That’s where we will leave our live news blog for today.
But for those eager to follow the results of the Dunkley byelection, which is being billed as a temperature check for the government, Amy Remeikis will be sharing rolling coverage in a special edition of Australian politics live here.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
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Some images from the wires of Mardi Gras marchers preparing for Sydney’s annual parade, which kicks off at 6pm.
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Voters turn out for Dunkley byelection
We’re a little over an hour away from polls closing in the Dunkley byelection, which has been billed as a temperature check for the government.
Here’s a quick recap of what unfolded while the electorate cast their vote:
Labor holds the seat by a 6.3% margin, with the community leader Jodie Belyea fighting to retain it after the death last December of the Labor member for Dunkley Peta Murphy.
The Coalition preselected the Frankston mayor, Nathan Conroy. The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has argued a swing of more than 3% would be bad news for the PM.
Earlier today, Anthony Albanese spoke from the electorate to praise Belyea, saying she’s a strong supporter of education and the community. He also joined the Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, and Belyea to open the Peta Murphy Breast Imaging Suite at Frankston hospital in honour of Murphy’s four-year battle with breast cancer.
She advocated for the amazing sporting facilities where we held yesterday’s press conference so young people could get access to the opportunity that comes through that.
Albanese also urged voters to turn their backs on the Liberal party over their “fear campaigns” after the wrongful arrest of a released immigration detainee.
Peter Dutton visited the seat on Friday, promising locals a significant rail upgrade if his party wins the next federal election.
This morning, the Liberal senator Jane Hume joined Conroy at a primary school polling booth in Langwarrin for a press conference, only to be frequently interrupted.
Conroy said as a protester interjected:
We don’t shout people down.
What we do have is a strong positive campaign.
Conroy said the rising cost of living was the number one issue for voters, while also promoting local infrastructure investment. He said:
We need to have more jobs, more business, more choice, more homes for people.
Then you look at crime, crime is on the rise and that’s because of the housing crisis and the cost-of-living crisis.
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Lawyers who had Elon Musk’s pay dismissed as excessive seek $6bn in Tesla shares
The lawyers who successfully argued that Elon Musk’s $56bn pay package was excessive are seeking a record legal fee worth $6bn, payable in the electric car maker’s stock, according to a court filing.
“We recognise that the requested fee is unprecedented in terms of absolute size,” Friday’s filing by the three law firms with the court of chancery in Delaware said.
The fee works out to an hourly rate of $288,888, according to the filing.
The electric vehicle maker is being asked to pay the fee because it benefited from the return of Musk’s pay package, which the legal team said will result in the return to the carmaker of 266m shares.
More on this story here:
Thunderstorm warning issued in NSW
There is a now severe thunderstorm warning for the mid-north coast and parts of the north-west slopes and plains in NSW:
⚠️⛈️ Severe thunderstorm warning now covers the Mid North Coast and parts of the North West Slopes and Plains. Localised heavy rainfall, damaging winds and large hail are possible.
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) March 2, 2024
Pea-sized hail reported at Lowanna near Coffs Harbour.
Monitor updates at https://t.co/Ss766eSCrL pic.twitter.com/ishgUPsdZL
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Mardi Gras parade to begin with tribute to Jesse Baird and Luke Davies
A moment of silence will fall over Sydney’s Mardi Gras parade to honour the memories of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies after their alleged murders, AAP has reported.
Parade-leading motorcycle club Dykes on Bikes will pause in Taylor Square to signal a moment of silence for the pair during Saturday’s march on Oxford Street, Mardi Gras organisers said in a statement.
“This moment of commemoration serves as a powerful reminder of the bonds that unite us and the memories of those we hold dear,” they said.
Qantas is expected to commemorate flight attendant Davies on its parade float while the AFL is expected to announce a tribute for umpire Baird in coming weeks.
A large crowd gathered in Darlinghurst on Friday to pay their respects to the two men.
Attendee Antonio Sneddon told Guardian Australia’s Rafqa Touma:
This Mardi Gras is going to be different, because there are two bright souls who are not going to be here to celebrate.
These two lovely bright people, they are part of the rainbow community.
It feels like we lost brothers.
• Support is available at Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 and 1800Respect (1800 737 732).
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This year’s Mardi Gras will also have the first-ever Timor-Leste float, with around 200 people marching in it.
My colleagues Jordyn Beazley and Luca Ittimani have the story here:
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WA becomes first state to ban plastic-lined takeaway cups
Hundreds of millions of coffee cups are expected to be saved from landfill as the nation’s first ban on plastic-lined takeaway cups takes effect, AAP has reported.
Western Australia became the first state to introduce the ban on single-use, non-compostable coffee cups on Friday, with businesses who fail to comply threatened with hefty fines.
Instead, cafes can use compostable paperboard cups, which are excluded from the ban, or encourage customers to bring keep cups of their own, said WA Environment minister Reece Whitby.
This is an excellent move for the environment because we know that plastic persists in the environment for decades and decades and decades.
The change is part of a wider push by the Cook government to reduce the prevalence of single-use plastics in the economy.
Also banned on Friday were unlidded disposable plastic food trays, such as sushi trays and bento boxes.
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NSW premier Chris Minns has announced he will join a number of ministers to march in the Mardi Gras parade this evening, marking the first time in history a NSW premier has joined the celebration.
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Sydney Mardi Gras to attract hundreds of thousands to Oxford Street
Hundreds of thousands will gather in Oxford Street for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras annual parade festivities on Saturday, AAP has reported.
Float organiser Jane O’Keefe, who has been participating in the parade for years, feels the loss of the couple but is all the more determined to give her very best for crowds. She told AAP:
Our community’s very used to death.
There will not be one of us marching tomorrow night that hasn’t been heartbroken and grieving, but we can be both.
We can hold both grief, trauma, and joy - and remember them in a way.
The founder of the Itty Bitty Titty Committee will be joined by lesbian community members dressed in pink utility jumpsuits with “Lesbies” written on the back in Barbie font.
More than 60 police officers will march as part of the parade in a new “no uniform” compromise reached with NSW police.
Mardi Gras board co-chair Brandon Bear said organisers understood it was a difficult time for the community and that there was a range of opinions on the subject of police participation.
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Hecklers interrupt Liberal candidate for Dunkley
Hecklers have targeted the Liberal candidate for the seat of Dunkley as the major parties make their last-ditch pitch to byelection voters, AAP has reported.
Liberal senator Jane Hume joined opposition candidate Nathan Conroy at a primary school polling booth in Langwarrin for a press conference this morning, only to be frequently interrupted.
Conroy said as a protester interjected:
We don’t shout people down.
What we do have is a strong positive campaign.
Conroy said the rising cost of living was the number one issue for voters, while also promoting local infrastructure investment. He said:
We need to have more jobs, more business, more choice, more homes for people.
Then you look at crime, crime is on the rise and that’s because of the housing crisis and the cost-of-living crisis.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton did not make an appearance on Saturday but has previously said that while the vote won’t change the government, it could send a message to the prime minister he wasn’t doing enough.
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Investigators race to identify two dead in unit fire
Police are working to identify two bodies found after a blaze destroyed a unit on the outskirts of Newcastle.
Emergency services were called to the building at Teralba early on Thursday morning after reports of a fire. Fire and Rescue NSW crews managed to extinguish the blaze, but not before the building had been severely damaged.
Police officers from Lake Macquarie and the NSW state crime command’s arson unit found a body during an initial search of the unit. As searches continued on Friday, a second body was found. Both bodies are yet to be identified.
Inquiries into the cause of the fire are ongoing, but forensic examinations have been paused while investigators conduct an assessment of the building to ensure the structure is sound.
A NSW police spokesperson told AAP on Saturday only two people were unaccounted for, but officers won’t be able to ensure there were no other victims until they are able to completely finish their examination of the premises.
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Queensland government pledges over $40m to fertility treatments
More women and girls suffering complex medical conditions like cancer will have access to cheaper reproductive care after Queensland became the latest state to announce public funding for fertility treatments, AAP has reported.
The Queensland government has pledged $42.3m, including $32.1m to fund public access to assisted reproductive technologies like IVF, to help the one in six Australian couples experiencing fertility challenges plan a family.
A further $10.2m will go towards helping women freeze their eggs and embryos for the future with a statewide fertility preservation service.
Women and girls’ sexual and reproductive health are often overlooked aspects of overall wellbeing, Queensland health minister Shannon Fentiman said on Saturday.
When a significant health issue, such as cancer, impacts a person’s fertility, being able to afford access to fertility services should be the last thing Queenslanders need to worry about.
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Protestors clash with police ahead of Sydney’s Mardi Gras
Last night protesters clashed with NSW police over their involvement in Mardi Gras today.
Around 8pm roughly 300 protesters turned up at Taylor Square on Oxford Street in Surry Hills. Pride in Protest organised the event, and in a statement on Instagram, called for the police contingent to be pulled from Mardi Gras given the recent deaths of of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies.
In a post on Instagram, the group said there was:
Longstanding and deep-rooted … abuse, racism and homophobia rampant within the NSW police.
In a statement, police said the protest was “unauthorised”.
About 8.30pm, the group moved onto the roadway, blocking all vehicle traffic at the intersection of Oxford and Flinders Street. With the assistance of additional police, the crowd were directed to move onto the footpath. Those who did not comply with police directions were physically removed.
The crowd later dispersed, with part of the group attending the Sydney Police Centre on Goulburn and Riley Streets, where they continued to protest.”
There were no reports of any property being damaged, person being injured, or any arrests being made.
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Racial profiling was not behind wrongful arrest of former immigrant detainee, Victorian police say
Racial profiling did not contribute to the arrest of a former immigration detainee who was wrongfully charged with sex assault in a case of mistaken identity, a Victoria police commander insists, APP reported.
The man was arrested on Thursday after a woman was allegedly assaulted and another person allegedly stalked in the suburb of Richmond in Melbourne’s east.
He faced the Melbourne magistrates court on Thursday and was remanded in custody before police realised their mistake.
The man was then called back and a magistrate struck out charges against him.
Victoria police commander Mark Galliott told ABC Radio the arrest was prompted by a description of the actual attacker which matched the former detainee based on height, age and ethnicity.
Based on the evidence and the descriptions we had at that time there was grounds for the arrest, they look very much alike and very similar.
Based on, as well with the GPS data, (this) gave the investigators enough to satisfy themselves this was the offender.
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Albanese urges voters to turn their backs on Liberal party’s ‘fear campaigns’ ahead of Dunkley election
Anthony Albanese has urged voters in a byelection to turn their backs on the Liberal party over their “fear campaigns” after the wrongful arrest of a released immigration detainee, AAP has reported.
The prime minister took aim at Opposition leader Peter Dutton for the coalition’s attack on the government over a detainee who was mistakenly arrested and charged by Victoria police on Thursday.
Albanese told reporters in Frankston:
I’m waiting for Peter Dutton to take responsibility for the debacle yesterday where he made completely false accusations against ministers.
Two days out from polling day, Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley made a post on social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, telling people to vote against Labor if they had a “problem with Victorian women being assaulted by foreign criminals”. A number of the released foreigners from immigration detention are convicted murderers and sex offenders.
Rural Australians for Refugees president Paul Dalzell said asylum seekers and those fleeing from persecution should never be treated as political footballs by those holding public office.
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Queensland police apologise for celebrating officer involved in historical massacre of Indigenous people
Queensland police have had to apologise after celebrating a serving officer who helped massacre a large group of Indigenous people in 1873.
The post on the myPolice Cape York Facebook Page, seen by Guardian Australia has now been deleted. It was a “Flashback Friday”, eulogising the officer. It read:
Robert Johnstone was born in Richmond, Tasmania 1843 with his family moving to Victoria in 1851.
It recounted his life, move to Queensland and how in 1876 he discovered and named the Barron River before his death in 1905.
It did not mention Johnstone’s own claims that he was responsible for the death of 35 First Nations people in a massacre at Mt Farquharson or other killings and beating of First Nations people during his service.
In a statement, QPS said:
This morning, a local Facebook post was published on the MyPolice Far North Facebook pages featuring historical information about a police officer from the local area in the 1800s.
Following the post, the Far North District was made aware of additional information regarding the police officer and his involvement in other historical events.
With that information in mind, the post has since been removed and an apology has been posted on the local myPolice Facebook pages.
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Three quarters of LGBTQ+ Australians have experienced mental ill health
Queer and gender-diverse people are suffering from rates of mental ill health far greater than their heterosexual counterparts, AAP has reported.
Three quarters of LGBTQ+ Australians have experienced a mental disorder or illness at some point in their life, an Australian Bureau of Statistics analysis of 2020 census data shows.
This compares with four out of 10 heterosexual individuals.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community were also more likely to report higher rates of psychological distress, with nearly half experiencing significant thoughts of taking their own life compared to one in seven in the remaining population.
The findings highlight the need for well-funded support services for queer Australians including gender affirming care for the trans community, LGBTIQ+ Health Australia chief executive Nicky Bath said:
These adverse mental health outcomes relate directly to the stigma, prejudice, discrimination and abuse that LGBTQ+ people have experienced and continue to experience.
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Breast cancer suite at Frankston hospital opens in honour of Peta Murphy
Anthony Albanese, Victorian premier Jacinta Allan and Labor candidate Jodie Belyea officially opened the Peta Murphy Breast Imaging Suite at Frankston hospital on Saturday, AAP has reported.
The suite is named in honour of former Labor MP and member for Dunkley, Peta Murphy, whose death in December 2023 after a four-year battle with breast cancer triggered the byelection.
Albanese revealed the government will spend $1.5m to accelerate the creation of a national registry for metastatic cancers, those which have spread to other parts of the body. He said:
When it comes to cancer, the more we know, the better our understanding.
That’s the key to better treatment and, ultimately, better outcomes for Australians with cancer.
The coalition has preselected Frankston mayor Nathan Conroy, with Peter Dutton also turning up in the seat on Friday, promising locals a significant rail upgrade if his party wins the next federal election.
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The ABC has moved away from the PM, so I am now hunting for the stream for you. More to come.
Albanese praises Jodie Belyea advocating for education and sporting facilities
Prime minister Anthony Albanese is speaking from Dunkley with Labor candidate Jodie Belyea.
She advocated for the amazing sporting facilities where we held yesterday’s press conference so young people could get access to the opportunity that comes through that.
She was a strong supporter of education, including of TAFE and Jodie is someone who attended Chisholm TAFE where I drove past today, an extraordinary facility. It has been made better by having fee-free TAFE, where 350,000 Australians have got the chance to get a trade, to get support in the care sector as a child care worker or aged care worker, to get a start in life or to get a restart in life.
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Good morning
Good morning everyone - this is Cait Kelly and I will be with you for the next few hours. Let’s go through the big headlines:
Polls are now open in Dunkely, in Melbourne’s outer south-east. This byelection has been billed as a temperature check for the government - Opposition leader Peter Dutton has argued a swing of more than 3% would be bad news for the PM.
Labor holds the seat by a 6.3% margin, with community leader Jodie Belyea fighting to retain it.
In other news, around 100 protesters clashed with police in Sydney last night ahead of Mardi Gras celebrations tonight. The heightened tensions follow the decision to allow police to march in tonight’s parade. The community is still mourning the deaths of Jesse Baird, 26, and Luke Davies, 29.
And my colleague Henry Belot has the exclusive this morning on Cricket Australia being paid to promote the “surrogate” of a controversial offshore gambling company that is banned by several nations and accused of accepting bets on children’s sport, cockfights and promoting topless casinos. You can read more here.
With that, let’s get into it.
