Australia news LIVE: Aged care workers get ‘historic’ wage boost; Migration reforms could cut low-paid immigrant numbers to Australia

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Key posts

  • Budget to reveal migrant reforms will hit population
  • Aged care workers’ ‘historic’ wage boost to cost $11.3 billion
  • One dead, four injured in shooting at Atlanta medical facility
  • This morning’s headlines at a glance

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Liberals seek to win back multicultural Australians

Deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley has accused Labor of overlooking the economic prospects of migrant Australians as the government presides over a record migration intake the Coalition dubbed “big Australia by stealth”.

Ley will launch a series of roundtables today, with culturally diverse groups in Australia’s capital cities to learn their social and economic concerns, a move the Coalition is pitching as more practical than what they describe as Labor’s cynical attempt over groups such as Chinese Australians through diplomacy.

Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The deputy Liberal leader admitted her party, which is being drubbed by Labor in opinion polls, had lost the trust of many migrant voters and said reversing this was crucial to its electoral future.

She will use forums in Melbourne’s outer south-east to tell newer Australians that Labor is not doing enough for them.

More on this issue is here. 

Budget to reveal migrant reforms will hit population

A plan to overhaul the nation’s migration program is expected to reduce the number of low-paid immigrants entering the country by up to 31,000 a year, with the federal budget to reveal a much smaller Australia.

A planned increase in the minimum wage threshold for temporary skilled migrants, from $53,900 to $70,000 from July 1, will lead to fewer migrants and ultimately contribute to a shortfall of 620,000 in Australia’s forecast population.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers will reveal a smaller Australia in Tuesday’s budget.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Tuesday’s budget, to be handed down by Treasurer Jim Chalmers, will also predict the current spike in net overseas migration will quickly fall back to its long-term trend.

Here’s the full story on the migration figures. 

Aged care workers’ ‘historic’ wage boost to cost $11.3 billion

In Australia, a long-awaited pay rise for aged care workers will cost the federal budget more than $11 billion as Labor hopes to entice more registered nurses to the hemorrhaging sector with $10,000 pay boosts.

The government has revealed the bill for its election promise to fund a wage rise for 250,000 beleaguered aged care staff comes to $11.3 billion over four years to cover the 15 per cent increase decided by the Fair Work Commission last year.

Some aged-care nurses will be $10,000 a year better off under a wage boost funded by the government.Credit: Getty

The pay rise will be passed on in full from July after the government lost a bid to stagger it across two financial years, and will mean that a registered nurse on level 2.3 of their industry award will have their pay packets increased by more than $10,000 to $78,165.36.

Read the full story on the changes here.

One dead, four injured in shooting at Atlanta medical facility

In overseas news, a man opened fire inside the waiting room of an Atlanta medical facility, killing one woman and injuring four others as authorities swarmed the city’s bustling midtown neighbourhood searching for the 24-year-old suspect.

Shortly after noon, police were called to the Northside Medical building on West Peachtree Street in a commercial area with many office towers and high-rise apartments.

Atlanta police said the suspected shooter is believed to be Deion Patterson and that he was considered armed and dangerous. Authorities put out a photo of Patterson showing his face and asked anyone with information about his whereabouts to call 911 and not approach him.

Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum told reporters that a 39-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The four injured victims were also women, aged 25, 39, 56 and 71.

The four injured women “are fighting for their lives at Grady Hospital,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said during a news conference.

Schierbaum added that Patterson’s family is “being cooperative” with investigators.

In a statement, the U.S. Coast Guard said Patterson had joined the service in 2018 and was discharged from active duty in January. He was an electrician’s mate second class at the time.

AP

This morning’s headlines at a glance

Good morning, and for joining me today.

It’s Thursday, May 4. I’m Caroline Schelle, and I’ll be anchoring our live coverage for the first half of the day.

Here’s what you need to know before we get started:

  • A crackdown on junk therapies will be part of a government effort to save billions on disability services.
  • Plans to overhaul Australia’s migration system will cut the number of low-paid immigrants entering the country by 31,000.
  • Liberals are warning about plans to create “big Australia by stealth” and the deputy opposition leader accused the federal government of overlooking the economic prospects of migrants here.
  • Aged care workers will get a ‘historic’ wage boost that will cost the federal budget $11.3 billion.
  • In state news, NSW first female valuer-general plans to simplify and improve land valuation.
  • Victoria’s deputy premier has expanded responsibilities that have not been announced due to a clerical error.
  • Overseas, the former Brazilian president’s home has been raided and phone seized in a probe of his COVID-19 vaccination records.
  • And Russia accuses Ukraine of an assassination attempt on President Vladimir Putin.

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