paul Keating and former foreign minister Bob Carr.

Attacking AUKUS, Keating said he expected the issue would mobilise ALP branch members. Certainly one would anticipate that AUKUS and the submarines will trigger one of the more spirited debates at the Brisbane conference, including about the storage of the nuclear waste.

In the end, of course, AUKUS and whatever other contentious issues arise at the conference will be squared away. The government’s boat won’t be rocked. The leadership will not be embarrassed.

The conference might see an undercurrent of tensions between the pragmatists and those who would like the government to move faster on a progressive agenda, but the pragmatists will carry the day. The Albanese narrative of caution in the first term to win a second and hopefully a third is baked in.

Once, Labor national conferences set prescriptive platforms, although the timing of implementation was a matter for the caucus, which meant a Labor cabinet.

Victories came after struggles. In the early days of the Hawke government, then treasurer Paul Keating had to fight at the 1984 national conference to get approval for the entry of foreign banks into Australia.

Read more:
Word from The Hill: On the Voice, the Quad, and Indian PM Modi’s visit

Before that conference a senior journalist, David Solomon, had written: “The party conference is the only real threat facing Prime Minister Robert Hawke and his government. The government has a huge lead in public opinion polls [..] Mr Hawke has an unprecedented 70 percent personal popularity in the polls. But the Labor Party requires its politicians to be responsive to the policies of its rank and file.”

The Hawke government had already defied the platform, in particular on floating the dollar, but by and large acknowledged the conference’s authority and the need to win its approval.

For instance, that government took plans for airline privatisation to a special national conference in 1990. Such a course would be unthinkable now.

These days the national conference, which is a mass affair of some 400 delegates, is more or less a toothless tiger. Even tigers without teeth have to be managed, however, and there’ll be a good deal of work behind the scenes to keep things as smooth as practicable in Brisbane.

The government’s aim will be to control issues at the conference as meticulously as it does in the caucus (despite the recent stirring on a couple of specific matters) and in Labor’s presentations in the public arena.

There is one issue, however, where the government is at risk of losing control. Not at the national conference, where there will be furious agreement, but in the electorate, which is far more serious.

That issue is the Voice to Parliament. While it is too early for the government to panic about the decline in support for the “yes” vote in some polling, it should be worried about the turn the debate is taking.

For Indigenous leaders to engage in personal attacks, as Noel Pearson did against Mick Gooda (both on the “yes” side), is neither respectful nor tactically wise.

For assistant minister Malarndirri McCarthy to be drawn into a shouting match at Senate estimates with maverick crossbencher Lidia Thorpe was to fall into a trap.

The further descent into claims about racism could be harmful for the “yes” case. Peter Dutton, in his speech to this week’s House of Representatives debate on the referendum legislation, used as one of his arguments against the Voice that it would “re-racialise” the nation. Anthony Albanese, in his contribution on Thursday, denounced Dutton’s speech as “simply unworthy of the alternative prime minister of this nation”.

There’s been a lot of talk about Albanese trying to get the Voice passed on “the vibe”, something he has been criticised for by those who say the detail is what should matter.

But “the vibe” is actually important in the effort to secure the referendum’s passage. That “vibe” encompasses fairness, doing the right thing by First Australians, the prospect of progress on closing the gap, a body that’s seen as unthreatening.

“The vibe” leaves voters feeling comfortable with the “yes” case.

Once the Liberals (preceded by the Nationals) decided to fight the Voice, the vibe was delivered a major blow. Now it is being undermined further as the debate gets rougher.

The referendum is far from doomed, but it is in a dangerous place.

Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Grattan on Friday: Labor’s national conference looms but the party’s rank and file has lost its bite – https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-labors-national-conference-looms-but-the-partys-rank-and-file-has-lost-its-bite-206413

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leigh Carriage, Senior Lecturer in Music, Southern Cross University

For singers – amateur and professional alike – the name Tina Turner evokes instant reverence: Turner is a singer’s singer and perhaps the performer’s performer.

A highly successful songwriter, the consummate dancer and fittingly ranked as one of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine, Turner was the ultimate entertainer.

Upon hearing of her death, I was deeply saddened. I immediately recalled the intoxicating power and timbre of her voice, her mesmerising energy and her commanding performances.

I started singing sections of songs such as Proud Mary, River Deep Mountain High and of course iconic original songs, such as Nutbush City Limits. This was an intimate, sentimental, nostalgic and danceable song celebrating Turner’s roots growing up in the small town of Nutbush, Tennessee.

Fierce hard work

My first encounter with Turner’s brilliance and might was hearing her hits of the mid-1980s, with songs like Graham Lyle’s What’s Love Got To Do With It, Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together and – love it or hate it – the powerful rock ballad We Don’t Need Another Hero, the theme song to Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.

Once introduced, I immersed myself in her extensive back catalogue, soaking in her early 1960s soul, funk and emerging rock tracks.

Today, I flashed back to memories of the physical energy and technical focus and practice it took just attempting to sing any Turner songs in my 20s.

The degree of difficulty required to perform as Turner did cannot be understated.

To sing with such consistency in such high registers, belting out song after song live with impeccable pitch, breath control, fitness, articulation and rhythmic precision is one thing. To do all of this while dancing with intense pace to highly choreographed routines throughout each show is on a whole other level.

Her performance practice exemplified fierce hard work – with an immense energy and vitality in live performance.

Try singing any of her songs at a Karaoke bar. Very quickly you gain some insight into the technical demands her songs require.

Read more:
Why some of the best-known tunes, like ‘Happy Birthday,’ are the hardest to sing

Making songs her own

For every singer, selecting a repertoire to cover is an ongoing quest.

In a sea of the world’s great songs, Turner selected songs she could make her own. She remodelled every song she sang – realigning them so much that we now think of them as hers first.

There are so many examples. My favourites are Turner’s formidable versions of I Can’t Stand the Rain (originally by Ann Peebles), The Best (Bonnie Tyler) and Private Dancer (Mark Knopfler).

A great deal of the songs Turner was known for through the 1960s were covers. Turner’s forceful and expressive vocal delivery gave new life to these songs, realigning them with her uniquely identifiable sound and choice of vocal register, her phrasing choices and her punctuated rhythmic delivery.

Turner is perhaps less known as a songwriter, but her diverse songwriting demonstrated her skill and thoughtful, well-crafted lyrics. On her 1972 album Feel Good, nine of the ten songs were written by Turner. From 1973 to 1977, Turner composed all the songs on each album.

One of my favourites of her original songs is the power ballad Be Tender With Me Baby. It speaks of a request for understanding, of her loneliness and vulnerability, sung with Turner’s intensity.

Across her original songs and covers, Turner’s repertoire spoke of empowerment, individual strength and the many facets of love. Beyond performing, Turner represented inner strength, spiritual depth and resilience against adversity.

In 1996, when Turner was 57, she recorded her ninth studio album, Wildest Dreams.

One track, Something Beautiful Remains, may not be as familiar as many of her other hits, but it is the song I have kept returning to today. In the chorus, Turner’s lyrics are sadly perfectly fitting:

For every life that fades
Something beautiful remains.

Read more:
Tina Turner had a history of high blood pressure and kidney disease. Here’s how one leads to the other

Leigh Carriage does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Empowerment, individual strength and the many facets of love: why I fell for Tina Turner – https://theconversation.com/empowerment-individual-strength-and-the-many-facets-of-love-why-i-fell-for-tina-turner-206395

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ronika Thapa, PhD Student, University of Tasmania

If you’ve been into a fish and chip shop in the last 12 months, you may well have seen a notice tacked to the wall about the impact of the potato shortage. Supermarkets, too, slapped temporary limits on frozen chip purchases.

What was behind it? Wet weather, floods – and highly persistent fungal diseases. Growers in Tasmania were worst hit, with mainland growers in New South Wales and Victoria also hit.

Even 175 years after Ireland’s devastating famine caused by an introduced potato blight, we’re still struggling to combat these diseases. That’s a problem, because potatoes are vital. More than a billion of us eat them regularly. They’re the fourth most important staple food after rice, wheat and corn, and the largest non-cereal crop.

Diseases such as pink rot and powdery scab can live in the soil for years. They’re almost impossible to eradicate down there. When there’s a sudden pulse of water, they spread and can destroy entire fields of potatoes.

What we can do is be better prepared. Our research team is monitoring soil moisture and temperature levels to help us predict whether we’re likely to see an outbreak. This knowledge could let growers respond quickly with fungicide or stopping irrigation to slow or prevent a severe outbreak.

So what caused the shortage?

In the lead-up to Christmas last year, Australia had a major potato shortage.

Our main growing regions in Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia were hard hit by flooding and heavy rain due to La Niña, which created conditions ripe for potato diseases to spread. Waterlogged or diseased potatoes cannot be sold.

Other issues included delays to harvesting and planting due to the weather. And the skyrocketing costs of fuel and fertiliser have forced some growers not to plant potatoes. Potatoes need a lot of fertiliser and water.

While you might associate these tubers with snack foods, in reality they’re highly nutritious and an important source of complex carbohydrates.

Read more:
Potatoes deserve to be a part of the super-food family

The way we grow them is very efficient. The amount of food energy we get per hectare of potatoes is many times greater than other staples like rice and wheat.

Stored properly, potatoes can last up to eight months.

Many growers find them to be one of the most profitable crops they can grow – as long as they’re prepared to face risks such as disease.

What’s next for our potato sector?

With the major rains at an end for now, potatoes are returning to the shelves and frozen food section.

But potato lovers aren’t out of the woods yet. For producers, there are still many worries. The increasing costs of production in fertiliser and other inputs. The chance of renewed heavy rainfall. And the continual battle against soil-borne disease.

Take Tasmania’s growers, who produce almost a third (31%) of Australia’s potatoes.

Unexpectedly wet soil conditions in spring last year forced many growers to delay planting until after mid-November.

Planting after this date comes with a cost. It means that by the time the plants mature, Tasmania will be through summer and into cooler months, reducing available sunlight and growing temperatures. That can mean a lower yield.

Facing delays like this, growers often simply don’t plant a crop at all. But because of the shortages, Tasmania’s major processing companies offered a bonus to encourage a late crop to ensure factories could keep running.

The eternal fight against disease

Ever since potatoes emerged from the Andes to become a global crop, growers have battled the threat of soil-borne fungal and bacterial diseases.

Backyard gardeners may well be familiar with some of these. If you’ve ever pulled up a potato plant only to find a half-rotten tater, you’ll know the disappointment.

What keeps Australian growers up at night are diseases like powdery scab, as well as rot diseases like black leg, soft rot and pink rot.

Powdery scab is mainly a cosmetic issue, turning nice-looking potatoes into unappetising, lesion-covered blobs.

But rot is real trouble. These bacteria and fungi can destroy entire fields.

Pink rot is heavily influenced by free water in the soil. Heavy rainfalls just before an autumn harvest have triggered major rot epidemics with significant losses to growers in three of Tasmania’s last five growing seasons.

In severe cases, growers have to abandon fields with the tubers left to rot away, while in less severe cases there’s still substantial loss of crop and lower product quality.

If we see these levels of unprecedented rainfall again – as is likely with climate changes warping weather patterns – we’re like to see more potato shortages.

So what can growers do? For pink rot and powdery scab disease, we don’t have good options. There are a few disease-resistant varieties, but their resistance comes at the cost of desirable properties like crop yield and how well they cook. Chemical controls are limited, and if we overuse them, we risk these fungi developing resistance just as bacteria do with antibiotics.

Fungi and bacteria can lie dormant for many years or stay alive on other plant species between crops. That limits how effective crop rotation is as a tool.

Cropping land proven to be pathogen free is in very short supply. Food industries which rely on potatoes are compensating for these expected losses by contracting a greater number of growers and over-planting.

But it’s not a hopeless case. We and other researchers are working on it. Recently, we made a new tool to help rapidly spot powdery scab disease in new potato varieties.

Now we’re working on ways to track changes in soil moisture and temperature against rot and powdery scab outbreaks. This, we hope, will let us predict outbreaks before they occur.

Sometimes, you don’t have to defeat a disease outright. Better prediction and containment may be enough to keep us supplied with hot chips.

Read more:
What’s driving the potato chip shortage and when will it pass?

Ronika Thapa receives a postgraduate scholarship award from the University of Tasmania

Calum Wilson receives funding from Hort Innovation Pty Ltd, Simplot Australia Pty Ltd and Potatoes New Zealand.

Robert Tegg receives funding from the University of Tasmania, Tasmanian government, Hort Innovation and private potato companies.

– ref. What was behind Australia’s potato shortage? Wet weather and hard-to-control diseases – https://theconversation.com/what-was-behind-australias-potato-shortage-wet-weather-and-hard-to-control-diseases-205847

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brad Clark, Senior research fellow, University of Canberra

The recent death of Australian man Jason Kennison after reaching the summit of Mount Everest highlights how dangerous mountain climbing can be.

Details of what went wrong as Kennison descended from the summit have yet to be confirmed by officials.

However, his death – one of several this year on Mount Everest – is a reminder of the challenges mountain climbers face.

Read more:
From Kilimanjaro to Everest: how fit do you have to be to climb a mountain?

What is it about Mount Everest?

Mount Everest – also known as Chomolungma (its Tibetan name) or Sagarmatha (its Nepali name) – is the highest mountain on Earth with a peak at 8,849 metres above sea-level.

May 29 this year marks 70 years since the first successful summit of Mount Everest by Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary.

This year’s climbing season is shaping to be one of the busiest ever after the Nepali government issued a record 478 climbing permits. This year has also seen Kami Rita Sherpa complete a record 28th summit of Mount Everest.

However, 2023 will end as one of the deadliest on record, with 11 deaths recorded for the season to May 23, and a further two climbers still missing.

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Triumph, tragedy and climate change: telling the stories of the Sherpas of Everest

Preparing to climb

To prepare for the physical, psychological and technical challenges of a Mount Everest summit attempt, climbers typically undertake extensive preparation that can last months, and even years.

They acclimatise by sleeping in altitude tents (which can simulate high-altitudes at home) and/or training in chambers that simulate low-oxygen environments. They also climb other peaks higher than 6,000m.

Climbers typically stagger their ascent to base camp. Then, they complete further treks to higher altitudes (above 7,000m) around base camp, or on the Mount Everest summit route itself.

However, this extensive preparation does not eliminate the risks, and climbers continue to perish each climbing season.

Read more:
How does altitude affect the body and why does it affect people differently?

What makes Mount Everest so deadly?

According to the Himalayan Database, more than 310 people have lost their lives on Mount Everest since 1922, through to the end of the 2022 climbing season. In that time, more than 16,000 non-Sherpa climbers have attempted to summit Mount Everest and 5,633 have been successful.

These successful attempts were supported by 5,825 summits by Sherpas. However, many more Sherpas have climbed the upper reaches of Mount Everest to support expedition members, without attempting to summit. Some have reached the summit more than once.

From 2006 to 2019, the death rate for first-time, non-Sherpa climbers was 0.5% for women and 1.1% for men.

The dangers faced by climbers pushing for the summit of Mount Everest are vast. These include the risk of avalanche, falling rocks/ice, danger when crossing the Khumbu Icefall, hypothermia from exposure to extreme cold, falls, severe fatigue and exhaustion, and illness associated with extremely low oxygen.

Of all deaths from 1950 to 2019 in non-Sherpa climbers during a summit bid on Mount Everest, about 35% were caused by falls, with other leading causes being exhaustion (22%), altitude illness (18%) and exposure (13%).

In Sherpa deaths over the same time period, 44% were attributable to avalanches. One 2014 avalanche took the lives of 16 Sherpas.

Almost 84% of deaths in non-Sherpa climbers occurred on their descent – after either successfully reaching the top of Mount Everest, or after turning back before reaching the summit.

While some deaths on descent are related to falls, most are linked to extreme fatigue and exhaustion, or sustained exposure to extremely low levels of oxygen.

In Sherpas, most deaths occur on the lower sections of the climb where they spend lots of time preparing the expedition route and are exposed to greater risk of trauma-related death.

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Low oxygen at extreme altitude

At Mount Everest base camp (5,364m), oxygen availability is about 50% of that at sea-level. At the summit, oxygen availability decreases to less than 30%.

In these high-altitude, low-oxygen environments, climbers are at significant risk of:

• acute mountain sickness

• high-altitude pulmonary oedema, and

• high-altitude cerebral oedema.

Acute mountain sickness is the less severe of the three conditions and is associated with symptoms such as headache, nausea, loss of appetite, and in some cases vomiting and fatigue. Generally, it can resolve following further acclimatisation and rest, or descent to lower altitudes. It rarely evolves into a life-threatening condition.

However, with continued exposure to high altitude, more severe conditions can develop.

High-altitude pulmonary oedema is caused by accumulation of fluid in the lungs. This leads to excessive breathlessness and a dry cough that can evolve to one that produces a foamy, pink sputum.

High-altitude cerebral oedema is caused by excess fluid in the brain and leads to severe headache, confusion, dizziness, loss of balance, and ultimately coma or death, if untreated.

Almost all non-Sherpa climbers on Mount Everest summit attempts climb with supplemental oxygen tanks to assist their physical performance and mitigate the risk of developing these conditions.

Ultimately however, for some climbers this is not enough and even if they successfully reach the summit, they succumb to the environment or high-altitude related illness on their descent back to base camp.

Read more:
How does altitude affect the body and why does it affect people differently?

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Why is climbing Mount Everest so dangerous? – https://theconversation.com/why-is-climbing-mount-everest-so-dangerous-206099

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

The federal budget gave a much-needed, but very modest, increase to those on JobSeeker and associated payments. However, it didn’t address that other important issue of the unemployed: how to help as many JobSeekers as possible to get into work, whether full- or part-time.

This will be canvassed in the government’s coming white paper on employment. It’s already, however, before a parliamentary inquiry into employment services.

In this podcast, Julian Hill, the Labor member for Bruce, who chairs that inquiry, joins us to discuss the job market and getting people into work. Hill has also been actively working for Julian Assange’s release from London’s maximum-security Belmarsh Prison.

And he boasts a huge following on TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media platform, which is banned on official government devices.

In April, there were 528,000 unemployed people in Australia and 830,000 people on JobSeeker. Hill reiterates that “in simple terms, not all JobSeekers are unemployed and not all unemployed people are JobSeekers.”

“There’s a significant percentage of people receiving JobSeeker who may have their participation requirements paused. For example, there’s around 10% of people on JobSeeker at any point in time who are actually just sick. They’re there because they’re doing chemo, or recovering from a traumatic accident.”

“And there’s a very large percentage of people receiving JobSeeker, about 28% of people, who are engaged in part-time paid employment. So they’re not counted as unemployed, it’s just their income is low enough that they’re receiving a partial payment.”

Hill says the sentiment towards unemployed people and those on JobSeeker needs to change. “For too long this national debate about long-term unemployment has been driven by the stereotype of the ‘dole bludger’. If we’re going to actually try and resolve these questions in a better way and make an impact, we’ve got to drill down into the characteristics of people who are unemployed.”

The parliamentary inquiry “is a first principles review, not a Band-aid and sticky tape patch up. There is a “red hot labour market” with employers crying out for workers, but many people are having trouble getting jobs.

“A lot of that is due to a fundamental mismatch between people who are unemployed and the skilled jobs that employers are looking for. 53% of people who are unemployed have no post-school qualification. Around 40% haven’t even finished year 12. So there’s at least two, probably three, entry level JobSeekers applying for every job that is actually available.”

Read more:
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In February, Hill delivered a speech to the chamber co-written by himself and ChatGPT. Hill spoke about both the negative and positive impacts we face with artifical intelligence, and what kind of potential it has.

“I did use the gag back in February to frankly draw attention to a serious policy point […] AI is set to transform developed human societies and impact swathes of developed economies and as well as government service delivery.”

“It’ll be non-traditional jobs [that go], in many cases knowledge jobs, graphic designers, journalists, artists and others, but it’s also an enormously positive thing and we should be expecting governments to deploy the best technology to free up resources for other things, make better decisions, better targeted services.

“It has the potential to unleash a wave of productivity across the economy.”

“There are negatives that we need to focus on. Loss of jobs in some areas, discrimination, bias. We need to be worried about the use of AI for things like hiring and lending and even renting. I’m worried for people trying to apply for a house. They’ll never get their application on the desk of the real estate agent.”

Read more:
The day after the night before – Chalmers and Taylor on the budget

Earlier this week, Assange’s wife, Stella, addressed the National Press Club and called on the prime minister and the government to do more to bring him home. She stated: “This is closest we’ve ever been to securing Julian’s release”. Hill, a part of the Bring Julian Assange Home Parliamentary Group, believes there will be more progress in the near future.

“There are more positive signs, as Stella’s reflected. I’ve been outspoken on this for years, and my view has always been that this was a political decision to bring this prosecution, and it needs a political resolution led by the US government.”

“I organised and facilitated a meeting with US ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, and I thank her for that meeting. It was a good discussion, an honest, robust discussion and we got a good hearing.”

“There’s a lot of ongoing dialogue at the moment, and it can’t happen soon enough. Whether it’s an end to the prosecution, as I would call for by the US government, or whether it’s a negotiated resolution. There is, I think, a willingness to try and resolve the matter, and that’s incredibly welcome.”

“I’m actually planning to visit London near the end of June, and I’ve spoken to Jen Robinson, his legal counsel, about seeking to visit Julian in Belmarsh.”

“I hope that he’s not there then and then I can’t make and don’t have to make that visit.”

Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Politics with Michelle Grattan: Labor’s Julian Hill on employment, AI, Julian Assange and TikTok – https://theconversation.com/politics-with-michelle-grattan-labors-julian-hill-on-employment-ai-julian-assange-and-tiktok-206399

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Birt, Associate Professor of Computer Games and Associate Dean Engagement, Bond University

Whether you’re an experienced gamer or simply curious about the allure of open world games, Nintendo’s latest installment in the long-running (35-year) Zelda franchise, Tears of the Kingdom provides a captivating single-player journey through an intricately designed world.

But for many, the open world genre is a mystery. Being a gamer for over 40 years and having played the latest Zelda for more hours than I care to say, I wanted to delve into open world games, what makes open worlds captivating and the process of creating these expansive games.

Think of an open world game as like stepping into a virtual world where you can go anywhere you want, do whatever you like and embark on exciting adventures in a huge and detailed game world with lots of things to discover and missions to complete.

While there is an over-arching plot to adhere to, in an open world game, players can choose to ignore many of those narrative structures and go their own way, and forge their own path.

World building: crafting immersive game worlds

There is no doubt that open world games are popular and the latest instalment of the critically acclaimed Zelda series is no exception. It sold over 10 million copies worldwide in the first three days, becoming the fastest-selling Nintendo Switch game in the United States.

The first open world game is often attributed to the 1976 text-only game Colossal Cave Adventure. Other recent popular open world games include Red Dead Redemption 2, Grand Theft Auto V, Elden Ring and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Game designers invest significant effort in creating open world games with intricate and believable environments. They are filled with rich lore and history, allowing players to approach the game and its challenges in their own self-driven order and manner – a hallmark of open-world games. But making these great games is a significant undertaking requiring large development teams with a shared vision.

In Tears of the Kingdom, the game excels in constructing three distinct world levels: the sky, the surface and the depths. There are also over 152 mini levels or shrines. Each level presents a unique atmosphere and challenges, enticing players to explore and uncover their secrets. The attention to detail in the game’s environments and the depth of its lore contribute to a truly immersive experience.

One of the defining characteristics of open world games is the meticulous attention to world building. Compelling world building allows players to feel a sense of immersion and engagement as they become invested in the game world and its inhabitants. It adds depth, richness and believability to the gaming experience, encouraging exploration, storytelling and player agency within the virtual environment.

Player agency: shaping the narrative

Although Tears of the Kingdom is built upon the shoulders of its predecessor Breath of the Wild, the game feels like a vast improvement, building on the success story of the previous game.

Players have choices in terms of quests undertaken, order of solving the quest and the routes they take, adding a layer of personalisation to their gameplay. These choices influence the player’s interaction with characters and the overall progression of the game. But it’s in the new building mechanics that Tears of the Kingdom rises to the top of the pack and amplifies exceptional player agency.

Read more:
Here’s why The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is big news – even among those who don’t see themselves as ‘gamers’

Interactions with non-playable characters, environments and objects play a crucial role in open world games. Engaging with characters through dialogue and completing quests for them enhances the immersion and sense of connection with the game world. Furthermore, the ability to manipulate objects and solve puzzles adds depth to the gameplay experience.

Tears of the Kingdom introduces innovative puzzle mechanics and object building through the new Ultrahand ability, offering players a diverse range of interactions and ways of engaging with the world. From customised weapons to elaborate vehicles in the form of flying battle tanks, the only limit in the game is the player’s imagination and collecting enough materials.

It is this no-holds-barred system that sets the game apart. You can solve puzzles in endless ways. For instance, the game may have wanted you to create a bridge but instead you build a flying platform with a rocket. The thrill is in the discovery and exploration of the mechanics and the application of this in the world.

Challenges and balancing act

There has been significant criticism of open worlds over the years, with critics highlighting how open world games can be vast and empty, simply cloning other games or failing to live up to hype.

While open world games offer immense opportunities for immersive gameplay, they also present unique challenges. Repetition, unclear objectives and technical performance on ageing hardware are some of the issues developers must address to ensure a satisfying player experience.

Tears of the Kingdom demonstrates impressive performance on the ageing switch hardware, but maintaining a balance between a vast world and engaging content is a constant challenge for game designers. Striking the right balance is crucial to avoid overwhelming players and maintaining their interest.

Open worlds will remain

As the world of video games evolves, open world games will undoubtedly play a significant role in shaping the future of interactive entertainment.

By understanding the intricacies of game design in this genre, players, industry professionals and enthusiasts can gain valuable insights into the immersive and ever-expanding landscape of open world gaming.

So, whether you’re an experienced gamer or simply curious about the allure of open world games, Tears of the Kingdom provides a captivating journey through an intricately designed game world. Embrace the adventure, explore the possibilities and discover the wonders that await in the realm of open world gaming.

James Birt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Expansive, exciting and free: how Zelda’s Tears of the Kingdom unlocks the potential of open world gaming – https://theconversation.com/expansive-exciting-and-free-how-zeldas-tears-of-the-kingdom-unlocks-the-potential-of-open-world-gaming-206176

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dale Tweedie, Senior lecturer, Macquarie University

Elon Musk doesn’t like people working from home. A year ago he declared the end of remote work for employees at car maker Tesla. Now he has called the desire of the “laptop classes” to work from home “immoral”.

“You’re gonna work from home and you’re gonna make everyone else who made your car come work in the factory?” he said in an interview on US news network CNBC:

It’s a productivity issue, but it’s also a moral issue. People should get off their goddamn moral high horse with that work-from-home bullshit. Because they’re asking everyone else to not work from home while they do.

There’s a superficial logic to Musk’s position. But scrutinise it closer and the argument falls apart. While we have a duty to share workload with others, we have no duty to suffer for no reason. And for most of human history, working from home has been normal. It’s the modern factory and office that are the oddities.

Read more:
How many days a week in the office are enough? You shouldn’t need to ask

Working from home and the industrial revolution

Prior to the industrial revolution, which historian date to the mid-1700s to mid-1800s, working from home, or close to home, was commonplace for most of the world’s population. This included skilled manufacturing workers, who typically worked at home or in small workshops nearby.

For the skilled craftsperson, work hours were what we might call “flexible”. British historian E.P. Thompson records the consternation among the upper class about the notorious “irregularity” of labour.

Conditions changed with the rapid growth and concentration of machines in the industrial revolution. These changes began in England, which also saw the most protracted and tense conflicts over the new work hours and discipline factory owners and managers demanded.

Judgements of conditions for workers prior to industrialisation vary. Thompson’s masterpiece study The Making of the English Working Class (published in 1963) recounts bleak tales of families of six or eight woolcombers, huddled working around a charcoal stove, their workshop “also the bedroom”.

But it also mentions the stocking maker with “peas and beans in his snug garden, and a good barrel of humming ale”, and the linen-weaving quarter of Belfast, with “their whitewashed houses, and little flower gardens”.

Either way, working from home is not a novel invention of the “laptop classes”. Only with the industrial revolution were workers required under one roof and for fixed hours.

Read more:
Meet the matchstick women — the hidden victims of the industrial revolution

Misapplying a concept of justice

Musk’s moral argument against working from home says that because not all workers can do it, no workers should expect it.

This has some resemblance to the “categorical imperative” articulated by 18th century philosopher Immanuel Kant: “Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.”

But acting according to the same principle does not mean we all have the same options. We can, for example, want all workers to have the maximum freedom their tasks allow.

The wider error Musk appears to be making is misapplying what ethics researchers call distributive justice.

Simply put, distributive justice concerns how we share benefits and harms. As the philosopher John Rawls explains in his book Justice as Fairness, in distributive justice we view society as a cooperative activity, where we “regulate the division of advantages that arises from social cooperation over time”.

Research on distributive justice at work typically concerns how to pay workers fairly and also share the suffering or “toil” work requires. But there is no compelling moral case to share the needless suffering that work creates.

How to share more fairly

Clearly, professionals benefit from work in many ways we might argue are unjust.
As economist John Kenneth Galbraith observed satirically in The Economics of Innocent Fraud, those who most enjoy their work are generally the best paid. “This is accepted. Low wage scales are for those in repetitive, tedious, painful toil.”

If Musk wanted to share either the pay or toil at Tesla more equally, he has the means to do something about it. He could pay his factory workers more, for example, instead of taking a pay package likely to pay him US$56 billion in 2028. (This depends on Tesla’s market capitalisation being 12 times what it was in 2018; it’s now about 10 times.)

To share the “toil” of work more fairly, he wouldn’t just be sleeping at work. He’d be on the production line, or down a mine in central Africa, dragging out the cobalt electric vehicle batteries need, for a few dollars a day.

Elon, the floor is yours

Instead, Musk’s idea of fairness is about creating unnecessary work, shaming workers who don’t need to be in the office to commute regardless. There is no compelling moral reason for this in the main Western ethics traditions.

The fruits and burdens of work should be distributed fairly, but unnecessary work helps no one. Commuting is the least pleasurable, and most negative, time of a workers’ day, studies show. Insisting everyone has to do it brings no benefit to those who must do it. They’re not better off.

Denying some workers’ freedom to work from home because other workers don’t have the same freedom now is ethically perverse.

Musk’s hostility towards remote work is consistent with a long history of research that documents managers’ resistance to letting workers out of their sight.

Working from home, or “anywhere working”, has been discussed since the 1970s, and technologically viable since at least the late 1990s. Yet it only became an option for most workers when managers were forced to accept it during the pandemic.

While this enforced experiment of the pandemic has led to the “epiphany” that working from home can be as productive, the growth of surveillance systems to track workers at home proves managerial suspicions linger.

Read more:
3 ways ‘bossware’ surveillance technology is turning back the management clock

There are genuine moral issues for Musk to grapple with at Tesla. He could use his fortune and influence to do something about issues such as modern slavery in supply chains, or the inequity of executive pay.

Instead, he’s vexed about working from home. To make work at Tesla genuinely more just, Musk’s moral effort would better be directed towards fairly distributing Tesla’s profit, and mitigating the suffering and toil that industrial production systems already create.

Dale Tweedie receives no funding from any organisation that would benefit from this article.

– ref. Working from home immoral? A lesson in ethics, and history, for Elon Musk – https://theconversation.com/working-from-home-immoral-a-lesson-in-ethics-and-history-for-elon-musk-205992

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Braden Hill, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Students Equity and Indigenous), Edith Cowan University

In recent months in Australia, we have seen vigilante racism in Rockhampton, booing, abuse and vitriol directed at First Nations footy players, and the appalling treatment of First Nations children jailed in adult prisons.

Racism is a major issue in the debate over the proposed First Nations Voice to Parliament – and it will likely only continue to get worse.

Regardless of how First Nations people intend to vote, racist public commentary has a harmful impact on the mental health and wellbeing of people and their communities. Stan Grant’s decision to step away from his role with the ABC is a high profile example of this.

Recognising these likely impacts, the federal Labor government has committed $10.5 million to support mental health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the lead-up to the referendum vote later this year.

This is a welcome initiative that will enable Aboriginal community-controlled organisations to provide further support for their respective communities.

We can also learn from the experiences of LGBTQIA+ people during Australia’s marriage equality plebiscite how a national vote like this can affect the mental health of a historically marginalised community.

Read more:
New research shows how Indigenous LGBTIQ+ people don’t feel fully accepted by either community

Mental health impacts of the marriage equality plebiscite

Studies found that increased exposure to the “no” campaign messaging in the lead-up to the marriage equality plebiscite, as well as the harmful public debate, led to greater levels of psychological stress, depression and anxiety among the queer community.

Our research focusing on the wellbeing of Indigenous and LGBTQIA+ communities suggests the Voice to Parliament debate will also disproportionately affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

We have found that while people who identified as both Indigenous and LGBTQIA+ experienced frequent sex and gender discrimination, the impact of racism was more profoundly felt. As a result, it’s important to protect Indigenous people against racism in the very public debate over the Voice.

During the marriage equality plebiscite, mental health services catering to LGBTQIA+ clients saw a dramatic increase in demand. This led to longer wait-lists and increased stress on the healthcare system. The mental health of LGBTQIA+ people in electorates recording a high “no” vote was also more affected than people in electorates voting “yes”.

This would suggest that funding support for Indigenous people in communities associated with higher levels of racism is a priority. Pre-polling and post-referendum analysis would help establish which areas require this.

A supportive community also matters. LGBTQIA+ people with a close social circle they perceived as supporting marriage equality suffered less severe negative mental health outcomes from the “no” campaign. For those who didn’t receive support from their friends and family, public messages of support helped.

Unfortunately, not all Indigenous LGBTQA+ peoples have access to social supports.

How could the Voice referendum affect First Nations people?

According to various surveys, a majority of Indigenous people support constitutional recognition. But unlike the 1967 referendum, the Voice to Parliament referendum faces an organised “no” campaign.

There is opposition to the Voice from some media and social media sources that purposefully confuse the case for constitutional recognition. This makes the task ahead more difficult for “yes” campaigners and Indigenous people more broadly.

Racialised stressors that come with the referendum are an additional burden to First Nations communities. One example of this is the opposition’s repeated insistence about “insufficient detail” on the Voice, particularly from the more conservative side of the “no” campaign.
This invalidates and distorts the work, expertise and experience of Indigenous people over decades on all sides of the debate.

This vote will have little adverse impact on the lives of non-Indigenous Australians. However, supporting Indigenous family members, friends and colleagues is important. Like the marriage equality plebiscite, a minority community will face the greatest impact from the vote, not the majority with power.

Being supportive of Indigenous people firstly requires an understanding that we, as First Nations people, are entitled to diverse political views.

We are not here to educate or carry the burden of raising awareness on the referendum. We are also not interested in experiencing increased racial violence under the guise of political debate. This debate is one that non-Indigenous people can walk away from, but will remain felt by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Sustained mental health support for Indigenous people after the referendum will hopefully lessen the harm from the racism that will probably follow, irrespective of the outcome.

In order to combat racism and misinformation, it is vital for non-Indigenous people to have informed conversations about the referendum – around the kitchen table, at work, and even at your infamously racist uncle’s house.

Within our respective organisations, non-Indigenous colleagues are also educating themselves and others around them. They are taking the opportunity to elevate the voices of their Indigenous peers and proactively considering ways to support Indigenous communities throughout the campaign and afterwards.

Bep Uink receives funding from the NHMRC and Australian Research Council.

Shakara Liddelow-Hunt receives funding from the NHMRC.

Sian Bennett receives funding from Pathways of Care Longitudinal Study (POCLS), NSW Government.

Braden Hill does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. What can we learn from the marriage equality vote about supporting First Nations people during the Voice debate? – https://theconversation.com/what-can-we-learn-from-the-marriage-equality-vote-about-supporting-first-nations-people-during-the-voice-debate-205745

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland

Papua New Guinea has been in the international spotlight over the past week, hosting a remarkable series of visits by foreign leaders and senior representatives.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India received an enthusiastic welcome on Monday when he arrived in Port Moresby for the first visit by an Indian head of government and to meet with 14 visiting leaders of the Pacific Island Forum countries and territories. PNG Prime Minister James Marape stooped to touch Modi’s feet on arrival, welcoming him as the “leader of the Global South”.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken also visited Port Moresby at the start of the week. Blinken was standing in for US President Joe Biden, whose much-anticipated stopover in the country was cancelled, along with his planned subsequent visit to Australia, because of the crisis in the US Congress over the federal debt ceiling.

Blinken signed two important agreements with PNG during his visit: a Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) and an Agreement Concerning Counter Illicit Transnational Maritime Activity Operations.

While in Port Moresby, Blinken also convened the latest in a series of high-level meetings between the US and Pacific leaders. New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkens and Australian Senator Pat Conroy were also present.

These two visits were only part of a broader, substantial uptick in external engagement in PNG. In April, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly visited the country, signing a defence framework agreement. It’s understood Indonesian President Joko Widodo will be there in June.

France has also recently signed a status of forces agreement with PNG. Meanwhile, Australia is negotiating a security treaty that is expected to substantially upgrade its longstanding defence cooperation agreement.

This activity all reflects the increasing importance of the Pacific Island countries in the strategic calculations of the democratic powers amid growing Chinese influence and heightened US-China tensions in the region. This is particularly true of PNG. It’s the largest nation in the region by far, located only a few kilometres from Australia, near the intersection point between Asia and the Pacific.

Read more:
China’s push into PNG has been surprisingly slow and ineffective. Why has Beijing found the going so tough?

Amid all the colour and movement in Port Moresby this week, at least two important shifts were detectable in the dynamics of the region.

The Modi visit provided the clearest signal yet of India’s intention to join longstanding regional partners in demonstrating to the Pacific the value of prioritising engagement with the democratic world. With its inspirational development narrative, major power status and cultural links to the region, India could play an important role if it follows up with substantive collaboration with the region on climate change, security and sustainable development.

The updated defence arrangements between PNG and the United States, combined with the now-established pattern of senior US-Pacific political dialogue, recent growth in regional US development support and the upgrading of its regional diplomatic network, provide some corroboration that a long-promised American recommitment to the Pacific is finally under way.

Biden’s planned visit would have sealed this message symbolically – it would have been the first ever to a Pacific Island country. Its cancellation was undoubtedly a setback, but its impact should not be overstated given the practical displays of US commitment.

The text of the DCA will not be officially released until it is formally adopted into US law. However, the signatories have indicated that it updates an old status of forces agreement and aims to strengthen PNG Defence Force capabilities, including in humanitarian assistance and disaster response, and will allow for increased joint military training.

A draft leaked to the PNG media before the Blinken visit suggested the US might have substantial access to PNG facilities.

The maritime arrangement will allow the US Coast Guard to support surveillance in PNG’s exclusive economic zone and help combat illicit transnational activity through joint sea operations.

Students at several PNG universities protested against what they saw as a lack of transparency about the defence agreement. They expressed fears it compromised the country’s independence by bringing it more firmly into the US sphere of control. Some opposition political figures spoke of the risk of angering China and thus inviting potentially harmful repercussions for PNG’s economic security.

But Marape and his government stood their ground. Marape argued the agreement had “nothing to do with China” and PNG’s sovereignty remained intact. He also pointed to his government’s “healthy” relationship with Beijing and China’s status as an important trading partner for PNG. He has firmly rejected accusations that the arrangements for visiting US military personnel would violate PNG law.

Read more:
Biden’s cancelled Australia-PNG trip was a missed opportunity – but a US debt crisis would hurt a lot more

PNG will nonetheless remain committed to its “friends to all, enemies to none” foreign policy approach. It will continue to leverage its growing array of relationships for its economic development.

In recent years, PNG’s leaders have joined others from the Pacific in expressing impatience with the strategic rivalry between their external partners and alarm at signs of greater militarisation in the region. India’s refusal to align itself firmly with one side or another in the geostrategic contest will be seen by many in the region as a model.

While Chinese investment and development support for PNG actually remains very limited compared to that of Australia, it looms large as a trading partner. Chinese state-owned enterprises are now heavily engaged in PNG, particularly its construction sector.

It is also clear that Australia’s partners have come to understand they cannot leave it to Australia alone to carry the democratic standard in the Pacific. While Modi’s decision not to invite Australia and New Zealand to the formal component of the India-Pacific meeting (they were invited to a lunch) raised eyebrows, it may actually have been quite useful.

If the objective is for India to step forward into a substantive and positive regional role, then it probably helps that the symbolism of the India-Pacific meeting was not diluted by “traditional” partners detailing their own familiar cooperative efforts with the region.

If Australia wants others to share the load in the Pacific, it doesn’t follow that it always has to be involved. Australian government strategists likely think this has been a good week in PNG.

Ian Kemish is a former High Commissioner to PNG. He chairs the Kokoda Track Foundation and is the Pacific representative of the Global Partnership for Education, both of which receive funding from The Australian Government. He is affiliated with the ANU National Security College and the Griffith Asia Institute in addition to his adjunct position at the University of Queensland. He advises a range of companies on PNG and the Pacific.

– ref. World leaders are flocking to Papua New Guinea. Here’s why – https://theconversation.com/world-leaders-are-flocking-to-papua-new-guinea-heres-why-206091

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Cruickshank, Lecturer – Teaching & Administration, University of Canterbury

Insects are in rapid decline. One study found the global total is falling by 2.5% a year, with insect species going extinct eight times faster than mammals, birds and reptiles.

While scientists don’t yet know when insect populations could drop to the point of no return, we can’t keep losing species without, ultimately, a catastrophic outcome.

Many people are concerned about insect biodiversity and trying do something about it. One way is to give some habitat back to insects. Wildflower meadows, for example, are being sown in parks and other urban green spaces.

Typically, these are mixtures of mostly non-native species chosen to provide nectar, pollen, and other resources for insects, as well as visual floral appeal. They are often deployed for other reasons, like reducing the need for mowing and its associated costs and carbon footprint.

But before we plant wildflower fields or build “bug hotels”, we need to better understand how these measures help – and when they don’t. The lack of robust research means there is still a lot we don’t know. Our team of researchers at the University of Canterbury is trying to fill some of this knowledge gap.

What we don’t know

The long-term potential of wildflowers is unclear. They seem to attract insects, but there are many unanswered questions.

Do these insects come from elsewhere or is there a genuine bolstering of populations? Which insects benefit most? What is the balance between pests and beneficial species? Can exotic plants support an increase in native insects? Do the effects extend beyond planted areas, and if so, how far?

Read more:
Insects: worldwide study reveals widespread decline since 1925

Bug hotels, which generally consist of artificial homes for insects, raise similar questions. As their design, materials, and construction are more variable, it’s even more difficult to assess their efficacy.

This is something we need examine further as some designs may be more effective than others. This will depend on the mix of insects in the vicinity. What works well in one place may be counter-productive in another.

Long-term commitment

Enthusiasm for sowing wildflowers and building bug refuges rarely extends to ongoing upkeep and long-term monitoring. Many studies are short-term, local scale, and rather ad hoc, making it difficult to compare and draw broader conclusions.

The results are often unpublished or difficult to find, hidden in reports about other things. This means, if we are to use these insect ecosystem revival approaches effectively, we need to draw this evidence together and implement more long-term studies across a wide variety of contexts.

Fortunately, studies like this are relatively easy to do. They just require a commitment to keeping them going. We also need to be sharing the results in ways that allow meaningful comparisons.

Read more:
Insects are vanishing worldwide – now it’s making it harder to grow food

The research methods used by scientists to study insect populations don’t require expensive equipment and can easily be replicated by volunteers, community groups and school students of all ages. For example, pitfall traps, which measure insect activity on the ground, can be yoghurt pots sunk into the soil.

The educational possibilities are many, from science fair projects to basic numeracy skills. Similar to birdwatching, volunteers could do five-minute bug counts to see what insects visit flowers and “hotels”.

Other entomological methods such as “beating” (shaking a low-hanging branch over a white sheet to see what falls out) are just as easy. The important point is to choose methods and a sampling frequency that are sustainable, and stick to it.

Understanding bug populations

Baseline studies before establishing a meadow or bug hotel would make research like this even more effective, but this is rarely done. This is why we have been doing baseline studies of areas where wildflower meadows are planned at the University of Canterbury. We want to understand the environment, and insect populations, before the introduction of the wildflowers.

Although all the available evidence suggests these meadows will significantly increase the number and diversity of insects in the area, it’s surprising how many insects we’ve found in our baseline studies, including lots of tiny parasitic wasps, which tell us the insects they live off must also be around, even though we have not seen so many of them.

Read more:
What happens to the natural world if all the insects disappear?

These baseline studies will allow us to see how the composition of the insect community changes after meadows are sown. We may even find some kinds of insects decrease in numbers while others flourish. These details are important for assessing the overall impacts of the meadow.

In the process, we may also counter the trend towards disconnection from nature, particularly among young people. Wildflower meadows, bug hotels and other interventions could be a wonderful way to “rewild” our urban spaces, and bring some nature back into people’s lives.

If we want to know the best way to use such measures, however, we need to monitor their impacts. This can be an interesting, fun way to engage with and learn about nature, and to add value to community gardens and replanting projects.

It can also provide important scientific data to help us more effectively provide the space insects need to thrive alongside us.

Rob Cruickshank does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Could wildflowers and bug hotels help avert an insect apocalypse? We just don’t know – yet. – https://theconversation.com/could-wildflowers-and-bug-hotels-help-avert-an-insect-apocalypse-we-just-dont-know-yet-206390

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karen Dwyer, Professor, School of Medicine, Deakin University

Legendary singer Tina Turner, who died this week at the age of 83 after a long illness, has written about her history of high blood pressure and kidney disease, leading to a kidney transplant.

Turner should be applauded for her willingness to share her medical history to publicise the importance of looking after your kidneys, just months before she died.

Turner’s family has not confirmed how she died. But Turner’s openness with her long-standing illness is a reminder for us all to keep an eye on our blood pressure, and to control it, if we are to avoid complications.

Here’s why controlling your blood pressure is so important and what can happen if we don’t.

Why is high blood pressure linked to kidney disease?

There’s a bi-directional relationship between blood pressure and kidney disease.

That means high blood pressure increases the risk for kidney disease and once you have kidney disease, it further promotes high blood pressure. It’s a vicious cycle.

In some cases, it’s hard to determine which one came first.

Uncontrolled blood pressure exerts a lot of pressure on the kidney. That leads to scarring and damage. If we looked inside the kidney, we’d see large areas of scarring. Once you have scarring, that tissue isn’t working properly and can start to leak protein into the urine. That then pushes up the risk of progressive kidney disease, leading to kidney failure, heart disease and premature death.

The kidney itself is integral to maintaining blood pressure. Kidneys obviously maintain fluid balance by passing urine, but they also have important hormonal jobs which are vital to maintaining blood pressure.

So, once you get kidney disease, blood pressure can be really hard to manage. It’s like a hammer and nail, and the nail is the kidney. If you have high blood pressure, the hammer is hitting the nail really, really hard.

Read more:
Health Check: what do my blood pressure numbers mean?

Are there certain symptoms to look out for?

Both high blood pressure and kidney disease are what we call “clinically silent”, so many people don’t realise they have problems until it is very far along.

Often a person with high blood pressure has no symptoms. There are times, in extreme cases, where people may get headaches or a feeling of thumping in the head. But their first sign may be a stroke or heart attack or some other major complication. That’s why checking blood pressure on a regular basis is smart.

For kidney disease, you can lose up 90% of kidney function before symptoms develop. They can be clinically silent right up until kidney failure. When symptoms do arrive, they can be very vague – things like poor concentration or feeling tired.

Often people just put it down to winter, being busy or getting older.

So we recommend screening for kidney disease if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, excess abdominal weight, a history of smoking, acute kidney injury or a family history of kidney disease. This should be done on a one- to two-year basis.

Read more:
Kidneys are amazing for all they do, be sure to look after yours

What are the treatments?

In the past five years, there have been a swathe of newer medicines that bring down blood pressure and protect the kidney. For around 20 years, we have had a class of drugs called renin-angiotensin system blockade (usually just shortened to RAS blockade).

But more recently, we have a new group of medicines called SGLT2 inhibitors, which have really changed the landscape of kidney disease. The Therapeutic Goods Administration has just approved another medicine called finerenone, which is a non-steroidal MRA.

These have all been shown to protect the kidney, as opposed to just treating symptoms. They slow the progression of the disease and have shifted the paradigm to kidney preservation.

And it’s really crucial you address the lifestyle factors that increase your risk.

Read more:
Explainer: what is chronic kidney disease and why are one in three at risk of this silent killer?

How can I reduce my risk?

Don’t smoke. Being a smoker significantly increases your risk of high blood pressure and kidney disease.

Eat a nutrient-dense diet, including fresh, whole foods that are in season and avoid ultra-processed food and sugar. This approach will help to control blood pressure and protect the kidney.

Do all the usual things – get good sleep, maintain an active lifestyle and manage your stress. If you have a family history of kidney disease, that may prompt you to get checked.

Do the Kidney Health Australia quiz and if you are deemed to be at risk, go to your GP to get a kidney health check. That involves a blood pressure check, urine test and a blood test.

Read more:
Health Check: what can your doctor tell from your urine?

Kidney disease is becoming more common

The number of people with kidney failure is increasing dramatically. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the number of Australians receiving kidney replacement therapy (either on dialysis or living with a transplant) more than doubled between 2000 and 2020, from 11,700 to 27,700. Over half of those receiving kidney replacement therapy were on dialysis.

While a kidney transplant improves quality of life and can extend a person’s life, it’s important to remember that high blood pressure can still persist and often requires ongoing treatment.

Karen Dwyer is Clinical Director of Kidney Health Australia. She has received honorarium from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim and Bayer. She is on the clinical advisory committee for GMHBA.

– ref. Tina Turner had a history of high blood pressure and kidney disease. Here’s how one leads to the other – https://theconversation.com/tina-turner-had-a-history-of-high-blood-pressure-and-kidney-disease-heres-how-one-leads-to-the-other-206392

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marcin Glowacki, Research Associate, Curtin University

Astronomers have been working to better understand the galactic environments of fast radio bursts (FRBs) – intense, momentary bursts of energy occurring in mere milliseconds and with unknown cosmic origins.

Now, a study of the slow-moving, star-forming gas in the same galaxy found to host an FRB has been published in The Astrophysical Journal. This is only the fourth-ever publication on two completely different areas of astronomy describing the same galaxy.

Even more remarkable is the fact that a single telescope made the discovery possible – from the same observation.

Fast radio mysteries

FRBs, first detected in 2007, are incredibly powerful pulses of radio waves. They originate from distant galaxies, and the signal typically only lasts a few milliseconds.

FRBs are immensely useful for studying the cosmos, from investigating the matter that makes up the universe, to even using them to constrain the Hubble constant – the measure of how much the universe is expanding.

Read more:
A brief history: what we know so far about fast radio bursts across the universe

However, the origin of FRBs is an ongoing puzzle for astronomers. Some FRBs are known to repeat, sometimes over a thousand times. Others have only been detected once.

Whether these repeating or non-repeating signals have formed differently is currently being investigated by several research groups. At one point, we had more theories on how fast radio bursts are made than detections of them.

It’s an exciting time to be studying FRBs, as showcased by the recent study associating an FRB with a gravitational wave. If that finding holds true, it means at least some FRBs could be created by two neutron stars merging to form a black hole.

However, it is hard to pinpoint where exactly fast radio bursts come from. They are extremely bright yet so brief, getting an accurate position is hard for many radio telescopes. Without knowing where precisely these bursts originate, we cannot study the galaxies they are found in. And without knowing the environments FRBs are formed in, we cannot fully solve their mysteries.

One telescope in Australia is now helping us figure it out.

The tool for the job

CSIRO’s ASKAP radio telescope (Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder), located in the Western Australian desert, is a remarkable instrument. Made up of an array of 36 dishes separated by up to six kilometres, ASKAP can detect FRBs and pinpoint them to their host galaxies.

ASKAP can in fact perform its FRB search at the same time as observations for other science surveys. One such ASKAP survey will map the star-forming gas in galaxies across the Southern sky, helping us understand how galaxies evolve.

During a recent observation for this survey, ASKAP also detected a new FRB, and we were able to identify the galaxy it comes from – a nearby spiral galaxy much like our own Milky Way.

A gas-filled galaxy

ASKAP was able to find the cold neutral hydrogen gas – the source of star formation – in this spiral galaxy. As far as FRB host galaxies go, this is already a rare detection of this gas; only three other cases have been published so far. These had required follow-up observations, or relied on other older observations, made with different telescopes.

Here, ASKAP gave us both the FRB and the gas surrounding it. It is the first simultaneous detection of these rarely overlapping occurrences.

Disturbed gas which ASKAP can detect can give us an indication that a galaxy merger recently happened, which tells us about the star forming history of the galaxy. In turn this gives us clues as to what may cause FRBs.

The previous studies of the gas surrounding FRBs found fast radio bursts reside in very dynamic systems, suggesting tumultuous galaxy mergers triggered the bursts.

For this particular FRB, however, the host galaxy environment is surprisingly calmer. Further studies will be needed to find out if overall we see disturbed gas environments for FRBs, or if there are distinct scenarios – and potentially multiple creation paths – for FRBs.

More to come

Given the uniqueness of such dual detections, this result showcases the strength and versatility of ASKAP. This is the first simultaneous detection of both an FRB and the gas in its host galaxy.

And this is just the start. ASKAP is set to detect and localise over a hundred FRBs a year. By continuing to work collaboratively with each other, different survey groups will be able to untangle the mysteries behind FRBs, how they form, and their host galaxy environments.

CSIRO acknowledges the Wajarri Yamaji as the Traditional Owners and native title holders of the Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, our Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory site, where ASKAP is located.

Marcin Glowacki does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Astronomers detected two major targets with a single telescope – a mysterious signal and its source galaxy – https://theconversation.com/astronomers-detected-two-major-targets-with-a-single-telescope-a-mysterious-signal-and-its-source-galaxy-203557

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Moulds, Senior Lecturer of Law, University of South Australia

Across Australia, climate activists are testing the limits of what counts as lawful protest, in addition to the patience of commuters as their actions shut down roads or disrupt businesses. Authorities are responding with new police powers and increasingly harsh new penalties.

The speed at which these new laws are made and their impact on the right to protest are alarming.

Last week in Adelaide, an Extinction Rebellion activist dangled off a city bridge as part of a protest timed to coincide with a meeting of major oil and gas companies. Commuters along busy North Terrace were held up by road blocks set up by emergency services in response to the stunt. The activist was charged with several offences, including obstructing a public place.

The opposition in the state immediately called for tougher penalties for protesters who cause traffic chaos. The next day, the South Australian government introduced amendments to the Summary Offences Act 1953 (SA) that could see protesters hit with fines of $50,000 (up from $750) or three months imprisonment.

Protesters caught by the new laws could also be liable for paying the costs of any police and other emergency services called to the scene. These amendments were passed by the House of Assembly in Adelaide by lunchtime. In a matter of hours, the right to protest in South Australia sustained a grievous blow. And the laws are not limited to protesters – they can apply to any person who directly or indirectly obstructs free passage in a public place.

Read more:
‘Draconian and undemocratic’: why criminalising climate protesters in Australia doesn’t actually work

Both major parties were prepared to pass changes they barely had time to read, let alone scrutinise. There’s no human rights legislation in South Australia to slow down the race to legislate, and not even an requirement to publish explanatory material about the new law.

This type of knee-jerk lawmaking in response to climate protests has occurred in other states too.

In Queensland, laws have been introduced to make sure protesters who clamped themselves to buildings or other bits of the city could be hit with bigger fines and longer jail terms.

In New South Wales, harsher penalties have been introduced to target protesters whose actions disrupted businesses and other economic activity. These laws mean that people can be fined up to $22,000 or jailed for up to two years for protesting illegally on public roads, rail lines, tunnels, bridges and industrial estates.

And in Tasmania, anti-protest laws have been introduced to specifically target activists looking to disrupt logging activities by increasing penalties for anyone who obstructs employees from carrying out their work or causing a risk to worker safety.

These laws are designed to send a “zero tolerance” message to climate activists.

Using the threat of jail and crippling fines, authorities want to stop people from dangling from bridges, clamping themselves to buildings or chaining themselves to trees. They also want to help the commuters stuck in traffic, or the forestry workers locked out of their machines.

No compromise on right to protest, environment conservation

The problem is, when these laws are rushed through parliament, they are often poorly designed and sometimes, unconstitutional. They can also be unpopular.

This is because in the rush to respond to public outrage at the actions of protesters, politicians underestimate how much Australians care about the environment, and the right to peaceful protest.

This is playing out in the backlash to the new anti-protest laws in South Australia and in the judicial and public response to the sentencing of protester Deanna “Violet” CoCo in New South Wales.

These rushed laws also underestimate the reach of the implied freedom of political communication in our Constitution, which has been tested in a range of contexts.

Previous versions of anti-protest laws in Tasmania have been struck down by the High Court for going too far when it comes to imposing penalties on activists seeking to disrupt workplaces, with some judges taking a strong interest in the powers given to police and other authorities under these laws.

For example, in Brown v Tasmania, Chief Justice Kiefel and Justices
Bell and Keane explained that anti-protesting laws that are drafted in vague terms, and are highly dependent on police interpretation on the ground, risk capturing or deterring lawful protests. When this happens, the laws may no longer be considered proportionate, and may be incompatible with our constitutionally protected system of representative democracy.

The concept of representative democracy is fiercely defended by the High Court, which means that although we don’t have a constitutional right to protest, we do have an implied freedom to communicate about political matters that might impact who we vote for.

The laws introduced in NSW in 2022 are also being challenged on the basis that they may breach the implied freedom of political communication protected in the constitution.

The community backlash

The common element in the community backlash to these laws and the constitutional challenges is proportionality.

Proportionality is a human rights concept that means we think about whether the new law is necessary, whether it will work in practice and what impact it will have on other rights and values we care about in our democracy.

Read more:
What do we want? Charting the rise and fall of protest in Australia

People get rightly get frustrated when their drive to work or school takes three hours longer than usual because of protests. But recent surveys suggest there’s a good chance these same people also care about climate change and don’t want their kids to inherit a dead planet. They certainly don’t want their kids to live in a country where speaking out against the government lands you in jail or bankrupts you.

If we are going to stand any chance against the complex challenges that climate change poses to our way of life, we need parliamentarians who take their representative roles seriously, and take the time to listen to the community.

We need parliaments interested in making proportionate laws rather than breaking legislative speed limits.

Sarah Moulds has previously received funding from the Law Foundation of South Australia. She is the current Director of the volunteer-based Rights Resource Network SA and a member of the Law Society of South Australia.

– ref. Laws targeting protesters are being rushed through state parliaments. But they are often poorly designed and sometimes, unconstitutional – https://theconversation.com/laws-targeting-protesters-are-being-rushed-through-state-parliaments-but-they-are-often-poorly-designed-and-sometimes-unconstitutional-206103

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Charmaine Bernie, Senior Research Fellow, Early Years Research Lab, Southern Cross University

Early gross motor (or whole body) movements such as crawling and walking are exciting developments and clear markers for parents watching their child’s development. But what happens when a milestone isn’t reached, or the movement itself isn’t what a parent is expecting?

Babies arrive in the world with inborn movements, including reflexes. Other motor skills – such as sitting up or rolling towards a toy on a playmat – are learned as they grow.

Most babies begin moving towards people or objects much further away from them in the second half of their first year. This marks a change for parents and carers too, because they can no longer walk away for a moment and come back to find baby in the same spot. Time to think about child proofing your living spaces if you haven’t already!

But how can a parent or carer decide when to worry, when to get professional advice, or when to accept things are moving along just fine?

Crawling, cruising, walking

Commonly babies will crawl “on all fours” with bellies above the floor and hands and knees moving forward in a diagonal pattern, where right arm and left leg move together and left arm and right leg move together. This stage can last weeks or months before infants rise up to cruise on their feet while holding on to the furniture. Cruising and walking is usually observed between eight and 18 months of age.

Some children, however, move differently, and some seem to skip the crawling stage altogether. Just as there is no specific day in the first year that all babies move off their play mat to explore, there is no one way of moving across the room.

Some babies bottom-shuffle along while keeping their hands off the floor. Others commando crawl on their tummy, like soldiers staying low. Some babies move hands first with their bent knees to follow like they are playing game of leapfrog. Many use combinations of any or all of the above in addition to crawling before they turn one.

Quality and variety might be significant

Researchers and child development professionals used to think when traditional movement sequences were not observed, there was a definite problem with the way a child’s brain or body was developing.

While there are some schools of thought that suggest crawling is a critical part of child development, newer theories place more emphasis on the quality and variety of movements individual babies use to move. Some research has suggested variable crawling patterns can occur in children with, and without, later developmental delay. Earlier research found while 90% of children achieved motor milestones by age two following a common sequence, 4.3% did not show hands-and-knees crawling at all.

Differences are not always cause for concern, but tuning in to your child’s movement pattern may be important if you are noticing something unexpected at this stage. Unusual, absent or delayed crawling patterns have been associated with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism, developmental coordination disorder and other neurological, learning or developmental disorders.

Children with known neurological or physical issues, or adverse events before or at birth may also experience gross motor difficulties and delays.

For each of these groups, early assessment and intervention are important, as they carry greater potential benefit for children and families, compared with waiting until later to address concerns.

Read more:
Talking to babies may contribute to brain development – here’s how to do it

A few things to watch for and investigate

So, what are the signs that help parents know it is time to seek professional advice?

Not trying to move

By about 9–11 months there should be some regular attempts from babies to move in and out of still positions and explore the room around them. It is common for babies at this stage to use their arms and legs effectively together to direct themselves forward.

Asymmetry

When the left of the body is doing something quite different from the right (or vice versa) it is a sign further assessment may be needed.

Noticeable weakness, stiffness or discomfort

When babies seems to be struggling with movement strength or range, particularly in the neck, arms, hands, or legs, this should be explored further by a health professional. Babies showing regular and ongoing signs of discomfort with their movements (such as grimacing or crying) should also be reviewed.

Read more:
What is ‘early intervention’ for infants with signs of autism? And how valuable could it be?

Get the right advice

If parents or carers notice these things, it is important they raise it with a care provider, such as a maternal child and family health nurse or general practitioner. An appointment with one of these providers is usually the first step parents take when there are concerns or they want extra observation or screening.

Some families may already have access to a paediatric occupational therapist, physiotherapist or paediatrician. Each can complete further assessments and offer advice as needed.

In the vast majority of cases, parents have a good sense of when to worry. If you are concerned, seek out a healthcare professional who can help answer questions and provide advice. Neither you, nor your baby need to move through this stage alone.

Read more:
Toilet training from birth? It is possible

Charmaine is registered as an Occupational Therapist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.

Charmaine Bernie is a trainer in Occupational Performance Coaching, Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance, and pathways to autism diagnosis.

– ref. Babies crawl, scoot and shuffle when learning to move. Here’s what to watch for if you’re worried – https://theconversation.com/babies-crawl-scoot-and-shuffle-when-learning-to-move-heres-what-to-watch-for-if-youre-worried-204913

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology

Electric vehicle advocates say the cars ultimately have a smaller carbon footprint than their fossil-fuelled counterparts and could resolve our energy concerns for good. Well, fair enough, but questions arise when we dig into the inner layers of electrical vehicles and see how sustainable their components are. In fact, the batteries that power electric vehicles may also be their Achilles heel.

Batteries are the most expensive component of an electric vehicle. If the battery pack is damaged, defective or simply old, this can lead to the vehicle being written off prematurely. Tesla is even producing “structural” battery packs described as having “zero repairability”.

Increasingly scarce and valuable resources, such as lithium and water, are needed to make these batteries. Despite this, they are often not designed for ease of repair, reuse or recycling. This has significant environmental impacts, ranging from the mining for materials and the water and energy used in making new batteries and vehicles, through to the hazardous waste from discarded batteries.

In other words, the answer to the question of “Are electric vehicles really eco-friendly?” largely depends on how we manage the downsides associated with their batteries. Changes in how we design, produce, use and recycle electric car batteries are urgently needed. These changes can ensure that, in solving the problem of fossil fuel emissions, we also minimise other environmental harms.

Read more:
Electric cars can clean up the mining industry – here’s how

Tackle the problems before they get too big

It’s important to resolve these issues now, while electric vehicles make up a small fraction of the global vehicle fleet. Even in world-leading Norway, only 20% of cars on the road are electric. In Australia, fewer than 100,000 out of 20 million registered vehicles are battery-powered.

Yet already we are wrestling with the emerging concerns about their batteries. The performance of lithium batteries in an electric vehicle can degrade to 70-80% of its full capacity within six to ten years, depending on the owner’s driving routine. At that point, the battery is barely reliable as the main energy source of the vehicle. Repeated fast charging can degrade a battery sooner.

Globally, about 525,000 batteries will reach the end of their useful life for powering a vehicle by 2025. That number soars to over 1 million by 2030.

Read more:
Can electric vehicle batteries be recycled?

There’s life after EVs for batteries

However, the total lifetime of lithium batteries is 20 years. This means the end of a battery’s usefulness in a vehicle doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be discarded. These retired batteries can have plenty of other uses.

So how much capacity does a retired battery still have? As an example, an energy storage made of five repurposed Chevrolet Volt batteries can meet two hours of peak-use energy demand for five houses. The numbers become even more appealing for Tesla Model 3 batteries, which have three times the energy capacity of the Chevrolet Volt’s.

That is a tremendous capacity still available in a retired battery. So why not use that?

And once the battery has reached the end of its useful life, most of the raw materials used to make it can be recovered. It is possible to extract over 95% of the valuable metals like lithium, nickel, cobalt and copper. The European Union already requires electric vehicle batteries to be at least 50% recyclable by weight, increasing to 65% by 2025.

However, the current lack of standardisation of battery packs presents a challenge for battery recycling. There are many different physical configurations, cell types and cell chemistries.

Read more:
Designing batteries for easier recycling could avert a looming e-waste crisis

Reuse has a long value chain

The good news is that battery reuse is not a fictional utopia. Carmaker Nissan is already doing it on Koshikishima, an island in south-western Japan. Batteries are recovered from electric vehicles, have their health assessed and then allocated to suitable second-life applications.

These batteries can be reused in a solar farm, as an emergency household power supply, or for an electric forklift in a warehouse. Research shows this repurposing of batteries can get another 10-15 years’ use out of them. That’s a huge leap towards reducing their environmental impact.

So, who benefits from this scheme? Well, there’s a long list.

In the first row, electric vehicles owners benefit immediately if their used batteries can be sold for a good price.

In the longer run, the list of beneficiaries expands massively. Households can enjoy more reliable and cheaper energy simply by charging up their battery storage during off-peak hours for use at peak times when electricity costs are higher. As an initiative in Portugal showed, using repurposed electric vehicle batteries in this way could cut energy bills by 40%.

Reusing batteries is good news for the environment. Research suggests reducing the demand for new batteries in this way could cut greenhouse gas emissions from making batteries by as much as 56%.

Read more:
Cooperation with the US could drive Australia’s clean energy shift – but we must act fast

The long list of benefits of giving electric vehicle batteries a second life, then recycling their materials, is enticing. Given the scale of the potential economic and environmental gains, along with the countless jobs such work can create, batteries could be more generous in their afterlife than in their first incarnation in electric vehicles.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Batteries are the environmental Achilles heel of electric vehicles – unless we repair, reuse and recycle them – https://theconversation.com/batteries-are-the-environmental-achilles-heel-of-electric-vehicles-unless-we-repair-reuse-and-recycle-them-205404

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giselle Natassia Woodley, Researcher and Phd Candidate, Edith Cowan University

Last week, the Albanese government announced an expert panel to support relationships and sexuality education in Australian schools.

The group is lead by the head of anti-violence organisation Our Watch, Patty Kinnersly, and includes consent advocate Chanel Contos. It will do a “rapid review” into consent and respectful relationships programs to identify “opportunities for improvement”.

This follows a new focus on consent and healthy relationships in Australian schools. The former Coalition government made consent a mandatory part of the curriculum.

We are talking to teenagers about the sex education they receive at schools. This research highlights several areas young people think can be improved. They are particularly concerned sex education most often does not discuss actual sex.

Read more:
Mandatory consent education is a huge win for Australia – but consent is just one small part of navigating relationships

Our research

As part of broader, ongoing research into online sexual content, we interviewed 30 West Australian teens (aged 11-17), between 2021 and 2023, to explore their experiences of sex education and where they source information to answer their questions about sex and relationships.

Eighteen interviewees were followed up with 12 months after we had first spoken, to see if their perspectives had changed.

Interviews began as some schools started teaching consent in 2021, with sexual assault being widely debated in the wake of the women’s March4Justice rallies around the country and a school sexual assault petition spearheaded by Contos. We have continued to gather young people’s perspectives as consent education became mandatory at the start of this school year.

Only the basics

The majority of the young people interviewed told us they were only taught the basics about consent – along the lines of “no means no, and yes means yes”. As interviewee Miles* (17) told us:

It’s always broadly talked about […] but it’s never actually talked about what it means and what it actually is.

Nicola (16) added:

It was more just like if someone says ‘no’, ‘stop’ or things like that and if you don’t like it say ‘no’ and things instead of the depths of it.

Consent is complex, so teaching it without necessary detail or context can have devastating results. Some young people may feel unable to say “no” safely in unwanted sexual experiences, and others are genuinely unaware a sexual act occurring, may not be consensual.

At the same time, teens also felt like the focus was on consent at the expense of other information and topics. As Tiffany (14) said:

The whole thing is consent, ‘cos that’s such a big thing nowadays […] we haven’t been taught about sex.

Read more:
Teaching young people about sex is too important to get wrong. Here are 5 videos that actually hit the mark

A focus on ‘what could go wrong’

Interviewees also felt current sex education was overwhelmingly fear-based and focused on safety. As 15-year-old Lauren explained, she and her classmates had been taught “what could go wrong and not anything else”.

They talk more about sexual violence and sexual assault than they do about sex itself and the benefits of sex and pleasure […]. It makes it feel like it’s bad to have sex and that there’s no pleasure in it and it’s harmful.

The focus was on risk and biological aspects also left many students confused in terms of how to navigate real-life sexual scenarios safely. As Caris (15) explained:

It’s hard not knowing what to do and where to put yourself and how to move and all of that. It’s hard for teenagers and they don’t feel comfortable going to their parents.

Warren (17) said this meant teenagers were going online to find more information.

The lack of education causes the younger generation to resort to online personal education therefore resulting in more negative or destructive sexual encounters.

This echoes a 2021–22 national survey, which found 95% of young Australians thought sex education was an important part of the curriculum. But only 24.8% said their most recent class was “very” or “extremely” relevant to them.

Teachers don’t seem trained

Young people interviewed also felt like their educators did not have enough training to be teaching about relationships and sexuality, which is taught as part of health and physical education from the first year of school to Year 10. As Nicola said:

It’s strange they have sport teachers teaching it, it’s not a designated teacher for that program. I think it makes a lot more sense if it’s someone who actually is knowledgeable.

Although a number of teens experienced enthusiastic, invigorating teachers, other interviewees wondered why an outside expert could not be brought in to teach about relationships and sexuality.

What needs to change

Consent education is extremely important. But if there is an overwhelming focus on consent and risks, education programs can create fear around sex. This can lead to trauma and shame. A Rebecca (16) told us:

It was called healthy relationships, but I reckon should just be called consent ‘cos that’s pretty much all we did the whole term.

Young people need be part of a culture that cares for and respect one another, rather than simply being taught to gain permission for sex. Young people need real-life strategies and communication techniques so they can talk about sex openly and clearly.

There also needs to be balanced information with discussion about the positive aspects of sex, such as building intimacy, communicating and pleasure.

This means consent education needs to be included as an important ingredient within a more comprehensive relationships and sexuality program.

We also need to ensure teachers are supported and receive appropriate training, working alongside visiting specialists as needed.

Read more:
Not as simple as ‘no means no’: what young people need to know about consent

Learning about sex doesn’t mean young people will have it

There’s a common misconception that discussing sex encourages young people to have sex earlier. However, research suggests the opposite and information can actually delay sexual activity. Recent research also shows Australian parents want schools to tackle sex and relationships in more detail and from an early age.

Ultimately, schools need to be able to listen to the concerns of teens to meet their real needs around sex education in ways that are healthy, safe and relevant.

*names have been changed

If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. In an emergency call 000.

Giselle Natassia Woodley is part of the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Project funding scheme (project DP190102435). The views expressed here are those of the author and not necessarily the Australian government or the ARC. Giselle is also part of a not-for-profit Relationships and Sexuality education advocacy group, Bloom-Ed, whose views are not expressed here.

– ref. ‘We haven’t been taught about sex’: teens talk about how to fix school sex education – https://theconversation.com/we-havent-been-taught-about-sex-teens-talk-about-how-to-fix-school-sex-education-206001

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan W. Marshall, Associate Professor & Postgraduate Research Coordinator, Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, Edith Cowan University

Recent protests against drag queen story hours are the latest in a series of actions targeting the increased prominence of displays of LGBTIQ+ culture in the public arena.

But drag artists have been strutting their stuff in speakeasys, cabarets and films for a long time now.

The long history of cross-dressing

There is a long global history of cross-gendered performance. In the West, this included “travesty” roles, “breeches parts”, pantomime dames and their cousins in blackface – “wench” – parts, variety halls and Shakespearean performances.

There’s also Japanese kabuki (onnagata), Beijing opera, Samoan fale aitu and fa’afafine performances and more. All share something with drag – cross-dressing and various forms of gender play and/or reversal – but none is quite the same as what we know today.

Read more:
Calling drag queens ‘groomers’ and ‘pedophiles’ is the latest in a long history of weaponising those terms against the LGBTIQA community

Legal restrictions on gendered clothing have existed in places like Europe, China and Japan through to modern times – though the focus was more on class than gender. The wearing of men’s pants by women was technically illegal in France until 2013. Centuries earlier, it contributed to the prosecution of Joan of Arc by church courts.

The emergence of drag

Something like contemporary drag appeared in the West from the late 18th century, blending early burlesque (disrespectful comedy, not necessarily bawdy) with nascent queer culture (clubs, speakeasys and other semi-underground meeting places where same-sex-attracted individuals socialised).

By the time the 20th century rolled around, drag artists, particularly in the US, offered beauty tips, attempted to engage in sponsorships or sold stylishly posed postcards and souvenirs, closely recalling advertisements aimed at female consumers. Since much early drag made fun of women in general, and women of colour in particular, the form has hardly been a consistent force for good.

Drawing on blackface minstrelsy, British panto and college revues, drag from the 1950s increasingly featured female impersonators offering hyperbolic, over-the-top and often disrespectful portraits of feminine characteristics.

So called “glamour drag” was designed, in the words of artist Jimmy James, “to take people totally away from the ugly realities … and transport them to the realm of the magical” though fabulous dresses, hair and sequins. This became the dominant form of drag in the West, particularly in Australia – although there was also a vibrant counter-culture.

Danny La Rue camped it up on the stages of Britain and the US, touring Australia in the late 1970s, while Charles Ludlam made the difficult transition from outrageous drag to main stage theatre and back, losing none of his style.

From the queer underground to the straight mainstream

Key to the crossover of drag from an underground principally LGBTIQ+ phenomena to the cis mainstream was the increasingly flamboyant manifestation of popular music – such as glam, hair metal, disco and new wave.

The exultant 1978 video for disco star Sylvester’s You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real), for example, introduced audiences to the concept of “realness” as she inhabited different costumed personas. Sylvester was a former member of the avant-drag troupe the Cockettes and her clip was shot at London’s gay disco The Embassy.

“Rock camp” performance found its perfect expression in The Rocky Horror Picture Show stage show in 1973, directed by Australian queer theatre legend Jim Sharman. Its comedic celebration of gender fluid performance and sexuality helped make drag and related forms mainstream.

Also crucial was Jennie Livingston’s 1990 film Paris is Burning, documenting the competitive balls (drag races) mounted by working class LGBTIQ+ African-Americans and Latinos in New York, some of whom (but not all) identified as trans. Performers at the balls competed to exhibit “realness” – not only in gender terms, but employment and social position: “executive realness”, “butch queer”, “banjee girl” and “military”.

Madonna famously recruited performers from Paris is Burning (Jose Gutierez and Luis Camacho from House Xtravaganza) to assist in the choreography for her video Vogue and then her Blond Ambition tour, skyrocketing the international renown of these practices.

Drag landmarks

Prior to The Rocky Horror Picture Show gracing the stages of London and Sydney, Kings Cross had seen the foundation of legendary drag revue Les Girls, running from 1963-93. This show was led by Carlotta, who took her girls on tour, and became the inspiration for Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

“Alternative cabaret” also thrived. Notables, including Australia’s truly outrageous Reg Livermore, the bizarre fantasies of Lindsay Kemp or the incredible Moira Finucane. Finucane’s brilliant early “gender fuck” performance as Romeo involved an arrogant, moustachioed and convincingly male performer who undressed to reveal Finucane, who then pleasured herself with a feather boa.

Australians might also remember the wonderful Pauline Pantsdown’s drag satire I Don’t Like It in 1998.

Topping it off was the huge success of RuPaul’s Drag Race reality TV show in 2009. Producers were onto a winner: fabulous clothes, the highs and lows of competition and a scintillating array of would-be stars, presided over RuPaul, looking never less than fabulous.

Lessons from the history of drag

The glamorous, hyper-feminine artist remains the most popular model of drag. Perhaps unsurprisingly it was these paragons of camp femininity who were chosen to read to children in libraries, first in San Francisco in 2015 and then internationally. These glitter, glam and rainbow unicorns seemingly conquered the globe.

But more outré drag queens, drag kings and “genderfuck” performers never ceased toiling away in the underground. Drag is changing.

If we are to look to history for lessons, I’d like to see story time presented by the successors to Divine (one of John Waters’ collaborators, whose 1984 appearance on Countdown marks one of the strangest moments in Australian television) or transgender superstar Candy Darling. Now that would be a story time education to remember.

Jonathan W. Marshall does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. How drag as an art form sashayed from the underground and strutted into the mainstream – https://theconversation.com/how-drag-as-an-art-form-sashayed-from-the-underground-and-strutted-into-the-mainstream-205650

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Carter, Associate Professor, RMIT University

With technology increasingly embedded in our everyday lives, it is becoming more important to understand space weather and its impacts on tech.

When one hears “space weather”, one typically thinks of huge explosions on the Sun – coronal mass ejections hurled towards Earth, creating beautiful displays of aurora.

However, not all space weather starts at the Sun.

The volcanic eruption in Tonga in January 2022 was so large, it created waves in the upper atmosphere that constituted their own form of space weather.

It was one of the largest explosions in modern history and impacted GPS across Australia and Southeast Asia. As we describe in our new study in the journal Space Weather, the eruption caused a super “plasma bubble” over northern Australia that lasted for hours.

Read more:
A year on, we know why the Tongan eruption was so violent. It’s a wake-up call to watch other submarine volcanoes

A truly global positioning system

While most people have a GPS (global positioning system) receiver on their devices (such as a satnavs and smartphones), not many know how GPS actually works.

In essence, our devices listen to radio signals transmitted by satellites orbiting Earth. Using those signals, they calculate their location relative to the satellites, allowing us to orient ourselves and find that nearby pub or coffee shop.

The radio signals received by our devices are affected by Earth’s atmosphere (particularly the layer called the ionosphere), which degrades location accuracy. Common devices are only accurate to within tens of metres.

However, new and improving precise satellite positioning systems, used within the mining, agriculture and construction industries, can be accurate to within ten centimetres. The only catch is these systems need time to lock onto their location, and this can take thirty minutes or more.

This precise satellite positioning works by accurately modelling the errors caused by Earth’s ionosphere. But whenever the ionosphere becomes disturbed, it becomes complicated and difficult to model.

For instance, when a geomagnetic storm (a disturbance in the solar wind that impacts Earth’s magnetic field) takes place, the ionosphere becomes turbulent and radio waves travelling through it get scattered – like visible light that becomes bent and scattered when looking down into a lake in choppy conditions.

Read more:
The Tonga volcanic eruption has revealed the vulnerabilities in our global telecommunication system

A volcanic disruption

Recent studies have shown the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano eruption caused choppy conditions in the ionosphere that lasted a few days. The size of the waves it generated in the ionosphere were similar in size to those created by geomagnetic storms.

While these waves influenced GPS data around the world for days after the eruption, their impact on positioning was rather limited in comparison to another type of disturbance in the ionosphere – a “super plasma bubble” that formed in the wake of the eruption.

The ionosphere is a layer of Earth’s atmosphere at altitudes of approximately 80–800km. It comprises gas with lots of electrically charged particles, which makes it a “plasma”.

In turn, equatorial plasma bubbles are plasma disturbances in the ionosphere that naturally occur at nighttime above low-latitude regions.

Such plasma bubbles occur regularly. They form due to a phenomenon called the “generalised Rayleigh-Taylor instability”. It is similar to what happens when a heavy fluid sits on top of a less heavy fluid, and blobs of this lighter fluid rise up into the heavy fluid in the form of “bubbles” (see video below).

When it comes to disturbances in the ionosphere however, the plasma is also controlled by magnetic and electric fields.

As they rise, plasma bubbles form strangely shaped structures that resemble cacti or inverted tree roots. Due to Earth’s magnetic field, these structures fan out as the bubble grows above the equator.

The result is that higher altitude bubbles reach higher latitudes as well. Typically, plasma bubbles reach a few hundred kilometres above the equator, reaching latitudes between 15 and 20 degrees to the north and south.

A rare bubble above Australia

Scientists detected a super plasma bubble above Southeast Asia shortly after the Tonga eruption. It’s estimated to be similar in size to previously reported rare super bubbles.

Earth’s magnetic field carried this disturbance south, where it lingered for a few hours above Townsville in northeastern Australia.

To date, this is the farthest south any plasma bubble has been observed over Australia. While very rare, such super bubbles are known to have taken place over northern Australia, but they haven’t been directly observed before this event.

A roll-out of GPS stations across northern Australia has only recently made this type of observation possible.

It is understood waves from the volcano eruption disturbed the winds in the upper atmosphere, altering the flow of plasma in the ionosphere and giving rise to the super plasma bubble.

Our study has found the bubble caused significant delays in the use of precise GPS across northern Australia and Southeast Asia. In some cases, getting a lock on the GPS location took over five hours longer due to the plasma bubble.

While we understand a lot about the ionosphere, our ability to predict its disturbances is still limited. Having more GPS stations is not only beneficial for improving positioning and navigation, it also fills gaps in monitoring the ionosphere.

The Tonga eruption was far from a typical “space weather” event caused by the Sun. But its impact on the upper atmosphere and GPS highlights the importance of understanding how the environment impacts the technologies we rely on.

Brett Carter is an Editor of the American Geophysical Union journal Space Weather. He receives funding from the Australian Research Council, SmartSat CRC and FrontierSI. He is also a member of the Australian Institute of Physics and the American Geophysical Union.

Rezy Pradipta receives funding from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and United States Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). He is affiliated with the American Geophysical Union (AGU).

Suelynn Choy receives funding from the CRC for Spatial Information, FrontierSI, Australian Research Council, SmartSat CRC and industry funding.

– ref. The Tonga volcano eruption caused a ‘super bubble’ in Earth’s ionosphere, disrupting satellite navigation – https://theconversation.com/the-tonga-volcano-eruption-caused-a-super-bubble-in-earths-ionosphere-disrupting-satellite-navigation-204546

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan includes “Word from The Hill”, where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation’s politics team.

In this podcast Michelle and politics + society editor Amanda Dunn discuss whether Labor needs to panic about a polling decline in support for the Voice, the Quad meeting on skates, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s celebrity welcome.

Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Word from The Hill: On the Voice, the Quad, and Indian PM Modi’s visit – https://theconversation.com/word-from-the-hill-on-the-voice-the-quad-and-indian-pm-modis-visit-206305

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Coates, Program Director, Economic Policy, Grattan Institute

Major state tax reforms are few and far between in Australia, which is what makes Tuesday‘s Victorian budget very, very significant.

Victoria’s government announced it will abolish stamp duty for commercial and industrial properties and replace it with an annual property tax.

The Victorian model shows how state governments could abolish all property stamp duties once and for all – including stamp duties on homes.

Stamp duty is a bad tax

Originally intended to be abolished as part of the deal to introduce the goods and services tax back in 2000, stamp duty on commercial and industrial properties accounts for about one-fifth of all stamp duty revenues collected in Victoria.

They are one of the most economically harmful taxes Australia has.

Stamp duties on commercial and industrial properties act as a brake on new businesses, stop many businesses from shifting premises as they grow and ultimately mean we don’t use scarce urban land as efficiently as we should.

Read more:
Finding the losers (and surprising winners) from phasing out stamp duty

Economists estimate that stamp duties on commercial property cost the economy between 50 cents and 60 cents for every dollar of revenue they raise – more than any other state tax.

So far, only South Australia has fully phased out stamp duty on commercial properties, although it never replaced it with a land tax.

The Australian Capital Territory is well on the way to abolishing them as part of its broader property tax reforms, which will see stamp duty replaced with a broad-based land tax for all types of property over two decades.

The ACT is just over half-way through that transition.

Victoria’s bold moves

From July 2024, buyers of commercial and industrial properties will have the option of paying stamp duty upfront or the same amount (with interest) stretched out over a decade.

A decade after that purchase, the property will attract an annual land tax of 1% of the property’s unimproved land value.

If the new owners sell again, even within the first decade, no stamp duty will be charged and the same deadline for the introduction of the land tax will apply.

Land tax won’t be charged on properties bought before July 2024 until they are sold. After they have switched to land tax, they can’t switch back.

How quickly things transition will depend on how quickly these properties turn over, and it might take decades.

But once the transition is complete, the budget predicts a long-term payoff to the state economy of as much as $50 billion over some decades.

Abolishing homebuyer stamp duty is the big prize

Abolishing stamp duty on commercial properties is a big step forward. But the main game remains abolishing stamp duties on homes, which raise four times as much for state governments.

Economists hate stamp duties on homes because they discourage homeowners from moving house as their lives change. Doing so would mean having to pay stamp duty a second time.

It’s also unfair because it punishes younger households that move around more, while rewarding older residents who tend to stay put for decades.

Read more:
Victoria bites $117 billion bullet, begins the long march of land tax reform

Stamp duty even acts as a tax on divorce. It’s a big reason why more than half of divorced women who lose their home don’t buy again. Divorced women are already three times more likely to rent in retirement than married women.

Removing stamp duty would lead to better use of the existing housing stock: first homebuyers could buy smaller homes knowing they could more easily upgrade later, and more retirees would downsize. Past NSW Treasury calculations suggest this could result in rents and house prices falling by up to 6% in the long term.

In 2018, the Grattan Institute found a national shift from stamp duties to land tax would add up to $17 billion per year to gross domestic product.

Victoria’s approach could inspire others

Broader stamp duty reform has stalled. Despite the obvious benefits, only one Australian government, the ACT, has made the move from stamp duties to a broad-based property tax.

Adopting the ACT model – by gradually phasing down stamp duty while lifting land tax – would ensure Victoria could transition without losing revenue.

But it would impose land tax on those who haven’t moved homes, which would make the politics harder.

The former NSW Perrottet government tried to give homebuyers a choice between paying stamp duty and land tax as a way around forcing existing home buyers to start paying land tax, but the reform fell flat once the true cost to the state budget became apparent.

Read more:
Axing stamp duty is a great idea, but NSW is doing it wrong

Victoria’s model provides an alternative for weaning homes off stamp duty. No one would be forced to pay land tax until they moved, which would make the politics much easier. But it would take longer to reap the economic benefits than the ACT’s approach.

It would still cost the budget money as the government would collect less in land tax than it would from the stamp duty during the transition. But the budgetary cost would be much less than adopting the failed NSW model, especially if the federal government committed to filling part of the (smaller) revenue hole.

Ditching stamp duty for land tax for all property could be a game-changer across Australia. The ACT showed one path. Victoria has opened up another.

Brendan Coates does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Victoria shows Australia how to finally abolish stamp duty once and for all – https://theconversation.com/victoria-shows-australia-how-to-finally-abolish-stamp-duty-once-and-for-all-205646

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By KB Heylen, PhD Candidate, Macquarie University

More than 6 million Australians have used the “buy now, pay later” lending services offered by Afterpay, Zip and more than a dozen other companies.

Buy now, pay later offers an easy and convenient alternative to credit card services. You can sign up and have your loan approved almost immediately. One reason for this is that buy now, pay later companies aren’t regulated by the same consumer-protection rules that apply to other credit providers.

But now the Australian government is going to change that – at least partly, in response to concerns the unregulated sector will lead to more people get caught in debt traps.

“BNPL looks like credit, it acts like credit, it carries the risks of credit,” federal Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones said this week.

The government will bring the industry in line with with other credit products by amending the National Consumer Credit Protection Act to include buy now, pay later companies, defining buy now, pay later companies as credit providers.

Here’s what this means, for you and the sector.

What is a buy now, pay later service?

First, let’s recap what exactly makes buy now, pay later companies different to other forms of credit.

The crucial difference is that buy now, pay later companies don’t charge interest, which is how the National Consumer Credit Protection Act defines a credit service. Instead buy now, pay later companies charge retailers a commission on transactions and charge customers late fees if they fail to make repayments on time. Some also charge monthly account keeping fees.

This has enabled buy now, pay later lenders to pitch their products as “interest free”, as well as avoid the regulatory requirements of the federal credit law.

Read more:
What’s the difference between credit and debt? How Afterpay and other ‘BNPL’ providers skirt consumer laws

One of these is the requirement to perform a credit check, which involves assessing a customer’s financial history and capacity before lending money, although some buy now, pay later companies already do so voluntarily. This is why financial regulators such as the Australian Securities and Investments Commission have warned of the risk of buy now, pay later products contributing to financial stress and
hardship.

More credit checking

The changes to the Credit Act will require all buy now, pay later providers to hold an Australian Credit Licence, like other credit providers, and to improve their dispute resolution, hardship, product disclosure and marketing practices.

Most importantly it will impose credit-check requirements.

The comprehensive credit-reporting framework currently requires credit providers such as banks to report on consumers’ loan, repayment, overdue and default histories. This data is used by providers when assessing a person’s affordability and suitability for credit.

Afterpay and others have argued they don’t need this credit-reporting system because they use their own algorithmic checks. The problem is no one knows what data they are using or how they are making decisions.

While the credit reporting system is not perfect, it is better to have all providers working from the same data set than individual companies making up their own rules.

As credit services, buy now, pay later providers will gain full access to this data, covering consumers’ repayment and hardship history for other credit products such as loans and credit cards.

This means that when you apply for a buy now, pay later loan, the process may take longer, with a greater possibility of rejection if you have a history of late or overdue loan or credit card repayments.

However, unlike banks, provider will not necessarily have to report your data into the credit-reporting system. This is because the government doesn’t regard them as risky as the likes of pay-day loans or consumer leases.

So a buy now, pay later provider won’t know your history with other buy now, pay later providers. This means you could theoretically continue to have multiple services, which is a known contributor to debt stress.

Spending limits and fee caps

The new regulations will put cap on fees for late or missed payments.

Currently, Afterpay, Zip, Humm and others having very different approaches to how they charge fees, making it hard for customers to compare and assess. While the lure of “no interest” may seem appealing, these late fees can add to a huge effective rate.

For example, research from Curtin University shows falling behind over ten fortnightly repayments for a small purchase results in an effective annual interest rate of 28.25% for Afterpay, 29.32% for Zip and 177.44% for Humm’s “Big Things” loans. These annualised rates are higher than most credit cards.

The new cap should help bring the fees in line with similar charges on other credit products.

Another changes to the Credit Act will mean your credit limit can no longer be increased unless you explicitly ask for it. Currently services like Zip and Afterpay start first-time users with a low credit limit and automatically increase it based on good repayment history.

This could mean buy now, pay later providers will offer larger credit limits to users up front, just like credit cards. This could be risky for some customers, but it also presents a higher risk for buy now, pay later services.

Read more:
90% of young people had financial troubles in 2022, and 27% used ‘buy now, pay later’ services

What this means for the industry

Greater protection from consumers will likely result reduce revenue for buy now, pay later providers.

Restricting the ability to automatically increase credit limits means buy now, pay later companies must either offer higher starting limits and accept higher default risks or contend with lower transaction totals overall.

The cap on fees and charges will likely bring in less revenue. More rigorous credit checks may result in fewer new customers.

Bringing all providers into the regulated system will allow for greater transparency around how credit decisions are made and create a more level playing field between credit providers.

The government will now work with industry and consumer groups to refine the details. The new laws are expected to be introduced to Parliament later this year.

KB Heylen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The rules for Afterpay, Zip and other ‘buy now, pay later’ providers are changing. What it means for you, and them – https://theconversation.com/the-rules-for-afterpay-zip-and-other-buy-now-pay-later-providers-are-changing-what-it-means-for-you-and-them-206184

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Isaac Gross, Lecturer in Economics, Monash University

The Andrews government’s ninth budget is its toughest. The bill from Victoria’s COVID experience, as well as the state government’s ambitious infrastructure spending, has finally come due.

The pandemic has added more than $30 billion to the state’s total net debt, bringing the total to a whooping $117 billion. (New South Wales’s state debt, by comparison, is about $80 billion.)

Victoria’s floods in 2022 have added to the debt. But so too has the Andrews goverment’s borrowing for its $90 billion “Big Build”, encompassing projects from removing Melbourne’s level crossings, extending Melbourne’s underground rail network and building a suburban rail loop.

The state’s debt load was manageable when interest rates were low. But with borrowing rates now almost 4% and rising, interest payments are swallowing increasing amounts of the government’s budget. Interest payments on the debt are expected to be $5.5 billion in the 2023-24 financial year, rising to $8 billion by 2026-27.

There are only two ways to fix this: reduce spending or increase taxes. Andrews and his treasurer Tim Pallas have chosen to do a bit of both, with a ten-year plan to pay down the $30 billion COVID debt.

Less infrastructure spending, more taxes

The Victorian government has already announced it will delay several infrastructure projects. The Melbourne Airport rail link and the Geelong rail upgrade have been put on ice due to the federal government’s ongoing review of infrastructure projects. If they are delayed, as seems likely, they will lower the debt burden of the state.

This will be a shame for Melbourne’s frequent flyers, but is probably the right call. Infrastructure Australia says the construction sector is already at capacity on large infrastructure projects. This significantly increases the likelihood of cost and time blowouts. Infrastructure Australia expects the (recently widened) Tullamarine Freeway won’t reach capacity for at least another decade, so delaying the rail link is probably the best course of action.

To help pay down the debt, a suite of tax hikes has been implemented, primarily rises in payroll tax (falling predominantly on large businesses) and land tax (which is largely paid by landlords).

The measures are expected to raise more than $8 billion over the next four years, although they will be put in place for a decade.

Reforming land tax

Beyond the immediate task of paying down debt, the Victorian government has taken on the task of land tax reform, proposing to eliminate stamp duty on all industrial and commercial land in favour of an annual land tax.

No changes affect residential land, at least for now. But this could change if the reform proves popular.

Land taxes are the most efficient, and hardest to dodge, form of taxation.

Taxes on labour, such as income tax, can discourage work. Taxes on company profits can discourage investment and lead businesses to set up shop elsewhere. Land cannot be moved, and taxing it does not discourage its use.

The biggest problem with replacing stamp duty with land tax is that it often takes a lot of time and money for a fair transition to occur. In the Australian Capital Territory, a transition that began in 2012 is taking 20 years. The Victorian government proposes doing it in ten years, with further details to be released later this year.

The next transaction to occur after July 2024 will still attract stamp duty, but transitions after that initial one will be shifted to an annual land tax model.

The Andrews government also has a plan to phase out taxes on business insurance over the next ten years.

This small, but highly inefficient, tax has long been criticised by economists as it has punished businesses that seek to mitigate risk by buying public liability or professional indemnity. Removing it, albeit slowly over the next decade, will help the Victorian economy grow over the coming years.

Budgets are all about choices. The Victorian government has no easy choices.

Faced with a mountain of debt, it has outlined a plan for paying down the debt with a mix of tax hikes and spending cuts. The job remains far from complete, but this budget is a decent first step to get Victoria’s finances back on track.

Isaac Gross does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Victoria bites $117 billion bullet, begins the long march of land tax reform – https://theconversation.com/victoria-bites-117-billion-bullet-begins-the-long-march-of-land-tax-reform-206066

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Dale, Lecturer, TC Beirne School of Law, The University of Queensland

Australian entertainer and artist Rolf Harris has died at the age of 93.

After a prominent career as an artist, particularly in the UK, in 2014 Harris was convicted of 12 counts of indecent assault.

For his victims, his death might help to close a painful chapter of their lives.

However, what will become of the prodigious output of the disgraced artist?

Jack of all trades, master of none

Harris developed an interest in art from a young age. At the age of 15, one of his portraits was selected for showing in the 1946 Archibald Prize. Three years later, he won the Claude Hotchin prize.

These would be among the few accolades he would collect in the art world. In truth, he was never really recognised by his peers.

The Art Gallery of Western Australia in Perth, from where he hailed, never added any of his artworks to its collection.

Harris rose to prominence primarily as a children’s entertainer and then later as an all-round television presenter. There is a generation of Australians and Britons who grew up transfixed to their TV sets as Harris transformed blank canvases into paintings and cartoons in the space of just 30 minutes.

His creativity also extended to music. He played the didgeridoo and his own musical creation, “the wobble board”. He topped the British charts in 1969 with the single Two Little Boys. However, he is probably more famous for the song Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport.

Perhaps the ultimate recognition came in 2005, when he was invited to paint Queen Elizabeth II. His audience with the queen was filmed for a BBC documentary starring Harris. His portrait of her majesty briefly adorned the walls of Buckingham Palace, before being displayed in prominent British and Australian galleries.

Baca juga:
Dealing with the happy memories of a disgraced Rolf Harris

Criminal conviction and the quick retreat from his art

In 2014, Harris was found guilty of 12 counts of indecent assault against three complainants, aged 15, 16 and 19 years at the times of the crimes. These incidents occurred between 1978 and 1986.

Before sentencing Harris to five years and nine months imprisonment, the sentencing judge commented:

You took advantage of the trust placed in you, because of your celebrity status, to commit the offences […] Your reputation now lies in ruins.

What followed was a public retreat from his artwork.

It is worth asking why this was the public response, when the subject matter of his artwork was innocuous and unremarkable. Among his visual artworks were portraits and landscapes. None of them depicted anything particularly offensive or controversial.

Nevertheless, many of those who owned his works felt the need to dissociate themselves with Harris. His portrait of the queen seemed to vanish into thin air. In the wake of his convictions, no one claimed to know of its whereabouts.

Harris had also painted a number of permanent murals in Australia. Many these were removed or permanently obscured.

Baca juga:
Rolf Harris guilty: but what has Operation Yewtree really taught us about sexual abuse?

The roles of guilt and disgust

Guilt seems to play a prominent role in explaining why owners remove such artworks from display.

Art is inherently subjective and so it necessarily forces the beholder to inquire into the artist’s meanings. When an artist is subsequently convicted of a crime, it is perhaps natural to wonder whether their art bore signs that there was something untoward about them.

Some artists even promote this way of thinking. In fact, Harris authored a book entitled Looking at Pictures with Rolf Harris: A Children’s Introduction to Famous Paintings.

In it, he wrote:

You can find out a lot about the way an artist sees things when you look at his paintings. In fact, he is telling us a lot about himself, whether he wants to or not.

When facing the artwork of a convicted criminal, our subjective feelings of guilt persist because we have, in some tiny way, shared a role in their rise and stay as an artist. This makes it difficult to overcome the feeling that the artwork contains clues to the artist’s criminality. We can also feel guilty deriving pleasure from a piece of art whose maker caused others great pain.

Disgust also plays a central role in our retreat from the criminal’s artwork.

Disgust is a powerful emotion that demands we withdraw from an object whose mere presence threatens to infect or invade our bodily integrity.

Related to disgust is a anthropological theory known as the “magical law of contagion”. An offensive person leaves behind an offensive trace that continues to threaten us. It is not based on reason but instinct.

In essence, the criminal has left their “negative” traces on their artwork.

This explains why Harris’ paintings, although of innocuous images, suddenly became eyesores and their market value dropped. Owners of such artwork might also feel compelled to show their disgust openly, to publicly extricate themselves from the artist.

No one wants to be seen to condone the behaviour of a sexual offender.

Even after his death, Harris’ artwork will continue to stand as reminders of his criminal acts.

If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. In an emergency call 000.

Gregory Dale tidak bekerja, menjadi konsultan, memiliki saham, atau menerima dana dari perusahaan atau organisasi mana pun yang akan mengambil untung dari artikel ini, dan telah mengungkapkan bahwa ia tidak memiliki afiliasi selain yang telah disebut di atas.

– ref. Even after his death, Rolf Harris’ artwork will stand as reminders of his criminal acts – https://theconversation.com/even-after-his-death-rolf-harris-artwork-will-stand-as-reminders-of-his-criminal-acts-206282

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Ryan, Lecturer in Criminology, Deakin University

The use of a Taser to subdue a 95-year-old dementia patient at an aged care home in Cooma, New South Wales, last week is yet another sickening example of what can go wrong when police rely too heavily on force to resolve challenging situations.

Although the senior constable who used the Taser on Clare Nowland has now been suspended from duty, calls are growing for an independent investigation into the incident, as well as police treatment of people with dementia.

It is crucial for any investigations that follow to also include a thorough examination of the use of Tasers by police in Australia. Why do general duties police officers need to carry Tasers? What purpose do they serve and do they improve outcomes in any way? If so, for whom?

Lack of reporting on Taser use

When Tasers were introduced in Australia in the early 2000s, the public was told they would replace firearms and reduce the need for police to resort to using lethal force. In fact, the opposite has occurred – fatal police shootings reached an all-time high in 2019-20.

Given this, it is presently not clear what benefit Tasers offer over other less-lethal weapons, such as OC spray, except to protect police officers themselves from coming into close proximity to people armed with weapons.

The problem is a lack of transparency and accountability around their use. There is no public reporting on Taser use by police in any state or territory (except in the ACT where minimal detail is provided).

Taser use has been formally reported to the public in New South Wales only once, in a report by the state ombudsman in 2012.

This analysis of more than 600 Taser incidents in a six-month period in 2010 found a third of people tasered by police were believed to be suffering from mental health issues. Three-quarters of the people were unarmed.

More recent internal police figures obtained by the media showed NSW police used Tasers almost 3,000 times from 2014-18. More than 1,000 of those incidents involved people with mental health conditions.

In other comparable countries, like the United Kingdom and New Zealand, reporting on Taser use by police is mandated. Statistics show Tasers in these countries are used disproportionately against minority groups and other vulnerable populations.

By comparison, the Australian public does not know how many times Tasers are drawn, fired or misfired by police. We know virtually nothing about their real efficacy and impacts. We only learn about their potential harms from the media or the coroner’s reports that follow tragic outcomes.

In 2018, for example, a 30-year-old Sydney man, Jack Kokaua, died during an altercation with police in which a Taser had been deployed three times. The coroner found multiple factors, including the use of a Taser, positional asphyxia and a heart condition, had caused his death.

After the incident, civil liberties groups called for more transparency around how and when NSW police use Tasers. These calls went unheeded.

Read more:
Why the taser-related death toll is rising

Why transparency matters

In Nowland’s case, there are other fundamental questions beyond Taser use that speak to a broader problem of inappropriate use of force by police, particularly against vulnerable people in distress.

For example, one retired officer has suggested police could have thrown a blanket over Nowland, who weighed just 43 kilograms and was just 160 centimetres tall.

Read more:
When someone living with dementia is distressed or violent, ‘de-escalation’ is vital

Reports of previous settlements in civil cases involving inappropriate use of force in aged care settings show the extent of the problem.

Body-worn cameras are helpful in providing insight into the various situations that police encounter. But in the Kokaua case, the cameras were not turned on. And oftentimes, the footage rarely finds its way into the public domain, as complainants fight for access in the courts.

This means the public is under-informed about the problematic incidents that do occur in police interactions with the public. This is especially the case with Tasers.

For example, there is body-camera footage of the tasering of Nowland, but NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb has not only said she would not watch the footage, she also won’t release it to the public unless there was “a process at the end of this that would allow it”.

She suggested there was no value in reviewing the footage until she knew “what else happened pre and post that incident”.

Questions must be asked

In the absence of greater transparency and reporting on Taser use by police, it is unlikely much will change.

Asking the right questions about the patterns of Taser use in all jurisdictions is now vital if we are to learn anything from the events that unfolded in Cooma and ensure Tasers are not disproportionately used against vulnerable and marginalised people.

Read more:
Police body cameras may provide the best evidence – but need much better regulation

Emma Ryan is affiliated with the Labor Party having worked in a voluntary capacity during various state and federal elections.

– ref. Why doesn’t Australia have greater transparency around Taser use by police? – https://theconversation.com/why-doesnt-australia-have-greater-transparency-around-taser-use-by-police-206085