There are more signs today the political wrangling around the referendum on the Indigenous voice to parliament is going to get ugly.
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, today accused prime minister Anthony Albanese of being “very tricky” for refusing to rule out legislating the voice in the event the referendum fails.
“I’m not contemplating failure here,” the PM said today in response to that proposition. “What I’m doing is being as optimistic as the Australian people are themselves.”
Labor is seeking the Liberals’ support for the voice, but the opposition leader has yet to fully endorse the initiative. Political reporter Paul Karp writes that Dutton is instead running a “shadow campaign against the voice” in a bid to give Australians “reasons to doubt or outright oppose it in the upcoming referendum”.
Top news
Qantas flight mayday | A Qantas flight from Auckland has landed safely in Sydney this afternoon after issuing a mayday call mid-flight due to a reported engine failure. A Qantas spokesperson said the flight “experienced an issue with one of its engines about an hour from its destination”.
Public servants now able to work on 26 January | The Albanese government reversed a short-lived Morrison-era restriction on flexibility for government workers on public holidays, allowing public servants to work on 26 January if they don’t wish to observe the Australia Day public holiday.
AFLW trailblazer Daisy Pearce retires | The Melbourne captain, one of the brightest stars and most influential names in AFLW history, has confirmed the end of her playing days, ahead of a move into coaching in the men’s game. “I’m closing a chapter on my playing career with a very full heart,” she said.
Crocodile sighting near Brisbane | It’s a worry indeed if crocodiles are making their way this far south. The sighting of a three-metre saltwater crocodile was reported at a popular swimming hole in North Stradbroke Island off the coast of Brisbane. Crocodiles don’t usually frequent such southerly climates, but sea temperatures have topped 26C in south-east Queensland in recent days.
Bird feared lost in bushfires found using AI | The eastern bristlebird has been heard for the first time since the black summer bushfires in 2019/20 ravaged its home in the Gondwana rainforest in south-east Queensland. The discovery was made possible with new AI technology.
Ron Jeremy ‘mentally incompetent’ to stand trial | The former porn star faces 34 counts of sexual assault, including 12 counts of rape. But Jeremy, now 69, will no longer stand trial after a Los Angeles judge declared the porn actor was in an “incurable neurocognitive decline” from which he is unlikely to recover. Jeremy pleaded not guilty to the charges.
BBC porn prank | Meanwhile, the BBC has apologised after pornographic noises were heard in the background of a live broadcast. The presenter, Gary Lineker, looked momentarily startled by the prank and struggled to keep a straight face as he cut to a colleague.
World’s oldest runestone found in Norway | Archaeologists have found what may be the earliest examples of words recorded in writing in Scandinavia. The runestone, discovered during an excavation of a grave near Tyrifjord, west of Oslo, contains inscriptions said to be up to 2,000 years old.
Oldest known person dies at 118 | French nun Lucile Randon, also known as Sister Andrée, was born in southern France on 11 February 1904, when the first world war was still a decade away. She died in her sleep at her nursing home in Toulon.
Full Story
The arrest of Andrew Tate: the ‘king of toxic masculinity’
The kickboxer turned social media star – who calls himself a misogynist and has millions of followers – has been arrested on charges that include human trafficking. We explore what happened in this 28-minute episode.
What they said …
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“Now is the time to tackle extreme wealth; now is the time to tax the ultra-rich.”
The call came from 205 members of the super-rich in an open letter directed at world leaders meeting in Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum. The letter, which included Disney heiress Abigail Disney and actor Mark Ruffalo as signatories, said “the current lack of action is gravely concerning”.
In numbers
Households can expect high energy prices for some time yet, says the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission boss, Gina Cass-Gottlieb. But Albanese has rejected claims its gas market intervention has contributed to supply issues and price hikes.
Before bed read
Is Airbnb losing its appeal?
“In its early years, Airbnb was a more economical and adventurous alternative to a hotel,” writes columnist Arwa Mahdawi. “Nowadays, it costs a small fortune to rent a shack on Airbnb and, when you get there, you are forced to abide by a long list of rules and buy your own toilet paper. It’s become a bit like staying with your cheapest, most uptight friend – and paying them for the privilege.”
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