Key events
What we learned today, Sunday 14 August.
Today was not filled with good news, unfortunately. But there were some brighter spots!
I hope you’re in for a relaxing Sunday evening, and the blog will be back first thing in the morning. Until then!
Business groups welcome plan to boost skilled migration
Josh Butler
The federal government’s flagging of increases to the skilled migration cap has tickled business groups, with the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry calling a boosted migrant number “essential to addressing unmet labour demand”. ACCI chief executive officer, Andrew McKellar, said:
As the global race to attract skilled migrants heats up, we cannot risk getting left behind. We must have efficient and cost-effective visa settings to attract and retain talent which will be crucial to strengthening our economic recovery in the years ahead.
Businesses of every size in every sector reporting significant barriers to getting the skilled workforce they need, forcing them to operate below capacity or close their doors entirely.
He called for more resourcing of visa processing, to cut down wait times.
Skills minister Brendan O’Connor today pledged Labor would work to “unclog the application process”, but stopped short of promising more public servants behind desks approving visa forms. He said:
What people should understand is when we talk about increasing the permanent migration skilled stream, we’re talking also about existing temporary visa applicants already in our labour market, but who have no security and no permanency when it comes to their status.
That part of the equation would be “providing temporary visa holders a pathway to permanent residency”, he said.
Australian Council of Trade Unions president, Michele O’Neil, flagged similar concerns, saying unions backed moves towards permanent migration rather than temporary migrants who might be paid less. She said:
In many sectors wages have been kept low by unscrupulous employers who drive down wages and conditions for local and migrant workers by exploiting temporary workers who are fearful of speaking up because their visas are tied to their employment. This cannot continue.
We support a system which provides genuine decent job opportunities and training for local workers and permanent migration.
Sean Davey brings you “healing cattle cuddles”:
The cows were really big, sweet animals that allowed me to hug them and lie down with them.
Services resume at Canberra airport after shooting incident
Back to “normal” at Canberra airport:
Queensland’s building industry watchdog prosecutes four owners over combustible cladding
Queensland’s building industry watchdog has successfully prosecuted four building owners for failing to provide the required documentation for potentially combustible cladding.
The Queensland Building and Construction Commission said in a statement:
One owner was charged with three counts of failing to provide the QBCC a completed combustible cladding checklist, a Building Fire Safety Risk Assessment and a Fire Engineer Statement, in contravention of the Building Regulation 2006 (Qld).
The charges related to three separate private buildings, and resulted in a total of $15,000 in fines and an order to pay $750 in legal costs.
The other three owners pleaded guilty to the same charges, in relation to their individual properties, and were fined $8,000, $7,000 and $5,000 respectively and ordered to pay legal costs.
QBCC commissioner, Anissa Levy, said Queensland’s Safer Buildings Program had helped create more certainty and safety in regard to construction materials used on Queensland buildings:
These laws help protect us all in the buildings where we live, work and gather, and were introduced following the tragic death of 72 people in London’s Grenfell Tower.
The QBCC is currently prosecuting a number of other private building owners in Queensland who have allegedly failed to submit the required documentation.
I hear it was very cold for those waiting outside Canberra airport:
Red panda found up tree after escape from Adelaide zoo
And now for something completely different. A red panda that escaped from Adelaide zoo has been found up a nearby tree and will have to be shot down with a dart.
According to the Advertiser, Ravi the red panda went awol on Friday, not long after arriving from Queensland. He’s been found in a Moreton Bay fig tree in nearby Botanic Park. They’re trying to work out how the Houdini did it. Here’s a cute picture of a red panda that is NOT Ravi:
Here are some shots from AAP from outside Canberra airport:
Josh Butler
Alleged Canberra airport gunman did not appear to target anyone, police say
ACT policing detective acting superintendent, Dave Craft, said the man entered the airport terminal around 1.30pm, taking a seat near the departures area on level two of the airport.
After around five minutes, the man allegedly removed a firearm and discharged five rounds into the glass windows of the terminal.
Craft said the man did not appear to have targeted any person in the building. No age or description of the man was given.
Craft gave no details of the man’s detainment by police, but said he was arrested and had been taken to a Canberra police station. The man has not been charged yet. Craft said:
I just need to reassure people that the airport is safe, that ACT policing have responded, and there is no ongoing threat to the community or to passengers arriving and departing.
No other details were given of the alleged shooter. Craft said police did not have an idea of the man’s motivation, but said it did not appear that the man had any employment or other connection to Canberra airport.
More than 60,000 people turned out for today’s City2Surf in Sydney – here are some pictures of the crowd (how does anyone get any speed up in that crush?! Also, kudos to the people in costumes):
Albanese briefed by AFP on Canberra airport incident
Prime minister Anthony Albanese, who’s on his last day of holidays: