What we learned, Monday 1 May
That’s where we’ll leave the blog for today – thanks so much for joining us. Here is a wrap of the day’s biggest stories:
Jock Zonfrillo, judge on MasterChef Australia, has died aged 46. His family said: “So many words can describe him, so many stories can be told, but at this time we’re too overwhelmed to put them into words”.
The former prime minister Tony Abbott argued that no matter the result, the voice referendum would leave Australians “embittered and divided”. The no campaign leader, Warren Mundine, said he would support the voice if it passes at referendum, but says critics are “silenced” due to public support.
Meanwhile, the Indigenous leader Noel Pearson said he hasn’t heard any “compelling reason” to change the words’ of the voice proposal, as suggested by Abbott, and that it will be a “tragedy” for the country if the voice doesn’t pass.
Hundreds of projects in Australia’s $120bn infrastructure investment program will be reviewed for value and significance, with the minister Catherine King claiming the former Coalition government saddled the fund with “press release projects” that would never be finished or were not properly funded.
The independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich has threatened One Nation’s NSW leader Mark Latham with a defamation lawsuit if he doesn’t apologise for a now-deleted homophobic tweet.
Victoria’s shadow cabinet unanimously agreed to give MPs the freedom to campaign for either the yes or no vote rather than be bound by a party policy.
Updated
Two new Medicare urgent care clinics to be established in NT
The commonwealth and Northern Territory governments will establish two new Medicare urgent care clinics (UCCs) in Palmerston and Alice Springs, it has been announced this afternoon.
These UCCs will provide bulk billed treatment for urgent but non-life-threatening emergencies and will be open extended hours, seven days a week.
These clinics will be up and running providing urgent care to the local communities by the middle of the year, a statement said.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said the clinics will provide Territorians with more healthcare options, and provide reprieve for health staff.
The health minister, Mark Butler, said:
The government’s Medicare [UCCs] will allow families in the Northern Territory to get top-quality care from a nurse or a doctor without having to wait in a hospital emergency department.
Just over 40% of all presentations to emergency departments in the NT are for non-life-threatening conditions, and that’s where Medicare UCCs will be so valuable.
Updated
Catch up on today’s biggest headlines so far with this wrap from my colleague Antoun Issa:
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has shared some images on social media from the Singapore-Australia joint ministerial committee meeting held in Canberra today:
Australia and Singapore share a region and we share a future.
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) May 1, 2023
It was a pleasure to host Ministers @VivianBala, @Ng_Eng_Hen & @GANKIMYONG for the Singapore-Australia Joint Ministerial Committee.
As friends and partners we are working to ensure a peaceful and prosperous region. pic.twitter.com/8gYVstAvZw
Updated
Pearson: No vote on voice would be ‘tragedy’ for country
Noel Pearson said the country would “change for the better” if the voice referendum passed, but warned that reconciliation efforts would be “dead” if it didn’t.
He said of the voice:
The country is going to change the minute we vote on this, and change for the better. We’ll put a lot of bad things behind us when we do this. It’s a simple change, but it’s very profound.
The impact of it is going to be absolutely tectonic. It’s going to change the country in a good way.
Asked about the future of reconciliation efforts if the referendum failed, Pearson replied:
It’ll die. It’ll be dead.
If fearmongering about it resulted in a no vote, it would be a complete tragedy for the country. I don’t know you could pick up the pieces after that. ... a future of almost endless protest.
I cannot conceive of a plan B on this.
Pearson said he envisaged members of the voice would act as “ambassadors for their communities, not politicians” – also describing them as “spokespeople” for their communities.
Updated
Noel Pearson says Tony Abbott’s call to scrap voice referendum ‘absurd’
Noel Pearson has criticised Tony Abbott for an “absurd” suggestion that the voice referendum should be scrapped, the Indigenous leader claiming there had been no public policy idea in Australia that had ever taken longer to get up or carry out consultation than this one.
Pearson also accused critics of the voice concept as having a “lack of trust” in the high court by raising a “scare campaign” about potential legal implications of the body.
Earlier in the committee hearing investigating the referendum, the former prime minister called for the referendum to be ditched and the whole process of Indigenous constitutional recognition to start from scratch.
Asked about Abbott’s claims, Pearson noted that the roots of the voice go back to 2007, 16 years ago. He noted an expert panel on constitutional recognition set up in 2011, Abbott’s election commitment to recognition in 2013, then a parliamentary committee, the establishment of the Referendum Council, and the long processes of the Uluru dialogues and statement from the heart.
Pearson noted there had been “four federal elections where both Labor and the LNP went to elections with a commitment to constitutional recognition.”
Pearson said:
For [former] prime minister Abbott to say this is being rushed, this has been going on for nigh on 16 years for now ... I’m struggling to find any other example of a public policy issue in Australia that has taken as long as this to reach this point.
It’s absurd to suggest we should ditch it and go back to the drawing board.
He said that conservative governments over the last decade “had a really good opportunity” to enshrine or legislate the voice, but had not taken the opportunity.
[They had] 9 years to bring this to fruition and I’m very pleased the Albanese government has shown the leadership to bring this to a referendum this year. I’m so very disappointed that the chances of bipartisan support is very remote.
Pearson also addressed concerns raised by conservative critics about how courts might rule on the voice, including its power to make representations to the executive government – a detail that opponents claim will lead to numerous court challenges if the executive didn’t heed the voice’s calls.
Pearson said “I detect a lack of trust” from critics about the high court and how it would rule.
This hysteria about the role of the high court is unjustified and a bit of an affront to our democracy ... the high court has a role in relation to any legislation and any citizen is allowed to go to court to test a provision.
I don’t see it as justifying the scare campaign.
Updated
Case of meningococcal detected in Adelaide
A case of invasive meningococcal disease has been notified in a man in his 20s from Adelaide, SA Health has reported this afternoon.
The man has been admitted to hospital and is in a stable condition.
SA Health has identified multiple please who had contact with the man, and three have been directed to receive clearance antibiotics.
There have been seven cases of meningococcal disease reported in South Australia this year, compared to four cases recorded at the same time last year.
HEALTH ALERT: Meningococcal case - 1 May 2023 pic.twitter.com/ZTZJYAn4Zo
— SA Health (@SAHealth) May 1, 2023
Updated
The chair of the joint select committee on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice referendum, Nita Green, has shared some images from recent hearings on social media as the final hearing took place today.
She said:
Today was the last of these hearings, and I have been incredibly honoured to chair them.
I want to thank every witness who took the time to give evidence whether in person or not - it’s been invaluable.
For the last few weeks the Joint Select Committee on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice Referendum has been making its way around the country holding hearings.
— Senator Nita Green (@nitagreenqld) May 1, 2023
Today was the last of these hearings, and I have been incredibly honoured to chair them. pic.twitter.com/McTQvRGaoK
I want to thank every witness who took the time to give evidence whether in person or not - it’s been invaluable. pic.twitter.com/Rs2nE3nHjh
— Senator Nita Green (@nitagreenqld) May 1, 2023
Updated
Linda Reynolds calls for further federal management of the NDIS
The Liberal senator Linda Reynolds spoke about reform to the NDIS on Afternoon Briefing. As a former minister for the NDIS, she said the scheme is “neither” affordable or manageable on the trajectory it’s going.
She argued there are two things that would save the scheme – the first being a renegotiation of the intergovernmental agreements with states and territories to a 50-50 split on funding:
… but also to make sure any cost overrun is equally shared as well.
The second thing is for legislative change to be introduced allowing the federal government to manage the scheme like it does with the NBS and PBS, she argued.
While they’re demand driven schemes as well, the government can control the two levers of cost – that’s the amount of people who access the scheme and the average cost of scheme.
… those are the only two things that will save this scheme and by having endless reviews and finding the same things over and over again, [the NDIS minister, Bill Shorten] is unnecessarily putting participants and their families in a great deal of angst and he’s not going to solve the problem.
Updated
Littleproud: ‘social licence of renewables’ is being lost due to rushed implementation
The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, has appeared on Afternoon Briefing from Mallee, Victoria, speaking about the transition to renewables.
He is asked about power transmission lines on rural properties, with the 400km of powerlines going through that part of Victoria part of a total 27,000km of new lines.
Littleproud argued that the social license of renewables is being lost because of the “rush” the government is taking:
Not just on renewables but also the amount of native bushland [and] productive agriculture landscape that’s been taken up from transmission lines and solar panels and wind turbines …
These farmers just want to make sure their property rights are protected and unfortunately they’re not being listened to. AEMO won’t come [down here]. They’re not against renewables and just want to make sure the social licence of renewables isn’t lost in making a worse environmental outcome in terms of degradation of landscape and of prime agricultural land being lost.
Updated
Singapore strongly backs Aukus pact after talks in Canberra
Singapore has strongly backed the Aukus pact, with ministers saying they trust Australia to play a bigger role in regional security.
After talks in Canberra today, Singaporean ministers reiterated that Australia’s nuclear-powered submarines will be welcome to visit once they enter into service.
Singapore also received assurances from the Albanese government that Australia would remain a reliable supplier of gas.
Aukus has received a mixed response from members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), with Indonesia and Malaysia the most vocal in expressing concerns.
But Singapore is relatively comfortable with Australia’s plans to acquire a fleet of eight nuclear-powered submarines over the coming decades.
Singapore’s minister for foreign affairs, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, said he had “absolutely no reason to doubt Australia’s commitment” to fulfilling its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and to work closely with the International Atomic Energy Agency. He said:
When we say that we believe Australia is a constructive partner, it’s absolutely sincere. So even on Aukus … insofar as it contributes constructively to regional security we’re in support of it. We are comfortable with all the three partners within Aukus because with each of them we’ve had long-term relationships and that’s why I think we’re able to work together.
Today’s talks involved Australia and Singapore’s foreign affairs, defence and trade ministers. We’ll have the full story later.
Updated
Papua New Guinea’s Post-Courier newspaper has used a picture of former prime minister Scott Morrison on their front page, captioned “Australia prime minister Anthony Albanese”.
They’ve since issued an apology, saying:
We regret the error, and convey our most sincere apologies to Mr Morrison, Mr Albanese, PNG Prime Minister James Marape and PNG government, and our valued readers, for this error.
PNG's Post-Courier newspaper has used a picture of Scott Morrison on their front page, captioned "Australia prime minister Anthony Albanese". @GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/DzKGbzY3sX
— Emily Wind (@emilywindwrites) May 1, 2023
Tasmania needs housing and hospitals before stadiums: Jacqui Lambie
Jacqui Lambie is also asked for her thoughts on a new stadium set to be built in Tasmania at a cost exceeding $700m, with the federal government set to contribute $240m of this.
She said the state already has “two great stadiums” and that she would have no problem with the existing Launceston stadium being expanded.
But seriously, mate, do we need this spanking new stadium? It will probably upset the Tasmanian RSL because it’s going to overshadow the cenotaph, and [it is] upsetting the Indigenous [community] here because they wanted that part of the land for truth telling.
Can we do all three? I doubt it.
Lambie pointed to issues she believes are more important for the government to address: hospital ramping and housing.
I’ve got ramping down here like I have never seen. People can’t get into see a doctor. They’re waiting in A and E [the accident and emergency department] for hours and hours and hours. We have a public system hospital … that is just about on collapse and … we don’t have enough housing.
Even if we are building them, and we’re doing that very well down here over the last five or six years, I can assure you for every one that’s built, there must be 50 new people on that waiting list to have a roof over their head.
Updated
Jacqui Lambie in favour of allowing non-Australians into the ADF
Senator Jacqui Lambie is appearing on Afternoon Briefing to speak about calls for foreigners from neighbouring countries in the south-west Pacific to be allowed to enlist in the Australian Defence Force.
She believes the move is necessary because “they’re our Anzacs” and because people are already coming from the Pacific Islands to work in Australia:
I think the other problem is as well is that we’ve seen those sea level rises out there because of climate change and I am worried in the future the Pacific islanders will need a place to call home. Where else would you go besides coming down here to Australia or going to New Zealand?
Lambie argued the move would increase Australia’s defence security and help with recruitment and retention issues.
Updated
Government action urged to combat gambling harm
Gambling reform advocates have called on the federal government to create a special unit to address the harm being inflicted across the country, AAP reports.
At a symposium in Adelaide today, both the Public Health Association of Australia and the Alliance for Gambling Reform said the unit should sit within the Department of Health and Aged Care.
They also called for a properly resourced national regulator and for a mandatory pre-commitment scheme for online gambling services.
The public health association’s chief executive, Terry Slevin, said:
The tens of billions of dollars that the gambling industry sucks out of households across the country each year is shameful, and the harms and stresses caused to individuals, families and the wider community is preventable.
We urge governments who receive revenue through gambling, and political parties who receive donations from gambling companies, to set aside their pecuniary interest and act on behalf of the most vulnerable members of the community, who are those who most often pay the biggest price.
The symposium urged all state and territory governments to commit to introducing cashless gambling cards with mandatory and binding loss limits when used on poker machines in all casinos, pubs, and clubs.
It also called for pokie venues to close between midnight and 10am, the period when people were considered most vulnerable to gambling harm.
Updated
National disability agency chair: system needs reform to centre participant outcomes
The chairman of the board of the national disability insurance agency, Kurt Fearnley, is speaking on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing about reforms to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
On Friday, after meeting with national cabinet, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, announced he would be taking action to cut the growth of the NDIS. The current growth in the NDIS is around 14% every year, but the prime minister wants to get the growth under 8% by July 2026.
Fearnley said he’s been hearing from participants who are feeling fearful of changes, but there is also hope for what reform could bring more broadly:
I think through my time in this role of the scheme, which has only been six months, I think that people truly believe that it needs reform. The agency and the system itself needs to be reformed in a way [so] the participant outcomes are at the centre of what we do…
… the agency and the scheme has … had its ups and downs over the last ten years and I think there is always concern that when we go into reform, that this is going to cut way at people’s lives.
When you hear the word cut, people instinctively think ‘is this going to come after my life?’ But the opportunity going forward is we need to put the participant at the heart of what we do and ensure every step forward, that we have the voice of the participant in it … if we do that, we’ll get better outcomes and we will be predictable in the estimation of the funds going forward.
Updated
BoM forecasts cold fronts ahead for south-east Australia
The Bureau of Meteorology has published a weather update for the week ahead, warning of cold fronts for south-east Australia:
A burst of winter is on the way this week as a series of cold fronts moves across the south-eastern states.
Although there are clear skies now, the BoM warned this will change from around tomorrow as the first in a series of fronts moves through.
There will be a brief easing around Thursday before a third front moves across on Friday going into the weekend, bringing cold conditions for Saturday and Sunday.
Weather Update: Cold fronts for south-east Australia this week.
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) May 1, 2023
Video current: 1:30pm AEST Monday 1 May 2023.
Know your weather. Know your risk. For the latest forecasts and warnings go to our website https://t.co/q3pk8mUuAe or the BOM Weather app. pic.twitter.com/x32JDVVbhZ
Updated
Victorian Greens to support Lawyer X legislation
The Victorian Greens have confirmed they will be supporting the state government’s police informer laws when parliament returns this week.
Debate on the human source management bill, drafted in response to the royal commission into the Victoria police’s use of the barrister Nicola Gobbo to inform on her gangland clients, stalled before parliament went on Easter break after the government was unable to strike an agreement with the crossbench.
The bill is the first of its kind in Australia and sets out a process for the registration, use and management of Victoria police’s human sources (informants). Under the bill, police are still allowed to register lawyers to inform on their own clients in rare circumstances – drawing concern from the legal profession.
The Greens had also raised concerns that the bill did not include adequate protections for children who may be registered as informants, as well as a lack of oversight or power to limit the recruitment of certain individuals.
The party’s justice spokesperson, Katherine Copsey, says through the government’s changes to the bill, as well as their own amendments, they are now in a position to support it. She said:
It’s important that the recommendations made by the royal commission ... are implemented. That’s why, following constructive negotiations with the Victorian government, the Greens have been able to secure a number of important improvements to this bill which will now provide the necessary checks and balances to help prevent another Lawyer X scandal from occurring. This includes stronger oversight of police activities in relation to their use of human sources, as well as increased protections for children.
Victorians should be able to trust in our judicial system and have confidence that there is adequate oversight of police.
Guardian Australia understands the changes have also paved the way for other crossbenchers to support the bill, meaning it is likely to pass parliament.
Updated
More public housing in SA as wait lists remain high
The first home built as part of a $233m commitment to public housing has been completed in Adelaide, but the waiting list for accommodation remains “stubbornly” high, AAP reports.
The state government has pledged to build 564 new homes for those most in need and has stopped the sale of 580 more to help ease the state’s housing crisis. The premier, Peter Malinauskas, said:
For too long, governments of both Liberal and Labor persuasions have sold off our public housing stock, watching on as numbers withered away.
We are turning that around, making the first substantial real increase in public housing in a generation.
But the government also revealed more than 15,000 people remain on the list for social housing, with some waiting years or even decades.
The human services minister, Nat Cook, said of those, about 3,000 were considered at high risk of homelessness or were already homeless:
We are housing people as fast as we possibly can in terms of using the stock that we’ve got. But we knew this was incredibly high a couple of years ago in terms of these lists. They have come down a little bit.
Stubbornly, we still have over 15,000 on the waiting list. There has been inroads made, but we can do more and we will do more.
SA’s public housing stocks currently sit at about 33,000 with about 1,500 of those vacant for a variety of issues, including ongoing maintenance. Under the current construction program, work is already under way on 81 homes and contracts for a further 133 have been awarded.
Updated
Pearson on voice: ‘This is an enhancement of democracy, not an affront to it’
Noel Pearson said he was “so excited” for the referendum, voicing major optimism for the change to the constitution and saying it would not negatively affect the nation or parliament.
He told the committee:
I’m so excited for the country. I really look forward to the referendum. I believe this is gonna be a good thing for our country, a good thing for our democracy.
The provision is not gonna create a separate democracy.
Indicating the politicians appearing as members of the committee, Pearson said: “you are our democracy, the senate and House of Representatives are our democracy.”
What the voice does is improve it, by giving a voice to the most marginal community in the country.
This is an enhancement of democracy, not an affront to it.
Pearson went on to say that the voice would be at the whims of parliament:
The bit I can’t understand is, the people who will discern whether the advice is good or bad, or worth listening to or worth following and not, are the parliamentarians.
You get to decide which of the advice you take on board and which you reject. It’s the listener that gets to decide what’s compelling about the voice. We provide the voice, you get to determine which parts you listen to.
Noel Pearson: ‘I haven’t found a compelling reason to change the words’ of voice proposal
Indigenous leader Noel Pearson says Aboriginal people have already made years of compromises to get to the proposed voice to parliament, saying he would see no compelling reason to change the wording suggested by the government.
Pearson, an architect of the voice and the Uluru dialogues that led to it, said he “can’t understand” numerous criticisms of the voice, because it would be up to politicians themselves to decide what representations from the consultation body they wanted to listen to.
Pearson told the parliamentary committee today:
These are beautiful words. The proposal will adorn the constitution.
I haven’t found a compelling reason to change the words the government has introduced into the House.... children of the future will look back on these words and really be proud of the constitution.
Pearson appeared at the committee after No campaign leaders Warren Mundine and Tony Abbott. He called the proposed change “a good provision” that had “a real sense of history”.
It honours Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It’s a safe provision. It’s a provision that meets the needs of Australia and the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Critics of the voice have called for further changes to the proposed constitutional alteration, including changing or watering down which parts of government it should be able to speak to. Pearson said he didn’t see any need for changes.
Many of the compromises have already been made. They’ve been made over the last 9 years and even before that, and all of the compromises have come from Indigenous advocates.
All of this attempt at trying to find the best compromise possible, have happened at various points in the last decade. There’s no justification for moving from the words the prime minister and government are proposing to put to the parliament.
Updated
Victorian Coalition to let MPs choose own position on voice to parliament
The Victorian opposition leader, John Pesutto, says the Coalition recognises “freedom is important” after its frontbench agreed to let MPs choose their position on the proposed Indigenous voice to parliament.
The state’s shadow cabinet met on Monday morning and unanimously agreed to give MPs the freedom to campaign for either the yes or no vote rather than be bound by a party policy, according to senior opposition sources.
The decision puts the Victorian Coalition at odds with its federal colleagues after the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, bound his frontbench to campaigning against a constitutionally enshrined voice.
Pesutto told reporters it was a “commonsense” approach:
We value the freedom of each member to determine for themselves which way they’ll approach a national issue.
Freedom is an important principle that we want to uphold in our party.
The decision is expected to be greenlit at a party room meeting on Tuesday.
Updated
Wong: over 150 Australians have evacuated Sudan
The foreign affairs minister Penny Wong said that with assistance from international partners, more than 150 Australians have safely left Sudan.
Wong welcomed an extension of the ceasefire in Sudan until May 3, and urged Australians to “consider leaving Sudan as soon as possible.”
Australia welcomes the extension of the ceasefire in Sudan until May 3.
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) May 1, 2023
We call on all parties to agree to a permanent cessation of hostilities and work towards civilian-led democracy.
We continue to work with partners to evacuate Australians wanting to leave Sudan.
Updated
Tributes flow for MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo
Beverley McGarvey, the executive vice president of Paramount ANZ, described Jock Zonfrillo as an “extraordinary man”.
He was a wonderful colleague and friend, and we feel very privileged to have had him play such an important and impactful role in MasterChef.
Despite all his notable professional milestones, nothing brought him more joy or happiness than his family. Our thoughts are with them at this very difficult time.
The CEO of Endemol Shine Australia, Peter Newman, described him as an “incredible talent” who brought joy into the homes of people right across Australia and the world.
We are shocked and extremely saddened by the news of Jock’s passing. Jock was an incredible talent, not just as a renowned chef, but as someone who could bring joy into the homes of people in Australia and around the world in his role as judge on MasterChef Australia.
On set he was loved by the team and his passion for food and the show was infectious. He was also a brilliant champion for the contestants on MasterChef, always wanting the very best for them.
He will be deeply missed by the entire MasterChef team. Our thoughts are with his family at this sad time.
Updated
MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo dies
The Zonfrillo family has this afternoon confirmed the sad passing of television presenter Jock Zonfrillo yesterday in Melbourne.
In a statement, the family said:
With completely shattered hearts and without knowing how we can possibly move through life without him, we are devastated to share that Jock passed away yesterday.
So many words can describe him, so many stories can be told, but at this time we’re too overwhelmed to put them into words. For those who crossed his path, became his mate, or were lucky enough to be his family, keep this proud Scot in your hearts when you have your next whisky.
We implore you to please let us grieve privately as we find a way to navigate through this and find space on the other side to celebrate our irreplaceable husband, father, brother, son and friend.
In a statement, Network 10 and Endemol Shine Australia said they are “shocked and saddened” at the sudden loss.
Jock was known to Australians as a chef, best-selling author, philanthropist and MasterChef judge but he will be best remembered as a loving father, husband, brother and son.
In 2019, Jock was named as a judge on MasterChef Australia in which he took great pride in challenging and coaching the contestants and of course inspiring a nation of home cooks.
Jock’s charisma, wicked sense of humour, generosity, passion and love for food and his family cannot be measured. He will be greatly missed.
MasterChef Australia will not air this week.
Updated
Warren Mundine will support voice if it passes referendum but says critics are ‘silenced’ due to public support
The No campaign leader Warren Mundine says he will nonetheless fight for the Voice to be successful if the referendum passes, but has alleged critics of the referendum have felt “silenced” due to the major public support for the change.
Mundine, leader of the Recognise A Better Way campaign, one of the leading No organisations, appeared before the parliamentary committee into the referendum. He claimed that professional football players had approached him with concerns over the AFL and NRL preparing to back the voice referendum.
He said the only club to invite him for a discussion was the Collingwood football club, where he said he gave an address to the club. Collingwood was recently the first major club to officially unveil its support for the voice.
The Liberal senator Kerrynne Liddle put it to Mundine that the major public support for the voice had “the potential to silence people” who didn’t agree. He claimed:
It has silenced people. Anyone who says it hasn’t, you’re off in la-la land.
People are approaching me all the time about it, they’re scared. I’ve personally experienced it from my investors, about the threats that go around.
But despite leading the no push, Mundine said he would support the voice if it was successfully passed at the referendum.
If people vote yes, if the yes campaign gets up, I will fight for it to be successful. Why? Because even though I’m a no person, this is a democracy, people have the freedom and right to vote whatever way they want.
Mundine’s testimony continues.
Updated
Thanks to Mostafa for taking us through the morning! I’ll be with you for the remainder of the day.
And with that, I leave the blog in the hands of Emily Wind. Thanks for reading.
Abbott: ‘I don’t think anyone should have a special voice’
Abbott said he “thanks God” for the rising number of Indigenous MPs in federal parliament, in saying why he doesn’t think the voice to parliament is needed.
Instead, Abbott has repeated a talking point of the no campaign, saying that the increasing number of Aboriginal politicians (currently 11 in the federal parliament) was a sufficient “voice” for Indigenous people.
“We’re proposing a special voice for Indigenous people but we’re not proposing a special voice for migrants. We’re not proposing a special voice for people based on religion. I don’t think anyone should have a special voice. I think everyone should have the same voice, and the voice for all of us is the national parliament,” he told the committee.
That’s why probably the single best thing that’s happened for Indigenous people over the last decade or so is the very big increase in the number of Indigenous people in the parliament. 11 separate Indigenous voices in the parliament today. Not because of quotas, not because of affirmative action, but because political parties and the people of Australia in their wisdom thought Indigenous people had the qualities to represent all of us. I applaud that and I thank God for it.
Abbott said he backed constitutional recognition of Australia’s Indigenous people, but instead proposed symbolic recognition in a preamble – which was comprehensively rejected by Indigenous Australians through the processes of the Uluru dialogue.
“I still think it’s important that we achieve Indigenous recognition but this is so much more than recognition. This is about government,” Abbott said.
I don’t want to change the way we govern, I just want to acknowledge the fact that Indigenous people were here first and should be respected as the first Australians. If it was me, I would amend the preamble.
Updated
Abbott shrugs off legal advice on voice from solicitor general
Tony Abbott has shrugged off the legal advice given by the solicitor general backing in the legal soundness of the proposed Indigenous voice, noting that Dr Stephen Donaghue KC was recently “significantly wrong” on a case.
Abbott, appearing before the inquiry into the referendum, claimed that the SG’s advice was “minimising the risk but isn’t ruling it out.”
Donaghue’s advice said the proposed constitutional amendment “would not pose any threat to Australia’s system of representative and responsible government”, and that the voice would “enhance” the system of government.
But Abbott said he still had concerns.
“The solicitor general’s view has to be taken seriously, but as we know, solicitor-generals don’t make these decisions ... The solicitor general was in fact significantly wrong on a recent matter regarding Indigeneity, namely the Love case,” he said.
“While the solicitor general is a distinguished lawyer, no doubt about that, other lawyers of no less distinction including former high court judge Ian Callinan and Terrence Cole have come up with a different view.”
Updated
Tony Abbott: no matter the result, voice referendum will leave Australians ‘embittered and divided’
Former PM Tony Abbott is now appearing before the parliamentary committee into the Indigenous voice. It won’t surprise you that Abbott is not in favour of the voice - and has claimed that no matter the result of the referendum, it would leave Australians “embittered and divided”.
The former Coalition leader called it “a very significant change to our constitution. It needs more attention and scrutiny than it’s getting ... this process has been altogether too abbreviated,” he claimed.
Abbott described the voice as “wrong in principle and potentially quite dangerous in practice”, claiming it would “divide our country on the basis of ancestry”.
“The last thing we want is a referendum proposal that fails. It would leave Australians embittered and divided. But I suspect that if this succeeds it will also likely leave us embittered and divided,” he said.
Abbott claimed that the referendum process had become the property of “a certain Indigenous leadership” and alleged that there was not as widespread support for the voice in Aboriginal communities as supporters have said.
Polling conducted by YouGov, commissioned by the Uluru dialogue, surveyed 732 Indigenous people across the 151 federal electorates. It found that 83% would vote yes if the referendum was held today, 11% no, and 4% remain undecided. The Uluru dialogue called it “the most statistically significant and sophisticated of its type”, surveying Indigenous people in metropolitan, regional and more remote areas.
Abbott accused the government of having conducted the referendum process “badly from the beginning.”
“I think this particular proposal should be pulled and done in a less partisan way,” he said.
“I urge this committee to recommend to the government that the current proposal be significantly altered”, Abbott said, urging that the proposal be changed to ensure that “nothing should be justiciable”.
“I think there’s confusion and division everywhere,” he alleged.
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Allegra Spender on infrastructure: ‘too much temptation to cherry-pick projects’
Independent MP Allegra Spender has backed the government’s planned review into infrastructure spending, calling it “a drag on our deficit” but warned “they need to do it right”.
Minister Catherine King today announced a 90-day review of projects under the $120 billion infrastructure investment program, claiming the former Coalition government saddled the fund with “press release projects” that would never be finished or were not properly funded.
But Labor election commitments won’t be scrutinised by the review, King said.
Spender, MP for the seat of Wentworth, said both major parties had incentives in government to “cherry pick” projects for electoral reasons. She called for major projects “to be independently and consistently assessed to ensure they deliver a positive benefit-cost ratio – before the government can invest.”
“We will be pushing an amendment to achieve this in the upcoming Infrastructure Australia bill, and I hope to have the government’s support, as it was the PMs idea in 2014,” Spender said in a statement.
“Second, we need the independent umpire – Infrastructure Australia – to define the critical infrastructure challenges and opportunities. Whoever the government is, there’s too much temptation to cherry-pick projects which suit their political interests.”
“Third, we need to learn from the past. Reference class forecasting would help prevent cost blowouts by providing realistic estimates based on past experience. Governments generally hate it because fewer projects will get up if we know the real cost in advance.”
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Victorian Coalition MPs will be free to choose position on Indigenous voice
The state’s shadow cabinet met on Monday morning and unanimously agreed to give MPs the freedom to campaign for either the yes or no vote rather than be bound by a party policy, according to senior opposition sources.
The decision puts the Victorian Coalition at odds with its federal colleagues after opposition leader Peter Dutton bound his frontbench to campaigning against a constitutionally enshrined voice.
The plan will be green-lit at Liberal and Nationals party room meetings ahead of parliament resuming on Tuesday.
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University workers to launch industrial action
Every campus across the country will launch industrial action and protests this week as university workers push back against wage theft, casual employment and underfunding.
The action will begin today and come to a crescendo on Wednesday with thousands of workers Monash, Melbourne and Deakin universities to walk off campus and converge on the Victorian Trades Hall.
The week of action, launched by the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) comes in protest to chronic casualisation in the sector. Approximately three in ten university jobs are currently permanent.
Three universities have accepted de-casualisation clauses in the past six months, including Western Sydney University, Australian Catholic University and University of Technology Sydney.
The University of Sydney is poised to enact a clause converting 330 casual positions to permanent following almost two years of bargaining negotiations.
NTEU president Dr Alison Barnes said de-casualisation provisions should be rolled out in the enterprise bargaining agreements of every Australian university.
For too long, Australian universities have allowed casualisation and its toxic twin, wage theft, to flourish. We are actively bargaining at 24 universities and intend to give thousands of workers the rights, security and stability that comes with permanent employment.
NTEU general secretary Dr Damien Cahill said the workforce was at breaking point.
Tertiary education is one of Australia’s biggest export earners ... yet we are constantly devalued and treated as a budget line item expenditure.
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Voice inquiry: Father Frank Brennan says voice should speak to ‘ministers of state’ rather than ‘executive government’
Father Frank Brennan has continued his calls for changes to the constitutional amendment for the Indigenous voice, even as a Labor senator pointed out he was “in the minority” in the legal opinion he provided.
The committee hearing into the voice referendum has been hearing from Fr Brennan, who says he is an unabashed supporter of the Indigenous consultation body but has concerns over the proposal for the voice to speak to “executive government”. Instead, Brennan suggested that be changed to “ministers of state”.
Brennan’s case is that paring back the power would lead to more support from conservatives, and claimed that advising ministers (who lead various parts of the public service) would serve essentially the same purpose.
He said he wanted the voice referendum to “not just get over the line” but to pass in a way “that attracts mass support”.
But Labor senator Linda White pointed out that the weight of legal opinion had backed the change – rattling off a list of supporters including Anne Twomey, George Williams, the Law Council and Bret Walker SC.
“We’ve got to decide when we hear legal opinions, how do we weigh them all up?” she said.
“That doesn’t mean a minority person can’t be right but when you have an avalanche of opinion against you, that’s something we have to weigh up.”
The committee has gone to a lunch break. After 1pm we’ll hear from former PM Tony Abbott and no campaign leader Warren Mundine.
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Potential misconduct by Asio could halt US bid to extradite Daniel Duggan
AAP is reporting that potential misconduct by Australia’s spy agency could halt the United States’ bid to extradite a former fighter pilot accused of aiding the Chinese military, a court has heard.
Daniel Edmund Duggan, 54, has filed an application to temporarily stay an ongoing lawsuit in Sydney’s Downing Centre local court which could prevent the ex-pilot being extradited to the US to face criminal prosecution there.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Duggan’s lawyer Dennis Miralis said a hearing for the stay set for July 25 would give his client the chance to protect his rights to a fair hearing.
The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security has launched an inquiry into the circumstances of Duggan’s return to Australia from China after the pilot made a formal complaint to the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.
“The substance of the complaint fundamentally relates to whether or not Asio has acted illegally or improperly in its dealings,” Miralis told reporters.
The lawyer has previously claimed the former pilot was “lured” back to Australia and then arrested.
The time granted by the stay is hoped to allow Duggan access to the findings of the IGIS’s report which he will then use in his defence against extradition.
Barrister Trent Glover said on Monday that the US would fight the stay application, arguing the local court did not have the power to halt the extradition.
The US is seeking Duggan’s extradition on charges of arms trafficking and money laundering, allegations which he has consistently denied.
His wife Saffrine Duggan has called for her husband’s release, saying he had been caught up in a political prosecution due to increasing hostilities between the US and China.
If the stay bid is unsuccessful, a local court magistrate will hear submissions on whether Duggan is eligible for extradition to the US.
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Katy Gallagher: ‘there will be a very significant cost-of-living package in this budget’
The finance minister, Katy Gallagher, has been asked about whether the federal budget will begin the task of poverty reduction despite the government pouring cold water on a recommendation of the economic inclusion advisory committee for a “substantial” increase to the “seriously inadequate” jobseeker payment.
Gallagher told reporters in Canberra:
Well, I don’t necessarily agree that we poured cold water on the economic inclusion advisory committee report. There were 37 recommendations. The point we made is we couldn’t do all of them in one budget, but that we would have a significant response to that report. We’ve been saying that for some time.
I’ve also been saying there will be a very significant cost of living package in this budget and that that will be targeted to the most vulnerable Australians, I think that’s what you’d expect from a Labor government. The full detail of the extent of that cost of living package and what’s in it will be released as part of the budget.
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Voice inquiry hears: ‘what needs to be put in the constitution and what can be left to parliament?’
Uphold and Recognise is pushing its support for the upcoming referendum, with the thinktank aimed at selling the referendum and constitutional recognition to the politically conservative.
Sean Gordon, chairman of Uphold and Recognise and a Wangkumarra and Barkindji man, said he and the yes campaigners are walking a delicate balance between gaining support for the referendum while also acknowledging the challenges to get the required support.
That’s the challenge that we have in front of us.
How do we determine a position that is worth winning? That Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people see that this is something that will improve their lives, but it’s also winnable to the Australian public, and not just those on the left but also those on the right.
Witnesses also raised their concerns to the committee about whether the referendum needed to have a wording that guaranteed the advisory body’s right to make representations to executive levels of government, which has drawn the ire of some in the Coalition and constitutional lawyers.
Gordon said despite his support of the notion, it may not be necessary to have it enshrined in the constitution and that a compromise should be examined: “My people will [feel] the impact of a failed referendum. It’ll be the government who will go down in history, it’ll be their legacy, the prime minister’s legacy, if it does fail.”
“If we’re getting stuck on the term executive government ... if that’s what’s going to determine whether we have a successful referendum or not, then I really think we need to be thinking about that term, and whether that is changed.” Gordon told the committee.
Dr Damien Freeman, director and founder of Uphold and Recognise, said that enshrining the voice was important but that it’s vital the public, conservatives and law officials can back the current proposal.
“Our position is definitely that it should be able to speak to the executive ... The question is, what needs to be put in the constitution and what can be left to parliament to make laws.” Freeman said.
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Albanese: no cuts to infrastructure projects that have allocated funding
Prime minister Anthony Albanese fronted the media earlier today from Queensland, where he said that there will be no cuts to infrastructure projects that have allocated funding.
This comes of course after the announcement of a 90-day snap review into the federal infrastructure pipeline, with Labor claiming many projects announced by the former government were unrealistic.
Albanese added that some of the projects were announced without consultation with state governments and without funding, making it impossible for them to be delivered:
We’ve been reviewing some of the big projects, like inland rail that was promised with a single digit budget cost. The blowout from the review from Kerry Schott shows that it would now cost $31 billion, without knowing where it was going to go to.
The former government was obsessed with pork-barrelling. What we’ve been obsessed with is delivering productivity enhancing projects.
That’s why we’ll be working with every state and territory government. There are no cuts in the budget in eight days’ time. All the funding that had been allocated is still there.
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Tony Abbott to give evidence at voice inquiry
Former prime minister Tony Abbott will today give evidence to the parliamentary committee probing the Indigenous voice referendum, in a last-minute lineup change following complaints about him not being extended an invitation.
Abbott is a critic of the voice concept, but did consider symbolic constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians during his time in office. The Sydney Morning Herald reported this morning that Coalition members of the committee had wanted to invite him to give evidence to today’s hearing, but that the Labor-dominated committee members had declined. Chair Nita Green said Abbott already had a big platform and had made a submission.
But since then, Green has advised that the committee held a private meeting and decided to extend Abbott an invitation.
The Joint Select Committee on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice Referendum held a private meeting today and invited Mr. Tony Abbott to give evidence at today’s public hearing.
— Senator Nita Green (@nitagreenqld) April 30, 2023
He has accepted this invitation and the program will be updated on the website shortly.
Abbott will appear at 1pm, alongside the no campaign leader, Warren Mundine.
He tweeted a statement that he was grateful for the invitation, after an earlier statement asking “what is the government frightened of?”
— Tony Abbott (@HonTonyAbbott) May 1, 2023
Another change to the program has seen the addition of several more Law Council representatives, including voice architect and Uluṟu dialogue co-chair Megan Davis at 1.45pm. It should be an interesting day.
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State-based Indigenous advisory group leaders speak at final public voice referendum committee hearing
In Canberra today, we’re following the final public hearing into the parliamentary inquiry into the voice to parliament referendum.
This is the fifth public hearing of the joint select committee, with previous public hearings being held in Canberra, Orange in New South Wales, Cairns in Queensland, and Perth in Western Australia.
The committee is expected to hand down their final report on 15 May.
Giving evidence this morning is Geraldine Atkinson, the co-chair of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, and Dale Agius, the commissioner for South Australia’s First Nations Voice.
Both have been advocating for the importance of an Indigenous voice as an advisory group and how their state-based bodies are hoping to drive improvements and change for First Nations people in this country.
Atkinson spoke about Victoria’s current treaty and the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria as a body to create tangible change, to be led by and for community and as a state-based voice for Indigenous people. Atkinson told the committee:
In actual fact, one voice to parliament – that was what we wanted in Victoria. That’s what the Victorian community wanted … We wanted to be able to ensure that we had input into any policies and strategies that were going to affect the lives of our communities.
… Aboriginal people know what works. And if you listen, and if people listen, and then they take notice, then that’s when we get the results that people want, the improvements.
Agius spoke about the need to have a similar body in his home state, saying that Indigenous people were being excluded from vital conversations about how to ensure policies and laws were best suited for their communities.
We don’t want to get bogged down with political battles [with] politicians or bureaucracies.
We want an opportunity for our communities to speak directly to the parliament. And for people to listen to what’s happening on the ground, not because they are aligned to any other party or because they have any other ideas for themselves.
They know best what is happening in their communities. They want to put that message forward to our institutions.
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CBA joins those lifting outlook for house prices, with increases this year and next predicted
Another bullish weekend for house auctions, and another major bank to predict property prices are on track to bounce back.
Over the weekend, Melbourne recorded a preliminary clearance rate at auction of 77.7%, the highest since mid-October 2021. Sydney didn’t fare quite as well, with a preliminary clearance rate at just over 70%, roughly the same as a week earlier, but it’s the seventh week in a row that initial readings remained above the 70% mark, CoreLogic says.
Now, other cities aren’t so auction-focused, and the sales volumes are still well below a year ago when the Reserve Bank started hiking official interest rates. CoreLogic’s national home value index rose 0.5% in April, adding to March’s 0.6% increase. (Sydney’s prices are now up 3% from January’s trough.)
CBA today became the latest forecaster to reset its outlook. It had expected home prices to fall 15% from their peak. It reckons the 10% decline is now over, and the bank expects home prices to rise by 3% in 2023 and 5% more in 2024. (ANZ was one revising their view last week, forecasting a flat 2023 and now a 2% increase for next year.)
Higher population growth is one reason for the tweak. CBA says our numbers will expand by about 2% in 2022-23, versus the federal government forecast of 1.4%.
Another seems to be an increasingly popular view that the RBA’s rate hikes are nearly over, with perhaps one more increase to come.
A majority of economists surveyed by Bloomberg expect the RBA to extend its pause at tomorrow’s monthly rates meeting, leaving the cash rate at 3.6%. Investors rate the odds of stasis at 100%.
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Tasmania shifts ahead of mainland economies
Tasmania boasts Australia’s best performing economy, as a strong jobs market and healthy housing construction propel the island state above its mainland counterparts.
A quarterly report by the Commonwealth bank-owned CommSec shows that Tasmania is also recording strong investment in equipment, which is a sign that businesses are preparing to expand operations.
“We anticipate ongoing growth in the Tasmania, Queensland and South Australia economies in the next six months and that these states will remain at the top of the leaderboard,” CommSec chief economist Craig James said.
Queensland was the best performer at the previous survey. It now ranks equal second with South Australia.
Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales, is showing some weakness in housing construction, a sector that is suffering from high insolvency numbers as builders struggle with the rising costs of materials. It ranks fourth among the states and territories.
Victoria (fifth) and Western Australia (equal fifth) recorded weaknesses in equipment investment and completed construction work. The ACT (seventh) and Northern Territory (eighth) are being held back by subdued population growth and weak retail trading, respectively.
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Government ‘can’t rush’ increases to jobseeker payments: Husic
Sticking with Ed Husic for the moment, the minister for industry and science was on ABC News this morning where he said the government “can’t rush” any potential increases to jobseeker payments.
Husic addressed some backbenchers who had been calling for an increase, but warned that it would take “a lot of moving parts” to be considered, while indicating the government had “short-term measures” they’d be introducing in next week’s budget:
I certainly respect what is driving the motivation for a lot of my backbench colleagues. I understand why they have got an interest in it.
We understand longer term being able to lift the incomes of some of the lowest-income people in the country is really important.
You just can’t rush something in for the sake of a budget now. This requires a lot of moving parts to be considered and we will look at that. It is something that has registered within the minds of government.
We have short-term measures that we are looking to announce to give people cost-of-living relief, but there is a longer-term consideration that needs to be given and we will do that in due course.
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Questacon to receive $60m funding boost
The federal government has announced it will be investing $60m into Questacon, the national science and technology centre in Canberra.
As part of the Albanese government’s push to “secure the future of Australia’s most cherished institutions” and to restore them as a “source of national pride,” the funding will support critical property upgrades, new experiences for visitors and national Stem programs.
Ed Husic, the minister for industry and science, said the funding was also a rebuke of the “contempt” the Coalition showed for “science, technology and this national institution”:
The fact that the Liberals and Nationals failed to properly fund Questacon shows their contempt for science, technology and this national institution.
It is no secret we need more kids pursuing Stem careers. Inspiring the next generation of scientists is critical to Australia’s future.
A school visit to Questacon is a rite of passage for so many Aussie kids. And seeing science brought to life can be the spark that ignites a lifelong passion for science.
Questacon plays an important role in the Australian government’s mission to widen the pipeline of talent available to the science and technology sectors, and to reach 1.2 million tech-related jobs by 2030.
By securing Questacon’s future, Australians will be able to visit this iconic national institution for generations to come.
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Eight in 10 Australians say more funding should go to affordable housing, research shows
New research from the Australia Institute shows that eight in 10 Australians agree that the federal government should allocate more money in the federal budget for affordable housing.
Surveying a representative sample of 1,002 Australians, it found the vast majority of Australians (68%) do not think the federal government is doing enough to tackle the housing crisis, and just 21% agree that it is.
On top of this, the majority of Australians (51%) do not think the government’s investment fund, which is expected to build 30,000 properties over five years, will provide enough social housing, which is more than twice as many as those who do (25%).
Ebony Bennett, the deputy director of the Australia Institute, said:
Australia is in a housing crisis. Both renters and would-be first home buyers are struggling to get a roof over their head.
If this government is serious about building social homes for the community, it would directly fund the building of social homes instead of relying on an investment fund that will not fill the housing shortfall.
The estimated cost of fixing the social housing shortfall of $35 billion between now and 2035 may sound like a lot. But compared to the half-a-trillion-dollar price tag of the Stage 3 tax cuts and nuclear submarines, it’s an absolute bargain to provide Australians with a roof over their head.
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Andrew Dillon appointed as new chief executive of AFL
AAP is reporting that the AFL will appoint Andrew Dillon as its new chief executive after a prolonged worldwide search landed on the man in an office near incumbent Gillon McLachlan.
Dillon is currently the AFL’s executive general manager football operations, legal and integrity, as well as the organisation’s general counsel.
He will replace McLachlan at the end of this season in a move to be announced at a media conference in Melbourne on Monday morning.
You can read more here:
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Man dies after falling overboard Spirit of Tasmania cruise
In another drowning incident, a man has died after falling overboard from the Spirit of Tasmania on Sunday night.
Police say the ship left its dock at Geelong at around 8pm last night, and was an hour into its journey to Devonport when the passenger went over.
The ship was turned around as emergency crews searched for the man, before locating his body in the water.
Police say the man’s death is not being treated as suspicious.
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SA premier says federal pledge of $2.2bn for Medicare does not ‘do enough’
The South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, has called on the federal government to improve its investment in healthcare, saying their promises do not go far enough.
Speaking to ABC’s RN Breakfast this morning, Malinauskas said the $2.2bn healthcare package endorsed by national cabinet doesn’t “do enough”.
The Albanese government is acknowledging that there is a problem that needs to be fixed and that’s a pretty important start and we are seeing an increase in resources coming from the federal government – that $2.2bn you mentioned. Of course, there was the Strengthening Medicare taskforce as well.
These are all important works, but it would be naive to suggest that this alone will address what is a genuine crisis when it comes to primary health care, and access to GPs right around the nation.
People are getting sicker because they’re not getting access to primary health care earlier.
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Infrastructure minister says Coalition left behind a ‘mess’ of underfunded projects
The infrastructure minister, Catherine King, has said that many of the projects to be reviewed under the 90-day probe into the nation’s infrastructure pipeline are “completely underfunded”.
Speaking to the ABC this morning, King said that what was left behind by the Coalition government was a “mess” and that there’s billions of dollars that need to be found to be able to get many of the projects off the ground.
That’s new money that we would have to find. We’re simply not in a position to be able to say today if can we deliver each and every one of those projects and have we got enough money to do so.
The scale of this has really come to light as we’ve started to investigate going forward for the next budget.
I’ve concluded the only way to deal with the mess, frankly, of what’s been left with this infrastructure pipeline is to do a short sharp review.
We’ll work very closely – as was agreed at national cabinet – with states and territories, to make sure we’ve got projects here in the pipeline that are able to be delivered, are properly costed and the cost overruns are understood.
Josh Butler has more on the review today here:
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Man drowns in Victoria with another missing
A man has drowned and another is missing in Victoria after going for a swim at Gellibrand Lower, 37km west of Lorne yesterday afternoon.
Police were called to the scene after two men were reported missing after they went for a swim.
The body of one man was found on nearby rocks a short time later, but police are still searching for the other man.
It comes after a mum drowned in Queensland at popular surfing spot Froggies Beach on Sunday afternoon.
Emergency services were called to the beach at about 3.15pm after reports three people were swept up in the rough surf.
One child was reportedly pulled to safety by a stranger, while lifesavers were able to pull the mother and another person out to shore. Despite resuscitation efforts, the mother died at the scene.
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'Enough is enough': Alex Greenwich threatens legal action over Mark Latham's homophobic tweet
The independent NSW MP Alex Greenwich has publicly threatened One Nation leader Mark Latham with a defamation lawsuit if he doesn’t apologise for a homophobic tweet directed at Greenwich.
In a statement released this morning, Greenwich said he had already filed a complaint of homosexual vilification against Latham with the Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW, and made a police complaint against the One Nation leader.
Greenwich, who called the tweet a “a defamatory and homophobic attack on the member for Sydney” also demanded Latham apologise or face defamation proceedings.
Enough is enough. I’ve been openly gay in public life for 15 years and in NSW parliament for over 10 years, and never have I experienced such a homophobic, sexualised attack that exposed me to contempt, ridicule and extreme abuse, based on my sexuality.
In a separate statement, NSW police said they have also launched an investigation into the matter:
Officers attached to Surry Hills Police Area Command have commenced an investigation after receiving reports of online harassment directed at a 42-year-old man.
Inquiries are continuing.
The tweet, which has been deleted, came in the aftermath of the NSW election in March, and was widely condemned both in NSW and in Canberra. The tweet has been deleted.
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Voice committee to hear from passionate supporters and critics
The parliamentary committee investigating the Indigenous voice referendum will hold its last scheduled hearing on Monday, with a daylong session to hear from some of the most passionate supporters and critics of the constitutional change – including Warren Mundine, Noel Pearson and Frank Brennan.
After its first hearing in Canberra two weeks ago, then heading to Orange, Cairns and Perth, the committee returns to the capital today. First up will be a panel of “existing Voice bodies”, to hear from Dale Agius, the commissioner of South Australia’s First Nations voice, and Aunty Geraldine Atkinson from Victoria’s First Peoples’ Assembly.
Both those bodies are state-based equivalents of an Indigenous consultation body, and are likely to feed into a national voice if the referendum is successful.
Later, the hearing will be joined by representatives of Uphold & Recognise, the group of constitutional conservatives which has backed an Indigenous voice. The Liberal MP Julian Leeser, who quit as shadow attorney general last month to campaign for the voice, was among the founders of that group.
Brennan, the academic who has backed the voice but consistently pushed for its power to advise executive government to be wound back, will also give evidence. Brennan’s submission to the inquiry called for “executive government” to be replaced with “ministers of state” in the constitutional alteration, raising concerns about legal challenges with the current wording.
Then it’s over to Mundine, the Indigenous businessman and leader of one of the major No campaigns, called Recognise A Better Way. He plans to tour the country campaigning against the voice with Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, the newly appointed shadow Indigenous Australians minister.
After a panel of lawyers including Tony McAvoy and Cheryl Saunders, who both helped advise the referendum process, strong voice advocate Pearson will appear.
Pearson has made news whenever he has put his opinions into the constitutional debate, and his appearance will be one of the headline moments of the hearing.
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Good morning
Good morning, Mostafa Rachwani with you on this May morning. We begin in Canberra, where the parliamentary committee investigating the Indigenous voice referendum will hold a public hearing today, with some prominent figures from both sides expected to be heard. We are also expecting a formal statement from Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung regarding the voice to parliament.
Elsewhere, a “snap review” into hundreds of infrastructure projects has been announced, with the Albanese government accusing the Coalition of leaving them as “fiscal timebombs” in the budget. The projects will be reviewed based on their value and significance, with “press release projects” being the target.
In NSW, the independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich has lodged a complaint with NSW Police against the state’s One Nation leader, Mark Latham, for what he says was “homosexual vilification”. It comes weeks after Latham published a graphic and homophobic tweet about Greenwich in the aftermath of the NSW state election. In a statement, Greenwich said the tweets were “defamatory and homophobic”. Greenwich also said he will be launching defamation proceedings against Latham if he doesn’t apologise.
And finally, housing prices have slowly increased for the first time in nearly a year, marking the end of the housing market downturn. It comes as the government gears up for its budget announcement next week, with all eyes on the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, against the backdrop of a cost-of-living crisis and increased interest rates.
We’ll bring you more on that and everything else happening across the country today.
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