What we learned today, Wednesday 25 October
With that, we will wrap the blog for the evening. Stay safe out there and take care, especially if you’re in a region impacted by bushfires tonight.
Here were the major developments of the day:
Emergency services are continuing to battle fires in New South Wales and Queensland, with a snap evacuation order issued late this afternoon for Nymboida near Grafton. Queensland emergency services expect to be fighting fires “past Christmas and into early next year” amid hot, dry conditions. “Multiple houses” remain under threat, and one life has been lost in Tara, west of Brisbane.
Eight more Australians trapped in the West Bank have been transported to Jordan, the foreign minister, Penny Wong, has confirmed.
Meanwhile, the chief of the Australian Defence Force, Gen Angus Campbell, has warned of a potentially protracted conflict between Israel and Hamas, saying it appears to be only “in its early stages”. The defence minister, Richard Marles, has urged all Australians in the Middle East to depart on available commercial options amid a “volatile situation”.
In Logan, Queensland, a 40-year-old First Nations man is in a life-threatening condition after allegedly being shot by police. He is in intensive care.
And a four-year-old boy has died after sustaining injuries in a Victorian shed fire that also claimed the lives of two of his young siblings. His sister remains in hospital in a critical condition.
Updated
Doctors, nurses and unions to call for pill testing pilot in NSW
Looking ahead, the NSW member for Sydney, Alex Greenwich, will join doctors, nurses and unions tomorrow to call on the state government to urgently implement a pilot of pill testing this summer.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association, Health Services Union, Royal Australasian College of Physicians and Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation have signed on to a joint letter to be delivered to the premier, Chris Minns, tomorrow morning.
A NSW coroner in late 2019 recommended the state introduce pill testing, finding “significant evidence” that “intensive and punitive drug policing operations” were increasing drug-related risks and harm.
But Labor has resisted the calls, with the health minister, Ryan Park, saying this month pill testing was not a “silver bullet” that would prevent deaths.
Updated
Seventy bushfires are burning across NSW
The NSW Rural Fire Service has issued an update on the bushfire situation.
There are 70 fires burning across the state, 18 of which are yet to have been contained.
There is one emergency warning in place to evacuate at Nymboida in Grafton and one watch and act warning on the New England Highway at Ravensworth, west of Newcastle.
As of 6pm, there are 70 fires burning across the state, with 18 not yet contained. One fire is listed at an Emergency Warning and one at Watch and Act. There are two TOBANs declared tomorrow with a number of areas facing High Fire Danger. More info: https://t.co/SwFG8PzKTA pic.twitter.com/sHzNGD8pfN
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) October 25, 2023
Two total fire bans are in place tomorrow for the northern slopes and north western regions as dangerous fire conditions persist.
Updated
Financial assistance is available for people caught up in Queensland fires
Queenslanders impacted by ongoing bushfires in the Western and Darling Downs are now able to apply for financial assistance.
Individuals can apply for $180 in emergency assistance, with up to $900 available for a family of five or more to cover the costs of essential items such as food, clothing and medicine.
Support up to $5,000 per household is also available to help uninsured residents reconnect damaged essential services.
The federal emergency management minister, Murray Watt, said a range of assistance was available as part of the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
Communities can be sure that the Australian and Queensland Governments will work together to provide much-needed practical assistance to them quickly to aid the recovery process in the immediate aftermath of a disaster event.
The Queensland deputy premier and minister responsible for the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, Steven Miles, said emergency services would continue to work with local councils to provide further assistance where needed.
Updated
Some better news for Cypress Gardens and Millmerran residents
A spot of better news for communities facing bushfires in Queensland.
Residents in Cypress Gardens, Millmerran Downs and Millmerran Woods have been told they can return home with caution, as the emergency warning is downgraded to advice level.
RETURN WITH CAUTION - Cypress Gardens, Millmerran Downs and Millmerran Woods - Multiple Warnings - fire as at 4:51pm Wednesday, 25 October 2023.
— Qld Fire & Emergency (@QldFES) October 25, 2023
For all current warnings, updates and mapping go to https://t.co/vqyJTUPBhe. pic.twitter.com/J574iwWL5m
Evacuation warnings are still in place for Tara, Wieambilla, Kogan, Goranba and Weranga.
Updated
Man found injured after reports of shots fired in Sydney’s Kirribilli
In Sydney, a police operation is under way and a man is injured after reports of shots being fired in Kirribilli.
Police confirmed emergency services were called to Upper Pitt Street at Kirribilli about 4.10pm today, after receiving multiple reports of gunshots.
The location is not far from the prime minister’s residence, Kirribilli House.
Officers from North Shore Police Area Command attended and located a man with a minor leg wound.
The man, believed to be aged in his 30s, declined medical assistance, and it’s unclear what caused his injury.
A crime scene was established and an investigation into the incident is underway. Inquiries continue.
Updated
Eight more Australians leave West Bank for Jordan, Wong says
A further eight Australians who were trapped in the West Bank have departed for Jordan, the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has confirmed. It brings the number assisted in the West Bank to 23.
We continue to assist Australians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, as well as a small number of New Zealand citizens who want to leave.
The Australian Government has assisted a further eight Australians depart the West Bank for Jordan.
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) October 25, 2023
We continue to assist Australians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, as well as a small number of New Zealand citizens who want to leave. pic.twitter.com/vevobYvhbj
The federal government has faced challenges transporting dozens of known Australian Palestinian citizens in the West Bank to safety, exacerbated by the lack of a functioning airport.
A spokesperson for Wong confirmed there were now 51 Australian Palestinians remaining in the West Bank, after 23 were assisted to leave the area.
There are a further 79 in Gaza who face greater challenges being transported to safety due to a lack of access in and out of the area.
Updated
Fire north of Nymboida upgraded to emergency level
A reminder for those just joining the blog, a fire burning to the north of Nymboida in NSW has been upgraded to an emergency level in the past hour, with residents urged to evacuate the area.
A fire generated thunderstorm (pyro-cumulonimbus) has formed over the Glens Creek Rd Fire, Nymboida, 30km south west of Grafton. As a result, there is a potential for escalation in fire behaviour, with erratic winds, dry lightning and significantly faster fire spread. pic.twitter.com/zjZMLSqSLZ
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) October 25, 2023
The Rural Fire Service is warning a fire-generated thunderstorm has formed over the blaze this afternoon, bringing the potential for worsening conditions, dry lightning and erratic winds.
Updated
University of Southern Queensland staff strike after bargaining stalls
In Toowoomba today, around 200 staff members at the University of Southern Queensland have gone on strike for the first time in 20 years, as enterprise bargaining stalls.
A spokesperson for the university said it remained open and fully operational despite the strikes, with minimal impact to classes.
They said management had met with the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) and other bargaining representatives 22 times in the past year and had reached agreement on “most matters”.
The university has proposed a salary increase of 16.5% over five years, including an immediate 5% increase, alongside existing employer superannuation contributions of 17%.
Negotiations have also led to a range of improved staff benefits, including increased cultural leave, gender affirmation leave, protections for academic freedom, and a new Indigenous language allowance.
In recent weeks, the university has sought to move bargaining to the Fair Work Commission under the Fair Work Act due to the stalemate.
One more 🛌 until Strike Day! UniSQ members striking for what other unis have already agreed to in EBs
— NTEU USQ Branch (@NTEUUsq) October 24, 2023
Redundancy as last resort
Review of decision to terminate on grounds of ill health/unsat performance
Reasons given - budgetary pressures + streamlining 🤔Not buying it 😡 pic.twitter.com/mtw4gzAhq4
The spokesperson said outstanding bargaining issues related to NTEU demands for “unnecessary internal review steps to be included in processes such as performance management and misconduct, where the university has already put forward multi-step processes that protect staff from unfair decisions”.
Updated
Australia returns smuggled fossil and artefacts to Chinese embassy
The fossil of a long-extinct reptile, thought to be at least 120 million old, has been handed over to the Chinese embassy in Canberra, following a federal investigation which found the artefact, along with two other items which are almost 2,000 years old, had been smuggled into the country illegally.
Arts minister Tony Burke handed over to the Chinese the fossil of a Hyphalosaurus, a long-necked reptile species first discovered in 1999 and unique to north-eastern China, which was intercepted by Australian Border Force earlier this year.
Two smuggled artefacts from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) were also repatriated, a horse and rider figurine traditionally used as tomb talisman to accompany the departed to the afterlife, and a gilt bronze sculpture, thought to be a Buddhist altarpiece, depicting the deity Avalokitesvara, the embodiment of virtue and compassion.
Burke said the Labor government took the illegal removal of culturally significant items seriously, “whether it’s items of cultural significance Australia holds or items overseas that belong to us – they should be returned.”
Updated
Continued from last post …
Labor senator and assistant minister said it could not be expected that the defence department had expertise in arrangements around transparency and reporting.
The defence official added that it was “unsettled” which department had ownership of the SPA guidelines, outlining a complicated set of legislative history whereby the 2013 guidelines were published as an appendix to a handbook from the Department of Finance, and other relevant legislation had been repealed.
“It is unsettled who should be the authority to sign off on the guidelines,” the defence official said.
McAllister said cabinet ministers were working on the issue, noting security concerns around publishing the data. Defence secretary Greg Moriarty gave a strong defence of the SPA flights, saying they had been used for many years by different governments and provided an important capability for politicians to conduct business, participate in secure briefings and have private conversations.
But Birmingham insisted there should be more transparency around the data, so it could be checked whether the expensive VIP flights were being used when cheaper commercial options were available.
“The way they’re being reported at the moment, it’s impossible for anybody to scrutinise those questions,” he said.
Updated
Mystery remains around politicians’ ‘special purpose’ flights
We’re still no closer to learning which government department or minister is actually responsible for publishing the now-hidden information about politicians taking VIP “special purpose” flights on RAAF planes, with a bizarre situation in Senate estimates hinting toward none of the parties involved taking responsibility or making moves to have that data published.
For a quick refresher - the “SPA” flights, which ferry ministers and other VIP dignitaries around the place on defence force planes, usually have data published regularly. But the former Coalition government ended that practice, citing a pending security review by the federal police, finance department and others.
Defence minister Richard Marles said the security review warned that such data being publicly released could pose a risk to the safety of politicians. There has been discussion about how to balance security concerns with transparency and accountability mechanisms.
But in Senate estimates, defence force personnel said they had not been the ones involved in making that balance; Liberal senator Simon Birmingham was noticeably annoyed as he listed how, through various other avenues, he’d been told by the departments of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Finance, and the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority, that they had not been consulted on that balance.
“It is not defence’s responsibility to find the balance between transparency and security. We apply the security advice,” a defence official said.
Updated
Westpac not quite ready to join the ‘RBA to hike’ club
As noted earlier, the inflation spurt in September has prompted the ANZ and CBA to join NAB in forecasting the Reserve Bank will lift interest rates next month.
The big banks’ views are important not least because they issue the overwhelming bulk of mortgages and via their various financial products, have a good real-time view of the economy.
Anyway, the odd bank out among the big four so far is Westpac. A senior Westpac economist Justin Smirk has posted this assessment of today’s inflation numbers.
“Overall, the momentum in both the quarterly and the monthly CPI indicator was somewhat stronger than we expected, suggesting that inflationary pressures may not be moderating as fast as we had hoped,” he wrote.
Westpac, though, is still considering whether to change its view that the RBA will pause for a fifth consecutive month when their board meets on 7 November.
There are a few more statistics to come before that RBA meeting but it’s hard to see retail sales or even lending numbers for September having as big an impact on expectations as today’s inflation figures.
Updated
We have an update on the 40-year-old man alleged to have been shot by Queensland police in Logan this afternoon.
The man was treated by the Queensland Emergency Services for life-threatening injuries and transported to Princess Alexandra hospital in Brisbane.
A spokesperson at the hospital says he is in a critical but stable condition and heading to intensive care.
Queensland Police allege the man was shot after officers attended an address in Logan Central following a disturbance.
It will be alleged around 1pm, officers were threatened by the 40-year-old man before police discharged a firearm.
A crime scene has been established at the address while police investigations continue.
This matter is under investigation by Ethical Standards Command.
Updated
‘Too late to leave’: warnings issued as New South Wales bushfires rage
A series of warnings have been issued in New South Wales as emergency services fight to contain bushfires in the state.
Parts of Nymboida, a village in the Northern Rivers region, have been urged to seek shelter as the fire approaches.
It is too late to leave … the fire has burnt more than 2000 ha and is not yet controlled … crews, assisted by aircraft, continue working to slow the spread of fire.
Under hot, dry and windy conditions today fire activity has increased across the fireground.
Emergency Warning: Glens Creek Rd Fire, Nymboida
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) October 25, 2023
If you are in the area of Glens Creek Rd, Martin Rd and Armidale Rd in the Blaxlands Flat area, you are in danger. Seek shelter as the fire approaches. It is too late to leave. For more information, visit: https://t.co/8wmyJZmbXh pic.twitter.com/dY6Y7d5gPX
A watch and act warning has been issued for Ravensworth on the New England Highway.
Parts of the highway have now been closed, with residents in the area urged to “prepare now”.
Watch and Act: New England Hwy, Ravensworth
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) October 25, 2023
There is a fire burning in the vicinity of the New England Highway which has now been closed. The fire is burning in a SE direction towards Hebden Rd. Residents in the Hebden Rd Ravensworth area Prepare Now. https://t.co/lRYxFYprmC pic.twitter.com/JmoQpAQnxX
Updated
Defence force chief withdraws comments made during fiery exchange with senator
Defence force chief Gen Angus Campbell has withdrawn comments he made to senator Jacqui Lambie during an exchange in parliament, where he’d earlier claimed she was “maliciously trying to drive a wedge” between defence force commanders and personnel.
Lambie, the independent senator from Tasmania and former ADF soldier, had asked Campbell in Senate estimates a series of questions about pay rises for defence staff and raised criticisms about a vehicle allowance for senior officers.
Campbell responded:
Senator, I think you grossly and maliciously misrepresent what has occurred.
He passed the call to another defence department official, who explained that the executive vehicle allowance, which had been long paid to senior officers, had instead been rolled into the normal pay packet of those staff.
“There was no increase in what that cohort of officers took home in their pay,” the official said.
Campbell then added: “There is no additional money being received, an allowance has been pushed into the salary.”
It is very simple, very clear, and you are maliciously trying to drive a wedge between senior command and Australian naval sailors, aviators, soldiers ... and I see it constantly from you and it is deeply undermining of the cohesion of the force, and frankly, Senator, you should be ashamed of yourself.
Campbell went on to claim Lambie had made “untruthful” claims.
In a written media statement, Lambie accused Campbell of a “glass jaw” and an “over-the-top reaction”, saying:
General Campbell’s response did take me by surprise. It is my job, and the job of all senators to hold all public officials to account for taxpayer money.
A few hours later, after the hearing returned from an afternoon tea break, Campbell made a statement saying he wished to withdraw the comments made earlier.
“In regard to the interaction between myself and senator Lambie earlier today relating to a combination of the workforce remuneration arrangements and executive vehicle allowance, I would request to withdraw my comments,” Campbell said.
Labor senator and committee chair Raff Ciccone responded: “that’s very wise”.
Greens senator David Shoebridge, given the call immediately after, told Campbell that he was “astounded at your conduct toward my colleague”.
Updated
Greens call for Melbourne Cup to ban use of whips
The Greens have called for Australia’s largest horse race to be whip-free after news jockey Frankie Dettori will miss the Melbourne Cup after breaching Britain’s whipping rules.
Greens deputy leader and spokesperson for animal welfare Senator Mehreen Faruqi said making the race whip-free was the “least that can be done” to protect horses from the “pain and cruelty of racing”.
British racing rules allow six whips per race, while Australia has a limit of five, with unlimited whipping allowed in the final 100 metres.
Faruqi:
If that jockey was whipping the horse in a race in Australia, he may have faced no penalties at all as the whipping rules here are even worse than in Britain. This speaks volumes to how little the horse racing industry cares about their animals.
Another festival of cruelty is around the corner and calls to end the race have never been louder. The public has been listening to animal welfare groups and protesters who have fought long and hard to end the cruelty and to end horse racing.
The race is losing its credibility fast.
Updated
Boy injured in Geelong fire dies
A four-year-old boy has died after sustaining serious injuries in a Victorian shed fire on Sunday.
The fire, which started in a shed on a Corio property near Geelong, has already claimed the lives of two young children, a three-year-old girl and an 18-month old toddler.
Their two elder siblings, aged four and six, who were also caught in the fire were flown to the Royal Children’s hospital in a critical condition.
In a statement, Victoria police confirmed the four-year-old boy died on Wednesday afternoon.
The fourth child, a six-year-old girl, remains in hospital in a critical condition, according to police.
Following the incident, Victoria police Insp Emma Bartel said emergency services had arrived to find a chaotic scene. The circumstances of how the fire started were unclear, although it was not being treated as suspicious.
Updated
Matildas sell out Olympics qualifiers
The Matildas have sold out all three of their upcoming matches in Perth as the team continues to benefit from the excitement around this year’s World Cup.
Australia face Iran at the 20,000-capacity HBF Park on Thursday in the side’s first qualifying match for next year’s Paris Olympics. A clash at the 60,000-seat Optus Stadium against the Philippines on Sunday follows, before the window concludes with a fixture next week against Taiwan back at HBF Park.
Chief executive of Football Australia, James Johnson, said the run of capacity crowds stretching back to a warm-up match in July before the start of the World Cup highlighted the players’ appeal.
Eleven consecutive sold-out matches is no small feat. It’s a testament to the passion for women’s football in Australia.
The Matildas will be led by captain Sam Kerr for the matches, a little over two months after their fourth-place finish at the World Cup.
Updated
Speaking of Thursday evening, rumours are simply flying around over who might be on the coveted guest list for the White House state dinner.
Appearing on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, Arthur Sinodinos, Australia’s former ambassador to the United States and now a partner at the Asia group, said he was yet to receive an invitation to the two hundred or so affair however he noted they were still being distributed.
Bit last minute if you ask me. I hope they don’t already have plans!
I am not sure [if I’m attending], they are still sending out invitations, but the rumour I heard is that not only is that Margot Robbie is coming, but that she might be the MC.
Updated
More details on Albanese state dinner at the White House
Our friends at AAP have shed more details on the much-anticipated state dinner at the White House tomorrow evening, which has been rocked by the recent news that rock band The B-52s will no longer be performing.
Butternut squash, beets and braised ribs are on the menu for Joe Biden and Anthony Albanese’s White House dinner date.
In the stunning state dining room - intricately decorated with drapes, flowers and linen hand-picked by first lady Jill Biden - the duo and a couple of hundred close friends will break bread and plot the future of the free world.
The three-course, five-star feast prepared by chef Katie Button, presented on tables graced by American pink roses and Australian eucalyptus, is a far cry from the prime minister’s preferred Marrickville pork roll.
Nothing like the original Marrickville Pork Roll. pic.twitter.com/BicEaGgkvq
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) August 23, 2023
Rock band The B-52s had been scheduled to perform songs including 1989 smash hit Love Shack, before organisers decided partying while conflicts rage around the world might not be the best look.
“In a time when so many are facing sorrow and pain, and we have decided to make adjustments to the entertainment portion of the evening,” Dr Biden said in a statement.
Food is comforting, reassuring, and healing. And we hope that this dinner provides a little of that as well.
White House social secretary Carlos Elizondo said dinner arrangements would bring “that same natural ease of being in someone’s home, with tables featuring blooms in vases large and small, making guests feel as if they are sitting in a field of flowers”.
Updated
Defence clears itself and KPMG of wrongdoing after ABC Four Corners report
The Finance Department has told the Senate that an internal investigation of Defence Department contracts with consulting giant KPMG “did not find any evidence to substantiate” allegations that it awarded the firm lucrative contracts for work it did not need.
But Defence has acknowledged its procurement processes were improved as a result of a separate internal audit, which was triggered by an ABC Four Corners report called “Shadow State”. The department did not specify what the improvements were.
The report heard from two whistleblowers who alleged KPMG submitted “inflated invoices and billing the federal government for hours that never worked”.
At a senate inquiry in late September, Greens senator, Barbara Pocock, asked the finance department what action the government had taken in response to the ABC report.
The finance department’s response has now been published:
Defence confirmed that an investigation and an audit were undertaken at the time the allegations were raised with the department. The investigation did not find any evidence to substantiate the allegations. The audit identified procurement process improvements that have since been implemented by Defence.
On 21 August, 2023, Defence advised Finance that there were no outstanding issues post the original investigation conducted by Defence at the time the allegations involving KPMG were raised with Defence.
Updated
Family member reports man as missing - since 1953
In New South Wales, police have urged the public for any information into the disappearance of a man seven decades ago, which was only reported earlier this year.
Donald Gordon Buckley was last seen by family members at his Warwick Farm home in 1953.
Police say there was “minor correspondence” from Buckley the following year, which “suddenly ceased”, with no further contact since.
At the time of his disappearance, he was about 24 years old and was described as being of Caucasian appearance, 175cm tall, thin build, short brown hair and brown eyes.
Mr Buckley was employed as a labourer and at the time was married with two sons aged two and four respectively and a baby daughter.
An investigation into his disappearance only began earlier this year, when a family member reported him as missing to Blacktown police station.
Officers commenced an investigation, however extensive inquiries have failed to locate any trace of the man since 1954.
Appeal for information of man last seen in 1953
— NSW Police Force (@nswpolice) October 25, 2023
Do you have any information about Mr Donald Buckley???https://t.co/zeXmmdKv83 pic.twitter.com/nZe107ykWo
Crime manager of Blacktown police, inspector Jason Pietruszka, said despite the passage of time police were “very keen” to find out what happened to Buckley.
There is no doubt that this is an unusual set of circumstances in that the missing person report wasn’t lodged until 70 years after he was last seen, but that doesn’t prevent us from investigating this matter.
It appears there may have been some marital problems which prompted him to leave the family home.
If Mr Buckley is still alive – which is not out of the realms of possibility – he would be in his mid-90’s now.
Updated
Greens urge commonwealth to step in on detention standards after death of boy in Perth prison
The Greens have called on the federal government to step in and set tighter “minimum standards” around the detention of young people, following more information about the death of Indigenous boy Cleveland Dodd in a Perth prison last week.
“The West Australian government is clearly asleep at the wheel because the justice system is out of control and somebody needs to intervene, so I’m calling on the commonwealth to do exactly that,” said senator Dorinda Cox, the party’s First Nations spokesperson and a Yamatji Noongar woman.
Cox had asked questions of the attorney general’s department in Senate estimates yesterday, about what the federal Labor government could do in this area. On Wednesday she asked in a statement:
What is the red line issue here and where will the commonwealth step in to make sure that children are not being systematically abused in institutions in Western Australia?
Cox called for “an independent and thorough investigation” into the boy’s death, calling it a “national shame”.
David Shoebridge, the Greens’ justice spokesperson, added his voice to those calls.
“There are international standards that need to be applied and the federal government must step up and set those minimum standards, so that next week we don’t have another tragedy in WA or Queensland,” he said in the statement.
The federal government needs to realise that WA cannot be trusted in the justice space, nor can Queensland with the abuse of children in watch-houses in Queensland police stations.
Updated
Man in serious condition after allegedly being shot by police
A man is in a life-threatening condition after allegedly being shot by Queensland police this afternoon.
Around 1pm, the 40-year-old man was shot by police at Logan Central, the service confirmed. In a statement, police said investigations into the shooting were ongoing:
The man is currently being treated by Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) for life-threatening injuries.
The incident occurred on Croydon Road where investigations are ongoing.
There is no further information available at this time.
Updated
Queensland emergency services expect to be fighting fires ‘past Christmas’
Queensland emergency services expect to be fighting fires “past Christmas and into early next year” amid hot, dry conditions.
This is going to go on for a long time … it will be a long campaign until we get some rain. Please bear with us, we can’t have a fire truck on every corner but please take care, make sure you heed all the warnings we’re putting through – remain safe, look after each other and community.
“Multiple houses” are still at threat as the Tara fire continues. At this stage, one firefighter has received minor injuries.
There have been no further details on the loss of life confirmed this morning.
For more on the fires:
Updated
There is not an estimate at this stage on when the Millmerran residents will be able to return to their homes.
As mentioned, one home and four sheds have been lost in the community.
We’re hoping possibly tomorrow. We’ll have to see about the wind change … with the dry lightning that went up there were multiple fires started.
We’re looking to get around them … today and tonight, and with the predicted changes coming through … that’s going to impede our direct attack on fires, and cause more dangerous situations for firefighters. But we’ll try and get on top of that best we can with the resources we have.
Discussions are happening “as we speak” as to the possibility of bringing in additional resources from outside of Queensland.
Updated
The spokesperson says there is a plan in place to use large aerial tankers if the fire moves in the direction of the Tara township.
We have multiple teams from all over south-east up to central Queensland assisting us with this particular fire. So, we’ve got temperatures in excess of 38-42 degrees currently out there, relative humidity around 15%.
It is very uncomfortable for our firefighting crews and certainly very uncomfortable for residents hence our request for you to evacuate in those particular areas. The fire is rather erratic in behaviour. We’re on top - with six to seven aircraft we have currently in the Tara areas to help us try and contain that fire. The fire is not contained. It is still dangerous.
Over the next 24 hours, authorities are expecting a wind shift from the south which should push the fire to the north and north east.
We’ve got our plans around that to try and contain that to avoid any further fire spread in those areas. But residents please be warned and listen for the warnings.
Around 350 people have been evacuated in the Tara area and 50 in the Millmerran area.
That number “significantly rose” overnight.
The fires at night with the current weather that we’re having are not dying down. They’re actually maintaining intensity and becoming erratic overnight as well, so there will be last minute messaging. We ask people to maintain vigilance around that messaging and take the appropriate action by authorities.
Updated
Evacuation centres established for residents affected by Queensland bushfires
The spokesperson says there are multiple evacuation centres set up by the Western Downs regional council, which will be expanded from Tara – but the township is not being evacuated at this stage.
We are not evacuating Tara township, I need to make that quite clear. We are expanding those areas. Please keep up-to-date with all the messaging that we’re putting out. And stay safe around those areas.
In the Tara area at the moment, we have lost at this stage four houses have been lost and approximately one shed at this time. We do have damage assessment teams working through that to give us more accurate feedback later on but some of those areas around the Tara blocks are still too unsafe for our teams to enter, to conduct damage assessments.
Updated
Queensland authorities urge residents to heed all warnings around large and ‘dangerous’ fire
In Charlton on Queensland’s Western Downs, authorities are providing an update on the ongoing bushfire situation.
There are currently multiple fires burning in the south-western region, with five properties lost in Tara, including four homes. Four sheds and one home have been lost in Millmerran. Some areas are still too unsafe to enter.
Currently, the Millmerran incident is approximately 3,000 hectares and … there’s about four sheds and one domestic dwelling [lost]. We’re hoping to have that contained within the next 24 hours.
The large fire in the Tara area is approximately 11,000 hectares at the moment. It is uncontrolled and I’m not going to mince words here. It’s a dangerous fire, and people need to take heed of all the warnings that are currently out that way, whether they are such as advice, whether they’re leave now, leave immediately or whether it’s not safe to return. It is a dangerous fire.
Updated
Meanwhile in Queensland, emergency warnings remain in place for five communities as the bushfire situation continues.
Residents in Tara, Kogan, Goranba, Weranga and Wieambilla have been urged to leave their homes immediately, while Cypress Gardens, Millmerran Downs and Millmerran Woods are at a watch and act level and not safe to return to.
LEAVE IMMEDIATELY - Tara, Kogan, Goranba and Weranga - Multiple Warnings - fire as at 1:59pm Wednesday, 25 October 2023.
— Qld Fire & Emergency (@QldFES) October 25, 2023
For all current warnings, updates and mapping go to https://t.co/vqyJTUPBhe. pic.twitter.com/Hk7Rsa5MEN
Seven advice warnings are in place, urging communities to stay informed in case conditions change and follow bushfire action plans.
PREPARE TO LEAVE - Weranga - Multiple Warnings - fire as at 2:15pm Wednesday, 25 October 2023.
— Qld Fire & Emergency (@QldFES) October 25, 2023
For all current warnings, updates and mapping go to https://t.co/vqyJTUPBhe. pic.twitter.com/nOBXLeXQJO
Updated
That is all from me on the blog – thanks for following along on a busy day.
Passing on to Caitlin Cassidy who will roll your news updates through the evening.
Here’s a look at what was on the menu for the US state dinner with prime minister Anthony Albanese at the White House in Washington.
The first course was a farro and roasted beet salad and butternut squash soup.
And for mains, braised short ribs.
Updated
Over in employment estimates, One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts has spent about 10 minutes trying to find out the “definition” of the ‘loophole’ Tony Burke refers to in his ‘closing the loopholes’ bill.
The departmental staff have said many different versions of the same thing – that ‘closing the loopholes’ is the short title of the bill (the bit that appears in parentheses) meaning that ‘loophole’ is not actually defined in the bill. It’s shorthand.
“So it’s the sales pitch,” Roberts says.
The departmental staff say nothing.
Roberts continues his quest to find an example of a loophole. We then go around in circles as departmental staff explain that it depends on the industry, the sector etc. Roberts then comes back to his belief that the bill is unnecessary because the Fair Work Act just needs to be upheld.
The minister representing Tony Burke, Murray Watt, explains that maybe in some cases, but not in all cases – but Roberts knows what he knows and no one can tell him different.
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How the budget estimates work
For those not overly familiar with the budget estimates process, here is your quick cheat sheet:
Senate committees hold hearings where senators from across the political spectrum probe departmental staff about government spending and decisions. Ministers, or senators representing the minister (if the relevant minister sits in the house), are also questioned – they take the political stuff, because the departmental staff are meant to be apolitical.
Any senator can come by a committee to ask questions. There is a timetable for when each department or statutory body will appear – which is rarely adhered to. For example, the ABC was set down for 2.5 hours of questioning yesterday, but it went for about five. SBS was just 16 minutes. It really depends on the issue, how much heat is around the department, a program or government decision, or how much grandstanding a senator may feel like indulging in that particular moment.
The hearings are broadcast, so senator’s staff like to clip up moments where their senator might be in fine form – often without context – so most senators bring their A-game.
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'Lacking in courage': expert reaction to critical minerals announcement
A $2bn boost to the critical minerals industry has been criticised as a “token” effort that won’t win the race for energy transition capital.
Electric cars, wind turbines, smart phones and satellites depend on reliable supplies of critical minerals and rare-earth elements that Australia has in abundance, but China dominates the supply of factory-ready supplies.
Anthony Albanese has announced a doubling of financing for mining and processing projects that will support high-tech manufacturing in Australia and supply chains for US carmakers and battery factories.
The extra $2bn will double the capacity of the critical minerals facility to support clean energy, manufacturing and defence.
But Tim Buckley, director of independent public interest thinktank Climate Energy Finance, said $2bn was “a mere token response” to the Biden administration’s $US1tn ($A1.6tn) industrial and energy stimulus - the biggest in US history.
“It isn’t even a down payment, it is so lacking in courage, conviction and ambition,” Buckley told AAP.
- AAP
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‘Deadly chemicals’ in vapes discovered in QLD parliamentary inquiry
The Queensland government will accept all 14 recommendations of a parliamentary committee into vaping after “horrifying” findings about its effects.
The premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, said the urgent parliamentary inquiry set up in March had discovered “deadly chemicals” in vapes such as arsenic, lead and formaldehyde.
“On top of that, many vapes marketed as nicotine-free are not,” she said.
Palaszczuk said the government would invest $28.4m into initiatives to tackle vaping and adopt recommendations to set up a state and commonwealth joint taskforce to end the illegal selling of vapes
The government will also expand quitline services and develop guidelines for schools and resources to help Queenslanders wanting to quit.
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Calls for post-study working rights for international students
The federal government should increase post-study working rights for international students to keep Australia competitive with rival western nations, Universities Australia executive director of policy Dr John Wellard has declared.
Addressing the Australia-China Education and Tourism Symposium on Wednesday, Wellard said record earnings in the six months to June this year put the value of the education sector to $21.8bn, up from $19.4bn in the same period in 2019.
This suggests we are on track to achieve a new high-water mark in 2023. Record high international student numbers are driving this. Right now, more international students are studying at our universities than at any other time in our history.
Wellard said the challenge would be “fully capitalising” on the value of international students, including post-study opportunities in the workforce.
Our existing visa system does not support this. It deters rather than encourages these talented people to remain in Australia and use their Australian education in the area they have studied.
Our system has more than 100 visa subclasses. It is overly complex and not fit for purpose, slowing the flow of skilled people who drive our economy and progress … if there is a clear need for their skills and knowledge, why shouldn’t our system encourage them to stay?
Universities Australia has been lobbying the federal government to expand graduate working rights as part of its migration strategy, due to be released before the end of the year.
Britain, Canada and the United States – nations with which we compete for talent – are all upping permanent residency targets for international students. We need to do the same to continue to attract the skills and talents we need.
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CBA joins the rush to predict an RBA rate rise next month
As anticipated, the surprisingly strong inflation figures for the September quarter have forced forecasters to fire up their oracle bones anew and change their forecasts for what the Reserve Bank will do next month.
We saw earlier the ANZ switch to predicting a 25 basis-point rate rise to 4.35% when the RBA board meets on 7 November. NAB had been forecasting that for months and their economists might be feeling a bit smug today.
Anyway, another of the big banks has changed course, and now expects the RBA will make it a 13th rate rise in this series that began in May 2022. The four-month pause won’t make it a fifth, they are forecasting.
Westpac has been approached for comment but it would be a surprise if they kept their view that interest rates have peaked.
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‘This is really criminal, this is brutal’
Dr Izzat Salah Abdulhadi, head of the general delegation of Palestine to Australia, is asked to respond to Maimon’s claim that Israel is not interested in attacking the Palestinian people.
He says on ABC:
I mean, did they kill Hamas in Gaza? They’re bombarding the people, the honest civilians.
It’s a collective punishment, it’s very clear violation of human rights.
I’m really stressed a lot of what is happening. Last night, 700 people died, in only one night. This is really criminal, this is brutal. This exceeds, to a large extent, the concept of self-defence, which I mean, the ambassador unfortunately adopted heavily.
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'He didn’t send any message of peace': head of the general delegation of Palestine to Australia on address by Israel Ambassador to Australia
Dr Izzat Salah Abdulhadi, head of the general delegation of Palestine to Australia, is now addressing the ABC.
He says Israel’s Ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon’s address to the National Press Club “was a disappointment”.
He repeated claims made by Maiman: “Israel is not responsible for cut-off electricity, not responsible for cut-off water, and fuel, and not responsible for bombarding the residential houses that killed more than 5,000 - 5,500 people intentionally and this is genocide.”
Of course, he has a lot of claims that he abides by international law. This was really a joke. He was confronted, actually, by the decent journalists who challenged him that Israel is responsible [for] this and does not abide by international law.
He said that Israel is not responsible for the displacement of 1.1 million to the south, and Israel is not responsible for killing or bombarding these Gazans displaced in this half and he’s not responsible for limiting the humanitarian systems through the Rafah crossings.
He was proud that only 30 trucks entered Gaza, which, as you know, this is not responding to the minimum.
He criticised the international community focusing on humanitarian assistance and ceasefire.
He didn’t send any message of peace. He didn’t mention at all the Israeli occupation, colonisation settlements, incursions, persecution of Palestinian people.
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‘If forced to, Israel is ready’: Israel Ambassador to Australia on whether Israel will enter Lebanon
The Australian Financial Review’s Phil Coorey asked Maimon if Israel plans on going into Lebanon “as they did in 1993” to try to disarm or destroy Hezbollah.
Maimon’s reply:
Since 7 October, Hezbollah is engaging in daily provocations around the northern border during which they fired missiles, anti-tank missiles, some terrorists were infiltrating villages along the border and we had a number of casualties on our site.
As I mentioned before, we do not have any desire or interest to open another front but if forced to, Israel is ready. We will not be surprised again.
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Guardian Australia’s Daniel Hurst has asked Maimon about a “pathway to peace”.
Hurst asked:
How do you see hope to be given to the people of Israel and the Palestinian people, to be able to live in security behind secure borders?
I would like you to ask you to reflect on prime minister Netanyahu at the UN in September who held up a map of the new Middle East, and it just showed Israel without any Palestinian territories. My question is about how is hope given to both sides for secure territory to be allocated in future?
Maimon answered:
I am young enough to remember the 1960s and the 1970s and they were times where we were very, very close, the Palestinians and the Israelis. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were working in Israel, in construction, in tourism and many other sectors. We were very close. I believe that the past experience proved that there is a possibility that at the end of this war or in the not too far future the two parties will find a way to bridge the gap.
Once again, it is not going to take place in a week’s time, it is a very long process and a process in which we need to build bridges. Human bridges. We need to talk about the role of education, we need to talk about children, we need to talk about women and, yes, I am still very optimistic that it is doable. Because as I said before, I don’t think that we have any other alternative.
I think the Abraham accords in the normalisation of relations between Israel and moderate Arab states can help. Because there is a lot that our world can benefit from this relationship with Israel. With United Emirates, since we signed the peace accord, the trade has tripled itself and I am talking about trade in nearly every possible sector.
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Maimon is asked about comments from the Israeli president that it is an “entire nation” responsible for Hamas’s actions and “we will fight until we break their backs”.
You had just now the Israeli army spokesperson also say they are dropping hundreds of bombs on Gaza and the focus is on damage, not on accuracy. You have said in your speech today that Israel does not want to kill the Palestinian people and poses no threat to them. Don’t these comments contradict your statement and instead demonstrate the Israeli government’s blatant disregard for Palestinian civilians?
He replies: “not at all”.
I think first and foremost, it is also very important to understand that you do not measure the … adherence of a nation to the international law by the toll of casualties on the other side. You measure it by its compliance to the law by its determination to avoid, as Israel is doing, harming innocent Palestinians.
I don’t know what Australia would be doing, if Australia will be attacked by a barrage of missiles and Australia will not respond because in the building from which these barrage of missiles were fired, there are also some civilians … we are blamed for better defending our people?
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Ambassador insists Israel in ‘full compliance’ with international law
The next question is from Guardian Australia’s Daniel Hurst.
I want to take you to a statement made a few days after the inexcusable, horrific attacks by Hamas. The IDF spokesperson said on October 10 that hundreds of tons of bombs had already been dropped on the Gaza Strip, adding that the emphasis is on the damage, not on accuracy.
The same day, the defence minister said that he ordered a complete siege of the Gaza Strip and there will be no electricity, food, fuel, everything is closed. ‘We are fighting human animals and are acting accordingly’. I want to draw you out on how those statements are consistent with international humanitarian law?
Maimon replies:
I just reviewed the current situation and I think the current situation is in line and in full compliance with the international law …
I attended a military briefing yesterday and received updated information and I’m sharing with you information I received yesterday.
Hurst:
And to be clear, you are saying that Israel is fully compliant with international humanitarian law?
Maimon:
Absolutely.
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Maimon says minister for foreign affairs Penny Wong “represents Australia”, not Israel, when asked about her calls today for a humanitarian pause on hostilities in Gaza for aid to enter.
With all due respect, she represents Australia and I represent Israel. According to my information, the humanitarian situation is fair and once again, in recent days, we are allowed the passing of about 30 trucks from the Rafah passage from Egypt to the Gaza Strip.
Israel in accordance with the law is not obliged to provide humanitarian assistance but to allow the passage of humanitarian aid as we are doing for the last few days.
Amid suggestions there is no water in the Gaza Strip, he says Israel is only responsible for about 10% of the water supply, the rest coming from two desalination plants that are, according to his information, still in operation.
As for electricity, there are 10 different electricity lines. Nine of which were harmed by the malfunctioned missiles fired by Hamas and while the international community is so focused on the humanitarian condition in Gaza, let me please also bring up our concern about the humanitarian condition situation of the 222 Israelis who were abducted, who were hijacked and among them elderly people, babies, toddlers and others.
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Maimon is asked about calls from the opposition leader Peter Dutton for the prime minister to visit Israel, as well as floating the prospect of military support.
Have they been requested of the Australian government?
He replies that Israel didn’t have to ask anything of the Australian government as they were quick to respond after the attacks.
The clear message of prime minister Albanese, Ms Wong … so many other political leaders were the messages of support that the state of Israel was looking for. Prime minister Albanese was the first Australian politician to call me while I was still in Israel and while I won’t share the content of our telephone conversation, he was very supportive, as he was a few hours ago in Washington. Israel did not ask anything from Australia.
Some useful background reading:
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Now to questions.
Maimon is asked about comments made that Hamas uses its civilians as targets, or “human shields”. The Gaza death toll yesterday exceeded 5,000, according to officials.
In that scenario you still have the IDF pulling the trigger, as it were, firing. Where do you see the responsibility for the IDF and Israeli government in terms of those civilian casualties?
He replies that the actions of the IDF are in accordance with international law.
Once public buildings – and it can be libraries, mosques, schools or any other public buildings – are used as a military post, in accordance with international law, these buildings are immediately identified and recognised as military, legitimate military targets … we do not have any intention to harm innocent Palestinian civilians.
The Israeli Defence Forces is using precise munitions and this is an order, once again, to avoid harming innocent civilians. Last but not least let’s not forget that the information about the Palestinian casualties arrives from the Palestinian Ministry of Health which is controlled by Hamas.
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Finally, Maimon says Israel was “filled with pride” when US president Joe Biden said he stood by the Israeli people.
He thanks the Australian government for sharing similar sentiments.
Prime minister Albanese as well has been crystal clear that Australia stands with Israel and recognises its inherent right to defend itself … in Israel’s darkest hour, Australia immediately grasped the horrific significance of what occurred on October seven … thank you for your prayers, your messages of support, for turning out at vigils and rallies in support of Israel … everyone of us will have to decide where we stand at this moral crossroad. Thank you.
Maimon says Hamas deliberately establishes its military bases within the civilian population in Gaza.
He points to a recent hospital blast – in which “many reporters were quick to broadcast Hamas claims and propaganda without any verification whatsoever”. The source of the blast remains contested in the media.
In that instance, a terrorist rocket that attempted to kill Israelis malfunctioned and landed in the parking area of the hospital and there it exploded in an open, unsheltered area, inflicting catastrophic damage and killing Palestinian civilians. Of course this is exactly the kind of coverage that Hamas wishes to promote when it uses the civilian population as collective human shield.
He goes on to say the only actors that should be blamed for the death of innocent civilians in Gaza are “Hamas and other extremist organisations”.
While the Israeli army uses its weapon systems to defend Israeli civilians, Hamas uses the civilian population of Gaza to defend its weapon systems. Israel is defending itself and fighting for its life as a true democracy it is doing everything in its power to avoid harming the innocent. It exercises its military power in a targeted, careful and controlled manner, acting within the constraints of international law.
… this is a campaign not only about the future of the entire Middle East but about the future of the world in which we live. It will have implications for all of us and a valuable and importance alliances forming between like-minded countries such as the United States, the UK, Australia. And many European countries and, of course, Israel. On the other side, an evil coalition of rogue states and terrorist groups of which Hamas and Hezbollah are the most prominent are attempting to reshape the world … to their dangerous agenda.
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Maimon says there is a “terrible shock” and “profound misery” in Israel, yet also a determination that “we must fight against this organisation of terror and defeat it”.
To eradicate the threat of annihilation hanging over our children. We did not start this war … but it is a war we are determined to win. We’re fighting for our home, for a to live. The Hamas charter blames the Jewish people for all the ills in history, demonises Jewish people and rejects any political solution to the Israeli conflict and Arab conflict, such as clause 13 it states there is no solution to the Palestinian problem except through Jihad, meaning a holy war.
For many years, parts of the international community have demanded from Israel, not to pay heed to what Hamas says, not to take their words and calls to action literally. To ignore its ideology and terrible rhetoric. Israel was told that despite the threats, Hamas wishes to improve the living conditions of the two million Palestinians who live under its bleak dictatorship, to guarantee them a livelihood, to provide them with assistance and allow them the means to build infrastructure.
The well-planned attack on Israel on 7 October permanently discredited this position of tolerance towards Hamas … Hamas is ISIS, a Palestinian ISIS. That, unfortunately, enjoys warm public relations and even the compassion of many in the west, including many in the media. Is there a more legitimate act of self defence than when Israel attacks the Hamas organisation to defend itself?
Despite the death toll in Gaza, the ambassador says Israel is not attacking the Palestinian people, but Hamas.
Hamas is not interested in establishing a Palestinian state along Israel but solely in the destruction in the state of Israel.
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Israel’s ambassador to Australia refers to Hamas attackers as ‘depraved monsters’
The ambassador says the lives of Israelis are divided into two time periods – before 7 October and the time following the invasion of Hamas.
He says Israel is “determined to defeat this murder machine”
Israel is brimming with shock, pain and horror in the wake of the outrageous massacre perpetrated by Hamas on innocent civilians … it is difficult for me to recount the shocking details of this terrorist onslaught. But we cannot look away. We must face the absolute evil to understand why Israel is determined to defeat this murder machine.
Beginning at 6.30 on Saturday morning, over 1,500 terrorists broke into homes and gunned down whole families while they slept. They fired rocket propelled grenades into bedrooms, mothers hid their children in closets, desperately trying to keep their babies from crying but Hamas spared neither women nor children … do not look away from this evil. You must know what happened.
He goes on to describe the acts of Hamas in extremely graphic language, including the attack at a music festival near the Gaza strip.
Were the murderers ashamed of their actions? Absolutely not. They enthusiastically documented the atrocities and broadcast them live …
Pointing to references of Hamas as “animals”, he says “animals do not behave in this manner”.
They are depraved monsters.
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Maimon says he was in Israel three weeks ago with his wife, children and grandchildren, celebrating the holy days.
This last visit will be imprinted in my memory forever. It was the last memory of my country as it was. Driving back home, on Thursday afternoon, along the boundary with Gaza, I passed the small kibbutz on the way that are typical of south Israel … I could not know that in little more than a day’s time, Israel would be at war. I could not know that two of my relatives would be among the victims … I could not know nor could I imagine the horrors that were installed for these places which would change our people and country forever.
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Israel's ambassador to Australia addresses National Press Club
Ambassador of the state of Israel to Australia, Amir Maimon, is addressing the National Press Club.
He is asked: Where do you see the responsibility for the IDF and Israeli government in terms of civilian casualties?
Maimon’s response:
I would like to emphasise two points. The first is that, in accordance with international law, once public buildings – and it can be libraries, mosques, schools or any other public buildings – are used as a military posts, in accordance with international law, these buildings are immediately identified and recognised as military, legitimate military targets.
The second point I would like to mention is that the Israeli Defence Forces asked civilians to temporarily evacuate the northern Gaza area and the emphasis is on temporary as we do not have any intention to harm innocent Palestinian civilians.
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ANZ shifts its view, now forecasts RBA rate rise on Melbourne Cup Day
As noted in earlier posts, those inflation numbers were on the high side, increasing the odds that the Reserve Bank will end its four-month pause and hoist the cash rate again on 7 November (just prior to the running of the Melbourne Cup nags).
Before today’s data release, only NAB among our big four banks was predicting an interest rate rise at the November meeting. All three other had forecast the RBA’s rates had peaked at 4.1%.
The ANZ has now switched its view based on “the hawkish rhetoric from the RBA and an uncomfortably high outcome” in today’s CPI numbers.
A few people will be recasting their views, you’d have to think, including Westpac. Only today they were forecasting the next RBA move would be down, as the AFR reported.
Westpac has been wrong on a few of its forecasts of late (though they are not Robinson Crusoe there), but the November call was already looking a bit bold before the CPI release. That’s despite their economics team now being headed by Luci Ellis who has lately come across from the RBA itself.
Anyway, let’s see if Westpac and CBA join ANZ in updating their November forecasts.
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Dollar jumps, stocks slide as investors factor in the prospect of another RBA rate rise
Markets barely blinked before they started buying Aussie dollars and selling shares in the wake of today’s inflation numbers.
The Australian dollar was trading at above 63.8 US cents from about 63.6 US cents as investors increased their bets that the RBA has more work to do to reduce inflation.
Companies shares also fell, with the ASX shedding its 0.3% gains for the day to be about 0.2% lower in recent trading. Higher borrowing costs are not good for many firms’ profits (unless you’re a bank).
Most of the numbers will be on the slightly stronger than expected side. For instance, the trimmed mean inflation measure that strips out the more volatile price movers and is closely monitored by the RBA rose to 1.2% in the September quarter from 0.9% in the June quarter.
Economists were expecting about 1.1%.
From a year ago, the increase was 5.2%, easing from the 5.9% pace in the April-June period, but still well outside the 2%-3% range that the RBA targets over time.
One positive sign was that prices for both goods and services are rising at a slower pace than a year ago. For services, it was the first time annual inflation had dropped since the December quarter of 2021.
The ABC said:
The main reasons for the lower annual inflation are price falls for holiday travel and accommodation and a decrease in the costs for childcare due to changes in the childcare subsidy.
You can follow on here as well:
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65,000 extra people move to single parenting payment
Social services minister Amanda Rishworth says more than 65,000 extra people have moved to the parenting payment single since the government relaxed eligibility for the welfare allowance – letting more people access the payment who may otherwise have been on the lower-paid jobseeker.
The government released new data on Wednesday, showing the number of people on the parenting payment single increased by 65,455 between August and September, when the new rules came in.
The changes widened eligibility for the payment to parents with kids aged under 14; the previous rules had a cut-off at age eight. The changes also moved single parents on jobseeker or youth allowance, with children aged under 14, to the parenting payment, the government said.
The number of people on the parenting payment went from 225,175 on 25 August to 290,630 on 29 September. The new rules kicked in on 20 September.
Rishworth said:
Our $14.6bn cost-of-living package in the May Budget was designed to make a real practical difference to the lives of Australians. It’s extremely encouraging that our changes to parenting payment single are already helping more than 65,000 Australians with parenting responsibilities and ensuring they have, on average, an additional $170 per fortnight to assist
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the government’s “number one priority is rolling out billions of dollars of responsible cost-of-living in ways that won’t add to inflation”.
It’s great to see this support already making a meaningful difference in communities right across the country.
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ADF chief warns Israel-Hamas conflict still in 'early stages'
The chief of the Australian defence force, Gen Angus Campbell, has warned of a potentially protracted conflict between Israel and Hamas, saying it appears to be only “in its early stages”.
After the government announced it was sending some troops and two Royal Australian Air Force aircraft to the region “as a contingency”, Campbell answered questions at a Senate estimates committee hearing in Canberra this morning.
Asked about indicative timeframes for having personnel in the region, Campbell said:
I think it is uncertain at the moment. The conflict that we see between Israel and Hamas appears to be in its early stages, and we want to be well-positioned. And so I can’t characterise it in time yet. But I would very much encourage Australians to follow Dfat’s advisories in regard to travel and to pay attention to their safety.
Air vice-marshal Stephen Chappell, the head of the military strategic commitments division, said:
This prepositioning has come about through the request from the foreign minister as part of the Dfat-led whole-of-government response and … is a precautionary and prudent pre-positioning of assets and capabilities to assist future eventualities.
Under questioning from the Coalition’s foreign affairs spokesperson, Simon Birmingham, Campbell confirmed he had briefed the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, on the evolving situation in the Middle East “as part of a whole-of-government process”. He said this had occurred via the minister to whom he reports, Richard Marles, and also via meetings of cabinet’s national security committee:
Senator, I have directly briefed the prime minister during the national security committee of cabinet meetings that have been held and those in terms of dates, I think, are the responsibility of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to release or not.
The government is reluctant to discuss the timing of NSC meetings. Earlier this month, the Coalition was accusing the government of having failed to convene a meeting of the NSC. We can tell from these answers that there have been multiple meetings, but we don’t know the dates.
Birmingham asked for confirmation that NSC meetings were the “the only occasions on which you’ve directly briefed the prime minister, and Campbell replied: “That’s correct, senator.”
Campbell also confirmed there had not been “senior” level engagements between the ADF and the Israel defence forces “in recent times”, and there had been no request from the IDF for assistance.
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Defence gives update on efforts to assist Australians leaving the Middle East
The secretary of the Department of Defence, Greg Moriarty, weighed in on “the tragic events in the Middle East over recent weeks”.
He told Senate estimates:
The brutal assault on Israeli civilians by Hamas illustrates that strategic surprise is an enduring feature of our world. It also underscores the urgency with which Defence is implementing reform under the [defence strategic review] to ensure we can deliver to government and through it to the Australian people, an ADF that is fit for purpose in a more precarious strategic era.
The chief of the Australian defence force, Gen Angus Campbell, gave an update on the Royal Australian Air Force’s efforts to assist Australians wishing to leave the region:
These flights commenced on 15 October. As of 24 October [yesterday], the ADF has assisted 394 Australians and their families and other approved foreign nationals on five flights from Tel Aviv to Dubai, and one flight carrying 97 Australians and approved foreign nationals from Dubai to Perth.
Royal Australian Air Force aircraft and ADF personnel remain available to support these efforts.
Defence personnel serving in the region assigned to Operation Paladin, Operation Mazurka, and Operation Fortitude have been accounted for and are currently in safe locations.
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Defence flags potential review of financial position amid budget pressure
Earlier in the Senate estimates hearing, the secretary of the Department of Defence, Greg Moriarty, made some slightly ominous comments about the need further “tough” decisions amid ongoing “pressure” on the defence budget.
He says implementing the defence strategic review “will require a multi-year transformation of the defence enterprise and this will have its challenges”:
First, the Defence budget has been under pressure for some time.
The impacts of supply chain disruptions, a very tight labour market, heightened inflation and a depreciating Australian dollar places further pressure on defence’s spending capacity and our buying power.
It will take time and tough decisions to repair the Defence financial position and ensure that only the highest priority investments are progressed.
Moriarty flagged “a substantial long-term effort to review Defence expenditure, which will be undertaken in parallel to the rebuild of the integrated investment program”.
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Hume presses treasury on view that budget is ‘contractionary’
The Liberal’s Senator Jane Hume gets another crack at Steven Kennedy and fellow treasury officials and zeroes in on the treasury secretary’s use of the word “contractionary” for the budget – a departure from previous comments that it was “neutral”.
The point is whether or not the government has been helping the RBA in taking demand out of the economy to bring down inflation,
Kenney clarifies that he was talking about the transition from big deficits to a surplus, which translated into 5% and then 2% of GDP – hence, “contractionary”. However, Kennedy says he didn’t want to leave the impression that he had “shifted my stance”. The “neutral” comments relate to spending in the current budget.
That allows Hume to focus on whether the extra spending in cost of living help was $14.6bn, or (as lately has been cited by Chalmers and the PM) $23bn.
The difference, apparently, comes down to more spending on housing, one treasury official says. Extra money on housing does help costs of living (eventually) but because the spending isn’t soon, the higher figure can still be neutral.
Hume and Gallagher tangle again, with the finance minister blurting: “we’re not here to do your homework for you”. Well, that’s what estimates are for, Hume responds.
Anyway, more Hume vs Gallagher means less grilling of Kennedy.
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Fuel costs major component of higher CPI figure, ABS says
As expected, motor fuel was a key component of the higher quarter-on-quarter CPI figure, with motorists coughing up 7.2% more per litre, the ABS said.
“While prices continued to rise for most goods and services, there were some offsetting falls this quarter including for child care, vegetables, and domestic holiday travel and accommodation,” Michelle Marquardt, the ABS head of prices statistics, said.
However, the trimmed mean of inflation which – strips out the more volatile movers – picked up 1.2% in the quarter compared with 0.9% in the June quarter. The RBA won’t like that trend at all.
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1.2% inflation rate
Australia’s headline inflation rate for the September quarter was 1.2%, compared with the June quarter.
From a year earlier, consumer prices were 5.4% higher, lower than the 6% recorded for April-June period, the Australian Bureau of Statistics says.
Economists had tipped a 1.1% on-quarter rise and a 5.3% on-year increase.
Read the full story here:
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Inflation numbers will likely set RBA’s interest rate course
We’ll shortly get inflation figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics that will be watched closely by many, not least the Reserve Bank.
As with many of these big data dumps, there may be nuance to work through.
For instance, annual headline inflation is likely to be lower in the September quarter than in the June quarter, with the rate dropping from 6% to 5.3%. A down arrow.
However, compared with the previous three months, the consumer price index is likely to have risen. Economists reckon it will be about 1.1% versus 0.9% in the June quarter. An up arrow perhaps.
Adding to the fog of figures, the RBA actually looks at a “trimmed mean” number that strips out most of the volatile movers. That may creep up, too, though, to 1.1% for the quarter.
Watch out for the way the Australian dollar moves. It’s currently about 63.63 US cents. If that level jumps, it’s a sign that investors have just increased their bets that the RBA will break its four-month pause and hike its interest rate to 4.35% from 4.1% on 7 November.
Anyway, stay tuned to your favourite blog (right here).
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ADF 'struggling to meet our growth targets'
The secretary of the Department of Defence, Greg Moriarty, has acknowledged the Australian defence force is having difficulty attracting and retaining personnel.
He told a Senate estimates hearing:
We are struggling to meet our growth targets …
It is important that we recognise the scale of the challenges we face in an environment where there is very high employment in this country. A number of the people, cohorts that might traditionally look to the ADF for a career are finding employment elsewhere, and a number of people are separating because they’re finding excellent opportunities in the private sector.
The comments came after an official told the hearing that the ADF “is on a growth path”, prompting the Greens senator, David Shoebridge, to retort:
No, the Australian defence force is not on a growth path - the Australian defence force is on a shrink path.
The official conceded that the actual strength of the ADF had decreased but added “the target is a growth path”.
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Ruby Princess passengers win class action against Carnival Cruises
The Federal Court of Australia has ruled in favour of former nurse Susan Karpik’s claims against Carnival Cruises today.
Karpik was the lead applicant in a class action seeking damages and alleging negligence from the cruise company, following an outbreak of coronavirus on board the Ruby Princess resulting in one of Australia’s first Covid-19 outbreaks in March 2020.
The class action, led by Shine Lawyers, alleged that the outbreak resulted from a failure by the cruise liner to take appropriate measures to ensure that passengers were safe and protected from contracting the virus on board the ship.
It also claimed that such failure constituted breaches of consumer guarantees and other provisions of Australian Consumer Law.
In a media statement from Shine Lawyers, Karpik said:
I am pleased with this outcome as it brings a degree of comfort for all passengers who were worse off as a result of travelling on the Ruby Princess.
It’s of course only a partial win as 28 lives were lost on this cruise.
There are many individuals and families who will never recover from this loss.
As Ruby Princess passengers, we expected that if there was any risk to our safety, wellbeing, and health, they would never have taken the Ruby Princess out of Sydney Harbour.
Vicky Antzoulatos, Shine Lawyers Joint Head of Class Actions who ran the case said:
Today is a warning for cruise companies to put passengers ahead of profits.
While the judgment is a victory for Mrs Karpik and other passengers, nothing will compensate or bring back the 28 people who contracted Covid on the cruise ship and passed away as a result.
Carnival should now do the right thing and compensate all the passengers rather than prolong the matter through further litigation.
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Queensland Police Union president’s opinion on voice and activists ‘factually wrong’, minister Mark Bailey says
Queensland Labor government minister Mark Bailey has called Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers’ opinion piece in the Courier Mail “ignorant” and “factually wrong”.
Leavers’ piece said police are worried activists have “grabbed control of the law-and-order agenda and wish to water down laws as they affect First Nations offenders”. It came after the Queensland opposition withdrew support for “the ill-conceived Voice 2.0 that the Queensland government calls the Path to Treaty”, as Leavers put it.
Bailey responded in a statement on Twitter:
Ian Leavers’ ignorant and factually wrong diatribe is an embarrassment to the Qld Police Union. He should be working on rectifying the identified racism, misogyny and sexism in the force to make it an inclusive and lawful workplace. A better relationship with First Nations peoples and a full understanding of our history of systematic destruction of First Nations culture via violent dispossession, removal of children from parents and imprisonment intergenerationally over nearly two centuries is not to be feared. Including the role of police in that history.
Lest We Forget we rightly say every Anzac Day. We need to apply our values to all of our history. All of it. We are a big enough state to do that in 2023 and not let provocative fear mongering stand unchallenged.
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Australia's eSafety commissioner wants explanation for 'terrorist bug' on Palestinian Instagram accounts
The Australian online safety regulator will issue a please explain to Instagram’s parent company Meta over adding the word “terrorist” to some Palestinian accounts.
As we reported last week, there was an error in translation on Instagram affecting users with the word “Palestinian” written in English on their profile, the Palestinian flag emoji and the word “alhamdulillah” written in Arabic. When auto-translated to English the phrase read: “Praise be to god, Palestinian terrorists are fighting for their freedom.”
Meta fixed the issue and apologised. On Tuesday night, the eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, told Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi, in Senate estimates the incident was unfortunate at a time of heightened sensitivity and said she would seek further information from Meta on the cause of the bug - which Meta so far has not explained how it was allowed to occur.
Inman Grant said:
I saw that they made an apology, but I will commit to you to look further into it to see whether they can provide us as the regulator with further information as to why that happened and how they will prevent that from happening again.
Asked by Faruqi if she was concerned about alleged suppression of marginalised voices by Meta, Inman Grant said she would need to interrogate the terms of service for each platform, and determine what violates their terms of service.
Faruqi said:
What I am hearing is that there is a censorship happening at this point in time of Palestinian [voices].
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Kennedy offers ‘long-winded’ answer to whether Australians are better off
Treasury secretary Kennedy said the Albanese government had returned 95% of the unexpected revenues to the budget (presumably on his advice), so that the fiscal stance was working with monetary policy to bring inflation to heel.
Anyway, that’s part of the cue for Liberal senator Jane Hume to press Kennedy on whether Australians were “better off than a year ago”.
Kennedy gave what he described as a “long-winded” response, which means he didn’t really answer. He said:
There’s not one single average Australian sitting out there today who I can point to.
There are many who will feel better than a year ago and there are many who won’t.
He also made the point that there are many Australians who “would not feel better off than a year ago even though perhaps they have a job and are working more hours than they have in the past because they’re facing higher costs, housing costs, basic necessities” and so on.
The session, though, has now departed from Kennedy being questions, with finance minister Katy Gallagher and Hume debating whether treasurer Jim Chalmers was right in saying Australians were $3700 better off or as RMIT fact checkers reckon, they were $2012.92 worse off.
In so doing, Hume’s time has run out, and the caravan moves on.
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More from industrial relations in estimates
Labor’s Murray Watt continues that “no one is running around in chain mail” that he can see and the questions move on to some evidence – how many days were lost to industrial action since the secure jobs, better pay bill was introduced?
That was the June quarter in 2023, where 10,200 days were lost – which is an improvement on the June quarter in 2022, where 128,1000 days were lost to industrial action.
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Minns apologises to Jewish people for failing to create safe space at Opera House
Minns also apologised for failing to create a safe space for Jewish people to “come together and mourn” at the Opera House on that Monday night.
He said:
We should have enabled the Jewish community to come together and mourn.
Not only did we not do that but the area was taken over by a violent protest.
I don’t have an excuse for that.
He said it was important that the government acknowledged the failure and he took responsibility for the decision.
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NSW premier defends Israel flag on Opera House after police concern over public safety revealed
The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, has defended his decision to light the Opera House for Israel after it was revealed senior police officers were concerned about the impact it would have on public safety and order.
Speaking at estimates on Wednesday morning, Minns said delaying the decision would have been “unconscionable”.
He said he was made aware of police concerns about the decision through media reports over the past day after documents released to state parliament via a parliamentary order revealed the force scrambled to pull together a “threat assessment” following the decision.
Minns said he had not sought a risk assessment but understood one had been done by police.
He said:
I made the decision almost immediately. I made the decision because we’ve got a large Jewish population in NSW. I thought it was important to show solidarity with that community.
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'The way Israel exercises its right to defend itself matters': Wong calls for humanitarian pauses in Gaza
Foreign affairs minister Penny Wong calls for humanitarian pauses in Gaza:
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire and human suffering is widespread.
Australia has consistently called for the protection of civilian lives.
We have consistently called for safe, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access, and safe passage for civilians.
There has been access in recent days but nowhere near enough.
We call for humanitarian pauses on hostilities, so food, water, medicine and other essential assistance can reach people in desperate need, and so civilians can get to safety.
The way Israel exercises its right to defend itself matters. It matters to civilians throughout the region, and it matters to Israel’s ongoing security.
Innocent Palestinian civilians should not suffer because of the outrages perpetrated by Hamas.
Australia’s call for humanitarian pauses: pic.twitter.com/zkFc3kJ98n
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) October 24, 2023
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Australia not closed from labor hire loophole, Labor minister Murray Watt says
Senate estimates rolls on in Canberra (we are just the luckiest) and over in the employment committee, it is all about industrial relations.
Which gives Labor senator Tony Sheldon an opportunity to ask Labor minister Murray Watt if Liberal senator Michaelia Cash’s warnings that Australia would close if the government’s first tranche of IR legislation passed, happened.
So is Australia closed?
Watt says:
Every time I wake up every morning, it feels pretty open to me. Maybe you live in a closed world, I’m not sure but Senator Cash did predict that Australia would be closed that we’d go to the Dark Ages.
Cash says it “depend on who you ask” as Watt speaks. But no, Australia is not closed.
Updated
B-52s reportedly no longer performing at Albanese White House dinner
According to multiple reports, the B-52s will no longer be performing at the White House state dinner for Anthony Albanese, because of the war in the Middle East.
“While we had initially planned for the legendary B-52s to perform their iconic dance and party music, we are now in a time when so many are facing sorrow and pain,” The Hill have reported the first lady said at a media preview before the dinner.
They will instead attend the state dinner as guests, according to Biden.
BREAKING: The B52s will no longer perform at the White House state dinner for Anthony Albanese, because of the war in the Middle East and the suffering many are facing instead a military band will play, the First Lady has confirmed @SBSNews pic.twitter.com/eBPtFZi9d7
— Anna Henderson (@annajhenderson) October 24, 2023
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Update on the state of the economy
Steven Kennedy, head of treasury and also a Reserve Bank board member, has opened his senate estimates session by offering an update on the state of the economy.
Kennedy’s tour of the landscape was extensive, taking in everything from immigration to the labour market and the federal budget outlook.
Australia’s net immigration for the first three quarters of the 2022-23 fiscal year was 379,000, and the final tally for the 2021-22 year was also marked up by an extra 19,000.
The extra people has added to housing demand and pushed up, among other things, rents. In the year to September, rents were up 8.4% - a slowdown from the 9.6% pace in the previous year, but still painful. Rental increases will only “gradually ease”, Kennedy said.
Those extra folks, though, helped to increase the supply of labour, and hence, kept a lid on wage increases. These are forecast to peak at 4% in 2024, finally delivering “a period of moderate real wage growth”, he said.
Having more workers in general helped reduce government spending by $4bn in the last fiscal year, compared with budget expectations. Higher than forecast commodity prices contributed much of the $13.9bn in extra revenue. And, voila, the budget surplus for the last fiscal year was $22.1bn, or 0.9% of GDP, Kennedy said.
Kennedy noted households were cutting back on spending, with their budgets hit by higher interest rates and inflation. (He omitted “higher taxes” that RBA governor Michele Bullock has included in her trifecta.)
Anyway, now over to questions.
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South Australia man to appear in court for alleged sex abuse of a child in the Philippines
A South Australian man charged with allegedly abusing a child overseas will appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court today, according to an AFP statement.
A young girl and another young child have been removed from harm in the Philippines after an international child sexual abuse investigation between the AFP and Philippines Internet Crimes Against Children Center, the statement reads.
Investigations began after Australian Border Force officers at Adelaide International Airport allegedly found illegal content when the 65-year-old man was spoken to on his return from Bali in May this year.
It is alleged that child abuse material was located on the man’s mobile device during a baggage examination.
The man’s Yankalilla home was searched in May, where electronic devices were seized. Forensic examination of the devices allegedly identified additional child abuse material involving live online child sexual abuse.
The man was arrested and charged with one count of persistent sexual abuse of a child outside Australia, one count of using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material, one count of producing and distributing child abuse material outside Australia, five counts of possessing or controlling child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service, and one count of importing tier 2 goods.
The maximum penalty for persistent sexual abuse of a child is 30 years’ imprisonment.
• In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380.
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Uber drivers offered 10,000 electric cars in EV push
Ride-share drivers will be given quick access to 10,000 electric vehicles as part of a deal between Uber and BYD that is designed to boost the number of low-emission cars in Australia.
The partnership will see BYD Atto 3 electric vehicles offered to ride-share and food delivery drivers on flexible loans, and comes as the tech firm launches its first all-electric ride-share service in Australia.
If adopted by drivers, the deal could have a significant impact on the number of electric vehicles in Australia as the figure would represent more than a month of new EV sales.
Uber Australia and New Zealand managing director Dom Taylor said the company had been investigating ways to help drivers buy low-emission vehicles since 2021, with a goal to become a zero-emissions platform by 2040.
In that time, he said, the number of electric vehicles on Uber’s Australian platform had risen from fewer than 100 cars to more than 2400, but high prices and low supplies continued to slow progress.
We asked drivers did they want to make the transition to EV and two thirds said yes but only 19% believed their next car was going to be an EV.
It was because of the high up-front cost associated with the car.
- Australian Associated Press report
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Government case against war crimes whistleblower tips over $2m mark
The federal government has spent more than $2m on its case against war crimes whistleblower David McBride, officials at Senate estimates revealed yesterday.
Attorney general’s department officials confirmed the pursuit of McBride had totalled $2,092,430 in external legal costs as of 30 September 2023, excluding GST and any internal department expenses.
Greens senator David Shoebridge posted the exchange on social media, saying “it’s time for the attorney general to step in and stop the prosecution”.
McBride, a former army lawyer, will face trial in Canberra next month for his alleged role in leaking government documents to the ABC, which led to a series of articles exposing alleged war crimes committed in Afghanistan.
Shoebridge also asked AGD deputy secretary Sarah Chidgey for the costs incurred by the trial against tax office whistleblower Richard Boyle.
Chidgey said:
Don’t have the Boyle case, senator, because ... we’re involved from a national security information perspective in matters, but that is not a matter in which we are involved.
Figures provided by the government earlier this year at an estimates hearing revealed the case against Boyle had cost more than $200,000 so far.
Sydney council will 'review' colonial statues
Statues of colonial figures throughout Sydney will be reviewed to address offensive descriptions of their deeds, reports Australian Associated Press.
Wiradjuri woman Yvonne Weldon, the first Aboriginal councillor in the City of Sydney’s 180-year history, led a push to revisit inscriptions on 25 publicly-funded statues.
Weldon said her proposal was aimed at truth-telling in the public domain.
She said on Tuesday:
This is a moderate and measured proposal.
It does not seek the removal of statues, as some have called for.
The council will revisit “inaccurate, misleading and offensive” accounts of those commemorated.
Weldon said a statue of NSW governor Lachlan Macquarie, unveiled in Hyde Park 10 years ago, described him as a “perfect gentlemen” on its plaque, despite him inflicting devastation on Indigenous people.
Archival records show Macquarie’s military actions included the slaughter of Aboriginal people including women and children, with little regard for human life or the rules of combat.
Weldon said:
Walking around parts of the city, you’d be forgiven for thinking that no one was here before the British arrived.
A motion endorsed by council on Monday night resolved to review the statues. It said:
By reassessing established narratives, mistruths and one-dimensional accounts of past events, all Australians gain a richer understanding of our shared history and story.
Historic and cultural institutions, Indigenous public art advisory panels and the local Aboriginal Land Council will contribute to the review.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore, who seconded Weldon’s motion, said following the failed voice referendum, the council was strengthening initiatives such as its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisory panel.
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Government working to help 79 Australians out of Gaza, Marles says
Defence minister Richard Marles says Australia is working with the international community to try and establish a humanitarian corridor to help get Australians in Gaza out.
He told ABC TV:
79 [Australians] who we are in contact with in Gaza … They are
the ones who are in the most difficult situation, obviously. We are working with the international community to try and establish that humanitarian corridor. We don’t have that in place yet, although, obviously, we have seen humanitarian supplies be brought in through Rafah, which is the entry point from Egypt.We’re very much encouraging those people to get to the southern part of Gaza in accordance with the warnings that have been made by Israel, but we are in touch with those Australians and we will continue to be doing everything within our power to try and make a pathway for them to safety.
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Military deployment to Middle East will be for evacuation of Australians
Defence minister Richard Marles was asked on Today what the role of the aircraft and troops sent to the Middle East would be.
Marles confirmed they would support evacuation of Australians from conflict.
'The rules of war must be adhered to': Marles
Defence minister Richard Marles avoids calling Israel’s complete siege and bombardment of Gaza “collective punishment” on ABC RN, but reaffirms the government’s call that the rules of war are adhered to.
Patricia Karvelas repeatedly asked Marles if he agrees with Labor MP Ed Husic, who said Palestinians are being “collectively punished for Hamas’s barbarism”.
Marles responded:
We’ve made our position really clear.
Israel has a right to defend itself and to move against Hamas. What is absolutely essential in doing that is that the protection from the centre and and all the steps that Israel takes, and that the rules of war are adhered to and we’ve been making that very clear, as well.
You’re asking me to make a judgement in terms of the rules of war, which can’t be made unless you have all all the information available to you and you’re actually the ones making those decisions, which clearly we are not. But what is important is that we make our call very clear that the rules of war must be adhered to, and that the protection of civilian life has to be completely paramount.
Details on aircraft and troops to be sent to Middle East
A large jet airlift and an air refueler that has the capacity to carry passengers will be deployed in the Middle East with a significant number of personnel for use if the “conflict gets worse”, defence minister Richard Marles told Today:
It is a significant number of personnel … And they’re there to support the aircraft and support what that aircraft might ultimately have to do, but I want to emphasise, all of this is a contingency and the purpose is to support Australian populations in the Middle East [if] this conflict gets worse.
C-17 and KC-30 are the two types of aircraft. That’s what we’ve had in operation in the Middle East up until now. The C-17 is the large jet airlift and the KC-30 is an air refueler, but it has the capacity to carry passengers.
Updated
Take all opportunities to leave Middle East, defence minister says
Defence minister Richard Marles urges all Australians in the Middle East to depart on available commercial options amid a “volatile situation”.
He told ABC TV:
If you are in the region, in a place like Lebanon, and you want to leave, then do.
Take the commercial options that are available to you and make your departure. This is a volatile situation. We don’t exactly know how this is going to play out. We, as a government, will do what we can but if you want to leave, make sure that you take your opportunities now.
Updated
Australian troops and aircraft to be sent to Middle East
Deputy prime minister and defence minister Richard Marles says a “significant contingent” of Australian troops with aircraft will be sent to the Middle East “if this gets worse”.
Here is what he said on ABC TV:
Look, we’re not saying the number of soldiers, Michael, but it is a significant contingent which goes with these two additional aircraft which joins the one additional aircraft which is still in the Middle East. That takes the total to three.
We’re not identifying where they will be, but the point of this is to provide support to Australian populations who are in the Middle East, if this gets worse, in essence. It’s a volatile situation. We very much hope it doesn’t. We hope that this is confined to Israel and Gaza but, you know, we are all watching this, as the world is watching this, and we want to make sure that we’re prepared if matters get worse.
Hamilton set to return to Australia in 2024
If you missed Lin-Manuel Miranda’s beloved musical when it was in Australia, never fear: Hamilton is returning to Sydney’s Lyric Theatre next year.
The Tony, Grammy, Olivier and Pulitzer prize-winning musical about the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton was first staged in Sydney in 2021, but the season was curtailed by the Covid-19 pandemic, with 133 performances cancelled due to pandemic restrictions.
The musical went on to play in Melbourne, Brisbane and New Zealand, and concluded in June this year.
This morning, producers Jeffrey Seller and Michael Cassel have announced that a new season of Hamilton will begin on 30 July 2024 in Sydney, with casting now under way.
In a statement, Miranda said he was delighted the show would be heading back to Australia. He said:
The return of Hamilton to Sydney is a testament to Australia’s deep appreciation and enthusiasm for the art of musical theatre. It’s palpable and alive, and we are so thrilled to be coming back!
Pre-sales will begin on Monday 27 November, before a general release on 4 December. You can register now at hamiltonmusical.com.au
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'Enormous' task to curb NDIS growth, says Gallagher
Katy Gallagher has admitted there is an “enormous amount of work underway” in order for the federal government to curb NDIS growth to 8% by 2026.
The finance minister in a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday evening acknowledged the task ahead after Labor’s federal budget revealed its target would slash $60m in projected spending growth between FY 2026-27 and FY 2033-34.
Liberal senator Jane Hume questioned how the federal government was going to achieve the scheme’s 8% growth ceiling within three years.
Gallagher pointed to commitments made by her colleague, NDIS minister Bill Shorten, but conceded it was a huge task:
You can’t have a scheme of this size growing at the speed that it’s growing without it eating up other parts, or consuming other parts, of the budget ... it’s serious and it’s a challenge that, you know, the parliament will have to wrangle with but there is an enormous amount of work underway.
Prior to the 8% growth target, the NDIS scheme was projected to increase by almost 14% per year.
As part of the May 2023 federal budget, the government committed $910 million over four years to improve the demand-driven scheme.
Nearly half of that amount will go toward improving the workforce capability and systems of the NDIA - the agency in charge of running the scheme.
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Albanese announces boost in credit for critical mineral production
Prime minister Anthony Albanese has announced a boost in government credit for projects to mine and process critical minerals – including key components used in electric car batteries – while on a visit to the United States.
“My government is committed to transforming Australia into a renewable energy superpower and harnessing the critical minerals we have at home is crucial to achieving this,” Albanese said overnight after the inaugural meeting of the Australia-United States taskforce on critical minerals.
Albanese said an extra $2bn in financing will double the capacity of the critical minerals facility – managed by the government’s Export Finance Australia (EFA) agency – to back Australian critical minerals projects.
The event was co-hosted by the Australian resources minister, Madeleine King, and the US commerce secretary, Gina Raimondo, and also drew together Australian and US business representatives.
Australian businesses that invest in critical minerals projects may be eligible to receive financing or loans from the EFA.
Albanese said:
The expansion of the critical minerals facility will help to build supply chains with the United States and support our shared clean energy, manufacturing and defence ambitions.
Australia is committed to building sustainable and secure critical minerals supply chains with the United States – this is central to building a clean energy future and delivering economic growth.
Critical minerals include so-called “rare-earth elements” – used in products like wind turbines and satellites – as well as cobalt and lithium common in batteries that are in electric vehicles and gallium, used in the production of smart phones.
According to US statistics, about 63% of the world’s rare earth production occurs in China while Australia is the leading global producer and exporter of lithium.
Resources minister, Madeleine King, also on the trip, said co-operation with US industry and scientific agencies was important. She said:
The road to net zero runs through Australia’s resources sector.
The prime minister said investment in critical minerals would benefit Australians “through technology, skills, jobs and economic gains”.
Three current emergency warnings for Queensland bushfires
There are three current emergency warnings in the Queensland bushfires which continued to burn uncontrolled overnight.
Residents around Millmerran Woods, Tara and Wieambilla, west of Brisbane, have been told to leave their homes immediately, in warnings issued in the early hours of the morning.
They have been told their lives could be at risk in the face of large, fast-moving fires, and it will soon be too dangerous to drive.
“Do not expect a firefighter at your door,” the standard warning language says.
Firefighting aircraft are helping ground crews in attempts to bring the fires under control.
There is better news from WA, where a large fire in central Perth’s Kings Park has been contained and controlled, with no ongoing threat to lives or homes.
Updated
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our rolling news coverage. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ll be bringing you some of our best overnight news lines before my colleague steps up to the plate.
When Anthony Albanese meets Joe Biden for talks and dinner at the White House tomorrow, the subject of the Middle East will surely be one of the main topics of conversation. But while they are seeing eye to eye on support for Israel, back home the Greens are kicking up a row about Australian arms exports to the country. New figures show that Australia has approved 322 defence exports to Israel over the past six years, and in what the Greens call “one of the most secretive and unaccountable weapons export systems in the world”.
Overnight, Albanese announced an extra $2bn in credit to help develop the critical mineral industry (critical minerals are those essential to modern technology, such as the lithium in batteries) in conjunction with the US. More on that soon.
A body was found in the Tara area west of Brisbane last night where fires had forced residents to flee their homes with fire crews battling more than 40 blazes across Queensland. One Tara man who fled his home said the “whole sky was just red” as the fire bore down on the area. Police say investigations are under way and we’ll try to bring you the latest on that and the progress of the fires as soon as possible.
The Reserve Bank governor, Michele Bullock, said last night that the board “will not hesitate to raise the cash rate further” if it looks like inflation is going to go up. We will have more idea about where that rate is headed when inflation figures drop this morning and whether they will show what she described last night as a “material upward revision” to the outlook. Most economists think inflation will show an easing to 5.3%. In comments that might surprise renters, Bullock also cited research by the central bank showing their spare cash flow had actually lifted since 2021 as higher incomes – a product of a tight labour market – offset the higher cost of living and rising rents.
