Australia news LIVE: Keating backs Chalmers’ tax changes as Minns slams federal government over income tax; Health workers ‘under-prepared’ to combat Ebola outbreak in the DRC

by · WAtoday

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What’s making headlines today

By Emily Kaine

Hello and welcome to our national news live blog for Thursday, May 21. My name is Emily Kaine, and I’ll be helming our coverage for the first part of the day. Here’s what is making news.

  • Former prime minister Paul Keating has accused investors criticising the capital gains tax overhaul of pure greed, leaping to Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ defence. It came on the same day as NSW Premier Chris Minns slammed the government for failing to provide bigger income tax cuts.
  • Shadow treasurer Tim Wilson addressed the National Press Club yesterday, in his post-budget reply speech. He was highly critical of the government’s agenda, including changes to negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount that were not taken to the last election.
  • A diphtheria outbreak has spread to several states and territories, with one death in the Northern Territory so far caused by the disease. Health Minister Mark Butler said earlier this week it was the most severe outbreak Australia had seen in decades, and the government were responding with an emergency support plan.
  • Meanwhile overseas, a rare strain of the Ebola virus has caused the worst outbreak of the disease in more than a decade as it rapidly spreads through the Democratic Republic of Congo and healthcare workers on the ground say they are poorly prepared and “undertrained”. There are 139 suspected deaths and almost 600 suspected cases, according to the World Health Organisation.
  • And US President Donald Trump said that negotiations with Iran were “in the final stages”, while warning of further attacks unless Tehran agrees to a peace deal. Six weeks since Trump paused Operation Epic Fury for a ceasefire, talks to end the war have shown little progress. Trump said this week he came close to ordering more attacks, but held off to allow time for negotiations.