The Headlines: Vanuatu’s Been Rattled By a Magnitude 6.8 Earthquake

The Vanuatu Earthquake: What Happened

Unfortunately, 2023 is shaping up to be the year that too many natural disasters went down. On March 3, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake tremored west of Luganville, Vanuatu. This Vanuatu earthquake happened at a depth of between 10 km and 33 km. 

To make matters more worrisome, Vanuatu is already dealing with the aftermath of Cyclone Judy. On March 1, this category four cyclone hit Vanuatu’s Port Vila area, causing a series of floods and a tonne of homes to get damaged. In response to this situation, Vanuatu’s government has declared a state of emergency. 

It’s been currently believed that March 3’s quake “might have caused light to moderate damage.” But at this time, nothing of this nature has been reported. If this Vanuatu earthquake situation escalates, The Latch will keep you in the loop. 

Should NSW’s Teachers Get Paid More Dollarydoos?

In 2022, many NSW teachers went on strike to get better wages and better working conditions. What’s more, they weren’t the only public sector workers to demand such improvements. NSW’s nurses also conducted a number of strikes due to being understaffed and not receiving enough cash.

So, with a NSW election around the corner, does the general public support these industries getting higher wages? Well, according to a survey by Resolve Political Monitor, yes.

Resolve Political Monitor asked 803 potential voters if they supported public sector employees getting a raise above the current 3% annual cap. And 23% of the respondents strongly agreed that this needs to happen. Meanwhile, 33% agreed, and 26% were either neutral or undecided. Only 13% disagreed, and 5% strongly disagreed. 

Related: The Cost of Living Crisis and NSW Voters

Related: Are State Elections Compulsory? All of Your Voting Questions, Answered

Australia vs Greenwashing: A New Fight Begins

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) isn’t pleased as punch right now. This is because they recently analysed 247 businesses’ environmental claims, and the results were grim. The ACCC has asserted that 57% of these businesses made some concerning statements about their environmental credentials.

In response to this situation, the ACCC is now cracking down on corporate greenwashing claims.

“Consumers are now, more than ever, making purchasing decisions on environmental grounds,” said the ACCC’s Deputy Chair, Catriona Lowe. “Unfortunately, it appears that rather than making legitimate changes to their practices and procedures, some businesses are relying on false or misleading claims. This conduct harms not only consumers, but also those businesses taking genuine steps to implement more sustainable practices.”

“We have several active investigations underway across the packaging, consumer goods, food manufacturing, and medical devices sectors for alleged misleading environmental claims, and these may grow, as we continue to conduct more targeted assessments into businesses and claims identified through the sweep. We will take enforcement action where it is appropriate to do so, as it is critical that consumer trust in green claims is not undermined.”

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