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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Emily Wind and Rafqa Touma (earlier)

PM urged to ‘reset tone’ of voice debate – as it happened

Australia the Australia Institute Economic Growth Everybody Home Maiy Azize Matt Grudnoff
Julian Leeser has spilt from the Liberal party's leadership and declared he will back the yes campaign in the voice referendum.
Julian Leeser has spilt from the Liberal party's leadership and declared he will back the yes campaign in the voice referendum. Photograph: Bianca De Marchi/AP

What we learned today, Tuesday 11 April

Thanks for following along on the blog today. Here is a wrap of the day’s biggest stories:

  • Liberal MP Julian Leeser has resigned as shadow attorney general and shadow minister for Indigenous Australians so he can campaign for a yes vote in the voice referendum.

  • Opposition leader, Peter Dutton, said that while Leeser “doesn’t leave with rancour [and] does not leave with bitterness”, his stance is “at odds with the overwhelming majority of the Liberal party members in our party room”.

  • Dutton said he will spend the next week considering who should replace Leeser in the shadow cabinet.

  • Meanwhile, One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, called for senator Simon Birmingham to follow in the steps of his Liberal colleague Leeser and resign over his stance on the voice.

  • The Australian government has announced “a pathway” to resolve the barley dispute with China after hefty tariffs were introduced by Beijing at the height of diplomatic tensions in 2020.

  • Reports emerged that NSW Labor has asked for a recount in Ryde following last month’s state election.

  • A storm developing off the Western Australian coast is expected to turn into a cyclone before making landfall, bringing powerful winds and potential flooding.

  • Nearly 50 Australian federal politicians have today put their name to a letter to the US attorney general urging him to drop the bid to extradite Julian Assange from the UK.

Updated

Some more commentary on Tropical Cyclone Ilsa, courtesy of Weatherzone:

The last cyclone originating in Australian waters to make landfall on the mainland was Cyclone Ellie on December 22, 2022.

While that storm’s winds didn’t cause widespread damage, the system was notable because of its persistence as a tropical low, which delivered flooding rains far inland for weeks.

There are early indications that Ilsa could also bring heavy rains far inland, albeit to different parts of the interior. But before that happens, its immediate impacts on coastal communities and nearby areas could be far more severe.

Updated

Labor MP, Andrew Leigh, tweets that Leeser is ‘on the right side of history’

Labor MP, Andrew Leigh, has published a video message on social media in response to various Liberal MPs, including Julian Leeser, saying they will campaign for a Yes vote in the upcoming voice referendum.

Updated

Bupa warns of ‘triple pandemic’ as vulnerable are urged to get Covid-19 and flu jabs early

Young children, older Australians and other vulnerable people are being urged to get vaccinated for Covid-19 and influenza amid fears a range of viruses could create a perfect winter storm.

Forecasting ahead of the colder months is tricky but health officials are monitoring trends and considering a potential early start to the flu season, NSW chief health officer, Kerry Chant, said on Tuesday.

Health insurer Bupa went a step further, warning of a “triple pandemic”. It said northern hemisphere modelling indicated winter illnesses will arrive earlier than expected in Australia and be worse than last year, likely hospitalising more people.

Dr Chant told reporters:

We are considering the potential early start to the flu season and a protracted flu season.

Covid transmissions and hospitalisations have also increased, particularly in recent weeks - a trend that elderly people and other vulnerable groups need to particularly take note of.

About 1000 people in NSW are currently hospitalised with Covid, 20 of them in intensive care.

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners president, Nicole Higgins, said people have been travelling more and have stopped measures such as wearing masks and washing hands, which has allowed flu to spread.

- from AAP

Updated

My colleague Daniel Hurst has published a fantastic explainer on the government’s deal with China that may lead to the removal of tariffs on Australian barley that were introduced at the height of diplomatic tensions in 2020.

Hurst writes:

The move, announced on Tuesday, offers China an off-ramp to quietly dismount from its 80% tariffs on Australian barley that were due to be scrutinised by a public ruling by a World Trade Organization dispute panel within weeks.

The possibility of solving the barley dispute has both symbolic and practical importance.

You can read the entire explainer below:

Updated

Bureau issues severe weather update as cyclone threatens north-west Australian coast

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather update following its tropical cyclone warning along the north-west of Australia.

As a tropical low off the Kimberley Coast intensifies to cyclone thresholds later today, we anticipate significant impacts to the West Australia coast.

Taking a look at the current satellite imagery, we see this system setting off the Kimberley coast, a massive cloud dragging in rotation and moisture to this area.

A tropical cyclone track map has the tropical low currently sitting to the north of Broome, and over the coming hours, we are expecting this system to move south-west and intensify to tropical cyclone thresholds.

Going through Wednesday and Thursday, the system is expected to continue moving southwest adjacent to the Kimberley coast before hooking to the south and then southeast and crossing the coast as a category four cyclone sometime on Thursday between Broome and Port Hedland.

Very significant weather is likely to continue well into the end of the week, so it is essential to stay up to date with the latest forecasts and warnings, the BoM urged.

You can watch the entire update below.

Updated

It’s been a big day of news, so make sure to catch up on all the major headlines with this wrap from my colleague Antoun Issa:

During Aukus discussions in US, Catriona Jackson seeks greater collaboration to help meet future workforce demands

Universities Australia CEO, Catriona Jackson, is in Washington this week meeting with counterparts and US state department officials to discuss how the sector will address Aukus.

Speaking with Sky News this afternoon, she said a significant workforce up-skilling would be required to implement the deal.

It’s workforce, workforce, workforce ... it’s not just nuclear physicists we need, although we do need some of those and it’s a very specialist profession. Almost every area of human endeavour we need a capacity uplift in, so engineers, doctors, nurses, psychologists, pretty much everyone. It’s really important that we get this absolutely right, and get it right for the country, but do it in collaboration with our colleagues from the US and the UK.

Jackson said Australian universities had 10,000 research collaboration links worldwide and more would be needed to fill the gaps – particularly with the UK and the US.

There are simply not enough skilled, highly educated workers just to deal with the Aukus workforce, the 20,000 people we’ll need in Australia. It’s fundamental that we collaborate with our colleagues, we learn from each other, we educate each other, rather than just stealing each other’s skilled workers.

It’s not just Aukus. Almost every serious challenge we face, from energy transition to water quality to almost everything, is something we can do better, bigger and with more capacity and more speed if we take full advantage of our universities here and with our collaborators overseas.”

the flags of Australia, the UK and the USA are the foreground to naval shipyards
Universities Australia CEO, Catriona Jackson, has said ‘we need a capacity uplift’ in almost every area of human endeavour' … ‘in collaboration with our colleagues from the US and the UK’. Photograph: Richard Wainwright/AAP

Updated

Nationals MP, Darren Chester, calls for voice debate ‘reset’

Shadow minister for local government and regional development, Darren Chester, is appearing on Afternoon Briefing and called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to “reset the tone” of the voice debate.

Having a different position doesn’t mean [you’re racist], and it doesn’t mean that you are not doing the decent thing.

I am just encouraging the Prime Minister to reset the tone of the debate. He has the biggest megaphone in Australian politics and the tone has been very negative.

Assistant Minister for health and aged care, Ged Kearney, instead argued the PM has been “nothing but positive” during the whole debate.

He has framed it purely as an offer, a very generous offer, from First Nations people … I don’t think there has been any disrespect or negativity.

The only negativity I am really seeing is coming from the opposition, accusing us of all sorts of different things, when really we’re just out there asking people to consider this generous offer from First Nations Australians to have a voice to parliament.

Updated

Victorian pharmacist allegedly selling steroids and prescription medication to organised crime entities

Victorian Police have disrupted an alleged unlicensed pharmacy selling steroids and prescription medication to people, including those with links to organised crimes.

According to a statement, it is alleged that the man is a registered pharmacist operating a business in Essendon without Victorian Pharmacy approval.

Detectives conducted a search warrant at the business last November where the man, aged 40, was arrested.

Another search warrant was executed on the business on April 5 when police seized significant quantities of prescription medication, including anabolic steroids.

The Victorian Police statement reads:

The Essendon man was charged with multiple counts of forgery, obtain drugs by false representation, possess prescription medication, unauthorised retailing of poisons or controlled substances, unauthorised possession of a poison or controlled substance, trafficking drug of dependence, trafficking anabolic steroids and trafficking testosterone.

The man has been bailed to appear at the Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court on 19 October.

Updated

Jenny McAllister says that when it comes to the voice, Dutton ‘is really just looking for excuses to say no’

On Afternoon Briefing, energy minister, Jenny McAllister, is asked about a claim made by Opposition leader, Peter Dutton, that the voice will cost billions of dollars and require thousands of public servants.

She said:

If Mr Dutton wants to make assertions of that kind, he really needs to substantiate them.

We are really clear that this is a modest proposal - the parliament will have primacy, that is clear [in] the wording to be put to the people. The details [will] be sorted through in the ordinary way through a parliamentary process after the referendum.

Mr Dutton is really just looking for excuses to say no.

Updated

MPs react to Julian Leeser’s resignation from shadow cabinet

Reactions to Julian Leeser’s resignation from the shadow cabinet have been flowing throughout the afternoon on social media.

Labor senator, Malarndirri McCarthy, said she worked with him many years ago on the 2018 Parliamentary Committee into Constitutional Recognition for Indigenous Australians and “always thought of him as a man of principle”.

Independent senator, David Pocock, said Leeser demonstrated “moral courage”.

Meanwhile, environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, said: “It’s not too late for Peter Dutton to hear his message and rethink his position”.

Updated

Karen Andrews sorry to see Julian Leeser step down but remains ‘very clear’ on Opposition’s stance on voice

Shadow home affairs minister, Karen Andrews, is speaking on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing and is asked about her Liberal colleague Julian Leeser’s resignation from the front bench due to his stance on the voice.

She said:

Julian has had years of working on this particular issue [and] he had some very strong views on it.

I am sorry that he has taken the decision to resign from our frontbench, but I understand the position that he felt he needed to continue to prosecute.

When asked if she thinks any reservations on the wording of the voice proposal could be addressed through the committee process underway in parliament – as Leeser seems to believe - she said there is “potentially a very outside chance”:

Will anything come out of the committee process? I guess we will need to wait and see. But at this stage I’ve very clear [and] the position of the opposition is very, very clear, that we do not support the wording that is proposed by Mr Albanese.

Updated

Reports emerging that NSW Labor wants Ryde recount following 50-vote win by Liberal candidate

Reports have emerged that NSW Labor has asked for a recount in Ryde following last month’s state election.

Ryde was the final seat to be called, two weeks after NSW voters went to the polls. Liberal candidate Jordan Lane claimed the seat with a margin of 50 votes ahead of Labor’s candidate Lyndal Howison – who oversaw a swing of almost 9% to her party.

The seat was formerly held by retiring Liberal MP Victor Dominello.

Updated

Angus Campbell said the world is under “considerable stress”, pointing to the Russia-Ukraine conflict as the main source of this.

Nowhere is the stress in the international system and the international rules-based order more apparent [than] in the current, desperate fight for survival by Ukraine against Russian aggression.

He said as the boundaries between “competition, coercion and conflict become increasingly blurred” there is a need for greater integration of, and nuance in, the application of power.

The ADF’s response to this?

“Integrated campaigning”.

… it involves military power being brought together with other elements of national power, be they economic, diplomatic, trade, financial, industrial, scientific or informational, and when directed by government, also combined with the military and national power of allies and partners.

Campbell noted that the Russia-Ukraine conflict matters on a local level and is felt across Europe, but also “matters to all small and middle-sized nations, each of whom needs international rules and norms more than the limited power that they wield”.

And the war also matters because its impact on key supply chains, especially food and energy, reminds us that in a globalised world, few conflicts are truly local.

But most fundamentally, it matters because respect for sovereign territorial integrity is the cornerstone of our international system.

Campbell also included two quotes from Russian sources – Trotsky and Stalin.

I’ll finish by quoting two Russian sources that speak to the tragedy and the challenge faced by Ukraine and its supporters.

The tragedy - Trotsky reminds us that ‘you may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you’. A sadly timeless reality that encourages preparedness.

And the challenge – Stalin reminds us that ‘quantity has a quality all its own’ …

Campbell again pointed to the Aukus partnership as one of Australia’s responses to this “deteriorating strategic environment”.

Updated

Angus Campbell tells Lowy Institute Australia’s ‘strategic environment’ has ‘deteriorated’

Chief of Defence Force General, Angus Campbell, has spoken at the Lowy Institute today on all things international security.

He said Australia’s “strategic environment” has “deteriorated” – and that this is a bipartisan view.

Trends including large-scale military modernisation, technological disruption, and multiplying climate risks continue, and the prospect of state-on-state conflict is less remote than it was.

Military capability within the region, of both range and legality, is challenging across all domains – sea, land, air, space and cyber. Additionally, the use of coercive statecraft, law-fare and influence operations in the grey zone between peace and war undermine the traditional understandings of the international rules based order and tests the threshold of conventional military response.

We live in an era and a region of great power competition, and an era I think that may last for some time.

Campbell said that in response, the ADF has increased their presence in the Indo-Pacific region to deter conflict and maintain a capacity to operationally respond as directed by government.

The most prominent and recent illustration of this engagement is of course, the Aukus programme.

Updated

‘Half a kilometre long’: mice spotted streaming across NSW roads

Mice have been spotted streaming across roads in parts of NSW, concerning farmers and researchers as rodent numbers surge in other parts of the country, AAP reports.

NSW Farmers president, Xavier Martin, said he observed mice “swarming all over the road” near Coonabarabran in the Warrumbungle Shire.

Martin told AAP:

The worst of it was probably at least half a kilometre long.

I came into some big patches where there were hundreds of mice running backwards and forwards in different directions looking for food.

Members are telling me they’re seeing mice again all the way from Queensland down to the Victorian border and out west towards Adelaide.

Martin has received reports of damage to crops and fodder across the state, and urged farmers to remain vigilant. He said:

We’ve got mice at the moment damaging our sorghum crop, and no doubt damaging other farmers’ summer crops and fodder.

They’re getting into hay sheds and we’ve just got to hope we can get on top of them, and not let them develop like they did two years ago.

He urged farmers to use chew cards to record mice numbers. CSIRO research officer, Steve Henry, urged farmers to stay on top of their baiting program so that mice numbers do not return to 2021 levels.

Farmers estimate the 2021 mouse plague caused millions of dollars worth of damage to crops and infrastructure:

mice swarm
CSIRO research officer, Steve Henry, has urged farmers to stay on top of baiting to avoid a repeat of the 2021 epic mouse plague (pictured). Photograph: Rick Rycroft/AP

Updated

Thanks Rafqa for taking us through the morning news! I’ll be here for the remainder of the day.

Thanks for sticking with us through the news of the day! Handing the blog baton over to Emily Wind, who will take you through the afternoon’s stories.

60th anniversary Bells Beach surf event sees local women dominate

Local women dominated at the World Surf League stop today, AAP reports.

The 60th anniversary of the famous Bells Beach surf event saw world champion Stephanie Gilmore, along with Molly Picklum, Tyler Wright and Isabella Nichols make the final four.

The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach in Victoria’s surf coast shire is a stop on The World Surf League Championship Tour.

Updated

Dutton calls out voice as unelected yet essentially ‘another arm of government’ – Guardian Australia’s Amy Remeikis fact checks his statement

Opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has warned Australians that the voice to parliament “is allowing a national voice that is appointed, not elected, to essentially be another arm of the government to scrutinise, to lobby, to influence every decision of government”.

Our resident political expert, Amy Remeikis, is here to remind us that the voice has no veto power and is definitely not essentially another arm of government.

You can watch Amy fact-checking more of Dutton’s claims on the voice here:

Updated

Key grain industry body welcomes pathway proposed to resolve China barley trade dispute

The grain industry’s key body has welcomed the announcement of a pathway to resolve Australia and China’s barley dispute from the minister for foreign affairs, Penny Wong, and trade minister, Don Farrell, earlier today.

In a statement the GrainGrowers chair, Rhys Turton, says a resolution is in the best interests of both countries and acknowledges that China’s market for Australian grain accounts for 60-70% of Australia’s barley exports.

This is a step in the right direction for trade between our two countries and highlights the value of the WTO process to encourage mechanisms for bilateral dispute resolution.

It is heartening to see a resolution of constructive dialogue between the two governments, and we are hopeful that this process will result in a positive outcome for Australian growers.

We thank Minister Wong and Minster Farrell for their efforts in securing the review and, as growers, are hoping that our strong relationship with China can be resumed quickly.

Updated

One Nation leader calls for Simon Birmingham to resign from shadow cabinet over voice stance

The One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, has called for Senator Simon Birmingham to follow in the steps of his Liberal colleague Julian Leeser and resign over his stance on the voice.

In a post on social media, Hanson wrote:

As leader of the opposition in the Senate, Senator Birmingham will not provide the leadership the Coalition must have to effectively oppose the voice.

Mr Dutton needs his party’s complete and unequivocal support for the NO campaign.

Like Mr Leeser, Senator Birmingham should go too.

As my colleague Paul Karp reported last week, Birmingham was one of at least three leading Liberal moderates – including Paul Fletcher and Marise Payne – to speak out in a shadow cabinet meeting against the party’s plan to oppose the voice.

You can read more here:

Updated

Rex plane makes emergency landing at Melbourne airport

Reports have emerged that a Rex plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Melbourne airport earlier this morning.

According to reports, an emergency was declared at about 11:15am. All passengers disembarked after the plane was able to land safely.

A spokesperson from Melbourne airport said:

As per Melbourne Airport Emergency Plan, emergency services were activated and attended.

Emergency services are now in the process of standing down.

Minister for Indigenous Australians backs Leeser decision

The minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney has welcomed news that the Liberal MP Julian Leeser will be campaigning for a yes vote at the referendum later this year.

In a statement, she said that “it can’t have been easy for him to resign from the shadow cabinet” and acknowledged other Liberal MPs who will be campaigning for the Voice, including the former cabinet minister Ken Wyatt, Bridget Archer and the Tasmanian premier, Jeremy Rockliff.

Burney said:

Julian Leeser has shown strength today in putting his principles ahead of politics.

His decision reflects his long-held commitment to constitutional recognition through a voice, and an understanding that this year’s referendum is a once-in-a-generation chance to make a real difference in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and help close the gap.

He knows how much work has gone in to getting Australia this far on the journey to reconciliation.

Updated

Delivery company MilkRun is reportedly closing and all staff have been made redundant, according to the AFR.

What we learned from the Dutton presser on Julian Leeser's cabinet resignation

Some key takeaways from opposition leader Peter Dutton’s presser just now:

We are no closer to knowing who will be taking over the roles of shadow attorney general and shadow minister for Indigenous affairs. Dutton said he will consider this over the next week.

Leeser’s stepping off the frontbench was no surprise to Dutton. The opposition leader was also adamant that Leeser’s position as a Liberal in support of the Voice to parliament was a unique one.

(But as Josh Butler broke down for us just before Dutton’s presser, there is a growing lineup of MPs across parties – including Liberal MPs like Bridget Archer and Andrew Bragg – who are backing Leeser’s move in support of the voice to parliament.)

Updated

Dutton says Australians must look past ‘feelgood’ vibe on voice referendum

Opposition leader Peter Dutton urges Australians to look past a “feelgood vibe” when considering their vote on the Voice referendum.

At a superficial level people understand that we need a better outcome for Indigenous Australians, we all have that in our hearts. But we believe we have a better pathway to get there, if it does not disrupt the future of our country and that is why we are campaigning no.

I know that people are motivated by a feelgood … vibe. I understand that, but you need to dig a bit deeper and look at what it is that is being proposed here. It is allowing a national voice that is appointed, not elected, to essentially be another arm of the government to scrutinise, to lobby, to influence every decision of government. Think about that for a second, [is] that in our country’s best interest?

Updated

Peter Dutton thanks attorney general for service to shadow frontbench

Opposition leader Peter Dutton affirms he is not concerned over Leeser’s stepping down from the frontbench in support of the voice to parliament.

Julian has a history … about the design of a voice. As he pointed out today, he has set up an organisation which was designed to bring people together around conditional change.

He comes from a unique perspective. I have worked very closely with him … He is a dear friend and I only thank him for his service on the frontbench to our party.

I’m very pleased that he is going to continue to fight for our cause, because he has a lifelong belief in the values of the Liberal party.

Updated

Peter Dutton speaks on Julian Leeser’s resignation from cabinet

Leader of the opposition Peter Dutton addresses Julian Lesser’s decision to step down from the shadow cabinet to campaign Yes for the Voice to parliament, at a presser in Brisbane:

[Leeser] is a person that has our country’s best interest at heart and as he pointed out, he doesn’t leave with the rancour or does not leave with bitterness.

He has gone through a process in our party and his position is at odds with the overwhelming majority of the Liberal party members in our party room.

Our determination is to make sure that we have local and regional voices as we want to listen to those people in the communities together best possible outcome for them. The prime minister[’s] … proposal, a Canberra voice, will not deliver that outcome.

Updated

Nationals senator Jacinta Price says she respects Julian Leeser’s decision

The Nationals senator and no campaign leader Jacinta Price said she respects Julian Leeser’s decision to stand down from the shadow cabinet in order to campaign yes for the Indigenous voice.

Price, the first-term senator from the Northern Territory, was instrumental in the Nationals resolving to oppose the referendum last year - which set the ball rolling for the Liberals to follow suit last week. She will also lead a well-funded no campaign from the Advance conservative lobby group.

Her office issued a short statement to Guardian Australia on Leeser’s departure, saying she was “proud to be part of a coalition with the Liberal party that allows members to stand for their personal beliefs and champion issues important to them, and I respect the decision made by Mr Julian Leeser MP today to do just that.”

“Our democracy is stronger when members of parliament have the freedom to follow their conscience and are not bound to party positions,” Price said.

I congratulate Julian on his hard work as shadow attorney general and shadow minister for Indigenous Australians, and I look forward to continuing to work with him in the future on matters that are important to us both.

As Rafqa brought you a moment ago, the One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, has publicly called for Price to be named Leeser’s replacement as shadow Indigenous minister. It’s not clear who will fill that role (we asked Price’s office if she would put her hand up for it) but the picture may get clearer when Peter Dutton holds a press conference in Brisbane after 1pm today.

Updated

What’s up with barley and China?

Here is some context on why barley matters when it comes to Australia and China’s relationship (courtesy of reporting by our foreign affairs and defence correspondent, Daniel Hurst).

The Chinese government rolled out hefty tariffs on a range of Australian exports at the height of diplomatic tensions in 2020 – including wine, barley, coal, timber and lobster.

China is the largest export market for Australian barley, because it is used to make beer and feed livestock. The tariffs intended to bring significant pain to the industry.

You can read more about China’s tarriffs on Australia here:

While some progress has been made in recent months, like the resumption of the coal trade, the wine and barley tariff disputes are considered more complex, with World Trade Organization rulings due in coming months.

So the Australian government announcing a “pathway” to resolve the barley dispute with China after hefty tariffs today is big news. You can read about the pathway here.

Updated

Pauline Hanson floats Jacinta Price for shadow cabinet

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is urging Liberal Senator Jacinta Price to be elevated as the Coalition’s shadow minister for Indigenous affairs, after Julian Leeser’s resignation this morning.

Updated

‘Constructive dialogue has resumed’ with China, Wong says

Foreign affairs minister Penny Wong and trade minister Don Farrell have announced in a presser that “constructive dialogue has resumed” with China, as a pathway opens to resolving the barley dispute between the two countries.

(Our foreign affairs and defence correspondent Daniel Hurst has given us a breakdown of the pathway earlier in the blog).

“Obviously, stabilisation and the resolution of trade issues will take time. But we’re pleased that constructive dialogue has resumed,” Wong said.

“We’ve had a number of discussions at foreign minister level, at trade minister, at assistant minister level, and also at leader level.

We have made clear that we believe there’s no justification for the measures that China introduced in relation to barley. We have also made clear that we believe it is in both countries’ interests for these trade impediments to be removed. So today I can confirm that China has agreed to undertake an expedited review of the duties imposed on Australian barley over a three-month period, that may extend to a fourth, if required. In return, we have agreed to temporarily suspend the World Trade Organization dispute for the agreed review period.

If it is successful, Wong says we can expect a similar process to be followed in relation to the trade barriers that exist on Australian wine.

Updated

Australia announces ‘pathway’ to resolve China barley dispute

The Australian government has announced “a pathway” to resolve the barley dispute with China after hefty tariffs were introduced by Beijing at the height of diplomatic tensions in 2020.

The foreign affairs minister Penny Wong and the trade minister Don Farrell made the announcement in Adelaide a short time ago.

Wong said China had “agreed to undertake an expedited review” of its tariffs on Australian barley over a three-month period. In return, she said, Australia had agreed to temporarily suspend the World Trade Organization dispute process. She said if the tariffs were not removed at the end of that process, Australia would resume the WTO dispute.

It comes amid ongoing efforts to “stabilise” the relationship between Australia and China.

The Chinese government rolled out hefty tariffs, unofficial bans or other restrictions against a range of Australian export sectors in 2020, including wine, barley, coal, timber and lobster.

While some progress has been made in recent months, such as the resumption of the coal trade, the wine and barley tariff disputes were considered more complex, given the involvement of the WTO. The barley ruling was due imminently and wine later in the year.

Updated

Penny Wong praises Leeser: ‘It can’t have been easy for him to do’

Foreign affairs minister Penny Wong has also welcomed Julian Leeser’s decision to quit the the shadow frontbench over his support for an Indigenous voice to parliament:

The referendum is about two things. It’s about recognition and consultation, recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our Australian constitution, and consulting them about matters that affect their lives. That’s what it’s about. And Julian Leeser has shown real strength today. He put his principles first. He put his principles ahead of partisan politics and we welcome that.

It can’t have been easy for him to do. Can’t have been easy for him to relinquish portfolios that he cares so deeply about and he knows as much about this issue as anyone and he understands this is a once in a generation chance to make a real difference in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and to help close the gap.

Updated

Opposition leader Peter Dutton will speak to reporters at 1pm, following Julian Leeser’s resignation.

Wong to hold press conference after China’s visit announcement

The foreign affairs minister Penny Wong and the trade minister Don Farrell are due to hold a press conference in Adelaide shortly.

Last night, China’s foreign ministry confirmed that its vice-minister of foreign affairs Ma Zhaoxu would “visit Australia and Fiji this week at their invitation and hold the new round of political consultation between the officials of the foreign ministries of China and Australia”.

It comes amid ongoing efforts to “stabilise” the relationship between Australia and China, which was been marked by a severe trade dispute in 2020.

Updated

Leeser’s resignation a ‘principled decision’, says Albanese

The prime minister Anthony Albanese has backed Julian Leeser in making “a principled decision” in resigning as shadow minister for Indigenous affairs over the Liberal party’s opposition of the voice to parliament.

Updated

Andrew Bragg: ‘Yes vote is now more likely because of Leeser’s conviction’

Liberal senator Andrew Bragg has also praised Julian Leeser as doing more than any other constitutional conservative to advance the Indigenous voice.

[Leeser] has engaged deeply in Indigenous communities and crucially, on the legal and constitutional details for a decade. He has invested a huge amount of his political capital in an issue which has been highly contested within the Liberal party.

Julian has always understood a successful referendum would be considerably more likely with liberal and conservative support.

This referendum is too important to play politics and it is not good enough to oppose the referendum on process grounds.

I want the referendum to be successful and I believe a ‘yes’ vote is now more likely because of Julian’s conviction.

Updated

MPs tweet support for Leeser’s move

Liberal MP Bridget Archer has praised Julian Leeser for quitting the shadow cabinet over his support for the Indigenous voice.

“Much respect,” Archer, a fellow voice supporter, tweeted soon after his announcement. She described his decision as “courage and integrity”.

Other MPs are also backing Leeser’s stance. Labor MP Josh Burns tweeted that “Julian Leeser cares about his colleagues and his party”, adding, “I admire Julian and today I see his courage. The Voice is a chance for unity and a better future.”

Independent MP Allegra Spender tweeted “Will be proud to campaign alongside Julian Leeser for the Voice. This is a time to turn the page on a new chapter of this country.”

Another independent, Sophie Scamps, tweeted: “I applaud @JulianLeeser – it’s a brave move but a principled one, he’s on the right side of history. The Voice is a gracious invitation and I hope Australia can respond in that spirit later this year.”

Updated

Japanese firms team up for a greener type of hydrogen

As we saw earlier today, a swag of Japanese firms hoping to wring more subsidies out of the Victorian government and the commonwealth to fund a brown-coal-to-hydrogen project in the Latrobe Valley have hit a few snags.

Almost on cue, a Perth-based hydrogen and graphic production tech firm, Hazer, has announced it is proceeding with a so-called project development plan with a couple of other Japanese giants, Chubu Electric and Chiyoda Corporation, to work on a plant in Japan.

The firms aim to build a clean hydrogen and graphitic carbon production hub, with Chubu using the produced hydrogen “as a fuel for power generation and other hard to abate industries, as well as mobility, in the Nagoya area”, Hazer said in a statement.

“Chubu Electric Power Group is firmly committed to decarbonisation of its operations and that of our customers,” said Kouji Sada, the general manager of the electric power research and development centre at Chubu Electric. “We believe the Hazer technology offers an attractive solution to locally produce low-carbon hydrogen, using our existing supply chains and infrastructure.”

Glenn Corrie, Hazer’s CEO, said: “Hazer has always viewed Japan as an important and strategic market for the deployment of our unique technology.”

Perhaps not surprisingly, Hazer’s shares have perked up today, rising by as much as 13% in early trade.

Among other things, the Hazer deal is a reminder that Japan is looking for a range of sources for its future hydrogen needs. Perhaps that’s why Japanese companies are keen on inking contracts for hydrogen created from brown coal for more than a few years, as today’s article revealed.

Updated

Leeser backs Dutton despite quitting frontbench

Julian Leeser confirms that despite his resignation as shadow attorney general and shadow minister for Indigenous affairs, he remains in the Liberal party on the backbench and in support of opposition leader Peter Dutton:

I am a loyal member of the Liberal party. I’m proud to be the Liberal member for Berowra. I’m not going anywhere in terms of my support for the Liberal party.

Everybody has to make their own decision about these matters and that’s what I’m doing today.

My final goal for this term is to work for the election of a Coalition government under the leadership of Peter Dutton. In Peter Dutton we have the most experienced and tested opposition leader in our history.

Updated

Leeser to push for amendments to Labor’s voice model

Julian Leeser says he will support the voice in the constitution, even if his proposed amendments are not made by the government:

I’m looking closely at proposed amendments to the government’s model. That’s why I put forward the Press Club model that provides a pathway for the funding of local and regional bodies, a model that seeks to amend the government’s proposal in order to give the referendum the best chance of success.

I will fight for those amendments, but ultimately I will support the referendum. I’m a supporter of the voice. I think it’s right that it has a place in the constitution. I think, though, making those amendments puts the referendum on a better chance of success and has a better chance of convincing more Australians to support this.

Julian Leeser
Former shadow attorney general Julian Leeser gives a press conference after resigning from the Liberal frontbench over its opposition to the voice. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

Updated

Labor must ‘seriously engage Coalition voters’, says Leeser

Julian Leeser says the Albanese government “must seriously engage with Coalition voters” as we approach the referendum for a voice to parliament. “It hasn’t done so to date, and this failure could ultimately put the referendum at risk,” he says.

When it comes to the voice, I believe that Australians who remain to be convinced by the “yes” case fall into three groups.

The first group are those opposed to the voice on philosophical or constitutional grounds. The second group are those who support the voice in principle, or who want to support it, but who in the vast majority of cases have genuine doubts and questions about the proposal that the government’s put forward. And the third group are yet to engage, but they, too, will have questions and concerns.

I understand those concerns. I, too, have wrestled with them. I believe that during the committee and parliamentary debates in the months ahead, we can answer those concerns and put the referendum on a surer footing for success.

Updated

Leeser: ‘The time for the voice has come’

Former shadow minister for Indigenous Australians Julian Leeser is addressing a presser in Sydney on his resignation from shadow cabinet following the Liberal party’s opposition to the voice to parliament:

I believe the time for the voice has come. I believe in local and regional voices. I believe in a national voice, drawn from local and regional bodies, and support the referendum being put this year.

I believe that voice can help move the dial on Indigenous education, health, housing, safety and economic development.

Updated

Leeser’s move lauded by independent Kate Chaney

Julian Leeser’s principled decision to quit shadow cabinet over his opposition to the Liberal party’s voice stance has been met with praise from a (now fellow) backbencher.

Kate Chaney, the independent member for Curtin, tweeted: “Party members who prioritise the national interest over their political careers must be commended. Well done.”

We’ll hear from Leeser in a few minutes when he steps up for a press conference in Sydney, but an obvious political question now arising is who takes over the critical roles of shadow Indigenous minister and shadow attorney general, just six months out from a referendum?

Considering the Liberals’ decision to strongly oppose the referendum and Peter Dutton’s decision to actively campaign against, you could consider that Dutton appoints another strong critic of the voice to those roles – or another school of thought could be that he appoints another moderate voice, to make a more nuanced case for the Liberals’ alternate referendum proposal.

Michaelia Cash was attorney general when the Coalition was last in government.

We imagine there will be some news from Dutton’s camp before too long.

Updated

Decision on whether Lehrmann’s defamation case can proceed to be made on 28 April

Bruce Lehrmann will learn on 28 April whether his defamation case against News Corp and Network Ten can proceed.

Lehrmann is seeking to extend the usual 12-month time limit that applies to defamation proceedings so that he can sue News Corp and Network Ten for their initial reporting of Brittany Higgins’ allegations of rape, allegations he has always denied.

The federal court this morning ordered that the matter be listed on 28 April so that it can hand down its ruling on Lehrmann’s extension of time application.

At a hearing last month, Lehrmann argued that he was delayed in bringing proceedings due to prior legal advice, the prospect of a criminal trial and his mental health.

But lawyers for News Corp, Network Ten, Samantha Maiden and Lisa Wilkinson argued it was not reasonable for Lehrmann to have delayed the proceedings, saying he did nothing despite being “acutely aware” that he was in a position to sue for defamation.

Justice Michael Lee will hand down his decision at midday on 28 April.

Lehrmann pleaded not guilty to one charge of sexual intercourse without consent. His first trial in the ACT supreme court was aborted due to juror misconduct and prosecutors did not proceed with a retrial due to fears for Higgins’ mental health.

Updated

Latitude refuses to pay ransom following major cyber-attack

Consumer lender Latitude Financial has vowed not to pay a ransom to those behind a massive cyber-attack that resulted in the largest-known data breach of a financial institution in Australia.

Latitude, which offers personal loans and credit to customers at stores including JB Hi-Fi, The Good Guys and Harvey Norman, said in a statement on Tuesday that its position was in line with Australian government policies.

“We will not reward criminal behaviour, nor do we believe that paying a ransom will result in the return or destruction of the information that was stolen,” Latitude said.

The Latitude chief executive Bob Belan said a ransom payment would only encourage further extortion attempts on businesses.

The lender said the stolen data the attackers detailed as part of a ransom was consistent with the updated number of affected customers disclosed by Latitude late last month.

About 14m customer records, including driver’s licence numbers, passport numbers and financial statements, were stolen from its system in a cyber-attack that was far worse than the company initially reported.

The details stolen include 7.9m Australian and New Zealand driver’s licence numbers and 53,000 passport numbers. A further 6.1m customer records were stolen, of which 5.7m were provided before 2013.

The breach is the latest in a series of major attacks on Australian companies, following hacks at Optus and Medibank, among others.

Latitude said regular business operations were being restored after it had taken its platforms offline in response to the attack.

Updated

Leeser: ‘I intend to campaign for a yes vote’

The shadow attorney general and shadow minister of indigenous affairs Julian Leeser has resigned from the Coalition frontbench over the Liberal party’s opposition to the Indigenous voice to parliament.

In a statement on Facebook, he said, “because I intend to campaign for a yes vote I have resigned from the shadow ministry”:

Earlier today I resigned from the shadow cabinet. I want to explain to you why.

Almost 10 years ago, I sat down with a small group of constitutional conservatives and Indigenous leaders and worked on a proposal for constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

The idea we developed was different, it was organic, it was consistent with our constitutional heritage, and it was a uniquely Australian idea designed for Australian conditions.

The proposal was called the voice.

It was about creating a new structure to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians – and it was about finding common ground.

Over the past year I have had many respectful discussions with my parliamentary colleagues about the voice. I have listened to their views and they have heard mine, but ultimately I have not been able to persuade them.

Our tradition in the Liberal party is grounded in a belief in conscience and freedom.

While shadow ministers are bound by the decisions of the shadow cabinet and the party room, backbenchers are free to vote on every piece of legislation according to their own conscience.

Unlike almost any other party in the parliament, the Liberal party gives backbenchers the freedom to champion the ideas they believe in.

Because I intend to campaign for a yes vote I have resigned from the shadow ministry.

I want to assure you that I remain a proud Liberal committed to my party, the people of Berowra and the leadership of Peter Dutton.

My resignation as a frontbencher is not about personality, it’s about keeping faith with an issue that I have been working on for almost a decade.

Updated

Contraceptive class action to begin in Melbourne

A class action against a contraceptive device that allegedly left women in severe pain will begin in Victoria’s supreme court, Australian Associated Press reports:

Law firm Slater and Gordon claims the Essure device sold by Bayer also damaged their client’s health. It alleges the company failed to warn women of the risks associated with the product.

Essure is a spring-loaded metal spiral device which, following insertion into a woman’s fallopian tubes, was designed to cut into the soft tissue of the inner walls. This was intended to trigger an inflammatory response to promote the formation of scar tissue around the device, anchoring it in place and blocking the passage of sperm and egg to prevent pregnancy.

Lisa Garner, from Tasmania, says she experienced symptoms including haemorrhage-like menstrual bleeding, severe pelvic and abdominal pain and depression after the device was implanted inside her.

She had to undergo a hysterectomy at age 35 to have the device removed, putting her into early menopause.

The class action trial, expected to run 12 weeks, will begin on Tuesday against Bayer and its associated entities who manufactured and distributed the Essure device in Australia between 1997 and 2017.

Slater and Gordon say they represent 1,000 women who are part of the class action.

Slater and Gordon class actions senior associate Kylie Trounson said:

Australian group members are frustrated that litigation in the US settled for very large sums of money, for the same device, while no settlement has occurred in the Australian proceeding.

The Washington Post reported in 2017 that Bayer had sold at least 750,000 Essure devices globally before taking them off the market that year, citing a commercial decision. In August 2020, the company agreed to pay US$1.6bn ($2.5bn) to settle cases with up to 39,000 American women but without admitting wrongdoing or liability.

A Bayer spokeswoman reportedly told the Sydney Morning Herald last November the company stood behind the product’s safety and efficacy.

“Reduced patient interest in permanent birth control options resulted in a commercial decision to discontinue the distribution of Essure,” she said.

Updated

Shadow minister for Indigenous Australians Julian Leeser to quit Liberal frontbench

Julian Leeser is due to give a press conference at 11am in Sydney. An alert went out this morning identifying Leeser as an MP, and not as the shadow minister for Indigenous Australians and shadow attorney general.

When we asked his office about this omission, they referred us to a statement he is expected to make at 10.30am on his Facebook. Sky News is reporting that Leeser will resign as shadow minister. It’s fair to say his resignation is expected, but we have not confirmed it.

Leeser wasn’t at the Wednesday press conference when opposition leader Peter Dutton and deputy Sussan Ley announced the Liberals’ position against putting the Indigenous voice in the constitution, which put him in a tricky position as a former theoretical supporter of a voice.

Dutton explained his absence by noting he had returned home to Sydney for Passover.

On Friday Guardian Australia reported that Leeser had proposed to shadow cabinet to preserve the option of a free vote at least until after the parliamentary inquiry, but this was rejected in favour of opposing the voice in the constitution.

Julian Leeser.
Julian Leeser. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Updated

Palaszczuk quizzed over maximum income threshold for social housing

I’ve just returned from a press conference with Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk where I asked why the maximum income threshold for social housing in Queensland is vastly lower than other states.

In Queensland, the maximum income for two single adults and a child sits at $877 a week, but Palaszczuk said she wasn’t “aware that it’s different to the other states”.

Guardian Australia’s inequality reporter, Stephanie Convery, found Queensland’s maximum income threshold for social housing was staggeringly low while researching a story we worked on last week.

She found in Victoria, the closest equivalent classification is for two adults an a dependent child, for which the maximum weekly income threshold is $2,284 a week – more than $1,400 higher than in Queensland.

The result of this has been families like the Orlandos being ineligible for Queensland’s social housing list despite having no assets and their only income being Centrelink payments.

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Photograph: Darren England/AAP

Updated

Treasurer flags aged care wage rise, Medicare improvements and national security funding in May’s budget

More from Jim Chalmers’ presser, where the treasurer is painting a picture of the difficult economic environment ahead of his budget delivery next month:

He acknowledges a number of pressures and competing priorities on the budget amid uncertainty and downside risks in the global economy.

We need to strike the right balance between providing that cost-of-living relief and also making sure that we can fund the services we need.

Chalmers points to an aged care wage increase, an improvement in Medicare and funding needed for national security.

We will do in May what we did in October. We’ll find the right way to trim spending in some areas … Budget responsibility is key and within those constraints doing what we can to help people through a difficult period.

We can expect next month’s budget to target cost-of-living relief that won’t keep increasing inflation, relief with electricity bills, and attempts at resilience amid international economic uncertainty. Chalmers also confirmed the low- and middle-income tax offset will end.

Updated

‘The conditions in the global economy are deteriorating’: Chalmers

With the budget four weeks away, treasurer of Australia Jim Chalmers is prioritising providing “security for people here at home” in “uncertain times,” he says in a presser.

Chalmers is visiting Washington DC tomorrow to join discussions about the G20, International Monetary Fund and the world bank.

“The conditions in the global economy are deteriorating,” he says.

He calls the trip an “absolutely crucial opportunity to confer with my colleagues and counterparts about the state of the world economy,” as he puts “financial touches” on the Australian budget.

Global conditions have become more complex and more confronting, even in the course of the last few months. Higher interest rates have exposed vulnerabilities in parts of the international banking system and that has added to the already significant challenges of persistent inflation, slowing global growth and the impacts of the war in Ukraine as well.

And the recent tremors we’ve seen on global markets have increased uncertainty … The International Monetary Fund is now forecasting the weakest 5-year period for global growth in more than three decades.

The focus in the budget will be targeted cost-of-living relief, which doesn’t add to inflation, laying foundations for future growth in our economy and making our economy as resilient as it can be to these international developments.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

Education minister responds to OECD report

Minister for education Jason Clare says today’s OECD education report shows Australia’s education systems can be “a lot better and a lot fairer”.

Clare speaks to young school students in a statement:

If you’re a child today from a poor family, or from the bush, or you’re an Indigenous child, then you’re three times more likely to fall behind at school. We must turn this around.

He says the report “confirms the equity issues and teacher workforce challenges we face, particularly in early childhood education and school classrooms”.

While the report shows we have a good education system by international standards, we know that it should be a lot better and a lot fairer.

The current school agreement lacks key targets and, most importantly, the real practical reforms that we need to tie future funding to.

The next agreement will fix this. We will ensure future funding is tied to reforms that will make a real, practical difference.

Updated

The final seat in the state election was called two weeks after New South Wales voters headed to the polls.

Labor lost the chance to form a majority government in NSW, and new premier Chris Minns will need to work with a crossbench to get through legislation.

NSW reporter Tamsin Rose explains the minority government here:

Bins uncollected as garbos strike in Sydney, Canberra

Garbage truck drivers are striking for 24 hours in parts of Sydney and Canberra against longer shifts and cut overtime rates, AAP reports.

Rubbish will not be collected from 50,000 residential and commercial bins across the City of Sydney, Randwick, Erskine Park and Silverwater. This is the fifth time Cleanaway workers have campaigned this year.

“These guys can’t afford to lose a few hundred dollars a week for the company to make more profit,” Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) NSW/Queensland secretary Richard Olsen told ABC.

They’re trying to introduce a B-grade group of people coming in here on lesser terms and conditions, more varied conditions, which will ensure that overtime is diminished for our members.

WA Cleanaway workers voted to take action over the same issues last week.

Thousands of bins won’t be collected in Sydney’s CBD and other areas during a garbage worker strike.
Thousands of bins won’t be collected in Sydney’s CBD and other areas during a garbage worker strike. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

Updated

Treasurer Chalmers heads for IMF, World Bank annual gatherings in DC

The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank hold their (northern) spring meetings this week in Washington, DC, and Jim Chalmers will be making his debut as Australia’s treasurer. The G20 finance ministers will also mass.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe will be travelling there too, but given his unpopularity in some quarters, it might be his final trip to the annual gabfest with his term up in September and a renewal not looking too likely. Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy will be joining Team Australia too.

We’ll hear from Chalmers at a media event in Brisbane in about an hour’s time, but the flavour of his comments has been well-flagged.

“Global economic uncertainty will be a key influence on our budget in May,” he said in a statement. “The budget will be all about security in uncertain times.”

Global conditions have become more complex and confronting than they were even a few months ago.

Higher interest rates have exposed vulnerabilities in parts of the international banking system, adding to the already significant challenges of persistent inflation, slowing global growth and the ongoing impacts of the war in Ukraine.

The IMF will release an updated global outlook report later today so we’ll see if they continue to forecast the world is looking at its slowest five-year growth stint in more than three decades.

While in the US capital, Chalmers and chums are scheduled to meet counterparts including US secretary of treasury Janet Yellen, Canada’s deputy prime minister and minister for finance Chrystia Freeland, New Zealand finance minister Grant Robertson, the United Kingdom’s chancellor of the exchequer Jeremy Hunt and Ukraine’s minister of finance, Sergii Marchenko.

Hopefully they won’t have a fresh bank failure or other disruption to discuss.

Updated

Jacinta Price says she wants rural voices empowered in ‘current bureaucracies’

Federal Liberal party senator Jacinta Price tells RN Breakfast she wants rural and regional voices empowered in bureaucracies that “already exist”.

The fundamental principle about about all of this [the voice to parliament] is the fact that I don’t believe we need this in our constitution to actually do what it says.

I mean, if the government is so sure that their model is going to work, then they can legislate it right now if they wanted to.

What’s happening is we’re having this debate, which is taking away from the issues that are actually going on on the ground right now. The issues going on on the ground aren’t being effectively dealt with because focus is on representation in Canberra.

Country Liberal party senator Jacinta Price.
Country Liberal party senator Jacinta Price. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Price says if voices in local communities were better resourced in those communities directly, they would “certainly be able to contribute better to their communities because they understand what’s going on on the ground”.

I believe that many of the current bureaucracies that exist, it needs to be understood what’s going on within those bureaucracies that supposedly serve Indigenous people.

I would be pushing for those communities, for leadership in those remote communities, to be better heard through what already, currently already exists to empower those voices and strengthen those voices from those positions.

Updated

Universities Australia CEO blames Covid for difficulties in tertiary institutions

The CEO of Universities Australia, Catriona Jackson, was asked about Guardian Australia reporting “appallingly unethical” treatment of staff in Australian universities, on RN Breakfast this morning.

She said she wouldn’t agree with putting Australia’s university crisis that way:

I clearly wouldn’t agree with putting that way. It is really clear that staff were let go during Covid. And that was a tragedy for universities and for the communities that we support, and universities are coming back and recovering and it is getting a little bit better. But don’t pretend that hasn’t been a really traumatic event, not just for the communities we serve, but for the institutions that I represent.

It will take us a little while to get through that. And there is significant work going on … and I genuinely believe that universities are making a good fist of making sure that their industrial houses in order.

You can read the exclusive by higher education reporter Caitlin Cassidy here:

Updated

Assange letter signed by MPs across the political spectrum

The letter to the US attorney general regarding the Julian Assange case was signed by 48 Australian MPs and senators from across the political spectrum, including Labor, Coalition, Greens and other crossbenchers.

The 13 Labor MPs to sign the letter are Michelle Ananda-Rajah, Mike Freelander, Julian Hill, Peter Khalil, Tania Lawrence, Zaneta Mascarenhas, Brian Mitchell, Alicia Payne, Graham Perrett, Susan Templeman, Maria Vamvakinou, Josh Wilson and Tony Zappia.

The full list can be found at the bottom of the letter here.

Updated

48 Australian politicians urge US attorney general to drop Assange case

Nearly 50 Australian federal politicians have today put their name to a letter to the US attorney general urging him to drop the bid to extradite Julian Assange from the UK.

The 48 MPs and senators – who include government backbenchers and Coalition, Greens and crossbench politicians – urge Merrick Garland to end the extradition proceedings against the Australian citizen and WikiLeaks co-founder:

If the extradition request is approved, Australians will witness the deportation of one of our citizens from one Aukus partner to another – our closest strategic ally – with Mr Assange facing the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison. This would set a dangerous precedent for all global citizens, journalists, publishers, media organizations and the freedom of the press. It would also be needlessly damaging for the US as a world leader on freedom of expression and the rule of law.

The letter says Assange “has been effectively incarcerated for well over a decade in one form or another, yet the person who leaked classified information had their sentence commuted and has been able to participate in American society since 2017”.

The letter adds:

A clear majority of Australians consider that this matter has gone on for far too long and must be brought to a close. We implore you to drop the extradition proceedings and allow Mr Assange to return home.

The independent MP Andrew Wilkie, the co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Julian Assange Group, initiated the letter. He said the 48 Australian federal parliamentarians who put their name to the formal letter of concern were acting “in concert with similar letters from parliamentarians from around the world” and together represented millions of constituents:

This is no small matter and must not be dismissed. Nor should it be ignored that the outpouring of political concern spans the political spectrum and is based on a diverse range of reasons. This reflects how the injustice being endured by Julian Assange is so wrong on so many levels. It must be brought to an end.

Julian Assange supporters in London hold a night carnival on 11 February to call for his release.
Julian Assange supporters in London hold a night carnival on 11 February to call for his release. Photograph: Guy Smallman/Getty Images

Updated

Japanese hydrogen partners offer only short-term deals, want more funds

There’s been a few articles in the business media lately touting the promise of converting brown coal in Victoria into hydrogen and shipping the fuel to Japan.

Unfortunately, the prospects have tended to be played up and the hurdles downplayed, not least who will be responsible for pumping the carbon emissions into reservoirs and ensuring they stay there.

Today we added a bit more detail, including the demands by the Japanese partners – all big companies – for much more funding than the $50m that the Victoria and federal governments have both already chipped in.

We understand Kawasaki Heavy Industries, JPower and other partners in the venture that plans to ship the hydrogen to Kawasaki port are only offering to take the hydrogen for fewer than five years ... well short of the 20-plus year deals that typically accompany LNG export ventures.

More information about the funding requests and how long Japanese firms are willing to commit to the project would help the public work out whether alternative ways to create hydrogen – such as using renewable energy – make more sense, both economically and environmentally.

Updated

Read about the inland rail project’s $31bn price tag, and an independent review savaging the former Coalition government’s handling of the plan, here:

Updated

National party should never have been trusted with inland rail project, minister says

More from Catherine King on the inland rail project: the minister for infrastructure says “the National party should never be allowed to be in charge of large-scale infrastructure projects”.

King says “we don’t know” how much it should cost to complete the project at this stage.

And again, that’s the absolutely shocking thing about this review. This was Barnaby Joyce’s pet project. The National party should never be allowed to be in charge of large-scale infrastructure projects.

One of the recommendations made to us, which we’ve accepted all of them, is to put a point in individual independent value cost estimator and value engineer. We’ve got to do that so that we can get a handle on the cost particularly in that Queensland League. She did not have confidence in the information she was being provided that that estimate was correct.

Updated

Inland rail project needs a lot of work to get ‘back on track’, minister says

The minister for infrastructure, Catherine King, says there is a lot of work to do to get the inland rail project “back on track”, on ABC Radio National Breakfast this morning:

We’ve frankly got a lot of work to do, to clean the mess up that’s been left to us, but also pardon the pun, to get this project back on track.

By 2040, the project aims to have 337km built – up from 223km in 2020. “That is a really significant increase in our price, and that is a significant increase of trucks on the road,” King says. “I have to do this responsibly.”

I have to make sure that we prioritise where we can begin to see some revenue coming back in for all the dollars that taxpayers have put into this project.

Infrastructure minister Catherine King.
Infrastructure minister Catherine King. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Updated

WA cyclone could reach category-four by Thursday, BoM says

A storm off the Western Australian coast will develop into a cyclone with strong winds and chance of flooding.

The Bureau of Meteorology says a storm north-west of Derby will grow into a category-one cyclone by Tuesday afternoon, AAP reports. It could potentially reach category-four by Thursday.

Residents across Port Hedland to Broome are being warned to prepare for cyclone weather.

Updated

Top of the Tuesday morning to you! I’m Rafqa Touma and I’ll be taking the blog through the first half of the day.

If you see anything you don’t want the blog to miss, tweet it my way @At_Raf_.

Cyclone forecast to hit Western Australia

A storm developing off the Western Australian coast is expected to turn into a cyclone before making landfall, bringing powerful winds and potential flooding, Australian Associated Press reports.

Residents in areas from Port Hedland to Broome have been told to prepare for cyclonic weather ahead of the intensifying storm.

The Bureau of Meteorology predicts the tropical low over the Indian Ocean to the northwest of Derby will strengthen into a category-one cyclone on Tuesday afternoon.

It is expected to continue growing in intensity, potentially becoming a category-four cyclone by Thursday before shifting over land.

The WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services said there was still uncertainty over the path of the system, but it could cross the coast as a severe tropical cyclone near Eighty Mile Beach on Thursday or Friday.

At category-four strength, the storm is likely to lead to buildings being damaged and widespread power failures.

The BOM said gale-force winds and heavy rain could develop between the Dampier Peninsula and areas north of Broome on Wednesday before the system made landfall.

Squally thunderstorms and heavy rain were expected over the western Kimberley region on Tuesday and Wednesday, while abnormally high tides could hit the coast.

Updated

Inequality is growing – and stage three tax cuts will make it worse: thinktank

A new paper from the Australia Institute shows 93% of the benefits of economic growth between 2009 and 2019 went to the top 10%, while the bottom 90% received just 7%.

Senior economist with the think tank, Matt Grudnoff, said most Australians would feel “they are not getting ahead” since the global financial crisis in 2007-09.

“I think it is really a story about wages and profits,” he said. “Most of us – 90% – receive income from wages, which have gone backwards in real terms. But profits are doing very well and the ownership concentration on those profits is that 10% who are benefitting.”

The Australia Institute believes the stage-three tax cuts, legislated to begin from July next year, will make inequality even worse in Australia.

People earning more than $180,000 will see the greatest benefit, while low income earners will receive no benefit. The low- and middle-income tax offset which benefited most Australian workers ended in the last financial year – the Morrison government designed it to be temporary – whereas the third stage of the tax reform continues in perpetuity.

Grudnoff said inequality in Australia has been increasing, even before those stage-three tax cuts. His latest paper examined income per adult on a pre-tax basis, which means it shows how incomes are apportioned before the tax-and-transfer system kicks in to redistribute some income to lower income households via welfare and public services.

It analyses data from five business cycles over the past 70 years.

The first cycle, from 1950 to 1960, shows the bottom 90% of income recipients received the vast bulk of the benefits of economic growth. But by the final cycle, from 2009 to 2019, that phenomenon had reversed.

“Such an outcome has not been the norm over Australia’s post-war history. In all previous expansions, the bottom 90% received at least 50% of the economic growth, on a per adult basis,” the paper found.

Essential workers unable to afford to live alone

Soaring rents have made living alone impossible for most of the nation’s essential workers. New research shows some would have to spend about two-thirds of their income to afford a place on their own.

Comparing the average weekly unit rents against award wages for 15 essential jobs, the national housing campaign Everybody’s Home found there are virtually no regions of Australia where a single full-time essential worker, such as those in aged care, early childhood or nursing, could afford a to rent by themselves.

“So many essential industries are facing workforce shortages, with workers unable to afford to stay or move to parts of the country where these shortages are at their worst,” Everybody’s Home spokesperson Maiy Azize said.

For a worker in hospitality or meat-packing to meet the average capital city rent of $572 a week, they would have to spend 81% of their pay on housing; for an aged care worker it would be 77%.

Even those on higher pay, like teachers and firefighters, would have to spend 58% of their average pay on rent – well above the 30% threshold for rental stress to afford the average capital city rent.

“Our calculations suggest that essential workers in single households are likely to be in serious financial stress with little or no savings buffer, while workers in coupled households are likely to be financially dependent on a partner’s income,” the report said.

In the past three years, typical rents across the country have gone up more thsn $100 a week, hitting $489 in March, according to SQM Research. For essential workers, that means they’ve lost an average of six hours from their weekly income – an average of 37 days each year – on rent increases.

While the government has promised 20,000 social housing properties in five years, as part of its Housing Australia Future Fund, it will not match the scale of the crisis, Azize said.

“The federal government must start building 25,000 social homes every year to end our shortfall,” she said.

“That will help workers in severe rental stress, and free up affordable rentals for everyone else. The government can fund those social homes by winding back handouts for investors and landlords.”

Welcome

Good morning and welcome to our rolling news coverage. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ll be bringing you some of the top stories before my colleague takes the reins.

Our lead story this morning concerns the Australian army’s response to the Brereton inquiry into alleged war crimes. Guardian Australia has learned from a freedom of information request that the culture within the special forces will be reviewed regularly from now on. In addition, the defence force will update its policy on time away from the battlefield to ease stress.

Our data and business experts have teamed up with the research firm CoreLogic to track house prices in the wealthiest suburbs and we’ve found that values have fallen almost 25% in some areas, led by Mona Vale in Sydney’s north and Kew East in Melbourne. Check it all out here.

And we have another exclusive from our higher education reporter, Caitlin Cassidy, on the troubled state of Australia’s universities. A senior academic from a leading university tells her they are in crisis and have “completely lost their sense of direction”, with cost-cutting, casualisation and “ridiculous” teaching loads to blame.

Also in this morning’s news, the national housing campaign Everybody’s Home has found there are virtually no regions of Australia where a single full-time essential worker, such as those in aged care, early childhood or nursing, could afford a rental by themselves.

And a new paper from the Australia Institute shows 93% of the benefits of economic growth between 2009 and 2019 went to the top 10%, while the bottom 90% received just 7%. That’s because wages are going backwards in real terms, and it’s only the people who benefit from surging corporate profits who are getting ahead.

Updated

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