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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Josh Taylor and Caitlin Cassidy (earlier)

Ministers to allow energy market operator to procure and store gas – as it happened

Australia Chris Bowen Nick McKim Greens
Energy minister Chris Bowen
The energy minister Chris Bowen met with his state and territory counterparts on Wednesday to discuss solutions to Australia’s energy needs. Photograph: Steven Saphore/AAP

The day that was, Wednesday 8 June

That is where we will leave the live blog for Wednesday.

Here’s what happened:

  • Federal, state and territory energy ministers have agreed following an emergency meeting to allow the Australian energy market operator to store gas to combat price spikes, and to give regulators more power over the energy market to provide more transparency.
  • The ministers have also agreed to advance a national transition plan.
  • ANZ, NAB and Commonwealth Bank all followed Westpac and passed on the full rate rise announced by the Reserve Bank yesterday.
  • The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has vowed to review the former government’s decision to lease Port of Darwin to a Chinese company.
  • The Nadesalingam family left Perth on their way back to the regional town of Biloela in Queensland after the new Labor government granted them bridging visas.
  • The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will be given more resources to deal with the massive rise in passport applications and the associated logjam it has created.
  • The high court ruled that laws allowing dual nationals to be stripped of their Australian citizenship for suspected terrorist activities are unconstitutional.
  • The high court also ruled that the detention of an Aboriginal non-citizen was not unlawful, because he was detained before a landmark decision that found they were beyond the reach of the aliens power.
  • The chief executive of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), Martin Hoffman, resigned.
  • Tasmania announced plans to raise the age of detention from 10 to 14.
  • There were 59 Covid-19 deaths reported across Australia.

A name change for the Murugappans

You might have seen the family heading home to Biloela – the Nadesalingam family – previously referred to in our reportage as the Murugappan family. The family was known as the Murugappans for a number of years in Australia. We’ve asked the family, and they have asked to be known now, collectively, as the Nadesalingam family.

There are four people in the family: Nadesalingam Murugappan (known as Nades), Kokilapathmapriya Nadesalingam (known as Priya) and their two Australian-born daughters, Kopika and Tharnicaa.

Priya and Nades Nadesalingam and their daughters Kopika and Tharnicaa.
Priya and Nades Nadesalingam and their daughters Kopika and Tharnicaa. Photograph: Richard Wainwright/AAP

Murugappan is Nades’s second name. It is common for Tamil families to use a patronymic naming convention, with the father’s first name taken as a second name by other family members.

Updated

On whether the capacity market mechanism includes coal, Bowen says he supports new technologies, particularly storage technologies and renewables.

He says the system will be expert-led and designed by the energy security board, which will have a draft out in the near future.

He says having Aemo have some national gas storage would have helped alleviate the issues faced last week. He says the crisis is the result of poor planning under the previous government and if the new government implements its policies, he doesn’t accept that it’s inevitable that these crises will continue.

Updated

Bowen: lack of planning led to crisis in energy market

Bowen says ministers will work towards the national transition plan in the lead-up to the July meeting, saying the reason the crisis in the energy market has emerged is that there hasn’t been enough planning about the changes necessary.

He said:

We need more transmission, we need more renewables, we need more storage. Now we have the integrated systems plan in Australia. Which is a world’s best practice document in relation to energy to electricity transmission, about poles and wires and big transmission across the country. That’s a world class document.

He said the integrated systems plan will become a national transition agreement.

I stress this meeting was never designed to solve all the problems in one go, but it does give us more tools, gives the regulators more tools, to do the work that is necessary. We received very important and useful briefings from the regulators about the tools they would like. And we agreed to give them those tools. And also we made those other agreements that I’ve referred to.

Updated

Energy minister press conference

Energy minister Chris Bowen is speaking after the emergency meeting of state and territory energy ministers.

He says they have received briefings from the regulator, the energy market operator, and the chair of the Energy Security Board.

The ministers agreed that they would work to enhance the powers of the regulators to ensure that they have full transparency particularly in the gas market, and to ensure that all behaviour is in the best interest of the market and consumer at all times.

He said there was “no silver bullet, no magic answers”.

The Australian Energy Market Operator will be given powers to procure and store gas in situations such as the one faced last week.

He said:

There’s storage facilities around the country. We agreed to work to give AEMO that power and to give them that power expeditiously. Again, that won’t work today, but it will give us the capacity and the tools necessary to manage this crisis going forward. And to avoid crises like this into the future.

Albanese vows to review low voter turnout in NT at last election

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has promised to review the Northern Territory’s low voter turnout at the last election, AAP reports.

Albanese blamed the former Coalition government, saying it had restricted the electoral commission from enrolling voters in the territory’s two seats.

“There was a deliberate policy of the former government to restrict people voting in the territory,” he told reporters in Darwin on Wednesday.

“They ripped resources out of the electoral commission.”

Just 66.79% of eligible voters cast a ballot in the seat of Lingiari, which covers most of the territory, at the 21 May election.

Voters line up to cast their vote in the 2022 federal election at Eaton in Darwin.
Voters line up to cast their vote in the 2022 federal election at Eaton in Darwin. Photograph: Isabella Moore/The Guardian

The voter turnout was higher in Darwin, with the urban seat of Solomon recording a 79.48% turnout of eligible voters.

However, it was still well below the national average of 89.20% according to data from the Australian Electoral Commission.

Albanese said the former coalition government “restricted” the number of AEC workers enrolling voters.

“It was an outrage what occurred and then there was a lack of resources to enable people to vote. That was a part of the former government’s design,” he said.

“This was straight out of the right-wing Republican playbook.

“My government will look at what we can do to make sure that every Australian, every Australian, no matter where they live, no matter who they are, have equal right to be on the role and equal right to vote.”

The AEC has previously been accused of excluding some Indigenous Territorians from the electoral process because it won’t automatically enrol people without a postal address, saying it can’t send a written notice to them.

The policy affects residents in remote Indigenous communities where homes don’t have mailboxes and most residents rely on a central postal address.

The AEC estimates 85.8% of the NT’s eligible population are enrolled to vote.

Updated

The energy ministers’ meeting has run a bit over time.

Some reaction, though, from participants include, the vibe of the meeting was “very different”, and “very collegiate”, and “a huge change of tone”.

The comparison is with the previous very irregular and infrequent meetings when Angus Taylor was the energy minister (and for reducing emissions and industry).

New immigration minister ‘being briefed’ on options for Murugappan family

The immigration minister, Andrew Giles, says he is thinking about how to resolve the Murugappan family’s plight. They’ve been put on bridging visas which allowed them to return to Biloela, but that is not permanent.

Giles - who has the power to determine the next stage - says he is “being briefed on the options available” to allow the family to rebuild their lives in Biloela and will make a decision as soon as possible.

Updated

Labour shortage and biosecurity among priorities for new agriculture minister

The new agriculture minister has outlined the labour shortage, biosecurity and “skyrocketing” input prices as short-term priorities in his new portfolio, AAP reports.

In his first major address as minister Murray Watt told a horticulture conference in Brisbane that climate change, sustainability and improving agriculture’s value were his longer-term concerns.

“I already can see that workforce, biosecurity and input costs are probably the three most serious short term challenges ... We’re onto it ... and I’m up for any ideas,” Senator Watt said on Wednesday.

He said he recognised farmers are on the front line of climate change and can take advantage of opportunities in agriculture “to make a buck out of making adjustments to deal with climate change”.

He told more than 1000 producers while he’s not a farmer, “farming is in my blood” and his family had a long connection with agriculture.

“I’d like to think myself as someone who is as comfortable in the city as I am in the country,” he said.

The Queensland senator told the packed audience he realised the current labour shortage was a huge concern for the horticulture industry.

“It’s arguably the single biggest challenge facing hort in particular in our country at the moment,” he said.

Prior to the election. Labor committed to dumping the coalition’s “agriculture visa” in favour of expanding the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme.

Watt said feedback from stakeholders had been that the expansion of PALM is welcome but more is needed to attract skilled and semi-skilled workers to agriculture.

“I’ll be frank with you. There’s more that we could be doing around that as the new government ... to solve those challenges,” he said.

He wants to prioritise the training and employing of Australians in agriculture.

“I am very much open to discussion with the industry about what else we can do around skilled migration in particular to meet some of the challenges that we have,” he said.

Updated

Clean energy makes up more than a third of national market, report shows

As the energy ministers huddle for their emergency/crisis/urgent (take your pick) but routine meeting this afternoon, Hugh Saddler, a well-regarded energy analyst, has released a monthly energy report with the Australian National University.

Quite a few handy charts, including this one showing how the share of clean energy in the national electricity market (which should really be called the “eastern Australian grid”) has increased to more than a third.

It’s notable, too, how renewables change over the season. Not surprisingly, there’s not a lot of solar in winter.

Among the mainland states, South Australia is by far the most reliant on renewable energy.

The report also notes how rising gas prices and the falling reliability of coal-fired power has sent prices in the national market soaring.

“[O]ver the 12 months from May 2021 to May 2022, monthly median spot wholesale prices increased by over five times in Victoria and South Australia, six times in Tasmania and New South Wales, and seven times in Queensland,” the report said.

“Average prices rose steadily for the whole period up to March 2021 and have increased drastically since then.”

Finally, here’s the chart showing the availability of coal plants in the NEM.

As the units age, they need more maintenance, and it probably won’t be surprising to see the time offline increasing over time, particularly as the schedule closure date approaches.

Next to shut will be AGL’s Liddell power station in NSW’s Hunter Valley. One of the 1680 megawatt plant’s four units shut permanently in April, while a second unit had a “malfunction” three weeks ago and is not expected to return to service until the second half of July. The whole plant remains scheduled for permanent closure next April.

Updated

Stuart Roberts says Biloela family ‘not deserving’ of protection

The shadow assistant treasurer, Stuart Robert, has spoken to Sky News about the Murugappan family’s return to Biloela.

Robert said:

[The family] were found not to be owed protection by every court in the land. So on what basis is Mr Albanese very proud of his decision to give them [permanent residency]? What advice did he receive? Or did he just, under weight of public opinion, decide to sweep aside every court judgment and make this decision? And what impact will have this on the people smugglers networks?

Noting here Robert said “PR” for permanent residency, but the family has only been given bridging visas so far.

Robert said he “understands compassion – we should have enormous compassion – our hands should be filled with grace” but he was concerned the government may have made the decision without proper advice.

Somehow, despite all the grace and compassion, Roberts settles on the formulation that “every court in the land” found the family were “not deserving of protection” – as if the fact it wasn’t owed as a minimum legal obligation is the beginning and end of the moral conversation about whether residency should be granted.

Robert was also asked if Peter Dutton’s reshuffle had punished backers of Scott Morrison such as himself.

He said:

No, Mr Dutton has made that very clear that’s not the case. I’m joining Angus [Taylor] on the economic team as shadow assistant treasurer and shadow financial services minister, a role I’ve held in government. I’m looking forward to working with a great colleague, Angus, in that economic team. Peter and I are very close, as two of the most senior Queensland MPs in the state and we get on well.

Updated

NAB last of big four banks to pass on RBA rate rise

The National Australia Bank has become the last of the big four to announce they are raising their variable home loan rates after the RBA cash rate decision.

Updated

Karen Andrews suggests high court decision on citizenship-stripping power is a test for Labor

The Coalition has responded to the high court ruling striking down the home affairs minister’s powers to strip dual nationals of Australian citizenship for engaging in suspected terrorist activities.

Remember, Labor members of the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security warned these powers were likely unconstitutional before the Coalition passed them.

A spokesperson for the shadow home affairs minister, Karen Andrews, said:

The Coalition has never backed down from doing what is necessary to protect Australians from the threat of terrorism. How Labor responds to this will show if they can walk the walk or if they are all talk on national security.

So the high court overturning Andrews’s decision to strip Delil Alexander of citizenship is a test for Labor?

Former foreign affairs minister Karen Andrews.
Former foreign affairs minister Karen Andrews. Photograph: Trevor Collens/AAP

Updated

ANZ passes on RBA rate hike in full

ANZ has become the third of the big four banks to raise home loan rates by the full RBA increase of half a percentage point.

In a statement, the bank said the increase will be effective from 17 June and applies to all its variable interest home loan rates.

On a $450,000 loan balance, monthly repayments will increase by $115 a month, ANZ said.

The bank said it was reviewing the rates it offers from savings accounts, which in general across the banks have not kept up with the RBA’s increases, but will offer a new 2.25% rate for 11-month term deposits from next Monday.

ANZ’s head of retail banking for Australia Maile Carnegie said:

We know rate changes affect customers differently and some may be looking for support as they reorganise their household budgets, particularly if they haven’t experienced many rate increases before.

With Westpac, CBA and now ANZ having jacked up rates, all eyes are now on NAB.

Updated

Labor to bring forward bill to allow territories to pass assisted dying laws, minister says

The new local government and territories minister, Kristy McBain, is on ABC Afternoon Briefing and has been asked about whether the Albanese government will give the ACT and NT the power to pass assisted dying laws, through the repeal of laws that restricted territory rights.

She says she is looking forward to working with an expanded crossbench to bring forward a private member’s bill or private senator’s bill to repeal the laws.

She said she has had initial discussions with ACT chief minister Andrew Barr and is hoping to have a discussion with NT chief minister Natasha Fyles.

When it comes to a vote, she says it will be a conscience vote for Labor:

But when that allows territories to make decisions which may be against the faith of some of our members, you can see how they end up conflicted, and that’s why if that private or private member’s or senator’s bill comes forward the Labor party would allow a conscience vote so it doesn’t go against somebody’s personal, religious or cultural beliefs.

She says she isn’t sure of what the numbers in either chamber would be like but given the number of states that have already passed voluntary assisted dying laws she expects there would be enough to pass the law.

McBain says she would vote in favour of the bill:

My mum worked in aged care for the last 15 years of her career and I’ve had grandparents who have had terminal illnesses who have had to go through probably a difficult end to their lives and I think at the end of your life when you have a terminal illness you should be able to make a decision about when that ends for you.

Kristy McBain with governor general David Hurley being sworn in as a minister last week.
Kristy McBain with governor general David Hurley being sworn in as a minister last week. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

Dfat to get more resources to process passport applications

The assistant foreign affairs minister, Tim Watts, says the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will be “urgently increasing numbers of processing and call centre staff as quickly as staff can be recruited and trained” to deal with the delays in passport applications.

There will be 35 call centre staff added this week, another 35 next week, and a minimum of 250 additional staff added over the next six weeks, Watts said.

He said:

Before the pandemic, there were around 7,000-9,000 applications per day. Recently, that has increased to around 10,000-12,000 per day, with many applications that weren’t lodged during the pandemic being lodged now.

Yesterday, the number of applications reached a daily record of 16,417.

This problem was predictable and is the result of the previous government dropping the ball and failing to properly plan for the surge in passport applications when borders re-opened.

It shouldn’t be Australians who suffer the consequences of these failures. While it will take some time to get back on track, we will continue to work with DFAT to make sure the required resources are delivered.

I urge Australians who are preparing to travel again to check the latest travel advice on Smartraveller.

New passports are in hot demand.
New passports are in hot demand. Photograph: Aaron Amat/Alamy

Updated

Labor warned over religious discrimination bill

The peak body advocating for LGBTQI+ people has urged the federal government to strengthen protections for the community when it introduces laws to guarantee religious freedom, AAP reports.

It comes after attorney general Mark Dreyfus told the ABC on Wednesday that draft legislation will be brought to parliament, but did not give a timeframe.

“At its core, there is ... an appropriate structure of anti discrimination law, bringing in a prohibition on discriminating against people on the grounds of their religious belief,” he said.

Equality Australia’s chief executive Anna Brown warned Labor against repeating the same “mistakes” of the Morrison government, which she said would have “wound back protections” for LGBTQIA people.

The group says the government in its first 100 days should remove “outdated” exemptions it says are used by religious schools against gay teachers and students.

“Labor must first act swiftly to fill gaps in protection for LGBTQ+ students and teachers in religious schools and extend those same protections to all staff working in any faith-based organisations, and LGBTQ+ people accessing services from religious providers,” Brown said.

LGBTQI+ groups have warned Labor against repeating the same mistakes of the Morrison government on religious discrimination.
LGBTQI+ groups have warned Labor against repeating the same mistakes of the Morrison government on religious discrimination. Photograph: Mark Edward Atkinson/Getty Images/Tetra images RF

Updated

CommBank passes on RBA rate rise in full

The Commonwealth Bank has become the second bank to pass on the RBA rate increase in full, after Westpac. The CBA increase will come into effect in just over a week.

Updated

Energy ministers to discuss supply shortages and soaring prices

Energy ministers gather at the top of the hour for their first conference (albeit on video) since the new federal government took office.

It’s fair to say this time last week was a bit of scramble to secure energy supplies, particularly for gas. This afternoon, meanwhile, things are a bit more settled, with Queensland’s wholesale prices bouncing around a bit but were recently at zero cost:

We look here at some of the key issues on the agenda of today’s meeting, including the case for a domestic gas reservation (likely to be promoted by Victoria), and also the Energy Security Board’s update on post-2025 market designs.

The ESB’s presentation will likely discussion about a potential “capacity market”, for which new federal climate and energy minister Chris Bowen set some key tests last October.

Bowen, though, has made a point since being sworn a week ago that he’s not in favour of “ad hocery” or “knee-jerk responses”. Let’s see whether the market avoids the types of spasms (think blackouts) that might prompt such a move.

Updated

Free solar panels for 30,000 NSW homes under state scheme

Thirty thousand NSW homes will receive free solar panel systems or be able to upgrade their appliances to energy-saving models in a bid to tackle rising energy prices, AAP reports.

About one million low income earners in NSW, including concession, health care and DVA Gold Card holders, are already eligible for a scheme that provides $285 rebates on their annual power bills.

Under the state government’s new $128m “energy bill buster” scheme, they will now be able to apply to trade in their rebates for a solar system to be installed at their homes.

The government says solar power will save consumers $600 on power bills annually.

People who can’t have solar panels installed, such as those living in apartments, can instead swap the rebates for up to $4,000 to upgrade their appliances.

“This energy bill buster package is all about sending (Russian president Vladimir) Putin’s power prices packing,” NSW treasurer Matt Kean told reporters on Wednesday.

There were a number of factors driving up the cost of power in the state, and the war in Ukraine was a significant factor in driving up gas prices, he said.

The NSW government says investing in solar will ease pressure on power bills.
The NSW government says investing in solar will ease pressure on power bills. Photograph: The Guardian

Unscheduled outages at coal-fired power plants, along with the rise in gas prices, meant there was no cheaper alternative fuel source to fill the gap.


Premier Dominic Perrottet said the opportunity to invest in green technology would ease the pressure on household power bills, while also being good for the environment.


“We want to use the NSW budget to help families budgets and set up a brighter future for the people of our state.”

The scheme will initially be rolled out to 30,000 households, and further funding of the scheme will be considered depending on the uptake.

The Labor party said the government had failed to meet its promises on solar batteries made in the lead up to the last state election, creating a shortfall of more than 19,600 batteries.



Updated

Girl dies after allegedly falling from moving vehicle in NT

A seven-year-old girl has died after she allegedly fell from a moving vehicle in a remote part of central Australia, AAP reports.

The girl was travelling with her father about 4pm on Sunday near Harts Range, northeast of Alice Springs, when the incident occurred, Northern Territory police said.

“During the journey it is alleged she fell from the moving vehicle suffering serious head injuries,” a police spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

The girl was flown to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for Women and Children where she died from her injuries on Monday.

Major crash detectives have travelled to the area to investigate.

The town of Harts Range and the neighbouring Indigenous community of Atitjere are located 215km from Alice Springs at the base of the Harts Ranges.

Updated

United Airlines will fly direct from San Francisco to Brisbane International Airport three times a week from late October in a major aviation deal for the state.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliners will offer around 40,000 international seats a year.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said it was the first time the airline would fly to Queensland.

The airline ... is the largest and longest-serving US carrier in the Australian market.

This airline route is also of strategic importance for Queensland when it comes to growing our share of the international tourism market.

San Francisco is a major hub for United with direct connectivity to 80 North American cities. By securing these flights, Queensland becomes an easy choice for thousands of visitors throughout the US.

Chalmers: rising rates will put ‘significant pressure’ on federal budget

Just some more on treasurer Jim Chalmers’ earlier comments on aiming to hand down his first budget on 25 October, via AAP.

Chalmers told a conference hosted by Sky News and the Australian he expected interest rate rises would dampen activity in the economy while affecting house prices and savings.

They would also disproportionately affect the lowest income earners, he told Australia’s Economic Outlook 2022 conference on Wednesday.

“All of this will flow through to the budget. They will put significant pressure on a budget that already has its share of difficulties, including a relatively significant structural deficit, and now with those higher borrowing costs,” Chalmers said.

Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers speaks to media during a press conference in Brisbane
Federal treasurer Jim Chalmers: ‘We have got a lot of pressures that weren’t in the budget that we inherited.’ Photograph: Jono Searle/AAP

His comments came after the Reserve Bank of Australia raised the cash rate by a larger-than-expected 50 basis points at its monthly board meeting on Tuesday, and warned that further increases would be needed to contain inflation.

Chalmers also warned there wouldn’t be “automatic upgrades” to the budget.

“Commodity prices are helping but some of the other upgrades are not necessarily eventuating,” he said.

“We have got a lot of pressures that weren’t in the budget that we inherited, like some of the ongoing costs with Covid-19.”

Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott said budget repair is important, as this allowed the government to respond to Covid.

“But we have got to do that in a way that’s about growth,” she told the conference.

“I don’t think you cut your way out of this, you have got to grow your way out of this.”

Updated

Australian courts may not be able to enforce an order that Google pay John Barilaro more than $700,000 in defamation damages because of free speech protections in US law, legal academics say.

Matt Kean says claims of political deal over NSW koala policy ‘absolutely untrue’

NSW treasurer Matt Kean has denied claims from an outgoing Liberal colleague that he did a political deal that she claims “virtually condemns NSW koalas to extinction”, AAP reports.

NSW Liberal MP Catherine Cusack posted a series of tweets on Tuesday allegedly showing her and former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian arguing over text message about the government’s proposed koala policy in 2020.

“I am posting these messages to prove I had no knowledge of the disgusting deal @Matt_KeanMP did with the Nationals that virtually condemns NSW koalas to extinction,” Cusack wrote in a follow up tweet.

Kean, the former environment minister, says the claims are “absolutely untrue”.

“Everyone knows that I fought to protect koalas,” he said on Wednesday, citing the $193m funding package for the endangered species he secured while environment minister.”

“I think it’s a matter of public record that my relationship with (former NSW Nationals Leader) John Barilaro nearly broke the government over the stance I took to protect koalas.”

Cusack also said her requests to meet with Dominic Perrottet in recent months had been rebuffed, however the premier said the pair met on Wednesday morning.

“Catherine has some concerns in relation to bills and the like,” the premier said.

“That’s only a natural thing and when people get into parliament they have different views on things and I think that’s important.”

A pair of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in a tree.
A pair of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in a tree. Photograph: Martin Harvey/Getty Images

The government spent four years developing its koala SEPP (State Environmental Planning Policy), and while trying to pass the legislation endured a bruising stoush that threatened to destroy the Liberal-National coalition.

It was defeated when Cusack crossed the floor, telling the parliament the policy “has zero to do with protecting koalas”.

The text messages appear to show a lengthy exchange with Berejiklian urging Cusack to support the bill.

Berejiklian allegedly later texted that Ms Cusack’s lack of support meant the koala protection policy had been quashed and later informed her she had lost her role as parliamentary secretary.

Greens MP Cate Faehrmann is scheduled to introduce a Great Koala National Park bill into parliament on Wednesday.

She urged the Labor Party to support the bill but tweeted “all indications are they won’t vote for it”.

Updated

The new shadow minister in the NDIS policy area, Michael Sukkar has responded to the CEO’s resignation by demanding communications or discussions minister Bill Shorten had about the CEO role be made public.

Ukraine war should not distract Quad from focus on Indo-Pacific, Indian high commissioner says

India’s high commissioner to Australia says the Quad – which also includes the US and Japan – must remain focused on the Indo-Pacific rather than be distracted by the war in Ukraine.

Manpreet Vohra, the high commissioner to Australia, also said he hoped the interim trade deal between Australia and India – which was agreed before the election – would be ratified by the Australian parliament in coming months.

Speaking to reporters in Canberra, Vohra said India had no reason to doubt the new Australian government’s commitment to the Quad. He said prime ministers Anthony Albanese and Narendra Modi had a “very warm, very productive” meeting in Tokyo shortly after the new Australian government took office.

It’s quite clear from even before the elections and our interactions with the Labor party, that there is very strong bipartisan support for further deepening the India-Australia relationship, to the support for the comprehensive strategic partnership and all the different pillars of that, all the new areas that we believe India and Australia can get together to improve things for themselves, as well as for the region. And that has been on display since the election of the new government.

India, which has had long-standing ties with Russia, has been the Quad partner most reluctant to condemn Moscow over the invasion of Ukraine. Asked whether it was a strength or weakness of the Quad that the grouping was able to accommodate those differences, Vohra said:

It’s certainly a strength. I think the four Quad members are such good friends with each other, and collectively, that it allows you to, you know, understand differences that one might have in terms of policy positions, etc. So we explain, frankly, to them what we can do or cannot do, they do the same with us. And there is that understanding and appreciation of each other’s constraints and abilities. And in any case, there is agreement by all four that the Quad cannot lose sight of the Indo-Pacific, which is its focus, and events in Europe, while they will have an impact, cannot distract us from our attention on the future of the Indo-Pacific region.

Vohra was speaking after an event marking the launch of the Australia-India Leadership Dialogue, to be held on 6 September in New Delhi. The dialogue will be co-chaired by Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes and Australia India Institute chief executive Lisa Singh, who is a former Labor senator.

India’s high commissioner to Australia Manpreet Vohra.
India’s high commissioner to Australia Manpreet Vohra. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

Victorian transport company fined $490,000 after worker died in truck rollover

A Victorian transport company has been slapped with $490,000 in fines after a worker died in a truck rollover in the state’s southeast, AAP reports.

The truck driver died while attempting to round a bend in a milk tanker at Leongatha in May 2018.

An investigation into the company he worked for, Peter Stoitse Transport Pty Ltd, found it failed to give its drivers detailed information and training about how to drive the tankers, despite nine rollovers since 2009.

An inspection at its Leongatha depot in July 2018 resulted in major defect notices for 80% of a fleet of prime movers and tanker trailers, meaning they had to be immediately taken off the road.

In September 2018, the company did not notify WorkSafe about a separate truck rollover at Echuca. That incident left another driver hospitalised with a serious laceration.

Peter Stoitse Transport pleaded guilty in the Latrobe Valley County Court on Wednesday to two charges of failing to provide and maintain a safe working environment, and one charge of failing to notify WorkSafe about an incident.

It was hit with $490,000 in fines. The largest of $300,000 was for failing to provide a safe system of work.

The company showed a clear disregard for its drivers’ safety, WorkSafe health and safety executive Narelle Beer said:

Tragically, two workers have been killed in vehicle accidents so far this year and WorkSafe will continue to take strong enforcement action against those duty holders refusing to keep their workers safe on the road.

Updated

National Covid summary

Here are the latest coronavirus numbers from around Australia today, as the country records at least 59 deaths from Covid-19:

ACT

  • Deaths: 1
  • Cases: 821
  • In hospital: 89 (with no people in ICU)

NSW

  • Deaths: 10
  • Cases: 7,825
  • In hospital: 1,283 (with 38 people in ICU)

Northern Territory

  • Deaths: 0
  • Cases: 254
  • In hospital: 14 (with no people in ICU)

Queensland

  • Deaths: 15
  • Cases: 4,257
  • In hospital: 312 (with 12 people in ICU)

South Australia

  • Deaths: 0
  • Cases: 2,995
  • In hospital: 237 (with 5 people in ICU)

Tasmania

  • Deaths: 0
  • Cases: 667
  • In hospital: 38 (with no people in ICU)

Victoria

  • Deaths: 25
  • Cases: 9,519
  • In hospital: 522 (with 29 people in ICU)

Western Australia

  • Deaths: 8
  • Cases: 7,720
  • In hospital: 283 (with 15 people in ICU)

My colleague Luke Henriques-Gomes’ full report on the NDIS chief resigning today.

Cost of living in Northern Territory well above national average

Families are struggling as inflation runs rampant in the Northern Territory, social services groups say.

AAP reports the cost of living in the territory – the Consumer Price Index – jumped six per cent in the 12 months to December 2021, well above the national average of 3.5%, the NT’s peak body for the social and community services sector said.

“Territorians are doing it tough,” NT Council of Social Service chief executive Deborah Di Natale said.

“We need the commonwealth and NT government to recognise these increases for critical services like health, childcare and education, and for living costs such as housing, transport and food.”

Fuel nozzles rest in a fuel dispenser at a petrol station
The price of automotive fuels in Darwin has risen 45.9% compared with 32.3% nationally. Photograph: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Darwin rents rose eight per cent compared to 0.4% nationally in the same 12-month period, according to the council’s recently released annual cost of living report.

Housing in Darwin - including utilities - also increased, up 15.9% compared to four per cent nationally.

Darwin families were also hit at the petrol bowser, with automotive fuels rising 45.9% compared with 32.3% nationally.

The increases were even more severe for people in remote communities, where the price of diesel is up to $2.75 per litre, according to Fuel Price Australia.

Overall, it means Territorians living on low incomes or on income support payments are finding it tough to pay for everyday expenses.

“Significant cost of living pressures have emerged or intensified for Territorians, and at an unsustainable and disproportionate rate in certain areas,” Di Natale said in the report.

“The implications of this for people’s physical and mental health, and ability to participate in the workforce and in society is well known. This reality is preventable and should not be accepted.”

The council called on the federal government to increase social security payments, such as Jobseeker and the Remote Area Allowance, twice yearly.

The council has also called on the NT government to extend concessions for electricity, driver’s licences, prescription glasses, vehicle registration and bus fares.

Updated

Tasmania set to raise minimum age of detention from 10 to 14

The Tasmanian government has announced it will raise the minimum age of detention from 10 to 14 as part of its overhaul of the youth justice system in Tasmania.

Minister for education, children and youth, Roger Jaensch said:

We know that detention does not support rehabilitation or reduce the likelihood of reoffending for younger children. Early exposure to a detention environment can also further traumatise young people, expose them to problem behaviours of older detainees and increase criminal networks.

There will always be a need for secure detention as a last resort for a very small minority of young people who commit the most serious offences, and to ensure community safety.

This change will help ensure that the detention of young people in Tasmania is truly a last resort.

The powers for police to arrest, search and hold young people 10 and over will remain for the purposes of investigating crime.

Legislation will need to pass through parliament, which Jaensch said will be part of a suite of legislation overhauling the youth justice system, anticipated to occur near the end of 2024.

Age of criminal responsibility is being considered through the national meeting of attorneys general, seeking national consistency.

Change the Record welcomed the commitment, but said the age of criminal responsibility should also be raised to 14.

Cheryl Axleby, co-chair of Change the Record said:

Children belong at home, in school and with their families – not in handcuffs, courtrooms or prison cells. It is a relief to hear the Tasmanian government commit to keeping tiny children out of prisons, but they must do more to protect and support our children in community and give them the opportunities they deserve to thrive. This announcement stops short of the reforms we need – not just to keep children out of prison cells, but to ensure children under 14 are never arrested, handcuffed or put in police lockup but are instead supported with therapeutic and age-appropriate services when they need our help.

Updated

Consumer groups back government commitment to regulate buy now, pay later sector

Consumer groups have welcomed the commitment by new financial services minister Stephen Jones, reported by Guardian Australia this morning, to regulate buy now, pay later (BNPL) services as credit.

They’re currently exempt from consumer protection rules due to a loophole in the law and consumer groups say a voluntary code set up by the industry has too many gaps.

In a statement, Financial Counselling Australia, Choice, Anglicare Australia, the Consumer Action Law Centre (Calc) and the Financial Rights Legal Centre welcomed Jones’s commitment.

“This is fantastic news for consumers, giving them better protection and rights under the credit laws,” said Fiona Guthrie, the CEO of Financial Counselling Australia.

Alan Kirkland, the CEO of Choice, said:

Buy now, pay later is unregulated credit and is causing harm to consumers. We welcome closing this loophole as a priority for the new government.

Governments in countries like the UK and New Zealand have recognised the need to protect people from these unregulated products. It is time for Australia to catch up.


Gerard Brody, the CEO of Calc, said:

The industry code has far too many gaps. It isn’t mandatory and there are many BNPL companies that haven’t signed up. There are only vague upfront assessment processes, that do not require the company to only provide loans that are affordable and suitable.

Moreover, there is virtually no consequences for breaching the code – it does not contain sanctions or consumer rights equivalent to credit laws.

You can read our interview with Jones here:

Updated

SA cabinet ministers head to Limestone Coast for community forum

South Australia’s Labor cabinet will meet in the state’s south-east with the premier, Peter Malinauskas, again talking up the importance of the region.

AAP reports the premier will visit local forestry sites and business leaders on Wednesday ahead of a community cabinet forum in Mount Gambier later in the day.

That will give locals an opportunity to speak directly with cabinet ministers.

On Thursday, there will be a formal cabinet meeting with Malinauskas to also visit the local TAFE college.

“The Limestone Coast plays a vital role in the economic and social fabric of our state,” the premier said.

Mount Gambier and Blue Lake
South Australia’s cabinet is to attend a community forum in Mount Gambier. Photograph: Auscape International Pty Ltd/Alamy

The cabinet’s trip to the southeast comes on the back of significant election promises from Labor which included $52.5m for the regional health system, $39m for a new technical college in Mount Gambier and $19m to support the state’s forestry industry.

The government also promised to invest in the local lobster and livestock industries, establish a Cross Border Commissioner to support the region’s interests and upgrade local roads.

Updated

Albanese vows to review Port of Darwin lease

Let’s return briefly to Anthony Albanese’s vow to review the circumstances surrounding the Port of Darwin lease “in an orderly way”.

The prime minister was asked about Chinese company Landbridge Group’s long-term lease over the port when he spoke with reporters in Darwin this morning. He said:

What I’ve said is what I said prior to the election. And I will do what I said I would do on this and every other issue, which is we’ll have a review of the circumstances of the port. The [Northern Territory] chief minister is conscious of the fact that we will do that. And we’ll do that in an orderly way.

Let’s step through the history of this contentious issue and where things landed during the previous term of parliament.

The NT’s then Country Liberal party government granted a 99-year lease over the Port of Darwin to Landbridge Group in 2015.

Last year, the Morrison government announced a review of the arrangements at the Port of Darwin on national security grounds. For the record, we should add that Landbridge Group vowed to cooperate with that review while stating that it had struck the deal with the NT government “in good faith”.

FILE PHOTO: Machinery can be seen sitting at the Port of Darwin, located in the Northern Territory’s capital city of Darwin in Australia,

On 1 April, then foreign minister Marise Payne dismissed a news report that Defence’s review had found there were no national security grounds sufficient to recommend a government intervention to overturn the lease. She told Senate estimates the review was “still in process”.

Basically, it sounds like Defence had completed its part of the review, but other national security agencies were also involved, and officially the review had never ended.

During the election campaign, Albanese and his frontbenchers were highly critical of the lease arrangements.

When asked on 26 April what a Labor government would do about the Port of Darwin, Albanese said it “should never have been sold to the Chinese”. He said that decision was “extraordinary” because it was a strategic port, “and it is something that I’ve said we would examine if we were in government”.

Pressed on whether he would break the lease, then opposition leader Albanese told Radio 5AA:

Well, I’ve said that we would examine those issues if we were, if we’re successful, in May. There are issues that you would need to take advice on. Issues of sovereign risk and other issues that you need to take account of and they are not unimportant. But it is important that Australia is prepared to stand up for our national interest.

Given that the federal review never officially ended, it sounds like Australia’s security agencies will pick up where they left off in the previous term of parliament.

Updated

Striking public service workers rally outside NSW parliament over pay rise

Thousands of striking public service workers have rallied outside NSW parliament to vent their displeasure over the government’s promised 3% pay rise, AAP reports.

Public Service Association (PSA) members ranging from prison officers, park rangers, school support staff, ServiceNSW workers and civilian police employees are striking for 24 hours.

Union members marched up Macquarie Street in Sydney on Wednesday morning, but the crowd did not match the size of recent strikes by teachers and nurses.

“We’re hoping for a very good turnout,” PSA general secretary Stewart Little said, adding he would love to see 30,000 members hit the streets in protest.

NSW public servants hold placards as they rally during a 24-hour strike action in Sydney.
NSW public servants hold placards as they rally during a 24-hour strike action in Sydney. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

The strike comes after the PSA last week gave an ultimatum to the government to commit to a pay rise.

Premier Dominic Perrottet on Monday announced the 2.5 % annual cap on public sector wage rises would be increased to 3% next financial year, with an additional 3.5% the following year, depending on productivity gains.

PSA senior vice president Juliette Sizer told members a fair pay rise “starts at 5.2%”, 0.1% above inflation.

The government also announced frontline health staff would receive a $3,000 bonus in recognition of their work during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Little said no one is more deserving of the bonus than health workers but it should include PSA members who work in the ministry of health.

“The epidemiologists, the contact tracers ... stopping the pandemic overwhelming our community,” he said.

Teachers, prison officers and emergency service workers should also get the payment, he added.

Unions have called for the wages cap to be raised further to at least reflect the rate of inflation, while some want it abolished altogether.

Labor has also been pushing for changes to the bargaining process between unions and the government.

Opposition leader Chris Minns has described it as “fundamentally broken”.



Perrottet said the wage rise was fair and responsible within the confines of the 21 June budget.

“It’s not just the public servants that are going through a challenging time, it’s every person across NSW after coming through the pandemic,” Perrottet said.

Updated

Last Tuesday in October likely for the new Labor government’s budget.

Victorian energy minister says too much gas being exported

Victoria’s energy and environment minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, has suggested too much of our gas is being exported overseas, blaming “profits” of gas producers for there not enough being reserved for domestic use.

“We know that for too long, we’ve had too much gas exported to other countries,” D’Ambrosio said outside Victorian parliament this morning.

We need to bust a few myths. Some of the myths are that this country is running out of gas. It’s not running out of gas. The problem is too much of what is being produced, certainly to the north of the country, is being exported overseas, and that’s because of profits being made by the large producers.

She also flagged the potential “redesign” of the so-called gas “trigger” mechanism, which would force gas companies to supply more product domestically, but can currently only be activated from 1 January.

Her comments come ahead of the “crisis meeting” of Australia’s energy ministers over the current power issues.

Victorian energy Lily D’Ambrosio speaks to reporters today.
Victorian energy Lily D’Ambrosio speaks to reporters today. Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAP

Updated

Daily Mail’s citing of student’s gender and sexuality found to breach press code

The Daily Mail has removed photos and references to a youth worker’s gender identity and sexuality in an article after the article was found to be in breach of the Press Council code.

The report referenced that the student is non-binary and queer in a story critical of an article they had written in a the Meanjin magazine regarding the Brereton report on alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.

A complaint, not from the subject of the article, to the Press Council raised concerns that prominent references to the student’s sexual orientation and gender identity were not relevant to the article.

The Press Council found that in prominently referring to the student’s sexual orientation and gender identity the Daily Mail failed to take reasonable steps to avoid contributing to substantial prejudice and that there was not sufficient public interest justifying doing so.

The council said it welcomed the amendment of the article to remove the photos and references.

Updated

SA records 2,995 new Covid cases

South Australia has recorded 2,995 new Covid cases and no deaths. There are 237 cases in hospital, with five in intensive care.

Updated

You’ve got to respect the homage to his predecessor.

With that, I will pass you into the highly capable hands of Josh Taylor, who will keep you company for the rest of the day. Stay warm!

Updated

Dreyfus says ‘no threat’ to Australia after high court ruling on terrorism laws

The attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, has released a statement in response to the Delil Alexander ruling in the high court.

To recap, the high court has ruled powers used by the former home affairs minister to cancel the Australian citizenship of a dual national suspected of terrorist activities are unconstitutional.

Dreyfus said:

The government notes the decision of the High Court of Australia in Alexander v Minister for Home Affairs [2022].

The government will examine the judgment and its implications in detail. It is important to note that there is no threat to Australia as a result of today’s decision.

The Australian government has a range of measures available to manage the risk posed to Australians by individuals offshore including the Temporary Exclusion Order regime which can prohibit an individual returning to Australia for up to two years.

Mark Dreyfus says there is ‘no threat’ as a result of the high court’s decision.
Mark Dreyfus says there is ‘no threat’ as a result of the high court’s decision. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Updated

Human remains found in Glass House Mountains

In Queensland, a police investigation has been launched after the discovery of human remains on the Sunshine Coast.

Two men who were four-wheel driving discovered the remains in a remote forest track in the Glass House Mountains about midday on Tuesday, police say.

Police have declared a crime scene and preliminary examinations indicate the remains are human. They will be sent for further scientific and forensic analysis including establishing gender.

Updated

Court overturns order for Nine to hand over program drafts

The New South Wales court of appeal has thrown out an extraordinary order requiring Nine Entertainment to hand over copies of a 60 Minutes program about the Double Bay cosmetic surgeon Joseph Ajaka before it was broadcast.

Last month Ajaka won a court order at the 11th hour preventing the broadcast, and the publication of articles in the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age.

But the appeals court has ruled the order was a mistake and should be set aside because there was “no such power, jurisdiction or authority” for “preliminary discovery against a party or parties who were already defendants to proceedings”.

The court ruled that the orders “made by Justice Rothman on the afternoon of 13th May 2022 were not sustained by any jurisdiction in the court. Those orders must therefore be set aside”.

Nine has been approached for comment.

Updated

High court says Love and Thoms precedent did not retrospectively apply to Aboriginal man’s detention case

We’ve got a bit more detail on the case of Aboriginal man Brendan Thoms, after the high court found his detention by immigration authorities was lawful.

The judges unanimously followed a precedent that section 189 of the Migration Act can validly authorise detention of people who are “reasonably suspected of being unlawful non-citizens”. The reasonableness is judged at the time of the detention.

The judges said the high court’s prior decision in the 2020 case of Love and Thoms that Aboriginal could not be “alien” to Australia did not retrospectively make that suspicion unreasonable.

Thoms was detained because he was a New Zealand citizen whose Australian visa had been cancelled, which were objective facts that provided reasonable grounds for his detention.

Thoms’s lawyer, Claire Gibbs, said:

Our client Brendan Thoms is very disappointed with this outcome. He spent more than 500 nights locked up in immigration detention. He deserves justice and accountability for the way he was treated and the ongoing harm it has caused.

The federal government now has an important opportunity to ensure that the findings of the historic Love Thoms case are upheld and followed, so that no First Australians will ever again be declared aliens and threatened with deportation.

The Morrison government appealed against the release of an Aboriginal non-citizen (Montgomery) to try to overturn the original Love and Thoms decision, a bid to restore commonwealth power to deport Aboriginal non-citizens. The Albanese Labor government is yet to say if they will pull the case.

Updated

WA records eight Covid deaths and 7,720 new cases

The Western Australian premier, Mark McGowan, has released the state’s Covid update.

There have been 7,720 new cases reported to 8pm last night and eight further deaths notified to WA Health. The deaths date back to previous days however they are within the 24-hour reporting period.

There are 283 people being treated in hospital with the virus including 15 people in ICU.

Updated

Court of appeal overturns order requiring Nine to hand over draft story

Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age have won an appeal against a recent court decision requiring the outlets to hand over draft copies of an upcoming investigation to an interested party.

Lawyers for the cosmetic surgeon, who launched court action after he saw a promo for the 60 Minutes episode before he had responded to journalist Adele Ferguson, have indicated they will make another attempt.

Updated

NT police investigate death of seven-year-old

Northern Territory police are investigating the death of a child at a remote location in central Australia.

Police say around 4pm on Sunday a seven-year-old girl was travelling with her father and several others in a vehicle around 25km east of Harts Range.

Police allege during the journey she fell from the moving vehicle, suffering serious head injuries. The girl was taken to the Harts Range clinic and later the Royal Adelaide hospital for women and children but died from her injuries.

Major crash investigation unit detectives travelled to the area to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. Investigations continue.

Updated

Macquarie Bank raises interest rates by 0.5 points

Updated

Penny Wong condemns 'reckless' North Korean missile launches

The Australian foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has condemned North Korea for “reckless and destabilising behaviour” over its ballistic missile launches.

In a statement, Wong also called on the UN Security Council to “respond decisively to North Korea’s continued violation of its legally binding resolutions”. She said Australia would “continue to strictly enforce” those resolutions and would “encourage all countries to do likewise”.

She signalled that Australia would keep its autonomous sanctions against North Korea under review.

Wong said:

Australia strongly condemns North Korea’s launch of eight ballistic missiles this week – which violates multiple UN Security Council resolutions and undermines the global non-proliferation regime.

The test on 5 June is the latest demonstration of the regime’s reckless and destabilising behaviour. North Korea has launched a total of 31 ballistic missiles so far this year, including six intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Its apparent preparations to undertake a nuclear test are likewise gravely concerning and a threat to the peace and security of our region.

Australia calls on the Security Council to respond decisively to North Korea’s continued violation of its legally binding resolutions.

We further urge Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs and return to meaningful dialogue with the United States and the Republic of Korea. Permanent peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula can only be achieved through dialogue.

Updated

Queensland records 15 deaths, 4,257 new Covid cases

Queensland Health has released today’s Covid update.

There have been 4,257 new cases reported and 15 further deaths.

There are 312 people being treated in hospital with the virus including 12 people in ICU.

No Context Anthony Albanese:

Updated

Murugappan family on the plane to Queensland

They’re en route to Brisbane.

Updated

Two women found dead in Sydney were sisters, police say

Allcroft says there were no obvious signs of injury to the two women.

Asked what drew the government agency to the attention of the unit, she said police were in “early stages of the investigation” and were “looking into all lines of enquiry”.

At this stage we’ve got two females who are deceased and we have no further information at this stage. We don’t know the cause of death. We’ll know more tomorrow once we’ve had the post-mortem completed.

The bodies have been there for some time. However I can’t tell you how long. That will be a question for the coroner ... it’s a very tragic scene when we go to any deceased persons, let alone two sisters who are deceased and unfortunately, at this stage, we don’t know why.

Updated

Bodies of two women discovered in a NSW unit, police say

New South Wales police are speaking now about the discovery of two bodies at a unit in Canterbury.

The women haven’t been formally identified but are believed to be 23 and 24 years old. They were located in their separate bedrooms.

About 9:30am, police attended an apartment in Canterbury Road, Canterbury, following reports that a body had been located by another government agency. Upon entering the premises, police located the bodies of two females.

A crime scene was established, and has been examined by specialist crime scene officers. There was no obvious signs of forced entry to the detectives from Burwood police area command and the homicide squad are investigating the circumstances under Strike Force Walbird. Detectives are still examining the crime scene.

Asked if police were investigating a murder, officer Claudia Allcroft said police were still in the “infancy” of the investigation but the circumstances were suspicious and more would be known after a post-mortem examination is conducted tomorrow.

Updated

NSW public servants walk off the job demanding pay rise

About 30,000 public servants in New South Wales are walking off the job today demanding pay rises keep up with rising inflation.

It comes after the Public Service Association (PSA) union’s demands of a 5.4% pay rise weren’t met by the start of the week.

Instead, the NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, offered a pay rise of 3%, with another 0.5% increase to the public service annual pay cap likely the following year. He also announced a one-off bonus of $3,000 for healthcare workers.

Union representatives said this amounted to a pay cut when Australia’s inflation rate was factored in.

The PSA NSW general secretary, Stewart Little, said:

This offer is pure politics. Moving half a per cent and playing silly games with one-off bonuses for certain workers. It’s a shameless attempt at dividing workers against each other.

Updated

ACT records one death, 821 new Covid cases

ACT Health has released today’s Covid update.

There have been 821 new cases reported and one further death – a woman in her 90s.

There are 89 people being treated in hospital with the virus and no people in ICU.

Updated

Stakes are high for state of origin

Important breaking news for rugby fans, Queenslanders, or residents of New South Wales:

While we’re here, the prime minister published his expert tips in the Daily Telegraph today.

They are as follows:

  • NSW wins by 14.
  • Man of the match: Damien Cook.
  • First try: Brian To’o.
  • Why NSW will win: Cook to run from dummy half in last 30 minutes against tired forwards.

Updated

High court releases details of citizenship law invalidation

The high court has released a summary of its decision invalidating laws that allowed the home affairs minister to strip someone of citizenship for repudiating their allegiance to Australia by engaging in proscribed conduct, such as foreign incursions of alleged terrorist recruitment.

First, some facts about the plaintiff, Delil Alexander:

The plaintiff was born in Australia and acquired Australian citizenship by birth. He also acquired, and still holds, Turkish citizenship by descent. In April 2013, the plaintiff departed Australia for Turkey and, at some point, travelled into Syria. A qualified security assessment (QSA) provided by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation to the minister in June 2021 stated that the plaintiff had joined the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which was a designated ‘terrorist organisation’, by August 2013, and that he had likely engaged in foreign incursions and recruitment by entering or remaining in al-Raqqa Province in Syria, a ‘declared area’, on or after 5 December 2014.

In July 2021, the minister made a determination pursuant to section 36B of the Citizenship Act, relying in part on the information provided in the QSA, that the plaintiff ceased to be an Australian citizen. The determination stated that the minister was satisfied that: the plaintiff had engaged in foreign incursions while outside Australia, which demonstrated a repudiation of his allegiance to Australia; that it would be contrary to the public interest for him to remain an Australian citizen; and that he would not become stateless by reason of the determination.

The law was judged invalid because some in the majority found in effect it amounted to
retribution for conduct deemed so reprehensible as to be incompatible with the shared values of the Australian community because it deprived the plaintiff of his entitlement to enter and live at liberty in Australia.

Only courts can judge and punish criminal guilt, so the law was invalid.

Updated

Daniel Andrews says Victoria can’t “go it alone” on gas reserve scheme

This is the Victorian premier’s take ahead of this afternoon’s meeting on energy:

Meanwhile, the leader of the Nationals, David Littleproud, is still yelling to the abyss about nuclear power:

Here is some analysis on the nuclear power question from climate and environment editor, Adam Morton:

Updated

Energy ministers meet to discuss power price spikes

State and federal energy ministers are holding a video conference late this afternoon, which is timely given the strain in the east coast markets lately, and the soaring wholesale prices.

The Australian Energy Market Operator yesterday lifted its imposed gas price caps for the Sydney and Brisbane markets that had been imposed after the exit of Weston Energy from the market triggered the first use of the “retailer of last resort mechanism” in about six years.

However, by another measure, Sydney’s cumulative price threshold has been exceeded so the price cap of $40 a gigajoule remains. By the same approach, Victoria’s wholesale gas prices remain at $40/GJ after the state hit the threshold on 30 May.

There’s a bit of discussion this morning around “if only we’d reserved some domestic gas when we opened up eastern Australia to global prices a decade ago”. (Both the Coalition and Labor share the blame for waiving that decision through when it was clear local consumers would cop higher gas prices.)

Western Australia has a 15% reservation policy and lower power prices.

Today’s meeting is not an emergency one although it does have some urgent issues to deal with. It’s not expected to produce a major outcome although the current price spikes will be addressed.

It will discuss the progress towards a “capacity market”. This seems to be a key issue to watch in the coming years with the main question being, if we do have standby power plants what form will they take? WA (again!) has one, as do many markets overseas.

Will ageing coal plants be kept going a bit longer, or as some states want, only new capacity so that we don’t hinder the transition towards decarbonisation. An issue to keep an eye on.

Updated

National Disability Insurance Agency boss resigns

The chief executive of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), Martin Hoffman, has resigned after continued speculation about his future.

Hoffman, who took on the role in November 2019, was heavily criticised during his term by the new minister, Bill Shorten, who accused the NDIA leadership of losing the trust of the disability community.

Before the election, Shorten told Guardian Australia that “you have to question the whole leadership of the NDIS in the last few years” and singled out Hoffman, as well as former chair Helen Nugent, blaming them for the abandoned “independent assessments” proposal that riled advocates.

Shorten had this week batted away questions about Hoffman’s future.

The NDIA chair, Denis Napthine, said:

During Martin’s leadership the NDIS completed the full transition from the old systems – and grew dramatically with now more than 520,000 participants benefiting from the scheme. He has also overseen significant participant experience improvements, with an emphasis on digital investment that will deliver further improvements in future. He led the agency with passion, grace and commitment, including managing through the impacts of the Covid pandemic.

Hoffman said:

It has been an absolute privilege to have served in this role for the last three years. I wish the scheme, and its participants, families, carers and providers all the very best for the future. I thank the amazing staff of the agency for their dedication and support.

Hoffman faced significant pressure over the independent assessments saga, during which several damaging internal leaks pointed to dissatisfaction with the agency’s attempts to clamp down on increasing costs.

More recently the agency has been accused of wasteful spending on private lawyers to battle NDIS participants in the courts, while Hoffman himself apologised after Guardian Australia revealed his staff had compiled an “intelligence report” of a woman’s social media posts as it fought unsuccessfully to deny her support.

Shorten has also been critical of the appointment of Napthine, a former Victorian Liberal premier, who was appointed by the Coalition earlier this year.

Hoffman will leave the role on 2 July, with the deputy, Lisa Studdart, to serve in the position while a replacement is found.

Shorten has released a statement:

Updated

Adam Bandt tests positive for Covid-19

The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, has tested positive for Covid.

In a statement, he said:

It’s finally caught up with me – I have returned a positive result for Covid-19. I’ve got mild symptoms and will be isolating at home in Melbourne for the next seven days.

I will continue some duties remotely, while also taking time to rest and recover. I send my sincerest thanks to all the nurses and healthcare workers who are about to enter another winter of flu and Covid cases – you deserve a pay rise.

Updated

NT records 254 new Covid cases

The Northern Territory government has released today’s Covid update.

There have been 254 new cases reported and no further deaths.

There were 121 cases recorded in the Top End, 55 in central Australia, 10 in East Arnhem, 19 in the Big Rivers region, three in the Barkly region and 46 are under investigation.

There are 14 people being treated in hospital with the virus and none in ICU.

Updated

Aboriginal non-citizen fails in unlawful detention claim

The high court has ruled that the detention of an Aboriginal non-citizen was not unlawful, because he was detained before a landmark decision that found they were beyond the reach of the aliens power.

In February 2020, the high court ruled that Aboriginal Australians cannot be aliens, and therefore cannot be deported, a decision the commonwealth is currently attempting to overturn.

Brendan Thoms, one of the original plaintiffs, brought a separate case arguing that his detention from September 2018 to February 2020 was unlawful, a move that could expose the commonwealth to compensation claims by multiple people who were released after the decision.

On Wednesday the high court unanimously ruled that Thoms detention in that time was not unlawful.

Updated

Stripping dual nationals of citizenship unlawful, high court rules

The high court has ruled that laws allowing dual nationals to be stripped of their Australian citizenship for suspected terrorist activities are unconstitutional.

The laws were challenged by lawyers acting for Delil Alexander, a Turkish Australian man imprisoned in Syria whose citizenship was revoked in July 2021.

On Wednesday the high court ruled that the home affairs minister’s powers were invalid because they involved the exercise of an “exclusive judicial function”, that is, punishing criminal guilt.

The court ordered that Alexander is an Australian citizen and the law purportedly stripping him of it is invalid.

Updated

Penny Wong speaks with US secretary of state

Australia’s foreign minister, Penny Wong, continues her whirlwind entry into global diplomacy, holding a phone call with the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, on the way back from her visit to Indonesia with the prime minister, Anthony Albanese.

A readout of the call, from Blinken’s office, said the pair spoke about “our ongoing coordination on regional issues” and the upcoming G20 meetings in Bali – which Albanese confirmed this week he would be attending, after questions over whether he would visit considering the participation of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.

Blinken’s office said:

Secretary Blinken and foreign minister Wong also discussed our collective efforts to hold Russia accountable for its unprovoked and unjust war of choice against Ukraine, including in multilateral institutions and bodies.

The secretary and foreign minister reviewed the foreign minister’s recent visits to Indonesia, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, and the secretary reaffirmed the United States commitment to strengthening economic opportunity, resiliency, and freedom across the Indo-Pacific through open and transparent work with partners and allies in the region.

As Katharine Murphy wrote this morning, Wong “has exploded out of the blocks since Labor won the election”.

Updated

Is Australia going to Mars?

A bit of a kooky last question.

A reporter says Scott Morrison announced Australia would go to Mars. Are we a step closer to that dream?

Albanese:

I’m not going to be that ambitious. But a very good question. One I wasn’t anticipating, I’ve got to say. Today, in itself, I think is significant.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to the media during a press conference in Darwin.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to the media during a press conference in Darwin. Photograph: AAP

Updated

Fixing transmission critical, PM says

Katharine Murphy asks Anthony Albanese if the government need to go faster on the transition to renewables and hydrogen in the face of the energy crisis. He replies:

We need to do exactly what we said we would do which is to have a plan to ensure that we move to 82% renewables by 2030 as part of the national energy market. A 42% reduction. But we’ll put in place the measures. We need to, as soon as possible, make sure that we fix transmission, it’s the low-hanging fruit. It’s critical and we’ll do what we can to do that.

Updated

‘I’m very proud we’ve brought this family home’

Now to the Murugappan family, who are flying to Brisbane from Perth today on their first step home to Biloela.

Anthony Albanese is pleased:

Isn’t that good? Do you feel good about that? I sure do. Every Australian should.

What about other families or other situations? Albanese returns to the family:

The Bilo family were loved and wanted by their local community. This guy, Nades, worked at local meatworks. We import people to work in meatworks because we can’t find enough workers. And here we grab this family in the middle of the night, took them down to Melbourne. Then took them to Christmas Island. Then they’ve ended up in Perth after these little girls who were born in Australia got not just mental health issues, but physical health issues as well.

I’m very proud we’ve brought this family home. I’m very proud. And the community will be as well. No people should be treated in that way, and I must say this as well. The cost, the cost to the Australian taxpayers is in the double figures of millions of dollars from this.

Updated

Coal still part of Australia’s energy mix, PM says

Reporter:

Considering the way that the grid is now, though, are you open to using coal to make up for the gas shortfalls and supply-and-demand problems now?

Anthony Albanese:

Coal is a part of our mix right now.

The NT chief minister follows. She says it’s a “unique opportunity” to work with a Labor government that believes in climate change and the need to shift to renewables on projects like the sun cable.

Albanese says he’s had discussions with billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes and others about how to maximise the cable’s input.

Updated

PM cites budget deficit

Anthony Albanese dodges whether cabinet would consider vouchers for electricity prices and winter handouts for low-income households before the October budget, but reiterates that the government is $1tn in debt:

The former government has left us with $1tn of debt. There are measures, some measures are in place to alleviate some cost-of-living pressures and they’re in place ... but we will, of course, always consider what can be done. But there is a fiscal context here.

Updated

Energy grid must be made fit for purpose, Albanese says

Reporter:

How uncomfortable is it for you as a new leader promising an extra push towards renewable energy, when you’re in a situation where there’s a fall back on coal-fired production with electricity?

Anthony Albanese:

Not at all. One of the problems that has occurred here is a failure of investment. Because the former government had 22 energy policies, and didn’t land one. So, you haven’t had the orderly investment that is needed ...

You don’t have a grid that’s fit for purpose in the 21st century. That’s why in my first budget reply, we had two big measures – childcare ... but rewiring the nation – to fix the energy grid based upon the Australian Energy Market Operator’s integrated systems plan ...

If you had a grid that was fit for purpose, where renewables were being plugged into the grid, just as households know that if you’ve got solar panels on your roof, they’re lowering your power bills. If that was across the economy for households and businesses with a grid that was fit for purpose, you would have a real alleviation on pressures that are in place right now.

Updated

Energy market pressures have built up over nine years, PM says

Anthony Albanese reminds journalists his government was just sworn in and says pressures on the energy market are a hangover from the previous government:

We’ve been in government now for just a little bit over two weeks. These pressures have built up over nine years. And this, the former government, had a policy of deliberately keeping wages low at a time when cost of living and the price of everything was going up.

My government does not have that policy. My government has a policy of doing what we can to assist cost-of-living pressures. At the same time, we’re conscious of the fact that we’re being left with $1tn of debt with not much to show for it.

Updated

‘My government understands the pressure that working families are under’

The PM is asked about what the government will do in the short term to ease cost-of-living pains in the wake of interest rate hikes announced by the RBA yesterday.

He acknowledges the RBA decision will be “a blow” for families but it wasn’t unexpected. He then reiterates the government’s long-term strategies of childcare and renewable energy reform:

That doesn’t mean that it won’t hurt people. We know that people are suffering from a cost-of-living crisis. With everything going up except for their wages. We have a plan to alleviate cost-of-living pressures by taking measures on childcare, by taking measures on electricity prices, which will have an impact.

Not immediately. It takes time to flow that through, but also by our position on wages, which is to have a plan to lift wages. That’s why I’ll have an employment summit coming through ... my government understands the pressure that working families are under and we’ll be doing what we can to alleviate those pressures going forward.

Updated

Jet interception occurred in international air space, PM stresses

The prime minister is asked about accusations from the Chinese government that an Australian RAAF plane came near the airspace of the disputed Paracel Islands, known as Xisha in China, when it was intercepted by a Chinese jet. He replies:

This incident occurred in international air space. Full stop.

Updated

Voice to parliament ‘simply good manners’, PM says

Now to questions. Anthony Albanese is asked if he is confident he will have bipartisan support to implement the Uluru statement from the heart:

I’m very hopeful that that will occur ... I want to work to bring people together. And what we know is that this will be just like the apology to stolen generations.

When it happens, people will wonder why it hadn’t happened earlier. And that’s what I want to do. This is just simply good manners in order to ask First Nations people what their view is when issues affect them. Whether it be their education, their health.

Sometimes it’s put as if this is just symbolic, and there’s a difference between practical reconciliation and symbolism. The two are connected. If you don’t give respect to people, then you won’t be able to close the gap in health, in education, in housing, in life expectancy. In all of these issues in which we need to do that practical work. And I am up for reaching out and embracing as many people as possible, but I’m absolutely committed to advancing this as well.

Updated

NT chief minister celebrates ‘new frontier’ and thanks traditional owners

Natasha Fyles is up. She says it’s “wonderful” to have the newly elected PM in the NT:

Showing to Territorians that he dares about more than the east coast. Here in the territory, and also our strong representation from my federal parliamentary colleagues, and I, too, acknowledge the Larrakia people and pay my respects.

It was amazing to be in east Arnhem Land last week looking at Nasa infrastructure on territory soil. I acknowledge the Gumatj and the work that they have done with ELA to get this project off the ground. We have backed it since its inception and it is showing that the Northern Territory is a key part of the future, particularly for investors in this new frontier. So it’s an exciting project.

Updated

Albanese hails Nasa rocket launches

Anthony Albanese says the Nasa rockets, to be launched into space from the NT, will be an “exciting project” that will send a message to Australians of how important science is:

Australia’s contribution to the space industry does date back to the 1950s. As a nation, we have to build on that legacy, and it’s terrific to be here in Darwin today to declare Equatorial Launch Australia and Nasa go for launch right here in the Northern Territory.

The Australian government has granted regulatory approval for ELA to launch three scientific suborbital launches on behalf of Nasa between June 26 and July 12 at the Arnhem Space Centre.

These three launches are important, they’re for universities to do scientific research. These rockets will go some 250km north into ... well, up into the sky, to collect data on physics of the sun and its relationship with the Earth.

We want the next generation to look at Stem as part of Australia’s future and this is why this is an important project ... the idea Nasa is involved in Australia should be something of pride.

Updated

Anthony Albanese press conference

The prime minister is speaking in the Darwin now alongside chief minister Natasha Fyles, on the Nasa agreement announced today:

We’re both pretty new, at our respective jobs. But we’ve both been around for a while and are good friends, and I look forward to working with Tash, including at the first meeting of the national cabinet that we’ll hold in Canberra.

First of all, dinner at The Lodge on Thursday night next week and then a meeting to be held on Friday. There is much work to be done on federal and state relations and streamlining the way that our nation works.

Updated

Victoria records 25 deaths, 9,519 new Covid cases

Victoria has released today’s Covid update. There have been 9,519 new cases reported and 25 deaths.

It brings today’s death toll from Covid to 35. Condolences to their loved ones.

There are 522 people being treated in hospital with the virus, including 29 people in ICU.

Updated

Tasmania to raise minimum age of detention from 10 to 14

The Tasmanian government will raise the minimum age of detention from 10 to 14 as part of reform of the youth justice system:

We know that detention does not support rehabilitation or reduce the likelihood of re-offending for younger children.

Early exposure to a detention environment can also further traumatise young people, expose them to problem behaviours of older detainees and increase criminal networks.

An Aboriginal-led push to raise the age of criminal detention from 10 to 14 in Queensland failed after the government and opposition refused to back calls from the Raise the Age coalition.

The ACT was the first jurisdiction in Australia to commit to raising the age of criminal responsibility - separate with detention - in line with UN standards.

Updated

From Indonesia to the Northern Territory:

'Love you, Perth,' Priya Murugappan says as family prepare to fly to Brisbane

Priya Murugappan has just spoken at Perth airport, marking one year since the family arrived in the city and were placed in community detention.

Priya and Nade Nadesalingam and their daughters Kopika and Tharnicaa, are seen at Perth Airport.
Priya and Nade Nadesalingam and their daughters Kopika and Tharnicaa, are seen at Perth Airport. Photograph: Richard Wainwright/AAP

She and her family are due to fly to Brisbane this morning, the first stop on their long-awaited journey home to Biloela.

Murugappan expressed her gratitude to Perth Children’s hospital, where staff cared for her four-year-old daughter Tharnicaa. The child was medically evacuated from Christmas Island with a blood infection caused by untreated pneumonia:

I’m very grateful to the Perth Children’s hospital. I have made great friends ... me and my family are very happy to start our journey back to my community in Bilo. Thank you to all in Perth – love you, Perth, thank you.

undefined

Updated

Environment minister Tanya Plibersek has taken an early interest in independent MP Zali Steggall’s seat of Warringah.

NSW records 10 deaths, 7,825 Covid cases

NSW Health has released today’s Covid update. There have been 7,285 new cases reported and 10 deaths.

There are 1,283 people being treated in hospital with the virus, including 38 people in ICU.

Updated

Tackling inflation a key challenge, Katy Gallagher says

Finance minister Katy Gallagher was on ABC Breakfast this morning discussing the RBA interest rate hike. She said “every commentator predicted” there would be an increase:

Tackling rising inflation is a key challenge in the economy and I know it’s going to be a really tough day yesterday for millions of mortgage-holders and households already under enormous pressure from rising cost of living, now rising interest rates and falling wages. It’s a challenging set of circumstances.

Finance minister Katy Gallagher
Finance minister Katy Gallagher. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Asked if the government would consider calls from Acoss to offer $1,000 energy relief payments for low-income households, Gallagher said there was already short-term relief in the budget announced by the previous government:

We’re putting together a budget for October and as the treasurer has already foreshadowed, a cost-of-living lens will be placed over that budget ... we’re not pretending that there are things, you know, that will solve these long-term challenges. If we look at energy, this has been building up many years.

It’s a deliberate design feature of the previous government’s economic architecture to keep wages low. In two weeks or in a month, these aren’t going to be things that we can turn around but we are working hard and we will make sure that where we can make sensible or provide sensible solutions we’ll make those sensible and responsible investments.

Updated

Investigation launched after two women's bodies found in Sydney home

Detectives have launched an investigation after the discovery of two women’s bodies inside a unit in south-west Sydney.

About 9.30am yesterday emergency services were called to a home on Canterbury Road after a concern-for-welfare report. The women are yet to be formally identified but are believed to be in their 20s.

A crime scene was established and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding their deaths has begun.

Updated

Forecasts for next six months ‘not pretty’, economist says

Chief economist at Rate City Sally Tindall appeared on ABC Breakfast this morning to discuss the RBA’s decision to lift the cash rate to 0.85%.

Tindall said the RBA clearly “needs to get the inflation genie back in the bottle”:

And they’re prepared to do what it takes to get the job done. You only have to look at other countries around the world, such as the United States, where inflation is well over 8%, to see how easily things can get out of hand. So we’ve seen a 0.5% hike.

For the average borrower, $500,000 owing today, 25 years remaining on the home loan, that will see their repayments rise by $133 a month. If you combine it with the May hike from the month before, that’s a total of $197 a month. And for larger loans, that’s obviously more pain. For someone with a $1m loan, for example, they’re looking at $265 a month just from this change yesterday.

Tindall said there was no disputing there would be further increases to come:

After the meeting, all four big bank economists updated their forecasts for the next six months, and let me tell you, it is not pretty ... it’s certainly going to be a lot of money for many people out there. A lot, though, will have built up a bit of a buffer while we’ve had the lower interest rates. But it’s people that have had a change in circumstances that could struggle.

Updated

Pundits tip that cash rate will top 3% by year’s end

As we noted yesterday evening in the blog, Westpac and CBA are among the banks to predict the Reserve Bank will follow up with another 50 basis point increase when its board next meets on 5 July.

Westpac was also the first to move in lifting its rates, with more expected to follow within days.

The RBA must have pondered just hiking to a big round number like 1%, rather than 0.85%, but perhaps we’ll get to 1.25%. (The last time the central bank raised by more than half a point was in 1994.)

Investors, though, have also responded to the RBA’s “jumbo rise” (most economists had tipped yesterday’s move would be no more than 40 basis points – so the pundits were mostly caught out again).

They’re now tipping the cash rate will top 3% by the end of the year:

Many businesses are going to be pinched by the increase and, as one economist pointed out this morning, the media tends to overlook that part of the mix.

Perhaps they have more of a chance to pass on the higher costs, but point noted.
Meanwhile, among mortgage holders, the financial squeeze could be felt the most among first homebuyers, as we noted in this story today:

Updated

AWU urges windfall tax in response to energy crisis

The Australian Workers’ Union is urging the federal government to implement a UK-style windfall tax in response to the energy crisis.

AWU national secretary Daniel Walton said multinational gas exporters were using the global situation to “cream astronomical mega-profits from Australians”:

I’ve had manufacturers telling me they are seeing their gas costs rise by as much $100,000 a day. It’s insane and it’s unsustainable. Without drastic action we’re going to see thousands of Australian manufacturing jobs lost this year.

The government should tell the gas exporters it’s fine for them to generate record profits, but they also have to ensure some of those mega-profits are used to help the nation that owns the gas. At every stage in discussions the government should be holding a big stick with “windfall tax” written on it.

If the government refuse to pick up that stick now and get tough then gas exporters will bluster and delay and factories will close en masse.

Updated

Don’t prop up coal’s ‘dirty clunkers’, Adam Bandt says

Greens leader Adam Bandt has lashed out at coal producers before Chris Bowen’s meeting with state and territory ministers.

He says a subsidy to ageing coal power plants will slow the modernisation of the energy network after calls for coal-fired power stations to be brought online.

The ACT minister attending the meeting will be ACT Greens leader Shane Rattenbury, who led the territory’s transition to 100% renewable energy.

Bandt:

Propping up coal-fired power stations is throwing good money after bad. No amount of patching up these dirty clunkers will fix the problem.

We need accelerated investment in new wind, solar, transmission and batteries, not more money for coal. The lesson from the ACT could not be clearer: go 100% renewables, break up with fossil fuels and reap the benefits of cheaper, cleaner, reliable energy.

The Greens took a comprehensive plan to the election to phase Australia out of coal and gas by 2030 through a big government build of renewables and grid upgrades and we’re putting it on the table in this parliament.

Updated

‘Carrier pigeon pulling balloons of gas?’

Chris Bowen says the opposition are either “very naive or very dishonest” to have suggested Labor could alleviate the energy crisis by getting on the phone:

The gas pipeline from Queensland to south-east Australia is currently working at 100% capacity, you couldn’t get more gas into it if you tried.

How are they supposing to get extra gas into the pipeline? Bowen muses:

Telepathy? Carrier pigeon pulling balloons of gas?

Updated

Bowen warns there are no easy fixes

Energy minster Chris Bowen is appearing on AM with Sabra Lane.

Asked if the meeting with state and territory leaders today will have any impact on the energy crisis, he replies:

The state and territory energy ministers will be making progress. There’s no easy fixes here ... and one meeting isn’t going to solve nine years of failed energy policy but we’ve got some meaty issues to discuss.

Bowen says he has been in “constant contact” with the state and territories:

We’ve been making progress all week and no doubt we’ll continue talking about issues in the lead-up to the meeting. It’s more important to make this transition to 82% renewables ... to get that right.

Asked if Bowen will consider handouts for people on lower incomes to deal with the blows, he says there will be cost-of-living relief in the budget and Labor will continue listening to “sensible suggestions” across the board to deal with “this crisis we’ve inherited”.

Updated

Queensland energy minister hails ‘collaborative’ approach

Queensland’s energy minister has issued a statement before the state and territory leaders’ meeting with Chris Bowen today.

Mick de Brenni said he was taking to the meeting with a “sense of optimism”: that the new federal government’s “cooperative and collaborative” approach would yield better results than previously seen:

I will take to this meeting direct input from the Queensland energy industry, the conservation sector and energy consumers who will meet with me this morning to provide guidance on how to deliver the best outcome for Queensland.

De Brenni said greater investment in renewables would be the cheapest means to lessen the impacts of the global market and could deliver Australia energy independence:

Whilst all options are on the table for consideration at the EMM, Queensland would continue to promote policy responses that supported our record on delivering new, cheaper and cleaner generation into the market.

The formula we are following to keep downward pressure on power prices focuses on connecting more renewables and back-up storage to our grid.

Updated

China’s warning to Australia

China has warned Australia to stop “provocations” or face “serious consequences” after the federal government said a Chinese jet plane was intercepted, the AFP and Guardian staff report.

China said yesterday the Australian P-8 anti-submarine patrol aircraft came near the airspace of the disputed Paracel Islands – known as Xisha in China.

The aircraft “approached for reconnaissance, ignoring repeated warnings from the Chinese side”, defence ministry spokesman Tan Kefei said at a press conference.

The People’s Liberation Army organised naval and air forces to identify the military aircraft “issuing a warning to drive it away”, Tan said:

The Australian military plane seriously threatened China’s sovereignty and security and the measures taken by the Chinese military were professional, safe, reasonable and legal.

Tan accused Australia of spreading “false information” and called the actions of the Australian pilots “dangerous and provocative”. China warned Australia to manage the actions of its naval and air forces or face “serious consequences”.

Defence minister Richard Marles didn’t reveal the exact location of the encounter at the time or exactly how close the planes came to each other – but he did outline further details at a press conference.

Updated

Nasa rockets to be launched from NT

Nasa rockets will be launched into space from the Northern Territory this month and next under an agreement to be unveiled by the federal and NT governments tomorrow.

Anthony Albanese and Northern Territory chief minister Natasha Fyles will confirm that three scientific suborbital sounding rockets will be launched between 26 June and 12 July 2022 from the Arnhem Space Centre, which is owned and run by Equatorial Launch Australia.

The two governments say the looming event will be the first time that Nasa launches rockets from a commercial facility outside the US, and they will be the first Nasa rockets launched from Australia since 1995, when launches were conducted from the Royal Australian Air Force Woomera Range complex.

Albanese:

We can trace Australia’s celebrated connection to the space industry back to the 1950s and as a nation we have to build on that legacy.

Approximately 75 Nasa personnel will be in Australia for the launches. The two governments say the missions will investigate heliophysics, astrophysics and planetary science phenomena only observable from the southern hemisphere.

The Arnhem Space Centre is located on the Dhupuma Plateau near Nhulunbuy, on the lands of the Gumatj people. The two governments say the traditional owners have been consulted as part of the approval process.

Updated

‘The longer back you go the less likely there’s going to be a public interest’

Mark Dreyfus says how far back the commission will be able to look will not be a decision for the government but the longer back you go the less likely the hearings will hold a public interest:

Updated

Anti-corruption commission hearings will ‘overwhelmingly’ take place in private

Mark Dreyfus says the commission’s hearings will “overwhelmingly” take place in private, however there will be circumstances in which public hearings will be useful.:

There will be circumstances in which it is clearly in the public interest for a public hearing to take place. Almost all state and territory commissions have the power to hold sparing public hearings.

They can potentially be very useful ... it’s a way of building confidence in the activities of the commission if people can see it in operation ... it’s something that prompts others to come forward, it brings out evidence if people hear of the investigation.

Dreyfus reiterates the bill will be introduced this year:

I’m not going to set limits on this commission. It’s independent ... it’s not there to accept instructions from governments of the day.

Updated

Dreyfus deadbats pork barrelling question

Mark Dreyfus is asked whether the commission will have the power to investigate pork barrelling. Will it be constituted as corruption?

No, I’m not saying that. And I haven’t said what you’ve just said.

I’ve been repeatedly asked about pork barrelling ... and if such programs and this goes for any government program ... falls within the commission’s view of serious and systemic corruption ... the ambit of the commissions responsibilities ... then that’s going to be a matter which the commission can determine it will look at.

Dreyfus says he hopes the commission will be operational by mid-2023.

Updated

Taskforce ‘completed devoted’ to drafting anti-corruption commission bill

Minister for public service and integrity Mark Dreyfus is appearing on Radio National now.

Asked if Labor will start from scratch on an anti-corruption bill or adopt independent MP Helen Haines’ integrity bill, which has been completed and introduced, he says the “full resources” of his department are working to draft a bill to be legislated this year:

My department swung into action as soon as the election result was clear we’ve now got a taskforce ... completely devoted to ensuring we will legislate an anti-corruption commission this year.

The full resources of the department are now directed to drafting the very best bill we can bring to the Australian parliament.

Updated

Murugappan family begin the journey home

The Murugappan family at the centre of a decade-long immigration battle is beginning their journey home to the central Queensland town of Biloela this morning where they will live in the community on bridging visas while waiting for their case to be processed in court.

The family are flying to Brisbane from Perth this morning, and will make it back to Biloela in time to celebrate Tharnicaa’s birthday, who will turn five on 12 June.

Home to Bilo campaigner Bronwyn Dendle told Guardian Australia:

We’ve been down in the trenches and we haven’t had that birds-eye view. But it’s not until you sit back you appreciate the wider implication of people being able to put a face to asylum seekers. We’ve rehumanised a group of people that past governments have worked so hard at dehumanising.

Updated

Greens urge accelerated investment into renewables

Deputy co-leader of the Greens Nick McKim appeared on Radio National this morning offering the party’s perspective on the energy crisis. He said the government needed to pivot “really quickly” to accelerated investment into renewable energy, and to make fossil fuel companies pay their “fair share” of tax:

[The] climate imperative is sitting over the top of everything. I’m happy to work with Labor in the short term around legislation absolutely ... alongside that we need support for people to go electric and invest in solar panels.

McKim said short-term measures like putting a cap on gas prices could be implemented alongside “meaningful investment” to drive down power prices in favour of renewable energy:

We need a significant shift in thinking in this country ... [not the] same old last tired planet cooking thinking ... [We need to] break the nexus between political parties and the fossil fuel industry.

Updated

Good morning

The energy crisis is continuing to dominate the agenda for the newly elected government.

Energy minister Chris Bowen will meet his state and territory counterparts today to discuss possible solutions to the gas supply problems and power prices exacerbating cost-of-living pressures.

Caitlin Cassidy is here to take you through it, and unfortunately, we’re spare on good news this morning.

The Australian Council of Social Services has written to Bowen warning it is “deeply concerned” about the financial pressures on people with low incomes, while the Greens have warned a “significant shift” in thinking is needed away from fossil fuels.

Speaking of cost-of-living pressures, first homebuyers are likely to be hardest hit by the RBA’s decision to lift the official cash rate to o.85% yesterday, the highest increase in more than 20 years. More increases have been flagged in coming months to curb unacceptable levels of inflation.

Westpac is the first major bank to pass on the full value of the interest rate rise to mortgage holders, with the other banks expected to make their decision today.

We’re not the only ones feeling the pinch. The World Bank has warned the nation is on the cusp of a situation similar to the 1970s oil price shocks as a result of the conflict in Ukraine, slowing economic growth and pushing up the prices of goods.

In better news, Australia has kept its World Cup dream alive after defeating the United Arab Emirates 2-1 in a qualifier match in Qatar. The final, sudden-death playoff for a spot in the cup will take place next Monday against Peru.

There’s much to get to, so let’s get cracking.

Updated

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