What we learned: Wednesday 10 April
We’re going to leave it here for the day. Here’s what happened:
Tasmanian premier Jeremy Rockliff has reached an agreement with the Jacqui Lambie Network to form government, with JLN members Miriam Beswick, Andrew Jenner, and Rebekah Pentland agreeing to provide confidence to his government on a number of measures.
Former federal Coalition senator Eric Abetz has been named Tasmanian minister for business, industry and resources, which includes salmon and forestry. Abetz will also be minister for transport, and the leader of the government in the lower house.
The Coalition’s defence spokesperson, Andrew Hastie, has said “we are seeing breakouts of strategic disorder across the globe” and accused the Albanese government of being “weak at articulating the threats we face”.
A Melbourne council in the city’s west says asbestos has been discovered at Altona Coastal Park, as the discovery of contaminated material spreads to seven parks across the city.
Thanks for reading. We’ll be back tomorrow to take you through all the news Thursday has to offer.
Updated
Eric Abetz named a minister in Tasmanian government
The conservative Liberal will have responsibility for contentious salmon farms and native forest logging in Tasmania after being appointed to senior roles in Jeremy Rockliff‘s new cabinet.
The former federal Coalition senator has been named the state minister for business, industry and resources, which includes salmon and forestry. Abetz will also be minister for transport, and the leader of the government in the lower house as the Rockliff government attempts to navigate a parliament in which it holds only 14 of 35 seats.
The announcement of the cabinet followed the Liberals reaching an agreement with the state’s three new Jacqui Lambie Network MPs - Miriam Beswick, Andrew Jenner and Rebekah Pentland.
JLN promised to back the Liberals on confidence and censure votes that did not involve “malfeasance or corruption” and guaranteed to support all budget bills. The minor party also said it would give the government notice if it intended to vote against any of its legislation, and then vote for an adjournment so the parties could negotiate.
Rockliff still needs a deal on confidence votes with at least one of the state’s three independent MPs – Craig Garland, Kristie Johnston and David O’Byrne – to reach the 18 votes needed in parliament.
Updated
Greens leader calls on government to ‘immediately recognise Palestine’
Posting on social media site X, Adam Bandt also said the government should “end military exports and stop military contracts with Israel, and stop backing the invasion”.
The Labor government should immediately recognise Palestine.
— Adam Bandt (@AdamBandt) April 10, 2024
Labor must also end military exports & stop military contracts with Israel, and stop backing the invasion.
No need to wait. There’s no barrier to this happening right now.
Updated
Qatar Airways avoids Australian lawsuit
The airline has dodged legal action over an incident at Doha airport in which women were forcibly removed from planes by armed guards and some intimately examined.
However, while the federal court dismissed the case against the airline, justice John Halley determined the five Australian women bringing the case could instead re-plead their claims for damages against Matar, a Qatar Airways-owned subsidiary engaged by the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) to run Doha airport.
The five women initiated legal action against the airline in 2022, later adding the QCAA and Matar to the case over the incident in October 2020, seeking damages over “unlawful physical contact”, false imprisonment and mental health impacts, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
They were among more than a dozen passengers who were escorted off the Sydney-bound Qatar Airways plane by armed guards as authorities searched for the mother of a newborn baby found abandoned in a plastic bag at Hamad international airport. The infant survived.
The women were taken to ambulances on the tarmac and some were forced to submit to invasive examinations for evidence they had recently given birth. The lawsuit claims one passenger was forced to undergo a strip-search holding her five-month-old son.
Updated
Senator’s Jacqui Lambie Network split without ‘huge drama’
Tammy Tyrrell, the Tasmanian senator who spectacularly quit the Jacqui Lambie Network before the Easter weekend, has likened the deterioration of her relationship with Lambie and the minor party to a marriage breakdown.
Tyrell told ABC on Wednesday afternoon she had made the decision to “rip the Band-Aid off and separate” with the minor party after it became clear they were no longer happy with her.
“If someone is not happy in a relationship, and it is made obvious they are not happy with the way the other person in the relationship is representing them, someone has to make a decision. I said before that the people of Tasmania are the children in this relationship and they will be looked after fabulously.”
Asked whether there was tension or a “blow up” between the two Tasmanians, Tyrell said she would not speak badly about the senator she once worked for as an office manager.
I would love to say there was a huge drama but, in any relationship, there are highs and lows and in all honesty, we’re not really in a low, we are just travelling the course of our relationship. Jacqui and I wish each other well. We’re not going to do anything different in that we are going to try and get the best for Tasmania with the legislation. We will work together moving forward. And I will never speak badly about them.
Tyrell was also asked about the role of the minor party’s board in her resignation. The now independent senator said there was nothing murky about the board she had sat on before resigning.
We are new to the political game but we were not silly so we knew we had to make sure that the network was protected and a board was created. But if you speak to Jacqui or another senator I am sure they would be happy to explain more.
Updated
Barnaby Joyce is criticising delays in implementing a new system of compensation and rehabilitation for veterans, the draft legislation of which he says was initially meant to be released in 2023.
He says the legislation, which is meant to combine the three current acts that govern these issues – the veterans entitlement act, the military act, and defence rehabilitation act – “was supposed to go through or be complete in 2025. Now they are saying it won’t be complete until 2026. They might not even be the government then.”
Joyce says it’s important that Australians know the context of this issue, in understanding his frustration:
Since 1997 about 1600 Australian ex-servicemen and women have committed suicide … If that happened in a number of plane crashes, we will be having royal commission after royal commission, so this is incredibly important. These people have served our nation.
Updated
Joyce calls for peace before statehood discussion on Israel and Palestine
Barnaby Joyce has said “it’s not the right time and it’s not the place” to be having a discussion about recognising a Palestinian state.
“The only thing we should be discussing is how we bring about peace,” he has told the ABC.
At this point in time, Gaza is run by a terrorist organisation called Hamas and so a plan to create a separate terrorist state, how does that work?
Obviously we would want, as things progress, for Israel and the Palestinians to come to an arrangement which brings peace over the longer term and that’s what everybody wants …
Nobody wants what is happening there at the moment. It is a complete and utter human tragedy but the source of this, the instigator of this, was a terrorist organisation and you cannot start saying I’m going to open up negotiations with a terrorist organisation.
Is Australia going to have diplomatic relations with a terrorist organisation representatives of the Gaza Strip?
Updated
Concern among LGBTQ+ groups about Cass review findings into trans healthcare practices in UK
The findings of a major review of trans healthcare practices in the UK have been met with deep concern by Australian LGBTQ+ organisations, with “caution and care” urged in local interpretations of it.
The Cass review – named for Dr Hilary Cass, the paediatrician commissioned to conduct a review of the services provided by the UK health system to children and young people exploring their gender identity – found gender medicine was “built on shaky foundations” and that there was a dearth of robust data in the field.
Representatives from Equality Australia, the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health (AusPATH), Acon, the Trans Justice Project and more, said the review “ignores the consensus of major medical bodies around the world and lacks relevance within an Australian context”.
The director of community health at Acon, Teddy Cook, said:
Trans people everywhere should have access to the highest attainable level of health through a robust, evidence based, multi-disciplinary and affirming approach, an approach that demonstrably saves trans lives.
In ignoring key evidence and research, the Cass review does not meet that standard and has today let down the very people, families, health providers and communities it seeks to support.
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia has urged local institutions to “hold the report at arm’s length” and ensure that it is not used “to drive extremist responses … that do more harm than good” to trans healthcare, such as the withdrawal of puberty blockers from trans and gender-diverse young people.
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia chief executive Nicky Bath said:
The report itself acknowledges that the review is marred by poor quality data and flawed methodologies, which in and of itself, calls into question the validity of the report’s conclusions …
We call on the Australian government to stand by trans and gender diverse young people, listen to them, their families, organisations and clinicians and resist the pressure that will come to withdraw access to puberty blockers and instead support affirming care practices that respects children-centred care, the autonomy and dignity of transgender and gender-diverse people.
Updated
Claims flowing in to insurance firms
Insurers have received 11,527 claims to date from last weekend’s severe storm in New South Wales, the Insurance Council of Australia has reported.
Most of these claims related to damage to buildings and contents as a result of wind and heavy rain causing gutters to overflow and flash flooding to occur.
The ICA said that at this stage it was too early to estimate the insurance damage bill, which most severely affected the Hawkesbury-Nepean and Illawarra regions of New South Wales.
The ICA’s advice to people whose property has been affected by storm-related damage is:
If property or a vehicle have been affected, customers are advised to contact their insurer as soon as possible to commence the claims process even if they do not know the full extent of damage.
Insurance customers are not required to keep destroyed property, including carpets and furnishings, and should instead take photos, note any identifying information, and keep materials samples.
New data also released today shows that losses from declared insurance catastrophes this summer have reached close to $1.6bn, with the cost of the Christmas storms now exceeding $1.1bn.
Updated
What did Penny Wong say about recognising Palestinian statehood – and is Australia at odds with its allies?
The Australian foreign minister, Penny Wong, has said a “pathway out of the endless cycle of violence” in the Middle East can only come with recognition of “a Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel”.
Some commentators have interpreted the speech as a hint that Australia could recognise Palestinian statehood in the near term.
So what did Wong actually say about a two-state solution, what was she silent about, and how does this fit in with what Australia’s allies are doing? Daniel Hurst has this excellent explainer:
Icac concludes probe of former Labor minister’s conduct
The New South Wales corruption watchdog has ended its investigation into former Labor minister Tim Crakanthorp after concluding there were “no reasonable prospects” of finding his conduct corrupt.
Crakanthorp was sacked from cabinet last August after it was revealed the Newcastle MP had allegedly failed to declare “substantial private family holdings” relating to his wife’s family.
Neither Crakanthorp’s wife nor her family were accused of any wrongdoing.
The premier, Chris Minns, referred the matter to the Independent Commission Against Corruption after asking Crakanthorp to resign as a minister after he became aware of the properties across the Hunter region, for which he was the minister.
A spokesperson for the Icac on Wednesday said:
As the Commission is satisfied that there are no reasonable prospects of finding Mr Crakanthorp’s conduct is sufficiently serious to justify a finding of corrupt conduct, it has terminated its investigation.
Updated
Mona responds to ruling against Ladies Lounge
Hi, Kate Lyons here, I’ll be taking you through the rest of the day’s news.
To start us off, AAP have an update after the late-breaking news yesterday that Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art have lost a legal battle over its Ladies Lounge exhibit.
The artist behind the Ladies Lounge said she is deeply saddened after the exhibit was found to be unlawful.
A case was brought against the operators of Mona in the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal by Jason Lau, who was refused access to the lounge, because only women are allowed entry.
The Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal decision ruled on Tuesday that Kirsha Kaechele’s artwork may have had a point but violated the law.
The women-only, curtained-off lounge now has 28 days to allow “persons who do not identify as ladies” access to the installation.
Ms Kaechele posted on Instagram on Wednesday that she was “saddened by the court’s ruling against the Ladies Lounge”.
“But, by grace of due process, I have been granted a 28-day period. This allows me space to absorb the situation, seek counsel and compose myself,” she wrote.
“I am so grateful for your ongoing understanding and support through one of the most difficult periods of my life. Such periods can be painful, as many of us know.”
A MONA spokesperson said the museum is taking time to figure out its next steps.
“We are deeply disappointed by this decision. We will take some time to absorb the result and consider our options,” she said.
Updated
Many thanks for joining me on the blog today, Kate Lyons will be here to guide you through the rest of our rolling coverage. Take care!
China calls US remarks on Taiwan ‘very dangerous’
Reuters is reporting some pushback from China on the Aukus deal, particularly where it comes to discussions surrounding Taiwan.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office has called remarks made by the US deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell dangerous, after he suggested Aukus could help deter any Chinese move against Taiwan.
“His remarks are very dangerous,” said spokesperson Zhu Fenglian when responding to a question at a weekly press conference.
The establishment of the so-called trilateral security partnership between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia is essentially to provoke military confrontation in the region through military cooperation in small circles.
Campbell, who made a rare link between Taiwan and Aukus, told Washington’s Center for a New American Security thinktank that new submarine capabilities would enhance peace and stability, including in the strait that separates China and Taiwan.
Zhu:
Any attempt to use relevant military cooperation to intervene in the Taiwan issue is to interfere in China’s internal affairs, violate the one-China principle, and endanger peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We firmly oppose.
Updated
Wong on two-state solution for Israel Palestine
There’s been much discussion today about a speech Penny Wong gave last night, suggesting support for a Palestinian state may provide a pathway to a two-state solution.
The foreign minister said the recognition of a Palestinian state would help ensure long-term security for Israel, and further undermine Hamas.
Here’s a video from her speech, delivered at the Australian National University:
Updated
CEO and managing director of icare, Richard Harding, resigns
Richard Harding will finish as chief executive officer and managing director of insurer business icare in October, according to a statement from the company.
Harding joined in 2021 when the organisation was “in a period of crisis and under intense public scrutiny”, the statement notes.
He has since implemented significant reform through transformation programs that have led to improved outcomes and set the organisation on the path to long term sustainability.
Harding issued an apology to at least 53,000 injured workers affected by an underpayments scandal. In 2021 it was announced they would share in a $38m payout:
John Robertson, icare chair, thanked Harding for his leadership:
He has shown resilience during some challenging times, resetting the organisation’s focus, stabilising performance, and delivering on public expectations… In particular, Richard has led a significant improvement within the icare culture, creating an open, transparent and constructive environment that enables people to make a difference.
icare will begin the recruitment process for a new CEO, the statement said.
Higher taxes on foreigners pitched to free up homes in New South Wales
Foreign buyers could be slugged with higher taxes for buying existing NSW homes as the government looks for ways to address the housing crisis, AAP reports.
NSW treasurer Daniel Mookhey said the state was grappling with a problem of overseas investors leaving properties vacant and not putting them out to rent. He told Sydney radio 2GB today:
We don’t have many levers we can pull which can lead to a quick return of housing stock to the rental market.
About 63,000 properties – almost equal to the total number of homes built in NSW every two years – were sitting vacant, Mookhey said.
Under existing arrangements, most foreign buyers are subject to an 8% surcharge on residential property purchases. Mookhey said that number hasn’t change since 2017 but “I think the market conditions have clearly changed.”
A tax hike in line with Ontario in Canada, where foreign investors are charged an extra 25% on top of the property purchase price, is one option being considered ahead of the June budget.
Commercial TV lobby responds to prominence legislation
The commercial TV lobby says a senate committee report “misses the mark” by not applying the new requirements for prominence of free-to-air channels to existing sets in the market.
Only manufacturers of new smart TVs will have to prominently display Australian TV channels to ensure local networks are not crowded out by streamers, a senate committee has recommended.
The so-called prominence legislation has been designed to guarantee local, free-to-air TV services Seven, Nine, Ten, SBS and the ABC are easy for Australian audiences to find on smart TVs.
Free TV said in response to the report:
If we don’t make this important change, the legislation will not make any meaningful difference until late this decade.
Free TV said the committee has also failed in ensuring television sport remains free for all Australians.
The networks want the legislation amended to stop paid streaming services buying up exclusive digital rights and putting sports behind a paywall.
Foxtel, which is 65% owned by News Corp, is opposed to the legislation, arguing it restricts consumer choice and could distort the market in favour of broadcasters.
Tasmanian Liberals secure deal with Jacqui Lambie Network to form government
Tasmanian premier Jeremy Rockliff said he has reached an agreement with the Jacqui Lambie Network (JLN) to form government.
In a statement, Rockliff said three new members of the JLN – Miriam Beswick, Andrew Jenner, and Rebekah Pentland – have agreed to provide confidence to his government “on all confidence and censure votes, guarantee supply to support all appropriation and revenue bills, and support the government on parliamentary motions that bind the government.”
All parties have entered into this agreement with goodwill and trust, and I am confident that this agreement will provide the long-term certainty and stability the Tasmanian people expect …
I thank the JLN for their productive and collaborative approach that they have taken as we have worked towards an agreement.
Updated
Former Channel 7 Sunrise reporter Nathan Templeton dies
Former Sunrise reporter Nathan Templeton has died after suffering a medical episode while on a dog walk in Victoria, the network has reported.
In a post to Facebook, Sunrise said:
The tragic news of Nathan’s passing has left us all at Sunrise and Seven profoundly saddened.
Nathan was a respected journalist whose passion for storytelling was evident in all his years reporting for Sunrise and several Olympic Games.
Our deepest condolences go out to his family, loved ones and especially his two young sons, during this difficult time.
As 7News reports, Templeton joined its Melbourne team in 2012 as a sports reporter and then became the Melbourne correspondent for Sunrise in 2016. He leaves behind two young sons.
EPA confirms asbestos at eight sites across Melbourne
Victoria’s environment watchdog has confirmed asbestos-contaminated material has been discovered at eight parks and reserves across Melbourne.
The Victorian Environment Protection Authority says test results have confirmed asbestos at Shore Reserve in Pascoe Vale South, in Merri-bek council. It says three small samples were removed. The EPA has advised the council to inspect the site and confirm no other contamination is present.
The EPA is also inspecting a new site, RJ Long Reserve in Williamstown North, after receiving a report from a member of the public on Tuesday.
New home starts sink to 11-year low: Master Builders Australia
The latest building activity data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows there is “still a long way to go before Australia overcomes the housing crisis”, Master Builders Australia says.
The group’s chief economist, Shane Garrett, said work started on just 163,285 new homes during 2023, a 10.5% reduction on the previous year.
He added that detached house starts dropped by 16.4% to 99,443 – the lowest in a decade. And a total of 62,720 higher density homes were commenced during 2023 overall, “the worst performance in 12 years”.
The mismatch between the supply of new homes to the rental market and demand for rental accommodation is particularly worrying. Rental inflation continues to accelerate at a time when price pressures across the rest of the economy have been abating.
Chief executive, Denita Wawn, said today’s result means that 934,400 new homes have been started across Australia over the past five years.
Since 2019 we have seen the cost of home building increase by 40%. Governments need to work to change this. The cost of delivering projects needs to go down and the time to completion must be shortened.
Updated
Chalmers yet to ‘hear a whisper’ from Coalition over proposed merger changes
As you may have seen, the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has unveiled extensive changes he wants to make to mergers policies, as reported here by Paul Karp.
The government is touting the changes as the most significant in half a century, although we will have to see how many of the proposals get through parliament and also how consultation led by the ACCC, hones the final result.
We’ll have more to say in a separate piece shortly about a couple of the changes now that we’ve had a chance to hear from both Chalmers and ACCC chief, Gina Cass-Gottlieb, in speeches earlier today in Sydney at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
But Chalmers did highlight to us a silence from the Coalition, including shadow treasurer Angus Taylor. Chalmers:
We have not heard a whisper from the Coalition today. We flagged this change at the beginning of the week. It’s now Wednesday. We have offered a briefing and we expect them to take that up.
Chalmers has a theory why they’ve largely remained stumm so far:
The main reason why they’re talking about everything except for competition policy and economic reform today is because they would rather stoke division in our community than stoke competition in our economy.
We did, though, check in with Taylor, and got this response:
None of this will restore the collapse in Australians’ standard of living. This is a treasurer who is all spin and no substance,” he said. “It’s important the government doesn’t confuse competition policy with competitiveness of the economy. Labor’s policies on energy, [industrial relations] and tax are making Australia a less attractive place to do business.
We will scrutinise this to make sure this policy gets the balance right.
We assume Taylor will take up the offer for a briefing – though we haven’t had that confirmed.
Updated
AFL suspends Jeremy Finlayson for three matches over homophobic slur
Jeremy Finlayson has accepted a sanction from the AFL for using a homophobic slur during Friday night’s game against Essendon, which means the Port Adelaide forward will miss three matches and undertake an education program.
The 28-year-old used the offensive term towards an opponent in the match against the Bombers – won easily by the Power – telling club staff during the third-quarter break and apologising to the Essendon player after the match.
Continue reading:
Updated
And with that, Jeff Dimery’s appearance at the national press club has wrapped up – after he saved himself from a near-slip after walking from the podium!
Jeff Dimery also commented on how confident he is in the target of net zero by 2050:
If I steal the line of others in the industry, and some commentators: this transition has been described as akin to a post-war reconstruction effort, and it is true…. It is a monumental task and I am not hearing anybody downplay the magnitude of that.
Does that mean we won’t get there? I think it is challenging, as I said. Would I stand here today in 2024 looking out to 2050 and tell you something can’t be done? No, I wouldn’t. But I can tell you that absent some significant changes along the way, we will struggle.
At the press club, Jeff Dimery has been taking more questions around nuclear energy.
Moderator Jane Norman notes the full details of Coalition policy is not yet known, but reporting suggests they are seeking to replace existing coal-fired power stations with nuclear.
As a company that owns a coal-fired power station, does Dimery believe nuclear reactors could be built quickly enough to replace the capacity of outgoing coal-fired power stations?
He responds:
From a replacement timeframe point of view, as I pointed out I am 55, if you add 10 years, that will get us to 2034, and there will still be coal in the market in 2034. AGL’s timetable is 2035, and [even AEMO is saying] there will be coal in 2038.
It’s not something we have turned our mind to but based on what I have read, could you, if you started now, have nuclear in the market by 2035 or 2038? The answer would be yes. But again, no-one is starting now because the legislation isn’t conducive to us even exploring that. Again, it is kind of like looking for unicorns in the garden.
Several staff members stood aside at Australian College of Nursing pending investigation
Several staff members have stood aside from their roles at The Australian College of Nursing pending an investigation into “potential financial irregularities” at the college.
The ABC has named those staff members as ACN’s high-profile CEO Kylie Ward, along with COO Neil Haynes and national partnerships director Karoline Dawe.
The board of the ACN said there was currently insufficient evidence to determine the nature of the potential irregularities, but believed they should be investigated by third-party legal and forensic financial experts.
The board said in a statement:
No conclusions should be drawn at this time.
To ensure due process is followed and to assist an efficient investigation, it is appropriate that certain staff members have stepped aside pending the outcome of the investigation. The Board stresses that this is an investigation only and is not at this stage alleging that any of the people who have stepped aside are responsible for any financial irregularities.
The Australian College of Nursing is a not-for-profit body with 150,000 that supports continuing education, advocacy and training for nurses across the country. In the last financial year, the revenue of the college was $22.9m, according to the latest financial report.
Ward, Haynes and Dawe were contacted for comment.
Q: The consensus on renewables is slightly more together, but again we are seeing a lack of bipartisan support for what Australia’s energy future looks like. How much is that holding back renewable investment for Australia?
Jeff Dimery said one pleasing factor is that both major parties are committed to net zero by 2050, with the concept of “climate deniers hopefully [now] off the table” and the debate shifting to what is the best way to achieve this shared goal.
Clearly the Liberal-National Party looking at the replacement of baseload coal, with baseload nuclear [while] the current government is more focused around the technologies that are there today.
Minister [for climate change Chris] Bowen has a very very difficult job as does the head of AEMO, and you will see the changes in the composition of the energy mix year on year, as these ISPs are released, and so the best we can do right now from my perspective is keep ploughing on with what we know and what we have got.
We are all on the same page, that is an outcome we are shooting for. The big debate is about how quickly we get there. What would you pay to be there a day early, and what would you be prepared to save to be there a day late? That is really what we are talking about now. And that is very refreshing from where we were, four or five years ago, where we were not even on the same page.
‘Nuclear a political question politicians need to resolve’, energy boss says
Taking questions from reporters, Jeff Dimery is asked about the federal opposition’s position on nuclear energy.
Specifically, he was whether there would be community acceptance of nuclear reactors in the La Trobe Valley, where he works.
Dimery responded:
The short answer is I’m not sure, we have not polled them. We care very much about our workers and our workforce and I think it’s incumbent upon us and upon governments to make sure we have a just transition plan for when we do close.
The broader issue of nuclear: it’s a question we are getting a bit more lately. My view is nuclear is a political question, and it’s something the folks up on the hill really need to resolve.
And what I mean is I am 55 years old. The ability to develop nuclear in this country is not legislated, it is not legal at this point, and I would imagine there is a lengthy process to go through to get it to that point.
Then there is a lengthy process to go through with development and construction, in which time I will be retired. So it’s probably for the younger folks to debate [but what] I would say, you can imagine our shareholder and board would not be too impressed of the management team if it were sitting around contemplating building power stations that are not legal, it would not be a great use of our time.
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Australians will have to ‘pay more for energy in future’ as part of renewables transition, says Alinta Energy CEO
Back at the National Press Club, Alinta Energy CEO Jeff Dimery argues a hard truth of the transition to renewables means “Australians also have to pay more for energy in the future”.
We will spend more as a percentage of GDP on energy, energy services, and energy infrastructure. Whether we pay through the tax base, or pay the large upfront cost of an EV, or batteries and solar, or we’re paying more for electricity from the grid, we will all pay more in aggregate. We need to be honest about that. I don’t think the average Australian is prepared for that reality.
Capital costs more. Labour costs more. Transmission costs are rising. There are going to be alternatives. Electricity might cost more, but your petrol bill might disappear. If we’re prepared to change behaviour and use most of our energy within certain windows, you will be able to have greater bill control. Getting over the hump of this difficult part of the transition is going to require partnerships in all directions.
He said Australia has a “real opportunity” to leverage renewables and firm economic security, and said governments need to “maintain clear public policy” and not get “distracted” with new ideas “without a firm social mandate”.
We know what energy mix we need to blend together today. We just need to get on with it.
Breaking down the government's position on a Palestinian state
So let’s take stock of what the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said in that press conference about an issue that has sparked a round of political debate and some strong reactions overnight:
Albanese insisted that “nothing has changed in our position” regarding a two-state solution in the Middle East, after Penny Wong last night said recognition of a Palestinian state was the only way to end the cycle of violence in the Middle East in the long term.
In a clear pushback at the Coalition’s denunciations overnight, Albanese noted that a two-state solution was “a stated position of past Australian governments as well”.
Albanese basically said that there was nothing new in Australia expressing the view that Israelis and Palestinians should “be able to live in peace and security with stability and to be able to prosper in the future in a region which is peaceful”.
But Albanese was notably vague on the timing of potential recognition. Asked specifically whether he was willing to recognise a Palestinian state while Hamas was still in control in Gaza, Albanese fell back on the process line that “we are working with like-minded partners as well to say that Hamas has no role in a future Palestinian state”.
Albanese reiterated that “every innocent life matters, whether they be Israeli or Palestinian” and he repeated Australia’s call for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas (the Coalition has been claiming that the government has gone relatively silent on calling for hostages, even though ministers have repeated the call on almost every occasion they have been asked).
And in a further defence of Wong’s speech, Albanese noted that her comments were very similar to the position outlined by the UK’s foreign secretary, David Cameron. This was pushback at the idea that Australia was acting out in front of its allies.
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Alinta Energy CEO says higher costs inevitable for large scale renewables
We’ll go now to Canberra where managing director and CEO of Alinta Energy, Jeff Dimery, has been speaking at the National Press Club.
He noted Aemo says a true transformation of the national electricity market will require “levels of investment in generation, storage transmission and system services that exceed all previous efforts combined”. So what is stopping more private companies investing in renewables?
Dimery said:
I mentioned retail margins are relatively low … If it’s not an industry flush with profits, then how can it invest in new generation? Not on the scale required for transition in any event, and despite the profits reported in the last financial year, the investment outlook for large scale renewables is challenging. Let me tell you why. Higher costs and uncertainty about recovering them, that’s why …
When I sat down to write this speech, the future Victorian energy price for the 2026 calendar year was $58 a megawatt hour. In 2026, we will still have plenty of brown coal in the system, producing round-the-clock baseload energy. It will be topped up by a decent amount of large scale renewables and rooftop PV.
That’s great, but at $58, I can’t build anything to meaningfully prepare for coal to come out of the system. I can’t build more solar because we have a solar glut in the middle of the day, sending spot prices deeply negative.
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Eyewear retailer behind OPSM, Oakley and Sunglass Hut fined for spam messages
Eyewear retailer Luxottica has been fined over $1.5m for sending over 200,000 marketing messages in breach of Australian spam law.
The company behind OPSM, Oakley and Sunglass Hut was found by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma) to have sent 91,231 marketing emails without an unsubscribe function, and 112,348 texts and emails from customers who had previously unsubscribed.
The messages were sent between November 2022 and May 2023.
Acma member Samantha Yorke said:
Businesses must keep up their side of the bargain and stop sending these messages when customers ask them to.
Acma noted around half of the emails without the unsubscribe link were order confirmations or password reset emails that contained commercial content such as how to buy products.
Acma has been on a blitz against companies over spam act breaches, with fines issued to companies including Uber, Outdoor Supacentre and Kmart in recent months. Over the past 18 months, businesses have been fined over $12.7m for spam and telemarketing failures.
Updated
‘Nothing has changed in our position’ of Hamas having ‘no role in future Palestinian state’: Albanese
Q: Are you willing to recognise a Palestinian state while Hamas is still in control?
Anthony Albanese:
We have said very clearly that we want a two-state solution [and] we are working with like-minded partners as well to say that. Hamas has no role in a future Palestinian state.
Albanese also responded to criticism that recognising a Palestinian state at this time would be viewed as a reward for Hamas:
We have had a long-term position of support for a two-state solution in the Middle East. Nothing has changed in our position there …
We have said every innocent life matters, whether they be Israeli or Palestinian. We have unequivocally opposed the actions of Hamas on 7 October as the actions of a terrorist organisation. That organisation is outlawed for good reason and we have called for the immediate release of all hostages which have been held by Hamas. We have done that consistently.
Updated
Albanese calls for two-state solution ‘that is secure for Palestinians and Israelis’
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has been speaking to the media from Ballina, answering questions about the government’s stance on a Palestinian state.
He said Australia has held the view on a two-state solution for a long time:
… There needs to be a two-state solution, justice for Palestinians in a way that is secure for Palestinians and secure for Israelis.
Albanese said Hamas should not have any role in a future Palestinian state.
We have made that very clear. They are a terrorist organisation and not a legitimate party to the future of Palestine … What we want is Israelis and Palestinians to be able to live in peace and security, with stability and to be able to prosper in the future in a region which is peaceful.
Updated
Jewish community organisations respond after Australian government considers recognising Palestinian statehood
Representatives of Jewish community organisations have responded to a speech from foreign minister Penny Wong last night, who said recognising a Palestinian state might help achieve a two-state solution.
Wong didn’t take an official position, but said this was part of a broader international conversation currently occurring around a pathway to peace.
Zionism Victoria has urged Wong not to recognise Palestinian statehood outside of a negotiated peace agreement with Israel. It argued talks of recognition were “premature”, with president Yossi Goldfarb saying:
How can this be seen as anything other than a reward for terror, and encouragement to pursue goals through terrorism rather than democracy, dialogue or diplomacy?
In her speech last night, Wong said a “reformed Palestinian Authority” would have to lead any Palestinian state and flatly rejected any future role for Hamas.
The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies said any “fast-tracked” recognition of a Palestinian state would “unquestionably” be viewed as a reward for Hamas.
It would disincentivise Palestinians from entering into bilateral peace negotiations with Israel and making the concessions necessary to safeguard Israel’s security and ensure the sustainability of any two-state solution…
Unilateral recognition will not achieve [lasting peace] and will fatally undermine the prospects of reaching the sustainable peace between Israelis and Palestinians that we all yearn for.
Updated
Marles to remain home after testing positive for Covid
Deputy prime minister Richard Marles says he has been diagnosed with Covid.
Overnight I have tested positive for COVID.
— Richard Marles (@RichardMarlesMP) April 10, 2024
Out of an abundance of caution I will remain at home, taking the necessary precautions to keep those around me well.
I look forward to being back on deck soon.
Overnight I have tested positive for COVID. Out of an abundance of caution I will remain at home, taking the necessary precautions to keep those around me well.
I look forward to being back on deck soon.
Marles held a press conference yesterday morning with the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and top military brass.
Updated
Australia v Mexico friendly football match
The friendly women’s football match between Australia and Mexico is wrapping up in Texas. Follow the final moments of action with Joey Lynch below!
And here’s a video of that amazing goal from Caitlin Foord:
"CLASSIC CAITLIN FOORD!!"
— 10 Football (@10FootballAU) April 10, 2024
It's @TheMatildas goal number 36 for Foord in her International career.
Australia leads by 2 goals to Nil over #Mexico!!
Watch the #CommbankMatildas on @Channel10AU & 10 Play!
📺📱💻: https://t.co/M14OJmndRV @Ronaldingo14 #Matildas #MEXvAUS pic.twitter.com/45CJRTNNoF
Updated
Hastie argues government is using ‘obscure and bureaucratic language’ to Australians about ‘threats and challenges’
Continued from last post:
Labor has offered full-throated support for Aukus (despite some unrest within the Labor party base) and maintains that, even though it’s seeking a more stable relationship with China, there has been no shift in Australia’s fundamental assessment of the strategic environment.
But the Coalition’s defence spokesperson, Andrew Hastie, has argued government ministers were using “obscure and bureaucratic language when talking to the Australian people about our threats and challenges”.
Hastie cited Penny Wong’s recent call for “preventive architecture” in a speech to the Australia-Asean special summit in Melbourne last month, and he said:
What does that mean? It sounds more like strategic contraception than deterrence. No one really knows.
In that speech, Wong warned of “the most confronting circumstances in our region in decades” and, in a reference to China, cited “destabilising, provocative and coercive actions, including unsafe conduct at sea and in the air and militarisation of disputed features”.
The foreign minister welcomed the resumption of leader-level and military-level dialogue between the United States and China but said all countries in the region “must also commit to preventive architecture to increase resilience and reduce the risk of conflict through misunderstanding or miscalculation”.
She said members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) needed practical tools to rapidly and effectively deescalate tensions and crises - but she said military deterrence was also critical.
Updated
Andrew Hastie warns of ‘strategic disorder across the globe’
The Coalition’s defence spokesperson, Andrew Hastie, has accused the Albanese government of being “weak at articulating the threats we face”.
He argued the government was also “weak at communicating our strategy to defeat those threats [and] weak at advocating for resources and capability that we need in the years ahead”.
In a speech to the Australian National University’s national security conference today, Hastie laid out a stark assessment of the current times:
From the Red Sea to Israel and Gaza, from Ukraine to the Taiwan Strait—we are seeing breakouts of strategic disorder across the globe. And they matter to Australia, as we feel the impact and see the fractures to Pax Americana.
Authoritarian powers and their proxies are on the move. Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, Hamas, and Houthi rebels—to name a few—undermine the order that underwrites our peace and prosperity.
We all know that China is undergoing the biggest peacetime military buildup since the second world war. That is no secret.
Behind closed doors, the analytical consensus is clear: we are facing a grave and deteriorating strategic situation.
But disturbingly, there is a vast gap between the closed-door analytical consensus inside government and the public conversation that the Albanese government should be leading.
Updated
Faruqi hits back at Wong saying Labor uses Greens ‘as a cover for your lack of action’ on conflict in Middle East
Earlier today, foreign minister Penny Wong accused the Greens of using “people’s distress in order to campaign for votes” when it comes to conflict in the Middle East.
(You can read the full comments earlier in the blog here).
Deputy leader of the Greens Mehreen Faruqi has responded, and wrote on X:
We bring the people’s protests, anguish and disgust into the chambers of power because both Labor and the Coalition ignore the community and refuse to take any action to rein in Israel.
The Greens want the bloodshed and the genocide of Palestinians to end. Questioning those in power who refuse to take concrete action against war crimes isn’t scoring political points, but trying to use us as cover for your lack of action is.
Updated
‘Weak and inadequate’: Greens respond to government’s merger reform
The Greens have labelled the government’s merger reforms as “weak and inadequate”.
The revamped competition laws would require companies to notify the competition watchdog of mergers of a certain size, designed to reduce unfair market concentration. Paul Karp has the full story below:
In a post to X, Greens senator Nick McKim said the proposed reforms were “weak and inadequate, and show how much the party is in the thrall of big business”.
McKim argued the reforms would not give the ACCC the tools they need “and have asked for” to stop further concentration of market power:
This will not reverse the onus of proof for the substantial lessening of competition test, which means the default will remain to approve mergers.
Updated
Four in 10 international students unaware of recent migration policy changes
Four in 10 international students remain unaware of Australia’s recent migration policy changes, a global survey of current, past and prospective students has found.
The survey, commissioned by higher education provider service Ascent One, found permanent residency prospects are a key driver in studying in Australia. Some 82% of current and past international students have applied for or are on the path to applying for a permanent residency visa.
Yet the majority of students struggled to secure a job post-studies, the survey found. Just 23% of current students are working in a job related to their studies, and 44% of past students haven’t found work related to their studies after graduating.
CEO of Ascent One and past international student Naresh Gulati said the survey revealed a “big problem”.
The country is sacrificing future Australians at our own cost. The government’s decision to target international student visas to cut migration numbers is already having an impact.
Updated
Melbourne airport denies not offering funding for its proposed underground station
Circling back to an earlier story from AAP, that Neil Scales has been appointed as a mediator to end the Melbourne airport rail fight.
The airport isn’t shying away from its stance that the airport station should be built underground, and denied it hadn’t offered to stump up funding for the project.
A Melbourne airport spokesman told AAP:
Melbourne Airport was part of a consortium that offered up to $7bn for an underground airport station and express tracks from Sunshine. The state government rejected it.
Updated
Just in case you were wondering, the Matildas are 1-0 up against Mexico in their friendly one-off match in Texas. You can follow all the action with Joey Lynch on our separate live blog here:
Prime minister to meet with families to discuss paid parental leave reforms
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, will today meet with local families in the New South Wales northern rivers region to discuss recent reforms to paid parental leave.
Lobby group The Parenthood had long advocated for the changes. CEO Georgie Dent said the extension of paid parental leave to 26 weeks by 2026, and the inclusion of superannuation, marks significant and welcome progress for Australian families.
In a statement, Dent said:
Every parent here today is grateful for the opportunity to speak directly with the prime minister about their own reality juggling their care responsibilities, with being able to financially provide for their families …
To truly advance towards gender equality, we need universal access to affordable early childhood education and care. It goes beyond simply balancing work and family; it’s about ensuring equitable opportunities for all children and their parents …
This meeting with [Albanese] in Ballina underscores the shared recognition of the challenges parents face and the crucial role of government in driving meaningful change for families across the nation.
Updated
High court rules for government in ‘bizarre’ steering wheel visa case
The immigration minister is not required to personally read submissions for intervention on visa decisions, the high court has ruled, in a decision breaking Labor’s losing streak on sensitive migration cases.
The high court has today unanimously ruled in favour of Andrew Giles in a long-running case featuring a “bizarre” photo of a signed ministerial brief next to a steering wheel.
On 14 April 2021 the then immigration minister, Alex Hawke, decided not to reinstate the visa of Joseph Leon McQueen, a father of seven and grandfather of three – who had spent 22 years in Australia – due to his drug convictions.
In March 2022 the federal court overturned Hawke’s decision, finding the minister was directed to “sign here” by stickers on his brief without sufficient personal consideration of the case.
That finding was supported by a photo showing a signed page in a two-ring binder marked with the stickers sitting in an unidentified person’s lap by a steering wheel, in what three judges of the full federal court labelled “an unusual and somewhat bizarre factual situation”.
The full federal court upheld the original decision, prompting an appeal by the Albanese government, which feared a precedent had been set that would “consign the minister to a legal obligation to read every word on every page of every document”.
The high court held that the minister is not required to read the submissions received in every case but can rely on departmental briefs which accurately summarise that material.
So long as the representations made are appropriate to be summarised and that process of distillation is accurate and provides a full account of the essential content, it will be lawful for the minister to read a summary and nothing more.
Updated
Australian Medical Association reiterates its call for sugary drinks tax
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) says news that Fanta’s sugar content had risen by 60% shows the need for a sugary drinks tax.
In a statement, the AMA said reports had revealed Fanta’s sugar content had increased by 60% just a few years after it was reduced, “despite industry assurances that sugary drinks are being reformulated with less sugar”.
AMA president Prof Steve Robson today launched the association’s federal budget submission, arguing for the tax on sugary drinks. He argued consumers had been “sold a story about reformulation” only to discover the sugar content had risen in some drinks.
This is further evidence of the need for a tax on sugary drinks to encourage manufacturers to prioritise true reformulation efforts and provide consumers with healthier options …
How are consumers to know this is happening, when even the big retailers’ websites don’t have the correct information or know the sugar has been secretly increased.
The industry’s sugar reduction pledge to reformulate isn’t working. That’s because it’s voluntary, and its impact is severely limited with only four manufacturers signing up.
Robson said a 20% health levy on sugar drinks could raise around $1bn each year, which could be invested into health promotion campaigns aimed at “reducing pressure on our stretched health system”.
Updated
Asbestos confirmed at seventh site in Melbourne
A Melbourne council in the city’s west says asbestos has been discovered at Altona Coastal Park, as the discovery of contaminated material spreads to seven parks across the city.
Hobsons Bay city council says testing confirms the presence of asbestos-containing material at Altona Coastal Park, in Melbourne’s west. The site and PA Burns Reserve – where asbestos was confirmed by the environmental regulator on Tuesday – has been fenced off.
The Environment Protection Authority has stressed that the risk of harm to the public remains low and only small traces of asbestos have been found.
Updated
Mediator appointed to end Melbourne airport rail fight
Former Queensland transport department director general Neil Scales has been saddled with the task of getting Melbourne’s stalled airport rail link moving, AAP reports.
The Commonwealth has appointed Scales to resolve a long-running stand-off between the Victorian government and Melbourne airport’s operators over whether the airport railway station should be elevated or underground.
Scales has begun the work and plans to visit the airport later this week.
In November, federal infrastructure minister Catherine King flagged she would appoint an independent mediator to resolve the dispute after the mega project was spared the axe after a federal infrastructure review.
Melbourne airport prefers the project’s airport station to be built underground but the Victorian government is pushing for it to be elevated, arguing it would cost taxpayers $1bn less, take two fewer years to build and cause less disruption.
A Victorian government spokesman welcomed Scales’ appointment to resolve the airport’s “unreasonable demands”, and said “these frustrating negotiations have caused significant delays to the project”.
The rail line to connect Melbourne to Tullamarine was originally due to be completed by 2029, with new and redeveloped stations in Melbourne’s west.
Updated
Julian Hill backs calls for recognition of Palestinian state
Labor MP Julian Hill said that recognising a Palestinian state would “help build the pathway” to a two-state solution.
While speaking to Sky News just earlier he backed up comments made last night by Penny Wong and said the calls to recognise a Palestinian state are part of a broader “accelerating global discussion” around the pathway to peace.
Firstly, this is in Israel’s own security interests. Israel needs recognition in the region and ultimately that will only come from a number of its neighbours and countries in the region when there’s a Palestinian state recognised alongside it.
The second point is [recognition] undermines support amongst the Palestinian people for extremism. It gives hope, it gives reassurance, that there is a pathway out of this decades-long cyclone of violence.
And to be clear Australia sees no role for Hamas in the future governance of a Palestinian state.
Updated
NSW police to investigate fatal stabbing on far north coast
A police investigation is underway after a fatal stabbing in New South Wales’ far north coast overnight.
Emergency services were called to Oxford Street in Kingscliff just after 8pm last night where they found two men seriously injured.
A 29-year-old man was found with a stab wound and treated by paramedics but died at the scene. A 66-year-old man – the occupant of the home – was also found with significant arm injuries and airlifted to Gold Coast University hospital for treatment.
A crime scene was established at the home and detectives have commenced an investigation. Police are searching for a man believed to have been with the 29-year-old prior to the incident.
Updated
Record 1.57 million people attended Ramadan Nights Lakemba
More than one million people flocked to this year’s Ramadan night markets at Lakemba in Sydney, in what organisers are labelling a “huge success”.
The month-long event saw 1.57 million people attend to break their fast, or experience what Ramadan is all about. This broke last year’s attendance record by nearly 200,000 people, organisers said.
Canterbury-Bankstown mayor Bilal El-Hayek said he was pleased to see so many attend with a positive attitude and embrace the culturally significant event:
We saw people travel from across the state, and even across the country and the overwhelming feedback was very positive.
El-Hayek thanked the staff for the mammoth effort to ensure the event was safe and ran smoothly.
It was a fantastic atmosphere as I spoke to visitors on the ground, and they appreciated us holding the event … It was a beautiful thing to be part of and an incredible display of what Ramadan is all about.
Updated
Police shoot dead a dog at a popular surf beach
Western Australian police have sprayed and fatally shot a dog at a popular surf beach.
Officers were called to a car park at Trigg beach just before 7pm yesterday following a concern for welfare report, a statement from police said.
Police said officers attempted to speak with a woman with a dog but she fled on foot down a beach track. OC spray was then deployed on the dog after he “became aggressive towards officers”.
Police said the woman was arrested on the beach a short time later and returned to the car park. At this time, police allege the dog approached and attacked two small dogs walking nearby with a member of the community.
Police fatally shot the large dog “to prevent further injury to those present”, police said.
One of the smaller dogs sustained serious injuries and was taken for emergency medical assistance. An investigation into the matter remains ongoing, police said.
Updated
Executive Council of Australian Jewry ‘immensely disappointed’ by Wong’s speech
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry has labelled the foreign minister, Penny Wong’s, speech last night as “immensely disappointing”.
In case you’re just joining us, her speech suggests that recognising a Palestinian state could provide a pathway towards a two-state solution, but made no official announcement.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief Alex Ryvchin told ABC News Breakfast Wong’s comments were “no doubt well intentioned” but he viewed them as a “lecture” from an ally that seemed “callous and inappropriate”.
I think that Israel knows how to conduct this war. It knows what it needs to do to defend its territory and citizens. This is a time when key allies need to stand in solidarity with Israel and show understanding. It’s a critical time.
He was asked what this means for the relationship between the Jewish lobby and the Labor government? Ryvchin said he could only speak for the Jewish community:
We certainly think [Wong’s comments] are misguided and will convey that to the foreign minister. But the relationship between Israel and Australia is deep and profoundly important to both sides, it secures both parties and will endure no doubt … We would urge the foreign minister to reconsider this position.
Updated
Environment minister defends approval of coalmines during her term
Environment and water minister Tanya Plibersek says the government is “very concerned” about the ongoing bleaching event affecting the Great Barrier Reef.
Speaking on ABC RN earlier this morning, Plibersek noted there have been concerning bleaching events across the world and said:
We need to protect the reef because it’s unique in the world, and also 64,000 people rely on it for their work. And that’s why we’re doing whatever we can, first of all, to get Australia to net zero. We’ve got 43% emissions reduction target and net zero by 2050, we’re working very hard to get to 82% renewable energy. It’s why we’ve put $1.2bn into protecting the reef, improving water quality, getting gillnets out of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. I rejected a coalmine that would have had impacts on the reef …
Q: You have approved several other coalmines during your term?
Plibersek acknowledged she had and argued this was “because Australia has to get to net zero by 2050 and every new project that we approve is now part of the safeguard mechanism”:
And you know what would have made a real difference? If 10 years ago our carbon pollution reduction scheme hadn’t been blocked by the Greens and the Liberals who would have seen 80m fewer tonnes of carbon pollution in our atmosphere.
We need to get on with the safeguard mechanism that has been approved by the parliament, with the support of the Greens and the crossbench … and our trajectory to net zero.
Updated
Penny Wong’s position on recognising Palestinian state ‘chasing green votes’, Sussan Ley argues
Deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley has joined in on criticism of Penny Wong’s speech last night, signalling the potential for recognising a Palestinian state as a way of achieving a two-state solution.
Speaking on Sky News this morning, Ley argued this was a “domestic policy decision” aimed at “chasing green votes”, and that it demonstrates division within the Labor party:
To make such a decision for domestic political purposes is not good for our national security.
As we noted earlier, Wong has not announced a decision on the matter. She has signalled discussions are happening within the international community around this, including Australia.
Ley said she supported a future Palestinian state with a reformed Palestinian Authority, but “the problem is that [it] is neither reformed nor in charge”:
Hamas is in charge in the Gaza strip and a decision like this by Australia watched from that region will be seen, I believe, only as emboldening the terrorists.
As Josh Butler reported, during her speech Wong said a “reformed Palestinian Authority” would have to lead any Palestinian state and she flatly rejected any future role for Hamas.
Updated
Birmingham doubles down on criticism of Penny Wong’s speech
Shadow foreign minister Simon Birmingham has doubled down on his criticism of Penny Wong’s speech last night, which signalled the government may consider recognising Palestinian statehood as a pathway to a two-state solution.
Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, Birmingham said Wong needed to make her prerequisites for this position clear, and whether this included the removal of Hamas.
Wong addressed this during her speech last night. She said a “reformed Palestinian Authority” would have to lead any Palestinian state and flatly rejected any future role for Hamas.
Birmingham said this morning:
To be simultaneously urging for a ceasefire that would seem to leave Hamas in place is, of course, not going to achieve the type of outcome or environment that could give you a secure environment for a two-state solution to be negotiated.
Host Lisa Millar asked: Is the way Israel is currently carrying out this war going to put the area on the path to peace?
Birmingham did not comment on any actions of Israel, and argued the war would only end when “Hamas is removed [and] they have handed over the hostages”.
Updated
Eid comes at anxious time for many, Albanese says
The prime minister has issued a statement for Eid al-Fitr, noting it is a special time for Muslim Australians to “come together as a community in prayer, hospitality and generosity”.
Anthony Albanese said:
This year the suffering in Gaza will mean many Muslim Australians will mark Eid al-Fitr with sorrow. This is a difficult an anxious time for many, and I hope you can find some measure of comfort and strength among your family and friends and the expression of your faith.
Eid Mubarak. pic.twitter.com/473MWspVo7
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) April 9, 2024
Updated
Most Australians support renewable energy transition, major CSIRO survey finds
Most Australians support a transition to renewable energy and half believe the country’s environment is fragile and can only be protected if there are large changes in human behaviour and society, according to a major survey by the national science agency, CSIRO.
The survey of 6,700 people, undertaken in August and September, largely focused on attitudes to the transition to renewable energy.
It found an overwhelming majority supported a clean energy transition, with 47% backing a shift towards a renewable energy system at a moderate pace, and 40% backing a rapid and extensive transition. Only 13% said they wanted a slow transition.
Andrea Walton, the senior social scientist on the project, said:
Many Australians held generally moderate attitudes towards living near renewable energy infrastructure, suggesting a broad willingness to support, or at least tolerate, the development of solar farms, onshore and offshore wind farms, and associated transmission line infrastructure.
Transmission lines were seen less favourably compared to other renewable energy infrastructure. The survey revealed an important reason for this was that people didn’t always recognise the role of additional transmission lines in the renewable energy transition.
The survey found affordability was the most common energy priority, followed by emissions reduction, and well ahead of minimising power outages.
A question on attitudes to the environment found 51% said it was fragile and would be protected only if there were large changes in human behaviour and society, while 19% who said it could be managed by the government and experts if there were clear rules.
Chalmers comments on proposed revamp to merger laws
Jim Chalmers was asked about the proposed merger laws, and how these would impact everyday Australians day-to-day.
In case you missed it: the revamped competition laws would require companies to notify the competition watchdog of mergers of a certain size, designed to reduce unfair market concentration. Paul Karp has the full story below:
Chalmers said a more competitive economy meant “more choices for people at fair prices”.
Our economy is not competitive enough as it stands, and it’s been getting less competitive over recent decades and that comes at a cost to everyone and we want to address that, because a more competitive economy is better for consumers, it’s better for businesses and it’s better for the economy more broadly.
Chalmers said if a potential merger raised competition concerns, the ACCC could apply a test of whether it lessened competition, or whether it expanded market power. He said this would allow good mergers to proceed quicker, and concern mergers to receive “a bit more robust scrutiny”.
Updated
Chalmers backs foreign minister Penny Wong’s speech
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has backed the speech made by foreign minister Penny Wong last night. Speaking on ABC AM earlier, he was asked about comments from the opposition that recognition of a Palestinian state would reward Hamas.
Is that the danger here? “No”, Chalmers said.
I was there at the Australian National University for [Wong’s] characteristically considered and thoughtful contribution. She made a number of points, but among them was the point that if we want to build a pathway out of this endless cycle of violence and bloodshed, then a two-state solution offers us the best chance and that’s why the international community, including our friends around the world, are considering whether recognition builds momentum towards that two-state solution and the peaceful future that we want for people on both sides of that horrendous conflict.
Division dangerous for our democracy, Wong says
Wrapping up the interview, Penny Wong is asked about tensions at home between some Muslim and Jewish communities. Does she believe these tensions have eased?
Wong told ABC RN people need to be “less condemnatory, more respectful of one another”:
People are increasingly struggling with how to discuss this with their fellow citizens, and we’ve seen antisemitism, we’ve seen Islamophobia, we’ve seen language and behaviours that shows that people are losing respect for one another – that is dangerous for our democracy. We have to be peacemakers at home … We gain nothing by reproducing the conflict here, we gain nothing by shouting each other down and we gain nothing by delegitimising or belittling one another and there’s been far too much of that in the discussion.
Turning the lens on politicians, Wong accused the Greens of using “people’s distress in order to campaign for votes”:
[That] has been appalling and there are consequences to that sort of behaviour and we all ought to act more as leaders and peacemakers rather than using this for political campaigning purposes.
Updated
Attack on aid workers under spotlight
Q: You and [defence minister] Richard Marles wrote a letter to the Israeli government saying that appropriate action should be taken against those IDF personnel, if they didn’t act in accordance with the law. What is appropriate action if that is the case?
Penny Wong:
Well, certainly I’ve been I’ve said before and I’ve said our job as a government is to find out what the facts are and then make decisions and on the basis of those facts.
Q: Have you had a response from the Israeli government to that letter?
Wong:
Not as yet, but we look forward to a response.
Q: What are the consequences if there isn’t full accountability and transparency from the investigations?
Wong:
My focus at the moment is to engage with the Israeli government to ensure that there is transparency and accountability. And I would say it is in Israel’s interests for the Australian government [and] Australia community to be satisfied that there has been transparency and accountability.
Updated
‘Aid workers are to be protected’
Penny Wong was also asked to provide an update on the work done by Mark Binskin so far, who was appointed special adviser on Israel’s response to the deaths of World Central Kitchen aid workers, including Australian Zomi Frankcom.
Wong said the Australian government was engaging with Israel about Binskin’s appointment:
There are positive engagements and we appreciate that this is a very important issue for Australia. We have been saying for a very long time it is important that international humanitarian law be adhered to.
Under international humanitarian law, as you know, aid workers are to be protected. Demonstrably, there was a deadly failure of deconfliction – deconfliction being the ways in which making sure that defence forces are aware of where humanitarian workers are so they can be protected and there was a deadly failure.
Australians do expect there to be transparency and full accountability and we’ve appointed Mark Binskin as a special adviser because he will be able to assist the Australian government in considering the investigation against those principles that I’ve outlined.
Updated
Support for two-state solution v recognition of Palestinian statehood
The key takeaway from Penny Wong’s speech last night, and her comments this morning, is the hint Australia may move towards unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, in conjunction with other countries.
This is slightly different to support for a two-state solution, which has always been Australia’s position.
Wong has made no decision and has not committed to recognition but said this is part of a broader debate within the international community right now.
She was asked directly about this on ABC RN, if Australia is ready and willing to recognise Palestine as a state?
Wong:
We’ve made no such decision, the discussion I want to have is to look at what is happening in the international community where there is the very important debate about how it is we secure long-lasting peace in a region where which has known so much conflict.
Updated
Peace can’t be achieved in long term until statehood resolved, Wong says
Penny Wong has also responded to criticism to her speech, that recognition of a Palestinian state would reward Hamas for the 7 October attack.
Wong refuted this and said the Australian government has been, and is, calling for the release of hostages:
But my point is a longer term point about what is the path to peace. I don’t see ultimately, any security for Israel without the issue of Palestinian statehood being resolved, and whether it’s the continued normalisation of relationships from other countries in the region, such as Saudi Arabia – who obviously has said very clearly there will be no normalisation until that issue is resolved – there is no case for [peace] in the long term, unless this issue is resolved.
Updated
‘Do not go down this path’
Speaking on ABC RN, Penny Wong said the Australian government was “deeply concerned” about a proposed ground invasion in Rafah by Israel:
Israel was attacked in the most horrific terms by an organisation which is dedicated to the destruction of the Jewish people … which is Hamas. And more Jewish lives were lost in that day than any single day since the Holocaust. So any state attacked in that way would defend itself. The point I also made is any state that does defend itself is bound by certain rules, and we are concerned about the humanitarian implications and consequences for civilians in Rafah, as is the president of the United States when we have said to Israel: do not go down this path.
We know how many Palestinians are sheltering there, people fled because of the conflict in Gaza and they have nowhere to go. And we are alongside with the president of the United States and so many others in the international community, we are urging Israel to not go down this path.
Updated
‘Security for Israel only achieved if Palestinian state alongside it,’ Wong says
Foreign minister Penny Wong has been speaking to ABC RN about her speech last night, when she said recognition of a Palestinian state may provide a pathway towards a two-state solution.
She flagged that the government was considering this during a speech in Canberra last night:
Speaking to ABC RN, Wong reiterated the points made during her speech. She said among the international community, there is a debate ongoing about how to “secure long-lasting peace in a region which has known so much conflict”:
Obviously we have the immediate conflict, we need to see Hamas release hostages, we need to see a revitalised Palestinian Authority, we need to see an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. We need all of these things immediately. But the point I’m making is that ultimately, peace and security for Israel will only be achieved if we have a Palestinian state alongside the Israeli state.
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Birmingham says recognition of Palestinian state would be ‘dangerous’
The federal opposition has responded to comments made by foreign affairs minister Penny Wong last night that recognising a Palestinian state was “the only hope” to end violence in the Middle East.
In case you missed it, Wong said the recognition of a Palestinian state is “the only hope to break the endless cycle of violence” in the Middle East and a two-state solution would help ensure long-term security for Israel and further undermine Hamas. You can read the full story from Josh Butler below:
In a statement last night, shadow foreign minister Simon Birmingham said the argument to recognise a Palestinian state “puts statehood before security, and will be seen as a win by the terrorists who initiated the current horrific conflict”:
It is downright dangerous to reward such barbaric conduct with a fast track to recognition of statehood.
To give the greatest chance for a sustainable ceasefire, that leads to prospects for stability and security, Labor should instead be applying maximum pressure on Hamas to immediately and unconditionally release all hostages and surrender all terrorist capabilities …
Labor is threatening to break decades of bipartisan Australian foreign policy that recognition of a Palestinian state should only occur as part of a negotiated solution which gives Israel and a future Palestinian state security within internationally recognised borders.
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Wind warning in place for parts of NSW east coast
Strong winds lashed Sydney overnight, with a low pressure system moving up the coast and set to bring winds to the Hunter and mid north coast mid-morning.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the low was expected to move away from the coast late today and into tomorrow, resulting in easing winds.
Damaging winds of about 55 to 70km/h are forecast for today, with peaks about 100km/h in the coastal fringe between Wooli and Wattamolla.
Winds are forecast to ease below warning thresholds by late this afternoon and the bureau is to provide another update about 11am, local time.
The bureau recorded these significant wind gusts since 12am this morning:
100km/h at Wattamolla at 2.30am.
80km/h at Molineux Point at 12.47am.
78km/h in Sydney Harbour (Wedding Cake West) at 2.44am.
Australian Lawyers Alliance weighs in on NDIS discussion
Yesterday the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said access to the NDIS should not be used as a means of ongoing punishment for people who have a criminal record.
Spokesperson Greg Barns said:
The right to health is a human right that applies to all Australians whether they have a criminal record or not. Once someone has served their sentence, they should not be further punished by denying them access to government support services, if they are eligible for them.
You can read more about this in yesterday’s blog here.
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NDIS minister says disability scheme shouldn’t be ‘dumping ground’ for criminals on parole
NDIS minister Bill Shorten says the disability scheme “cannot be the dumping ground” for criminals on parole, as another front opens in the simmering state v federal dispute on how to pay for the critical government program.
Further scrutiny has been applied to spending on the NDIS amid media reporting that some serious criminal offenders including those with rape or paedophilia convictions who have been diagnosed with intellectual disabilities were receiving major disability support to help with supervision after leaving jail.
In a statement to the Nine newspapers, Shorten said “being a criminal is a not a disability” and policing issues were “the province of the states”. He said on Tuesday:
I am writing to the states to demand they start reporting and stop keeping the NDIA in the dark when a serious criminal is released from their jails.
Shorten and the federal government have long raised concerns about the NDIS being relied upon for a greater range of issues than it was originally designed, and allegations that state governments had decreased their own spending in response, leading to ballooning federal costs.
He told 9 News that the government would ask a group of former police officers to review the safety of NDIS workers “before we admit people with serious criminal history anywhere near our NDIS”:
Now the vast bulk of people on the scheme – the vast, vast bulk – are completely legitimate and eligible but the states can’t just use the NDIS to provide round-the-clock protection for the community from a few very bad people.
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Welcome
Good morning and happy Wednesday. Welcome back to the Australia news live blog. I’m Emily Wind and I’ll take you through our rolling coverage today.
Making news today: NDIS minister Bill Shorten has said the disability scheme “cannot be the dumping ground” for criminals on parole, as another front opens in the simmering state v federal dispute on how to pay for the critical government program. Shorten said yesterday:
I am writing to the states to demand they start reporting and stop keeping the NDIA in the dark when a serious criminal is released from their jails.
Josh Butler will have more on this shortly.
A severe weather warning remains in place for damaging winds across the NSW mid north coast, metropolitan region and the Hunter. Damaging winds of about 55 to 70km/h are forecast, with peak gusts expected to reach around 100km/h between Wooli and Wattamolla. Sydney Harbour winds reached 78km/h about 2.45am.
See something that needs attention on the blog? You can get in touch via X, @emilywindwrites, or send me an email: emily.wind@theguardian.com.
Let’s get started.
