GST expansion hits aged-care residents The Albanese government has extended GST to some aged-care living fees, a change critics say will push up costs for older Australians already under financial pressure. The move is politically sensitive because it looks like a quiet broadening of the tax base, and it lands amid wider debates about fairness between generations and the sustainability of health and care spending. Covered by: The Australian. NDIS “tough love” reforms sharpen focus on autism eligibility Proposed changes would introduce IQ, cognition and social-communication testing for some people with autism and developmental delays to keep NDIS access, signalling a tougher approach to eligibility. It underscores the government’s attempt to rein in ballooning costs, but raises high-stakes questions about equity, assessment accuracy and how disability support is defined. Covered by: The Australian, Australian Financial Review, Australian Financial Review. Bondi a

The Northern Daily Leader will cease its daily print edition, dropping back to an "expanded" weekend print edition on Saturdays and re-focusing its daily coverage online. However, the closure by owner ACM has already resulted in former deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, who is the local MP, calling for a reversal of the decision. “You can’t have a democracy without a Fourth Estate,” Joyce told Mumbrella's Tim Burrowes. The changes are expected to result in redundancies and "consultations with affected staff has begun". The Northern Daily Leader covers Tamworth, New England and the North-West. The shuttering of the daily edition will also see the Tamworth press site cease operating on May 8, with the final edition of the newspaper printed that day. Digital-online news coverage on weekdays will begin at northerndailyleader.com.au from Monday, May 11. ACM managing director Tony Kendall said that "our strategic goal is to evolve our

Snap Comms redundamcy Snap's Director of Communications, APAC Natasha Brack has departed as part of a round of global redundancies. "I leave Snap with nothing but gratitude - for the opportunity to lead a team of legends, for the work which was challenging and important, for the product which connects and brings people joy and for the experiences and friends I made along the way," she wrote on LinkedIn. Brack, who was formerly Edelman's Head of Technology  helped launch Snapchat into India,  Japan and Vietnam. "Working at Snap has been a gift, and I will cherish it. But, I'm also ready for my next challenge. So, for my Australian and APAC networks, get in touch with any great opportunities, full time, or contract/consulting while I find the next great thing," she said. Sling & Stone Kiwi head goes in-house Sian Church and Shuttlerock CEO Jonny Hendriksen Sling & Stone's former Head of New Zealand Sian Church will

Image credit: Australian Women's Weekly James Valentine’s death has seen the media universally praise the ABC presenter as an Australian broadcast industry icon, and achieved Valentine's desire to have the topic of voluntary assisted dying feature prominently in public discourse. Valentine is survived by wife Joanne Corrigan and their two children Ruby and Roy. Both spoke with ABC Radio Sydney, and Amanda Meade at The Guardian worked those comments into her piece for the The Guardian. Everyone knows he was such a kind man and so generous and compassionate but he was just such a great dad as well … that kindness and compassion came through,” Ruby  said. “He was such a great guy.” Meade also quoted the Prime Minister, who also spoke to ABC Radio Sydney and on X dubbed Valentine a “national treasure”. “He was such a voice and therefore a figure in Sydney,” Albanese said. “We would often, both on air and off

The AFR’s Technology Editor, Paul Smith, has once again scored wins at the Lizzies, picking up two more at this year’s Samsung Australian IT Journalism Awards.  Smith at the 2025 Samsung Australian IT Journalism Awards alongside ACS' Troy Steer Smith won both the Graeme Philipson Best Columnist and the Paul Zucker Best Technology Industry Journalist categories. Smith’s winning entries for Graeme Philipson Best Columnist included “Australia must face down US tech bosses and Trump,” “How chaos unfolded again for Australia’s most disaster-prone company,” and “OpenAI deal shows the value of journalism to AI giants.”  Smith’s winning entries for Paul Zucker Best Technology Industry Journalist included “Former rock star and banker Kim Jackson wants to be the next Buffett,” “How this man went from a bike accident to $17b,” and “Max Marchione is 25. He plans to stay that way.&rdq

It was a surprise for the team at 7News Spotlight to win Best Video Program at this year’s Samsung Australian IT Journalism Awards, according to host Michael Usher. “It's not traditionally a space where we thought we'd be recognised, but it means a lot,” Usher told Influencing.  “Especially in keeping big tech companies honest… it's also recognition of AI workers in parts of the world who are fighting for recognition and who thought no one would listen to them.” Usher is referring to the Spotlight team’s winning entry – a 40-minute investigation into the African workers being exploited by AI companies. Usher interviewed ‘data labellers’ in Kenya, who are paid very little. He also spoke to a former employee of Appen based in the US who described his experiences in filtering extreme content for Google AI systems. Another Appen worker, based in Colombia, called for better pay and mental health support wh