What we learned, Monday 17 June
That’s where we’ll leave the blog for today, but first let’s recap the main events:
Bruce Lehrmann faced a Toowoomba court.
Anthony Albanese called for “a secure and stable region” in talks with China’s premier, Li Qiang, in Canberra today.
A major Queensland native title was granted on the Sunshine Coast.
The trial for the murder of Riverina’s Amber Haigh stalled.
John Farnham’s son shared the first public photos of the singer since his cancer surgery.
The agriculture minister, Murray Watt, hinted China’s sanctions on Australian lobster could soon be lifted.
Shadow foreign affairs minister, Simon Birmingham, hinted at discussing military engagement with Chinese premier.
Hope your week has gotten off to a good start! Mostafa will be back with you bright and early tomorrow morning.
Updated
‘Aircraft landed without issue’ as emergency crews waited
More on the Virgin Australia flight that made an emergency landing in New Zealand a short time ago.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand has confirmed its trucks and crews were deployed to Invercargill airport, where the Melbourne-bound flight was diverted to, after a possible bird strike caused a fire on one of its engines shortly after taking off from Queenstown.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson said:
Flames were reported to be coming from one engine.
The aircraft landed without issue and the Fire and Emergency crews have all left the scene.
Updated
‘Possible bird strike on take-off’ lead to plane engine fire: Virgin
More on that Virgin flight which made an emergency landing in New Zealand after reports of flames coming from one of its engines.
Virgin Australia chief operations officer, Stuart Aggs, said flight VA148 from Queenstown to Melbourne “diverted to Invercargill Airport and landed safely following a possible bird strike on take-off this evening”.
Aggs said:
The aircraft has been met by emergency services at Invercargill Airport. The safety of our guests and crew is our highest priority.
Updated
Federal MPs receive 3.5% pay rise
Members of Australia’s federal parliament and other public officer holders are set to pocket thousands more each year from July after the independent remuneration tribunal announced a 3.5% wage rise.
The decision by the Remuneration Tribunal, an independent body that determines the pay of federal politicians and bureaucrats, on Monday to raise wages will mean backbench MPs will now take home about $233,643 a year – up from $225,742 the previous year – or about $4,493 a week before tax.
The average weekly earnings for an adult working full-time in the country is about $1,889, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics in its latest update. An average yearly salary comes to $98,218 while the median annual salary is $67,600.
The salary of the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, will also get a boost, cracking the $600,000 mark for the first time. Prime ministers earn an extra 160% of an MPs base salary while the opposition leader earns an additional 85% on top of it.
Albanese will take home about $607,471 a year – up from $586,929 – while his opposition counterpart, Peter Dutton, will take home $432,239 – an increase of $25,000 on the previous year.
The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, will now earn $478,968 from July while the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, and Senate leader, Penny Wong, will both earn about $438,081.
In the opposition, deputy Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, will now bring in $367,988 annually while the opposition’s shadow ministers earn an extra 25% of an MP’s base salary, amounting to $292,054.
The leader of the Greens, Adam Bandt, will earn about $338,782 a year after the changes kick in from July.
Updated
Virgin plane ‘safely on the ground’
Local media in New Zealand are reporting that the Virgin plane is “safely on the ground” after one of its engines caught fire shortly after taking off.
The Otago Daily Times reported that the Australia-bound flight from Queenstown has made an emergency landing “without incident in Invercargill after being diverted.”
Updated
Virgin plane to make emergency landing in New Zealand after engine fire
A Virgin Australia plane is expected to make an emergency landing in New Zealand after one of its engines reportedly caught fire shortly after taking off.
The Melbourne-bound flight took off from Queenstown at 5.59pm local time on Monday, with footage emerging which appears to show fire coming from the Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
Flight tracking websites show the plane heading not west to Melbourne as was scheduled but south from Queenstown. It performed a holding pattern while flying over the south island, and appeared to be attempting to land at an airport in the city of Invercargill.
Virgin Australia flight VA148 departed Queenstown Airport at 5.50pm, bound for Melbourne. It experienced an issue just after take-off and has been diverted to Invercargill Airport. We will provide further updates as information becomes available.
— Queenstown Airport (ZQN) (@NZQN) June 17, 2024
Members of the public said they saw flames coming from one of the engines and heard large bangs, the New Zealand Herald reported.
Aircraft are designed to be able to safely operate and land on one engine.
A Virgin Australia spokesperson said “we are aware of reports involving a Virgin Australia aircraft”.
We are working to establish details and will provide an update as soon as possible.
Updated
Birmingham hints at discussing military engagement with Chinese premier
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, and shadow foreign affairs minister, Simon Birmingham, are this afternoon also meeting with visiting Chinese premier, Li Qiang.
What will they be bringing up China’s leader? Birmingham has also spoken with Afternoon Briefing before that meeting:
This visit will be judged on the results in terms of progress against those residual trade issues, consular issues and other important matters as to how we engage with one another in this region.
… Those issues of regional engagement – particularly our military to military engagement – and what we have seen in terms of the conduct of China’s military in ways that have threaten the lives and safety of our defence force personnel.
And it is not just about Australia and Chinese military conduct but about Chinese military conduct across the region, even while these meetings are taking place in Canberra today we have seen reports of another incident involving Chinese military and the Philippines. Disturbing and concerning reports and these happen far too often because of approaches that are too aggressive, too risky and create the prospect of potential escalation.
Updated
Minister hints China’s sanctions on Australian lobster could soon be lifted
The agriculture minister, Murray Watt, says “there is no doubt this has been a very positive visit from Premier Li Qiang”, hinting China’s sanctions on Australian lobster may soon be lifted.
Appearing on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, Watt said:
I participated in one of those meetings the prime minister had with Premier Li Qiang and pretty much every single issue that people would expect to be raised was raised directly with the Chinese premier. We would certainly be hopeful, in my space of agriculture, to see a resolution of the remaining suspensions, particularly around lobster.
We would be hopeful of that happening soon. The Prime Minister raised it directly and I would say it received a positive hearing from Premier Li Qiang.
Asked if he believes the era of economic or trade coercion is over now, Watt says “I’d certainly like to think so.”
Updated
Pet dog dies after shots fired through Gold Coast unit back door
A pet dog has died after multiple shots were allegedly fired from a high-powered rifle into a Gold Coast unit complex, AAP reports.
Queensland police today said it was fortunate a woman had not also been killed in the shooting, which they described as a targeted attack.
A man allegedly fired seven shots through the rear sliding glass door of the Mudgeeraba apartment early on Sunday.
The small white dog was in the lounge room and was shot in the shoulder, police said.
The unit’s 43-year-old female occupant suffered a hand injury during the incident, and later underwent surgery at Gold Coast University hospital.
The pet was taken to an emergency vet for treatment but was later euthanised due to its injuries. Acting superintendent Mark Mooney told reporters:
It’s quite sad obviously for the [pet’s] owner.
… We believe it was targeted and there is no threat to the community.
It’s extremely concerning and we’re really fortunate the lady wasn’t killed herself.
Police said they are studying CCTV footage.
Updated
AEC’s proposed electorate boundary changes already shaking things up
The draft redistribution announcement from the Australian Electoral Commission has set more than a few cats among the preselected candidate pigeons, with the proposed boundary changes opening up the question of whether or not preselections should be re-opened in some electorates.
One of those was Bennelong, after the AEC proposed abolishing the seat of North Sydney, which is held by independent MP Kylea Tink.
A big chunk of Tink’s voters would be moved into Bennelong, which is currently held by a snail’s breath by Labor MP Jerome Laxale. With the boundary change recommendation, Bennelong would become nominally an LNP seat (nominally means on the numbers, which are based on how people voted in the last election. It doesn’t take into account how some of those votes may change this time around).
But with Bennelong very much in play, there were questions over whether the Liberal preselected candidate for North Sydney, Gisele Kapterian, would make a play to be preselected in the seat, despite the Liberal party having already chosen Scott Yung to run in the seat.
But after two days of speculation, Kapterian has said that she is “not contemplating running in Bennelong” and has told Yung she won’t be pushing to re-open preselections.
North Sydney Liberal Candidate:
— NSW Political Alerts (@NSWPolAlerts) June 17, 2024
“I’m not contemplating running for Bennelong and I have informed Scott Yung accordingly” pic.twitter.com/a6W06bbDGB
Don’t expect this to be the last of it though.
Tink is still considering what steps she will take given the likelihood she will be left without an electorate at the next election. One of the options under consideration is running in Bradfield, currently held by the Liberal shadow minister Paul Fletcher.
The only issue with that is Bradfield already has an established independent candidate in Nicolette Boele who managed to turn Bradfield into a marginal seat at the last election, and who has been campaigning in the electorate throughout this term.
There is also speculation that Fletcher may be pushed aside to head off a strong independent challenge, with former NSW state treasurer Matt Kean being one of the names being put forward. Kean is staying mum, but unseating a sitting MP, particularly one in the shadow ministry, is a big ask.
And that isn’t taking into account all the potential issues in Victoria, where the AEC has proposed to abolish the seat of Higgins, held by Labor MP Michelle Ananda-Rajah.
Former Liberal MP Katie Allen had been preselected to recontest the seat she lost to Ananda-Rajah, but is not ruling out a move to the neighbouring Chisholm, where Theo Zographos has already been preselected for the Liberals.
Of course, the AEC won’t make a formal decision on the boundary changes until October. Stay tuned.
Updated
John Farnham’s son shares first public photos of singer since cancer surgery
The son of John Farnham has shared photos of his father for the first time since the legendary Australian singer announced he was cancer-free last year.
Rob Farnham shared pictures of his wedding to wife Melissa on Instagram, where they were surrounded by friends and family.
Farnham, 74, was diagnosed with throat cancer in August 2022 and underwent a 12-hour operation to remove a mouth tumour. It is the first time pictures of him have been made public since his recovery.
Rob Farnham wrote on social media on Sunday about his February wedding:
Shared the happiest moment with my favourite person in the universe and she said ‘I do’.
Melissa, my life is forever better now you’re a part of it. You looked radiant, beautiful and elegant. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for us, and I’m truly honoured to have you by my side as my wife for life.
Rob, 44, is the eldest of Farnham’s two sons and appeared in the blockbuster documentary Finding The Voice about his father last year.
In the second half of last year, Farnham made a statement about his personal recovery, saying he was “the luckiest man I know right now”. He said last August:
I’ve lost count as to how many other procedures there’s been.
Updated
Albanese’s press conference has wrapped up now and the two leaders will head to Perth for events in Western Australia tomorrow.
Albanese says ‘I didn’t see’ Chinese official blocking Cheng Lei’s view
Albanese is asked about the Chinese embassy official blocking journalist Cheng Lei’s view from cameras at diplomatic signing event, to which he says “I didn’t see.”
I saw Cheng Lei and we smiled at each other during the event.
I’m not aware of those issues, it’s important people be allowed to participate fully. That’s what should happen in this building and anywhere else in Australia.
Updated
Albanese on foreign interference
In response to a question about foreign interference, Albanese says:
I did raise the issue of ensuring foreign interference wasn’t acceptable in Australia’s political system. We’ve seen a full expression of our democracy, our different views, out the front of Parliament House this morning we saw an expression of that.
As my colleague Dan Hurst mentioned earlier, as the ceremonial welcome for China’s premier took place, a couple of hundred metres away, protesters gathered, including some holding Chinese flags, while human rights advocates protested against the visit.
Updated
Albanese says he raised human rights and Yang Hengjun case with Chinese premier
Albanese says he and the Chinese premier engaged “in a very direct way about some of the differences we have.”
I certainly raised our issues in the Pacific as well as other issues including human rights, Dr Yang [Hengjun]’s case, as well as the Australians who are on death row. We of course in Australia oppose capital punishment and I reiterated our position there.
Updated
Anthony Albanese says China-Australia dialogue ‘patient, calibrated and deliberate’
Albanese says the government’s approach to the dialogue has been “patient, calibrated and deliberate” in the interests of Australia, China and stability in the region:
The recommencement of our regular annual leaders meetings has restored the high level dialogue which is central to this stabilisation, and we discussed today next year’s meeting which will be held in China.
Updated
Good afternoon one and all! We are jumping straight into the PM’s press conference in Canberra where Anthony Albanese is making a statement to the media after his talks with Chinese premier, Li Qiang.
Updated
And with that I leave the blog with Natasha May, thanks for reading.
Universities launch government-funded body to examine dangerous social media trends
Researchers from six Australian universities will together investigate misinformation, consumer targeting, political messages and other risks on social media.
RMIT University announced the creation of the Australian Internet Observatory on Monday, a project funded by the federal government and run as part of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society.
The national body will operate for four years and develop analytical tools to help researchers examine dangerous trends across social networks, search engines and messaging platforms.
The announcement comes amid fierce debate about social media influence in Australia, with the federal government committing $6.5 million to a technology pilot for “age-assurance technologies” and the opposition revealing plans to bar children under 16 from using social platforms.
The program’s lead, RMIT distinguished professor Julian Thomas, said there was plenty of evidence more Australians were relying on digital platforms but not enough transparency about how those platforms operated or what companies were doing with consumers’ data.
“Over the past decade there’s been a dramatic transformation in how Australians use digital platforms, how they interact with the automated systems and the digital economy and how they communicate with machines and each other,” he said.
“But as researchers we’ve had very little visibility of how digital platforms work.”
Prof Thomas said the project would develop and give researchers new tools to independently investigate internet issues and trends.
“We were interested in particular problems such as the kinds of ads Australians see when they use online platforms and the lack of regulatory oversight in areas such as gambling, alcohol or unhealthy foods,” Prof Thomas said.
Via AAP
Updated
More than 55 posties a week report dog-related incidents
There have been calls for dog owners to call their hounds to heel, as Australia Post says there have been an alarming 11 dog-related incidents a day over the last six months.
Queensland continues to record the highest number of incidents, with 466 incidents in the past six months, followed by NSW with 408 and Western Australia with 215.
While no single dog breed is more likely to attack than another, Australia Post says it’s smaller dogs that are the most aggressive.
Australia Post general manager of safety and wellbeing, Rod Maule, called on dog owners to take responsibility for their pets.
“Our team members just want to be able to deliver for our customers, without being attacked, harassed or chased by dogs,” Maule said on Monday.
“Posties will not make a delivery if it is unsafe for them to do so and will cease deliveries to a customer’s home until the danger is fixed.”
Australia Post data has found that half of all incidents are taking place on customers’ properties, with almost a third occurring at the front door.
Of particular concern are dog bites during letter deliveries, with 15 per cent of incidents occurring when a postie puts mail in a letterbox.
Australia Post also reports dog-related incidents to relevant local councils to ensure enforcement is actioned.
Via AAP
Updated
Kabi Kabi response to native title win: ‘This is reconciliation in action’
Corporation secretary Brian Warner said many elders had died since they made their first claim for native title in 2006.
This claim dates to 2013, but the court heard the fight for recognition has lasted almost as long as colonial settlement.
“We should be humbled,” Warner said.
“There’s elation but there’s also sorrow and sadness, because many of the people that started this journey aren’t with us today.”
Many Kabi Kabi spoke about the judgement being the beginning of a process of reconciliation, and respectful negotiation about how to preserve the area’s unique natural environment.
“This is a step, a step forward. This is not the end,” Tyrone Bean said.
“A decision like this of everyone coming together and the 30 years of hard work ... this our hope for my children, my grandchildren.
“This is reconciliation in action.”
Updated
‘We have been empowered,’ says Kabi Kabi elder after native title win
Kabi Kabi native title holders and their lawyers have spoken to the media outside the federal court in Brisbane after winning rights over large parts of the Sunshine Coast.
Elder Michael Douglas said their rights to access natural resources were particularly significant.
“All those resources were used by our people in the past, and that gives us our rights to go back and utilise for our people to take timber or whatever to make boomerang spears, plants, our fishing rights, all that’s in our hand today. And we can proudly walk away here today. We have been empowered.”
Tim Wishart, CEO of Queensland South Native Title Services, clarified the situation around parts b and c of the claim.
Part b relates to an area which is also claimed by the Butchulla people.
Part c covers an area around Caboolture which is even more urbanised. Wishart said the area’s land tenure is more complex, so it was excised from the simpler section of the claim.
The rights are only granted on a “non-exclusive” basis, rather than an exclusive one. That means the determination is subject to federal and state law, which override native title rights to the degree they are inconsistent.
“It’s important to understand that native title, despite what some people say, isn’t land rights. It doesn’t give Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people land ... It’s simply a recognition of the rights and that determination lists the rights of the Kabi Kabi people can exercise in a non-exclusive way,” Wishart said.
It also does not cover any freehold land like residences and businesses.
“People aren’t going to come and camp in Mum and Dad’s backyard, because that’s freehold land; that’s extinguished native title,” he said.
The right to take resources “for any purpose” acknowledged in the judgement doesn’t mean the right to dig up coal or gas or gold, it means things like bunya nuts or fish can be traded, though not in a commercial manner, he said.
“The right to take for any purpose is huge for this group, and it’s a huge precedent for native title claimants in Queensland,” Wishart said.
Updated
‘A bad look’, says Cheng Lei of apparent attempt to block her view of document signing
So there was a little bit of drama away from the cameras during the signing of agreements and then statements to the media by both Anthony Albanese and the visiting Chinese premier, Li Qiang, in the main committee room of Parliament House.
The Australian journalist Cheng Lei, fully within her rights, attended the event in her capacity as a presenter and reporter for Sky News Australia. Cheng was detained in China in 2020 and the Australian government had repeatedly pressed for her release until a breakthrough late last year when she was allowed to return home to Australia.
At the signing ceremony, Cheng sat with her fellow Australian journalists in the seats set aside for media representatives.
As the agreements started to be signed, a Chinese embassy official stood in a position in front of Cheng but looking forward at the official proceedings. The Chinese embassy official was repeatedly asked to move by Australian officials, initially politely. After these requests were rebuffed, an Australian official said: “You’re standing in front of my Australian colleague - you must move.”
A fellow Australian journalist then offered to swap seats with Cheng, resulting in her moving two seats to the right. After the pair swapped seats, another embassy official appeared to move around to try to get close to Cheng. An Australian official blocked the path before that official could get close to Cheng.
The leaders proceeded to give their statements to the media, and (as expected) they left the room without taking questions from reporters. No one attempted to shout a question. Comment is being sought from the Chinese embassy.
Cheng returned to the Sky News desk after the event. Commenting on the attempts to block her view, Cheng told Sky News:
I’m only guessing this is to prevent me from saying something or doing something that they think would be a bad look, but that in itself was a bad look.
Updated
Trial of Robert and Anne Geeves adjourned until Thursday
Further to the trial of Robert and Anne Geeves, accused of murdering teenage mother Amber Haigh more than two decades ago:
The trial, before justice Julia Lonergan, has been adjourned until Thursday, when the court will be updated on the condition of Anne Geeves, who did not appear in court this morning.
The court heard Anne Geeves, 63, is suffering from respiratory illnesses, including bacterial pneumonia, and is being assessed by prison health authorities. Anne Geeves has been in custody since 2022.
After some initial confusion about Anne Geeves’ whereabouts and her health status - the judge was not informed she would not be attending until five minutes before the eight-week trial was due to start - the court has decided to await an update on her condition.
Amber Haigh, then 19, was mother to a five-month-old boy when she disappeared without trace somewhere in NSW in June 2002. Her former housemates - Robert Samuel Geeves, 64, and Anne Margaret Geeves, 63 - each face one count of murder. They have pleaded not guilty.
The disappearance of Amber Haigh, its circumstances and irresolution, has been a high-profile mystery in the Harden area of NSW’s Riverina where she was living at the time of her disappearance.
The Geeves were arrested in 2022, one week after the reward for information leading to a conviction over Haigh’s disappearance was raised to $1m. They have been in custody awaiting trial since.
Updated
Anthony Albanese and Li Qiang sign memorandums of understanding
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese Premier Li Qiang have signed a number of memorandums of understanding on a couple of topics, including:
Strengthening the implementation of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement signed in 2015;
Strategic Economic Dialogue;
Climate change, ahead of the next Australia-China Ministerial Dialogue on Climate Change;
Education and Research Cooperation
They also signed the 15th Implementation Program under the 1981 Agreement on Cultural Cooperation.
Updated
Queensland deputy premier pays tribute to woman and son who died in house fire
Queensland’s deputy premier, Cameron Dick, has visited the site of a house fire that killed an elderly mother and her son, saying he knew the woman well.
The woman in her 80s and the man in his 60s died in the blaze south of Brisbane on Sunday night.
Emergency services found the suburban residence at Woodridge engulfed in flames when they arrived about 6pm.
Woodridge MP Mr Dick paid tribute to the elderly woman, leaving flowers at the home after arriving on Monday morning.
“She’s a wonderful person, she had become very unwell in her later years,” he told reporters.
“She’d been very helpful to me as a local member of parliament. She’d been very supportive of me personally.”
He described the tragedy as a “terrible blow for the community”.
“You had a son caring for his mother and that they would both lose their lives in these terrible circumstances,” he said.
Police are investigating the cause of the fire and are asking anyone with information to contact them.
Via AAP
Updated
Premier Li Qiang says Australia-China relationship on ‘right track’
Following these remarks, the Chinese premier, Li Qiang, also addressed the gathering:
We have exchanged visits to each other’s beautiful countries. This shows the importance we have with our relationship and also shows this relationship is on the right track of steady improvement and development.
I arrived in Adelaide the day before yesterday and yesterday I arrived in Canberra. Along the way I have seen a thriving and dynamic Australia. Under your leadership the Australian government has to take practical measures to grow its economy, ease inflation and promoting equity.
China commends you on this and congratulations. This year marks the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s last state visit to Australia and comprehensive strategic partnership.
How our relations evolved over the past 10 years has provided us with a lot of valuable experience and the most important in which we should uphold mutual respect, seek common ground and promote mutual cooperation.
Mr Prime Minister I sincerely hope that during the current visit we will work with you to build a more mature, stable and fruitful comprehensive strategic partnership.
Updated
‘Candid’ dialogue between Australia and China important, Albanese says
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has made some brief remarks at the opening of the meeting with Chinese premier Li Qiang in Canberra.
The PM says China and Australia have taken “significant steps forward” and emphasises the mutual efforts in stabilising the relationship.
We have continued to take significant steps forward. Preparations for the strategic economic dialogue are under way. This reflects our mutual effort in stabilising the relationship and in advancing our comprehensive strategic partnership.
We share economic complementarities, and face many shared challenges and are well-placed to work together on including addressing the challenge but also the opportunities that are arising from climate change.
I warmly welcome the resumption of the people-to-people connections that have long been a lasting bridge between our two countries. Whether through the arts, education or tourism, these ties deepen personal connections between our two great nations.
Later today, we will witness to signing a number of memorandum of understandings to drive practical cooperation in these areas. We also have our differences, reflecting our different political systems approaches and priorities.
That is why our candid dialogue is so important. For Australia, we consistently advocate the importance of a regional world that is peaceful, stable and prosperous, where countries respect sovereignty and abide by international law and obligations enshrined by UN instruments, including with respect to human rights and overall conduct with states.
There is no fixed model for a stabilised relationship. Our job is to make sure we manage our relationship so we can contribute to regional and global peace and prosperity. Dialogue advances cooperation. And addressing our differences without allowing them to define what our relationship is is so important.
Updated
Trial for murder of Riverina's Amber Haigh stalls
The start of an eight-week murder trial over the disappearance of Riverina teenager Amber Haigh two decades ago has unexpectedly stalled, with the whereabouts of one of the co-accused unknown, despite her being in custody.
Amber Haigh, then 19, was mother to a five-month-old boy when she disappeared without trace somewhere in NSW in June 2002. Her former housemates – Robert Samuel Geeves, 64, and Anne Margaret Geeves, 63 – each face one count of murder. They have pleaded not guilty.
Robert Geeves appeared in court Monday morning, but his co-accused, his wife, Anne was not present.
Justice Julia Lonergan said the court had not been told until five minutes before the eight-week murder trial was scheduled to begin that Anne Geeves was unavailable.
“At five to 10 this morning, we were first notified about the unavailability – well-asserted unavailability – of Anne Jeeves. Apparently, an email was sent on Friday that did not reach our chambers because it was not correctly addressed.”
“So, the first thing we heard about this problem was at five to 10. Since then, I’ve been forwarded a medical certificate that’s entirely inadequate and uninformative.”
The court heard the medical certificate had not been signed by a doctor and said only that Anne Geeves was suffering infection and could not attend court until after 20 June.
“It’s entirely inadequate, as an explanation for the non-attendance for an eight-week trial,” the judge said.
Anne Geeves’ lawyers have told the court they have been unable to contact her and they did not know where - within the NSW prison system - she was.
Justice Lonergan has adjourned the court until midday.
The disappearance of Amber Haigh has been a high-profile mystery in the Harden area of NSW’s Riverina where she was living at the time of her disappearance.
The Geeves were arrested in 2022, one week after the reward for information leading to a conviction over Haigh’s disappearance, was raised to $1m. They have been in custody since.
Updated
Major Queensland native title granted on Sunshine Coast
The Kabi Kabi people have been awarded native title over a 356,345-hectare estate on the Sunshine Coast, covering Noosa, the Glasshouse Mountains and Bribie Island among others.
The legal claim was lodged in 2013, but Native Title Legal Services lawyer Mike Allbrook says the Kabi Kabi people had been battling to get their land back since the 19th century. The court heard several elders had died while the legal process was underway.
The area was stolen when it was opened to agricultural development in the 1840s, he said.
Albrook says more than 300,000 people live in the determination area, but many traditional owners have been priced out of their own land by the state’s housing crisis. However, their connection to the area remains strong, he says.
“Native title was and remains part of the cultural fabric of the Sunshine Coast,” Allbrook says.
The state government and local governments covering the area supported their application, as part of a negotiated agreement submitted to the court last week.
Acting Chief Justice Berna Collier handed down the decision on Monday.
“I am also satisfied that the Kabi Kabi people have maintained a continuing connection with its land and waters ... up to the present day”, she says.
“These orders recognise that the Kabi Kabi people have and always have had native title rights.”
The judgement only applies to part a of the Kabi Kabi claim. There are two additional sections to the claim for additional land that haven’t been determined.
It grants a bundle of rights to people recognised as Kabi Kabi over the area including the right to take resources from it, the first determination to grant that right. It does not cover land leased for a residence or business or a range of other uses.
The chief executiove at Queensland South Native Title Services, Tim Wishart, and other representatives of the Kabi Kabi native title claimant are expected to speak outside in a few minutes.
Updated
Australia still talking to China about lobster, beef tariffs, Watt says
Agriculture Minister Murray Watt says there has been “consistent progress” in attempts to lift Chinese tariffs on lobster and beef, but concedes there still isn’t an agreement in place.
Speaking on ABC Radio National, Watt says the tariffs will be raised at today’s meeting between the PM and the Chinese premier.
Today, without doubt, the remaining trade suspensions that apply to live rock lobster and to beef processing establishments will certainly be raised and I’ll be raising them myself.
There’s no agreement yet in place for these remaining two items. But we’re certainly hopeful that as a result of this meeting, and that dialogue will be able to occur, that we’ll make further progress and have some news about that before too long.
Of course, we’d always prefer these suspensions to be lifted more quickly. But I think any reasonable observer can see that there’s been consistent progress.
Updated
Coal projects on environment minister’s desk threaten koala habitat
More than 50 climate and environment groups have written to the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, to warn that new coal mining projects on her desk waiting approval threaten more than 40,000 hectares of koala habitat.
According to the letter, there are 40 coal projects in NSW and Queensland waiting federal assessment and more than half have areas overlapping koala habitat.
Lock the Gate Alliance national co-ordinator Ellen Roberts says:
“New and expanding coal mines threaten koalas on two fronts: they both clear vital habitat and fuel dangerous climate change.
“Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek needs to realise Australia can have koalas, or it can have new coal projects. It can’t have both.
“It’s a sad irony that the koala has been nominated as a mascot for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics as the government hastens this iconic species’ demise by allowing the construction of new, polluting coal projects.”
Updated
Sydney rail lines ‘fully operational’ but commuters warned train delays likely until midday
In an update to the train delays in Sydney, Transport for NSW has warned that delays could continue until midday.
Earlier today, multiple lines faced delays after urgent signal repairs were needed at Harris Park.
Rail operations executive director Jas Tumber told ABC Radio Sydney, that the signal failure started at 4am and was resolved about four hours later.
All those lines are fully operational, and the teams are working very hard now to recover the network and get the timetable back in order, which will be by around midday.
The biggest impact for us at the moment is between Blacktown and Penrith where we do have some additional service gaps.
Updated
Protestors call for Tibet to be freed as China, Australian national anthems played
Premier Li Qiang and the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, were standing on a podium facing out from Parliament House as China and Australia’s national anthems were played. From this vantage point, they would have easily seen two groups – China supporters and protesters – gathered about 200m away on the lawns.
One group, the patriotic pro-China group, was holding a huge Chinese flag. The other group was protesting against the visit on human rights grounds. The latter group could be heard from the forecourt at times chanting “free Tibet”.
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China’s Premier Li inspects guard of honour while protests continue
Protesters are continuing to chant and shout during the 19-gun salute for China’s Premier Li Qiang, who is now inspecting the guard of honour.
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Australian government welcomes Chinese premier, protesters gather
The ceremonial welcome for China’s premier, Li Qiang, has begun on the forecourt of Parliament House in Canberra. A couple of hundred metres away, protesters are gathered, including some holding Chinese flags, while human rights advocates are protesting against the visit. Chanting can be heard in the background.
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Dutton takes lead as preferred PM, Coalition favoured for economic leadership
AAP reports that Australians are finally taking to Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, with voter ratings of Anthony Albanese continuing to drop as voters turn to the Coalition for national security and economic management.
The Resolve Political Monitor, conducted for the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, found 36% of voters backed Dutton as their preferred prime minister compared with 35% who supported Albanese.
This is the first time the opposition leader has taken the lead in the race for voter sentiment in this survey.
About 40% of voters prefer Dutton and the Coalition as economic managers compared with 24% who prefer Albanese and the Labor Party, while 23% rank Labor and the prime minister as best to manage national security and defence compared with 42% who favoured the opposition.
The primary vote for the Coalition has remained steady at 36% but the Labor Party’s support fell from 29 to 28%, its lowest in three years.
A majority of survey respondents say it is most important to keep the cost of living down while 7% named environment and climate change as the highest priority.
Voters preferred Labor’s management of environment and climate, with 24% favouring the government compared with 22% per who preferred the opposition.
Meanwhile, the Greens’ primary vote grew from 12 to 14%.
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Ex-Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann arrives at a Toowoomba court
Bruce Lehrmann arrives at a Toowoomba court for a committal hearing into allegations he raped a woman in 2021.
Lehrmann, 29, a former Liberal staffer, is on bail and has not previously been required to attend court in person.
He is accused of two counts of rape relating to an alleged incident in Toowoomba in October, 2021
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Ex-AFL boss McLachlan appointed Tabcorp chief executive
Ex-AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has been appointed the new boss of wagering giant Tabcorp.
McLachlan will take over as managing director and chief executive once everything is approved, but until then, will act as an observer under executive chair Bruce Akhurst.
He is replacing Tabcorp’s former chief executive Adam Rytenskild, who announced he was stepping down in March after a board investigation found he used sexually inappropriate language about a female regulatory official in Victoria.
In a statement, McLachlan said he was keen to get to work on providing a “unique customer omni-channel entertainment offering”.
Tabcorp is a wagering, broadcast and integrity services business and the challenges of growing it are appealing. It’s about creating entertainment for our customers in a safe way and providing a unique customer omni-channel entertainment offering across digital, retail and the media business.
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Australia should take ‘every opportunity’ to press China for release of academic Yang Hengjun, James Paterson says
Coalition spokesman for home affairs James Paterson says Australia must advocate for imprisoned academic Yang Hengjun.
The Australian citizen’s medical condition is likely to be one of the issues prime minister Anthony Albanese raises with the Chinese premier.
Speaking on Channel 7’s Sunrise, Paterson saysAustralia should do “everything” it can for the academic.
We must do absolutely everything we can, because his family are rightly very concerned about his health and well-being. He has been unjustly detained for too long.
He should be released and be allowed to return to his family in Australia. And there is nothing that we … shouldn’t do to raise our concerns, including directly with the Chinese leadership at every opportunity.
We just hope that the Chinese government shows some compassion and decency towards Dr Jung and, frankly, some respect for Australia and releases him accordingly.
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RBA board meeting: when doing nothing will still be painful for many
Members of the Reserve Bank of Australia board are preparing to assemble for the June interest rate meeting at which economists broadly expect no change.
The two-day meeting kicks off on Monday for what’s thought to be a straight-forward decision, with the RBA likely to hold tight at 4.35% and keep waiting for more convincing signals about what’s happening with inflation.
It’s well down from its peak but inflation re-accelerated in April, suggesting stretched borrowers will be waiting a while longer for interest rate cuts.
Yet higher interest rates are clearly working to slow the economy, with the March quarter national accounts showing a minor 0.1% lift in gross domestic product and the labour market weakening in response, albeit slowly.
The post-meeting statement and press conference with Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock should provide more information on the bank’s assessment of the economy following the latest run of data.
Via AAP.
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Two dead after Brisbane house engulfed by fire
A blaze at a suburban Brisbane home has claimed the lives of two people.
Emergency services were called to a home in Cypress Street, Woodridge, just after 6pm on Sunday where the house was found engulfed in flames.
A woman in her 80s and a man in his 60s died at the scene.
Queensland Police are investigating the cause of the fire and appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
Via Aap.
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‘Stop it at the start’ campaign starts rolling out social media messaging
The next stage of the “stop it at the start” campaign, part of a federal government push to end gendered violence, will start rolling out across your screens from today.
This part of the campaign is focussed on social media and online messaging, with the government hoping to reach parents and care givers of people aged between 10 and 17 and alert them to the messages they receive in their social media feeds.
“The hidden trends of disrespect” hopes to make adults more aware of the messages children are receiving and how those messages can reinforce misogynistic attitudes.
Social services minister Amanda Rishworth says new research “shows there is a growing echo chamber of disrespect online with influencers targeting young boys with misogynistic content”.
“Parents and other adults with young people in their lives can’t always know everything that kids are seeing online, but we can take steps to educate ourselves on what they are seeing and hearing and help young people to recognise and deal with harmful online content,” Rishworth says.
No specific influencer has been mentioned by the government, but it appears to be targeting the content of “alpha” manosphere influencers such as Andrew Tate, who remains popular with young men despite sex trafficking allegations.
“We can’t let these misogynistic voices go unchallenged,” Rishworth says.
“This campaign will counter these voices in the social media spaces where they are being viewed, like Snapchat, Meta and TikTok.”
To make the message clear, an “algorithm of disrespect” – a multi-lingual interactive simulating the average 10 to 17 year old’s social media feed – has been created, so adults can see what children are being exposed to on a daily basis.
You’ll start seeing the latest round of campaign advertisements from today. The interactive and more information is available at www.respect.gov.au.
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Albanese: China, Australia won’t always agree, must be ready to ‘engage’ maturely
Anthony Albanese will call for “a secure and stable region” in talks with China’s premier, Li Qiang, in Canberra today.
After participating in the annual leaders’ meeting in the morning, the prime minister will host a state lunch in the Great Hall of Parliament House where Australian wine and beef are expected to be on the menu.
According to speech notes distributed to media in advance, Albanese will say Australia and China “must always be ready to engage with each other as mature nations” because “it is always better if we deal direct with each other”.
The prime minister will say Parliament House “represents so much of who we are as a nation”, adding that “the seat of our democracy is fundamentally a place of dialogue”.
Albanese will say the two countries are “making progress in stabilising and rebuilding” dialogue:
We won’t always agree – and the points on which we disagree won’t simply disappear if we leave them in silence.
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Sydney’s rail system thrown into Chaos by urgent signal repairs
Urgent signal repairs have thrown Sydney’s rail system into chaos this morning, with delays being reported across various lines.
The repairs are happening at Harris Park in Sydney’s west, and are impacting services on the T1 North Shore and Western Line, the T5 Cumberland and the Blue Mountains line.
#WesternLine Allow plenty of extra travel time due to urgent signal repairs at Harris Park.
— T1 Sydney Trains (@T1SydneyTrains) June 16, 2024
Some trains will be delayed and trips may take longer than usual.
Please check station information screen and listen to announcements or check transport apps for updates. pic.twitter.com/x2fT3EMEB1
Trains on the T2 Inner West and Leppinton line, which normally run to Parramatta, are terminating earlier in Granville.
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Bruce Lehrmann to face Toowoomba court
Bruce Lehrmann is expected to attend a Toowoomba court today for a committal hearing into allegations he raped a woman in 2021.
Lehrmann, 29, a former Liberal staffer, is on bail and has not previously been required to attend court in person. He is accused of two counts of rape relating to an alleged incident in Toowoomba in October, 2021.
The hearing – to determine if there is enough evidence to take the case to trial, potentially in a superior court – is scheduled to include a cross-examination of the complainant.
Lehrmann’s lawyers have previously sought medical evidence and extensive phone text message records from the alleged victim.
Queensland law previously prohibited naming accused rapists until they were committed to stand trial. Lehrmann was revealed as the man at the centre of the Toowoomba rape allegations in October, after that law was changed. He was previously referred to as a “high-profile Toowoomba man” in the case.
Good morning
Good morning, Mostafa Rachwani with you to take you through the day’s news. We begin with Bruce Lehrmann, who is due to face court in Toowoomba today. The former parliamentary staffer is expected to front a magistrates court for a committal hearing into allegations he raped a woman in 2021.
The hearing will determine if there is enough evidence to take the case to trial. He has indicated he will defend the charges.
Elsewhere, Anthony Albanese will be hosting a state lunch for China’s Premier Li Qiang at Parliament House as relations between the two countries continue to thaw.
The trial of former airline pilot Greg Lynn could come to a head today, with the 12 jurors set to begin deliberations on whether Lynn is guilty of the double murder of campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay. The 57-year-old faced a five-week trial where he denied killing the pair in Victoria’s alpine region in March 2020, but admitted removing their bodies and burning their remains.
And, finally, the RBA is holding its June interest rate meeting today, where expectations are that it will keep rates on hold for now. We’ll bring you that and everything else that’s happening today as it comes through.
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