What we learned this 19 November
And with that we will close the blog for the day. Here is what we learned:
The federal government will double funding for the roads to recovery program aimed at improving road safety by allocating more money for local councils.
Thousands gathered for Pro-Palestine rallies across the country.
Victorian Labor is set to retain former premier Daniel Andrews’ seat of Mulgrave despite a significant swing against the government.
Charges have been upgraded over the death of the South Australian police commissioner’s son, the victim of an alleged hit-run incident during schoolies celebrations.
Residents have been told to evacuate “immediately” as a Queensland bushfire approaches.
Home affairs minister Clare O’Neil said the government might take additional action to continue returning people to indefinite detention once the high court releases its reasoning for ruling the government could not engage in the practice.
Prime minister Anthony Albanese announced the death of former Labor minister Gerry Hand, who served in the Hawke and Keating ministries.
Updated
Australian Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi has spoken at the Melbourne rally in support of Palestine, telling the crowd that minority communities “won’t be taken for granted” and won’t be used as “props”.
If you won’t show up for us now, then don’t show up for your photo opportunities at all.
Mehreen Faruqi. “[Labor] were not your props. We won’t be taken for granted. If you won’t show up now, don’t show up for your photo opportunities.” pic.twitter.com/jCmL9XzuZ9
— Matt (@MattH093) November 19, 2023
Updated
Pacific treaty for ‘peaceful region’ being exploited, experts say
Three months before Bob Hawke joined with Pacific leaders in the Cook Islands to sign a landmark new anti-nuclear treaty, the local newspaper carried an arresting headline.
“PACIFIC – A REGION OF ‘PEACE’ – AND BOMBS FOR FRANCE,” thundered the Cook Islands News on Saturday 11 May 1985.
The French defence minister had turned up in Noumea to declare the country had no enemies in the Pacific – but the platitudes were greeted with scepticism because just hours earlier France had carried out its 69th nuclear test in French Polynesia.
These heightened concerns permeated the region in the months leading up to the crucial meeting in the Cook Islands in August 1985 where leaders endorsed a nuclear-free zone.
Hawke, the Australian prime minister at the time, hailed the negotiations as a “dramatic success” that would send “a clear and unequivocal message to the world”, with the treaty leaving major powers in no doubt about the region’s desire to preserve “the South Pacific as the peaceful region which its name implies”.
But nearly 40 years after the Treaty of Rarotonga came into force, the region is on edge about another rise in geopolitical tensions – and critics say gaps in the treaty’s coverage are now being exploited.
For more on this story, read the full report by Guardian Australia’s foreign affairs and defence correspondent, Daniel Hurst.
Updated
NZ Labour calls for Israel-Hamas ceasefire
The New Zealand Labour party has called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza conflict, breaking with caretaker conventions to declare its policy.
Outgoing prime minister Chris Hipkins declared his party’s position while still holding office on Sunday, saying it had become “untenable” for him not to speak out.
We are seeing devastation and loss of life on a massive scale and Gaza and Israel.
It has become untenable for me and it runs against Labour party values to stand by and watch the horrific scenes we are witnessing without calling for a ceasefire.
The loss of civilian lives must stop.
The Labour party remains in power, but is effectively an opposition in waiting after losing the 14 October election, continuing on as a caretaker government while the centre-right National party negotiates a governing arrangement with parties on the right.
Those government negotiations have now lasted 36 days.
Hipkins said he approached National to make a call for a ceasefire New Zealand’s formal policy – in keeping with policy-making practice during the caretaker period – but incoming prime minister Chris Luxon did not agree.
Hipkins said that after more than a month waiting for Luxon to negotiate a government deal with the rightwing ACT and New Zealand First parties, he was within his rights to begin to articulate Labour’s positions.
– AAP
Updated
Organisers of the Sydney pro-Palestine rallies say they have been attended by 30,000 people. While we wait for agency photos to come through, here are some scenes from the gathering which began at Hyde Park.
Thousands of people gathered in Hyde Park Sydney in solidarity with Palestine 🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/WVbylYh3ot
— Adeel Khan (@adeelkhan7) November 19, 2023
#Sydney #Australia Right now.#Palestine #Israel pic.twitter.com/XabpNgoosc
— Yuri de Sá (@yuriwsa) November 19, 2023
Big crowds at the #FreePalestine rally in Sydney’s CBD today pic.twitter.com/ExAy6EHeou
— matthew abbott 🔥🌏 (@mattabbottphoto) November 19, 2023
‘Hunger for justice’ has swept world, Julian Assange’s father says
The bombing of Gaza has only incited more rage and a hunger for justice across the globe, the father of Julian Assange has warned.
John Shipton addressed thousands of people gathered for a pro-Palestine rally outside the State Library of Victoria on Sunday.
He listed the casualties from other conflicts in the Middle East, saying there was a cloud of grief and rage over the region that has only grown since the war in Gaza.
Soil watered with the blood of precious children over the last 36 days – what do they expect will grow from that soil?
I can tell you – rage, a hunger for justice that’s swept around the globe and embraced every human being that is sentient enough to have sympathy for another.
The Melbourne protest was the latest demonstration held in capital cities across Australia since the war started in Israel and Gaza.
– AAP
Updated
Updated
Summer skin cancer campaign pitches at men over 40
Older men are being targeted in a new skin cancer campaign over summer, as the federal government re-emphasises “the Five S’s – slip, slop, slap, seek and slide” over the hotter months.
A new $1.4m investment will charge the summer melanoma campaign, coming at the start of National Skin Cancer Action Week. Health minister Mark Butler said this year’s campaign was focusing on “reminding men over 40 to protect themselves in the sun this summer”.
Skin cancer is Australia’s most common and preventable cancer, with men twice as likely than women to die from melanoma.
The 5 S’s, if you’ve forgotten, are Slip on sun-protective clothing, Slop on broad-spectrum water-resistant SPF 30 or higher sunscreen, Slap on a broad brimmed hat, Seek shade and Slide on sunglasses.
Cancer Council research found men are not regularly using all five forms of protection, with just one in 10 always applying sunscreen, and one in three always wearing a hat.
Butler’s office said the campaign would run through test cricket broadcasts and online.
The minister said:
I know myself how bad men can be at prioritising their health, but by practicing all five forms of sun protection while doing the things we love outside this summer, men can protect themselves from most forms of skin cancer.
Sun protection is simple and it saves lives.
The Cancer Council’s CEO, Prof Tanya Buchanan, said its research found men were not being sun-safe.
More than half of men reported having at least one incidence of sunburn over summer.
Unfortunately, skin cancer claims the lives of over 2,000 Australians every year. That’s why it’s so important to have campaigns like this, continuing to remind Australians of the five easy steps they can take to reduce their risk of skin cancer every day.
Updated
Huge crowds at Melbourne pro-Palestine rally
Guardian Australia journalist Antoun Issa is at the Free Palestine demonstration in Melbourne, where thousands are calling for a ceasefire. He says that six weeks into anti-war protests, there is no sign of things slowing down or crowds thinning.
Tens of thousands rally in Melbourne again - six weeks into the war and the anti-war protests here showing no signs of slowing down. In fact they're getting louder and better organised than a few weeks ago. pic.twitter.com/3emNq77Hvo
— Antoun Issa (@antissa) November 19, 2023
Updated
Former Labor minister Gerry Hand dies
Prime minister Anthony Albanese has announced the death of former Labor minister Gerry Hand, who served in the Hawke and Keating ministries.
In a statement this afternoon, Albanese said Hand “gave all he had to the Labor cause”.
On behalf of the Labor party that he served and loved, I join with others in offering my condolences to all those mourning the passing of Gerry Hand.
Hand, a former minister for immigration and Aboriginal affairs, served as the member for Melbourne for 10 years.
Albanese said:
Having had their fair share of disagreements in their pre-parliamentary lives, he and Bob Hawke became very close colleagues. So much so that when Paul Keating became prime minister, he was asked why he had chosen to retain Hawke loyalists like Gerry Hand in his cabinet.
It’s fair to say Gerry Hand understood better than most just how hard the road could be in political life. In his valedictory speech he spoke of his ministerial years as ‘turbulent’ ones. It’s true that both his portfolios were ones where the issues and arguments are often charged with emotion. On more than one occasion Gerry Hand had to make tough choices and wear harsh criticism.
Yet, tellingly, he retired from parliament with no expression of regret, only words of gratitude. Gratitude for the privilege of representing his community, for the people who had chosen him as their local member, for the colleagues he served alongside, for the staff who supported him through thick and thin and, above all, for his wife and children, who he dearly loved.
Our sympathies are with all Gerry Hand’s family, friends and loved ones today.
Updated
Weekend auction rates jump
Auction activity has spiked sharply this weekend with 3,019 auctions held across the Australian capitals.
This is a bump on the 2,656 auctions held last week and a thousand more than the 2,298 auctions that occurred at the same time last year.
Based on results collected so far, CoreLogic’s summary found that the preliminary clearance rate was 68% across the country, which is lower than the 69% preliminary rate recorded last week but higher than the 60.2% actual rate on final numbers.
Across the capital cities:
Sydney: 1,081 auctions with a clearance rate of 68.7%
Melbourne: 1,414 auctions with a clearance rate of 68%
Brisbane: 206 auctions with a clearance rate of 58.1%
Adelaide: 189 auctions with a clearance rate of 80.9%
Canberra: 109 auctions with a clearance rate of 64.2%
Tasmania: Two of five auctions held.
Perth: Eleven of 15 auctions held.
Updated
Clues on rates sought in this week’s economic news
Borrowers will be hoping for signs the Reserve Bank can stop lifting interest rates in the minutes from the last meeting and public appearances from the top central bankers.
Few economists were surprised by the 25 basis point interest rate increase in November after strong inflation data, with the board keeping its options open for more tightening if necessary.
Another month on hold at 4.1% was discussed at the November meeting, as revealed in the statement on monetary policy.
The minutes, due on Tuesday, will add more context to the call.
Governor Michele Bullock is due to appear on a panel at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (Asic) annual forum in Melbourne on Tuesday, and back that up with a speech at the Australian Business Economists (ABE) annual dinner in Sydney the following night.
Bullock’s views on the latest round of economic data on wages, the labour market, the consumer sector and business conditions will be of interest ahead of the next cash rate meeting – the last of the year.
The week will be a quieter one for economic data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, but employee earnings data will be released on Tuesday.
There will also be a couple of reports from private firms, including Westpac’s leading indicator on Wednesday.
The report assembles nine economic indicators that tend to shift before the overall economy does.
Local investors will react to comments on inflation from Federal Reserve Bank of Boston president Susan Collins, who said on Friday that she was not yet ready to rule out more rate hikes should they be needed.
– AAP
Updated
As we wait for agency photos to come in from the pro-Palestine rallies in capitals around the country today, here are a few snaps from those gathering outside the Victorian state library in Melbourne.
Crowd is already huge and growing by the minute.
— WACA (@akaWACA) November 19, 2023
Beautiful placards today.
State Library, Naarm Melbourne #FreePalestine. pic.twitter.com/EacvWXZNq5
Brilliant speech from Uncle Gary Foley at the Naarm Melbourne rally for Palestine, but couldn't quite see him due to the tens and tens of protesters [ABC/Ninefax journo voice] pic.twitter.com/JWqRTrasaZ
— Chris Woods 🏳️⚧️ (@tophermwoods) November 19, 2023
Updated
Forrests continue Australiana buy-up, taking Akubra
Australian hatmaker Akubra is set to change ownership for the first time in five generations.
Tattarang, owned by Australian businessman Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest and his wife Nicola, has acquired Akubra from the Keir family, who trace their ownership back 147 years.
The acquisition will ensure the brand remains Australian-owned and locally made, with Tattarang committing to continue manufacturing in Kempsey on the NSW north coast.
In October 2020, Tattarang bought iconic boots brand RM Williams, which has since hired almost 500 extra staff and added two manufacturing lines at its Adelaide workshop.
The two brands will remain separate within Tattarang.
– AAP
Updated
Man dies after car hits tree in southern NSW
A New South Wales man in his 20s has died after a car left the road and hit a tree in Cooma.
Emergency services responded to the incident just before midnight on Saturday and they found a man in the front passenger seat of the Ford Falcon.
The man died at the scene and has yet to be formally identified.
Police have received reports the driver fled the scene and a 23-year-old man has been arrested after presenting to Canberra Hospital with injuries. He remains in a stable condition under police guard.
A crime scene was established at the site of the crash, which has been forensically examined by specialist officers attached to the crash investigation unit.
An investigation is under way into the circumstances surrounding the crash and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
Updated
How Australian banks, supermarkets and airlines have moved billions from customers to shareholders
Australia’s banks have announced $6bn in share buybacks after generating windfall profits, part of a trend among large companies that has transferred billions of dollars from customers to shareholders.
Buying back shares from existing shareholders is generally used to distribute a company’s excess capital and lift share prices.
Ten buybacks by major Australian companies have been announced this financial year, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data compiled for Guardian Australia.
The finance sector dominates the list, with three of the big four retail banks represented, as well as the global investment bank and asset manager Macquarie Group. The banks collectively announced $6bn in buybacks after reporting their most recent financial results.
For more on this story, read the full report by Guardian Australia’s senior business reporter Jonathan Barrett:
Labor leaves door open to continue indefinite immigrant detention
Home affairs minister Clare O’Neil says the government may take additional action to continue returning people to indefinite detention once the high court releases its reasoning for ruling the government could not engage in the practice.
Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, O’Neil said the reasons would allow the government to construct a new regime that could withstand another legal challenge.
When the reasons for the decision are handed down at the beginning of next year, we will then be able to look at what else we can do.
The new scheme was the best way to ensure community safety while acting within the confines of the law, she said.
O’Neil has argued she would have kept the offenders in immigration detention indefinitely if she had the power to do so.
She also admitted her department had received advice they were likely to win the court case but added possible responses to any ruling had been considered.
The 93 people are part of a broader 340-strong cohort that has been in immigration detention for more than a year.
It was unlikely the high court ruling would apply to all of them, the minister said.
- AAP
Updated
Barry Humphries’ family threatens to boycott funeral if Richard Wilkins is MC
Friends and family of Australian comedian Barry Humphries are threatening to boycott the funeral for the entertainment great after Richard Wilkins has been asked to MC the event.
The Daily Telegraph reports that friends and family have been blindsided by the decision and that the family had not been consulted about the decision.
Historian professor Ross Fitzgerald told the Telegraph that Wilkins was a “nice bloke” but that he “certainly seems to me to have no gravitas and little if any sense of humour”.
Wilkins said he had the “enormous pleasure of spending a great deal of personal and professional time with Barry over many decades” and that he had “developed profound love and resect for him”.
I was honoured and humbled to be asked by Barry’s family to perform the role of MC at his state memorial.
Fitzgerald also told the Telegraph that Humphris “loathed” the Daniel Andrews government “and all it stood for” and so wouldn’t have been hurt by the decision to hold his funeral in Sydney. He also felt “distressed” at his treatment by the Melbourne comedy festival.
He didn’t want his memorial in Melbourne.
Updated
Residents told to evacuate 'immediately' as Queensland bushfire approaches
Authorities have upgraded warnings for a large, fast-moving fire in south-east Queensland, advising residences once again to leave immediately.
The Queensland Fire and Emergency (QFES) service reissued evacuation notices for properties between Flamingo Road, Rossella Avenue, Scrubby Creek Boondanilla Road and the Gore Highway to leave on Sunday morning.
A fast-moving fire is burning near Pine Ridge Road. It is expected to impact The Pines within the next hour. LEAVE IMMEDIATELY. Your life could be at risk. It will soon be too dangerous to drive.
QFES first issued evacuation warnings on Saturday night but downgraded the warnings early on Sunday morning before re-issuing the evacuation warnings.
Several other fires in Queensland remained watch and act levels, with significant rainfall from major thunderstorms expected in the state over the coming days.
Fire authorities have welcomed the deluge, but concerns remain over the potential for lightning strikes.
– with AAP
Updated
Queensland first-home buyers’ grant doubled
The Queensland government is doubling grants for people buying or building their first home.
About 12,000 people are expected to benefit from the $30,000 grants available from Monday and set to remain in place until June 30, 2025.
The change will cost $210 million, with the money raised through the government’s coal royalties regime.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the increase was needed to combat the soaring cost of living.
I hope this puts the dream of owning a first home within reach of more Queenslanders. We can only do this because we’re making sure coal companies pay their fair share.
The revised scheme leaves Queensland on an equal footing with Tasmania and is more generous than in other states and the NT.
Queenslanders must buy or build a new home valued at less than $750,000, including land and contract variations, to be eligible.
About 24,000 households across the state have received $365 million in homebuyer grants over the past three years.
Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick said with more capacity within the housing construction sector, now was the time for people to build or buy.
Queensland’s strong budget position gives us the flexibility to adapt to changing conditions like this, by reinvesting the proceeds from progressive coal royalties.
– AAP
Updated
NSW homes in progress can be checked under new laws to combat shoddy builds
New laws granted to the NSW building commissioner will allow the regulator to enter any apartment or free-standing home under construction in the state, as the government cracks down on shoddy builds.
The role was created in 2019 by the former coalition government in an attempt to restore confidence in the building and construction industry.
Labor Premier Chris Minns said the industry still needs tighter regulation, and has boosted the powers of the Building Commission and allocated another $24m to help it do its job.
He said Australia’s housing crisis was leading to a major push to build, and quickly, but NSW wouldn’t compromise on quality.
Home buyers in NSW can be confident that we’ve got a tough cop on the beat in the building industry, ensuring that they can have confidence in the quality of the home they’re buying.
The licenses of four building certifiers across the state were cancelled this year alone.
Minister for better regulation and fair trading Anoulack Chanthivong said supercharging the regulator’s power gave confidence to people building a home.
New powers for the building commissioner are a critical step forward as we rebuild integrity in the NSW construction sector. There is no room in this state for rip-off merchants taking home buyers for a ride.
Grifters in this sector will have nowhere to hide in NSW.
The boosted powers mean the commissioner can now uncover defects before completion of buildings and compel builders to get them fixed.
The government is also cracking down on builders who rebrand to avoid liabilities, by cancelling or refusing licenses.
The building products supply chain will also face more scrutiny to prevent poor materials reaching sites in the first place.
– AAP
Updated
Fresh charges over alleged hit and run that killed SA police chief’s son
Charges have been upgraded over the death of the South Australia police commissioner’s son, the victim of an alleged hit-run incident during schoolies celebrations
Charlie Stevens, 18, sustained an irreversible brain injury after being run down about 9pm on Friday in Goolwa, about 90km southeast of Adelaide, an emotional SA police deputy commissioner Linda Williams told reporters.
Police said the 18-year-old driver failed to stop at the scene but was found nearby and charged with several offences on Saturday.
On Sunday, those charges were upgraded to causing death by dangerous driving, aggravated driving without due care, leaving the scene of a crash after causing death and failing to truly answer questions.
The man was refused bail and will face Christies Beach magistrates court on Monday
Police said Charlie died surrounded by family and friends about 7pm on Saturday.
In a statement, commissioner Grant Stevens and his wife Emma thanked police, first responders and other emergency services workers who attended the incident.
The Stevens family also wish to thank the wider community for their support during this difficult time, in particular the family acknowledge the dedicated staff at the Flinders Medical Centre for their care and support of Charlie and his family and friends.
Major crime detectives continue to investigate the Goolwa incident.
– AAP
Updated
Labor set to hold Daniel Andrews' seat in Victoria despite swing
Victorian Labor is set to retain Daniel Andrews’ seat of Mulgrave despite a significant swing against the government in the former premier’s seat.
With more than 75% of the vote counted, Dandenong mayor Eden Foster leads with more than 40% of the primary vote in Saturday’s by-election, which is down more than 10 percentage points from Andrews’ showing at last year’s state poll.
Among the nine candidates facing Foster, Liberal candidate Courtney Mann has 22% first-preference votes and high-profile independent Ian Cook has 19%.
Foster suffered a swing into the healthy 10.2% margin left by Andrews, who was the local member for more than 20 years.
Premier Jacinta Allan joined Foster and the Labor faithful to celebrate the result, but conceded “we knew it was going to a big fight” to retain the seat.
Among the challenges were issues such as cost of living pressures, but voters stuck with Labor because “they know that Labor delivers”.
The Liberals have conceded defeat for their candidate Courtney Mann.
– AAP
Updated
Queensland Muslims ask for police protection over far-right activist’s pro-Israel protest
Queensland Muslims say they are fearful and have requested police protection after a New Zealand far-right activist scheduled a pro-Israel protest for the same central Brisbane location – but an hour earlier – than a planned pro-Palestine rally on Sunday.
The “Anzacs” rally in Brisbane is being promoted by Brian Tamaki, who is the founder of Destiny Church and has a history of Islamophobic comments.
The location of the pro-Palestine protest has since been moved, prompting Tamaki’s website to boast “the Pro-Palestine/Hamas rally has retreated”.
Susan Al-Maani, a Palestinian woman and member of the Free Palestine movement, said she was worried about pro-Palestine activists showing up at the wrong location.
For more on this story, read the full report by the Guardian Australia’s Eden Gillespie:
Updated
Pro-Palestine rallies across Australia on Sunday
With pro-Palestine rallies being held across Australian capitals for the sixth week running, here are the details of the planned protests for Sunday:
Sydney: 1pm at Hyde Park
Melbourne: 12pm at the State Library of Victoria
Perth: 12pm at Russell Square followed by a march via James Street to Perth cultural centre
Brisbane: 2pm at Queens Garden Park
Adelaide: 2pm outside Parliament House
Hobart: A vigil was held on Saturday and will recur weekly from 1pm
Updated
Julian Assange’s father to address pro-Palestinian rally in Melbourne
A pro-Palestine rally will be addressed by the father of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, with organisers confident a large crowd is set to attend.
The rally, due to begin at midday outside the State Library of Victoria, is being tipped as one of the biggest pro-Palestine protests in Melbourne’s history by organisers Free Palestine.
It’s the latest of multiple protests held in capital cities across Australia that have been sparked by the war in Israel and Gaza.
Hamas, considered a terrorist organisation by the Australian government, launched an attack on Israel on 7 October, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 220 hostages.
In response, Israel has bombarded Gaza, killing more than 12,000 people, 5,000 of whom were children.
John Shipton, Assange’s father, is expected to address the crowd before they march to Treasury Gardens.
Free Palestine Melbourne representative Muayad Ali said the rally would be the sixth held in the city in as many weeks.
The Australian public are disgusted at the Albanese government’s refusal to call for ceasefire.
We’ve had people come who have never before been to a rally and the following week they return with their relatives and friends.
– AAP
Updated
‘The war would end tomorrow if Hamas released the captives’ – Paterson
Pressed on the Israel Defence Force’s conduct during its operation, Paterson says: “Judgment will be cast … after this conflict is over and through the normal, appropriate processes of international law, as it should be.”
On the rights of people in Gaza, Paterson says:
Well, they have a right not to be treated by Hamas as human shields. They have a right not to be held as hostages by Hamas. It is not just 239 Israelis – 2 million Palestinians have been used by Hamas in their conflict. They deliberately burrowed themselves in civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals and refugee camps, and they used those civilians both as a human shield to protect them but also as a propaganda piece when casualties occur.
Hamas has options here, too, David. The war would end tomorrow if Hamas released the captives. The war would end tomorrow if the Hamas leadership gave up.
And at that point a technical problem sees Paterson’s audio cut off, ending the interview.
Updated
‘A lot of misinformation’ on Israeli actions in war – Paterson
Turning now to Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip: Paterson is a “staunch” supporter of Israel. He says that if the attack on 7 October took place in Australia, “in per capita terms that would be about 3,000 Australians that lost their lives”.
How would we expect our government to respond if we were on the receiving end of an attack like that? Hamas have said they intend to repeat the events of 7 October again and again and again. That’s their political objective. The state of Israel doesn’t want to live with that existential risk and wants to remove Hamas as a threat to its people.
However, asked whether Israel is following international law during its campaign, which has included the bombing of hospitals, civilian infrastructure and the Palestinian parliament building in Gaza, Paterson says: “It’s not easy for me to judge from 12,000km away and in the fog of war.”
There has been a lot of misinformation, including earlier on in the conflict when Hamas claimed and many in the media, including the ABC, reported that Israel had bombed a hospital. It later emerged that it was a Palestinian rocket that had fallen on the hospital.
There remains considerable confusion over what caused the blast at al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City on 17 October. Initial reporting initially blamed the attack on an Israeli strike, but this was later walked backed. Follow-up reporting by the New York Times continues to raise questions about who was responsible for the blast. The Times concluded:
… detailed visual analysis by the New York Times concludes that the video clip — taken from an Al Jazeera television camera livestreaming on the night of Oct. 17 — shows something else. The missile seen in the video is most likely not what caused the explosion at the hospital. It actually detonated in the sky roughly two miles away, The Times found, and is an unrelated aspect of the fighting that unfolded over the Israeli-Gaza border that night.
The Times’s finding does not answer what actually did cause the al-Ahli Arab Hospital blast, or who is responsible. The contention by Israeli and American intelligence agencies that a failed Palestinian rocket launch is to blame remains plausible. But the Times analysis does cast doubt on one of the most publicized pieces of evidence that Israeli officials have used to make their case and complicates the straightforward narrative they have put forth.
Updated
Chinese navy sonar incident ‘deliberate’ – Paterson
Paterson is asked about an incident that occurred earlier this week where Australian navy personnel were subjected to Chinese sonar which left them seriously injured in international waters off Japan.
Paterson says this is a “deliberate act by the Chinese navy” that contradicts the “handsome boy” rhetoric surrounding prime minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to Beijing.
I think when it comes to our very complex and bilateral relationship with the People’s Republic of China, we have to look at the actions of the Chinese government, not just their words. It is very easy to get caught up in the platitude and praise, the ‘handsome boy’ rhetoric, but things like this – an active decision by the People’s Liberation Army Navy to put Australian Navy personnel in harm’s way and cause harm to them – that we should really be judging the Chinese government by.
Paterson says the incident raises questions about whether the prime minister raised the issue with Chinese president Xi Jinping or other Chinese officials during their meeting.
Updated
Patterson says “ordinarily” this group would be removed from the country, which makes them a “special cohort”. He also says that those who had been kept in indefinite detention had “committed a crime or violated the character conditions of the Migration Act”.
So they do pose a risk and some are more risky, yeah, than others, and only the minister is in possession of that information … and they have to make that decision and so the burden falls on them.
Updated
James Paterson spruiks terror framework after high court ruling on indefinite detention
Shadow minister for home affairs James Paterson has told ABC Insiders host David Speers indefinite detention is not the solution following the high court decision to overturn Al Kateb v Godwin.
He said the government already had powers available to it to detain “high-risk terror offenders … as soon as possible”.
This puts the shadow minister at odds with party leader Peter Dutton who, earlier in the week, argued all 93 people who were being held indefinitely should have been returned to immigration detention.
Paterson said:
We have a very mature high-risk terrorist offenders framework in this country that recognises that some offenders are not able to be easily rehabilitated in prison and do pose a continuing risk to the community if they are released after the end of their custodial sentences.
The police can apply to the courts to have them detained. They can apply to have them detained before they are convicted. This means the community has some sort of protection that they are not out in the community. The government should be looking at the this as an option.
Updated
People told to leave ‘fast-moving’ Queensland fire
Residents in a south-east Queensland town have been told to leave immediately as crews battle a large, fast-moving bushfire.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) told people in The Pines near Millmerran in the streets of Flamingo Road, Rosella Avenue, Scrubby Creek Boondanilla Road and the Gore Highway to leave immediately on Saturday evening.
“A large, fast-moving fire is burning near Pine Ridge Road,” authorities said, adding that it was expected to affect The Pines “very soon”.
The emergency bushfire warning was downgraded to a watch and act notice at 2am on Sunday, with QFES saying firefighters were still working to contain the fire and that it was not yet safe to return.
The watch and act alert was the only one of its kind in Queensland while there were three “stay informed” advice notices across the state.
Police on Saturday morning removed an order preventing people in a fire zone in Kooralbyn in the Scenic Rim from returning to their homes.
The residents had been ordered out on Friday afternoon as crews battled a fast-moving bushfire and police made an emergency declaration to evacuate the town.
– AAP
Updated
Road infrastructure funding to double
The federal government will double funding for the roads to recovery program aimed at improving road safety by allocating more money for local councils.
Several projects will be merged to streamline investment programs, and funding for federally recognised black spots will rise from $110m to $150m a year.
Infrastructure minister Catherine King said the roads to recovery funding would rise gradually from $500m to $1bn a year.
Big roads and metropolitan highways might get a lot of the attention, but we spend most of our driving lives on local roads around where we live and where we work.
The changes come out of the government’s independent strategic review of the infrastructure investment program, with the growing costs of construction labour front of mind.
Projects to be merged include the heavy vehicle safety and productivity program and the bridges renewal program, which will become the safer local roads and infrastructure program.
– AAP
Updated
Opposition shadow minister for home affairs and cyber security James Paterson will speak to ABC Insiders host David Speers this morning.
We will bring you all the latest as it happens.
Good morning
And welcome to another Sunday morning Guardian Australia live blog.
Julian Assange’s father is expected to address protesters at a Free Palestine rally in Melbourne on Sunday as organisers say they anticipate record crowds. Protests have been called in capital cities around the country, marking more than a month of sustained protest action calling for a ceasefire and an end to Israel’s ongoing advance into Gaza.
Residents in a south-east Queensland town have been told to leave overnight as a fast-moving bushfire has approached communities near Millmerran, about 200km west of Brisbane. The emergency bushfire warning was downgraded to a watch and act notice on Sunday morning, with Queensland Fire and Emergency Services saying firefighters were will working to contain the fire and it was not yet safe to return.
I’m Royce Kurmelovs and I’ll be taking the blog through the day.
With that, let’s get started ...
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