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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Caitlin Cassidy, Emily Wind and Natasha May (earlier)

Man who fired gun inside Canberra airport was on parole for attempted murder – as it happened

Brittany Higgins Scott Morrison Gareth Train
Canberra airport
A man has pleaded guilty to using a handgun inside Canberra airport in August. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AP

What we learned: Wednesday 14 December

With that, we will wrap up the blog for this evening. We’ll be back first thing tomorrow, with the Senate primed to return for one afternoon only.

Here were today’s major developments:

  • Chris Bowen has confirmed Labor’s energy bill will be passed tomorrow with support from the Greens, Jacqui Lambie and David Pocock. Adam Bandt confirmed the minor party secured a “significant” package to help homes and business transition from gas to electric to vote in favour. The Senate will be recalled tomorrow afternoon to vote on the legislation.

  • It comes as the minister for international development and the Pacific, Pat Conroy, is cutting short his trip to the region to return for the parliamentary debate on energy tomorrow.

  • Meanwhile, the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has urged China to navigate differences with Australia “wisely”. She repeated the government’s calls for China to remove sanctions and other trade restrictions on a range of Australian exports, including wine and barley.

  • In the courts, Melbourne Cup-winning horse trainer Darren Weir has admitted to three charges of animal cruelty after using an electric prod on horses in 2018.

  • And telecommunications giant TPG has reported an email hosting service used by 15,000 iiNet and Westnet customers was hacked yesterday.

Updated

The National Tertiary Education Union has been appointed to a reference group established by Labor to conduct a review into Australian universities.

NTEU president Dr Alison Barnes will represent the union on the ministerial panel. She said:

After almost a decade of relentless cuts and attacks on higher education, we now have a government that is showing it is willing to listen to the major issues affecting university staff.

It’s absolutely crucial this review ends with a commitment to tackle insecure work, wage theft and a fairer funding model.

Under the previous government, 35,000 jobs at public universities were lost while degrees became more expensive for students and funding cuts damaged our sector.

This review should be a critical step in addressing major challenges facing our sector after the appalling stewardship of the previous government.

Updated

Adam Bandt is doing his Twitter victory lap on the package secured by the Greens to ensure their support of Labor’s energy legislation.

He says the party will continue to push for a two-year bills freeze.

Updated

Woman critical after being hit by Sydney bus

NSW police has issued a statement on the crash in the Sydney CBD this afternoon.

A woman is in hospital in a critical condition.

About 4.35pm, emergency services were called to the intersection of Elizabeth Street and Goulburn Street following reports a pedestrian had been hit.

On arrival, officers … found a 70-year-old woman had been hit by a bus. The woman was treated by … paramedics before being taken to hospital in a critical condition.

The driver of the bus – a 74-year-old man – was also taken to hospital for mandatory testing.

A crime scene has been established and inquiries have commenced into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Motorists are urged to allow extra travel time and check Live Traffic NSW before travelling.

The crash scene in Sydney’s CBD
The crash scene in Sydney’s CBD. Photograph: Carly Earl/The Guardian

Updated

Residents in Tara, west of Brisbane, are being urged to prepared to leave due to a slow-moving bushfire.

A “watch and act” warning is in place.

Queensland Fire and Emergency:

A slow-moving fire is travelling on Butterfly Road towards Mary Road. Conditions could get worse quickly. Firefighters are working to extinguish the fire, however you should not expect a firefighter at your door. Firefighting aircraft may assist ground crews.

Some properties are currently under threat. The fire is likely to impact the community later today.

Updated

Man who fired gun in Canberra airport was on parole for attempted murder

A man who fired a gun inside Canberra airport committed the crime while on parole for attempted murder, AAP reports.

Ali Rachid Ammoun, 63, pleaded guilty in ACT magistrates court on Thursday to discharging a firearm at a building and unlawful possession of a firearm.

On 14 August, he fired a number of shots from a handgun into airport windows before being apprehended by federal police.

No one was injured during the incident but the airport was evacuated and remained closed for about three hours.

The court lifted suppression orders on his criminal record, which showed he was on parole after serving a sentence in a West Australian jail for attempting to murder his ex-wife with a knife.

He is due to be sentenced on the two charges on 21 February. Ammoun remains in custody.

Updated

Social care and property groups welcome energy plan’s transition from gas

Social services agencies and property bodies have welcomed the government’s pledge to help electrify households in a transition from gas, holding high hopes it will lead to lower power bills and better energy efficiency.

The agreement struck between the government and the Greens, in exchange for the minor party’s support for Labor’s plan on gas price caps and power bill relief, will see an as-yet-unconfirmed sum of money go to low-income households and rentals for new appliances.

The Australian Council of Social Services CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie, said it was an important plan.

The agreement will help people on low incomes move away from using gas for their heating, including hot water and cooking and deliver longer-term savings.

Gas appliances are not only inefficient to run compared to electric appliances, but it means people pay for two network costs. It makes no financial sense.

The energy efficiency of housing in Australia is so poor that people on low incomes, especially those who rent, are getting sick or dying because they can’t reduce their energy use or install retrofits to keep their home warm in winter or cool in summer.

Dr Cassandra Goldie
Dr Cassandra Goldie. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Groups like Acoss, the Australian Industry Group and the Property Council have been working on moves like this for some time, arguing it would help lower bills and reduce emissions.

Ken Morrison, CEO of the Property Council, said Australia wouldn’t be able to make the transition to net zero without addressing emissions from buildings.

It’s right for governments to be focused on energy efficiency, it’s a significant problem and needs a significant solution. We welcome the government’s focus on these issues.

Morrison suggested governments should be looking closer at simple energy efficiency ratings tools, incentives to upgrade older buildings, and improving building standards.

Luke Menzel, CEO of the Energy Efficiency Council, said Australian buildings and homes generally had poor energy efficiency.

There’s decent programs at the state level but there’s a role for national leadership in this space to coordinate players.

Menzel suggested better measures to keep heat inside buildings and not leak out, such as draught proofing or better insulation.

Helping people make this switch helps remove risk from gas market prices. It’s help with energy bills but also to get building stock decarbonised helps reduce the exposure to price volatility.

Updated

A spokesperson for NSW police has confirmed a person was hit by a bus this afternoon. Their condition is yet to be determined, but paramedics are on the scene.

Updated

Melbourne Cup winner admits to animal cruelty

Melbourne Cup-winning horse trainer Darren Weir has admitted to three charges of animal cruelty after using an electric prod on horses in 2018.

At a pre-sentence hearing today, his Warrnambool-based trainer Jarrod McLean and stablehand Tyson Kermond also pleaded guilty to three animal cruelty charges.

The trio admitted using an electronic prod and poly pipe, simulating a whip, on three horses during the 2018 Spring Carnival.

Weir travelled from Ballarat to his Warrnambool facility on the morning of 30 October to train with McLean and Kermond. Police had earlier installed surveillance devices in the treadmill area of the training facility.

The devices were used on three horses – Yogi, Red Cardinal and Tosen Basil – who had all been nominated to run in the Melbourne Cup the following Tuesday, prosecutor Melissa Mahady said.

Red Cardinal, a $31 chance, was the only one to race and finished last.

Weir, who is represented by Ian Hill KC, is also pleading guilty to a firearms charge.

Weir is disqualified from racing but previously trained rank outsider Prince of Penzance to victory in the 2015 Melbourne Cup.

McLean has admitted possession of cocaine. A number of other charges have been withdrawn.

– With AAP

Updated

Set your timers, the Senate is coming back.

Body found in search for missing NSW swimmer

A body, believed to be that of a 16-year-old boy who disappeared while swimming in the Hawkesbury River, has been found.

NSW police said about 12pm today, emergency services were called to the Hawkesbury River at Windsor following reports of a missing swimmer.

After an extensive search with assistance from specialist police, a body was found about 4.20pm.

NSW police:

The body is yet to be formally identified but is believed to be that of the missing boy.

The death is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be prepared for the information of the coroner.

Updated

World-beating Antarctic krill centre for Tasmania

Words can’t express how long I’ve been banging on about getting a world-leading Antarctic krill aquarium and research facility up and running in Hobart.

Every dinner party, it’s the first item on my agenda. Now, it’s becoming a reality.

The news was confirmed this afternoon in a joint release between environment minister Tanya Plibersek, member for Franklin Julie Collins and senator for Tasmania Carol Brown:

The facility, expected to cost more than $25m, will help scientists understand the impacts of climate change on the species, fundamental to marine life in the Southern Ocean. Construction will begin next year.

Plibersek said to protect the Antarctic environment was to “protect the future of the world”.

Based on weight, Antarctic krill are the most abundant wild animal species on Earth and are the main diet of marine animals such as whales, seals and penguins. We need to know what impact warming oceans and ocean acidification will have on krill populations in the future.

Updated

Be careful on your boards!

A severe weather warning is in place for damaging surf in New South Wales as a low pressure system moves over Australia’s south-east.

A gale warning is in place for the Eden Coast, while there are strong wind warnings for Illawarra and Batemans regions.

Updated

Calls for return-and-earn scheme to include wine bottles

Recycling programs that encourage Australians to return containers using cash paybacks should be expanded to include wine and spirit bottles, according to a new poll.

Some 93% of people said they supported the scheme being expanded to include more containers, including wine and spirit bottles, according to an online poll conducted for environmental group Total Environment Centre.

Three-quarters of those respondents said they strongly supported that idea, with only 2% opposed to expanding the scheme.

The results present an opportunity for the states and territories to broaden the scheme together, Total Environment Centre director Jeff Angel told AAP.

If combined action is not possible ... or there are local political factors stifling movement, then one or two states should act unilaterally. That should drag everyone else along.

A new poll suggests strong support for expanded recycling
A new poll suggests strong support for expanded recycling. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA

In October, the NSW government proposed expanding its Return and Earn scheme to include wine and spirit bottles, which would mean another 400m containers would be recycled every year.

South Australia also announced a renewal of its own container deposit scheme in August, including possibly broadening the program to take on glass containers. It currently doesn’t accept wine bottles.

Angel said concerns by wine producers that the scheme would prove too financially burdensome were largely unfounded.

I think they’re talking about it increasing the price of wine and spirits, but frankly it’s just ridiculous. The aim of the container refund scheme is to produce high-value material, which they do, because they cleanly separate the beverage containers out.

The vast bulk of material that is being collected is made back into bottles. That’s the ultimate objective, high-level recycling, not low-level, one-off contaminated material.

Updated

Huge thanks to Emily Wind for guiding us through that energy whirlwind. I’ll be with you for the rest of this fine Wednesday.

Thanks for being here throughout the day! I’ll be handing over to my lovely colleague Caitlin Cassidy, who will see you through the afternoon.

Updated

An emergency bushfire warning remains in place for Jurien Bay and Nambung, north of Perth.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services:

If you reside in the Jurien Bay townsite, please remain vigilant and maintain awareness of current alerts. The evacuation centres remain open.

Updated

And that concluded Bowen’s victory lap. To summarise, Labor’s energy bill will pass parliament tomorrow with the support of the Greens, independent senator David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie.

Updated

Bowen is asked if he’s been consulting with the opposition after complaints they hadn’t received the legislation.

He tells the reporter to “give [him] a break”.

Seriously? The opposition? This was the shadow minister on Sunday: ‘The legislation that I read yesterday was yet to go through shadow cabinet, yet to go through the party room, I think is a disaster. It’s a monster in the making because it will fail in the short-term.’

On Sunday they weren’t voting for it because they had seen the legislation and didn’t like it. This morning they are not because they haven’t read it. Stick to your argument and keep it there. Peter Dutton said it was a catastrophe before the press release had been issued.

They’re not constructive and not of good faith … this is not an opposition seeking to engage constructively in a difficult situation … We’re going through an energy pandemic and the leader of the opposition is playing cheap, old-fashioned denial politics, blaming renewables. They have succeeded in making themselves irrelevant. Has everyone had a first question before I circle back to Phil? I’m nothing if not fair.

Chris Bowen at his press conference in Canberra today.
Chris Bowen at his press conference in Canberra today. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Updated

Bowen is asked why, given the cap lasts 12 months and the war in Ukraine could run beyond that time, he is confident it will continue to keep prices at a lower rate.

Can we get an answer on how the market would deal with peak demand and who would get what gas?

He says going forward there will be a code that will govern people’s interactions.

The market would operate as it does today … What we’re after is reasonable pricing. People want to argue for the right price unreasonably and that’s a courageous argument to mount. Australian gas should be sold for reasonable and fair prices. While the cap is on, there will still be a market but we’re capping the prices … There are multiple options available to government.

Updated

Turning to David Pocock, Bowen is asked about his call for funding for a suburb-wide electrification pilot in Canberra to demonstrate “it can be done”.

Is that something he’s willing to consider, through the budget or separately?

Bowen says this is also something he will consider.

I recognise that in good faith, and I’ve had [the] most detailed conversations with the Greens. David has raised it with me. Pilots and that sort of thing are something we’ll consider as we develop a strategy.

Updated

Bowen is asked for more clarity on the consultation with the Greens that secured their support for the bill.

What does this say to gas companies who say the government is subsidising them to not use gas?

He reiterates he won’t be announcing the package today because he and the Greens are “methodical”.

We have begun work on the national energy performance strategy. The Greens, and in very good faith, suggested we commit to a package pre the lead-up to the budget – a process and a suggestion we accept. Inevitably there are some design elements and further work to go.

I mentioned the CFC – a couple of weeks ago I announced with CFC they would provide concessional loans to people with substantial savings. This becomes more relevant as interest rates go up. A little while ago, you might not have had the same impact because interest rates were so low. With the rising concessional rates [they] have a big impact … That sort of thing we will consider. But to be fair to us and the Greens, we are a methodical government who works issues through carefully.

Updated

Energy bill isn’t ‘magic bullet’

Bowen is asked what his message is to Australians concerned why there will still be an increase in electricity prices of 23% despite the “unprecedented action”.

Can you not do more, with all those costs built into the system … can’t do better than that?

Bowen says Labor have never claimed this was a “magic bullet”:

We expected a 36% increase next year – the coal and gas cap reduces that substantially at 23%. Adding the rebates, you get down again. We have never claimed this is a magic bullet, and we will see prices go down an extent. I understand the question, I’m answering. Nobody can point to anywhere where we will say we are reducing energy prices magically in the next six months.

Australians understand the international pressures, there are some network costs … as well. The Australian energy regulator has briefed us on those. Overwhelmingly the pressure on Australian energy prices comes from the war in Ukraine.

Updated

Australians should rightly expect ‘fair price’ for gas – Bowen

Bowen is asked if the package could bring forward gas shortfalls in a year’s time that would otherwise be delayed. Why won’t that be the case?

He replies it’s a “carefully calibrated package in difficult times” and again turns to the war in Ukraine.

In some ways complicated, in some ways very simple, gas was being sold last year – 96% of the time – for less than $12. Companies were profitable and not complaining and everything was OK. Thanks to the war in Ukraine, the price of gas has skyrocketed.

This is not the fault of factories in my electorate or in Kingsford Smith or Gellibrand who rely on that form of energy, that is not their fault. The cost of production has gone up, I haven’t heard anywhere gas companies claim the cost of production hasn’t gone up, they can make that level of profit of sure … this is Australian gas. It is from Australian soil and Australians have a right to expect they will pay a fair price for that gas but not an exorbitant price. That is what we are delivering tomorro. I understand, as I said before, the job of chief executives and companies is to maximise profits it is our job to maximise the national interest.

Updated

Labor agreed to ‘substantial package’ in Greens talks – Bowen

A journalist asks Bowen why the appropriation of $1.5bn for household compensation won’t start until next year. He said:

We need appropriate authorisation from the states.

Asked how much he promised the Greens for their support, Bowen replies Labor’s had “a good conversation” with Bandt and the party and agreed to a “substantial package”.

We have agreed we will develop in the lead-up to the May budget a package to assist Australian households and businesses to deal with the move to electrification and support them on their journey. That will involve inevitably a role for the CFC and Arena [the Australian Renewable Energy Agency]. We will develop that work. That is important work, that will be an early dividend from the National Energy Board strategy we had already embarked upon.

Updated

‘We are fixing this’ – Bowen

The energy minister has thanked the “crossbench, people of goodwill and good faith” for supporting the government’s legislation in “unprecedented and difficult times”.

Bowen reiterates that the price rises are broadly due to the war in Ukraine.

This is decisive action. It is our job to act in the national interest. I understand it is the job of CEOs and companies to protect their profits, it is our job to protect the people in the country. These price rises were not brought about by the actions of Australian people or industry, they were brought about by Vladimir Putin and Australia being ill-prepared for such a crisis because of 10 years of policy dysfunction. We are fixing this, as we did last week with the capacity mechanism, as we are with all the other reforms.

This is what mature, sensible governments do, what the Albanese government is and will continue to work every day to deliver better outcomes to the Australian people. That’s exactly what the prime minister did last week, exactly what his government has done today and will do tomorrow.

Updated

Bowen hails energy bill support from ‘across the aisle’

Chris Bowen has confirmed the energy bill will be passed tomorrow with agreement from the Greens and David Pocock.

The energy minister said:

Today the government struck an arrangement of the parliament to ensure our passengers of legislation goes through the parliament tomorrow. This is the government of Australia acting in the national interest, working as a good government does, across the aisle, with people of good faith and goodwill, for a good outcome.

That is what this government sets out to do and it’s what we believe in. The legislation we deliver tomorrow will ensure the energy price rises we are seeing right around the world – and 90% of them come from coal and gas prices which are a result of Putin’s illegal war – have the sting taken out of the tail when it comes to Australians.

Updated

We’ve just heard from Greens leader Adam Bandt that his party has backed the government’s proposed energy laws in exchange for a package to help homes and businesses transition to electric.

Energy minister Chris Bowen is stepping up now to tell us a bit more about what that deal involves.

Updated

Wong urges China to navigate differences with Australia ‘wisely’

The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, also repeated the government’s calls for China to remove sanctions and other trade restrictions on a range of Australian exports, including wine and barley.

Next week marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and China. Wong was asked when Australia could expect any concrete results from the resumption of ministerial and leader-level talks between the two countries in recent months. She replied:

Ultimately what Australia can do in its relationship with China is to do what we are doing. We will look to stabilise the relationship. We will be clear that we think it’s in both countries’ interests for those trade impediments to be removed. We will seek to have an engagement which enables Australia to navigate its differences wisely and we would encourage China to engage with us in a way that navigates the differences between our interests wisely.

Ultimately it’s a decision China will have to make to choose to remove those trade impediments. We continue to say we think it’s in their interests to do so.

We take stock ahead of the 50th anniversary here:

Updated

Wong says Pacific talks about ‘what sort of region we want’

The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has warned against overly simplistic views about strategic competition between great powers in the Pacific, saying the choice is about shaping “the type of region we want to live in and we want our children to live in”.

Wong made the comments during a visit to the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the second leg of a bipartisan Australian parliamentary delegation.

The president of FSM, David Panuelo, wrote a letter to the prime minister of Solomon Islands nine months ago warning against his proposed security deal with China. In that letter, Panuelo raised fears that Pacific island countries would be “at the epicentre of a future confrontation” between major powers.

Wong today praised Panuelo for his leadership within the Pacific. She then made some broader comments about competition between the US and China:

I think President Panuelo has demonstrated real leadership at this time, as has FSM.

When I’m south-east Asia or the Pacific, I make the point that … what we are actually engaged in is choosing what sort of region we want. It is not a choice between great powers for much of the region – and as the president said, this region is no stranger to great power competition … But the choice that is being made is what sort of region we want.

If you read the president’s letter and what else has been said, that is precisely what he and many others in the region are talking about: a region that is stable, a region in which rules are respected and in which sovereignty is preserved. It is that regional concept of sovereignty which goes to the point of security being provided by the Pacific family.

I know that journalists – some journalists – like to think in binaries. They [binaries] are easy. What we’re about, all of us, in our different ways is about thinking about and acting for the type of region we want to live in and we want our children to live in.

Penny Wong during the Pacific tour
Wong during the Pacific tour. Photograph: Sarah/Office of Penny Wong

Panuelo told journalists he had previously been asked whether FSM felt “sandwiched between two superpowers”. He said his “direct, resounding answer” was no, because his countries was a friend to all and an enemy to none. At the same time, he said it was important to preserve the rules-based international order.

Panuelo said he valued the trusted partnership that his country had with Australia, which he said was “demonstrated in the leadership of the Albanese government”:

And I’m impressed with the way Australian leadership is presented and that is the bipartisan leadership of your nation coming here and showing that partnership endures, that the partnership is strong.

Updated

Bandt finished the press conference reiterating what he said throughout the week – that he doesn’t support any measures that see fossil fuel companies compensated.

The Greens will also not be supporting any money going to compensation for coal corporations – that will not be in the legislation. That is not being voted on. The Greens think that the greedy energy corporations should be compensating the people, not the other way around.

We will not be supporting any legislation that tries to give compensation to these coal corporations. I’ll be opposing that and arguing instead that money should be going direct to people, not to the coal corporations.

Updated

Bandt also said there were two conditions he wanted to raise:

The Greens want to see a freeze on power bills [for] two years. The Greens have made it clear to the government that we want to see more compensation owing to households, we want to see a freeze on power bills for the next two years. And as the government developed its assistance measures, over the next couple of months in the lead-up to February, the Greens continue to press for a two-year freeze on power bills.

If we have a windfall tax on gas and coal corporations, then we can afford that. We can freeze power bills for two years ... Over the next couple of months, as power bills keep going up, the case for freezing power bills and putting a windfall tax on the giants will become stronger and the Greens will keep pushing it.

Updated

Labor’s energy bill set to pass tomorrow with Greens’ support

The government’s energy bill for price caps on gas and power bill relief is set to pass the parliament tomorrow, after the Greens backed the plan in exchange for what they call a “significant” package to help homes and business transition from gas to electric.

Greens leader Adam Bandt made the announcement this afternoon, saying the agreement with the government would “help households and businesses to switch over from gas to cleaner and cheaper appliances”. It’s expected to be outlined in the 2023 budget.

The Greens’ support means the government has enough numbers in the Senate to pass the bill, after David Pocock and the Jacqui Lambie Network also backed the changes. It’s still unclear how the Coalition will vote.

Guardian Australia understands the government package will be aimed at low-income households, renters, people in apartments and public housing. It will look to address energy efficiency and cut power bills, including through updates to space heating, water heating, cooking and other household appliances or equipment.

The government will also further consult with science and energy agencies on how to better assist businesses make their own transitions.

Energy minister Chris Bowen is expected to further detail the announcement at 2.45pm in his own press conference.

Updated

Bandt went on to give more details about the package the Greens have secured.

The package … will be focused on low- and middle-income earners and people who live in public housing, renters, those who have been traditionally cut out from accessing the hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year in energy savings that come with switching over to electric.

Our package will help unlock hundreds if not thousands of dollars in savings to the people who need it most, and that means more money in people’s pockets to deal with the cost of living crisis.

Updated

Adam Bandt went on to explain the cost saving opportunities that switching to electric provides, saying for “too long” this has been expensive and inaccessible for many.

The estimated savings for switching from dirty and expensive gas appliances over to electric could be up to $1,900 a year alone. And full electrification of your home could be $3,500. But [for] too long, too many people have been barred from making that switch and enjoining those savings because there is an upfront cost associated with that.

Updated

Greens back government on energy legislation

Greens leader Adam Bandt has just stepped up and confirmed his party will support the energy legislation after brokering a deal with the government.

He said:

Energy corporations for too long have been punishing people in this country and power bills are going through the roof. One way of addressing that is helping people get out from under the greedy gas corporations by generating and saving more electricity in their own home … For a lot of people, like low and middle income earners, including small businesses as well, that is currently not affordable.

The Greens have secured a significant package that will help meet the costs households and businesses to switch over from dirty and expensive gas to cleaner and cheaper appliances, and that could save households hundreds – if not thousands – of dollars.

These will be savings that will last for a lifetime. The government has committed to developing a significant package of measures in next year’s budget, and they will work with the Greens in development of those measures.

Updated

Micronesia president says Australia talks ‘very fruitful’

Australian politicians on a bipartisan trip to the Pacific have begun a joint press conference with the president of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), David Panuelo.

Speaking from the president’s office, Panuelo said it was a “very fruitful, productive meeting” that covered topics including maritime security, education programming and Pacific regionalism.

He described Australia as “a very trusted Pacific partner”.

The Australian foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said:

We are both members of the Pacific family, we are both committed to a region which is stable and secure. I know that the president has spoken previously about the importance of the stability of the Blue Pacific and we are partners in that. And we are very grateful for being described as a trusted partner – that means a lot to us.

As I said to the president and to the members of the cabinet [today] … we are a bipartisan delegation, a very senior bipartisan delegation, and we come because we want to demonstrate our commitment to this relationship – a relationship which has spanned a number of decades but is even more important now…

Regardless of who is in government, Australia will be a partner of FSM.

The Coalition’s foreign affairs spokesperson, Simon Birmingham, added:

We are delighted to be here representing all of the parties of government in Australia.

Updated

MPs post Pacific pix

The minister for international development and the Pacific, Pat Conroy, has shared some photos on social media today from his visit to the Federated States of Micronesia as part of a bipartisan Australian parliamentary delegation.

Shadow minister Michael McCormack has also been sharing photos on social media throughout the day.

As we reported earlier, Conroy will head home tonight - a day early - so he can return to Canberra for tomorrow’s energy debate in the lower house.

Updated

ACT’s Barr sheds more light on national cabinet’s energy discussions

The federal parliament is due to be recalled tomorrow to debate and presumably vote on legislation aimed at enabling the Albanese government’s energy package.

Andrew Barr, chief minister of the ACT, provided a bit more detail this morning about the discussions from last Friday that drew agreement from all states and territories to the four-pronged policy.

That meeting went about 90 minutes, and was more about “in principle agreement”, with talks not going into the “absolute” minutiae of the impacts of putting a price of $12 a gigajoule on gas and $125 a tonne for black coal, as part of the policy, he told Guardian Australia in Sydney earlier today.

Little time was spent by the “first ministers” on the proposed “reasonable rate of return” that has the gas industry ringing alarm bells because they say it would amplify risks for future investments.

Barr also concurred with the gist of our article (here), that compensation for coal would be dominated by payments to generators and not miners. The scale of the payments, though, remains one of the points of contention and concern for independent and Greens MPs.

The ACT, as it happens, is keen to understand how lowering the wholesale price of electricity (which is one aim of those price caps) will affect its own power prices.

Andrew Barr
Andrew Barr. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP

With its long-term contracts for renewables, the territory has actually been enjoying falling electricity prices of late, in contrast to most of Australia, and Barr will be looking for federal support should it be shown ACTers are out of pocket with the changes.

Barr is also the ACT’s treasurer so he’ll be joining counterparts from the other territory and states in negotiations with treasurer Jim Chalmers over those details in coming weeks and beyond. Just eight bilateral deals to seal.

The ACT chief minister doesn’t have a lot of sympathy for what he called the “catastrophising with a clear intent” of the gas industry.

The gas sector has warned the “reasonable rate of return” provisions in the amended legislation will potentially give the government a future say in prices producers can ask from Australian consumers.

As we noted in an earlier post, MPs briefed by the PM on Saturday were not told about that “reasonable” provision and only learnt about it later.

Anyway, as for the ACT itself, the government is supporting residents to get off gas altogether as part of the territory’s goal to hit net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.

Updated

Energy bill ‘doesn’t go far enough’: David Pocock

Independent senator David Pocock will back the government’s energy bill tomorrow, but says it “doesn’t go far enough” and has called for more public money for electrification in a transition from fossil fuels.

Pocock’s support wasn’t as crucial for the Senate passage of this bill as in other government bills, as the two Jacqui Lambie Network senators had already backed the bill. As it stands, the support of the Greens is the critical element for the government, with the Coalition still signalling opposition to the bill - and Adam Bandt will announce that position at 2pm.

Pocock has called for an electrification pilot program in a suburb in his home territory of Canberra.

He told a press conference today:

I have made it clear to the government that this bill, while importantly will provide some relief to households and small businesses, doesn’t go far enough.

The solution is electrification, the solution is getting on this transition and ensuring that households benefit and small businesses. While I will be supporting this package, I want to see a lot more in the way of electrification.

I’ve put to the government that I think there should be a transition authority set up to work with committees across the country that have relied on fossil fuels for jobs.

Updated

Dutton says parliament shouldn’t be recalled without energy legislation

Just circling back to that Dutton press conference. Dutton is saying the expense of recalling parliament will be over $1m but if the government don’t have the legislation ready they shouldn’t be recalling it at all.

We want to see support for families and reduction in energy prices and … plan [Labor] have cobbled together now is all about electricity prices frankly going up, and that’s what they will do under this government, particularly if there is less supply of gas going into the system.

The most important decision the prime minister could arrive at is to bring more gas into the system.

If he doesn’t do that at a time when there is increasing demand … gas prices under Labor will continue to go through the roof and if the prime minister hasn’t got the legislation ready you shouldn’t recall Parliament at great expense.

Updated

Paul Mercurio has heart scare after being elected as Victorian MP

Strictly Ballroom star turned Victorian MP Paul Mercurio is recovering at home after emergency surgery to treat an irregular heartbeat.

The 59-year-old was released from hospital on Tuesday and said he had an ablation procedure to treat atrial fibrillation – an irregular heart rhythm.

Mercurio, who won the lower house seat of Hastings for Labor in a tight race, has told 3AW radio he suffered four irregular heart rhythm attacks during the campaign.

Speaking to 3AW, Mercurio said he had suffered heart palpitations throughout his life but said a Covid diagnosis and the stress of the election campaign had taken its toll:

I didn’t leave much behind. I guess in that is a good reminder that yes we need to work hard ... but there’s no point putting everyone into it and there’s nothing left.

Paul Mercurio in the 1992 film Strictly Ballroom.
Paul Mercurio in the 1992 film Strictly Ballroom. Photograph: Rank/Allstar

Updated

‘Economic L plates on’: Dutton slams proposed energy market intervention

Dutton then moves on to making comments on energy ahead of parliament meeting tomorrow to debate the government’s proposed energy market intervention.

He is critical that the prime minister Anthony Albanese still hasn’t released the legislation despite promising it would be released in time.

So there’s no time for consideration of what’s been put before us, that’s not just for the Liberal party or the Coalition but the Greens and the independent members as well.

Dutton is accusing the government of using the issue as a political wedge:

The prime minister is looking for a political wedge because the Coalition has been clear about our support of the money going to families who are suffering under this government with increased energy costs, particularly electricity and gas. But reality is this government has no plan

The prime minister went to the election promising 97 times you would reduce power prices by $275. It is not going to happen and now they are plucking this figure of $230 out of the air … so I think Australians are, particularly those on fixed incomes and in small business, are really starting to worry this prime minister has economic L plates on and does not know what he is doing.

If they had a plan they should have presented in the October budget. They had five months between election and budget to put together a plan and now we’re finding a day away from parliament being recalled a week before Christmas the government still hasn’t released its legislation.

Updated

Police deaths a ‘dark day’ for Queensland, Dutton says

The opposition leader Peter Dutton is speaking live in Brisbane. He begins by acknowledging the police officers who were shot and killed this week in Wieambilla:

Obviously first I want to start with the tragic loss of life. I think Queenslanders are in shock, Australians are in shock at the depravity of what’s happened here, two young police officers just going about their work to their families and the entire police family.

I just want to extend my sympathy again. This is a terrible time they’re going through and the brutality, the premeditated coldness of this attack is quite astounding and jarring.

I know the whole police family is hurting and they will for a long time because this is a tragic loss of life and the work has been done since to contain the scene, to make sure the forensics people can now do their work, the work still continues. This would be a harrowing scene and experience for those police still involved in investigation and all that which will be required by the coroner.

It’s a very dark day for Queensland, a dark day for our country when we lose two young police officers in this execution style murder. To their families and police family more broadly … my deepest condolences.

Updated

Lensa AI app tightens content controls after backlash over sexualisation

The popular artificial intelligence app Lensa has tightened its content controls after backlash over sexualisation and nudity appearing in its algorithm.

The “NSFW Content Detector”, released today, aims to eliminate “inappropriate content” from the app’s viral Magic Avatars feature, which recreates images of users as unique AI’s based on a set of uploaded images.

Prisma Labs, the company behind the photo and video editing app, said it would be the most “comprehensive update” to the app so far and should appear for users from today.

This was achievable by a thorough investigation to update and tweak several parameters of the Stable Diffusion model leveraged by the app.

To address recent safety concerns and improve overall experience in the app, Prisma Labs developers ensured to make generation of such avatars less likely.

On rare occasions, when the new NSFW algorithm fails to perform and deliver desired results, the next security layer kicks in to blur any inappropriate visual elements and nudity in the end results.

The app’s privacy policy has also undergone a “major facelift” after a string of artists took to social media to accuse Prisma Labs of stealing content and breaching copyright.

Prisma Labs said the changes were “aimed at elimination of any potential false legal interpretations”.

The Policy’s language is adjusted to make it more accessible to average users.

Updated

One in 30 jobs vacant in September quarter, ABS says

For all the gloomy outlook for the economy next year in Australia (and many other nations), it’s worth remembering that most forecasters aren’t tipping a big jump in joblessness.

Australia’s unemployment returned to a 3.4% rate in October and we’ll get November’s labour market figures from the ABS tomorrow. CBA is among those predicting the rate will remain at its near-50 year low of 3.4%, with a net 15,000 jobs added.

There’s further evidence today from the ABS about how tight the market is, with 3.2% of jobs vacant – or about one in 30 – during the September quarter. That’s also double the 1.6% level of vacancies versus jobs before the pandemic.

Bjorn Jarvis, head of Labour Statistics at the ABS, said:

The rate of multiple job holding increased by less than 0.1 percentage point to 6.5%, another series high. The increase from around 5.9% before the pandemic highlights that people are now more likely to be working more than one job.

Still, quarterly growth in jobs and hours worked slowed in the September quarter, with filled jobs increasing slightly (up 0.2%) and hours worked remaining flat.

All industries have reported an increase in vacancies since March 2020 (ie, pre Covid), with the biggest rises reported for the Accommodation and food services, and Arts and recreation services.

Those were industries that were among the most affected by the pandemic, and it’s taking time for would-be employees to be wooed back.

Updated

TPG reports email hosting service hack

TPG has reported that an email hosting service used by 15,000 iiNet and Westnet customers was hacked yesterday.

The telecommunications giant said in a release to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) on Wednesday that a preliminary analysis by cybersecurity firm Mandiant said the hacker’s aim was to search for customers’ cryptocurrency and financial information.

The company has not said what might have been obtained in the attack, but said an investigation is underway and affected customers will be advised.

TPG has said it does not affect mobile or broadband services, and access has been cut off for the attacker:

We have implemented measures to stop the unauthorised access, further security measures have been put in place, and we are in the process of contacting all affected customers on the Hosted Exchange service. We have notified the relevant government authorities.

Updated

Defence says it has improved probity controls

The Department of Defence says it has improved probity controls after an audit into how it handled a patrol boat project.

Today, the federal parliament’s joint committee of public accounts and audit is questioning officials about the $357m procurement of six evolved Cape class patrol boats, which occurred under the former government.

A report by the Australian National Audit Office, tabled in parliament late last year, called on the Department of Defence to improve its probity measures, in an otherwise positive report that said the procurement of the boats “has been largely effective”.

The report said Defence “did not assess potential probity risks on receipt of the unsolicited proposal from Austal in September 2019 or introduce additional arrangements to manage procurement probity risk until it commenced exclusive negotiations with Austal in February 2020” - five months after receipt of the proposal.

Austal has been involved in other projects for Defence, including the Guardian class patrol boats for Pacific countries. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing.

Rear Admiral Wendy Malcolm, the head of patrol boats and specialist ships, told the parliamentary hearing today:

I was the line manager when this unsolicited proposal came in and I would note that the company was well known to us and worked with us on a daily basis.

I would note that also the audit report did not find that there had been any breach of probity or any probity problems had occurred.

But we readily acknowledge that they feel the probity arrangements could be strengthened.

Defence said it had implemented the audit report’s recommendation to improve probity around unsolicited proposals.

Updated

Australian mint releases design of final Queen Elizabeth II coin

The Royal Australian Mint has released the design for a final commemorative coin featuring Queen Elizabeth II.

The coin, featuring British engraver Jody Clark’s portrait of the Queen, will be used on collectable and investment coins starting from January 1 next year.

Since her coronation in 1953, six effigies of the Queen have appeared on Australian coins. Developing an interim obverse allows the Mint to continue producing collectable and investment coins until the transition to an effigy of King Charles III.

Naturally, existing Australian legal tender coins bearing the Queen’s effigy will remain in circulation and remain legal tender forever.

In the coming months the Australian Government will announce details of the transition to an effigy of King Charles III for all Australian legal tender for circulating, collectable and investment coins.

The assistant minister for competition, charities and treasury, Andrew Leigh, said:

We expect to be able to announce the design of the first King Charles III coins early in 2023, with coins featuring this effigy to be released late in 2023.

The Royal Australian Mint’s chief executive Leigh Gordon said:

During this [transition] period, the Mint will use the Memorial Obverse to continue producing collectable and investment coins.

Our fundamental obligation is to ensure that circulating coins are available for all Australians.

Until circulating coins with the effigy of King Charles III have been produced, the Mint will continue to service the demand for coins using the standard 2022 Queen Elizabeth obverse.

Updated

Conroy cuts Pacific trip short for energy debate

The minister for international development and the Pacific, Pat Conroy, is cutting short his trip to the region to return for the parliamentary debate on energy tomorrow.

Conroy is one of the members of a bipartisan Australian parliamentary delegation to the Pacific led by the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, the first such trip since 2019.

The government has a narrow majority in the lower house, but the Australian Financial Review reported earlier today that Labor had ordered all of its MPs back to Canberra because of concerns the Coalition might try moving procedural motions to hold up the debate in the lower house.

Guardian Australia has also confirmed that Conroy will return to Australia tonight. The parliamentary delegation is currently in the Federated States of Micronesia, following its earlier visit to Vanuatu, where a new security agreement was unveiled. The abrupt return home means Conroy will miss the final leg of the trip to Palau.

It is understood Wong - who is in the Senate, not the lower house, will continue with the trip until its scheduled end late tomorrow. Wong and the Coalition’s Simon Birmingham - who is also on the Pacific trip - are the Senate leaders of each party.

Updated

Progressive parties dominate Victoria's new upper house crossbench

The Victorian parliament’s new upper house crossbench will be dominated by progressive parties but also include One Nation’s first MP in the state.

One Nation’s Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell has become the party’s first MP in the Victorian parliament.

The Greens will be represented by four MPs in the 11-person crossbench, while Legalise Cannabis will have two MPs. The Liberal Democrats, Animal Justice, Shooters, Fishers and Farmers, the Democratic Labour Party and One Nation will all have one MP in the upper house.

To pass legislation in the legislative council, 21 out of the 40 votes in the chamber are required. Labor now holds 15 seats in the upper house – three less than in the past parliament.

This means if the Coalition does not support legislation the Andrews government will need to win over six members of the crossbench.

Updated

Wrap up of Victorian upper house election results

The makeup of Victoria’s upper house for the state’s 60th parliament has been determined, with the Coalition winning three extra seats and the Greens quadrupling their representation.

Victoria’s electoral commission revealed the results for the upper house on Wednesday morning, more than two weeks after the state election last month.

Labor has won 15 seats - down 3 from its position in the past parliament. The Coalition has won three extra seats, taking its total in the upper house to 14. The Greens will be represented by four upper house MPs. Previously, Greens leader Samantha Ratnam was the party’s only MP in the upper house.

The Victorian Greens have quadrupled their representation in the upper house, fending off a battle from Legalise Cannabis to win the final spot in the Western Victoria region.

Total tallies for parties:

  • Labor 15 (-3)

  • Coalition 14 (+4)

  • Greens 4 (+3)

  • Legalise Cannabis 2 (+2)

  • Liberal Democrats 1 (-1)

  • Animal Justice 1 (-)

  • Shooters, Fishers and Farmers 1 (-)

  • Democratic Labour Party 1 (+1)

  • One Nation 1 (+1)

While the Andrews government has surpassed its 2018 landslide - winning 56 out of the 88 seats in the lower house - it will now need to negotiate with members of the upper house to pass legislation. Labor’s diminished position in the upper house means it will need more support from the crossbench to pass bills.

Palaszczuk lays flowers for killed police officers

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has laid floral tributes at Brisbane’s botanic gardens in honour of the two officers who were killed during the ambush on Monday night.

Updated

Albanese’s PNG trip rescheduled for January

Anthony Albanese has confirmed new dates for his trip to Papua New Guinea where he is expected to seek to deepen defence ties with the country.

The prime minister had been due to travel to PNG this week, but his positive Covid test result last week resulted in the trip being postponed.

In a statement this morning, Albanese said he would now be in PNG on 12-13 January to attend the annual leaders’ dialogue alongside his counterpart James Marape in Port Moresby.

The statement added that the two prime ministers would travel together to Wewak on the northern coast of PNG to visit the resting place of the late former prime minister Sir Michael Somare.

Albanese said:

I have spent time with my good friend Prime Minister Marape on several occasions this year, including here in Australia at the Prime Minister’s XIII Rugby League match.

I am looking forward to starting the New Year with a visit to Papua New Guinea to reinforce the strong bond between our two countries.

Australia and Papua New Guinea are close not just geographically, but also because of our long history and shared vision for the future.

I thank Prime Minister Marape for the invitation and look forward to continuing our discussion in Port Moresby and Wewak.

The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, was in PNG in October and confirmed that the two countries were negotiating a bilateral security agreement. That is likely to be one of the key topics on the agenda in next month’s trip.

Updated

Greens quadruple their representation in Victorian upper house

The Victorian Greens have secured the final spot in the Western Victoria region, fending off a battle from Legalise Cannabis and quadrupling their representation in the upper house.

The electorate is the first regional seat the Victorian Greens have won. Animal Justice’s Andy Meddick has been defeated in the region, but the party will be represented by Georgie Purcell in Northern Victoria.

The Western Victoria region in the upper house will be represented by:

  • Bev McArthur (Liberals)

  • Jacinta Ermacora (Labor)

  • Gayle Tierney (Labor)

  • Joe McCracken (Liberals)

  • Sarah Mansfield (Greens)

Updated

Community shaken after Queensland police ambush

Our Queensland state reporter Joe Hinchliffe is on the ground in the Western Downs region, where the police ambush took place on Monday night.

If you haven’t had a chance to read his piece about how the community is feeling, you can have a read here:

Updated

Bernie Finn fails election bid in Victoria

Former Liberal MP Bernie Finn has failed in bid to be re-elected to Victoria’s upper house for the conservative Democratic Labor Party.

Finn, the leader of the DLP, was vying to pick up a seat in the Western Metropolitan region but was defeated by the Liberal party’s Trung Luu who has won the final seat in the electorate.

In May, Finn was ousted from the Victorian parliamentary Liberal team for posting on Facebook that abortion should be banned, even for survivors of rape. Moira Deeming, who has been elected for the region, has faced criticism from within the party for her conservative views on abortion and transgender rights and her criticism of the Victorian government’s Safe Schools program.

The Western Metropolitan region in the upper house will be represented by:

  • Lizzie Blandthorn (Labor)

  • Ingrid Stitt (Labor)

  • Moira Deeming (Liberals)

  • David Ettershank (Legalise Cannabis)

  • Trung Luu (Liberals)

Updated

Victorian upper house results keep rolling in

Victoria’s incumbent Liberal Democrats MP David Limbrick has been re-elected to the upper house for the South-Eastern Metropolitan region.

The state’s so-called preference whisperer Glenn Druery has helped direct preferences to Limbrick, who has significantly boosted his primary vote this election. In 2018, Druery helped eight of 11 crossbenchers get elected by directing their preferences to one another under the group voting ticket system.

South-Eastern Metropolitan region in the upper house will be represented by:

  • Lee Tarlamis (Labor)

  • Michael Galea (Labor)

  • Ann-Marie Hermans (Liberals)

  • Rachel Payne (Legalise Cannabis)

  • David Limbrick (Liberal Democrats)

Meanwhile, in Victoria’s Southern Metropolitan region the Greens have defeated Sustainable Australia’s Clifford Hayes to snatch the final seat in the electorate.

Labor and the Liberal party have both maintained their two seats in the upper house region.

The Southern Metropolitan region in the upper house will be represented by:

  • John Berger (Labor)

  • David Davis (Liberals)

  • Georgie Crozier (Liberals)

  • Ryan Batchelor (Labor)

  • Katherine Copsey (Greens)

Updated

Scott Morison to front robodebt royal commission

Former prime minister Scott Morrison is expected to front the robodebt royal commission in just a few minutes, to answer questions about his role in setting up the scheme while he was social services minister.

Our political reporter Amy Remeikis will be following the hearing and bringing you live updates, which you can follow along with here:

The hearing is in Brisbane where Morrison is due to appear from 10am local time (so 11am DST).

We will continue to bring you all the latest in other news on the live blog here.

Updated

Police officer who survived Queensland ambush speaks from hospital

Constable Randall Kirk, one of the two surviving officers from the police ambush in Queensland on Monday night, is due to be released from hospital today.

Speaking to local newspaper Warwick Today, constable Kirk and his wife Breanna said they have been overwhelmed by the messages of support.

Constable Kirk spoke from hospital yesterday and said:

I’m feeling fine, just a little sore.

My main thoughts are with the other police families at this awful time.

It means a lot to know the community cares for all of us.

Kirk, his wife and their young daughter are expecting a new addition to their family in January and have asked for privacy “as we come to terms with this”.

Updated

Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell becomes first One Nation MP in Victoria’s parliament

In Northern Victorian, One Nation’s Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell has become the party’s first MP in the Victorian parliament.

In this seat, the Animal Justice party enacted a sting against the so-called preference whisperer Glenn Druery by gaining the support of other parties working with him – only to direct its own preferences to others at the last minute. Druery described the sting as “most elaborate sting in minor party history”.

Animal Justice will be represented by Georgie Purcell, the former chief of staff for the party’s ex-leader Andy Meddick.

The Northern Victoria region in the upper house will be represented by:

  • Jaclyn Symes (labor)

  • Wendy Lovell (Liberal)

  • Gaelle Broad (Nationals)

  • Georgie Purcell (Animal Justice Party)

  • Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell (One Nation)

One Nation’s Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell.
One Nation’s Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell. Photograph: Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell Facebook page

Updated

Adem Somyurek in, Fiona Patten out in Victoria’s upper house

In Victoria’s Northern Metropolitan, former Labor MP Adem Somyurek has secured the fifth spot in the region for the conservative Democratic Labour party.

Reason MP Fiona Patten on Monday conceded conceded she would be ousted from Victoria’s parliament by Somyurek, who contested the election for the DLP. Greens leader Samantha Ratnam has been re-elected to the region.

The Northern Metropolitan region will be represented by:

  • Sheena Watt (Labor)

  • Evan Mulholland (Liberals)

  • Samantha Ratnam (Greens)

  • Enver Erdogan (Labor)

  • Adem Somyurek (DLP)

Somyurek, who was sacked from Daniel Andrews’ cabinet and quit the Labor party before he was expelled following allegations of branch stacking, announced in November he would be joining the conservative Democratic Labour party.

The Reason party’s Fiona Patten has lost her upper house seat.
The Reason party’s Fiona Patten has lost her upper house seat. Photograph: Ellen Smith/The Guardian

Updated

Greens win Victorian upper house seat in North-Eastern Metropolitan region

Moving on to the North-Eastern Metropolitan region where the Greens have won the fifth spot in the region, defeating Transport Matters MP Rod Barton.

The Greens will be represented by Aiv Puglielli.

Labor’s Shaun Leane and Sonja Terpstra have been returned to the upper house alongside incumbent Liberal MP Matthew Bach.

Liberal MP Nick McGowan, who served as a brief stint as former opposition leader’s chief of staff, has also been elected to the region.

North-Eastern Metropolitan in the upper house will be represented by:

  • Shaun Leane (Labor)

  • Matthew Bach (Liberal)

  • Sonja Terpstra (Labor)

  • Nick McGowan (Liberal)

  • Aiv Puglielli (Greens)

Updated

Results rolling out for Victoria’s upper house

The results for Victoria’s upper house are beginning to roll out, with the State Electoral Commission finalising preferences after last month’s election.

In Eastern Victoria, the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party’s Jeff Bourman has been re-elected, while Labor and the Coalition have both claimed two seats in the region.

Victoria’s so-called preference whisperer Glenn Druery has helped direct preferences to Bourman.

In 2018, Druery helped eight of the 11 crossbench MPs get elected by directing their preferences to one another under the state’s group voting ticket system.

The Eastern Victoria region in the upper house will be represented by:

  • Renee Heath (Liberal)

  • Tom McIntosh (Labor)

  • Melina Bath (Nationals)

  • Harriet Shing (Labor)

  • Jeff Bourman (Shooters, Fishers and Farmers)

Updated

Body found after woman fell off cruise ship off SA coast

South Australian police have recovered the body of the 23-year-old woman who fell overboard while on a cruise ship off the coast of Cape Jaffa.

Victoria police will be conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death. The ship is returning to Port Melbourne, where it set off.

South Australian police said:

Police were alerted just after midnight, Wednesday 14 December, after crew discovered the woman had fallen overboard when the ship was about 70km off the coast of Cape Jaffa in the State’s south-east.

PolAir and the Challenger aircraft from Essendon carried out a search and sadly, just before 7am, PolAir recovered the 23-year-old woman’s body from the waters.

The ship is now returning to Port Melbourne where the cruise originated a few days ago.

Updated

Victoria’s upper house to be revealed

Victoria’s upper house is set to be revealed at 10am, with the state’s electoral commission set to unveil preferences.

While the Andrews government surpassed its 2018 “Danslide” election result in this year’s poll, it will be required to negotiate with the upper house to pass legislation. The result brought Labor’s lower house tally to 56 out of 88 seats – one more than the 55 it won at the 2018 election.

Victoria has eight upper house regions with five seats.

Updated

Queensland landmarks lit up in blue in tribute to killed police officers

Yesterday we heard that Brisbane’s Story Bridge would be lit blue and white in tribute to the police officers who were killed in a shooting in Queensland on Monday night.

Queensland police shared this image of the tribute on social media, as well as a separate tribute in Cairns.

Updated

Labor MP urges own government not to cut Medicare psychologist sessions

Labor MP Josh Burns has urged his own government to reconsider the decision to cut the annual number of Medicare-backed psychologist sessions from 20 to 10 per person, saying the reduced number is “woefully inadequate”.

Labor’s health minister Mark Butler made the decision on Monday, pointing to a review that found the expanded 20 sessions (temporarily increased from its regular 10 pre-pandemic) had increased waiting lists and made it much harder for new clients, especially those from low-income backgrounds, to access help.

Some mental health experts backed the change and the rationale, but other suicide prevention organisations called the change baffling. Butler told Radio National this morning that the government wasn’t planning to reverse course at this stage.

Burns, the MP for the Melbourne seat of Macnamara, said in a statement this morning that he wanted to see the decision changed.

He said:

The answer is not to reduce support for those who need it.

I think we need to reconsider this decision.

I will continue to advocate for the reinstatement of the ten extra Medicare mental health sessions for those who require it.

Labor MP Josh Burns.
Labor MP Josh Burns. Photograph: James Ross/AAP

In another tweet, Burns shared a clip from his first speech to parliament in 2019, where he said “on every measure 10 sessions is woefully inadequate”.

Updated

Energy crunch time nears as gas producers press their case with the PM

The prime minister Anthony Albanese is reportedly set to meet gas industry representatives later today, a day ahead of the expected vote in parliament on the government’s energy package.

It’s notable that Shell and Woodside have demonstrated their disapproval of the plans by pulling out of talks to set supply of 50 petajoules in 2024 and 2025. (That’s a tiny share of annual production and also a couple of years out, so it’s more vice signalling than something of immediate concern.)

Their main angst is not the $12/gigajoule price cap as much as the “reasonable rate of return” language in the mandatory codes being introduced if the legislation gets passed.

Interestingly, we learn this morning that MPs briefed by the PM on Saturday were not told about the “reasonable” price provisions that would the government strong powers to intervene in future gas investments.

More briefings by the government will take place today, so we may get a few more details.

This morning, colleague Josh Butler and I looked at one area of interest to many, specifically how much compensation might be paid this coming year of temporary price caps for gas and coal. It seems like coal-fired generators in NSW and Queensland could receive the bulk of any compensation rather than miners.

One analyst described the mechanism to provide compensation as “head-scratching”. So there’s a bit explaining for the government to do.

One of Woodside’s gas plants on the Burrup Peninsula in the north of Western Australia.
One of Woodside’s gas plants on the Burrup Peninsula in the north of Western Australia. Photograph: Greg Wood/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

Thanks Natasha! Good morning everyone, I’ll be here to guide you through the rest of the morning.

Thanks for your attention this hump day. I am handing over to the wonderful Emily Wind!

Labor backbencher speaks out against cuts to Medicare psychologist sessions

Labor backbencher Josh Burns has spoken out against his party’s decisions to cut the number of Medicare psychologist sessions.

In a statement, he says:

I believe that whilst there are real challenges in managing access to services, the answer is not to reduce support for those who need it.

For those people who require more than ten sessions of Medicare funded mental healthcare, the extra sessions can be the difference between someone’s anxiety increasing or being effectively managed.

It can be the difference between everyday functioning - participating with family, friends, at school or work - or not coping at all.

And it can effect how often someone with severe mental health challenges can see their mental health professional.

I think we need to reconsider this decision.

Updated

Top economists pen open letter urging Albanese to revise stage-three tax cuts

A former Reserve Bank governor has joined more than 100 economists and tax experts to call for an overhaul of the stage-three tax cuts.

Former RBA governor Bernie Fraser, Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz and former Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chair Alan Fels are some of the higher-profile signatures on the open letter addressed to prime minister Anthony Albanese.

The letter says:

We urge the prime minister and the parliament to reconsider the size, shape and timing of the stage three tax cuts and to align current tax policy with current economic conditions.

The legislated tax changes are due to begin in 2024 and will lower the 32.5% and 37% marginal tax rates to 30% and flatten the tax structure for people earning between $45,000 and $200,000.

Prof Fels said the tax cuts would fuel Australia’s cost-of-living crisis, with inflation likely to still be above the RBA’s target range of two to three per cent by 2024.

He also said it was fiscally inappropriate given the growing demands on government funds.

The tax cuts are expected to cost the budget about a quarter of a trillion dollars at a time when the government is trying to repair the debt-burdened public purse.

Fraser said the government should ditch its “phoney” commitment to the tax changes, which was done to win votes.

Which way Labor decides to go here will be a good test of the strength of its commitment to fostering a fairer and more caring Australia.

Updated

Government listens to Vanuatu locals returned from working in Australia

The minister for the Pacific, Pat Conroy, sat down with people in Vanuatu have worked under the Pacific Australia labor mobility (Palm) scheme.

Conroy says hearing these first-hand experiences is vital to improving the program which has been dogged by accusations of exploitative working conditions. Read more about it here from Guardian’s Pacific project:

Updated

More police brought to Wieambilla region

Paul McVeigh, the mayor of the Western Downs, which covers Wieambilla where the police ambush took place Monday night, spoke with ABC News this morning.

McVeigh says he was with police yesterday, many of whom “could hardly speak a word, especially those that had been on the scene.”

He says the commissioner is also supporting the region by bringing in more police officers.

With such a busy region, our accomodation is at a premium … we’ve had two houses offered to us from local businesses, one in Tara and one in Chinchilla.

That immediate support and support in the community to be able to support each other has just blown me away, the real resilience and the care that our community offers in situations like this.

It is a very, very low time yesterday but we need to start that rebuilding and know that everyone understands our community is safe and loving … and one that is a great place to live.

Updated

Medicare psychology session change won’t affect those part-way through treatment, Butler says

Circling back to the ABC Radio interview with the health minister.

Karvelas asks Butler about how much the decision to cut the sessions from 20 to 10 is saving the government but he doesn’t provide a figure. He says “it’s a demand-driven program”.

I hope is this will open up opportunities for people who are getting no support, to get that support.

Whether the government will reinvest the savings from this cut into funding support for those high-needs areas, Butler says will depend “on what psychologists do” reiterating it is a demand-driven program.

The health minister acknowledged the pandemic led to “a very big increase” in mental distress among Australians and particularly young Australians.

What we know from previous experience is that these things have a long tail, the mental health impacts of these traumas on our community can last for years.

Karvelas presses Butler then why he doesn’t extend the additional sessions for this tail but Butler insists “that’s why I was so concerned the fact that fewer people are getting in the door”.

He does say that people who are already part-way through the additional 10 sessions will still be able to continue them beyond the first of January.

The first of January change is for a new course of additional 10 sessions.

Updated

Government will continue to make representations to Iran over human rights abuses, Dfat says

We brought you the news earlier today that the Department of Foreign Affairs had summoned Iran’s top diplomat in Australia for the sixth time since the crackdown on anti-government protesters began in September.

A spokesperson for Dfat added that Australia opposed the death penalty “in all circumstances for all people”. They said the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, had called on Iran to immediately halt executions.

The Dfat spokesperson said:

The Australian government will continue to make representations to Iran over its egregious human rights abuses and use of the death penalty …

The Australian government continues to support the people of Iran and their right to freedom of expression and equality for all, including women and girls.

Updated

Croation community in Sydney still proud despite loss

Tensions rose at the King Tom Club, as the second half of Croatia’s semifinal against Argentina wore on, before deflating as it became obvious they wouldn’t be making the final for a second time.

With Argentina 3-0 up, fans at the club in western Sydney continued to urge Croatia on, feeling every tackle and missed chance.

Choruses of boos would ring out at referee decisions while calls for players to shoot grew louder and more desperate as the half wore on.

But a loud applause rings out of the club when captain Luka Modric was substituted, a sense the match was slipping away from them.

The crowd remained for the entire match, only streaming out as the final whistle blew, with applause ringing out for their players.

None who left expressed their disappointment, with many saying they were exceptionally proud of the team.

Mathew Pedija said that the local Croatian community were a passionate group, and we’re always going to turn up for the match.

It’s a big crowd here today, and we have a second club down the road also showing the game and sharing the load, we wouldn’t all fit here.

We’re a very patriotic community, Croatia is a small country, only 4 million people, but we’re a very proud community.

We want them to win, it’s what we expect, but look it’s still an exceptional achievement getting to this stage. We’re very proud.

Updated

Butler defends decision to cut Medicare-funded psychology sessions

The federal health minister, Mark Butler, is speaking to ABC Radio following his decision Monday to cut the number of Medicare psychologist sessions. He’s come under serious heat for the move which experts say is “appalling.”

From the first day of January next year, people will only be able to access 10 rather than 20 Medicare-funded psychology sessions. How does Butler justify the decision?

This program has been around for a number of years, and it has for many years had a limit of 10 sessions for people to access over that long period the average person has used 4 - 5 of those sessions.

Butler insists scaling appointments back to 10 will improve accessibility:

This is a good program, I’ve been familiar with it for many, many years, but its problem has always been one of equity.

The evaluation found that the lowest-income communities have more than twice the levels of mental distress as the highest-income communities, but they get the lowest level of support and, under this program, that inequality was substantially worsened by these additional 10 sessions.

He says the decision to introduce the additional 10 sessions was made during the emergency phase of the pandemic as a temporary measure.

People like Prof Ian Hickey said at the time that those additional sessions in a sector with a limit workforce, was going to have the effect of cutting out other people, meaning other people couldn’t get any support whatsoever.

And the evaluation I .. released on Monday showed exactly that, that it had the impact of cutting more people out of the system. Most of those people were in some of the poorest communities, where the evaluation said there is the highest need.

RN Breakfast host Patricia Karvelas presses Butler that the recommendation of the report was to not scrap the extra 10 sessions. He responds:

The recommendation of the report was we would consider additional sessions for people with complex needs, now this system was not designed to focus on people with complex needs.

Updated

Search under way for woman who fell overboard from cruise ship

A search is under way for a woman missing after falling overboard from a cruise ship off the South Australian coast.

Police say crew members discovered the passenger missing as the liner was passing Cape Jaffa in the state’s southeast about 11.30pm on Tuesday.

Authorities were alerted to the emergency just after midnight.

An air search is underway about 70km into the the Southern Ocean with assistance from PolAir and an Australian Maritime Authority Challenger aircraft from Melbourne.

The cruise ship is also participating in the search, which is being conducted in five metre seas, while local SES crews are on standby.

The liner is thought to have left Melbourne on Tuesday for Kangaroo Island.

- from AAP

Updated

Queensland police to investigate perpetrators’ family, friends, and ‘everything they have done in the last six months’

Lisa Millar:

As we are starting to learn a little bit more about this situation, did anyone know that Gareth Train was involved with conspiracy theories? How much did these young officers, were they aware of, when they headed into that property?

Katarina Carroll:

They do a risk assessment when they go into these properties and they were quite satisfied with that risk assessment. The investigation will bring this out. What is known about these people and we will investigate their families and friends and everything they have done in the last six months to a year, so it will be a thorough investigation. As I have said, we will get to the bottom of this because we need to know what happened and why.

Carroll said the AFP would be involved in the investigation “if we need them”.

Carroll also said this incident will “definitely” change the way Queensland officers will go about their duties.

We reiterate to our people to be very mindful of these checks, to be very thorough before going into these jobs. So those risk assessments are always there. What we will do is unpack this and learn from it and if we need to change practices that will certainly happen. But from what we see at the moment, they were very comfortable going into that situation.

Updated

Constable Randall Kirk to be released from hospital today

Queensland police commissioner Katarina Carroll is speaking to ABC News from Chinchilla, not far from where the Wieambilla police ambush took place that left six dead Monday night.

The organisation and the community are in mourning and I thank them deeply for their support. Very, very dark days for the Queensland police service.

Carroll is asked about how the two surviving constables Keeley Brough and Randall Kirk, both 28, are doing.

I met with Keeley yesterday. I spoke to Randall in hospital and we are hoping he is released today. They are doing as well as can be expected. They are grateful they are alive but for them it is very difficult as well, because they were there when their partners were killed so difficult days for them as well.

Updated

Scott Morrison to appear at robodebt royal commission around 10am

A very early good morning from Canberra. I will be joining you soon to blog Scott Morrison’s appearance at the royal commission into robodebt, which will start around 10ish.

But there is lots more happening in the nation’s political capital as well, including on energy for which we will bring you all the updates.

For those following infrastructure (on a scale of “drives on roads” to Anthony Albanese) you may or may not be surprised by the findings of the second Infrastructure Australia Market Capacity report – Australia is rapidly approaching capacity.

There is about $237bn in major public infrastructure projects in the works, which is great, particularly as transport accounts for just over 60% of that.

But with all of those projects come issues – it is becoming increasingly hard to source construction materials and crucially, labour, with the report finding a shortage of 214,000 skilled workers as of October 2022.

That is increasing the number of projects at risk of going over time and budget, as construction costs continue to increase (concrete pipe ain’t cheap, or easy to find at the moment).

It is not expected to get much better next year either, with labour demand projections predicted to increase by another 42,000 workers, bringing the demand to 442,000 people – which is more than double the number of workers projected to be available.

What does that mean?

Projects are more likely than not to run overtime and cost more and with more projects being promised by governments, there is the risk of a backlog brimming.

Infrastructure Australia’s acting chief executive, Adam Copp, said the sector was facing “significant disruption to supply chains” caused by both the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

He said:

This is causing delays and cost escalations for imported items, while delivery risks are being compounded by severe labour shortages that industry report as having the greatest impact on capacity.

Industry also reports that fast-rising costs and contracts that are increasingly allocating risk responsibilities to parties not best placed to manage them, combined with sharp declines in tier 1 contractor’s profitability observed in our 2021 edition, has contributed to a sharp rise in construction sector insolvencies in 2022. This leaves fewer companies to deliver the pipeline of work, with many already operating at 90% capacity and above.

So what can be done to address it? Copp said management and proactively sequencing would be a start.

A focus on productivity improvements in planning and delivery, and more ambitious reform to sustainably expand the market’s capacity through supply of labour and materials is increasingly critical for successful, timely and cost-effective delivery.

Updated

Croatian community in Sydney gathers to watch World Cup semi final

The King Tom club in western Sydney is heaving as the local Croatian community come together for their historic semifinal with Argentina.

The club is overflowing, with people standing around the edges of its main hall, many with their hands clasped, watching nervously.

As a penalty is given midway through the first half, fans, many of whom draped in the colours of the Croatian flag, stand and yell at the screen, with tensions high.

Boos ring out as Messi scores Argentina’s penalty, and a simmering quiet descends on the club.

And when Argentina scores a second, steely silence falls on the crowd, with heads being held in hands.

One punter says Argentina has been “lucky”, a view held by multiple attendees. Jason, clad in the distinctive Croatian national team jersey, says Argentina are just riding their luck.

Both the penalty and the second goal, we’re lucky. They’ve got luck on their side, but if we can nick one back, it’s game on.

But we’re so proud so far, you can see by the turnout here how much it means to the community. There’s always support for our small country in this community.

Updated

NSW commits $200m to overhaul disaster response

Almost $200m will be promised by the New South Wales government today to implement some of the recommendations from the independent flood inquiry.

The premier, Dominic Perrottet, said the money would mean the state was better equipped for future disasters.

He said:

Events of this year alone show that the conditions we are facing and the magnitude of the natural disasters need this level of support to ensure our frontline agencies are well-placed to continue delivering for the community.

Our combat agencies will benefit from more resources to respond to disasters, and our service agencies will be better equipped to support the people of NSW through the recovery process.

Almost $2m will be spent on NSW specific climate and weather research and $6.5m will go to better flood evacuation modelling for the Hawkesbury-Nepean valley.

Some of the money will be spent on flood rescue vehicles including 60 inflatable boats and 16 high clearance vehicles.

Updated

Good morning!

Natasha May now on deck with you.

The foreign affairs minister Penny Wong - along with Pacific Minister Pat Conroy and their coalition counterparts Simon Birmingham and Michael McCormack will visit Micronesia today as part of the bipartisan delegation visit to the Pacific.

It comes after the group yesterday announced a new security arrangement with Vanuatu which covers areas of humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, law enforcement, cyber security, defence, border security and maritime safety.

While Senator Wong is promoting Australia as a security partner of choice, she is also keen for the region to take the lead when it comes to their own security.

She told the ABC’s 7.30 last night:

We believe that the region is best served when the region takes responsibility for its security and that’s the approach we will continue to take.

We want a region that is peaceful, prosperous, stable and in which sovereignty is respected and that’s the approach we want to take to the Pacific and the Indo-Pacific more broadly.

- with AAP

Updated

Australia summons Iran's acting ambassador

Daniel Hurst has this dispatch on Australia’s diplomatic reaction to the death of another Iranian protester:

Australia has summoned Iran’s acting ambassador to condemn the execution of an anti-government protester and has vowed to maintain pressure against the regime’s “egregious human rights abuses”.

It is the sixth time the Australian government has summoned Iran’s chargé d’affaires in Canberra, Mohammad Pournajaf, since the crackdown on protests began in September. Officials have also spoken to him by phone once.

In a statement to Guardian Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it had “most recently summoned the chargé on [Monday] to express our deep concern over the execution of Mohsen Shekari, the continued use of the death penalty, and the rights of religious minorities in Iran”.

Shekari was hanged on Thursday after being found guilty by a revolutionary court of “waging war against God”. He was accused of blocking a street and wounding a member of the pro-regime Basij militia on 25 September.

Updated

Welcome

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the day’s news. Natasha May will be your guide but first let’s see what’s been breaking first thing this morning.

Brittany Higgins has settled her personal injury claim against the commonwealth in a “confidential” agreement after a “short mediation”, her lawyers announced last night. News that Higgins would pursue the personal injury claim coincided with a decision by prosecutors to drop charges against Bruce Lehrmann for the alleged rape of Higgins at Parliament House in 2019 because of concern another trial would risk her wellbeing.

Police in Queensland are sifting through the online posting of Gareth Train as they pledge to “get to the bottom” of why he and his brother Nathaniel shot dead two police officers at their property in Wieambilla. It promises to be a lengthy inquiry and will focus on the brothers’ history – and that of suspected third shooter, Gareth’s wife, Stacey – and whether the officers walked into a trap of some sort.

Scott Morrison will front the robodebt royal commission today to answer questions. about his role in setting up the scheme when he was sociasl services minister, and what he knew about legal concerns about the plan. We’ve sketched out the main questions he’s likely to be asked.

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