What we learned today – Friday 21 November
And with that, we are going to put the blog to bed. Before we go, let’s recap the big headlines:
Former attorney general Mark Dreyfus called for the government to renew the republic campaign, and to push for four-year federal terms, in his first major comments since he was relegated to the backbench.
Anthony Albanese became the first Australian prime minister to visit South Africa since 2013 as he jetted off to the G20 leaders’ summit where climate change, trade and security are expected on the agenda.
The Victorian government will make it free for trans and gender diverse people to officially change their gender on a birth certificate.
Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia will ban the use of power banks on board aircrafts over the next few weeks amid a rise in safety risks associated with damaged or defective lithium batteries.
As Tropical Cyclone Fina headed for the NT coast, Kristy McBain, the federal minister for emergency management, said officials are urging people to “prioritise their safety” and heed cyclone warnings and advice. Authorities said the worst of the conditions in Darwin are expected to be during the day tomorrow and tomorrow evening.
Kellie Sloane, the NSW Liberals’ health spokesperson, was appointed as leader of the opposition. She was given unanimous support to take the top job. The 52-year-old former journalist replaced Mark Speakman, who led the party since the March 2023 election.
Australian shares are down sharply this morning, after a Nvidia-fuelled global rebound gave way to enduring concerns that a stock market bubble has engulfed Wall Street.
Queensland state coroner Terry Ryan begun releasing his findings into how three members of the Train family shot dead two police officers and a neighbour at their Wieambilla property nearly three years ago.
The eSafety commissioner added video streaming platform Twitch to the list of platforms that will be required to ban under-16s in Australia from having an account in less than three weeks.
Thank you for spending part of your day with us.
Updated
Australia to join countries at Cop30 calling for fossil fuel phase-out
There have been growing calls for the Australian government to join a group of about 80 countries that have called for the UN Cop30 climate summit in Brazil to agree to develop a roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels.
Greenpeace has issued statements during the week. The independent MP Zali Steggall today issued a media release with 100 signatures from people in business, academia, civil society and politics.
The climate change minister, Chris Bowen, has so far been silent on the issue, but it has been a significant focus at the conference. Backers include countries from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Pacific and Europe. The UK, Germany, France and Norway have signed on.
The Guardian has been told Australia will join them.
Bowen had planned to sign up to a declaration on transitioning away from fossil fuels at an event at Cop30 on Thursday afternoon. It was cancelled when the conference centre in the Amazonian city of Belem was evacuated due to a fire.
It is expected he will add Australia’s support to the call on Friday while also trying to wrangle a deal that would lead to him being named “president of negotiations” at the Cop31 summit next November.
That deal, flagged by Bowen on Wednesday when it was announced Australia’s bid to co-host the summit with Pacific nations had failed, is still yet to be finalised. Negotiations are expected to resume tonight – on Friday morning local time.
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‘Santa rally’ in doubt after ASX plunge
Australian shares recorded steep losses today, as renewed fears of an artificial intelligence-fuelled bubble gripped markets around the world.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 fell 1.6% to 8,416.5 points, erasing more than $40bn in value from the index.
While the Australian market rose from its earlier lows, the bounce was modest, signalling fear among traders.
Tony Sycamore, market analyst at IG Australia, says there are “clear question marks circling now around the extent of any Santa rally and which sector will lead it, with Christmas now just under five weeks away”.
The “Santa rally” and “January effect” refer to a period when stock markets tend to rise, especially after a strong year.
The ASX has now recorded its fourth straight weekly loss.
The plunge occurred even after the world’s biggest company, chip maker Nvidia, released a soaring profit result and upbeat outlook that initially sparked a recovery in global markets.
But lingering concerns Wall Street may be engulfed by a bubble reversed the sentiment.
Traders have also lost confidence the US Federal Reserve will deliver a rate cut in December amid rising inflation concerns; the same dynamic that has dimmed hopes for further cuts in Australia.
Just eight out of Australia’s biggest 50 listed companies eked out share price gains today, with miners among the most heavily sold-off companies.
Anne Ruston criticises government over bulk-billing rates
The shadow health minister, Anne Ruston, has been speaking on Afternoon Briefing about bulk-billing rates.
She said:
We have a government … [that] promises to Australians for the last three years, telling them all they will need is their Medicare card, when quite frankly the government has always known out-of-pocket costs were on the rise and likely to continue to rise into the future.
Nearly a million less visits to a doctor year-on-year for the same quarter last year to this year … 10,000 visitors less every day. 10,000 people are avoiding seeing their doctor, which means they are likely to be sick before they engage with the health system.
And we have a prime minister who can’t negotiate the hospital funding agreement, which is where these people are ending up.
Updated
Share market falls to lowest level since June
From AAP:
Australia’s share market has crumbled to its lowest level since June, as concerns about stretched valuations collide with a reduced outlook for interest rate cuts.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 lost 133.9 points on Friday, down 1.57% to 8,418.8, as the broader All Ordinaries fell 144.9 points (1.64%) to 8,689.1.
A stronger-than-expected US jobs report overnight dampened hopes of incoming interest rate cuts from the world’s largest central bank, dragging on equities markets.
The top-200 has tumbled more than 7% after hitting an all-time high of 9,115.2 in mid-October, and has fallen each of the past four weeks.
The Australian dollar is buying 64.46 US cents, down from 64.79 US cents on Thursday at 5pm.
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Nick Greiner congratulates Kellie Sloane, calling for ‘a unified approach’ from the party
The chair of the NSW Liberal party management committee, Nick Greiner, has welcomed Kellie Sloane’s unanimous election as the NSW leader. In a statement, Greiner said:
I congratulate Kellie on her election. She has always been driven by community service – from her almost 20 years in journalism to her work as the National CEO of Life Education – striving to deliver real change for our community.
Liberal Party members across the state are behind Kellie, as the parliamentary and volunteer wings of our Party work together towards a Liberal election victory that will deliver a thriving NSW.
Now is the time for a unified approach behind Kellie and Natalie Ward to ensure the Party looks outward and forward as an alternative government with a laser focus on winning in 2027.
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Engels:
There will be rain and wind prior to the cyclone. Do not drive in flooded water conditions.
Let’s all together use our common sense and stay safe.
Updated
Engels says when the storm impacts are starting to be felt in Darwin, residents are asked to park their cars, find shelter and stay there until it has passed. She said businesses in Darwin may close tomorrow and buses will not be running.
We expect to tell Darwin residents to take shelter tomorrow.
Based on the information we have, we are comfortable that your homes are able to withstand the event.
If you have concerns, we ask you to go and find somewhere that you feel safe to shelter.
Updated
Minjilang, Warruwi and Tiwi Islands residents advised to be at their place of shelter before dark
Supt Kirsten Engels is speaking now.
Cyclone Fina is beginning to show their presence on the northern islands now.
Schools in Minjilang and Warruwi and Milikapiti have all been closed today.
Tomorrow we expect to see impacts starting to be felt in the Darwin area.
We are standing up an emergency hotline 1800 88 901, and that will be available from this afternoon.
She says residents of Minjilang and Warruwi and the Tiwi Islands have been asked to pick their place of shelter and be there before dark. She said these communites are used to these events and are prepared and ready.
Updated
Flood watch for Top End, 1-metre storm tide expected around Minjilang
A flood watch is current for much of the Top End, and daily rainfall is expected of up to 200mm or more.
A storm tide of about 1 metre above the highest tide is expected around Minjilang and could be above normal in other coastal communities over the next few days.
Updated
Destructive wind gusts of 150km an hour could develop during this evening in this warning area as the system nears the coast.
After this, the wind is expected to hit 120km an hour in the warning area.
Darwin warned Tropical Cyclone Fina will strike tomorrow
In the Northern Territory, authorities are giving an update on Tropical Cyclone Fina. They say the worst of the conditions in Darwin are expected to be during the day tomorrow and tomorrow evening.
There may be … periods during the day where conditions seem to ease, and this is typical during a cyclone event, but it will be temporary, so do not assume that the danger has passed until you have been advised that it has.
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Victoria’s St Vincent de Paul chief: ‘warning signs of this hunger crisis are clear’
The St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria has opened a new facility in the south-east of Melbourne, in response to the surge in demand for food relief.
The City of Greater Dandenong, where the new facility will be, has the highest level of homelessness in Victoria, with up to one in five people and one in four children living in poverty. In the last financial year alone, Vinnies South Eastern and Berwick soup vans provided over 81,500 meals, and the South Eastern service saw a massive 22% increase in demand.
St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria CEO Jennifer Fitzgerald:
The warning signs of this hunger crisis are clear across Victoria: more households are skipping meals to pay rent, and the calls for help are loudest from the south-east – and it’s no longer just the homeless or unemployed, it’s increasingly the working person, the single mum.
This hub is a lifeline. We’re not just handing out food; we’re upholding a person’s dignity and providing a stable base for community connection.
Updated
That’s all for me! Cait Kelly is going to bring Friday home. Have a lovely weekend.
Man becomes first to be convicted of hate speech against trans people in NSW
A New South Wales man who called for violence and created an “invitation on social media for a genocide” has become the state’s first person to be convicted of hate speech against transgender people.
Thomas Fordham, 27, was on Wednesday sentenced to a 12-month community correction order for the offence in Sydney’s central local court, with magistrate Christopher Halburd acknowledging his “multitude” of mental health conditions.
According to court documents, Fordham posted a series of comments on YouTube accounts, including some videos by the American influencer and transgender activist Mercury Stardust, between March to May 2024. The comments were in response to videos about LGBTIQ+ issues.
Read more:
Updated
Government drops proposal to reduce default regional speed limits
The federal government has dropped a controversial proposal to reduce default speed limits on regional roads from 100km/h to between 70 and 90km/h, following a backlash from some Labor and Coalition MPs.
Back in September, the federal infrastructure department began consultation on a “regulatory impact analysis” as part of the National Road Safety Action Plan.
Noting that it is up to individual states and territories to implement their own road rules, Labor MPs called the consultation “overreach”, while Nationals and Liberals slammed any move to force lower speed limits.
The analysis was part of the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030, agreed to by state, territory and commonwealth governments in May 2021.
The plan aims to reduce road fatalities by 50% and reduce serious injuries by 30% by 2030, and cut fatalities and serious injuries to zero by 2050. The latest analysis states the country is not on track to meet those goals and needs further government intervention.
After a meeting with her counterpart ministers from around the country on Friday, federal infrastructure and transport minister Catherine King called time on the default speed limits consultation work.
“Ministers noted recent feedback from consultation on open road default speed limits that has been in the National Road Safety Strategy since 2018,” a joint statement said. It went on:
Ministers noted the commonwealth does not set speed limits in any jurisdiction, and that states and territories are responsible for these decisions.
No further work is being undertaken on open road default speed limits.
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What to expect from Tropical Cyclone Fina
Tropical Cyclone Fina, currently a category one cyclone, is expected to intensify over coming days as it moves through the Van Diemen Gulf and could reach category three as it heads into the Timor Sea, according to the latest track map from Bureau of Meteorology.
Senior meteorologist Sarah Scully said Fina was expected to cross the Northern Territory’s Cobourg Peninsula near Cape Don later tonight or in the early hours of tomorrow morning, and then continue its south-west path.
⚠️🌀Tropical #CycloneFina is impacting the Cobourg Peninsula, extending to other parts of the northwest Top End today and on Saturday.
— Bureau of Meteorology, Northern Territory (@BOM_NT) November 21, 2025
Warning zone: Tiwi Islands, Dundee Beach to Warruwi, and inland to Batchelor, including #Darwin.
Latest track map: https://t.co/sUS8eqwtb5 pic.twitter.com/zfVQVq4Sz2
Winds were expected to pick up in Darwin from Saturday morning, peak during the afternoon and evening, and continue into Sunday morning, as TC Fina pushes past the city.
Scully said:
Then it’s expected to continue moving out into the Timor Sea and intensify further to a category three system as it starts to approach the Kimberley coast.
Areas across the western Top End, including Darwin, could see winds of up to 155km/h, heavy rainfall (including the potential for 24-hour totals of 200-300mm) with flash flooding, and the potential for storm surge.
Updated
ABC staff vote no on enterprise agreement offer
Staff at the ABC have voted no to an enterprise agreement offer of a 10% pay rise over three years and commitments to pay progression.
Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (Meaa) chief executive Erin Madeley claimed it was a “backwards offer” which would “cut job security and access to career progression”. Staff also rejected an offer of 9% over three years last month.
Madeley said the offer ignored staff calls for ethical and accountable use of AI in the workplace, respect for the Meaa journalist code of ethics, and an audit into racial and disability pay gaps. Madeley added:
We applaud the brave and principled Meaa members at the ABC, who will not back down in their fight for workers’ rights, journalism and a sustainable national broadcaster.
An ABC spokesperson said the preliminary outcome shows the majority of ABC staff voted against the EA offer, with 44.1% of staff voting yes and 55.9% voting no.
“This is 238 votes short of the required number of votes to have a majority agree to the proposal. We anticipate CorpVote will declare the official outcome next week,” the spokesperson said.
Information about next steps ahead of the resumption of bargaining will be communicated to ABC staff in the next couple of weeks.
The ABC MEAA house committee said the offer won’t keep up with inflation.
Updated
Twitch included in under-16s social media ban
The eSafety commissioner has added video streaming platform Twitch to the list of platforms that will be required to ban under-16s in Australia from having an account in less than three weeks.
In a statement on Friday, the regulator said it had informed Twitch it was covered by the ban and must take reasonable steps to stop under-16s from holding an account by 10 December, because its dominant purposes is social interaction.
eSafety said:
Twitch is a platform most commonly used for livestreaming or posting content that enables users, including Australian children, to interact with others in relation to the content posted.
Pinterest has been informed it is not included in the ban because its common purpose is for users collating images for inspiration and idea curation.
Twitch joins Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube to be covered by the ban. Threads is also included in the ban as an Instagram account is needed to use the Twitter-like platform.
eSafety said this is the last assessment planned before the ban comes into effect.
Updated
Bureau of Meteorology issues cyclone warning for large parts of the Top End including Darwin
Tropical Cyclone Fina was likely to cross the Northern Territory coast either very late on Friday or early Saturday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a cyclone warning for the Tiwi Islands, and from Darwin to Warruwi. This includes Cobourg Peninsula, Minjilang and Gunbalanya, and also Pirlangimpi, Milikapiti and Wurrumiyanga.
The system is currently a category one cyclone, but is expected to re-intensify to category two as it makes landfall. There remains a chance it could reach category three as it moves into the Van Diemen Gulf.
Fina is likely to cross at the Cobourg Peninsula near Cape Don, with rain already building at Croker Island, off the Northern Territory coast.
The Northern Territory Emergency Service has advised those in affected areas to prepare for the risk of destructive winds, torrential rain, dangerous storms and coastal flooding, with potential disruption to essential services.
Residents in Milikapiti to Maningrida, including Cobourg Peninsula, Minjilang and Warruwi were asked to enact their emergency plans and secure their properties.
Those in affected areas -Daly River Mouth to Gunbalanya, including Dundee Beach, Darwin, Batchelor, Pirlangimpi and Wurrumiyanga (Tiwi Islands) – have been advised to prepare emergency plans and kits and stay informed.
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Watch a reconstruction of the events at Wieambilla
The Guardian’s video team published a reconstruction of the events at Wieambilla, using body-worn camera footage, police aerial vision and a triple-zero phone call presented as evidence at the inquest.
You can watch it here:
Updated
Police weapons ‘no match’ for Wieambilla shooters’ rifles, coroner says
In his findings, Ryan said the weapons carried by police officers who went to the Trains’ property – in relation to a missing persons report filed about Nathaniel – “were no match” for the rifles used by the shooters who were in ambush positions.
“Once the shooting commenced the officer’s Glocks [handguns] were woefully inadequate for defending themselves,” he said.
He said it was unclear if better body armour would have prevented their deaths, and it was difficult to see how any officer could have been adequately equipped for the incident that unfolded.
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Wieambilla police shooting: coroner delivers findings into Train family killings of three people on remote Queensland property
Queensland state coroner Terry Ryan has begun releasing his findings into how three members of the Train family shot dead two police officers and a neighbour their Wieambilla property nearly three years ago.
Officers Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold were killed by the trio of conspiracy theorists at the remote property about 270 kilometres west of Brisbane on 12 December 2022.
The killers, Gareth, Stacey and Nathaniel Train, also shot dead their neighbour, Alan Dare, before being killed in a shootout with police.
Ryan is delivering his findings on Friday, after the inquest held five weeks of hearings last year. He said the Trains had a psychiatric illness at the time of the shootings.
“On 12 December 2022, Gareth, Stacey and Nathaniel each had an undiagnosed and untreated psychotic illness … shared paranoid delusions,” Ryan said.
Read more here:
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APRA mulls lending limits as home loans surge
There’s growing speculation the regulator is preparing to place limits on higher risk home lending, amid a surge in investor borrowing.
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority’s latest report on risks in the financial system found that “while overall housing lending standards remain sound”, it was “seeing some signs of a pick-up in higher risk lending, particularly high debt-to-income borrowing by investors”.
While APRA has not made any official statements of intent, it has been working with banks over recent months to ensure they are ready and able to throttle lending in certain areas if directed to.
Lending to landlords by value grew by nearly 19% in the year to September, its fastest pace in a decade, and accounted for two in every five home loans from July to September.
The chief executive of the country’s biggest bank, CBA’s Mat Comyn, told a parliamentary committee hearing this week that he was worried that housing credit was growing too swiftly, and foreshadowed a potential intervention by the banking regulator.
Greens senator Barbara Pocock has written to the head of APRA urging him to “pull the handbrake” on investor lending.
APRA last intervened to slow lending in late 2014.
Maria Kovacic attacks Labor’s economic record in NSW
NSW senator Maria Kovacic has released a statement, thanking Mark Speakman for his leadership, calling him a “a decent and principled man” while also congratulating Kellie Sloane.
Kovacic said:
Under Labor, NSW is going backwards. Recent ABS data shows that the NSW economy is growing slower than any other state or territory and is well behind national growth.
While Chris Minns and his ministers spend their time cutting ribbons on Coalition projects, his government presents no vision or plan that the people of NSW can look towards with hope and aspiration. NSW deserves better.
Updated
Sloane defends photo of her eating caviar on a yacht
Sloane was also asked about the photo that has resurfaced of her eating caviar on a yacht.
In her original caption, Sloane wrote: “Eating caviar – Russian style – off the back of my hand on board”. She hashtagged the picture #ghost #australiansuperyatchs and #luxury.
Sloane said:
I don’t think I need to rebrand from one picture a decade ago at the Sydney Boat Show. I was chuffed of the opportunity to tour that boat. If that’s the worst they can come off with, I think it’s a good start.
Updated
Sloane says taking the leadership has “been a harmonious ascension, which is I’m very lucky.”
Asked if she was considering a cabinet reshuffle, she said:
The problem I’m going to have is we have so much talent in the party. I’ll be spoilt for choice. So, yeah, I’ll be having those conversations with colleagues over the coming week probably.
She said if former leader Mark Speakman wants a position he will have one.
Kellie Sloane says she doesn’t believe in gender quotas ‘at the moment’
Sloane was also asked if she believed in gender quotas. She paused before answering:
I need to think about that one. I have wavered back and forth. I ... Not at the moment.
Not at the moment in NSW but I’m open to those conversations with colleagues.
I mean, I certainly want to see more women in our federal party. I love to see more women in our state party. I hope that when they see a female-female leadership team, which wasn’t [about] gender but just happened, that will inspire more women to enter politics. That’s my hope.
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Asked what voters were expected to think when about the Coalition having two positions on net zero, she says:
I like to stop talking about those two words and be focused on the here and now and the pain for families in NSW. We – we have had a consistent position on net zero since 2016 as a Coalition.
I believe we can work through the nuts and bolts of policies that will drive practical outcomes, reduce the expenses for families in NSW and we will all, you know, come to a happy conclusion around that.
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Sloane says she wants ‘to be a chippy or a cementer’s best friend’
Asked how she will be different from former leader Mark Speakman, she said:
I bring my own personal style to leadership. I’ll be consultive, I’ll try to remain myself, be authentic, listen to people. We’ve got to do a better job of telling our story and reminding the people of NSW what we stand for.
She said she is pro-housing and wants to make sure everyone in NSW, including essential workers and families, can buy a home.
“I want to be a chippy or a cementer’s best friend.”
Updated
Sloane has started her speech, talking about how her team is young and full of women:
We have one of the youngest parliamentary teams and I don’t count myself amongst them but we do have six colleagues under the age of 40 and they bring unique perspectives as well.
Almost half of our team are women. We could do with some more but we have rich experience, we have ideas, and we have energy, and we are ready to serve the people of NSW and provide a really positive ambitious vision for our state.
She also talked about how she is not a career politician:
I’m a country-raised, public school-educated working mum who has built a career listening to people telling their stories and advocating for them.
She says she has worked as a CEO for a not-for-profit and as a journalist.
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Kellie Sloan says Liberals ‘ready for the fight’ at next election
Kellie Sloan is up in NSW, she has started by thanking former leader Mark Speakman and her colleagues for electing her.
The next election is just over 15 months away. I don’t underestimate the challenge ahead of us, but I am ready for the fight and, as a team, we are ready for the fight. This has been an uninspiring Labor government and we are committed to a positive, to bold and ambitious vision for NSW and NSW deserves that.
I won’t be doing this by myself. I’m doing it on the shoulders of one of the most impressive parliamentary teams in the country.
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Chris Minns calls Kellie Sloane a ‘lovely person’, wishing her the best in opposition
NSW premier Chris Minns sent his well wishes to Kellie Sloane after she became the new opposition leader, adding his praise for Mark Speakman’s tenure over the Liberal party.
He said during a media briefing earlier:
Kellie Sloane is a really lovely person and I wish her the very best for the job. Obviously I am in competition with her, but it is a real honour to lead a political party, so hats off to her, it is an achievement for her.
I also want to pay tribute to Mark Speakman, one of the gentleman of politics in Australia, someone that I genuinely believe believes in public service. He handled himself with class in the last 24 hours.
Minns went on to urge the parties to work together and find “common ground” to advance the state’s interests:
The truth of the matter is we both have a responsibility to work together, if we can. There’s got to be some common ground between political parties. There is plenty of time for us to trade political barbs in the future. But if there’s things we can work on today to better New South Wales that has got to be our focus.
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Who is Kellie Sloane, the new NSW Liberal leader?
The former television journalist, chosen unopposed as the Liberal leader on Friday morning, has a reputation for being a good performer and the government has taken notice.
The Sydney Morning Herald analysed parliamentary speeches by the premier, Chris Minns, since March 2023 and found “the member for Vaucluse” was among his most common phrases, uttered more frequently than “public transport”. In 18 different speeches, 44 times, Minns took aim: anticipating future battles at the dispatch box and on the campaign trail.
Now Kellie Sloane is leader, Minns has one clear line of attack: her relative inexperience in politics.
Mark Speakman himself, during Thursday’s last-ditch attempt to head off the challenge, pointedly referred to her as a terrific “first-term” MP.
But in a job where cut-through communication skills are career-defining, Sloane’s CV points to potential.
Read more here:
Updated
Bob Brown says Labor nature bills ‘an insult to the environmental conscience of Australians’
Celebrated environmentalist and former Australian Greens leader Bob Brown has told a Senate committee the Albanese government’s proposed nature reforms are “an insult to the environmental conscience of Australians”.
Appearing before an inquiry examining the bills late on Thursday, Brown urged the Senate to reject the bills unless they were substantially improved and said the fact the environment minister had no power to consider harm caused by climate change was analogous to a treasurer being given no power over taxes:
This legislation is an insult to the environmental conscience of Australians and the body politic, which is charged with looking after the interests of Australia, should throw it out.
The fact that the minister for the environment is prevented from taking action on the biggest threat to the environment, which is climate change, is analogous to a treasurer having no power over taxes.
And I say that must be taken seriously, because that’s how the situation is.
Brown also criticised the government’s failure to close a loophole that effectively exempts logging covered by regional forest agreements from national nature laws:
The embedding in this legislation of the regional forest agreements, which we know have been the biggest cause of destruction of the habitat of so many rare and endangered creatures in Australia, is an affront to the rights of Australians in the future.
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Sussan Ley thanks Mark Speakman and says Sloane will do ‘outstanding job’
Sussan Ley, the opposition leader, just spoke briefly about the NSW Liberal leadership spill.
She thanked Mark Speakman for his leadership and said it would now be important for the NSW party to “go about their business” in the lead-up to the next election:
I want to thank Mark Speakman for his leadership of the New South Wales Liberals and say that Kellie Sloane will do an outstanding job with the team there.
It is important that state Liberal parties go about their business as they do every day of the week. It is important for us and it’s important for me as the federal liberal leader to talk to Australians about our serious, compelling, credible policy alternatives in the lead-up to the next election.
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ASX hits ‘air pocket’ as stocks dive
Australian shares are down sharply this morning, after a Nvidia-fuelled global rebound gave way to enduring concerns that a stock market bubble has engulfed Wall Street.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 fell 2% to 8,383 points in early trading, erasing more than $50bn in value from the index.
The ASX took its lead from the US where equities suffered an “ugly reversal”, according to IG analysts, erasing the relief rally that had been sparked by strong profits reported by the world’s biggest company, chip maker Nvidia.
IG said the reversal was caused in part by Nvidia’s results “failing to quell unease about stretched tech valuations”.
While the Australian share market is very different to that of the US, it has been pulled and pushed around by Wall Street. There is some overlap, with the fortunes of Australian uranium companies, for example, tied to the potential energy usage of the AI-fuelled tech sector.
Morningstar market strategist Lochlan Halloway described the pullback as an “air pocket”:
In the last few months, global equities have started to look stretched, and particularly in Australia, where we enjoyed AI-like returns without an obvious fundamental driver.
Our bull market was built on shaky foundations, and climbing down from such heights is probably sensible.
The value of bitcoin fell again overnight, and is now down 20% in a month to trade around the $US88,000 mark. It is seen as a “risk asset” that has suffered from souring market sentiment.
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Major environment groups urge government MPs to improve nature bills
Some of Australia’s biggest environment groups have written to all government MPs and senators urging changes to Labor’s proposed nature bills, which they say “do not protect nature” in their current form.
The two-page statement from groups including the Australian Conservation Foundation, the Wilderness Society and legal firm Environmental Justice Australia, sent late Thursday, says “reform at any cost is not the answer”. The groups said “given the stated positions of political parties on nature protection, it is clear that a deal between Labor and the Coalition will not advance nature protections and could make things considerably worse”.
It comes as the government chases a deal with either the Coalition or the Greens to pass its proposed reforms in the Senate in the final parliamentary sitting week for the year next week.
The changes the groups have proposed include:
Removing excessive discretionary powers granted to the environment minister
Making the proposed environment protection agency the default decision-maker for development proposals, with the environment minister only permitted to intervene in “exceptional circumstances”
Closing native forest logging loopholes and scrapping a “risky” proposal for a restoration contributions fund for developers or significantly tightening when and how this option can be used
Delivering a promised standard on First Nations engagement and reversing attempts to shorten community consultation periods
Building consideration of climate change into the laws and not delegating decisions under the federal water trigger to the states
They said:
We call on the Labor government to substantially improve the bills and negotiate in good faith with members of the Senate that care about nature and a vibrant, healthy Australia.
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Sloane thanks colleagues for ‘faith and trust’ they have placed in her
Kellie Sloane just gave a brief statement to media after she was named leader of the NSW Liberal party in an uncontested vote.
She said:
What a day. A few moments ago, a united Liberal party room endorsed me as the new leader and it’s an incredible honour, and a huge responsibility, one I don’t take lightly. I’m ready to work for New South Wales and I thank my colleagues for the faith and the trust that they’ve placed in me today. I’ve got a whole lot more to say at a news conference in a couple of hours.
And just like that, it’s over. After yesterday’s drawn-out spill, this morning has passed quickly and quietly.
The Liberal party room meeting started at 9am but media weren’t let into the opposition’s parliamentary offices until just before the announcement at 9.10am made by Liberal whips Adam Crouch and Chris Rath.
Journalists, photographers and camera operators and their equipment milled about awkwardly in a small elevator lobby.
Sloane, who is holding a press conference later this morning, did not take questions.
Instead, after her brief speech, Sloane and upper house member Natalie Ward, who has remained deputy leader, walked down the corridor to the opposition leader’s office recently vacated by Mark Speakman.
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Kellie Sloane new leader of NSW Liberals
Kellie Sloane, the NSW Liberals’ health spokesperson, has been appointed as leader of the opposition. She was given unanimous support to take the top job..
The 52 year-old former journalist replaces Mark Speakman, who led the party since the March 2023 election.
Speakman resigned on Thursday after pressure from his colleagues concerned about the party’s ability to cut through, particularly after the damage inflicted on the Liberal brand by the infighting in Canberra.
Sloane, a moderate, is expected to stick with the party’s recent decision to continue to support a net zero by 2050 target.
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Greens maintain loss of Cop31 an ‘embarrassment’ for Australia
The Greens leader, Larissa Waters, said Australia’s move to drop its bid to host next year’s Cop31 climate summit in Adelaide is “an embarrassment”.
Waters said the notion that there will be a pre-Cop event in the Pacific – part of the Albanese government’s hopes to elevate Pacific voices – was a “consolation prize”. But she said the loss of the climate event was a “missed opportunity” for Australia to hone its environmental message, and a boon for the government’s support for fossil fuel projects such as the extension of the North West Shelf gas plant.
She told RN Breakfast this morning of the Albanese government:
I think they wanted to avoid the scrutiny.
Of the fact that they, within two weeks of re-winning government, approved the biggest gas plant in the southern hemisphere that would have more emissions than all of our coal-fired power stations put together over 10 years, an absolute carbon bomb. The fact that they’ve ticked off on more than 30 other coal and gas projects since they took government, the fact that they’re currently trying to rewrite our environmental laws to fast-track coal and gas approval.
And the fact that there’s an algal bloom that’s driven by a marine heat wave that’s caused by climate change on the beaches of Adelaide.
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Government urging those in Fina’s path to stay up-to-date and heed warnings
Kristy McBain, the federal minister for emergency management, said officials are urging people to “prioritise their safety” and heed cyclone warnings and advice.
The federal government has been working with the NT to ensure officials are embedded in the region to assist with any response. McBain added that generators and staff had already deployed into areas of predicted impact.
She told RN Breakfast this morning:
We’ve been working really closely with the Northern Territory government on the pre-deployment of assets, but it is really important that people listen to those warnings and they’ll be continually updated. … But these things are a little bit unpredictable at this stage. So we’re just asking people to be aware.
Tropical Cyclone Fina to start impacting NT this morning
Tropical Cyclone Fina is currently a category 1 cyclone, but could intensify to a category 2 or category 3 storm later today.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the slow-moving cyclone is headed south-west, with a warning zone issued for the Tiwi Islands and Cape Hotham to Warruwi. The agency has urged residents to complete preparations quickly and be prepared to shelter in a safe place.
The Daly River mouth area to Cape Hotham, including Darwin, are currently under a watch zone.
Gusts and damaging winds up to 120km/h may develop this morning, with those winds increasing to 155km/h on Friday as the system nears the coast. Heavy rainfall and flash flooding are possible in coastal areas of the Tiwi Islands and Warruwi, which will extend to nearby areas inland across the western Top End, including Darwin, on Saturday.
The BoM said:
Fina is forecast to further intensify to a severe tropical cyclone during Sunday afternoon in the southern Timor Sea. There continues to remain a chance that it could reach category 3 intensity earlier, during late Friday or early Saturday as it moves into the Van Diemen Gulf.
⚠️🌀Tropical Cyclone Fina is slowly moving southwest, with impacts for the #NorthernTerritory from early this morning
— Bureau of Meteorology, Northern Territory (@BOM_NT) November 20, 2025
Warning zone: Tiwi Islands, and Cape Hotham to Warruwi
Watch zone: Daly River Mouth to Cape Hotham, including #Darwin
Latest track map: https://t.co/sUS8eqwtb5 pic.twitter.com/wCsWAI8PjE
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Three charged after alleged murder of man on NSW south coast
NSW police have arrested and charged three men for the alleged murder of a 43-year-old man in Bega on the state’s south coast in October.
The three men, aged 29, 32 and 34, will appear in court on Friday.
According to police, the arrests relate to the fatal stabbing of a man found wounded in a Bega park on 6 October. The man died at the scene.
A spokesperson for the force said police divers searched a private property and wetlands last week and seized items for forensic examination.
On Thursday morning, police searched three homes in Bega and Bemboka before arresting the men. They were denied bail.
Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia to ban use of power banks on board
Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia will ban the use of power banks on board aircrafts over the next few weeks amid a rise in safety risks associated with damaged or defective lithium batteries.
From 1 December, Virgin will require passengers to keep power banks in their carry-on baggage, within easy reach during a flight (in the seat pocket, under the seat in front of you or in your hands), and they may not be used on board.
From 15 December, Qantas and Jetstar will impose similar rules, banning the use of power banks or charging power banks while on board. Customers may carry two of them in their cabin baggage but they should be with the passenger at all times if possible.
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Victoria makes it free to change gender on birth certificate
The Victorian government will make it free for trans and gender diverse people to officially change their gender on a birth certificate.
It currently costs people born in Victoria $140 to be issued a new birth certificate. Those born interstate must pay $122 to update their details in Victoria.
Victoria’s minister for government services, Natalie Hutchins, said the government was “making sure money is not an obstacle for trans and gender diverse people to have documents that reflect who they really are”.
The Victorian government believes less than one-third of trans and gender diverse people have identity documents that reflect who they are.
The state government changed laws in 2020 to ensure people do not need to undergo surgery before changing the sex recorded on their birth certificates.
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Good morning and happy Friday, we’ve made it. Nick Visser here to guide the blog through the morning. Let’s get started.
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Albanese flies to South Africa for G20 summit
Anthony Albanese will advance Australia’s interests at a global summit without the spectre of Donald Trump hovering over him, Australian Associated Press reports.
Albanese will be the first Australian prime minister to visit South Africa since 2013 as he jets to the G20 leaders’ summit where climate change, trade and security are expected on the agenda.
“Now more than ever, Australia needs to be working with our international partners to tackle the shared challenges and opportunities ahead,” the prime minister said.
“Being part of the G20 helps build a stronger, more resilient global economy, which benefits all Australians at home.”
Albanese flew from Perth to the South African capital yesterday for the summit, which has been overshadowed by the Trump administration’s boycott.
A total of 42 countries will attend Africa’s first G20 but not the United States after Trump said he would not attend, citing discrimination against the country’s white farmers.
South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, has denied Trump’s claims.
It comes after Albanese secured a $3bn Australia-US critical minerals deal after meeting Trump at the White House in October.
The summit will provide an opportunity for Australia to advance its interests without Trump’s presence, Monash University head of politics and international relations Zareh Ghazarian said.
“Security and conflict is obviously a huge issue, climate change which is something governments are grappling at a domestic level, and trade will also feature as a key part of discussions,” Ghazarian said. “It will give Australia an important global forum to engage with other leaders.”
Albanese is expected to meet with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, on the sidelines of the event and has signalled conversations with leaders from South Korea, Japan, Europe and Canada during his two days at the summit.
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Dreyfus says referendum on four-year terms should be ‘sooner rather than later’
While constitutional change has been taken off the table by Albanese, the prime minister has said he would support four-year terms, which was also recently endorsed by former PM John Howard.
Dreyfus said Australia is an “outlier” on having an election every three years when other countries, and Australia’s states and territories, have longer terms.
“I believe that sooner rather than later Australians should be asked to adopt four-year terms for their national government ... We are also an outlier in world terms, with just six of 186 nations with active legislatures having three-year terms.”
Just last week, John Howard supported the call, observing, wisely: “It’s ludicrous you’ve got four-year terms in all the states but the national parliament doesn’t. It’s just crazy.”
Dreyfus also called for a constitutional commission to be adopted, which he believes would “help establish in the public mind that our constitution is not a frozen document but a living one”.
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Former AG Mark Dreyfus calls for republic referendum
Former attorney general Mark Dreyfus has called for the government to renew the republic campaign, and to push for four-year federal terms, in his first major comments since he was relegated to the backbench.
Dreyfus addressed the Geoffrey Sawer Lecture at ANU last night, calling for the government to forge ahead with constitutional change after suffering defeat on the Indigenous voice to parliament campaign.
The push is in direct contravention of Anthony Albanese’s position. The prime minister, in September, definitively ruled out holding another referendum while he remains leader.
The former AG said:
It’s time to renew the campaign to establish an Australian republic. Australia – and Australians – have changed in many ways over the past quarter century.
In my view it is time – past time – for Australia to break its residual constitutional ties with the United Kingdom and its monarchy.
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Nick Visser with the main action.
It could be a hectic day, with New South Wales likely to get a new opposition leader and a cyclone hovering off the coast of the Northern Territory. But first, let’s catch up with developments overnight.
In his first major speech since being relegated to the backbench, former attorney general Mark Dreyfus said last night it was “well past time” that Australia held another referendum on becoming a republic and shed the residual ties with the UK. More in a moment.
Anthony Albanese will have the chance to advance Australia’s interests at the G20 summit in South Africa without the spectre of Donald Trump, one expert says. The prime minister could use the opportunity to seal a trade deal with the EU, the ABC reported. More coming up.
