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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Mostafa Rachwani and Emily Wind (earlier)

La Trobe University students end pro-Palestine camp – as it happened

Julian Assange United States Stella Assange
Pro-Palestine student demonstrators at La Trobe University
Pro-Palestine student demonstrators at La Trobe University have ended their encampment amid threats of disciplinary action. Photograph: Rachael Ward/AAP

What we learned today – Tuesday 21 May

We are wrapping up the blog for tonight. Here’s what made the news:

  • Telstra has announced it plans to cut 2,800 jobs from its workforce as part of changes to its enterprise business.

  • The foreign minister, Penny Wong, has confirmed the government has received clearance for two government assisted-departure flights to New Caledonia, where at least 300 Australians are stranded.

  • Queensland’s chief health officer declared a public health alert over the mental wellbeing of teenagers.

  • The prime minister weighed in on ICC prosecutor seeking arrest warrants, reiterating previously outlined government positions. Peter Dutton said Australia should “stand shoulder to shoulder with President Biden” who condemned the warrants.

  • A high court decision in Britain to allow Julian Assange to appeal his extradition to the US is a “small win” for the WikiLeaks founder but he should be freed now, the union for Australia’s journalists said.

  • The government announced the launch of a new network that will link cancer services across Australia, called the Australian comprehensive cancer network (ACCN).

  • Two Australian Palestinian men have been arrested after occupying the roof of a University of Queensland building yesterday afternoon.

  • The shadow education minister, Sarah Henderson, has said universities should ‘bring in the police’ to end pro-Palestine protests at campuses.

  • The competition watchdog has urged the Albanese government to support new airlines to enter Australia’s aviation market and help existing smaller operators expand, as it rues the likelihood that budget carrier Bonza will collapse.

  • NDIS minister Bill Shorten stoushed with premiers over the NDIS, saying “they’re wrong” about proposed changes to the legislation.

  • ANZ said it was investigating an issue affecting some customers unable to access their ANZ app or online banking.

  • About 7,500 staff and students have been caught up in a cyber-attack at Western Sydney University.

Updated

Australia becomes fourth country to sign a global HIV declaration

Australia has become the fourth country in the world to sign a global HIV campaign, as the government vows to eliminate transmission of HIV in Australia by 2030.

Along with the US, Canada and Vietnam, Australia has now committed to the principles of the Undetectable=Untransmittable (U=U) call to action.

“U=U” is an evidence-based principle that when a person living with HIV is on effective antiretroviral treatment for HIV, they will reach an undetectable viral load and will be unable to transmit the virus to sexual partners.

The health minister, Mark Butler, said:

We are confident that embedding U=U into our approach to HIV will accelerate progress towards national and global goals to end the HIV epidemic.

This would be an achievement that all Australians could be proud of. Our nation can lead the world by showing the once impossible goal of eliminating HIV transmission is achievable.

The government has made an investment of $43.9m in the budget to fund better prevention of HIV, access to testing and information, reduced stigma, and training on HIV for the health and support workforce.

Updated

La Trobe University students end pro-Palestine camp

Students at La Trobe University in Melbourne have ended their pro-Palestinian encampment, after the university threatened to discipline the students.

The group behind the encampment, Students for Palestine La Trobe, took to Instagram to announce the end of the camp, saying it was “forced” to shut down or else students would be penalised for not complying with university orders.

On Friday, the uni issued a directive to our peaceful encampment for Palestine to dismantle within 48 hours.

Since then they have moved to discipline student activists and are threatening more students. They have also threatened to use security to smash up our peaceful protest camp.

The uni is forcing our camp to shut down.

The encampment at Monash University also shut down four days ago.

Updated

Western Sydney University staff and students caught in cyber-attack

About 7,500 staff and students have been caught up in a cyber-attack at Western Sydney University.

Police are investigating the breach, which the university says dates as far back as May 2023, when an unauthorised party got into the Microsoft Office system and accessed email accounts and SharePoint files.

WSU says they have not received any threats to disclose the information if they do not pay a ransom fee.

A breach was first identified in January - which WSU says it quickly shut down - but a subsequent investigation found there had been a hack eight months earlier.

Along with their Office accounts, the university said its Solar Car Laboratory infrastructure had also been used in the breach.

WSU told affected individuals about the breach on Tuesday, with about 7500 people contacted by phone and email.

Interim vice-chancellor Clare Pollock said the university was committed to working through the issues with staff and students.

“On behalf of the university, I unreservedly apologise for this incident and its impact on our community,” she said in a statement.

“It is deeply regrettable, and we are committed to transparently rectifying the matter and fulfilling our obligations.”

The university has been granted an injunction at the NSW Supreme Court to stop the data that was the subject of the incident being used in any way.

The NSW Information and Privacy Commission has been involved in the investigation.

– via AAP

Updated

Resources minister says Labor’s gas strategy ‘bears no resemblance’ to Coalition’s gas-led recovery

The resources minister, Madeline King, has given a speech to the Australian Energy Producers conference defending Labor’s future gas strategy.

Kind said:

Can I be very clear what this strategy is not. It bears no resemblance to the LNP gas-led recovery, as I have seen some suggest. The central, guiding theme of the future gas strategy is the government’s pledge to get to net zero, and how gas can support that. Indeed, the first principle behind it is the commitment to support global emissions reductions and reach net zero.

The Coalition’s ill-thought-through gas-led recovery thought bubble recklessly dumped all responsibility for the nation’s future energy security on gas as coal fired generation declined. The mirage that was the so-called gas-led recovery just piled unnecessary pressure on the industry – making it even harder to have the difficult but important discussions about how different energy and industrial heat sources participate in our future economy. As far as three-word slogans go, “gas-led recovery” is about as useful as “no new gas” when it comes to helping us balance the economic, energy and environmental challenges and realities ahead for us and our region.

King also addressed some ill-feeling by gas companies that Labor dropped changes to consultation rules for offshore projects in return for the Greens helping to pass the PRRT. Essentially, she blamed companies for not backing the government up.

She said:

I know there is some disappointment in this room about that but I want to be very clear: my disappointment is not for the industry but the community that will remain subject to inadequate and inappropriate consultation requirements, for longer. The Greens political party and the crossbench independents and others promoted widespread misinformation in relation to the proposal that would ensure the community had the benefit of clarity and certainty in consultation. This misinformation went entirely uncontested by just about everyone other than the government.

I’m not sure how gas companies lobbying for Labor’s bill would’ve done them a lick of good in the PR war but there you have it - that’s how the resources minister sees it.

Updated

Thirteen Gold Coast teenagers assessed by paramedics after ingesting a plant

Paramedics have assessed 13 teenagers after they ingested a plant at a high school on the Gold Coast.

Three Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) crews responded to a call from Pacific Pines State High School at 11.20am after reports students had become ill after coming into contact with the plant.

A QAS spokesperson said 13 students were assessed on the scene, with twelve released to their parents and one taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition as a precautionary measure.

Updated

Minns promises to do ‘everything we can’ to help Telstra workers transition to new jobs

New South Wales premier Chris Minns says the state government will do “everything it can” to help Telstra workers after the company announced it would cut up to 2,800 jobs – roughly 10% of its workforce.

At a press conference in Helensburgh today, Minns acknowledged that many workers let go have “given years and years of service to Telstra”.

He said:

We’ll do everything we can in terms of transition to new jobs or more education or training.

Right now we’re thinking about these families and we want to do everything we possibly can to see them get new careers and new professions right here in NSW.

Updated

Dfat says ‘there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas’

The federal government has released its official response to the news overnight the international criminal court’s chief prosecutor is seeking arrest warrants for leaders of Hamas and Israel, including prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a similar vein to what Anthony Albanese said earlier today, a spokesperson from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade declined to comment on the specifics but noted there was “no equivalence” between Hamas and Israel.

The statement reads:

Australia respects the ICC and the important role it has in upholding international law. The decision on whether to issue arrest warrants is a matter for the Court in the independent exercise of its functions. It is not appropriate to comment on matters before the court.

There is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas. Hamas is a terrorist organisation. It is proscribed as such in Australia. Australia has been clear and unequivocal in our condemnation of its terrorist actions. We continue to call for the release of hostages immediately and unconditionally.

Any country under attack by Hamas would defend itself. And in defending itself, every country is bound by the same fundamental rules. Israel must comply with international humanitarian law.

Australia’s focus is on a humanitarian ceasefire, the release of hostages and increased humanitarian access.

Updated

Shorten hits back again at states and territories over NDIS funding

The NDIS minister, Bill Shorten, has hit out against “deep” concerns raised by the states and territories over changes to the federal scheme that will lead to worse outcomes for Australians with disabilities.

As we’ve covered earlier in the blog, a parliamentary inquiry is looking at a bill that promises to get the $44bn scheme “back on track” financially by making tweaks to how budgets are planned.

The bill is the federal government’s first legislative response to a comprehensive NDIS review, released late last year, recommending access to the scheme be determined by functional impairment, rather than diagnosis.

As part of the switch, the review recommended the states and territories lift their disability services outside of the NDIS – known as “foundational supports” – in order to pick up those who fall outside of the scheme.

But the premiers and chief ministers have repeatedly aired concerns the changes will cost more and leave more Australians without support. They have also warned there hasn’t been enough consultation or detail for them to fully support the overhaul.

Speaking to ABC radio in Perth today, Shorten said it was time for them to “step up and look after people who were never intended to be on the NDIS”.

This is not about slash and burn, as the states would sort of scare people with. But why would we keep growing inefficiently at 20% when we can use some of that margin and reinvest it with the states in partnership with the states.

Shorten said the premiers and chief ministers had other priorities, such as expensive infrastructure projects, and were “cash strapped so they just don’t want to do anything”.

Not because they’re bad people, but because NSW [is] upset at its share of the GST. You know, Victoria’s building some very expensive infrastructure and they start saying, well, that’s our priority. You just worry about people with disability, but that’s not how it rolls.

The NDIS minister said he was worried the calls to slow down the changes would become “an excuse to keep doing the minimum possible”.

Updated

Scott Morrison says ICC has ‘defined the victim as the perpetrator’ with pursuit of Israeli PM

The former prime minister, Scott Morrison, has weighed in on the international criminal court prosecutor’s (ICC) decision to seek arrest warrants for senior Hamas and Israeli officials, including for prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister, Yoav Gallant.

British ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said his office had applied to the world court’s pre-trial chamber for the arrest warrants for crimes committed during Hamas’s 7 October attack and the ensuing war in Gaza.

Morrison posted on X on Tuesday afternoon saying the ICC had “surrendered its legitimacy in creating a moral equivalence between terrorists and a nation”.

“The ICC has defined the victim as the perpetrator. That is not justice.”

The former member for Cook’s support of Israel is long documented. Earlier this year, Morrison accused the UN of antisemitism and applying double standards against Israel “not expected of any other democratic nation”.

While he was prime minister, Morrison’s Coalition government recognised West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, instead of Tel Aviv, but decided not to follow the US in moving its embassy there until after a peace agreement.

The policy was quietly reversed after the Albanese government’s election.

Updated

Firefighters responded to an unit fire in Sydney today where four cats have died.

Fire and Rescue NSW responded to a triple zero call just before 10am and observed smoke coming from a unit in Warwick Farm. Eight people were evacuated and the fire was extinguished around 20 minutes later.

A search of the unit located ten cats, FRNSW said. Six survived and were taken to the RSPCA.

The occupant was home at the time of the fire and reported no injuries, FRNSW said.

Child allegedly found in a 'cage' at NT work site

A child has reportedly been found locked in a cage at a Northern Territory industrial site.

Authorities are investigating the incident, which is understood to have occurred at a work site on the Stuart Highway.

“NT WorkSafe can confirm NT Police has raised a safety concern after receiving reports a young child had been secured in inappropriate conditions at a work site,” the agency said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Inspectors have commenced an enquiry into the incident.”

Police alerted the safety watchdog on Thursday.

It is alleged the child was about two years old and was placed in a makeshift secure enclosure, described by witnesses as a cage, NT News reports.

Territory Families is also looking into the matter.

“The safety of children is our top priority and we take seriously any allegation of child harm,” the agency said in a statement.

“We are aware of this matter and are looking into it.”

NT police declined to comment on the incident.

– via AAP

Updated

Good afternoon. Mostafa Rachwani with you to take you through the rest of the day’s news.

Updated

Many thanks for joining me on the blog today. Mostafa Rachwani will guide you through the rest of this evening’s news. Take care.

Updated

ANZ app outage leaves customers without banking access

ANZ says it is investigating an issue affecting some customers who are unable to access their ANZ app or online banking.

In a post to X, ANZ said:

We’re working to resolve this as soon as possible and apologise for the inconvenience. The ANZ Plus app, Phone Banking, ATMs and EFTPOS facilities continue to be available.

We’ll bring you the latest as we learn more.

Updated

Greens call on Albanese to back ICC prosecutor

The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, has called on prime minister Anthony Albanese to back the decision from the ICC prosecutor, seeking arrest warrants for senior Hamas and Israeli officials for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Speaking to the media this afternoon, Bandt said:

No one is above the law, especially when it comes to war crimes and genocide.

For months now, the Greens have been saying that what the Israeli military is doing is not self-defence. It is collective punishment of hundreds of thousands of civilians, many of whom have now been killed, or injured or missing. And with food running out, with children now dying because they can’t get enough to eat or drink, with aid being cut off, it is time for Labor to not only back this latest step from the International Criminal Court, but to take action against this extreme war cabinet of Benjamin Netanyahu.

Updated

Chilly mornings ahead for Australia’s south-east

The Bureau of Meteorology says frosty mornings are on the way for much of south-east Australia this week.

Overnight temperatures are forecast to drop below zero degrees in some areas, while Thursday brings the greatest chance of frost, the bureau says.

Updated

UQ students defy ban on anti-Israel chant

Dozens of University of Queensland students have marched on the university chancellory repeating a banned anti-Israel chant.

The university has banned “Out out Israel out” as antisemitic.

The group carried a sign bearing words from a university policy. It’s free speech policy reads:

Staff and students at the university enjoy freedom of speech on land of the university. The exercise of academic freedom by staff and students should not constitute misconduct or attract any penalty.

Updated

Advance Australia calls on donors to fight the Greens

The right-wing lobby group, Advance Australia, has placed the Greens in its firing line, saying the progressive minor party could “prop up” a minority Labor government at the next federal election.

In an email to its supporters this morning, the group’s executive director, Matthew Sheahan, called on supporters to donate to the group in an effort to “change the direction” of the next federal election.

Because while Aussies might be getting sick of the Albanese government, many of them reckon they can vote for the Greens instead. But you and I know that’s a disaster.

The group noted the Greens had grown from one parliamentary member in 1983 to 40 across federal, state and territory parliaments in 40 years. Sheahan continued:

You and I don’t want the Greens propping up a second term of Albanese; in fact they shouldn’t be in parliament at all.

Advance Australia was thanked by the opposition leader Peter Dutton for its role in the “no” side’s win at the Indigenous voice to parliament referendum.

Political donations data, released by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) in February, showed Advance Australia received $5.2m in donations and other receipts in the financial year covering, in part, the lead up to the referendum.

Updated

6 News founder unhappy with potential social media ban for under 16s

Amongst the debate on whether those under 16 should be allowed on social media is a vocal cohort with more skin in the game than others – Australia’s teenage journalists.

Leonardo Puglisi founded 6 News when he was 11 and now five years later, with a team of fellow young journos, the outlet has covered elections, international conflict and interviewed everyone from Scott Morrison to Anthony Albanese. He has garnered tens of thousands of followers and even fielded a job offer from Seven West’s new publication The Nightly.

Writing about the potential ban on X, Puglisi said: “This would literally ban half the [6News] team lmao no thank you.” He continued:

How are you going to police this? Trust me when I say if teens are determined to get on social media they’ll succeed.

And what counts as social media? Are we gonna ban 15yos from having a YouTube account? Come on.

Updated

Victoria police investigate series of small explosions in Wangaratta

Victoria police are investigating a series of small explosions across Wangaratta in April and May this year.

Police believe the incidents were caused by improvised explosives devices that cause a small explosion. The incidents occurred at:

  • George Street on Saturday 13 April about 9.25pm

  • Rowan Street near the Rowan Street underpass on Thursday 18 April about 9am

  • At the intersection of Ryley and Perry Streets on Sunday 28 April about 9.45am

  • Ovens Street outside a school on Wednesday 8 May about 8pm

  • Crammond Street on Saturday 11 May about 8pm

  • Ryley Street on Sunday 12 May about 9.10pm

  • Corner of Ovens and Docker Streets on Monday 20 May about 7.20pm

  • Intersection of Greta and Tone Roads on Monday 20 May about 8pm

There have been no injuries or property damage, police said, urging anyone with information or CCTV footage to contact Crime Stoppers.

Updated

Australia announces nearly $50m in funding for Solomon Islands projects

The deputy prime minister Richard Marles has made two announcements while visiting the Solomon Islands today, with nearly $50m in funding for a new border management system and health centre.

Australia has committed $3.2m to upgrade immigration operations by digitising the visa process, border entries and exits, and improving processes for revenue collection. This is expected to be fully implemented by mid-next year.

Meanwhile Australia will also deliver $45m for the Naha Birthing and Urban Health Centre in East Honiara, allowing new mothers to access pre- and post-natal care as well as eye, dental, pathology, x-ray and ultrasound and pharmacy services.

Australia will also provide medical equipment and staff training for the facility.

Marles said in a statement this would help to “ease pressure on the main hospital in Honiara.” He shared this photo earlier today, with newly elected Solomon Islands PM Jeremiah Manele.

'Nobody gets a free pass' on international law: Chris Bowen on ICC seeking arrest warrants

The energy minister, Chris Bowen, has weighed in on the ICC prosecutors seeking arrest warrants for senior Hamas and Israeli officials for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Bowen told Sky News:

I respect the International Criminal Court and I respect the work they do. International law must be respected and, of course, [it] was not respected by Hamas. Israel must respect international law. I heard ... Peter Dutton’s comments which were, in and of themselves, highly irresponsible by Peter Dutton to drag this through a domestic political debate ... International law must always be observed and nobody gets a free pass for that.

Asked if the seeking of warrants created a false moral equivalence between Hamas and Israel’s leadership, Bowen deadbatted by repeating his line about respecting the ICC which he said is “what the prime minister has said”.

Bowen’s comments do go a bit further than Anthony Albanese, though, who said only that he wouldn’t comment on court processes.

Bowen holds the western Sydney seat of McMahon, which is multiculturally diverse – and exactly the sort of place Labor is feeling pressure over whether it should go further in condemning Israel’s response to the 7 October attacks by Hamas.

Updated

Shorten stoushes with premiers over NDIS changes: 'They're wrong'

While proposals to change how the NDIS works are being discussed in parliament today, the NDIS minister has been swatting away criticism from the states and territories on funding for the scheme.

In Perth this morning, Bill Shorten was asked about complaints from premiers and chief ministers, who suggest the changes risk worse outcomes for people with disability. Shorten said: “They’re wrong. It’s as simple as this.”

People with disability don’t have time to wait. I get that the states are important players, and it’s important to consider their ideas ... but the presumption that somehow people with disability have got years to wait until some levels of government want to engage in their needs is wrong.

The stoush between the federal government and its state and territory counterparts over who funds the scheme, and who will foot the bill for new services outside of the NDIS, has been ongoing for some time.

In December, the Albanese government struck a $10.5bn deal with the states and territories to split the cost of disability services outside the NDIS in return for granting them a further three years of GST funding.

However, the leaders have expressed their disappointment in the bill put forward, with Queensland premier Steven Miles in March accusing the Albanese government of not engaging “deeply and honestly” or sharing enough detail.

Shorten has said today:

Under our reforms, there’ll be more invested in people with disability under our reforms tomorrow than there is today ... [and the states] need to stop whingeing about the fact that we’re getting on with our day job and join us.

Updated

Taylor Swift drove air traffic to record levels, ACCC report finds

Taylor Swift not only captured the hearts of hundreds of thousands of Australians when she toured in February; she also delivered a big boost to airlines’ operations.

The passion of Australian Swifties has been recognised by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in its latest quarterly domestic aviation monitoring report.

The ACCC found that for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, domestic passenger numbers in February exceeded 2019 levels.

Behind the spike in air travel were fans travelling to Melbourne and Sydney to attend some of Swift’s seven concerts. The fact there was an extra leap day this February, as well as a WWE wrestling event in Perth, also contributed to the increased demand to fly, but Swift’s tour alone was the largest driver, the ACCC said. It’s monitoring found:

Airlines added some capacity following news of her tour. For example, Qantas announced it had added 67 additional flights, or over 11,000 seats on Melbourne and Sydney routes.

Updated

Ex-aide and ministers should admit being wrong: senator

The Liberal senator Linda Reynolds, her former political staffer Brittany Higgins and Higgins’s fiance have started a second round of talks in a bid to resolve a pair of high-profile defamation cases, AAP reports.

The former defence minister, who plans to retire from politics at the next election, is suing Higgins and David Sharaz over a series of social media posts she says have damaged her reputation.

Reynolds said it was time for the parties to accept Justice Michael Lee’s judgment in the recent Bruce Lehrmann defamation case as she arrived at the WA supreme court today. She told reporters:

It’s time for them to admit they got it wrong.

Reynolds also said the finance minister, Katy Gallagher, and the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, should accept Lee’s findings in the federal court.

Lee’s judgment in Lehrmann’s defamation case against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson found that on the balance of probabilities he did rape Higgins, but the allegation of a political cover-up “was objectively short on facts but long on speculation”.

Lehrmann has always denied the sexual assault allegation. His trial was aborted due to juror misconduct and Higgins’s mental health was cited as the reason for no retrial.

Updated

Do more to help new airlines, ACCC urges government

The competition watchdog has urged the Albanese government to support new airlines to enter Australia’s aviation market and help existing smaller operators expand, as it rues the likelihood that budget carrier Bonza will collapse.

Following Bonza’s fleet of Boeing 737 Max 8s being abruptly repossessed and its workforce stood down indefinitely as administrators determine its future, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said “it would be detrimental to competition if Bonza was not able to resume services”.

The ACCC, in its quarterly domestic aviation monitoring report, said that while Bonza appeared to be hampered by issues with its US private equity owner 777 Partners and a lack of aircraft, Bonza’s business model had proved successful in boosting regional connectivity and driving down prices on routes it competed on, despite only gaining 2% market share at its peak.

“Bonza’s presence represented an opportunity for greater competition to emerge in the concentrated domestic aviation sector, such as if the airline had continued to grow with more aircraft and entered busier routes connecting Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane,” the report said, noting Bonza’s inability to access take off and landing slots at Sydney Airport at the times it wanted as a barrier.

The ACCC welcomed the government’s proposed reforms to Sydney airport’s slot system, but noted the current slot manager, Airport Co-ordination Australia, is majority owned by Qantas and Virgin Australia – airline groups which operate about 90% of the market.

While the airline industry may always have greater barriers to entry than most other parts of the economy, government policies should support such entry and expansion as much as possible.

Updated

Circling back to NDIS bill inquiry

A bill to overhaul how the NDIS works and get it “back on track” financially requires “significant” changes, disability advocacy groups say.

A parliamentary inquiry is examining the proposals – which change how plans are budgeted and what supports and items can be funded.

It follows the release of the NDIS review late last year, which recommended focus on functional impairment over diagnoses and that entry to the scheme be limited to those with serious disability while simultaneously building up disability services outside the NDIS for those who can no longer access it.

Those disability services outside the NDIS, to be partly funded and administered by the states and territories, are referred to as “foundational supports”.

But community advocates are concerned changes to who can access the scheme might occur before the states and territories are able to build up an adequate level of “foundational supports”.

El Gibbs, acting chief executive of the Disability Advocacy Network Australia, said the lack of “clear timelines” for building up those supports was a serious concern.

Sophie Cusworth, the acting head of Women with Disabilities Australia, said there was still limited information about the design of foundational supports, including their availability and eligibility criteria.

These reforms must be designed simultaneously in collaboration with state and territory governments and representative peaks like us to ensure that no one is left without essential supports and services.

Updated

Bystanders make citizen’s arrest after man allegedly stabs woman with knife

A woman has allegedly been stabbed by a stranger as she was walking down the street, AAP reports, with bystanders intervening to arrest the knife-wielding man.

The woman in her 20s was walking in Melbourne’s St Kilda East when a man approached this morning, police said. He allegedly slashed her on the arm with a knife about 8.40am on Hotham Street.

Police allege he tried to run away but members of the public restrained him until police arrived. The 44-year-old St Kilda East man was arrested and taken to hospital under police guard with minor injuries.

The woman was taken to hospital for treatment on her non-life-threatening injuries. A man in his 30s, who helped with the citizen’s arrest was also taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Jewish synagogue, library and learning centre, The Yeshiva Centre, is located on Hotham Street near where the incident took place. But a police spokesman said there was “nothing to suggest” the alleged stabbing was religiously motivated.

Police will allege the parties were not known to each other.

Police have called for witnesses of the incident to come forward.

Updated

Bill to get NDIS 'back on track' being examined at parliamentary inquiry

The NDIS is in focus today at a parliamentary inquiry examining a new bill that proposes to get the $44bn scheme “back on track”.

About $14.4bn in federal budget savings over the next four years is also dependent on the proposals to overhaul the scheme passing parliament this year.

The first witness is Prof Bruce Bonyhady, an architect of the scheme and one of the author’s of last year’s NDIS review. Bonyhady says the bill is “consistent” with his review’s recommendations but he’s also aware of the concern members of the disability community have raised.

Since the NDIS amendments bill was tabled, I’ve heard concern about some of the details and agree that these need to be worked through very carefully as part of the processes of this committee and with the government. This detail is obviously important.

And so I welcome the statement from the minister [Bill Shorten] in his second reading speech, that he wants to get it right. And I’m sure that in the coming weeks there will be improvements consistent with the minister’s statement.

The review’s recommendations were wide-reaching and included shifting the scheme’s focus to providing supports for those with a functional impairment, rather than a focus on those with a diagnosis.

The bill, if passed, would allow the government to change NDIS rules to target plan intra-inflation – where participants spend the funds in their plan and then request a top-up. Another proposal will remove existing itemised budgets, replacing it with a simplified system with flexible supports and stated supports.

Bonyhady said there should be “deep engagement” with the community on the changes.

Updated

Consumers offered slightly upbeat view of the federal budget

Various polls are out about how the Albanese government’s third budget went down with voters, with some declaring “no bounce” as though it was a revelation. Fact is, most of us hope for more help – justifiably for those on jobseeker – and we’re bound to be disappointed.

There are a couple of surveys out today that give us a flavour of what the budget might mean for consumption. A spending splurge is unlikely, of course, but the RBA will be hoping there isn’t one.

Westpac and the Melbourne Institute’s monthly survey found sentiment slid compared with April, with the mood dimming post-budget compared with those surveyed before 14 May.

That said, there’s usually a heavily negative result to the question of whether the budget made you better or worse off.

This year, the gap of gloom narrowed to just 3% (18% said they were better off, v 21% saying they were worse off), or the least negative response seen in the 14 years they’ve asked that question.

The ANZ and Roy Morgan found a similarly “not so bad” outcome in their weekly survey. Sentiment actually perked up a bit – from very low levels.

The other part that the RBA is interested in is whether inflation expectations “remain anchored”. According to the weekly survey, those expectations didn’t budge in the wake of the budget.

Updated

Victorian police will be in ‘no-win’ situation if called to pro-Palestine encampment, union head says

The head of Victoria’s police union says his members will be in a “no-win” situation if the University of Melbourne calls them to intervene in a pro-Palestine encampment on campus.

Pro-Palestine protesters have been camped within one of the university’s department buildings for six nights, despite administrators threatening police and disciplinary action.

Wayne Gatt, secretary of the Police Association of Victoria, has told 3AW radio that the university must make a formal complaint of trespassing before officers intervene:

Sadly, in my opinion, and perhaps a cynical one, the only losers out of that will be police because no matter what decision they take, they are going to have made the wrong one.

If they use force, they’ll have been said to have used too much. If they don’t, they’ll have been said to have stood back and watched too long. It’s a no-win situation we can all see coming for coppers.

Updated

RBA sought to avoid ‘excessive fine-tuning’ in leaving key interest rate on hold

The Reserve Bank has released the minutes of its board meeting two weeks ago when it opted to leave its cash rate at 4.35% – the level it’s sat at since November.

The minutes don’t carry as much weight, it seems, since the RBA governor, Michele Bullock, started holding media conferences after each meeting.

Still, there are a few more details about how they weighed up the two options – to hike or to hold – and what might prompt another rate increase. (No examination yet of a rate cut.)

“The flow of data since the previous meeting had mostly been stronger than expected,” the minutes noted, with the March quarter inflation results key among them.

Perhaps most pertinent, though, is this line given the federal budget was about to land (on 14 May):

If accompanied by further growth in public demand and business investment, this could sustain aggregate demand above the economy’s supply potential and delay the return of inflation to target.

The competing concern was the economy might slow too quickly, particularly if consumer spending continued to wilt. So, rather than hike and then have to cut, “members judged that it remained reasonable to look through short-term variation in inflation to avoid excessive fine-tuning,” the RBA said.

Still, “the risks around inflation had risen somewhat,” so the RBA isn’t ready to pack away the hiking gear just yet, as the minutes confirmed.

Updated

Dutton labels Labor’s migration policy a Rudd-era ‘big Australia policy’

At his press conference earlier, the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, said the federal government’s migration plan is a “big Australia policy”.

Dutton’s attack is another attempt to link the current government to a Rudd-era policy from 2009 of the same name:

The Albanese government has now created a big Australia policy but didn’t tell anybody about it before the election, just sprung it on people – and at the same time they took money out of the infrastructure program as well.

So there are no new schools, there are no new freeways, no road widenings, no new car parks, or train stations or extra capacity on public transport under the government’s plan. They bring in 1.7 million people in a five-year period, which is bigger than the population of Adelaide.

Updated

NDIS reform is not a reduction of funding, treasurer says

I just wanted to return to Jim Chalmers’ presser earlier this morning, because he addressed slated reforms to the national disability insurance scheme.

The treasurer sought to dispel concerns from state governments about the speed and cost of reforms to the legislation, particularly concerning initiatives that were agreed to be jointly funded last year.

Chalmers said his government would “work with states, not against them”:

None of it is easy. It’s all difficult stuff, making sure that we can make the NDIS the best version of itself, including the most sustainable version of itself.

We understand that the states have raised concerns – they’ve raised them privately and publicly – and that’s appropriate. But our intention here is to work with the states, not against them.

We’re providing enormous support for the states with the agreement on the table to advance health and hospitals funding, as well as, of course, the additional support that we had for housing in the budget as well as the discussions that are taking place on education funding going forward.

What we’re talking about here isn’t something that’s any reduction – it is a lowering of the projected increase in NDIS funding, which would see it unsustainable.

Updated

Australia should stand shoulder to shoulder with president Biden: Dutton

The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is now taking questions from reporters, and is asked about the US president Joe Biden’s response to the ICC prosecutor.

Biden has labelled an application by the ICC for warrants seeking the arrest of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, along with senior members of Hamas, for actions carried out in Gaza as “outrageous”. Dutton told reporters:

Australia should stand shoulder to shoulder with president Biden. He has shown leadership by standing up against this equivalence, which is completely and utterly repugnant to compare the Israeli prime minister to a terrorist organisation leader and to not have some clarity in relation to it, I think is appalling.

The prime minister squibbed it today when he was asked about this issue, and the prime minister had the opportunity at the ICC where Australia was consulted in relation to this matter – they didn’t weigh in and say there were against this measure, instead, they sat on the sideline and had nothing to say about it at all …

[The PM is] tarnishing and damaging our international relationships with like-minded nations when he’s not strong enough to stand up alongside president Joe Biden. I very strongly support the comments of president Biden today in relation to the ICC, it’s an abomination and it needs to be ceased, this action is antisemitic and it is against the interests of peace in the Middle East.

Updated

'Bring in the police': shadow education minister on pro-Palestine protests at uni campuses

The shadow education minister, Sarah Henderson, has been speaking to the media, alongside opposition leader Peter Dutton, about the pro-Palestine protests at university campuses across the country.

She claimed the situation at the University of Melbourne is “intolerable” and that it is “not safe to be on that campus” in Melbourne or Sydney.

She called on Anthony Albanese to “bring in the police”, and said:

I call on the prime minister, who said he would take a zero tolerance approach to antisemitism, to step up and show the leadership that young Australians deserve. And as for this hapless education minister, Jason Clare, antisemitism does not mean different things to different people. So I say bring in the police, and please restore law and order and safety to our university campuses.

Updated

Senator Mehreen Faruqi says every cent owed to casual university staff ‘must be paid back in full’

The Greens have lashed out at the University of Sydney after revelations in its annual report, released yesterday, that around $70m is owed in casual staff underpayments.

The figure is significantly higher than previous estimates, which sat at $15m at the end of 2022. The report also showed the salary of vice-chancellor Mark Scott increased last year by around $15k to $1.18m.

Greens deputy leader and spokesperson for higher education, Senator Mehreen Faruqi said every cent owed to casual staff “must be urgently paid back in full”.

A university system where vice-chancellors earn well over $1m a year, while casual staff are systemically robbed of wages and students graduate with a lifetime of debt is a broken system.

[Education minister] Jason Clare and the Labor government must require universities to set publicly-available targets for increasing permanent employment, and link this to funding. There should be clearer reporting requirements with respect to employment statistics and improved rights of entry for trade unions.

In a statement yesterday, Scott said the university deeply regretted any underpayments that had occurred, adding the university was “committed to ensuring all staff are paid according to our enterprise agreement”.

Updated

Stranded Melbourne couple describe ‘terrifying’ situation in New Caledonia

Melbourne couple Max and Tiffany Winchester spoke to ABC News Breakfast from Noumea just earlier, and described the “terrifying” situation on the ground.

It’s been very difficult to sleep. All of us at the resort have had one eye open – any noise, we have to jump up, because we never know when we’re going to come under attack …

The couple said they could see violence and fires in the distance:

Luckily we’re far enough away, but we did have the looters come in the first night we were here making a bit of a ruckus. But they’ve left us alone since. We just don’t know when they’re coming back, and we don’t know what they’ll do.

The couple said they have been in limbo for nine days now and their children back at home are “worried sick”. In terms of the government’s response, the pair said it “took six days for anything to happen” and while communication is better now, they would “still like to have a daily update”.

We’re largely on our own. The high commission closed, the consular staff went awol, and people in Canberra said we were on our own. It was quite scary for the first six days. I don’t think they realised how serious it was.

Updated

More details on government-assisted flights to New Caledonia, where 300 Australians stranded

AAP has more details on the two government-assisted flights set to depart New Caledonia, as riots and unrest mar the French territory in the Pacific.

Foreign minister Penny Wong confirmed Australia had received clearance for two flights after the international airport was shut down, and the government would “continue to work on further flights”.

Wong spoke with her New Zealand and French counterparts yesterday to request access to the territory.

The Australian defence force was on standby to assist and were ready to fly as soon as they were permitted, prime minister Anthony Albanese said.

At least six people have died and hundreds more were injured after violence erupted last week after controversial electoral reforms passed in Paris. Australia has urged people to reconsider their need to travel to New Caledonia.

Updated

Australia’s peak Jewish group urges Albanese to join Biden in condemning ICC prosecutor

Australia’s peak Jewish representative group has urged Anthony Albanese to join US president Joe Biden in condemning the international criminal court’s (ICC) chief prosecutor, who announced overnight he is seeking arrest warrants for Hamas leaders and Israeli president, Benjamin Netanyahu, in relation to alleged war crimes in Gaza.

British ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said his office had applied to the world court’s pre-trial chamber for arrest warrants for the military and political leaders on both sides for crimes committed during Hamas’s 7 October attack and the ensuing war in Gaza.

Khan is also seeking an arrest warrant against Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant.

Biden immediately slammed the “outrageous” announcement, saying “there is no equivalence” between Israel and Hamas and that the US “will always stand with Israel against threats to its security”.

This morning Albanese would not be drawn on the issue, saying he doesn’t comment on court proceedings and is focused on the release of hostages, a permanent ceasefire and progress towards a two-state solution.

Shortly before the press conference, Alex Ryvchin, the chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, called the ICC’s announcement a “dangerous politicisation” of the international tribunal and urged Albanese to rebuke it.

It obliterates the moral and legal distinction between terrorists and democratic states who seek to confront them. This poses an unacceptable risk to political and military leaders of all states who may be drawn into armed conflict by acts of terrorism inflicted upon their people. Hamas will delight in this because it confuses the rights and wrongs of this war and signals that both sides are equally culpable. The US President was right to slam the conduct of the prosecutor and affirm support for Israel’s just and necessary war aims. We call upon our government to do likewise.

Updated

Victorian premier weighs in on pro-Palestine protests at university campuses

Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, says she wants to see university students back in class.

She said while the arrangements differed from campus to campus, she had “confidence” in the response from Victoria police and universities. Allan said:

I’ve called for calm for some time now on university campuses – and indeed across our community – and I continue to call for calm. But I really do think we have reached the point where many Victorians are frustrated or fed up with some of the reckless behaviour we’ve seen. I know I certainly am.

When it comes to letting those students who want to get back to their learning, they should be allowed to get back to their learning ... The right to peacefully protest is a hallmark of our democracy but violence is absolutely not. And we should not be seeing violence overseas, bringing violence to the streets of Melbourne ... We need calm, we need respect, and we need to let the students who want to get back to their learning, get back to their learning.

Updated

More details on Victoria’s medical cannabis driving trial

Roads minister, Melissa Horne, says she expects the trial will be completed in 18 months.

Legalise Cannabis MPs, David Ettershank and Rachel Payne, said they are incredibly disappointed in the trial’s timeline, having been guaranteed a result by the end of the year from former premier, Daniel Andrews.

Payne said in a statement:

Jacinta Allan may be on a driving track today, but I know she is intentionally ‘stalling’ on this decision. In 2023, Dan Andrews promised an answer ‘in coming months’ followed by a guarantee to have it fixed by 2024. Now, with a new Premier, it’s mid-2026 at best. She’s in the slow lane. How many times will this government betray patients when it comes just giving an answer on medical cannabis driving?

She called on the government to follow Tasmania’s lead and provide a medical defence for driving with THC in body fluids.

Updated

Victoria’s ‘world-first’ trial to assess impact of medical cannabis while driving

Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has announced plans for a “world-first” closed-circuit trial to assess the impact medical cannabis has on driving ability.

While Victoria in 2016 became the first state to approve the use of medicinal cannabis, it remains an offence for a person to drive with any trace of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of cannabis, in their system.

Allan said the budget, handed down earlier this month, provided $4.9m for the trial and legislation has passed parliament to allow people to take part. Speaking from a driver-training centre in the outer east, she said:

It will be a trial that will be undertaken under strict supervision. We were just checking out the vehicle there with the dual controls that will be one of the measures used to not just have these trials in a safe closed circuit here at METEC, but also to be able to use it to gather the evidence and the research about how people who use medicinal cannabis may be able to safely get out and drive on our roads.

Updated

Queensland chief health officer declares public health alert over mental wellbeing of teenagers

The Queensland premier has accused social media companies of “failing on every measure designed to protect our kids”.

Premier Steven Miles spoke in parliament today after Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard declared a public health alert over the mental wellbeing of teenagers.

Miles said findings released by Gerrard had demonstrated “a real link between unrestricted social media use and increased distress in children and teens”.

As a parent, this worries me. As I’m sure it does every person in this house.

Miles said he supported recommendations by an expert group convened by the CHO to closely monitor and limit social media access for those under 14 to encourage healthy habits.

The premier said he had spoken with South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas, who has recently appointed former chief justice of the high court, Robert French, to conduct a legal examination into banning children under the age of 14 from having social media accounts.

Their government will share the outcomes of that examination with ours, to better understand how we could implement such a ban in Queensland. With the opportunities for connectivity, there must be balance ... we must act now to prevent irreversible damage to the mental health of young Queenslanders.

Updated

Telstra shares fall as investors weigh job cut plans

Shares in Telstra are trading lower early today as investors react to the company’s plan to cut 2,800 jobs, representing almost 10% of its workforce.

Pitched as a means to improve productivity, the redundancies are partly focused on the telco’s enterprise business, which services large companies and government agencies.

That division has been a weak earner, as the use of desktop phones diminish and businesses cut their communications budget due to rising costs.

Investors sent the share price down more than 2% shortly after trading opened.

Share prices often rise after a company announces a major redundancy program amid expectations productivity will improve. The price drop indicates shareholders are uncertain about what the measures mean for Telstra’s outlook.

Updated

Government receives clearance for two flights to New Caledonia

The foreign minister, Penny Wong, has confirmed the government has received clearance for two government assisted-departure flights to New Caledonia, where at least 300 Australians are stranded.

Wong wrote on X that the department of foreign affairs and trade is contacting registered Australians, and said:

Passengers are being prioritised based on need. We continue to work on further flights.

Updated

Two men arrested after occupying roof of University of Queensland building

Two Australian Palestinian men have been arrested after occupying the roof of a University of Queensland building yesterday afternoon.

The 53-year-olds were part of a student encampment protest demanding the university cut ties with Boeing and the US defence department due to their ties to Israel.

Grassroots group Demilitarize UQ warned the group would escalate its response if the university did not respond. An open letter sent to UQ demanding it end its ties with foreign defence departments has received more than 1,000 signatures.

After two hours occupying the roof, supported by around 70 protestors down below, Queensland police arrived and the men came down. Protestors allege after their peaceful arrest, force was used to move protestors off the road and an individual was pepper sprayed.

One of the men, Subhi Awad, said he had watched for more than 225 days as Israel “committed atrocity after atrocity against our communities’ family and friends in Gaza and throughout Palestine, mostly affecting children”.

The government is failing in its legal obligations, and we are following Australia’s proud history of civil disobedience in the face of war crimes, human rights abuses, and injustice.

The two men have been charged with unregulated high-risk activity, Queensland police confirmed. They were both released on bail and will appear in Brisbane magistrates court on 6 June.

A spokesperson for the University of Queensland said management had “made it clear” to camp organisers that while students and staff were free to express their views, it couldn’t extend to actions that were “unsafe, cause harm, or prevent people from going about their work or studies”.

Queensland Police responded to a dangerous situation when two people on the roof of a building refused to follow security’s direction to come down.This posed an unacceptable safety risk to those involved and we thank police for their prompt response. The university will be taking action.

Updated

Anthony Albanese asked about ongoing migration debate

Taking his final question, the prime minister is asked about the ongoing migration debate occurring between the government and coalition.

A reporter asked: “The opposition clearly wants to have a debate on migration, which could turn pretty ugly. The country’s already had a divisive debate around the voice. Are you prepared to have this debate?”

Anthony Albanese responded:

Well, Peter Dutton always looks to divide. What I look for is to unite Australia, to unite us because, if we’re optimistic about seizing the opportunities which are before us, we can really use this decade to set us up for a generation to come …

[Dutton’s] out there saying he wants Australians to work longer for less, he’s saying that he’ll oppose the measures that we have announced for people to not be working 24 hours a day if they’re not being paid 24 hours a day. He’s announced a range of other divisive policies that don’t present a coherent way forward.

We’re addressing the migration issue. We’re addressing the housing issue. We’re addressing all of the challenges that are before Australia in a considered, orderly way. That is something that has characterised my government … That responsible policy stands in stark contrast to the waste and mismanagement and denial and delay of the former government over 10 years, including Peter Dutton, who presided over a migration number that was higher than what we are projecting going forward when he was the minister with responsibility.

Updated

‘Need to make sure there is stability in the grid’: PM on whether Eraring power station should be extended

Amid the release of the latest Aemo report, Anthony Albanese is asked whether the NSW government should extend the life of Eraring power station?

He said it was a matter for the state government.

I had a chat with minister Sharpe just a couple of days ago. I know that they’re considering that. We need to make sure that there is stability in the grid. That is what they are doing.

The former government, of course – federal government – pretended that there were going to be new coal-fired power stations. Where are they? They were in office for almost a decade. None of it happened. They put money into the Collinsfield study to the proponents that was never, ever going to go ahead because it didn’t stack up. For the same reason now, they’re saying that nuclear reactors will stack up – but they can’t find anyone to finance them or anyone who says it will go ahead. It is a recipe for delay, and we need something better than that.

Updated

Flight ‘on stand-by’ to New Caledonia as at least 300 Australians stranded

Turning to the ongoing situation in New Caledonia, Anthony Albanese said the government has flights “on stand-by”. This comes as New Zealand has announced its first evacuation flight.

The PM told reporters:

It hasn’t happened up to this point because the airport has been closed. But we are offering every support and so we are ready to go once the airport [is] reopened … Our department of foreign affairs and trade continue to work very closely with the 300 Australians who are on the register with Dfat. We suspect there are more Australians than that in New Caledonia, but we’ve been working with appropriate authorities – as we always do in times of crisis globally, we help our citizens.

Updated

Treasurer ‘thinking of all the families’ impacted by Telstra job cuts

Treasurer Jim Chalmers is also speaking to the media, and responded to news Telstra will cut up to 2,800 jobs.

I think this is a very distressing day for a lot of people who’ve received this bad news today from Telstra. We’re thinking of all the families who are impacted by these big job cuts at a major Australian employer. We need to make sure that the services don’t suffer as a consequence of these changes. We will be seeking advice from the ACCC about some of the claims that Telstra is making about their new pricing strategy and the role of the NBN.

Updated

PM on Assange: ‘nothing to be served by the ongoing incarceration’

The prime minister also weighted in on the latest Julian Assange development, and told reporters:

I’m certain that we are continuing to work in a constructive fashion. Our position has been very clear, [the] same position I had as opposition leader, I’ve had as prime minister, which is enough is enough. There’s nothing to be served by the ongoing incarceration of Mr Assange, and we continue to work very closely to achieve that outcome.

Updated

Prime minister weighs in on ICC prosecutor seeking arrest warrants

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is speaking to the media from Sydney.

Taking questions from reporters, he is asked about the ICC prosecutor seeking arrest warrants for senior Hamas and Israeli officials for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his defence minister, Yoav Gallant.

Albanese responded:

I don’t comment on court processes in Australia, let alone court processes globally which Australia is not a party.

Albanese would not say whether he agreed with comments from US president Joe Biden. He said:

I don’t comment on court proceedings. What we need to concentrate on when it comes to the Middle East is what we have been saying. From the time that, on October 7, the terrorist atrocity committed by Hamas - we opposed that.

We have called for the release of hostages. We’ve called for a humanitarian ceasefire. We’ve called for increased humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza. We’ve said that every life matters, whether it be Israeli or Palestinian. And we’ve called for progress towards a two-state solution.

That is where we are concentrating, playing a role where we can in promoting the right of both the Israelis and Palestinians to live in security, in peace and in prosperity.

Updated

Vicki Brady also spoke on changes to the customer terms, to remove the CPI-linked annual price review:

So what we have announced today is we will not be making pricing changes in July for our consumer post-paid mobile plans. Our pricing review continues, as you would expect, across all of our products, so I can confirm no change in July as part of these changes.

Updated

Vicki Brady said that a restructuring charge of between $200m and $250m is expected, “over and above our ordinary redundancy cost”.

So that restructuring charge will cover the redundancy cost involved in impacting up to 2,800 jobs.

Updated

‘Costumer service and experience’ to be key priority amid job cuts, Telstra CEO says

Q: How can you lose almost 10% of staff and not impact customers, not impact services? Surely there’s going to be a massive blow to services at some level?

Vicki Brady responded:

We’re very focused as we make these changes. We have invested significantly in our customer service over recent years. That includes on-shoring our call centres for consumer and small business customers, it includes buying back our stores to deliver consistently good experience. None of these changes impact those commitments. As we work through the further changes still to come that I expect to be able to share with our employees in mid-July, customer service and experience will continue to be a key priority in that.

Updated

Initial job cuts ‘largely relate to Telstra enterprise business’, CEO says

Vicki Brady said Telstra would begin consulting with people impacted by today’s job cuts, and with unions, and additional support would be made available to employees.

The next period will be challenging, but I am confident we will come out the other side of this a more focused and successful company …

Asked about the size of these job cuts amid the cost-of-living crisis, Brady responded:

[Support measures include] having industry-leading redundant packages. It includes career transition support which will involve ongoing access to learning over a six-month period post leaving Telstra to help move to their next role.

She said the initial jobs to be impacted by cuts “largely relate to [the] Telstra enterprise business”, which services the largest organisations in the country.

Updated

Why is Telstra announcing major job cuts?

Telstra CEO Vicki Brady is explaining why the telecomm is planning to cut 2,800 jobs from its workforce.

She said the industry is “fast-changing” with “new and different competitors”, and that customer needs are evolving amid “ongoing inflationary and cost pressures”.

At the same time, the need for better connectivity right across the country only continues to grow … This means we have to make significant ongoing investments in our infrastructure, our technology, and our services to deliver what our customers need today and into the future.

While parts of our business are performing strongly, there are parts that are not delivering to expectation. We also haven’t been on track to deliver our cost-out ambitions. Higher-than-expected inflation and cost pressures, including energy costs, have made meeting this ambition more challenging.

The actions we are announcing today are difficult, but they are necessary. We need to be a more efficient and sustainable business to ensure we can keep investing at the levels required to meet the ever-increasing demand for our connectivity and services for our customers right across the country.

Updated

Telstra CEO fronts media following job cuts announcement

Telstra CEO Vicki Brady is speaking to the media from Sydney, after the announcement that it plans to cut 2,800 jobs from its workforce.

She said the “majority” of job cuts would occur by the end of this calendar year.

Consultation with employees will commence today on 377 of those proposed job reductions. We will continue to work through the detail as fast as we can on the remaining proposed changes and I anticipate being able to update our employees around mid-July. As part of our ongoing work to reduce our costs, we will also focus on other cost categories including non-labour-related costs.

Brady said that the job cuts flagged today “do not impact our consumer customer service team and as we progress on the detail work on further changes, we will continue to prioritise consumer service”.

Updated

Energy experts weigh in on Aemo report

A number of energy experts have weighed in on Aemo’s latest report, which forecast so-called reliability gaps in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria unless authorities “orchestrated” faster deployment of renewables.

Stephanie Bashir, principal of Nexa Advisory and board member of the Smart Energy Council, said the report states there will be one gigawatt of gap between 2025 and 2028 due to a lack of progress on transmission and renewable projects.

If the situation has really changed for technical, not political, reasons in just four months then taxpayers and consumers must have transparency before they pay the $120-150m a year to keep Eraring open, plus higher electricity bills.

It is time for Aemo and the NSW government to step up and act with urgency … We are yet to hear a commitment from NSW planning minister Paul Scully on the plan to prioritise the outstanding renewable energy projects in the pipeline.

Bashir said the report did not say there would be blackouts, and “the gap identified each year in the sensitivity analysis under worst case scenario is still fairly small and can be filled with big batteries”.

Tim Buckley, a senior energy market analyst and director of Climate Energy Finance, added that the “real reliability gap here is the failure of authorities to accelerate the rollout of renewable energy, transmission and grid connections needed to ensure cheap and reliable energy to consumers statewide”.

Updated

Forecast $3bn blowout in Queensland budget amid cost-of-living relief measures

Queensland has forecast a $3bn budget blowout as a result of the cost-of-living relief the state government is delivering, AAP reports.

State treasurer Cameron Dick has announced the June budget will forecast a deficit of around $3bn for 2024-25 financial year. It is set to ease to less than $1bn the following year. Dick said in a statement:

While our government would like to see a surplus in the next two financial years, that will not come at the cost of Queensland families running deficits on their household budgets.

The budget blowout comes amid major state government spending on cost-of-living measures, housing and health. The treasurer says the measures are necessary so dipping into the bottom line is a worthwhile investment:

If we have to borrow to deliver our cost-of-living measures then that is what we will do, but we will do so in a way that keeps inflation as low as possible.

The government managed to deliver a $4.3bn surplus in 2021/22 and a record $13.9bn surplus in 2022/23. That was on the back of coal royalties supporting Queensland’s post-pandemic boom which had been forecast to boost revenue by $9.4bn over five years. This upcoming financial year was also previously forecast to remain in surplus.

Updated

Telstra announces plans to cut 2,800 jobs

Telstra has announced it plans to cut 2,800 jobs from its workforce as part of changes to its enterprise business.

In an announcement to the Australian stock exchange, CEO Vicki Brady said Telstra would consult with employees and the union as part of the changes.

In February, Telstra announced a review of its enterprise business, and has decided to reset the business including a “streamlined product portfolio”, a reduced number of NAS products, a simplified customer sales and service, and a reduction in the Telstra Purple tech services business.

The review remains ongoing and Telstra says it comes amid “challenging market conditions”.

The 2,800 roles will go as part of the enterprise reset, alone with other organisations changes to be finalised by the end of 2024. Brady said:

I appreciate the uncertainty proposed changes like this can create for our people and we will support them through this change with care and transparency. As we propose specific changes, we will talk them through with our teams and union representatives first.

The company also announced postpaid mobile plans will not have an annual CPI-linked price review, with prices adjusted at different times to take into different factors.

Updated

Mediation talks in Reynolds and Higgins defamation case

Liberal senator Linda Reynolds, her former political staffer Brittany Higgins and her fiance are expected to attempt again to resolve a pair of high-profile defamation cases, AAP reports.

The former defence minister, who plans to retire from politics at the next election, is suing Higgins and David Sharaz over a series of social media posts she says have damaged her reputation.

The parties in March attended closed-door mediation in the WA supreme court but it’s understood to have failed. They are scheduled to appear in the same court today for another mediation session in a bid to resolve the matters.

Sharaz in April tweeted he would no longer fight the case because he could not afford to pay the legal cost associated with going to trial in July.

Senator Reynolds is suing him over tweets he made and a Facebook comment in 2022. Higgins is accused of posting defamatory material on her Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) accounts.

Bruce Lehrmann has always denied the sexual assault allegation. His trial was aborted due to juror misconduct and Higgins’ mental health was cited as the reason for no retrial.

A federal court judgment in Lehrmann’s defamation case against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson found in April that on the balance of probabilities he did rape Ms Higgins, but the allegation of a political cover-up “was objectively short on facts but long on speculation”.

Updated

Woman dies after being hit by van at Pymble

Police are investigating and traffic is significantly impacted after the death of a pedestrian at Pymble on Sydney’s upper north shore this morning.

Officers were called to the Pacific Highway near the Beechworth Road intersection after a woman was struck by a northbound van around 6.20am this morning.

Paramedics rendered first aid but the woman died at the scene. She has not been identified but is believed to be in her 60s.

A crime scene has been established with an investigation underway into the cause. The male driver of the vehicle involved will be undergoing mandatory testing.

Traffic is expected to be affected for some hours, police said, with motorists urged to avoid the area if possible. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

Updated

Politicians debate energy policy after release of Aemo report

Social services minister Amanda Rishworth has responded to a new report from Aemo, which forecast so-called reliability gaps in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria unless authorities “orchestrated” faster deployment of renewables.

Responding to this on the Today Show, Rishworth said there had been “record investment in large scale storage” during the last year:

We’ve seen so many more solar panels on roofs, battery storage, large scale storage, and [we’re coming off the] back of a decade that was wasted … We have a plan, and we’re starting to see the outcomes of the plan. I’d say one thing, though, [that] this report did not say that the answer was to stop investment in renewables and pivot to some nuclear plan that would be … decades away.

Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie said this was “a lot of excuses” from the minister and argued:

There’s no credible plan to net zero by 2050 under Labor, and that’s the problem, [and] we’ve heard gas being now touted as a potential transition energy source. I guess it’s clear that this $300 rebate that’s been announced in the budget, it’s really just going to be a short-lived sugar hit for households.

Rishworth said the government had “always been clear that gas will play a role into the future” and hit back:

But if Bridget suggests that there is some sort of plan by those opposite, somehow that these coal fired power stations were closing under them, there was no plan whatsoever [to] replace them. And now their plan is something in two decades, three decades time that we may or may not actually build …

Updated

Migration debate continues on breakfast television

Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie and social services minister Amanda Rishworth went head-to-head over the ongoing migration debate on breakfast television this morning.

Speaking on the Today Show, McKenzie was asked about Queensland premier Steven Miles’ decision to back the Coalition’s plan to slash migration. She argued that “Labor’s aggressive pursuit of bringing in migrants” was driving up housing and rental prices, echoing comments from Peter Dutton.

Rishworth responded that Labor has “agreed that migration is too high” and pointed to a 35% decrease in international students over the last five months. She said:

These migration settings were the migration settings under your government. Nothing changed previously… Indeed we have a plan, though that is the difference between us and you… You can’t just have rhetoric and not actually back it up with a plan or facts.

We have seen a reduction and the projection is in the next financial year that we will see half the peak of migration … So don’t go misleading people that somehow there was a change in policy. These are your policies that you had in government.

There is little evidence that cutting migration will alleviate the housing crisis or lower house prices. Experts have previously said that the effect of migration on jobs and housing is unclear. You can read more from Josh Nicholas below:

Updated

Australian students most bullied among comparable English-speaking countries: report

Australian school students are bullied at higher rates than other comparable English speaking countries, a new report has found, with experts warning classroom disorder is leading to poorer school outcomes.

The Australian Council for Educational Research has released its second report interrogating the latest data from the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) test.

The report compared the responses of students and principals across 24 of the 81 participating Pisa countries, which were chosen to provide a reflective snapshot of Australia’s performance.

It found Australia’s disciplinary climate was significantly worse than the OECD average and ahead of only New Zealand and Sweden. Exposure to bullying among Australian students was higher than all comparison countries except Latvia.

Continue reading the full story below:

Updated

Andrew Wilkie 'absolutely' concerned for WikiLeaks founder's health

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie said he was “absolutely” concerned about Assange’s mental and physical health, noting he couldn’t attend the court hearing yesterday or in February, “because he is genuinely too sick”.

Regardless of what you think of him, surely he has suffered enough and should be … reunited with his family and to return to Australia if that’s his wish. And that’s not just my view, that is the view I’m sure [of] millions of Australians, many millions of people around the world and in fact, it was the view of the Australian parliament in February this year when I was able to secure majority support for a motion in the House of Representatives calling for the matter to be dropped.

Asked if he thinks the US is any closer to dropping or amending the charges, Wilkie told ABC RN he was “cautious” in responding because he has no “insight into where they’re at”.

But if I could describe it as reading the tea leaves, I sense that we are at the end game.

He pointed to comments made by US president Joe Biden last month:

Updated

‘A good outcome’: Wilkie responds to latest Assange development

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie just spoke to ABC RN about the latest development in the Julian Assange case. You can read the latest below:

Wilkie has followed the case closely and attended court hearings in London earlier this year. Reacting to the latest development, Wilkie said “this is a good outcome”.

It’s good that Julian Assange is not on an aeroplane to the US as we speak. It’s good that he gets another chance to have the whole matter dropped in court and also gives everyone more time to strike a deal or to finalise the deal …

Of course there’s a downside though, you know. [Assange remains] in Belmarsh prison in London, facing months or maybe years of further court action in the UK, which is just a terrible turn of events. I mean, it should never have come to this … He should never have been in Belmarsh prison [and] there should have been a deal struck by now to get him out. He’s been there for over five years.

Updated

Assange decision welcomed by Australian journalists’ union

A High Court decision in Britain to allow Julian Assange to appeal his extradition to the US is a “small win” for the WikiLeaks founder but he should be freed now, the union for Australia’s journalists says.

As AAP reports, the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance remains concerned there is no certainty an appeal will be successful, which would mean Assange could still be tried for espionage in the US.

MEAA media federal president Karen Percy said the high court was correct in not accepting “assurances” by the US about how Assange would be treated in the US legal system.

Tonight’s decision by the High Court is a small win for Julian Assange and for the cause of media freedom worldwide.

But MEAA urged US president Joe Biden to intervene to end the prosecution of Assange to avoid dragging the case out even longer, Percy said.

MEAA welcomes the decision of the High Court, but we remain concerned that there is no guarantee of success.

Percy said the ongoing prosecution was curtailing free speech, criminalising journalism and sending a clear message to future whistleblowers and publishers that they too will be punished:

We call on the Australian government to keep up the pressure on the US to drop the charges so Julian Assange can be reunited with his family.

Updated

Workers should be front and centre of AI regulations: ACTU

​Unions will be calling for a worker-centred approach to the use and regulation of AI at a senate hearing today.

The ACTU, the SDA, the Transport Workers’ Union and the National Tertiary Education Union will today give evidence to senators on the breadth of the impact of AI on workers.

ACTU assistant secretary Joseph Mitchell said AI is “present in nearly every industry and we need to tackle this problem head-on”.

We risk a future where the rights fought for over generations by working people are undermined by the adoption of new technologies.

The risks are clear: workers are being subjected to unreasonable unblinking surveillance, being hired and fired by algorithm, having their creative output stolen by companies, and being discriminated against by bosses’ bots.

We need to ensure that these risks are eliminated while encouraging the development of technology that uplifts working people and any productivity benefits from its adoption be shared with working people that enable it.

At yesterday’s hearing, the Australian Electoral Commission said Australia would not be “immune” to AI-generated misinformation at the next election. You can watch a bit of the hearing below:

Updated

Majority of Australians want more forward-thinking politics: ANU report

A new report from the Australian National University shows that 81% of Australians agree politicians generally think too short-term when making decisions.

The EveryGen report found three-quarters of those surveyed think visions for the next 10 to 20 years are given too little emphasis in the political debate.

The survey also found 97% of respondents believe present policies must account for the interests of future generations, and 79% want to see the establishment of a commissioner for future generations. Co-author Dr Elise Stephenson said:

One of the most striking results is the high levels of support across all Australians for political parties that demonstrate a vision for more long-term policymaking.

This should give political parties of all stripes the confidence that long-term, intergenerational policymaking is a no-brainer and a ‘win-win’ for governments and the public alike.

The survey was conducted in February and draws on responses from 1,000 voting-age Australians. The results show healthcare, improved wellbeing for children and youth and more jobs are among the top priorities for those surveyed in the coming decades.

Co-author Taylor Hawkins, the managing director of Foundations for Tomorrow, said there is an “undeniable demand for leaders to take bold and courageous action to redefine our political approach”. The full report is available online.

Updated

3,628 children given Covid fines during pandemic in NSW

Legal advocacy bodies are calling for an overhaul of the New South Wales fines system as a recent report reveals that 3,628 children received Covid fines over the course of the pandemic.

The report, commissioned by the Redfern Legal Centre, Public Interest Advocacy Centre and the Aboriginal Legal Service found the fines were disproportionately issued to children in marginalised groups, compounding disadvantage. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children with cognitive impairments and children experiencing socioeconomic challenges, homelessness or unsafe home environments were found to have been excessively fined.

More than half of the fines issued were for $1000, with some fines reaching $5000, in substantial excess of the maximum $1100 fine that can be given in the NSW children’s court. The researchers found that police relied heavily on punitive measures including fines and court attendance notices, rather than diversionary options.

Camilla Pandolfini, CEO of Redfern Legal Centre says fines have a low deterrent effect and are “oppressive, discriminatory and ineffective” when used against children.

We call for changes to policy, practice and procedure to ensure that fines do not compound existing disadvantage and criminalise children.

The report highlighted that rapid legislative changes, especially during the Delta wave of the pandemic, made it difficult for children to understand and comply with the law and led to errors in police enforcement.

Report author Dr Julia Quilter, a professor at the University of Wollongong, says the fining of children in the pandemic highlighted overarching problems with Australia’s fines system.

Kids have no or little capacity to pay fines and saddling them with crippling debts only sets them up for future failure. This is especially troubling given that fines are disproportionately issued by police to vulnerable kids already experiencing socioeconomic and other forms of disadvantage.

Updated

Australian comprehensive cancer network launches

A new network will link cancer services across Australia, the government will announce in Sydney today.

The Australian comprehensive cancer network (ACCN) aims to address disparities in cancer outcomes, which particularly affect those in rural and remote regions, as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Comprehensive cancer centres will connect various cancer control services nationwide, collaborating with other cancer care centres, academic institutions, Aboriginal community-controlled health services, regional hospitals and allied health services, among others.

The ACCN is a major action of the 10-year Australian cancer plan, launched in 2023 to improve cancer outcomes for all Australians. Participation in the network is voluntary but all services and professionals involved in cancer care are encouraged to join.

Updated

Good morning

And happy Tuesday – welcome back to the Australia news live blog. Thanks to Martin for kicking things off for us. I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll be here to take you through our rolling coverage today.

If you see something that needs attention, you can get in touch via X, @emilywindwrites, or send me an email: emily.wind@theguardian.com.

Let’s get started.

Jason Clare pushes states on school funding

The federal education minister will use a higher education address to place the pressure on states to lift their contribution to school funding, as negotiations continue to get the government sector to 100% of the Gonski funding level by the end of the decade.

Speaking at the Australian Student Equity Symposium at Western Sydney University’s Bankstown campus on Tuesday, Jason Clare will point to deals inked with WA and the NT:

I am still negotiating with the other states. All up, I have put $16bn of additional investment for public schools on the table ... the biggest investment from the commonwealth in public schools that has ever been delivered. We can do this. We can turn this around. But the states will need to chip in too.

He will also point to Labor’s initial response to the Universities Accord, a “national project” for higher education reform in the coming decades.

Funding it and implementing it is going to take more than just one budget. We are going to have to do this in stages. But we have bitten off a big chunk – 29 of the 47 recommendations, in full or in part.

That is why we are also establishing an Australian Tertiary Education Commission. To stay the course, to drive reform, to help us reach that nation-changing target – no matter who the minister for education is.

Updated

How a debt collection firm dodged its own blacklisting

In June 2022 Victoria’s consumer watchdog penned a strongly worded letter to one of Australia’s biggest private debt collection firms, Panthera Finance.

The company had been blacklisted two years earlier for prior unlawful conduct. The federal court found it had unduly harassed three consumers for money they did not owe.

In no uncertain terms, the regulator told the company it was prohibited from operating in Victoria and any continued debt collection activity had to “immediately cease”.

Within weeks, Panthera struck deals with both Origin and Optus, buying up old, uncollected debt from the energy and telco giants, and claims it has not broken any rules because the debt collection is being done by a sister company.

Guardian Australia reveals how the company dodged its own blacklisting.

Read the full story here:

You can also read about why we’re investigating the sector.

Stella Assange urges Joe Biden to ‘do the right thing’ and drop prosecution

Julian Assange has been granted leave to appeal against his extradition to the US after judges ruled that “assurances” given by the US over his legal rights and the prospect of a death penalty were not satisfactory.

There were gasps of relief from his wife and supporters in court. Outside the court, Stella Assange again called on the US president, Joe Biden, to “do the right thing” and drop the prosecution.

WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson called the ruling a “glimmer of hope” for Assange.

The Guardian has editorialised on the result, saying the decision was a “victory for good sense” and that a political resolution is by far the most desirable outcome.

The president of Brazil, Lula da Silva, wrote on social media that he hoped the persecution of Assange ends and he “returns to the freedom he deserves”.

Independent Australian MP Andrew Wilkie said the decision to allow the appeal was a “pivotal moment for the future of media freedom” and it was time to “let Julian return home”.

And Duncan Campbell writes an opinion piece saying the whole prosecution and extradition attempt is a folly, and bail for Assange should now be a priority so he can be with his wife and two children.

Updated

Welcome

Good morning and welcome to our rolling news coverage. I’m Martin Farrer with the best of the overnight news before my colleague Emily Wind logs on.

The Julian Assange saga has entered a new phase after judges in London granted him leave to appeal extradition to the US over the WikiLeaks revelations. Assange’s wife Stella called on the US to abandon its “shameful” case against him founder after the high court in London gave him legal lifeline by granting the right to challenge the basis of the extradition in court. The judges rejected assurances from the US justice department about how it would conduct his trial if he was extradited on charges of leaking military secrets – such as whether he can plead free speech under the first amendment of the US constitution. More on the reaction to the decision coming up.

More than half of us have recently found ourselves in financial stress, and when everyday Australians go to the wall there is one industry that gets more business: the debt collectors. Today, Guardian Australia puts the sector under the spotlight with a new investigation revealing some shocking findings.

Disposable income shot up for the richest 10% of households after the pandemic, while the rest of the country found their financial situation going backwards, new analysis by the Productivity Commission shows today.

Cost of living will be a big talking point when the RBA releases the minutes from its last meeting later, potentially shedding light on the next direction for interest rates. More coming on these stories throughout the day.

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