Ferry services return to normal after cancellations

Ferry services cancelled last week in Brisbane have returned to the normal services.

Public and active transport committee chairwoman Krista Adams said the cancellations were due to two ferries having mechanical issues.

Peak-hour SpeedyCat services were introduced by the council last year as express services up and down the river.

Japan's whaling industry set to resume after 30 year break.

Japan’s commercial whaling industry is set to resume on the 1st of July after a 30 year break, despite low demand for the meat and criticism from conservationists. 

Japan’s government says it will confine its hunts to Japanese territorial waters as well as ending its controversial annual expeditions to the Southern Ocean, following its withdrawal from the international whaling treaty last December. 

Boris Johnson says he would need EU cooperation in the event of a no-deal Brexit

British Prime Ministerial candidate Boris Johnson says he would need EU cooperation to avoid a hard Irish border or “crippling” tariffs on trade in the event of a no-deal Brexit. 

The “backstop” is an insurance policy Ireland wants to implement to ensure its border remains open to trade, people and services in the event of a no deal. 

Mr Johnson says he could persuade Brussels to resolve the Irish border issue, and added he will open discussion regarding a free trade agreement as soon as he is elected. 

Religious leaders have issued an open letter to PM on climate change issue

More than 150 religious leaders have issued an open letter urging Prime Minister Scott Morrison to show moral leadership on the issue of climate change and address it as his top priority. 

The letter, which also called on the government to achieve 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030, was signed by the heads of the National Council of Churches, the Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils, senior rabbis and the Sunni muslim Grand Mufti of Australia. 

Construction industry facing a crisis across Australia

The construction industry is facing a crisis across Queensland, Victoria and NSW with building surveyors unable to access professional indemnity insurance as a result of flammable cladding.

The Master Builders Association says up to 30 per cent of surveyors are required to renew their insurance by the end of June and if the insurance offered is not sufficient it may cause building projects to be halted.

Secular activists renewing calls to remove volunteer-run religious classes in state schools

Secular activists are renewing calls for the Queensland Labor government to remove volunteer-run religious classes in state schools after discovering a scathing 1972 state government report on the issue. 

Queensland Parents for Secular State Schools spokeswoman Alison Courtice says the report was buried at the time by the Bjelke-Peterson government and recommended discontinuing Christian-run religion classes in favour of historical instruction on all major religions. 

Queensland's corruption watchdog denies State Government's claim

Queensland’s corruption watchdog has denied the State Government’s claim its staff visit children being held in adult maximum-security watch houses. 

Police Minister Mark Ryan says he has “been assured young offenders in watch houses receive regular visits from independent agencies, including the Crime and Corruption Commission and the Public Guardian.”

The corruption watchdog says the government “does not have a general program of work where it visits individuals in watch houses.” 

 

Qld residents to pay almost $3k in state taxes

Queenslanders will pay an average of almost $3,000 each in state taxes this financial year, with the Palaszczuk government expecting to increase taxation revenue by 8.3 per cent to $15 billion in 2019-20. 

A spokesman for Treasurer Jackie Trad says Queenslanders pay $643 less in tax compared to the average taxpayer in other states and territories and are $100 better off under Labor than they were under the previous LNP government.