What we learned, Friday 1 November
And with that, we are going to put the blog to bed. Before we go, let’s recap the big stories:
Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie admitted she had actually received a flight upgrade after earlier this week being adamant she hadn’t.
A court ruled that Pauline Hanson’s tweet where she said Mehreen Faruqi should “piss off back to Pakistan” is unlawful. Hanson responded to the federal court finding against her by saying she is “deeply disappointed” and will be appealing.
New data from the ATO revealed almost a third of companies paid no income tax in 2022-23.
Dark Mofo is returning next year after skipping a year, with the festival announcing it will be back for a full return in 2025 including a music program, the winter feast, the ogoh-ogoh, night mass and the nude solstice swim.
Victorian Greens MP for Prahran, Sam Hibbins, stood down from the party after revealing he had a “consensual relationship with a staff member from my office”.
PwC Australia sacked eight staff last financial year due to their involvement in undisclosed data breaches.
The new Queensland premier, David Crisafulli, announced his cabinet, raising eyebrows by going back on an election promise to appoint the shadow cabinet he went to the election with.
Documents revealed PwC International leaders threatened their Australian counterparts with expulsion from the network unless they handed over ultimate control of the consultancy firm’s response to the damaging tax leaks scandal.
A 35-year-old Perth man died after being arrested and taken to Perth watch house.
Thank you for spending part of your day with us. And for those who celebrate – have a wonderful Friday evening.
Updated
Family of driver involved in school crash 'wishing this was just a bad dream’
The family of the driver involved in the Hawthorn East incident, which led to the death of an 11-year-old boy and seriously injured four other children, have put out a statement.
They say:
No words can truly convey the depth of this tragedy. We are all in shock, wishing this was just a bad dream, but sadly this is our reality.
To Jacks family, we can only offer our heartfelt condolences; our hearts go out to you and to every family affected by this loss.
To those injured, may you heal quickly – God bless you all. As a family with children, we feel this grief profoundly, sharing in the pain others now carry. It’s not about the words we say, but the genuine sorrow held within our hearts.
May God watch over everyone and provide strength and comfort to those who are suffering. We thank the school staff and emergency workers who responded. We have assisted with the investigation and please ask for privacy while we come to terms with such an overwhelming tragedy.
Updated
Australian share market has biggest weekly fall since August
The Australian share market has suffered its worst week in three months, falling for a third straight session after global equities sank.
The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index finished Friday down 41.2 points, or 0.5%, at 8,118.8 for its lowest close in seven weeks.
For the week, the index was 1.13% lower. The share market has not fallen by as much in the space of a week since August.
The broader All Ordinaries fell 42.4 points, or 0.5%, to 8,379.7.
– AAP
Updated
Record home loan size comes despite drop in value of new lending
We have a bit more on the home loan data out from the ABS today.
Despite the drop in the value of new lending, the average national owner-occupier loan size hit a new record high in September to $642,121 (original data), up $43,254 from the year before.
New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland were the only states to record an increase to the average loan size, with Queensland’s average new loan size hitting a record high of $619,599 (original data) with a sizeable $15,611 increase - the highest increase in dollar terms since November 2021.
First home buyers fell out of the market with the value of new loans dropping by 3.3% to $5.21bn. However, compared to a year ago, new lending is up by 8.8%, or $421.4m.
Data insights director at Canstar, Sally Tindall, said:
This drop in new lending is evidence that after 13 RBA rises, and almost 12 months with a cash rate at 4.35%, borrowers may have now reached their limit.
It’s astonishing to think the average owner-occupier loan is now over $642,000. On a 30-year mortgage at the average new customer rate, that’s a monthly repayment of almost $4,000. No wonder buyers are starting to tap out.
While the proportion of new borrowers opting for a fixed rate is still incredibly low, this data will be worth watching in the months ahead to see if the deluge of fixed cuts gets borrowers locking in their rate.
Updated
National average home loan size hits record high, ABS lending data shows
The ABS lending data came out earlier today, showing the national average home loan size has hit a record high of $642,121.
While the value of investor home loans went down 1% in September to $11.6bn dollars, it is sitting nearly 30% higher than one year ago, and just slightly off the record high in January 2022.
In comparison, owner-occupier loans went up 1% to $18.6m, which is 13.1% in the year.
Updated
NSW police appeal for information on man’s death near Kyogle in October 2021
NSW detectives are appealing for information as an investigation continues into the death of a man near Kyogle in 2021.
In a statement, NSW police said:
About 12.40am on Sunday 17 October 2021, emergency services attended a property on Gonpa Road, Collins Creek, following reports a man had collapsed.
NSW Ambulance paramedics assisted the 46-year-old man at the scene; however, he could not be revived.
Officers attached to Richmond Police District attended and commenced inquiries into the man’s death.
A report was prepared for the Coroner, and a Coronial Inquiry was established; however, the Inquiry was suspended and the matter has since been referred to the Office of The Director of Public Prosecutions.
As part of ongoing inquiries, Casino Detectives executed a crime scene warrant at the Collins Creek property about 9.45am yesterday (Thursday 31 October 2024).
Updated
Truth-telling inquiry chair says ‘there’s been no contact’ from new premier Crisafulli
Joshua Creamer said on Friday the process had been “hugely disrespectful” and would cause “a significant amount of devastation across the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island community.
“There is a lot of suffering, a lot of pain, a lot of hurt in relation to this decision,” he said.
“I appreciate the premier has said that his actions will be decent and respectful, but leading up to the [press conference] there was no contact between the premier and my office or myself.
“Even to this very moment, and I’ve asked the team to be continuing to be checking emails, there’s been no contact.”
Creamer said he had sought legal advice and had now halted the work of the inquiry.
It had been preparing to hear from 40 identified witnesses from the Indigenous community of Cherbourg.
“To have to stop this process is going to cause … a real impact on those people emotionally,” he said.
Creamer said it was unprecedented for a government to demand that an independent inquiry halt its work.
Updated
Queensland LNP’s moves to end truth-telling process ‘hugely disrespectful’, chair says
The chair of Queensland’s First Nations Truth Telling and Healing Inquiry, Joshua Creamer, says the new state government’s moves to end the process have been “hugely disrespectful” to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
Creamer, a Waanyi and Kalkadoon man, told reporters on Friday he heard secondhand that the new premier, David Crisafulli, had told a press conference the inquiry should cease work.
The LNP had said it would end the state’s “path to Treaty” process, of which the truth-telling inquiry is the first step.
Crisafulli has said the process would be ended with “respect and decency”.
(continued in next post)
Updated
Last month was Australia’s second-hottest October, BoM says
Just days after the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO reminded us that Australia had heated up 1.5C since 1910 in their biennial state of the climate report, we have another reminder of our warming trend.
Last month, mean temperatures were 2.51C warmer than the 1961-90 average, making it the second-warmest October on record, BoM says. For Queensland, it was the warmest, up 2.77C.
Last month was Australia's second-hottest October on record (behind only 2015). (Via @bom_au) pic.twitter.com/zDllxd3ktn
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) November 1, 2024
For maximum temperatures, last month was the fourth-warmest October on average, with daytime temperatures 2.81C above the norm.
For maximum temperatures, it was Australia's fourth-hottest October on record. (Via @bom_au) pic.twitter.com/nWWSAXMTUj
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) November 1, 2024
For minimums, it was also the second-warmest October on record, with overnight temperatures 2.21C above that 1961-90 yardstick.
For minimum temperatures it was the second-warmest October on record for Australia. (Via @bom_au) pic.twitter.com/5QPyIaTm0n
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) November 1, 2024
For rain, the national area-averaged October tally was 18.4% below the 1961-1990 average. Only Western Australia was wetter than average, with all others states and territories drier than average last month.
“Rainfall was below to very much below average (in the lowest 10% of all Octobers since 1900) for south-western Western Australia, and parts of New South Wales and Victoria,” the BoM said. “For both Victoria and Tasmania area-averaged rainfall was the lowest since 2019, around 30% below the October average.”
Updated
Perth man dies after being taken to police watch house
A 35-year-old Perth man has died after being arrested and taken to Perth watch house.
In a statement, WA police said:
About 2pm on Thursday 31 October 2024, officers from Midland Police arrested a 35-year-old man – who was on bail for serious charges – for breaching bail conditions.
He was subsequently taken to the Perth Watch House where he was assessed by a nurse on admittance, police said in a statement.
About 8pm, a change in his behaviour was noticed and following consultation with nursing staff, a decision was made to convey the man to Royal Perth Hospital for further assessment.
Tragically he suffered a medical episode while still in police presence prior to being admitted.
Despite the best efforts of Emergency Department staff, the man could not be revived.
The death is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be prepared for the Coroner.
Updated
PwC International threatened Australian arm with expulsion unless it handed over control of scandal
New documents reveal PwC International leaders threatened their Australian counterparts with expulsion from the network unless they handed over ultimate control of the consultancy firm’s response to the damaging tax leaks scandal.
In May 2023, PwC International’s global general counsel, Diana Weiss, wrote to the Australian executive warning its response to the scandal had “caused a breakdown of trust and confidence in the firm and significant damage to PwC’s reputation”.
The scathing letter outlines how deeply unhappy the global executive was with the Australian firm. The letter, published by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services on Friday, includes:
A series of public hearings and disclosures have shed light on the firm’s involvement in consulting engagements that have been beset by poor risk management practices, evidenced gaps in professional judgment and exposed the firm to further public scrutiny and criticism.
The firm made public statements that improperly downplayed the severity of the … matter and minimized the significance of the underlying behaviours, which have given rise to significant adverse media, both domestically and globally.
The global firm demanded PwC Australia hand over ultimate control of its communications with regulators and ongoing investigations. PwC Australia accepted the conditions.
The chair of the inquiry, Labor senator Deborah O’Neill, said in a statement:
Australians deserve to know who is actually running the large consulting, audit and accounting firms which are so deeply enmeshed with not just our government, but our financial markets and collective economic security.
Details of PwC’s misconduct, and the steps taken by PwC International to firewall itself from the Australian firm and protect its global reputation, are of significant public interest.
Updated
And with that I will leave the blog with Cait Kelly. Thanks for reading.
Updated
Costs rising faster than revenues in private hospital sector, report shows
The Health Check assessed private hospital financial data for the period 2017–18 to 2023–24.
Its analysis found private hospital’s expenditures were increasing at a growth rate of 4.1% while revenues were falling behind at a growth rate of only 2.9% between 2018-19 to 2021-22.
Those figures were based on assessing the National Hospital Cost Data Collection and Private Hospital Data Bureau, which represent 89 overnight hospitals, representing 38% of private hospital discharges and 50% of private hospital revenue in 2022–23.
For private hospitals that submitted financial data to the Health Check, there was a decline in the weighted average earnings before interest, tax and depreciation (EBITDA) margins from 8.7% in 2018-19 to 4.4% in 2022-23.
Financial data was voluntarily provided by 243 out of 647 hospitals, representing 58% of private hospital discharges and 63% of hospital revenue in 2022–23.
The report acknowledged its potential selection bias due to the incomplete submission of financial data across the private hospital sector.
Taking into account other publicly available financial data, the department estimates that the sector’s weighted average EBITDA margin is likely to have been between 7% and 8% in 2022-23.
Updated
‘Private Hospital Sector Financial Health Check’ shows maternity and mental health services are areas of concern
Maternity and mental health services within private hospitals are “increasingly difficult to offer”, a government review of the sector’s financial viability has highlighted as particular areas of concern amid an overall reduction in profitability.
The government has published a summary of its ‘Private Hospital Sector Financial Health Check’, which is the most we’ll be able to learn about its analysis because the report in full can’t be shared due to commercial in confidence information.
The stoush between private hospitals and insurers prompted the federal health department to ask hospitals and other stakeholders to hand over their financial information to assess the performance, pressures and profitability of the sector.
In a statement made on releasing the summary, the health minister, Mark Butler, said while parts of the sector have remained strong, there has been a reduction in profitability over time as costs have risen faster than revenue. “This shows that there is substantial work for private health insurers and private hospitals to do to ensure the sector’s long-term viability.”
Butler said he was “grateful to all those who participated in the health check as we all work towards a strong and sustainable future for private hospitals in Australia”.
There will be no silver bullet from Canberra or funding solution from taxpayers to deal with what are essentially private pressures in this system.
The government will work in partnership the private health sector to develop innovative solutions which meet the needs of the sector and the Australian people.
Updated
‘Jobseekers and businesses have waited long enough’ for employment service reform, says CPSU secretary
Melissa Donnelly, CPSU national secretary, said:
The public service is well placed to prioritise the needs of parents and carers who participate in this program, by offering tailored support to help them achieve their personal and work goals.
For too long Australians have been let down by a privatised system that is more concerned with banking big profits for tax dodging multinationals, than it is with delivering high quality employment services in local communities.
We must not lose sight of the urgency of this reform. Jobseekers and businesses have waited long enough for an effective employment service.
The CPSU looks forward to the successful implementation of this pilot and the valuable insights it will provide for future employment service reforms.
Updated
First publicly run employment service pilot launches in South Australia
The first employment service pilot run by the public service has launched today in South Australia.
It comes after a parliamentary review ordered by the Albanese government last year showed the decades-long privatisation of employment services was failing people now welfare.
Guardian Australia has revealed job providers are being paid millions of dollars in public money for work that jobseekers are finding themselves, are routinely harassing and suspending jobseekers for payslip details so they can get public funding and are claiming millions of dollars each year in false claims.
The privatised system, which is expected to cost taxpayers almost $10bn over the four years, is the single biggest commonwealth procurement outside Defence.
The Parent Pathways pilot is designed to be voluntary, tailored to the needs of parents and carers, and run by the APS.
Rather than being geared toward delivering profits for multinational businesses, the Parent Pathways program will be focused on ensuring that parents and carers who aren’t in paid employment have the support they need for their personal, study or work goals.
It is voluntary, tailored to the needs of parents and carers, and run by the APS. The service will be available to parents and carers in Playford and the surrounding areas near Adelaide.
The CPSU, which has long advocated for the end of for-profit employment services, said it represents “a new direction”.
Updated
Queensland premier David Crisafulli’s cabinet announced
In opposition, Crisafulli repeatedly committed to automatically appoint his shadow ministry to the frontbench if elected to government.
On 23 October, just three days before the election, he said: “I’ve said that many times – the cabinet, the shadow cabinet I’m taking to the election, will be the cabinet after the election if we’re elected to government. And it’s important that Queenslanders know that there’s great stability.”
But Crisafulli has appointed Christian Rowan as leader of the house, booting him from the frontbench. Ros Bates has lost the health portfolio.
His new cabinet is:
David Crisafulli: premier, minister for veterans
Jarrod Bleijie: deputy premier, minister for state development, infrastructure and planning, and minister for industrial relations
David Janetzki: treasurer, minister for energy, and minister for home ownership
Ros Bates: minister for finance, trade, employment and training
Dale Last: minister for natural resources and mines, minister for manufacturing and minister for regional and rural development
Tim Nicholls: minister for health and ambulance services
Deb Frecklington: attorney general, minister for justice and minister for integrity
John-Paul Langbroek: minister for education and the arts
Dan Purdie: minister for police and emergency services
Laura Gerber: minister for youth justice and victim support and minister for corrective services
Brent Mickelberg: minister for transport and main roads
Ann Leahy: minister for local government and water and minister for fire, disaster recovery and volunteers
Sam O’Connor: minister for housing and public works and minister for youth
Tony Perrett: minister for primary industries
Fiona Simpson: minister for women and women’s economic security, minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and minister for multiculturalism
Andrew Powell: minister for the environment and tourism and minister for science and innovation
Amanda Camm: minister for families, seniors and disability services and minister for child safety and the prevention of domestic and family violence
Tim Mander: minister for sport and racing and minister for the Olympic and Paralympic Games
Steve Minnikin: minister for customer services and open data and minister for small and family business
Updated
PwC Australia sacked eight staff in 2023-24 over data breaches
PwC Australia sacked eight staff last financial year due to their involvement in undisclosed data breaches.
The sacked staff include two partners, one director, two senior managers, one manager, one senior associate, and one associate. The staff are not named.
The firm has outlined the nature of misconduct in response to questions from Greens senator Barbara Pocock:
1. The exporting or inappropriate access, copying, printing or disclosure of documents.
2. The sending of client or PwC-related information to personal email addresses.
None of the sacked staff were registered tax advisers, which meant professional accounting bodies were not informed.
Another three people were sacked by PwC Australia last financial year, taking the total to 11.
Updated
Queensland cabinet to be sworn in at midday Queensland time
Jarrod Bleijie just arrived at government house in Brisbane, and other soon-to-be ministers are expected to follow.
They will be sworn in at midday.
Updated
Crisafulli cabinet a mix of Newman ex-ministers and first timers
David Crisafulli’s shadow cabinet included three former leaders of the LNP – John-Paul Langbroek, Deb Frecklington and Tim Nicholls – and several former deputy leaders.
Most of the government has never held a ministry before, because the party has barely been in government in decades. Its last leader to win a second term in office was Joh Bjelke-Petersen in 1986.
For example, after 32 years in Queensland parliament, Fiona Simpson is expected to get her first cabinet posting. She was speaker of the house in the party’s last term of government, under Campbell Newman, and has never before had any ministerial responsibility.
Crisafulli has only served in one ministry: local government, also under Newman.
The deputy premier, Jarrod Bleijie, was Newman’s high-profile attorney general.
There is only one member of government who has served in any other cabinet: then senator Amanda Stoker. She served as Scott Morrison’s assistant minister to the attorney general from 2020 until 2022, and was also assistant minister for industrial relations and assistant minister for women. It’s yet to be seen if she will win a ministry again.
Ros Bates was Newman’s minister for science, IT, innovation and the arts before being sacked over a scandal after 318 days.
Tim Nicholls was treasurer under Newman, responsible for budgets which slashed about 14,000 jobs from the public service and planned privatisation of $37bn in state assets.
Tim Mander, Langbroek, Rob Molhoek and Andrew Powell also served as ministers or assistant ministers under Newman.
Updated
David Crisafulli to announce new Queensland cabinet today
New Queensland premier David Crisafulli is set to announce his cabinet tday.
They will be sworn in by governor Jeannette Young today ahead of a press conference at government house.
In opposition the LNP leader said he’d appoint all his shadow ministers to their portfolios in government.
But he’s expected to break the promise, in order to bring in some new blood and to diversify the ministry.
“The people who you have seen and who have done a really good job will be the people who you see and will be rewarded,” he said, on Monday.
Updated
NSW police unsure of technical issues that led to death of two dogs in police vehicles overnight
NSW Police say a “technical issue”, not human error, led to the deaths of two dogs overnight.
Police dog Xtra and development dog Soldier were found dead within an air-conditioned pod inside a purpose-built police vehicle overnight.
NSW assistant police commissioner Stephen Hegarty told reporters earlier the air conditioned pods were “top of the range” and that police are still unsure exactly what happened:
The air conditioner cools the pod on the rear of vehicles. So it is modified for that exact reason. It is top of the range stuff that was introduced back in 2023. So, we have really good equipment. We don’t understand why that’s taken place.
It is normal procedure that we can actually put the dogs in the pod. A primary cooling source would be the air conditioner. Unfortunately, when we returned to the motor vehicle, it had ceased, which obviously makes that air conditioner cease as well.
The dogs can be in the rear of a car at night-time for long, long periods of time. So it is not unusual and nowhere near against any processes or training that we’ve given the officers.
Updated
NSW Health issues warning on high-dose skull-shaped MDMA tablets
NSW Health has warned of multiple high-dose MDMA tablets currently in circulation in NSW.
Described as skull-shaped with “MYBRAND” wording and logo imprinted on the reverse side, in blue, yellow, or pink-orange in colour, the pills are found to contain a higher dose than is usually expected.
Some of the tablets have also been found to contain dipentylone, a synthetic cathinone with stimulant effects.
In a statement, NSW Health said that the risk of harm is “increased when MDMA is taken with other stimulants including synthetic cathinones, amphetamines or cocaine”.
Medical director of the NSW Poisons Information Centre, Dr Darren Roberts, said consuming high doses of MDMA has been linked to cases of serious illness and death.
MDMA can cause severe agitation, raised body temperature, seizures or fits, irregular heart rhythm and death.
The amount of MDMA in a tablet or capsule can vary significantly, even within the same batch. The health risks from MDMA are greatly increased if high amounts (including multiple doses) are consumed over a short period.
Updated
Pauline Hanson 'deeply disappointed' at court ruling and will appeal
Pauline Hanson has responded to the federal court finding against her by saying she is “deeply disappointed” and will be appealing.
Earlier today, Justice Angus Stewart found that Hanson had racially vilified Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi by telling her to “piss off back to Pakistan”.
Hanson took to X to say the outcome “demonstrates the inappropriately broad application of section 18C”.
Senator Hanson is deeply disappointed by today’s federal court judgment.
The outcome demonstrates the inappropriately broad application of section 18C, particularly in so far as it impinges upon freedom of political expression.
Given the importance of this matter, Senator Hanson has instructed her lawyers to prepare and lodge appeal documents. She will not make further comment as the matter is before the court.
Federal Court Decision
— Pauline Hanson 🇦🇺 (@PaulineHansonOz) October 31, 2024
Senator Hanson is deeply disappointed by today’s Federal Court judgment.
The outcome demonstrates the inappropriately broad application of section 18C, particularly in so far as it impinges upon freedom of political expression.
Given the importance of…
Updated
Man, 63, arrested after allegedly performing Nazi salute at Melbourne protest
A man who allegedly performed a Nazi salute during a violent protest outside a controversial weapons exhibition has been arrested following an investigation.
Violent confrontations between anti-war protesters and police broke outside the Land Forces 2024 exhibition in Melbourne over three days in September.
At the time numerous arrests were made and police circulated photos of those they were keen on speaking to after numerous officers and protesters were injured.
Wheelie bins were set alight and horse manure, food-grade acid and glass bottles were hurdled at police barricades.
On Friday, police said another 12 people had been arrested since the protest on 11 September, which is in addition to the 89 people charged or fined on the day.
Among those a 30-year-old Preston man will face court after he allegedly pushed crates against police horses.
A 63-year-old Crib Point man will be charged on summons for allegedly performing the Nazi salute in a public place on 11 September.
Police say that during the protests outside the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre there were rocks, projectiles, liquid which smelt strongly of vomit, horse manure, eggs and liquid irritants hurled at police officers, horses and expo attendees.
Several police horses and riders were also allegedly splashed with a liquid irritant – including being sprayed under face protectors, going into their mouths and nostrils – and were repeatedly pushed and hit with plastic crates.
Police have again circulated images of people they wish to speak to over those incidents.
Via AAP
Updated
Victorian MP stands down from Greens after ‘consensual relationship’ with staffer
The Victorian Greens MP for Prahran, Sam Hibbins, is standing down from the party after revealing he had a “consensual relationship with a staff member from my office”.
In a statement, Hibbins said the relationship ended “some time ago” but it was a breach of the party room rules. He said:
I accept the consequences of my decisions that affect my personal and professional lives. I am working to make amends to the most important people in my life, my family and our community. I’ve always worked hard to advance the Greens’ cause, and know this is a distraction from my work and the work of the Greens, but I remain committed to serving my electorate of Prahran.
Hibbins said he understood this incident would “shake people’s trust in politicians”.
At a time when life is so difficult for so many, when people are struggling and are already disengaged from politics, I know something like this will shake people’s trust in politicians and politics even further. We are human and we make mistakes. The important thing is making amends and focusing on what really matters.
For me, it’s my beautiful family. It’s continuing my fight for social and economic justice and the unacceptable fact that so many Victorians cannot afford groceries or a place to live. It’s continuing to fight for the fantastic community I love and live in, Prahran. I leave the party room with goodwill towards my Greens colleagues. They’re doing a terrific job. I wish them well in the future.
I deeply regret what has happened. I have made a very human mistake, but I am working to find the best way forward.
Updated
Faruqi says court ruling shows ‘hate speech is not free speech’
Senator Mehreen Faruqi has released a statement on the federal court found Pauline Hanson racially vilified her in a post to X.
Faruqi said it meant “migrants and people of colour should know that they don’t have to be grateful and keep quiet”.
“I will be louder and more defiant than ever.”
Faruqi’s statement said:
This ruling draws a line in the sand that hate speech is not free speech, and that people who racially target marginalised communities cannot get away with it scot-free.
The court has made clear that there is no place for the relentless and vile racism so many of us have been copping throughout our lives here. It sends a strong message to racists that they will be held to account. I hope this helps us build an anti-racist Australia.
The decision to take Pauline Hanson to court was not taken lightly, and it has taken a very personal toll on me and my family, but I did it for so many people who bear the brunt of racism and who are impacted by destructive racist language every single day. I have been vindicated today, and so have they.
It is about time Senator Pauline Hanson faced consequences for the racism she’s been piling on Muslims, people of colour and First Nations people for more than 30 years. She has been found to have engaged in racist behaviour and I hope she reflects on that.
Racism is rife in this country and Muslims are being marginalised, silenced, smeared and vilified more than ever for taking a stand against Israel’s genocide in Gaza. This decision becomes even more important in the context of rising Islamophobia.
Updated
Dark Mofo to return in 2025
Dark Mofo is returning next year after skipping a year.
The festival, a “midwinter solstice festival”, has today announced a full return in 2025 including a music program, the winter feast, the ogoh-ogoh, night mass and the nude solstice swim.
The festival skipped this year due to rising costs and the need for a “reset”.
Dark Mofo artistic director Chris Twite said:
Dark Mofo is back. For our eleventh chapter once more we’ll bathe the city in red and deliver two weeks of inspiring art, music and ritual.
The full Dark Mofo 2025 program details will be announced next year.
Updated
Faruqi says court win sends message that 'racists will be held accountable'
Senator Faruqi, who was in tears in the courtroom as the judge handed down his ruling – as were most of her legal team – has addressed the media outside the federal court, saying that the win today was legally “historic” and sent “a strong message to racists that they will be held accountable”.
“Today is a good day for people of colour, Muslims and all of us who have been working to build an anti-racist society,” she said.
Today is a win for every single person who has been told to go back to where they came from – and believe me there are too many of us who have been subjected to this ultimate racist slur far too many times in this country.
Telling someone to go back to where they came from is a strong form of racism and it is also an affirmation for migrants that people of colour do not have to be grateful or to keep quiet, and I will be speaking out more loudly and more strongly than ever before
Faruqi said the judgment “draws a line that hate speech is not free speech and those who subject people to racial abuse will not get away scot-free.”
Today’s judgment is landmark, it is historic and it is groundbreaking and it will set a new precedent of how racism is viewed in this country. It is a warning for people like Pauline Hanson and I do hope it emboldens individuals and communities to assert their right to live free from racism.
Faruqi thanked her family, staff and legal team, saying:
The decision to take Pauline Hanson to court was not taken lightly and it has taken a very personal toll on me and my family, but I did it for everyone in this country who feels and is targeted by the destructive impact of racist language.
Today I have been vindicated and all those people who face racism have been vindicated as well.
Updated
Boom in new doctors as record numbers move to Australia, Butler says
The most recent cohort of new doctors was the largest influx in over a decade, with one new doctor added every hour last year on average, health minister Mark Butler says.
The registration of 9,490 new doctors in 2023-24 was even greater than the 2022-23 cohort of 8,356 new doctors, which at the time was the largest influx of new doctors in more than a decade, according to a statement Butler released this morning.
The boom is driven by record numbers of internationally qualified doctors moving to Australia, Butler says.
The 5,431 doctors from overseas registered to practise in Australia in the past financial year represents an 80% increase on the 2,991 doctors who registered in 2018-19, the last year before Covid.
It follows changes implemented under the Kruk review which have reduced the time for internationally qualified doctors’ applications to be assessed, which went from over 100 days in 2021-22 to less than 70 days in 2023-24.
Butler says there are also more doctors choosing to become general practitioners, bucking the trend that has seen government reports warn there would not be enough to meet growing healthcare needs.
In 2024, there was a 13% increase on the year before of doctors accepting a place on a government-funded training program to become a GP or rural GP with more than 1,600.
Next year there are expected to be more than 1,750 offers made to junior doctors to begin GP training, leading to an intake that could be up to 10% larger than 2024, according to the health minister.
Butler says:
We know the difficulty that too many Australians face getting in to see a doctor and we are doing everything we can to attract, train and retain more doctors.
Updated
Senator Faruqi is outside the federal court in Sydney, celebrating with her legal team:
Mehreen Faruqi and her legal team celebrate outside the Federal Court after a judge found that a tweet about her by Pauline Hanson breached Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act pic.twitter.com/80l3Apsmtn
— Kate Lyons (@MsKateLyons) October 31, 2024
Updated
NSW expands Indigenous youth program to deter from crime
The Safe Aboriginal Youth program is expanding to new locations across New South Wales, as part of the Minns government’s reforms announced in Moree.
The program, which provides a safe transport and outreach service to keep young people off the streets late at night, is designed to help divert young people from crime and reduce the risk of them becoming victims of crime.
It will have new locations in Moree, Orange, Coffs Harbour and Tamworth, and will also expand services in Dubbo. These locations were identified after consultation with local communities and analysis of crime data. The program already operates in Kempsey, Taree, Newcastle, Dubbo, Bourke and Wilcannia.
This expansion is part of the Minns Labor government’s $26.2m package of initiatives it says will address youth crime in regional NSW. Aboriginal community controlled organisations will be prioritised to manage services in new locations.
“The journey for every young person across NSW is different, and we want to make sure as many young people as possible have opportunities to find a positive path in life,” the minister for youth justice, Jihad Dib, said.
Our priority is to keep young people safe, supported and away from possible involvement with the justice system.
The minister for Aboriginal affairs and treaty, David Harris, said:
Early intervention is critical to giving at-risk youth the best chance of staying away from harmful activities and getting their lives on a positive pathway.
Updated
ATO reveals almost a third of companies paid no income tax in 2022-23
Australia’s largest corporations paid almost $100bn in income tax in a year, fresh statistics published by the government reveal.
The latest data, released by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) on Friday, covers the 2022-23 financial year, and reveals the office received $97.9bn in income tax from large corporations, an increase of 16.7% from the previous year.
ATO deputy commissioner Rebecca Saint said that when also considering additional tax revenue raised by the ATO’s tax avoidance task force, revenues from large corporates totalled $100bn in 2022-23.
Tax paid by the oil and gas sector increased from $1.5bn in 2021-22 to $11.6bn in 2022-23, with some oil and gas companies now among the largest taxpayers in Australia, Saint said. This result was driven by a combination of commodity prices, the project production life cycle and ATO intervention, she said.
The ATO noted that the $100bn figure for 2022-23 was difficult to compare to previous years, because the definition of what was considered a large corporation in the corporate tax transport (CCT) report increased to cover Australian-owned private entities with total income above $100m, up from the $200m threshold in previous years.
The share of entities that paid no income tax has decreased from 36% in 2013–14 to 31% in 2022–23.
Saint said:
While there are legitimate reasons why a company may pay no income tax, the Australian community can be assured we pay close attention to those who pay no income tax to ensure that they are not trying to game the system.
Updated
Faruqi in tears after court ruling
An emotional Senator Mehreen Faruqi hugged her legal team in tears after a judge declared that a tweet from Senator Pauline Hanson about her, in which Hanson said Faruqi should “piss off back to Pakistan”, had breach Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.
Justice Angus Stewart found the tweet from Hanson, in response to one posted by Faruqi regarding the Queen’s death, portrayed Faruqi as a “second-class citizen” who “took advantage” of Australia and as a migrant to the country “should be grateful for what she has and keep quiet”, which he declared to be “exclusionary”.
Stewart also found Hanson’s comment that Faruqi should “piss off back to Pakistan” was a “variant of the slogan ‘go back to from where you came from’”, which he said was an “evident racist trope” and a “strong form of racism”.
Updated
Court rules Pauline Hanson tweet racially vilified Mehreen Faruqi
Justice Angus Stewart has found that Pauline Hanson’s tweet, where she said Mehreen Faruqi should “piss off back to Pakistan”, is unlawful.
Hanson will need to delete the tweet and pay Faruqi’s costs for the proceedings.
Stewart rejected Hanson’s arguments, including that Faruqi’s tweet on the Queen’s passing justified her response, and that it did not fall within the fair comment exemption because it was a “angry, personal attack”.
The judge said:
The court has concluded that the tweet was reasonably likely in all the circumstances to have been profoundly and seriously offensive, insulting, humiliating and intimidating to a significant number of members of the identified groups and to the reasonable targeted person in the position of Senator Faruqi.
Based on frequent public statements made by Senator Hanson over nearly three decades, the court has found that Senator Hanson has a tendency to make negative, derogatory, discriminating or hateful statements in relation to about or against groups of people relevantly identified as persons of colour, migrants to Australia and Muslims, and to do so because of those characteristics.
He said that under section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, the post was unlawful in that “it was reasonably likely in all the circumstances to offend and self humiliate and intimidate the applicant and groups of people, namely people of colour who are migrants to Australia or are Australians of relatively recent migrant heritage and Muslims who are people of colour in Australia”.
Updated
Key event
Court to rule in Pauline Hanson-Mehreen Faruqi case
A federal court judge is ready to rule on whether Pauline Hanson made a racial slur when she told Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi to go back to Pakistan.
Justice Angus Stewart presided over the federal court lawsuit brought by Faruqi, who alleged the One Nation leader engaged in racial discrimination in a post on X when she wrote that Faruqi should “pack [her] bags and piss off back to Pakistan”.
Hanson was responding to Farqui’s reflections on the passing of the queen, where she wrote that she could not mourn the passing of the leader of a “racist empire built on stolen lives, land and wealth of colonised peoples”.
The case went through a four-day trial in the federal court before Justice Stewart in which Hanson claimed she did not know Faruqi was Muslim when posting the comment.
But Faruqi produced ample evidence showing she publicly identified as Muslim on various occasions, including in communications with the One Nation head.
Hanson has denied she engaged in racial discrimination by sending the post.
The court will today determine whether Hanson engaged in racial discrimination, identify any damages that may flow as a result, and settle a position on her argument that parts of the Racial Discrimination Act are not constitutional.
Updated
Queensland truth-telling inquiry’s halt ‘unprecedented’ – chair
Queensland’s truth-telling and healing inquiry has been paused following comments by the state’s new premier, David Crisafulli.
The LNP, which won government at the weekend, had committed to shut down the inquiry and repeal its legislation. That would also end the pathway to treaties with Aboriginal Queenslanders.
On late Thursday afternoon chairperson Joshua Creamer said to do so would be “unprecedented”.
“It must be noted that this is unprecedented. It is unheard of that an independent inquiry be shut down by a change of government,” he said.
If the inquiry is formally stopped it will be a lost opportunity for the state. We are not going to get another opportunity at this in the next decade, two decades, in my lifetime.
Crisafulli told a press conference earlier Thursday that he would repeal the Pathway to Treaty Act as one of his first acts in government. The bill will be repealed this year, he said.
The inquiry has sittings planned for December.
“We won’t be allowing those to go ahead, but it’ll be done with respect and decency, and there will be a relentless focus from the government departments to do good by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” Crisafulli said, on Thursday.
Crisafulli said his “strong advice” to the people running the inquiry is “the new government has been very clear that we are not embarking on that process”.
Creamer said he’d had no communication from the new government.
However, based on the Premier’s comments, the Inquiry will pause its current workplan until further information is available. This pause aligns with our trauma-aware and healing- informed approach and is to protect the wellbeing of participants and all Queenslanders currently engaged with the Inquiry.
People sharing their stories to capture an accurate history of our state is not divisive and I’m hopeful the Inquiry can remain in some form to continue this critical work before it’s too late.
The LNP voted for the treaty and truthtelling laws in 2023, but changed its mind after the failed voice referendum last year.
About 68% of Queenslanders voted no in the voice referendum last year, the highest of any state.
Updated
Two NSW police dogs die during transport to training day
Police in New South Wales will investigate how two dogs from its canine units died while being driven to a training day.
NSW Police announced they had launched an investigation after police dog Xtra and development dog Soldier were found dead within an air-conditioned pod inside a purpose built police vehicle.
In the statement, police said the dogs’ handlers had driven them to a development day at “a Lucas Heights facility”. Lucas Heights is a suburb in south-west Sydney known as the home of Australia’s only nuclear reactor.
“About 12.30pm, the handler conducted a routine check, finding PD Xtra and DD Soldier deceased in the police vehicle,” the statement said.
The dogs were taken to a specialist veterinary clinic but were unable to be revived.
PD Xtra, a German Shepherd, was accredited as a general-purpose dog in July 2018 and was attached to the Newcastle/Central Coast Dog Unit. DD Soldier, a German Shepherd, commenced service with the Dog Unit in February 2024 for training and development.
NSW Police commissioner Karen Webb said “today is a very sad day for the Dog Unit and the thoughts of the whole police family are with them”. “We owe it to PD Xtra and DD Soldier to conduct a thorough investigation.”
Updated
Labor receives online safety review ahead of law revamp
The federal government has received an independent review of the Online Safety Act that will form an overhaul of the law, expected to be announced before the end of the year.
The review, conducted by Delia Rickard PSM, began in April and received over 2,200 responses and held meetings with over 100 stakeholders.
The communications minister, Michelle Rowland, did not release the report to the public, but said the recommendations would be considered and responded to “shortly”.
It comes as the eSafety commissioner abandoned a legal fight last month against Elon Musk’s X platform over attempting to force the removal of dozens of tweets with the video of the stabbing of a Wakeley church bishop in April. The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, indicated that it was better to address the validity of her powers over the platforms in the Online Safety Act review rather than through a court process.
It is also expected that changes to the Online Safety Act will include the introduction of age assurance to restrict access to social media for younger teens, pending the outcome of a trial of the technologies that could be used.
Updated
Flight attendants set for pay rises up to 28% under new IR laws
New industrial relations laws that come into effect from today mean that hundreds of flight attendants stand to benefit from pay rises up to 28%.
The ‘same job same pay’ laws mean that airlines such as Qantas – which has been criticised for employing cabin crew on an array of different agreements, including some directly and others through third parties – can no longer pay workers on the same flight at different rates.
In a statement, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) said more than 800 cabin crew employed through labour hire firms will see pay rises of up to 28% from today.
ACTU secretary Sally McManus said “these wage increases are life-changing for flight attendants and their loved ones”.
Working people across many industries are experiencing the benefits of the Albanese Government refusing to bend to big business who lobbied hard to stop these laws, including CEOs like [former Qantas chief] Alan Joyce.
Flight Attendants Association of Australia federal secretary Teri O’Toole said:
“Some of our cabin crew can earn significantly less than directly employed crew despite doing the same job, all because they are technically employed by a labour hire company.
This first wave of pay rises for our members will go a long way in restoring dignity to our profession. Cabin crew are undervalued and underpaid for the tireless work they do every day.
Updated
And if you haven’t yet listened, Reged Ahmad’s Full Story episode on the saga is a must listen, link below:
Updated
McKenzie admits receiving flight upgrade
Earlier in that same interview, Bridget McKenzie admitted she had actually received a flight upgrade, after earlier this week being adamant she hadn’t.
The shadow transport minister apologised on air, saying she has asked Qantas, Virgin and administrators of Rex for her flight records to clear up anything she hadn’t declared.
Earlier this week, I said I’d never received an upgrade. I checked my records, and checked that I declared an upgrade. So that, for me, you know, really instigated how to getting to the bottom of this.
And I think really the only way can do that is by getting a full log of flights and upgrades from the three domestic airlines. I’ve been calling on the prime minister as a way since last weekend to actually do the same.
And so I don’t probably believe I should be subjecting other people to standards I’m not prepared to subject myself to. So when that information comes in, I will be obviously updating my declarations.
I think for transparency and accountability, I have to obviously update a public declarations as quickly as possible.
• An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that McKenzie had admitted she received flight upgrades that she hadn’t declared.
Updated
Bridget McKenzie grilled on Dutton’s free flights from Rinehart
Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie has danced around questions around whether Gina Rinehart expects anything “in return” for the free flights she has given opposition leader Peter Dutton.
In a tense interview with Patricia Karvelas on RN Breakfast earlier, the shadow transport minister was happy to criticise the PM for reportedly asking for upgrades to Qantas flights (something he has denied happened) but was much more coy on what it meant for Dutton to be accepting flights from the country’s richest person.
This is what she said when asked if Rinehart would expect anything in return:
No, I don’t think so. Similarly to Ms Reinhardt sponsoring our Olympic swimming team and rowing team, her expectation was that those young athletes would be supported to represent their country as best they can, and they absolutely did.
So I don’t think we need to always think that people assisting has a quid pro quo, and that’s why it’s important to have public declarations and important to look at behaviour.
I don’t think that wanting a strong, prosperous and sustainable mining industry in this country is something that only Peter Dutton wants to see. The Coalition wants to see that. I think hundreds of thousands of workers, our allies, that are in receipt of our resources exports, want to see that continue as well. I’d be very concerned with any leaders in our parliament that don’t want to be seeing a prospect of sustainable mining.
Updated
New Radio National Breakfast host is Sally Sara
Seasoned foreign correspondent Sally Sara will take over as Radio National Breakfast host next year.
The presenter of ABC Radio’s The World Today since 2020, Sara has reported from more than 40 countries as an ABC foreign correspondent, including Africa, Iraq, India and Afghanistan.
Sara said:
I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to join the Radio National Breakfast team. I can’t wait. I will work hard to engage the audience with stories from across the country and around the world.
Sara replaces Patricia Karvelas, who will present Afternoon Briefing on the ABC News channel next year, as well as Q+A and weekly political wrap The Party Room.
Updated
Good morning
Good morning, Mostafa Rachwani with you to take you through the day’s news.
We begin with Gina Rinehart, whose company Hancock Prospecting has just reported a bumper profit of $5.6bn. The enormous profit mostly comes from consistent iron ore volumes coming out of the Roy Hill, Hope Downs and Atlas Iron operations – with a record output from Roy Hill. In a statement, Hancock Prospecting also made a note of the $3.9bn it paid in taxes in the past year.
Elsewhere, Queensland’s truth-telling inquiry is under threat, with the newly installed LNP government intent on shutting it down. Premier David Crisafulli told a press conference on Thursday that he would repeal the Pathway to Treaty Act as one of his first acts in government. The bill would be repealed this year, he said, leaving scheduled sittings in December in flux.
We’ll bring you more on those stories, and everything else happening around the country as it comes. Stay tuned.
