"Small Business Relief on the Horizon: Senator Calls for Further Reform A senior senator has spoken out about the need for further changes to support small businesses in Australia, citing concerns that loopholes benefiting wealthier individuals remain unaddressed. The senator's comments come as the government grapples with the challenges of making housing more affordable for Australians. While the senator acknowledges that house prices will continue to rise over the long term, they emphasize the importance of aligning this growth with wage increases to ensure that more people can access the housing market. The senator's push for reform highlights the ongoing debate about the role of government in supporting small businesses and promoting economic equality."


Senator says he wants to see further changes for small businesses and ensure loopholes for wealthier people are actually closed. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBen Roberts-Smith invitation to war memorial event ‘appropriate’, says MarlesRichard Marles says it’s appropriate that the accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith will attend the official opening for the centrepiece of the revamped Australian War Memorial.It’s appropriate that Ben Roberts-Smith be given an invite to this, as a Victoria Cross recipient.The Victoria Cross recipients have been invited to this, which is appropriate, I’m comfortable about that. What will be opened – the Australian War Memorial, it’s an utterly fantastic extension to what is, I think, the most sacred building in our country. And we are very much looking forward to that. The prime minister will be there. It’s a very significant moment for the nation.If we look over the longer term, and people buy houses over the longer term, we will see housing prices continue to grow. What this is about, though, is trying to see a greater alignment in the growth of housing prices with the growth of wages. We do want to see housing become more affordable, see more Australians get into the housing market, see more first-time buyers, but we’ll obviously see house prices continue to grow. Continue reading...