What we learned, Wednesday 30 September
That’s a wrap on our live coverage, before we go let’s recap the day’s top headlines:
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NSW senator David Shoebridge has become the new Greens leader, replacing Larissa Waters. Steph Hodgins-May has been named deputy leader.
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Inflation has jumped to 4% in the year to August, from 3.5%, as underlying price pressures remained stubbornly high amid worries the Reserve Bank may have to hike again.
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Anthony Albanese and Victorian premier, Ben Carroll, announced early works are beginning on the second stage of the long-awaited train line to Melbourne airport – a 7.6km stretch of the train line from Albion to Keilor East.
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OpenAI’s Medicare breach has prompted a government-wide assessment of cyber systems to bolster Australia’s public sector against further AI threats.
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Two men and a teenage boy have been charged in relation to the alleged mistaken identity shooting of Sydney student Marco Tapia – including the person who allegedly held the gun – police say.
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A man has been charged with murder after the deaths of two men at Gurranang, about 25km north of Grafton in northern New South Wales, police said.
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ABC’s finance titan Alan Kohler will retire at the end of this year, capping a three decade-tenure at the national broadcaster.
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Laneway festival dropped its lineup for next year’s event, and there are some heavy hitters from both the international scene and Australian shores.
Thanks for sticking around, we’ll see you tomorrow!
‘I am ready to play hardball’: Hodgins-May vows to take drastic change in new role
Newly appointed Greens deputy leader Steph Hodgins-May said the role presented an opportunity to “reimagine what the future could look like if we put people ahead of those corporate profiteers”.
Speaking on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, she said she was determined to represent Australians calling for greater action from the government.
I am ready to play hardball … I’m listening to the Victorians, the Australians who are every day telling me they are distraught at the fact that this government is not doing more to help people.
Incremental change doesn’t cut it when we are staring down the biggest El Niño on record, and the potential for immense droughts, floods, fires. Incrementalism won’t cut it on climate action. Incrementalism won’t cut it when we want to materially make lives better, so we are demanding more ambition and courage from the Labor party, but not expecting it.
Hodgins-May said she would “take that responsibility incredibly seriously”.
If that means playing hardball with the ALP and the Labor government, then absolutely. But if they turn around tomorrow and say, ‘Hang on, maybe we can do things differently,’ and serve us up some reforms that will genuinely change lives for the better, then I’m all ears and ready to go. We are ready to go as a team.
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Commbank becomes first of big four banks to increase home loan rates
Commonwealth Bank has announced it will increase variable home loan interest rates by 0.25% per annum following Tuesday’s RBA rate hike.
The changes will take effect from 9 October 2026.
CBA Executive of Retail Banking Angus Sullivan said:
Each customer’s circumstances are different, and our teams are ready to provide support, help them understand their options and consider what might work best for their situation.
For some customers, the immediate priority might be understanding how their repayments and budget may change and where adjustments can be made. For others, it may be having a more detailed conversation with us about their finances.
Peugeot announces major recall of over 500 cars due to ‘software issue’
The European car brand has recalled hundreds of vehicles in Australia over a “software issue” that could increase the “risk of serious injury or death”.
A warning published on the Department for Transport’s website said the fault could cause the interior door handles to deactivate unexpectedly while the engine was running.
The issue may prevent passengers from opening the doors from inside the vehicle, potentially leaving them unable to escape in an emergency.
Peugeot estimated that 550 vehicles manufactured in 2024 and 2025 were affected.
Owners of affected vehicles are being urged to contact their local dealership to have the software updated at no cost.
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NSW’s Greens condemn state government’s extension approval of Hunter Valley Operations coalmine expansions
The party has criticised the state government’s planning commission for approving the proposal.
The approval will allow Glencore and Yancoal’s Hunter Valley Operations to continue until 2045. The Greens said the mine will produce an estimated 809m tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent – about seven times NSW’s annual emissions.
Greens climate and energy spokesperson, Cate Faehrmann, said the decision had “killed any chance of NSW meeting its own climate emissions reduction targets”.
Each year, the Minns government falls further and further behind on reaching its net zero targets. The latest report from July shows that NSW is not set to reach its 2030 target until 2034 and its 2035 target until 2042.
The Minns Labor government doesn’t care about climate action. It prefers propping up a dying industry, with even the International Energy Agency saying that global demand will decline from 2030.
The signs of climate breakdown caused by the burning of fossil fuels are all around us and we’re facing a super El Niño here this summer. Meanwhile, the Minns government’s love affair with coal continues.
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Police investigate public fights at SA beaches
South Australian police are investigating after reports of public fights at beaches.
The possible move comes after “several disturbances along the metropolitan coastline late yesterday”, including reports of fighting at Glenelg and Henley Beach.
Detective said it’s understood a small number of individuals were involved in public fights as several young people spectated.
Police said they were alerted to the incidents through social media videos. They said no reports had yet been made to police and no injuries had been reported.
Officers are working to identify and locate those involved.
The force’s annual Operation Jericho monitors crime, public disorder and road safety along Adelaide’s coastline during summer.
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Good afternoon!
Thanks for sticking around, I’ll be taking the reins for the rest of the arvo.
That’s all from me. Achol Arok will take the blog from here. Enjoy your Wednesday.
Trump’s man in Canberra starts work
The new American ambassador to Australia, David Brat, has begun the new job, after presenting his diplomatic credentials to the governor general on Tuesday.
Brat met Sam Mostyn at a ceremony at Government House in Canberra.
The US embassy says Brat’s priorities in Australia include deepening the defence relationship, advancing the Aukus nuclear submarines pact, strengthening cooperation on critical minerals, and expanding trade and investment.
In his first official act, Brat paid tribute to Australian servicemen and women by laying a wreath at the Australian War Memorial.
“Australia has been our closest ally and friend for generations. It’s an honour to visit such an awe-inspiring tribute as Ambassador,” he said.
US and Australian soldiers have fought side-by-side and stood shoulder-to-shoulder for decades in times of war and times of peace. I look forward to furthering our longstanding defence partnership during my posting to Australia.
He said he looked forward to meeting Australians, including sport fans.
“Both of our nations are crazy about sports, and I can’t wait to get out there, whether it’s tennis, NRL, AFL, rugby, or cricket,” he said.
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Mother of Marco Tapia wants people to remember her son ‘beyond the circumstances of his death’
Claudia Tapia, the mother of Marco Tapia, the Sydney student mistakenly killed in an alleged crime hit gone wrong, has released a statement after her son’s death.
NSW police said earlier two men and a teenage boy had been charged in the shooting with a series of offences, including murder. A NSW official alleged the trio were “hired guns” by organised crime groups to commit the shooting, saying Tapia was a “completely innocent party”.
Claudia Tapia said her family was “so grateful to NSW Police and everyone continuing to work on this investigation”. She went on:
For our family, however, every development brings us back to the reality that Marco is no longer here. We want people to know who Marco was beyond the circumstances of his death.
Marco was a warm, caring and loving 23 years old, a biomedical engineering student, a committed Christian, a youth leader, a volunteer, a martial artist, a boyfriend, a brother and our deeply loved son. …
Marco had plans. He had purpose. He had a future, and he was already making a difference in the lives of others. His death is part of his story, but it must never become his identity. Marco was not simply a victim. He was our son, a brother, a boyfriend, a friend, a man of faith, a young leader and a biomedical engineer in the making, who was going to impact this sphere greatly.
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Police appeal for information after serious ebike crash in Sydney’s south
Officials said emergency services were called to the suburb of Engadine about 3.30pm amid reports a child had been struck by an ebike rider. A five-year-old boy was treated at the scene by paramedics for serious leg injuries before he was taken to Sydney children’s hospital. He is in stable condition.
Officers were told the e-bike rider did not stop and left the scene before police arrived. They are searching for two people in relation to the incident.
Anyone with information related to the crash has been urged to contact police.
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Antarctic winter sea ice falls to third-lowest level on record as scientists warn of ‘now problem’
Antarctica’s winter sea ice has peaked at its third-lowest level on record, falling 1m sq km short of the long-term average, scientists have confirmed.
Confirmation of the peak meant the four lowest years on record for the continent’s sea ice – a vital component of the planet’s climate and critical for marine life – had all occurred in the past four years.
Satellites have been watching the continent’s sea ice since 1979, and this year data showed the sea ice peaked on 14 September at 17.59m sq km, about 1m sq km short of the average maximum, or an area roughly twice the size of Spain.
Read more here:
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Minns defends NSW record on inflation: ‘We’ve been careful with public money’
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, has defended the Labor state government’s record on inflation ahead of the March 2027 state election, after former RBA governor, Philip Lowe, said public spending was adding to pressure.
In comments in a podcast released by the Institute of Public Affairs today, the day after the RBA lifted the official cash rate to 4.6%, Lowe called for governments to cut spending and run larger budget surpluses to reduce pressure on inflation and interest rates. Figures this morning showed inflation jumped to 4% in the year to August, from 3.5%.
At a press conference, this morning, Minns was asked about Lowe’s comments and whether the federal treasurer, Jim Chalmers, should cut spending. He said:
Well, look, I’d just say that I think every government has a responsibility to do what it can to take demand out of the economy … The NSW treasurer [Daniel Mookhey] and myself have said many times that we have heard the advice from the RBA over the last two years that we need to be careful with public funds, and as a result, over the last four years, we’ve had the lowest increase in spending growth of any jurisdiction in the country …
Now, I’m not going to make a long commentary about other governments. It’s up to them and their decisions, obviously. But we want to make it clear that we’ve been careful with public money, particularly the growth in public money, and that will continue if we’re re-elected next March.
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Jim Chalmers says he hasn’t met new Greens leaders before
Jim Chalmers wished the Greens’ outgoing leader Larissa Waters well and said he hasn’t met the new leaders before. He said no party has the numbers in the Senate on their own, “so we engage in good faith with all parts of the Senate crossbench” and he expects that to continue.
[It’s] very sad to hear that she’s been unwell, and she’s dealing with this condition. Larissa seems to me to be a really wonderful person, and I wish her well as she deals with the challenges in her health.
When it comes to the new leadership of the Greens, I haven’t met the new leaders of the Greens before.
Chalmers went on:
I’m told that [Shoebridge] was particularly focused on the Labor party in his introductory remarks. I think it’s really important that we focus on the risks posed to workers and to our economy by One Nation, the Liberal party and the National party. …
The government for its part is focused on delivering on its agenda, delivering real change, dealing with these pressures and challenges in our economy, and in the course of that work, we’ll play the cards that we’re dealt in the Senate and engage in good faith as we have been to this point.
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Shoebridge promises Greens will deliver ‘material change’ under his leadership
David Shoebridge has promised the Greens will pursue “material change” under his leadership.
He said people were “desperate for material change” and wanted more than gradual policy shifts from the major parties. He said:
If you travel around the country, the call I’m not hearing is: ‘What do we want? Gradual change! When do we want it? In due course!’
That is the dead politics of Labor. It’s the dead politics of the Coalition. And when you really test it, it’s the dead politics of One Nation. They don’t want another meaningless message being delivered by some Labor hack that they know is not going to change their lives.
Newly appointed deputy leader Steph Hodgins-May echoed the promise, pointing to the pressures facing Australian families.
We have families who are desperate for secure housing. We have families who cannot afford to send their child to childcare. We have families who are deeply anxious about the climate crisis and are watching this Labor government wave through new coal and gas projects at this critical moment in time,” she said.
I am here to say: ‘no, not on our watch’. I am here with David to bring a bold vision to Australia, to grow our movement.
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No ‘objective observer could contest’ oil prices behind inflation spike: Chalmers
Jim Chalmers is pushing back against multiple questions about the cause of the inflation increase.
He said:
We can see in today’s inflation figures that the overwhelming reason why annual headline inflation has come up in August compared to July is because of the impact of higher global oil prices flowing through to oil prices in Australia. That’s not an opinion. It’s a fact.
Chalmers went on to say there will be “all sorts of commentary made” but he didn’t think “any objective observer could contest that after today’s figures”.
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Chalmers says inflation largely driven by Middle East crisis
Jim Chalmers, the treasurer, is speaking after the inflation figures this morning showed inflation had jumped 4% in the year to August from 3.5%.
Chalmers said Australia is not immune from the oil crisis in the Middle East, saying the conflict is “overwhelmingly” the reason for the figures. He said:
These numbers confirm that the overwhelming reason why inflation went up in August in headline terms was higher global oil prices. In fact, all of the increase in annual headline inflation was from a combination of higher fuel costs and the unwinding of last year’s energy rebates.
Chalmers went on to say amid “heightened global instability” he was encouraged to see “underlying inflation moderate in the month-to-month figures”.
Inflation is still too high in our economy. That’s why it is so important that we are managing the budget in a responsible way.
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Former deputy Mehreen Faruqi ‘disappointed’ after Greens leadership vote
Former Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi has expressed her disappointment her party room did not appoint her leader in the ballot.
In a statement on social media, Faruqi said: “Of course, I am disappointed the party room chose another direction, and know many others will feel the same way”.
I did not stand again for Deputy Leader today because, on reflection, I believe I can best play my part in that action outside the constraints of the leadership team.
Faruqi said she had long advocated for Greens leaders to be elected by members “with enough time for thoughtful deliberation on who is best to grow our party”.
I share members’ frustration that the opposite happened this week. Without a member vote, we cannot call ourselves a grassroots party.
I call on the new leadership team to set a timeline for one member, one vote.
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David Shoebridge speaks after being elected new Greens leader
Senator David Shoebridge has thanked his party for its support following the unexpected leadership change in the Greens.
Speaking in Sydney, Shoebridge said:
If you’d asked me earlier this week would we expect to be here, I would have said no. Our party was rock-solid behind Larissa.
But I can’t tell you how much of a joy it is going to be over the next 18 months – a lot of hard work – but what a joy it is going to be working with my colleague Steph. This is a moment where, between us, we are going to share the load. We’re going to cross the country.
We’re going to deliver that sense of hope and opportunity that Australians are begging for and we are also going to meet the climate crisis.
Shoebridge also paid tribute to outgoing leader Larissa Waters.
She led with compassion, led with principle, showed what collective leadership can do. We were privileged to be led by Larissa.
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David Shoebridge elected new Greens leader
NSW senator David Shoebridge will become the new Greens leader, replacing Larissa Waters.
Shoebridge, who ran on a joint ticket with Victorian Steph Hodgins-May, defeated Sarah-Hanson Young and outgoing deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi.
A party announcement is due at noon. It comes during a two-day meeting of Greens MPs in Sydney.
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Inflation climbs to 4% in year to August
Inflation has jumped to 4% in the year to August, from 3.5%, as underlying price pressures remained stubbornly high amid worries the Reserve Bank may have to hike again.
High and rising fuel prices drove the big rise in headline inflation, which was a little lower than anticipated.
Underlying inflation, which trims out the more volatile prices, was unchanged at 3.6%, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Both measures remain far above the RBA’s official target of 2.5%.
Oaka the rescue dog finds a new job as a koala protector, replacing Bear
When Bear, the world-famous koala detection dog, entered retirement, his trainers feared the koolie’s little red fireground boots might never be filled.
But now AAP reports Oaka – a two-year-old girl of the same breed with the same hyper-fixation on play – has entered the role, where she is tasked with smelling koalas not by their droppings, but by their fur, often metres above ground level.
“It felt like we had struck gold twice,” said Josey Sharrad, the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s Oceania programs head. “The qualities that make dogs not a great family pet are often the qualities that make them become a detection dog.”
The two-year-old was quickly adopted and now lives on the Sunshine Coast, training alongside a number of fellow detection dogs. Alongside drones and human spotters, she will be trained to spot koalas cut off from food and water following bushfires, floods and cyclones.
While she will not be deployed until she is field-ready, the approach of what is expected to be another devastating bushfire season has added urgency.
“Our koalas will need all the help they can get, whether it comes on two legs or four,” Sharrad said.
More on Bear here:
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NSW police investigating desecration of Islamic graves in Sydney
NSW police are investigating the alleged desecration of Islamic graves in Sydney’s south-west.
Images show multiple graves at the Al Nur cemetery in Narellan have been damaged.
The Lebanese Muslim Association, which owns and manages the cemetery, said the incident was “an act of hatred directed at Muslims”:
There is something particularly vile about targeting the dead. These graves belong to mothers, fathers, grandparents, sons and daughters. They were Australians of Islamic faith who deserve the same dignity and respect as every other Australian.
After the Bondi shooting, pigs’ heads were thrown onto graves at the Al Nur cemetery.
A NSW spokesperson confirmed to Guardian Australia that police were notified about the incident on Monday and that investigations are ongoing.
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Albanese defends government’s efforts on cost of living
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is answering questions in Melbourne, a day after the Reserve Bank lifted interest rates.
Albanese said the Reserve Bank governor, Michele Bullock, made it clear yesterday that there are inflationary pressures in the economy that have been made worse by the war in the Middle East. But he said the government has and will remain focused on cost of living measures. He went on:
People are doing it tough. People are under pressure. That’s one of the reasons why we’ve looked for savings in the budget.
The PM said the Coalition had opposed many of those efforts: “You can’t say, ‘We want more savings,’ and then oppose every saving which is put forward.”
Albanese went on to say the Coalition had promised new spending and the repeal of tax measures without speaking about how they would be paid for.
How can you say you’ll repeal the measures that were put in place, such as the changes to capital gains tax and to negative gearing, which were put forward – and then say that you’re going to have a fiscally responsible policy?
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'And that’s finance': Alan Kohler to retire from the ABC after 31 years
Alan Kohler will retire from the ABC at the end of this year, capping a three decade-tenure at the national broadcaster.
Kohler joined the ABC in 1995 as a business correspondent and has been the lead finance presenter for the 7pm news since 2002. His trademark sign off – “And that’s finance” – has greeted viewers for years.
He said in a statement:
I love the ABC, always have, even more so after I joined it.
I find it very hard to imagine this wonderful place not being part of my life, but I’m 74 and it’s time to spend more time with my family, including the six grandchildren.
His last report will be 16 December.
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NSW police allege shooting of Sydney student ‘hired guns’ linked to organised crime
NSW police are holding a press conference after two men and a teenage boy were charged in relation to the alleged mistaken identity shooting of Sydney student Marco Tapia.
Three people, aged 22, 23 and 16, were arrested in Junee, near Wagga Wagga, yesterday. They were charged with a series of offences: murder, two counts of special aggravated break and enter and committing a serious indictable offence – weapon and possessing an unauthorised prohibited firearm.
Two others were previously arrested in relation to the shooting and charged with murder, boys aged 14 and 16.
Det Supt Joe Doueihi said police will allege they were contracted as “hired guns” by organised crime groups to commit the shooting. He said Tapia was a “completely innocent party” in the shooting and alleged there was an intended target who resided on the same street. The alleged target has links to organised crime groups, Doueihi said.
He went on:
These investigations are complex and take some time to go through the evidence. There are thousands and thousands of hours of CCTV, telecommunication information, download, and reviews of communication devices, forensic evidence, canvassing witness statements.
Once we have the opportunity to go through all of that and put it all together, we were able to identify that there was a strong case [allegedly] implicating these three males in this offence.
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Six Australian universities in top 100 in global rankings
The University of Melbourne is the top Australian university in the Times Higher Education rankings this year, one of six local institutions in the top 100.
Melbourne Uni clocked in at No 34 on the rankings, which evaluate teaching environments, research, contributions to industry and innovation and international outlook.
The others who ranked highly were:
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The University of Sydney at 51
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Monash University at 61
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The University of Queensland at 73
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UNSW Sydney at 75
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Australian National University at 77
The rankings said Australia bucked a larger trend of western universities falling in the rankings, remaining “relatively stable”. A release accompanying the news said:
Although Australia’s overall score declined slightly as a result of falls in research productivity, doctorate-staff ratio, student-staff ratio and research strength, there were improvements in research and institutional income, along with reputation and citation impact.
Overall, the University of Oxford ranked No 1 for the 11th year in a row.
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‘Give and take’ relationship with AI giants, Australian Signals Directorate chief says
Abigail Bradshaw, the director general of the Australian Signals Directorate, said Australia is beholden to AI companies that are willing to give the country access to sophisticated models, but added partnerships work “both ways”.
Bradshaw spoke to RN Breakfast this morning after the OpenAI breach of a Medicare website, saying Australia has “unique insights” to offer such companies that are valuable for technology giants. She said:
It’s a give and take here. And I think what’s important also is to look at the content of that apology. It’s not just the headline. The apology is important. We shouldn’t miss that moment.
But actually, look at the content of what OpenAI have set out there. That is not insignificant. They are agreeing actually to sharing, for example, preliminary findings. They have taken a really significant step in slowing down the release of the next model to ensure that guardrails and sufficient safeguards are put in place. They have given an offer of practical support.
And in fact, that is consistent with our experience, with our engagement with not just OpenAI, but the other labs, Anthropic and others, over the last six months … And I think that’s a really important precedent for the way this relationship proceeds into the future.
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Why are there so many bogong moths, and how can you safely remove them?
Skies over parts of New South Wales have been aflutter in recent days as swarms of bogong moths begin their annual migration, travelling up to 1,000 km from their breeding grounds in different parts of the country to a small number of cool caves in the Australian Alps.
Sightings of the endangered moth have increased over the last two years, but reports to the citizen science program Moth Tracker this September alone have exceeded 2025’s total figures, according to Zoos Victoria, which runs the platform.
What do the burgeoning insect numbers mean for their recovery, and what should you do if you find bogongs inside your home?
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Laneway festival releases 2027 lineup
Laneway festival just dropped its lineup for next year’s event, and there are some heavy hitters from both the international scene and Australian shores.
Irish rock darlings Fontaines D.C. are headlining alongside Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams. In pop land, Slayyyter and Adéla join the deeply fun Kim Petras and Muna.
Australia’s own Ninajirachi, Ecca Vandal and Swapmeet are on the bill, too, as are many more acts bound to make a good time.
Check out the lineup below:
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David Shoebridge and Steph Hodgins-May confirm Greens leadership tilt
As we brought you earlier, senators David Shoebridge and Steph Hodgins-May have now confirmed they will stand for leadership positions in the Greens’ party room ballot.
In a statement posted to Shoebridge’s Instagram, the pair said they would be a “fresh leadership team”.
We do not seek to reform Labor, but to replace them,” the statement reads, potentially signalling a bolder stance on how they would deal with the government and push for reform.
The answer to the rise of One Nation and the far right is giving people hope, and making people’s lives better with real economic and environmental security.
They cited “a meal before school” for children, “no new coal and gas”, and “holding back the wave of US billionaire tech bros and their vampire AI data centres” in the pitch.
Shoebridge and Hodgins-May also said the Greens needed to be “a bigger mass movement” and expressed support for the idea of former MP Max Chandler-Mather for ordinary party members – not just the parliamentary wing – to have a say in electing the leader. No details on how that would work, but the pair said they would “work with the party on this”.
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Jane Hume says Reserve Bank had no choice but to raise interest rates
Jane Hume, the deputy opposition leader, said the Reserve Bank “of course” had no choice but to raise interest rates yesterday, laying blame on the Labor government’s spending.
Hume spoke to RN Breakfast this morning, touting the Coalition’s proposed petrol price “shield” to cut the fuel excise at a certain threshold. But she added:
The real issue here is whether your economy is resilient enough to be able to handle those international shocks. My concern here is that this particular rate rise, which we know has taken the cash rates to its highest level in 15 years, has demonstrated that Jim Chalmers has been found out as the emperor, he has no clothes. …
He has been unable to control the domestic factors using the fiscal levers. That means that Michelle Bullock, as the independent governor of the Reserve Bank, has had to pull the monetary policy levers that much harder.
Hume said there was “so much more” the government could do, claiming Labor had “frittered away” windfall gains and spent them, adding to inflation.
Then we wonder why there’s domestic strains, domestic capacity issues. That’s what Michelle Bullock is referring to. She’s too polite to point the finger directly, but there is no way that she should take the blame for having to raise.
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Who is potential Greens deputy leader candidate Steph Hodgins-May?
So who is the first-term senator expected to announce a leadership ticket tilt with David Shoebridge?
The 41-year-old Steph Hodgins-May was appointed to the Senate in May 2024 after Janet Rice called time on a decade in parliament the month before.
The party’s resources spokesperson, Hodgins-May in June accused fossil fuel companies of using the programs and sponsorships to “build social licence” with kids.
Get your dirty hands off our kids, that is our message to the fossil fuel industry, who have no place in early-learning centres, in schools, or in our cultural institutions in this country.
Children should go to school to get evidence-based education, not to be brainwashed by fossil fuel corporations seeking to build social licence.
Born in Ballarat, Hodgins-May was head of the Pacific for Greenpeace Australia from 2020 to 2023, and also holds a law degree. She ran for the Victorian seat of Macnamara (and its predecessor, Melbourne Ports) at the 2016, 2019 and 2022 elections.
In a post on Instagram yesterday she wished Larissa Waters well, commending the outgoing leader on her “courage, wisdom and care”.
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Shoebridge and Hodgins-May expected to announce Greens leadership joint ticket
The Greens are expected to hold a leadership vote today, and party sources yesterday and today said two new contenders are likely to enter the contest – David Shoebridge and Steph Hodgins-May.
A formal confirmation is expected shortly, which we’ll bring you. Shoebridge yesterday didn’t rule out running for the leadership role, and we’re told that he and Hodgins-May are looking at a joint ticket.
They would join Mehreen Faruqi and Nick McKim, who announced a run for leader and deputy respectively, and Sarah Hanson-Young who has also announced her candidacy.
More to come through the day.
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Australian Signals Directorate chief says OpenAI’s ‘substantive’ steps key to future security after Medicare breach
Abigail Bradshaw, the director general of the Australian Signals Directorate, said yesterday’s apology by OpenAI after a hack of a Medicare website was important, but the “substantive” steps the tech company plans to better safeguard sensitive information is the bigger takeaway.
OpenAI apologised for the breach yesterday and said an executive will front parliament next week to speak about the episode and what will be done to prevent it from happening again.
Bradshaw told ABC News:
I think that the message out of this is – this is a demonstration, in fact, about how Australia can participate in developing new norms, new behaviours, and new protocols which are beneficial to Australians but, in fact, are shaping norms which will impact people around the world.
She added the signals directorate had been working to defend Australian data from emerging technology and “fortify” itself.
There has been work and engagement over the last six months utilising – including models that aren’t publicly available – to fortify the sensitive networks of, for example, financial institutions, health institutions, energy providers.
That process enabled us to – with great speed – identify vulnerabilities in code and patch those prior to the rollout of that really important national process.
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Wife of Australian detained by Vietnam says she has concerns about his welfare
Chloe Dang, the wife of a missing Vietnamese Australian democracy campaigner, said she hasn’t slept for days after her husband went missing during a trip to Cambodia.
Tran Hiep, 50, was due to return to Bangkok, Thailand, earlier this month and reunite with his wife, but never returned. Dang said the government has since confirmed he has been detained by Vietnamese authorities on what have been described as “fabricated” charges.
Dang said she hasn’t heard anything from her husband, but found out yesterday from Vietnam that he was in the country. She said she does not know where he is being held, or the status of his wellbeing.
“My most concern is his wellbeing as well, because it’s been 12 days and we hadn’t heard anything,” she told ABC News Breakfast. “He’s an Australian citizen. He went into Cambodia legally. And now, the accusation is he tried to pass the border [into Vietnam] illegally.”
She’s asked the Australian government to do everything they can to secure his release, saying officials have been assisting her and her family.
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Good morning, Nick Visser here once more to guide you through the day’s news. Let’s get to it.
Three charged over mistaken-identity shooting of Sydney student
Two men and a teenage boy have been charged in relation to the alleged mistaken identity shooting of Sydney student Marco Tapia – including the person who allegedly held the gun – police say.
Tapia, 23, was shot inside his family’s home in Glen Alpine early on 1 September. Police have alleged perpetrators had the wrong home and person.
The trio – aged 22, 23 and 16 – were arrested in Junee, near Wagga Wagga, yesterday and charged with a series of offences: murder, two counts of special aggravated break and enter and committing a serious indictable offence – weapon and possessing an unauthorised prohibited firearm.
Detectives will allege in court the three – one allegedly armed with a pistol – entered the home and confronted Tapia, before he was fatally shot.
All three will appear in court today – the teenager will appear in children’s court.
Two other teenage boys have been charged and remain before the courts.
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Albanese to announce next stage of Melbourne airport rail link
Early works are beginning on the second stage of the long-awaited train line to Melbourne airport – a 7.6km stretch of the train line from Albion to Keilor East, where a new station will be built.
Anthony Albanese will be in Melbourne today with Victorian premier, Ben Carroll, to announce that site investigations, procurement and development work will begin in the coming weeks.
Built alongside the Jacana freight corridor, this stage of the project will feature a 500m rail bridge to carry trains over the Maribyrnong River.
Community engagement and early designs will follow next year, with major construction on the Keilor East station to begin in 2028 and finish in 2031.
The first stage of Melbourne Airport Rail, which involves the creation of the “Sunshine superhub” and the construction of new stations at Tottenham and Albion, is expected to be completed in 2030.
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Man charged with murder after two bodies found in northern NSW
A man has been charged with murder after the deaths of two men at Gurranang, about 25km north of Grafton in northern New South Wales, police said.
About 3pm on Sunday 13 September, police were called to a house after reports the body of a 79-year-old man had been found.
Officers visited the house again on Monday when they found the body of a 59-year-old man in a shed on the property.
Detectives arrested a 32-year-old man at a hospital in Grafton yesterday afternoon.
He was taken to Grafton police station where he was charged with two counts of murder and stealing a motor vehicle.
He was refused bail to appear before court today.
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Home Affairs orders rapid review of government-wide cyber systems after OpenAI hack
OpenAI’s Medicare breach has prompted a government-wide assessment of cyber systems to bolster Australia’s public sector against further AI threats – deliberate or not.
Home affairs directed all government departments and agencies to undertake a “rapid” stocktake of legacy systems, to formulate risk management for legacy technology and to report their compliance back to the department.
The directive prioritises systems of government significance – the government’s critical systems – with a review due by the end of the year, while other systems will be assessed by March.
The acting home affairs minister, Richard Marles, said AI is “changing the environment in which we operate at extraordinary speed.”
We can’t wait for an old system to fail before replacing it. We need to identify vulnerabilities and deal with them before they can be exploited.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it’ll be Nick Visser with the main action.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, will be in Melbourne today with Victorian premier, Ben Carroll, to announce early works are beginning on the second stage of the long-awaited train line to Melbourne airport. More coming up.
A man has been charged with murder after the deaths of two men at Gurranang, about 25km north of Grafton in northern New South Wales, police said. More on that soon.
Updated
