Australia's new union leader has launched a sharp attack on One Nation, warning that Pauline Hanson's party would make the cost of living crisis worse for workers, while the government has moved to shut down a widely abused management qualification amid concerns it is being exploited as a backdoor migration pathway.
Melissa Donnelly, the newly appointed secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, told the ABC's 7.30 program that Hanson's voting record contradicts her public messaging on economic issues.
The reality is that Pauline Hanson's track record is voting against penalty rates, voting against rights for casual and gig workers. She's opposed the minimum wage. She's most recently suggested it should be easier to sack workers.Donnelly framed the union movement's response as an effort to educate workers about the consequences of supporting One Nation.
Our job, as the union movement, is to make sure our members and workers understand that is what she stands for. And if you're worried about cost of living, Pauline Hanson is going to make it worse.
Donnelly's comments come as Hanson's policy proposals on superannuation and tobacco excise have created political pressure on both major parties, signalling the growing influence of her party in parliamentary debates.
What are the union's priorities under new leadership?
Beyond her critique of One Nation, Donnelly identified two major areas of focus for her tenure: cost of living pressures and the integration of artificial intelligence into workplaces. She has signalled that unions will push for stronger protections for workers as AI becomes more prevalent in employment settings.
On the question of worker involvement in AI deployment, Donnelly stated that employees deserve meaningful input into how and when the technology is used, though she clarified this would not constitute an outright veto.
There are a whole range of workplace issues, and workers' rights issues, that arise with the advent of AI.She indicated that unions would first test existing consultation requirements under current law before advocating for legislative strengthening tailored to artificial intelligence.
Donnelly outlined her vision for what enhanced safeguards would entail:
The stronger guardrails would include the capacity of workers to have a say on when it's used and how it's used.She framed the broader challenge as one requiring national coordination.
There's a broader conversation that we should be having as a nation about what AI means and how we regulate it. It's not a tropical cyclone bearing down on the coast. It is technology. We've seen governments step in on issues like social media and set some guardrails. We have all sorts of commentators from Bill Gates to others saying that we've got to have some rules around how this works, we've got to have protections, because we need to protect workers into there future. We need to make sure there are meaningful and quality jobs going forward.
Why is Labor scrapping the management diploma course?
The government has announced it will revoke the registration of the graduate diploma of management (learning), a qualification that has become synonymous with migration scheme abuse. The course, registered at 452 institutions across Australia, has been systematically misused, with students enrolling but never commencing their studies, failing to complete the program, or immediately transferring to other qualifications.
This marks the first occasion the government has exercised its power to cancel a course specifically on integrity grounds. However, students already enrolled and actively progressing through the diploma will be permitted to complete their studies.
Assistant Minister Julian Hill attributed the course's degradation to the previous government's management of the student visa system.
The Coalition left behind a shocking mess in 2022, with unsustainably high growth in student numbers in the least reputable parts of the sector, and our high-quality student visa being degraded into a low-rent illegal work visa and misused by shonks.Hill emphasised the government's commitment to restoring standards.
Australia continues to welcome genuine international students seeking a premium education and must maintain a ruthless focus on quality, integrity and a great student experience.
The decision reflects broader government efforts to address concerns about overseas migration levels, which have become a significant political issue. Recent policy moves have included housing and cost-of-living measures as part of the government's response to migration and affordability pressures.
What is the latest on Australians affected by Nepal-Tibet floods?
In a separate development, two additional Australians have been confirmed safe following the catastrophic flooding that struck the Nepal-Tibet border region. The pair, who had been unreachable in the immediate aftermath, have now been located and do not require consular assistance from the Australian government.
According to updated figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the number of missing Australians has been revised downward to 38, with one person located in Nepal, one in China, and three others found outside the affected disaster zone. This represents a significant reduction from the earlier count of 43 missing Australians.
The disaster itself has proven catastrophic in scale. More than 1,200 people have been confirmed dead across the affected regions, with more than 5,500 people reported missing. Earlier reporting indicated at least 41 Australians were among those missing, though the revised figure now stands lower as more people are accounted for.
Australia's emergency response has been mobilised at scale. Fifteen personnel from the Australian Disaster Assistance Response Team are expected to arrive in Kathmandu on Friday, while seven AFP disaster victim identification specialists are scheduled to arrive on Saturday morning. According to reports from late August, Australia's emergency response in Kathmandu had already grown to 12 personnel by 30 August, including crisis response officers, consular staff and Australian Federal Police.
The Australian government has committed substantial financial support to the humanitarian response. Australia has pledged $8 million in total humanitarian assistance for the disaster, following an initial $5 million commitment and a subsequent additional $3 million announcement as the scale of the crisis became clearer.
What happens next?
Search-and-rescue operations and consular work in Kathmandu are continuing as more Australians are progressively accounted for. The missing persons list is being regularly updated as new information emerges and additional individuals are located or confirmed safe.
