As it happened: November 6

The Greens say they’ll freeze rent for two years if they win next year’s Brisbane City Council elections – by charging landlords significantly higher rates if they hike rents above January 2023 levels.

While the council doesn’t have the power to directly control rents, the Greens say their plan would “make it extremely costly for property investors to raise rents by charging much higher rates if they do”.

They want to create a new rates category of “uncapped rental home”. Under this policy, if landlords were to raise rents, they would have to pay rates at this new, higher level – 750 per cent of the standard rates bill for the property.

In practice, the Greens say, this would be such a disincentive that rents would be effectively frozen at January 2023 levels.

“Our message to landlords is pretty straightforward: If you put up the rent, we’ll put up your rates,” says candidate for mayor Jonathan Sriranganathan.

“The suffering and disruption that unlimited rent increases are causing in our communities must come to an end.”

That’s where we’ll leave our live updates. We’ll be back with you tomorrow morning. Here are the main headlines today:

• Interest rates to rise on Tuesday, and stay high for a year
• Greens reveal plan to ‘freeze rents’ in Brisbane
• Alleged childcare abuser to stay in custody until January
• Daylesford hotel crash: What we know so far
• Parents of American killed in Queensland plane crash seek answers

And in entertainment and sport

• Melbourne Cup expert tips: Who will win the race and why?
• How race officials are battling excessive whip use in Cup
• Four things we learned from launch of new Reds era
• Titans star reveals future ambitions as Hasler weighs in on Luai race
• What Robert De Niro’s lawsuit reveals about the world of celeb assistants

A magistrate has adjourned businessman Clive Palmer’s criminal case until a higher court can decide on his latest appeal.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission brought the fraud and dishonesty charges against Palmer in April 2018, and his lawyers last week applied to adjourn the Magistrates Court hearings set down for this week.

Palmer’s barrister, Peter Dunning KC, has previously denied any wrongdoing by his client.

Some of the charges relate to an allegation that Palmer and his Palmer Leisure Coolum business broke the law when he attempted to buy out timeshare investors in his Sunshine Coast resort but did follow through on a bid within the required two-month period.

Palmer has also been accused of improperly transferring more than $12.1 million through his company Mineralogy to Media Circus and Cosmo Developments, and ultimately using the funds for the Palmer United Party 2013 federal election campaign.

The Supreme Court in November 2022 dismissed Palmer’s attempts to halt the Magistrates Court case. He appealed, and a verdict is still pending.

On Monday, Magistrate Julian Noud noted the appeal and adjourned the criminal case for another mention on December 15.

Labor’s lord mayoral candidate, Tracey Price, has criticised a plan by the Greens to significantly increase rates on properties where the rent is considered excessive.

After the Liberal National Party publicly condemned the latest election policy announcement, Price released a statement to warn the Greens would make the housing crisis worse.

Price said the Greens plan was complicated and extreme, and came as the minor party continued to oppose various new developments in Brisbane.

“If enacted, this policy would push investors outside the Brisbane City Council area - meaning renters will have further to travel, and it will cost more to access our city,” Price said.

“This is a policy that has huge ramifications and will not address the actual issue of housing supply shortages in Brisbane and the need to lower costs of housing for everyone.”

The latest quarterly Queensland Health data shows an uptick in emergency department patients seen within the recommended times and a still-growing elective surgery waiting list despite the most active three-month period on record.

Of the more than 575,000 people who came through public EDs, 73 per cent were seen within timeframes determined by the severity of their issues, up from 69 per cent across the same months of July, August and September last year.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman described these and other indicators including falling ED wait times as signs of “positive gains” in the stretched health system – like many nationwide – as long-stay aged- and disability-care patient numbers rise.

While more elective surgeries were being done within recommended wait times except in the most urgent category one, and the public system recorded “the most surgeries ever delivered in a single quarter” (38,251), the LNP has pointed to the 59,000-person wait list as the highest September quarter figure since Labor took office in 2015.

Fentiman said patient off-stretcher time, or ramping, figures had improved compared with last September. The roughly 56 per cent of patients transferred into hospital care from an ambulance within 30 minutes of arrival, however, remains below the target of 90 per cent.

Departing Queensland Ballet artistic director Li Cunxin AO has accused the federal government of underfunding arts organisations in the state.

During a visit to Canberra, Li said the Queensland Ballet was the second largest of five dance companies in Australia yet received the least federal funding - even though Queenslanders make up 20 per cent of the population.

“Over the years, this disparity has placed the company at a huge financial disadvantage compared to our peers in other states,” Li said.

“We are fortunate that our philanthropic and corporate partners have leapt to the challenge, sharing our vision for Queensland. That’s come at a cost, and for me personally, I have no doubt it has contributed to the decline in my health as I have been single-mindedly stubborn in my belief that Queenslanders should not be disadvantaged.”

Li also noted the Queensland Ballet Academy did not receive federal funding like its NSW and Victorian equivalents.

The LNP has dismissed the Greens’ latest housing policy as “reckless” and “destructive”, arguing it would drive up costs for Brisbane renters.

The Greens today announced a plan to freeze rents by charging landlords significantly higher rates if they hiked rents above January 2023 levels.

Krista Adams, the deputy mayor and councillor for Holland Park, said the Adrian Schrinner-led council was dealing with the housing crisis by increasing supply.

“We would all love to see rents reduced in Brisbane but the one way that’s not going to happen is by charging landlords more,” she told reporters this morning.

She pointed to neighbourhood plans under which tens of thousands of new units would be built close to the CBD.

“An increase of supply obviously not only puts downward pressure on housing prices but also on rental accommodation,” she said.

“In our approvals we are seeing many build-to-rent opportunities, and the more build-to-rent we see, the more downward pressure on rental prices.”

Brisbane Youth Service has today launched Not For Rent, a fundraising appeal to support the rising number of young people sleeping rough around Brisbane.

BYS CEO Pam Barker says youth homelessness in Brisbane has hit a crisis point, and more needs to be done at a time when short and long-term accommodation options are in high demand.

The campaign includes rental advertisements showing a sleeping bag “for rent” close to the CBD.Credit: Courtney Kruk

“The housing options for a young person with limited funds and no rental history is bleak. There’s just nothing available,” Barker said.

“Sometimes the only option for our youth workers is to give a young person a sleeping bag and safely plan for a night on the streets.”

Digital creative agency Flip helped design the campaign, which includes rental advertisements showing a sleeping bag “for rent” close to the CBD.

A billboard advertisement on Abbotsford Road in Bowen Hills is part of $260,000 worth of advertising donated to the campaign, courtesy of Queensland signage company goa.

The Greens say they’ll freeze rent for two years if they win next year’s Brisbane City Council elections – by charging landlords significantly higher rates if they hike rents above January 2023 levels.

While the council doesn’t have the power to directly control rents, the Greens say their plan would “make it extremely costly for property investors to raise rents by charging much higher rates if they do”.

They want to create a new rates category of “uncapped rental home”. Under this policy, if landlords were to raise rents, they would have to pay rates at this new, higher level – 750 per cent of the standard rates bill for the property.

In practice, the Greens say, this would be such a disincentive that rents would be effectively frozen at January 2023 levels.

“Our message to landlords is pretty straightforward: If you put up the rent, we’ll put up your rates,” says candidate for mayor Jonathan Sriranganathan.

“The suffering and disruption that unlimited rent increases are causing in our communities must come to an end.”

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is leading a five-day trade mission to China, hoping to secure more business for Queensland exporters and the return of more Chinese tourists and students.

“Trade restrictions are easing, and international visitors have begun arriving on our shores for the first time since 2020, as China rises to be Queensland’s top export market,” Palaszczuk said on Monday.

“Our state has a longstanding relationship with China that we want to see strengthen as confidence in trade and travel return.

“That is why I am leading the largest ever trade mission in our state’s history to promote better outcomes for Queensland – for our farmers, universities and VET colleges, tourism operators and business sector.”

Palaszczuk - on her fourth trip to China - is following in the footsteps of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, WA Premier Roger Cook and Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas, who have all led trade missions to China in recent times.

About 6000 people attended a Justice for Palestine rally in Brisbane’s Queens Gardens on Sunday afternoon, with the crowd calling on the federal government to demand an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The group was also demanding the Australian government “cease military exports to Israel and impose sanctions”.

Thousands of people attend a “Justice for Palestine” rally in Brisbane’s King George Square on Sunday, November 6, 2023.Credit: Facebook/Justice for Palestine

One event organiser told Brisbane Times it was important for people in Brisbane to show their support of the cause.

“Palestine is the moral litmus test for the entire world, including the people of Brisbane.

“Protesters also marched to the ABC’s office in South Bank as part of its call for Australian media to “end its complicity with the genocide”.

The next rally was scheduled for November 12 at King George Square.