Politics live: PM talks to UAE leader about stranded Australians; Allan reveals start date for legal right to work from home | Australia news
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Victorian premier announces start date for legal right to work from home
Benita Kolovos
The right to work from home two days a week will be included in Victoria’s Equal Opportunities Act. Jacinta Allanwill announce plans today for the laws to come into force before state elections.
After announcing yesterday that the right to work from home would apply to all businesses, Allan will today confirm the government will introduce legislation to the Victorian government in July. If approved, it will enter into force on September 1.
Last year the prime minister announced his government would allow those who can “reasonably” do so to work from home two days a week. It has since become a key pillar of Labour’s re-election campaign ahead of November’s election.
He said at the time that the legal right would apply to both public and private sector workers, but it was unclear how it would be implemented. This is because Victoria, like other states, transferred industrial relations powers for private sector workers to the federal government years ago.
Allan will say today that the right to work from home will be included in the Equal Opportunities Act. The law, which came into force in 2010, makes it illegal to discriminate against a person based on individual characteristics such as age, race, gender and disability.
It is understood the government will seek to make it illegal to discriminate against people working from home two days a week. This will not apply to people whose roles prevent them from working from home.
Allan said in his statement:
Only Labor has the new solutions to make life easier, safer and more affordable. Therefore, starting from September 1, we will protect working from home.
Albanese meets UAE leader about stranded Australians
Tom McIlroy
Anthony Albanese I talked to you last night Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al NahyanPresident of the United Arab Emirates.
They discussed the situation facing Australians stranded in the Middle East.
There are about 24,000 Australians in the UAE, many stranded by flight disruptions due to bombings by the Iranian regime in retaliation for weekend attacks by the US and Israel.
The two leaders exchanged views on the current situation in the Middle East, and Albanese thanked the president for his support for Australians stranded by the conflict.
The two also discussed the importance of resuming commercial flights as soon as possible.
Albanese also met with his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon Yesterday.
They exchanged views on the Middle East and discussed consular difficulties caused by the conflict.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I Martin Farrer with the best night stories and then it will be Krishani Dhanji with the main action.
Anthony Albanese He discussed the situation facing Australians stranded in the Middle East with the president of the United Arab Emirates; Many people continue to seek an exit from the region, which has been dragged into the US-Israeli war against Iran. More is coming.
The government is being urged to curb “brutal” advertising of alcohol, gambling and unhealthy food in a new national public health campaign launched today. We will have more details soon.
And the Victorian premier has announced his intention to give Victorians the legal right to work from home two days a week from the beginning of September this year.
