NewsMatch Alert: Press Release Summary | 24 February 2025
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Welcome to Medianet’s daily media alert featuring a curated list of today's most newsworthy press releases handpicked by our editorial team.
Today's highlights
Australia takes enforcement action against Telegram for serious delay in terror and child sexual abuse transparency
eSafety has given Telegram an infringement notice for almost $1 million for failing to respond to a transparency reporting notice deadline by over five months, delaying the publication of critical information about steps they have taken to address any terrorist and violent extremist material as well as child sexual exploitation material on the platform. eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman - Grant said that giving Telegram this infringement notice sends an important message to industry that timely transparency is not a voluntary requirement in Australia and that this action reinforces the importance of all companies complying with Australian law.??
Why women wait to call 000 when they suspect they’re having a heart attack
It is known that women who have heart attacks have a worse outcome than men – and a new study has found that one of the reasons might be that women are less comfortable calling 000 and more likely to hesitate when they have symptoms of a heart attack.?Monash University researchers have conducted the study which compared more than 34,000 Australian women and men and their intention to call 000 and their actual use of emergency services when they suspect they are having a heart attack.
Raising pension age has lowered Australia’s birth rate, study finds
Raising the pension age for women has reduced Australia’s birth rate by delaying grandmothers’ retirement and limiting their availability for childcare, new research by the e61 Institute has found. Using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey from 2001 to 2022, the study finds that women whose mothers were not yet old enough for the pension were less likely to have children, with the likelihood decreasing from 73.5% to 69%.
New report reveals USA is the top destination for Australian pension fund international investment
Australian pension funds are forecast to invest trillions of dollars in international markets by 2035 as they scour the globe in their aim to deliver the best investment returns for their millions of members, with the US coming out as the top investment destination. According to a new report commissioned by IFM Investors, based on analysis from the Super Members Council and Mandala, Australian pension fund investment in the US is expected to more than double over the next decade - from US$400 billion to over US$1 trillion.?
Australians’ super savings on track to become second largest globally by the early 2030s
The retirement savings of Australians will soon become the second largest globally – rising from fourth now to surpass the British and Canadian systems within the next decade, new research from the Super Members Council shows. Super Members Council analysis projects Australian pension assets will surpass the UK in 2030 and Canada by 2031, to rise to second in the world - with the US remaining the largest.?Super Members Council CEO Misha Schubert said Australia’s super system is the envy of the world.
Govt inaction is hurting embattled charity sector – Leaders frustrated as Government falls short on promised reforms
The nation’s charity sector has delivered an adverse assessment on the Albanese government’s failure to act on its own reform agenda, and to ease the burden on organisations that are delivering urgent cost of living help to those most in need. A new survey of charity CEOs found that at least 2 out 3 leaders criticised the government’s inaction and lack of progress on a raft of important issues facing the charity sector. It found heavy criticism of the lack of progress in cutting red tape, ensuring the safety of volunteers and paying charities what it actually costs to deliver the services funded by government grants.
Black Summer bushfire survivors to launch ‘Australian Bushfire Survivor Declaration’ calling on governments to put lives before profit
On Wednesday 26 February, five years since the devastating Black Summer bushfires, survivors will gather in Sydney to launch and sign onto a new Australian Bushfire Survivor Declaration, which calls on Australia’s governments to put human lives before the profits of the fossil fuel industry.?To mark the sombre anniversary Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action (BSCA) has invited politicians from fire-impacted regions to meet with bushfire survivors and hear their calls for urgent climate action.?
New report confirms nuclear fears: Higher bills, higher emissions
The Climate Change Authority’s latest report confirms the risks of delaying a clean energy future in favour of nuclear power will lead to higher emissions and increased costs for households. The report warns that the Coalition’s nuclear energy proposal could add a staggering 2 billion tonnes of emissions while increasing costs for households, resulting in Australia missing its 2030 emissions targets and delaying the transition to clean energy until 2042.
Peter Dutton abandons global ‘Paris Agreement’ to phase out climate pollution by 2050
Solutions for Climate Australia
New analysis from the national Climate Change Authority shows the Liberal and National Parties’ nuclear scheme would breach Australia’s commitment to international climate pollution targets and break their promise to phase out climate pollution by 2050. “This independent analysis confirms earlier assessments that under opposition leader Peter Dutton’s nuclear scheme Australia will not reduce climate pollution by 43% by 2030, which would breach our international commitments,” said Senior Campaigner at Solutions for Climate, Elly Baxter .?
Rewiring Australia welcomes big day for renewable energy announcements
Rewiring Australia strongly welcomes Allegra Spender’s Permanent Energy Bill Relief Plan announced today. Millions of Australian households are already enjoying the benefits of rooftop solar, but barriers to installing this money-saving technology mean many are missing out. By providing no-interest loans to help homeowners install batteries and more efficient electric appliances, the cost of living would be eased for many households, while also cutting emissions.?
NSW abortion reform bill deserves widespread support: SPA
The NSW branch of Sustainable Population Australia (SPA) says a Bill introduced to NSW Parliament by Greens Dr Amanda Cohen to remove remaining barriers to abortion deserves the support of all parties. SPA NSW president Jenny Goldie says that, while abortion was decriminalised five years ago, women are still being denied access, particularly in rural and regional areas. “Many doctors in the Riverina, in particular, object to abortion and not only refuse to provide the service but also fail to refer patients to places where they can obtain one,” says Ms Goldie.
Hundreds of Timber Workers to leave CFMEU
Hundreds of Timber Workers in the Snowy Valleys are expected to vote in a demerger ballot which will see them establish their own Union, the Timber, Furnishing and Textiles Union (TFTU). The secret ballot run by the Australian Electoral Commission opens on the 24th of February and will run to the 14th of April. Currently?timber workers (including those making pulp and paper products)?are members of the CFMEU Manufacturing Division – with that Division’s members now voting across the country to leave the CFMEU and get their own union.
In January, billionaires amassed more wealth than the poorest third of humanity owns
In January alone, billionaire wealth surged by USD$314 billion―around $10 billion a day. This is more than the combined wealth of the 2.8 billion people who make up the poorest third of humanity. At the global average income, it would take 15 million workers an entire year to collectively earn the same amount of money, reveals new analysis by the #TaxTheSuperRich Movement today ahead of the first meeting of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in Cape Town, South Africa.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to headline Future Victoria
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will headline a dynamic lineup of influential leaders at the 2025 Herald Sun Future Victoria event on Wednesday February 26. The visionary forum, staged by the Herald Sun in partnership with the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, brings together some of Australia’s top leaders, experts and innovators whose eyes are firmly fixed on what’s next for our state. The event has been running since 2017.
Calls for full funding for public schools after performance targets revealed
The NSW Teachers Federation said today that while the NSW Government has revealed key performance targets for public schools, the most critical target to be met is full funding. New reports have revealed confidence in public education sits at just 51 per cent, with a target to lift this to 53 per cent by 2027. These targets, including lifting attendance and Year 12 completion rates, would be impossible to achieve without proper resourcing.?
Speaker takes Parliament to Mallee
This week, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Honourable Milton Dick MP will celebrate visiting 150 schools as part of the Parliament in Schools program, as he visits schools across Mallee with the Federal Member for Mallee, Dr Anne Webster. Students will learn about federation, democracy and the Australian Parliament, as well as hear first-hand from the Speaker and their local member on what a typical day looks like in their electorate and when they are in Parliament House for sitting weeks.
Gets under the skin of discrimination – Inaugural kid’s book Parrot Palace
In an inaugural junior fiction by creators with diverse backgrounds, Parrot Palace?invites us into the lives of three kids at the start of the school holidays. Readers meet Australian families with heritage from the Indian subcontinent, Europe, and China, combined with the have-a-go larrikinism of Australia. Parrot Palace?was written by educational consultant and multi-award-winning author Susanne Gervay OAM, with Pooja Mathur, and illustrations by Sarah Tabassum.
Celebrating our blue oceans at the Australian National Maritime Museum this March
Throughout March, the Australian National Maritime Museum will be celebrating a month of blue water as host of a variety of events and activations promoting ocean conservation and preservation. The Museum will be taking part in the Ocean Lovers Festival, Earth Hour, and celebrating World Water Day, Sea Week and Clean Up Australia Day with a series of events and activations which make up this exciting Month of Blue dedicated to providing a greater understanding of Australia’s blue harbour heart, waterways and coast.
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