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US President Joe Biden has nominated the daughter of the former US president John F Kennedy to be the country's next ambassador to Australia.
The White House listed Caroline Kennedy amongst eight recommended appointments for key diplomatic and agency postings.
The US Senate will need to confirm the nomination before her posting is made official.
Ms Kennedy said she was grateful for the part Australian and Solomon Island coast watchers played in rescuing her father from a sunk torpedo boat in this Pacific during World War II and would work to repay this debt.
"I look forward to collaborating with the government of Australia to strengthen our alliance, improve global health and increase vaccine access during this terrible pandemic and to address the urgent climate crisis," she said in a statement.
"I am excited to get to know the Australian people, learn about their fascinating country and share with them what I love most about America."
Ms Kennedy was the US ambassador to Japan between 2013 and 2017 and was awarded the country's highest honour for foreigners - the Grand Cordon of the Rising Sun - in November 2021.
The US embassy in Canberra said it looked forward to welcoming the ambassador to the bush capital pending her confirmation.
"We're excited that President Biden has nominated Caroline Kennedy to be the next US ambassador to Australia," a spokesperson from the embassy told AAP.
"Her nomination underscores the importance President Biden places on the relationship between our two countries and the close bonds we share."
Ms Kennedy would become the 27th person to hold the post if she is confirmed.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese also welcomed the announcement, saying Mr Biden's selection was a great choice.
"It's a senior nomination and it shows the importance of the Australia-US alliance, which this year (is) celebrating its 70th anniversary," he said.
"In addition to that, we have a lot of work to do in the future ... (including) on climate change as an important national security issue in the Indo-Pacific region."
It comes just days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister Marise Payne discussed the lag in the appointment of Australia's ambassador, with the two agreeing there needed to be a US Senate-confirmed ambassador "as soon as possible in light of the scope and scale of shared challenges we face".
Mr Blinken recently called on the US Senate to expedite its approval of Mr Biden's ambassador nominations for the sake of national security.
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Several children are seriously injured after falling about 10 metres from a jumping castle that was blown into the air in northwest Tasmania.
Police and emergency services were alerted to a serious incident at Hillcrest Primary School in Devonport on Thursday morning.
"A wind event caused a jumping castle to lift into the air," Tasmania Police said in a statement.
"Several children fell from a height of about 10 metres around 10am and are currently receiving medical treatment at the scene.
"Some serious injuries have occurred."
A rescue helicopter has been sent to the scene, while several police units and multiple ambulance crews are also attending.
People have been asked to avoid the area.
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US President Joe Biden has nominated the daughter of the former US president John F Kennedy to be the country's next ambassador to Australia.
The White House listed Caroline Kennedy amongst eight recommended appointments for key diplomatic and agency postings.
Ms Kennedy said she was gracious for the part Australian and Solomon Island coast watchers played in rescuing her father from a sunk torpedo boat in this Pacific during War War II and would work to repay this debt.
"I look forward to collaborating with the government of Australia to strengthen our alliance, improve global health and increase vaccine access during this terrible pandemic and to address the urgent climate crisis," she said in a statement.
"I am excited to get to know the Australian people, learn about their fascinating country and share with them what I love most about America."
Ms Kennedy previously acted as the US ambassador to Japan between 2013 and 2017 and was awarded the country's highest honour for foreigners - the Grand Cordon of the Rising Sun - in November 2021.
Her appointment will need to be confirmed by the US Senate.
It comes just days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister Marise Payne discussed the lag in the appointment of Australia's ambassador, with the two agreeing there needed to be a US Senate-confirmed ambassador "as soon as possible in light of the scope and scale of shared challenges we face".
Mr Blinken recently called on the Senate to expedite its approval of Mr Biden's ambassador nominations for the sake of national security.
© AAP 2021
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Josh Frydenberg claims one million jobs will be created over the next four years as a result of the Morrison government's economic strategy.
The treasurer will release his mid-year budget on Thursday, which economists expect will see an improved budget position against the backdrop of a rapidly recovering economy.
Deloitte Access Economics expects deficits will have improved by $103 billion over the four-year budget estimates.
This would see the 2021/22 budget deficit reduced to $91.1 billion from $106.6 billion forecast in the May budget, and to $61.8 billion in 2022/23 rather than $99.3 billion.
This could be Mr Frydenberg's last major economic showpiece should Prime Minister Scott Morrison head to the polls in March rather than May, and before the 2022/23 budget planned for March 29.
Mr Frydenberg said Treasury has estimated about one million jobs will be created over the next four years.
"Saving jobs and creating jobs is a top economic priority," he said.
"It's a pathway to a stronger economy, an improved budget bottom line while being fundamental to a healthy and prosperous society."
Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek pushed back against the estimated jobs figure saying there was no use in creating one million jobs if there are no skilled workers to fill the positions, imploring the treasurer to invest further in tertiary education.
Former Labor leader Bill Shorten added that any wage increase announcement must be taken with a large grain of salt.
"Mr Frydenberg is telling some Christmas fairytales about wages," he told the Nine Network.
"For the last eight years wages have basically been in the toilet, they haven't increased at all. Whenever the government says they are going to go up, they don't go as far up as the government promises."
Mr Frydenberg is touting a new wave of economic activity off the back of tax cuts and business investment incentives as the baton is passed to the private sector to create more jobs and secure the recovery.
"Business and consumer confidence is up, job ads are at the highest level in 13 years," he told the Seven Network.
"(There's) very strong investment coming from businesses big and small - a sign that people have confidence in our economic recovery."
Forecasts in the mid-year economic and fiscal outlook are expected to see the unemployment rate cut to 4.5 per cent by the June quarter of next year compared to the estimate of five per cent in the May budget.
By the June quarter 2023 it is estimated to be 4.25 per cent rather than the 4.75 per cent predicted seven months ago.
If achieved, this would represent the first time since before the 2008-2009 Global Financial Crisis that Australia has sustained an unemployment rate of below five per cent, and only the second time since the early 1970s.
© AAP 2021
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