What we learned today, Friday 10 November
And with that, we are going to put the blog to bed. Before we go, let’s recap the big headlines:
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has announced Australia will offer residency to people affected by climate change in the low-lying Pacific island nation of Tuvalu.
Optus’s offer of free data as compensation has been criticised as a “hollow gesture” after this week’s outage.
Ninety-two people face release from indefinite immigration detention after this week’s high court ruling.
The Western Australian government says “significant failures” have been uncovered by an internal investigation into the death of youth detainee at Casuarina prison.
A 32-year-old woman has been left with serious injuries after a shark attack at Port Noarlunga Jetty in South Australia.
Police have confirmed they do not suspect a suspicious fire at a Melbourne burger shop was linked to its owner’s support for Palestine.
The push for the US to drop attempts to extradite Julian Assange has received bipartisan support from US politicians.
More than $2m will be spent in an attempt to protect native fish in Menindee Lakes and the Lower Darling-Baaka, the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, says.
News Corp has beaten expectations with a solid earnings result in Rupert Murdoch’s last quarter as chairman.
And the Home and Away actor Johnny Ruffo has died aged 35.
Thank you for spending part of your day with us – we will be back tomorrow to do it all again.
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Rate hikes hit Victorian stamp duty revenue
Interest rate hikes have contributed to a half billion-dollar fall in Victorian stamp duty revenue and neutralised the first three months of a controversial tax, AAP reports.
A quarterly budget update, tabled in state parliament on Friday, shows Victoria pulled in $164m from its COVID-19 debt levy from the start of July to the end of September.
It helped lift payroll tax revenue in the state by $366m compared to the same time last year, but the budget boost could have been higher if not for a drop in stamp duty income.
“This increase is partially offset by a $506m decrease in land transfer duty, primarily driven by the fall in settlement volumes and transaction prices that coincided with an increase in interest rates,” the report read.
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Fresh search of Tasmanian bush fails to locate trace of man missing since 2017
A fresh search of southern Tasmanian bushland has failed to find any trace of a 66-year-old man who was reported missing from the area six years ago, AAP has reported.
Police last month revealed their investigation into the disappearance of avid hiker Bruce Fairfax was now being treated as a criminal matter.
Fairfax was reported missing by his wife on 14 October, 2017 after the pair became separated while on a walk with their dog in the Duckhole Lake area.
About 90 search crew, including police and members of walking clubs, began a fresh two-day search of the area on Thursday morning.
“Nothing relevant to the investigation has been found at this stage,” Tasmania police said in a statement on Friday afternoon.
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Hash Tayeh, the owner of the Burgertory chain, has released a statement following a suspicious fire at one of his businesses this morning.
Police do not suspect the fire is linked to Tayeh’s support for Palestine.
Tayeh said:
In light of the recent fire at Burgertory Caufield, I want to reach out directly and address some very serious concerns head on.
We are working closely with authorities to investigate this alarming incident, and we are determined to assist in every way possible.
Today’s arson attack will not waver my calling for peace and will not silence me.
I want to unequivocally state that we stand against violence in all its forms. Burgertory has always been a place that celebrates diversity and promotes unity. My Palestinian heritage inspires me to advocate for peace and dialogue, not conflict.
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Police confident Melbourne burger shop fire ‘not religiously motivated’
Police do not suspect a suspicious fire at a Melbourne burger shop was linked to its owner’s support for Palestine.
Emergency services were called to blaze at Burgertory on Glenhuntly Road, in Caulfield, about 4.15am on Friday. No one was inside at the time.
Police say the exact cause of the fire is being investigated but it is being treated as suspicious.
Burgertory, a Melbourne-based burger chain, was started by Hash Tayeh, who last week defended himself from criticisms about attending a pro-Palestine rally.
He said he was proud of his “deep and meaningful friendships with members of the Jewish community”.
Inspector Scott Dwyer said on Friday that he was “very confident” the fire was not linked to Tayeh’s support for Palestine. He said:
At this stage, there is nothing to indicate that this incident is related to any religious or political involvement [sic] and that we’re treating it as a suspicious fire.
It’s very early in the investigation, but I am confident that this is not religiously or politically motivated.
There was nothing linking the fire to any other incident, nor any concern about any further harm being committed, and it was expected arrests would be made soon, Dwyer said.
Tayeh has been contacted for comment.
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Committee president says Brisbane Olympics could ‘elevate humanity to a new level’
Brisbane’s Olympics could feature announcements made in a Queensland Indigenous language as part of a commitment to inclusiveness.
The Queensland sports minister, Stirling Hinchliffe, - who is soon to retire - raised the idea at a press conference launching the game’s “legacy strategy” Elevate 2042.
The document talks up a commitment to respect First Nations culture and language.
“It’s up to .... our partners in terms of delivery and how it goes then into the phase about and what that means, in practical terms,” he said.
In some instances, it’ll be using naming conventions and taking opportunities to use traditional names in relation to places and opportunities and other places ...
It’s the it’s the tradition with the Olympic Games, at least, that all venues have announcements made in the host country’s language, and in English and in French.
So the question is, maybe some host venues might have announcements during the games being announced in in English, French and the First Nations language?
The 65-page document Elevate 2042 is a very high-level plan for the games, which are planned to take place in a range of venues around Brisbane, including in a rebuilt Gabba cricket ground.
It includes a blizzard of promises, with the Olympics to deliver everything from “sustainable growth for communities in our region” to “securing a low-carbon future” and even boosting the state’s critical minerals sector.
Organising committee president Andrew Liveris told journalists it’d be the best games ever.
“There is no question that we can elevate humanity to a new level, and put a North Star in place, a lighthouse in place, that absolutely sets the standard for being on this planet from this part of the world,” he said.
“Putting Brisbane on the world map.”
No pressure.
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This is the last Senate week-only question time for a while and the government dixers (government MPs asking ministers questions which have usually drafted by the government tactics team or the minister’s office) have focussed on how ‘amazing’ (we are paraphrasing) this government is compared to the previous government. Cost of living is getting a real workout here.
It’s a taste of what is to come in the sitting week from Monday.
There are two joint sittings left in the year (nine days when you count the single house day in December) and the government is on a mission to start turning around the polls which started going backwards this year.
Why? Well, as of next year, we will be in the back half of this government’s term and that means we will be back in election mode. So everything is about to get ramped up to 11. On all sides of the chamber.
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So what does that all mean?
Well, the Coalition have said they are willing to work with the government to pass the bill (industry want it, and the Coalition aren’t against it) which would give the government the numbers. But the Coalition love to create a bit of trouble and drama for the government where they can – as oppositions do – so when the Greens indicated they were digging their heels in, the Coalition saw an opportunity to create some mischief and joined in the motions to stop the legislation from being brought to a vote.
The Greens don’t support the legislation (which will allow for carbon waste to be exported offshore or buried at sea) and want more concessions from the government. So they are not budging. The Coalition is happy to drag it out to make the government suffer a little – and it means that the next three Senate weeks are ripe for more drama as the government has to carry out some fast legislative footwork to get its legislative agenda through before the end of the year.
So the week has played out a bit like a Real Housewives of the Senate dinner episode.
It ends with the Coalition having ensured the government only passed two bills this week, the government frustrated, and the Greens and crossbench having a grand old time.
And then we all get together again next week.
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Senate stymies government’s sea dumping bill
Back to the sea dumping bill, which has played out this week a bit like Taylor Swift and a famous boyfriend – the Senate just can’t seem to let it go.
In sea dumping (Senate version), the government wanted to try one more time to get it all through. Which meant Penny Wong was preparing to change the order of Senate business so the Senate had to sit until it brought the legislation on for a vote. That’s because the Senate has (four times, three times today) said “no thank you, we would prefer not to do that”.
Or as Liberal senator and leader of opposition business in the senate, Simon Birmingham said a little earlier today:
I struggle to think of a bill that has been mismanaged to the extent of this one.
(Which is a bit of selective memory given the Morrison government lost votes in the house, where it controlled the floor and there was the whole religious freedom/discrimination legislation kerfuffle towards the end, but that doesn’t make for the same sort of dramatic effect.)
But there aren’t too many wins in opposition, so Birmingham was taking this one:
It has been a disastrous week for the government. To date, there have been two government bills passed in non-controversial legislation yesterday. Negotiated in advance, all parties agreed, no issue. Four bills from the crossbench have passed.
... The crossbench has shown it can work cooperatively. But the government can not and that is the mess the government has put itself in.
Wong was attempting to reverse some of that mess by changing the Senate order of business – but this is not Sarah Hanson-Young’s first rodeo – and the Greens senator successfully fillibustered past 3.30pm, which meant Wong missed her opportunity to move the motion to force the Senate to stay until they got it sorted.
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Liberal senator James Paterson has used Senate question time to press Murray Watt on what the government is doing about the other 92 or so people the high court ruling applies to.
Watt again goes through the conditions on the main plaintiff’s release, which Paterson says was not the question. The back and forth continues but Watt doesn’t stray from the line – the government is working through the issue and community safety remains paramount.
Paterson does not look satisfied
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Government statement on high court ruling on indefinite detention
The Coalition is making its annoyance at the government – or in this case Labor senator Murray Watt – known. Watt has the job in the Senate of answering questions on behalf of the home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, who sits in the house. So for the last couple of days, those questions have been centred on the high court ruling (first broken by Guardian Australia’s Paul Karp) which put an end to indefinite detention.
The government had been trying to say it wouldn’t make a decision about releasing the people covered by the decision until it saw the court’s full reasons. But the Coalition (and Paul in his reporting) had been questioning whether that was actually an accurate reflection of what the court ordered.
Earlier this morning, the immigration minister, Andrew Giles, released a statement confirming that the main plaintiff in the high court case has been released:
The government notes the high court ruling on 8 November in NZYQ v. Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs & Anor.
We are considering the implications of the judgment carefully and will continue to work with authorities to ensure community safety is upheld.
The plaintiff has been released - as ordered by the high court. Other impacted individuals will be released and any visas granted to those individuals will be subject to appropriate conditions.
Before question time, Watt gave a little more detail on that release: the plantiff will have to report to home affairs, notify police of any change of address, and is banned from working in certain industries.
For more background by Guardian Australia’s Paul Karp:
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Woman taken to hospital after suspected shark attack in South Australia
A South Australian woman in her late 30s has been taken to hospital with serious injuries after a suspected shark attack, paramedics have said.
The woman was swimming near Port Noarlunga jetty just after 1pm today. The SA Ambulance Service said they received a report that the woman had been bitten on the head.
She was rushed to the Flinders Medical centre by road.
More to come
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Natano says they also have diplomatic relations with Taiwan. China also approached the Pacific nations about having ties, but because of the One China policy, the dialogue did not continue.
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The PM of Tuvalu, Kausea Natano, says they will “scrutinise” the applications. He said the cabinet endorsed the union before Australia was approached.
We’re looking forward to this treaty and also looking forward to working together with Australia.
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On details of the visa – Tuvalu citizens will be able to apply for the visa and receive special rights to work and study in Australia.
Albanese:
And we think that is entirely entirely appropriate. What this does really today is formalise Australia as the partner of choice going forward.
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The PM said Tuvalu is in “special circumstances” because it is such a low-lying nation that is being impacted by climate change.
It’s very existence is being threatened by climate change.
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The PM said Australia will invest $350m in climate infrastructure for the region and $75m for a program to help rural parts of the Pacific.
I’ve also indicated to my colleagues and Pacific leaders that Australia will contribute to the new Pacific resilience facility, a Pacific trust fund that will be established to invest in small scale climate and disaster resilience projects just for the Pacific, as well as make a contribution to the Green Climate Fund.
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Albanese:
Tuvalu is extremely vulnerable to the impact of climate change, especially rising sea levels, and is trying to preserve its culture, traditions and land.
I believe that the mission is to provide assistance and that is precisely what we are doing, through this agreement we have signed here today. I can also say that it’s been an extremely successful meeting in the Pacific.
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Speaking from the Cook Islands Albanese said it is “the most significant” agreement between Australia and a Pacific country.
It will be regarded as a significant day in which Australia acknowledged that we are part of the Pacific family and with that comes the responsibility to act on gracious requests from Tuvalu and the relationship between our two nations.
He said the treaty covers three main areas – climate change, human mobility and security.
He says 280 special visas will be given annually to allow people from Tuvalu to come to Australia to work and study.
Australia will support two valuable climate adaptation interests, including an additional $16.9m for the Tuvalu coastal adaptation project to expand the main island land by around 6%.
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Albanese signs visa agreement with Tuvalu PM
Anthony Albanese has signed an agreement with the Tuvalu PM, Kausea Natano, to set up “a union” between the two countries.
The arrangement will offer a special visa that offers safe residency to the people of Tuvalu so they can work, live and study in Australia because of the impacts of climate change.
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We are expecting the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, to hold a press conference from the Pacific soon. I will bring you that when he is on.
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Asked if it’s the officers working in Unit 18 do care, if they are falling asleep and watching movies on shift, Royce said “they want to be there”.
They work 12-hour shifts in a complex environment.
He said the culture didn’t change overnight, and it needs to change. But that the officers take on a very hard job.
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The WA commissioner of corrective services, Brad Royce, is asked whether new staff will be trained differently.
They are there because they are passionate about what they do.
He says the “tragedy around Cleveland stands alone”.
These sorts of things will always cause discussion, review, it is what we do about it. … it is more about what happens next, to me.
He said the children still in unit 18 are in the “safest place that I can have them in at the moment”.
As tough as this is, these kids are challenging. Long before they came in they went through a lot. To build rooms and facilities on the fly and to try and get things right is tough. The damage alone is constant.
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Papalia has been asked by a journalist what therapeutic changes they will be introducing.
He said there are specialists and Aboriginal visitor services “supporting Unit 18”.
The challenge has been, and it is the same challenge as Banksia [Banksia Hill detention centre]. If it is not safe you cannot provide anything. You have to establish a safe environment.
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Papalia said detainees had sometimes been allowed to cover the cameras in their rooms for privacy, but this would not be allowed in the future.
We do know from this report and from the investigation into the incident on the evening … a range of failures occurred, some of which clearly have been a practice.
For instance, the tolerance of the covering of cameras. It was, as indicated in the inquiry, a practice that had been accepted by staff because of their concern previously of the detainee’s privacy.
As well-meaning as that might be, that was not in accordance with correct procedure and – as the commissioner has indicated – that culture of perhaps through well-meaning motivation, doing the wrong thing will not be tolerated.
That needs to change, because ultimately, the priority must be the safety of the detainees.
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Papalia continues:
In my view, the internal investigation has clearly uncovered significant operational failures.
The commissioner of corrective services, Brad Royce, has also been speaking about Cleveland Dodd’s death. He says he will roll out new body-worn cameras that can livestream the youth custodial officers.
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Papalia said they will close down Unit 18 as soon as another location is created.
That report was given to me yesterday, and swift action has been taken to address some serious failures which were identified.
It is important to note that a number of relevant staff members are yet to be interviewed … as they are currently on workers’ compensation leave.
Unit 18 is not what we want. It will be closed as soon as another suitable location is created.
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Speaking on Cleveland Dodd’s death, WA minister says: ‘We let him down’
The WA corrective services minister, Paul Papalia, is speaking in Perth about Cleveland Dodd’s death.
Put simply, we let him down. An interim internal report into the events surrounding Cleveland’s death has now concluded.
It was conducted by the professional standards division within the Department of Justice, and has provided some clarity about what happened in the lead up to his attempted suicide.
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Sea dumping legislation won’t pass Senate this week
So just to square the circle there, as Murph would say, the sea dumping legislation cannot be passed by the Senate this week, as the Senate won’t allow it to come up for a vote. It’s been put up four times, three times today, and the Senate has made its view very well known – it’s a no.
(As a recap, the legislation would allow for carbon waste to be exported offshore, or buried at sea)
The Greens have very big concerns about the legislation. The Coalition is all for anything that causes havoc for Labor’s legislative agenda. So when necessary, the parties team up to use their numbers in the Senate where they both get something.
But all of the filibustering and Senate games means that this week, which has been a Senate-only week, only two government bills and four crossbench bills have been passed (with the crossbench bills needing to go to the House).
There won’t be any more legislation passed today because of the Senate schedule.
Which means the last two weeks of joint-sitting (plus a day at the end of the last Senate-only week) are going to be GAME ON.
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Andrew Hastie criticises Pat Conroy at defence industry expo
In the grand tradition of trying to make a point because you assume that no one is paying any attention to the facts, the shadow minister for defence, Andrew Hastie, has put out a statement wondering where defence industry minister Pat Conroy is.
That’s because there was a big defence industry expo held in Sydney and Conroy did not attend. Hastie spends a lot of words making defence jokes about Conroy’s absence, before saying Conroy was found “in his Miami Vice rig, hanging with the prime minister”.
Yes. Because Conroy is attending the Pacific Island Forum, or Pif. Because he is the minister for international development and the Pacific. And given Australia is working to repair and strengthen ties with the Pacific, both for our own benefit and because the US is again very interested in this region, given the emergence of China as an international power player, it is pretty important that Conroy attend Pif. Even if it means missing a conference centre full of defence industry booths. (The Miami Vice “kit” appears to be a reference to the traditional Pif shirts, which are worn by all the leaders. But it’s a very dated reference for someone who I think is a millennial).
Hastie continues:
But we are all still wondering: where is the defence industry minister? Does he care about Australia’s industrial base? Does he care about the hardworking small and medium businesses innovating to protect our country?
Based on his frequent absences and inaccessibility, we think he has other priorities than building our sovereign defence industry.
Well yes. He does have other priorities, because he holds two portfolios.
Hastie says the good news is that the “Coalition was at the conference for the full three days”, which could mean you could ask the counter factual – does the Coalition have any other priorities OTHER than defence industry, but there has been too many words spent on this already.
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We reported a little earlier about some of the Senate shenanigans over the environment protection (sea dumping) amendment, which Labor is trying to have voted on in the house.
Labor has attempted to bring on the vote again, leading to the leader of opposition business in the Senate, Simon Birmigham, to make the point that the “Senate has made its will clear on this. The Senate will, as per the joining of the Greens and Coalition in voting against holding a vote on this issue, has been – we don’t want the vote.
Now that doesn’t mean that Labor can’t pass the legislation, just that the Coalition are going to make them work for it. The Senate is holding a closure motion vote on the issue again now.
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NSW urged to phase out logging in native forests
Logging in native forests across New South Wales has cost the taxpayer millions to support as critics call on the government to join Victoria and Western Australia in phasing out the industry, AAP has reported.
The state’s main supplier of native timber received around $250m in grants since 2020, while its hardwood division lost nearly $30m in the last two years, according to a report released on Friday.
The research, prepared by Frontier Economics for Nature Conservation Council NSW, found the native-forest logging industry showed poor financial performance across all Australian jurisdictions and provided “little to no financial returns”.
“This places an unnecessary economic burden and risk to state governments, whilst also having a negative impact upon native forests and the wildlife that call them home,” it said.
The Nature Conservation Council NSW chief, Jacqui Mumford, said the government was wasting millions of dollars propping up a dying and destructive industry:
In what other instance is it acceptable for a company to run at an almost $30m loss after being given $250m in taxpayer money?
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Johnny Ruffo dies age 35
Former Home and Away star Johnny Ruffo has died aged 35.
The news was shared via a statement on the star’s Instagram page:
It is with a heavy heart that today we had to farewell our beloved Johnny.
Surrounded by his partner Tahnee and family, Johnny went peacefully with the support of some incredible Nurses & Doctors.
He was a very talented, charming and sometimes cheeky boy. Johnny was very determined and had a strong will. He battled all the way to the end and fought as hard as he could. Such a beautiful soul with so much more to give.
We all love you Johnny and will remember you for all the joy you brought to our lives.
More to come.
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ABC appoints Gavin Fang editorial director
The ABC has appointed Gavin Fang to the position of ABC editorial director.
In a statement, the ABC said Fang is one of the ABC’s most respected and experienced news executives and currently holds the position of deputy director news.
ABC managing director David Anderson said:
Gavin has had a very successful career at the ABC for more than two decades and brings to the leadership team the benefit of his considerable experience as a journalist and already has a strong track record as a leader across the organisation.
The editorial director position is crucial to maintaining the highest editorial standards expected of our journalists and content makers across all areas of the ABC and ensuring our independence and editorial integrity are always protected.
Fang said:
It is a privilege to be entrusted with a role helping to ensure the ABC remains Australia’s most trusted media organisation.
Brave, accurate, fair and independent public interest journalism and storytelling, built on the bedrock of our high editorial standards, is a critical service we provide to all Australians.
I am excited to be given the opportunity to support all our storytellers in this vital work.
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Optus data handout ‘inadequate’ after outage
The offer by Optus to give its customers extra data as compensation for a nationwide outage has been condemned as “inadequate” by the small business ombudsman.
The telco experienced a 12-hour outage on Wednesday, which prevented 10 million people and businesses from making and receiving calls, or completing transactions.
Optus has said it will provide customers with an extra 200GB of data to reward their “patience and loyalty”.
But small business and family enterprise ombudsman Bruce Billson said issues faced by small businesses on the Optus network hadn’t been addressed and rejected suggestions by the telco that any compensation for loss would amount to $2 a day.
He said:
The response by Optus is inadequate and not sufficiently dealt with by an offer of extra data.
Small businesses rely on telecommunications as an essential service, but they have been poorly served by Optus throughout this event and some have suffered a significant economic cost.
– Australian Associated Press
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Men rescued after Sunshine Coast plane crash
Two men have been rescued while clinging on to a life raft in the ocean after a light plane crashed off Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
The Queensland Ambulance Service confirmed the plane went down off the coast off Maroochydore around 9am on Friday morning.
Emergency services, including water police, responded to the crash. The men were winched by a helicopter at around 10am.
The men, both aged in their 50s, were airlifted to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital for assessment. They are not believed to have suffered any injuries.
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Fire at Melbourne restaurant treated as suspicious by police
A week after the owner of a burger chain was criticised for attending a pro-Palestinian rally, emergency services were called to blaze at Burgertory on Glenhuntly Road, in Caulfield, about 4.15am on Friday.
No one was inside at the time.
Police say the exact cause of the fire is being investigated but is being treated as suspicious.
The Melbourne-based burger chain was started by Hash Tayeh, who last week defended himself from criticisms over his attendance at a pro-Palestine rally and said he was proud of his “deep and meaningful friendships with members of the Jewish community’.
Police are calling on anyone who witnessed the incident, has CCTV, dashcam footage or any other information to contact Crime Stoppers.
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Peter Hannam (Guardian Australia’s economics correspondent and resident weather expert) has pointed out that July to September were the driest for any three-month period for Australia in records going back to 1900.
The three months to October were the driest for any three-month period for Australia in records going back to 1900. The average total rainfall at about 22.63mm was 1mm below the previous record dry three-month spell in July-September 1994. (Source: @BOM_au ) pic.twitter.com/p8uElbjJQR
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) November 10, 2023
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Markets take the RBA’s forecast in their stride
The Australian dollar edged lower, but only modestly, after the RBA’s updated forecasts, indicating that investors aren’t too fussed by the projections.
Yes, inflation will end a bit higher this year than had been forecast in August – and next year too – but only a tad. Punters expected that after the RBA highlighted that on Tuesday as a reason it hiked the cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.35%.
Anyway, the dollar was recently buying about US63.5c compared with US63.6c before to 11.30am AEDT. Stocks are holding on to their losses for the day of about 0.7%. In sum, no big surprise – and certainly not one that materially added to the risks of another interest rate rise.
For more, see our story:
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News Corp posts strong revenue to see off chair Murdoch
News Corporation has beaten expectations with a solid earnings result in Rupert Murdoch’s last quarter as chairman, as the company enters “advanced discussions” about using artificial intelligence to create content.
The media conglomerate posted $A3.9bn in revenue for the three months ending 30 September, a 1% increase compared to the prior year.
The rise in revenue was accompanied by a 4% increase in profitability and was primarily driven by growth in book publishing and at financial services publisher Dow Jones.
“We had a sterling start to the new fiscal year, with rising revenues and increased profitability despite difficult economic conditions in some of our markets,” chief executive Robert Thomson said on Friday morning AEDT.
Professional information business revenues rose 14% at Dow Jones while book publishing revenues grew 8%.
Digital real estate revenue was down four per cent as higher mortgage rates resulted in lower leads and transaction volumes drove a 16% drop in revenue at Move.
News media revenue decreased $5m, or 1%, driven by a $10m decline in ad revenue.
“The news media segment faced macroeconomic headwinds and volatility caused by algorithmic changes at the large platforms but these trends are more ephemeral than eternal,” Thomson said.
“We are in a truly different position to most media companies with a robust balance sheet and are poised for even greater growth and profitability in the coming years when the economic headwinds return to equilibrium.”
News Corp continues to explore the potential applications of artificial intelligence, which the company already uses to generate thousands of “hyperlocal” articles a week on stories covering weather, fuel prices and traffic conditions.
– Australian Associated Press
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An update on the Pacific Islands Forum (Pif) leaders’ retreat in the Cook Islands:
Nauru’s president, David Adeang, who skipped the leaders’ retreat that began last night amid signs of fresh internal divisions in the regional grouping, met today with the US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
Thomas-Greenfield is leading the US delegation to Pif and the pair met on the island of Rarotonga, where most of this week’s events have been held.
The US mission to the UN said in a summary:
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield congratulated President Adeang on his election and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to our advancing our relationship with Nauru and the region. They discussed opportunities for areas of further bilateral and multilateral cooperation, including on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), climate crisis, regional maritime security, and other shared priorities.
Anthony Albanese and other Pacific leaders remain out on a boat on the lagoon near the island of Aitutaki where they are due to wrap up their talks in the next hour or two.
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Australia’s relatively robust economy contributing to linger inflation risks
A soft landing for the Australian economy is becoming more certain, leaving the jobless rate not far from five-decade lows, but households won’t see a return to real income growth until the second half of next year, the Reserve Bank said in an update of its forecasts.
“The domestic economy has proved more resilient than previously expected, and the labour market is expected to ease more gradually as a result,” the RBA said in its Statement on Monetary Policy, released on Friday.
However, that more robust result has increased the prospect of higher inflation for the coming year, and the projections “incorporate some increase” in the RBA’s interest rate.
The quarterly revision comes days after the central bank raised its cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.35%, snapping four months when it had stayed put. Overseas counterparts, such as in the US and the UK, may have already reached their peak rate but Australia’s improving overall economic prospects mean it might be too early to rule out further rate rises.
Australia’s gross domestic product expanded at an annual clip of 2.1% in the year to last June, or faster than the previous expectation of about 1.5% growth. Averaged over the year, GDP growth for 2022-23 was 3.3% compared with a previous estimate of 1%.
Similarly, for the calendar year 2023, GDP growth will average about 2%, higher than the 1.5% average pace forecast by the RBA three months ago. Each of the subsequent periods out to 2025 are also modestly higher and rule out a reversal of growth.
We’ll have the full report out soon.
Optus dials up bid to mend frayed customer relations
Optus is picking up the shattered remains of customers’ confidence as it faces the fallout from its second major crisis in 18 months.
The telecommunications giant suffered a 12-hour outage on Wednesday that prevented 10 million customers and businesses making and receiving calls, or connecting to the internet.
Customers, politicians and business figures have unleashed a storm of criticism on the telco, with the Greens securing a Senate inquiry into the disaster and the federal government launching a review.
Optus director Matt Williams says the company knows its customers could turn to other phone service providers.
He told AAP:
We really value, very highly, the relationships we have with our customers, the loyalty they have to us, their ongoing choice of us.
We provide unique and amazing value, as well as features and experiences that our customers can’t get anywhere else.
So we’ll continue to provide all those things [and] work very hard to make sure that we rebuild those experiences with our customers and that relationship.
Optus has offered extra data packages to its customers, with postpaid users eligible for 200GB of extra data and prepaid users able to access free unlimited data on weekends until the end of the year.
The Optus chief executive, Kelly Bayer Rosmarin, says the offer is a way to thank customers for their patience and loyalty.
She said:
We know that there’s nothing we can do to change what happened.
We really appreciate the patience and understanding that our customers have shown.
The outage occurred as the company was starting to recover from a data breach in September 2022 that affected millions of customers and led to the theft of 10,000 passport, driver’s licence and Medicare numbers, which were leaked online.
– Australian Associated Press
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Man dead after Port Macquarie car crash
A man has died and another has been seriously injured following a car crashing into a power pole near Port Macquarie overnight, according to a New South Wales police media release.
At 2.45am this morning, emergency services were called to the Hatch Road, Blackmans Point, following reports of the single-vehicle crash.
One of the occupants of the car – a man believed to be aged in his 20s – died at the scene. He has not been formally identified.
The other occupant, a 41-year-old man, was taken to Port Macquarie base hospital before being airlifted to the John Hunter Hospital in a serious condition.
A crime scene has been established, and will be examined by the crash investigation unit. A report will be prepared for the coroner.
The Hatch Road at Blackmans Point will remain closed for some time, with local traffic diversions in place.
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SA and federal government strike deal for land exchange for submarine construction yard
The federal government and South Australian government have come to an agreement for a land exchange for a submarine construction yard, in anticipation of Australia building its nuclear powered submarines as part of the Aukus deal.
There are a lot of moving parts to Aukus and one of them was where would the conventionally armed (an important note the government has begun pushing when speaking about the nuclear powered subs, to remind everyone they won’t actually have nuclear weapons, and by everyone, we mean the region and China) nuclear-powered subs would be built.
As expected, Osborne, SA, will be the home of the building yard but a new area had to be chosen. Under this agreement announced today, Australian Navel Infrastructure will “progressively” take ownership of “key land parcels” from December. There will also be some land secured for the skills and training academy which will educate the submarine and navel workforce.
In exchange, the SA government will receive defence owned land at Keswick and Smithfield, as well as part of the Cultana training area north of Whyalla.
The Cultana site will be used to “facilitate hydrogen and renewable energy projects”, while the Keswick and Smithfield sites will “undergo master planning for proposed urban renewal, including increased housing supply or mixed-use development”.
The Keswick barracks are only 4km from the heart of Adelaide’s CBD, so it means a win-win for the SA government as it attempts to widen its affordable housing options.
Work on the Osborne submarine construction yard will begin before the year is out.
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More than $2m will be spent in an attempt to protect native fish in Menindee Lakes and the Lower Darling-Baaka
Most readers would be familiar with the horrific images of the major fish kills in the area – Tanya Plibersek said the $2.3m in funding will be used to develop a business case for the construction of a permanent fish passage in the area.
A passage is needed to help fish escape poor water quality in the weir pool. As the weather heats up, and dissolved oxygen levels in the Lower Darling-Baaka and Menindee weir pool worsen, further fish deaths are expected.
The states have the main responsibility for river but the federal government has its share of responsibility too – particularly with river systems which cross state borders. Someone has to be the adjudicator and look at the big picture.
In making the announcement, Plibersek said while visiting the region last month she was told how a better fish passage would cut down on fish deaths:
That’s why we are investing in this project which will allow native fish to swim past physical barriers in the river and at Menindee Lakes, unlocking new areas for them to move, feed and seek refuge.
Measures like these fish ladders are important but alone won’t help our native fish – we need to restore flows to let the rivers run.
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Coalition calls on Murray Watt to correct Senate answer about detention
The shadow home affairs minister, James Paterson, has called on the agriculture minister, Murray Watt, to correct an answer to the Senate about the government response to a high court ruling on indefinite detention.
In Senate question time on Thursday, Watt said although the plaintiff in that case had been released, the government “cannot act on that decision until the reasons of the court are received and we receive legal advice as to how that decision relates to the other people involved”.
But as the Australian Human Rights Commission and Human Rights Law Centre – the two bodies that intervened in the case– and advocates for some long-term detainees have noted: this is not correct. The government is obliged to release all people who have “no real prospect of removal from Australia becoming practicable in the reasonably foreseeable future”.
The government now appears to accept that, and is preparing to release detainees that clearly meet that condition.
Paterson said that Watt should have “already come into the Senate chamber and corrected the record and admitted he misled the Senate”.
Paterson told reporters in Canberra that the government’s response to the NZYQ case has gone from “bad to worse” and it is preparing to release “all 92 people” identified by the solicitor general has affected by the case. This overstates it, only some of those are clear cases, others will likely have to wait for the court’s reasons and further legal advice.
Paterson said the government should respect the high court decision, but also called for “measures to to manage these people in the community, like an extended supervision order, or a control order” or in high risk cases a continuing detention order. It is unlikely the latter would be legal. The government says it has put conditions on the release of NZYQ and will do for others it releases.
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Negotiation city in Senate
The Senate has been sitting without the House as a chance to catch up on some legislative work after the estimates hearings. Both houses of parliament will sit from Monday.
But it seems the government is getting a bit cranky at the Coalition and Greens for “the use of cynical procedural tactics ... delaying the passage of critical national security legislation”.
Now Labor is no stranger to these tactics (which involve extra speeches, stopping the government from bringing legislation to a vote etc) but while in government, it is a little frustrating.
The main legislative issues are the delays of the environmental protection (sea dumping) amendment, which would allow Australia to ship carbon waste overseas.
The Greens are against this as the bill would allow the export of CO2 for “sequestration” or storage under the sea. Organisations would still need to apply for a permit to access the option and the government says it is taking advantage of new technologies. But the Greens aren’t comfortable with it and, after extending the debate on the legislation for the past four days (with Coalition help), the Coalition and Greens voted on Thursday to stop the government bringing the bill to a vote.
The government doesn’t have the numbers in the Senate, so it is negotiation city.
But the government says that by delaying this bill the Coalition and Greens have also delayed the counter-terrorism amendment bill (which extends some powers which are set to expire next month) and the legislation which clarified the judicial immunity for judges in the federal and family courts.
There are still three weeks of Senate sittings left in the year, so it is not panic stations yet (including two weeks this month) but you can see the government is getting antsy.
But it wouldn’t be an end of parliamentary year without some of these games.
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Cashless pokie trial flooded with club volunteers
A cashless gaming trial, set to roll out in venues across NSW, could involve 10 times as many poker machines as initially promised.
An independent panel overseeing the gaming reform says it is pleased with the flurry of applications from clubs, hotels and technology providers wanting to take part. The trial could involve as many as 5,909 machines, substantially more than the 500 initially proposed by the premier, Chris Minns, earlier this year.
Pubs and clubs in metropolitan and regional NSW, including the state’s second-biggest gaming club West HQ, in the western Sydney suburb of Rooty Hill, applied to take part. 30 venues across as many metropolitan local government areas pledged 4,476 gaming machines, while 12 regional venues put forward 1,433 gaming machines.
The trial formed part of the gambling reform package Labor took to the March election, when it was criticised for failing to match the Coalition’s promise to introduce mandatory cashless gaming cards across the state.
A 16-member panel of police, industry representatives and health experts will supervise the program before recommending reforms.
Chaired by former liquor and gaming commissioner Michael Foggo, the panel will decide which clubs and pubs will participate in the trial and how many machines will be involved. Venues and technology providers will be finalised over the next month with a report due to be handed to the government by November 2024.
A cash feed-in limit of $500 on new machines came into effect in July as part of changes designed to help curb problem gambling and money laundering.
- Australian Associated Press
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Australia’s triple-A credit rating affirmed
Australia’s triple-A rating has been affirmed by global credit rating agency Fitch, Australian Associated Press reports.
Fitch Ratings affirmed the top-level rating today, nodding to the nation’s sound outlook for economic growth, strong institutions and high incomes per person. The agency also expects the central bank has found the peak of its interest rate increases at 4.35%.
While services inflation is proving sticky, Fitch analysts believe the tightening so far will be enough to bring inflation back to the 2-3% target range over the next two years.
The federal government’s decision to bank revenue upgrades was highlighted as “a desire to maintain a fiscal stance supportive of reducing inflation and pursue prudent fiscal policies”. The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, said his government’s budget strategy was “right for the times”.
The Albanese government’s combination of budget restraint, investments to lift the capacity of the economy, and targeted cost-of-living relief is all helping ease inflation in our economy.
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Legalising cannabis will send ‘wrong signal’ to Australian public, peak medical body says
The peak medical body in Australia says it does not support the Greens bill to legalise cannabis because of the health harms the drug poses, despite other health experts supporting the public health benefits of a regulatory regime.
The Australian Medical Association has released its submission to the Senate inquiry into the legalising cannabis bill, introduced by the Greens senator David Shoebridge in August.
Cannabis is legal for therapeutic purposes in Australia, with health professionals allowed to prescribe cannabis products on a case-by-case basis. But Shoebridge’s bill would legalise cannabis for recreational use among adults and regulate the growing, selling and manufacturing of the drug.
The president of the AMA, Prof Steve Robson, said:
Legalising cannabis for recreational purposes sends the wrong signal to the public, and especially to young Australians, that cannabis use is not harmful.
You can read the full story here:
Call for repeal of Mandatory Disease Testing Act
The NSW Council for Civil Liberties is urging the repeal of the Mandatory Disease Testing Act 2021. The act came into force in July 2022 and provides for mandatory testing of a person whose bodily fluid comes into contact with a health, emergency or public sector worker, a NSWCCL statement outlines.
The making of a ‘mandatory order’ compels a person to provide a blood sample, under the threat of prosecution for a failure to comply. If convicted, it carries a maximum penalty of twelve months imprisonment and/or a maximum fine of $10, 000.
The NSWCCL have lodged a submission to the NSW Ombudsman with respect to the review of the act, saying the act “should be repealed in its entirety”.
Lydia Shelly, the president of NSW Council for Civil Liberties, says:
There is no empirical evidence supporting that the act will protect frontline health workers without arbitrarily, unnecessary or disproportionality encroaching upon the rights of individuals in New South Wales.
The risk of any transmissions occurring due to being exposed to a person’s bodily fluid is extremely low. ACON confirmed just how low this risk was in their 2019 report which found zero occupational transmissions towards police officers in the last 17 years.
We urge the government to review the real risks facing our frontline workers – and address them holistically – including committing to funding the frontline workers appropriately for the valuable services they perform on behalf of our communities.
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Australian justice re-elected on ICJ
Australian justice Hilary Charlesworth has been re-elected for a second term on the International Court of Justice. Charlesworth was the only justice re-elected – Kirill Gevorgian of Russia was not successful after the secret ballot, with the UN Assembly and security council participated in.
Four new justices were elected: Bogdan-Lucian Aurescu (Romania); Sarah Hull Cleveland (United States); Juan Manuel Gómez Robledo Verduzco (Mexico); and Dire Tladi (South Africa). Each justice will serve a nine-year term, which begins on 6 February.
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Forecast up to 40C for Adelaide
Adelaide is set for a very hot day – the Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting a max of 40C. The UV index is expected to reach 10 (very high), so the bureau is urging sun protection between 9am and 4.50pm.
In 1962 the city’s hottest November day was recorded at 42.7C.
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More people deciding not to have children amid fears of climate breakdown
More people are not having children because of fears of climate breakdown, according to a study by University College London.
In 12 of 13 studies, stronger concerns about climate breakdown were associated with a desire for fewer children or none at all.
Uncertainty about the future and concerns about the ecological impact of the growing human population were key factors identified.
You can read the full story from Damien Gayle here:
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Businesses still in the slow lane on electric vehicles
Almost one in three Australian businesses have yet to add an electric vehicle to their fleet and more than half say they will not replace all vehicles with the low-emission technology until after 2030, according to a new study.
But regulatory changes could speed up electric vehicle adoption, according to Accenture, as could encouraging businesses to take a “wider view” of cost savings unlocked by the technology.
The findings come after sales of new electric vehicles dipped during October but also during a year of significant growth for the industry.
The consulting firm released its Lead the Charge report after surveying 450 senior fleet managers and decision-makers about electric vehicle adoption.
Accenture Australia client group lead Glenn Heppell said despite skyrocketing sales worldwide, many companies were still taking a cautious approach to electric vehicles:
This transition is really complex and most organisations are still in the early stages of electrification.
Our analysis shows there’s still a lot of senior management who don’t see this as a number one priority.
The report found 30% of companies had yet to add an electric vehicle to their operations, 54% did not expect to transition to a fully electric fleet until after 2030, and 21% expected to make transition after 2035.
In the Asia Pacific, just 35% of decision-makers expected to adopt a fully electric fleet before 2030 and fewer businesses had started the journey.
– Australian Associated Press
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More Taylor Swift tickets to go on sale
If you missed out in the great battle for Taylor Swift Eras Tour tickets a few months ago, you can try your luck again today – additional tickets in Sydney and Melbourne are being released.
Sale for limited tickets across all concert dates will be open at 10am in Sydney, and 4pm in Melbourne, until all allocations are exhausted.
VIP tickets and hotel packages are sold out, so they won’t be up for grabs.
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Coalition targets Labor over indefinite detention releases
This morning Guardian Australia revealed that the Albanese government will immediately begin releasing people from indefinite detention after receiving a flurry of demands from long-term detainees to be set free due to Wednesday’s landmark high court ruling.
In question time on Thursday the government confirmed it had released the plaintiff in that case, a stateless Rohingya man known as NZYQ who was convicted of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old, but claimed it needed to wait for the court’s full reasons and legal advice before making a call on others.
The government now concedes that for some detainees it is clear they must be released because it is not possible to deport them.
On Friday the immigration minister, Andrew Giles, said “other impacted individuals will be released and any visas granted to those individuals will be subject to appropriate conditions”.
The Coalition isn’t happy. Its home affairs spokesperson, James Paterson, said:
Yesterday the government assured the Senate they would not be releasing any other detainees before the court published its reasoning. The fact they are doing so less than 24 hours later shows how unprepared they were for this case. Sadly the Australian people cannot rely on their assurances about community safety if they are not even across fundamental legal questions like this.
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Bipartisan support from US politicians to bring Assange home
The push for the US to drop its extradition attempts of Australian journalist Julian Assange has received bipartisan support from US politicians as the campaign to bring him home intensifies.
In a letter first reported by Nine newspapers and also seen by Guardian Australia, 16 members of congress, from both the Democratic and Republican parties, urge the US president Joe Biden to drop the extradition request and halt all prosecutorial proceedings against him immediately.
The group, which includes Maga Republican and Trump ally Majorie Taylor-Greene and member of the leftwing “squad” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, write that the pursuit of Assange goes against enshrined freedom of speech rights in America:
It is the duty of journalists to seek out sources, including documentary evidence, in order to report to the public on the activities of the government. The United States must not pursue an unnecessary prosecution that risks criminalising common journalistic practices and thus chilling the work of the free press. We urge you to ensure that this case be brought to a close in as timely a manner as possible.
Assange remains in Belmarsh prison in London as he fights a US attempt to extradite him to face charges – including under the Espionage Act. The charges are in connection with the publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents about the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, as well as diplomatic cables, in 2010 and 2011.
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Man in court over alleged ute shootings
NSW police say one man has been charged after a large-scale manhunt that followed shots being fired at multiple cars travelling on a major New South Wales highway.
At 1.40am yesterday, police were called to the M1 at Coopernook by reports of shots fired at a Landcruiser from a Mercedes utility. The Landcruiser driver sustained a bullet graze to his arm and presented to Manning Base hospital for treatment.
About three hours later police were called to the M1 at The Hatch by reports of shots fired at another vehicle. No injuries were reported to police.
At 5.15am, shots were also allegedly fired at another vehicle on the M1 at Kundabung. No injuries were reported to police.
A short time later, shots were allegedly fired in the direction of a police vehicle on the M1 near Fernbank Creek Road, Port Macquarie. No officers were hurt.
The utility was found about 10.30am – abandoned at Wayne Richards Park at Port Macquarie. The vehicle was seized to undergo forensic examination.
A large-scale police operation began to find those involved.
At 3.15pm two men – aged 26 and 32 – were arrested at Geoffrey Debenham Street, Kempsey, and were taken to Kempsey police station.
The 32-year-old was taken to Kempsey hospital for assessment under police guard.
The 26-year-old was charged with three counts of discharging a firearm intending to cause grievous bodily harm, and three counts of firing a firearm in or near public place.
He was refused bail to appear at Kempsey local court today.
Investigations are continuing.
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‘What I will never support is terrorists,’ Jacqui Lambie says
Independent MP Jacqui Lambie tells ABC RN she will “never support terrorists” when asked if she wants to see a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war:
What I will never support is terrorists, I will not support them whatsoever. There is no easy answer here. But what we do know, seeing from the Middle East, and we were in there 20 years, you’ve got terrorists out there. You can either go in there and … let them rebuild again, or you can go ahead and finish them off. Because quite frankly, otherwise, we just kind of keep going over the same scenario …
That’s what I know. And you know what, PK, nobody wants to go to war. We know the tragedy … we know the human life and that’s what it takes. It’s a human toll.
Patricia Karvelas pushes: “We know children aren’t terrorists, right?”
Lambie:
This is the ravages of war. If you have a war, it is going to be the human toll, the children’s toll that is taken, it doesn’t matter what war it is.
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Albanese speaks with Palestinian Authority president
Prime minister Anthony Albanese has spoken with Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, expressing Australia’s support for a two-state solution between Palestine and Israel.
Albanese spoke with Abbas, who is based in the West Bank, yesterday morning, where it’s understood he reiterated his condemnation of the Hamas attack on Israel but expressed concern about civilian casualties on both sides.
Read the full story from Sarah Basford Canales here:
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Motorcyclist dies in Sydney crash
A man has died after a collision between a motorcycle and car in Sydney’s inner west overnight, according to NSW police.
About 12.10am emergency services were called to the Princes Highway at St Peters.
The motorcycle rider was treated by NSW ambulance paramedics but died at the scene. He has not been formally identified but is believed to be in his 30s.
The driver of the car, a 46-year-old man, was taken to Royal Prince Alfred hospital for mandatory testing.
A crime scene has been established and officers have began an investigation.
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Albanese’s final day in Pacific
Good morning from Aitutaki Island in the Cook Islands, where Anthony Albanese is set to wrap up a final day of talks with Pacific leaders.
The prime minister and the other leaders from the Pacific Islands Forum are heading out from the island on a boat, Vaka Teariki Moana, for intimate talks without officials out on the lagoon. They are due to plant a tree on One Foot Island before holding wrap-up press conferences later in the day.
The climate crisis is repeatedly cited by the Pacific as its top security challenge, and Albanese is expected to announce details of further climate-related funding.
The talks come at a time when there is growing contest for influence in the Pacific between the US and China, and leaders have repeatedly stressed the need for forum members to stay “united” in the face of a raft of challenges.
But last night there seems to be a wrinkle in that plan, with the president of Nauru, David Adeang, skipping the leaders’ retreat. That seems to have been triggered by a suggestion yesterday that the leaders could revisit – or at least talk about – the process that led to plans for former Nauru president Baron Waqa to take over as next Pacific Islands Forum secretary general next year.
There is a whole backstory here, with a peace deal reached with Micronesian members in recent years. Fiji’s prime minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, told reporters in Aitutaki last night that Nauru should have been at the leaders’ retreat. Asked whether he felt everyone was “back at square one” regarding the internal tensions, Rabuka replied: “sort of”.
Albanese, who did a little dance last night, is due to fly back to Australia tonight.
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‘Impacted individuals’ held in indefinite immigration detention ‘will be released’ after high court ruling: Giles
Immigration minister Andrew Giles says the government is “carefully” considering the implications of the high court ruling that indefinite immigration detention is unlawful:
We are considering the implications of the judgment carefully and will continue to work with authorities to ensure community safety is upheld.
The plaintiff in “NZYQ v Minister for Immigration” has been released – “as ordered by the High Court”, the minister’s statement says.
Other impacted individuals will be released and any visas granted to those individuals will be subject to appropriate conditions.
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Thanks for joining us on the blog this morning, and thanks to Martin for kicking us off. This is Rafqa Touma: if there is anything you don’t want us to miss, shoot it my way @At_Raf_
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ll be bringing you our best overnight stories before handing the reins to my colleague Rafqa Touma.
When a Rohingya man sought asylum in 2012 it began a long legal saga that has now come to a head. Our exclusive lead story looks at how the case of the man known by the acronym NZYQ could result in dozens of people being released from Australia’s detention system because there is no prospect of them being deported. Lawyers for the refugees have begun asking the Albanese government to set their clients free after Wednesday’s landmark high court ruling. They also warned that ministers could face compensation claims if they don’t immediately release people who it is not possible to deport. Immigration minister Andrew Giles says the government is “considering the implications carefully” of the ruling.
Telcos could be forced by the government to allow customers to roam rival networks in the event of outages in line with a similar contingency introduced in Canada. Federal ministers tasked officials last month with drawing up the plans and the ACCC found it was technically feasible for the companies to implement. Optus and Telstra argued against emergency roaming, arguing that it would cost too much. But, as another of our stories shows today, outages pose a serious risk to people living with disabilities.
Islamophobic and antisemitic incidents such as spitting at women, threats of violence, graffiti and property damage have risen substantially since Hamas’s terrorist attacks on Israel on 7 October sparked the Israeli invasion of Gaza. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry says there have been about 50 incidents a week since 8 October but in the week up to the attack there was just one. Similarly there were 133 reported Islamophobic incidents between 7 October and 6 November, according to Islamophobia Register Australia. Before 7 October, the average number of weekly incidents was 2.5.
Anthony Albanese wraps up a week of intense diplomacy today when he and other Pacific leaders at the Pacific Islands Forum go out on a boat to hold intimate talks without most of their officials. The prime minister of the Cook Islands, Mark Brown, promised his counterparts that they would be going to “the most beautiful lagoon in the Pacific”. But they will do so without Nauru’s president, David Adeang, who walked out of the summit yesterday over who should be the next PIF secretary general.
With all that, let’s get going …
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