What we learned: Sunday, 26 July
With that, we will wrap the blog for the afternoon. We’ll be back first thing tomorrow morning but until then, enjoy the rest of your Sundays.
Here’s a recap of the major developments of the day:
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The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, told Insiders the government isn’t planning to extend the fuel excise relief, due to lapse on 2 August, as the war in the Middle East drags on.
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Albanese also said he was a supporter of voluntary euthanasia but opposed allowing patients to use telehealth to access it, as the Greens and independent Kate Chaney plan to introduce legislation based on changes to Labor’s national platform.
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Australia is leading the top of the Commonwealth Games table at the pared-back event in Glasgow, with 12 gold and 23 medals overall.
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An internal police investigation has been launched after a bystander was shot during a tense standoff between officers and an armed offender in Cairns.
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And a group of self-described “rebel teachers” in Victoria are running a campaign to target eight sitting Labor MPs, including the minister for education, Ben Carroll, in November’s state election.
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Ex-commandos behind army chopper crash memorial
The memorial for the four aviators who died in a helicopter crash was spearheaded by Operation Pilgrimage, an organisation of former commandos.
“The actual anniversary is only two days off. I selected this weekend for that very purpose,” the Operation Pilgrimage chair, Allan Miles, told AAP.
“It’s been a real privilege to be involved in the planning and then doing the hard yards to get it up and running.”
“I was quite lifted that there’s a sense of sadness, of course, but also acknowledgment amongst themselves that something has moved forward,” Miles said.
A Defence Flight Safety Bureau report into the Taipan tragedy found the primary cause of the crash was “spatial disorientation”, which happens when a pilot misperceives the position of an aircraft in relation to the environment.
It concluded the pilots were likely experiencing fatigue levels shown to “impede optimal performance” and increase susceptibility to spatial disorientation.
Earlier in July, a Senate inquiry examining the crash was told regulator Comcare had referred two briefs of evidence to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions relating to fatigue management and the TopOwl helmet-mounted display system worn by the pilots.
The regulator was informed by federal prosecutors a year earlier they did not intend to prosecute the defence force because they did not consider there were reasonable prospects of obtaining a conviction.
Comcare’s chief executive, Colin Radford, told the inquiry the regulator believed prosecution should proceed.
The inquiry is due to report in September.
Separate probes are being held by the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force and the Queensland coroner.
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Memorial unveiled for army chopper crash victims
A memorial for aviators who died in an army helicopter crash is being unveiled almost three years on from the tragedy, AAP reports.
Capt Danniel Lyon, Lt Maxwell Nugent, WO Class Two Joseph Laycock and Cpl Alexander Naggs were killed when their MRH-90 Taipan chopper crashed into waters off Queensland’s Whitsunday Islands during Exercise Talisman Sabre on 28 July 2023.
Their loved ones joined Queensland’s governor, Jeannette Young, at Airlie Beach’s Shute harbour on Sunday for the official unveiling of a memorial commemorating the men’s lives. The project was spearheaded by Operation Pilgrimage, an organisation of former commandos. Whitsundays regional council supported the initiative and successfully lobbied for a Queensland government grant.
The crew, from the Sydney-based 6th Aviation Regiment, were flying in a helicopter given the call-sign Bushman 83 when it crashed during a training exercise. Nineteen family members of the Bushman 83 crew have flown in from Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and other parts of the country for the event and gathered for a group dinner on Saturday night.
It is estimated almost 50 Australian Defence Force members have died in training activities in the past 30 years.
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Fuel excise relief extension unlikely as war threatens price hike
The US-Israeli war with Iran will probably drive petrol prices above $ 2 a litre in the coming weeks, but the government has no plans to extend its fuel excise relief when it ends in a week.
AAP reports:
Fuel excise relief for motorists is unlikely to be extended despite the war in the Middle East flaring up.
The Labor government halved the fuel excise for three months from April in response to rising prices as a result of the US-Israeli war with Iran, saving drivers 32 cents a litre on fuel.
The measure was extended for a further month in July, but at a reduced rate of 16 cents per litre.
The extension is due to lapse on 2 August.
Fresh tensions between the US and Iran have caused Brent crude oil prices to rise to more than $US100 a barrel, but Anthony Albanese has indicated continued excise relief is not on the cards.
“That’s not in our planning at this point in time,” the prime minister told ABC’s Insiders program on Sunday.
“(Fuel) usage has come down and is indeed lower than it was a year ago as well, but importantly as well, we have kept supply going.”
Albanese indicated some fuel-related measures were in the pipeline.
“We’ll have some more announcements about fuel in the coming days and weeks as well,” he said.
“We’ll continue to examine things that were in that process in the budget.”
Drivers have been warned petrol prices could reach more than $2 a litre as the excise discount is wound back.
Average prices for unleaded petrol have climbed to more than $1.80 per litre in all state capitals in recent days, up from about $1.50 at the end of June.
The jump in oil prices comes as Iran-aligned Houthi militants fired on Saudi oil installations on the coast of the Red Sea and Tehran attempted to shut down shipments through the strait of Hormuz again.
US strikes have recommenced in response to Iranian attacks on vessels travelling through the strait, a key oil transit route.
Albanese said a continuation of the conflict would lead to economic pressure.
“The war is having an impact here in Australia and the longer it goes, the bigger the impact will be,” he said.
“This is a war on the other side of the world.
“We are not protagonists in it, but we are impacted by it, and we’ve consistently called for a de-escalation.”
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‘Awkward’ selection drama won’t derail Aussie sprinters
Rohan Browning has put the Commonwealth Games track selection drama in the rear vision mirror as he seeks to spearhead Australia’s sprint charge in Glasgow.
The 28-year-old former national champion was picked alongside the current title holder, Lachie Kennedy, and Kiwi defector Eddie Nketia in a three-pronged 100m assault.
It begins on Monday at Scotstoun Stadium, with the men’s 100m heats among the first events on the Games athletics program before nine finals are contested in the evening session. Australia’s 100m selection call sparked a challenge from Josh Azzopardi, whose appeal, heard by the National Sports Tribunal, was ultimately unsuccessful.
Azzopardi said he felt “absolutely robbed” by the decision, but hoped it wouldn’t dent the mood in an Australian camp eyeing unprecedented track success at the Games. It appears there are no hard feelings from Browning, who is adamant the saga hasn’t dampened his relationship with Azzopardi.
The pair are both part of Australia’s five-man 4x100m relay squad in Glasgow, and worked together at training camps in Italy and Spain in the lead-up to the Games. “The nature of going through an appeal process can make this feel a little personal, but ultimately it’s not,” Browning told AAP.
-AAP
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Labor under pressure to allow telehealth for euthanasia but PM opposed
Labor will come under pressure to implement changes to its national policy platform and allow Australians to access voluntary assisted dying through telehealth services, with the Greens and independent MP Kate Chaney to introduce legislation.
This week’s Labor national conference in Adelaide changed the party’s platform and committed to overturn a Howard-era law banning people from having medical appointments regarding euthanasia via telehealth services.
New language added to the platform suggests Labor MPs would have a conscience vote on the issue, but the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said on Sunday the government might not progress laws through parliament.
Read the story here:
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Rate watchers eye inflation data and RBA chief’s speech
Economists are awaiting key quarterly inflation data but expect the Reserve Bank to hold interest rates despite renewed fighting in the Middle East sending oil prices up again. The Australian Bureau of Statistics will publish the consumer price index’s second quarter on Wednesday, which shows household inflation.
The Reserve Bank governor, Michele Bullock, will also speak in Sydney on Tuesday, with her speech to be closely watched for indicators on how the central bank intends to approach inflation risks.
Taylor Nugent, a NAB senior economist, says the bank does not believe another rate rise is likely in 2026 despite oil prices rising again due to tensions between the US and Iran.
Our position is there will be enough confidence in growth slowing in the labour market so that rates don’t need to be tightened further.
That’s despite risks such as elevated inflation, renewed cost pressures and new oil price levels. The Reserve Bank’s board will next meet in more than two weeks, with the Commonwealth Bank noting the “backdrop shifting rapidly”.
The housing market has deteriorated, household spending is slowing from the elevated pace seen earlier this year and businesses’ capacity to pass on higher costs is likely weaker following three interest rate hikes.
The Reserve Bank was expected to keep rates on hold for the remainder of 2026, the CBA said.
-AAP
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Investigation into police shooting after bystander allegedly hit with stray bullet in Queensland
An internal police investigation has been launched after a bystander was allegedly shot during a tense standoff between officers and an armed offender, AAP reports.
The woman was one of two people allegedly shot by police in Cairns, in north Queensland, on Saturday night. Ethical standards are investigating the incident after a woman was allegedly hit by a stray bullet when officers opened fire on an armed offender.
Police had been called to Benjamina Street in the southern Cairns suburb of Mount Sheridan, about 5.10pm on Saturday after reports of a man armed with knives and an attempted armed robbery. They found the 28-year-old man at a roundabout and shot him.
The state’s police minister, Dan Purdie, was reluctant to comment in detail on the shooting as it was under investigation, but said he had seen footage. He told reporters on Sunday:
They are highly trained. They do have equipment, and I’m sure some of those operational matters have probably all been answered by the police this morning. I acknowledge the situations, the dangerous situations, police have put themselves in.
It’s the second high-profile Queensland police shooting in three days. It follows the shooting of a police officer and the death of a man after a domestic dispute at Yengarie, near Maryborough, on the state’s Fraser Coast, on Friday evening.
The ethical standards command is investigating the incident, with oversight from the Crime and Corruption Commission, and it will be reported to the coroner.
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Homicide police investigating after woman found dead in Melbourne home
In Victoria, homicide squad detectives are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found at a home in Melbourne yesterday.
In a statement, Victoria police said the 73-year-old woman was found dead inside a Fitzroy North home about 1am.
The cause of death is yet to be determined. An investigation into the suspicious death is ongoing.
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Why are Labor women overlooked as Albanese’s potential successor?
On Thursday, Kate Ellis was elevated to become Labor’s national president, leading for the first time an all-female team at the top of the party’s organisational wing, with two female vice-presidents.
The former Rudd and Gillard government minister joins the Australian Council of Trade Unions president, Sally McManus, and its secretary, Michele O’Neill, as some of the most powerful members of the labour movement.
But as the federal caucus, again for the first time, has more women than men, they barely get a mention in discussions about who will succeed Anthony Albanese.
Read the piece from Krishani Dhanji here:
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Albanese dodges questions on Point Piper dinner with donors hosted by billionaire’s son
Anthony Albanese has tried to avoid answering questions about a Labor fundraising dinner hosted by the son of a Chinese billionaire under scrutiny from the tax office.
Felix Lee, the son of Chinese billionaire high roller Phillip Dong Fang Lee, hosted the prime minister at a dinner at a Sydney mansion, reportedly attended by the Commonwealth Bank boss, Matt Comyn, the former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews, the former Asic chair James Shipton and former Future Fund boss David Murray.
Asked directly by the ABC’s David Speers if he attended the Point Piper event, Albanese said: “I attend lots of functions.”
The Sydney Morning Herald reported last week that Phillip Lee had been investigated by the ATO over large sums of money coming from China to Australia.
Speers eventually asked the PM: “Why don’t you want to answer that?”
Albanese, talking in Adelaide on Saturday night, replied: “Well, I do, you just said that that occurred. You know, that’s fine. I attend lots of dinners, in lots of places, and I don’t talk about private dinners. I have held a number this week here in Adelaide as well.”
Asked whether it was appropriate for Labor to fundraise from families under scrutiny by authorities, Albanese said he was “not aware of those issues”.
I attend a lot of meetings, functions, with lots of people. I mean, talking about people’s relatives, even removed from that.
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‘Rebel teacher’ to contest Victorian education minister’s seat in state election
A group of self-described “rebel teachers” in Victoria are running a campaign to target eight sitting Labor MPs, including the minister for education, Ben Carroll, in November’s state election.
The candidates are members of the “Socialists in Schools” group, in opposition to the department of education. Victorian Socialists have announced they are aiming to contest every lower house seat in Victoria.
Brendan Laws is going up against Carroll in his formerly safe seat of Niddrie, calling for the ending of public funding to high-fee private schools, the abolition of Naplan and full funding for uniforms, excursions, materials and lunches.
Laws said the Victorian school system had been underfunded for years.
There’s a consensus that public education deserves better. On the issue of education, the ALP is not just out of touch – they’re on the other side of the picket line, with the Liberals and One Nation.
Economic segregation is increasing, as working-class students are more and isolated while high-fee private schools get more and more funding each year. This must end immediately.
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Australia leads Commonwealth Games medal tally
In sporting news, the Commonwealth Games is on! Australia is sitting at the top of the table at the pared-back event with 12 gold and 23 medals overall.
Swimming Australia may be turning the Tollcross Swimming Centre into their own Commonwealth Games pleasure dome after their two “Super Sams” – Sam Short and Sam Williamson – led another remarkable parade of five gold medals.
Mollie O’Callaghan threw aside her “unlucky stick” to win the 200m freestyle, Alex Perkins cast off her “bridesmaid” tag to earn her first major individual crown in the 50m butterfly, and Kyle Chalmers won a ninth gold in the mixed freestyle relay to home in on Games history.
Pride of place, as the Dolphins secured nine medals in total after their opening-day haul of six golds, went to muscle-flexing Short, who led an Australian 1-2-3 in the 400m freestyle, and Williamson, who downed British great Adam Ramsay-Peaty in a thrilling 100m breaststroke final.
Only a year ago, Williamson feared he may never walk again after rupturing his patella tendon in training. But the 28-year-old Victorian was left a picture of emotion at poolside as he thanked his family after beating world record-holder Ramsay-Peaty, who was consigned to bronze:
Mentally it was the toughest challenge I’ve ever had to face … Every single day I wanted to throw in the towel, but I knew how far I’d come to get to that point.
Star gymnast Georgia Godwin has also become Australia’s most decorated women’s gymnast at the games after Australia took the team gold medal with a final score of 158.400 points at Glasgow international arena on Sunday morning Aest.
-with AAP.
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A Sunday listen: Malinauskas on One Nation, Aukus and the politics of persuasion
Are you looking for something to delight your eardrums on a leisurely Sunday morning? Search no more!
Over on Guardian Australia’s Full Story podcast, our political editor, Tom McIlroy, and chief political correspondent, Dan Jervis-Bardy, speak with South Australia’s premier, Peter Malinauskas, at the 50th Labor conference in Adelaide.
Malinauskas talks about his own state contest with One Nation and why progressives should not talk down to Pauline Hanson’s supporters. And despite the US admitting this week that the production rate of Virginia-class submarines has not increased, the SA premier argues that abandoning Aukus would pose an even greater risk than the controversial agreement’s potential problems.
Listen here:
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Push for government to double funding to councils ‘running on empty’
The Australian Services Union (ASU) is pushing for the doubling of federal funding for councils to address gaps in services.
It’s been a big topic at this week’s ALP national conference, with the unions representing local government workers urging conference delegates to support a motion restoring financial assistance grants to 1% of federal taxation revenue.
The grants currently sit at 0.49% after the former Coalition froze indexation of federal grants.
The national secretary of the ASU, Emeline Gaske, said: “Canberra must restore the 1% benchmark because councils are running on empty.”
The Local Government NSW president and Inner West mayor, Darcy Byrne, said there was a “real crisis in funding for local government”.
In many regional communities, in particular, there is simply not enough funding for basic services to be maintained.
Financial Assistance Grants have fallen from 1% of commonwealth taxation revenue to barely half that over 30 years. Without action now there’s a real danger of councils having to not only cut basic services but shut their doors altogether.
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NSW considers reforms to strengthen protections for sexual assault victim-survivors
The New South Wales government is commissioning independent research on how to better protect the counselling records of sexual assault victim-survivors in the criminal justice system.
The research will look at how existing protections under the state’s Sexual Assault Communications Privilege (SACP) are operating and consider whether reform is required following concerns raised by victim-survivors over the negative impact of having counselling notes subpoenaed.
The attorney general, Michael Daley said the government knew “the criminal justice system can be difficult and re-traumatising for victim-survivors of sexual violence”.
That’s why the Government is looking at ways to improve the experience of complainants in criminal proceedings. This important research will consider existing protections for counselling records in sexual assault matters and how the system can be strengthened to reduce trauma to victim-survivors.
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PM hopes to lead Labor at next national conference; has ‘certainly’ never yelled at his dog Toto
Finally, the PM was asked if he would be at the helm of the next Labor national conference, three years from now.
He said he hoped so, “but that depends upon the Australian people”.
We certainly don’t take anything for granted. And before the last election, there was a lot of speculation that we wouldn’t be successful as we were. I’m focused on the needs of the people, the conference, I think, has assisted that … We choose outcomes rather than outrage. And we choose to deliver real change.
On a lighter note, after Barnaby Joyce had his viral (and possibly manufactured?) moment yelling at his dog, Stella, on national television, Anthony Albanese was asked if he had ever yelled at his beloved hound, Toto. Unsurprisingly, it was a no:
I certainly have not. I think’s she’s pretty spoiled, frankly. How could anyone yell at Toto?
Reader, I agree.
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PM to raise ‘unjustified’ US tariffs with Trump, says fuel excise relief won’t be extended
On to Donald Trump, who hit Australian exports with new trade tariffs on Friday, claiming the country is not doing enough to combat forced labour.
The United States announced on Friday morning (AEST) that many Australian exports now attract a new 12.5% tariff as part of a broader regime affecting dozens of countries. Asked if Anthony Albanese would raise this with the president, he replied: “Absolutely”.
These are unjustified. We’ll raise it at every level of Australia US relationship. We’ve already done so … Tariffs are a penalty on consumers the country that imposes will lead to higher costs in the United States and undermine the trading relationship that we have with our US friends.
Trump has also failed to achieve the ceasefire he promised with the Middle East, prompting renewed concerns over oil prices. Albanese was asked if the federal government planned to extend the fuel excise relief, due to lapse on 2 August.
Albanese said the government dealt with a “range of cost-of-living measures” and it wasn’t in “Labor’s planning at this point in time” to extend the excise relief. He pointed to the fact fuel usage was coming down, as he had called for in his national address, and Australia continued to have strong reserves.
We live in really turbulent times But [petrol] usage is coming down … is indeed lower than it was a year ago as well. That’s a good thing … Obviously … the longer [the war] goes, the bigger the conflict, the bigger the impact will be. This a war on the other side world, we are not protagonists in it but we are impacted by it. And we’ve consistently called for a de-escalation, and we’ll continue to do so.
On Australia’s relationship with the Trump administration, Albanese said “we deal with Trump constructively” and he’d “continue to do that”.
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PM says Labor’s platform on Israel and Palestine has ‘got the balance right’
Still on Labor’s national conference, Anthony Albanese was pointed to his former minister Ed Husic, whose push for Labor to recognise claims of genocide against Israel failed amid resistance from factional power brokers.
On Saturday, the former industry minister said he doesn’t “give a shit” if senior colleagues froze him out for constantly breaking ranks, and vowed to keep speaking about contentious issues.
Asked if the PM wanted to avoid debate on the floor of the conference on whether Israel had committed genocide, Albanese said there had been “contributions”, including from Josh Burns:
We want to see a two-state solution … And we want to see that issue advanced … The party platform has got the balance right. And what we need to do to is make sure that we as a country – this is a conflict that is far away from us – but that everything that we do is balanced … We want to see that coming together and [for] Australia [to] play a role in promoting harmony rather than conflict. And that is role I want our government to continue to play.
As to whether Husic was “helping or hurting” the Labor party, Albanese said he had a right, as did every delegate, to attend and use their voice:
That’s fine by me … I’ve no problem with any delegate to the conference having their say and making their contribution … David, this is the most transparent political conference in Australia by far … We’re a transparent party. It’s broadcast live.
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PM says Australia could ‘lead the world’ in AI safety
The PM was also asked a bit of a philosophical question about artificial intelligence, and whether he was worried about it reaching the point where it’s making autonomous decisions and “doing its own thing”.
Anthony Albanese replied: “Of course”.
This is one of the reasons why we need to have Australian standards for AI and to shape change. AI is here. It’s having an impact on the way that we work, on the way that the media functions, as well. And we need to make sure that humans are in control of it.
Albanese said Australia could “lead the world” with its national standards on AI, including for national security issues.
These are complex issues. One the reasons why I will take the issues to National Cabinet next month in August. We’ll develop legislation that I’ll introduce at the beginning of next year.
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PM opposes telehealth for euthanasia
One debate on the floor of the conference was whether telehealth consultations should be able to be used for voluntary assisted dying. It was taken as a conscience vote.
Advocates have been pushing the federal government to address structural barriers to accessing end-of-life care, including telehealth requirements that could be restrictive for people in regional areas or with reduced mobility.
Anthony Albanese said he was a supporter of voluntary euthanasia but opposed allowing patients to use telehealth to access it.
It is important that people have the right to die in dignity, with dignity. But it’s also important that protections are placed around it. Now if someone has a heart attack or an acute health condition, they need a doctor. They can’t do that over telehealth. And I think someone ending their life is just as important. And I think that it should be-face recognition and face engagement … My concern is … the potential for misuse, but also the potential that it has to undermine the system itself.
Asked if the matter would come to parliament, Albanese said it was for the government to determine.
It’s up to the cabinet to decide our cabinet decisions after and in consultation with the caucus. We’re a very orderly government, David. That’s one of the things that has put us in good stead over the last four years.
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‘We’re cohesive’: PM says after muted ALP national conference
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, spoke with David Speers on Insiders as Labor’s 50th national conference in Adelaide was wrapping up.
Speers pointed out that a young Albanese once came to these conferences “with an aim to change minds”, while this year’s conference had few feisty debates.
Albanese said there had been “really constructive engagement and deliberations done in full public view”. Asked if he’d personally changed his mind on anything, he said:
Well, our government does listen to people but [there was a] broad consensus about the direction in which we’re taking government … A government that doesn’t sit idle. We don’t just occupy the space. And there’s recognition of that from delegates that we are a united party We’re cohesive.
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Investigation launched after two people shot by police in Queensland
An investigation is under way after two people were shot by police in Cairns overnight.
Queensland police said officers were initially called to a street in Mount Sheridan, a suburb of Cairns in far-north Queensland, about 5.10pm on Saturday after reports of an attempted armed robbery, with a man fleeing the area on foot.
Upon arrival, police found a 28-year-old man at the roundabout of Hardy Road, Foster Road and Lizard Street.
Officers attempted to engage with the man, before he was shot on Foster Road. During the altercation, a civilian woman also sustained a gunshot wound.
Officers immediately provided first aid to both the man and woman, before both were transported to Cairns Base hospital for treatment. No police officers were injured during the incident. A crime scene has been declared, and there is no ongoing risk to public safety.
The shooting is under investigation by the ethical standards command, with oversight from the Crime and Corruption Commission.
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Pat Conroy heading to US to witness Aukus progress and ‘strengthen co-operation’
The minister for defence, Pat Conroy, is off to the United States this week to see progress of the Aukus submarines deal and “strengthen co-operation” with the administration. Last month, Richard Marles said Australia would no longer receive two Virginia-class submarines already in service and one new vessel. Instead, Australia would take three secondhand boats.
In a statement, Conroy said he would visit Washington, Charleston and Tucson for meetings and engagements, including with senior officials from the US administration and members of congress. Donald Trump is probably a little too busy with the continued war in the Middle East to step away.
In a statement, Conroy said:
This trip is about building opportunities for Australian industry and jobs, building supply chain resilience and seeing progress on our investment in AUKUS. AUKUS will be the greatest industrial endeavour ever undertaken in Australia, and we are focused on delivering this.
I will visit the HII Shipyard in Charleston, South Carolina to see first-hand how our investment in AUKUS is contributing to submarine production and gain insights to support the Australian construction of our future fleet of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines. In Charleston, I will also visit Royal Australian Navy students based at the AUKUS Nuclear Power Training Unit.
The Albanese Government is committed to building greater self-reliance within the Alliance so that Australia can be resilient in an increasingly complex strategic environment.
You can read an exclusive we had on Aukus yesterday here:
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We need more skilled migrants: Malinauskas
The South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, has made the case for a better and bigger skilled migration intake in the wake of Labor’s national conference, telling Sky News this morning cuts to the program could hurt the economy.
Federal Labor, like the Coalition and One Nation, is cutting overseas migration levels. Malinauskas says a pragmatic and controlled approach is needed, warning populist politics could get in the way:
I think skilled migration is something that ... if the country’s going to curtail, we’ve got to think through very carefully.
Curtailing skilled migration brings with its own consequences. We need more people coming here with the capacity to build homes. We need more people coming here with the capacity to work in the health sector and aged care.
If we turn that tap off, there’ll be a price to be paid. And that’s why I don’t support the idea of an emotive debate around migration. I’d rather a more pragmatic one and a controlled one, and that’s where I think the rise of populism may yet have some profound consequences for the country.
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One Nation’s rise in new heartland a warning to major parties, expert says.
The rise of One Nation has seen heightened activity among local representatives of all political persuasions fighting for the limelight in the populist party’s new regional heartland, AAP reports.
David Farley’s historic win for One Nation at the Farrer byelection in early May sent shock waves through federal politics, especially the major parties. Observers now see One Nation’s management of the electorate – and the way the major parties respond – as a model on how the next federal election could be fought, amid a surge of support for the Pauline Hanson-led populists in national polls.
Farley’s presence in Farrer’s major centres of Albury and Griffith, and his visits to the regional communities of the once safe Liberal electorate, have been noticed by politicians at a local level, according to Albury’s mayor, Kevin Mack. He says the increased scrutiny on the region has lit a fire under some local councillors:
I’m seeing politicians going to the opening of envelopes. They seem to be going to things I’m not going to, which I didn’t know existed. They seem to be creating their own opportunities.
The shift in approach from established politicians from major parties was a natural result when threatened by a rise from smaller ones, according to the Australian National University political scientist Jill Sheppard.
The great virtue of Australian politics is that we have stability, but the price of stability is the parties tend to get a bit lazy. For a normal voter who is just hoping life can feel a little bit better, that’s not always very satisfying. ... I suspect that there will be some kind of ripple effect from Albury.
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Coalition says PM sort to ‘shut down debate’ at Labor's national conference
The Coalition says Anthony Albanese was desperate to shut down debate on contentious issues such as Aukus and Israel and Palestine at Labor’s national conference because he wanted to avoid exposing “deep divisions” within the party.
The party’s three-day conference ended on Saturday without any major fights after Ed Husic’s push to adopt a harder line on Israel collapsed amid resistance from factional power brokers.
A proposed amendment from the party’s anti-war movement to abandon the Aukus pact also failed to reach the conference floor.
The shadow defence minister, James Paterson, said it was “telling” that neither issue was debated at Labor’s peak policymaking forum.
He said:
I think it is very telling that rather than have the debate and win the debate, the prime minister and his government would prefer to shut down the debate. I think that shows what he knows. He knows that deep down there is deep divisions within the Labor party on core national security interest issues, on core foreign policy issues, and on core defence policy issues.
The prime minister is worried that he would be embarrassed on the floor of the conference if Aukus was allowed to be debated, or if Israel-Palestine was allowed to be debated, or indeed the US alliance was allowed to be debated. I think he shut that down because he was afraid about where it would go.
Senior Labor sources denied actively attempting to block Husic’s resolution, arguing the former minister simply didn’t have any support. The Maritime Union of Australia initially agreed to second Husic’s motion before withdrawing support on Saturday morning, causing it to lapse.
Some delegates who were sympathetic to Husic were reluctant to back the resolution because they didn’t want to potentially overshadow a display of unity arranged for the debate, when MPs Josh Burns, who is Jewish, and Basem Abdo, the son of Palestinian refugees, united in support of the government’s official position.
Labor’s pro-Palestine wing did secure a win on Saturday with the party committing to strong controls and transparency around weapons export permits.
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Chris Bowen says Australia’s fuel supply ‘solid and secure’
The federal energy minister, Chris Bowen, has sought to reassure Australians that fuel supply remains “solid and secure” as the drawn-out Middle East conflict pushes global crude back above $US100 a barrel.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Bowen said there was uncertainty about the situation in the Middle East.
But one thing Australians can be certain about is that our fuel supply continues to be solid and secure.
Bowen said as of Saturday, Australia had 42 days’ worth of petrol, 38 days of diesel and 32 days of jet fuel. There are 51 ships en route to Australia, with 3.1bn litres of fuel due to arrive in the next four weeks, he said. He said Australia’s fuel stock was 15% more than when the US and Israel first bombed Iran in February.
Australia’s scaled-back extension of the fuel excise reduction is due to end on 2 August. Economists have warned that the end of the excise and higher global prices meant Australians faced the prospect of petrol prices above $2 a litre over the coming weeks.
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Two more local birds with suspected deadly bird flu in South Australia
South Australia has two more suspected cases of deadly H5 bird flu in local terns, marking a possible escalation in the disease’s presence in the state.
On Saturday, the South Australian government said samples would be sent to CSIRO to verify whether the birds had the deadly H5N1 strain. Results are expected in the coming days.
The two birds are greater crested terns, which members of the public found and reported. One was found dead near the Semaphore surf life saving club in Adelaide, and the other was found unwell at Robe and has since died.
To date, 17 cases of H5N1 have been confirmed nationally, with only one so far in a local bird – also a greater crested tern found at Robe Marina earlier this month.
The federal agriculture minister, Julie Collins, said terns were known to mix with petrels and other migratory subantarctic species that had been found with bird flu.
Collins said there was still no evidence of widespread local transmission of the disease:
We have no evidence of any transmission in Australia in terms of the H5 bird flu at this point in time. We have no mass mortalities being recorded. We have no bird flu in our culture or agriculture systems, and the risk to human health remains low.
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Economic hits driving voters to One Nation: Labor boss
Labor’s national secretary, Paul Erickson, says repeated economic hits are pushing voters to consider rightwing parties such as Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, warning major parties need to address these anxieties.
Erickson is the campaign strategist behind Labor’s wins in 2022 and 2025 and is preparing to fight a reelection campaign for Anthony Albanese in about 18 months. He told Sky:
When we think about the last decade, one thing that has stood out is that every time workers and businesses felt like through the crisis, the latest crisis, and every time they’re picking themselves up off the floor, another big event comes along, another crisis.
Whether it is war in Europe, war in the Middle East, a global inflation surge, all the way back to the pandemic, and that constant sense of every time you’re picking yourself up off the floor, another knock comes along, I think has led to a sense for people in the community of pessimism that, as progressives and as a centre-left party, we need to tackle and take on.
But I think is at the core of this rise of the populist right all over the world.
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Good morning and happy Sunday.
It’s Caitlin Cassidy here to guide you through today’s news.
The Coalition has accused the prime minister of wanting to “shut down debate” at Labor’s national conference on issues such as Aukus and Israel and Palestine because he wants to avoid exposing the “deep divisions” within the party. It comes as Ed Husic’s push for Labor to recognise claims of genocide against Israel failed, prompting the backbencher to criticise the party’s culture under Anthony Albanese.
South Australia has two more suspected cases of deadly H5 bird flu, marking a possible escalation in the disease’s presence in the state. Seventeen cases of H5N1 have now been confirmed nationally, with only one so far in a local bird.
And the energy minister, Chris Bowen, has assured Australians that fuel supply remains “solid and secure” as the drawn-out Middle East conflict pushes global crude back above $US100 a barrel.
If you’d like to get in touch, I’m on caitlin.cassidy@theguardian.com.
Let’s get into it!
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