What we learned – Tuesday 21 November
It’s time to wrap up the blog for the day. Here are some of the highlights of our coverage this Tuesday:
The wreckage of a plane that crashed into Port Phillip Bay has been found. Camera operator James Rose and pilot Stephen Gale’s Jetworks Aviation flight went down at about 1.45pm on Sunday.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton said prime minister Anthony Albanese is talking “in riddles” about the sonar incident that the government says left Australian divers injured last week.
The Reserve Bank said it lifted its key interest rate this month to reduce the risk of a “larger monetary policy response” in coming months given the persistence of inflation and the stronger than expected performance of the economy.
Police will be handed the powers to prosecute people for inciting hatred or violence on the basis of race and religion without the permission of the Director of Public Prosecutions under new proposals.
Five people released from immigration detention before the high court ruling had been living freely in the community but could now be subject to severe restrictions.
Defence minister Richard Marles said the altercation between an “aggressive” Chinese warship and Australian divers is “concerning”.
Greens senator Jordon Steele-John described the potential reduction of NDIS support for autistic people as removing their lifeboat and “actively push[ing] disabled people into the sea”.
The Bureau of Meteorology has updated its climate drivers forecasts, noting the El Niño in the Pacific could linger into next (southern) autumn.
And gloves off for Prince Edward, who is in Sydney and today visited Australia’s oldest boxing gym.
Thanks for joining us – we hope to see you tomorrow.
Updated
Victorian bushfire warning downgraded
Victorian emergency services have downgraded a bushfire warning at Murphys Creek.
The Country Fire Authority said the grassfire is now under control and that people located within Murphys Creek are now able to resume normal activities.
Grassfire - Advice for Murphys Creek. Threat Is Reduced. For more info: https://t.co/8ibxQJER0F #vicfires
— cfa_updates (@CFA_Updates) November 21, 2023
Updated
Melbourne community radio station SYN saved from closure
A community radio station that paved the way for broadcasters Hamish Blake, Andy Lee and Zan Rowe has been saved after fears it would have to close its doors.
Melbourne’s SYN, which also launched the careers of the Barefoot Investor Scott Pape and journalists across the country, celebrated its 20th anniversary in October but was facing the prospect of having to wind up after a tough few years.
It couldn’t run training and other programs that make money during the pandemic and was dealing with higher costs due to inflation and unexpectedly lost government funding.
However, youth minister Natalie Suleyman on Tuesday announced the government was investing $100,000 in the station, which has broadcasters under the age of 26.
SYN managed to raise more than $60,000 through fundraising efforts that wrapped up on Sunday after news of the station’s possible closure pushed the community into action.
“Together, you have managed to raise a whopping $60,000, enough to cover our expenses into the future,” SYN general manager Ruby Smith said in a statement on Tuesday.
“SYN will be able to continue providing a platform for young people across Melbourne, uplifting their voices and creating spaces where they are celebrated for being themselves.”
– via AAP
Updated
Truck stowaway ends up in wrong state after 400km drive
A man is regretting his boozy decision to stow away under a truck instead of taking a cab, after arriving almost 400km away in a different state.
The 43-year-old had a “bit to drink” in Nambucca Heads when he came up with a unique plan for the 50km journey to Coffs Harbour in northern NSW, usually a half hour drive.
Instead of organising an Uber or calling a cab, the man decided to climb into the undercarriage of a stationary double semi-trailer as truck driver Pardeep Dahiya slept.
The man crawled on to metal racks beneath the truck that were barely a metre from the ground.
He aimed to get out when the vehicle stopped at a red light at Coffs Harbour.
However when Dahiya awoke he proceeded to have one of the great green light runs truck drivers enjoy.
He did not stop until he had reached the Gold Coast, about four hours later.
The truck driver had noticed something under his B double trailer’s carriage before finally pulling over on the Queensland tourist strip.
To his surprise the 43-year-old climbed out from underneath.
“It’s very new for me,” Dahiya told ABC Radio.
When police arrived, the stowaway can be heard telling officers: “I’m really stressed out, I had a bit to drink”.
The man was fined $288.
– via AAP
Updated
Liberal senator calls for Covid vaccine communications campaign
Covid cases are on the rise and some are pushing for campaigns to raise awareness of new vaccines that are better targeted to the variants now circulating in communities.
Speaking with Afternoon Briefing on the ABC, the Liberal senator Anne Ruston asked:
Where’s the chief medical officer?
I accept the fact that we have got to move away from this being a pandemic response and we’ve got to learn to live with Covid, but that doesn’t mean to say that we can shy away from our responsibilities to make sure that vulnerable Australians have the information and are encouraged to protect themselves. 25-27% [vaccine] coverage for over 75s I don’t think is good enough.
The Labor MP Matt Thistlethwaite said the government was “trying to be as vigilant as possible” and urged people to visit their GPs to seek Covid vaccinations at least once a year.
Updated
Boy, 12, hit by car on Sydney footpath and pinned against tree
A child has been seriously injured after being hit by a vehicle in Sydney’s east.
Emergency services responded to reports that a car had mounted a footpath, pinning a 12-year-old boy between the vehicle and a tree at the intersection of Gardeners Road and Bunnerong Road in Kingsford this afternoon.
NSW Police said officers from the police rescue squad took about 40 minutes to release the child and that he had been taken to Sydney Children’s Hospital in a serious condition.
The 17-year-old male driver was uninjured and has been taken to Prince of Wales hospital for mandatory testing.
Updated
Secrecy reforms a ‘good start’ but don’t go far enough, Human Rights Law Centre says
Kieran Pender of the Human Rights Law Centre says “excessive secrecy is baked into Australian law and systems of government”.
The lawyer says that proposals to curb secrecy laws are a “really good start” after a “decade of secrecy taking precedence over transparency”.
But, speaking with Afternoon Briefing on the ABC, Pender said attorney general Mark Dreyfus’ proposals on secrecy had not gone far enough.
His concerns include “a new general secrecy provision where the disclosure of information is harmful to efficient government”.
“That’s sweeping, it is overly broad and it is expressly contrary to the recommendation of the Australian Law Reform Commission.”
The report also declines concerns some in the legal community hold about the public disclosure of information that is in the public interest.
I would sum this up as a good step forward but not far enough. We had the perfect opportunity for the government to recalibrate the balance between secrecy and transparency in our democracy, to get the balance right and ensure all of us know what our government is doing. Unfortunately, this does not quite get there.
Updated
NSW will have power to lay hate speech charges without DPP approval under proposed reforms
Police will be handed the powers to prosecute people for inciting hatred or violence on the basis of race and religion without the permission of the Director of Public Prosecutions under changes to the New South Wales hate speech laws being proposed by the state government.
The amendment was introduced to parliament on Tuesday amid ongoing tensions over the conflict in Gaza and after a review of the Crimes Act.
Under existing laws, it is an offence to publicly threaten or incite violence based on a person’s race, religion or sexual orientation, and police require the DPP’s approval before charging someone. The change would remove the need for DPP approval.
Attorney general Michael Daley said the “recent dynamic events that have come about as a result of international tensions” needed to be addressed and the law as it stood was no longer “fit for the modern society”.
Premier Chris Minns said the laws needed to “have teeth”.
Read our previous reporting on the topic:
Updated
Marles says altercation between ‘aggressive’ Chinese warship and Australian divers is ‘concerning'
The defence minister, Richard Marles, was interviewed in India today, as reported by ABC’s Afternoon Briefing.
Marles spoke about the incident involving a Chinese vessel and Australian navy divers last week.
The federal government has said divers were injured by sonar pulses emitted by a Chinese ship in international water off Japan, but the claim was rejected by Beijing who said the suggestion was “rude and irresponsible”.
Marles said it is “profoundly important” that the rules-based order is maintained.
There was behaviour there which was assertive and aggressive, and it did, in our view, equate to being unprofessional. We have made our concerns known to China from the first time that we have seen an incident of this kind, and it is concerning.
Seeing the rules-based order be maintained is profoundly important for us. I think we are seeing a Chinese assertiveness, as you say, we are seeing a huge military buildup by China, and all of this is changing the strategic landscape of our region and the world. But of course, the country which has really born the brunt of this, who has experienced the most of this, is India.
Updated
Five people previously released from detention were living freely in community, expert says
The five people released from immigration before the high court ruling had been living freely in the community but could now be subject to severe restrictions “akin to antiterrorism laws”, an expert says.
Five of the 93 people affected by this month’s decision on indefinite detention had already been released into community detention by the Coalition.
The immigration minister, Andrew Giles, confirmed on Saturday that all 93 people had been released and that all of them would be forced to comply with strict visa restrictions, including wearing electronic monitoring devices.
David Manne, the executive director of Refugee Legal, told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing that these previously released people were living freely and may now be subjected to the new conditions that Labor rushed through which are “akin to antiterrorism control laws”.
“They include some of the most severe restrictions on people’s basic rights and liberties, such as wearing 24 hours a day ankle bracelets, monitoring all that time, and curfews eight hours a day.”
With such “severe conditions imposed on them,” he said, those people may well ask “does the government really have the power to do this to me?”
Updated
Reducing NDIS support for autistic people is like ‘pushing disabled people into the sea’, Steele-John says
Over to Canberra, where Greens senator Jordon Steele-John has described the potential reduction of NDIS support for autistic people as removing their lifeboat and “actively push[ing] disabled people into the sea”.
The Greens’ disability rights spokesperson said reports that the Labor government was looking to rein in the scheme’s spending by changing eligibility criteria was “abhorrent”.
So far the NDIS minister, Bill Shorten, has not ruled the changes in or out ahead of the NDIS review’s release next month. But Shorten has flagged the review will offer a “roadmap to humanise the NDIS for participants” and to “make sure the scheme is there for the future”.
Steele-John said Shorten’s comments “will send shivers down the spine of neurodivergent people and their families”.
It is abhorrent that a Labor government seeks to balance their budget bottom line off the back of disabled people’s access to vital services. We thought this cycle of fear and worry was over when we kicked out the Liberals, we were wrong … the lack of comprehensive community support for neurodivergent people would see these changes remove the lifeboat and actively push disabled people into the sea.
The financial sustainability of the NDIS has been in the spotlight with the cost projected to rise by billions in the coming decade.
The federal government has pledged to cap growth spending at 8% each year.
Updated
John Setka’s estranged wife said she had ‘to kill my children’s father to survive’, court hears
Union leader John Setka’s estranged wife told a private investigator “I have to kill my children’s father to survive, you’re going to help me work out how I do it”, a court has been told.
Emma Walters, 47, who shares two children with Setka, faced Melbourne magistrates court on Tuesday over allegations she threatened to kill the Victorian secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, and tried to get a gun to carry out the murder plot.
Walters has pleaded not guilty to one charge of threatening to kill Setka and another of attempting to commit an indictable offence.
She was secretly recorded by private investigator Adrian Peeters after he visited her in March 2023 after a request from Walters about “debugging” her West Footscray home.
Read more:
Updated
El Niño event could strengthen further, latest models show
The Bureau of Meteorology has updated its climate drivers forecasts, noting the El Niño in the Pacific could linger into next (southern) autumn.
For now, the event is “tracking around moderate strength”, although the model runs show it could strengthen a fair bit more yet.
El Niño will strengthen quite a bit further, according to the latest model run by @BOM_au pic.twitter.com/oZ1pS6adSn
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) November 20, 2023
For winter and spring, though, eastern Australia tends to be influenced more by conditions in the Indian Ocean. We’ve had a positive phase – or dry phase for Australia – of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) for a while, and the bureau notes it continues to track “at strong levels”.
Meanwhile, the positive phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole will dip a bit before breaking down… pic.twitter.com/Yg61VK35wb
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) November 20, 2023
IOD events tend to break down as the monsoon trough moves south into the southern hemisphere, or about now-ish, BoM notes. However, “given the current strength of the positive IOD event, the breakdown this year is likely to be slightly later than usual”, the bureau says.
What does it all mean for the summer?
“The long-range forecast for Australia indicates December to February rainfall is likely to be below average across much of northern Queensland, the NT, Tasmania, southern and central SA, and north-west and western WA,” the bureau says. “Warmer days and nights are very likely almost nationwide.”
Updated
Urgent action needed to tackle veteran suicide crisis, royal commissioner says
The chair of the royal commission into veteran suicides has called for urgent action as new figures outline the shocking number of former military personnel taking their own lives, AAP reports.
There were at least 1,677 deaths by suicide between 1997 and 2021 among serving personnel, veterans and reservists, data released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare on Tuesday revealed.
But the report only records suicides for people who served from July 1985.
It found veteran women are twice as likely to die by suicide than the general female Australian population, whether they served permanently or in the reserves.
Men who joined the permanent forces are 42 per cent more likely to suicide than the rest of the nation, but for people who served exclusively in the reserves, they are not more likely to die by suicide.
Of the 1,677 recorded suicide deaths, 1,542 were men and 135 were women.
Commissioner Nick Kaldas responded by calling for urgent action on the tragic situation.
“This report reinforces that we are dealing with a national crisis,” he said.
“I urge the government and its agencies to work with us to achieve better outcomes for serving and ex-serving ADF members, and their families.”
Updated
Gloves off as Prince Edward visits boxing gym in Sydney
Prince Edward is in Sydney and today visited Australia’s oldest boxing gym.
The Duke of Edinburgh was introduced to young boxers including aspiring Olympian Marlon Sevehon, a 21-year-old with two championship wins under his belt, AAP reports.
Holding a punching bag for the young fighter at the Police Citizens Youth Club in Woolloomooloo, the prince joked the blows were falling softer than he had anticipated.
“Great stuff – I’m going to let go now,” he said.
The youngest brother of King Charles is in Australia for a three-day visit as part of his role as the patron of the Duke of Edinburgh International Award.
Updated
‘The absolute speed of it’: Queenslander to compete in kite foiling at Paris Olympics
Thank you, Emily.
Let’s turn to kite foiling, which will debut at the Paris Olympics.
Fuelled by a need for speed, Breiana Whitehead is thrilled she will showcase the “high-adrenaline” sport at next year’s Games.
The 23-year-old Queenslander began sailing at age eight and switched to kite foiling seven years ago, attracted by its speed.
“The absolute speed of it, it was new, and I love a new challenge and something to try,” said Whitehead, after becoming the first person named on Australia’s Paris Games sailing team.
“When we’re going as fast as we can, it’s somewhere around 37 knots, 39 knots, so that’s about 70 km/h.”
– via AAP
Updated
Many thanks for joining me on the blog today. I’ll leave you with Daisy Dumas, who will take you through the rest of our rolling coverage. Take care!
Fortescue hit with strike against his executive pay plans
Fortescue has received a first-strike against its executive pay plans amid shareholder unrest over a recent period marked by high staff turnover.
More than 52% of votes were lodged against the remuneration report at the annual general meeting today, well above the 25% needed to trigger a strike.
Under rules designed to hold directors accountable for executive pay, a second strike against its pay plans next year would give investors a chance to spill the board.
Fortescue director Penny Bingham-Hall said:
We will work together to ensure that our remuneration aligns with shareholder expectations as we go forward because retaining the talent we’ve got is incredibly important.
Fortescue has experienced a tumultuous recent period among its executive ranks, and has been criticised for not articulating the reasons behind the high-level changes.
Some shareholder groups had also raised objections to the level of pay some directors receive.
Updated
‘We went backwards’: response to 2022 Victorian floods spark concerns
Victorian authorities have been accused of going backwards when it comes to handling flood emergencies and the system to warn locals about threats has been questioned, AAP reports.
In a state parliamentary hearing into the 2022 floods today, witnesses from the Gippsland region said the natural disaster could have been handled differently.
Traralgon Community Recovery Committee representative Ken Skinner said:
I don’t think the community has any comfort. We have lots of recommendations come out of reports but at the end of the day when the flood happens we don’t see the results of that.
Former Latrobe city council emergency management manager Lance King added: “I think we went backwards”.
Skinner was concerned there were too many alerts from the Vic Emergency app after flood peaks and said people disregard alerts when they frequently appear on their phones.
You don’t need to tell them every hour because they will just switch [their phones] back off again.
Updated
Forrest says blue hydrogen ‘fake’ as a clean energy source as he takes aim at gas industry
The billionaire miner Andrew Forrest used his opening address at Fortescue’s annual general meeting to criticise the gas industry by denouncing the ongoing use of fossil fuels as an energy source.
The Fortescue executive chairman told shareholders that methane emissions from gas usage only exacerbated global heating, making it problematic to suggest it could help in a clean energy transition.
Forrest told shareholders in Perth today:
It’s this collective act of the suspension of critical thinking to think we can embrace the fossil fuel industry while stopping climate change.
He also dismissed any role for blue hydrogen, produced mainly from natural gas, as a clean energy source.
So-called blue hydrogen is a fake and making the climate worse.
Fortescue plans to decarbonise its iron ore operations by 2030, without the long-term use of controversial carbon offsets, while simultaneously creating a hydrogen-led green energy arm. Its iron ore business is providing the capital to do so.
The miner announced today it had approved an estimated total investment of about $750m over the next three years for two green energy projects and one green steel project.
Fortescue has experienced a tumultuous recent period, due to a number of high-ranking departures and rising shareholder angst over the direction of its business.
Updated
The Bureau of Meteorology has more on the Perth heatwave, and what conditions are expected in the coming days:
A Severe #Heatwave Warning is in place for parts of #WA, including Perth. Temps are forecast to soar into the high-30s & low-40s, with little relief overnight. #Perth is likely to see temps above 35°C for 7 days in a row, breaking November records. Latest: https://t.co/4W35o8i7wJ pic.twitter.com/dr6StLrV4C
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) November 21, 2023
Updated
Western Australia heatwave expected to last until Thursday
As we brought you just earlier, parts of Western Australia – including Perth – are in the midst of a severe heatwave, expected to last until Thursday.
As Peter Hannam points out, Perth’s forecasts for today and the next week are much hotter than the November average maximum temperature of 26.6C.
The max temperature expected today is 37C, followed by 39C on Wednesday and 40C on Thursday.
Perth's forecasts for today and the next week are way hotter than the November average max temp of 26.6C. The existing November record of 40.4C (from four years ago) could be in play on a couple of the coming days. (Source: @bom_au) pic.twitter.com/XDppGrfJfT
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) November 21, 2023
Stay tuned – the existing November record of 40.4C, from four years ago, could be in play across the coming days.
Updated
Australians delaying doctor visits due to rising costs
The number of Australians delaying a necessary visit to their doctor has doubled as increasing costs weigh on their hip pockets, AAP reports.
Analysis released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics found 7% of Australians who needed to see a GP in 2022-23 delayed or did not make an appointment because of the price, up from 3.5% the previous year.
This comes as the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ 2023 Health of the Nation reported the proportion of GPs charging $85 or more for a consultation had doubled in 12 months.
Meanwhile, one in five put off or completely skipped seeing a mental health professional when they needed to.
Both these patterns of delay were most common among Australia’s vulnerable populations: young people and those living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.
Health minister Mark Butler has launched a review into the health workforce that will examine the way Australia recruits and places international doctors. But he says there is no “silver bullet” to addressing a global shortage of doctors and nurses.
Updated
Barry Humphries’ hidden talent of painting goes on display
Barry Humphries holds a unique place in Australian entertainment history: a satirist, comedian and actor whose sardonic yet affectionate pillory of his home country saw him feted in the UK and the US.
Seven months after his death, another side of Humphries is now on show in Adelaide, a city the Melbourne-born entertainer held special affection for.
Twenty landscapes and portraits by the entertainer are on show for the first time at the Adelaide Festival centre’s gallery, the private property of South Australian landscape artist David Dridan, one of Humphries’ longest and closest friends.
Read more here:
Updated
Greens want ‘rent freeze now’ as data reveals essential workers can’t afford to rent anywhere
The Greens are continuing their calls for a rent freeze after new data revealed essential workers can’t afford rent in any part of the country.
As our inequality reporter Cait Kelly brought us earlier on the blog, a new heat map from Anglicare Australia shows just 2.4% of rentals were affordable for an ambulance worker, 1.5% for a nurse, 1.1% for an aged care worker and 0.9% for a hospitality worker.
Greens leader Adam Bandt wrote on X/Twitter:
These essential workers kept our communities afloat during the pandemic, but this Government has completely abandoned them.
We should be protecting renters across the country. Rent freeze now.
Ambulance workers can afford 2.4% of rentals, while nurses can afford just 1.5%.
— Adam Bandt (@AdamBandt) November 21, 2023
These essential workers kept our communities afloat during the pandemic, but this Government has completely abandoned them.
We should be protecting renters across the country. Rent freeze now.
Updated
Australians can next month get new Covid vaccines targeting Omicron variants
Some news from earlier this morning: the latest Covid-19 vaccines targeting common variants of the virus will be made available to Australians from next month.
The health minister, Mark Butler, said the government has approved the monovalent vaccine, which target Omicron variants, following advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI).
While we are no longer in the emergency phase of this pandemic, COVID-19 is still present, and people should continue to follow the advice of the experts from ATAGI, including getting vaccines as required.
Authorities say only about a quarter of vulnerable Australians have had their 2023 booster shots amid a surge in cases.
Butler said the new XBB 1.5 vaccines have been found to provide modest improved protection against the strains currently circulating in the community.
People who have already had their 2023 vaccination(s) don’t need to get jabbed again and remain well protected against severe disease.
– from AAP
Updated
Organisers predict largest peaceful protest for climate action in Australia at Newcastle port this weekend
Newcastle port will be the scene of what organisers claim to be the largest peaceful civil disobedience protest for climate action in Australia’s history over the weekend.
Rising Tide protesters are expected to blockade the largest coal port in the world, which is on Awabakal and Worimi land, for 30 hours from 10am on Saturday. They will demand an end to new coal projects and the introduction of a new fossil fuel tax on export profits.
Joining them will be Grant Howard, a miner from Illawarra who works in Queensland mines and believes that coal miners should not be left out of the transition to clean fuels.
For the past 10 years, the federal government has bumbled along, arguing about climate change, while the market for coal has crashed and the impacts of climate change have been unfolding in real time, year after year. Droughts, floods and fires have raged as politicians clung to a narrative that these events were ‘naturally’ occurring, quickly sidelining Australians directly affected by them.
Thermal coal is the most significant element of our undoing. It doesn’t matter where it is mined or burnt, thermal coal dumps pollution into our common atmosphere.
The writing is on the wall. A transition is clearly happening. Coal miners should not be left out of this shift.
Rising Tide claims that Newcastle Port is responsible for 1% of global carbon emissions. The protest will prevent coal ships from leaving the port.
Updated
Severe heatwave conditions are forecast for Perth and western WA this week.
Temperatures are expected to peak around high 30C or low 40C and there is little relief overnight, the Bureau of Meteorology warns, with minimum temperatures in the mid-20s for most affected areas.
This week, severe #heatwave conditions are forecast for #Perth and western #WA. Maximum temperatures peak in the high-30s or low-40s, and there is little relief overnight, with minimum temperatures in the mid-20s for many sites.
— Bureau of Meteorology, Western Australia (@BOM_WA) November 21, 2023
Warning: https://t.co/ok9uwGSVYD @WAHealth pic.twitter.com/VzVtSzldos
Updated
Kristina Keneally’s son convicted of fabricating evidence that wrongfully put man in jail
The son of former New South Wales premier and federal senator Kristina Keneally has been found guilty of fabricating evidence that wrongfully put a man in prison, reports AAP.
Daniel Keneally, 25, was convicted in the Downing Centre district court on Tuesday.
Keneally wrote a statement containing many falsehoods and Magistrate Rodney Brender rejected his lawyer’s claims that it was an honest mistake.
The offence related to an incident where Keneally was a few hours into a night shift at Newtown police station when Luke Brett Moore called in February 2021.
Read more:
Updated
Open letter calls for Victorian schools to not allow student walkouts for pro-Palestine rally
Victorian schools will be instructed not to turn a blind eye to students walking out of classrooms for a pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne, reports AAP.
Organisers of a school strike for Palestine are encouraging students to knock off early on Thursday and head to Flinders Street station.
An open letter to premier Jacinta Allan and her deputy, education minister Ben Carroll, which has attracted more than 6000 signatures, has called on the pair to take a forceful stance against the protest.
The letter read:
While the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression is a cornerstone of our democratic society, the involvement of school children in the rally is unacceptable and should be called out as such in clear terms.
Although the government has communicated its expectation that students attend school in preference to the rally, the messaging to date has been confusing and made more so by media reporting.
The letter’s unnamed author, who described themselves as a concerned community member, raised concerns about how the rally would affect Jewish students and accused organisers of targeting and exploiting school children.
The letter continued:
Most students in Victorian schools will not have a direct connection or a comprehensive (if any) understanding of the attacks on Israel and war in Gaza.
In response, Ms Allan reiterated Thursday was a school day and she expected students to remain in class.
Updated
Woman dies after falling down six rows of seating at Robbie Williams concert
A woman who was seriously injured during a Robbie Williams concert in Sydney last week has died.
A spokesperson from Sydney’s St Vincent’s hospital confirmed the woman in her 70s died on Monday after falling down six rows of seating at Allianz Stadium in Moore Park on Thursday evening.
She was taken to St Vincent’s in a critical condition where she was placed in an induced coma.
Read more:
Updated
Doctor arrested over blockade at Forestry Corporation
Police have dismantled a Sydney blockade staged by protesters fighting for an end to logging in native forests, reports AAP.
Medical doctor Lisa Searle was arrested after officers were called to the headquarters of the state-owned Forestry Corporation on Tuesday.
The group had gathered before dawn to block an access road leading to the site at West Pennant Hills, with Dr Searle locking herself to a metal gate.
The blockade follows a run of stop-work orders imposed on the Forestry Corporation over its alleged incompetent conduct in state forests home to endangered species, including Australia’s largest gliding possum.
Dr Searle believes many Australians don’t understand the destruction being done in native forests by a corporation owned by the NSW government.
She told AAP before her arrest:
People are not aware of how absolutely disgraceful the behaviour of the Forestry Corporation is in these areas.
Updated
Parts of Queensland will be hit with showers today but not as heavy or widespread as yesterday.
The Bureau of Meteorology said Lockyer Valley recorded the highest total rainfalls to 9am, with 115mm at Upper Sandy Creek.
🌧️Another day with a colourful rainfall map across southern QLD. In the 24 hours to 9am, the Lockyer Valley saw the highest totals, with 115mm at Upper Sandy Creek. Further showers expected today, but not as heavy or as widespread as yesterday. https://t.co/oYcgOL8aFt pic.twitter.com/SeGUUXTM9P
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) November 21, 2023
Updated
Hospital upgrades after grandfather dies waiting for bed
One of Queensland’s busiest hospitals will be upgraded after a grandfather died after a three-hour wait in an ambulance, AAP reports.
Ipswich hospital west of Brisbane will receive 12 extra beds at the emergency department’s short-stay unit, the states health minister says.
Shannon Fentiman said the hospital would also be boosted with 24 new beds in acute wards to help improve patient flow following Wayne Irving’s death.
Irving is believed to have suffered a fatal heart attack as he was being transferred from a stretcher to an Ipswich hospital bed after waiting three hours outside in the back of an ambulance.
Fentiman said staff recruitment had begun to cover the extra resources at Ipswich hospital:
We know our emergency departments are seeing more people than ever before.
Despite those huge numbers we are seeing ED wait times come down. The median wait time is now 15 minutes across the state.
Ipswich has had better performance in the last three months but I acknowledge there is a long way to go.
She has committed to implementing any recommendations from a clinical review of Irving’s death and the coroner.
Updated
Updates on Port Phillip Bay plane crash
To summarise what we know:
Victorian police have located the wreckage of a military-style jet that crashed into Port Phillip Bay on Sunday.
The wreckage was located off the shore of Mornington.
Police are working to remove the fuselage of the plane from the water, which will then be searched.
Pilot Stephen Gale and his passenger, cameraman James Rose, were on board one of two light Viper S-211 Marchetti planes conducting a formation flight that collided mid-air about 1.45pm on Sunday.
Victorian police inspector Terry Rowlands earlier confirmed the two people were believed to have died in the crash.
Their aircraft plunged about 20 metres into Port Phillip Bay, while the other plane landed safely at Essendon airport, also with two people on board.
Updated
Police to search fuselage wreckage of plane that crashed into Port Phillip Bay
As we just reported, Victorian police have located the wreckage from a plane crash in Mount Martha on Sunday afternoon.
Water police, air wing and uniform officers carried out extensive searches across Port Phillip Bay as part of a multi-agency operation, a police statement said.
After searching water, a large part of the body of the plane was located off the shore of Mornington.
Police are working to remove the fuselage of the plane from the water, at which time it will be searched.
It is believed a 56-year-old Brunswick man and a 30-year-old Surrey Hills man were on board the plane at the time of the incident.
Investigators are working to establish the exact circumstances of the incident and investigations remain ongoing.
They believe the aircrafts would have been visible from Mount Martha between 1pm and 2pm on Sunday.
Police said they are keen to speak with anyone who witnessed the incident, or with vision of the planes.
Updated
Wreckage of military-style jet that crashed into Port Phillip Bay reportedly found
AAP is reporting that the wreckage of a military-style jet that crashed into Victoria’s Port Phillip Bay has been found off the shore of Mornington.
Crews have been scouring Port Phillip Bay for any sign of TV camera operator James Rose and pilot Stephen Gale after their Jetworks Aviation flight went down about 1.45pm on Sunday.
We will bring you the latest as more details emerge.
Updated
Tasmanian council worker dies after accident involving ride-on mower
A remote community in Tasmania is in shock after the death of a council worker in an accident involving a ride-on mower, AAP reports.
Emergency services were called to a memorial park at Zeehan about 5pm on Monday after a man in his 30s was found under the machine.
The man, who worked for the West Coast Council, died at the scene. West Coast mayor Shane Pitt said:
The entire community is in shock over this terrible incident.
No one expects their loved ones not to come home from work.
We will provide every support necessary to those affected by this tragedy, including the family, friends, and employees and contractors of the council.
Zeehan, on Tasmania’s west coast, has a population of about 700 people.
WorkSafe Tasmania has been notified and reports are being prepared for the coroner.
Pitt said it would be inappropriate to comment further while the matter was being investigated.
Updated
RBA minutes reveal why it lifted interest rates a 13th time
The Reserve Bank said it lifted its key interest rate this month to reduce the risk of a “larger monetary policy response” in coming months given the persistence of inflation and the stronger than expected performance of the economy.
The RBA, in its minutes released today, also noted that its forecasts for inflation to decline to within its 2%-3% target range by the end of 2025 were based on one or possibly two more interest rate increases.
The minutes explain in more detail the reasons why the RBA opted to lift its key interest rate a 13th time in the current cycle at its 7 November meeting. The 25 basis-point increase brought the rate to 4.35%, or the highest level since late 2011.
The eight-member board considered leaving the cash rate unchanged for a fifth consecutive month noting there were uncertainties including how the “escalation of tensions in the Middle East” was “likely to dampen consumer confidence and global demand.
The case to hike again, though, was deemed stronger in part because the RBA itself had made it clear in the previous month’s minutes and in subsequent speeches it was not prepared to accept inflation remaining too high for too long.
The minutes showed:
Members noted that the risk of not achieving the board’s inflation target by the end of 2025 had increased and that it was appropriate that monetary policy should be adjusted to mitigate this.
They agreed there was a risk of inflation expectations increasing [if the pause had been extended] particularly given the Board’s repeated statements that it has a low tolerance for inflation returning to target after 2025.
Updated
More than 60 Australian artists donate work for Gaza fundraiser
More than 60 Australian artists including Ben Quilty, Hoda Afshar, Tom Polo, Abdul Abdullah, Jasper Knight, Juz Kitson and Jude Rae have donated artworks to be auctioned online from Monday 27 November to raise funds for Médecins Sans Frontières’ relief efforts in Gaza.
The auction was conceived by artist Nathan Hawkes, who was feeling “intense distress and despair at watching the horrors unfolding so rapidly”. Hawkes is donating a 150cm x 220cm chalk pastel drawing titled Ahead was Silence, which he describes as “a personal reflection on the oscillation between states of despair and hope”.
Archibald- and Doug Moran-winning painter Quilty has donated a new work that hasn’t yet left his studio. The charcoal, graphite, gesso and oil work is 188cm x 142.5cm and titled The Migraine; it was initially painted for his wife Kylie Needham, who has suffered from the condition for years. Quilty said:
There’s something about the intensity of the work that I think speaks to the complexity, the sadness, and the terror and horror of the situation on the ground in the Middle East right now.
“We are grateful for the extraordinary generosity and solidarity shown by this collective of Australian artists,” said Jennifer Tierney, the executive director of MSF Australia.
We continue to call for an immediate ceasefire to prevent further civilian deaths on both sides of the conflict and to allow aid workers unrestricted access to provide lifesaving medical care to the 2 million Gazans who desperately need it today.
All artworks are available to via online auction from 8am AEST 27 November until 4 December.
Updated
RBA governor warns that demand is still driving inflation
The Reserve Bank governor, Michele Bullock, says that inflation will remain a “crucial” challenge over the next one to two years, while flagging there are still demand issues that central banks can address.
“There’s a bit of a perception that the inflation at the moment is all a supply-driven thing,” Bullock told the Australian Securities and Investments Commission conference in Melbourne.
But there’s an underlying demand component to it as well and that’s what the central banks are trying to get on top of.
Central banks around the world have been raising rates over the past 18 months to increase borrowing costs and suppress strong demand in a bid to dampen inflation.
In Australia, the RBA lifted the official cash rate to 4.35% earlier this month, marking the 13th increase since May last year.
Bullock said that while central banks could “look through” supply shocks, and not react with a change to rates, she said issues around demand could be addressed.
If there’s this underlying demand component to it as well, that is actually something that central banks can do something about.
Updated
Second ex-Australian soldier reportedly died last month while fighting in Ukraine
The ABC has reported a second ex-Australian soldier died last month while fighting against invading Russian forces in Ukraine.
This follows news yesterday that a former Australian army member was among several foreign soldiers killed by a Russian artillery strike during fighting in eastern Ukraine.
In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian man who died in Ukraine.
We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time. Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.
The government’s travel advice for Ukraine remains at “Do not travel”, with its ability to provide assistance limited amid the ongoing Russian invasion.
The Guardian understands a small number of Australian casualties have been reported in Ukraine.
Updated
Dutton says China’s claims over incident ‘propaganda’
Responding to China’s comments that its vessel didn’t conduct any activity that could affect the Australian side’s diving operations, Peter Dutton said this was “propaganda”.
It’s propaganda and we shouldn’t abide it for a second.
It’s exactly what happens in relation to Japan, in relation to the Philippines and in relation to other countries in the region. The fact is that there is aggressive behaviour taking place and our country should call it out.
The relationship with China is important, of course it is. But so, too, is our national sovereignty, our national dignity and pride, and to have a prime minister who speaks of a long conversation with the Chinese president but doesn’t raise the issue that actions of the Chinese navy have injured one of our naval officers – I think it’s a remarkable oversight by the prime minister.
Anthony Albanese is yet to confirm or deny whether any conversation took place – he has maintained he wouldn’t reveal details of the private conversation between leaders.
Updated
Dutton says PM talking ‘in riddles’ about sonar incident
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is speaking to the media from Victoria – speaking on the sonar incident that left one Australian diver injured last week.
He is continuing his call for the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, to reveal whether he raised the matter with Chinese leader Xi Jinping:
If the prime minister didn’t raise this issue with President Xi, he should be upfront and open and honest with the Australian public.
At the moment we’re seeing what we got from the prime minister during the course of the voice. He’s talking out of both sides of his mouth. Did he raise the issue? Or he didn’t. Be open and honest with the Australian public.
If he didn’t, he’s made a catastrophic mistake and he needs to apologise for it. If he did raise it, he needs to come up with a proper explanation as to why he continues to talk in riddles.
Updated
For the latest on the sonar incident that injured Australian navy divers last week, Josh Butler has got you covered:
Bullock optimistic about jobs market
The Reserve Bank governor, Michele Bullock, says she is upbeat about the country’s labour market and expects Australia to hang on to recent job gains.
Bullock, who took over as governor in September, told a conference in Melbourne she was pleased how the country had drawn people into the workforce, some of whom weren’t previously employed.
“Women and youth in particular have benefited immensely from this,” Bullock said at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission conference in Melbourne.
I’m really optimistic that we can keep these gains.
The RBA is releasing its November meeting minutes later this morning, which will provide context behind the board’s recent decision to raise the official cash rate to 4.35%, marking the 13th rise since May last year.
Australia’s unemployment rate is at a historically low 3.7% but has been rising amid persistent inflation and higher borrowing rates.
Updated
Alex Greenwich's defamation case against Mark Latham to be heard next year
New South Wales MP Alex Greenwich’s defamation case against fellow MP Mark Latham will be heard next year after the parties failed to reach an agreement in mediation outside of court.
The trial is expected to take five days and will centre on the impact of a homophobic tweet and subsequent media comments by the former NSW One Nation leader earlier in the year.
During a brief appearance on Tuesday morning, Justice Anna Katzman described the initial tweet from Latham as “notorious”.
A lawyer for the independent Sydney MP told the court he would argue Latham “unleashed a torrent of really despicable homophobic and other abuse on Mr Greenwich” when he made his comments.
He told the court that if Latham had apologised and withdrawn his comment that it “likely would have been the end of the matter” but further comments were then made to a journalist at the Daily Telegraph and then printed, which added to the harm.
A lawyer for Latham told the court he would argue that his client’s actions had not damaged the public standing of Greenwich and his initial comments were “in reply to attack and honest opinion”.
The court heard settling on a date for the trial would be subject to availability of the judge and the politicians who would be fitting it in around parliamentary sitting weeks.
Updated
Search for bodies of pilot and TV camera operator enters third day
As we brought you earlier, the mission to recover the bodies of a pilot and a TV camera operator presumed dead after an ex-military jet crashed into waters off Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula has entered its third day.
Crews have been scouring Port Phillip Bay for any sign of TV camera operator James Rose and pilot Stephen Gale after their Jetworks Aviation flight went down about 1.45pm on Sunday.
A Qantas spokeswoman said the company was deeply upset to hear about the incident at Port Phillip Bay:
The news has shocked the Qantas and Jetstar pilot communities and everyone’s thoughts are with these families.
We’ve reached out to those involved and are providing whatever support we can.
With hours passing and no sign of the aircraft wreckage, the rescue mission shifted on Monday to a recovery mission with the two men presumed dead.
– from AAP
Updated
Palestine Justice Movement Sydney to demonstrate against Calandra
The Palestine Justice Movement Sydney will demonstrate this evening against ZIM container ship Calandra, which docked at Port Botany early this morning.
In a statement, the group said the 6pm protest will be the second at the port and “is one of a series of actions targeting ZIM in Sydney and Melbourne”.
Calandra operates the ZIM China-Australia express shipping line between South Korea, Taiwan, China and Australia. ZIM shipping is the oldest and largest shipping company in Israel.
Ahmed Abadla from the Palestine Justice Movement said action will continue at Port Botany because “as Australians we cannot allow business as usual to continue at our ports while Israel is carrying out a genocide in Gaza and committing the crime of apartheid against my people”.
We’re immediately calling on the port to suspend its contract with ZIM and on the Australian government to enforce a complete ceasefire in Gaza and break its shameful silence on the war crimes that apartheid Israel is committing against Palestinian families in Gaza.
The secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia’s Sydney branch, Paul Keating, said the union would “always defend the community’s right to stand up and fight for what is right”.
Updated
Regulator puts boards on notice over cybersecurity
The corporate regulator has warned company directors they will be held responsible if their companies don’t adequately prepare for cyber-attacks.
Joseph Longo, the chair of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, said the recent cyber-attack on DP World, which led to a shutdown of major ports around the country, was a reminder of how significant the issue had become.
Longo said at the regulator’s annual forum in Melbourne:
If things go wrong, Asic will be looking for whether company directors and boards took reasonable steps, and made reasonable investments proportionate to the risks that their business poses, to be prepared for this kind of attack.
If we have reason to believe those steps were not taken, and directors did not act with reasonable care and diligence, we will act.
Updated
SA premier shares statement from police commissioner after schoolies death
The South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, has shared a touching and emotional statement from police commissioner Grant Stevens and his wife, Emma, following the loss of their son Charlie.
Charlie died in hospital after being struck by a car in an alleged hit-and-run during schoolies celebrations.
In the statement, Stevens acknowledged Charlie as the 101st life lost on SA roads this year and touched on all the things he loved – from Lego, scooters, footy, surfing and Fortnite to school, family and his mates.
101 is Charlie Hinchcliffe Stevens … you lived life and gave so much to so many. You were a force of nature and we will never forget your beautiful, cheeky, disarming smile.
Son, brother, grandson, uncle, nephew, cousin, friend, workmate, team mate. So much more than just a number on a tragic tally.
Statement from Police Commissioner Grant Stevens and his wife Emma on the 101st life lost on our roads this year – their youngest son, Charlie. pic.twitter.com/hCch9Mq1Ss
— Peter Malinauskas (@PMalinauskasMP) November 20, 2023
Updated
Queensland police have partnered with the RSPCA for a six-week youth engagement program.
The “Youth for Paws” program works with disadvantaged and at-risk youth, partnering them with injured and abandoned animals to care for:
Puparazzi, please! A round of appaws for the QPS Logan Youth Co-Responder team and @RSPCAQld Youth for Paws program.
— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) November 20, 2023
Together, the teams are seeing the pet-tential in at-risk young people, and taking the oppurrtunity to pawsitively influence their future. pic.twitter.com/kUCe2SefSC
Updated
GPs praise delay to opioid dependence changes
The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has welcomed a move from the federal government to delay the ban on GPs administering opioid dependence treatment medicines as a private script until 30 June next year.
The college said this will stop vulnerable patients who rely on opioid dependence treatment drugs from “falling between the cracks of our health system”, and called on the government to pursue a long-term solution.
Earlier this year, the government added some life-saving opioid dependence medicines to the PBS. But as part of the changes, GPs who had been ordering treatments directly from manufacturers to administer in their practice had to stop from 30 November.
Delaying this until 30 June was “the right decision”, said the RACGP president, Dr Nicole Higgins.
The delay will ensure that there is minimal disruption to patient care over the busy holiday period and give the state and territory governments more time to transition patients to [PBS] arrangements or to implement alternative opioid dependence treatment access arrangements for patients.
Higgins said these medications help patients “the same as patients with diabetes accessing lifesaving insulin”.
The college called for a long-term solution because “otherwise, we may well see negative impacts on some of our most vulnerable patients who rely on this treatment”.
Updated
Study shows infants and toddlers capable of imaginary play
A landmark study from Monash University has found that infants and toddlers are capable of engaging in imaginary play.
This corrects previous academic beliefs that they were unable to, and confirms the “profound significance” of imaginative play in early childhood education.
The five-year pragmatic study engaged more than 2,500 educators and young children. It found when children engage in imaginary play they transition from perceiving objects as they are to imagining them as something else, signifying a crucial developmental milestone.
Kerrie Devir, an early childhood educator from Monash Community Family Co-operative, took part in the research and said before this study she would have said that imaginative play was a skill used only by older children aged above four:
This research has really challenged the conventional view that object play is the only play stage for infants and toddlers.
Instead, we now regularly include imaginary play in our early childhood settings and we’ve seen results where even our youngest children are engaging in the activities.
Updated
A new national wellbeing survey has shown a stark generational and income divide amid the cost-of-living crisis, and the lowest economic satisfaction in 22 years.
The latest wellbeing index survey conducted by Australian Unity, in partnership with Deakin University of more than 2000 Australians aged 18 to 97, found clear age and income divides in the standard of living.
Economic satisfaction recorded a sharp drop to its lowest level in 22 years – worse than that recorded during the Global Financial Crisis in 2008.
Lead researcher Dr Kate Lycett said:
Rising living costs and interest rates are putting immense pressure on many people, particularly those with mortgages and those trying to get into the housing market. Without a lift in economic satisfaction, our national wellbeing will likely remain stagnant.
Those aged 55 years and under, and those with a household income of $100,000 or less, recorded notably lower personal wellbeing than older adults and those with higher household incomes, respectively. These same age and income divides were also seen on satisfaction with standard of living.
CEO of wealth and capital markets at Australia Unity, Esther Kerr, said addressing wellbeing inequalities between these demographics is “essential”.
The findings likely reflect a ‘pressure cooker’ effect caused by the rising cost of living, higher interest rates, stubborn inflation, and global economic uncertainty.
This appears to be affecting the financial wellbeing of people who were previously able to cope or had a savings buffer to carry them through tough times.
Essential workers pushed into serious rental stress
Essential workers can’t afford rent in any part of the country, a new heat map from Anglicare Australia shows.
The heat map showed:
• 1,087 rentals (2.4%) were affordable for an ambulance worker
• 666 rentals (1.5%) were affordable for a nurse
• 582 rentals (1.3%) were affordable for a construction worker
• 507 rentals (1.1%) were affordable for an aged care worker
• 428 rentals (0.9%) were affordable for an early childhood educator
• 424 rentals (0.9%) were affordable for a hospitality worker.
The Anglicare Australia executive director, Kasy Chambers, said essential workers were the “backbone of our communities” yet they could not afford to rent:
These maps show that more and more essential workers are being pushed into serious rental stress – and being forced out of their local communities.
So many essential industries are facing workforce shortages with workers unable to afford to stay or move to parts of the country where these shortages are at their worst. These numbers help explain why.
Chambers said “virtually no part of Australia is affordable” for aged care workers, early childhood educators, cleaners and nurses:
They cannot afford to live in their own communities.
Even though Australia has built a record number of homes over the last 10 years, rents keep soaring. The best way to make rentals more affordable is to build social and affordable homes.
Building general homes and hoping affordability will trickle down just isn’t working.
Updated
Luke Murphy, Law Council of Australia president, also pointed to the mandatory sentencing of one year in prison for people on the new special visa who failed to notify the minister of a change in personal circumstances within two days.
He told ABC RN:
The imposition of mandatory sentences for breach of conditions and that restricts the right to a fair trial and that compromises the independence of the judiciary.
There must be an independent oversight to ensure everyone is treated equally.
He added that there was no evidence non-citizens were any more dangerous than Australians.
The indefinite time limit imposed on the conditions and no judicial oversight of their applications made the laws a “very unjust, harsh and disproportionate response”, he said.
Any new preventative detention measure needed judicial oversight and the released detainees needed proper access to legal representation, he said.
– from AAP
Updated
Emergency legislation needs to be urgently reviewed, Law Council chief says
Law Council of Australia president Luke Murphy said new legislation for those released from indefinite detention needs to be urgently reviewed, with concerns the balance between individual liberty and community safety had not been struck.
More than 90 people being held in immigration detention have been released so far aftger a high court ruling. Three murderers and several sex offenders are included in the numbers, however many were awaiting deportation after committing minor offences.
The government and opposition teamed up to ram emergency legislation through parliament to put strict monitoring requirements on the newly released cohort and impose criminal punishment for visa breaches.
Murphy said these measures amounted to an “inherent lack of equality before the law” and pointed to the fact serious offenders who served time behind bars were routinely released around Australia every day and managed by state and territory authorities.
- with AAP
Updated
Coolamon, Kakirra, Mateship or Roo-ver?
Public campaigning has kicked off after the Australian space agency opened voting to name our lunar rover.
Riverina MP Michael McCormack – along with Coolamon mayor David McCann – have thrown their support behind Coolamon for the rover’s name.
Coolamon is an Indigenous word for a multi-purpose tool, and the name of a town within McCormack’s Riverina electorate.
The Riverina has a chance for space history but only if everyone gets behind Coolamon’s bid to have naming rights for a lunar model.
— Michael McCormack (@M_McCormackMP) November 20, 2023
So let’s put Coolamon on the Moon by going to https://t.co/xgrRqvUyTK and voting for our town and its Moonshot for glory …🌕 pic.twitter.com/BVwOe0BzxD
As we brought you on yesterday’s blog, the space agency has opened voting for Australia’s lunar rover, set to head to the moon as early as 2026.
Voting is open until 1 December and voters can chose between four names – Coolamon, Kakirra, Mateship and Roo-ver.
Cast your vote here!
Updated
Search continues for plane wreckage
A recovery mission is continuing for a pilot and camera operator feared dead two days after an ex-military jet crashed into waters off Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.
Crews have been scouring Port Phillip Bay for any sign of TV camera operator James Rose and pilot Stephen Gale after their Jetworks Aviation flight went down about 1.45pm on Sunday.
With hours passing and no sign of the aircraft wreckage, the rescue mission shifted on Monday to a recovery mission with the two men presumed dead.
Yesterday Victorian police said the search would continue until the wreckage was found.
We will bring you any further updates here on the blog today.
– with AAP
Updated
Courts should decide who is locked up, Greens senator says
Sarah Hanson-Young said it shouldn’t be up to politicians to decide how long or who should be in prison – that is for the courts to decide.
She was asked if violent offenders should be back behind bars:
If there’s someone who shouldn’t be on the streets, put it before a court and let a judge decide. That’s how we do things in a country that upholds the rule of law.
I know it may not suit Mr Dutton’s nasty politics and fearmongering, but that’s the rule of law. These are principles that so many Australians over decades have fought for, to protect. It is the basic – it’s the basic principle of a liberal democracy and it must be protected.
Updated
Dutton has ‘a taste for fearmongering’, Hanson-Young says
Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young was also asked about reports the government was seeking legal advice to put the most violent offenders released from indefinite detention back behind bars.
She said opposition leader Peter Dutton has “got a taste for fearmongering and he wants more of it”:
He’s not sustained by the fact parliament rammed through a piece of legislation in record time last week to override the high court, before the high court has even handed down their reasons for their decision.
And this is bad law making. It was very disappointing, I must say … seeing the Labor party roll over so far quickly.
Updated
Could Gladys Berejiklian take over at Optus?
There have also been rumours circulating that former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian has been put forward as a potential contender to lead Optus.
Responding to this, Sarah Hanson-Young told ABC News Breakfast this would be a decision for the board:
I know Gladys has got some other things she needs to clear off her plate yet, doesn’t she?
I think the main thing here is to ensure whoever takes over is actually someone who is trustworthy, has integrity, and is able to work with government because we need to overhaul these regulations.
Shadow foreign minister Simon Birmingham was also asked about this on ABC RN and said it was “entirely a matter for Optus, Singtel, their owners and the board”.
He said Berejiklian was a “dear friend” and a “fabulous leader”:
I’m sure Optus customers want to make sure that Optus has great leadership and Gladys is … a fabulous leader.
Updated
Optus has to work hard to restore trust, Hanson-Young says
Earlier, Greens communications spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young spoke to ABC News Breakfast after the resignation of Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin yesterday.
Hanson-Young said Bayer Rosmarin had showed leadership by fronting the Senate inquiry into the 8 November Optus outage, and by resigning she had “taken the ultimate responsibility for the failure”.
Going forward, Hanson-Young said Optus has to “really restore trust with the Australian people”, and “fix” their crisis management:
It’s so clear from the evidence that we’ve seen in the Senate inquiry thus far that they just were not prepared and they were terrible at communicating to their customers.
And 101 of crisis management is to tell people what’s going on … and give them reassurance, but there was no reassurance.
Hanson-Young said the outage demonstrated how “out of touch and out of date” rules and regulations for big telecommunications companies are:
We all rely on the use of our mobile phone, on internet data to do so much with our daily lives and we need to make sure those rules and regulations are fit for purpose … We need to make sure we’re putting the rights of the public, the public interest, first and foremost. These are essential services, not just some luxury.
Updated
Man changed with alleged sexual assault of elderly woman at aged care home
NSW detectives have charged a man with the alleged sexual assault of an elderly woman at an aged care facility on the Central Coast.
Police were told on 15 November that an unknown man had broke into a facility and allegedly assaulted and sexually assaulted an elderly woman. She was taken to hospital and treated for serious injuries.
A crime scene was established and strike force detectives executed a search warrant on 17 November, finding electronics, sim cards and clothing relevant to their investigation.
Yesterday detectives arrested a 34-year-old man after he allegedly attempted to flee from police.
He was taken to hospital for minor injuries to his arm. On release he was charged with multiple offences and refused bail to appear before Belmont local court today.
Updated
Charges laid after $100m drug seizure in NSW
NSW police have charged a man after an investigation into the alleged shipment of nearly $100m worth of drugs.
In May detectives began an investigation after discovering 40kg of methylamphetamine in an Alexandria storage unit. Two more drug shipments were discovered and linked – a further 2.9kg of methylamphetamine from the US in July and 1.2kg of methylamphetamine from Pakistan in September.
Strike force detectives arrested a 25-year-old man on 26 September, who was charged with eight offences.
The man was refused bail and appeared at Sutherland local court on 27 September, where he was formally refused bail to appear at Downing Centre local court today.
Police will allege in court the man used false identities to receive drug shipments, which he intended to supply for profit.
Updated
‘At the very minimum, it should be raised at ministerial level’
Host Patricia Karvelas:
If you think that [Anthony Albanese] didn’t raise it, if we accept your assessment, do you think he should seek now a conversation with President Xi [Jinping] to raise this?
Simon Birmingham:
At the very minimum, it should be raised at ministerial level and it’s not even clear from the government’s response that that has occurred.
Birmingham said we should be seeking “some acknowledgement from China that this occurred”:
If they say that it was a mistake and an accident well, so be it but apologies ought to be offered, but most importantly, for the safety of our region, we ought to be seeing a change in the way the Chinese military conduct themselves.
As I said at the outset, this is not a one-off incident. We’ve seen it happen … in other Australian operations and we see it far more routinely happen to other nations and in particular, for some months now we have seen repetitive patterns of aggressive behaviour in the South China Sea towards the Philippines, which again, Australia and partner nations across the region should be raising consistently and at a higher level with China.
Updated
Albanese should have raised matter with Xi, Birmingham says
Simon Birmingham is asked what the consequences should be for China.
He told ABC RN the government had not seized “the opportunity to raise it at the highest levels” with China:
The Albanese government should now be making clear our concerns at the highest levels with China [with] a serious representation.
Birmingham said simply conveying concerns to officials would be fine “if we were dealing with an incident that was clearly accidental”, but “when you see repetitive behaviour in terms of military activities, it’s appropriate that it can be raised ministerial or even leader level”.
We all know that prime minister Albanese had the opportunity to raise it at leader level and it appears from all of his statements that he did not.
To clarify: Anthony Albanese has not confirmed whether or not he raised the issue with Xi Jinping directly or not. Yesterday he accused the Chinese naval ship of “dangerous, unsafe and unprofessional” behaviour and said the government had complained through “all the forums that are available”.
Updated
Birmingham says China ‘doesn’t appear to be acknowledging the facts’
Shadow foreign minister Simon Birmingham is speaking with ABC RN and is asked about sonar pulses from a Chinese warship that left one Australian naval diver injured.
Birmingham said this is a “very concerning and troubling episode”:
The Australian navy and Australian defence force operates always with professionalism, and I’m confident that Australia’s version of events is a credible.
Asked whether China is telling the truth, Birmingham claimed it “doesn’t appear to be acknowledging the facts of the circumstances”:
If you’re not willing to acknowledge the facts [then it] doesn’t speak well for your willingness to change your behaviour.
Updated
Dutton backs ‘whatever can be legally done to take these people back in custody’
Speaking to Sunrise, Peter Dutton was asked whether he would support tougher laws for those released from immigration detention.
As reported by the Sydney Morning Herald this morning, the government is seeking legal advice on using preventative detention-style laws to re-detain non-citizens who had served jail time for offences such as rape and murder.
Dutton said he would “support whatever can be legally done to take these people back in custody”.
For more context around this issue, you can read this column from our chief political correspondent Paul Karp:
Updated
Dutton says Albanese must tell Australians if he raised naval altercation with Xi
Opposition leader Peter Dutton is speaking to Sunrise, where he is continuing to call on prime minister Anthony Albanese to reveal whether he spoke with Xi Jinping about a naval ship altercation that left one Australian injured:
Asked why the PM should disclose what he said to the Chinese leader, Dutton said he “owes it to the Australian people”.
The test here is whether he can be upfront and honest and open – did he say these words to President Xi or … if he didn’t then apologise and just admit that you made a mistake, but be honest.
Yesterday Albanese accused a Chinese naval ship of “dangerous, unsafe and unprofessional” behaviour and said the government had complained through “all the forums that are available”.
Updated
NSW seeks commitment of all faith groups to community harmony
The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, will ask faith leaders across the state to work on an “interfaith resolution” at the first full meeting of the Faith Affairs Council.
Minns will today announce he will bring forward the first meeting for the group amid rising tensions between different religious groups.
The resolution would affirm the commitment of all faith groups to community harmony, which the premier said was part of what made Sydney the “best city in the world”.
Minns said:
The NSW Faith Affairs Council and the NSW Government will not agree on everything, but when we disagree, we will do so respectfully. What’s important is that we demonstrate our resilience as a multicultural society, that we can continue to be a strong and cohesive NSW and we show compassion and support each other.
Updated
Business leaders back financial counselling funding
Fiona Guthrie, chief executive of Financial Counselling Australia, thanked companies that had contributed and said the program was “a tangible demonstration of their commitment to supporting their customers who are doing it tough”:
We encourage the industries and companies not yet involved to also come on board. Industry funding for financial counselling is a game-changer and will see thousands more Australians able to access the support they need when they’re doing it tough.
Anna Bligh, boss of the Australian Banking Association, said:
Financial counsellors provide a critical service to Australians when they are making some of the most difficult decisions in their lives. It is critical they have resources to do that important work.
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Big business to give $30m to help customers with debt counselling
Banking, energy and gambling companies will contribute $30m to financial counselling services for Australian customers in an attempt to aid people in economic hardship to access help services.
Big businesses including Afterpay, Telstra, major banks and energy retailers will announce this morning that they will tip in the funds over three years, topping up millions more contributed by federal and state governments.
Social services minister Amanda Rishworth said the new industry funding model for financial counselling would help more than 25,000 people access financial counselling appointments and the National Debt Helpline.
The Hayne royal commission into misconduct in the banking sector led to the Sylvan review into financial counselling, which recommended industry groups should contribute funding to boost access.
Rishworth will be joined by representatives of the banking, insurance and energy sectors to announce the new program in Sydney today, as well as Responsible Wagering Australia and Tabcorp.
The minister said she expected more companies – particularly in the energy and debt collection sectors – would join up and chip in more cash in coming months:
Today’s announcement is our starting point, and we will continue to expect full sign-on. We are working to secure the additional funding from industry, and I anticipate we will secure a further $1.5 million from industry by the end of the year.
Good morning
Many thanks to Martin for kicking things off this morning! I’m Emily Wind and I’ll bring you our rolling coverage today.
If there’s something you think needs attention here on the blog, you can get in touch via Twitter/X @emilywindwrites or send me an email: emily.wind.casual@theguardian.com.
With that, let’s get started.
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Push to overhaul how doctors and health workers are spread across country
The methods Australia is using to distribute its healthcare workers is outdated, the health minister says as he announces an urgent investigation into how the government can improve the spread of doctors and health professionals around the country.
The working better for Medicare review will be led by nurse, advocate and remote health expert Prof Sabina Knight, and former senior health bureaucrat and academic Mick Reid.
In his address to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia today the health minister, Mark Butler, will say the review will identify how to best help areas that find it difficult to attract and keep doctors:
While part of the solution will be in changing who Medicare supports to deliver care, the other part will be in changing how and where Medicare supports them to deliver that care …
These levers we have to spread doctors and health workers around the country are from a very different time, before the Covid pandemic and the global health workforce crunch.
Which is why we will undertake a wide-ranging review to urgently investigate how to more equitably distribute doctors and other health workers around the country.
China denies warship acted dangerously
Chinese officials have denied that one of the country’s warships harmed Australian divers in an encounter Anthony Albanese called dangerous and unprofessional, Australian Associated Press reports.
Australian authorities said a Chinese warship injured Australian military personnel from HMAS Toowoomba off the coast of Japan last Tuesday with sonar pulses.
On Friday the deputy prime minister and minster for defence, Richard Marles, said the government had “expressed its serious concerns to the Chinese Government following an unsafe and unprofessional interaction” with the PLA destroyer, calling the Chinese vessel’s behaviour “unsafe and unprofessional conduct”.
The Australians were operating in international waters in support of a United Nations mission when the divers suffered minor injuries to their ears.
China’s defence ministry said last night that the People’s Liberation Army Navy destroyer had not carried out any activities that might affect Australian diving operations.
“China kept a safe distance from the Australian ship,” a statement from China’s defence ministry said, adding that Australia’s remarks on the incident were “completely inconsistent with the facts”:
We urge the Australian side to respect the facts and stop making reckless and irresponsible accusations against China.
Earlier on Monday Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters China’s military “always operates professionally in accordance with the international law and international common practices”.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our rolling news blog. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ve got some of our best overnight stories before Emily Wind takes you through the bulk of the day.
Our top story this morning is an interview with a climate scientist who first raised concerns about the warming planet. Kicking off a three-part special series called The weight of the world, Graeme Pearman tells how in 1971 he travelled the world with six flasks of air to help prove C02 levels was rising. Almost 50 years later Pearman asks himself: “Where did I go wrong?” We also have a video of Graeme sharing his frustration with the lack of action and a Full Story episode.
China has responded angrily to reports that one of its warships deployed sonar that injured an Australian navy diver, denying what it called a “reckless” accusation. More on that soon.
And more soon also on banking, energy and gambling companies who will contribute $30m to financial counselling services for Australian customers as the cost-of-living crisis eats into household budgets. The minutes of the RBA’s last monetary policy meeting are due out this morning as well and they might give some hints about whether we can expect another hike in rates next month.
The health minister is today announcing a review into how Australia distributes its healthcare workers, hopefully identifying areas that find it difficult to attract and keep doctors.
And tensions between the NSW and federal Labor governments are rising ahead of the final planned national cabinet of the year, with the state’s premier, Chris Minns, insisting he was not “whingeing” as he demanded more funding for police and infrastructure.
With all that, let’s begin.
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