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headline

Grace Tame responds to formal apology to victims of harassment

Former Australian of the Year Grace Tame has criticised the apologies and acknowledgments made in Parliament today ahead of tomorrow's address at the National Press Club with Brittany Higgins.

The prime minister addressed Parliament on its first day of the year and apologised to anyone who had been harrassed, bullied, or abused – and promised to implement the 28 recommendations from Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins' review.

Ms Higgins, who came forward with rape allegations nearly a year ago, sat in the public gallery alongside Rachelle Miller, Josie Coles, Chelsey Potter, and Chanel Contos, who were all guests of Independent MP Zali Steggall.

READ MORE: Scott Morrison apologises to political staff who were bullied, abused

https://twitter.com/TamePunk/status/1490857732563701760

"How about some proactive, preventative measures and not just these performative, last-minute bandaid electioneering stunts?" Ms Tame wrote on Twitter.

Ms Higgins' partner also shared a photo of the women sitting in the gallery today, and said: "A powerful reminder that these women were last-minute invites. That Brittany Higgins was a last-minute invite."

Tomorrow, Ms Tame and Ms Higgins will give a joint address to the National Press Club in Canberra – speaking about the power of survivors' stories.

The event is sold out.

Brittany Higgins parliament house apologyhttps://twitter.com/zalisteggall/status/1490892659703320577

Mr Morrison has said he will not attend.

"I don't get the opportunity to listen to all these speeches, but I'll certainly ensure I am aware of what they've said," the prime minister said.

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Office return a major factor in the 'Great Resignation'

Australians who are forced to be physically present in their workplace are more likely to embrace "the Great Resignation", new data has found.

The ELMO Employee Sentiment Index, which is conducted by an independent research firm and weighted to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data, found that as many as 43 per cent of workers plan to search for a new job in 2022.

A startling 31 per cent indicated they plan to quit their jobs as soon as they secure a new position.

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Open plan startup office. Coworking desks in a brightly lit office space.

The data, which surveyed more than 1000 geographically dispersed working Australians, found that being forced to be physically present in an office was a major factor in staying in a job.

The spread of the Omicron wave saw the number of workers who supported mandatory vaccinations for a return to the office jump from 70 per cent to 76 per cent, while those who reported being uncomfortable working alongside unvaccinated employees grew from 58 per cent to 67 per cent.

ELMO Software CEO and founder Danny Lessem said the data showed employees value increased wages, more flexibility and the ability to work remotely as conditions needed to accept a counter-offer from their existing employer.

"It seems Australian workers are willing to embrace the notion of a 'Great Resignation'," Mr Lessem said.

"More than two in five workers say they plan to search for a new job and a third say they are likely to quit their jobs as soon as they have a new one to go to."

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Quiet streets around the Sydney CBD

Mr Lessem said instability in the workplace was a major driver of worker exhaustion, with many employees seeking greater stability.

"After a year of longitudinal data gathering and analysis the Employee Sentiment Index has offered a rare glimpse into the attitudes and concerns of Australian workers," he said.

"This ongoing study has made clear that when workers perceive their situation to be unstable or insecure their overall wellbeing suffers. Workers who think their job isn't secure are far more likely to feel burnt-out than their peers.

"After the past year of lockdowns and uncertainty for many workers, it is unsurprising that the use of mental health leave has climbed quarter-on-quarter throughout 2021."

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Woman working at home on video meeting

In an address to the Australian Industry Group, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the nation was seeing a "great reshuffle" rather than a "great resignation".

"A stronger and more dynamic jobs market leads to increased productivity and wages. Switching jobs allows workers to move up the job ladder for better pay," Mr Frydenberg said.

"When workers are in high demand, businesses are more likely to invest in capital, making workers more productive and businesses more efficient.

"It also leads to better job matching, moving higher-skilled workers into higher-skilled jobs."

headline

Metal bar found by police investigating suspicious death of Queensland woman

Police investigating the suspicious death of Queensland woman Krishna Chopra have located a metal bar in the vicinity of her home and are seeking to find if it was connected to her murder.

The bar was located during extensive searches around the Crows Nest property that began on January 31, when 61-year-old Ms Chopra was found dead in her home.

It's believed the woman had died on January 21, discovered by a friend 10 days later.

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Police have today confirmed Ms Chopra died as a result of severe head trauma.

What caused the injury is yet to be identified.

Police are seeking information from the public regarding the origins of the bar, which measures 75cm.

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"We're not in a position to explain if there's any DNA on the bar, we're merely asking for any information," Detective Senior Sergeant Paul McCusker said.

Police are also appealing to members of the public who may have used a similar bar to determine what it might be used for.

Investigators are uncertain whether the bar is connected to Ms Chopra's death.

Police have previously released CCTV footage of Ms Chopra in the days prior to her death and are seeking witnesses who may have seen her around January 21.

"A day or two before she died, she was going about her normal day to day commitments in the community," Senior Sergeant McCusker said.

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Information regarding Ms Chopra's movements between January 20 and 22 are of particular interest to detectives wishing to track her movements.

Residents who have seen her vehicles around this time are also urged to come forward.

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Ms Chopra was last seen in Toowoomba on January 20.

Crows Nest is a town of about 2000 people about 160km west of Brisbane.