What we learned – Monday 15 July
That’s it for tonight. Thanks for reading. Here are today’s main stories:
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, seeks the suspension of the CFMEU’s construction division from Victorian Labor, as federal industrial relations minister Tony Burke says nothing is off the table regarding the allegations against the union.
The head of the ACTU also said there was no place whatsoever for criminal behaviour in unions, and the CFMEU said the Victorian branch will be placed into administration.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers warns about what he calls the “normalisation of extremism” in politics in the wake of the attempted assassination of former US president Donald Trump.
Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla are to visit Australia and Samoa in October, Buckingham Palace says.
Traffic chaos and congestion that erupted in Sydney’s inner west after the opening of the $3.9bn Rozelle interchange was “unreasonable and unacceptable” given the amount of planning that went into it, an inquiry has found.
Bank customers will be refunded more than $28m after a crackdown by the financial regulator on banks “systemically” charging high fees to customers on low incomes.
Antarctic blast brings damaging winds and alpine blizzards to Victoria and NSW and possible snow in Queensland.
We will see you back here again tomorrow.
Updated
Inquiry condemns traffic chaos created by Sydney’s $3.9bn Rozelle interchange
The traffic chaos and congestion that erupted in Sydney’s inner west after the opening of a $3.9bn “spaghetti junction” was “unreasonable and unacceptable” given the amount of planning that went into it, an inquiry has found.
In its final report, after a months-long inquiry into the Rozelle interchange, a parliamentary committee also found a “concerning lack of clarity and transparency” between the government and Transurban.
The interchange was designed and built by the New South Wales government. It forms the final stage of the sprawling $16.8bn WestConnex toll road network, which is privately operated by Transurban, the major toll road owner.
Read more on that story here:
Updated
ASX hits record high, closing above 8,000 for first time
The local share market has pushed further into record territory, with the ASX200 closing above 8,000 for the first time ever, AAP reports.
The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index on Monday rose 58.3 points, or 0.73%, to 8,017.6, while the broader All Ordinaries gained 56.3 points, or 0.69%, to 8,262.4.
The ASX200 first traded above 7,000 back in January 2020, but two months later it plummeted below 5,000 as the Covid-19 pandemic emerged.
Updated
Travis Bazzana becomes first Australian to be top draft pick in Major League Baseball
Not sure if we’ve ever featured baseball news in the blog before, but it probably IS newsworthy that an Australian has been taken as the No 1 pick in the Major League Baseball draft (and, y’know, Cleveland GUARDIANS).
As AAP reports, Travis Bazzana, the big-hitting left-hander from Sydney, is the first Australian to be taken in the first round of the draft, let alone the top choice.
Baseball’s top pick this year had a slot value of $US10,570,600 ($A16m) under the bonus pools system that began in 2012.
That means the 21-year-old Bazzana will have a sign-on bonus of about $A15m when he officially joins the Cleveland Guardians.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced on Monday morning (AEST) that the Cleveland Guardians had chosen the second base, currently playing for Oregon State University.
Updated
Banks to refund $28m in fees to low-income customers after ASIC review
Bank customers will be refunded more than $28m after a crackdown by the financial regulator on banks “systemically” charging high fees to customers on low incomes.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission said in a statement that it found the ANZ, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, CBA and Westpac kept at least 2 million Australians on low incomes, including First Nations customers and many relying on Centrelink payments, in high-fee accounts.
ASIC commissioner Alan Kirkland said the banks caused financial distress through avoidable fees and complicated bank processes, often creating barriers for regional and remote consumers.
Banks knew that many of these customers on low-incomes were in inappropriate high-fee accounts, and it has taken ASIC’s intervention to force them to act.
Before our review, most banks only provided their customers with difficult ‘opt-in’ processes for switching to low-fee banking options, including forcing some consumers to travel hundreds of kilometres to their nearest bank branch.
ASIC said the review was focused on improving financial outcomes for First Nations consumers by addressing avoidable fees, but its findings resulted in broader outcomes for people on low incomes nationwide.
Updated
Seven News is reporting that Victorian police divers have made an interesting find in the Maribyrnong River, but that it is too early to say whether it is related to the death of a woman whose body was found nearby yesterday:
UPDATE: Police divers have found a motorbike at the bottom of Maribyrnong river. It’s too early to tell if the discovery is linked to the woman’s death.@7NewsMelbourne pic.twitter.com/cENL5DMeBL
— Cassie Zervos (@cassiezervos) July 15, 2024
Updated
Coroner investigates alleged neglect of three-year-old NSW girl
A coroner is investigating the death of a three-year-old girl found lying unresponsive in a cockroach-infested unit with rotting food in the kitchen and clumps of the girl’s hair all over the floor, AAP reports.
Deputy state coroner Joan Baptie will be asked to examine if the Department of Communities and Justice failed in its dealings with the family over the alleged neglect of the young girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, before her death on 30 May 2018 in northern New South Wales.
Counsel assisting Chris McGory told the inquest on Monday in Newcastle that an autopsy revealed the girl’s cause of death was bilateral bronchopneumonia.
But McGory said the girl had also been suffering from renal failure and an extreme infestation of head lice.
The girl’s mother had left clumps of the girl’s hair on the floor throughout the two-bedroom unit when attempting to get rid of the head lice.
McGory said the girl and her younger brother had been living alone in the unit with their mother who had little community support to help raise the children and was quite isolated.
The children’s father would visit them regularly but was struggling with mental health issues.
The girl had been enrolled for pre-school but was not attending before her death.
McGory said the coroner would also examine the department’s decision to close the file on the family and refer the case to the Benevolent Society.
The inquest continues.
Updated
Many thanks for joining me on the blog today, Nino Bucci will be here to take you through the rest of our rolling coverage. Take care.
Tasmanian SES crews busy as state hit by heavy rain and strong winds
Tasmanian SES crews have responded to 18 requests for assistance in southern parts of the state since last night amid severe weather and rain.
The acting SES assistant director of operations and resources, Cheryl Ames, said:
Rainfall is expected to continue across the state today and overnight into Tuesday with some elevated locations in the south east expected to see isolated totals of 80-100mm.
With damaging winds and rainfall continuing it’s important that people keep up to date with the weather forecast and warnings and remain safe.
With school holidays underway, we know that many Tasmanian families may be travelling or planning outdoor activities. We encourage everyone to make safe and sensible decisions and keep informed about the weather conditions when planning for the next few days.
Updated
The Bureau of Meteorology has published a severe weather update, outlining the damaging wind, flooding and snow forecast for parts of southeast Australia.
Severe Weather Update: Cold snap with damaging wind, flooding & snow for south-east Australia. Video current: 1pm AEST 15 July 2024.
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) July 15, 2024
Latest: https://t.co/4W35o8iFmh or the BOM Weather app. pic.twitter.com/CflDapRKU5
Could China’s weak GDP growth be a prompt for more government stimulus?
China’s June quarter ended only 15 days ago but, like magic, the country’s national statistics bureau is able to tell us how much the economy of more than 1.4 billion people has grown.
The 4.7% GDP growth pace sounds good but it’s actually the weakest in five quarters and was slower than the 5.3% pace in the March quarter. Economists had tipped a 5.1% pace so these numbers will disappoint. (The full-year goal is “around 5%”.)
Their timing, though, might help focus the minds of China’s leaders who are meeting this week in Beijing for a major event known as the third plenum.
Local and foreign economists have been calling for the government to shift the usual strategy of dealing with a slowdown by encouraging ever more investment in industrial capacity, high-speed rail and real estate. The latter has been in a funk for a couple of years and that’s been dragging on consumer sentiment since the bulk of household wealth is typically tied up in property. (Sounds a bit familiar.)
China’s record trade surplus of almost $US100bn ($A148bn) in June has only fuelled (not unreasonable) fears overseas that excess manufacturing is being dumped on them. The flip side, of course, is that falling Chinese producer prices are also taking some of the sting out of global inflation.
China’s production of “new-energy” vehicles, particularly electric ones, was up about a third in the first half of 2024 from a year earlier. Many of those will be exported, helping boost the switch to EVs everywhere.
Countries like Australia are watching China’s growth trajectory closely. China is easily Australia’s biggest export market (and the biggest export market of most of Australia’s next largest markets), so a slowdown there dents commodity prices and shrinks budget takings.
Let’s see if this week’s leaders gathering produces any major economic moves in China.
Updated
Australian Monarchist League ‘thrilled’ by news of king’s visit
The Australian Monarchist League says it is “thrilled” to learn that King Charles and Queen Camilla will visit Australia later this year.
National chairman Philip Benwell said:
Australia will become the first realm since His Majesty’s accession in 2022 to have a visit by The King and Queen, highlighting their personal affection for Australia in particular.
The League said it “trust[s] that all levels of government will make every resource available” to ensure “all Australians” can see the king and queen.
Updated
Flood warnings and alerts across Tasmania and Victoria
There are a number of flood warnings in place across Tasmania, including:
A minor flood warning for the Huon River
Minor flood warning for the St Pauls River
Initial flood warning for the Coal River.
A flood watch is also in place for parts of the North East, East Coast, Huon, Derwent and South East catchments, where further rainfall totals of 20-50mm are forecast for the remainder of today into tomorrow.
Meanwhile in Victoria, there are a number of flood advice alerts in place, covering the Thomson River, Latrobe River, Traralgon Creek, the Archeron and Yea rivers, South Gippsland rivers, the Otway coast, Bunyip and Dandenong Creek, and the Yarra River to Coldstream.
Updated
Tony Burke says CFMEU’s response to allegations so far ‘falls short’
As Benita reported earlier, the Victorian premier Jacinta Allan is demanding action over the allegations raised by Nine reporting on the CFMEU. That has included from the federal government, with Allan wanting her federal counterparts to tighten up laws to allow action in response to these sorts of allegations.
Yesterday, industrial relations minister Tony Burke said nothing would be off the table, and the government was considering all its options.
In a statement today, Burke said the government was taking the allegations seriously:
My reaction to the announcements today from the construction division of the CFMEU are the same as my reaction to the departure of John Setka: I welcome it, it’s a start, but only a start.
As I said yesterday I will be weighing up the Department’s advice, the evidence that’s emerging and the response of the union. The response so far is progress, but falls short.
The ALP federal executive has not commented publicly on the allegations, or what actions it will take in response. Allan has also called on the federal executive branch to take action. It is expected the executive will meet on Wednesday to discuss the matter.
Updated
Gridlock on new energy transmission adds to bill shock
Consumers in New South Wales face the biggest bill shock from the nation’s delays in transmission infrastructure to support renewable energy according to independent modelling, AAP reports.
Households and businesses face higher electricity bills unless federal and state governments get investment back on track, Nexa Advisory’s chief executive Stephanie Bashir has warned.
The latest research found the delays in building energy transmission infrastructure – which average three years – could also compromise energy reliability and put emissions reduction targets in jeopardy.
The cost ramifications were most significant in NSW with residential consumers facing up to $1,100 in additional annual costs if transmission delays continue at this pace, or even more if political squabbles and greater investor caution add to delays.
Small businesses in NSW with 40 megawatt hour electricity consumption could face a 23% bump in costs – up to $7,716 a year – which increases to $24,124 with a seven-year delay, the report warned.
The impact is most severe in NSW, where intra-regional transmission projects such as HumeLink play a critical role in transporting electricity generation from various regions to the major population centre of Sydney, Newcastle, and Wollongong.
Updated
Rozelle interchange mess ‘unacceptable’, NSW inquiry finds
The traffic chaos and congestion that erupted in Sydney’s inner west after the opening of a $3.9bn junction was “unreasonable and unacceptable” given the amount of planning that went into it, a parliamentary inquiry has found.
In its final report, after a months-long probe of the Rozelle interchange, the parliamentary committee also found a “concerning lack of clarity and transparency” between the government and Transurban.
The report concluded that the WestConnex model was based on maximising its sale value, which led to increased traffic congestion on the Anzac Bridge and nearby suburbs.
It also found there had been a lack of transparency and accountability for the design given the impact it had on the community. Additionally, benefits promised to the community had “not been realised”.
Updated
Here’s a full copy of the Victorian premier’s statement on the news we brought you earlier re the CFMEU:
Statement from the Premier. pic.twitter.com/1GKcRPg8tx
— Jacinta Allan (@JacintaAllanMP) July 15, 2024
‘No room for criminality’ in construction – Minns
The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, said there was “no room for criminality in the construction sector” in the state and vowed to take action against anyone misbehaving in the CFMEU.
Asked about the deepening union crisis on Monday morning, the Labor leader said that position was “unambiguous” and aligned across NSW Labor.
He said the state’s CFMEU secretary, Darren Greenfield, “should go” while he faced charges of bribery.
Minns said:
In 2021, I made the decision to insist that the secretary of the NSW CFMEU be expelled from the NSW [Labor] party and that’s exactly what happened while he faces these very serious charges...
Clearly these are very serious charges. They are before the court. They couldn’t be more serious. It’s hard to see how he could continue in that role while facing serious charges before the courts. I think he should go.
Updated
Police treating one death as suspicious after two bodies found in Melbourne river
Victorian police have issued the following update after two bodies were found in the Maribyrnong River in Melbourne’s west on Sunday. It is believed there are no links between the two deaths, and that only one of them is suspicious.
A spokesperson said:
The homicide squad is investigating the death of the woman whose body was located in the Maribyrnong River in Flemington yesterday morning.
This death is being treated as suspicious.
We are still in the process of speaking to next of kin and will provide any further updates when we are able to.
At this time, there is nothing to link the death of the woman to that of the man whose body was also located in the Maribyrnong River yesterday morning.
Enquiries are under way in relation to identifying the man, however it appears at this early stage that this death is likely to be non-suspicious.
Updated
The Bureau of Meteorology says it could snow in Queensland tomorrow:
🥶Cold snap will continue all week, even reaching far north #Qld later this week. ❄️A low chance of snow flurries on the Granite Belt from Tuesday to Thursday. Best chance on Tuesday morning, if it stays cold enough when the showers arrive! Forecasts: https://t.co/ZhiAztv3kh pic.twitter.com/maUB1v2gvj
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) July 15, 2024
Updated
Record outbreak of bird flu strains
Australia is experiencing its highest ever number of different strains of bird flu at the same time, according to CSIRO’s Australian centre for disease preparedness.
With eggs in short supply and bird flu outbreaks spreading across Australian farms, the centre held a media briefing this morning to share what it has found from its testing so far.
While the centre’s director, Dr Debbie Eagles, confirmed Australia remained the only continent without the highly contagious H5N1 strain of avian influenza which has ripped through poultry and dairy farms in the US, three different regions in Victoria and NSW have been affected by different H7 strains of the virus.
Dr Frank Wong, a senior research scientist at the centre and a World Organisation for Animal Health expert for avian influenza, said avian influenza viruses were named according to the nature of the proteins on the surface of the virus.
Virus gene sequencing had confirmed the different H7 strains in NSW and Victoria were not linked to one another, Wong said. The gene tracing also confirmed that all three different strains had Australian lineage, meaning each outbreak was likely to have spilt over from local wild birds separately.
Eagles said these H7 outbreaks were similar to previous outbreaks in Australia, but what was different this year was that there were three different strains of influenza – “previously it’s been a single strain usually affecting one region”.
It’s unknown why the three separate outbreaks have happened at the same time, with wild bird dynamics, climate, changes in weather patterns or coincidence all possible factors, Wong said.
The infection risk to humans remained low with the Australian strains not showing any infection in people, he said.
Updated
The Star shuts all its pokies after system error
Star Entertainment has closed down all of its pokies machines after a system error occurred while preparing to go cashless.
In a statement, the Star Entertainment Group said all electronic gaming machines and electronic table games in each of the Star’s three properties were shut down from 10pm on 13 July, and will remain so “until the issue is resolved”.
The decision was taken by The Star to ensure compliance with relevant regulations, and to maintain the company’s commitment to safer gambling procedures.
The Star said it was working closely with its external provider to “address the operational issues as soon as possible”. It would provide an update once “operations return to normal”, the statement said.
Updated
NSW premier condemns Trump attack
The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, has condemned the attack on former president Donald Trump at the weekend.
Speaking at an event in the Sydney CBD this morning, he said:
It’s important for functioning democracies around the world to unambiguously state that this is appalling. This is a shocking turn of events. Political disagreements, no matter how deeply felt, should never [come to] violent, murderous acts.
Minns said everyone should be grateful Trump was not more badly injured and called on Australians to engage in debate “without it turning to violent confrontation”.
Updated
Jacinta Allan was asked – given the allegations – if she regrets attended CFMEU secretary John Setka’s father Bob’s funeral last year. She replied:
I don’t know Mr John Setka well … My attendance at Mr Bob Setka’s funeral last year was in the context of recognising someone who had been involved in one of the worst workplace accidents in our state’s history. It was a traumatic, devastating accident, many people lost their lives and Mr Bob Setka was one of the seriously injured on that worksite.
This is an event that continues to be remembered every single year by the broader Labor movement, both because of the seriousness of the incident but also because it drove substantial cultural change in making workplaces safe for all the construction industry.
She is referring to the accident at the site of the West Gate Bridge in 1970, in which 35 workers were killed.
The press conference has now wrapped up.
Updated
Victorian attorney general on plans to toughen anti-bikie laws
Jaclyn Symes is explaining the government’s plans to toughen anti-bikie laws.
Victoria’s attorney general says that when parliament returns from break, it will introduce legislation to lower the threshold for police to issue unlawful association notices to serious criminals.
Symes says:
We will shortly be introducing legislation through parliament, which adjusts the thresholds and makes it much easier for police to issue an association notice for people who they have suspicions of illegal activity.
Updated
Jacinta Allan was asked whether she was “asleep on the job” about these issues, as the relevant minister in multiple portfolios and now the premier.
She responded:
During my time as minister and now as premier I have been absolutely clear that I have no tolerance at all for bullying, intimidatory behaviour in any workplace, in any part of our state. And when allegations have been put over that period of time, it was always my expectation [it would] be examined, investigated by the relevant agencies and authorities.
Updated
Jacinta Allan said she had “always acted immediately” when issues had been raised with her.
She also said when responding to questions from reporters:
What we have seen with some recent reporting is that we need to take further steps. The federal government has already outlined they are considering all options, all avenues available to them as the holder of the industrial relations powers in this state about what further action needs to be taken. I’ll leave it to the federal government to announce what they action they intend to take.
But I absolutely accept we need to take further action here in Victoria, which is why today I have outlined a range of immediate actions…
Updated
Victorian premier flags tougher anti-bikie laws
Jacinta Allan said Victoria would be looking at how it could toughen anti-bikie laws across the state.
We want to make it easier for police, for the courts, to be able to prevent certain individuals from associating with each other.
The Victorian premier said she would request the federal government to exercise its powers under the Fair Work Act to “review and then, if necessary, terminate all CFMEU enterprise bargaining agreements on Victorian construction sites if it’s necessary to prevent criminal activity”.
She also said the state government would be undertaking an independent review of all Victorian government workplace agencies that are engaged with construction companies and unions, to be put into place in coming days.
The state would also review how the Victorian infrastructure delivery authority can direct the removal of individuals with criminal associations from worksites across the state, Allan said.
Updated
Speaking to reporters, Victorian premier Jacinta Allan outlined the following actions:
She has asked the Labor party’s national executive to move to immediately suspend the construction division from the Victorian Labor party.
She’s written to the state secretary asking “for all political donations from the construction division … to be banned during this period of suspension”.
She has already written to Victoria police and the independent broad-based anti-corruption commission to investigate.
She flagged further actions with the federal government.
Updated
Premier asks Victorian Labor to suspend CFMEU construction division
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, and the attorney general, Jaclyn Symes, are holding a press conference in Melbourne following the CFMEU decision to place the union’s state branch into administration.
Allan says she has asked Labor’s national executive to immediately suspend the CFMEU construction division from the Victorian Labor party.
All political donations from the union have also been banned during this period.
She has also referred the matters to Victoria police and the state’s anti-corruption watchdog.
More to come in a moment.
Updated
Workers would be the victims of deregistration, CFMEU head says
Q: Workplace minister Tony Burke said deregistration was on the cards. Is that still the case, and what would you say to that?
CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith responded:
I have not heard any reason to suggest that’s still not on the cards. The minister said all options were being considered and everything was on the table.
We don’t however need external government intervention to regulate our affairs. As a movement we are capable of responding to allegations of this nature ourselves, that’s what we’re doing…
When we talk about de-registration though, let’s be clear, that would be an absolute disaster for workers across the country. What deregistration would mean is that thousands of workers would in-effect, lose representation on-site overnight. It is not an answer to dealing with allegations. It is not a path government should look to take and ultimately the victims of any move to deregistration will be the workers themselves.
Updated
Zach Smith fields more questions around CFMEU allegations
The national secretary of the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union, Zach Smith, spoke with ABC TV just a moment ago after news the Victorian branch has been placed under administration.
This comes amid reports alleging bikies were acting as union delegates, and other alleged links between construction projects and organised crime.
He was asked whether the move to independently investigate the allegations was the CFMEU policing itself, and responded:
It is. Criminality has no place in the trade union movement and it has no place in the CFMEU. We have always said as a union that if allegations are brought forward to us, credible allegations, we will investigate them and those people that are found to have done the wrong thing will be removed from their positions. Today’s decision really confirms what is the long-standing practice of my union.
Smith said the tone of this morning’s meeting was “one of unity”. He later added that the investigative process was still being finalised:
I am still in the process of establishing what the investigative process will look like. Like I say, it will have independence, it will be robust enough to deal with any and all allegations. Where appropriate we will look at asking officials to step down that are facing allegations, however I want to be clear at this stage we are still in the process of standing up [that] process, standing up its terms of reference and collating all allegations.
Updated
Severe weather alert for Victoria as high winds forecast
A severe weather warning for damaging winds is in place for parts of Victoria.
The Bureau of Meteorology says a low pressure system to the east of Tasmania – which we flagged earlier in the blog – will track towards the Bass Strait today, with a series of associated troughs crossing Victoria and creating winds across parts of the coastline.
Damaging winds averaging 60-70km/h are possible for parts of the coastal fringe from Port Campbell to Wilsons Promontory from late this afternoon, easing overnight tonight.
For Mount Baw Baw, strong winds averaging 55-65km/h with damaging wind gusts around 90km/h – along with blizzard conditions above 1,200m – are possible from early this afternoon, easing overnight tonight.
Severe Weather Warning for damaging winds.
— VicEmergency (@vicemergency) July 15, 2024
For people in parts of West and South Gippsland, Central and South West Forecast Districts.
Stay informed: https://t.co/T05ONtwAm3 pic.twitter.com/bK5rZBhjEK
Updated
Trump shooting a ‘shock to the system’ – Albanese
The attempted assassination of former US president Donald Trump was a “shock to the system”, the prime minister has said.
As AAP reports, Anthony Albanese said there was heightened concern after the shooting and called for peaceful democratic processes in Australia not to be taken for granted.
He told ABC Radio this morning:
It was a shock to the system. We know that increasingly United States politics has become very polarised, and tragically there is a history, of course, with violence.
It’s a great thing that in Australia by and large, politicians – including the prime minister – can wander about events and can walk around safely.
[The respect for democratic processes] is a good thing we have here, and it’s important that we don’t take it for granted, it’s important that democracy be cherished.
Updated
CFMEU must ‘stand up to criminal elements’ – McManus
Speaking to reporters, Sally McManus was asked how the public could trust the CFMEU to investigate itself. She responded:
I understand that they are going to appoint an independent investigator. I would also say there are good people in the CFMEU and we need a union in the construction industry that is functional, that’s strong and will stand up to these elements … So that union needs to take all necessary steps to achieve that…
We want to see a functioning and strong and corruption-free union in the building industry … We need a strong union in the building industry and a strong union that will stand up against this.
So the idea of deregistration, I believe, would run counter to an outcome that would deliver a union that is in the construction industry and that is functioning well and that stands up to criminal elements.
Updated
Q: What is your response to comments from employment minister Tony Burke that he is considering forced re-registration?
Sally McManus responded:
I would say that we all need to be focused on having a union that is well-functioning, keeps people safe, looks after their wages and conditions and is clean. And any outcome – we are wanting the CFMEU to take matters into their own hands to clean it up – any outcome has to be measured against that. Any means has to be measured against that.
Updated
ACTU head says ‘no place whatsoever for criminal activity in unions’
ACTU secretary Sally McManus is speaking to the media from Melbourne, responding to reports alleging bikies were acting as union delegates, and other alleged links between construction projects and organised crime.
McManus told reporters there was “no place whatsoever for criminal activity in unions”.
As a union movement we completely oppose this, we all resisted and we will stand up against it. We will not tolerate anyone using a union for criminal activities, such people should face the full force of the law.
The ACTU calls on the national leadership of the CFMEU to stand down those subject to criminal allegations while investigations occur, including Melbourne police investigations. We also call on the CFMEU to take all necessary steps to rid the union of any and all criminal elements.
A meeting of the ACTU executive will be held later this week on Wednesday, where we will consider these matters and the response of the CFMEU. I convey these expectations to the new national secretary of the CFMEU, Zach Smith, who this morning has been appointed the acting secretary of the Victorian branch.
Updated
Hazardous surf prompts NSW coast warning
Surf Life Saving NSW is urging people to exercise caution along the coastline, with a hazardous surf warning in place for southern NSW.
This comes as two rock fishers were swept off the rocks at Little Bay just over a week ago, and in June, there were two separate incidents at Kurnell where four people died after being washed into the ocean off rock shelves.
SLSNSW said rock fishing and rock platform-related deaths last year were nearly 30% higher than the year before – up from 10 to 13.
The hazardous surf warning from the weekend remains in place today, stretching from the Hunter to the Eden coast, and will be updated later this afternoon.
The SLSNSW director of lifesaving, Joel Wiseman, is urging the public to exercise caution if they are visiting the coast.
We really want to emphasise, particularly after the incidents we have seen over the past few months, than these conditions can be quite dangerous for rock fishing, boating, surfing and swimming.
Updated
‘No need for a royal commission’, CFMEU head says
Continuing from our last post: Zach Smith said there was “no credible evidence” that anyone in the CFMEU had “received money for jobs”. He told 3AW radio:
It hasn’t happened ... If that is the case, and those allegations are brought to us, we will investigate. We’ll investigate thoroughly ... and if anyone has done the wrong thing, they will be dealt with in accordance with the union rules.
Asked by host Tom Elliott why the union was investigating itself, and whether it would be better for an independent body or royal commission to probe the claims, Smith replied there was “no need for a royal commission”.
The union is capable of keeping our own house clean. Repressive, draconian bodies aren’t necessary to deal with allegations. And you know, it’s hyperbole to suggest that we need, you know, the style of commission that we saw with the Hayden royal commission ... The union has an ironclad commitment to not being a safe harbour for criminality. We don’t support criminality in our ranks.
We have committed time and time again, we’ve got a demonstrable track record, that where there are allegations, we will investigate them, and if wrongdoing is found, we will respond accordingly. The union is very clear on our position, and has been always.
Updated
CFMEU chief says moves are no ‘admission bad behaviour occurred’
The head of the CFMEU, Zach Smith, has just appeared on 3AW radio to discuss the national executive’s decision to put the Victorian branch of the union into administration.
He says the allegations reported by Nine newspapers at the weekend were serious but the decision of the Victorian secretary, John Setka, to resign and the national executive to take over the branch was not an “admission [that] bad behaviour had occurred”.
Let’s be clear here. I’ve read the allegations, like your listeners have watched last night’s segment. They are allegations, people are entitled to procedural fairness and a proper process will be conducted – a process that’s independent and robust enough to deal with all these allegations.
But I can’t and I won’t just hang people on mere media speculation alone. We will have a process and the national union made a decision to place the Victorian branch into administration so that that process could be conducted and also ensure that the operations of the branch continues, business as usual continues, and that our members, most importantly, get the representation on job sites that they deserve.
Updated
Wine industry abuzz as bottles flow into China
Australia’s wine sector is thriving as millions of litres of alcohol flow into China, AAP reports, following four years of heavy tariffs.
Beijing lifted trade sanctions on Australian wine at the end of March, in a sign of thawing tensions between the two nations. As a result, 9.8m litres of bottled wine – valued at $142.2m – was exported to China in May.
This was the fourth highest monthly figure for bottled wine exports to China since 2019 and is almost $50m higher than the average monthly export value before the pandemic.
Agriculture minister Murray Watt is celebrating the recovery, saying it will bring joy to both winemakers and consumers.
We know the past few years have been incredibly tough for Australia’s wine sector, so to see these figures come through is just fantastic news for the whole industry.
Australian wine exports to China were worth $1.1bn in 2019. In the two months since trade has resumed, the value of wine exports to China has reached $228m.
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Australian firefighters to help against wildfires in Canada
More than 100 firefighters from Australia and New Zealand will depart this week for Canada after a request for assistance amid wildfires.
The NSW Rural Fire Service said the contingent included 28 of its personnel, and that it would provide two incident management teams and liaison officers to bolster the firefighting effort.
After a request for assistance, more than 100 firefighting personnel from Australia & New Zealand will depart this week for Canada. The contingent, which includes 28 NSW personnel, will provide two Incident Management Teams & liaison officers to bolster the firefighting effort. pic.twitter.com/fjO1x0NtTY
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) July 14, 2024
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Three men charged for allegedly concealing drugs in vehicles
Three men have been charged for allegedly trafficking more than 55kg of drugs between NSW and Victoria, hidden in the secret compartments of vehicles.
The Australian federal police will allege two Victorian men and a NSW man were key members of an organised criminal syndicate suspected of concealing illicit drugs within a fleet of vehicles and transporting them via tray trucks from Sydney to Melbourne this year.
The men allegedly used purpose-built hides, located in the rear seat area of Toyota Camry sedans, to conceal and transport the illicit drugs and more than $1m of criminal proceeds.
Police located and seized illicit drugs, a quantity of cash and two loaded firearms during search warrants at properties in Niddrie and Maribyrnong, Victoria, and a vehicle at Wagga Wagga in NSW in June.
The AFP arrested a 23-year-old Niddrie man and a 20-year-old man from NSW at Maribyrnong, each charged with one count of trafficking a commercial quality of a controlled drug, and one count of possessing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, suspected of being unlawfully imported.
A search warrant was later executed at a property in Craigieburn, Victoria, where a 23-year-old man was arrested. The AFP alleges he was responsible for 30kg of illicit drugs and more than $1m of suspected criminal proceeds in the flooring of a van at Airport West. He was charged with a number of offences, including dealing with money or property believed to be the proceeds of a crime.
All three men have been remanded in custody and are scheduled to reappear in the Melbourne magistrates court on 29 October, each facing a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
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Treasurer weighs in on CFMEU allegations
On ABC RN earlier this morning, Jim Chalmers was asked about reports alleging bikies were acting as union delegates, and other alleged links between construction projects and organised crime.
Here is what the treasurer had to say:
My experience of trade unions is that they are overwhelmingly a force for good in our society and in our economy, and trade union leaders are overwhelmingly good and decent people with their members, first and foremost, in their minds … And so I think it’s appropriate that the industrial relations minister, Tony Burke, as he told you yesterday on Insiders, is examining all of his options.
Chalmers said reregistration was being considered and the minister will “take whatever steps are necessary”.
Setka has denied wrongdoing, describing the reports as “false accusations” and “false stories” about the union.
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Victorian CFMEU branch to be placed into administration
The Victorian branch of the CFMEU will be placed into administration following an emergency meeting of the union’s national executive this morning.
The move comes amid reports alleging bikies were acting as union delegates, and other alleged links between construction projects and organised crime.
The national secretary of the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union, Zach Smith, said he would use the new powers to immediately establish an independent process, overseen by a leading legal figure, to investigate any credible allegations of wrongdoing.
The CFMEU has zero tolerance for criminality and anyone found to have engaged in criminal conduct while representing the CFMEU will be identified and removed.
The CFMEU has one purpose and one purpose only and that is to defend and advance the safety and conditions of workers. The Victorian branch has been hugely successful in pursuing this purpose, but the national executive also recognises that a number of recent allegations are serious and demand an unprecedented response …
The national office will be uncompromising in cleaning up whatever wrongdoing we find because we know that blue collar workers depend on our union being strong and effective.
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Man allegedly carried $830k through Gold Coast airport
A Victorian man has been charged after allegedly carrying $830,000 in cash through Gold Coast airport in his carry-on luggage.
The man is expected to appear in Southport magistrates court today, charged with dealing in the proceeds of crime after the Australian federal police found the cash in his luggage at the airport.
Cash and drug detection dogs allegedly identified the bags as the man prepared to fly from the Gold Coast to Mildura in March of this year. The Mildura man, 34, was charged after the $830,000 was allegedly found in his carry-on and seized.
AFP detective acting superintendent Mary Bolton said the AFP had “ensured this money will not be used to fund other criminal activities”.
The man was charged with one count of dealing with cash or property that is reasonably suspected of being proceeds of general crime. The maximum penalty is 10 years’ imprisonment.
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Experts confront looming bird flu threat to wildlife
Some of the nation’s top disease experts are meeting to discuss Australia’s bird flu outbreak that has smashed egg supply and forced the mass slaughter of animals, AAP reports.
NSW and Victorian farms as well as domestic properties in the ACT have been quarantined after detection of the virus, with authorities on the lookout for more cases. More than 1 million chickens and ducks have been culled since late May and limits have been imposed on egg sales in some states.
Today, the CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness is addressing the nation’s handling of cases, plus the threat of more devastating overseas bird flu strains.
Debbie Eagles has been director of the centre since March and, along with colleague and World Organisation for Animal Health avian influenza expert Frank Wong, will answer questions about the threats.
Speaking about foreign strains of the virus, Wong said it was already on Australia’s doorstep. He told Cosmos Magazine:
Given that this virus has now infected a very large number of different species to different impacts, there is that potential that there are bridging species that could bring the virus into Australia.
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Royal visit plans
As we flagged earlier, King Charles and Queen Camilla have locked in plans to visit Australia in October – the first visit by a reigning monarch since 2011. You can now read the full story from Dan Hurst below, with all the details:
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Body found in Sydney car park
A body has been found in a car park in Sydney’s northern beaches.
NSW police said emergency services had been called to Dee Why shortly after 7am this morning to reports of a body in a car park. Officers attended and found a dead man, whose age is unknown.
Police have established a crime scene and investigations are ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
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‘The rhetoric does have to be dialled down’
Reactions are flowing from Australian politicians to the assassination attempt against former US president Donald Trump at the weekend. Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor said while the US had become politically divided, violence was not the solution, AAP is reporting:
The whole point of democracy is we get our chance to have our say at the ballot box and that’s true in any great democratic nation.
We’ve got to keep coming back to that and calling out completely unacceptable behaviour, clearly, and it’s not what we want to ever see here in Australia.
NDIS minister Bill Shorten said the attempted assassination was “shocking and deplorable”. He told Seven’s Sunrise:
In terms of here in Australia, yeah, the rhetoric does have to be dialled down. We can make our point without creating a sense that it’s all in and that we’re at war with each other, because that isn’t the case, and that’s not the Australian way. And it’s not the democratic way anywhere.
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Chalmers warns against ‘normalisation of extremism’ in politics
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has warned about what he calls the “normalisation of extremism” in politics in the wake of the attempted assassination of former United States president Donald Trump at the weekend.
In a round of television and radio interviews this morning to spruik the tax cuts now being delivered in Australians’ tax returns, Chalmers also spoke about the Trump rally in Pennsylvania that injured the former president and left one attendee dead and two others critically injured before the alleged shooter was shot and killed.
He told Nine’s Today show:
We need to be able to disagree in a peaceful way.
Chalmers, who was being interviewed live on Sky News on Sunday morning as the events were unfolding in Pennsylvania, said there were lessons for all democracies in what happened. He told ABC News Breakfast:
We can’t let extremism and polarisation and violence be the norm in our politics. Democracies are supposed to help mend and moderate our differences, not magnify and horrify them. And unfortunately, what we’re seeing with what feels like increasing regularity, is the ugliness and the polarisation and extremism in politics.
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We must ‘settle our differences with votes not violence’
Q: Are you worried about tensions escalating here in Australia?
Jim Chalmers responded:
There is a role obviously for peaceful protests and looking for consensus in our country doesn’t always mean looking for unanimity – there will always be a range of views. But I think if you look around the world and you look around the democratic world, then you can see that politics is getting uglier, more violent, more polarised in extreme ways, and these are very troubling developments.
We’ve got a big choice to make as democratic societies, we’ve got an opportunity here to step back from the normalisation of that violence, to make sure that we disagree in civil ways and not in violent ways, and that we settle our difference with votes not violence.
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A lot of people ‘are worried about how ugly and dangerous politics has become’, Chalmers says
Treasurer Jim Chalmers spoke to ABC RN just a moment ago, and described learning about the shooting in real time on live television:
It was a bit surreal for me because I was live on TV when these events were unfolding … and we weren’t sure in real time that there had been a shooter, that there had been an assassination attempt, but it became very clear obviously in the aftermath [of] that interview just how serious this assassination attempt was. And we’re relieved that former President [Donald] Trump is OK – our hearts go out to the family of the man whose life was lost in the crowd.
Reflecting on the assassination attempt, Chalmers said:
This was an extraordinary moment that goes beyond the events at the scene and unfortunately, it will persist after the scene has been cleared. Now it’s about what happened yesterday in Pennsylvania, it’s about January 6, but it goes beyond that as well.
I think a lot of people around the world are worried about how ugly and dangerous politics has become, and I share those concerns. The democratic world needs to step back from the normalisation of extremism in politics. Democracy is supposed to help moderate and mend our differences, not magnify and horrify them.
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Shadow home affairs minister weighs in on Trump assassination attempt
Shadow home affairs minister and Liberal senator James Paterson spoke to ABC RN earlier about the assassination attempt against former US president Donald Trump at the weekend:
If we make it normal that you can use violence to resolve political disputes, then we won’t have a democracy very quickly … If it can happen in the United States, it can happen anywhere.
And so it’s critically important at a time like this that everybody responds in a calm and measured way to ensure that there’s no further escalation.
Paterson said if Trump had been killed rather than just injured, “it’s almost unthinkable what the consequences would have been for the United States and the world”:
But also because even here in Australia, we shouldn’t be complacent about these threats. While it’s true – we’ve got very different gun safety regulations, and everyone supports that – as you pointed out in your analysis this morning, they also have those strong laws in the United Kingdom and two members of parliament in UK in the last decade have been murdered.
Paterson then argued:
There are some troubling signs that there are attempts towards using violent means in Australia to try and intimidate parliamentarians and their staff, and we cannot allow that to take hold here.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers was also on ABC RN and said “there is a role obviously for peaceful protests” and Australians should “settle our differences with votes, not violence”.
More from his interview shortly.
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Damaging wind warning for parts of Tasmania
A deep low pressure system off the east coast of Tasmania is bringing strong and damaging wings to the central and west coast.
The Bureau of Meteorology says the risk of damaging winds will extend to north-west coastal parts and King Island today. Conditions are expected to ease as the low weakens and slowly moves northward into the Bass Strait this afternoon and evening.
Damaging winds averaging 60 to 70km/h are expected, affecting Currie, Sheffield, Deloraine and Strahan. Some notable observations include:
82km/h sustained winds were recorded at Maria Island at 10.40pm Saturday.
65km/h sustained winds were recorded at Tasman Island at 3.30am Sunday.
100km/h wind gust was recorded on kunanyi/Mount Wellington at 3.24am Sunday.
95km/h wind gust recorded at Cape Bruny at 2.11am Sunday.
95km/h wind gust recorded at Hartz Mountain at 1.34am Sunday.
.@BOM_Tas has issued a Severe Weather Warning - Damaging Winds for people in parts of North East, North West Coast, Central North, Central Plateau and Midlands Forecast Districts.
— TasALERT (@tasalert) July 14, 2024
For more information, go to: https://t.co/cyHupnDXbz pic.twitter.com/7o0yHbOhJm
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Official Australian portraits of king and queen unveiled
As part of the announcement, official Australian portraits of the king and queen have been released – they can be viewed online here.
The photographs show Charles wearing the sovereign’s badge of the Order of Australia, while the Queen wears the wattle brooch – which was given to Queen Elizabeth II during her 1954 visit to Australia.
Australians can request printed versions of the portraits through their local MP or senator in their state or territory. As Josh Butler reported in February, keen Australians were still waiting on an official portrait a year after Charles took to the throne:
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Albanese hails royal visit to Australia
Prime minister Anthony Albanese also welcomed in the upcoming royal visit in a statement:
I am honoured to welcome The King and Queen on their first Royal Visit to Australia later this year, they are always welcome visitors.
The King has a deep regard for our great nation, and has always spoken warmly of the time he has spent here and the astounding beauty of our extraordinary continent. I look forward to welcoming The King and Queen back to Australia for this important visit.
A statement said planning was under way for the visit and more information would be provided “in due course”.
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Governor general welcomes royal visit
The governor general, Sam Mostyn, has welcomed the official announcement of a royal visit, writing:
I was fortunate to spend time with His Majesty in May. His Majesty The King has a well-known deep affection for and connection to the people of Australia and he was very much looking forward to his first visit to Australia since becoming King.
I look forward to welcoming Their Majesties to Australia and, during the visit, showcasing the very best of our modern and diverse nation.
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King Charles and Camilla to visit Australia in October
Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla are to visit Australia and Samoa in October, Buckingham Palace says.
As AAP reports, Charles is undergoing cancer treatment and doctors have advised him against any further extension of the trip, so neighbouring New Zealand will miss out on a royal visit.
In the Australian leg of the trip – at the invitation of the federal government – the royal couple will carry out engagements in the ACT and NSW. In March Anthony Albanese said plans were under way on logistics for a possible visit:
The King has shown his compassion for Australians affected by recent natural disasters, just as Australians have shown compassion and support for the King following his cancer diagnosis. The King, Queen and members of the Royal Family are always welcome in Australia.
In Samoa they will celebrate “the strong bilateral relationship” between the Pacific Island nation and the UK, and the couple are expected to attend the Commonwealth heads of government meeting. The meeting brings together delegations from 56 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific.
The visit is to be the first trip to Australia by a reigning monarch since 2011.
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Welcome
Good morning, and welcome back to a new week on the Australia news live blog. I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll take you through our live coverage for most of today. Here’s what made news overnight.
Brittany Higgins has announced she is expecting her first child with partner David Sharaz in a post to social media. From their home in Bergerac, France, Higgins shared the news on Instagram:
Can’t wait to meet you! Beyond excited to welcome a new member to our little family. Your parents are already obsessed with you and you aren’t even here yet.
More than three years ago the former Liberal staffer alleged on The Project that she had been raped by her colleague Bruce Lehrmann at Parliament House. The allegation spawned more than a dozen legal cases, judicial inquiries, reviews and federal investigations, with many still ongoing. A defamation case stemming from The Project broadcast found in April that on the balance of probabilities, Lehrmann raped Higgins.
The pregnancy announcement comes as the Linda Reynolds v Higgins case is due to return for a directions hearing in the supreme court of Western Australia this afternoon. The former defence minister, who plans to retire from politics at the next election, is suing Higgins over a series of social media posts she says damaged her reputation.
As AAP reports, King Charles III and Queen Camilla are to visit Australia in October, Buckingham Palace has said. In the Australian leg of their trip – at the invitation of the federal government – the royal couple will carry out engagements in the ACT and NSW. More on this soon.
As always, you can get in touch via X, @emilywindwrites, or you can send me an email, emily.wind@theguardian.com, with any thoughts, feedback or questions. Let’s get started.
