What we learned: Wednesday, 5 April
It’s been another big day in politics, led by the Liberal party’s decision to reject the Indigenous voice to parliament, an announcement that deemed the party “a small racist rump sliding into irrelevance” according to the Greens. Here are the major developments:
Peter Dutton has confirmed the Liberal party has resolved to formally oppose the Indigenous voice referendum and will be part of the no campaign. In a press conference today, he and Sussan Ley said the party was pro constitutional recognition but didn’t wish for a separate question to be included in the referendum.
Frontbenchers will be required to vote no, but backbenchers will be free to dissent from the party line. So far Andrew Bragg, Bridget Archer and Russell Broadbent are against the party’s proposal. Indigenous Australians minister, Linda Burney, wasn’t deterred. She said Liberal opposition to voice was an internal party matter.
In finance, Philip Lowe appeared at the National Press Club today, with not altogether wonderful news. The Reserve Bank governor said Australians will grapple with high rental prices for years to come, as housing supply fails to keep pace with population growth. He also warned the cash rate will likely need to rise further, despite a pause this week.
And Terence Darrell Kelly, the man who kidnapped four-year-old Cleo Smith, will spend at least 11 and a half years in jail for the abduction. Smith was taken from her family’s tent in remote Western Australia in October 2021.
Updated
Bridget Archer says ‘evidence is writ large’ Liberals failing to attract voters
Liberal MP Bridget Archer has said the Liberals’ current offering is “not resonating with Australians”, saying her party needs to rethink things.
In the wake of the Liberals’ decision to oppose the referendum, Archer says she doesn’t want to be linked “in any way” to the No campaign and that she doesn’t support her party’s position.
In an interview with Triple J’s Hack, the Liberal moderate notes her former colleagues have lost seats to centrist candidates, not those on the right (think Josh Frydenberg losing to Monique Ryan, Dave Sharma to Allegra Spender, Katie Allen to Labor’s Michelle Ananda-Rajah...).
“The evidence is writ large,” she said.
The Liberal Party has to make a decision whether they will return to representing the views of Australiasns or if they will remain wedded to this tribal ideology that has developed over time that is not resonating with voters.
Asked about the voice referendum, she said “I’ll campaign actively for Yes. My view has not changed on that. I do not support this position,” she said.
I will not in any way attach myself to a vote No in relation to this. If that requires that I cross the floor, then yes.
Updated
Kumanjayi Walker’s family ‘feel a grave sense of relief’ at Zachary Rolfe’s sacking
The family said they “cried with hope” after learning that the Northern Territory police officer who shot dead their loved one had been dismissed from the force.
Constable Zachary Rolfe was officially dismissed on Tuesday for disciplinary breaches, the NT police said.
The breaches were not linked to the shooting of Walker, who was killed by Rolfe in the remote community of Yuendumu in 2019, but to the publication of a 2500-word statement attributed to him in February.
Rolfe was charged with murder and other offences, but was found not guilty of all charges last year.
A statement released from Walker’s family on Wednesday afternoon said:
When we got the news of Zachary’s termination yesterday, we cried. As a community and family, we feel a grave sense of relief knowing that he doesn’t wear the same uniform that he wore when he shot Kumanjayi. We cried, hoping that this is the start of change, of accountability. We cried with hope.
But the family said the inquest into Walker’s death, which remains ongoing, must do far more to “correct an extremely broken system”. They said:
Further justice needs to continue, or a lack of trust remains not just from the Aboriginal community but greater society and across the world. The world is watching, and this represents all of us who stand
in solidarity in the fight for change, truth and accountability in this broken system.
A lawyer for Rolfe has indicated he will appeal the dismissal.
Updated
Professor Megan Davis, architect of the Uluru statement, has weighed in on the Liberal party’s decision today.
Prof Megan Davis, architect of the Uluru statement,
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) April 5, 2023
says the Liberal decision "ignores the majority of First Nations Peoples at the grassroots across the country"
"We will not be deterred" pic.twitter.com/D58eqRyX6R
Albanese appears on Triple J
The prime minister appeared on Triple J Hack this evening for the first time since the federal election last year.
A sage move, as now MPs are off TikTok they’ll have to find another way to communicate with younger voters.
This will be Mr Albanese's first appearance on Hack since last year's federal election.
— Shalailah Medhora (@shalailah) April 5, 2023
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has yet to take up our invitation. We'll keep asking; the invite is always open.
Albanese told the station he was “very happy” to come in and spin a playlist on Hack, citing his guest appearance on Rage about a decade ago as giving him sufficient credibility as a musical expert.
I’m constantly putting together playlists so that won’t be a problem.
Updated
A platypus is alleged to have been taken from its natural environment in Queensland
Queensland police say the animal was removed in the Moreton district yesterday morning. After its capture, two people were seen boarding a train at Morayfield station with the animal wrapped in a towel, patting it and showing it to fellow passengers.
Police believe the pair were travelling toward Caboolture.
They say the platypus could become sick, diseased or die the longer it was out of its habitat.
Police are asking for help to track down a pair who took a live platypus from its environment and took it on a train from Morayfield to Caboolture yesterday morning. pic.twitter.com/9TLP4SkHU8
— Josh Bavas (@JoshBavas) April 5, 2023
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Liberal party considers its voice position and byelection fate
Hot on the heels of the once-in-a-century byelection loss in Aston, the Liberal party had three meetings today to discuss the Indigenous Voice: shadow cabinet, shadow ministry, and the full party room. The meetings surfaced some interesting post-match analysis of what went wrong in Aston.
In the shadow ministerial meeting, the shadow defence industry and personnel minister, Luke Howarth, said the message was the Liberal party needs to preselect a local.
Liberal Roshena Campbell was a brilliant woman, from a diverse background - but Labor’s Mary Doyle lived closer to the electorate for longer, and drew stronger local support as a result.
Howarth’s view is that the Liberal party needs a better pipeline of talent, so it isn’t in the position of having to pick between the best candidate and someone from the electorate.
In the party room, Russell Broadbent spoke against locking in opposition to the voice, and made some observations about the Aston result. He states that the Liberal party don’t hold a lot of seats in Victoria and needs to be careful to listen to the people and understand what they require of MPs and candidates.
The debate follows Simon Birmingham, the shadow foreign minister and leading moderate, who warned this morning that the Liberal party risks being perceived as the “nasty” party.
Updated
Dutton becomes Abbott 2.0
After months of shadow campaigning against the constitutionally entrenched Indigenous voice, we shouldn’t be surprised that the Liberal party has formalised its opposition.
And yet it is still breathtaking to see, just days after another emphatic rejection of the Liberals – this time in the once-in-a-century byelection defeat in Aston.
Read Paul Karp’s full take on today’s events here:
Updated
Australia seeks stronger cyber security ties with Pacific island nations
The Australian government is pushing to be the partner of choice for Pacific island countries as they seek to prevent and respond to cyber attacks.
The assistant minister for foreign affairs, Tim Watts, said Pacific island governments understood that they were increasingly exposed to cyber threats as they digitised and connected to the global economy.
In an address this afternoon to the Sydney Dialogue - which is hosted by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute - Watts said cyber incidents could be similar in impact to a natural disaster:
Whether a government IT system or a national emergency service provider has been taken offline by a cyclone or a ransomware attack, the cascading impacts on the people and communities relying on those systems is very similar.
Watts said Australia’s responses to Tropical Cyclones Judy and Kevin were visible but people may not have seen Australia’s response to recent cyberattacks in the Pacific:
Responding to these incidents didn’t require Chinook helicopters, assessment aircraft or LHDs [landing helicopter docks], but the contribution these Australians made was huge.
They helped recover Pacific countries’ communication systems, payment systems, and citizen data after devastating ransomware attacks. These Australians brought ambulance services back online and ensured hospitals could continue to treat patients effectively.
The Australian support also extended beyond the immediate technical fixes. We were there to also build long term resilience – to build back government networks better.
Watts said Australia wanted to be “the partner of choice for the Pacific family on cyber resilience building and incident response”. It would involve Australia offering “day to day resilience building efforts in the long term” and “targeted responses to cyber security incidents in our region”.
Watts said some issues to think about included how to build the national capabilities of Pacific countries “without creating a brain drain”, and how to offer Australian experience and capacity to support Pacific objectives as a partner, “while vigilantly respecting their sovereignty”.
We believe that with our hard-won experience, our expertise and capacity, and crucially, our relationships with our Pacific family, we can make a uniquely Australian contribution to this effort.
Updated
ACT also bans TikTok on government devices
The Australian Capital Territory has become the latest jurisdiction to ban the use of TikTok on government devices.
In a statement, the ACT government said it agreed to a ban on installation of the app after advice from the federal government regarding security concerns with the Chinese-owned social media platform.
A security and emergency management cabinet meeting was held today and following consideration of the matter, the territory government recognised the benefit of national consistency in matters related to cybersecurity and the protection of government data.
The ban will take effect immediately, following a message that was sent to all ACTPS employees this afternoon. At this point in time, the ban will not extend to the installation of TikTok on the personal devices of employees who also use these devices as part of their work with ACT government.
Updated
Victorian Coalition appears to have distanced itself from federal colleagues on voice
Asked by Guardian Australia if they would fall behind federal opposition leader, Peter Dutton, who on Wednesday announced the Liberal party’s decision to oppose the Indigenous voice to parliament with a “resounding no”, they’ve replied with the following statement:
The Victorian Liberals and Nationals have an open mind on the federal government’s proposed constitutional amendment. We remain committed to supporting initiatives that Close the Gap and deliver positive outcomes for Indigenous Victorians.
In February, Victorian opposition leader, John Pesutto, said there was not enough information available for the state Liberals to back the voice. We’ll have to wait and see whether that’s changed.
Data from Newspoll released today shows 56% of Victorians support or strongly support the voice. This figure is even higher among younger and ethnic voters - two groups Pesutto has flagged as key to his plans to broaden the Liberal party’s base.
Updated
Body of missing NSW man found
The body of a man who went missing from Lake Macquarie in New South Wales yesterday has been found.
The 45-year-old was last seen leaving a hospital in Belmont, a suburb in greater Newcastle, about 3am yesterday.
When he couldn’t be found, officers were notified and a search was conducted alongside the SES, Surf Life Saving, Fire and Rescue and PolAir.
About 1.30pm today, the body believed to be that of the missing man was located by police at Valentine.
Updated
Deputy PM off to New Zealand
If you’ve been wondering “what has Richard Marles been up to lately?” then boy do I have news for you.
The deputy prime minister and minister for defence is off to Wellington this week to visit our friends across the ditch.
During his visit, Marles will meet his New Zealand counterparts including deputy prime minister, Carmel Sepuloni, minister of defence, Andrew Little, and minister of finance Grant Robertson.
On the agenda will be the strategic relationship and concerns in the Pacific region including the climate crisis, maritime security and defence.
Marles:
This visit will build on Australia and New Zealand’s shared security interests, long-standing links between our peoples and the enduring spirit of Anzac.”
As our region is being reshaped, our partnership is more important than ever. We will continue to ensure our bilateral engagement is responsive and fit-for-purpose.
Updated
Fatal boating accident in NSW
In New South Wales, a man has died and a woman has been hospitalised after a boat capsized on the South Coast.
About 11.30 this morning, emergency services attended Narooma Bar after reports a small boat had capsized when attempting to enter the bar with two people onboard.
A woman, believed to be aged in her 60s, was rescued from the water by a passing boat and has been taken to Moruya hospital for treatment.
A man, believed to be aged in his 70s, was removed from the water by Marine Rescue personnel and taken to a nearby beach, where paramedics performed CPR but were unable to revive him.
An investigation is underway.
Updated
Rio Tinto says stolen data posted on dark web
The mining giant has confirmed data stolen during a security breach last month has been posted to the dark web by the criminal group responsible for the hack.
Last month the global mining corporation disclosed personal data from former and current employees had been stolen in a security incident which had hacked Fortra’s GoAnywhere, a cloud product Rio Tinto uses to manage file transfers.
At the time, it said payroll information from a small number of employees dating back to January were possibly stolen.
Now, the data has been published online.
In a statement, Rio Tinto said;
Data stolen in this incident has since been released by the cyber criminal group on the dark web. Data the criminal group has stolen includes the personal information of a small number of current and former Rio Tinto employees.
At Rio Tinto, the safety of our people is our top priority, and that includes cyber safety. We recognise that this may be distressing and express our sincere apologies to everyone who has been affected.
We have contacted all impacted employees to provide them with information about the stolen data and offer our full support, including connecting them with a list of services available to safeguard their online identity.
Updated
Continued from previous post:
Albanese said he “expected” the Liberals to vote No to the referendum, and maintained that the vote was not doomed to failure due to the opposition’s stance:
Everything Peter Dutton has done has been aimed at undermining the prospects of success.
He claimed he was aware of members of the shadow cabinet who wanted to back the voice, and that some Liberal MPs would be left “disappointed” by Wednesday’s decision.
Updated
Albanese condemns Dutton’s ‘cheap shot’
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is not happy about the Liberals choosing to oppose the Indigenous voice referendum, calling Peter Dutton’s criticisms “a pretty cheap shot”.
Speaking on ABC Sydney radio, the PM said the Liberal leadership had given a “pretty inadequate statement” in their press conference. Dutton described the government’s proposal as “the Canberra voice”.
“It’s a lack of substance when you say something is all about Canberra. It’s a pretty cheap shot,” Albanese said.
It’s pretty obvious there’s no genuine position from the Coalition.”
He claimed the decision was about the “internals” (or managing the personalities and in-fighting) of the Liberal party.
Albanese stressed that the voice proposal was not his, that it had come from the Indigenous community and the 1200 people involved in the Uluru statement from the heart process.
Albanese said he still hoped the referendum would be “a moment of national unity”.
Updated
Victorian Liberal party yet to take a position on the voice
The Victorian Coalition appears to have distanced itself from its federal colleagues, who announced they will be opposing the on the Voice referendum. They say they are yet to take a position. (1/2)
— Benita Kolovos (@benitakolovos) April 5, 2023
It’s a bit of a different situation in state politics, though. All state and territory leaders (including the Liberal government in Tasmania and the formerly Liberal government in New South Wales) publicly backed the voice back in February.
Meanwhile, politicians have reacted to the decision, including the prime minister:
Anthony Albanese on the Liberals' position on constitutional recognition:
— Tom McIlroy (@TomMcIlroy) April 5, 2023
"It appears some people don't want a voice. They'd rather have a whisper." @abcsydney
This is a heartbreaking lack of leadership. Inexcusable to call it a "divisive Canberra Voice" - the Uluru Statement from the Heart (that put forward the Voice to Parliament) is the result of years of consultation by First Nations people with Firsts Nations people right across…
— David Pocock (@DavidPocock) April 5, 2023
Updated
A fair bit has happened in Canberra in the past two hours, so let’s recap
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, announced this afternoon that his party has agreed it is opposed to an Indigenous voice to parliament and Dutton will campaign for the no campaign.
The party is in support of constitutional recognition (separate from the voice), but doesn’t want this to be included as a question on the referendum.
This means the front-benchers in the Liberal party are locked in to a no vote. The backbenchers are not. Dutton told reporters the party had broadly backed the decision and there would only be a few dissidents.
Guardian Australia understands that the majority of speakers were in favour of the leader’s position (no constitutional entrenchment of voice). So far Andrew Bragg, Bridget Archer and Russell Broadbent are against the party’s proposal.
Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney says Australian people will decide the outcome of the referendum, not politicians, while remaining hopeful the Libs will change their stance.
The Greens went a little further in their tone, with leader Adam Bandt calling the Liberals “a small racist rump sliding into irrelevance”.
Updated
Bragg says Dutton hasn’t made case for no vote on voice
Liberal senator and voice supporter Andrew Bragg has responded to his party’s resolution to oppose the referendum, saying a key reason given by leader Peter Dutton to vote no is “not a good enough reason to oppose”.
Bragg, a senator from NSW, was one of those pushing for a party-wide free vote on the voice. Instead, the party will bind its front-bench to oppose the referendum, with backbenchers free to vote with their conscience.
Dutton’s press conference pointed to the process undertaken by the government as a reason to oppose. Bragg wrote in a statement: “the process to date has been poor but that is not a good enough reason to oppose the referendum”.
Bragg said he still had “an open mind” about the voice, and maintained that the party should remain committed to the parliamentary inquiry into the referendum (of which Bragg is a member).
He added that he will “give consideration” to the proposals made by Dutton (symbolic recognition, legislated voice).
Updated
Queensland police chief says internal disciplinary matter affected by court ruling
The state’s police commissioner Katarina Carroll says ‘significant’ number of internal disciplinary matters - including those involving domestic violence and sexual harrassment - are affected by a court ruling that the force’s current practice for instigating disciplinary proceedings was “not valid”.
Carroll is currently giving a press conference in Brisbane, and says matters from November 2019 to late 2022 are affected by the ruling as ‘the [internal] referral is now invalid’.
These matters range from very different types of conduct including, for example, domestic violence, sexual harassment, misuse of information and drugs, and even minor matters.
The QPS is reviewing all these matters and is in the process of confirming how many matters are actually affected.
Carroll says more recent matters won’t be affected by the court of appeal ruling as changes have been made to the way referrals of complaints are dealt with.
This comes after sources told Guardian Australia that more than 300 formal disciplinary proceedings against officers could be invalidated, or subject to potential legal challenge, as a result of the ruling.
A 12-month time limit introduced in 2019 to fast-track the police discipline process would prevent most of those cases from being pursued again.
Carroll says a committee is being established to examine each of the affected matters.
Updated
Linda Burney says Liberal opposition to voice an internal party matter
Indigenous Australians minister, Linda Burney is speaking now in Sydney at a press conference called after Peter Dutton confirmed the Liberal party will campaign against the Indigenous voice to parliament referendum.
Today’s decision is about Liberal party internals. It has nothing to do with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people or taking Australia forward together.
She said she still hopes that the Liberal party changes its stance but that it is not up to politicians, but voters.
The referendum later this year is about two things. It’s about recognition. And it’s about listening and the Australian people will decide this referendum, not politicians. The constitution is the people’s document.
But despite his obsession, their obsession with the prime minister, this is not about politicians. This is about closing the gap. Our guiding principle in this debate has been the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
Burney said she is concerned that Dutton will be on the wrong side of history. She said today is the anniversary of the landmark Bringing them Home report which examined the policies and impact of the Stolen Generations which Dutton boycotted and recently admitted he regretted that, saying he did not understand the symbolism behind it.
That landmark report released in 1997 called on the Australian government to apologise to the stolen generations. It took a while but in 2008 prime minister Rudd apologised alongside with Anthony Albanese and almost all others in the parliament that Mr Dutton boycotted the apology.
Updated
Back to the voice, the Liberal MP for Sturt, James Stevens, told Guardian Australia:
I’m very supportive of the position that’s been taken. It was worth working through the issues on the timeline we have. I respect my colleagues with a different position, but I’m pleased where we’ve ended up …
The Liberal party has for a long time supported constitutional recognition, the re-confirmation of that today is important. We need to look for opportunities to improve the position of Indigenous Australians. While we have a different view of constitutional enshrinement, it doesn’t diminish our commitment to this important policy work.
Updated
Gambling inquiry chair dismisses AFL’s ‘bogeyman’ argument against sweeping reform
The head of an inquiry into online gambling has rejected AFL boss Gillon McLachlan‘s “bogeyman” warning against over-regulation and questioned why he clarified a “very honest” concession there were too many wagering ads.
McLachlan and NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo told a parliamentary inquiry into online gambling harm earlier this week that overregulation could push wagering underground or encourage punters to visit illegal and unregulated offshore markets.
The chair of the inquiry, Labor MP Peta Murphy, said that “bogeyman” argument was not supported by evidence from Australian regulators who routinely block and ban illegal websites:
It is very interesting that every time further regulation to prevent people from experiencing harm is brought up, the unintended consequences of people going to offshore and illegal betting sites is always brought up as a reason not to do it.
In fact, evidence from the Australian Communication and Media Authority (Acma) shows they have been very successful in locking offshore sites operating in Australia.
Last month, McLachlan told 3AW that “there is a hell of a lot of wagering advertising and potentially too much”. But on Tuesday, he said didn’t believe there was too much brand advertising and was instead concerned with inducements such as deposit matching.
Murphy questioned why he clarified his position:
I think what he said on the radio with 3AW was very honest and reflects what the fans of his support say along with experts and parents, that there’s a saturation of advertising that people are looking for it to be wound back.
Bridget Archer: crossing the floor ‘100% not without consequence’
The Liberal MP Bridget Archer says she still plans to campaign for the Indigenous voice, taking up the freedom of backbenchers to vote their conscience on the referendum – but says going against the party position is “not 100% without consequences”.
Archer, one of the few loud voices advocating for the voice inside the opposition, talked to the ABC earlier. She seemed disappointed at the result, and said the Liberals had to “actually live the values we claim to have. And I don’t know that we do do that.”
While we talk a big game about people having the freedom to express their views and the freedom to cross the floor, in practice, it is 100% not without consequence... without looking at my own example, you can look to history at members who have done that and just have a look at how their career advancements work out for them in the Liberal Party.
Asked if the day had “tested your faith” in the party, Archer said “yes it has”.
Archer later told Guardian Australia: “backbenchers are always free to do as they wish, allegedly anyway”.
Another Liberal MP, Jenny Ware, was among those who spoke in favour of a free vote for all in the party room. She told Guardian Australia that she was a “constitutional conservative” and said she believed the government’s amendment was “problematic”, and backed the party’s decided position.
Updated
Guardian Australia understands that the majority of speakers were in favour of the leader’s position (no constitutional entrenchment of voice).
In favour were: Liberal MP Henry Pike, senator Matt O’Sullivan from WA, senator David Fawcett of South Australia, and senator Kerrynne Liddle, the only Indigenous member of the Liberal Party room.
Against the proposal for the party to support the no side: Andrew Bragg, Bridget Archer, and Russell Broadbent.
Adam Bandt says Liberals a ‘small racist rump sliding into irrelevance’
The Greens have come out swinging at the Liberal’s position to oppose the voice, declaring they have doomed themselves to irrelevance in a bit of a “dustbin of history” throwback to my Russian Revolution fans.
The party leader, Adam Bandt, says the Liberals are a “small racist rump sliding into irrelevance”.
The rest of the country is starting to reckon with its past as we march towards a treaty, but Peter Dutton is trying to ignite a culture war.
Peter Dutton sat out the apology, and under his leadership, the Liberals have found themselves on the wrong side of history yet again. The passage of the voice referendum is a crucial pathway towards Truth and Treaty, and its failure would set back these important reforms by decades.
It’s incredible that the Liberals could have looked at the results in NSW and Aston and decided that the solution was a race-based culture war. They’ve got nothing to offer this country.
The Greens’ First Nations spokesperson, and Yamatji-Noongar woman, Senator Dorinda Cox, says she’s disappointed, but not surprised.
The Liberals continue to stop progress in this country by muddying the waters and pandering to their dwindling conservative base, rather than listening to the communities they claim to represent.Constitutional recognition has been pursued by First Nations leaders across this country for generations, including Yunupingu who passed away this week. How much longer do we have to wait before First Nations people are recognised as the First Peoples of this continent? How many more of our Old People need to die before we gain this recognition and respect?
Updated
New NSW cabinet sworn in
The full new New South Wales cabinet of 22 ministers is being sworn in this afternoon at Government House.
Speaking on the way into the event, premier Chris Minns said:
This is the first day when the full ministry will be sworn in. There’s a lot of happy people who are walking into Government House this afternoon but a huge responsibility for all of us. We know that we have to hit the ground running and while today is the day to be sworn in... it’s straight back down to work. The challenges are immense in NSW.
Deputy leader Prue Car celebrated the diversity in the cabinet.
She said:
All the women and the men about to be sworn in are ready to get back to work, to serve the people of NSW and to deliver on our commitments that we committed to people at the election.
Updated
Sydney toll relief won’t begin until January
An overhaul of Sydney’s toll network will explore increasing competition of private operators and incentivising trucks to drive at night, as the new Labor government follows through with its commitment to simplify the “complex web of toll roads” in the city.
However, when unveiling the former Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chair Allan Fels as head of its tolling review, the Minns government confirmed that Sydneysiders’ first taste of toll relief won’t begin until January when a $60 weekly cap comes into effect.
Transurban, which operates most of Sydney’s toll roads and has increases baked into its contracts, will be a key subject of the review. Critics of Sydney’s toll pricing structure and contracts have raised concerns that any reforms will include costly compensation claims paid to Transurban.
On Wednesday, the roads minister, John Graham, said Transurban had indicated “they’re looking to preserve the value (of their contracts) while they are open to reform”.
Fels said that his review would consider if, when existing contracts expire in coming decades “whether you can open up the bidding for extensions of those roads to be up for more competitive bidding”.
When there are new roads and road extensions, there are questions about competition.
Fels also spoke about incentivising trucks – which attract even higher toll charges – to use toll roads at night, the intersection of public transport and toll roads, as well as long-term concessions.
Asked about potentially keeping the $60 weekly cap in place as a long term solution if unscrambling the omlette of Sydney’s toll network proved too costly, Fels said “everything’s on the table”.
Fels’ appointment comes as research from the University of Sydney suggests workers in Sydney’s west are opting to work from home partly to avoid paying tolls on their commutes amid cost of living pressures.
Updated
Dutton: ‘we don’t support the divisive Canberra voice’
Finally, Dutton is asked if he will resign in the instance the voice gets up, now he has publicly confirmed he will campaign against it.
He says people can draw their own conclusions and the “Canberra bubble” always ask these questions.
I assume you have proposed the same question to the prime minister … my motivation is to make sure we do what’s in the best of the country … we don’t support the divisive Canberra voice but we support an arrangement which recognises Indigenous people in the constitution and means we can listen to local voices so we can get the best possible outcomes.
So there you have it.
Updated
Dutton says he wouldn’t support constitutional recognition being included as a question in the referendum.
We will sit down in good faith and see what the submissions say and we have appointed people genuinely interested in improving the Bill the government is proposing, we don’t support the government’s proposal at the moment, I’ve been very clear about that, the form of words put to the electorate we don’t support those.
Updated
Dutton: ‘others have had differing positions’ on constitutional recognition
Dutton is reminded the voice comes from the Uluṟu Statement from the Heart, while thousands of Indigenous people have for years rejected symbolic recognition.
If you believe in the concept of an Indigenous consultation body how do you stand here and not take the advantages of thousands of Indigenous people who put into this process?
He replies:
I don’t think that is an accurate reflection that many people have held over time … others have had differing positions in relation to constitutional recognition over the years. That is the reality. My focus is helping those children in particular, but women and families more generally and communities. I want the violence to stop, the education to start, the job to start. I want to restore a normal life that they expect and that we take for granted in the capital cities. I do not want to see another generation of Indigenous Australians to be condemned to what the current generation suffering, and I believe strongly, from speaking with a broad range of Indigenous leaders on the ground that they fundamentally support the position.
Asked who he consulted outside the party room, he describes an impactful visit to Alice Springs and East Arnhem Land.
We have had a number of private conversations with Indigenous elders, and I feel very confident I must say in the position we are adopted.
Updated
Dutton: ‘I think we would both lose if [the voice] is a beauty contest’
Dutton is told his decision today will equate to a “political beauty contest” between him and the prime minister, putting them at clear odds.
He replies (first gag of the day):
I think we would both lose if it is a beauty contest.
Phil Coorey:
I am being metaphorical, are you prepared for the implications if the voice does get up?
Dutton says campaigning no is in the country’s best interest.
Standing up for what we believe in, standing up for our values not as a party just but as a country as well, I think that is integral to our thinking and the position we have arrived it. I honestly believe you have a situation that the prime minister is promoting at the moment that is not going to unite. We have already seen it dividing the country and he is refusing to answer basic questions. When you are asking questions he refuses to answer them, to the extent that he has answered questions for others that haven’t been accurate in parliament. They have been corrected afterwards. I would think that – this is disingenuous at best. I think the Australian public will make their own mind up, but what we are proposing is reasonable, measured, it will result in practical outcomes and I believe give those kids and women on the ground in Indigenous communities the best possible chance.
Updated
Dutton says voice is a ‘significant issue’, not one of conscience
With the no position now binding for frontbenchers, Dutton is asked about the significance of this decision as a split from unanimous referendums in history.
What is your reason for in breaking this precedent and taking a different approach?
He says this is a “significant issue”, not one of conscience, estimating only three or four of his backbenchers will vote yes.
Told the republic was a bigger change, he replies:
With respect I contest that. This is a significant change. I don’t think Australians fully understand the impact of what the prime minister is proposing, and why would they? You want to explain the basic detail. I said in party room this morning for those on the backbench – I think my honest assessment after the contributions across the meetings we had this morning there might be three or four people on the backbench who will want to advocate for a yes position or campaign for – within our party, you know, that is within the limits.
The vast majority, I mean, if you talk about the mood in the shadow cabinet in the ministry, or indeed in the party room, the overwhelming majority of the position has been adopted.
Updated
Dutton confirms he will be actively campaigning for the no vote.
I will be, I don’t think this is in our country’s best interest. I have spent literally months, like many Australians, trying to understand what it is the prime minister is proposing. We cannot get the basic detail out of them. We think it is deliberate. We are waiting, waiting for advice.
They have deliberately decided not to give advice. The wording put forward in its form is inconsistent with the advice of the … solicitor-general. That is an important point to make and we’re not saying that Indigenous people shouldn’t be heard in relation to these matters. The contrary. I am emphasising their voice needs to be heard. An advisory body, structure, it needs to be established. We are working with the government on a bipartisan way so the voice can be had.
Turning to elections for a minute, Dutton is asked if the Liberal party’s loss in Aston is a reflection on his leadership and that his position today might lead to firmer electoral failure.
He replies:
No.
Updated
Ley says PM’s approach to voice ‘breathtaking in its arrogance’
Back to Sussan Ley, she turns her attention to the prime minister, who she says has “hardened his resolve” that it’s “his way or the highway” as the voice debate continues.
He has attacked journalists for asking basic questions, attacked the opposition for seeking the clarity that we want to see how arrangements would actually work. I stand here today disappointed with the prime minister, disappointed with his approach, it’s his timeline, it’s his question and his refusal to meet anyone else halfway, on anything as breathtaking in its arrogance.
Refuses to contemplate even for a moment that what he has decided is the right path forward, and also the personal offence that he takes when ever asked a simple question, the indignation he responds with, it’s unbecoming of the consensus we all need to draw on.
The prime minister bears a huge responsibility on his shoulders to make sure the debate is conducted with stability, and I believe, his demeanour needs to change to day. We have been very clear from day one, we have engaged in the process in a respectful way determination to see the best possible outcomes for Indigenous Australians. The onus is on the government to demonstrate how Anthony Albanese’s voice proposal can improve the lives of Indigenous Australians, without dividing Australians.
It is worth noting here that the voice was proposed in the Uluru statement from the heart. It was presented to the nation five years ago on 26 May 2017 by delegates to the First Nations National Constitutional Convention, held over four days near Uluru in Central Australia, not Canberra, as per Reconciliation Australia.
Updated
Dutton: ‘I’ve listened to many Indigenous leaders’
Dutton says he’s met “plenty” of Indigenous leaders and spoken to “many” Indigenous women who are opposed to the voice – continuing his narrative of calling it a “divisive Canberra voice”.
I have a difference of opinion. I continue to support constitutional recognition … and we continue with that.
He says he’s pleased to sit down with the prime minister this afternoon and discuss constitutional recognition to legislate this year.
We’ve put forward a positive plan that unites, that doesn’t divide.
Asked why he’s not listening to Indigenous leaders including Noel Pearson and Ken Wyatt, a former leader in his own party, he says:
I have the greatest respect for Ken Wyatt I’ve listened to his voice … I’ve listened to many Indigenous leaders … we live in a democracy where we can consider the views of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians … and I don’t believe that a voice that’s enshrined in the constitution … it ends up being litigated in the high court for years to come … this is not just confined to elements that effect Indigenous Australians.
Updated
Ley adds ‘many yeses’ to Dutton’s ‘resounding no’ on voice
Sussan Ley is up. She says today is not a no from the Liberal party – even though they are publicly saying no – but a day of “many yeses”.
Yes to constitutional recognition for Indigenous Australians, yes to local and regional voices, is to better outcomes for Indigenous Australians, to Australians having their say … and yes to unite in this country behind doing everything we can as a parliament to strengthen outcomes for Indigenous Australians.
But it is a no for dividing Australians. And over my 20 years as an elected representative … I have always held the deepest commitment for helping address the disadvantage I have seen around me with Indigenous communities.
The reflects on a trip to Alice Springs when she saw a family living on a concrete slab and still remembers the “dirt, the heat, the dust”. She was “very upset and angry” by the outcomes of the family and the cycle of instability they were living in. Apparently they would not be helped by a voice.
When I visited them weeks later they were still on that concrete slab because at the local level solutions had not worked … no matter how much pressure came from national newspapers … I heard about violence and the pain that they faced uncertainty when it came to funding, they couldn’t plan for the future. Because those at the top had not seen the situation on the ground, the point here is local voices matter and progress on these issues requires building consensus from the ground up, region by region basis.
Updated
Dutton says the party will continue to engage with the government on the legislation and committee process but lashes out at the wording put to the Australian public, claiming it’s against the advice of the solicitor general and the attorney general.
Updated
Dutton outlines Liberal party’s ‘resounding no’ to voice
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is speaking now in Canberra following the Liberal party’s decision to oppose the Indigenous voice to parliament with a “resounding no”.
He begins with what the party agreed to say yes to.
The Liberal party resolved today to say yes to constitutional recognition for Indigenous Australians, yes to a local and regional body, so we can get practical outcomes for Indigenous people on the ground … there was a resounding no to the prime minister’s voice.
Dutton says it should be “very clear” the prime minister is dividing the country while the Liberal party is seeking to unite it.
We want to make sure we can get the best possible outcomes for Indigenous Australians, and we do that through recognising Indigenous Australians in the Constitution … having a Canberra voice won’t resolve the issues on the ground for Indigenous communities.
Updated
Criticism has begun of the Liberal party’s decision to oppose the Indigenous voice referendum. The government minister Brendan O’Connor claimed the opposition had “chosen the low road to reconciliation”.
“This craven decision was expected yet still shocking. No generosity, no decency and no sincerity. On the wrong side of history- again,” he tweeted.
The Liberal Party has chosen the low road to reconciliation and consultation with our First Nations’ people. This craven decision was expected yet still shocking. No generosity, no decency and no sincerity. On the wrong side of history- again #voice
— Brendan O'Connor (@BOConnorMP) April 5, 2023
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Assange supporters welcome ‘significant’ UK prison visit
Julian Assange’s supporters have welcomed the “very positive and significant” prison visit by Australia’s new high commissioner to the UK, Stephen Smith.
Greg Barns SC, a spokesperson for the Assange campaign, welcomed Smith’s decision to make Tuesday’s visit an early priority in his diplomatic posting and to ensure it was “a public on-the-record” event.
Barns told Guardian Australia it was “not every day that an Australian ambassador or high commissioner visits an Australian citizen in prison in another country”. He said:
What we’ve got here is an Australian representative in London going to see an Australian citizen who is of course being sought by Australia’s closest ally, the United States.
In that sense, this is different from those occasional cases where Australian ambassadors and high commissioners visit in countries where there is not the same close relationships such as China or Iran.
Barns said it was an indication that the Albanese government was “taking this matter seriously”, although he said this came from “a very low base” under the previous government.
Read the full updated story here:
Updated
Government glass door smashed at CFMEU rally in Brisbane
A glass door has reportedly been smashed at a CFMEU rally in Brisbane earlier today, as part of rallys in capital cities.
Protests have also been held in Melbourne and Sydney, but there are reports the protest in Brisbane has resulted in a glass door of the Commonwealth Parliament Offices in Brisbane being shattered.
Around 5,000 CFMEU members marched through Brisbane’s CBD, rallying for the abolition of the Fair Work Ombudsman and for the federal government to “deliver on its promised reforms to industrial relations”
The protesters were met by 30-40 police officers, as they gathered at Queens Park for a rally, before marching along George Street and onto Margaret Street.
When protesters reached the Waterfront Place offices on Felix street, they allegedly began drumming on the glass panels, with no protesters reportedly breaching the office entry.
A glass door has been smashed in the Brisbane CBD during a CFMEU protest. Several city streets have been closed while hundreds of protesters march for better worker safety and greater oversight for fair work. Report on 7NEWS at 6pm. https://t.co/VZ3A1cHvFd #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/20qdGwknWY
— 7NEWS Brisbane (@7NewsBrisbane) April 5, 2023
Updated
Many thanks to the unparalleled Mostafa Rachwani. I’ll be with you for the rest of this fine afternoon.
And with that, I will hand the blog over to Caitlin Cassidy, thanks for reading.
Peter Dutton to speak at 2.15pm
The Liberal leader, Peter Dutton, will hold a press conference at 2.15pm in Canberra, after his party room officially resolved to oppose the Indigenous voice referendum.
The Liberals are expected to push for local and regional voices set up by parliamentary legislation, rather than a constitutionally enshrined national voice.
The Uluru statement from the heart calls for a constitutionally enshrined voice. The consultations and processes leading up to the Uluru dialogues rejected symbolic constitutional recognition and a legislated voice, with Indigenous people instead calling for a consultation body cemented into the constitution.
Liberal moderates including Andrew Bragg, Bridget Archer and Jenny Ware are said to have spoken in the meeting in opposition to the party’s resolved position. The resolution will not bind backbenchers to oppose the voice, with Liberal rules allowing backbenchers a conscience vote on all issues – but the frontbench, including the longtime voice supporter Julian Leeser, will be obligated to follow the party line.
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Curtin University graduates rated highest for boss satisfaction
More than eight in 10 employers are satisfied with their recent university graduates, a government-funded survey has found.
The 2022 Employer Satisfaction Survey, released on Wednesday interviewed 3,452 employers across Australia.
It found the highest overall satisfaction was for engineering and related technologies, at around nine in 10, while overall 84.1% of employees reported satisfaction with their graduate employees.
Information technology graduates had the second highest satisfaction rate (86.5%) followed by education studies (85.6%) and natural and physical sciences (82.3%).
The minister for education, Jason Clare, said nine out of 10 jobs in the future would require a university or Tafe degree.
It’s positive to see so many employers satisfied with recent graduates, but there is always more work that can be done to better prepare students for the world of work, which is something the Universities Accord is looking into.
Curtin University graduates were rated the best in the country for employer satisfaction at almost 90% – the first time a Western Australian university topped the list since the survey began in 2016. The University of Sydney ranked second (88.6%), while LaTrobe came in third at 88.1%.
Only the University of Canberra, Murdoch University and Flinders University ranked below 80% for employee satisfaction, at 78.1%, 79.1% and 79.7% respectively.
Updated
Sydney Uni staff back on strike
Sydney University union members are back on strike for the second time in less than a week today, calling for satisfactory controls on staff workloads and improving job security for casual and professional staff.
It’s the ninth day of strikes since enterprise bargaining negotiations began more than 20 months ago – the longest running industrial action at any Australian university.
The president of the university’s NTEU branch, Dr Nick Riemer, said the vote to strike was taken at the largest ever union meeting held at the university, with more than 700 members present.
‘Twenty one months into negotiations, that tells us something about the crisis of overwork at the university, and the lack of confidence that staff have. Staff are crippled with overworked. We have people paid to work thirty hours a week who are working 48, just to keep up with their teaching. This cannot go on.’
We're fighting for the future of education and research!
— Sophie Fyfe (@sophfyfe) April 4, 2023
Strong message from staff to @mscott today about EF rights, staff cant afford to almost double teaching workloads!#usydstrike pic.twitter.com/onJHpT4flW
The NTEU general secretary, Dr Damien Cahill, said progress had been made in negotiations but a more generous pay rise was needed for staff who had stuck by the university through the pandemic.
Members of the National Tertiary Education Union are also calling for a pay increase recognising the “significant rise in the number of students per staff” in recent years.
Going strong at Parramatta Rd! One Uber after another being turned away #Usydstrike ✊️ pic.twitter.com/asihcH2lhW
— USYD EBA 2021 (@USYDEBA2021) April 5, 2023
The university’s latest offer includes a 17.1% pay increase over three years and a $2,000 sign-on payment.
A spokesperson for the university said its offer retained its position as offering the best pay to staff in the sector, including up to 50 days’ sick leave and greater access to 36 weeks’ paid parental leave.
It is disappointing that the union is continuing with industrial action. Throughout the protracted negotiation process, we have never once modified our position due to industrial action, but only in response to good-faith negotiation at the bargaining table.
We are eager to conclude a sector-leading agreement so our staff can receive a salary rise and access the enhanced conditions. The excellence of our salary offer is clear when compared with other offers recently accepted in public and private sector environments.
Updated
Liberal party to formally oppose voice
The Liberal party has resolved to formally oppose the Indigenous voice referendum, several sources in the meeting told Guardian Australia.
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is expected to make an announcement later today, but his office hasn’t confirmed any timing yet. The opposition is likely to instead advocate for a focus on local and regional voices, rather than a constitutionally enshrined national voice.
Liberal backbenchers will be free to advocate their own position in the referendum, as the party always lets them do, but frontbenchers – such as Julian Leeser and Simon Birmingham – would be obligated to follow the party line.
More to come soon.
Updated
Lowe warns that rents will stay high
Australians will grapple with high rental prices for years to come, as housing supply fails to keep pace with population growth, the Reserve Bank governor said on Wednesday.
Philip Lowe told the National Press Club that the number of people in each household might increase to combat growing price pressures.
But even if it were to happen, it’s likely that the balance between demand supply in the housing market will result in rent inflation being quite high for a while yet.
The country’s annual inflation rate fell to 6.8% in February, down from December’s peak of 8.4%, but there has been no relief for rental prices and some utility costs, such as electricity.
He said population growth has picked up sharply after an initial slowdown during the pandemic.
In the previous episode of strong population growth during the resources boom, it took nearly five years for housing supply to respond.
The Liberal party room meeting on the voice has just ended. Nobody was saying much on the way out, but we are expecting a press conference later today to hear any result.
Cleo Smith abductor sentenced to 13 years’ jail
Terence Darrell Kelly, the man who kidnapped four-year-old Cleo Smith, will spend at least 11 and a half years in jail for the abduction.
Smith was taken from her family’s tent in remote Western Australia in October 2021.
Kelly, 37, pleaded guilty last year to taking Cleo from the Blowholes campsite, about 960km north of Perth, on 16 October, 2021.
Smith was missing for 18 days before being found by police, alone in a room at a property in nearby Carnarvon on 3 November.
In the district court of Western Australia, Chief Judge Julie Wager sentenced Kelly to 13 years and six months imprisonment, describing the fear, distress and trauma caused to Cleo and her parents as “immeasurable”.
Updated
Queensland to join TikTok ban on government phones
AAP is reporting that TikTok will be banned on all Queensland government devices but the state’s most powerful politicians have no plans to log off the social media app despite growing cybersecurity concerns.
The premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, said a statewide ban will mirror the federal attorney general, Mark Dreyfus’s directive made on Tuesday on the back of intelligence agency advice about TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance.
However, the prolific TikTok user, who herself boasts almost 30,000 followers, won’t be closing down her account, unlike her Victorian counterpart Daniel Andrews.
“The federal government has not banned the accounts, it’s about them being on government devices, so, of course, we will listen to what the federal government says, but there are no plans to actually banned the accounts,” Palaszczuk told reporters on Wednesday.
And directions have gone out to ministers overnight about getting them removed from any government official phones, and my understanding is further that direction is going out to all of the directors-general to pass on to the departments.
The state opposition leader, David Crisafulli, doesn’t plan to stop posting content for his 23,000 followers on the app, but he has stopped using an official device to do so on the advice of Queensland Parliamentary Services.
State MPs have been told in recent weeks to use their parliamentary allowances to buy a second phone to use social media apps such as TikTok due to cybersecurity risks.
“I do promise that I won’t ever dance on TikTok, But the opportunity to use it as a platform to speak to young Queenslanders is something that we’re going to continue to do,” Crisafulli told reporters.
While Queensland politicians have no plans to permanently log off the platform, the Victorian premier will call curtains on his more than 100,000 TikTok followers by deleting his account.
Daniel Andrews will also ban the app on state government devices, while the NSW premier, Chris Minns, said he will take briefings on the federal ban on Wednesday.
Concerns over the app relate to the potential for data to be harvested and accessed by the Chinese government under national laws that can compel companies to hand over information.
TikTok Australia and New Zealand’s general manager, Lee Hunter, said there was no evidence the app was a security risk to Australians and it should not be treated differently to other social media platforms.
Updated
Building on the earlier post on construction workers rallying in Melbourne, it appears the CFMEU is holding a parallel protest in Sydney.
Protesters were seen marching through Hyde Park this morning, calling for pay increases in light of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis:
Big CFMEU protest through Hyde Park and along Macquarie St #Sydney #CFMEU #Sydneytraffic pic.twitter.com/KDNSnEQ5IN
— Alex Siegers (@asiegersmusic) April 5, 2023
Updated
At the end of his arts press conference, Anthony Albanese was also asked about Julian Assange, what he knew about Stephen Smith’s visit and whether he had raised the case at his last meeting with Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak.
Albanese said:
I have said publicly that I have raised these issues at an appropriate level, of Julian Assange. I have made it clear, the Australian government’s position: which is, enough is enough. There’s nothing to be served from ongoing issues being continued. And I said that in opposition. My position hasn’t changed as the prime minister and I’ve indicated that in an appropriate way. I encouraged the high commissioner Stephen Smith to visit Mr Assange and he did so and I have not speak to Stephen Smith since then because [finance minister] Katy Gallagher has got me locked up in [the expenditure review committee].”
Lowe warns rates could rise further
The Reserve Bank governor, Philip Lowe, has warned that the cash rate will likely need to rise further, despite a pause this week in the hiking cycle.
“The decision to hold rates steady this month does not imply that interest rate increases are over,” Lowe said in an address to the National Press Club on Wednesday.
Indeed, the board expects that some further tightening of monetary policy may well be needed to return inflation to target within a reasonable timeframe.
The RBA on Tuesday left its cash rate at 3.6% as it weighs up the impact of a record run of consecutive rate hikes on the state of the economy.
While the official cash rate has been much higher in the past, the speed of the rate hiking cycle has put many households into difficult positions given they are also grappling with inflation-fuelled high costs for necessary items like food and energy.
Lowe said he understood that the 10 consecutive rates since May was pressuring households.
“That’s a very large increase over a very short period of time and I acknowledge it’s been very difficult for many people,” he said.
Updated
SA to join TikTok ban on government phones
And in breaking news, South Australia will join the federal government in announcing a TikTok ban for all government phones.
The premier, Peter Malinauskas, announced the ban at a press conference earlier, after receiving a briefing from the state government’s cyber experts, where he said there were concerns the apps privacy was compromised.
He said that the app could potentially be used for foreign interference from China “can’t be ignored.”
The state government is banning TikTok on government-issued mobile devices, we are not banning the use of TikTok, that is an important distinction.
There may be government agencies, government employees, politicians who have TikTok accounts that can be maintained. But what can’t be used is a TikTok app on a government-issued device, particularly those devices that have important government information that we don’t want in the public realm.
Updated
Key event
Dutton ‘tried to undermine support’ on voice, Albanese says
The PM has criticised the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, on his question on the voice to parliament in the lead up to the announcement of the Liberal Party’s decision on the referendum.
Speaking to reporters, Anthony Albanese said he had met with members of the opposition and other parties in the lead up to the announcement of the referendum question, with very few raising concerns:
We went through a process leading up to the press conference and the legislation that’s now been introduced between July last year and now April and not a single word was proposed in any of the meetings that I had and I had seven with the leader of the opposition and meetings as well with the leader of the National party. I’ve met with people across the board.
The leader of the opposition has, with every utterance he has made, tried to undermine support … that’s my assessment.
I wish that wasn’t the case. I seek as much support as possible for this change.
There has been no reaching out by Julian Leeser, [he] has not sought a meeting nor has he attended with the leader of the opposition with me, since this process begun.
Updated
Paul Toole will remain the leader of the New South Wales Nationals following a vote in the party room.
The deputy leader, Bronnie Taylor, will also remain in her position.
All NSW Nationals leadership positions are vacated after an election.
Ahead of the vote, Toole said the Nationals did “extremely well” at the election to lose just one seat.
PM commits to G7 meeting in Japan
It is not a surprise, but Anthony Albanese has just confirmed that he will attend the G7 meeting in Hiroshima in May. Japan invited Australia to be one of the countries attending even though it is not a member of the G7 (this invitation was hinted as far back as October last year).
The prime minister made the comments during a press conference in Canberra. Asked about reports that China has extended an in-principle invitation for Albanese to visit Beijing later this year, Albanese suggested a timetable for this had not yet been agreed, but reiterated that
I have said very clearly dialogue is a good thing.
Updated
Australia ‘willing to continue to resolve differences’ with China
Wang Shouwen, the international trade representative and vice minister at China’s commerce ministry, also described China and Australia’s economic and trade relations as being “at an important juncture of stabilisation and improvement”. He said:
The two sides should strengthen communication and coordination, and properly resolve their respective concerns through bilateral or multilateral channels. It can expand cooperation in the fields of climate change, new energy, and digital trade, and inject more momentum into China-Australia economic and trade cooperation.
The Chinese commerce ministry statement quoted Tim Yeend, the associate secretary of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as saying that Australia attaches great importance to the development of economic and trade relations with China, and that the Australian government appreciated the fact that the two countries had recently maintained close communication in a bid to resolve concerns:
We are willing to continue to resolve differences through candid dialogue and enhance the confidence of both sides in advancing economic and trade cooperation.
Interestingly, the statement said the two sides also “exchanged views on regional and multilateral cooperation issues such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and WTO reform”. Australia has not yet said it is ready to support China’s application to enter the CPTPP, noting that the current members are determined to maintain high standards.
Updated
China urges government to provide ‘fair, open, non-discriminatory business environment’
China’s commerce ministry has released a statement about a meeting held on Monday in Beijing with Australian officials. It’s part of ongoing talks on trade issues in Beijing this week.
Wang Shouwen, the international trade representative and vice minister at the commerce ministry, held talks with Tim Yeend, the associate secretary of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The commerce ministry statement said the meeting was to “prepare for the next phase of the meeting between the two trade ministers”. The Australian trade minister, Don Farrell, is expected to visit China in the coming weeks, although a date has yet to be set.
The ministry said the two sides “exchanged in-depth views on promoting China-Australia economic and trade relations, properly addressing each other’s key economic and trade concerns, and strengthening cooperation in emerging fields”.
The statement quoted Wang as saying the economies of China and Australia are highly complementary and he saw “great potential for economic and trade cooperation”.
But he added that the Chinese side “pays close attention to Australia’s stricter review of Chinese companies investing and operating in Australia, as well as trade remedy measures against Chinese products”. Wang urged the Australian government to “handle relevant cases objectively and fairly, and take relevant measures prudently to provide Chinese companies with a fair, open, non-discriminatory business environment”. (This was a day before the Australian ban on the TikTok app on federal government-issued devices was announced.)
Updated
Liberal party room meeting gets underway
After some chopping and changing of times, the Liberal caucus has just gone into their party room in Parliament House to discuss the voice. The meeting, first scheduled for 10.30am then pushed back to 11.30am, went in just after 11am.
Liberal sources couldn’t predict how long the meeting would go for, but with dozens of MPs having come back to Canberra - and a lot of opinions to be canvassed - we don’t expect much news for at least the next hour or so.
The Liberal frontbencher Simon Birmingham was on the phone outside the party room as colleagues arrived. The former PM Scott Morrison walked in on his own.
We’ll keep you updated with movements.
Updated
Construction workers in Melbourne are rallying once again, calling for higher wages amid the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Marching their way to the Fair Work Commission, workers are reportedly asking for a 7% pay increase, to match with cost of living increases, and comes a week after they rallied in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD to push for higher wages.
Building workers fill Bourke St on way to Fair Work Commission demanding at least a 7 per cent pay increase to match cost of living increases. 6pm #7NewsMelb pic.twitter.com/GsUbxO8de7
— NickMcCallum7 (@NickMcCallum7) April 5, 2023
Leaders tell building workers’ rally they will not be “stooges “ of wall to wall Labor Governments. Their job is to keep those Governments honest and ensure they do the “decent” thing. They want pay rises of at least 7 per cent . 6pm #7NewsMelb pic.twitter.com/B2EoZHQ8vy
— NickMcCallum7 (@NickMcCallum7) April 5, 2023
RBA releases titles of emails praising rate rises
He may have held rates this month, but the RBA governor, Philip Lowe, was arguing he was getting a lot of praise for raising rates in early March, despite the widespread frustration at increasing rates.
He told a forum that he’d been receiving letters praising his actions saying he was “preserving the value of money” and parts of the community know how damaging inflation is.
Someone on the transparency website Right to Know filed a freedom of information request for the letters of praise from the public for Lowe raising interest rates.
The bank however, is refusing to release 17 emails of praise to the governor, on the grounds it would violate the personal privacy of his fans.
But the bank did release the titles of the emails, which give an indication of his adoring public including:
Many thanks
Thank you for the work you are doing
A word of encouragement
support for your actions
great job on economy
keep up the good work
Phillip Lowe is brilliant
I support the Reserve Bank and their decisions to raise rates
It’s unclear whether he would have had the same adoring responses from the same people after yesterday’s decision to hold rates for at least the next month.
Updated
Liberals warming to free party room vote on voice, MP says
The Liberal party is getting ready to meet in Canberra this morning. Their caucus was due to meet at 10.30am, after a meeting of the Liberal members of shadow cabinet earlier today on the Indigenous voice – but we’ve just been told that the meeting of the wider partyroom has been pushed back an hour, to 11.30am.
the Liberal caucus meeting on the Voice has been pushed back to 11.30am - was meant to start at 10.30, after an earlier shadow cabinet meeting
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) April 5, 2023
One Liberal MP, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they believed the meeting may resolve on a free vote for all MPs, and claimed the leadership was warming to that option. The MP claimed that Liberal moderates and even “soft” opponents of the referendum were keen to see a free vote for all Liberals.
The MP said some colleagues were discussing an option that would see the Liberals support constitutional recognition of Indigenous people, and a legislated (not constitutionally-enshrined) voice, but one that could only speak to parliament – not the executive government.
The Uluru statement from the heart calls for a constitutionally enshrined voice. Symbolic recognition has been rejected by numerous processes and consultations leading up to the Uluru dialogues.
Updated
Renters forking out $2,700 extra a year
Australians are forking out an additional $2,727 in rent in the past year, as the rental crisis continues.
As Caitlin Cassidy reports, CoreLogic’s latest review has found rents have increased by 2.5% nationally in the last quarter, amounting to approximately 10% in the past year.
The increases mean renters will on average have to fork out an extra $52 a week, or $2,727 a year.
Vacancy rates have fallen to near-record lows, with 1.1 per cent of rental properties available.
CoreLogic economist and the review’s author, Kaytlin Ezzy said a chronic shortage in supply was continuing to push rental prices up across the country, with the pinch felt most acutely in urban areas.
The uptick in rental growth can be attributed to surging rents in the unit market, particularly across the largest capitals, with increased demand from overseas migration occurring amid a shortage of rental supply pushing rents higher
Figures have shown the number of national rental listings at under 95,000 properties - 17.3 per cent below levels at the same time last year.
You can read more at the story linked below:
Updated
Majority support voice, poll shows
Elsewhere, Newspoll results released today have shown that a majority of voters in a majority of states support the voice to parliament, meaning the referendum would likely meet the double majority test to succeed.
The poll showed 54% of all voters supported constitutional recognition and the voice to parliament, with 38% opposed.
The only exception was in Queensland, with 49% supporting the yes vote and with 43% in the no camp, with Western Australia and Tasmania having the slimmest majorities in support.
Updated
Liberals will pay consequence if they don’t support voice, former minister says
Sticking with the Liberals and the voice referendum, the former Morrison government minister Ken Wyatt has said there would be consequences if his party did not support the yes vote.
Wyatt was on ABC Radio National earlier, and he added that it was not correct that the work done on the process for the voice was not new:
Parties can no longer ignore the will of people because social media has a profound impact in informing people on ... fairness they want within Australian society.
Parties that are out of touch will pay the consequence in the future.
This is not all new work, it’s been a culmination from [former] prime minister John Howard, Julia Gillard and subsequent prime ministers.
We’ve had this continuity and there have been numerous reports ... people who argue contrary to that shows that they did not give scant attention to even the executive summary of those reports.
Updated
Voice referendum has gone ‘off the rails’, deputy Liberal leader says
The deputy Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, has previewed the Liberal party room decision on the voice referendum by saying the process has “gone off the rails” and that the prime minister has been “dismissive” of concerns.
Speaking on Sky News this morning, Ley said the PM should be seeking bipartisan legislative consensus on the wording before taking it to voters, and that Albanese has not approached the process in a way that “builds consensus”:
I think a bipartisan legislative consensus where everyone agrees before you go to something as significant as a referendum would have been a sensible approach to take because that way you are bringing people with you.
That process has run well and truly off the rails by a point of view of a prime minister who should be bringing the country together and leading people.
We have dismissive responses from the prime minister who was incredibly rude to Julian Leeser, almost weaponising his previous contribution in terms of this debate … that’s not the way to build consensus. He has been speaking from both sides of his mouth on this issue.
I’ve had problems with this process all along. The prime minister says he wants to build consensus but he’s not approaching this in a way that actually builds consensus across the country, particularly when it comes to the regional, the local voice, having everyone have their say whatever corner of this country they’re in.
We also have problems with the wording. The executive government advice that’s in there. Sensible measures have been put forward by politicians that have just been pushed aside by the prime minister.
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Woman and three boys die in Riverina crash
AAP is reporting that a woman and three young boys have died in a horror car crash in the NSW Riverina.
NSW police say the car crashed into a pole late on Tuesday night before rolling down an embankment into a water channel, landing on its roof, at Yanco, about seven kilometres south of Leeton.
Everyone inside the car was dead by the time emergency services arrived around 11.15pm.
“Whilst yet to be formally identified the occupants are believed to be a 36-year-old woman and three boys aged 10, 11 and 12, who are all related to one another,” NSW Police said in a statement on Wednesday.
Officers from the Murrumbidgee police district have established a crime scene that will be examined by specialist police.
Meanwhile, NSW police are launching Operation Easter – a highly-visible traffic operation focused on reducing road fatalities and trauma this holiday weekend.
The five-day operation will begin at midnight tonight and run until 11:59pm on Monday, with double demerits in place for drivers caught speeding, drink driving, not wearing seatbelts or helmets or using a mobile phone while behind the wheel.
Traffic and highway patrol commander, Acting Assistant Commissioner Tracy Chapman, said substantial police resources had been assigned to the operation.
“The message is simple; drive to the speed limit, focus on the road – not your phone, and make sure you have a plan B if you are drinking,” she said.
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Gallagher: ‘we cannot undo 10 years of damage in one economic update’
On the other side of politics, the finance minister, Katy Gallagher, was continuing her run of interviews on the budget where she can’t say too much about what will be in the budget.
Gallagher has been given the job of acknowledging the pressures but moderating expectations, particularly when it comes to welfare. The government is under pressure to raise the jobseeker rate to something livable, particularly in this cost-of-living crisis (cozzie liv for anyone online) but Gallagher is making no promises.
She told ABC radio RN Breakfast:
I’m sympathetic to a lot of measures and requests for funding that come forward right across the board. There is no shortage of them, PK. The question for me as finance minister is, how do we prioritise? How do we make some of that and still put together a budget that’s fiscally responsible?
So it’s not just in social security payments, it’s in national security, it’s in health. It’s in meeting some of the pressures in the NDIS, it’s keeping the lights on [in] departments. There’s a whole range of very worthy [requests] and I am sympathetic to them …
But, you know, we have to create, I guess, we have to take decisions that balance all of that out.
So is Katy Gallagher a “bleeding heart” finance minister?
Well, there’s a hard edge to me. But yeah, I understand the need for government to fund and invest in programs for the benefit of society.
But don’t get too excited.
We can’t do everything that is coming at us right now. That’s the reality, because what’s coming at us is so great, that the budget couldn’t sustain it. And the budget is in pretty average shape, as you know. And so some of these decisions were taken about – are about – what can we do right now to assist people. And you know, some of it has to be staged. Essentially, we can’t do everything all at once and we cannot undo 10 years of damage in one economic update.
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Liberals to discuss voice at 10am AEST meeting
The Liberal partyroom will meet after 10am today to discuss the Indigenous voice. It will follow an earlier meeting of the Liberal shadow cabinet.
A couple of frontbenchers have been in the media this morning, but few other Liberals were keen to chat on their way into parliament this morning. Deputy leader Sussan Ley claimed that “many, many of my colleagues have approached me with problems with the process of the voice” in a brief doorstop this morning.
Senator Dean Smith said in brief comments that he had doubts about the strength of public support for the voice, pointing to polling showing a bit over half of Australians backed the change. A Newspoll in the Australian newspaper today shows a national majority of voters, and a majority in every state except Queensland, support the Indigenous Voice.
Senator James McGrath said it was “good for the Liberal party to get together” to discuss the voice, but reiterated his previous opposition, saying he didn’t back a constitutionally-enshrined voice.
Senator Hollie Hughes wouldn’t be drawn on whether the Liberals should resolve to give all members a free vote. She said she wanted to hear more from Julian Leeser about his suggestions raised at the National Press Club this week, and said PM Anthony Albanese “needs to come to the table” to discuss changes.
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Birmingham calls for end to culture wars on ‘fringe issues’
So Simon Birmigham wants the party to modernise, but keep its Liberal values. So essentially ditch the culture wars and get back to Liberal basics – small government, small business, families (although Birmingham argues for inclusive family support now).
He is making this argument publicly, which is interesting in of itself, because it is not like he hasn’t made this argument publicly before, or that there haven’t been plenty of times within the party room to make the argument directly. When discussing climate policy for instance (the Liberals voted against it). Or when working on getting more women in the party (the Liberals are still against quotas). Or when discussing the outcome of the Victorian or NSW state elections (Victoria is difficult; it was time in NSW, apparently).
Or any time a Liberal MP works to stir up a “fringe issue” in a culture war. Asked about this on Sunday, Peter Dutton insisted that people in the suburbs and regions were concerned with transgender rights, so it doesn’t seem like much will change there.
Birmingham was asked whether he believed it was a fringe issue and said:
Well, it is, in that it concerns only a relatively small numbers of people, frankly, on either side of the debate. And so having, in the lead-up to the Aston byelection, debate ensuing in the Victorian division of the Liberal party around trans rights, Nazis, all of those sorts of things that were being thrown around, was clearly very, very counterproductive.
And I think that’s acknowledged right across the leadership of the Liberal party. And so trying to make sure that, whilst there has to be space to deal with issues where international sporting organisations are making rules and laws, but we shouldn’t take that into into a realm where suddenly there are public protests supported by Liberal MPs or anything that suggests there is a sense of disrespect other than careful, thoughtful policy consideration.
And we should be clear that we recognise families dealing with these issues, are dealing with very challenging circumstances and deserve nothing but respect and support.
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Terence Kelly to be sentenced over abduction of four-year-old Cleo Smith
The man who has admitted abducting four-year-old Cleo Smith from her family’s West Australian campsite will be sentenced today.
Terence Darrell Kelly, 37, pleaded guilty last year to one count of forcibly taking a child under 16.
He will be sentenced in the WA district court on Wednesday and could face up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
Cleo was reported missing on 16 October 2021. She had been staying with her family at the remote Blowholes campsite, about 960km north of Perth.
Her mother, Ellie Smith, awoke in the early morning to find Cleo missing from the family tent, sparking a major police investigation.
The WA government announced a $1m reward for information leading to Cleo’s location or to the arrest and conviction of people involved in her disappearance.
Cleo was found by police on November 3 alone in a room at a property in nearby Carnarvon, 18 days after she was reported missing.
The dramatic rescue and Cleo’s confirmation of her name was captured by an officer’s body-worn camera and subsequently made news headlines around the world. Kelly was taken into custody on the same day and later charged.
Earlier this year, he was fined after admitting to obstructing police officers at a regional station in the aftermath of his arrest.
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Birmingham: Indigenous voice debate must be conducted with ‘nothing but the utmost of respect’
So how does Simon Birmingham marry up his plea with the party to get with the times and appeal to younger voters – who are necessary for anyone who wants to be in government – with his party making decisions which conflict with what that voting cohort seem to want?
He told Patricia Karvelas:
There are always risks but we still in our heart have to make every decision based upon the principles and the values that we take to Canberra …
In the end if you lose elections standing up for your values and principles, well, that’s fine. You’ve stood up for them and you’ve argued the case. But we should be mindful as I argue in that piece that we present those values around pro-business policies, entrepreneurialism, support for families in a modern inclusive way.
The Indigenous voice to parliament is different, Birmingham argues.
The voice is different, with competing arguments as I outlined before, but we should be very mindful of the way we engage in this debate. And we should seek to make sure we present as positive a perspective to Australians around that about the vision we have for listening to and engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians for recognising their role and unique role in Australia and its history, and that this must be a debate where anybody who engages in it, we should expect nothing but the utmost of respect from them.
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RBA governor to elaborate on the reasons for the rate pause
The Reserve Bank, as you probably already know, yesterday left its key interest rate unchanged, ending a record series of 10 consecutive rate rises.
Financial markets responded by sending the dollar lower against the US dollars (and other currencies), and stock prices rose. Investors, meanwhile, are betting on the RBA’s rake hikes to be done, with the next move to be a cut.
Investors expect the RBA's record run of rate increases is over, with the cuts beginning by early next year. A lot can change, of course, and many economists expect one more rate rise to come if not more. pic.twitter.com/mHds94ZD7Z
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) April 4, 2023
Borrowers, though, would probably be wise not to bank on the rate rises to come. Yes, the economy is slowing, with consumers in particular cutting back on spending.
But inflation remains broad-based and there are more price pressures in the works, not least some hefty power price increases – as much as 30% or more – from July.
And, as we consider here, Australia was late to lifting interest rates and yet is among the first to pare and now pause the increases:
The RBA governor, Philip Lowe, will get a chance to expand on the brief commentary he released yesterday at a National Press Club address in Sydney today from 12.30pm AEST. (You can follow along here.)
Economists at the big four banks all think there is at least one more rate rise to come. They’re be listening closely to the governor’s lowdown to decide whether they need to tweak their forecasts. More than a few borrowers will also be tuning in intently.
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China lodges diplomatic protest over TikTok ban
The Chinese government says it has lodged solemn diplomatic protests with Australia over the ban on public servants using the TikTok app on their work devices.
Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, said at the daily press conference in Beijing last night:
“We noted the reports and have made solemn démarches to the Australian side. China always believes that digital security should not be used as a tool to suppress foreign companies in an overstretch of the concept of national security and abuse of state power. We urge Australia to earnestly observe the rules of market economy and the principle of fair competition, and provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies.”
The comments follow the announcement by the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, that he had acted on advice from intelligence and security agencies to prohibit the TikTok app on devices issued by commonwealth departments and agencies. The direction issued by Dreyfus’ department stated that the app “poses significant security and privacy risks to non-corporate commonwealth entities arising from extensive collection of user data and exposure to extrajudicial directions from a foreign government that conflict with Australian law”.
Last night, Mao was also asked about the report in the South China Morning Post that China had issued Anthony Albanese with an in-principle invitation to visit Beijing late this year. She replied:
I have nothing to share regarding your specific question. The healthy and stable development of China-Australia relations serves the common interests of both countries and the peoples of the two countries. We stand ready to work with the Australian side to follow through on the important common understandings reached between the leaders of the two countries in their meeting in Bali and the outcomes of the China-Australia foreign and strategic dialogue, uphold the principles of mutual respect, win-win cooperation and seeking common ground while shelving differences, maintain high-level exchanges, expand mutually-beneficial cooperation, properly manage and control differences and bring the bilateral relations back on track.
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Birmingham continues battle for Liberal rethink
Good morning from Canberra. It might be the calm before the storm in terms of the budget, but there are A LOT of moving parts at the moment, which means there are a lot of politicians competing for your attention on a lot of different views. The loudest voices are coming from the Liberal party which is still reeling from the historic Aston byelection loss and the realisation, at least among some within the party room, that younger voters are not looking to the Liberal party as a solution. It’a not the first time the party has been sent that message, but losing a byelection to a government for the first time in more than 100 years, in what was very safe Liberal territory seems to have spooked a few more people.
Simon Birmingham, who has the unofficial title of “senior moderate” within the party has made public pleas with his party before, most notably after the federal election loss.
So far, it has been for naught. Birmingham has pleaded with his party to move on climate, and then, as its most sensible spokesperson, had to go out and explain why the party was voting against legislating targets and the safeguard mechanism. He has been a supporter of the voice, but is now having to voice the “sensible” we are just arguing for more detail claims from the opposition.
Do you see the pattern here?
The South Australian senator has written a piece for the Nine newspapers imploring his colleagues to move with the times and take “Liberal values” and apply them to what Australians want now. He says the Liberals need to stop with the “nastiness” and embrace “inclusion”.
“Perceptions of intolerance created by some hasn’t just cost the votes of those who feel judged, it has hurt the Liberal Party with all who reject nastiness or divisiveness,” he wrote for the SMH and the Age.
“We must be the party of inclusion, in which all families who contribute and aspire see relevance.”
He then went on ABC radio RN Breakfast to explain that the Liberals have great values and traditions, it’s just that maybe younger voters don’t know about them.
“We have a fabulous story to tell,” he said. “Our party has governed Australia for around 70% of the post-world war two era. Modern Australia is in many ways a reflection of the Liberal Party.
“But we also have to make sure that we reflect modern Australia and the reality is that times have changed the construct and demographics of society have changed and so we should be a party that still stands for families, we should stand for all families, regardless of their construct.
“We should still be a party of small business, but we should use that as a tool to embrace migrant multicultural communities who are so entrepreneurial in their nature. “There are great things consistent with liberal values that we can and must do to make sure that we maximise our vote and the support for pretty liberal policies in the future.”
This of course comes ahead of a party room meeting where the Liberals will decide whether or not they will support an Indigenous voice to parliament. The money is on the party saying “no”, officially.
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Australia’s high commissioner visits Julian Assange
AAP is reporting that Australia’s high commissioner to the UK, Stephen Smith, has visited jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at a British prison.
Assange continues to face espionage charges in the United States and remains in London’s Belmarsh prison, held there since 2019 while fighting extradition proceedings.
It is the first time since November, 2019, that he has accepted a consular visit and the first time a high commissioner has met with the Australian behind bars.
Smith told the ABC on his way into the prison on Tuesday that it was “very important that the Australian government is able to discharge its consular obligations”.
I’m very keen just to have a conversation with him, check on his health and wellbeing and hopefully see whether regular visits might be a feature of the relationship with Mr Assange going forward.
Assange is keen to obtain diplomatic support from Australia in his battle to avoid extradition to the US and to be freed from jail.
After his visit Smith would not comment on whether that issue had been discussed with Assange.
“In accordance with usual consular practice, and as agreed with Mr Assange, I do not propose to comment on any details of our meeting,” he said in a statement.
Appeals to stop Assange from being extradited to the US are still before the UK courts.
On the weekend Assange’s father, John Shipton, welcomed news that Smith would visit his son.
“It will provide an opportunity for the high commissioner to see the appalling conditions Julian is kept in and the terrible toll that his ongoing incarceration is having on his health and on his family,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
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Birmingham says Liberals need ‘positive, compelling message’
Senior Liberal senator Simon Birmingham says voters are currently “volatile” and that the party needs to recognise it needs a “positive, compelling message” for the country.
Birmingham was on RN Breakfast this morning, and he was asked about the capacity of the party to actually win back government on federal and state levels. He rejected the idea that the party room was full of people that didn’t agree with him:
We must acknowledge voters are very volatile nowadays.
We see that in the size of swings and movements that occur, and we shouldn’t think that there’s new generations or new cohorts of voters completely locked in one way or the other.
We don’t have to turn away from our values. We just have to make sure that we present them as [from] the business party, entrepreneurialism, a party for families, in a way that is also inclusive and compelling to all voters wherever they’ve come from and whatever their lives.
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Liberals gather for snap meeting to discuss voice position
The Liberal party will convene a special meeting in Canberra this morning to discuss the Indigenous voice referendum, as pressure mounts for the party to decide a long-awaited position.
It is unclear whether the party will come to a final formal position on the voice – a parliamentary committee into the constitutional alteration has not yet even begun – but the snap meeting, only called on Monday, has raised speculation the party may make an announcement later today.
The Liberals didn’t discuss the voice at their last meeting in Canberra last week, and calling a special meeting outside of a parliament sitting week is unusual. There has been speculation that leader Peter Dutton suddenly convened the meeting to take heat off the Liberals’ historic byelection loss in Aston on Saturday.
Several Liberals have publicly called for the party to resolve on a conscience vote for all members, citing previous history in the marriage equality and 1999 republic referendum votes; but others have noted that Liberal backbenchers can always choose to cross the floor and vote their conscience whenever they want to.
What happens for the Liberal frontbench, who are obligated to back the party’s position, is less clear. The shadow attorney-general and Indigenous Australians spokesperson, Julian Leeser, for example, is a noted voice supporter (even though he has raised major concerns with the government’s model and plans this week), but would be obligated to oppose the referendum if the party formally resolved to vote no.
Many Liberals declined to comment on Tuesday when contacted. Veteran MP Warren Entsch told Guardian Australia that he would “fiercely defend” the right of backbenchers to vote their conscience, but that he had “serious concerns” about whether the voice would fix problems in remote communities like those in his north Queensland electorate of Leichhardt.
Entsch said he would like to see the Liberals support the legislation setting up the referendum and constitutional amendment, but that he would continue asking questions about how the voice would work. He said the backbenchers should be allowed to vote how they wanted, but said that frontbenchers had an obligation to follow any resolution of the partyroom.
Entsch also suggested the government split the referendum question into two sections – one question asking about recognition of Indigenous people in the constitution, and one about the voice itself. This has been a common suggestion from Liberals, including first-term MP Keith Wolahan, who said the Liberals should consider the different “limbs” of the referendum in isolation.
The processes leading to the Uluru statement from the heart rejected purely symbolic recognition, such as a constitutional preamble, instead calling for recognition through the consultation mechanism of the voice.
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Good morning
Good morning, Mostafa Rachwani with you for today’s live blog, and we begin with the expectations we will finally hear the Liberals’ position on the voice referendum.
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is due to meet with his shadow cabinet today as part of a special party room meeting to rally the MPs around the eventual Liberal position. It comes, of course, days after their disastrous result in the Aston byelection, with all eyes on where the party is headed.
Elsewhere, China has hit back after prime minister Anthony Albanese signed off on a government-wide ban of TikTok over security concerns. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning revealed that China has relayed its concerns to Canberra over the decision, urging the government to “abide by the rules of the market economy and the principles of fair competition.”
It comes as other reports emerge that Chinese-owned apps are coming under scrutiny, with popular social media platform WeChat also under the spotlight.
In NSW, new premier Chris Minns will see his cabinet sworn in today – 50% of it women – including the first female ministers for police, energy, natural resources, regional NSW, transport and finance.
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