Mental health experts meet in Canberra to find a solution to vulnerable Australians falling through the cracks of our health system;
Pressure increasing on Joe Biden to step down as Donald Trump's sentencing for his hush money conviction is delayed;
and alarming revelations how the personal images, names, locations and ages of our children are being used to train artificial intelligence programs.
Credits
Sabra Lane: Good morning. Welcome to AM. It's Wednesday the 3rd of July. I'm Sabra Lane coming to you from Nipaluna, Hobart.
In the United States, the pressure is building on President Joe Biden to stand aside after his awkward debate performance against Donald Trump last week. Now, respected Democrat and the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, says it's legitimate to question whether Mr Biden is the right candidate. Meanwhile, the legal victories continue for Donald Trump. He was due to be sentenced next week over the hush money payment to a Pawn Star case, but the judge has now delayed sentencing until mid-September. And North America correspondent is Carrington Clarke. Carrington, the chorus for Joe Biden to stand down is growing louder among his own ranks.
Carrington Clarke: Yeah, and perhaps most significantly today, we have the first member of the Democratic caucus openly coming out to suggest that President Biden should withdraw from this contest. This was Lloyd Doggett from Texas, and he said, just like Lyndon Johnson, President Biden should make the painful decision to withdraw. Now, we know that there are lots of conversations happening behind the scenes after Joe Biden's at times painful to watch debate performance last week. And although publicly the White House and his closest supporters say that it was just an off night and that there is no reason for him to withdraw. It does appear today that even significant supporters are raising serious questions about him. Nancy Pelosi, who's always been seen as particularly close to the president, said that there are people within the party who are concerned.
Nancy Pelosi: Now, again, I think it's a legitimate question to say, is this an episode or is this a condition? And so when people ask that question, it's legitimate of both candidates.
Sabra Lane: Carrington, the sentencing of Donald Trump, the Republican presumptive nominee and former president for his hush money conviction has been delayed. What's the significance of this?
Carrington Clarke: Yeah, so this is a major political victory for the former president. The judge overseeing that case, who was scheduled to hand down his sentence to the former president next week, which importantly was just days before the Republican National Convention was due to begin, where Donald Trump will receive the official endorsement of the Republican Party to run for president. That has now been delayed because Donald Trump's legal team want the opportunity to argue that this week's landmark Supreme Court presidential immunity decision means that he should never have been prosecuted anyway for this matter. Now, the decision from the Supreme Court was effectively that US presidents receive broad immunity for their core constitutional responsibilities, but also this presumption of immunity for any official acts and that any official acts can also not be used against them as evidence for any other crimes. So effectively, what they're arguing is that some of the evidence that was used in that trial should never have been entered before the jury. And so therefore, the convictions should be quashed. Now, importantly, the prosecution in that matter says that they have no objection to a delay, although they say that the legal arguments are without merit. But it does set up this situation where Donald Trump won't have a sentence for his convictions. He still will be a convicted felon at the National Convention. But now his sentence is due to be handed down less than two months before the US presidential election.
Sabra Lane: Carrington Clarke there.
It's a big vision with a huge price tag. And today, the federal government will introduce its Future Made in Australia plan, involving $23 billion to rebuild the manufacturing sector while creating regional jobs and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. It was a major policy from the recent budget. Under the plan, projects winning taxpayer support must show how they'll benefit local communities and jobs. The PM will be hoping it's a circuit breaker, focusing debate about this rather than dissenting Labor Senator Fatima Payman, who's been suspended from caucus for crossing the floor and talking about it. Senator Tim Ayres is the Assistant Manufacturing Minister. Tim Ayres, thanks for joining AM.
Tim Ayres: G'day, Sabra. It's a very exciting week to be the Assistant Minister for Manufacturing in Australia.
Sabra Lane: You're sounding positive, but is this policy doomed to fail because the opposition and Greens say they're not willing to pass it?
Tim Ayres: We'll work with parties across the parliament to deliver this and we'll campaign for it right around Australia and every regional community. This is the biggest pro-manufacturing package in Australian history. This is a week where we've had two focuses. One, a focus on the here and now. Cost of living relief for Australians, tax cuts for every wage earner, wage increases, energy bill relief, but secondly, a focus on the future shape of the Australian economy, delivering on our security and resilience, delivering on the renewable energy superpower capability of our economy and delivering on regional jobs.
Sabra Lane: Is the government even trying just yet to negotiate with anyone in the Senate about getting this through? You trying to lay the groundwork yet or not?
Tim Ayres: Well, this week, the legislation will be delivered into the House of Representatives. And we'll work through the parliament over the course of the coming months. Well, it brings together the Albanese government's manufacturing strategy. As I said, the biggest pro-manufacturing package in our history. So alongside the, as you indicated, the $22.7 billion worth of support for future manufacturing, production tax credits, the Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund, our Future Made in Australia Sector Plans, and National Reconstruction Fund, $15 billion. As you say, this is a very big package. It is gonna shape the future economy of Australia and make sure that we capture the jobs of the future into our regions and out of suburbs.
Sabra Lane: Under the laws, quote, decision makers will have to consider how projects that get support will create local jobs and support communities. Ultimately, who is going to decide that? Will it be a bureaucrat or will it be a minister? And how will you guarantee that this is just not a pork-barrelling exercise?
Tim Ayres: Well, it certainly won't be a pork-barrelling exercise. We've seen enough of the old-style grant schemes under the Morrison government. These projects will have to be either key to the net zero transformation of our economy, so capturing those big investment opportunities here in Australia, or they will need to be where Australia could have a genuine comparative advantage in the future, or to deal with their economic or national security imperative. That's what the legislation's designed to do, to protect the interests of Australia for the future.
Sabra Lane: But ultimately, will it be a politician or a bureaucrat who makes the decision as to what gets the big tick?
Tim Ayres: The focus of decision making here will either be in Treasury or, of course, some of the investment vehicles that the government has here. So the Export Finance Australia, the National Reconstruction Fund, that is where the decision making about some of these programs will be. But of course, the National Interest Framework, just like the Foreign Investment Review Board does now, that will be the locus of decision making there.
Sabra Lane: If Mr Trump wins the next US presidential election, what will that mean for this policy?
Tim Ayres: Well, we've seen a shift across the world in terms of the way that countries engage in trade. It has become a feature of statecraft, and Australia has, of course, seen its fair share of impediments placed in front of Australian exporters, and we are determined to diversify our trade relationships. That isn't just about market diversification, although that's very important. It's also about diversifying the products and services that we offer the world, and about making sure that we not only secure our supply chains, but make the Australian economy more resilient for the future. We're in an uncertain or less certain world, Sabra. We can't afford complacency about our economic future, and that is one of the driving features or the driving imperatives behind this piece of legislation and behind the Albanese government's approach to manufacturing. We need to diversify the range of products and services that we're offering the world, and go up the value chain to make sure that we're creating the jobs of the future and making Australia more economically resilient.
Sabra Lane: This is the industry minister's baby, Ed Husic. Is he out spruiking this this morning, or are you, the Prime Minister and Treasurer, doing the heavy lifting on this to avoid awkward questions about Palestine and Senator Payman?
Tim Ayres: I think every minister who's been engaged in this, including Ed, including Ed, will be out there spruiking this policy. It is a centrepiece for the Albanese government, this piece of work. It is, as I said, a lot of the focus this week has been on the here and now, dealing with the cost of living pressures for ordinary Australian households. But the second focus of this government is about making sure that we're making the big changes for the long term, to make the economy more resilient, to lift our national productivity, to make sure that we're creating the jobs of the future in the regions and suburbs.
Sabra Lane: Senator Tim Ayres, thanks for talking with AM this morning.
Tim Ayres: Good to talk to you, Sabra.
Sabra Lane: And Tim Ayres is the Assistant Federal Minister for Manufacturing and Trade.
The Bondi Junction Shopping Centre stabbings in April shone a light on mental health services across Australia and how many vulnerable Australians are falling through the gaps. Today, mental health organisations and advocates will tell politicians in Canberra about the need to change the system to stop people with complex needs missing out, as they often do when they move between different state, territory and federal services. One positive change? A boost in the number of workers within the system who've experienced mental health issues. Isabel Moussalli reports.
Isabel Moussalli: Nearly three months ago, hundreds gathered at a candlelight vigil, honouring the six people killed in a mass stabbing at Sydney's Bondi Junction Shopping Centre. Jade Young was one of them. Her mother, Elizabeth, says her family found it hard to access the mental health care they needed.
Elizabeth Young : My family suffered terribly after our daughter was killed and in New South Wales we got wonderful support, but I was appalled when my son went back to Hobart. He had to wait six weeks before he could see a psychologist because he was really struggling.
Isabel Moussalli: And it's the motivation to bring about change that's brought her to federal parliament.
Elizabeth Young : Maybe it was time for a painful voice to be heard. I just see that with the mental health crisis, we're not moving fast enough and it's actually disturbing every community.
Isabel Moussalli: She'll join others with lived experience and several mental health organisations at a roundtable today. It's organised by the Black Dog Institute and independent MP Allegra Spenda in the wake of the Bondi tragedy, which has seen questions raised about the attacker's own mental health history and potential missed opportunities to prevent what happened.
Kerry Hawkins: But the reality is that thousands and thousands of families and individuals live everyday lives of despair because their needs aren't met.
Isabel Moussalli: That's National Mental Health Commissioner Kerry Hawkins. She explains this meeting will highlight the missing middle.
Kerry Hawkins: People go to the federally funded services which are through your local GP, through Medicare and you often get a referral to a psychologist. If that doesn't work then usually what happens is people end up in the state funded emergency and acute clinical services and then if that doesn't work then people fall through the gaps.
Isabel Moussalli: The group wants changes including long term funding and reform so the state, territory and federal governments work better together for people with complex mental health needs. But Kerry Hawkins adds there's some promising work underway.
Kerry Hawkins: What we're calling a lived experience workforce and so I think that's probably the most innovative service offering that we've got coming.
Isabel Moussalli: Assistant Minister for Mental Health Emma McBride says the government's determined to provide early intervention and wraparound care.
Emma McBride : We expanded funding to what will now be called Medicare Mental Health Centres, rolling out 61 across the country which will offer free walk-in mental health care and support, particularly designed for people with more moderate to complex needs where they'll be able to get the support of a psychologist, a psychiatrist, a social worker and importantly peer support because sometimes the best support is from someone who's walked in your shoes.
Sabra Lane: Assistant Minister for Mental Health Emma McBride ending that report from Isabel Moussalli. And if you or anyone you know need help you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
The photos of Australian children, their names, where they live and how old they are, being stolen without their knowledge to help train artificial intelligence models, according to Human Rights Watch. A researcher with the organisation has discovered the images in a free online collection of data including a newborn baby still connected with their mother by an umbilical cord and girls in swimsuits at a school sports carnival. National Technology reporter Ange Lavoipierre is speaking here with researcher Hye Jung Han about the privacy breach.
Hye Jung Han: What I found was that the personal photos of Australian children were being secretly scraped without the knowledge or consent of them or their families and used to build powerful AI tools. So it's really quite scary and astonishing. And these images were clearly taken and meant to be shared privately. Some of these images aren't possible to find through an online search. So there absolutely was the expectation of privacy when kids or their families or schools or other people posted them online.
Ange Lavoipierre: So I was hoping you could talk to us a little bit about the data set in question, its size, its source, the way that it's being used.
Hye Jung Han: Yeah, so this data set, it's called LAION-5B and it's managed by this German organisation called LAION. And the data set essentially comprises of 5.85 billion images and their accompanying captions, like anything they can scrape from the internet. So that's photos of cars, houses, everything you could think of that exists on the internet. And of those, I looked at a random sample of about 5000 images. It's astonishing that out of those 5000 images, I could immediately find at least 190 photos of Australian children. And in addition to that, images of other children as well. So in a way, I think at least from the sample that I looked at, children seem to be over-represented in this data set, which is indeed quite strange. I think the issue here is that there needs to be comprehensive data laws in Australia that would legally protect children's data privacy so they don't have to worry about their information or their images being misused by anybody else on the web.
Ange Lavoipierre: You know, one of the saddest parts of this is the models can't forget them, right?
Hye Jung Han: Yeah, that's one of the most insidious harms about this kind of technology right now is that the harm is already done. The AI model has already learnt that child's features and will use it in ways that nobody can really foresee in the future. But I will say one thing that gives me hope is that it's easy to forget that it's only been a year and a half. Like these things are not set in stone. It is actually possible to shape the trajectory of this technology now so it doesn't cause this continued perpetuated harm in the future.
Sabra Lane: And that's researcher Hye Jung Han from Human Rights Watch speaking with Ange Lavoipierre. A spokesperson for LAION, the non-profit group behind the data set, told the ABC its data sets are just a collection of links to images available on the public internet, but it's confirmed the images flagged by Human Rights Watch have been removed from its collection.
UK elections tomorrow, political leaders are zigzagging across the nation trying to woo undecided voters. The polls indicate Rishi Sunak will not be PM by the weekend, though Mr Sunak says he hasn't given up. Europe Correspondent, Mazoe Ford, reports from London.
Mazoe Ford: At a football ground in Nottinghamshire in the north of England, the cheers and applause were for Labor leader, Sir Keir Starmer. The Conservatives won more than 60 per cent of the vote in this area last time, so Labor is campaigning hard here.
Sir Keir Starmer: If you want change, you've got to vote for it. Thank you very much.
Mazoe Ford: Change has been Sir Keir's message throughout this campaign, but today he also addressed criticism from the Tories, who say he'll be a part-time Prime Minister because he wants to carve out Friday nights for his children.
Sir Keir Starmer: My family is really important to me, as they will be to every single person watching this, and I just think it's increasing desperation, bordering on hysterical now.
Mazoe Ford: After 14 years of Conservative government, the polls are predicting a Labor victory with a large majority. Jill Rutter is from the think tank UK in a Changing Europe.
Jill Rutter: It could be a really, really bad night for the Conservatives, that they at the optimistic end might go down from having well over 300 MPs now to around 150, but that they could go much worse. Some of those estimates put them down with only 50 MPs. Remember the UK House of Commons has 650 MPs in it.
Mazoe Ford: Tory Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spent the day in Oxfordshire in England's south-east. He insists he hasn't given up and can still win. During a live TV interview, the host asked him about this comment from polling expert John Curtis.
TV host: He said this, there is more chance of lightning striking twice in the same place and a bit more than Rishi Sunak remaining as Prime Minister. Do you accept that?
Rishi Sunak: That's his view. That's not going to stop me from working as hard as I can over these final few days to talk to as many people as possible about the choice. I was up at four this morning talking to workers at a distribution facility. I'm here talking to you. I'll be out until the last moment of this campaign.
Mazoe Ford: The Conservatives aren't just competing against Labor though. Support for the far-right party Reform UK has risen over the campaign, potentially splitting votes on the right. And then there are the centrist Liberal Democrats, who might also woo traditional Tory voters. The UK heads to the polls on Thursday. This is Mazoe Ford in London, reporting for AM.
Sabra Lane: That's AM for today. Thanks for your company. I'm Sabra Lane.
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