TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to SBS News In Easy English. I'm Catriona Stirrat.
The Albanese government is continuing to criticise Opposition leader Peter Dutton's working from home policy proposal, as Australians prepare for a federal election in coming months.
Peter Dutton earlier this month said he would remove public servants' right to work from home to ensure productivity from taxpayers' money, as part of a suite of measures that include getting rid of Labor's 'right to disconnect' after work laws.
Mr Dutton says the policy would not disadvantage women, who he proposed can find job-sharing opportunities.
Sarah McDougall is a single working mother to two school-age children, and says working from home offers vital flexibility.
"It's great to be able to have the flexibility of working from home, to have different options. It means I can spend a little bit more time with my kids, it means I can be home for them in case one of them is sick coming into the winter season. And it just means less time in the car, less money spent on parking, petrol and of course all those lunches and coffee."
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Airline executives have appeared before a Senate hearing on a proposal for Australia to adopt a passenger compensation scheme for cancelled flights in line with Europe and Canada.
The Labor government has excluded a cancelled flight compensation scheme from its draft aviation customer rights charter.
The Coalition’s Pay on Delay Bill would introduce such a compensation scheme, like in Europe and Canada.
Virgin Australia's general manager of government relations & industry affairs, Stephen Beckett, says there is room to improve the remedies available, without introducing a mandatory flight compensation scheme.
"Virgin Australia thinks we need to make remedies more accessible to the travelling public. And that is why in our green paper submission we made the recommendations that we did. That we needed to see a strengthening of the complaint handling body. And it also having the authority to make final and binding decisions on airlines to resolve consumer complaints."
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The Coalition is refusing to say whether it will go to the election offering income tax cuts.
Ahead of next week's federal budget, Peter Dutton’s Treasury spokesman, Angus Taylor, has been arguing that Jim Chalmers' reform of the stage three tax cuts has meant workers pay an extra $8,900 in tax by the end of the decade.
Mr Taylor has released research showing the average Australian worker paid $3,500 more tax last financial year than before the Albanese government was elected.
Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie told Channel Seven, the Coalition will have more to say on the issue soon.
"Well, we're going to have much more to say about our lower tax guarantee as we head into the election. That is the reality. And the data from economists says that Australians are paying more tax as a proportion of the federal government."
Energy Minister Chris Bowen says the Coalition should be transparent about any policy proposals on income tax cuts.
"We're going to keep focused on delivering tax relief for Australians. And to your question about tax, we have just delivered tax cut for every single taxpaying Australian. Peter Dutton was so angry about it that he called for election 12 months ago to try and stop it . So we're the party trying to deliver tax cuts. The Liberal and National party are completely all over the shop when it comes to tax relief for Australians."
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In Tennis, Britain's Jack Draper has defeated Denmark's Holger Rune 6-2, 6-2 in the Indian Wells final.
It is the 23-year-old's first trophy at an ATP Masters event - the tier below the four Grand Slam tournaments.
His tournament performance will be rewarded with his Top 10 debut, after defeating two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and Americans Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz.
Draper told the Tennis Channel, he felt focused and "in the zone" in the final.
"And it has taken me a lot to really knuckle down to put in the hard work I needed to do be a top player. And to win on this stage, a tournament I have watched since I was young watching all the greats here, just means the absolute world to me... Breathing techniques. Just zoning in on one little thing, instead of being distracted by everything around you. So that on that first ball, you are ready to be locked in - and to go for it."
That was SBS News In Easy English. I'm Catriona Stirrat.
