What we learned today, Friday 13 September
That’s all for the blog today – here is a wrap up, in case you missed a bit:
The federal government approved the plan to construct a third runway at Melbourne airport.
Elon Musk, the owner of social media platform X, has responded to the Australian government’s new bill on misinformation and disinformation with a post: “Fascists”. The bill proposes to give the broadcasting watchdog Acma new powers over digital platforms.
The New South Wales government said it will try to stop family violence before it starts under a new $38m prevention strategy.
A Sydney casino employee is one of two people charged by NSW police for allegedly rigging multiple roulette games.
Stephen Jones announced proposed new laws which are intended to place obligations on banks, telcos and social media companies “to prevent, to detect, to disrupt and to report and to respond to scam content within their businesses”.
The government released its new hydrogen production strategy, updating the 2019 version it inherited from the Coalition.
The Liberal federal executive voted to appoint three people to manage the troubled NSW division, rejecting a plan by the opposition leader, Mark Speakman, to include two women in a four-person administration panel. The former prime minister John Howard has spoken out in strong support of the decision.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission will review the findings of a public service report, which found 12 current and former bureaucrats had breached the code of conduct 97 times during their involvement in the unlawful robodebt scheme.
Have a great weekend.
Updated
Nacc to review public service report on robodebt bureaucrats
The National Anti-Corruption Commission will review the findings of a public service report, which found 12 current and former bureaucrats had breached the code of conduct 97 times during their involvement in the unlawful robodebt scheme.
The Australian Public Service Commission’s report, released on Friday morning, named two former agency heads – Kathryn Campbell and Renée Leon – among those found to have broken the rules.
The report found the 12 public servants had a lack of care, diligence and integrity, and were unwilling to speak up against the status quo.
“These public servants lost their objectivity and, in all likelihood, drowned out the deafening and growing criticisms of the scheme to pursue an operational objective,” the report’s summary said.
The Nacc, which decided not to look into the six unnamed individuals referred to it by the 2023 royal commission’s sealed section, said it was “reviewing” the report and “considering” its implications.
In a statement to Guardian Australia on Friday evening, a spokesperson said:
It is open to the APSC to refer matters to the commission if it believes there is serious or systemic corrupt conduct. The commission is not aware of any such referral.
Read more:
Updated
Howard weighs in on stoush between NSW and federal Liberals
The former prime minister John Howard has spoken out in strong support of the federal executive of the Liberal party today intervening in the NSW division.
The executive appointed a “high quality” three-person committee of management to administer the affairs of the state division until 30 June next year, Howard said in a statement published on the Liberal website.
He congratulated the federal opposition leader, Peter Dutton, and the party’s federal president, John Olsen, for displaying leadership and initiative on “this challenging issue”.
His statement continues:
As a Life Member of the NSW Division, I care deeply about its place in the national affairs of the Liberal Party. Today’s decision will ensure that all elements of the Party in NSW are better able to assist in achieving our immediate and most important goal which is the defeat of the Albanese Labor Government.
The statement of support comes after factional infighting, with moderate power brokers in the NSW Liberal party accused of undermining Dutton by voting for a four-person panel to administer the division. Opponents described it as an attempt to “neutralise” federal intervention.
Read more on the story from Paul Karp here:
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Outgoing Virgin CEO says financial year second half ‘super tough’
Outgoing Virgin chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka said for Virgin to compete in the domestic market it must also do so internationally through overseas partners by creating an experience that rivalled competitors.
Our international partners are more important to us than any of our competitors because we don’t have a long-haul international business ourselves.
Hrdlicka took over as CEO in November 2020 after US private equity firm Bain Capital rescued Virgin Australia from administration, chartering it through the global Covid-19 pandemic.
Part of that challenge was revamping location, fleet and operational complexities that had hindered the airline and “magnified costs”.
“We were trying to be something that we could never successfully be, which is the world’s most premium airline based in Australia,” she said.
We’ve learned a lot.
We will not repeat the same mistakes in the past.
The second half of the financial year was super tough and losing Bonza and Rex was a demonstration of how tough the market actually is.
So we’re really proud we’re delivering great results and performing well financially despite the fact it is a tough environment.”
Hrdlicka announced her resignation in February but did not provide an exit date.
Her CEO stint included the “most confronting personal experiences you could ever have”.
I lost my husband to cancer, and I recently lost my father.
I really need to spend more time with my boys – they’re 17 and 19 – and I have a huge passion for tennis.
Hrdlicka has been Tennis Australia’s Chair and board president since 2017.
– Australian Associated Press
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Outgoing Virgin CEO plays down Qatar stake speculation
Aircraft delivery delays have added to Virgin Australia’s challenges, with outgoing CEO Jayne Hrdlicka describing the second half of the financial year as “super tough”.
But Hrdlicka played down speculation Qatar Airways was seeking a stake of up to 20% in the airline, saying “some creative fiction” had been written.
She said Virgin was picking up aircraft from Rex after the regional carrier entered voluntary administration on 30 July, with supply chain and quality control issues slowing down the arrival rate of the new Boeing 737 Max 8.
Hrdlicka told the CAPA Airline Leader Summit in Brisbane on Friday that Virgin would be converting 12 orders of Boeing Max 10s to Max 8s to help fleet expansion. She said:
[It will] help give us more degrees of flexibility as we adjust with Boeing’s needs to manage the challenges that both Boeing and Airbus are facing with respect to getting their supply chains back to balance.
Hrdlicka also addressed reports Qatar Airways was seeking a Virgin Australia stake, saying there had been “a lot of creative fiction written” about a potential deal.
We don’t play with rumour and innuendo but what I will say is we have the world’s best (airline) partners – United Airlines, Air Canada, Singapore Airlines, Qatar, ANA, Hawaiian – and we’re working every day to deepen those relationships and strengthen the experience we provide to our customers.
– Australian Associated Press
(More to come in the next post.)
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Worker dies in ‘medical episode’ at Darwin court
A worker died after a medical episode at the Darwin local court this afternoon.
Here is NT Courts’ statement:
Today in the afternoon a person who works with the courts suffered a medical episode at the Darwin Local Court.
Unfortunately they passed away and the building had to be closed to ensure the public were not present while the body was transported away.
Court proceedings due to be heard today that were ultimately not heard because of the incident have been adjourned until Monday.
Updated
Woman found dead in house fire in NSW town
A woman has died after a house fire in Glen Innes earlier today, NSW police said in a statement.
Emergency services were called to a home on Bourke Street, Glen Innes, about 9.15am after reports of a fire.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze before locating a body during a search of the home.
The body is yet to be formally identified but is believed to be a 79-year-old woman.
A crime scene has been established and police are investigating. A report will be prepared for the coroner.
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Football Australia on hunt for ‘right’ permanent four-year coach to take Matildas from Asian Cup to World Cup and 2028 Olympics
An interim coach will be in place for the next international window, where the Football Australia (FA) chief executive, James Johnson, hinted Australia would play Switzerland before a confirmed friendly against Germany on 29 October.
We’ve got an upcoming window in Europe where we’ll be in Germany and Switzerland, so we need to appoint an interim coach for that window.
So I think within the next seven to 10 days we’ll be able to name who the interim coach will be, and the purpose of the interim coach is to ensure that we have as much time as we need to get the right permanent coach for the Matildas.
FA wants a four-year cycle coach tasked with winning a home Asian Cup in 2026 before taking Australia to the 2027 Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Olympics.
The coach will also have to navigate new standalone qualifiers for the World Cup, announced by the Asian Football Confederation on Friday. Previously, the Asian Cup doubled as World Cup qualifiers.
“I don’t want to put a timeline on the permanent coach,” Johnson said.
Of course, the sooner the better, but at the same time we want to make sure we get the appointment right because we’re setting up – as we did four years ago – for a whole new cycle and we want to ensure that this is a long-term appointment.
– Australian Associated Press
Updated
Matildas narrow down coach search, interim imminent
Football Australia plans to start talks with top candidates for the vacant Matildas head coach role in the coming weeks and will soon announce an interim appointment forfriendlies.
The Matildas return to action for the first time since their disastrous Olympics campaign with friendlies in Europe in late October.
Football Australia announced today that Australia will play Taiwan at AAMI Park on 4 December and GMHBA Stadium four days later – fixtures that are early Asian Cup preparation and could be the new coach’s first games.
The chief executive, James Johnson, wouldn’t say whether Tony Gustavsson’s permanent successor would be at the helm for the December home window.
But when asked what stage the recruitment process was at, Johnson indicated things were heating up. He said:
We’re narrowing down a long list at the moment, and in the coming weeks we’ll be talking to a small group of candidates.
Former Manchester United and San Diego coach Casey Stoney, Sydney FC boss Ante Juric, former Matildas assistant Ross Aloisi and current assistant Mel Andreatta are potential candidates for the full-time role.
– Australian Associated Press
(More to come in the next blog post.)
Updated
Labor MP claims Dutton 'rolled' NSW Liberals by not appointing women to review panel
Federal Labor has weighed into the NSW Liberal’s internal organisational chaos, chiding the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, for not ensuring gender equality on the new panel installed by the federal executive.
As reported earlier, NSW Liberal leader Mark Speakman had tried – and ultimately failed – to get two women on to a four-person panel after the federal executive had proposed Alan Stockdale, Richard Alston, and Peta Seaton on a three-person panel.
Speakman’s plan, approved by the state executive, had infuriated conservatives, who accused moderates of attempting to “neutralise” the federal intervention in a “blatant challenge to the leadership of Peter Dutton”.
On Friday afternoon, Labor MP Sharon Claydon gave televised comments on behalf of federal Labor. She claimed Dutton had “rolled” the NSW Liberals, claiming the opposition leader “doesn’t hear women, he doesn’t listen to women”.
Claydon, the Member for Newcastle and chair of Labor’s status of women caucus committee, pointed out the ALP’s commitment to gender quotas and equality, noting the 30th anniversary this week of Labor’s affirmative action policies.
“[Dutton] sits and watches us every day on the opposite side of the bench, and yet cannot see his way to appoint two women to a review panel that might go some way to helping the Liberal Party figure out why they don’t connect with Australian women,” she said.
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Hume accuses government of being ‘slow off the mark’ with online scammer crackdown
Liberal senator Jane Hume claims the government has been “slow off the mark” with its scam announcement today, criticising the more than two-year delay in finalising it.
The Victorian senator was also strongly critical of Greens Senator David Shoebridge for attending protests outside the Land Forces arms expo in Melbourne, calling his appearance “despicable”.
Hume gave a brief press conference in Parliament House this afternoon after a hearing of a senate inquiry into the cost of living. Asked about the scams announcement from the assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones, Hume said she was still considering its details but wanted to see the government go further.
I can remember the government talking about this in opposition. I can remember them talking about it in the election campaign. It’s been two and a half years, and this is what they’ve come up with, an exposure draft of legislation that’s going to be consulted on until next month. By the time they actually get to final legislation, it could be well into November or even early next year.
They’re a little bit slow off the mark on this one.
She went on to claim that social media and tech companies, especially, “need to step up” to better deal with scams.
On the Land Forces protests, Hume said Greens Senator Shoebridge “is not even from Victoria” and that she was “really disappointed” that he had given a speech to the protesters.
We’ve seen those frontline police officers being threatened and those mounted police officers having their horses attacked. This is vile behaviour, and it’s been condemned by governments, both state and federal, and the idea that one of my colleagues is participating in these protests, and not just participating, but you know, at the frontline of them … I find that just despicable.
Hume, the shadow public service minister, said she had not yet read the report of the Australian Public Service Commissioner into the robodebt scandal, and declined to offer a comment on the findings that 12 public servants had breached the code of conduct 97 times.
Updated
Farming fuels NSW land clearing crisis, new government data reveals
Land clearing that is driving NSW’s nature crisis is charging ahead with agriculture largely to blame, new government data shows.
An area more than 160 times the size of Sydney’s CBD was cleared in 2022, according to the latest study that tracks tree and land cover losses across the state, AAP reports.
The 45,000 hectares destroyed that year push the five-year tally above 420,000 hectares – more than one and half times the size of the ACT.
The NSW government released the data amid Australia’s ongoing fight against new European Union rules that will ban imports of Australian beef linked to deforestation.
Agriculture remains the primary driver of land clearing in the state, with significant volumes also lost to infrastructure and the logging of native forests.
While there’s been a downward trend in recent years, conservation groups say land clearing rates remain unsustainable.
WWF warns there’s no way Australia will keep its global commitment to end deforestation by 2030 if the worst offending states don’t lift their game.
Dr Stuart Blanch, the conservation group’s forest policy manager, said:
We are not on track to get there. And if NSW holds out, or Queensland, we can’t. This has implications for our national commitments.
Updated
Tech critic organisation calls government’s revised disinformation bill ‘worryingly poor’ as Musk labels leadership ‘fascists’
The tech critic organisation Reset.Tech Australia has said the government’s revised misinformation and disinformation bill introduced into parliament this week lets tech companies off easy and stymies public accountability.
The legislation gives the Australian Communications and Media Authority powers to monitor and regulate how platforms are responding to misinformation and disinformation on their platforms. It included enforceable industry codes of conduct and also provides for standards to be introduced in the event that this form of self-regulation fails.
Reset.Tech has argued this self-governance method had already failed under voluntary codes and said the transparency reports required to be produced under the proposal are “worryingly poor” and the review process and public complaints process are defective.
On the other end of the scale, the Coalition has already indicated reluctance to support the legislation, after previously campaigning against the draft bill last year over alleged free speech concerns. X’s owner, Elon Musk, responded to the bill today labelling the government as “fascists”.
Updated
Sydney’s The Star casino issued with court notice to defend alleged breaches, including fraud
Sydney’s The Star casino has been issued a court notice to defend alleged misconduct by the NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC).
The NICC is seeking a response from Star to a show cause notice explaining why it should not take disciplinary action for breaches substantiated in the second report from the Adam Bell-led inquiry into its operations, published last month.
In a statement on Friday afternoon, NICC said the notice related to four significant breaches detailed in that report:
… including one that resulted in a cash fraud against The Star, a failure to run source of wealth checks on hundreds of members flagged as high risk, and fraudulent guest welfare entries that put already vulnerable customers at higher risk of harm.
The NICC has also issued correspondence to The Star in relation to its management, operation and culture, the adequacy and implementation of its remediation plan, and The Star’s overall suitability to hold a casino licence.
The casino has 14 days to respond before the NICC determines what action to take. Disciplinary measures open to it include cancellation of its casino licence and a financial penalty of up to $100m.
Updated
Conspiracists and anti-lockdown supporters among 120 ‘fringe’ candidates in NSW council elections
More than 120 people running in the New South Wales local government elections have been identified by researchers as possible “fringe” candidates, including conspiracy theorists and people backed by a high-profile anti-lockdown campaigner.
These candidates make up about 3% of the 3,816 people vying for 1,230 council positions across NSW, according to new research. Some could be elected given a NSW Liberals bungle meant the major party failed to nominate more than 100 candidates.
Sixteen councils, including Camden, Blue Mountains, Georges River, Penrith and Canterbury-Bankstown, either have no Liberal candidates or fewer than they were meant to.
Australian National University politics lecturer Associate Prof Mark Chou said political parties were beginning to view local government as more of a “strategic front” – including those opposed to mainstream ideas or linked to specific ideological positions.
Chou, who has been reviewing the NSW candidates with researchers Benjamin Moffitt, Rachel Busbridge and Luke Dean, described the Libertarian party – formerly known as the Liberal Democrats – as the “most significant fringe group”.
Read the full story here:
Updated
Two dead after using cocaine laced with heroin
Two people in NSW have died of heroin overdoses after using substances they thought were cocaine, while another two people have been hospitalised for the same reason.
NSW Health warned it’s dangerous to use drugs believed to be cocaine due to the potential for unknown deadly substances, including opioids, to be an ingredient.
The NSW Health chief addiction medicine specialist, Dr Hester Wilson said:
A heroin overdose could quickly result from a single line [of a white substance]. It is important that people recognise the signs of an opioid overdose early and know how to respond.
Opioids, such as heroin, can cause pin-point pupils, drowsiness, loss of consciousness, slowed breathing/snoring and skin turning blue/grey, and can be life- threatening.
One of the dangers of illicit drug supply is the strength and contents of the substance you are getting is unknown and can be inconsistent.Heroin, and other opioids, can be sold as or found in cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA (ecstasy). You cannot always tell the difference between these drugs by appearance.
In light of this detection, people who use drugs, such as cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA or opioids, should carry naloxone.
NSW Health encourage anyone witnessing someone else experiencing any unexpected symptoms after using drugs to call 000.
Naloxone, a life-saving medication that reverses the effects of opioids, should be given immediately if available, the department urged. It does not require a prescription and is free for anyone at risk of opioid overdose in NSW.
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New CFMEU Victorian head quits weeks into job
Grahame McCulloch, the man appointed to steer the CFMEU’s Victorian branch after the union was plunged into administration, has quit just weeks after taking the role, a spokesperson for administrator Mark Irving confirmed to AAP.
No reason for the surprise departure or further details have been given.
The Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus, placed the CFMEU’s construction and general division – including state and territory branches – into administration on 23 August after public allegations of intimidation, bribery and underworld infiltration at the union.
Irving was appointed as administrator, and the roles of more than 200 elected CFMEU officers were terminated.
McCulloch had been appointed to helm the union’s Victorian branch, a role previously held by John Setka, who resigned after the allegations against the union.
Several trade unions have announced plans to fight the decision to place the CFMEU into administration in the high court.
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Climate crisis expert and unionist selected to contest Labor safe seats Gorton and Maribyrnong, vacated by Brendan O’Connor and Bill Shorten
Guardian Australia understands that Labor’s national executive has selected climate crisis and water policy expert Alice Jordan-Baird to contest the Labor-held Victorian seat Gorton.
Jordan-Baird, who was backed by the deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, defeated Brimbank mayor, Ranka Rasic, in Melbourne’s western suburbs, who was backed by the Australian Workers Union.
The United Workers Union national political coordinator, Jo Briskey, will contest the seat of Maribyrnong for Labor.
Both seats, vacated by Brendan O’Connor and Bill Shorten, are safe for Labor, so barring a major upset, the Labor candidates will become MPs in the 48th parliament.
Updated
Mother of two boys found dead in Blue Mountains sacked from government department due to mental health, NSW premier confirms
The NSW Premier, Chris Minns, has confirmed reports that the mother of two boys found dead in the Blue Mountains had been sacked from a government department for reasons related to her mental health, AAP reports.
The bodies of two boys – Russell, 11, and Ben Smith, 9 – were found at their Faulconbridge family home on Tuesday.
Police are waiting to question their 42-year-old mother after she was taken from the scene to hospital with minor injuries.
No charges have been laid over the deaths of the boys.
Minns said on Friday:
The information I’ve been given so far is … the employee was let go from a NSW government agency …
It was challenged in the Industrial Relations Commission, the original decision of the government department was upheld, and I believe it was handled appropriately.
The premier said government departments would cooperate with any of the “major inquiries” into the boys’ deaths:
Both from the homicide squad and the NSW Police as well as potentially the coroner’s court as well.
If new information comes to light, of course government agencies and the NSW government will supply that to any independent investigation that takes place, this is a very serious alleged crime.
The father of the boys has asked for privacy.
• In Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and at MensLine on 1300 789 978.
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Light plane crash in central Victoria
Emergency services are responding to a light plane crash in Redesdale, central Victoria.
Five vehicles, including at least two CFA units and police, are attending the crash.
We’ll have more details on this soon.
Updated
How would a government crackdown on scammers help you?
There has been a bit of talk today about the new draft legislation to crackdown on scammers. My colleague Cait Kelly has looked a bit more closely at the proposal and broken down what it involves for you here:
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Katy Gallagher on robodebt report
The finance and public service minister, Katy Gallagher, has said there are “many lessons” to be learned from the illegal robodebt scheme to prevent the “shameful chapter” from ever being repeated.
It comes as the findings of the Australian Public Service Commission’s robodebt taskforce were released on Friday. It found 12 current or former public servants, including ex-agency heads Kathryn Campbell and Renée Leon, had breached the code of conduct 97 times over the course of the robodebt scheme’s operations.
Gallagher said:
The robodebt scheme, run by the former Liberal government, was illegal and one of the worst failures of public administration in history.
I thank the Australian Public Service Commissioner, Dr Gordon de Brouwer, and the taskforce team for their work on the code of conduct inquiry, which was robust, independent, and fair.
Some former departmental secretaries and public servants made mistakes, showed a lack of care, diligence, integrity, and leadership and they are being held to account for the part they played in the robodebt failure.
There are many lessons to be learned, and the APS will continue to work to rebuild the trust of the Australian people to ensure this shameful chapter is never repeated.
Updated
Here’s the Australian Public Service commissioner Gordon de Brouwer saying robodebt was “a failure of government” and has apologised for the public service’s role in it.
Public sector union denounces lack of penalties against public servants involved in robodebt scheme
The main public sector union has criticised the lack of sanctions made against former senior public servants for their role in the unlawful robodebt scheme.
The Australian Public Service Commission’s robodebt taskforce released its report on Friday finding 12 former or current public servants had breached the code of conduct on 97 occasions during their involvement in the income averaging scheme.
The report named just two former agency heads, Kathryn Campbell and Renée Leon.
The two will face no sanctions, as they no longer work for the public service. However, they will have to declare the findings, if asked, for the next five years if they try to get work in the APS or as a contractor with any its agencies.
The Community and Public Sector Union’s national secretary, Melissa Donnelly, said it was “incredibly disappointing” to see there would be few consequences for the former agency heads and senior officials who had since left the public service.
Donnelly said:
While CPSU members are relieved to see those responsible found guilty of serious code of conduct breaches, it is incredibly disappointing that there are no meaningful consequences for those at the top.
While the likes of Kathryn Campbell move on with their lives without sanction, our members continue to deal with the consequences of the scheme on those communities they serve and the loss of public trust.
Updated
University ‘fully supports’ vice-chancellor Renée Leon found guilty of 13 public service code breaches in robodebt report
Charles Sturt University’s chancellor, Dr Michele Allan, says the university “fully supports” its vice-chancellor, Renée Leon, who was found to have breached the public service code of conduct 13 times in a robodebt report released on Friday.
The report, released by the Australian Public Service Commission, made four findings against Leon, constituting 13 breaches, including that she failed to “expeditiously” inform her minister and colleagues of the solicitor-general’s advice on the lawfulness of the scheme and failed to cease the practice of income averaging under the scheme.
Leon responded in a statement on LinkedIn saying:
I stand by the actions I took to get definitive legal advice and bring the robodebt program to an end.
In a statement released on Friday, Allan said:
Charles Sturt University is disappointed in the decision handed down by the Australian Public Service Commission and fully supports Professor Leon.
Professor Leon’s actions in helping to end the robodebt program were in keeping with the integrity she demonstrated as a dedicated public servant for 30 years, and which she has carried forward into her present role to the benefit of our students, staff and communities.
We fully support her courageous and ultimately successful efforts to help end the robodebt program, her transparent testimony at the subsequent royal commission, and her full and truthful account of her actions.
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Three people appointed to manage troubled NSW Liberal division
The Liberal federal executive has voted today to appoint three people to manage the troubled NSW division, rejecting a plan by opposition leader Mark Speakman to include two women in a four-person administration panel.
In a statement, the party said:
The Federal Executive of the Liberal Party has today appointed a committee to manage the NSW Division of the Liberal Party until 30 June 2025. The committee comprises the Hon Alan Stockdale AO, the Hon Richard Alston AO, and Dr Peta Seaton AM. The committee will act swiftly to ensure the NSW Liberal Party is in the best possible position to fight the federal election.
The decision rejects Speakman and the NSW state executive’s call for a four-person panel, including federal vice president and former MP Fiona Scott.
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Richard Marles has ‘reopened old wounds’ by striping medals from only some commanders over alledged Afghan war crimes, Guardian Australia’s defence correspondent says
Richard Marles may have been trying to close the door on what he told parliament were “arguably the most serious allegations of Australian war crimes in our history”.
But by deciding to strip medals from some commanders and not others as part of an effort to show “Australia is a country which holds itself accountable”, the defence minister has reopened old wounds, Daniel Hurst, Guardian Australia’s foreign affairs and defence correspondent, says.
The question is: how much responsibility should the top brass and political masters bear for the alleged murders and mistreatment of Afghan civilians and prisoners of war?
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Former DHS head 'disappointed' robodebt report publicly named her
Former Department of Human Services head Renée Leon says she is “disappointed” by the Australian Public Service Commission’s robodebt scheme report, which publicly named her on Friday.
In the royal commissioner’s report last July, Leon, who was secretary from 2017 to 2020, was criticised for telling the ombudsman that the lawfulness of the scheme was “not uncertain”, which the commission said “had no proper basis”.
Leon said she did this because it was the DHS’s position at the time, but the commissioner said she “did not delve into the grounds for the purported DHS position” and if she had the claim “could not be sustained”.
The royal commission report also credited Leon for being “the first to take steps” to end the robodebt scheme in 2019 but said Leon “did not delve into the grounds for the purported DHS position” and if she had, the claim “could not be sustained”.
In a statement on LinkedIn on Friday, Leon said “robodebt was a failed policy, developed without a proper legal basis, that caused enormous pain for some of Australia’s most vulnerable people”. She added she regretted the “significant human toll of the program” and remained “proud” of her role in ending it.
The former senior bureaucrat, now vice-chancellor of Charles Sturt University, said she was “disappointed” with how the APSC had come to its decision.
Leon’s statement continued:
I stand by the actions I took to get definitive legal advice and bring the robodebt program to an end.
Robodebt had already been in operation for two years when I became secretary of human services. When legal doubts were raised, I sought definitive advice from the Solicitor-General.
I acted as expeditiously as possible to convince a government that was wedded to the robodebt scheme that it had to be ceased. When ministers delayed, I directed it be stopped. Two weeks later, my role as secretary was terminated by a government that did not welcome frank and fearless advice.
I acted with integrity and in accordance with the standards of the public service I served for 30 years. I testified before the robodebt royal commission, which found that I acted in good faith, and which did not refer me to the APSC or the National Anti-Corruption Commission or any other investigative process.
I remain a strong believer in the importance of public service. Senior public servants play a vital role in improving and protecting the lives of Australians through sound policy development, efficient service delivery, and upholding the integrity and accountability of government operations. People who have blatantly done the wrong thing should be held to account.
However, I believe the steps I took, under significant pressure, were consistent with the principles of public service to which I have unstintingly devoted my professional life.
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Older Australian's voice on Labor’s aged care deal key to avoid ‘exploitation and abuse’ by ‘predatory operators’, Greens say
The Greens’ spokesperson for older people, Senator Penny Allman-Payne, responded to Labor’s aged care deal announcement made yesterday, saying older people must be given the chance to properly scrutinise the legislation.
Allman-Payne said on Friday morning:
The voices we need to be hearing from right now aren’t the for-profit aged care providers, it’s the older Australians who will be most impacted by this legislation.
Older people deserve the highest quality care and support, and even though we are still working our way through the legislation, I’m concerned that opening the door to an expanded user-pays model prioritises the profits of providers over enforceable standards of care.
Budget repair or provider profits was never the “key driver” for reform of the sector, she said, but rather “the urgent need to improve care, quality and enforcement in the sector after the shocking revelations of the royal commission”.
She continued:
We have seen appalling behaviour from industry consultants, lobbyists and aged care providers trying to game the system for financial gain. Older people must have certainty that they will no longer suffer exploitation and abuse at the hands of these predatory operators.
The Greens would push for older Australians to contribute to the Senate inquiry into the legislation, Allman-Payne said.
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Plan to cap international students threatens aviation training, says independent tertiary peak body
The peak body representing the independent tertiary sector has written to the minister for infrastructure and transport cautioning the proposed international student cap threatens the viability of aviation schools and pilot training.
The Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (Iteca) chief executive, Troy Williams, wrote to Catherine King on Friday, flagging members had expressed “deep concern” that pilot training levels would reduce to “unsustainable levels” due to the sector’s reliance on international student enrolments to maintain viability.
Williams said:
The introduction of international student caps in 2025 … will significantly reduce the capacity of these flight schools to train international students …
This reduction in the capacity of Australia’s aviation schools to support high-quality aviation training for international students presents a severe risk to the future of aviation training in Australia, with many of our members expressing deep concern that the Australian government’s approach will see pilot training levels reduced to unsustainable levels.
Flight schools within Iteca’s membership have indicated that without steady and sustainable enrolment levels of overseas students, a significant number will be unable to survive the financial pressures.
A parliamentary inquiry into the federal government’s overseas students bill yesterday announced it would reopen submissions and extend its reporting date to 8 October due to the Coalition and the Greens pushing for greater scrutiny on the cap’s implications.
Updated
More on the hydrogen plan
The 2019 hydrogen plan did not contain any goals for Australian production but did estimate it could create 7,600-17,000 jobs by 2050 in an industry worth $11-26bn in GDP.
The 2024 version only states the potential for “tens of thousands of jobs” by 2040 in the export sector alone.
The earlier version cited estimates that the additional global demand for hydrogen could be 20-230mt by 2050 – quite a wide range.
The 2024 report cites the International Energy Agency’s demand spread of 250mt or as much as 420mt if net zero emissions pathways are pursued. The latter is about four times the current demand.
Bowen said the strategy clarified “the importance of ongoing leadership and collaboration between all levels of government to shepherd large-scale projects from development to operation”.
He listed federal government support, including $8bn in long-term production subsidies over the coming decade to ensure the sector could scale up to the competitive levels required to displace fossil fuels in industry and energy use.
The report also lists various state endeavours. Notably absent is the controversial Victorian plan to produce hydrogen from the state’s abundant (but emissions-heavy) brown coal.
The $500m-plus project has appeared to be dead in the water, so to speak, without additional federal and Victorian funding – and the updated strategy seems to have confirmed this.
Updated
New hydrogen production strategy revises 'renewable hydrogen' target
The Albanese government has this morning released its new hydrogen production strategy, updating the 2019 version it inherited from the coalition.
And despite mining billionaire Andrew Forrest’s much-publicised pullback of ambition, climate change and energy minister Chris Bowen says the industry has a big future that Australia must be part of.
Bowen told day two of the Asia-Pacific Hydrogen Summit 2024 in Brisbane:
Let me be clear: Australia’s green hydrogen pipeline is alive and healthy.
Among the key points is setting a 2050 target for Australia to produce 15mt a year of hydrogen produced by renewable energy. That’s the “green” version, among up to a dozen varieties, and there will be a “guarantee of origin” certification scheme to prove it to export markets.
That annual aim, to be “supported” by five-year milestones, would have a “stretch” goal of 30mt/year by mid-century. Accordingly, the report says, the avoided emissions as hydrogen supplants fossil fuels would range from 93-186mt of CO2 a year by 2050.
The near-term aim is more modest, reflecting the relatively nascent nature of an industry battling to make production costs competitive. It targets 200,000t/year of exports by 2030, with a “stretch” goal of 1.2mt/year.
The report says:
Setting an early export target provides a strong signal of Australia’s intention to continue supplying energy to the global market … This matches the ambition of some of our existing trade partners who already have 2030 hydrogen targets.
Updated
Public servants breached code of conduct 97 times, Robodebt report finds
Twelve public servants, including former department heads Kathryn Campbell and Renée Leon, breached their code of conduct 97 times, a report on the unlawful robodebt scheme has found.
The findings of the Australian Public Service Commission’s robodebt taskforce, released on Friday, more than a year after the inquiry was launched, detail the breaches former and current bureaucrats made during the course of the income averaging scheme.
The Australian Public Service Commissioner, Gordon de Brouwer, said the scheme was “a failure of government” and apologised for the public service’s role:
I apologise for the damage that robodebt caused people and their families and the suffering they endured as a result.
The report substantiated six findings against Campbell, who was secretary of the Department of Human Services from 2011 to 2017. She was found culpable for 12 breaches, including failing to “sufficiently respond to public criticism” and having “created and allowed a culture” that prevented problems from being considered.
However, the inquiry found Campbell did not mislead the cabinet. It said allegations she directed preparation of legal advice cease and that she failed to discharge her PWC engagement legal obligations were unsubstantiated.
Updated
Social enterprises find long-term unemployed higher-paid jobs they retain longer compared to DES, new report reveals
Long-term unemployed people are more likely to start work sooner, earn more and work longer if they are employed by a social enterprise instead of Disability Employment Services (DES), according to a new report released today.
White Box Enterprises is running an Australian-first payment by outcomes (PBO) trial for jobs-focused social enterprises with the Department of Social Services.
White Box commissioned actuarial and analytics firm Taylor Fry to compare two year’s of PBO data from 17 social enterprises with publicly available DES data.
The report shows people in social enterprise employment:
Stay in work longer – retention after one year is 69% compared to 26% at DES.
Earn significantly more – people are estimated to earn an average of $17,000 in their first year at a social enterprise. This is well above the average income of $3,050 for DES participants in their first year, where employment rates are lower and people are less likely to stay in a job.
Mark Daniels, chief operating officer at White Box Enterprises, said:
This small but significant trial has given us the unique opportunity to compare social enterprise outcomes directly with existing employment services for a specific group of long-term unemployed people, for the first time.
Updated
Government to cover Reynolds’ legal costs for referring Higgins multimillion-dollar settlement to corruption watchdog
The Albanese government has agreed to pay Linda Reynolds’ legal costs for referring the commonwealth’s multimillion-dollar settlement with Brittany Higgins to the federal anti-corruption body.
The attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, wrote to the Liberal senator on Tuesday confirming her application for legal assistance in a National Anti-Corruption Commission matter had been approved by his department’s secretary, a document tabled in parliament on Thursday showed.
Read the full story here:
Updated
More than 1 million vote early in NSW local government elections
More than 1.1 million people have voted early, and 213,000 postal votes have been returned before polls officially open in tomorrow’s NSW local government elections, according to the NSW Electoral Commission.
The commission has reminded eligible residents that they need to cast their votes before 6pm Saturday and, if they are voting in person, they must vote within their council area or ward.
Postal vote applications have closed. To be counted, postal votes must be completed by 6pm on election day and received by the electoral commission no later than 6pm on Friday 27 September.
Updated
Australian Banking Association praises anti-scam legislation
The Australian Banking Association has said it welcomes the release of the draft legislation to fight scams.
The association’s chief executive, Anna Bligh, said in a statement that banks had advocated for the industry codes because the issue required a systemic approach.
Bligh said:
Australia has made progress, with scam losses falling, however holding all parts of the scams chain to account is the only way to properly protect the community.
These codes must address the core problem of people being exposed to scams in the first place. That means ensuring telcos and the social media platforms have strong protections in place to stop scams reaching Australians.
The industry viewed the creation of a single complaints body as a positive step, and said the sector was ready to work with the government to finalise the mandatory codes.
Bligh said:
I urge all members of parliament to support this legislation and ensure its passage as soon as possible.
Updated
Sydney tram leaves tracks after apparently being hit by another vehicle
A tram has come off its tracks on Sydney’s route 1 on the corner of Hay and Pitt streets in the city, after apparently being hit by another vehicle.
My colleague Peter Hannam is down there and says officials have told him it will be difficult to get the tram back into place, as it is difficult to lift it without damaging the track.
A wheel can be replaced, but fixing the track will take a lot of work and time.
Bit of work needed to be done to get Line 1 tram back on track…. pic.twitter.com/4p87aSQ3Az
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) September 12, 2024
We’re told the light rail on that route is still running up until the convention centre.
Updated
Anthony Albanese is rejecting demands from the Greens and some Senate crossbenchers to subject development projects to climate-impact assessments and remove forestry’s effective exemption from environmental protection law, as the government negotiates on stalled legislation with parties to the left and right.
The environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, is in talks with the Greens, crossbenchers and the Coalition over legislation to establish an environment protection authority.
But after she appeared to hint on Wednesday that the government could agree to include climate impact among considerations before projects are approved, the prime minister has made it clear from the sidelines that this is not on the table.
Although the Greens remain hopeful of further compromise, Albanese has indicated to various parties in the negotiations that he wants a deal struck with the Coalition. He appears prepared to wait, having prioritised other legislation such as changes to aged care.
Read the full story here:
Stephen Jones announces new scam prevention laws
Stephen Jones also announced proposed new laws today which are intended to place obligations on banks, telcos and social media companies “to prevent, to detect, to disrupt and to report and to respond to scam content within their businesses”.
There will also be penalties of up to $50m for businesses that don’t comply.
Jones said:
It’s taking an ecosystem approach, which expects individuals to take some responsibilities, but the banks, the telcos, the social media platforms – which are the ecosystems in which this scam content is distributed to Australians.
A significant uplift will be required to keep Australians, their information and their money safe and, if they don’t meet those obligations, then yes, compensation will flow, not just on the banks. If the telcos have done the wrong thing, they’ll be in the gun. If the social media platforms have done the wrong thing, they’re in the frame as well and that’s a fair and balanced system with avenues for Australians to take through external dispute resolution processes and a tribunal they can go to to enable them to recover losses if they’ve lost money because the failure of one of those businesses to meet their obligations under the new laws.
Updated
Sydney casino employee charged for allegedly rigging roulette games
A Sydney casino employee is one of two people charged by NSW Police for allegedly rigging multiple roulette games.
The state’s organised crime squad charged the 23-year-old male casino employee and another 22-year-old man after identifying that they had allegedly worked together to rig roulette bets between September and October 2023.
In a statement, NSW police said detectives will allege in court the men would move bets after the roulette result had occurred and that the men had done this on multiple occasions, earning more than $25,000.
They will appear before Downing Centre Local Court in November.
Updated
Assistant treasurer says Elon Musk post is ‘crackpot stuff’
The assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones, has said Elon Musk labelling the Australian government as “fascists” is “crackpot stuff”.
Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, Jones said the government’s new bill on misinformation and disinformation was about “sovereignty”:
And whether it’s the Australian government or any other government around the world, we assert our right to pass laws which will keep Australians safe – safe from scammers, safe from criminals.
And, for the life of me, I can’t see how Elon Musk or anyone else, in the name of free speech, thinks it is OK to have social media platforms publishing scam content, which is robbing Australians of billions of dollars every year. Publishing deepfake material, publishing child pornography. Livestreaming murder scenes. I mean is this what he thinks free speech is all about?
Updated
All lanes of M4 motorway in Sydney closed
All lanes of the M4 motorway in Sydney have been closed this morning and drivers are urged to avoid the area near the Coleman Street off-ramp while a police operation is under way.
NSW police launched the operation in Merrylands about 5.30am in response to a mental health incident.
Police said in a post on X that there was no threat to the public.
A police operation is currently underway on the M4, near the Coleman Street off ramp, Merrylands.
— NSW Police Force (@nswpolice) September 12, 2024
Motorists are urged to avoid the area.
There is no threat to the public. pic.twitter.com/ZY9r0Ds4la
• In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org
Updated
Yesterday, the government outlined its overhaul of the aged care system, and with a deal struck with the Coalition, the long-awaited suite of measures are scheduled to start taking effect from mid 2025.
Find out what’s happening, and what it might mean for you and your loved ones, with this explainer from my colleague Josh Butler:
Good morning folks. Thanks so much to Martin Farrer for kicking us off this morning. I’m Stephanie Convery and I’ll be taking you through the news until mid-afternoon.
NSW launch $38m family violence prevention strategy
The New South Wales government says it will try to stop family violence before it starts under a new $38m prevention strategy.
The strategy, announced today, has three priorities: progressing prevention in priority settings, supporting Aboriginal-led prevention, and providing centralised support to prevention efforts across the state.
In a statement, the Minns government said most government actions to date which attempted to address sexual, domestic and family violence focused on early intervention, crisis response and recovery.
It said that while this work was critically important it responded to existing violence or indicators of violence, rather than primary prevention which “is about stopping violence before it starts”.
The statement said:
It is about programs that, over the long-term, help to shift the dial on community attitudes and behaviours underlying these types of violence.
The “priority settings” identified in the strategy are local community organisations, schools and early childhood education centres, workplaces and sporting clubs.
A dedicated NSW Aboriginal domestic and family violence plan is also being developed, with a draft to be released in 2025.
The government will also establish a primary prevention advisory council to guide the implementation of the strategy.
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, said:
We have a long road ahead of us to catch up to where we should be in terms of a comprehensive statewide approach to primary prevention – but not doing this work is simply not an option, the stakes are far too high.
Updated
As mentioned in the intro, one of our top stories this morning is a report highlighting the explosion in medication taken by dementia sufferers.
The latest report on dementia from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that health services for managing dementia have increased to accommodate 411,100 people.
Almost 688,000 dementia medication prescriptions were dispensed in 2022–23 to about 72,400 Australians aged 30 and over, the report said. That represented a 46% increase from just over 472,000 scripts for about 50,800 people in 2013–14.
Read the full story and warnings about an impending “crisis” from neuroscientist Prof Matthew Kiernan.
Albanese to travel to US for Quad summit next week
Anthony Albanese will travel to the United States for the 2024 Quad leaders’ summit in Wilmington, Delaware, next Saturday.
The US president, Joe Biden, the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, and the Japanese prime minister, Kishida Fumio, make up the Quad, which is a diplomatic partnership to shape an “open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific”.
At the summit, the prime minister will discuss regional issues and opportunities to further advance the Quad’s positive and practical agenda.
Albanese said:
I look forward to meeting with my Quad partners to discuss important challenges facing the Indo-Pacific and strengthening the Quad’s cooperation.
Australia is deeply invested in the future prosperity and stability of the Indo-Pacific.
Australia, the United States, India, and Japan share a vision for a region that is governed by accepted rules and norms, where all countries can cooperate, trade and thrive.
We will work together to shape the kind of region in which we want to live. We are always better off when we act together with our close friends and partners.
Updated
Elon Musk attacks disinformation bill
Elon Musk, owner of social media X, has responded to the Australian government’s new bill on misinformation and disinformation, which proposes to give the broadcasting watchdog Acma new powers over digital platforms.
Acma would get the power to register an enforceable industry code, though it doesn’t get “take down” powers.
Elon Musk’s view?
“Fascists.”
Fascists https://t.co/NQcR9justJ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 12, 2024
Updated
Government approves plan to construct third runway at Melbourne airport
The federal government has approved the plan to construct a third runway at Melbourne airport.
The infrastructure minister, Catherine King, said it would “cater for the demand of a growing city … driving economic growth for years to come”.
Some local communities put up fierce resistance to the plan, citing the impact of more plane noise on sleep, schools and childcare centres.
But the minister said the needs of the local community had been “front of mind” for her.
She imposed conditions on the airport including lengthening the east-west runway to maximise noise-sharing, designing an airspace plan that shared noise around affected areas, and a noise amelioration program for the communities most affected.
There will also be a long-term health study examining the impact of the new runway.
Updated
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our final blog of the working week. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ve got the best overnight news lines to get you started before your morning blogger Stephanie Convery takes the controls.
Australia is at the forefront of the dementia crisis, a neuroscientist warns today as new figures show that the number of people taking medication for the disease has increased by almost 50%. The number of dementia medication prescriptions has jumped in the past decade as more people seek out therapies that may slow progression of the disease – but the country is still “unprepared for the full impact” on society.
It’s been a busy sitting week and we report today that Anthony Albanese is fighting off demands from the Greens and some Senate crossbenchers to keep his government’s environmental agenda on track. The prime minister is thought to have ruled out proposed concessions and instead wants a deal struck with the Coalition.
And when the prime minister is finished with the business of federal politics here he will travel to the US next week for the latest Quad summit. Details coming up.
Much of south-east Australia will experience a blast of cold weather this weekend with the cold biting particularly hard on Sunday in NSW, where some parts could see the mercury 8C below the September average. It follows some more freakish weather yesterday when a hailstorm transformed the Victorian town of Castlemaine into a winter wonderland. That cold front is pushing through NSW now and another cold system will follow behind it later today.
The federal government has approved the controversial third runway for Melbourne airport – more on that soon.
And Elon Musk has responded to proposed new laws tackling disinformation and misinformation online with one word: “Fascists.”
