Sunday Territorian 5 Nov 2017
Sunday Territorian; NewspaperNT
2017-11-05
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English
Community newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin.; Australian newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin.
Nationwide News Pty. Limited
Darwin
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Nationwide News Pty. Limited
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/281596
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/414381
08 NEWS SUNDAY NOVEMBER 5 2017 NTNE01Z01MA - V1 STATES and territories are on notice to change laws to better protect their retirement village residents and their families or face federal intervention. Federal Consumer Affairs Minister Michael McCormack has given state counterparts until the first half of next year to create plans to overhaul legislation covering villages, with evidence that lax and unenforced laws were being manipulated by unscrupulous owners and operators. Speaking to News Corp Age-old issue in sights Feds warn of intervention in retirement home market Australia yesterday as Kathryn Greiner wrapped up her inquiry into retirement homes in NSW and the Victorian Governments response to its own inquiry was tabled last month, Mr McCormack described as very alarming reports from across Australia about rife industry abuse. He has chaired a meeting in Melbourne with state counterparts and has nominated four critical areas he wants addressed in six months. Its the first time the Federal Government has proactively taken a hard line after a decade of inaction following a damning 2007 parliamentary inquiry and a 2011 Productivity Commission report, scathing about the lack of protections in retirement villages. His four concerns were for fairer contract terms, structured exit fees, simplified contracts and consensus on dispute resolution. It is rife, people are being ripped off and families want to know their patriarchs and matriarchs going into retirement villages are going to be looked after, they are not going to be ripped off and are going to be able to enjoy their twilight years without the worry and stress of filling in a form that they didnt know the ins and outs, or whether they have to seek some form of redress through legal entities, and we know thats a slippery path, Mr McCormack said. He cited South Australias retirement laws, to come into effect in January, as a benchmark for uniform legislation for other states. It would be desirable that we have unified legislation across the place because quite frankly the borders have to come down, the states have to do their area of work and report back to me, tell me what theyve done, he said. Weve taken the lead, we might have to take a sterner approach, he said declining to say what that was. Council on the Ageing Australia chief executive Ian Yates said consistent legislation was essential, particularly for multistate operators that invariably have higher resident costs depending on complexity of contracts, from 20-30 pages in SA to more than 100 in NSW. He wasnt hopeful. I know when it was put on the agenda of (ministers) state and territory colleagues they said no in prompt terms to trying to develop consistent legislation, Mr Yates said. CHARLES MIRANDA BRITAINS best fighter pilots have joined Australias top guns by backing the F-35 stealth fighter despite the USbuilt jets issues with oxygen supply, overheating, cybersecurity interoperability, maneuverability and A US Air Force sergeant watches an F-35 Lightning II approach Picture: AP Leading pilots say F-35s are ace communications. The Brit test pilots say the Joint Strike Fighter, to operate out of Tindal and Darwin, is worth every penny. Royal Air Force Squadron Leader Andy Edgell, the UKs lead test pilot, says the jets should not be judged by these teething problems alone. It would be utterly nonsensical to not purchase and design and develop the F-35 and have it as our core staple ingredient forming our air power, he said. It is an incredibly, incredibly powerful aircraft and I am not talking about thrust, the capabilities it brings to the battle space it is incredibly powerful. The disappointing thing is I cant share all the details I do think a lot of the critics would be quietened very quickly. One of Australias most experienced military pilots, Squadron Leader Andrew Jackson, has also backed the JSF. Border police seize air guns MORE than 60 airsoft guns that fire gel balls have been seized by Australian border officials, who also arrested a Perth man this week after searching his home. Border authorities intercepted 45 gel ball airsoft guns contained in 16 parcels destined for addresses across Western Australia in October. A further 18 guns were seized after local police searched two other homes. People who import goods without the import permission face a maximum penalty of $450,000 and up to 10 years in jail. Investments in world peace BHP Billiton chief executive Andrew Mackenzie has warned that unless businesses and governments invest in skilled workforces to tackle populism and poverty it could lead to conflict. His comments continued a theme that has dominated a German-Australian conference in Perth. He followed speeches by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier containing criticisms of the US and warnings that rising populism threatens global prosperity. GARY SHIPWAY Greek MP caught in dual saga ANOTHER MP has become entangled in the citizenship debacle, with assistant Immigration Minister Alex Hawke being forced to deny he could be a dual Greek citizen. Mr Hawke, who represents Mitchell in northwestern Sydney, said he has solely held Australian citizenship after it was revealed his mother was born in Greece and migrated to Australia in the 1950s. Mr Hawke said: I was born in Wollongong, have lived my whole life in Australia and have only ever solely held Australian citizenship. I am an Australian citizen only and have never held or acquired or sought Greek or any other citizenship. According to the Greek Embassy in Canberra, a person acquires Greek citizenship at birth if said person is born to a parent of Greek Nationality, whether it is activated or not. The latest saga comes as Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull ruled out a citizenship audit of MPs, arguing the High Court was the only way to determine eligibility. Labor leader Bill Shorten said Parliament looked like a circus and urged Mr Turnbull to agree to conduct an audit. www.topendshedsnt.com Phone 0429 980 742 COVERING THE NT and Beyond Supplying kit sheds and carports Domestic, industrial or agricultural Custom designed kit homes Call today for a free quote using bluescope steel & colorbond roofing locally owned business