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The Guardian - AU
National
Nino Bucci now and earlier Emily Wind

Greens say leaked pokies reform report ‘a huge concern’ – as it happened

Newcastle Australia Australian Associated Press Coal Rising Tide
NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann speaks during a budget estimates hearing at Parliament House
NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann who leads the NSW Greens’ gambling portfolio, says the government cannot afford to wait until 2028 for a mandatory system. Photograph: Steven Saphore/AAP

That's it for today, thanks for reading

Here are the main stories on Friday, 22 November:

It has been great having you this week, see you all again soon.

NSW train union says state government has agreed to higher pay offer

Following on from our earlier post on the outcome of negotiations over the Sydney train strike, the New South Wales rail union has said the state government has agreed to boost its pay offer by abolishing the regional trains agency.

The Rail, Tram and Bus Union told members it extracted the concession during an 11th hour meeting with the NSW government on Thursday, which saw the government cave to union demands to run 24-hour train services over the weekend.

In a message to members, RTBU NSW secretary, Toby Warnes, said the government had agreed to scrap NSW Trains, which manages regional and intercity passenger services, and fold its functions into the metropolitan Sydney trains.

We can increase the percentage pay rise in the new EA through identifying and abolishing waste throughout the rail agencies and within the Transport bureaucracy … we will see movement on our pay claim very quickly.

The RTBU would work with Treasury officials to “improve on the government’s wages offer” by adding the “cost savings” sourced from abolishing NSW Trains, Warnes said.

The union has demanded a 32% pay rise over four years, or 8% a year, while the government has offered a three-year agreement totalling 9.5% plus super.

A spokesperson for the transport minister, Jo Haylen, did not directly respond to Warnes’ claims but said the government was glad to have reached Thursday’s agreement and looked forward to continuing negotiations and concluding the bargaining process. Both the RTBU and the government have said they want a deal done before Christmas.

Updated

Industrial action still in force in NSW, rail workers say

New South Wales rail workers have revealed dozens of their industrial actions are still in force and have threatened to unleash even greater chaos if their pay deal isn’t resolved within two weeks, hitting back at government claims all bans had been dropped.

The premier, Chris Minns, said on Thursday the government had yielded to Rail, Tram and Bus Union demands to run 24-hour train services over the weekend to avert a threatened strike and secure a fortnight of bargaining, during which the union would not apply its work bans.

The transport minister, Jo Haylen, had previously argued the train network could not survive round-the-clock services but said on Thursday the lifted bans would allow the services to run.

But the RTBU NSW secretary, Toby Warnes, said only two bans were paused – the 24-hour threat and another action capping how far staff can travel in a shift – and both would resume if no deal was reached by the end of the two weeks. In an email to members on Thursday night, he wrote:

“Contrary to reports in the media, no other bans have been lifted or affected in any way. They all continue to apply.”

The union lists 45 actions still in force that it has said are not intended to cause major disruption, including directions to stop emptying bins when it rains or move air-conditioned spaces when the temperatures exceeds 30C. A spokesperson for Haylen said no service disruption was expected.

Warnes has previously accused the government of misrepresenting the truth during negotiations, calling Haylen’s claim the RTBU had planned to shut down services on Thursday rather than Friday a “falsity”.

The opposition leader, Mark Speakman, on Thursday accused Haylen of being “completely confused and befuddled” over the contradicting claims.

Updated

Laos hostel owner reportedly detained after poisoning deaths

The ABC is reporting that the owner of a Laos backpacker hostel where two Australians were staying before falling violently ill from suspected methanol poisoning has been detained for questioning by police.

One of the Australians, Bianca Jones, died from the poisoning, and four other people from Denmark, the UK and the US have also died from the same incident.

According to the ABC, the Australians had been staying at the hostel and had free drinks there on the night they fell ill.

Updated

Suppliers do not pay Coles for better supermarket shelf positions, inquiry told

The Coles chief commercial officer, Anna Croft, says the supermarket giant doesn’t allow suppliers to pay for “better shelf positions” but they do pay to be part of promotions.

Croft and other senior Coles executives have been giving evidence for a second day at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s inquiry into the supermarket sector.

Under questioning by the counsel assisting the inquiry, Naomi Sharp SC, Croft said that in most cases suppliers paid Coles if they wanted to “grow their volume” by having their products promoted to shoppers.

Sharp said:

When we put a promotional plan together, we will agree ... collaboratively with our suppliers in terms of how we want to think about growing their volume.

And if we are going to promote, the supplier would make a contribution to that promotional time.

Croft said many suppliers made a financial contribution to help cover the difference if Coles were to reduce the standard retail price of an item to sell it at a lower, promotional price.

However, she said it was “not uncommon” for Coles to promote fresh meat and produce on its own, without requiring suppliers to pay the supermarket.

Croft said it was “more unusual” for the suppliers of packaged goods to have their products promoted without making a financial contribution.

The ACCC is due to hand its final report from its inquiry to the federal government by the end of February.

Updated

Here’s a few more pictures from the Rising Tide climate protest in Newcastle.

Updated

The always excellent Weekly Beast is up:

Childish Gambino Australian tour cancelled

Childish Gambino has cancelled his Australian tour. The rapper, real name Donald Glover Jr, said in a statement via Frontier Touring:

Unfortunately, my path to recovery is taking longer than expected. The upcoming concerts in Australia and New Zealand are cancelled. One of the last things I’d ever want to do is disappoint my fans. I really appreciate the support you have shown and know that I will do what I can to give u an exceptional experience when the time is right. Thank you

Updated

If you’re interested in the cricket, and I am very sympathetic to that view, you can find our coverage over here (lunch break almost finished):

Updated

Nacc inspector, Furness, sees public benefit from corrupt conduct findings

The Nacc inspector, Gail Furness SC, said the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (better known as ICAC) believes its role is to make findings of corrupt conduct.

Furness is also the NSW ICAC inspector.

The Indi MP, Helen Haines, had asked her why it’s important for anti-corruption bodies to make corrupt conduct findings, even if there is no possibility of criminal charges or financial compensation.

Haines asked the question because the Nacc earlier said “stamping” corrupt conduct on robodebt referrals would not have advanced the public interest because it could not do anything beyond that.

Furness replied:

If I can, in answering that question, have regard to my other hat, which is as [ICAC inspector]. That body doesn’t, and never has, and has never sought … any power other than to refer for consideration to the DPP if they think there may well be some criminal conduct.

But generally they make findings of corrupt conduct. They consider that to be their role, and I consider that there’s public benefit in a finding of corrupt conduct, based on my experience with the ICAC and my understanding of how they work and the results of their work.”

Updated

Man dies in helicopter crash in south of NSW

A man has died after a helicopter crash in the south of NSW.

NSW police said in a statement that just before 12pm emergency services were called to One Tree, about 40km west of Hay, after reports of a helicopter crash.

A man believed to be aged in his 40s who was a passenger in the helicopter was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics but died at the scene.

He is yet to be formally identified.

The pilot – a 39-year-old man – was treated for minor injuries before being taken to a Melbourne hospital in a stable condition.

Police said:

A crime scene has been established by officers attached to Murrumbidgee Police District and an investigation into the cause of the crash will be undertaken by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).

A report will be prepared for the information of the coroner.

Updated

Inspector received unprecedented number of complaints about Nacc’s robodebt decision

The Nacc inspector, Gail Furness SC, says it was “not a difficult decision” to investigate the Nacc’s decision not to dismiss robodebt referrals.

At a parliamentary inquiry on Friday afternoon, the watchdog’s watchdog says she never received, or heard of others receiving, so many complaints about the same matter in her time.

Furness says:

My jurisdiction as set out in the act was the conflict of interest, which was raised by a number of people, and the terms of the media release, they particularly generated my concern, given the nature of my jurisdiction. In my experience of complaints, which goes back some time, I don’t think I’ve ever received, or heard of that number of complaints being received, about the same matter in a way that they were not automatically generated, so it was not a difficult decision.

Updated

Some current Nacc investigations could cross ‘exceptional circumstances’ bar, Brereton says

The Nacc’s appearance has now wrapped up and the inspector, Gail Furness, is now fronting politicians at its inquiry.

But before we bring you that, let’s revisit a notable non-robodebt-related detail revealed.

The Nacc has held a number of private hearings since it opened its doors in July 2023. The hearings have been as a result of seven investigations featuring 26 people.

The Nacc can hold public hearings if there are “exceptional circumstances” – a bar criticised for being too high by transparency advocates and many crossbenchers.

The commissioner, Paul Brereton, says “none of them have crossed the exceptional circumstances line” but there were “a couple of investigations on foot at the moment that could potentially get there”.

Brereton says public hearings can occur if there is a “high level of confidence” that corrupt conduct can be found.

I think the prominence of the person of interest and their position will be a relevant consideration, because if the investigation involves someone in a high public office, that might make the circumstances exceptional.

Updated

Circling back to our earlier post, Nationals senator Matt Canavan has said he is “uncomfortable” with the responsibility being given to the eSafety Commissioner through the social media age limit bill.

In a post to X, he wrote:

I am also uncomfortable with the eSafety Commissioner having this responsibility. Whatever you think of [Julie Inman Grant] the fact is she has not established widespread trust and support for her role.

She has too often veered into opining about what she thinks the world should look like. Such discretionary, political rhetoric reduces trust in public officials who should simply and dispassionately apply the law.

The eSafety Commissioner was contacted for a response. Her team pointed to a statement she issued yesterday on the legislation, which welcomed its introduction:

While the final contents and passage of the legislation remains a matter for Parliament, should it become law, eSafety looks forward to working closely with government, industry and the Australian community to ensure its effective implementation.

Many thanks for joining me on the blog today – and throughout the week! Nino Bucci will be here to take you through the rest of our rolling coverage. Take care, and enjoy your weekend.

Brereton apologises for misleading public in media statement

The Nacc commissioner, Paul Brereton, has apologised for misleading the public in a media statement suggesting the public service commission could sanction five of the six robodebt referrals it declined to investigate.

To recap, the Nacc’s watchdog, the inspector of the Nacc, found its media statement was “misleading” because it claimed the Australian Public Service Commission “had remedial powers and could impose a sanction in relation to the persons referred”. The inspectors report said:

In fact, it could not because five of the referred persons were no longer public servants and the sixth never was a public servant and the APSC could only impose a sanction on current public servants.

At his appearance at a parliamentary inquiry this afternoon, Brereton said the Nacc didn’t have the “disciplinary powers” the APSC had but conceded he hadn’t considered they could not be used against the referrals.

Unfortunately, in stating that in the context of this case, that gave the impression that it could imply sanctions in the present case when it couldn’t, because by then, all the public servants had left the APS. It was not our intention, it was not my intention, to convey that impression, but I accept that that was the effect, as we said in our submissions to the inspector. That was unintentional, and we are sorry for it.

The Greens senator, David Shoebridge, said Brereton must have already known the public servants had left their jobs and could therefore not be sanctioned when the statement was released.

Brereton rejected the assertion, calling it “offensive” and “false”. He said:

I do not believe that I knew that all of them had left, although I certainly knew that most of them had. I did not, at the time of approving that release, turn my mind to that factor.

Australians with low vision, blindness face poor product descriptions online, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT says

More than 500,000 Australians who live with low vision or blindness have to deal with poor product descriptions when they shop online, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT says.

Ahead of Black Friday and the Christmas season, the organisation is calling for online brands to offer more inclusive product descriptions.

It is launching a free pop-up shop in Sydney on 28 November where people can take home a vintage pre-loved item – but each item will be hidden in packaging, and come with only a brief product description.

The organisation’s assistive technology specialist, Abby Jayasuriya, says:

So many e-commerce brands aren’t even aware of the small changes they could make to product descriptions that would have a significant difference to the community. A description might say ‘red jumper’, but that could be any material or style – the details get missed and that’s what creates a difficult shopping experience for those who only have the descriptions to go by.

We’re raising awareness so e-commerce brands can start to make progress towards improving their online accessibility, because every person has the right to access the products they need and want online.

Updated

The Bureau of Meteorology has shared a severe weather update about the heatwave blanketing the south-east:

Updated

Gambling harm expert says major reforms to pokies cannot wait until 2028

Associate professor Charles Livingstone, an expert in poker machines and gambling harm at Monash University, has criticised the draft recommendations of an independent panel into NSW gaming reform.

As mentioned earlier, a leaked copy of recommendations by the panel’s executive committee calls for a “centralised account-based gaming system” to be launched in 2027, before becoming mandatory for all venues in 2028.

This new system would be linked to a statewide self-exclusion register and facial recognition technology. It should also collect data “to enable automated risk monitoring” of transactions.

Livingstone says reforms to pokies cannot wait until 2028:

They’re kicking the can down the road. Why 2028? That’s after the next New South Wales election. So a new government may well decide to start again, or do something different.

While the report says the new system should “not permit anonymous play”, the committee recommended the government “consider reduced identity verification processes for casual players and players from outside NSW”. Livingstone says this would provide people “with a licence to get around the system”.

It’s hard to see how this is anything other than another big win for clubs and the gambling lobby, to be honest.

Updated

Corrupt conduct ‘stamp’ on robodebt referrals would not advance public interest, says Nacc

The National Anti-Corruption Commissioner, Paul Brereton, is still fronting parliamentarians on the issue of the anti-corruption body’s decision not to investigate robodebt referrals.

The committee’s deputy chair, Helen Haines, has asked why the Nacc said it could not provide compensation to victims or make a criminal finding as part of its decision-making.

Brereton says he didn’t see “anything particularly unusual” about considering the body’s lack of remedies in its decision not to investigate the referrals of potential corrupt conduct.

Haines asked if there was public interest in making corrupt conduct findings, even when there may not be a remedy. Brereton says:

The public interest lies in exposing corrupt conduct. But if you’re exposing conduct that has already been exposed, that’s where I don’t think you’re adding much value.

And we’ve never said that there is no value in it, but when you look at … balancing all the considerations, the value in simply adding a stamp of corrupt conduct to the conduct that had been found by the robodebt royal commission did not advance a public interest, or would not advance a public interest. That was our thinking, or my thinking, anyway.

Updated

More from the ACCC inquiry into the supermarket sector

The counsel assisting the ACCC inquiry, Naomi Sharp SC, appeared to grow frustrated with Coles senior executives at one point during this morning’s hearing.

Sharp pressed the executives to confirm that even though Coles makes a “commitment” to take a certain volume of produce from a grower, there is nothing legally binding the supermarket to do so and it doesn’t always happen.

The ACCC’s inquiry previously heard from fruit and vegetable suppliers who said they would prefer to have firmer commitments from Coles on how much produce it would actually purchase, to avoid losing money and wasting stock.

As she questioned the supermarket giant’s chief commercial officer, Anna Croft, on the topic this morning, Sharp said:

Can I just be very clear on this point - when you say commitment, what you really need is [a] non-binding forecast?

Croft replied:

We endeavor to deliver our forecast with all of our suppliers, and where we would not deliver that, we would seek to understand [why] that is.

Mick Keogh, who is one of the ACCC’s deputy chairs and is leading its supermarkets inquiry, then said:

I don’t think you’ve answered the question. The question was quite specific about the nature of the contractual obligation.

Updated

Coles owns 17 sites it has not launched development applications for

Circling back to the ACCC supermarkets inquiry, during this session, Coles executives have also revealed the company owns more than a dozen sites it has not launched development applications for.

As part of its inquiry, the competition watchdog is examining allegations that Coles and Woolworths engage in “land-banking” by buying sites to block competitors from moving into the same location.

Earlier this morning at the hearing, the Coles property manager Fiona Mackenzie, said the company was yet to submit development applications to build on 17 of 42 of the company’s freehold sites across the country.

Updated

Greens say leaked classified document on pokies reform ‘a huge concern’

The NSW Greens party says a leaked classified document recommending anonymous gambling on poker machines continue until 2028 is “a huge concern”.

A draft report by the independent panel for gaming reform’s executive committee has recommended a “centralised account-based gaming system” be launched in 2027, before becoming mandatory for all venues in 2028.

This new system would be linked to a statewide self-exclusion register and facial recognition technology. It should also collect data “to enable automated risk monitoring” of transactions.

Cate Faehrmann, who leads the NSW Greens’ gambling portfolio, says the government cannot afford to wait until 2028 for a mandatory system.

At this rate, it doesn’t seem as though there is going to be anything resembling cashless gambling in NSW in this term of government.

Given NSW has more than 87,000 poker machines, it will be incredibly disappointing if the report doesn’t offer recommendations as to how to reduce this number.

If an account-based system means that people are identified and need a card or digital wallet to play, which isn’t linked to their bank accounts and sets play and daily limits, then that sounds promising.

NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann
NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann says 2028 is too late to introduce a mandatory system. Photograph: Steven Saphore/AAP

The executive committee’s recommendations have been shared with a broader panel of stakeholders and are now being debated.

The NSW government has notreceived a final copy of the report and says it won’t speculate on what it will recommend.

Updated

Coles chief says supermarket sells shoppers' ‘de-identified’ data to suppliers

The Coles chief customer officer, Amanda Mcvay, has said the supermarket giant sells shoppers’ “de-identified” data to the suppliers of the products it stocks on its shelves.

Mcvay and other senior Coles executives are giving evidence for the second day in a row to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s inquiry into the supermarket sector.

Under questioning by the counsel assisting the inquiry, Naomi Sharp SC, Mcvay said Coles shared customers’ email addresses with its marketing platform Coles 360.

Mcvay said Coles also shared “purchase behaviour” data that had been “aggregated and anonymized” with its internal “customer research and insight” platform Synergy, which it then sold to suppliers. She said:

Those suppliers I spoke of ... [there is an] opportunity for them to purchase the access to the customer behaviour data within their categories, so that they can continue to learn and improve and to understand how their items are performing.

Updated

Brereton ‘accepts’ but doesn’t agree with watchdog’s ‘apprehended bias’ finding

The Nacc commissioner, Paul Brereton, says he accepts the inspector’s finding of “apprehended bias” against him in the robodebt referral decision but does not agree with it.

The anti-corruption body’s top investigator is being quizzed by parliamentarians in an inquiry into its inaugural annual report but the focus has centred on the controversial decision.

The Greens senator David Shoebridge asked whether he agreed with the conclusion by retired judge Alan Robertson SC that Brereton’s involvement meant the Nacc’s decision was “affected by apprehended bias”. Brereton said:

I have said repeatedly that I accept it, though I do not agree with it.

Shoebridge pressed him to explain why. Brereton responded:

First of all, because minds differ … as to whether circumstances give rise to a reasonable apprehension of bias. I don’t think these circumstances did so, but others have a different view. And I accept that that different view is open, and I therefore accept the commission has accepted the decision.

Updated

NSW parliament passes reforms to state's biodiversity offsets scheme

The New South Wales parliament has passed the “biggest reforms to the biodiversity offsets scheme since its inception” after inquiries triggered by a 2021 Guardian Australia investigation.

The legislation, promised by the Minns government before the 2023 election, introduces changes aimed at reversing the decline of the state’s biodiversity and improving the integrity of the offsets scheme.

The Blue Mountains MP, Trish Doyle, introducing the bill to the lower house, said:

This bill represents the biggest reform to the biodiversity offset scheme since its inception. It is a significant first step in implementing our commitments to fix the biodiversity offset scheme and set nature in NSW on a path to recovery.

Biodiversity offsets are used by developers to compensate for clearing of endangered habitat by protecting and restoring equivalent ecosystems elsewhere. A series of reports by Guardian Australia in 2021 revealed major problems with the NSW scheme.

The legislation introduces several new requirements including that the scheme transition from one that had required no net loss of biodiversity to one that delivers a net positive for nature. The bill passed with support from the Coalition but was opposed by the Greens who said it would not be sufficient to change the “business as usual” scenario of offsets facilitating further environmental decline.

MPs who spoke in favour of the bill, including several independents, said it was just a step in what needed to be a longer reform process to address the state’s biodiversity crisis.

The bill passed the upper house yesterday evening.

Updated

Chalmers rejects criticism from Musk over social media age limit bill

The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has rejected criticism of the under-16s social media ban from X owner Elon Musk, saying he was “not concerned” about the billionaire.

As reported earlier, Musk wrote on his platform X that he believed the plan to ban children from social media was “a backdoor way to control access to the Internet by all Australians”. X is one of the platforms which will be restricted for access to under-16s, alongside Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram and Reddit.

In a news conference, Chalmers was asked about Musk’s criticism. He said it didn’t worry the federal government.

I’m not concerned about it … Elon Musk having that view about protecting kids online is entirely unsurprising to us. He’s expressed similar views before.

Our job is not to come up with a social media policy to please Elon Musk, our job is to put in place the necessary protection for kids online, and that’s our motivation.

The idea that Elon Musk is not delighted with our steps to try and protect kids online is not an especially big surprise to us, nor does that trouble us greatly.

Updated

The latest from the scene of the Rising Tide climate protest

Rising Tide activists are continuing their protest in the Port of Newcastle for a second day, however police have set up a perimeter to keep protesters confined to an area so that coal ships can still pass through.

Yesterday afternoon the protesters entered the port from Horseshoe Beach aboard kayaks and rafts, and were joined by a boat from Greenpeace, in what is expected to be one of the largest climate protests in Australia’s history.

It came after the NSW police won a legal challenge in a bid to stop the protest going ahead, which means the activists will not be protected from being charged under obstruction and unlawful assembly offences while blocking the waterway.

The Minns government had also attempted to cut off access to Newcastle harbour by issuing a maritime exclusion zone to try to prevent protest but the notice was made invalid by the supreme court after Rising Tide made an urgent application.

This morning, the NSW police set up yellow buoys around a section of the water at Horseshoe Beach. Organisers of the protest said they received a note from police saying it had been set up for people’s safety and moving past them would result in a response by the police, but not an immediate arrest.

The office of NSW transport minister, Jo Haylen, confirmed that ships are still passing through the port today, with eleven ships in total expected. Earlier today, the NSW police put out a statement about the protest saying:

For their own safety and that of the other users of the Port, we request that people who still attend this event refrain from entering the harbour on kayaks or other vessels with the intention to obstruct other users of the Port, or engage in other forms of civil disobedience. We also encourage all participants to follow the directions of police.

The community is reminded that under NSW Legislation, the safe passage of vessels is protected. Unlawful activity may result in fines or imprisonment.

Updated

Brereton denies ‘widespread’ disquiet about Nacc

The Nacc commissioner, Paul Brereton, does not accept there is “widespread” disquiet about the federal integrity body after the fallout of its decision not to investigate robodebt referrals.

Under questioning by Greens senator David Shoebridge, and Liberal MP Keith Wolahan, Brereton accepted there was some public distrust but it was not widespread. The Nacc commissioner said:

I’m, frankly, not as pessimistic about the current position of public trust as some are. I agree that there are some sectors and segments which do not have trust in the commission … I think they are probably segments that may never have really been inclined to trust the commission but there are certainly some that do not have trust in the commission.

Brereton said public support from the Nacc parliamentary committee and federal politicians “would go a long way to reinforcing public trust, I think”.

Shoebridge asked whether Brereton accepted there was “widespread disquiet about how the Nacc has handled the robodebt referral”. Brereton said:

I accept that there is disquiet in some areas. I’m not prepared to accept that it’s widespread.

Updated

Brereton says resourcing primary factor in decision not to investigate potential corruption from six robodebt referrals

The Nacc commissioner, Paul Brereton, has reiterated resourcing was a primary factor in its decision not to investigate potential corrupt conduct arising from six robodebt referrals.

As we have touched on earlier, Brereton declared a conflict of interest but had some involvement in discussions relating to the decision. The decision is now being reconsidered by an independent decision-maker.

Brereton explained the commission had to consider a number of factors, including whether a referral had been investigated elsewhere.

If we investigated robodebt, that would likely be a large investigation that would use and require the dedication of a significant part of our resources … if we investigated robodebt, there would be other things that we would not be able to investigate.

The deputy commissioner, Nicole Rose, who was ultimately delegated the decision-making power in the referrals, said a lack of resourcing in addition to the absence of any punishment were considerations in the original decision.

Well, resourcing certainly was a consideration, because we knew how much time, money and effort, of course, the royal commission had put into it, and if we were going to liken the type of investigation to a second royal commission … we are set up with very similar powers … so to be running a similar investigation, there’d be many things that would have duplicated what the royal commission had done and done very well.

Updated

Meta warns social media age limit bill will require companies to collect personal ID from all Australians

Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has warned the government’s bid to ban under-16s from social media will require each company “to collect personal identification or biometric data from all Australians”.

The big tech company says this would be “an inefficient and burdensome process for everyone.”

Meta has responded to the government’s latest social media bill, raising major concerns about how it would work and whether it would achieve its intended goals. They’ve also criticised the rushed timeline for the bill, which was only introduced yesterday, and will get a lightning-fast inquiry process.

A Meta spokesperson said in a statement:

We are concerned the government is rushing this legislation without adequate consultation or evidence and there are still many unknowns with respect to its implementation. The legislation as drafted seems out of step with available research and expert opinions, including those from within the government, academia, industry, mental health organisations, and Australian parents and young people.

They have also criticised the exemption of YouTube and online games from the ban, saying “any new laws aimed at protecting children and teens online should empower parents and be consistently applied across all apps that young people commonly use”.

The government legislation does not prescribe how social media companies should verify the age of their users, leaving that process to the companies themselves. Meta warns it will probably require all Australians to give up more information. The spokesperson said:

Furthermore, the government’s approach will likely require each app provider to collect personal identification or biometric data from all Australians in order to prevent under 16s from accessing their services, an inefficient and burdensome process for everyone.

Parents need clear, efficient ways to oversee the many apps their children use, and that’s why we’ve proposed legislation that requires parental approval and age verification at the operating system and app store level, which reduces the burden and minimises the amount of sensitive information shared.

Updated

Canavan says he doesn’t think age verification for social media can work

Nationals senator Matt Canavan has weighed in on the social media age limit bill, saying that he doesn’t believe an age verification system can work.

In a post to X, Canavan said he would have liked to see a “proper Senate inquiry” to investigate the bill:

While I share concerns about the impact of social media on young children, I am not sure that an age verification system can work.

I would have liked to have a proper Senate inquiry to investigate these issues. Unfortunately there was nowhere near the support for that. Instead, we ended up with a 3 day inquiry – this is FAR from ideal but it is better than nothing. I plan to be involved in the Senate hearing which will occur on Monday.

Updated

Brereton describes involvement in robodebt referral decisions as ‘appropriate balance’

The Nacc commissioner, Paul Brereton, has described his involvement in the decision-making process in robodebt referrals as an “appropriate balance” given resourcing limitations.

Brereton said he believed he could make an impartial decision but decided to declare a conflict of interest and delegated decision-making responsibility to a deputy commissioner.

He said he recognised “some might think my impartiality could be affected by my prior professional association, not as some have suggested, a close personal friendship, with one of the six persons referred”.

In August, Guardian Australia revealed this was due to a “close association” relating to Brereton’s service in the army reserve.

Earlier this month, the Nacc released a “corrections to misinformation” fact sheet, which described the relationship as “professional, not personal” and that the two had “never socialised other than at official functions, nor visited each other’s homes”.

In the executive summary of the Nacc inspector’s report, it referenced Brereton’s own words about “person one”. That included that Brereton said he had a “close association” with person one, that they were someone he “knows well”, and “who is well known to me”.

Today, Brereton explained he did not fully exclude himself due to the commission’s resource limitations:

I considered that it would have been irresponsible and negligent for me as a leader of the organization to abandon any involvement in them, provide no guidance, walk away, say ‘it was not my problem’, and leave everyone else to their own devices.

The committee’s Labor chair, Karen Grogan, briefly interrupted Brereton to let him know his opening statement had nearly taken up 30 minutes and senators had questions.

Updated

The Rising Tide climate protest in Newcastle is well under way, with some more photos filtering through from AAP:

The Greens used today’s protest to announce their federal candidate for the seat of Sydney, currently held by the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek.

They have announced climate activist Luc Velez as their candidate. The party received a 4.9% swing towards them at the 2022 federal election – there was a 1.4% swing towards Labor, and a 6.9% swing away from the Liberals.

Updated

National Anti-Corruption Commission faces parliamentary inquiry

The National Anti-Corruption Commission is facing a parliamentary inquiry this afternoon on its inaugural report.

The commissioner, Paul Brereton, began the hearing with a lengthy opening statement, referencing a recent report by the inspector of the Nacc that found the commission’s initial refusal to not investigate robodebt referrals was “affected by apprehended bias”.

Brereton said he did not want to re-canvass the initial decision as it is now being “independently reconsidered” but accepted the report’s finding.

I have accepted that view through the lens of the legal notion of apprehended bias. I have been found to have made a mistake, for which I am solely responsible.

The commissioner said the original decision was reached “after careful and mature reflection”.

Since commencement, we have been committed to carrying out our work in good faith, with integrity and in the public interest. That does not mean that our decisions will always be popular. Often they will not be. Making decisions that we believe to be right, though they may be unpopular, is what integrity requires us to do. Integrity also requires that we acknowledge and own our mistakes.

The inspector of the Nacc, Gail Furness, will appear after the commission’s appearance finishes.

Updated

Map showing widespread heatwave conditions across Victoria

As we flagged earlier, a heatwave is impacting most of Victoria today – with a cool change not expected until the weekend.

Here’s a map from the Bureau of Meteorology, showing just how widespread the heat is:

Some notable forecasts for today include 37C in Mildura, Bendigo and Shepparton, and 34C in Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat, Albury-Wodonga and Latrobe Valley.

Spender says she will push for tax reform in event of minority government

Earlier this morning, independent MP Allegra Spender spoke with ABC RN, where she said her number one demand in the case of a minority government would be a commitment to tax reform.

She said that her electorate cares about climate, integrity and long-term economic reform, and that “we’re not seeing enough of that”.

And so what I would be asking for if we get to that situation, is a commitment to a process around tax reform … We need a process around tax reform early in the next parliament that really looks at the big issues that we’re facing and how tax feeds into it, and the government to actually respond on this in a timely manner.

Spender said the community needs to be engaged in the conversation, otherwise it would become too academic.

We need community engagement, and we need a tax reform commission that really puts tax as part of the long-term decision making in this country.

Updated

Justice Michael Lee hits out at rising antisemitism and says law ‘will only go so far’ to protect Jewish Australians

Justice Michael Lee has warned the law “will only go so far” to protect Jewish Australians from rising antisemitism, which he attributes in part to a “soft revolution” away from “traditional Western historical education”.

Speaking today, Lee hit out at rising antisemitism and quoted former NSW MP Abe Landa, grandfather of his wife, who is Jewish:

The growth and mainstreaming of antisemitism we have all seen emerge over the last 13 months must be tackled … I shall treat any attack on the Jews as an attack upon my wife and my children.

Lee, a federal court judge, came to national prominence in April when he found Bruce Lehrmann was not defamed by Channel Ten and Lisa Wilkinson during an interview with Brittany Higgins.

Speaking in a private capacity at an event for charity Jewish House, Lee recounted a case where a school took inadequate action after Jewish students were subjected to bullying and offensive graffiti, before warning:

The law has gone, and will only go, so far. No-one in this room would be under any misapprehension as to the scope of the present problem.

Lee asked whether Australia had grown less willing to understand or empathise with Jewish perspectives or if instead it had always been unwilling and he had only now noticed after 7 October 2023. He said:

Whether this appreciation is a result, Saul-like, of scales falling from our eyes or a profound shift in the culture … does matter.

Lee linked limited understanding and rising antisemitism to “a balkanised legacy media and social media resulting in pre-conceived notions being reinforced”. He also said a “soft revolution in values” in schools, universities, unions and the arts had made it difficult for the Jewish community to engage with younger generations:

Many students now seem to use school and university to proclaim, rather than to learn … [Their] lack of a traditional Western historical education is matched by their sense of self-righteousness and their willingness to sprout slogans.

Climate activists gathering in Newcastle for protest

As we have reported throughout the day, climate activists are gathering in Newcastle before a climate protest today, where they will take to the water in a flotilla of kayaks near the world’s biggest coal port.

Yesterday, the supreme court ruled against the NSW government, which had tried to cut off access to Newcastle harbour and prevent the four-day climate protest. Rising Tide protester Alexa Stewart, 21, shared these words about the decision yesterday:

As Jordyn Beazley reported yesterday, Rising Tide is demanding the government immediately cancel all new fossil fuel projects and end all coal exports from Newcastle by 2030.

It is also calling for the government to tax current fossil fuel export profits at 78%, and to put that money towards community and industrial transition away from fossil fuels.

Updated

Clean Energy Council takes aim at ‘$500bn green hole’ claims

A week ago, consultancy Frontier Economics caused a bit of a stir by saying the cost of decarbonising the main power grid would not be $122bn but more like $642bn.

The main problem was the former figure – as estimated by the Australian Energy Market Operator – calculated the net present value of the spending out to 2050, a standard accounting approach that attempts to anticipate inflation and the time value of money.

Anyway, as we noted, Frontier’s own modelling pretty much was in line with Aemo’s, save for some extra infrastructure costs in the order of $62bn:

The Clean Energy Council, an industry group representing renewables and storage firms, has pulled apart some of Frontiers’ own assumptions, saying the paper “risks misleading the Australian public by potentially inflating the cost of transitioning to renewables through the use of irregular modelling approaches and presentation of data”.

They, too, deride the reversion to “actual” outlays when tallying the costs. (As we noted, the $368bn Aukus subs will be much more pricey when we come to pay for the boats in 2040s dollars … even before we get to the inevitable cost blowouts.)

Among other concerns, the CEC also reckons Frontier inflates the infrastructure costs and pins it all on renewables when some of it would be needed anyway. Also the use of the past couple of years (think Covid, a Russian invasion) to extrapolate future uplifting of costs is (we hope) not a useful future guide.

The council is clearly concerned that Frontier’s second report – on what the cost of the Coalition’s nuclear plans are – will be built on questionable grounds.

We have approached Frontier for a response. More modelling contention to come, presumably.

Updated

YouTube pleased to avoid social media ban, seeks more detail

YouTube says it is pleased it won’t be subjected to the government’s plan to ban under-16s from social media, but wants to see the final details of the bill.

The communications minister, Michelle Rowland, says the new legislation will “capture TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, Instagram and X, amongst others”. Messaging services such as Facebook Messenger Kids and WhatsApp will be excluded, as will services with “a significant purpose to enable young people to get the education and health support they need”, which includes ReachOut’s PeerChat, Kids Helpline’s MyCircle, Google Classroom, YouTube and others.

YouTube’s public policy manager, Rachel Lord, said in a blog post today that the company appreciated the government’s recognition and exemption of the video platform. She said:

We also know that details matter and want to ensure that this intention is reflected in the bill itself. We look forward to working with the government to give effect to this commitment and to provide certainty to Australian users and the creator community.

We understand the complexities of regulating digital platforms, and welcome the government’s intention to adopt a nuanced approach to different services. We will continue to work with the government through collaboration and open dialogue, and are hopeful they will reflect their intention to exempt YouTube in the final bill.

Updated

Calm conditions, rebidding behind September power price spikes, AER says

We know the September quarter had some soaring average wholesale electricity prices (eg Tasmania’s almost tripling) because the Australian Energy Regulator told us last month.

Well, the AER is required to investigate periods when 30-minute price intervals exceed $5,000 per megawatt-hour (versus, say, average prices more likely to be in the $75-125/MWh range, depending on your state).

For the quarter, there were 54 such price spikes compared with 10 a year earlier. Part of the problem was a lack of wind, particularly in South Australia. (When the wind was blowing, there were many times when wholesale power prices turned negative too.)

However, the high prices weren’t helped by actions from some big generators who cancelled low-priced bids – perhaps seeing the shortfall coming – and resubmitted higher ones. These are detailed by the AER in a report today. It said:

Subject to bids and rebids not being false or misleading and being properly submitted and substantiated, the National Electricity Rules do not prohibit rebids that put upward pressure on spot prices.

However, patterns of this kind of behaviour could lead to inefficiencies in the market and may not be in the best interests of energy consumers.

Energy consumers – all of us – will be hoping the AER won’t hesitate to act if any rules were broken.

Updated

Australia Post seeking to increase price of standard letter postage

Australia Post is seeking to increase the price of standard letter postage to $1.70, increasing stamp costs by 13%.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is asking for public submissions from businesses and consumers on the draft proposal. Australia Post would seek to update their prices by mid-2025, the ACCC said.

Ordinary large letters up to 125g would rise from $3 to $3.40, and letters more than 125g but under 250g would rise from $4.50 to $5.10. The price of priority labels will also go up by 30c, from $0.70 to $1. The ACCC said:

Australia Post has also indicated that it proposes to submit price notifications to the ACCC for further price increases in July 2026 and July 2027 as part of a future price path for stamped letters.

But – some good news: “Australia Post is not proposing to increase the price of concession stamps (60c each) or stamps for seasonal greeting cards (65c),” the ACCC said.

Updated

The Australian Centre for International Justice (ACIJ) has released a statement after the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s former defence minister Yoav Gallant and the Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif for alleged war crimes.

The ACIJ’s executive director, Rawan Arraf, said:

This is a welcome step to end Israel’s entrenched impunity and to hold those responsible for the commission of international crimes accountable and to bring them to justice. We remind the Australian government that they are duty bound to comply and execute these arrest warrants.

Arraf also called for “all defence deals that benefit Australia’s own defence capability, such as the one recently signed with Elbit Systems, must end and be rescinded.”

We welcome the Victorian government’s decision not to renew the memorandum of understanding with the Israeli Defence Ministry.

It also called on the Australian government to refer the strike against World Central Kitchen, which killed Zomi Frankcom, to the office of the prosecutor.

Updated

Victorian Greens leader responds to reports state government will let MoU with Israeli defence force lapse

The Victorian Greens leader, Ellen Sandell, has responded to our report confirming the government will let its memorandum of understanding with the Israeli defence force lapse.

Guardian Australia has confirmed the MoU between the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions and the international defence cooperation directorate of the Israel defence ministry, which was signed on 7 December 2022, will lapse when it expires next month.

The MoU was signed before the Israel-Gaza war but has come under increased scrutiny since the conflict began.

The Greens have repeatedly used question time to grill the government on its contents and, behind the scenes, Labor MPs have been urging the premier, Jacinta Allan, not to renew it. Sandell said the pressure had worked:

Labor are clearly feeling the pressure, they know that Victorians are appalled that their government has been supporting the cycle of violence in Palestine with their secret contracts and deals with the Israeli military and weapons companies.

She is now calling on the government to “rip up its contract” with weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems, which established the Centre of Excellence for Human-Machine Teaming and Artificial Intelligence in Port Melbourne in 2021 with investment from the state.

The Greens will continue calling for Labor to rip up its contract with Elbit Systems – whose weapons are fuelling the atrocities in Gaza – and we’ll continue to speak out for the tens of thousands of children who have been killed.

Updated

Queensland truth-telling commission unpauses work after lack of response from state government

Queensland’s truth-telling and healing commission has reopened, despite plans by the state’s new LNP government to defund it as early as next month.

Chairperson Josh Creamer paused public hearings and other work after the premier, David Crisafulli, told a press conference he “won’t be allowing those to go ahead” last month. But Creamer has said he’d reversed the decision because he’d received no additional information since, despite multiple requests to the premier and minister for a meeting.

In the absence of any further information, and to ensure the inquiry meets its obligations as an independent inquiry under the Path to Treaty Act, the inquiry today informed the minister of works to be continued to ensure the members will continue to satisfy their obligations under the act until it has been repealed.

From today, online submissions are again open and we welcome submissions from Aboriginal peoples, Torres Strait Islander peoples, and non-Indigenous people, as well as groups, organisations and institutions.

Submissions and materials provided to the inquiry will form part of its records and will be preserved by the state archives.

The inquiry will also reactivate activities designed to promote public awareness of the history of the colonisation of Queensland but won’t reactivate truth-telling hearings because it cannot provide ongoing support for those giving evidence, Creamer said.

Crisafulli declared on 31 October that he intended to repeal the state’s Pathway to Treaty Act this year, making it one of the first acts of his government. The then LNP leader voted for the bill, before changing his mind after last year’s failed voice referendum.

Updated

ABF highlights ‘disturbing’ trend of drugs being sent to Australia concealed in baby wipes

The Australian Border Force says it has uncovered a “disturbing” new trend among organised crime groups, who are allegedly sealing packages of cocaine and ketamine inside baby wipes.

ABF said the wipes are sent to Australia via international mail. Recent seizures including 641g of ketamine inside baby wipes sent to Brisbane, 1kg of ketamine sent to Thornbury in Victoria, and 500g of ketamine sent to Glebe in NSW.

Separately, two foreign nationals and a dual Australian citizen appeared at Adelaide Magistrates Court yesterday, charged with importing more than 25kg of border controlled drugs.

It is alleged one consignment was detected and found to contain 282g of opium hidden within clothing and the soles of shoes, the ABF said.

Nationals senator says ‘we cannot act quickly enough’ about impacts of social media on young people

As AAP reports, Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie spoke to reporters in Canberra earlier this morning about the government’s social media age limit bill.

McKenzie argued that “we cannot act quickly enough because there is a tsunami of mental health issues occurring right now”.

Young boys were accessing violent porn in year 3 and 4, which affected their view of healthy relationships and women, and young girls were facing bullying on popular social media platforms, she said.

We want to halt that harm and deal with the issues raised by families.

But McKenzie ruled out the implementation of a digital ID being used to verify a person’s age, with the onus set to be on social media platforms to enforce the ban rather than the federal government mandating a particular technology.

Updated

Government's social media age limit bill gets only given single day of inquiry hearing

The government’s bill to ban under-16s from social media will get just one single day of an inquiry hearing, and has opened for public submissions for barely more than 24 hours, as the major parties seek to ram it through parliament with little scrutiny.

Several politicians, including at least two members of the Coalition, have raised alarm at the prospect of rushing the bill into law in the last sitting week of the year. One aspect of the legislation which still remains largely unexamined is that communications department officials have stated all Australians – not just young people – will have to undergo some form of age assurance, and potentially hand over more personal data in that process.

The bill was only introduced into parliament yesterday. It was quickly referred off to a Senate committee for inquiry and public hearings – that process can often run for weeks or months, but the committee has been asked to report back by 26 November.

That is next Tuesday. It will receive some form of public hearing on Monday (witnesses TBA). The closing date for public written submissions is today.

So after the bill was only unveiled for the first time yesterday, submissions on it are due barely 24 hours later – and the committee has been given just three business days (Friday, Monday and Tuesday) to write its report. The inquiry website states:

Due to the short timeframe of this inquiry, the committee would appreciate submissions being limited to 1-2 pages.

Updated

Amnesty Australia responds to ICC arrest warrants in relation to Gaza war

Amnesty International Australia has released a statement, following news the ICC has issued arrest warrants for the Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s former defence minister Yoav Gallant and the Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif for alleged war crimes relating to the Gaza war.

In a statement, the spokesperson for the occupied Palestinian territory, Mohamed Duar, said Amnesty welcomed Australia’s “swift affirmation of the independence of the [ICC] and its decisions”.

As a Member State, Australia must enforce these arrest warrants should Netanyahu, Gallant or Al-Masri enter Australian territory.

Palestinian Australians will today be heartened by these signs of the restoration of international law. No one is above the law and perpetrators most be brought to justice, regardless of who they are.

This is a historic moment in the pursuit of justice for civilians in Gaza, who are already at grave risk of genocide, and Palestinians who live under an unlawful occupation enabled by the system of oppression and domination of apartheid.

Updated

Fifteen evacuated from unit fire in Sydney’s west

Fifteen people were evacuated from a unit fire in Sydney’s west this morning.

Flames were engulfing a second-level unit at Villawood just before 2am. The fire had spread to the roof and was venting high into the air, according to Fire and Rescue NSW.

It took firefighters two hours to bring the blaze under control. Firefighters also rescued several cats and reunited them with their owners.

FRNSW said all occupants would need to be relocated due to the extent of the damage. There were no injuries and the cause of the fire is being investigated.

Photos from Nobbys Beach before Rising Tide flotilla protest

Some photos are filtering through from AAP of protesters getting ready in Newcastle, as part of the Rising Tide flotilla:

Updated

More details on heatwave conditions sweeping south-east

The Bureau of Meteorology’s Angus Hines spoke with ABC News Breakfast just earlier about the heatwave conditions across the south-east – as we flagged earlier.

The meteorologist said heatwave conditions began in South Australia yesterday, with 36C recorded in Adelaide – the warmest day there since March. Today, the heat is spreading through Victoria, with temperatures 10 to 12C above average for this time of year.

As we get into the weekend, it will be warm across Tasmania … and the heat will move into large parts of New South Wales as well, [with] mid to upper 30s [forecast] across much of the state there.

Hines said there was widespread fire danger across the south-east, with some areas facing an extreme risk:

At the moment it’s looking to be parts of western South Australia and parts of north-western Victoria seeing those extreme fire dangers and associated fire weather warnings.

He said a cool change would move across SA tomorrow, while heat could continue for parts of NSW until Tuesday or Wednesday.

Updated

Rising Tide shares photos before flotilla protest at 11am

Climate activist group Rising Tide has shared some photos from the Newcastle foreshore, where hundreds of people have camped before the protest flotilla launching at 11am.

You can read more about the multi-day “protestival” earlier in the blog, here.

Updated

Minns remains hopeful of agreement with Rail, Tram and Bus Union

Chris Minns also spoke about the two-day shutdown of Sydney’s train network – which was averted at the 11th hour yesterday.

He told reporters the government wasn’t doing a “lap of honour” and there is a “long way to go” in sorting things out:

We’re working very hard to get an agreement, and I’m hopeful we can do that in the coming two weeks with the union.

Updated

NSW police establishes strike force to investigate anti-Israel graffiti

The NSW premier, Chris Minns, is addressing the media in Sydney – first speaking about the anti-Israel graffiti in Sydney’s eastern suburbs earlier this week.

He described the incident as “horrific” and said a strike force had been set up to investigate the matter:

I know that members of the Jewish community since the horrifying terrorist attacks on 7 October have felt unsafe in their own town, and I’m deeply sorry for that.

I also want to make it clear that police have stood up a strike force [and] we are taking these violent criminal acts very seriously … [The] police force is working incredibly hard to track down those who committed this horrifying act.

The full force of the law will be applied against them. None of this will be tolerated in 2024 in Sydney, and no one should feel intimidated or harassed in their own place, in their own town, in their own home.

Updated

X owner Elon Musk takes swipe at Australia’s social media age limit

X owner Elon Musk has taken a shot at Australia’s plan to ban under-16s from social media, using his platform – one of the big tech companies to be included in the new restrictions – to claim the Labor government was trying to “control access to the internet”.

Musk, who has been a constant presence by president-elect Donald Trump’s side since the election, reposted a tweet by the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, last night. He wrote:

Seems like a backdoor way to control access to the Internet by all Australians.

Albanese’s tweet, which Musk quoted, read:

TODAY: We’re introducing our bill to make 16 years the minimum age for social media.

Albanese’s tweet has attracted a “community note” on X, a tool on the platform which is meant to address issues of misinformation or missing context, which allows users to add extra information. The community note on Albanese’s tweet reads:

This bill will require identity or age verification for all Australians to use social media, including adults. The government confirmed this is the only way to enforce it.

It is unclear what extra data all Australians will have to submit to social media companies to keep their accounts. The government concedes that complying with the age assurance framework “may require the collection, use and disclosure of additional personal information”.

In a Senate estimates hearing earlier this month, the Greens senator David Shoebridge asked James Chisholm, the deputy secretary of the communications department, if “everybody [would] have to go through an age-verification process”.

“Yes,” Chisholm replied.

Updated

Police officer in hospital after allegedly being stabbed during arrest

A NSW police officer is recovering in hospital after allegedly being stabbed during the arrest of a man.

About 12.30am this morning officers were called to Doonside to reports five men were fighting. Officers allegedly saw a hatchback being driven away and began a pursuit – which was terminated after the car hit a power pole.

Three men allegedly ran away and during the arrest of these men, police allege a male constable was stabbed in the chest by a 20-year-old man.

He was treated by paramedics and taken to Westmead Hospital in a stable condition. The three men – aged 21, 20 and 18 – have been taken to Blacktown Police Station.

A crime scene has been established and an investigation commenced.

Beaumaris football club president pays tribute to Bianca Jones

Continuing from our last post, Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles both played for the Beaumaris football club.

Its president, Nick Heath, just spoke with ABC News Breakfast and said news of Jones’s death has taken everyone’s grief to a new level and “we’re all just trying to cope … at the moment.”

He said Jones’s family are “completely shattered” but it was a silver lining all the family were with her at the time:

They embraced her and said goodbye in a way that the family would have liked to. The family have asked me to convey how grateful they are for the outpouring of love and support … It’s been overwhelming and the family are really feeling the love.

Describing the two best friends, he said Jones and Bowles were part of the “Covid generation” who missed out on their social lives for a couple of years, saving up hard for their dream overseas holiday:

Off they’ve went full of zest for life and quest for adventure … I think that’s why so many people relate to this because it could happen to anybody, and that just really smacks you right between the eyes. These young people deserve some social life and deserved their time in the sun, and now this happens. It’s devastating.

Updated

Pearl Jam lead singer pays tribute to methanol poisoning victims

During the Pearl Jam concert in Sydney last night, Eddie Vedder paid tribute to suspected methanol poisoning victims Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles.

Jones has died in a Thai hospital, a week after the Melbourne teenager and her best friend, Bowles, fell ill while travelling in neighbouring Laos. Bowles remains fighting for her life.

During last night’s show, Vedder told the crowd of about 50,000:

The sense of travel, adventure, gusto, verve, and to hear the story about these two young girls in Laos … I guess their drinks were spiked or something, absolutely fucking senseless.

But the one young woman, Bianca Jones, she has passed. Her friend, Holly Bowles, is hanging [on] and we send her the best and we’re thinking about the parents.

Updated

Wong responds to ICC arrest warrants in relation to Gaza war

The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has responded to news the ICC has issued arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s former defence minister Yoav Gallant and the Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif for alleged war crimes relating to the Gaza war.

In a statement posted to X, Wong said:

Australia respects the independence of the [ICC] and its important role in upholding international law. We have been clear that all parties to the conflict must comply with international humanitarian law.

Civilians must be protected. Hostages must be released. Rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian relief must reach civilians. Aid workers must be protected to enable their lifesaving work.

Updated

Regional NSW no longer reprieve for Sydneysiders facing skyrocketing rents: new report

A new report shows that regional NSW is no longer a reprieve for Sydneysiders looking to escape skyrocketing rents in the city, as affordability hits record lows in the regions.

The tenth annual National Shelter-SGS Economics and Planning rental affordability index shows the average rental household in regional NSW is paying almost 30% of the gross income of $89,977, if renting at the median rate.

Single jobseekers are facing extremely unaffordable rents, with 69% of their income going towards rent. Single part-time workers on parent benefits are also facing extremely unaffordable rents, sacrificing 56% of their income to rent.

The CEO of Shelter NSW, John Engeler, said the regional rental market is “spiraling out of control” with people across the state “struggling to afford to keep a roof over their head”.

The regions used to be seen as an affordable alternative for Sydneysiders to escape to when city rents became unaffordable. But this is not the case, especially for regional residents on local wages. This is not sustainable and will only get worse as these regional populations grow.

The greatest affordability decline in regional NSW was seen along coastal areas like Tweed Heads, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour, as well as inland areas such as Orange and Dubbo.

Updated

David Colemon on future of gambling ads

David Coleman was asked if he thinks there is any chance the government will bring its gambling reforms to parliament before the end of the year? He was it wasn’t “looking very likely”.

Remarkably, when [communications minister Michelle Rowland was] asked if the government was going to use legislation to do whatever it’s going to do on gambling, the minister said she didn’t know, and no decisions have been made. And given that there’s four parliamentary sitting days [left], you think if you’re going to introduce legislation, you’d at least know [the form the] regulation would take. So it’s not looking likely.

Coleman said the prime minister was “scared” that “whatever he announces on gambling advertising is going to upset people, so he’s taking the weak option and basically doing nothing”.

So the position he’s taken is do nothing, and that has very real consequences. And it’s well past time that action was taken.

Is the Coalition willing to get ahead of Labor and push for a full ban on gambling ads? Coleman did not answer directly, saying it would wait for the government to announce “a policy that we can respond to”.

We’ve got a policy that we put in place already in relation to large sport. The next step is for the government of Australia to have an opinion on this issue.

Updated

Opposition communications spokesperson responds to Guardian report on Kyle and Jackie O

The shadow communications minister, David Coleman, gave a wide-ranging interview to ABC RN just earlier – where he touched on Guardian Australia’s reports on the Kyle and Jackie O Show.

Asked about some of the vulgar language, and whether this is appropriate to air while children are listening, Coleman said:

I think it’s a very fair issue to raise … I haven’t seen the specific examples that you’re referring to … but certainly Acma should be using the powers that it has, and I can understand why people would be concerned about that.

Updated

Tink accuses government of ‘rushing to finish homework’ in final sitting days

Kylea Tink was asked a question about changes to the Future Fund, and spoke about the amount of legislation the government is trying to pass, with just four sitting days left this year:

We are in the final two sitting weeks of this year and I can pretty much guarantee from this point on it will either be about the government rushing to finish its homework, so stuff we should have seen months ago being forced through, while on the other hand it will be all about cheap political point-scoring.

Tink said she doesn’t think the Future Fund is “the biggest issue in the country at the moment”, pointing to her concerns over the government’s electoral reforms.

This legislation was provided to me in draft form on Sunday, it was introduced into the House on Monday, and by Wednesday it was through the House. There was literally no debate on this bill other than for people like myself.

Updated

Independent MP accuses government of ‘chasing votes’ with social media age ban bill

Teal MP Kylea Tink spoke with ABC News Breakfast earlier about the government’s proposed age limit for social media, with the bill introduced to parliament yesterday.

Tink accused the government of “chasing votes” with the bill and said:

[We] have so much evidence showing the harm that gambling advertising is doing to our nation, and yet the government has done nothing there. And we have no evidence showing that this will work in terms of protecting our kids … so it’s very hard to not be cynical about this legislation.

I absolutely agree we have to do something in this area, but surely the solution is to introduce legislation that places the onus of care on the platforms themselves to make sure they are providing content that is suitable for our young kids, rather than saying to our young kids, ‘You are banned and you cannot go on to it’.

Updated

Heatwave conditions forecast for NSW and Victoria

Heatwave conditions are building over parts of Victoria and New South Wales today.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, much of Victoria will experience heatwave conditions, with maximum temperatures in the mid to high 30s.

Melbourne is forecast to reach 34C today, and 36C tomorrow, with a late cool change. Severe heatwave conditions are expected to ease from Sunday.

In New South Wales, southern parts of the state are forecast to experience heatwave conditions, with max temperatures in the high twenties to mid thirties.

Locations likely to be affected include Bega, Bombala and Eden. In Sydney, the maximum forecast for today is 26C, followed by 28C on Saturday and 29C on Sunday, reaching up to 32C next Tuesday before a cool change.

A fire weather warning is in place for the West Coast, Eastern Eyre Peninsula and Lower Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, and there is another heatwave warning in place for parts of far north Queensland.

Updated

Greens senator reacts to news of ICC arrest warrants in relation to Gaza war

Overnight, the international criminal court issued arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s former defence minister Yoav Gallant and the Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif for alleged war crimes relating to the Gaza war.

Greens senator David Shoebridge reacted to the news in a post to X, and said the world – including Australia – must ensure the arrest warrants are enforced:

The world, including Australia, must ensure these arrest warrants are enforced. It’s called justice.

Wayne Swan says criticism about Future Fund changes ‘absurd political criticism’

The national president of the Labor party, Wayne Swan, spoke with the Today show just earlier about changes to the Future Fund.

In case you missed it – the government has announced changes to the $230bn sovereign wealth fund, meaning it will be retooled with an investment mandate to help build houses, improve infrastructure and combat global heating.

Swan was asked about criticism from John Howard and Peter Costello to the changes, but responded that the government had not “changed the mandated investment return at all”.

And that is the critical point. I think Australians want their money invested in this country, if they can get the required return. And what’s wrong with saying that there are some national priorities? This is just absurd political criticism in the lead-up to the next election. Nothing more, nothing less.

Host Karl Stefanovic asked if it was about investments to suit a political agenda? Swan replied:

No, investments that suit the national agenda, because that’s what the government’s focusing on. What the Liberal party is focusing on is the next election.

Independent MP Dai Li was also on the program, and said she is concerned that “when the government talk about their surplus budget, if are they referring to this, you know, counting on this fund”.

Updated

Karen Middleton on Shorten’s farewell

Bill Shorten yesterday said farewell on his own terms. The former Labor leader did, of course, have his great failure in the 2019 election but was still able to bow out gracefully, praised even by his weekly TV sparring partner, Peter Dutton.

Karen Middleton was watching and sketched the scene.

Updated

Good morning

And happy Friday – Emily Wind here, signing on for blogging duties. Thanks to Martin for kicking things off for us.

I’ll be bringing you our rolling coverage of most of today. As always, you can reach out with any tips via email: emily.wind@theguardian.com.

Chalmers and Husic convening investor roundtable to unlock capital for housing

The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, and industry minister, Ed Husic, are convening an investor roundtable with more than 20 investors who have nearly $3tn of capital under management.

The roundtable will discuss unlocking capital for prefabricated housing, which the Productivity Commission has found could reduce construction costs by 20% and lift GDP by $5.7bn. Chalmers said:

A big part of Labor’s economic agenda is about incentivising and mobilising private sector investment and that’s the purpose of our investor roundtables. We’re bringing some of the most influential investors in the country to the table to help get capital flowing where it’s most needed. This will mean more investment in areas like housing and energy in ways that also deliver strong returns. Investing in our national priorities presents big opportunities for investors and big opportunities for Australians.

Husic said that new modelling shows the “huge benefits of using local advanced manufacturing to build more quality homes quickly.”

Modern construction isn’t just faster, it’s cheaper and cleaner too. That’s why earlier this year we moved to update the national construction code to encourage more pre-fab and modular housing.

Aged care provider peak body welcomes passing of aged care bill in Senate

The peak body for aged care providers has hailed the passing of the federal government’s aged care bill in the Senate as a “watershed moment” for older Australians, paving the way for the act to be legislated into parliament.

The Aged and Community Care providers Association (ACCPA) said the new, rights-based aged care act - the number one recommendation of the Royal Commission into Aged Care - would deliver on dozens of other recommendations made in the final report, passed down three years ago.

ACCPA Ceo Tom Symondson said elected politicians had put older Australians and the future of aged care above party politics “with rare bipartisan support”.

The new act will replace the previous Aged Care Act, which was drafted in 1997.

The path to the new act follows significant consultation with consumers, providers, unions, workers, accountants, economists, and members of parliament. Negotiations have been robust, but in good faith, with everyone putting the future of older Australians at the heart of reforms.

Symondson said providers would need a clearly articulated transition plan so the reforms could be implemented successfully before the currently proposed date of 1 July 2025, calling for “realistic timeframes” and funding.

We need certainty, we need support, and we need time. Everyone wants these reforms to succeed and we only get one chance to get this right.

Updated

‘Protestival’ to start in Newcastle harbour

Climate activists will take to the water today to protest against fossil fuels at the world’s biggest coal port despite government efforts to crack down on the action, AAP reports.

The multi-day “protestival” will occupy parts of Newcastle harbour and foreshore with a flotilla, live music and other events revolving around protest and climate.

Former federal minister and Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett will join the live music lineup that will be audible both on land and from the water.

It follows a successful last-minute legal challenge by organisers, Rising Tide, to overturn a planned “marine exclusion zone” by the government that would have prevented the protesters from entering the water.

As a result, the group said protesters could peacefully enter the water off Horseshoe Beach, near the mouth of the harbour, to conduct a flotilla without impeding the nearby shipping channel.

NSW police have repeatedly flagged concerns with the safety of the event, citing a similar action in 2023 that resulted in the arrests of nine people who refused to exit the water at an agreed time.

Rising Tide said it was calling for an end to new coal and gas approvals, and the imposition of a 78% tax on coal and gas exports to help fund the energy transition. Read more:

Updated

Thousands to rally against gender-based violence

Thousands of people will take to the streets demanding an end to gender-based violence, AAP reports.

The crowds are expected to march in Melbourne on Friday to mark the beginning of 16 days of activism. The global campaign is for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.

The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, said yesterday that “we are seeing in Victoria, and in Australia, too many women are losing their lives at the hands of either someone that was known to them or someone who was a complete stranger – it is happening too often”.

A royal commission into domestic, family and sexual violence in South Australia heard on Wednesday the system was in crisis due to shortages in resources and increased demand.

In Queensland, police deal with about 140,000 calls for domestic and family violence service every year with 2024 tracking towards 190,000.

The Respect Victoria chairperson, Kate Fitz-Gibbon, said today’s walk was a powerful demonstration of unwavering community support to end behaviour and attitudes enabling the use of violence against women.

The 16 days of activism provide great opportunities for all Victorians to get involved in shifting the narrative.

Updated

Welcome

Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer bringing you the best of the overnight stories, while Emily Wind will be along soon to take charge.

More than 80,000 people could be deported from Australia to third countries paid to take them under Labor’s new bill likened to the UK’s failed Rwanda deportation plan. A Senate inquiry hearing yesterday heard home affairs department officials confirm the migration amendment bill could affect far more people than those released from immigration detention by the high court. But it will not expand the cohort of those eligible for removal, they said.

We have an exclusive story revealing that a secretive memorandum of understanding between the Victorian government and the Israeli defence force will not be renewed when it expires next month. We’ll have more shortly.

After world leaders wrangled all week over what to do about the climate crisis, activists will take to the water today to protest fossil fuels at the world’s biggest coal port despite government efforts to crack down on the action. The multi-day “protestival” will occupy parts of Newcastle harbour and foreshore with a flotilla, live music and other events revolving around activism and climate. We’ll have developments as they unfold.

Meanwhile, thousands are due to march in Victoria against domestic violence: more on that too soon.

A British lawyer, Simone White, has been named as the fifth person to die in a suspected mass methanol poisoning in Laos that has already claimed the life of Melbourne teenager Bianca Jones and left her friend Holly Bowles fighting for her life.

Updated

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