Optus to pay $100m fine after selling customers phones and contracts they did not want
Optus will pay a $100m penalty after it admitted to engaging in “unconscionable conduct” by selling customers phones and contracts they did not want.
The telco has reached an agreement with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) arising from unconscionable conduct and inappropriate sales practices that occurred between August 2019 and July 2023.
Under the agreement, it is proposed that Optus will pay a penalty of $100m and will enter into an enforceable undertaking, which includes the remediation of impacted customers.
Affected customers are receiving refunds as part of a remediation approach which is informed by financial counsellors and industry partners to make sure it is fair and reasonable.
The Optus CEO, Stephen Rue, said the misconduct was inexcusable and unacceptable:
I would like to sincerely apologise to all customers affected by the misconduct in some of our stores.
Optus failed these customers, and the company should have acted more quickly when the misconduct was first reported.
I am leading the implementation of extensive changes across the company with active responses to the issues raised well under way.
However, there is much more to do as we work to regain our customers’ trust and improve support and protections for them, especially for those who are vulnerable.
Here were the ACCC’s allegations at the time:
Key events
Plans to increase defence spending already ‘very substantial’, Chalmers says
The treasurer said the Albanese government’s announced plans to increase defence spending from 2% of GDP to 2.3% of GDP were already a “very substantial increase” to the budget, despite calls from the US to up that figure to 3.5%. Chalmers said:
I think that’s one of the things that’s often missed is that we are already making what would be seen in any other time to be a really substantial increase in investment in defence.
I understand the risks and the threats. I think it’s a really important, warranted thing that we are doing as a government and it’s substantial. Now, of course our partners would like us to spend more on defence. It’s not unusual.
Chalmers says still finalising invitation list for reform roundtable, won’t say if opposition on it yet
The treasurer wouldn’t say if the Coalition would be on the list of invitees for the economic reform roundtable, but said he was genuinely interested in working with all constructive parties. He told the National Press Club:
We’re finalising the invitation list. I say that very genuinely. …
There will be opportunities for the opposition to be constructive, whether they’re inside the room or not inside the room. I think regardless of the final invitation list, it would be a very good thing for Australia if we all did take a constructive approach to it.
Chalmers says he wants to lean in to appetite to be ‘bold and ambitious’
Chalmers was asked about the “level of boldness” when thinking about economic reform at the National Press Club. The treasurer said he believes there is an “appetite to be bold and ambitious,” adding:
This is about testing the country’s reform appetite and I don’t see it in personal terms but I am personally willing to grasp the nettle, to use an old saying. I am prepared to do my bit.
The government is prepared to do its bit and what we’ll find out in the course of the next few months is whether everyone is prepared to do their bit as well.
Chalmers responded to a question about any economic reform leading to “losers in the tax system”. The treasurer said the government would need to consider “trade-offs”, some of which would probably be difficult. He said:
Let’s see how far we can go together, recognising those trade-offs, having an appropriate high level of ambition, being upfront with people along the way and explaining why those trade-offs are important and why they might be necessary.
Josh Butler
Wong latest to downplay Trump’s early departure from G7
Penny Wong also downplayed the significance of Trump cancelling the Albanese meeting, saying she regularly had meetings rescheduled. She told Sky:
I think we all need some perspective here. I understand why this is a focus of the media. We are at a point where the conflict in the Middle East is at a very grave and perilous point. That is what is occupying the minds of global leaders, and so it should, because what we want to see is this situation resolved by Iran’s actions.
Iran must come to the table. Iran must stop any nuclear program. That is the fastest way out of danger for the globe, for the region and for the Iranian people.
Wong said she and others were concerned about “regional escalation” in the Middle East, and urged a return to dialogue between countries.
Josh Butler
Wong says PM ‘carefully’ considering travelling to Nato meeting to reschedule Trump discussion
Penny Wong said earlier Anthony Albanese is “considering carefully” the potential to travel to the Nato conference next week amid growing turmoil in the Middle East, and was hoping to reschedule his meeting with Donald Trump.
The foreign minister also called on Iran to “come to the table” and stop any nuclear program, to avoid further conflict with Israel. As Tom McIlroy brought you earlier from the G7 in Canada, Albanese said he may travel to the Nato meeting – next week in The Hague – with increasing concern about the Iran-Israel conflict. He may also get a chance to meet Trump there, after the US president abruptly left the G7 conference, which meant the cancellation of meetings with Albanese and other world leaders.
Wong told Sky:
I think that these are the issues that are weighing on the Prime Minister’s mind. We all understand we face a very grave moment as a globe, and we have to work together.
The prime minister obviously engaged closely with other world leaders. Because of the Middle East crisis, president Trump did depart early. We understand that, and we look forward to rescheduling the meeting.
[Travelling to Nato] is a decision for the prime minister, but I think he made clear to the Australian people this was a matter that he is considering carefully.
Patrick Commins
Jim Chalmers: Media’s ‘rule-in rule-out game’ on tax reform has ‘cancerous effect’ on policy debates
The treasurer will say Labor has a “responsibility” to move beyond its election mandate as he argues the nation’s future prosperity depends on designing an ambitious agenda centred on creating a more productive economy and tax reform.
In a speech at the National Press Club in Canberra, the treasurer will say a three-day reform roundtable from 19 August would be “a genuine attempt to find common ground if it exists, in the service of our shared national economic interest”.
Chalmers will recognise the need to “lower” the tax burden on Australian workers and said the country needed to prepare for a day when fossil fuel profits were no longer a major source of federal revenue.
Read more here:
Josh Butler
Employment minister welcomes high court decision on CFMEU suit
Employment minister Amanda Rishworth welcomed the high court’s decision to uphold the government-appointed administration of the CFMEU. She said the administrator would remain in place at the union “until the job is done”, saying:
The Albanese Labor government welcomes the decision made by the high court today, upholding our legislation and scheme of administration, which appointed an Administrator to the CFMEU Construction and General Division.
This government will not tolerate criminal behaviour, corruption or violence in the construction industry. We need to focus on shifting the culture in the construction industry and ensure the bad actors we have seen infiltrating this sector are kept out.
Rishworth was commenting after the high court handed down its decision around 10am today. She said in a statement:
Construction workers deserve a union free from criminality, corruption and violence. The administrator and his team can now move forward with confidence and continue their essential work in cleaning up the construction and general division of the CFMEU.
We are committed to the Administrator remaining in place until the job is done, and we will continue to provide him and his team with all necessary support as they undertake their challenging and crucial task.
Ando the AFP sniffer dog retires
High-risk explosive detection dog Ando will perform his last sniff and search this week at Cairns Airport, the AFP has said in a statement.
Ando, seven, started his AFP career in 2019, working at Sydney Airport. Since then, he has performed thousands of explosive sweeps.
Since relocating to Queensland’s tropics in late 2022, the canine’s day to day has involved patrolling Cairns Airport.
Career highlights for the highly respected canine include providing safety and security at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in March 2024, and the official Royal visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in 2024.
Handler Const Joel Preston said Ando was good at remembering patterns and learned best through self-reinforcement.
All of our dogs are superstars, and we are proud of Ando’s hard work over the years.
Dogs conducting detection work sniff between five to 10 times a second, inhaling with one nostril and exhaling through the other.
Smartraveller issues official advice regarding cancelled flights due to volcanic eruption in Indonesia
Some flights between Australia and Bali have been cancelled or postponed due to volcanic ash from Mt Lewotobi Laki-Laki, Smartraveller has announced.
In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade-operated site said:
If your flight is affected, contact your airline and insurance provider for alternative travel and accommodation arrangements.
Optus to pay $100m fine after selling customers phones and contracts they did not want
Optus will pay a $100m penalty after it admitted to engaging in “unconscionable conduct” by selling customers phones and contracts they did not want.
The telco has reached an agreement with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) arising from unconscionable conduct and inappropriate sales practices that occurred between August 2019 and July 2023.
Under the agreement, it is proposed that Optus will pay a penalty of $100m and will enter into an enforceable undertaking, which includes the remediation of impacted customers.
Affected customers are receiving refunds as part of a remediation approach which is informed by financial counsellors and industry partners to make sure it is fair and reasonable.
The Optus CEO, Stephen Rue, said the misconduct was inexcusable and unacceptable:
I would like to sincerely apologise to all customers affected by the misconduct in some of our stores.
Optus failed these customers, and the company should have acted more quickly when the misconduct was first reported.
I am leading the implementation of extensive changes across the company with active responses to the issues raised well under way.
However, there is much more to do as we work to regain our customers’ trust and improve support and protections for them, especially for those who are vulnerable.
Here were the ACCC’s allegations at the time:
High court dismisses CFMEU challenge to government takeover
The CFMEU failed to overturn the Albanese government’s move to force the union’s construction division into administration in the high court, AAP reports. The federal government intervened in August 2024, after allegations of bikie and organised crime figures infiltrating the scandal-riddled union in addition to other claims of criminal activity.
Controversial leader John Setka said the allegations against the union were false, but confirmed he would step down to stop the intense media coverage. Former CFMEU officials challenged the government’s legislation that removed the union’s leadership and placed it into administration.
The plaintiffs, sacked CFMEU officials, argued the law was invalid on four grounds, including that it breached their implied freedom of political communication. The full bench of the high court found all four arguments were unfounded.
Victoria Police last September said Setka would not face criminal charges over visits to government work sites, after it looked into 20 allegations of “potential criminal activity”.
Air New Zealand also cancels flights in and out of Bali
Air New Zealand confirms it, too, has cancelled flights in and out of Bali’s airport in Denpasar. Two flights today – between Auckland and Bali, and from Bali to Auckland – have been cancelled. The company said:
Safety is always our first priority and we will only operate into and out of Denpasar when it is safe to fly.
If conditions mean we need to make any changes to your travel plans, we will contact you directly via email or SMS using the contact details in your booking as soon as we can.
Virgin Australia, Jetstar cancel flights to Bali after Indonesian volcano erupts; Qantas keeping ‘close eye’
Virgin Australia confirmed some flights between Brisbane and Melbourne and Bali were cancelled today due to the eruption of Mount Lewotobi in eastern Indonesia. Jetstar also cancelled four flights from Australia into Bali this morning, while Qantas said it was keeping a “close eye” on the situation with flights scheduled to leave later this afternoon.
The volcano, one of the nation’s most active, spewed a stream of ash and smoke more than 11kms high yesterday evening. Indonesian officials raised its volcano alerts to their highest level after the eruption.
There are no immediate reports of damage or casualties. AFP reports Mount Lewotobi erupted several times in November, killing nine and forcing thousands to evacuate. Those eruptions also let to many flight cancellations.
A Virgin Australia spokesperson said:
Virgin Australia is closely monitoring ash cloud activity following last night’s eruption of Mount Lewotobi. The safety of our guests and crew remains our highest priority.
As a result of the eruption, some flights have been impacted today. Guests travelling to or from Bali are encouraged to check the latest updates on their flight status via the Virgin Australia website or app.
Caitlin Cassidy
More on Australian university rankings on sustainability measures
Circling back to the annual Times Higher Education (THE) impact rankings, Australian universities have performed strongly across the board on their sustainability measures.
Western Sydney University, which outranked around 2,300 international universities to be named the world’s best for delivering community impact, was singled out for its efforts partnering with the local community and globally including locations in Indonesia and Vietnam.
The University of Newcastle was ranked second in the world for climate action, pointing to its innovations to advance printed solar technology, find innovative uses for hydrogen and its collaborations with the Pacific, including to protect ecosystems in Samoa.
Flinders University was ranked second in the world for reducing inequalities and fifth for gender equality. Its vice-chancellor, Prof Colin Stirling, said its values of “fairness, inclusion and equity of opportunity are not new – they’ve been the foundation of Flinders for nearly 60 years”.
NSW Police charge four over alleged six-hour sexual assault of teen girl
NSW Police’s sex crimes squad have now charged four males on allegations they sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl over a six-hour period in Sydney’s west last year.
Police allege a male followed the girl to her car last December in the suburb of Liverpool, where she reluctantly let him. Once inside, police allege the male began sexually assaulting her and held a video call with others who authorities allege became his co-conspirators. After the alleged assault, police then allege the woman tried to get the male to leave her vehicle. He refused and convinced her to drive to a park, where two other males allegedly entered the vehicle, where she was allegedly further assaulted.
A fourth male then entered vehicle as well, police allege, before the group took control of the car, driving around Sydney for six hours while continuing the assault. When the alleged assault ended, the victim called a friend and reported the allegations to police.
A boy, 16, has been charged with 24 offences including nine counts of sexual intercourse without consent and eight counts of aggravated sexual assault. Another boy, 14, has been charged with 10 offences, including seven on aggravated sexual assault. Two other men, aged 18 and 19, were arrested this week and face multiple charges of aggravated sexual assault each.
Det Supt Jayne Doherty alleged the following at a news conference:
The four of them acted together, creating fear on the victim, degrading her whilst the others offended against her and at times there was more than one person offending against this poor young girl. …
As I said this morning, this will impact the rest of her life. She’s supported by family, who are very strong and supportive of her. They realise the journey that she will have for the rest of her life and they are supporting her.
Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html
Man charged in Victoria on allegations he fooled family in million-dollar scam linked to fake cancer diagnosis
Police in Victoria have charged a man for allegedly fooling his family into thinking he had cancer and convincing them to hand over more than $1m.
Police said this morning the man, 30, was arrested earlier this month over the alleged scheme. Officials detailed allegations the man used the profits of a family home sale without telling his partner and attempted to hide the missing money by claiming he made an investment that would pay out a $2m profit.
When the money did not appear, the man allegedly made up a fake story he had cancer and was a victim of fraud. He later allegedly deceived family members into handing over an additional $1.2m, creating fake emails and impersonating lawyers to back up his claims.
The man was charged with 28 offences, including 10 counts of obtaining property by deception and 13 counts of making a false document. He will appear before court on 25 June.
PM could make snap visit to Europe to see Trump next week
Tom McIlroy
Anthony Albanese could make a snap visit to Europe next week to meet Donald Trump, days after their first talks at the G7 summit were abruptly cancelled. Nato leaders will gather at The Hague on 24-25 June. Albanese said he could join the talks, during which he could meet face-to-face with the US president.
“Yes, that is being considered,” he said ahead of his departure from Canada.
Trump and Albanese had planned discussions on Australia’s defence spending and the Aukus nuclear submarines agreement this week in Kananaskis, but Trump left the summit a day early to return to Washington to deal with the Middle East war.
They are also due to discuss punishing trade tariffs imposed by Trump.
Albanese instead met the US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, as well as the US trade representative, Jamieson Greer, and the director of the US National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett.
Albanese said he was “mature” about Trump’s early departure but the prospect of a Nato visit suggests the government is eager to lock in a meeting before long.
Albanese says he’s ‘pleased’ with new EU security partnership
The prime minister said Australia’s partnership with the EU will focus on areas including the defence industry and cyber- and counter-terrorism. He said during a press conference:
I’m pleased to announce today that we will commence negotiations on a security and defence partnership with the European Union.
We see this as an important framework for our current and future cooperation in areas like defence industry, cyber- and counter-terrorism. And we will have our respective ministers progress that over coming weeks. But we hope to conclude those discussions pretty quickly.
Albanese announces new security and defence partnership with EU
Tom McIlroy
Anthony Albanese says he has accepted the European Union’s offer of high-level negotiations on a new defence and security pact. The prime minister met the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, and the European Council president, António Costa, on the sidelines of the G7 summit here in Kananaskis in the past hour.
Albanese says he will task the foreign minister, Penny Wong, and the defence minister, Richard Marles, with leading work on the agreement. The EU already has similar deals in place with countries including Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.
It is not legally binding and would not include troop deployment, but is designed to strengthen cooperation on global security challenges.
It comes amid renewed talks on a possible Australia-EU free trade agreement. The deal could be used in areas including foreign interference, cybersecurity, counter-terrorism, defence industries and critical technologies. Negotiations on the new agreement were first proposed at the inauguration mass of Pope Leo XIV in Rome last month.
Australia was initially cool on the idea, but it has picked up serious momentum at the G7 summit in Canada.
