What we learned: Tuesday 10 October
Before we close the blog for today, let’s recap the big headlines:
The Australian government called for “the immediate and unconditional release of all those taken hostage” by Hamas after its attacks against Israel.
Indigenous affairs minister Linda Burney refused to discuss a path forward for Indigenous progress in the event of Saturday’s voice referendum failing, saying that regardless of the outcome there will still be disadvantage for Indigenous Australians on Sunday.
Forty Australian MPs and senators signed a statement declaring that the state of Israel “has an unimpeachable right to exist, and to defend itself”.
Hamas supporters in Australia “could be committing a crime,” home affairs minister Clare O’Neil warned.
Independent Wentworth MP Allegra Spender labelled last night’s pro-Palestine rally in Sydney as “abhorrent” and is seeking an “urgent explanation” of how it was “allowed to happen”.
AEC commissioner Tom Rogers urged respect at referendum polling booths.
NSW premier Chris Minns said scenes from last night’s pro-Palestine rally in Sydney were “completely abhorrent”.
NSW Police said an operation to identify and charge offenders at pro-Palestine rally was underway.
The ACCC granted go ahead for the $18.7bn acquisition of Origin by the Canadian global transition fund Brookfield and LNG group MidOcean Energy, according to a statement this morning.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton called for a formal National Security Committee meeting over Israel.
Minister for foreign affairs Penny Wong said Hamas attacks in Israel set back hopes for two-state solution.
Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie rebuffed criticisms from Labor labelling the recent Senate inquiry into a federal decision against granting Qatar the chance to run extra flights to major cities a “political stunt”.
The Palestine Action Group, who organised last night’s rally in Sydney, published a statement condemning antisemitic attendees and claiming that they will “not bow to pressure from parliamentarians to end our mobilisations.”
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese said Liberal and Greens criticism of response to Israel-Hamas war was “political.”
Thanks for reading, we will be back tomorrow morning.
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Pro-Palestinian rally taking place in Melbourne this evening
Off platform and newsletters editor Antoun Issa captured these images:
Pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne now. pic.twitter.com/DjzUpnjMSC
— Antoun Issa (@antissa) October 10, 2023
Two pro-Hezbollah Iraqi-Australian supporters have showed up with a frame of Hassan Nasrallah. Organisers are trying to whisk them away. pic.twitter.com/dEQc2hQ6NO
— Antoun Issa (@antissa) October 10, 2023
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Melbourne Metro Tunnel on fast track to 2024 opening
AAP reports Melbourne’s long-awaited Metro Tunnel will open to commuters in less than 12 months, a builder of the mega-project says.
John Holland chief executive Joe Barr has let slip the $12.6bn tunnel will begin operating next September.
Barr told the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Herald Sun’s Future Victoria lunch today:
It certainly is on track … The trains have been tested at full speed and we’re certainly looking forward to day one of operations in September next year.
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Disaster recovery requirements for roads funding onerous, says Moira Shire council
Graeme Emonson, administrator at Moira Shire council, said its infrastructure repair bill was $17m but it had received only $1m in grants.
Council representatives also pointed to the requirement under Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements for photographic evidence when making a claim, saying shooting and uploading the pictures was time consuming.
Emonson said the administrative task was “disproportionate to the effort that’s required”.
On Wednesday the inquiry, led by parliament’s environment and planning committee, will focus on flooding along the Maribyrnong River and the controversial wall built around Flemington racecourse.
The inquiry is due to hand down its findings by 30 June 2024.
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Victorian flood-damaged roads deteriorating, costs blowing out, as councils await funds
Twelve months since Victoria’s 2022 floods, the condition of damaged roads is worsening as delayed grant money sees the cost of works escalate, regional councils say.
Mayors and senior council staff have told a state parliamentary inquiry into last October’s floods that delays in receiving grants, including the disaster recovery funding arrangements (DRFA) – a joint arrangement between the commonwealth and state governments – were creating funding shortfalls for their communities.
Jane Bowker, flood recovery coordinator at Pyrenees Shire council said such delays increased the cost of repair work.
The damage gets a bit worse just from cars travelling over and extra rain and weather events.
We’re finding the costs are going up more so we know what might be a $7m cost will blow out in 12 months’ time.
Numerous councils revealed large gaps between the money needed to fix local infrastructure and what they had received, leading to delays.
Representatives from the Buloke Shire Council, said the immediate damage in the council’s road networks was estimated to be $32m but it had only received $11m to date in grants.
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Parallels between voice and Australia’s overseas development program, Conroy says
Conroy went on to say he saw strong parallels between “what we seek to do here in Australia through the referendum, and what we seek to do overseas through our international development program”:
It all comes down to listening with respect and humility to people and communities, to understand their priorities and their aspirations. And then working out how we can draw on all the tools available to us to get better outcomes.
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Only by reflecting on the past can we shape the present, Conroy says, as he urges a yes vote
Pat Conroy saidAlfred Deakin, as Victorian chief secretary, sponsored the Aboriginal Protection Amendment Act:
It empowered the state to remove so-called ‘half-castes’ from their communities – which would make them ‘useful members of society,’ as Deakin told Parliament.
That act broke up families and communities. It tore children away from their families. It destroyed links to culture and country. A few years later, Deakin would be in the thick of debates to determine what a federated Australia would look like.
At the heart of this was what the constitution would include.
But, as historian Russell McGregor says, Aboriginal people ‘barely registered in their planning for the new nation’.
Why bring all of this up?
It’s not to pass smug judgement from the 21st century. It’s so we can reflect on the past, and how it has shaped the present.
We haven’t always gotten it right. And sometimes we’ve gotten it very wrong. But we can learn, and do better.
In that light, the Uluru statement from the heart seems a humble request. This is our national opportunity to show, indeed, that we can learn and that we can do better.
I take this moment, then, to urge you all to join me on Saturday in writing down yes on that ballot paper.
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Pat Conroy urges yes vote in Alfred Deakin Institute Oration
A federal government minister has reflected on how Alfred Deakin - who was involved in the drafting of the country’s constitution - had some views that are “at odds with how we see Australia and the world now”.
Pat Conroy, the minister for international development and the Pacific, delivered the Alfred Deakin Institute Oration in Melbourne tonight. Ahead of Saturday’s referendum to enshrine an Indigenous voice in the constitution, Conroy said:
There are significant parts of Deakin’s history which are at odds with how we see Australia and the world now. In Deakin’s time and in his thinking, Australia’s place in the world was based on exclusion, and on the idea of a ‘British race’.
Excluding so-called “undesirable” migrants through the Immigration Restriction Act, and deporting Pacific Island workers through the Pacific Island Labourers Act, were efforts, he believed, that would maintain a unified and strong Australia.
Never mind that many of the indentured Pacific Island workers, at that time, had been kidnapped or tricked into coming to Australia.
In 1901, Deakin said that in a century’s time, it was likely that, quote: “Australia will be a white continent with not a black or even dark skin among its inhabitants.”
And, I quote: “The yellow, the brown, and the copper-coloured are to be forbidden to land anywhere.”
I wonder what Deakin would think of 21st century Australia, if he could walk through the streets of Melbourne. Of a multicultural Australia, where half the population are born overseas, or have a parent born overseas. Of an Australia which embraces its place in the Indo-Pacific region; that sees itself as part of the Pacific family.
Of an Australia which celebrates the fact that it is home to the world’s oldest continuing culture.
And an Australia that is just four days out from a referendum which seeks to enshrine a Voice to Parliament in the Constitution.
NSW Greens’ Leong backs pro-Palestine rally, condemns antisemitic slogans
Jenny Leong, a NSW Greens MP who last night urged people to attend the pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney, has joined its organisers in condemning the chanting of antisemitic slogans at the rally.
We join the organisers of last nights rally in Sydney in rejecting the small minority chanting offensive and anti-semitic slogans. Like so many, our hearts break over the devastation and loss of life. War is never the answer.
— Jenny Leong MP 梁珍妮 (@jennyleong) October 10, 2023
At the same time, we back in the rights of people to engage in peaceful protest and nonviolent direct action.
— Jenny Leong MP 梁珍妮 (@jennyleong) October 10, 2023
There is no place for anti-semitism, racism or discrimination in the struggle for human rights and against apartheid. #FreePalestine
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Coalition using ‘rightwing playbook’ to support nuclear power, Bowen says
The climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, has accused the Coalition of using “the rightwing playbook of 2023 – populism, polarisation and post-truth politics” in making false claims about the potential for nuclear power in Australia.
Speaking on Tuesday, Bowen said the opposition’s suggestion the country could embrace the banned energy source to meet climate targets was the “latest attempt at deflection and distraction now that outright denial is less fashionable”, and an attempt to “continue the culture climate wars in Australia”.
He said the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, and Coalition energy and climate spokesperson, Ted O’Brien, had made false claims about the role of nuclear energy in Canada, and been dishonest about the comparative costs of nuclear power and renewable energy in Australia.
Read more below:
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Dan Andrews votes yes, says Indigenous voice a chance to do things differently
The former premier of Victoria, Dan Andrews, has voted “yes” in the referendum (sporting a beard since stepping down from the state’s top job).
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Palestine Action Group plans second Sydney rally on Sunday, vows to tackle ‘bad faith tactics’
The Palestine Action Group will hold another rally calling for an end the occupation of Palestine at Sydney’s Town Hall on Sunday, and plans to put in place strategies to stem the “vulgar” behaviour of some attendees at Monday’s rally.
The decisions comes after Monday’s rally drew backlash from the state and federal governments and the Jewish community after some attendees chanted antisemitic slogans and lit flares. However, Fahad Ali, a member of the group, said this conduct was by a “small fringe” of about 20 attendees of a rally that was by and large “peaceful” and attended by Palestinian families and their supporters.
Ali said he and a number of others tried to intervene to stop the behaviour, and said the group were meeting to plan strategies to avoid any “bad faith tactics” occurring on Sunday. This will include firmly communicating in the lead up, and at the beginning of the event, that the behaviour is unacceptable.
Ali said the group was also in conversation with police about the location and route the rally will take on Sunday.
Earlier today, the Palestine Action Group released a statement condemning the behaviour of antisemitic attendees, saying:
Long-standing Palestinian organisers and activists, Palestinian, Arab and Muslim elders attending the protest were disgusted and deplored by the action. This is not what our movement stands for. We oppose Zionism, an ideology distinct from Judaism.
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Speakman says Palestinians have a right to ‘legitimate protest’ but condemns antisemitism
The New South Wales opposition leader, Mark Speakman, says Palestinians have a right to “legitimate protest” but condemned what he described as a “disgusting display of antisemitism” at the rally at Sydney’s Opera House.
Addressing reporters at NSW parliament today, Speakman lashed the government for its handling of the rally on Monday evening, saying it should have been “stopped at the outset”.
But Speakman said his criticism was “not a judgment on aspirations of Palestinians”.
He said:
None of this is a judgment on what should be the ultimate resolution of conflict in the middle east.
We can have rigorous debate, but it’s got to be respectful, and certainly not see the disgusting anti-semitic displays we’ve seen in the last 48 hours.
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Melbourne public housing towers mostly not wheelchair accessible, have sprinkler problems
Newport said this was also because of issues with access - a lot of them aren’t suited to wheelchairs, for instance.
He said they should be able to make between 14,000 and 17,000 new units across the sites.
When asked if there were issues in the towers similar to the red brick towers in Carlton, which became uninhabitable because of sewage problems, he said some had been retro-fitted with sprinklers, which flood the elevators when they are triggered, forcing residents to use the stairwell - which could mean descending 22 floors in some cases.
Heating and cooling are an issue. Those properties were designed in the 50s and built in the late 50s. Their time is well past.
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Better to demolish than remodel Melbourne’s public housing towers, Homes Victoria says
Remodelling the public towers in Melbourne would have cost $2.3bn, Homes Victoria says.
The CEO of Homes Victoria, Simon Newport, has been speaking at the Victoria Inquiry into rental affordability. Asked about the refurbishment of the towers, which house about 5,800 families, he said refurbishing them would be “putting lipstick on a pig”.
The program is projected to run for 27, to 28 years. Some of the towers could be 80 years of age. The construction methodology, ceiling heights that don’t permit services to run between floors, no heating, no cooling, no balconies, it’s difficult to clean windows. All of those factors were taken into account.
Purely in the point of maintenance view, it would be $2.3 bln over 20 years to keep them in the condition they are in now.
In terms of the sites, they’re done in terms of asset condition. I would point out our tenants are overwhelmingly telling us this. It’s taking up to 20 offers to get people to come and move to these towers.
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Police may not grant approval for another pro-Palestine rally, NSW police minister says
The New South Wales police minister, Yasmin Catley, has said the people planning another pro-Palestine protest for Sunday will be required to apply to police for approval in order to hold the rally without breaking the law.
Speaking to 2GB radio, Catley said the organisers would have to submit a “form 1” application, which notifies the police of any formal plans to hold a “public assembly”:
I would expect that the police may not grant that approval, but that will be up to the police to make that decision.
I don’t want to see protests on our streets at all from anybody. I don’t think anybody really does.
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A big thanks to Josh! Plenty more news coming your way from tensions at home over the Israel-Hamas war to rental affordability.
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I’m now going to hand you over to Natasha May for the remainder of the day.
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Palestine advocate calls for government to condemn Israeli reprisals and says community is horrified by ‘one-sided response’
Nasser Mashni, the president of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, has appealed to the Australian Government and international community to condemn the actions of Israel in the Gaza Strip.
“Israel’s ordering of a complete siege of Gaza, to halt the supply of electricity, food, water and fuel is a brutal collective punishment, and the defence minister calling Palestinians ‘human animals’ must be condemned in the strongest terms by the Australian government,” he said in a statement.
With the Israeli government warning of more reprisals to Hamas’ attacks in Israel on Saturday, Mashni said “the international community must act to stop Israel completely destroying the lives and infrastructure of the people in Gaza”.
Palestinian Australians and their supporters have felt horrified by the one-sided response by the Australian government in the last few days.
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Palestine Action Group organiser says movement condemns antisemitism
A spokesperson for the Palestine Action Group, which organised the rally outside the Opera House in Sydney last night, Josh Lees, says the rally was to show support for the basic freedoms of Palestinian people and to support their right to defend themselves, and to oppose the “horrific wholesale bombing of the Gaza Strip”.
He says it was a “tiny group” who chanted the “despicable antisemitic chant” and they did not represent the movement and were not welcome:
Ours is an anti-racist movement and condemns all forms of racism including antisemitism.
He says part of the issue is how this is being discussed. The issue did not commence three or four days ago. He said it was a terrible decision to light up the Opera House with the Israeli flag given that the Palestinian flag has never been projected onto the Opera House.
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Senior Aboriginal women say voice will bring people together, not divide them
Fourteen senior Aboriginal women from communities across central Australia, who are due to meet and perform for the PM later today at Uluru, have told Guardian Australia that they feel “very strongly from their hearts” that they want Australia to recognise them and their communities in the constitution by voting yes on Saturday.
“We want you to think of us, remember that we’re here and we have a lot of struggles in this country. When we vote yes, it’s not dividing two colours. We want everybody to come together, work together in our community, help us for our young generation,” Margaret Smith from Imanpa, the chair of the NPY women’s’ council, said.
We want to put our voice in so we can make changes in the community – what we want, not what the government tells us they want.
The women are all senior leaders who are working to develop mental health resources for communities, called Uti Kulintjaku or “clear thinking”, combining traditional healing practices with western mental health concepts to give Anangu (people) the tools to talk about “strong feelings” and trauma.
They say the project is an example of the kind of healing work that could be done if the voice to parliament was made possible, and the referendum has “stirred up strong feelings” for everyone and “clear thinking” was needed to find the right answer.
“We have been struggling. We want to see changes in our lives for the benefit of our young people, generations to come, that’s why we are voting yes,” Mamie Butler from Warakurna in WA, said.
Our voices, our needs haven’t been heard by the government. So this is a big chance for us to be heard. We are sick and tired of just getting hand fed, we want to be equals. We are strong in our own cultre, our own ways … We want to see white and black working together in a good way, empowered, not weak, and living happy together.
“We want to be seen, we want to be heard, we want to be understood,” says Renee Kulitja from Mutitjulu – one of the artists who painted the original Uluru statement from the heart.
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Australia working on contingency arrangements for evacuation of Australian citizens from Israel
Turning to the Israel-Hamas conflict, Albanese says Australia is working on “a range of contingency arrangements” for potential evacuations of Australian citizens and residents, and the foreign affairs department is working on a 24-hour basis to ensure that whatever support can be given is there.
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Albanese says successful voice referendum would be like the apology to Stolen Generations
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, tells ABC’s Afternoon Briefing that he is focused on the referendum on Saturday, and says it will be a positive and uplifting moment for the country if it is successful.
He compares it to the apology to the Stolen Generation:
There was a lot of concern, and, frankly, fake news about what the consequences of it would be. There would be all these negative consequences. None of them were realised.
We know that it was an uplifting moment, particularly, I think, for young Australians at that time. Every school in the whole country stopped to hear the apology. Brendan Nelson gave a fine speech as Liberal leader.
It is unfortunate that Peter Dutton walked out on that speech. He found the consequences, he was talking about, though, weren’t realised. He has apologised for that – but is committing exactly the same actions in being negative, saying no on this occasion.
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Albanese outlines committee to design the voice if referendum succeeds
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, says if the voice referendum succeeds, then he wants the parliamentary committee that develops the design of the voice will have joint chairs from the two major parties, and representation from across parliament.
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PM outlines travel plans in final days of referendum campaign
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is at Uluru in the Northern Territory, campaigning for the voice to parliament. He says he will meet with the Central Land Council today including 90 representatives from local communities in central Australia, covering tens of thousands of kilometres, who all support the voice to parliament, he says.
He says he will also be there tomorrow to greet former Liberal MP for Macarthur, Pat Farmer, at the end of his run in support of the voice. Then he will travel to Melbourne in Victoria, and then Sydney on Thursday morning, then Perth, Adelaide and Hobart.
He told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing:
All that Indigenous Australians are asking for is to be recognised in our nation’s founding document and to have a body in which they can make representations, be listened to, on matters that affect them.
It won’t have a right of veto, it doesn’t replace the parliament or the government. It simply is an opportunity to be heard because we know when we listen to people directly affected by issues, you get better outcomes.
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A prepare to leave warning has been issued for Mutchilba, west of Cairns in Queensland, for properties between Mareeba Dimbulah Road, Lemonside Road and Mutchilba Road. Including Algoma Road
A fast-moving fire is burning near Algoma Road, Mutchilba. It is travelling towards Mutchilba Road.
PREPARE TO LEAVE - Mutchilba - fire as at 1:35pm Tuesday, 10 October 2023.
— Qld Fire & Emergency (@QldFES) October 10, 2023
For all current warnings, updates and mapping go to https://t.co/vqyJTUPBhe. pic.twitter.com/QxM0Vwj5GI
Consumer Affairs head says doctoring photos of rentals is potentially breach of consumer law
Nicole Rich, the director of Consumer Affairs Victoria, has been asked if agents doctoring photos of rentals is possibly a breach of the law. The short answer is, yes.
Yes, that is potentially a breach of the law. Misleading or deceptive conduct is a breach of consumer law.
In the case of property managers and estate agents, they are also of course licensed professionals. Along with that licensing regime comes conduct obligations, and I would probably argue it falls short of those.
She said a third of the 300,000 inquiries they take each year are related to renting, with the majority of those either complaints or questions from renters. Priority areas were mould, heating and electricity.
Rich said the organisation had been receiving a lot of enquiries in relation to rent increases. When asked by Greens MP Aiv Puglielli why the CVA would tell a renter an increase of 20% was acceptable, Rich said they have to work within the guidelines they have:
The two key considerations are the rent for comparable rental properties in the area and the state ... of the properties. Unfortunately, that can mean, in a situation where the market is rising rapidly, the comparable rents might mean that significant rents are guiding the considerations.
In the end, we are guided by the current statutory functions.
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Tasmanian opposition confirms no confidence motion to be moved next week
In Tasmania, the state opposition will introduce a no confidence motion against premier Jeremy Rockliff next week, following the resignation of his attorney general Elise Archer over bullying allegations.
Archer momentarily wavered on a decision to quit parliament as well as the ministry, which resulted in Rockliff threatening to call an early election last week. Archer has since backed down but Rockliff remains in minority government with 10 out of the 25 seats in the lower house.
Tas Labor has confirmed it will move a no confidence motion in Premier Rockliff when parliament resumes next week. #politas
— Elliott (@Elliott_IAE) October 10, 2023
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Victorian premier condemns Hamas attacks
Victoria’s premier, Jacinta Allan, has condemned the Hamas attacks on Israel.
In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, she said:
Our thoughts are with the Israeli community in Victoria, after the recent terrorist attacks by Hamas. Hundreds of innocent civilians have been injured or killed and many Victorians will be worried for friends and family. We condemn these horrific acts, as a state and a nation - and we acknowledge Israel’s right to defend itself.
It comes after a press conference this morning, at which she was asked whether she considered the attack terrorism and responded that such definitions were “very much a matter for federal governments.”
Allan said she was taking advice from Victoria police ahead of a pro-Palestinian protests scheduled for Tuesday night outside Melbourne’s state library.
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Virgin Australia reports return to profitability at $129m net profit
Virgin Australia has returned to profitability for the first time in 11 years, announcing a $129m statutory net profit after tax in the most recent financial year. The airline made $5b in revenue over the 2022-23 financial year, up 124% on the previous year.
Its underlying earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) were $439m, representing a profit margin of 8.8%. Virgin’s EBIT margin is in line with domestic industry standards pre-Covid, but is dwarfed by Qantas’ EBIT margin of 18.2% on domestic operations that it posted when unveiling a record $2.47bn profit for FY22-23 in August.
Virgin, who are not listed on the ASX following their administration and restructuring during Covid, announced its results from the 2022-23 financial year on Tuesday, long after other listed airlines such as Qantas/Jetstar and Rex reported their results to investors.
Following its restructure under private investment firm Bain Capital, Virgin Australia has shifted away from premium and international services, focussing on domestic operations before slowly resuming overseas flights following the international border reopening.
Bain Capital had been expected to proceed with an initial public offering – to relist Virgin on the stock exchange – in 2023, but this is now expected next year.
Jayne Hrdlicka, Virgin Australia CEO, said the results were an important milestone for the airline which signals that its “transformation” is “progressing well”.
Value and choice are core to our business and as the continuing rise in cost-of-living impacts household budgets, we believe we are well positioned to continue to provide customers with the best value in the market.
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Bowen welcomes ACCC decision, says grid in a ‘good place’ ahead of summer
The federal energy minister, Chris Bowen, has welcomed the ACCC‘s decision to approve the $18.7bn takeover of Origin Energy by Brookfield and EIG partners.
As we noted in this story, the market watchdog has set some conditions to ensure Brookfield’s now dominant position in Victorian transmission and energy retailing doesn’t stymie rivals’ access to the grid:
ACCC’s head, Gina Cass-Gottlieb, said the approval was a “finely balanced” one, with Brookfield’s commitment to accelerating the introduction of renewable energy and storage (versus Origin’s own plans) a key reason for giving a nod to the takeover.
Energy prices have become a bit of flashpoint given the jump of a quarter or more for this year. There may be some good news on that front, given the sizeable fall in September quarter in wholesale prices (as we noted exclusively here this morning).
Whether the recent slide in spot power prices can be maintained remains to be seen, though, particularly if summer heatwaves cause regular spikes in demand. On that score, Bowen said authorities “continue to make sure we do everything possible to strengthen the grid”.
“We go into this summer with 3.4 gigawatts more [generation capacity] than we had last summer, which is a good place to be starting,” he told Guardian Australia on the sidelines of the AFR energy summit in Sydney today.
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Thanks for joining me on the liveblog today. I’ll leave you with my colleague Josh Taylor, who will be with you for the next little while.
PM says Liberal and Greens criticism of response to Israel-Hamas war ‘political’
Next, the prime minister Anthony Albanese was asked to respond to calls from opposition leader Peter Dutton for the National Security Committee to be conveyed in relation to the Israel-Hamas war.
He said Dutton is attempting to “politicise every issue”.
We’re receiving briefings from appropriate official federal agencies, we’re responding appropriately …
Albanese also labelled the Greens’ response to the illumination of Australian landmarks in blue and white to support Israel as “political”.
I’ve just been disappointed with everybody … looking for political angles.
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Albanese maintains pro-Palestine rally ‘inappropriate’
Turning to the Israel-Hamas war, Albanese is asked if there are any Australians that remain unaccounted for?
He told Sky News there’s nothing he can add publically at this time, but the government is working with families that have relatives overseas.
Turning to last night’s pro-Palestine rally, Albanese maintained it was “inappropriate” for the rally to go ahead.
I understand that people have deep views about issues relating to the Middle East conflict. But here in Australia we have to [deal] with political discourse in a respectful way, and I certainly didn’t see that last night, which is one of the reasons why it’s inappropriate [that it went] ahead last night.
Albanese acknowledged that “Palestinian [have been] suffering for a long period of time, as well” but added “nothing justifies what we saw on the weekend”.
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PM confident people will vote yes in referendum
The prime minister Anthony Albanese is currently speaking to Sky News live from Uluru in the Northern Territory, as part of his nationwide blitz ahead of Saturday’s voice to parliament referendum.
He said he remains “confident” people will vote yes in the referendum. When asked whether a great deal of “healing” will need to be done if it doesn’t pass, Albanese says:
We’re living in “no” right now.
He is asked whether the yes campaign has relied too much on heart, rather than detail?
But he says firmly, “The details are there”.
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Police have defended their actions in arresting a man who carried an Israeli flag to a pro-Palestine rally in Sydney “for his safety” as local tensions over the Israel-Gaza conflict boiled over on Monday.
My colleague Catie McLeod has the full story:
Flesh-eating ulcer spreads further as cases rise in Victoria
The number of Victorians diagnosed with a flesh-eating bacterial skin infection has increased as health authorities warn cases have spread beyond previously known hotspots, AAP reports.
Clare Looker, the state’s chief health officer, has warned that cases of Buruli ulcer in the state are increasing, with 238 identified as of 2 October this year compared with 207 at the same time last year.
There were even fewer cases reported in the years prior, with 197 in 2021 and 135 in 2020.
In a health alert, Looker warned the infection was spreading across Victoria and was no longer restricted to specific areas on the state’s coast.
Instead, there was a recent increase in cases linked to multiple suburbs in Geelong including Belmont, Highton, Newtown, Wandana Heights, Grovedale and Marshall.
There was also a recent increase in cases linked to Melbourne’s inner north and west, including in the suburbs of Essendon, Moonee Ponds, Brunswick West, Pascoe Vale South and Strathmore, Looker said.
The chief health officer warned early diagnosis was key, and said people could prevent becoming infected by avoiding mosquito bites, mosquito-proofing their homes and reducing mosquito breeding sites.
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Australia to be represented at the Indian Ocean Rim Association in Sri Lanka
The assistant foreign affairs minister, Tim Watts, will travel to Sri Lanka today, representing Australia at the 23rd meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (Iora) council of ministers.
He said the council will discuss maritime safety and security, the blue economy, climate change, and the Iora outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
In a statement, Watts said Australia would support Sri Lanka in its term as Iora chair over the next two years.
Australia and Sri Lanka share enduring business, education, development, sporting and cultural links. We also share close people-to-people links, with over 130,000 people of Sri Lankan heritage contributing to the vibrancy of modern Australia.
Watts said Australia’s economic ties with Sri Lanka will be enhanced through the signing of a renewed trade and investment framework agreement.
I will also discuss with Sri Lankan counterparts how we can work together to meet shared challenges like climate change and transnational crime.
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NSW to allow penalties such as counselling or fines instead of court for drug users caught with small amounts
Drug users caught with small amounts of illicit substances will have the option to get counselling or pay a fine rather than go to court under a major overhaul of NSW laws, AAP reports.
From New Year’s Day, police can choose the non-criminal measures when catching people with personal-use quantities of MDMA, cocaine and ice.
Today’s announcement brings NSW into line with all other states and territories and comes amid pressure on the government to introduce a drug-checking regime for music festivals.
The health minister, Ryan Park, said he was pleased the new stance would take an estimated 6,000 drug users out of the courts:
More importantly, people with very low amounts will be able to be treated through a health pathway, which is very, very important going forward.
Asked why the government hadn’t taken steps toward pill testing – another harm-minimisation measure in use in other jurisdictions – Park emphasised that policy would not prevent every death:
I don’t want to give anyone – whether they be a young person or a parent or anyone else - an impression that pill testing is a silver bullet that will stop every harm happening at a festival.
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Pro-Palestine rally organisers condemn antisemitism and affirm right to demonstrate following political backlash
The Palestine Action Group, who organised last night’s rally in Sydney, have published a statement condemning antisemitic attendees and claiming that will “not bow to pressure from parliamentarians to end our mobilisations”.
In the statement, the group affirmed it has “the right to demonstrate” following widespread backlash from politicians, including the NSW premier, Chris Minns, and independent MP Allegra Spender who both labelled the rally as “abhorrent”.
Meanwhile, Australia’s former ambassador to Israel Dave Sharma argued the rally “should not have been allowed to go ahead”.
The Palestine Action Group wrote:
At a conjuncture where anti-protest laws widen to target anyone who opposes the colonial and capitalist structures of this state from First Nations movements to the climate justice movement, the state’s attack on Pro-Palestinian protestors is no different.
The statement claims the rally was “very successful and peaceful” with a “tiny fringe” of around 20 antisemitic attendees who “showed up to the opera house for an event unrelated to the demonstration we organised”.
Long-standing Palestinian organisers and activists, Palestinian, Arab and Muslim elders attending the protest were disgusted and deplored by the action. This is not what our movement stands for. We oppose Zionism, an ideology distinct from Judaism.
The group says it will continue to demonstrate until “Palestine is free, from the river to the sea”, with a second rally planned for 16 October at Town Hall.
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Miranda Tapsell releases video supporting yes vote in voice referendum
Movie star and TV host Miranda Tapsell has spoken out in support of the Indigenous voice to parliament, urging a yes vote ahead of this Saturday’s referendum.
In a video, she said:
It’s the step in the right direction because it’s a seat at the table.
I feel that the knowledge that has been passed down for over 60,000 years will benefit everyone … We already live in no, and this is the decent thing to do.
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Pro-Palestine rally organiser condemns antisemitism
An organiser of the pro-Palestine rally in Sydney last night has said antisemitism has “no place in [their] movement”.
Writing on X (formerly Twitter), a member of the Palestine Action Group, Fahad Ali, claimed he personally intervened to shut down antisemitic chants from “a group of idiots who were in the minority”.
Ali labelled this behaviour as “vulgar” and “completely selfish”.
Let me stress: don’t come to our rallies if you’re looking to start trouble. You’re not welcome, we don’t want you there, and we do not have the time to be dealing with your mess when we are trying to shine a light on the ongoing massacre of our people.
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McKenzie says Labor attempting to ‘discredit’ Senate inquiry report on Qatar Airways decision
Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie has rebuffed criticisms from Labor labelling the recent Senate inquiry into a federal decision against granting Qatar the chance to run extra flights to major cities a “political stunt”.
McKenzie, the committee’s chair, told reporters in Canberra that Labor was trying to “discredit” the inquiry’s work after it delivered a series of recommendations on Monday, including to review its Qatar decision and to force the transport minister, Catherine King, to appear as a witness.
Monday’s report by the Coalition-majority committee was released with two separate dissenting reports from Labor and the Greens.
The Greens agreed the Qatar decision needed more transparency. Labor’s report, however, labelled the report a “political stunt” and said that it had descended into “political antics”.
McKenzie said:
The Labor party is trying to discredit the work of this select committee that they fought very, very hard to make sure was never set up, that every step of the way they’ve ... sought to obfuscate and stop the select committee doing its job.
The report also recommended extending the inquiry until the end of November so that it can summons the former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, who has been overseas for personal reasons.
McKenzie insisted she still planned to call on Joyce to appear before the inquiry once he returned to Australia:
There is absolutely more questions to be asked. There are only three people that can answer these questions - it’s the prime minister, it’s Catherine King as the minister [for transport] and it’s former CEO Alan Joyce.
Unfortunately, the Labor party thinks that now Mr Joyce is a private citizen that he is not subject to questioning by the Senate and unfortunately, that’s not the case. The role of the Senate is to hold people accountable.
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NSW Council for Civil Liberties condemns political interference with right to protest
The NSW Council for Civil Liberties has condemned political interference with the right to protest, after cross-party criticism of last night’s pro-Palestine rally in Sydney.
Josh Pallas, the president of the council, said calls from politicians and public figures for police to have prohibited the protest are “misplaced and fundamentally inconsistent with the right to protest” which “must be protected, not trashed”.
The exercise of this right should not be dependent on police approval. Non-violent protest is fundamental to democracy and should be allowed by right.
… The right to protest has already been eroded enough in this state and politicians should not be given licence to erode it further on the basis of there being ‘good’ and ‘bad’ protest causes. Protest itself ought to be celebrated as enriching our democracy.
Pallas said expression of hate speech in any form is “neither appropriate nor consistent with democratic values”.
Hate speech is not a legitimate exercise of free speech rights. Protestors should not engage in hate speech.
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Wong: ‘How we deal with this is an indication of … our values as a nation’
Circling back to foreign minister Penny Wong’s press conference:
Speaking of the Israel-Hamas war, she acknowledged there is a “long and complex and disputed history to this conflict”.
The narratives of different groups differ.
She urged Australians to engage in a discussion about what is occurring “respectfully”.
I saw antisemitism being expressed, which I think is antithetical to who we are as a country. All prejudice and discrimination of that sort should be rightly condemned.
She reiterated her position that peace can be achieved through a two-state solution:
I understand this is a very emotionally charged issue for many communities in Australia. How we deal with this is an indication, is a demonstration of maturity and our values and cohesion as a nation.
That matters to everyone. It matters to all of us regardless of our views on this conflict or our views on what is occurring. We should deal with this respectfully and in accordance with the values that have made this country such a decent and inclusive country. We respect each other, we deal with each other respectfully, and we do not engage in a hate speech.
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YIMBY Melbourne wants to speed up building approvals
Back at the Victorian inquiry into rental affordability, Jonathan O’Brien from YIMBY Melbourne has been asked why he thinks there are 120 permits approved by councils across Victoria for which construction is yet to start.
Yesterday the group released a report calling for changes to tax and regulations across the city. They want to see more six-storey developments within 1km of train stations and 500 metres of tram lines.
O’Brien:
So there are two things. The first is the number of permits that have been approved but not actioned. A large problem within the planning system is how long it takes those permits to get approved.
When councils take upwards of a year to accept a development permit it changes the context in which those dwellings can exist and the feasibility of it.
So speeding up council processes is really important.
If you’re looking at applications for multi-residential, [approval] actually drops down to 80%. So that’s a one in five chance that you’re going to get knocked back, which is significant.
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Hamas attacks in Israel set back hopes for two-state solution, Penny Wong says
Wong is urging all Australians to maintain respect for one another as they express their views about a situation which is “deeply distressing” for many:
I want to say to Australians … what we are seeing unfold is deeply distressing for many in our community. It’s an issue close to the heart of many and I know that many people wish to express their views. I want to urge all Australians to maintain respect for one another.
We are a country that people want to come to because we are tolerant, we are respectful. We are peaceful.
There is no place for antisemitism. There is no place for hatred and prejudice. All of us have an obligation to each other and to the Australian community to uphold those value values.
Our position has always been our guiding principle when it comes to the Middle East, is a just and enduring peace. A two-state solution where both Israelis and Palestinians can live within secure borders. The actions of Hamas are completely inconsistent with this aspiration and they have set back this cause.
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Wong says the government is “engaging with countries in the Middle East and beyond at all levels”.
In addition to the Israeli foreign minister, last night I spoke with my counterpart from Jordan, and we are reaching out to a number of other partners and officials have also been engaging with governments with influence in the region.
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Wong repeats condemnation for Hamas attacks on Israel
The minister for foreign affairs, Penny Wong, and the minister for trade and tourism, Senator Don Farrell are holding a media conference in Adelaide with their Filipino counterparts.
Wong starts off with an update on the escalating conflict in the Hamas-Israel war:
We continue to seek to confirm the welfare of Australians who may have been caught up in these tragic events. Officials are monitoring the situation closely. We remain in close touch with local authorities as they learn more.
I’ve said previously, I’ve also spoken to my counterpart the Israeli foreign minister.
What is clear is there has been a devastating loss of life in these attacks. What is clear is the actions of Hamas are abhorrent. The government continues to support Israel’s right to defend itself. We call for all hostages to be released and we continue to urge the protection of all civilians lives by all parties.
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NSW minister says police did not ‘approve’ pro-Palestine rally but rather became aware it was occurring
The New South Wales police minister, Yasmin Catley, has told the parliament she was in “constant contact” with police acting commissioner Dave Hudson throughout Sunday and Monday and was “kept abreast of the events as they unfolded last night”.
The comments come after assistant commissioner Tony Cooke this morning said he had not spoken with the minister “at all” before the protest.
Asked in question time about the protest at the Opera House, Catley said:
The NSW police force has engaged with community groups as they monitor the situation here and of course overseas. I know that the Jewish community have an excellent relationship with the NSW police and that the police have been in constant contact with the community over the last few days.
She said police did not make “political judgment calls” and they made decisions last night “to prevent the risk of conflict and violence”.
She said police had not “approved” the march - a process that requires a form and about a week to process.
Instead, Catley said police had been “closely monitoring the situation and became aware through intelligence and through social media that large numbers could be expected together in the city”.
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Greens condemn civilian attacks in Middle East and call for end to occupation of Palestine
Greens leader Adam Bandt said that for peace to be achieved in the Middle East, the “occupation of Palestine must end”.
Writing on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Bandt said:
The Greens condemn the horrific attacks on civilians. We condemn the occupation. It’s time for a just and lasting peace. To achieve peace the occupation of Palestine must end.
The Greens condemn the horrific attacks on civilians.
— Adam Bandt (@AdamBandt) October 10, 2023
We condemn the occupation.
It's time for a just and lasting peace.
To achieve peace the occupation of Palestine must end.
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Hesta advocates for fairer superannuation system to eliminate the gender gap
Superannuation fund Hesta is calling for a clear goal to eliminate the “gender superannuation gap”, also highlighting the need for transparency in measuring progress towards this goal.
Hesta is recommending the government builds a “more equitable and dignified retirement income system” for all Australians, irrespective of their income levels.
Its submission on the two bills, the superannuation (objective) bill 2023 and the superannuation (objective) (consequential and transitional provisions) bill 2023, highlights the importance of providing financial security for low and middle-income earners – especially women – as they prepare for retirement.
The fund’s CEO, Debby Blakey, said we must aim for gender equity when it comes to superannuation, but also measure any progress:
The ambition to target support in the superannuation system to those most in need can only be achieved if the distributional outcomes of superannuation policy are measured on different groups over time.
The submission recommends that compatibility statements incorporate comprehensive analyses, including rigorous modelling, to evaluate a policy’s impact on superannuation savings and its potential adverse consequences.
Blakey:
A gender superannuation impact assessment can help us achieve this goal.
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Queensland to build new deslination plant
Queensland will build a new desalination plant to meet strong population growth in the state’s south-east.
The premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, said desalination was a focus of Seqwater’s 2023 water security program “because it goes directly into the water grid and is not lost to evaporation during droughts.”
Desalination leaves a greater flood buffer in Wivenhoe Dam at the end of a drought and ... secures the water grid during flood events when water treatment plants are being impacted by debris.
A detailed business case for the plant will be completed for budget consideration in 2025, which will also decide the location of the facility.
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Back to the Victorian inquiry into rental affordability, where Matthew Lloyd-Cape – director of the Centre for Equitable Housing, Per Capita – said rent increases won’t work, but rent stabilisation should be looked at.
For example, right now, if we had a rent freeze, you might see that a whole bunch of landlords decided to put their house on Airbnb, it’s relatively lightly taxed, and it’s fairly unregulated.
He said the idea is there would be a formula for determining what a fair and equitable rent increase is:
In the ACT, you’ve got the [cap at] 110% of CPI rent increases, so if CPI rents go up by 5%, then you can increase by %5.5.
Effectively, we don’t want [a rent freeze] that governs rent prices. But we don’t want to see these enormous rent increases that we’ve seen in the past 12 months or so… That has a really negative effect on the economy.
Darcy Moore backs yes vote in voice referendum
Grand final winning Collingwood captain Darcy Moore has backed the Indigenous voice referendum, calling it “an intuitive next step” and “an important and practical way to help Indigenous Australians”.
He told ABC RN this morning:
It all seems pretty straightforward and yeah, so I’ll be voting yes.
Moore, who steered the Magpies to the AFL flag last month, said he didn’t agree with the no campaign complaints about division, and didn’t believe it would create “all these extra rights” for Indigenous people because advisory bodies already exist and have existed for some time.
There are already sort of advisory bodies for Indigenous Australians that have come and gone as governments have changed... the mechanism has kind of already existed anyway. So, by making it permanent in the constitution, it’s just locking it in.
So, it’s in that way not anything new and so if those bodies have always existed, then Aboriginal Australians will have already had those extra rights, which has never been a problem before.
Moore also pushed back on claims from voice opponents that notable people, including athletes, should stay quiet during political conversations.
In Australia, we don’t really have a very strong kind of activist culture, political activist culture amongst athletes ... there are certainly people out there that just want you to shut up and play sport.
There are athletes that are human beings and citizens of the country too, so they can, you know, exercise their rights and say what they want to say, and they can do it in a really healthy way.
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Dutton says PM treating Australians as ‘stupid’ if he thinks voice can pass ‘on the vibe’
Continuing to speak to the media, the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is asked about polling surrounding the Indigenous voice to parliament, and whether a no result is “inevitable”. He said the only poll that counts is on election day:
We need people to turn out and make sure they vote.
He claimed the prime minister Anthony Albanese is treating Australians as if they’re “stupid” if he thinks the voice can pass “on the vibe”.
… but Australians are not silly. They understand that only eight out of 44 referenda questions have been successful in our country’s history. People don’t lightly change the constitution and for good reason.
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Dutton calls for formal National Security Committee meeting over Israel
Peter Dutton said he finds it “remarkable” that prime minister Anthony Albanese is yet to hold a national security meeting on the Israel-Hamas war.
I mean the threat to people of Jewish faith in our country is very real. There are stories coming out of Jewish communities where they’re telling kids not to wear school uniforms in public …
I find it remarkable that the prime minister has not held a formal meeting of the National Security Committee to discuss these very important matters, to discuss the domestic threat level, to look at ways in which they can de-escalate some of the scenes we saw or prevent those gatherings from taking place in the first instance.
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Dutton joins chorus of condemnation over pro-Palestine rally
Opposition leader Peter Dutton also responded to last night’s pro-Palestine rally in Sydney and said there’s “no excuse for this sort of behaviour or conduct”.
If there was a terrorist attack in our country today, a couple of hundred people were taken hostage, hundreds of people were shot dead after a music festival, as Australians we wouldn’t want to see protesters gathering in New Zealand or another part of the world, cheering and chanting that that was a great thing.
Speaking of Hamas’ attack on Israel, Dutton said “this is not a border conflict” but “an act of terrorism and treachery” that “should be condemned by every decent human being”:
I think some of the behaviour that we saw at the Opera House last night does not belong in our country.
People can protest peacefully. That is a right. People can express their view, even if we disagree with it in our country. But some of the conduct last night was appalling and frankly there should have been a lot more done to deter that gathering from taking place in the first instance.
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Peter Dutton claims there are ‘rumblings’ within Labor party on Anthony Albanese’s leadership
Opposition leader Peter Dutton is speaking to the media from Adelaide.
Speaking on the Indigenous voice to parliament debate, he claimed there are “rumblings” within the Labor party on prime minister Anthony Albanese’s leadership due to falling support for the voice in the polls:
I think that’s why at the moment there are all sorts of rumblings within the Labor party about the prime minister’s leadership and the fact that he has turned 65% support for the voice when it was first announced into something more akin to 35%. That’s a remarkable achievement over the course of the last 16 months …
Dutton reiterated comments he has made in the past about the voice being “divisive” and spoke of its permanency in the constitution, and how it “won’t be able to be overturned by legislation in the parliament”.
(It’s important to note that while legislation can’t overturn the voice, the voice constitutional amendment states that parliament will have power to decide the voice’s “composition, functions, powers and procedures”).
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Australian tourism returns to 79% of pre-pandemic levels
Tourism into Australia has reached 79% of pre-pandemic arrivals, with some regions back at 2019 levels, according to the trade and tourism minister, Don Farrell.
Today marks one year since the government launched its “Come and Say G’Day” tourism campaign. A statement from Farrell said global consideration for an Australian holiday has increased over the past 12-months, and the number of international travellers searching flights to Australia is up by 10% globally, compared to 2019.
The statement reads:
At the time of the Come and Say G’day campaign launch, international visitation to Australia was at 50% of pre-pandemic levels, compared to October 2019.
The most recent arrivals number for July 2023 show that has climbed to 79%, compared to July 2019.
Tourism Research Australia is projecting international visitor expenditure to exceed pre-pandemic levels in 2024, and for international visitor arrivals to exceed pre-pandemic levels in 2025.
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Economist recommends relaxing zoning regulations to boost Victorian housing supply
Staying with the Victorian inquiry into rental affordability:
On zoning divisions, Brendan Coates said they are constraining the ability to build density in liveable areas. He said it’s better to build where amenities already exist, like the middle ring suburbs about 5-10km out of the CBD.
The chief economist at the Centre for Independent Studies, Peter Tulip, said councils should implement housing targets. There is one issue though - Nimbys.
Even if I was to convince all of you, the millions of Victorians outside this conversion would be unconvinced. Public opinion is the big obstacle.
Coates said many apartments are built poorly and this doesn’t help. He said apartments need to be built with good design, and good materials.
The quality of development makes a big difference. It will reassure communities what gets built around them stands the test of time.
In Victoria, there are 120 planning permits that have been approved but building hasn’t started yet. Coats said the ACCC should look at land banking:
Partly because if there’s nothing there, then we can put the issue to rest. And if there is there, then we can take action.
Tulip said losing zoning regulations could make housing 19% more affordable.
To give you some numbers: the average apartment in Melbourne sells for about $670,000. But builders can provide that, the cost of supplying that is about $550,000. So there’s a gap of $130,000 that arises because of zoning restrictions. It’s a supply constraint, just the way that taxi licences put the price well above the cost to supply.
If we allowed more buildings, prices could fall about 19% towards the cost of supply. There’s a general rule of thumb for every extra percent increase in the housing stock, the cost of housing falls about 2.5%. So, there’s a substantial improvement in affordability, you could get simply by allowing more building.
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Grattan Institute recommends 40% increase in rent assistance for Victorians
Brendan Coates, the economic policy program director at the Grattan Institute, has been speaking at the Victorian inquiry into rental affordability. He has called for a 40% increase in rent assistance:
The 15% increase is insufficient. We’ve recommended at least a 40% increase. There’s probably a case for the number to be higher. If you don’t want retirees living in poverty if they’re renters, you need to double the payment.
He says this, along with changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax, would be a better policy, instead of rent increases.
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Mental health experts urge Australians to back yes voice vote
Peak mental health bodies and organisations are urging people to get behind a yes vote for the Indigenous voice to parliament, saying a successful referendum will create a more “united” and “compassionate” country.
Today is World Mental Health Day and the nation’s leading mental health professionals and experts are urging all Australians to get behind the voice in a new video.
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatry, BlackDog, the Mental Health Commissions, Beyond Blue, the Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association and Headspace have launched a video urging a “yes” vote.
The Centre of Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention’s Prof Pat Dudgeon said she’s supporting a yes vote as a way to ensure Indigenous expertise and experiences are prioritised.
The Bardi woman said:
I’ll be voting yes, because I would like to see self-determination for our people, I’d like to see Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a say in what happens for them.
Dr Simon Stafrace, chair of the Victorian branch of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, says it will be “critical” to ensuring Indigenous peoples have better health equities.
Giving indigenous communities a say in how the laws that affect their lives are made, will close the gap in health outcomes experienced by Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people, and improve their social and emotional wellbeing.
Watch the full video below:
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Anthony Albanese says Qatar Airways Senate inquiry chaired by ‘someone who has no understanding of the way the aviation system work in this country’
A reporter asks Anthony Albanese about the Senate inquiry into bilateral air service agreements, which handed down its final report yesterday and included a recommendation the government review the decision to block extra Qatar flights into Australia.
Reporter: will the Government do that?
Albanese:
That is a matter for the transport minister (Catherine King). There is nothing unusual about what has happened here.
Reporter: Why won’t King appear before the Senate inquiry given that house of representatives members can, with Scott Morrison doing that in 2014?
2014 … you have to go back a decade … For the same reason that Peter Dutton didn’t appear, for the same reason I’ve never appeared and the same reason anyone except for Scott Morrison.
The House of [Representative] members don’t appear before Senate committees, not the least of which a Senate committee chaired by someone who has no understanding of the way the aviation system work in this country.
With that, Albanese ends his press conference.
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Anthony Albanese said “there are concerns about Australians in the Middle East”:
I was briefed again this morning, I receive briefings every day about these issues and we continue to work through [the Department of] Foreign Affairs to provide supports.
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Anthony Albanese says he is concerned with rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia
Prime minister Anthony Albanese was again asked to respond to last night’s pro-Palestine rally in Sydney.
He argued there has been “a rise in antisemitism in recent times in Australia”.
I’ve been shocked by some of it… I’m concerned as well about Islamophobia, which has impacted in this country as well.
We need to make sure that racism has no place in Australia. We are a tolerant multicultural nation who have been enriched by our diversity.
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Anthony Albanese compares opposition to Indigenous voice to opponents of women’s sufferage
Speaking of opposition to the Indigenous voice, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, likened it to opposition to women’s suffrage:
There were people then who said ‘Well, not every woman agrees with giving women at the right to vote. It will have a downside, it will detract from the position of man in society. There were a whole lot of downsides.’
There is nothing to fear.
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PM reiterates voice referendum was requested by Indigenous Australians
Prime minister Anthony Albanese detailed his travels this week ahead of Saturday’s Indigenous voice to parliament referendum:
Yesterday I was in Broken Hill, as well as in Canberra. And this afternoon I’m travelling to the Indigenous community in central Australia, very close to Uluru where the Uluru Statement from the Heart began in the lead up and was finalised at the First Nations constitutional convention in 2017.
Albanese said he will meet with architects of the Uluru Statement from the Heart this afternoon.
I do hope that Australians accept this invitation from the first Australians on Saturday and in the leadup, because a no vote is saying that what we have now is just good enough and we can just keep doing the same.
There is no alternative on the table. This is the option that has been asked for, requested by First Nations people themselves, after a long process, most of which occurred under the former Coalition government.
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PM spruiks grain export terminal in Port Lincoln, SA
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is speaking to the media from Port Lincoln in South Australia.
He said he has met with Indigenous elders in the community to discuss “their strong support for a yes vote in Saturday’s referendum”, as well as local councillors about a the region’s grain export terminal:
There is enormous prospect for further growth here… I’m very positive about the prospects going forward. The three biggest destinations by value are Saudi Arabia, Japan, and China.
One of the things that we know is that the opening up of exports again to China, including for barley, has already made a substantial difference and just in the last week we have seen a very large vessel head off to China full of barley to make that wonderful world-class beer and [other products].
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Madeleine King thinks ABC Four Corners report on climate activists didn’t ask the hard questions
The federal resources minister, Madeleine King, has taken a swipe at the ABC’s Four Corners program on Monday night, which reported on climate activists taking on oil and gas company Woodside and its expanded operation plans Western Australia’s Burrup Hub.
The program included footage of activists from the group Disrupt Burrup Hub preparing to protest outside the home of Woodside chief executive Meg O’Neill.
Asked about the program at an energy and climate summit hosted by the Australian Financial Review, King said she thought it “was a little bit embarrassing” and “disturbing”.
I don’t think it asked the hard questions of some of these activists.
It certainly didn’t ask the simple questions like where do you think your power comes from in the leafy suburbs ... or what fills your car to drive to Meg O’Neill’s place.
King said people should not underestimate the importance of gas in meeting “our needs, let alone the region’s needs, which are equally as important”.
I just try to tell a story the best I can of the truth, right – of what we need to make a green energy transformation in the face of a global climate crisis.
King had earlier said all future scenarios published by the International Energy Agency [IEA] showed future investment was needed in gas to meet demand for energy.
In reality, the IEA’s roadmap for keeping the global goal of limiting heating to 1.5C within reach said the world did not need new long-lead-time oil and gas projects to meet demand.
It said continued investment was necessary in some existing assets and projects that had already been approved.
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Chris Minns concerned racial incitement may have occured at pro-Palestine rally
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, has repeated his concerns about last night’s Opera House rally at a press conference at the Sydney Cricket Ground, expressing concern that crimes of incitement or racial vilification may have occurred:
It was a situation last night where racial epithets were thrown at the Jewish community by the mere fact that they were members of the Jewish community which is shocking and abusive, and potentially [a] crime if there was an incitement ... to raise violence or if there was racial discrimination or vilification.
Premier Chris Minns condemns the “abhorrent” displays at the Opera House last night. He said “racial epithets were thrown at the Jewish community”and potentially crimes of incitement. #nswpol pic.twitter.com/COccznLVI1
— Tamsin Rose (@tamsinroses) October 9, 2023
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Muslim community leader calls for peace through dialogue
Aqeel Ibraheem from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Sydney told Guardian Australia the community was praying for peace in Israel and Palestine:
We are praying for peace. We wish they should live with peace and harmony. Both are children of same father Abraham and should have peace among them.
Leaders of the world should come forward and try to establish peace between them. They must find the solution via dialogue. Our prayers and sympathy for victims including women and children.
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Executive Council of Australian Jewry says political and community leaders who endorsed pro-Palestine rally ‘must be held to account’
The Australian Jewish community is continuing to react to local outpourings of support for Hamas attacks in Israel.
In response to demonstrations outside the Sydney Opera House on Monday evening, the co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Alex Ryvchin, said:
Our political leaders must now take note. Our media must now take note. There is no place for this incitement and bloodlust in our society. The political and community leaders who endorsed this gathering must now be held to account.
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ACCC authorises Brookfield and MidOcean’s acquisition of Origin Energy
The ACCC has granted the $18.7bn acquisition of Origin by the Canadian global transition fund Brookfield and LNG group MidOcean Energy, according to a statement this morning.
The ACCC’s chair, Gina Cass-Gottlieb, said the acquisition will likely result in an accelerated rollout of renewable energy generation, leading to a more rapid reduction in Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.
The Brookfield global transition fund has been specifically established to focus on the transition to renewable energy. Its decision to buy Origin, Australia’s fourth largest emitter of greenhouse gases, is driven by a strong imperative and commercial incentive to lower emissions quickly.
In this case, we determined that the likely gains for Australia’s renewable energy transition amount to a public benefit sufficient to outweigh the likely public detriments.
We drew extensively on our engagement with industry participants to weigh these public benefits and detriments.
My colleague Peter Hannam reported on the proposal last year:
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Victorian homelessness inquiry warned state must invest in new housing
The inquiry into the rental and housing affordability crisis in Victoria is continuing today.
Damien Patterson from Council to Homeless Persons was speaking earlier. He said the state needs 6,000 social dwellings to be built every year for ten years to meet demand. The program is now seeing 100,000 people access their services each year and this number will continue to grow:
There are people who are full-time employed essential workers who are unable to compete with the private market. There’s a significant subset of people coming to our services, year on year. Homelessness will continue to grow.
Social housing is what’s needed to get people back to homes they can afford, with rents they can afford.
He was asked about Homes Victoria’s plan to retire 44 older-style public towers across the CBD:
The redevelopments are great because many of these towers are coming to the end of their useful life ... People will be getting new houses that are more appropriate.
It’s also true though that we need to do more. The redevelopments will see a 10% uplift, but it’s also important for us to recognise the Victorian government needs to invest in new housing. For decades there’s been an underinvestment in social housing and we have the lowest level in the country.
It’s reasonable to say we should have something like the national average.
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Chris Minns defends $10,000 cost of lighting up Opera House sails in support of Israel
NSW premier Chris Minns has reiterated his condemnation of the pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney on Monday night.
He said it was an “appalling protest” and could “not believe” it went ahead.
Speaking to ABC Radio Sydney, he said:
The circumstances in Israel [are] unambiguously horrific and we’ve got a large Jewish community in NSW [so] to have people on the steps of the Opera House screaming epithets to the Jewish community in NSW is the opposite of what we want in this state.
He stood behind his decision to light up the sails of the Opera House in support of Israel on Monday night, and said it was done following a request from the Jewish community and cost $10,000.
Updated
Imam of Adelaide’s largest mosque calls for peace amidst rising global tensions
Imam Kamran Tahir of the Mahmood Mosque in Adelaide is hosting a peace symposium on Remembrance Day as the world faces mounting tensions and uncertainties.
A statement from the Ahmadiyya Muslim community reads:
Remembrance Day [is] a day when the world pauses to remember the horrors of past conflicts and the sacrifices made by countless individuals.
However, amidst the current situation in the Middle East, it is apparent that the lessons of the world wars have faded into memory, and the world stands at a crossroads that may lead to unprecedented conflict.
The event will take place at the Mahmood mosque from 6pm on 11 November, and is open to the media, community leaders, faith leaders and concerned citizens.
Updated
Dutton claims students attending Jewish schools have been told not to wear their uniforms
On FiveAA the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, was asked about NSW police reportedly asking a supporter of Israel to move on from the pro-Palestine protests at the Opera House.
Dutton:
Well everybody accepts the right to protest peacefully, but there’s no taste or class or decency in a rally which is chanting ‘F Jews’, ‘F Israel’ and the scenes that we saw last night in Sydney has no place in our country, and should be condemned without reservation.
Dutton claimed there are members of the Jewish community with children attending Jewish schools being told not to wear their uniforms:
That we would have that level of hate, and antisemitism in our country is something that we really need to reflect on.
Speaking on the arrest of a person at Town Hall last night for raising an Israeli flag, Dutton said it was “astounding” and NSW premier Chris Minns “needs to provide a proper explanation” of the rally:
…people should be able to protest peacefully. The police will want the separate groups to make their comments and to do it peacefully. But this wasn’t something that caught the police or NSW government by surprise last night, it was obvious the protest was taking place.
Updated
NSW police gives stats on pro-Palestine rally
And for his last question, Tony Cooke confirms that at its height, the pro-Palestine rally was attended by approximately 1,000 people and it wrapped up by 9pm, taking 2-3 hours for the crowd to disperse.
Updated
Assistant police commissioner says he indicated that Jewish community members attending pro-Palestine rally could put themselves at risk
A reporter asked Tony Cooke who from within the NSW police gave advice to the Jewish community that they should not go to the Opera House last night:
Reporter: Was that you?
Cooke:
I spoke very clearly with members of the Jewish community right throughout the day yesterday and as I’ve said earlier, indicated to them that people attending these positions can put themselves at significant risk.
They made a decision not [to] attend which I’m supportive of, and shows good sense in the circumstances, and we’ll certainly continue to support that community in their own observances.
Updated
NSW police: conflict management of pro-Palestine rally ‘not about condoning, supporting’ any process
What was the process behind deciding to allow the protest to go ahead?
Tony Cooke said it wasn’t a question of letting the protest go ahead, but NSW police responding to the circumstances before them.
In my view, clearly my best option was to control and manage the situation the best we could do. In the end, the risks of conflict were avoided that did not occur. This is not about us condoning, supporting, facilitating any process.
Q: In retrospect, was it a good idea for the government to light up the sails of the Sydney Opera House?
Cooke:
That’s not a matter for me.
Updated
NSW Police say operation to identify and charge offenders at pro-Palestine rally underway
The NSW police assistant commissioner, Tony Cooke, was asked to describe the behaviour at last night’s pro-Palestine rally. He said people were “very agitated”.
I’m very disappointed in the strongest possible terms that people saw fit to utilise flares and what not.
He said the “entire rally” was covered by CCTV footage and an operation has been established to look into issues from last night.
We will attempt to identify people who committed offences and will take appropriate actions to put them before the courts where it is possible.
Updated
Police say Sydney man arrested with Israeli flag ‘for his safety’
Speaking about the reported arrest made at Town Hall, involving a man raising the Israeli flag, the NSW police assistant commissioner, Tony Cooke, confirmed this did occur “for his safety”:
A person was removed from the Town Hall rally who was carrying a flag for his safety. He was arrested to prevent a breach of the peace for his safety. He was removed and released.
Cooke said he understands the man would view his actions as “his right”, but the situation “could have caused significant risk to him and others who were present”.
He will, and is able to, collect his flag from the Sydney City command and that has been made clear to him.
Updated
NSW police say they ‘will not tolerate’ conflict being imported to Sydney
The NSW police assistant commissioner, Tony Cooke, said this has been “an emotive issue across the community” but NSW police will not tolerate people bringing “conflict from other places to the streets of Sydney”.
We were able to manage that to ensure there was no conflict last night. We are continuing to work across all communities, and all communities can be assured that we will continue to do so, that they are free to go about their business without fear and that we will provide them support across all community.
Updated
NSW police explain reasoning behind managing pro-Palestine rally to prevent risk of conflict
NSW Police are speaking to the media following last night’s pro-Palestine rally in Sydney.
The assistant commissioner, Tony Cooke, said NSW police became aware of plans for a pro-Palestine rally at Town Hall on Sunday via social media, later understanding that people intended to move from Town Hall to the Opera House.
Being aware this is “a strongly emotive issue”, Cooke said police considered the best option was for them to manage the movement of people from Town Hall to the Opera House:
[This was] to ensure that we were able to control the movement of the people and get them to a place where we could manage the rally in its form and to prevent the risk of conflict, to prevent the risk of and offences [and] disturbances to the public throughout the city as it occurred.
Updated
Minns: situation where Jewish community was asked not to come into city is ‘intolerable’
Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, the NSW premier, Chris Minns, was asked to respond to reports that a man had been arrested at last night’s pro-Palestine rally for waving an Israeli flag.
Minns:
I don’t know the exact circumstances, but obviously we don’t want anyone arrested in those circumstances.
Minns said the situation where members of the Jewish community were told not to come into the city is “intolerable” for the future:
I know NSW police are talking with that community today and changes will be made.
Updated
Man carrying Israeli flag who was arrested but released last night considering legal options
AAP has the latest on a man who was arrested near Town Hall last night:
Jewish father-of-two Mark Spiro, arrested by police near a Town Hall rally on Monday night, is considering his legal options.
The Sydney businessman told Sky News he was carrying a rolled up Israeli flag when he was arrested. He was later released without charge.
Spiro said it was “shocking and confronting” to be arrested.
Updated
Today is Australiasian Women in Emergencies day
In some more positive news for your Tuesday morning, today marks Australasian Women in Emergencies Day – a day to recognise and celebrate the women who work in emergencies and disaster resilience.
AWE’s president, Bridget Tehan, said:
To the incredible women in our sector, your contributions do not go unnoticed. May this AWE Day serve as a beacon, encouraging all of us, regardless of gender, to appreciate, support, and stand alongside the women who continue to do amazing things in our field.
The Victorian SES has marked the day by sharing this photo online, and writing:
We have many incredible women at VICSES that dedicate their lives to supporting our communities.
We have many incredible women at VICSES that dedicate their lives to supporting our communities.
— VICSES News (@vicsesnews) October 9, 2023
Today, join us in celebrating them as part of Australasian Women in Emergencies Day! pic.twitter.com/1fYi3wNzs2
Updated
McKenzie flags Senate inquiry on Qatar Airways will vote to compel Alan Joyce to give evidence
Bridget McKenzie is asked when former Qantas boss Alan Joyce will be coming back to Australia?
She doesn’t know, but said next week the Senate will vote to request his attendance before the committee:
… because all the evidence received by this inquiry suggests there’s only three people that know the real answer to this – the minister, the prime minister, and [Alan] Joyce.
Q: Do you think that’s likely that he will appear?
McKenzie:
If he won’t agree to appear, we have the power to summons him, which the committee has already decided it will do.
… without his evidence, we won’t be able to get to the bottom of it.
Updated
Bridget McKenzie says Senate report shows Catherine King was initially recommended to approve Qatar Airways decision
Senator Bridget McKenzie spoke to ABC News Breakfast earlier about the Senate inquiry on bilateral air service agreements, which handed down its final report yesterday.
As chair of the committee, McKenzie was asked what the committee learnt from the inquiry process that was not on the public record before.
Host Lisa Millar said everything in the report had been reported on before the inquiry began, but McKenzie claimed “that’s not true”.
What was not on the public record was that minister [Catherine] King’s own department recommended to her, in a brief that was sent up to her office in January, to actually begin negotiations with Qatar Airways.
We also know that Minister King was of a mind to approve that. We didn’t know that prior to this inquiry.
I know that’s what the Labor party dissenting report says, but if you read the significant and powerful evidence of the report, we know that the minister was of a mind to approve that negotiating mandate in January … But then suddenly it goes quiet - she doesn’t approve it. And for six months, that decision sits on her desk.
A week after the prime minister agrees to launch the yes campaign with Alan Joyce in August - one week after that diary entry was made – she rejects the decision.
Updated
Sharma says pro-Palestine rally was ‘about siding with Hamas’
Dave Sharma disagreed when it was put to him that there were people at the rally paying tribute to those lost in the Gaza Strip as well.
I certainly don’t understand that to be the case.
The material that I saw promoting the rally made clear that it was not about commemorating the Israeli and civilian victims of Hamas’s terrorist attacks over the weekend … it was about siding with Hamas, celebrating what Hamas had done.
Updated
Dave Sharma: pro-Palestine rally ‘should not have been allowed to go ahead’
Australia’s former ambassador to Israel and former Liberal MP, Dave Sharma, said last nights pro-Palestine rally “should not have been allowed to go ahead”.
Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, Sharma said the fact that members of the Jewish community were told not to come to the Opera House indicates a “chronic failure or breakdown within the NSW police or the NSW police minister’s office”.
I thought that [scenes from the rally] were shocking and despicable … This protest should not have been allowed to go ahead last night and certainly not on the route that they planned. They should have found another location or another evening for that to happen.
It was just incredibly insensitive and I think that some of the chants and slogans that the crowd were chanting last night amount to racial incitement. They were despicable.
Updated
Albanese says Coalition call for military support for Israel is not ‘what’s envisaged’
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has spoken to Five AA Radio, who asked him about the Coalition’s call to volunteer to join a coalition of like-minded nations in the event that Israel needs military support to deal with the fallout of attacks from and in Gaza.
Albanese said:
Well there’s no suggestion that that is what’s envisaged. What Israel is not asking for, but what they’re receiving without having to ask, because they shouldn’t have to, is the political support of the world to call this out, this atrocity, for what it was. And that is what we did - and that is what other democratic western nations have done.
Albanese recognised the Middle East is “complex” and acknowledged the “ongoing suffering of Palestinians” and “hardship because of the conflict, on Israeli citizens”.
He said:
This does not provide any solution it just provides for the murder of innocent civilians. That does nothing to advance a political cause.
Albanese said Australia is concerned this will develop into a broader conflict, and the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, will be briefed later this morning.
Updated
NSW premier says scenes from pro-Palestine rally were 'abhorrent'
NSW premier Chris Minns said while he does support the right to protest, he thinks scenes from last night’s pro-Palestine rally in Sydney were “completely abhorrent”.
Speaking to Sunrise, Minns said he doesn’t know why the protest “went ahead in any event after so much bloodshed in Israel”:
I mean, the actions in Israel in the last 48 hours are issues of mass murder, indiscriminate murder and kidnapping of innocent civilians … To hold a protest and to celebrate these kind of actions are the opposite of what we want in NSW and Sydney.
He also defended the decision to illuminate the Sydney Opera House in blue and white Israeli colours in solidarity.
I think most people in Australia hold deep and grave concerns for people who have been kidnapped and taken into Gaza, and the community [reaction] – from the vast majority of people I have spoken to in the last 48 hours – has been horror at the actions of Hamas, and also the demonstrations that have taken place in Sydney in the last 48 hours.
Updated
Shorten: anti-Jewish slogans chanted at pro-Palestine rally ‘mark of antisemitism’
Federal frontbencher Bill Shorten has criticised the pro-Palestine rally in Sydney, saying “some of the anti-Israel rhetoric has always been a mark of antisemitism”.
He pointed to anti-Jewish slogans being chanted at the gatherings “which is just disgusting”. He told Nine’s Today show:
It is un-Australian to attack someone because of what god they worship and ... let’s call it what it is - it is antisemitism.
- via AAP
Updated
Commissioner says AEC is Australia’s ‘most trusted institution’
AEC commissioner Tom Rogers is then asked about the criticism the electoral commission has received from sitting MPs supporting the no campaign, and whether he is worried that has undermined trust in what is one of Australia’s most important institutions.
Rogers said the AEC is Australia’s “most trusted institution”:
We really are one of the most scrutinised and transparent organisations in Australia and we have an army of 100,000 people that come to the community, from the community to watch what we’re doing.
We have thousands of scrutineers involved in the process [and] we put results online, everything is done transparently.
Globally, we are known to be one of the most transparent and trustworthy electoral commission’s and I can guarantee citizens that we will be treating their votes with the utmost sanctity and respect.
Updated
'Conspiracy theory bingo': AEC commissioner responds to people handing out pens at booths
Tom Rogers says he was made aware that at a polling booth yesterday campaigners were handing out pens, warning the AEC would seek to change their pencil-drawn vote.
This has been a conspiracy that some no campaigners have been spreading – it is not new, it has also been popping up at general elections over the last decade or so. Clive Palmer has been calling for pens, not pencils, at polling booths since at least 2015, despite there being no evidence backing his claims of changed votes.
Rogers said:
This thing about pens and pencils and a range of other conspiracy theories, frankly, it’s like conspiracy theory bingo at every election. You tick it off as it occurs.
I can assure everyone that votes are treated with the utmost respect. We treat them like a democratic blank check that we cash on behalf of all Australians. There are scrutineers there whenever votes are being handled. If anyone thinks we’ve got time to do that with something like over 17 electors, frankly, come and work for us and you’ll see what happens.
It’s nonsense.
Updated
‘We’re certainly seeing more tension’: AEC commissioner urges respect at polling booths
AEC commissioner Tom Rogers has spoken to ABC radio RN Breakfast host Patricia Karvelas about some of the behaviour AEC workers are being subjected to at early polling booths.
Asked if, compared to previous elections, if things are “more tense” Rogers says “it is”.
Rogers:
We’re certainly seeing more tension. And I think that’s a probably a reflection of the kind of debate that we’re seeing in public in any case, which I think during a referendum always tends to be a bit more visceral than at a normal election.
So again, we’re urging everyone particularly as you’re coming into a polling place to ensure that you respect everyone there, including the campaigners, by the way, but the people that work there – as you know, these are not full time AEC employees. They agree to come on board to assist delivering democracy to Australia. You know, approximately 100,000 people – they are your grandparents, your parents, your siblings, your friends, please treat them civilly.
Updated
Penny Wong was asked to respond to comments made by opposition leader Peter Dutton who yesterday said it was “completely and utterly the wrong time” to call for restraint from Israel in responding to the Hamas attacks.
Yesterday, Dutton said:
When people talk about Israel having to show restraint, it’s completely and utterly the wrong time for that sort of language.
Speaking to ABC RN, Wong responded:
I found it somewhat extraordinary that a senior Australian politician would actually suggest that Australia arguing or advocating for civilian lives to be protected is something wrong.
Earlier in the interview she also argued Dutton “always wants to find a political difference, doesn’t he”.
- with Daniel Hurst
Updated
Penny Wong: ‘There’s no place for antisemitism in our society’
Penny Wong is asked about some antisemitic comments made by people at the pro-Palestine rally in Sydney last night:
I think two things. The first thing I would say is there’s no place for antisemitism in our society.
And the second thing I would say is, we know this is conflict or this is a region of the world where there has been longstanding dispute, longstanding suffering of violence on all sides.
Nothing justifies what we have seen Hamas engage.
… I’ve spoken before about our position in terms of seeking an … an enduring two-state solution, which recognises the legitimate aspirations of Jewish and Palestinian peoples. I think that is a very separate argument to what we are seeing now.
Nothing justifies the violence, the hostage taking, the killing of civilians, the awful scenes we have seen Hamas engaging in.
Updated
Wong says airlines pulling flights from Tel Aviv is ‘very concerning’
Foreign affairs minister Penny Wong told ABC RN the government is seeking to confirm the welfare of any Australians who may have been caught up in this attack:
I repeat what I said yesterday that if there are Australians in Israel [or] in the Palestinian territories, we would urge you to contact your families to make sure we can verify your safety and they are aware of your safety.
Wong said she is aware of reports that major airlines including Emirates and American Airlines are pulling their flights from Tel Aviv and that it is “very concerning” for people trying to leave.
The advice to me today is obviously Tel Aviv airport remains open. And there are commercial options available, although I noticed that they are narrowing and there have been quite a lot of flight cancellations.
We’re continuing to monitor that.
Updated
Penny Wong says Israel has right to defend but urges ‘restraint’ to protect civilians
Q: Does that right to defend itself extend to what looks like collective punishment?
Foreign affairs minister Penny Wong:
We’ve said Israel has a right to defend itself [and] we call for all hostages to be released. But we also have a principle position which we would advocate to all nations and all groups and all situations, which is we would urge for the protection of civilian lives and restraint …
I don’t think that’s a decision that it is easy to make from overseas … but I would say this – I think Australia should always, in any conflict, be saying we want civilian lives to [be] protected and that is what I have advocated.
Frankly, it’s very similar to the things that Simon Birmingham has said. And I just want to ask you to think about what’s the alternative? What’s the alternative to Australia urging restraint and the protection of civilian lives?
Updated
‘These attacks are abhorrent’: Penny Wong says Australia stands with Israel
Penny Wong is speaking to ABC RN about the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
The foreign affairs minister is asked whether it is justified for the Israeli defence minister to order a complete seizure of Gaza, cutting off food and fuel.
Wong reiterated her previous comments that “Israel has a right to defend itself”:
The sorts of images, awful images that we are seeing reminds us of the security situation that Israel confronts. This is a really a dreadful situation, a devastating loss of life, and I think we should all be very clear that these attacks are abhorrent.
And Australia does very clearly – as I said to the … Israeli foreign minister when I spoke to him – we do stand in solidarity with Israel when we recognise and support its right to defend itself.
Updated
Australian landmarks light up in colours of Israeli flag
Here are some images of the Australian landmarks that were illuminated in blue and white colours last night in support of Israel.
The Sydney Opera House:
Sydney’s Opera House tonight pic.twitter.com/xvux3AWxoA
— Ralph King 🇦🇺🇮🇱 (@AusAmbIsrael) October 9, 2023
Parliament House in Canberra:
Parliament House, Canberra.
— Ralph King 🇦🇺🇮🇱 (@AusAmbIsrael) October 9, 2023
Australia stands with our friend Israel in this time. pic.twitter.com/F57psKuNYv
Various landmarks around Adelaide, South Australia:
Landmarks around Adelaide are being illuminated in blue and white tonight in solidarity with the State of Israel. pic.twitter.com/eUBtWBbC9n
— Peter Malinauskas (@PMalinauskasMP) October 9, 2023
Updated
Allegra Spender wants ‘urgent explanation’ over pro-Palestine demonstration in Sydney
Independent Wentworth MP Allegra Spender has labelled last night’s pro-Palestine rally in Sydney as “abhorrent” and is seeking an “urgent explanation” of how it was “allowed to happen”.
Writing on social media, she said:
The scenes and chanting outside the Opera House last night are abhorrent. At a time when there should be solidarity with our Jewish community, they have been subject to appalling abuse.
I am seeking an urgent explanation of how this was allowed to happen.
The scenes and chanting outside the Opera House last night are abhorrent. At a time when there should be solidarity with our Jewish community, they have been subject to appalling abuse.
— Allegra Spender (@spenderallegra) October 9, 2023
I am seeking an urgent explanation of how this was allowed to happen. pic.twitter.com/ofYenjW1VW
You can read more about last night’s rally below:
Updated
Hamas supporters in Australia 'could be committing a crime', Clare O'Neil warns
Home affairs minister Clare O’Neil wrote on social media last night that Hamas is listed as a terrorist organisation in Australia and “anyone providing support to Hamas could be committing a crime”.
O’Neil said she spent Monday being briefed on Hamas’ attack on Israel and the “implications for Australia”.
I have spent today being briefed on the deplorable attacks on Israel by Hamas and the implications for Australia.
— Clare O'Neil MP (@ClareONeilMP) October 9, 2023
Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization in Australia and anyone providing support to Hamas could be committing a crime.
Writing on X (formerly Twitter), O’Neil said:
We condemn the attacks and stand with Jewish Australians in our heartbreak over the lost lives of innocent people.
The Government will always work to protect our nation’s security and ensure our communities can live safely and peacefully in our country.
Updated
NSW paramedics to meet in Sydney as they push for better pay
Hundreds of paramedics with the Health Services Union (HSU) will attend a mass meeting at Sydney Trades Hall this afternoon, campaigning for professional recognition and pay.
Sydney MP Alex Greenwich is set to deliver a petition with more than 10,000 signatures urging the government to “urgently” adopt professional pay rates.
According to a statement from the HSU, the skills and value of paramedics has “skyrocketed” over the past decade as they take on increasing clinical and public health functions. However, their pay does not reflect this uplift in skills.
HSU NSW secretary Gerard Hayes said paramedics are “being shortchanged” and “have had enough”:
The skills and productivity of the typical paramedic are worth many multiples of what they are paid, yet their salaries have gone sideways.
Sagging morale has created a staffing crisis and unless we pay paramedics what they’re worth, they’ll keep moving to Queensland and Canberra.
Updated
Forty MPs and senators sign statement backing Israel
Forty Australian MPs and senators have signed a statement declaring that the state of Israel “has an unimpeachable right to exist, and to defend itself”.
The statement, issued by the Parliamentary Friends of Israel, said:
The targeting of civilians and indiscriminate violence by Hamas is resulting in a devastating loss of life across the region and is a heartbreaking setback for the security of both Israeli and Palestinian people.
The group – whose chair is the Labor senator Deborah O’Neill and whose deputy chair is the Liberal senator David Fawcett – said its members “stand in friendship and solidarity with the people of Israel”.
Deputy prime minister Richard Marles was not a signatory but expressed similar sentiments in a speech to a “United with Israel” event in Melbourne last night.
Marles said the targets of the “horribly unimaginable” Hamas attacks were “not combatants, they were innocents – and that makes this murder”:
Tonight, Australia’s heart breaks for Israel. In the face of this evil, tonight Australia embraces Israel and all her people.
The comments came as hundreds of Australians marched in Sydney in solidarity with Palestinians after the Israeli government formally declared war against Hamas in response to its surprise attack.
Updated
Good morning everyone, and thanks to Martin Farrer for kicking things off. I’m Emily Wind and I’ll be with you on the live blog today.
If you see anything you think needs attention here, you can send me an email: emily.wind.casual@theguardian.com.
Let’s get going.
Mark Butler unveils national mental health strategy to make care more accessible
The health minister, Mark Butler, has unveiled the government’s Mental Health Workforce Strategy, committing more than $586m to make care more affordable and accessible.
Released on World Mental Health Day, the 10-year national strategy sets out a plan to attract, train, support, and retain a mental health workforce that can ensure Australians get the care they need “where and when they need it” the government says.
The strategy commits $91.3m to address “acute bottlenecks” in the psychology training pipeline, including creating 500 new postgraduate psychology places, funding 500 one-year internships for provisional psychologists and providing 2,000 fully subsidised supervisor training places. Psychology higher education pathways will also be redesigned to support longer term reform.
Nearly $18m will be invested in upskilling the broader health workforce in mental health, including undergraduate nurses, midwives and allied health students, as well as develop national standards for counsellors and psychotherapists.
Butler said:
The quality of the mental health system relies on its workforce. Australians deserve a mental health care system where people can get compassionate help from highly skilled professionals.
The assistant minister for mental health, Emma McBride, said:
The National Mental Health Workforce Strategy outlines how we will get the right mix of professionals in the right place to support the mental health and wellbeing of all Australians no matter where they live.
The Strategy is critical as we improve care to make mental health support affordable and more accessible.
Updated
Linda Burney clashes with Natasha Wanganeen on Q+A
Linda Burney has refused to discuss a path forward for Indigenous progress in the event of Saturday’s voice referendum failing, saying that regardless of the outcome there will still be disadvantage for Indigenous Australians on Sunday.
The minister for Indigenous Australians dodged questions on the ABC’s Q+A last night about the path forward if the referendum fails, and whether pursuing a treaty is viable, insisting she was still focused on bringing about a successful vote:
Millions of Australians have not voted yet. And I’m going to respectfully wait for them to vote.
We will look at the outcomes to make further decisions about what will happen and, let’s be clear, disadvantage will still be there on the 15th (the day after the referendum). There will still be much to do. The important thing is make sure we as a country go forward together.
In a heated episode, Burney was challenged by another panellist, Natasha Wanganeen. The actor, who is voting no because she supports a sovereignty treaty, said grassroots Indigenous perspectives had not been heard by either side during the referendum campaign.
Burney said:
The issue is that a referendum which is what we’re heading towards on Saturday is a binary vote, it’s yes or no. That’s all there is … There are two piles. So if you’re voting no, you’re voting with Clive Palmer, you’re voting with Pauline Hanson.
Wanganeen interjected:
No, you’re voting with grassroots mob.
Updated
Australia calls on Hamas to release hostages
The Australian government has called for “the immediate and unconditional release of all those taken hostage” by Hamas after its attacks against Israel.
In a statement issued last night, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Australia “unequivocally condemns the attacks on Israel by Hamas, including indiscriminate rocket fire, the targeting of civilians and the taking of hostages”.
The department’s spokesperson said:
We call for these attacks to stop and recognise Israel’s right to defend itself. Australia urges the protection of all civilian lives. We also call for the immediate and unconditional release of all those taken hostage. Our thoughts are with those killed and injured in these attacks and all others affected.
The spokesperson said the department was seeking to confirm the welfare of any Australians who may have been caught in the attacks:
Australian officials are monitoring the situation closely and remain in touch with local authorities.
We are aware that some flights from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport have been delayed or cancelled. Australians are encouraged to check with their airline for the latest updates before travelling.
Dfat says Australians in need of emergency consular assistance should contact the Australian government’s 24-hour consular emergency centre on +61 2 6261 3305 (from overseas) or 1300 555 135 (from within Australia).
Updated
Good morning
Good morning and welcome to our live blog. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ll get you up to speed with our main overnight stories before my colleague Emily Wind takes over.
Dealing with the fallout of a possible no vote in the voice referendum will be “ugly as sin” and could mark the end of an era of a “middle path” towards reconciliation, according to the veteran Indigenous leader and yes campaigner Noel Pearson. His fears for the “future of my people” are our top story this morning as we countdown to Saturday’s vote.
In fiery exchanges on the ABC’s Q+A last night, Linda Burney refused to discuss a path forward for Indigenous progress in the event of Saturday’s voice referendum failing, saying that regardless of the outcome there will still be disadvantage for Indigenous Australians. More on those stories coming up.
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters marched through Sydney last night in an expression of solidarity and called on the government to cut ties with Israel. The protesters made the Sydney Opera House the destination for their rally, angered by the decision to project the Israeli national colours on to the famous building as a mark of support after the Hamas attacks.
Last night deputy PM Richard Marles expressed government support for Israel, telling a meeting in Melbourne: “Australia’s heart breaks for Israel. In the face of this evil, tonight Australia embraces Israel and all her people.” The Australian government has called on Hamas to release all hostages.
Eastern Australia’s wholesale electricity prices fell sharply in the September quarter, a trend that if maintained could deliver power bill relief for households and businesses alike.
Spot market prices in the national electricity market that serves about 80% of Australia’s population averaged $63 a megawatt hour in the July-September period, according to data provided by the Australian Energy Market Operator. That result was 70% lower than for a year earlier and almost 42% lower than in the June quarter of this year, Aemo said.
With all that, let’s begin!
Updated
