What we learned today, Wednesday 19 July
That’s it for today, thanks for reading. Here are the day’s main stories:
The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, says he will not apologise for cancelling the 2026 Commonwealth Games, as the state opposition calls for the auditor general to investigate.
The minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, rules out a debate on the voice with her opposition counterpart.
More details on the Tasering of nursing home resident Clare Nowland have been released, with prosecutors calling the incident “grossly disproportionate”.
Six people have been injured in a multi-vehicle crash that involved a truck carrying a US Abrams tank near Rockhampton.
Concerns are raised about PwC “spamming” the public service in unsolicited bids for government work.
The mysterious space object found on a Western Australia beach is “most likely” a rocket motor casing, the Australian Space Agency says.
We will see you back here for more news tomorrow morning.
Updated
Andrews defends shock decision to cancel Commonwealth Games
Daniel Andrews says moving the 2026 Commonwealth Games to Melbourne was “probably the cheapest” alternative option but the cost still would have exceeded $4bn, as he defended the shock decision to cancel the event instead.
The Victorian opposition says it has now written to the state’s auditor general to examine how much the decision to end the contract to host the event will cost taxpayers. It also wants the watchdog to scrutinise how costs soared beyond the original estimate of $2.6bn last year, to between $6bn and $7bn that the Victorian government used to justify cancelling the event, which was to be held across five regional sites.
More on that story here:
Updated
Mysterious space object found on WA beach possibly identified as a rocket motor casing
The Australian Space Agency says the mysterious object that washed up on a West Australian beach recently is “most likely” a “solid rocket motor casing”.
*UPDATE*
— Australian Space Agency (@AusSpaceAgency) July 19, 2023
We have determined the object is most likely a solid rocket motor casing.
We're continuing the process of identifying the type of rocket & its origin through ongoing engagement with our global counterparts. @WA_Police have coordinated the object's removal & storage. https://t.co/04ZHjLBJ8Y
Updated
Here’s more on the news we brought you earlier regarding Linda Burney’s rejection of calls for a debate on the voice:
Six people taken to hospital after crash involving US Abrams tank
Six people are in hospital after a fiery multi-vehicle crash involving a truck that was carrying an army tank in central Queensland, AAP reports.
Police set up a large exclusion zone after the collision on the Bruce Highway near Rockhampton on Wednesday morning.
Emergency crews arrived to find three vehicles on fire and four others badly damaged, police said.
The vehicles included a B-double truck, a semi-trailer carrying a military tank, a flatbed truck carrying two caravans, three cars and a 4WD towing a caravan.
You can read more on that story here:
Updated
Full details on Tasering of Clare Nowland released, prosecutors call incident ‘grossly disproportionate’
Prosecutors in their case against the New South Wales police officer who allegedly Tasered 95-year-old Clare Nowland will allege the officer’s actions were “grossly disproportionate” and “excessive” given the great-grandmother’s age and ability, according to court documents.
The revelation comes in a police statement of facts on the incident released by the court on Wednesday, the first time the full details of the alleged Tasering of the great-grand-mother have been revealed.
The statement also says the police preliminary report found the circumstances of the incident did not meet the threshold for the officer to discharge a Taser.
You can read more on that story here:
Updated
Albanese to meet with NZ prime minister, Chris Hipkins, next week
Anthony Albanese will travel to Wellington next week to meet his New Zealand counterpart, Chris Hipkins.
The pair will meet next Wednesday and Thursday for the annual Australia-New Zealand leaders’ meeting, according to a statement from Albanese’s office.
The prime ministers are expected to discuss strengthening trans-Tasman cooperation in a range of areas including trade and investment, security and defence, the Pacific region, and “deepening connections between our people”, according to the statement.
It will be Albanese’s first official visit to New Zealand, and comes as the countries jointly host the Women’s World Cup, and celebrate 80 years of diplomatic relations, 50 years of the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement, and 40 years of our Closer Economic Relations Free Trade Agreement. Albanese said:
I am delighted to visit New Zealand to meet with prime minister Hipkins for our third bilateral meeting this year.
Australia and New Zealand share close ties and will mark important milestones this year in our trans-Tasman relationship.
I look forward to continuing to work with prime minister Hipkins on ways to strengthen the special relationship Australia and New Zealand share.
Updated
Sex education book for youngsters sold out on Amazon after conservative backlash
Welcome to Sex, the sex-ed book at the centre of the conservative campaign has sold out on Amazon and a restock has been requested, we can confirm.
We reported earlier that Welcome to Sex, the consent and education book aimed at adolescents, has been taken off the shelves of Big W stores amid backlash from conservative anti-trans campaigners.
As of this afternoon, the book is sitting at number 10 on the Amazon bestseller list and has sold out. Several other retailers are also reporting a doubling in demand, the publisher has confirmed.
You can read the full story here:
Updated
New record after 1.4 million tickets sold for the Women’s World Cup
Ticket sales for the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand have set a new record, one day out from the start of tournament.
1.4 million tickets have been purchased for the 64 matches running until 20 August, surpassing the record total for the tournament eight years ago in Canada.
The Matildas’ three group matches are effectively sold out, although the Fifa ticketing website shows “low availability” – mostly wheelchair access tickets – for the 27 July match against Nigeria in Brisbane.
You can read more on that story here:
Updated
Concerns raised about PwC ‘spamming’ public service in unsolicited bids for government work
A senator leading a parliamentary inquiry into the conduct of Australia’s biggest consultancy firms has raised concerns about PwC “spamming” public servants with unsolicited bids for work.
Internal emails released by the department demonstrate a level of discomfort at how PwC partners have tried to secure more work from the government.
The unsolicited approaches led to senior public servants being told to be vigilant about any potential misuse of government information and the importance of ensuring value for taxpayers.
Greens senator Barbara Pocock said the email chain demonstrates why further regulation should be seriously considered. She said:
It seems PwC’s practice of pitching unsolicited bids for government work, uncovered at a recent senate estimates hearing, is not just a one off but more like standard operating procedure in the predatory practices of big four consulting.
Recently released responses to Questions on Notice from the department of agriculture show astute public servants are continually pushing back against inappropriate bids from consultants pitching for new contracts.
These tactics seem to be par for the course when dealing with consultants who operate on a model of embedding themselves within government agencies and bidding for continual work with escalating contract values. They call it ‘land and expand’ and it’s pretty much the opposite of what we call ‘value for money’.
This sort of behaviour has got to stop and we need to give serious consideration to new forms of regulation of the consultant sector.
Updated
The Dry sequel release date postponed due to SAG-AFTRA strike
The sequel to the Australian film The Dry is delaying its release amid ongoing strike action in Hollywood. It had been due to be released on 24 August.
Producer and actor Eric Bana said:
It is with some regret, but a large amount of conviction that we have decided to postpone the release of Force of Nature: The Dry 2. I’m incredibly proud of this much anticipated Australian film and want to be able to do it justice by promoting it thoroughly.
Due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, of which I am a long-standing member, it is not possible to do that at this time. Just as we did with The Dry, our plan is to be face-to-face with the cinema going public, through event screenings, Q&A’s, and press appearances at the time of release. I stand in support of the changes that SAG-AFTRA are fighting for on behalf of all working Actors.
I apologise for any inconvenience it causes anyone who has pre purchased tickets to our already sold-out Q&A sessions. Thanks for your understanding. See you at a cinema soon.
Updated
Defence confirms US Abrams tank involved in crash near Rockhampton
A truck carrying a US Abrams tank was involved in a multi-vehicle crash on the Bruce Highway near Rockhampton this morning, the defence department has confirmed.
It said in a statement:
Defence is aware of a multiple-vehicle accident which occurred at approximately 11:25am near Bajool on the Bruce Highway in Queensland.
Defence understands a truck carrying a US Abrams tank was involved in the incident.
Defence will provide support as required.
The Queensland ambulance and fire services earlier today commented on the crash, which resulted in several injuries.
Updated
Adolescent sex education and consent book removed from Big W shelves after staff abused
The publisher of a sex education and consent book aimed at adolescents has defended the title after it was taken off the shelves of Big W stores amid backlash from conservative campaigners.
Welcome to Sex, co-authored by the former Dolly Doctor and adolescent health expert Dr Melissa Kang and feminist writer Yumi Stynes, is the fourth book in a series on topics such as consent and menstruation.
Big W has announced it has stripped Welcome to Sex from shelves in its retail outlets and moved sales to online only, after staff members were abused.
You can read more on that story by Cait Kelly and Josh Taylor here:
Updated
Inquest into death of Shane Tuck and links to head trauma/CTE begins
The inquest into the late Richmond player, Shane Tuck, began at the Melbourne coroner’s court this afternoon.
Coroner John Cain began proceedings by apologising to Tuck’s family for the timing of the hearing, and any additional grief caused by the fact that it was opening on the day before the third anniversary of Tuck’s death.
However, Cain said, the timing did bring the importance of the hearing into sharp focus, the importance of the hearing and the imperative to avoid any further delay.
That’s because the inquest has hit numerous snags over the past three years, including the first appointed coroner, Simon McGregor, recusing himself after submissions from the AFL requesting he do so due to him being the brother of a staff member of the AFL Players’ Association.
It was delayed again in October last year to give the AFL time to finalise their report into the work of their former concussion advisor, Dr Paul McCrory.
In April this year, Tuck’s widow, Katherine Tuck said she would no longer take part in the inquest, citing “grave concerns” about the scope of the inquiry and its ability to deliver “a just outcome”.
Cain said on Wednesday:
Much of the focus of this inquest will be on head trauma and Australian rules football, and in boxing, and the opportunities to reduce or minimise the risk. The inquest is not about blaming individuals. It’s not about finding guilt or liability. My intention is to search for answers, to better understand the prevention opportunities.
Tuck passed away at the age of 38 in July 2020. He played 173 games for Richmond football club between 2004 and 2013, and later had a brief boxing career. After his death, he was found by the Australian Sports Brain Bank to have suffered from severe chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the debilitating neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated head trauma, increasingly linked to long-term exposure to contact sports.
Questions the inquest will consider include: what connection, if any, can be established between head injuries sustained by Tuck during his football career, his boxing career, and his diagnosis of CTE, and what connection there might have been between CTE and his death.
The inquest continues.
Updated
National student union calls for ‘duty of care model’ for student safety
The National Union of Students (NUS) has also had a look at the university accord interim report and the government response and while it welcomes the steps being taken, it also wants to see students centred.
And that includes more of a focus on student safety.
The NUS president, Bailey Riley, said:
The National Student Safety Survey revealed the unacceptable statistic that one in six university students are sexually harassed on campus.
Now more than ever, we need a nationally consistent and binding duty of care model introduced at universities to ensure every single student is and feels safe. Campuses are a second home for students while they are studying, which is why it is crucial that they have a say in the future of their universities.
The NUS also wants to see changes made to income support for students – so they can afford to live, while they study.
Updated
On the Commonwealth Games, and what’s ‘good and necessary’ for society outside of economics
The phrase “mythical benefits” made me think of the minotaur, but that’s far from the only reason this is worth a read:
Updated
Frosty conditions to continue as cold weather front moves across south-east Australia
The cold snap being felt across much of Australia is expected to continue for the rest of the week, the Bureau of Meteorology says.
Clear skies overnight made for frosty conditions in parts of Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia, while a cold front pushing across Australia from the west on Wednesday will keep temperatures low into Thursday.
Meteorologist at the BoM Miriam Bradbury said:
Some of the notable temperatures that we saw on Tuesday included -6C at Omeo in Victoria, -5C at Renmark, -4C at Murray Bridge in South Australia, and -5C in Canberra.
So some very, very chilly mornings.
Bradbury said Thursday would be “another cold one”. She said:
Those colder temperatures are going to impact the south-east once again, so Tassie and Victoria, most of New South Wales as well, with cool conditions pushing into southern Queensland too.
Bradbury said one record had been broken at Nhill Aerodrome in Victoria, which recorded -3C, the coldest temperature since record-keeping began 21 years ago.
She said Brisbane was expected to reach a low of 9C on Wednesday night while Sydney would drop to 6C, Melbourne 7C and Hobart 4C. Bradbury said:
The capitals are seeing cool conditions, but the cooler weather is really going to be away from the coast.
But really it is what we expect to see at this time of year. July is the coldest month for most parts of south-eastern Australia.
Updated
All eyes on Australia’s military exercises in the Pacific, defence says
You gotta love the names they give these military exercises:
Updated
Daniel Andrews outlines where Commonwealth Games funding will now go
The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, has posted one of his trademark threads to explain how the state will spend the money it budgeted for the now-cancelled Commonwealth Games:
We said we’re investing in regional Victoria. Here’s how.
— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) July 19, 2023
Updated
Today’s feature in the gutting of Gonski series
We’ve had a few posts recently about higher education, which reminded me of this excellent series that’s run in recent days about the Gonski reforms. Here is today’s piece from Jordyn Beazley and Caitlin Cassidy:
Updated
Opportunities missed for government to make a real difference for universities and students: Greens
The Greens have responded to the interim universities accord and think the government have missed an opportunity to make actual changes which would make a real difference.
The Greens education spokesperson, Mehreen Faruqi, said while the government agreeing to things like guaranteeing First Nations students a commonwealth supported university place “is an important and positive step”, other opportunities were missed. She said:
Soaring student debt has made university increasingly out of reach for young people, who don’t deserve to be saddled with a debt sentence simply for pursuing education.
If the government really wants to improve access to university, they should make university free and wipe all student debt.
The government is burying its head in the sand when it comes to so many obvious, urgent things that need addressing, like student debt, unpaid placements, PhD students living under the poverty line and the corporatisation of unis leading to rampant casualisation and wage theft.
Updated
Update on Rockhampton multi-vehicle crash
Queensland ambulance service has provided this update on the crash we mentioned earlier near Rockhampton.
#Bajool - Three patients were taken to Rockhampton Hospital, one serious & two stable & three patients to Gladstone Hospital, all stable after a multi-vehicle crash on the Bruce Hwy at 11.25am. A PSPA remains in place with vehicles catching fire on scene. The highway is closed. pic.twitter.com/40wdzqAEbr
— Queensland Ambulance (@QldAmbulance) July 19, 2023
Updated
Linda Burney rules out voice debate with opposition counterpart
Linda Burney, the minister for Indigenous Australians, has ruled out having a debate with Jacinta Nampijinpa Price:
No, this is about Australians, not politicians.
It’s always been about politics for the Liberals and Nationals.
That’s why they want a Canberra debate.
We want an honest and open conversation with Australia about a path to a better future. They want typical political conflict and obstruction.
Updated
Victorian opposition calls for investigation of Commonwealth Games cancellation
The Victorian opposition has called for the Andrews government’s cancellation of the 2026 Commonwealth Games to be investigated by the state’s auditor-general.
The opposition said the referral would focus on why the initial cost estimate of $2.6bn grew to $6bn-$7bn.
The opposition leader, John Pesutto, said the government must reveal how much money had already been spent to “humiliate” the state on the world stage:
To think that Labor may have torched more than $1bn is a further indictment on its complete inability to manage money at a time when Victorians are facing unprecedented cost-of-living pressures and essential services are being increasingly stretched.
Updated
Scrapping 50% pass rule for Hecs/Help must come with funding to support uni students: Clare
Back to the national press club, which is hearing from the education minister, Jason Clare.
One of the five priority recommendations in the universities accord interim report is scrapping the controversial 50% pass rate put in place by the Morrison-era job ready graduate scheme. That rule meant that if a student didn’t pass at least half of their courses, they would lose access to Hecs/Help funding, until they brought their pass rate up.
Of course, that meant people dropped out – because university is difficult, but it is even more difficult if you have any intersectionality of disadvantage before you get there. Plus, sometimes people think they want to study something but it is only once they get to university that they realise it is not for them (me and law, for instance).
Clare has agreed to the recommendation to scrap the 50% pass rate. And it looks like the job ready graduate scheme more widely is going to be shelved.
But what about the funding changes for metro and regional universities?
Clare says:
What I do want to make sure happens is that if you have some of those universities that you’ve described in regional Australia, where they may not use all of that funding, then whatever money is left over needs to be used to provide extra support for students from poor backgrounds, students from the regions, students with a disability, to be able to make sure that they finish their degree.
Remember recommendation two that talks about the 50% rule? It’s hitting those universities hard and the students that are there. But if we’re going to get rid of that rule, we’ve also got to make sure that we’re providing the support that students need to pass. And that’s what that funding is about. That’s why it’s so important as we work on the broader reform plan.
Updated
Turnbull ridicules Coalition’s nuclear energy support
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has ridiculed the federal coalition’s support for nuclear energy in Australia and dubbed leader Peter Dutton as the “guy who is the most stupid about this”.
Speaking this morning at the Australian Clean Energy Summit in Sydney, Turnbull said he didn’t have “an ideological objection to nuclear”, and there was no problem “with it being on the table” for discussion.
The former PM said:
The reality is it will not stack up in this country. It just won’t. Everybody in the energy industry knows that. It is the most expensive form of primary energy generation without any question.
Turnbull, though, took aim at the coalition’s support for the industry, including recent comments by Dutton describing small modular nuclear reactors as “the only feasible and proven technology which can firm up renewables and help us achieve the goals of clean, cost-effective and consistent power”.
“The guy who is the most stupid about this – the most stupid of the lot – is Peter Dutton,” Turnbull said, prompting laughter by some in the audience.
I’m not saying he’s a stupid person but he says stupid things.
He keeps on saying we need nuclear energy to firm renewables.
However, nuclear plants don’t ramp up or down, would be “literally exactly what you don’t need to firm renewables”, unlike batteries or pumped hydro, he said.
The latest CSIRO energy cost report out this week also identified nuclear SMRs as the most expensive form of new generation technology:
Nuclear energy, even the nascent small modular reactor type, is the most expensive form of new generation, @CSIRO says in its latest report. https://t.co/5UnCzaGiQf pic.twitter.com/A3DSLGAbnK
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) July 19, 2023
Turnbull’s comments contrast those of Innes Willox, head of the AiGroup industry lobby, who said on Tuesday that “new nuclear technologies combine intriguing potential with formidable delivery and economic challenges”. Willox added:
It makes little sense to continue simply banning them, but mere legalisation is no substitute for a comprehensive and investable climate and energy policy for all technologies to compete under.
Putting all your eggs in one basket is a bad idea for any side of politics.
Updated
Hecs and Help university loan schemes being looked at, Clare says
We have moved into the question and answer period of the national press club address and education minister Jason Clare is asked about the cost of going to university itself – given the debt which is incurred.
Clare says:
If we got rid of Hecs today, the number of students at university would be cut in half. And that means more young people missing out. This report says we need more young people to go to university - not less.
What Clare is referring to there is the idea that if university was free, places would be limited and only students from richer backgrounds, who went to private schools and had tutors and support systems in place would get a go.
Clare says they are continuing to look at changes to the Hecs and Help schemes. But what about the actual cost of going to university for students? Clare says:
Cost is part of it. So is the cost of living. If you ask a lot of students, and they’ll talk to you about with an income contingent loan, they’ve made a decision about what they’re going to study based on what the cost of degree is, but they will make decisions about going to university around the cost of living. And then there’s the cost of those kids I spoke about missing out. Young people from the suburbs. Young people from regional Australia. Young Indigenous people. We need to set up a system that’s sustainable for the that helps all young people get a crack at university.
So again, it is something that is being looked at, but there is no answer just yet.
Updated
Quelle surprise that a big four consultancy was involved somehow in the Commonwealth Games saga.
Daniel Andrews confirms Ernst & Young was involved in the original business case to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games in regional Victoria, which put the estimated cost at $2.6b.
— Callum Godde (@calgodde) July 19, 2023
He doesn't believe the consulting firm was part of the updated business case estimate of $6b to $7b
More diverse students from lower socioeconomic areas should attend uni, Clare says
The federal education minister, Jason Clare, is addressing the National Press Club following the release of the university accord interim report, which we reported on a bit earlier today.
The big takeaway is that if Australia is to be prepared for the jobs of the future, it has to start getting more people into university, now. And not just the usual ways we draw people into university – but working to get more students from diverse, lower socioeconomic and Indigenous communities into university.
Clare says that 36% of the Australian workforce has a university qualification. Over the next 25 years, that is going to have to increase. He said:
This report estimates that that could jump to 55% by the middle of this century. And if that’s right, that means that over the next 2.5 decades, the number of people at university would increase significantly. There are about 900,000 Commonwealth-supported students at university today.
The accord team estimates that that could jump to 1.8 million by 2050 – in other words, double. Now, that’s a rough estimate but it gives you an idea of the skills challenge we face. Now, what this report argues is that the only way to really do this is to significantly increase the number of university students from our outer suburbs and the regions, students from poor background, students with a disability and Indigenous students. If we don’t, we won’t have the skills and the economic firepower that we need to make this country everything it can be in the years ahead.
Updated
The Queensland ambulance service have confirmed in a Facebook post that paramedics are on the scene of the crash near Rockhampton. It said:
Multiple patients are being assessed in various conditions at this time and a rescue helicopter is on scene.
The Bruce Highway is closed and there are a number of fires in the area as a result of the crash.
More information from police on Rockhampton crash
Here’s more from Queensland police about the crash near Rockhampton we mentioned a few minutes ago:
Police have made an emergency declaration under the Public Safety Preservation Act (PSPA) due to an ongoing traffic incident at Bajool in Rockhampton.
The PSPA was declared at 12pm, with the exclusion zone including the Bruce Highway, McLean Road and Bobs Creek Road.
Officers were called to the area at 11.25am following reports of a multi-vehicle traffic crash.
Members of the public are advised to avoid the area and those within the exclusion zone are asked to remain indoors, or inside their vehicles, until further notice, and to follow directions from emergency crews.
Updated
Thank you for your service, Rafqa. On with the news!
Updated
Thanks for joining me on the blog this morning. Handing over now to Nino Bucci, who will keep your news rolling through the evening.
Updated
‘Serious, multi-vehicle traffic crash’ in Rockhampton, Queensland
Queensland police are on scene at a “serious, multi-vehicle traffic crash” on Comino Road in Bajool at Rockhampton.
The road is closed, and an exclusion zone has been established – meaning the public cannot approach for safety reasons.
Motorists are urged to avoid the area.
BAJOOL: Police are on scene at a serious, multi-vehicle traffic crash on Comino Road in Bajool at Rockhampton.
— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) July 19, 2023
An exclusion zone has been established, and the road is closed.
Motorists are urged to avoid the area, or expect long delays. #qldtraffic pic.twitter.com/sO5ptHEqbK
Updated
Andrews to release termination costs over Commonwealth Games cancellation
Daniel Andrews says he will release the termination costs of the government’s cancellation of the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The state government is in negotiations with Commonwealth Games organisers in London over the cost of cancelling the event.
The premier reiterated that the government would aim to get the best deal for Victorian taxpayers.
Updated
Marles: Australia-US defence cooperation ‘unprecedented in scale, scope and significance’
Here are the minister for defence, Richard Marles, and the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, commenting on the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, and the defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, visiting Australia next week.
Marles said:
Australia’s defence cooperation with the United States is unprecedented in scale, scope and significance. Our partnership is built on an enduring foundation of trust, a long record of achievement and a shared vision for upholding the global rules-based order.
Australia will continue to work with our partners, including the United States, to build a region that is peaceful, stable and prosperous, including through the longstanding US Force Posture Initiatives in Australia.
Wong said:
We look forward to welcoming our good friends Secretary Blinken and Secretary Austin to Australia for this year’s Ausmin meeting.
Our alliance is continuing to evolve with our strategic circumstances. We are broadening Ausmin to integrate new areas for cooperation in line with the region’s priorities, including emerging technologies, the clean energy transition and the essential role of critical minerals.
Australia and the United States want to better support our partners in the region, and to promote peace, protect sovereignty and foster prosperity.
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Australia confirms Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin to visit
We brought you the news this morning that the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, and the defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, would be coming to Australia next week.
The Australian government has now issued a statement confirming the visit. The deputy prime minister and minister for defence, Richard Marles, and the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, will be meeting their counterparts in Brisbane for the 33rd session of the annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations, known as Ausmin.
The Australian government statement describes the US as “Australia’s vital security ally and our closest global partner” and the meeting as “the primary forum at which Australia and the United States set the strategic direction for our Alliance”.
It said the upcoming meeting would discuss “ways to deepen collaboration across the breadth of the relationship, including on defence and security cooperation, climate and clean energy, and economic resilience”. After the meeting, Marles and Austin will fly to North Queensland to witness the Talisman Sabre exercise.
Keep an eye out for the next blog post, which will include Marles and Wong’s comments.
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Andrews says he won't apologise for the games cancellation
Daniel Andrews says he will not apologise for cancelling the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
I think they [the games organisers] are asking for me to apologise for cancelling the games. I’m not doing this because we’re not running them. Because to run them is billions of dollars over and above the original budget.
He reiterated that the government could not justify the cost blowout.
I understand people are disappointed; I’m disappointed.
But Andrews said the state would have been more disappointed if the government had remained committed to an event that would have cost billions of dollars.
If you’ve made the decision, you’ve got to push on and that’s exactly what we’ve done.
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Andrews says hosting games in Melbourne was cheapest alternative at $4bn
Dan Andrews says hosting the Commonwealth Games in metropolitan Melbourne, which the government claims would cost at least $4bn, was the cheapest alternative to the decentralised sporting event.
The 2026 event was due to be held across five regional Victorian sites. But the government on Tuesday said the cost had risen from an original estimation of $2.6bn to $6bn-$7bn.
Commonwealth Games Australia on Tuesday said it made numerous recommendations to the government to help cut costs, including hosting some events in Melbourne, which it ignored.
The body’s chief executive, Craig Phillips, said he did not accept the government’s claim that hosting the games in Melbourne would cost at least $4bn.
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‘Amicable’ discussions being had with Commonwealth Games organisers: Andrews
The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, says he’s having “amicable” discussions with the Commonwealth Games organisers over the state government’s cancellation of the games.
The Commonwealth Games Federation says the state government had repeatedly assured them it could meet the costs of the decentralised event. Katie Sadleir, chief executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation, said the body was blindsided by the cost blowouts cited by the Victorian government.
Andrews said negotiations were proceeding with the body regarding the cost of the cancellation:
I’m not going to enter into a quarrel, an argument with those people.
Some of the people who have been very critical, they’re not funding it.
It is unclear what the state government’s cancellation of the games will cost Victorian taxpayers.
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Intelligence community believes foreign spies using court proceedings as ‘collection tool’
Australia’s intelligence community believes foreign spies are using sensitive court proceedings as an “intelligence collection tool”.
Australia’s national security law watchdog on Wednesday began public hearings examining the use of laws designed to protect sensitive information during court proceedings.
The National Security Information Act (NSI Act) is designed to guard confidential material that may harm Australia’s national security but the laws have prompted controversy in recent high-profile prosecutions involving Bernard Collaery, Witness K, and Witness J, where they have significantly hampered open justice.
Andrew Shearer, director-general of national intelligence, on Wednesday said that court proceedings were seen as a vulnerability by foreign intelligence agencies for the exposure of sensitive information.
We know that foreign intelligence services are gathering intelligence about legal proceedings and are using litigation as an intelligence collection tool. Our adversaries understand that national security information is vulnerable in legal proceedings and is at far greater risk than it might be inside an intelligence agency or a secure facility.
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Victoria to provide $150m to regional workers accommodation to offset games losses
Victorian premier Daniel Andrews is holding a press conference in Maryborough following the state government’s shock cancellation of the 2026 Commonwealth Games on Tuesday.
The premier says the government will deliver a $150m workers accomodation fund for regional Victorian workers as part of its investment to help offset losses caused by the cancellation of the games.
It will continue to pay dividends over a long period of time.
One of the biggest challenges of finding staff is finding them somewhere to live.
The $150m workers accommodation fund will be delivered on top of the $1bn regional housing fund announced by the government on Tuesday.
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Possible Commonwealth Games 2026 hosts
Who will step up to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, and mend the monarchists’ broken hearts after the Victorian government left it in tatters?
Here is a speculative shortlist:
Scotland: The First minister Humza Yousaf has asked his staff to explore the possibility of hosting as part of a multi-country bid, because he is “desperate” for the games to ahead. “Let’s see what the art of the possible may be,” he said.
New Zealand: Mayor of Christchurch Phil Mauger says the city and New Zealand should share hosting in an interview with Chris Lynch Media – saying Christchurch has the facilities, and that the stadium and Metro Sports facility would be finished construction in three years.
Birmingham: The games were hosted in Birmingham in 2022 – and there’s talk of a return, with West Midlands mayor Andy Street saying he hasn’t written off the prospect. (But the Birmingham City Council did state that it is “now someone else’s turn to stage,” so hopes aren’t too high.)
London: Mayor Sadiq Khan says London “stands ready” to host, with its athletics, swimming and cycling venues making it the “sporting capital of the world” after the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.
Alberta: Unfortunately it looks like Alberta remains focused on hosting in the future, with the government of Alberta, the City of Calgary and Edmonton pulling together a $4m feasibility study for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
Updated
Last month, the southern hemisphere was hit with temperature anomalies that exceeded warm levels from the 1998 El Niño year.
Temperature anomalies were particularly striking over the Southern Hemisphere last month, which notably well exceeded the previous warmth from the 1998 El Niño year.
— Zack Labe (@ZLabe) July 18, 2023
[(Preliminary) GISTEMPv4 data/info: https://t.co/Y7TeMNSvIJ] pic.twitter.com/8pSvwusAqg
This warmth was affecting Australia, Antarctica, some islands in the Asia-Pacific, most of South America and some of Africa.
Updated
Distraught monarchists suspect 'deeper motives' behind Commonwealth Games cancellation
The monarchists are distraught after the cancellation of the 2026 Victorian Commonwealth Games.
“It is truly a sad day for this country,” the Australian Monarchist League say in a statement.
It says the “hopes of boys and girls dreaming of a chance to compete” have been “dashed,” alongside Australia’s international reputation – which “lies today in tatters”.
“Just because the Victorian government got it wrong,” the league says “is no excuse to let the entire Commonwealth of Nations down”.
From now on Australia – and not just Victoria, will be known as a country that does not keep its word, a nation that breaks its agreements, a country never to be trusted ever again.
People are now asking “was it the cost, or are there deeper motives behind this fiasco?” Was it because the King may attend his first Commonwealth Games? Would this have happened had it been the Chinese Games, if there was such a thing? These are all questions that must be asked and must be answered.
Updated
Alleged organised crime syndicate trafficking methylamphetamine and heroin across Melbourne
Here is more on the investigation alleging an Asian organised crime syndicate had been trafficking large commercial quantities of methylamphetamine and heroin across Melbourne, courtesy of a Victoria Police statement.
Over a five-day period in July, search warrants were executed at properties in Albion, Braybrook and Kalkallo, where police seized a loaded handgun, ammunition, an imitation handgun, quantities of what appear to be heroin and methylamphetamine, six Samurai swords, luxury bags and cigarette lighters.
Approximately $50,000 cash was seized from the St Albans address.
Quantities of what appear to be methylamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, ketamine and MDMA, approximately $50,000 cash, an imitation firearm as well as cannabis plants being cultivated were seized from a Braybrook address.
Also in Braybrook, at a storage facility, investigators seized quantities of what appear to be methylamphetamine, ketamine and MDMA.
What is believed to be heroin (in both rock form and raw production form), ammunition and approximately $70,000 cash were seized from a Braybrook address.
This Monday, warrants were executed at two Southbank properties – where the alleged leader of the syndicate was charged. Luxury bags and jewellery believed to be valued at over $100,000 were seized at one address, while a 2018 Porsche Macan and a small heroin press inside it were seized from the other.
All up, nine people have been charged. The investigation remains ongoing.
Updated
Nine people charged, drugs, firearms, over $750K seized by Major Drug Squad
Major Drug Squad detectives have charged nine people and seized firearms, swords, luxury handbags, over $750K in cash and what appear to be drugs, according to a Victoria police statement.
An investigation, which commenced in September last year, will allege an Asian organised crime syndicate had been trafficking large commercial quantities of methylamphetamine and heroin across Melbourne.
Here is the long list of findings, outlined in the police statement.
In February this year, search warrants were executed at properties in Southbank, Deer Park, St Albans and Braybrook. Police seized a commercial quantity of what appears to be methylamphetamine, articles used in the preparation of drugs of dependence for sale and approximately $400,000 in cash – believed to be the proceeds of crime.
In June, searches were conducted at residential properties in Sunshine and Sunshine North. A clandestine laboratory was located at the Sunshine North address, and a commercial quantity of what is believed to be methylamphetamine, precursor chemicals, approximately $100,000 cash and a 2020 Mercedes Benz GLC63 were also seized.
Keep an eye out for the next blog post, which will continue outlining these findings.
Updated
Voice debate: Linda Burney unlikely to face opposition Jacinta Nampijinpa Price
Indigenous Australians minister Linda Burney is not likely to debate her opposition counterpart, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, anytime soon.
Defending the no pamphlet on Wednesday – which has been heavily criticised for errors and misquoting legal expert, Greg Craven, the opposition spokesperson on Indigenous Australians and prominent no campaigner - Nampijinpa Price said she wants to debate Indigenous Australians minister Linda Burney on the voice.
But a spokesperson for Burney said
The minister is focused on getting out and having conversations with people across the country about why the voice is needed and how it will help improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Last week she was in Launceston, Albany, Port Hedland, Kununurra and Broome. Next week she’ll be in Wodonga and Adelaide.
Tonight, Burney will be on a sold-out panel at Sydney Town Hall with speakers including Noel Pearson, Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore, Thomas Mayo, Kerry O’Brien and Prof Anne Twomey.
Updated
Rio Tinto flags China economic worries
Rio Tinto has raised concerns over the global economic outlook which includes a faltering Chinese recovery after reporting a slight pullback in iron ore shipments from the Pilbara.
Rio said in a quarterly production report on Wednesday:
China’s economic recovery has fallen short of initial market expectations, as the property market downturn continues to weigh on the economy and consumers remain cautious despite monetary policy easing.
Manufacturing data in advanced economies showed a further slowdown and recessionary risks remain.
Iron ore prices have eased from elevated levels struck mid last year amid a mixed outlook for the steel-making commodity.
An anticipated major ramp-up in global steel manufacturing has failed to materialise as surging youth unemployment and a weak property sector hamper the Chinese economy.
While Rio mines several types of resources, iron ore is by far its biggest revenue earner.
The company said that iron ore production had increased during the June quarter compared to the previous corresponding period, even though shipments fell.
Updated
Barbie movie gets three stars
Beamingly affectionate, deliriously pink-themed and fantasy comedy-adventure is how Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw describes Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. (He also uses “bubblegum-fun-cum-feminist” which I rather enjoy.)
Bradshaw gives the film three stars – citing comedy rooted in self-consciousness that is sometimes inhibited by satire, and wary of what is “perhaps a giant two-hour commercial for a product”.
So we've all had our eyeballs seared pink for the last 3 months for the sake of... a solid three star comedy... https://t.co/EGd2LCWp5f
— NickdMiller ❔ (@NickdMiller) July 18, 2023
The film comes out in Australia tomorrow – I shall be in attendance, wearing all pink, ready to draw my own conclusions.
In the meantime, you can read Bradshaw’s full review here:
Updated
Public hearing into Australia’s secrecy laws underway
Australia’s watchdog for national security laws has begun a public hearing into secrecy laws used in the high-profile criminal prosecutions of Bernard Collaery, Witness K, and Witness J.
The National Security Information Act (NSI Act) is designed to protect sensitive information during criminal prosecutions. The aim is to stop confidential material, which threatens to harm Australia’s national security, from being made public.
The law’s use in recent prosecutions – most notably the case of former spy Witness J, who was prosecuted and imprisoned completely in secret – has prompted concern that it is improperly obscuring open justice.
The Independent National Security Legislation Monitor Grant Donaldson is currently probing the effectiveness of the NSI Act and is considering whether it should be subject to significant reform or scrapped altogether.
A two-day public hearing began in Canberra on Wednesday morning, which will hear from government, the intelligence community, academics, prosecutors and a former judge, Anthony Whealy, who has sat on NSI Act cases.
Attorney-general department deputy secretary Sarah Chidgey gave evidence that the NSI Act had only been used sparingly – three times out of the more than 2,000 federal criminal prosecutions in 2021-2022.
She said it provided an “essential framework” for promoting the administration of justice in an evolving security environment.
Donaldson said it appeared that the NSI Act works “generally quite well” in terrorism cases. But he said:
Where the issues have arisen - and Alan Johns and Witness K and Collaery are perfect examples of this - are where the prosecutions have related to secrecy offences.
Updated
Noel Pearson calls out scaremongering directed at voice
“All kinds of scaremongering have been directed as to what this voice is,” Noel Pearson said at the Clean Energy Council Summit’s gala dinner in Sydney, AAP reports.
Some people have suggested that Indigenous people would be making representations about everything from nuclear submarines to parking tickets, the Indigenous lawyer said.
The voice to parliament, if successful, will make representations on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
That’s the function of the voice. That’s the purpose of the voice.
It is solely the parliament’s job after the referendum to supply the details and they will do that through the normal process of lawmaking.
Updated
‘Athletes will be hurt by this’: Albanese on Commonwealth Games cancellation
Anthony Albanese also spoke on 2GB radio about the surprise decision by the Victorian government to cancel the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Asked if he was shocked by the move, Albanese replied:
I was. We did get a very short heads up that the announcement was coming but obviously, it’s not something that we were anticipating given that it’s been in the wind for some time ... I think the regret is for the athletes who will be hurt by this, the idea of competing at your own games is always a positive thing. I attended the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games just a few years ago and I attended Melbourne many years ago now, and of course, the Sydney Olympics was where this great city really shone.
Updated
Albanese defends voice in fiery radio encounter with Ben Fordham over referendum
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has just spoken to Ben Fordham on 2GB Radio about the Indigenous voice referendum.
Fordham repeatedly asked about why the government is not proposing constitutional recognition and legislating the voice.
Albanese said that he’s a “pragmatic guy” but noted that in the Uluru Statement from the Heart Indigenous Australians asked for the voice to go into the constitution. Nobody attempted to amend the constitutional alteration bill to shift towards recognition without voice, he said.
The interview got a bit heated, as Albanese said that discussion of Indigenous Australians getting special rights “ignores that this is the most disadvantaged group”.
Fordham quoted architects of the voice including Megan Davis, prompting Albanese to observe that the quotes were “from the No pamphlet”. Fordham rejected this characterisation – saying they were his own questions, and he was referring to written material to get the quotes right.
Albanese ruled out compensation for Indigenous Australians, moving the date of Australia Day and the voice making representations to the Reserve Bank.
Albanese said:
You have a responsibility as well ... You need to not raise red herrings.
Fordham urged Albanese not to “risk it”.
He replied:
I’m not risking it. What I’m doing is supporting recognition, supporting recognition in a way that will make a practical difference. We need better outcomes. We can’t just be doing things the same way and expect different results. That’s the definition of being ... dumb. If we just keep doing things the same way, we need to do things better, we need to listen to Indigenous Australians about matters that affect them.
Updated
‘Cruelty must end’: Asylum Seeker Resource Centre releases new offshore detention report
Marking ten years since former prime minister Kevin Rudd sent 3,000 men, women and children seeking asylum in Australia by sea to offshore detention centre, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre has released a new report, ‘Finish this Crisis’: Stories exposing the horrors of offshore detention.
It shares stories of seven people subjected to offshore detention since 19 July 2013. They call for the immediate evacuation of the 80 people remaining in PNG, permanent resettlement for all and a royal commission into offshore detention.
In a statement, it said:
The Albanese Government evacuated refugees from Nauru, however, people are still trapped in PNG and thousands have been denied the ability to rebuild their lives in Australia.
The cruelty must end.
Abdi Adan Muse, a human rights advocate held in PNG, said:
When I wake up, I try and keep myself busy.
It has an impact on you psychologically – always thinking and constantly worrying. When you don’t have a family with you, it is difficult to keep yourself busy.
And Abdul Aziz Adam, human rights advocate formerly held in offshore detention said:
I think the world needs to know the reality, the truth about offshore detention … I mean they designed a system based on torturing and destroying psychologically people like us. The world needs to know the reality.
You can read the full report here.
Updated
Switching to electric reduces household energy costs by 75%, new report finds
Switching from gas to electric can reduce household energy bills by 75%, new data from Environment Victoria reveals.
An average home in Melbourne’s south-east could expect to pay $716 using gas heating in an uninsulated space throughout the winter months.
The cost for the same space using efficient reverse cycle electric appliances reduces to just $169.
Sarah Rogan, Environment Victoria climate campaign manager, urges the government to “make it easier for all households to electrify”:
Victorian households are struggling under devastating cost of living increases – while massive, polluting gas companies continue to reap record profits.
Household electrification is key to reducing Victoria’s carbon emissions and household energy bills. We urge the Victorian government to set a target in this year’s updated Gas Substitution Roadmap.
The Victorian government needs to step up now with incentives for households to switch off their polluting and expensive gas heaters and switch on efficient electric heat pumps.
Updated
University support must include city suburbs not just remote areas, Clare says
More from education minister Jason Clare on ABC RN this morning, who says the funded university support skew towards remote areas needs to be realigned to include city suburbs “if we really want to close that gap in opportunity”.
Almost one in two Australians have a university degree, but that’s not the case everywhere, it’s not the case in the western suburbs or in the regions.
It’s not the case for poor families and it’s a magnitude lower for Indigenous students – only 7% of young Indigenous people in their 20s have a university degree.
Clare points to the discrepancy of funded spots across area, saying young Indigenous people are only guaranteed a funding spot at university if they live regionally, not in a big city.
If we really want to close that gap in opportunity this is the way to do it.
The evidence is if we do this we could double the number of Indigenous students at university in a decade.
Updated
Clare says new funding for uni places a tenth the cost of a jail cell
Minister for education Jason Clare said increasing access to a Commonwealth-supported place at university will cost $34m over the next four years – “That’s a pretty good investment”.
He said on ABC RN this morning:
If you’re a young Indigenous person today, you’re more likely to go to jail than you are to university.
The cost of having somebody in jail every year is about $120,000. The cost of a university place is $11,000.
We’re having a conversation about the Voice as well in this country at the moment, and about how listening to people gets better results and a better use of taxpayers money. I can’t think of a better example than that.
The comment comes amid a discussion on the Australian Universities Accord Interim Report, which Clare will speak on at the National Press Club today.
The report recommends changes to make sure the higher education sector can attract and retain staff, and to make universities more accessible to poorer students and those living outside urban centres.
You can read more from Amy Remeikis here:
Updated
Australian sailor back on land after two months stranded at sea
A 51-year-old Sydney man and his dog have been rescued after being stranded at sea for months, surviving on a diet of raw fish and rainwater.
When 7 Sunrise asked him what he wants his first meal to be, he answered:
Tuna sushi.
(He was saved by a Mexican fishing trawler – aka a tuna boat – hence the joke.)
Tim Shaddock left La Paz in Mexico in April and was attempting to reach French Polynesia, more than 5,000km away, when his boat was damaged by the storm.
The pair were rescued after a helicopter conducting surveillance for a Mexican fishing trawler found them on 12 July.
You can read the full story from Cait Kelly here:
Updated
US defence secretary and secretary of state to visit Australia
The US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, and secretary of state, Antony Blinken, will soon visit Australia for annual ministerial talks.
In a statement issued this morning, the Pentagon said Austin would depart the US next week for a trip to Papua New Guinea and Australia – his eighth official visit to the Indo-Pacific region.
The Pentagon statement said the PNG visit would be first:
Secretary Austin will then travel to Australia to meet with his counterpart Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, and other government leaders.
Austin and Marles will join Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong to participate in the 33rd annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) to advance our unprecedented cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and globally. This year’s AUSMIN will highlight, among numerous other topics, the historic progress our nations are making together on force posture modernization, defense industrial base cooperation, and regional security integration.
Also in Australia, Secretary Austin will visit U.S. and Australian service members participating in Exercise Talisman Sabre, the United States’ largest military exercise with Australia. This exercise demonstrates the strong U.S.-Australia alliance, which has sustained cooperation and trust throughout decades of operating, training, and exercising together, and includes participants from every service in the DOD.
Updated
Research shows AI could add $115bn to Australian economy
Research from the Tech Council of Australia and Microsoft claims generative artificial intelligence technology could add $115bn to the Australian economy annually within seven years, AAP reports.
The bulk of those gains would come through higher productivity – like making repetitive manual tasks redundant.
The research, prepared by Accenture, has mapped out the efficiency-boosting potential of the technology – it could translate to a two to five per cent uplift in economic growth, depending on how rapidly Australia adopts it.
70 per cent of the economic value would come from an uplift in productivity across existing industries.
Another 20 per cent would come through quality gains and 10 per cent from new products and services.
Microsoft ANZ chief technology officer Lee Hickin said Australia was facing a “massive economic opportunity” and was tracking in the right direction to capture its benefits.
Australian businesses are looking to integrate the technology into their operations and the federal government is starting work on regulating the sector, which Hickin said would be critical to its successful take up.
Hickin said it would be an “additive” technology and would assist workers in their work, rather than replace them.
In order to build into that productivity growth that the country needs to move into, we actually need people to deliver more with the time they have.
And the only way we can do that is by giving them tools and technology that allow them to operate at a high level, and AI is the tool to do that.
Updated
British cities encouraged to bid for Commonwealth Games
Our colleague on the UK sports desk, Ed Aarons, has been finding out whether a British city could step in and host the 2026 Commonwealth Games after Victoria’s shock withdrawal. Here’s what he has written:
Organisers have said they would welcome any offer from the UK to step in as hosts of the 2026 Commonwealth Games after the withdrawal of the Australian state of Victoria on Tuesday left the event’s future in serious doubt.
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) said it was given only eight hours’ notice before the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, announced the state would no longer host the 2026 Games due to spiralling costs. The CGF described the decision as “hugely disappointing” but remains determined to find an alternative despite an immediate lack of obvious candidates.
The 2022 Games moved to Birmingham, the original 2026 hosts, when Durban in South Africa was stripped of its hosting rights in 2017 and another venue in the UK could be the only feasible replacement given the short timeframe.
Victoria’s decision leaves not only the 2026 Games but the entire future of the event in jeopardy, with it struggling to find its place in a crowded sporting calendar and with lingering questions about its foundation in Britain’s colonial past.
The CGF’s chief executive, Katie Sadleir, said:
The UK are fantastic hosts and we would be very open to having a conversation with them about it, if that’s something they would be interested in doing.
However, the UK prime minister’s spokesperson insisted that it hoped a “viable solution” can be found for the Games to be held in Australia.
You can read Ed’s full report here:
Updated
Two-day hearing on secret trials begins
The ability for courts to hold trials in secret to deal with national security matters will be scrutinised at a two-day hearing in Canberra, reports Australian Associated Press.
Grant Donaldson, Australia’s independent national security legislation monitor, will hear from government officials, intelligence bosses, prosecutors and human rights advocates.
There will also be a session with the legal team for Bernard Collaery, whose prosecution over allegedly leaking classified information about an alleged Australian spying operation in East Timor was dropped in 2022.
The basis of secret trials lies in the National Security Information (Criminal and Civil Proceedings) Act 2004, known as the NSI Act, which Mr Donaldson is reviewing.
The Human Rights Law Centre says while secret trials have a long history in authoritarian states, they have no place in democracies like Australia.
The attorney-general, Mark Dreyfus, says completely secret trials are inconsistent with the rule of law and court cases should be as open as possible while ensuring the protection of national security information.
Updated
Chalmers on Australia-China relationship
More from Chalmers at the G20:
Going forward, the treasurer wants the Australia-China relationship managed in a pragmatic way.
Recognising that we have differences ... but overwhelmingly this is a trading relationship and an economic relationship that serves both countries very well.
So the overwhelming tenor of the conversation was a friendly, constructive conversation between two countries who are very important to each other.
Chalmers also raised his “deep concern” about two Australians detained in China, writer Yang Hengjun and journalist Cheng Lei.
The pair also discussed grim global and domestic economic forecasts as the world grapples with the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Chalmers said:
There’s no use pretending otherwise.
If the Chinese indicators are weak, if they’re softer than we anticipate, then obviously that has implications and consequences for us and so we’re monitoring that very closely.
Updated
Jim Chalmers meets China counterpart at G20 in India
Jim Chalmers has become the first Australian treasurer in four years to meet his Chinese counterpart, marking a historic moment for both nations, Australian Associated Press reports.
Chalmers seized the opportunity to meet Liu Kun in India on the sidelines of a G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors.
It marked the first meeting between an Australian treasurer and a Chinese finance minister since June 2019.
The treasurer, who described the conversation as friendly and free-flowing, said the pair discussed the stabilising Chinese-Australian diplomatic relationship.
Chalmers raised China’s trade restrictions with Kun and said the Australian government would like the issue resolved before prime minister Anthony Albanese visits Beijing.
China placed trade sanctions on $20bn worth of Australian products at the height of a diplomatic spat in 2020, although it has since wound back restrictions on timber and coal imports.
Chalmers told ABC 7.30:
The Albanese government has made it very clear that whilst we don’t need to pretend away the differences we have with China and with our ministerial counterparts we are much more likely to stabilise this key relationship with engagement and dialogue.
We’ve been very clear publicly and privately ... that we consider it to be in the interests of both countries for those trade restrictions to be lifted. We’d like to see some progress there in advance of a prime ministerial visit.
Chalmers said Kun agreed to speak to his ministerial colleagues about the restrictions.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our rolling news coverage. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ll be bringing you the top overnight stories before my colleague Rafqa Touma picks up.
Jim Chalmers has become the first Australian treasurer in four years to meet his Chinese counterpart when he talked to Liu Kun on the sidelines of a G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors in India last night. Chalmers raised China’s trade restrictions with Kun and said Australia would like the issue resolved before prime minister Anthony Albanese visits Beijing. It came as Henry Kissinger, the veteran US diplomat who helped open up China to western contact in the 1970s, paid a surprise visit to Beijing. More coming up soon.
The fallout continues from the Victorian government’s decision to pull out of hosting the Commonwealth Games. The Victorian taxpayer may be on the hook for the cost of the cancellation, reportedly to the tune of millions of dollars. The sporting world is dismayed about it all. Our sports writer Kieran Pender asks whether this is the death knell of games that some say just “aren’t what they used to be”. British cities are meanwhile being encouraged to think about bids with Birmingham considered a runner even though it hosted the 2022 Games, though Downing Street still hopes Australia can somehow host in 2026.
We’re continuing our reporting on the “gutting of Gonski” with a piece showing that the landmark report’s promise to deliver more cash for each Indigenous child appears to be failing. Figures show that funding to public schools have fallen 7.75% in real terms in the Northern Territory, with a large fall in Western Australia as well. The public middle school in Alice Springs receives $31,834 for every student in government funding, compared with $26,848 at the nearby private school, which also gets $9,382 for every student from parent contributions and fees.
