Evening News Bulletin 30 October 2024

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TRANSCRIPT
In this bulletin;
Headline inflation reaches its lowest rate since early 2021;
Plans to grow Australia’s stock of long-range missiles unveiled;
And in rugby, Captain Ben Hunt has his contract terminated by St George Illawarra.
Cheaper fuel and energy bill relief have helped lower headline inflation to its lowest rate since early 2021.
A 2.8 per cent rise in the September-quarter consumer price index marks a return to the Reserve Bank’s target range of two to three per cent, after a long period above it.
On a quarterly basis the consumer price index lifted 0.2 per cent, well down from the one per cent rise in the June quarter.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers says it’s a sign of good governance.
“I know that our political opponents will pretend wrongly, falsely, deliberately, that this is only about energy rebates. Our energy rebates are helping and we’re pleased with that. But underlying inflation’s come off substantially as well, and that shows that broader underlying pressures in our economy are easing considerably as well.”
While Angus Taylor has criticised the federal government – saying Australia is behind international efforts to ease cost of living.
“The one thing that is clear is that Australians are worse off under Labor. Since Labor has come to power, we’ve continued to see a deterioration in Australian standard of living, and right at the heart of that has been raging in persistent inflation. This government has never had a credible plan to beat, and that’s why we’re at the back of the pack with dealing with it.”
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Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has paid tribute to those affected by a car crash at a primary school which killed a child and injured others.
A school community is in mourning after a car crashed through a fence yesterday killing an 11-year-old boy and seriously injuring four other children.
A 40-year-old woman had just collected her child at Auburn South Primary School in Melbourne’s east when the incident occurred.
Ms Allan says the strength of the Victorian community has been admirable.
“There has been messages of support that have come from every community and every corner of our state, and I want to thank Victorians for that, and I know speaking to the department, speaking to the principal, that really means a lot and they’re going to need to continue to have that love and support over the coming days, weeks, and months ahead because this will be a long journey as the school works through the aftermath and the impact of this tragedy.”
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The federal government has unveiled plans to grow Australia’s stocks of long-range missiles and ramp up weapons production on our soil.
It will come at a cost of more than $70 billion over the next decade.
The long range shift includes the purchase of Tomahawk and Precision Strike Missiles and will expand the weapons range of the Navy from 200 kilometres to over two and a half thousand.
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy says munitions aren’t being restocked as quickly as they used to be globally.
“Analysts believe we are now on the cusp of a new Indo-Pacific Missile Age. And in addition to the terrible damage missiles can wreak, they can also be used as tools of coercion. In the language of strategy, they are persistent. They pose a threat night and day, regardless of when or whether they’re actually launched.”
The munitions and weapons will be built in Australia, including at a new facility in Benella, Victoria and in New South Wales.
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Diwali celebrations will kick off tomorrow – celebrated by billions of people from the Indian subcontinent and its diaspora.
While the festival is marked predominantly by Hindus, variations are celebrated across faiths.
In Fiji, more than one-third of the population is of Indian origin, and Diwali has become a national event despite a history of social tension between Indo-Fijians and the Indigenous population.
Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has praised the festival.
“Some families lit candles and little lamps on both sides of the footpath leading up to their home. When I asked them what it’s for, it’s about lighting the way for good things to come. They follow the lit path all the way to the home, and it’s a celebration of good or evil and light or darkness, and it’s a very good festival.”
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And in rugby league,
St George Illawarra have terminated the playing contract of captain Ben Hunt.
The team says the halfback had a year to run on his deal but had made several comments in the media in recent weeks which made his position at the club untenable.
Hunt spent seven seasons at the Dragons and has made no secret of his desire to finish his career in Queensland.