Hastie was interviewed on the ABC\u2019s Afternoon Briefing program a short time ago, where he said:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe real problem is of course that family formation is being delayed because people can\u2019t get into home soon enough, and families are having less children.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a real concern that our fertility replacement rate is projected to drop further, to a historic low at the moment of about 1.39 I think it was, and we want Australians to have a better chance of getting into a home, forming a family and having children of their own.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked if he would support a Peter Costello-style baby bonus to incentivise Australians to have children, Hastie said he was \u201cpretty open minded\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Liberal MP noted there were mixed views on whether the baby bonus among economists but he said he would \u201csupport anything that allows young Australians to form families soon enough\u201d.<\/p>\n
Hastie said:<\/p>\n
double quotation markI have three kids myself, they are a great blessing, I love children. I\u2019d love other Australians to have kids as well, and part of the challenge is getting them into homes sooner and making the economy work for them.<\/p>\n
Updated at\u00a003.20 EDT<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n What we learned \u2013 Monday 21 September<\/p>\n That\u2019s where we\u2019ll leave things. Here were the key things we covered today:<\/p>\n Thanks for joining us \u2013 we\u2019ll be back tomorrow to bring you the latest.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.41 EDT<\/p>\n Andrew Hastie \u2018open minded\u2019 on return to baby bonus after report\u2019s warning about ageing population<\/p>\n Andrew Hastie has weighed in on the latest intergenerational report, saying he\u2019s \u201copen minded\u201d on government financial incentives to encourage people to have children.<\/p>\n The report, released earlier today, found there will be more Australians dying than being born in 40 years\u2019 time, and examines the fundamental challenges of managing an ageing population at a time of rapid change and lower economic growth.<\/p>\n It also outlines how Australia is at the cusp of a new and uncertain age of artificial intelligence<\/a> that will shape the economy and society over the coming four decades.<\/p>\n Hastie was interviewed on the ABC\u2019s Afternoon Briefing program a short time ago, where he said:<\/p>\n \u201cThe real problem is of course that family formation is being delayed because people can\u2019t get into home soon enough, and families are having less children.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a real concern that our fertility replacement rate is projected to drop further, to a historic low at the moment of about 1.39 I think it was, and we want Australians to have a better chance of getting into a home, forming a family and having children of their own.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked if he would support a Peter Costello-style baby bonus to incentivise Australians to have children, Hastie said he was \u201cpretty open minded\u201d.<\/p>\n The Liberal MP noted there were mixed views on whether the baby bonus among economists but he said he would \u201csupport anything that allows young Australians to form families soon enough\u201d.<\/p>\n Hastie said:<\/p>\n double quotation markI have three kids myself, they are a great blessing, I love children. I\u2019d love other Australians to have kids as well, and part of the challenge is getting them into homes sooner and making the economy work for them.<\/p>\n Liberal MP Andrew Hastie says he would \u2018love other Australians to have kids\u2019. Photograph: Lukas Coch\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.20 EDT<\/p>\n NSW Greens urge government to invest $200m in frontline services after alleged domestic violence incidents<\/p>\n The New South Wales Greens MP Abigail Boyd has urged the state government to invest more in frontline domestic and family violence services after a horror weekend of alleged domestic violence.<\/p>\n Boyd has called for an immediate increase in funding of a minimum $200 million investment to address what she described as \u201cchronic funding shortfalls \u2026 causing calls to go unanswered\u201d.<\/p>\n In a statement, Boyd, the Greens\u2019 spokesperson for gendered violence and abuse, said:<\/p>\n double quotation markServices are operating at up to nine times their funded capacity and waitlists are at an average of two months with some stretching for months on end.<\/p>\n Whenever we see cases like the ones we saw over the weekend, politicians wring their hands and express their sadness as though they have no power to prevent these tragedies from happening.<\/p>\n These issues are not new, nor are the solutions to solve them. Reports, studies, testimony and evidence have all demonstrated for years where the shortfall is and how to address it.<\/p>\n In a $135 billion annual state budget, even if funding was increased, it would still add up to less than half a percent of total annual expenditure. I think most people in NSW would think that\u2019s a small price to pay to prevent these horrific crimes.<\/p>\n Her call comes after police earlier today said they would allege a mother was responsible for Sunday\u2019s stabbing attack on three young children that left one dead and two others fighting for their lives in hospital.<\/p>\n Bystanders were first on the scene after finding the three children and the woman with stab wounds inside a vehicle at Valley Heights in the Blue Mountains<\/a>, west of Sydney, yesterday afternoon.<\/p>\n On Saturday, three women were allegedly murdered inside their homes within a 12-hour period, in three separate incidents across the state.<\/p>\n NSW Greens upper house MP Abigail Boyd. Photograph: Carly Earl\/The GuardianShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.11 EDT<\/p>\n Sarah Hanson-Young says telcos can\u2019t be trusted with triple zero<\/p>\n The Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has said Australia\u2019s telecommunications system is \u201cfailing\u201d, after an inquiry into problems in the sector recommended the government consider nationalising triple zero.<\/p>\n The Senate committee, which delivered its report earlier today, began the inquiry into the Optus triple zero service outage of 18 September 2025, which has been linked to multiple deaths.<\/p>\n The inquiry, which was expanded to cover problems with other telcos including Telstra, which experienced its own outage in July this year, resulted in 11 recommendations to overhaul the system.<\/p>\n Speaking after the report was delivered, Hanson-Young said:<\/p>\n double quotation markAustralia\u2019s telecommunications system is failing and it\u2019s failing because for too long these big corporations have been able to regulate themselves and yet they are essential services.<\/p>\n People should be able to know that they need to call triple zero, their mobile phone will work regardless of where in Australia they are.<\/p>\n One of the key recommendations is urging the government to look at nationalising triple zero.<\/p>\n At the moment it\u2019s a service that is managed by Telstra with support from the other telcos. These companies are not putting the safety of Australians first. They\u2019re putting their profits first and they can no longer be trusted with Australia\u2019s vital triple zero service.<\/p>\n Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says telcos are \u2018not putting the safety of Australians first\u2019 when it comes to triple zero. Photograph: Mick Tsikas\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a002.19 EDT<\/p>\n Hello, I hope you\u2019ve been having a nice day. I\u2019ll take you through the rest of the news this afternoon.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> That\u2019s all from me. Catie McLeod will take things from here. Take care.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Asic begins proceedings against former CEO of company behind Supercheap Auto, Rebel and Macpac<\/p>\n The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (Asic) has begun civil penalty proceedings <\/a>against the former CEO and managing director of the Super Retail Group, alleging he breached his duties and provided misleading information to the board and the market.<\/p>\n Asic alleges Anthony Heraghty failed to disclose conflicts of interest that arose from an alleged undisclosed relationship with a senior executive at the company. Those failures, Asic says, included continuing to supervise the person and making decisions affecting their employment, including remuneration, rewards and a redundancy package.<\/p>\n Super Retail Group is an ASX-listed public company and the parent company of a group that has retail interest including Supercheap Auto, BCF, Rebel and Macpac. Heraghty was the CEO from March 2019 to September 2025.<\/p>\n Sarah Court, the chair of Asic, said in a statement:<\/p>\n double quotation markThe allegations in this matter raise important issues about governance, transparency and trust in the information provided to boards and the market.<\/p>\n This case is not about private relationships, but whether a director properly disclosed and managed conflicts of interest and met their duties to the company and shareholders.<\/p>\n Asic is seeking declarations of contravention, pecuniary penalties and disqualification orders. Heraghty has not yet filed a defence, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a000.50 EDT<\/p>\n ACT offers $500,000 reward to help solve murder cases including possible Ivan Milat victim<\/p>\n The ACT government will offer a reward of $500,000 for information that helps conclude a series of unsolved murder or missing person cases, including the death of Keren Rowland, a 20-year-old nurse killed in 1971 whose family believe she was the first victim of serial killer Ivan Milat.<\/p>\n The government said the rewards will apply to five new cases<\/a> in addition to three others that have had rewards attached to them since 2012. Officials said while some of the cases relate to long-term missing persons, they hope the rewards will encourage a witness or someone with information to come forward.<\/p>\n The other cases include those of Elizabeth Herfort, who was last seen in 1980; Megan Louise Mulquiney, last seen in 1984; Troy Hugh Forsyth, who was fatally struck by a van in 1987; and David Abuoi, who was last seen in Canberra in 2012.<\/p>\n The ACT minister for police, Marisa Paterson, said in a statement:<\/p>\n double quotation markThe families of these five people have never given up hope of getting answers regarding what happened to their loved ones. Half a million dollars is a strong incentive for someone to tell police what they know.<\/p>\n If you know anything about Keren, Troy, David, Elizabeth or Megan\u2019s matters, we are urging you to come forward.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a001.09 EDT<\/p>\n Chalmers says AI will bring \u2018the biggest economic transformation of our lifetime\u2019 The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, said artificial intelligence will play \u201ca pivotal role\u201d in driving Australia\u2019s long-term productivity growth.<\/p>\n double quotation markThe AI revolution is the most consequential new emphasis since the 2023 report and the biggest economic transformation of our lifetime. The productivity, investment and labour market impacts of AI will be dramatic.<\/p>\n The IGR shows from 2030 onwards each extra 0.1% of productivity growth from AI could improve the bottom line by 0.7 percentage points and reduce gross debt by 0.3 percentage points within a decade.<\/p>\n Chalmers said Australia needs to be focused and deliberate in adopting AI to realise its benefits.<\/p>\n double quotation markWe are well positioned with Australians adopting AI at a higher rate than almost every G20 country, but the productivity boost from AI depends on translating that into better ways of working.<\/p>\n Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Photograph: Hilary Wardaugh\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a000.22 EDT<\/p>\n More from the treasurer\u2019s response to intergenerational report<\/p>\n Jim Chalmers outlined the five major challenges identified in the intergenerational report:<\/p>\n The impact of the \u201cAI revolution\u201d on the economy<\/p>\n A \u201cfragmenting world\u201d shaped by growing geopolitical tensions<\/p>\n The transition to clean energy<\/p>\n A growing and ageing population, accelerated by falling fertility rates<\/p>\n Changes to the industrial sector, driven by AI and the energy transition<\/p>\n Chalmers said the challenges needed to be addressed through a holistic approach:<\/p>\n double quotation markThere\u2019s no separating these five accelerating shifts from each other or from their consequences for our budget or our economy.<\/p>\n A smaller workforce means a proportionately smaller income tax base at a time when pressures on social services and tools of statecraft, including defence, will be growing, not easing, along with the fiscal risks of climate change and more frequent disasters.<\/p>\n Chalmers said it was \u201cremarkable\u201d that the budget was strengthening despite those pressures, with government spending over the next 40 years expected to increase by significantly less than previously forecast.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a000.23 EDT<\/p>\n Tasmanian jumping castle tragedy wind gust \u2018unprecedented\u2019, inquest hears<\/p>\n A jumping castle that became airborne due to a freak \u201cdust devil\u201d, killing six primary schoolchildren, was tethered at only four of eight anchorage points, an inquest has been told.<\/p>\n The children died during end-of-year celebrations at Hillcrest primary school in Devonport on 16 December 2021.<\/p>\n A long-awaited inquest began in Tasmania on Monday after years of delays due to criminal proceedings against the castle\u2019s operator, Rosemary Gamble. Gamble operated Taz-Zorb, which set up inflatable equipment at the school. She was found not guilty of criminal workplace health and safety breaches in 2025.<\/p>\n The events of the day and the tethering of the castle and other devices would be placed under \u201cextensive examination\u201d, counsel assisting the coroner Maree Norton said on Monday.<\/p>\n Gamble was supervising on the day and had a policy of not operating the castle if winds were tipped to exceed 25km\/h. The Bureau of Meteorology forecast for 16 December was light winds, reaching 15 to 20km\/h by the evening, Norton said.<\/p>\n Several witnesses, including teachers and nearby residents, said the morning was largely windless before a \u201cmini-tornado\u201d hit around 10am.<\/p>\n In 2025, the magistrates court found Gamble could have taken further steps in relation to the castle\u2019s anchorage, but even if she had, it would have made no difference to the outcome. The coroner can make different findings but cannot make rulings of criminal guilt.<\/p>\n \u2013 AAP<\/p>\n Flowers and tributes are seen outside Hillcrest primary school in Devonport, Tasmania after the incident on in December 2021. Photograph: Ethan James\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a023.29 EDT<\/p>\n Chalmers says intergenerational report warns of \u2018very serious risks and pressures\u2019 The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has delivered the Treasury\u2019s latest intergenerational report, examining the potential impact of government policies over the next 40 years.<\/p>\n Speaking in Canberra, Chalmers said the report highlighted the challenges facing Australians in a \u201cmore fragmented and uncertain world\u201d.<\/p>\n double quotation markThe world is becoming more dangerous, more unpredictable, more unequal, and more divided. And these aren\u2019t just individual threads, they\u2019re part of a bigger fraying of that intergenerational promise of better times.<\/p>\n Accelerating change is putting more pressure on people. It\u2019s eroding trust in the institutions of democracy. It exacerbates the strain felt by younger Australians and younger generations in particular.<\/p>\n Chalmers said the report identified that Australia faces serious challenges but said the country is well prepared to manage them.<\/p>\n double quotation markThis intergenerational report shows that we face very serious risks and pressures, but that we are better placed and better prepared for them \u2026 this report also shows that we have a better plan to maximise our opportunities and minimise our risks, to grow our economy and lift living standards, embrace new technologies and share the benefits.<\/p>\n Jim Chalmers at ANU today. Photograph: Hilary Wardaugh\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a000.23 EDT<\/p>\n \u2018That\u2019s nuts\u2019: Queensland premier slams plans to slash visa numbers Queensland\u2019s premier says bipartisan plans to reduce the number of foreign visa holders allowed into the country is \u201cnuts\u201d and could risk spiralling food prices and damage to regional communities.<\/p>\n Labor, the Liberals and One Nation have all recently released plans to cap or slash migration. Last week the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, released a plan to slash net overseas migration from 292,000 this year to just 225,000 in 2027-28.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that\u2019s nuts,\u201d David Crisafulli said on Monday, referring to the idea of reducing visa numbers year on year. He said:<\/p>\n double quotation markWithout it [migration], you go into a country town during a fruit picking season, for example, and without those short-term visas, you won\u2019t get a beer at a pub, and a farmer won\u2019t be able to pick his or her produce, and those towns grind to a halt.<\/p>\n But if you don\u2019t love those little towns as much as I do, see it through a self-interest point of view. The things you put in your trolley are going to be a hell of a lot more expensive if there\u2019s not a sensible discussion around making sure that people can go into regional areas and do the kind of work that they have done for a long period of time.<\/p>\n Crisafulli said the country needed a discussion as much about welcoming new Australians who wanted to build the country of the future as about how best to accommodate them.<\/p>\n Queensland premier David Crisafulli. Photograph: Darren England\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a023.02 EDT<\/p>\n Four Australian sea lions test positive for H5 bird flu in South Australia<\/p>\n Four more endangered Australian sea lions have tested positive for the deadly H5N1 bird flu at an important breeding site in South Australia.<\/p>\n The animals, including one pup, were among several found dead on the Pages islands near Kangaroo Island, state authorities said on Monday.<\/p>\n SA recorded the first H5 death of a sea lion eight days ago, with fears about how deadly virus will impact populations of the endangered pinniped.<\/p>\n Experts estimate that about 12,000 Australian sea lions remain, most of which are found in SA. The Pages islands are one of three sites in the state with large breeding colonies, according to Parks SA.<\/p>\n Authorities identified three positive sea lions on North Page Island and one on South Page Island via aerial wildlife surveillance operations. Several dead pups were also found, but tested negative for H5 bird flu.<\/p>\n Invasive Species Council chief executive Jack Gough said:<\/p>\n double quotation markWe haven\u2019t seen the mass deaths in pinnipeds that the experience in South America and Antarctica suggests may be coming but multiple deaths in a single location could indicate that devastation is just around the corner.<\/p>\n We\u2019re now about to see millions of migratory birds arriving in Australia as part of spring migration as well as breeding events around the country which could be a new phase in terms of the level of devastation.<\/p>\n Australian sea lions. Photograph: Brad Leue\/AlamyShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a023.43 EDT<\/p>\n WA government calls off shark catch-and-kill directive<\/p>\n The WA government has called off the search for a shark that killed a Perth man on Friday, after a minister had ordered a catch-and-kill directive.<\/p>\n WA police said a 63-year-old man was bitten by a shark while swimming at Sorrento beach. The swimmer\u2019s body has not been found.<\/p>\n In a statement, the Department of Primary Industries said it had concluded water and land based patrols around Sorrento beach.<\/p>\n double quotation markThere was no evidence of white shark activity in the area yesterday and a significantly diminished chance of catching the individual shark involved in the fatal incident on Friday.<\/p>\n Beaches in the City of Joondalup from Marmion to Iluka were set to reopen at 10am local time.<\/p>\n On Saturday the WA fisheries minister, Jackie Jarvis, revealed she had greenlit the order. She said in a social media post:<\/p>\n double quotation markGiven the shark had been positively identified, remained in the vicinity following a fatal attack and was considered to pose an ongoing threat, I authorised fisheries officers to destroy the shark if captured.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.21 EDT<\/p>\n More Australians forecast to live into their 90s<\/p>\n Australian households are expected to shrink but more people can expect to live well into their 90s, according to the latest update to forecasts of the country\u2019s long-term future.<\/p>\n Treasury\u2019s latest intergenerational report, to be published in full on Monday, will project the impact of government policies 40 years into the future.<\/p>\n An extract released on Sunday showed life expectancy at birth was forecast to reach almost 90 for women by 2065-66, up from about 86 years at present.<\/p>\n The report will also reveal that artificial intelligence (AI) will become the \u201cdefining influence\u201d on the economy over the next four decades, as the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, warned it would come with \u201cvery substantial risks\u201d.<\/p>\n Read more:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.13 EDT<\/p>\n More than 800,000 bees stolen across far north Queensland<\/p>\n An estimated 800,000 bees, worth tens of thousands of dollars, have been stolen from properties in far north Queensland.<\/p>\n The industry is already reeling from the this month\u2019s arrival of the varroa mite parasite.<\/p>\n Tom Bidner, an apiarist from the Atherton Tablelands, west of Cairns, said 44 colonies had been stolen from three different beekeepers.<\/p>\n Read more:<\/p>\n![\"Liberal](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/5504.jpg\")
Liberal MP Andrew Hastie says he would \u2018love other Australians to have kids\u2019. Photograph: Lukas Coch\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Catie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789983012_424_Caite_McLeod.png\")
Catie McLeod<\/p>\n![\"Nick](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789983012_415_Nick_Visser.png\")
Nick Visser<\/p>\n![\"Achol](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789983013_462_Achol_Arok,_L.png\")
Achol Arok<\/p>\nAchol Arok<\/p>\nAchol Arok<\/p>\n![\"Andrew](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789983013_275_Andrew_Messenger.png\")
Andrew Messenger<\/p>\n![\"Donna](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789983014_645_Donna_Lu.png\")
Donna Lu<\/p>\nAndrew Messenger<\/p>\n
![\"Tom](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789983014_897_Tom_McIlroy.png\")
Tom McIlroy<\/p>\n