What we learned: Sunday 25 January
We will wrap up the live blog for today now. This is what made the news:
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has revealed that veteran public servant and former chief of staff to Malcolm Turnbull, Greg Moriarty, will be recommended to the governor general to be Australia’s ambassador to the US.
Albanese said Donald Trump’s comments that Nato-aligned soldiers including Australians “stayed a little off the frontlines” in Afghanistan were “completely unacceptable”.
The Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, will visit Australia in March and address the federal parliament.
Record-breaking temperatures are expected to hit Victoria this week as the most significant heatwave since 2009 continues.
As residents in Gellibrand in Victoria’s south-west have been told it is too late to leave with a bushfire at Carlisle River just one kilometre from the town, forest fire management Victoria chief fire officer Chris Hardman said yesterday’s extremely hot day in the state made it challenging for firefighters.
Liberal frontbencher and moderate Julian Leeser declared Sussan Ley had his “unequivocal support”, amid suggestions there could be a leadership spill in the coming weeks.
A pack of K’gari dingoes will be destroyed after the death of a Canadian tourist. The animals are considered sacred in the local Indigenous culture, and are among the last pure-bred animals in Australia.
NSW police say a sighting of Julian Ingram, who is suspected of murdering three people in remote NSW, has been reported about 70km north of where the shootings occurred.
NSW police have charged a 70-year-old man after he allegedly posted a threatening letter to a mosque in Sydney’s south west last week.
A 40-year-old man was charged over an assault that was allegedly religiously motivated in Bankstown, in Sydney’s south west on Saturday.
We will be back tomorrow with all the latest. Until then, stay safe.
National cabinet to meet on Friday on health and disability funding
Anthony Albanese and the state premiers will meet for national cabinet on Friday, as they try to thrash out a long overdue deal on health and disability funding.
Originally planned to be signed in late 2025, momentum slipped away on the plan when the Bondi beach terror attack took focus in the days before Christmas.
The PM will press state and territory leaders to accept more than $23bn in extra spending for public hospitals, as it looks to transfer some costs for services currently provided on the NDIS back to the states.
Albanese and health minister Mark Butler want to end a row dating back to December 2023 when states agreed to take over services for developmental delays and autism for young children. A new federal program called Thriving Kids is due to kick off in July, but states are yet to sign on.
“For too long we’ve seen governments stuck in trench warfare playing the blame game on hospital funding,” Butler said.
This infuriates Australians when all they want is to make sure they don’t spend hours ramped in an ambulance or waiting in an overcrowded emergency department.
The Commonwealth has put a very generous offer on the table to secure hospital funding, the future of the NDIS and keep older Australians out of hospital.
We are prepared to negotiate in good faith with the states.
Updated
Four arrested over Dump Santos protest at Tour Down Under
South Australian police have confirmed four people were arrested after protests disrupted the start of the final stage of the Tour Down Under in Stirling on Sunday morning.
Seven News reported the Extinction Rebellion activists were arrested after holding up signs saying “Love TDU, Dump Santos”, pressuring the event to drop the fossil fuel company’s sponsorship of the Tour Down Under that has given it naming rights.
A spokesperson for SA police said the four were arrested for breaching the Major Events Act – entering a restricted area at a major event venue.
A 79-year-old man from the Riverland, a 72-year-old woman from Hazelwood Park, a 55-year-old woman from Beaumont and a 37-year-old woman from Seacliff. They were bailed to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on 17 March.
Turnbull welcomes US ambassador pick
Former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has also welcomed Greg Moriarty’s appointment to the role of ambassador to the United States, saying he was an “excellent choice”.
Before he became head of the defence department, Moriarty was chief of staff to Turnbull and served as Australia’s ambassador in Iran and Indonesia. He was appointed as defence secretary in 2017 and has detailed knowledge of the Aukus nuclear submarine agreement.
Speaking of Moriarty, Turnbull told the Australian newspaper today:
He is the best qualified person I could think of.
Turnbull was tipping Moriarty for the job earlier this month, telling Nine newspapers on 14 January that Moriarty was:
...an experienced official and former ambassador who has developed relationships with all the key players in the US national security establishment.
He would be able to hit the ground running in a way others could not.
More reactions to US ambassador appointment
Liberal senator Michaelia Cash and diplomat and former Liberal politician Arthur Sinodinis are among those welcoming the appointment of defence department chief Greg Moriarty to the role of ambassador to the United States.
Moriarty will take over the job from former prime minister Kevin Rudd in April.
Sinodinis, who was ambassador to the US himself between February 2020 and March 2023, said in comments to The Australian newspaper that Moriarty was a “very good” appointment, and someone who had been close to the creation of the Aukus agreement, and so was “very well positioned to help carry it forward in the US system and the Australian system”.
Sinodinis said:
He’s a highly experienced public servant and former ambassador to Indonesia.
I think from the government’s perspective, he is seen as a safe of hands … and a cleanskin in terms of social media and everything else. His experience will be useful and he doesn’t carry the baggage that sometimes comes with someone from the political class.
Senate Liberal leader Michaelia Cash said in a statement posted to social media platforms that the federal opposition welcomed Moriarty’s appointment:
The Federal opposition welcomes the appointment of Greg Moriarty AO as Australia’s next Ambassador to the United States.
A highly respected public servant with a distinguished record of service, he brings deep experience in advancing Australia’s national interests and strengthening our most important alliance.
Dingoes linked to death of Canadian tourist on K’gari to be euthanised
A pack of K’gari dingoes will be destroyed after the death of a Canadian tourist. The animals are considered sacred in the local Indigenous culture, and are among the last pure-bred animals in Australia.
Piper James, 19, was found dead on the island on Monday. A coroner’s court spokesperson has previously said further scientific testing – and “some time” – is required to provide a definitive answer on the cause of James’s death, which could take weeks.
As Joe Hinchcliffe reported this week, they said an autopsy had found physical evidence consistent with drowning and injuries consistent with dingo bites, but “pre-mortem dingo bite marks” were “not likely to have caused immediate death”.
The state environment minister, Andrew Powell, announced today that “all dingoes involved in the incident will be removed and humanely euthanised”.
This tragedy has deeply affected Queenslanders and touched the hearts of people around the world.
I have been kept briefed by my department throughout this incident. The department has made the decision that all dingoes involved in the incident will be removed and humanely euthanised.
This is a tough decision but I believe it’s the right call in the public interest.
A spokesperson for the department said rangers had spent the week closely monitored the pack of dingoes involved in the incident and observed aggressive behaviour. They were deemed an “unacceptable public safety risk”.
You can read more about the incident here:
Updated
Victoria facing record-breaking temperatures in heatwave
As we mentioned earlier, the Bureau of Meterology has forecast that Victoria could experience record-breaking temperatures in parts of the state in the coming week.
Some areas in the north and west of the state were expecting seven consecutive days over 40C. Mildura had a forecast top of 44C on Sunday, with the next six days forecast over 40C, peaking at 48C on Tuesday and 46C on Friday.
Hopetoun and Walpeup were forecast to reach 48C on Tuesday, Hamilton was expecting 46C, and Horsham 47C. Melbourne was forecast to reach 43C on Tuesday.
Six fires were burning in the state with four still out of control on Sunday.
Helicopter makes emergency water landing near Daydream Island
A helicopter made an emergency landing on top of water near Daydream Island in Queensland on Sunday morning, Queensland police have said.
Officers from Whitsundays water police are on the scene, where a Robinson R44 helicopter made the forced landing two nautical miles west of Daydream Island before 9.30am on Sunday.
The pilot was the sole occupant, and there were no reports of injuries.
The Air Transport Safety Bureau said the pilot issued a mayday call after experiencing engine failure, and deployed the helicopter’s emergency pop-out floats to land on the water.
The pilot was recovered by a nearby vessel.
The ATSB is gathering further information to form an investigation decision.
New ambassador announcement welcomed by opposition and US figures
Just some reaction to the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, announcing he will recommend former head of the Defence department Greg Moriarty to be the next US ambassador, via AAP.
Democratic congressman Joe Courtney, co-chair of the Congressional Friends of Australia Caucus, said the appointment was “great news for both nations”.
His deep knowledge of and connections in Washington and across the country ensures that there will be a zero learning curve for the duties and mission of this critical position.
There is still much work to be done to strengthen the alliance, and he is well positioned to succeed on that mission.
The opposition foreign affairs spokesperson, Michaelia Cash, also welcomed the appointment, describing Moriarty as a “safe pair of hands”.
Updated
Australian journalism ‘largely invisible’ in AI-generated Copilot news summaries, research finds
Australian journalism is largely “invisible” in AI-generated news summaries from Microsoft Copilot, which overwhelmingly favour US or European media, research by the University of Sydney has found.
Roughly one-fifth of responses to Copilot news prompts feature links to Australian media sources, according to researcher Dr Timothy Koskie from the university’s Centre for AI, Trust and Governance.
Bids on Bradman’s baggy green reach nearly half a million
Just over a day until bidding ends on a baggy green cap worn by Sir Don Bradman when he captained the Australian side in the 1947-1948 first Indian tour of Australia and the highest bid is currently $455,000.
Australia won the test series, 4-0 with one draw, marking the post-war revival of international cricket.
MSN reported that Bradman’s cap from his 1928 debut sold for $450,000 in 2020. Shane Warne’s baggy green sold for just over $1m in 2020, as part of a bushfire fundraising appeal.
Could Sydney’s creaking sewerage system be linked to the spate of shark attacks?
After four shark attacks in New South Wales in less than 48 hours, authorities on Tuesday urged beachgoers to “just go to a local pool instead”.
Sydneysiders have heard similar warnings before – in the past, they’ve been issued for beaches polluted with faecal matter after heavy rains.
The city’s unique, outdated sewage management system has been linked to “debris balls” which have been washing up with increased frequency on Sydney beaches, including again last week at Malabar.
Experts also say dirty waters can attract more sharks, as the nutrients attract plankton, which in turn attract the fish sharks feed on.
So is there any link between Sydney’s sewerage system and the “unprecedented” number of shark attacks in a short space of time? Here’s what experts say.
Updated
Two arrests at Launceston Foo Fighters concert
Tasmania police say while the vast majority of the 26,000 attenders at a Foo Fighters concert in Launceston on Saturday night were respectful, there were two arrests.
Police said the crowd was patient entering and exiting the event, but there were a small number of public order incidents, with 10 people removed from the venue, five small disturbances, and two arrests for assault.
Police undertook wand searches, and no weapons were detected at the event.
Updated
Smoke to remain in metro Melbourne for Sunday
Finally, on air quality in Victoria, BoM’s Diane Eadie said smoke will remain in Melbourne’s air on Sunday but there should be some improvement. However, she said areas to the north like Ballarat will see smoke persist throughout today before clearing tomorrow.
Depending on the Otway fire, the smoke conditions could return on Wednesday, she said.
Updated
Victorian fires could escape as heatwave continues
Chris Hardman, the chief fire officer at Forest Fire Management Victoria, said the highest priority fire at the moment is the Carlisle River fire near Gellibrand in the state’s west.
He said the fire broke containment lines at 6pm on Saturday and moved towards Gellibrand. Hardman said it would continue to threaten communities around Gellibrand and further to the north.
Fires in the current conditions are highly dynamic and things can change dramatically. We have seen in this fire season all too often that fire behaviour can change associated with plumes and unstable atmosphere. The weather conditions are reasonable for fire fighters to do some fantastic work on that fire today, but really keen that people understand that the heating that will be with us on Tuesday will again cause that fire to move potentially rapidly as a result of the change conditions.
He said the Walwa Mount Lawson fire is over 100,000 hectares, and firefighters have worked to contain the fire on the southern boundary, but with hot temperatures remaining, it will be challenging for firefighters to hold it within containment lines.
It could escape as early as later today or early tomorrow and move south, he said.
Although there is no large communities at risk, this is one to watch in the weeks ahead, and we ask community members to stay informed. If you’re in the vicinity of that fire, that fire will potentially move into Gippsland in the days ahead.
He said a Wonnangatta Dargo fire could also challenge firefighters in the days ahead, but currently there is no elevated risk to the community.
For Mallacoota residents, the Lake Barracuda fire will be visible and they will see smoke. But firefighters were working hard to contain that fire and there was no immediate threat to communities, he said.
Updated
Victoria facing most significant heatwave since 2009, authorities say
Turning back to the emergency services press conference in Victoria, Dale Armstrong from Ambulance Victoria said Victoria over the next week is facing its most significant heatwave since 2009, and pleaded with people to not leave children in cars, following nearly a dozen callouts on Saturday.
And I want to be really clear hot cars can kill. Yesterday, Ambulance Victoria responded to 11 cases of children in cars. This is an extraordinary number for us.
The temperature inside a car can double and become deadly within minutes, even on a mild summer days, an inside a car can be up to 20 to 30 degrees hotter than the ambient temperature outside.
He said never to assume a quick stop is safe. He said Victorians also need to be cautious and prevent heatstroke, particularly elderly, young and pregnant people, and those with medical conditions.
Heat causes illness such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heatstroke and tragically, heatstroke is up to 80% fatality if it occurs. Heatstroke is a medical emergency and if it happens, when the body overheats it can no longer cool itself. If someone is experiencing symptoms such as confusion, seizures, collapse, loss of consciousness, call triple zero immediately and it’s important to understand heatwaves are a very busy time for ambulance.
He said people should remain hydrated, and avoid alcohol if possible.
Updated
Police report unconfirmed sighting of triple murder suspect in NSW central west
NSW police say a sighting of Julian Ingram, who is suspected of murdering three people in remote NSW, has been reported about 70km north of where the shootings occurred.
The unconfirmed sighting was made early on Sunday morning at Mount Hope in the NSW central west.
Ingram, 37, is suspected of shooting dead his former partner, her new boyfriend, and her aunt on Thursday afternoon in Lake Cargelligo, before fleeing the town.
The reported sighting is the first since the shooting, and has resulted in police deploying en masse to the vast region.
Updated
‘Record breaking’ temperatures expected in Victoria this week
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Diana Eadie is giving an update on the weather in Victoria amid a heatwave and a fire in the west of the state.
She said while there have been cooler temperatures south of the ranges in the state today, it remains very hot in the north, with extreme fire dangers for parts of the north-east today.
Tuesday will be the next big day of concern, she said.
We’re also forecasting potentially record breaking temperatures, particularly in western parts of the state. Hopetoun and Walpeup both forecasting 48C on Tuesday.
We could potentially see an all-time record for those two locations elsewhere in the state, Hamilton 46C, Horsham forecast to be 47C and Mildura a forecast temperature of 48C.
Eadie said Melbourne would reach 43 degrees on Tuesday, with a cool change that will arrive at around 10pm.
There will be extreme fire dangers for the south-west on Tuesday, and potential extreme fire dangers into Wednesday, despite the cool change.
Smoke could also return to metropolitan areas during the week depending on the fire situation.
Updated
WA residents brace for heavy rain as Luana heads inland
Tropical Cyclone Luana is running out of steam after making landfall, but West Australian residents in its path face damaging wind gusts and heavy rainfall as the system tracks inland, AAP reports.
The system, expected to be downgraded to a tropical low on Sunday morning, is packing winds gusts of up to 95km/h and heavy rain across the north-west Kimberley district, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
The area between Broome and Cockatoo Island, including Derby, was expected to bear the brunt of the cyclone as it tracked south-east.
BoM said:
Tides will be higher than normal between Beagle Bay and Kuri Bay and large waves may produce minor flooding of low-lying coastal areas
Wind and rain impacts are continuing near the system centre, predominantly on the southern side of the system.
A cyclone watch and act alert was previously issued for an area from Coulomb Point nature reserve to Cape Leveque, both on the Dampier peninsula, with residents and visitors told to shelter indoors.
Bureau forecaster Jonathan How said heavy rain leading to flash flooding was possible.
This may cause roads to become flooded and communities to be isolated.
Updated
Science teachers from Queensland Open Brethren schools told to teach students about vegetarian dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark
Teachers employed by a large group of Queensland Christian schools were told to teach creationism in science classes, including that vegetarian baby dinosaurs would have been taken aboard Noah’s Ark.
Last year, the Open Brethren organisation Christian Community Ministries (CCM) hosted a Christian science conference by the US-based fundamentalist group Answers in Genesis, which once built a replica of Noah’s Ark – with model dinosaurs included.
Some Queensland science and humanities teachers working at CCM – which operates 15 schools around Australia – were told it was compulsory to attend the event.
Julian Leeser says Sussan Ley has his ‘unequivocal support’
Liberal frontbencher and moderate Julian Leeser declared Sussan Ley had his “unequivocal support”, amid suggestions there could be a leadership spill in the coming weeks.
AAP reports Leeser told Sky News:
During this period where Australia has been in a period of national crisis, she has shown the leadership that the prime minister has failed to do.
Asked if Andrew Hastie, who has publicly spoken about his leadership ambitions, would be effective at countering rising support for One Nation, Leeser replied: “Sussan Ley is our leader and Sussan Ley is the person that I support in that role.”
Liberal sources have spoken of internal anger towards the Nationals leader, David Littleproud, for having blown up the political alliance on Thursday, which is being viewed as an act of intervention in the senior coalition party.
Littleproud has repeatedly denied he demanded Ley resign in a phone call during the week.
Littleproud said the three Nationals senators who resigned from the shadow cabinet after voting against Labor’s hate speech laws needed to be reinstated before the parties could reconcile.
That’s the threshold question that our party room took. That’s the threshold question that was given to Sussan, she wasn’t prepared to accept it.
By voting against Labor’s laws, an agreed position, the three senators broke the convention of shadow cabinet solidarity, triggering their resignations – which were accepted by Ley.
Updated
Measles alert issued for Sydney
Two new cases of measles have been confirmed in Sydney, leading to NSW health advising people to be alert for symptoms.
One case acquired locally from a known case earlier this month, and the other case recently returned from south-east Asia.
There are now four cases in the past week, and 13 cases since 1 December last year.
The health department has released a list of exposure locations.
Dr Leena Gupta, director of Sydney Local Health District’s Public Health Unit said people should monitor for symptoms of measles and check the list of locations:
If symptoms develop and you’ve been at one of the locations at the time listed on the website, see your doctor or health service, including an emergency department. Call ahead to let them know that you may have come into contact with measles so you don’t spend time in waiting rooms with other patients.
Symptoms to watch out for include fever, runny nose, sore eyes and a cough, usually followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy rash that spreads from the head to the rest of the body.
NSW govt puts $4.2m into safety measures after shark attacks
After a spate of shark attacks in Sydney, the NSW government has announced $4.2m for research, real-time tracking and drone surveillance to monitor sharks.
The government said the research and monitoring will build a clearer picture of where bull sharks are, how they move, and when risks are higher.
Surf Life Saving NSW shark surveillance drone coverage will be increased with 30 additional beaches added from this weekend, with 19 new locations in Sydney and 11 regional beaches.
Drones will operate seven days a week until the end of the April school holidays.
The research will include tagging and monitoring of sharks, and there will be shark listening stations installed in Sydney Harbour.
Minister for agriculture, regional and western NSW, Tara Moriarty, said:
Recent shark incidents following storms and heavy rainfall have highlighted the importance of clear, practical information for people using the water.
This funding will help expand drone surveillance, improve education and ensure timely warnings, so swimmers and surfers can make informed decisions about when to enter the water.
There’s no single solution, and no government can ever promise to make the water completely safe, which is why we’re using a range of tools to keep people informed and as safe as possible.
Read more on what might be behind the attacks:
Updated
Air quality warning issued as smoke haze hangs over Melbourne
An air quality warning has been issued for Melbourne and surrounding areas, as smoke from the fire at Carlisle River has drifted to Melbourne, and may linger for the next few hours.
Victoria’s emergency agency has warned smoke may aggravate heart and lung conditions, cause irritated eyes, coughing and wheezing.
People sensitive to smoke are advised to limit prolonged or heavy physical activity, and where possible, stay indoors.
Updated
Albanese says objectives of Trump's ‘board of peace’ are ‘unclear’
Just rounding out the rest of the prime minister’s jam-packed Insiders interview, Anthony Albanese reiterated that Australia would give “further consideration” to Donald Trump’s invitation to join the his “board of peace” but said it was unclear what the objectives of the board are.
(If you want to read more about the project first, you can turn to Ben Doherty’s from earlier this week:)
David Speers laid out the countries who have so far joined – Hungary, Belarus, Saudi Arabia – and those who have declined or raised concerns – France, Sweden, Norway, Canada and the UK.
“Which list will Australia end up on?” he asked.
Albanese did not commit the country either way:
It’s unclear what the objectives of this [the ‘board of peace’ are, which is why we will give it further consideration. My government is one that always has an orderly considered approach to all of our policy, including our international engagement.
He said his focus this year will be on cost of living.
So we’ve had the 5% housing deposit rolling out, being taken advantage of. Three days of guaranteed childcare subsidy began on 6 January. Cheaper medicines, $25, came in on 1 January. 1800 Medicare has been accessed by tens of thousands of Australians. The bulk-billing incentive has led to a massive spike in the number of free doctor visits …
What we have been focused on is dealing with the immediate, but dealing with all of those issues that are so important for Australians as well. And as we go back, school goes back this fortnight, and what that will mean is that the increased fair funding for every school, that begins to kick in as well. So you can walk and chew gum at the same time, as the saying goes, and we’ve been determined to do just that.
He said he was worried Australia was becoming more polarised, blaming social media and also mainstream media headlines that are “are overdramatised from what they should be”.
Updated
Coalition ‘mirroring’ One Nation policies, Albanese says
Albanese said in the last term of parliament, the Coalition were “shrinking in on themselves” and now are mirroring One Nation policies in terms of abolishing net zero and the need to act on climate change.
We’re seeing them adopt One Nation policies and shift to the right. And the problem here is that what that is doing is legitimising the hard-right policies that One Nation advocate for.
You can’t fight One Nation by being a lighter version of them. Now people like the late Senator Ron Boswell understood that. John Howard understood that when he put One Nation last on how-to-votes. What we saw at the last election was a preference deal between One Nation and the Coalition. We’ve seen them become closer and closer as the Coalition have shifted to the right.
He said One Nation policies do damage to national unity.
The politics of just identifying grievance and not coming up with solutions is a cul de sac that doesn’t get the country anywhere.
Updated
Canadian PM to address parliament in March
Following his widely praised speech to Davos last week, the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, will address the Australian parliament.
Anthony Albanese told ABC’s Insiders that Carney will be visiting in March.
He said Carney’s speech – which called for middle powers to adapt to a new world order – was consistent with what he told the UN last year.
We do have a shift in the way the international politics is being played with a greater engagement from middle powers … We need greater cooperation …
That’s why I’ve engaged with Canadian prime minister. But [engaging with] others as well in our region is so important. Australia can play a really important role, given our role as a Commonwealth nation: we’re a member of Apec, we’re a partner with Asean, we’re an important leader in the Pacific Island Forum.
All of this means when you look at the global architecture, the role that we can play in our own region and around the world is of a stabilising force at a time where quite frankly there is a lot of turbulence and turmoil in the world.
Updated
Trump comments on non-US soldiers in Afghanistan 'completely unacceptable', PM says
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, says Donald Trump’s comments that Nato-aligned soldiers including Australians “stayed a little off the frontlines” in Afghanistan were “completely unacceptable”.
Albanese pointed out on ABC’s insiders that the US president had walked back some of the comments on Saturday, with a statement praising British soldiers after outrage from the UK government – notably UK PM Keir Starmer, who called the comments “insulting and frankly appalling”.
Albanese said the families of 47 Australians killed in Afghanistan would be hurting from the comments.
They deserve our absolute respect, admiration, the bravery that was shown by 40,000 Australians who served in Afghanistan.
They were certainly on the frontlines. In order to, along with our other allies, to defend democracy and freedom. And to defend our national interest.
He said he’s not going to be running commentary on all of Trump’s comments, but he repeated that they were “entirely not appropriate”.
“He’s talking about our role in Afghanistan,” host David Speers put to him.
“That’s completely unacceptable,” Albanese replied.
Updated
PM nominates Greg Moriarty to be next US ambassador
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has revealed that veteran public servant and former chief of staff to Malcolm Turnbull, Greg Moriarty, will be recommended to the governor general to be Australia’s ambassador to the US, replacing the outgoing ambassador, Kevin Rudd.
Albanese told ABC’s Insiders:
He is, I think, an outstanding Australian public servant. He served as an ambassador to Iran and to Indonesia. He’s played a role in Papua New Guinea as well. He was the first, appointed the first counter-terrorism tsar if you look in 2015. He’s been a former chief of staff to a Liberal prime minister. He has served both Labor and Coalition governments and he’s been of the secretary of the Department of Defence and the Aukus deal is central to our relationship with the US. And he’s in a very strong position to be on top of all of that detail.
Albanese said Rudd will finish his role on 31 March, and “can look back with real pride” at taking Aukus from “an idea into a reality” as well as critical minerals deals, and superannuation investment in the US.
Moriarty was one of those touted as taking the role earlier this month, and was seen as a strong choice.
Updated
Albanese ‘worried’ about Coalition split
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is on ABC’s Insiders, and is asked whether he is loving or worried about the split in the Coalition after the hate speech laws debate last week.
Albanese said he is worried:
It does worry me. I think what the country needs is more unity and less division. The Liberal and National party have always been focused in recent times on trying to divide Australians and now they’re dividing themselves. You can’t fight for the national interest if you’re too busy fighting yourselves and that’s what we’re seeing on the right of politics at the moment.
He said that the Liberal part wants Australians to forget what they have said previously. They demanded parliament to be recalled after the Bondi terror attack, he said, and wanted the special envoy’s report on antisemitism implemented in full.
Albanese said there was a “politicisation of this issue” from the very first days after the Bondi attack.
He said:
When the Coalition got what they asked for – which was for parliament to be resumed and legislation to be moved – they then started to break up. They were so determined to make division, they ended up dividing themselves.
Updated
Man charged over allegedly religiously motivated assault in Sydney
A 40-year-old man was charged over an assault that was allegedly religiously motivated in Bankstown, in Sydney’s south west on Saturday.
A 51-year-old man was handing out religious flyers in Bankstown on Saturday morning, and allegedly became involved in an argument with another man about the flyers.
Police allege during the argument, the 51-year-old man was allegedly assaulted by the man.
Shortly after midday, a 40-year-old man approached officers at Bankstown railway station, where he was placed under arrest, and later charged with common assault, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
He was granted bail to appear in court on 26 February.
Updated
Man charged over allegedly sending threatening letter to Sydney mosque
NSW police have charged a 70-year-old man after he allegedly posted a threatening letter to a mosque in Sydney’s south west last week.
Officers were called to a mosque on Wangee road Lakemba at 4pm on Thursday after reports a threatening letter had been received by staff.
The counter-terrorism unit of the NSW police commenced an investigation and at 6pm on Saturday executed a search warrant at an address on Burwood Rd, Burwood.
Police say more than 100 letters, stamps, notepads, and several electronic devices were seized.
The 70-year-old man was arrested and charged with three counts of send document threatening death or grievous bodily harm. He has been refused bail to appear in court on Sunday.
Updated
‘Challenging’ conditions for firefighters in Victoria’s south-west
As residents in Gellibrand in Victoria’s south-west have been told it is too late to leave with a bushfire at Carlisle River just one kilometre from the town, forest fire management Victoria chief fire officer Chris Hardman said yesterday’s extremely hot day in the state made it challenging for firefighters.
He told ABC’s Weekend Breakfast:
That fire is right on the edge of Gellibrand and that fire will continue to move today. And the conditions are a little bit milder, so firefighters will do everything they can to protect the community assets in and around Gellibrand.
He said residents should also keep an eye on the Walwa fire in the north-east, as it was likely to move further to the south on Sunday.
That’s not necessarily going to threaten communities in the days ahead but that fire could significantly increase in size and continue to challenge firefighters for many weeks to come.
He said in the north of the state, it’s hot and dry and really challenging conditions.
These fires can continue to grow and challenge us. This is very early in the season, this is the peak of the fire season now. We have had some terrible fires but it’s not a time to turn our gaze away from the challenges ahead.
Around 1,700 firefighters had been deployed in the state on Sunday morning, he said.
Updated
Good morning
Hello, and welcome to the Sunday live blog.
Victorian emergency services have said a bushfire at Carlisle River, in the south-west of the state, is not under control, and may impact homes in Gellibrand.The fire is travelling east from the west of Gellibrand, and is now within a kilometre of the town.
The warning level is at take shelter now, with anyone in the area advised it is too late to leave safely.
It follows a hot day in the state, where temperatures topped 40C in Melbourne. This morning, a haze of smoke can be seen and smelled in inner Melbourne.
And NSW police will hold a press conference at 11am today from the NSW regional town of Lake Cargelligo, as a manhunt for a gunman suspected of killing his pregnant former partner and two others continues.
More soon, let’s get into it.
