What we learned: Friday 3 May
That’s it for today, thanks for reading.
Here are the main stories for today:
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, says he disagrees with a magistrate’s decision to release a former immigration detainee on bail and with the prosecutor’s decision not to oppose it. The man allegedly assaulted a woman in a home invasion eight weeks later;
The transport workers union urges Bonza administrators to ‘strain every sinew’ to pay employees’ wages, after the airline went into voluntary administration;
Family violence and sexual assault data of 4,000 Victorians collected over two decades by one of the state’s largest health services has been exposed;
The Flemington racecourse floodwall “most likely” caused houses to be inundated in 2022, an independent panel finds;
A NSW man is charged with blackmail after an alleged pubs and clubs data breach;
Sky News Australia apologises for its interview with the winner of a $1m barramundi competition;
A Victorian man arrested at a shopping centre after allegedly threatening people with a knife; and
The mayor of Blacktown city council in Sydney’s west, Tony Bleasdale, dies while reportedly on a flight home from China.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Updated
Data breach exposes family violence, sexual assault data
Family violence and sexual assault data of 4000 Victorians collected over two decades by one of the state’s largest health services has been caught up in a data breach, AAP reports.
Monash Health on Friday confirmed its involvement in a breach at external company ZircoDATA, which the health service used to scan archived historical documents.
The breach involved information from family violence and sexual assault support units at Monash medical centre, the Queen Victoria hospital and Southern Health from 1970 to 1993, the health service’s chief executive, Eugine Yafele, said.
Monash Health found out about the breach on 27 March, and believes it involves about 4000 people.
Asked why it took so long for the health service to make a public statement about the breach, Mr Yafele said Monash Health had to undergo a forensic investigation of its systems.
“Because of the passage of time and the sensitivity of the information we’re talking about, we absolutely needed to be sure that we are able to cross-check and get the right information,” he told ABC radio.
“It’s taken longer than I would have wanted.”
He said data accessed was “a range of stuff”, which could include names and addresses of its clients.
Monash Health’s systems have not been impacted.
“We are deeply disappointed to be in this position and understand the distress this may cause any impacted clients,” Mr Yafele said in an earlier statement.
“We take any matter involving cybersecurity extremely seriously.
“Our team is working tirelessly and diligently to verify those who are impacted and understand what data was compromised.”
Anyone who believes they may have been affected is asked to visit Monash Health’s website to register for updates or call its cyber breach support line.
Updated
Here’s a video of that aforementioned rocket.
Rocket successfully launched in SA
An 11.5m rocket was successfully launched in the South Australian outback this afternoon.
German company HyImpulse launched the single-stage SR75 rocket from Southern Launch’s Koonibba Test Range, which is near Ceduna. The Light This Candle suborbital mission was the inaugural launch of the SR75, and the first from the Koonibba site.
The rocket will be recovered for post-flight analysis. The maiden launch was done to test the hybrid propulsion technology.
Southern Launch chief executive officer, Lloyd Damp, said:
We are incredibly proud to have been a part of this historic mission. The Koonibba Test Range is world-class and hosting this mission has demonstrated the outstanding expertise and experience of the Southern Launch and HyImpulse teams.
Southern Launch developed the site in partnership with the Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation. The corporation’s Chair, Geraldine Ware, said it was “an incredible achievement for our community and shining light for First Nations people”:
We had more than 30 people from the community working throughout the campaign and to come together and see it launch was amazing. We look forward to the next launch from our launch pad.
Updated
Sky News apologises for $1m barramundi winner interview
Sky News Australia has apologised to Keegan Payne, a 19-year-old who caught a barramundi worth $1m, for questioning him live on air about claims he had stolen from a former employer.
It said in the apology:
On Wednesday 1 May 2024, Sky News Australia broadcast a live interview of Keegan Payne by Peter Stefanovic on First Edition. The interview concerned Mr Payne’s win in the Northern Territory’s Million Dollar Fish Competition.
During the interview Mr Stefanovic asked Mr Payne questions about claims he had been involved in the theft of a Polaris Ranger and Polaris Quad from his former employer in 2021.
Mr Payne confirmed the claims and apologised to his former employer on-air. Mr Payne’s former employer subsequently told Sky News Australia that he did not proceed with police charges and had accepted Mr Payne’s apology.
Sky News Australia and Peter Stefanovic apologise to Mr Payne and his family for raising these claims during the live interview about his million dollar win in the fishing competition.
Mr Stefanovic has reached out to Mr Payne and his family directly to convey his apology.
We covered the interview in Weekly Beast earlier today:
Updated
Former detective charged with perjury after allegedly giving false evidence: NSW police
NSW police say a former officer has been charged with perjury after an investigation into a sexual assault case.
In a statement, the force said that the case was heard in the Wollongong district court in February 2020.
In 2021, professional standards command officers started Strike Force Ephemeris to investigate the conduct of officers involved in the court case, police said.
Following extensive inquiries and upon receiving advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, police have charged a former Detective Senior Constable with giving false evidence under oath amounting to perjury.
The 48-year-old man was issued a future court attendance notice to appear before Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday, 19 June 2024.
Investigations under Strike Force Ephemeris continue.
Updated
Dr Alexandra Jones, who leads the George Institute’s independent monitoring of the health star rating said the government’s review finding only 32% of products displayed the front-of-pack label was even lower than their own – with their last report in 2023 putting the percentage at 36%.
The George Institute’s monitoring has tracked uptake year on year (unlike the government’s) and found it reached 40% in 2019 but has subsequently plateaued and slightly declined in recent years, leading to the situation as acknowledged by the food ministers, in which the food industry is “significantly off track” from meeting its own target.
Jones says these figures show the system being voluntary for food manufacturers to display the rating is not working, and that only a mandatory label will make a difference in improving Australians’ diets. While the findings of the monitoring is disappointing, Jones said the language of the ministers’ communiqué is positive:
This is the most promising indication we’ve seen that ministers are serious about making the system mandatory.
Industry has had ample time now – they’ve had a decade – and it’s time for the food ministers to request regulators to start the process to make it mandatory.
Updated
Food industry misses targets, leaving sour taste in mouths of ministers
The food industry has only met half the target it set itself for health star rating uptake – results the food ministers say are disappointing and “significantly off track” as it considers making the initiative mandatory.
The federal, state and territory food ministers today met to discuss the results of their independent review of the health star rating system, which found only 32% of products which should display the health star rating currently do. That’s despite the industry setting itself a target to have 60% of products displaying a health star rating by November 2024.
It has now been 10 years since the government introduced the front-of-pack nutrition label to be a simple way for consumers to compare the overall nutritional quality of products on the shelf. However, because the system is voluntary, it’s largely used as a marketing tool for food manufacturers to spruik their healthier products, and leave off the unhealthier ones:
In a communiqué released after their meeting the food ministers “expressed their disappointment at the results, noting that uptake is significantly off-track to reach the final target by the end of 2025”.
Ministers re-iterated the need to consider mandating the system and will discuss this further at the July meeting. Officials will bring to the July meeting some preparatory work on implementation options.
Updated
Union urges Bonza administrators to ‘strain every sinew’ to pay employees’ wages
The Transport Workers Union (TWU) is calling on the administrators determining Bonza’s future to “explore every avenue” to pay workers of the budget airline their wages as soon as possible, after most employees were stood down and told they would not be paid for work done in April.
Emily McMillan, TWU’s national assistant secretary, said the situation was reminiscent of Ansett’s 2001 collapse which saw protests at airports for more than 100 days from workers fighting for pay after the airline became insolvent.
McMillan said:
The shock of Bonza falling into administration has barely subsided and workers are being forced to enter Centrelink queues. It’s appalling that Bonza has failed workers so spectacularly and that aviation workers are once again paying the price for a broken industry.
These are hardworking people with bills to pay and families to feed. They are highly trained. This is a devastating blow and a cause for great worry in a cost-of-living crisis. Bonza’s administrators must strain every sinew to find the means to pay these workers urgently. There is no greater priority than this.
Late on Thursday, the Bonza administrators announced the majority of the airline’s employees would be stood down, as the carrier’s grounding was extended until at least the middle of next week.
The administrators have been holding round-the-clock meetings with local and foreign aviation industry figures in the hopes of resuming operations and finding a potential buyer for the airline – something one of its suppliers said had been close to occurring prior to the repossession of aircraft this week.
The largest considerations of the meetings are the current status of the airline’s five Boeing 737-Max 8 aircraft that remain parked at Melbourne, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast airports after their repossession by the newly formed company that owns a controlling stake in the leased planes.
Updated
Three rescued from overturned boat in Torres Strait
Three people have been rescued after their boat overturned near the Murray Islands in north-eastern Torres Strait.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) said it received an emergency distress beacon activation from an unknown source about 3.30pm on Thursday.
Before a Cairns-based rescue aircraft arrived on scene, Thursday Island Water Police advised Amsa that the beacon may be associated with a 5m aluminium boat with three people on board that had failed to return to the Murray Islands.
When the aircraft arrived at the beacon location, Amsa crew found an upturned boat, with three people clinging to the hull amid adverse weather conditions of 1.5m seas and 20-knot winds.
Amsa said aircraft crew dropped a life-raft and communications kit to the boat, which allowed search and rescue officers to stay in communication with the vessel throughout the rescue.
A nearby fishing vessel was diverted to rescue the crew, and a police vessel from Thursday Island was also used.
The fishing vessel reached the life raft about 3.30am on Friday and rescued the people on board. Amsa said it understood all three people were safe, with no serious injuries.
Updated
‘Like letting a wildebeest loose on playing Beethoven’: constitutional expert lashes high court’s grasp of economics
Constitutional expert and former Australian Catholic University vice-chancellor Greg Craven has launched an extraordinary broadside at the high court for a lack of expertise about economics.
Craven was speaking at a parliamentary lecture about the future of federal financial relations after the court’s Vanderstock decision, in which a majority struck down Victoria’s low and zero emissions vehicle tax.
States aren’t allowed to levy excises. What is an excise is in part determined by whether the tax is of such a nature as to affect the goods as the subjects of manufacture or production or as articles of commerce – thus the need for economic analysis.
Craven said:
History has revealed letting the high court loose on economics is like letting a wildebeest loose on playing Beethoven. They do not know what they’re talking about. They do not have degrees in economics. Their conclusions are fundamentally disputable and are unlikely to be right ...
Why on earth is the high court so confident of its economic capacity? ... It’s applying economic theory by a group of people who wouldn’t actually know how to buy a tram ticket. That is a major methodological problem. It’s economics performed by people who are not economists.
Craven is not alone in criticising the court’s decision.
Justice James Edelman, who was in the minority, said in the decision that “without any empirical or economic evidence” the majority had concluded that a tax of about $300 was “reasonably anticipated to have a real and substantial economic effect in the market for the sale of goods worth up to $300,000 each”.
Updated
Man arrested at shopping centre after allegedly threatening people with a knife
Victoria police have released a short statement about an incident allegedly involving a man with a knife at a shopping centre in Melbourne’s outer north-west.
Police said:
Brimbank Criminal Investigation Unit detectives have arrested a man following an incident at a shopping centre in Taylors Lakes.
Following further investigation, it is alleged the man stole a knife from a grocery store and used it to assault and threaten a 21-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman inside the shopping centre on Melton Highway about 12.50pm.
With assistance from the public a 30-year-old Sunshine man was swiftly arrested and is currently assisting police with their enquires.
No one was physically injured.
Updated
Western Sydney mayor dies mid-flight while returning home from China
Tony Bleasdale, the mayor of Blacktown city council in western Sydney, has died.
The 77-year-old had reportedly been on a flight home from a study tour in China when he died.
The NSW deputy premier Prue Car paid tribute to Bleasdale on X:
I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Mayor of Blacktown City Council, Councillor Tony Bleasdale OAM.
— Prue Car MP (@pruecar) May 3, 2024
Tony was well loved within the Blacktown community, fiercely advocating local residents for over 30 years. pic.twitter.com/RXxuEBWsTS
She added:
He was also a great friend and mentor to me, as we worked together in our shared communities for many years. My thoughts and love are with Mayoress Nina Bleasdale and all of their family and loved ones.
Updated
Australia slips to 39th on global press freedom index
Australia has fallen 12 places on the Reporters Without Borders press freedom rankings.
Australia has slipped dramatically from 27 to 39 on global #PressFreedom rankings published today by @RSF_inter.
— MEAA (@withMEAA) May 3, 2024
Watch the World #PressFreedom Day message from #MEAAmedia Federal President @PercyKaren, who explains the key concerns and what needs to change. pic.twitter.com/CqJIiJ16Jl
Australia is below South Africa and North Macedonia in the rankings, but ahead of the US. Norway topped the list.
The index noted of Australia that:
Press freedom is not constitutionally guaranteed in this island-continent of 26 million people, but a hyperconcentration of the media combined with growing pressure from the authorities endanger public interest journalism.
The full index is here: https://rsf.org/en/index
Updated
Victorian parliamentary inquiry to examine urban sprawl and population impact on farming capacity
I had no idea this inquiry was happening, but it seems interesting: the Victorian Legislative Assembly’s Environment and Planning Committee is conducting an inquiry into securing Victoria’s food supply. It will examine the impacts of urban sprawl and population growth on arable land and the farming industry in Victoria. It is expected to report its findings no later than 31 December 2024.
📷 Victoria's food supply inquiry held its first public hearing, involving witnesses including @VicGovAg, @VicFarmers, @MAV_1879, @sustainaus & @VicGovDTP. #springst pic.twitter.com/CIUbaNCeuc
— Parliament of Victoria (@VicParliament) May 3, 2024
Updated
Prof Tyrone Carlin, the vice-chancellor and president of Southern Cross University, and Janelle Saffin, the state member for Lismore and the NSW parliamentary secretary for disaster recovery, both highlighted the importance of the university’s connection to the community.
Carlin said:
Lismore is the most flood-prone city in Australia. We know that many in the Northern Rivers community remain traumatised by the 2022 back-to-back flood disasters. Lismore is also the birthplace of Southern Cross University, and with our roots deeply embedded in the community it is appropriate we lead this project.
Saffin said:
This project not only offers innovative evidence-based practices for trauma relief, but also means something positive can come out of our local experience. This research will add to the body of knowledge around trauma and post-traumatic growth.
James Bennett-Levy has an international reputation for innovative mental health approaches and a commitment to the wellbeing or rural Australians, particularly the residents of the Northern Rivers region. That’s why I was happy to throw my support behind this project.
Updated
Flood PTSD patients could take part in world-first trial
People left with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the Northern Rivers floods will be able to take part in a world first clinical trial.
Researchers at Southern Cross University have received $3.8m from the federal government to implement over 200 participants with a stepped care model, starting with the least to most intensive treatments.
The lead researcher, Prof James Bennett-Levy, said people in northern NSW are still suffering from disaster-related PTSD.
“Our research after the 2017 floods showed that mental health problems were compounded if people were self-critical and blamed themselves. We have therefore designed a stepped care program with a self-compassion focus.”
The first step will involve a five-session arts-based program in which participants create compassion-focused artworks.
If participants still have PTSD, they may be eligible for the second step, involving MDMA-assisted therapy. Bennett-Levy said:
Prior research has shown that MDMA-assisted therapy is an effective evidence-based treatment for PTSD and enhances self-compassion.
To date, there have been very few clinical trials focused on recovery from disaster-related PTSD, and none have focused on a stepped care model.
The project is one of 26 recipients who have received a total $62m from the Albanese government’s 2022 clinical trials grant activity, with funding having started in March.
The health minister, Mark Butler, said:
In a country often ravaged by bushfires, floods and cyclones, the world-first research by Southern Cross University will look for new and innovative ways to help communities recover following natural disasters.
Updated
Class action against demolition of Melbourne public housing towers dismissed by supreme court
Victoria’s supreme court has dismissed a class action that was attempting to stop the demolition of Melbourne’s 44 public housing towers, saying it had no real prospect of success.
But the Inner Melbourne Community Legal service, which is leading the case, said it was determined to continue the fight using fresh legal tactics.
All 44 of Melbourne’s high-rise public housing towers will be redeveloped by 2051, with five in Flemington, North Melbourne and Carlton expected to be replaced by 2031.
Full story:
Updated
Here is something I wrote back in October 2022 about the racecourse wall and concerns it may have made the Maribyrnong River flood worse:
Compensatory works ‘largely ineffective’ at mitigating effects of racecourse floodwall: report
The report found:
The modelled increases in flood depths resulting from the construction of the Floodwall and associated compensatory works outlined above have most likely resulted in flooding of some houses that would otherwise not have flooded and increased the flood damage in houses that would have been flooded in the absence of the Floodwall and associated compensatory works (e.g. requiring skirting boards or furniture to be replaced, requiring electrical work to be done, resulting in additional stock losses for businesses etc.).
The information provided to the Review Panel also clearly indicates that the compensatory works were largely ineffective at mitigating the effect the Floodwall had on the October 2022 Flood Event.
Melbourne Water have been contacted for comment.
Updated
Racecourse floodwall ‘most likely’ caused houses to be inundated: report
A floodwall designed to protect Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse “most likely” resulted in houses being inundated that would not otherwise have flooded, an independent panel has found.
The Maribyrnong River in the city’s west flooded in October 2022, leading to damage at dozens of properties.
Melbourne Water commissioned an independent panel to review the flood, chaired by former judge Tony Pagone KC, which handed down its final report on Friday.
It found a wall constructed to protect Flemington Racecourse from flooding and “associated compensatory works” had resulted in increases in water level of between eight and 80mm.
Updated
Have a feast on Weekly Beast
Updated
Australia and partners ‘utterly committed’ to asserting rules-based order in world’s oceans
Marles continued:
And our four countries are utterly committed to asserting freedom of navigation, to asserting the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. To asserting the global rules-based order around the oceans of the world including in the West Philippines Sea.
Updated
Marles meets US, Japan and Philippines counterparts to discuss Pacific defence
The defence minister, Richard Marles, is speaking after meeting with his counterparts from the US, Japan and the Philippines in Hawaii.
There’s a lot of mention of the “rules-based order”, as you can imagine. Marles said:
We meet at a time when the global rules-based order is under intense pressure. We see that in Ukraine with the appalling invasion by Russia of that country.
But we see the global rules-based order under pressure in the Indo-Pacific as well. And a challenge to the global rules-based order in Ukraine is a challenge to the global rules-based order in the East China Sea, in the South China Sea, in the West Philippine Sea.
Updated
Many thanks for joining me on the blog this morning. Nino Bucci will be here for the remainder of the day. Have a great weekend.
Wong and German counterpart concerned at Gaza ‘humanitarian catastrophe’
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, says she and her German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, share deep concerns about the “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza, and have discussed how to achieve a two-state solution in the region.
Speaking after a meeting in Adelaide, Wong confirmed they had had “a brief discussion” about the issue of recognising Palestinian statehood, amid suggestions the UN general assembly will vote later this month on admitting Palestine as a full UN member. (The US vetoed a similar attempt at the UN security council last month, so the looming general assembly vote will be symbolic only but will also serve as a gauge of international opinion.)
Wong said this aspect was among a range of topics related to the Middle East that were discussed in today’s meeting:
Both Germany and Australia are deeply concerned about the loss of life, about the humanitarian catastrophe, about what is occurring in Gaza. We note that we still have hostages that are being held and all of us are seeking to add our voice for the cause of peace…
You might recall that I gave a speech a few weeks ago where I outlined the fact that this was a discussion that was occurring internationally and it is a discussion that the international community is focused on…
I think we all understand that the only path out of this cycle of violence that we see in the Middle East at such great cost is one that ultimately ensures a two-state solution. There are different views within the international community about how that will be achieved, but it is an important discussion. It’s not an abstract discussion. It is not actually a deeply political discussion despite what some might say. It’s a discussion about how it is we assure peace in a region that is so troubled in which we have seen so many lives lost.
Updated
New Zealand ‘seriously concerned’ by China’s increased security actions in Pacific
New Zealand’s foreign minister has hit out at China’s bid for an increased security presence in the Pacific Islands, warning against actions that could “destabilise” or undermine regional security, Agence France-Presse reports.
“China has a long-standing presence in the Pacific, but we are seriously concerned by increased engagement in Pacific security sectors,” Winston Peters said in a speech on relations with China that offered rare criticism of New Zealand’s key trading partner.
China has enticed a string of Pacific Island states to switch diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing and has inked a secretive security pact with the Solomon Islands.
Chinese police, research and military ships have become an increasingly common sight in the region, sparking a battle for influence with the US and concerns that the region – racked by violence during the second world war – will again become the scene of a battle between great powers.
Peters told the New Zealand China Council in Auckland:
We do not want to see developments that destabilise the institutions and arrangements that have long underpinned our region’s security.
Updated
Croc targeted for removal after dangerous behaviour
Authorities will remove a two-metre juvenile crocodile from the wild after it showed signs of dangerous behaviour, AAP reports.
The crocodile, which has been regularly seen around Coorooman Creek boat ramp in Zilzie, central Queensland, was reported to the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation.
The report came from a member of the public who saw the crocodile sunbathing near the ramp. Wildlife officer Alexander Peters said a spotlight survey was conducted and “the crocodile deliberately approached our vessel and showed no fear of wildlife officers or the noise we made.”
Peters said a two-metre crocodile is considered to be a juvenile and should be wary of boats, people and of the activity at the boat ramp:
But it was obvious that the crocodile had become highly habituated, and we believe it has been approaching people in boats for a free feed…
The deliberate and inadvertent feeding of crocodiles is extremely dangerous behaviour, as the animal will expect food from people and could become aggressive if it doesn’t receive it.
Peters said it was “unfortunate” the crocodile would now be placed in a farm or zoo and removed from its habitat.
Updated
Penny Wong ‘deeply concerned’ over Australian brothers missing in Mexico
The foreign minister has expressed her concern over the two Australian brothers who are missing in Mexico.
At an earlier press conference (which we will have more on soon), Penny Wong said:
I want to emphasise that my personal thoughts and the thoughts of all of us are with the families of the missing men. We are obviously deeply concerned, deeply worried. I can indicate that our embassy in Mexico as well as the Australian federal police are working in support of local authorities.
Updated
Counter protest at University of Sydney as pro-Palestine encampment continues
The student action in support of Gaza at the University of Sydney, which saw students set up a camp on the campus over a week ago, has been met with a counter-protest.
A group of people wearing shirts that say “stop the hate mate” have rallied at the entrance of the campus grounds, waving Israeli and Australian flags.
Ben said he’d joined to the counter-protest “to show support for the entire university and public and Jewish population”.
At the camp, which was separated from the counter-protest by security guards, students and supporters formed a line in front of the camp.
Prof Alanda Lentin from the University of Western Sydney said she’d decided to come to the camp today to show support for the students and their demands. She said:
We’ve come here to stand firm with the organisers of the encampment, peacefully protesting not only for a free Palestine but also for the University of Sydney and all universities to divest from any ties with the Zionist state of Israel.
Students at the University of Sydney have formed a line around the camp in support of Gaza pic.twitter.com/CG1KpZjWWI
— Jordyn Beazley (@jordynbeazley) May 3, 2024
Aboriginal cultural heritage items returned to Kaurna community
After almost two centuries in Germany, four Aboriginal cultural heritage items were returned to the Kaurna community this morning in Adelaide (as we flagged earlier).
Lutheran missionaries took a kathawirri (sword), tantanaku (club or bark peeler), wirnta (spear) and wikatyi (net) to Germany in 1840. They have been held in the Grassi Museum in Leipzig and will now be temporarily stored at the Art Gallery of South Australia.
Kaurna Yerta Aboriginal Corporation (KYAC) chair Mitzi Nam said the Kaurna community was “thrilled that these precious items have found their way home”.
Home to where they were part of the lives of the Kaurna people that created them and where they were such integral parts of our lives. These items may no longer be used in the day to day lives of the living Kaurna people, but they are part of our story, our culture and we share a deep and significant connection with them.
The Indigenous Australians minister, Linda Burney, said the return was “an important step towards healing and honouring the rich cultural heritage of the Kaurna people”.
The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies runs the Return of Cultural Heritage program. The interim chief executive, Leonard Hill, said the institute “sees this return as the beginning of an ongoing collaboration and is looking forward to continuing our conversations with German collecting institutions”.
Updated
NSW may explore behavioural change programs for men
Taking questions from reporters, Prue Car and Rose Jackson have been speaking about cultural change that is needed to combat violence against women.
Jackson detailed some of the discussions that took place during today’s meeting:
One of the things that actually did come up … in terms of the generational work we need to do with young men and boys, is the urgent crisis we have right now with men who think this behaviour is acceptable. One of the things that we learnt was how important appealing to their instincts to be good fathers are.
Most men want to be good dads to their kids and even if their behaviour right now – or some of their thinking right now – is expressing itself in a bad or toxic way, do they want to pass that on to their boys, to their kids?
And it was really interesting to hear from Victoria how, of all of the different men’s behavioural change programs that they tried … good parenting programs, being good dad programs, were actually an incredibly important hook in for men now who are not behaving in a way that’s acceptable to try and get them to change their thinking … So we’ll be exploring that.
Updated
Car says specialist program for schools ‘on the table’
As education minister, Prue Car said a specialist program for schools was “most certainly on the table”.
She said:
A lot of the places that women and young children, in particular, will go to, to ask about something that might be happening at home, can often be the classroom – can be the teacher, the deputy principal, the principal – because they’re the trusted people in those families’ lives.
So anything that we do that involves education in schools will really be about us being able to resource the education system, and our teachers, to be able to deliver that. Because this is a whole-of-societal challenge and education is always, always part of the answer, but the government needs to make sure that schools are supported to be able to do that.
There’s no bigger advocate of that than me around the cabinet table.
Updated
Reforming justice system key to addressing violence against women – Car
The NSW deputy premier said the state government’s policy responses to violence against women “will include reform to the justice system”.
Prue Car told reporters this was because “we must have all of that at once”.
We must have investment in primary prevention, early intervention, crisis response, and it must involve – everyone in Australia right now can see – it has to involve reform to the justice system.
Updated
Emergency package just one aspect of addressing violence, Car says
Deputy premier Prue Car is now taking questions from reporters. She says today’s cabinet meeting was not about making decisions primarily, but about listening to experts and those with lived experiences.
As minister [Rose] Jackson said, we could not be more committed to this. We’re seriously saying to the people of NSW today we’ve had a cabinet meeting only focused on this one emergency issue. We will go away, develop an emergency package, but we will be very clear with the women of New South Wales in particular – that an emergency package is one thing but we have to focus also on the medium- and long-term to stop this from happening, to stop men inflicting violence onto women.
Updated
Sending a message to young women across New South Wales, youth minister Rose Jackson said:
I know that you are angry you are exhausted. You have been carrying the burden of looking after your own safety for far too long. Where you sit on public transport, what you wear, how you talk, where you go for a run … All of that energy to protect your safety has fallen on your shoulders. And we as a government want to step up and give you a rest, give you a break from that by doing the things that we can do so that it is not always on young women, in particular, to protect their own personal safety.
There is a limit, of course, and I think people except there is a limit to how much government can do. I want to put out a call to young men … you can be the ones to interrupt that sexist joke, you can be the ones to report images of women exploited online, you can be the ones to challenge gender norms and relationships and in your family, you could be the ones that promote this behaviour to your mates. This is something that is not going to be solved by government alone…
Updated
Housing measures vital for women leaving violence, says NSW homelessness minister
NSW housing and homelessness minister Rose Jackson says that today’s cabinet meeting was “the platform with which we are going to develop” actions towards change.
She said today’s meeting was a “comprehensive” two-hour meeting, dedicated solely to addressing violence against women.
That is not something that we do regularly, that is not something that is a normal part of business as usual for government. Business as usual is not acceptable on this issue any more.
So we have already taken steps to change the way we are addressing these issues by convening that special dedicated cabinet meeting, and there will be more to come.
She said housing and homelessness measures must be part of addressing this issue, and a safe place to go was “critical” for women – something that would be part of the government’s long-term plans.
Updated
Penny Sharpe says ‘breakthrough’ finally occurring on violence against women
Penny Sharpe addressed the media next, and said that after years of being involved in marches around violence against women, she believed “we are finally making a breakthrough”.
The NSW environment and energy minister said:
We are making the breakthrough that we need to, that governments need to, that they have failed to do so over many, many decades
Unless we put safety of women, equality of women, at the heart of what we do, women will die, women will be seriously injured and women every day outside this room will continue to live in fear.
Today, what this government has done [is] started a process that has taken too long but that is about urgent action, it is about medium-term thoughtful things that are going to change the dial and it is about the long-term prevention of ensuring that actually the violence and the cohesion and the behaviour does not start in the first place.
Updated
NSW to announce package to combat violence against women 'within days'
The NSW deputy premier, Prue Car, is speaking to the media following a cabinet meeting to discuss growing rates of violence against women.
She said the meeting heard from a number of experts and people with lived experience on “what the NSW government can and should be doing immediately and into the future”. This included Rosie Batty.
The state government would be announcing an emergency package “within days”, she said, followed by medium- and long-term actions to invest in cultural change.
We heard very clearly from today, investment must be in the frontline and crisis response services, but the primary prevention and the early intervention does need more attention because we need to drive the cultural change that stops this from happening.
Updated
French embassy holds first welcome to country
The French embassy in Canberra has held its first welcome to country ceremony, performed by Indigenous artist and Ngambri-Ngunnawal custodian Paul Girrawah House.
In a statement, the ambassador of France to Australia Pierre-André Imbert celebrated yesterday’s ceremony as a “symbol of mutual respect” and “our commitment to create a vibrant and profound relationship between France and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people”.
The connection between France and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people began with the French expeditions of Lapérouse, Baudin and D’Entrecasteaux…
France is eager to continue strengthening its relations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with further collaborative initiatives on history, memory and the arts.
Updated
Riverina man on 35 charges after guns and lizards allegedly found at property
A man in the New South Wales Riverina has been charged with 35 offences after numerous items were seized from his property, including firearms, a lawnmower and four native lizards.
Officers executed a search warrant at a rural Humula property – about 60km south-west of Holbrook – on Wednesday morning and seized three trail bikes, three firearms and ammunition, a luxury watch, a chainsaw, hedge cutter, lawnmower, RMS road signs, number plates and a bogie trailer, alleged to have been stolen.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service also assisted with the seizure of four shingleback blue tongue lizards, after the man was found to not hold the appropriate licence.
Police said drugs including cannabis and methamphetamine were also seized, plus hunting equipment including knives and a GPS handheld tracking module.
The 25-year-old man was arrested and taken to Holbrook police station, where he was charged with 35 offences, including three counts of possessing an unauthorised firearm, larceny, entering private land to hunt an animal without owner consent, and five counts of carrying an unrestrained dog on the back of a moving vehicle on the street.
He appeared in Wagga local court yesterday and was refused bail to reappear on 14 May. Police said investigations were ongoing.
Updated
Doctors praise Queensland for sharing road deaths data
The peak body for doctors has praised Queensland’s move to share data on road deaths and injuries to the federal government.
Catherine King, the federal transport minister, announced she would make it mandatory for all states and territories to share data on road accidents as part of the next five-year funding agreement between the two levels of government.
Last year the Australian Medical Association (AMA) wrote to King urging the federal government to mandate data sharing.
From March 2023-24, 1,286 people died on Australian roads – an 8.2% increase from the previous 12-month period.
Prof Steve Robson, the AMA president, said a nationally consistent data set “would save countless lives”.
It’s highly disappointing that state and territory governments have been gatekeeping important data on road accidents. Without this data, the national road safety strategy objective of zero deaths and serious injuries on roads by 2050 will be nothing but a fantasy.
Updated
Bonza logo to vanish from A-League club’s kits
A-League men’s club Melbourne Victory has announced its home playing kit has been redesigned to feature a front new sponsor, replacing the logo of budget airline Bonza, which this week entered voluntary administration.
For the upcoming A-League finals series, in which they will take on local rivals Melbourne City in an elimination match on Sunday, players’ kits will feature the logo of insurance company AIA.
Bonza had been the Victory’s principal partner, signing a four-year deal with the club in 2022. The deal was facilitated by Bonza and Melbourne Victory’s shared ownership links. Bonza is wholly owned by US private investment firm 777 Partners, while the Miami-based company owns about a 20% stake in the football club with an option to increase that to 70%.
The implications of Bonza entering administration on its sponsorship deal with Melbourne Victory are unclear, and the club did not respond to Guardian Australia’s questions on the matter. Caroline Carnegie, the club’s managing director, said:
We’re thrilled to have AIA Australia as our principal partner for the upcoming finals series.
However, since Bonza’s aircraft fleet was abruptly repossessed shortly before midnight on Monday after a change in the ownership structure of its plane leases partly organised by 777 Partners, speculation has mounted about the financial position of the US firm.
777 Partners had been attempting to take over English Premier League football club Everton, loaning the club more than £200m ($382m) over seven months as it tries to convince the Premier League it has the funds to complete a proposed takeover of the club.
Following news of Bonza entering administration, the Guardian revealed that Everton called in a leading firm of restructuring and insolvency advisers, raising further questions about 777 Partners’ role in sport.
Updated
Class action to stop demolition of Melbourne public housing towers dismissed
A class action attempting to stop the demolition of Melbourne’s 44 public housing towers has been dismissed.
The class action, which was filed by Inner Melbourne Community Legal, states the redevelopment adversely affects the human rights of thousands of tenants.
Justice Richards said the case could not go ahead in its current form:
I’ve concluded that Mr Berry’s claim in its current form has no real prospect of success, and so must be summarily dismissed.
What I will indicate is that I have accepted the defendant’s submissions in relation to the jurisdictional error ground, and in particular have concluded that the decision is as it’s currently pleaded is not justiciable.
She said her reasons were still in draft form, and would be published next week. The class action will have seven days to re-plead.
Updated
New CEO appointed to higher education regulator
Dr Mary Russell has been appointed as chief executive officer of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (Teqsa).
Announced this morning by education minister Jason Clare, Russell has been appointed for a five-year term after acting in the position since last June.
Teqsa is Australia’s independent national quality assurance and regulatory agency for higher education.
Clare said in a statement:
[Russell] brings extensive experience in regulatory operations, tertiary education and dispute resolution. Before joining Teqsa [she] served as chair and member of regulatory boards in the health sector.
She also has experience working in the telecommunications sector, the tertiary education sector, in university teaching, curriculum development and delivery and has worked as a health practitioner.
Teqsa’s chief commissioner, Emeritus Prof Peter Coaldrake, also advised he would step down from the role on 10 May. A new chief commissioner would be appointed “in due course”, Clare said.
Updated
Uncle of fatally stabbed ‘gentle’ surfer demands knife law change
The alleged stabbing death of a surfer minutes after he emerged from the waves in a regional NSW town has sparked a call for knife law changes, AAP reports.
The surfer’s uncle Ralph took to Sydney radio to pay tribute to his “lovely young” nephew, telling 2GB:
More than anything else, he just had a heart of gold, he really did. A gentle, caring nature was his greatest asset. We’re just broken.
The uncle also added his voice to calls to adopt Queensland “wanding” laws that permit police to use hand-held metal detectors in public places to uncover concealed knives.
Named for a teenager stabbed to death on the Gold Coast, Jack’s Law has taken more than 500 weapons off the streets since its passing in March last year. Ralph said:
How long do we have to wait here in NSW? This will save lives. He was just coming back from the surf, stabbed eight times. What on earth is going on?
The Council for Civil Liberties has previously warned of a knee-jerk response to “violent and distressing but isolated” incidents, worried police would disproportionately search marginalised communities.
Updated
Attorneys general set to meet on gendered violence prevention
Police ministers and attorneys general are set to meet to determine what extra steps are needed to prevent violence against women, AAP reports.
Attorney general Mark Dreyfus will host his state and territory counterparts as well as police ministers in Canberra for talks that will focus on efforts to stamp out gendered violence.
Greater data sharing between jurisdictions about high-risk or serial perpetrators is set to be on the agenda for the meeting, as well as potential reform to bail laws.
Anthony Albanese said co-operation between the jurisdictions on a range of issues would be essential in dealing with the scourge, and told Sunrise today:
States and territories will all come together at the attorneys general meeting to talk about the law, justice system, bail laws, those matters that are the primary responsibility of states and territories.
Updated
Services Australia to receive $314m security boost
Extra security guards and live monitoring of CCTV are part of a $314m security boost to Services Australia centres, aimed at protecting customers and staff.
It was prompted by an attack on Services Australia officer Joeanne Cassar, who was stabbed in the back at Melbourne’s Airport West office in Melbourne in May last year and will never fully recover from her injuries.
The funding will cover up to 606 security guards across service centres Australia-wide. Government services minister Bill Shorten spoke to ABC RN earlier this morning and was asked whether customers would feel safe going to Centrelink with the changes. He said:
I do believe that with better security features in the service centres, a centralised security operation centre with live monitoring capabilities, better liaison with the local police – we’re redesigning 35 service centres which have experienced a higher than average number of assaults and security guards – I think they will.
Shorten said the penalties for assaulting a Centrelink staff member were less than the penalties for assaulting a police officer or judge. He said legislation was before the parliament right now to address this:
[It’s for] frontline public servants. And this doesn’t just extend to services Australia but everyone from home affairs to quarantine services to elected officers. They deserve a right to be treated equally to other people.
– with AAP
Updated
PM says oversight board made ‘wrong decision’ on immigration detainee ankle bracelet
Anthony Albanese has criticised a Perth court’s decision to grant bail to the former immigration detainee now accused of bashing and robbing a woman during a home invasion.
The prime minister said he disagreed with the Perth magistrates court decision to release former detainee Majid Doukoshkan on bail and with the prosecutor’s decision not to oppose it.
Albanese was asked about the bail decision on the Seven Network this morning and said:
In Australia, we have a separation of the judicial system from the political system. But if it was up to me, I assure you that there wouldn’t have been bail granted in that case. But these things are done independently by the director of public prosecutions.
Albanese also criticised the decision by an oversight board not to require Doukoshan to wear a monitoring ankle bracelet.
I think that’s a wrong decision by that board, but they make the decisions.
Doukoshkan had been before the court charged with breaching the curfew placed on him after he and about 150 other people were released from immigration detention late last year. Their release was prompted by a high court ruling that indefinite detention was unlawful.
He was released on bail about eight weeks before the Perth home invasion incident in which he is accused of bashing and robbing Simons.
Updated
Funding boost for threatened freshwater species
The federal government has announced $1.2m to save threatened fish species – the stocky galaxias and swan galaxias and the glenelg freshwater mussel.
The stocky galaxias (found in NSW) and the swan galaxias (found in Tasmania) are threatened by invasive trout and poor water quality caused by drought, floods and fires.
There are 14 galaxies – freshwater fish – at risk, and you can read about the broader issue below from Adam Morton:
Meanwhile, the glenelg freshwater mussel is a critically endangered mussel species found only in the Glenelg River system of south-western Victoria.
A statement from environment minister Tanya Plibersek, noted this species is culturally significant for the region’s Gunditjmara traditional owners and is at risk from genetic in-breeding, habitat degradation and extreme events such as fire and drought.
The $1.2m investment will support captive breeding programs, the development of emergency response plans, woody weed control, revegetation along riverbanks, and opportunities to create trout-free refuges for these species, the statement said.
Of this investment, $210,000 has gone to the Snobs Creek Conservation Hatchery in Eildon, Victoria, which officially opens today.
Updated
German minister visits Australia to return Indigenous cultural items
The foreign minister of Germany, Annalena Baerbock, will visit Adelaide today to mark the return of four significant cultural items to the Kaurna people.
The items have been brought from the collection of the Grassi Museum in Leipzig. Foreign minister Penny Wong said in a statement:
Australia welcomes Germany’s expanded engagement and interest in our region, and this visit is an opportunity to discuss greater cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, as well as broader geopolitical challenges, including in Europe and the Middle East.
Our two countries are working together to tackle cyber threats and climate change, to embrace the green energy transition, build supply chain resilience and improve gender equality.
A press conference is expected later this morning.
Updated
Man charged with blackmail after alleged pubs and clubs data breach
A man has been charged with blackmail by the cybercrime squad, NSW police have confirmed, as it investigates an alleged data breach threatening to share the personal details of more than 1 million pubs and clubs patrons across the state.
Around 4.20pm yesterday, detectives executed a search warrant in Fairfield West and arrested a 46-year-old man.
He was taken to Fairfield police station and charged with demand with menaces with intent to obtain gain/cause loss.
He was granted conditional bail to appear at Fairfield local court on 12 June.
Updated
New arrivals feeling unfair blame for rental crisis
Migrants and refugees are finding it harder to put a roof over their heads, even as they are blamed for Australia’s housing crunch while rental vacancy rates plummet, AAP reports.
An Essential Research poll conducted for Settlement Services International (SSI) found 43% of those with a migrant and refugee background were more likely to have experienced difficulty securing affordable housing in the past 12 months.
More than 1,160 people were surveyed, including people of a migrant or refugee background as well as those born in Australia speaking English only.
The survey for the agency, tasked with resettling thousands of newly arrived refugees each year, also found more than a quarter (26%) had been forced to leave a property due to rising housing costs in the past year.
Some 60% of migrants and refugees surveyed say it is more difficult for those without English as their first language to secure affordable housing.
About half of migrants and refugees polled (49%) felt they were unfairly blamed as the main cause of Australia’s housing affordability crisis. Haitham Subhi, a housing expert at SSI, said:
They feel the tension and they just want to be given a chance to start their new life. The process itself is quite daunting because ... you will find yourself going straight to the bottom of the list.
Experts have called for the private rental market to be regulated with input and enforcement from industry bodies.
Updated
Mexican media reporting three questioned over missing Australian brothers
Local media in Mexico is reporting that three people have been questioned in relation to the disappearance of missing Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson.
The brothers were travelling with an American friend and had likely been surfing in Baja California when they went missing, their mother wrote on social media. She has not heard from them since 27 April.
Local media has reported that on 1 May three individuals were questioned, one of whom was found carrying the cell phone of one of the missing surfers.
All three were in possession of an assortment of illegal drugs at the time of arrest, local media reports.
We have not yet confirmed these reports, and will continue to bring you the latest as we learn more.
Updated
‘This is a really concerning situation’: PM on brothers missing in Mexico
The prime minister also responded to reports that two brothers are missing in Mexico, as we reported earlier in the blog.
Anthony Albanese told Sunrise:
This is a really concerning situation. We have been in touch through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with the family. Our embassy in Mexico is working with local authorities as well to try to ascertain what has happened here.
We hope that these brothers are found safely but there is real concern about the fact that they’ve gone missing. Their mother is obviously very distressed about this and we just hope for a positive outcome.
PM responds to reports regional women camping out, sleeping in cars
Anthony Albanese has commented on reports that carparks in regional areas are being opened for women to sleep in tents or their cars.
Speaking to Sunrise earlier this morning, the prime minister:
We have allocated funding through our Housing Australia Future Fund for emergency accommodation for women and children escaping domestic violence. I will be in discussions with the states and territories as well about what more can be done.
We know that the circumstances where a woman is escaping a violent situation [and] has to sleep in her car or surf on a couch of a friend and rotate around, we hear stories about that as well, is unacceptable in 2024. We need to do better. There’s no question about that.
Updated
Independent MP says Australia should fund programs to keep women and children in the home, rather than feeling violence
Kylea Tink said addressing male violence against women across Australia was a “complex” issue requiring more than one solution. The independent MP told ABC News Breakfast:
We need to look at bail laws. More importantly, we actually need to look at how we can keep women, or victims and children in the home environment and force the perpetrator to leave. We have a program in NSW called the Staying Home: Leave Violence program. There are over 138 LGAs in this state at the moment, only 91 have access to that program, even though we know it is incredibly effective. We need programs like that funded immediately, not just across NSW but across the country.
When asked if education campaigns using male role models plays a role in addressing the issue, Tink responded: “If this was simple and only had one root cause, we would have fixed it ages ago”.
She said education from the early years “is absolutely at the heart of it” but pointed to other issues, like Australia not having gender pay parity, equal levels of superannuation or economic security for women.
I am optimistic about who we are as a country and our capacity to take responsibility for ourselves. The time of us to do this is now. We don’t have three months, which is what the government is suggesting, to wait and see what happens next. By then another 23 women will have lost their lives.
‘We can’t keep throwing money at a broken system’: independent MP on DV funding
The independent MP for North Sydney, Kylea Tink, says funding for domestic violence is being thrown at “what is essentially a broken system” and should not be focused on women who are escaping violence.
Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, the MP said the system was “geared towards women helping to run, rather than focusing on holding the perpetrators to account”, and while this continues “we are doomed to continue to have the experiences we are currently having”.
Which is the fact that a woman is losing her life in this country every four days.
Asked where the money should be spent, she responded that “we will never have enough money to fix this” and throwing money at a “broken system” would not make a difference.
Where we are at the moment, as a society and culture, at a tipping point, where we need to fundamentally tip this issue on its head. We have to stop focusing on the victims running, the women running with their children and start focusing on the root cause of gender-based violence in this country and on holding perpetrators to account more clearly.
Updated
More on that statement from Bonza’s administrators
The statement said administrators will continue to hold meetings and “endeavour to find the best possible solution for all stakeholders”, and that this included liaising with government bodies. The transport minister, Catherine King, earlier in the week said the government had not yet been approached for a bailout or support for Bonza but did not answer if she would consider such a step.
The administrators also reiterated that refunds could not currently be issued to customers.
Last night’s statement also shone light on the circumstances which led to Bonza chiefs being surprised at discovering, shortly before midnight on Monday, that aircraft leases had been terminated.
On 29 April 2024, at 11.51pm AEST, the lessors of the aircraft leased to the company issued notices to the company terminating their leases in place for the aircraft.
Amongst various other requirements, these notices required the company to immediately cease to operate the aircraft and keep the aircraft grounded and safely secured. Whilst these notices were preceded by Event of Default Notices issued on 17 April 2024, the directors of the company have advised the action taken by the lessors was not foreshadowed or expected.
Updated
Good morning
And happy Friday – Emily Wind here, reporting for blogging duties. Thanks to Martin for kicking things off this morning! I’ll be bringing you our rolling coverage today.
Have any tips, thoughts or questions? You can get in touch via X, @emilywindwrites or send me an email: emily.wind@theguardian.com.
Let’s get started.
Fresh cross-party plea for US to drop pursuit of Julian Assange
Australian parliamentarians from across the political spectrum have marked World Press Freedom Day by issuing a fresh call for the United States government to drop its pursuit of Julian Assange.
The WikiLeaks founder and Australian citizen remains in Belmarsh prison in London as he fights US efforts to extradite him to face charges under the Espionage Act, with the next appeal-related court hearing due for 20 May.
The US charges are in connection with the publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents about the Afghanistan and Iraq wars and diplomatic cables, in 2010 and 2011.
The co-convenors of the Bring Julian Assange Home Parliamentary Friendship Group – Andrew Wilkie (independent), Josh Wilson (Labor), David Shoebridge (Greens) and Bridget Archer (Liberal) – said in a joint statement issued today:
We were heartened by President Biden’s recent acknowledgement that the United States is considering Australia’s request to end the prosecution of Julian Assange. We respectfully urge the United States to discontinue the long, expensive, and punishing extradition process that prevents Mr Assange from returning to his family in Australia.
Wilson said he and other parliamentarians were “trying to do everything we can to maintain pressure and visibility of Julian’s situation at what feels like a critical opportunity to see justice done”. Wilson said he believed the prime minister’s “clear and steady calls for the matter to be resolved” had made a difference.
Updated
Special NSW cabinet meeting to discuss domestic violence
New South Wales ministers will gather for a special cabinet meeting to discuss gendered violence amid disturbing revelations about the conditions facing children in care, AAP reports.
Today’s meeting comes after 28-year-old mother and childcare worker Molly Ticehurst was farewelled at a funeral in Forbes, where she was allegedly murdered by an ex-partner who was on bail accused of stalking, rape and animal cruelty.
Ticehurst is among dozens of women killed this year, the communities minister, Kate Washington, said. She told reporters yesterday:
Those women have often left behind children and they are often the silent victims in domestic and family violence.
It is also one of the main causes for children entering into the child protection system. I will certainly be ensuring that the voices of children are being heard.
Her comments follow the release of an interim report into the state’s emergency accommodation by the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People, in which children described woeful conditions in care and feelings of isolation and disconnection.
An urgent six-month review aims to uncover ways to end current emergency arrangements and put kids in safe homes, Washington said.
The system relies on emergency legal interventions which come too late for families and privatised for-profit providers, the Greens’ youth justice spokesperson, Sue Higginson, said.
The only way out of this crisis is to invest in and empower families and communities and ensure they can care for kids in the way that every parent wishes to and every child deserves.
Updated
Bonza stands down most staff
The majority of employees of Bonza have been stood down by the administrators appointed to determine the budget airline’s future, as the carrier’s grounding was extended until at least the middle of next week.
Late last night, three days into round-the-clock meetings between administrators and local and foreign industry figures in search of a way forward for the airline, the administrators said that with no immediate scope to resume operations they were left with no choice but to stand down most of Bonza’s roughly 150 employees.
The administrators said that meetings were continuing daily, with the largest considerations being the current status of the airline’s five Boeing 737-Max 8 aircraft that remain parked at Melbourne, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast airports after their repossession by the newly formed company that owns a controlling stake in the leased planes.
“Meetings between the administrators, the interested parties and the lessors are continuing daily,” the administrators said in a statement released late last night.
During this time, whilst the aircraft remain grounded, and there is insufficient cashflow and funding, the administrators are unable to recommence full operations.
The administrators also have no alternative but to stand down the majority of the employees of the company, pending the outcome of these above ongoing discussions.
It noted some employees would continue to assist administrators.
Updated
Mother's plea for brothers missing in Mexico
The disappearance of two Perth brothers on a surfing trip in Mexico is concerning and distressing, the Western Australian premier, Roger Cook, said yesterday as a search continues for Callum and Jake Robinson in the Baja California region.
Their mother, Debra Robinson, has appealed for help to find her sons on Mexican social media, saying she had not heard from them since Saturday, AAP reports. She wrote:
They are travelling with another friend, an American citizen. They were due to book into an Airbnb in Rosarito after their camping weekend but they did not show up.
She said Callum was a type-one diabetic and she had concerns for his health.
Please contact me if you have seen them or know their whereabouts.
Cook said it was very worrying for the family. He told reporters on Thursday:
When we do send out young men and women overseas to enjoy that adventure holiday, they invite an element of risk and this is really quite distressing.
I share the concerns of all Western Australians in terms of their welfare.
Multiple media outlets reported that a woman had been arrested during the search for the brothers after she was found in possession of one of their phones along with a quantity of drugs.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it was helping the family. A spokesperson said:
Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.
Updated
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news coverage. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ll be highlighting a few of the best overnight stories before my colleague Emily Wind steps up to the plate.
Parents will be urged to learn about harmful misogyny online and discuss it with their children as part of the federal government’s measures to tackle men’s violence against women. It comes as another related story makes headlines this morning with a New South Wales police officer charged with five counts of domestic violence and bailed to appear in court on 16 May. The unnamed senior constable has been suspended with pay while the case continues. And NSW ministers will hold a special cabinet meeting today to discuss gendered violence amid revelations about the conditions facing children in care. More on the way.
Western Australia’s premier, Roger Cook, says he “shares the concerns” of everyone in the state over the apparent disappearance in Mexico of two brothers from Perth. Callum and Jake Robinson, who are both in their 30s, had been on a camping and surfing holiday in the Baja California region of the country near the town of Ensenada when they failed to show up for an expected Airbnb stay. There are reports that a woman had been arrested during the search for the brothers after she was found in possession of one of their phones along with a quantity of drugs. More coming up.
Has Alexis Wright written “the great Australian novel”? Critics certainly think so, with the 73-year-old Waanyi writer collecting not only $60,000 for winning the Stella literature prize last night but also garnering rave reviews for her 736-page epic, Praiseworthy, set in a fictional Carpentaria town of the same name. It tackles issues of climate change and sexual abuse with the Stella chair of judges, Beejay Silcox, summing it up thus: “Praiseworthy is not only a great Australian novel – perhaps the great Australian novel – it is also a great Waanyi novel.”
Updated
