Australia news live: Chalmers says Cyclone Alfred to add $1.2bn to budget deficit
Treasurer faces $26bn deficit in 25 March budget. Follow today’s news liveIf you, like many in our Guardian office, start your morning with ABC Radio National – you would have noticed the broadcast has cut out.The ABC app is silent, as are web broadcasting streams, but the analogue radio is playing classical music, with the occasional interlude of:We apologise for this break in our program, we will return to normal programming as soon as possible.We’ve got to do things differently. So I acknowledge it might cost a little bit more up front to do that. But why would you replace things to the same substandard? In the end, it’s going to cost you more in the long run to have to constantly go back and pick up the pieces.But there’s also the social and the community disconnect that comes with that. We’ve, over the years, we’ve rebuilt bridges to the same standard in the same location and expected a different result. That’s crazy. And I’m determined not to do that. So yes, I acknowledge that it’s a bit of a cost up front, but long term it will pay for itself many, many times over. Continue reading...

Treasurer faces $26bn deficit in 25 March budget. Follow today’s news live
If you, like many in our Guardian office, start your morning with ABC Radio National – you would have noticed the broadcast has cut out.
The ABC app is silent, as are web broadcasting streams, but the analogue radio is playing classical music, with the occasional interlude of:
We apologise for this break in our program, we will return to normal programming as soon as possible.
We’ve got to do things differently. So I acknowledge it might cost a little bit more up front to do that. But why would you replace things to the same substandard? In the end, it’s going to cost you more in the long run to have to constantly go back and pick up the pieces.
But there’s also the social and the community disconnect that comes with that. We’ve, over the years, we’ve rebuilt bridges to the same standard in the same location and expected a different result. That’s crazy. And I’m determined not to do that. So yes, I acknowledge that it’s a bit of a cost up front, but long term it will pay for itself many, many times over. Continue reading...