Former ambassador to the US Joe Hockey has told the ABC the Pentagon review of Aukus, announced this morning, is being led by an Aukus sceptic.
But there is still strong support for Aukus across the US legislature and in the White House, he said.
“President Trump is transactional,” Joe Hockey said. “And we have something to trade on Aukus.”
He points out that Australia has already made a hefty downpayment to the US to boost submarine production, and an Australian company is helping build US submarines.
But Australia has “no options left” if it does not receive Virginia class submarines from the US under Aukus.
More on the Aukus review:
In today’s Grogonomics column, Greg Jericho delivers an impassioned plea that Labor’s attempts to change superannuation tax concessions should be just the start of a concerted effort to reduce wealth inequality.
Greg argues that the reason so rich people have opposed the changes is because they’re worried that the rest of the population will realise that the system is rigged.
Read his full article here, plus graphs of course:
Aged and disability care providerAnnectowill close next month, taking with it the jobs of 1,000 workers and services to more than 3,000 customers.
The company said in a statement yesterday that the July closure would affect all of its support for veterans and elderly and disabled people across Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT.
The provider, which had been running for more than 70 years, said the decision to close came after “careful deliberation and extensive stakeholder consultation which considered the service model shifts in the aged care and disability sectors and the financial challenges facing the organisation”.
Annecto said it was working with the Department ofHealth, Disability and Ageing, the National Disability Insurance Agency and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to transition its customers and staff to other providers.
Annecto chair, Colleen Furnaletto, said the “decision was not made lightly”.
“We deeply appreciate the support of our community over all these years, and the dedication of our staff and partners to high quality of support standards.”
Australia’s productivity commissioner says that the opportunities of artificial intelligence are “immense” – but will deliver some job losses.
Speaking to the ABC’s 7.30 last night,Danielle Woodsaid the prediction by the chief executive of the US AI company Anthropic that the technology could potentially wipe out half of entry-level white-collar jobs within five years was “pretty extraordinary” and “out of whack with other reasonable projections” she had seen.
Instead, she said the more routine elements of jobs will be taken over by AI, “freeing people up to do the uniquely human parts of jobs”.
“Am I going to sit here and say, ‘No jobs are going to go?’ No, clearly not. There will be some impacts,” she said, adding that AI will also create jobs that “we can’t even imagine yet”.
“There’s a huge amount of opportunity, and I think we have to remember that piece. I know so many people that are now using it in their jobs, and they can see the way that it is freeing up some of those less good parts of their jobs,” she said.
Josh Butlerspoke toTim Ayresabout this very issue, in a story out today, who said there would be “a lot to gain” from embracing AI, particularly highlighting potential boosts to productivity and economic growth.
Ayres, who grew up on a cattle farm near Lismore, said both white-collar and traditional blue-collar jobs could reap benefits from adopting automation and new technology – and that “the cold reality that the only thing more disruptive in the labour market is standing back and allowing Australia to become a cul-de-sac in technological terms.”----Read the full story here:
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’mMartin Farrerwith the top overnight stories and then it will beNick Visserto take you through the day.
The new industry and science minister, Tim Ayres, warns today that Australia must “lean in hard” to the benefits of artificial intelligence or else risk ending up “on the end of somebody else’s supply chain”. His comments follow an appearance by Australia’s productivity commissioner on 7.30 last night in which she said AI could cost jobs. More coming up.
We’ll bring you news soon of a big aged care provider which is closing next month.
And parties in Tasmania will be gearing up for another election campaign today after the state’s governor said she had been left with no choice but to call a poll to resolve the Apple Isle’s political crisis. We’ll have the latest.