What we learned today, Friday 10 March
And that’s where we’ll leave you this evening. Here’s a wrap of the main events today:
South Sydney will file a police report after a teenage NRL fan allegedly racially abused fullback Latrell Mitchell at half-time of the Rabbitohs’ loss to Penrith.
The NRL CEO, Andrew Abdo, hailed players’ response to alleged incident of racial abuse, while NSW premier Dominic Perrottet called for ‘life bans’ for racism at sporting games.
China’s foreign ministry has spoken out against the AUKUS deal, saying it “exacerbates [the] arms race” and “hurts peace and stability” in the region.
As part of his India trip, prime minister Anthony Albanese declared the country a ‘top tier security partner’, vowing to deepen military ties.
A Senate committee is recommending that parliament consider the case for a four-day working week.
Labor senator and assistant minister for Indigenous Australians and Indigenous health, Malarndirri McCarthy, created history by being the first Indigenous Australian woman to deliver Australia’s national statement to the United Nations commission on the status of women in New York.
Bulldogs premiership player Liam Picken has launched action in the supreme court against his former club and the AFL, claiming he was left in the dark about cognitive impairments he suffered as a result of concussions and was still sent out to play.
Australia’s largest online bookseller, Booktopia, will fork out $6m in penalties after it made false or misleading claims about consumer guarantee rights.
A Queensland mother whose son took his life after interactions with Centrelink has called for change at the robodebt royal commission.
Former PM Kevin Rudd has said US-China tensions are a worry, adding that recent brash rhetoric from the Chinese government could be partly attributed to China’s own domestic challenges.
Climate change threatening global coffee supplies
Australia’s love affair with coffee has the potential to hit flat white and latte sippers in the hip pocket as climate change threatens global supplies of the humble bean, AAP reports.
Extreme weather has steadily increased across the top 12 coffee-producing regions globally over the past 40 years, putting vulnerable crops at risk.
New research from the CSIRO and University of Southern Queensland suggests concurrent climate hazards could impact international supplies.
Study lead Doug Richardson said extreme weather conditions could result in a mass shortage.
We’re pretty confident climate change is playing a role in this because the main problem used to be conditions were too cool and now they’re often too warm and that aligns with what we know about the impacts of climate change.
Coffee crops can fail if the annual average temperature and rainfall is not within an optimal range.
About three in four Australians enjoy at least one cup of coffee per day, according to data from research company McCrindle.
Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows the nation is one of the world’s biggest coffee importers, spending nearly $700 million on coffee products in 2020.
Aussies have also been credited with inventing the famous flat white in the mid 1980s.
The multi-billion dollar coffee industry is mostly supplied by Central and South America, Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
You can read more on the issue at our story, linked below:
Updated
And if you haven’t already, you absolutely should check out Amanda Meade’s latest weekly beast, linked below:
Queensland community urged to prepare for evacuation
AAP is reporting that Burketown residents have been told to pack a bag and prepare to leave their pets behind in case of an urgent evacuation as the worst floods on record hit the northwest Queensland community.
A fleet of nine helicopters, including local cattle-mustering aircraft, was used to airlift scores of vulnerable people from the town of 168 near the Gulf of Carpentaria on Friday.
The rain has eased but planes are unable to get to Burketown with the local airstrip inundated by the Albert River, which is steadily rising after surpassing the record 6.78m level recorded in 2011.
Burketown Shire mayor, Ernie Camp, said further evacuations could be triggered and he urged residents to be prepared.
“All residents, regardless of whether you identify as vulnerable or not, are encouraged to make sure you have a small bag/backpack prepared for possible evacuation at short notice, including any medication and important documents,” he said in an alert to residents on Friday.
“If you are concerned about leaving your pets behind, please contact council. A reminder that pets are not allowed to be evacuated.”
It was hard to predict whether homes and businesses were going to go under because flood modelling was so limited, Mount Isa police superintendent Tom Armitt said.
About 25 elderly people were airlifted about 230km east to Normanton and 18 children, each accompanied by a parent, were flown to Mount Isa, about 440km to the south.
About 100km southwest in the Indigenous community of Doomadgee, 10 elderly people have also been moved from an aged care home to a hospital as a precaution.
The Nicholson River is at record flood levels and stormwater is backing up, although there is no spillover in the town, a QFES spokeswoman said.
Updated
Hastie pledges support for submarine deal
Opposition Defence spokesman Andrew Hastie has conceded that it “makes sense” for the government to purchase Virginia-class submarines.
Hastie was on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, and reiterated the bi-partisan support for Aukus:
I think, given the urgency of the strategic situation, an off-the-shelf purchase of the Virginia class submarines … does make sense because first of all we have to respond to the strategic environment, that is critical, absolutely critical.
But I think, by the sounds of it, and again we will wait and see, these things will happen concurrently so I think the prime minister in previous statements has said there might be up to 10 submarines being built in Adelaide so I think it is win-win.
We’re certainly going to hold the government to account on things like timing and budgets and the plan to deliver AUKUS, but we need to work together because this is nation-building.
Updated
Charities regulator to investigate Hillsong
The charities regulator has announced it is investigating concerns raised about Hillsong, after independent MP Andrew Wilkie yesterday tabled thousands of pages of financial records which he alleged showed the church had engaged in money laundering and tax evasion.
Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) commissioner Sue Woodward said it was “extremely rare” for the body to comment on investigations, but issued a statement today to “correct the record”. Wilkie had alleged the ACNC, plus other bodies including the tax office and the securities and investment commission, had been provided with the documents, but not acted - but Woodward said this was not the case.
“Although it was stated in parliament that the ACNC has not acted, I can confirm that we are investigating concerns raised about Hillsong Church charities. Hillsong has stated publicly that it is fully cooperating with regulatory authorities,” she said in a statement today.
Hillsong has disputed the allegations, claiming many of Wilkie’s representations were false or out of context, and that it was engaging with regulators as part of an ongoing legal case.
“Hillsong Church has been open and transparent with our congregation about past governance failures, and over the past twelve months we have engaged independent, professional assistance to overhaul our governance and accountability procedures,” it said in a statement.
In a statement to Guardian Australia, Hillsong said it was “a different church now than we were twelve months ago” and pushed back on many of Wilkie’s claims.
“The claims made in federal parliament by Mr Andrew Wilkie are out of context and relate to untested allegations made by an employee in an ongoing legal case,” the statement, distributed by a public relations company, read.
Woodward also said the ACNC hadn’t received a whistleblower disclosure on the documents.
“If a whistleblower of a charity wants protection, or is concerned about possible harm as a result of making a disclosure, they must raise concerns with an agency deemed to be an eligible recipient. The ACNC is not an eligible recipient and we are not able to provide protection,” she said.
“Anyone can raise a concern about a charity with the ACNC. No matter where a concern originates, we use a standard independent process to review its details and, if necessary, we conduct an investigation. Any investigation we undertake must be thorough, comprehensive and consistent with our approach to all investigations. They can be complex and take time to complete.”
Updated
Sydney rail workers’ pay increase leaves government policy ‘in tatters’, Unions NSW says
AAP is reporting that rail workers in Sydney will receive an extra one per cent yearly increase in their pay after the Fair Work Commission handed down its decision in a long-running wages dispute.
The commission’s ruling means workers will receive an additional one per cent pay increase on top of the existing offer made by the state government when negotiations for a new enterprise agreement began in May 2021.
The disagreements over the rate of pay increases led to prolonged industrial action affecting NSW trains, culminating in a network-wide shutdown in February last year.
The rail unions lodged the first of several applications with the commission in September after failing to reach agreement with the government.
The commission ruled that the initial one per cent wage increase will be applied from May 2022, with another one per cent increase applied from May 2023.
Unions NSW secretary, Mark Morey, said the decision has blown a hole in the government’s wages policy.
“This is a momentous decision that delivers significantly higher pay than the NSW government intended. The credibility of its pay policy is in tatters.”
Unions NSW said Sydney train employees will now receive a pay rise of 3.53% from 2022, with back pay to be paid out, and an increase of 4.03% from 2023.
They will also get a one-off payment of $4500.
Mr Morey said the rise in the cost of living is seeing people struggle with things like surging rents and sky-high mortgage repayments, and the extra one per cent a year will make a significant difference.
“For many it will be the difference between paying for school excursions or a modest summer holiday.”
Updated
Grieving mother calls for change at robodebt royal commission
The following post contains references to suicide
A Queensland mother whose son took his life after interactions with Centrelink has called for change at the robodebt royal commission.
Echoing the testimony of another witness, Jennifer Miller, Kathleen Madgwick told the inquiry she was stonewalled by the Department of Human Services as she sought answers about her son Jarrad’s death in May 2019. She said letters to the then government services minister, Stuart Robert, and Scott Morrison, also went unanswered.
Madgwick said on Friday she wanted changes to the system after Jarrad, 22, took his life following interactions with Centrelink over a welfare debt and a rejected Newstart Allowance claim.
Madgwick said Jarrad had been staying with her in May 2019 after a period battling homelessness and mental health issues.
She said on 30 May 2019, Jarrad was informed his Newstart application had been denied because he had not provided his bank details, which he disputed.
An initial phone call was terminated by Centrelink after Jarrad become angry, but they were later able to confirm his details to the agency.
Madgwick said Jarrad came out of his room later that night and said he’d been informed he wouldn’t be paid Newstart because he had a welfare debt of around $2,000. The inquiry heard the debt was calculated using payslips, rather than the unlawful income averaging method.
The pair later argued, and Jarrad left the home about 6.45pm, Madgwick told the inquiry.
Magdwick said she thought Jarrad had gone to cool off and she later received a message saying, “I love you.” Her son was later found dead.
Madgwick told the commission people who were already not receiving an income should not receive a debt from Centrelink, and the agency needed to improve its processes to ensure people with vulnerabilities were identified.
The inquiry continues.
Crisis support services can be reached 24 hours a day: Lifeline 13 11 14; Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467; Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800; MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78
Updated
AFL not contacted by former AFL player Picken over legal action
The AFL has said it has not heard from former Bulldog premiership player Liam Picken or his lawyers after news broke the AFL star is suing the organisation and his former club.
Picken is suing the AFL and the Western Bulldogs over allegations he was left in the dark about cognitive impairments he suffered as a result of concussions and was still sent out to play.
In a statement the AFL said:
The AFL has not been contacted by a law firm and has not received formal notification regarding any action on this matter.
The health and safety of players at all levels of the game is the AFL’s key priority and we take concussion and the protection of the brain health of all those playing our game extremely seriously.
The 2016 premiership player retired from football after receiving a head injury in a 2018 pre-season match.
Updated
Booktopia fined $6m for misleading consumers
AAP is reporting that Australia’s largest online bookseller will fork out $6m in penalties after it made false or misleading claims about consumer guarantee rights.
Booktopia admitted from at least January 10, 2020 until November 2, 2021, it misled customers through its online terms of business.
The terms claimed customers were only entitled to a refund, repair or replacement if they alerted the retailer to a faulty or wrong order within two business days of receiving a product.
Booktopia also admitted the terms misled customers by stating they were not entitled to a refund for digital products – including eBooks – for any reason, including if those products were faulty.
Additionally, it misled 19 customers by telling them about the two business days rule, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said.
“Consumers are entitled to return faulty products within a reasonable time and receive a refund, repair or replacement depending on the nature of the fault,” the regulator’s commissioner Liza Carver said.
“We do not know how many consumers may have been deterred from seeking a refund or replacement by Booktopia’s misleading representations on its website.”
The federal court on Friday ordered Booktopia to pay $6m in penalties for the false or misleading representations and also demanded it publish a notice on its website within 21 days to correct the claims.
Booktopia also has to establish a consumer law compliance program.
In an ASX announcement, it acknowledged the statements it made were incorrect and inconsistent with its obligations under Australian consumer law.
“Booktopia takes its obligations under the Australian consumer law and its commitment to customer service very seriously and has cooperated with the (Competition and Consumer Commission) throughout the process,” chairman Peter George said.
“We are glad to put this behind us and to continue to serve Australian customers with the book buying experience they have known and loved for many years.”
The Competition and Consumer Commission launched court proceedings against Booktopia in December 2021.
Updated
Union backs Senate recommendation on national reconstruction fund bill
Steve Murphy, the national secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), has commented on the Senate report recommending the national reconstruction fund be passed.
Murphy said:
The AMWU welcomes the Senate’s recommendation that the national reconstruction fund (NRF) pass parliament. It’s a welcome first step on the road toward rebuilding our manufacturing industries.
The NRF isn’t just an opportunity to rebuild domestic manufacturing. It’s an opportunity to rebuild workers’ power after decades of attacks by conservative governments and their big-business donors.
If the NRF just throws public money at the biggest manufacturing companies, most of it will end up in the pockets of executives and shareholders. Giving workers representation on the NRF’s board would prevent it from becoming a slush fund for the top end of town.
The NRF should also require that businesses receiving public funding have collective bargaining agreements. Otherwise, it risks rewarding businesses that exploit their workers, undercut the rest of the manufacturing industry, and cut corners on health and safety. Businesses receiving public money should be held to a higher standard than the profit motive.
Updated
Foreign minister Penny Wong has issued her condolences to the victims of the shooting in Germany:
My heartfelt condolences to all affected by the horrific shooting in Germany.
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) March 10, 2023
An attack on any place of religion is an attack on freedom of religion everywhere.
Australia grieves with the families, friends and communities of those killed.
Updated
Coalition vows to reinstate live sheep exports
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has vowed he would reinstate live sheep exports if he were to win government, criticising Labor for phasing out the practice.
He told a press conference (held at a farm, in case anyone was wondering who the message was directed at) and railed against those he thinks Labor is trying to please (inner-city Melbourne and inner-city Canberra).
I wanted to make it very clear today that we’ll support the industry, firstly to fight against Labor’s attempts to close it down, and if they do close it down, our commitment to reinstate it.
It’s hard to find an alternative for these farms, their families … Some people are very shell-shocked. They have worked hard for generations to build up an asset.
I think the Labor party has made its mind up and they’re going through this pantomime.
They have a particular audience they want to please in inner-city Melbourne and inner-city Canberra. They have no regard for farming families out here in the west.
Updated
Former player launches action against Western Bulldogs and AFL
Bulldogs premiership player Liam Picken has launched action in the supreme court against his former club and the AFL, claiming he was left in the dark about cognitive impairments he suffered as a result of concussions and was still sent out to play.
In a writ lodged with the court on Wednesday, the 2016 premiership player claims he repeatedly flagged concerns he was suffering symptoms after being concussed, but was never sent to an expert for help and was allowed to continue playing.
Michael Tanner, Principal of National Compensation Lawyers, who is representing Picken, now 36, alleges the player is still suffering symptoms today, including an aversion to bright lights.
In a statement, Tanner said the club and the AFL had a responsibility to the player’s health.
His lawyers claim Picken suffered various concussive events throughout his playing career with the Western Bulldogs that were either known, or should have been known to the AFL, and the club
His lawyers allege Picken underwent a number of cognitive assessments which showed irregular results and despite such was returned to the field to play and that he was not provided with further specialist medical care and assessment following the irregular test results.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Western Bulldogs said the club was not able to comment:
To this point, the Western Bulldogs have not received any formal notification about this matter, nor have we had any approach from his legal representative(s). Accordingly, we are not able to comment.
Concussion remains a significant issue within our industry, with several actual concussion-related claims in existence against other clubs / AFL and other claims being mooted as imminent.
As a club, the health, safety and wellbeing of all of our players (and all of our people) remains paramount at all times. This remains non-negotiable.
The Western Bulldogs will provide further updates as and when required.
Updated
RBA governor Lowe to front National Press Club after next rates meeting
Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe copped flak earlier this year for his notable absence from the public, particularly after the February interest rate which seemed to signal a more hawkish view towards the inflation risks.
Lowe didn’t help things by meeting privately with bankers at a meeting arranged by Barrenjoey, an investment bank, before fronting the public.
He did appear before two committees with MPs the following week in Canberra, but more than a few journalists bemoaned the absence of Lowe’s regular appearance before the National Press Club.
Journalists got a bit of a look-in at a conference held by the Australian Financial Review, a day after Lowe and fellow RBA board members hiked the cash rate for a record 10th consecutive meeting. (As an aside, the Australian newspaper for some reason always calls the AFR, the “Financial Review”, claiming sole naming rights for “Australian”, it seems.)
Anyway, Lowe is at last going to make himself available for the National Press Club on 5 April in Sydney, a day after the next RBA board meeting.
As of yesterday, investors were betting there was almost a two-in-three chance that the RBA would pause in its hikes, a view aided in part by his use of “pause” in his AFR summit speech.
From this perch, we reckon that 5 April speech will be about why Lowe thinks 11 rate rises (to 3.85% by next month) will suffice for now, as we speculated here:
Lowe, though, can be a bit literal in his comments, such as this from Wednesday:
“We are closer to a pause and it’s a matter of logic really,” he said. “As you increase interest rates, you get closer to the point where it is appropriate to stop for a while and assess the flow of data.”
He’s right, of course, but it’s a bit like saying “we are getting closer to the next ice age”, which in a sense is true. It just doesn’t tell you about when that age of ice will return, nor what happens in the meantime - such as a spike in global heating we seem hell-bent on achieving.
Updated
Senate committee recommends national reconstruction fund be passed
The Senate economics legislation committee has recommended the government’s national reconstruction fund bill be passed.
On Thursday Labor and the Greens struck a deal to pass the bill in the lower house, provided the government make clear in amendments that directly investing in new coal and gas projects, gas pipelines, and native forest logging could not be supported by the $15bn fund.
Labor still needs two votes to pass the bill in the Senate, most likely either Lidia Thorpe and David Pocock or the Jacqui Lambie Network. This morning the industry minister, Ed Husic, was careful not to take their votes for granted.
None of those balance of power senators were on the inquiry, though, so the report doesn’t give us hints as to how they’ll vote. The Labor majority supported it while the Greens supported the bill, subject to the amendments.
The Coalition senators dissented, warning the NRF could contribute to inflation, cannot give grants, only coinvestment, and is “riddled with ministerial discretion” about which sectors to invest in.
Updated
Snap analysis
Anthony Albanese’s response to the latest comments from Beijing amounted to a defence of Aukus.
Ahead of the announcement of the nuclear-powered submarine plans in the US early next week, the prime minister said there was nothing contradictory between seeking a more stable diplomatic relationship with China while also investing to “ensure that Australia’s defence assets are the best they can be”.
It’s worth pointing out that the comments from China’s foreign ministry overnight - while strongly worded - are not a new position. Beijing has been pretty consistent in criticising the Aukus arrangement with the US and the UK.
Back in October 2021 - the month after the original Aukus unveiling - the foreign ministry said the deal would “create nuclear proliferation risks, undermine the international non-proliferation system” and risked opening “Pandora’s Box”.
Compare the Chinese foreign ministry’s statement then:
The Aukus trilateral security partnership embodies the Cold War mentality, double standards and contempt of rules with a clear political agenda. It aims to introduce major-power confrontation and bloc politics into the region, provoke bloc confrontation and force regional countries to take sides … with the outdated Cold War mentality and compromise regional prosperity and stability.
… to the one it made overnight:
We urge the US, the UK and Australia to abandon the Cold War mentality and zero-sum games, honour international obligations in good faith and do more things that are conducive to regional peace and stability.
The Australian government maintains that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty does not prohibit the nuclear-propelled (not nuclear-armed) submarine project.
Updated
Albanese on the budget: defence must be paid for but it is ‘a solemn responsibility of government’
Ok the PM wraps up his presser by answering a series of quick questions from journalists, with the highlight being his take on the budget:
On the budget, I don’t want you to have nothing to do and put your feet up between now and the budget.
So we’ve made a range of announcements, so out of my concern for you, I would say that wait till you see what’s in the budget. But we’ve made it very clear when we speak about the pressures on the budget, that one of the areas is defence.
So, I say to the Coalition that seem to oppose everything as well, I [will] have more to say about that but – this does have to be paid for. The defence of our country is a solemn responsibility of government.
And it is one that I take seriously, this is an investment in our security. And we’ll do what is necessary to keep our country secure. On the progress on the economy, I see that will move very quickly.
Updated
Does current India/Australia relationship mean a bilateral agreement is coming?
The next question is an interesting one: on whether the deepening relationship between Australia and India indicate that a future bilateral agreement could be on the table?
Albanese:
Look, what we’re doing is building up our relations between our two nations. And … these issues are, I think, should be viewed on their merits rather than down the track. That’s how you build confidence as well in each other.
I now have met with Prime Minister Modi four times. More than four meetings, but on four separate occasions. In the first year of my prime ministership.
I will welcome Prime Minister Modi to Australia in the first half of this year for the Quad leaders meeting. I’ll be back here in September for the G20 and then Prime Minister Modi has also invited me yesterday to undertake another bilateral visit to other regions in India at the end of the year.
Updated
Albanese to encourage flow of economic activity between India and Australia
The PM continues as questions being rattled off, the next being on the barriers for Australian businesses who are seeking to invest in India:
We want to move, from the act that’s been agreed and went through our processes came into being last December to the CECA, the Comprehensive Economic Co-operation Agreement.
What that will mean is that we [will] ensure there’s a smoother flow of economic activity between our two nations. The businesses who are here aren’t here because … this is a wonderful country to visit … they’re working.
They’re here because they see an economic interest in their companies expanding influence here. Companies like the Commonwealth bank talking about 500 people working at Barangaroo, and there’s a range of … businesses [that] will be investing – that is why they’re here.
Updated
Albanese says Australia investing in defence capability but also relationships
OK, next question is about China calling on Australia to end the “Cold War mentality” that they say is behind the Aukus deal.
Albanese says it is important Australia invest in its military capacity:
What I say is we’re investing in capability as we should, but we’re also investing in relationships as we are. It is not a contradictory position. It’s a consistent position.
We need to ensure that Australia’s defence assets are the best they can be. And that we build our capability. At the same time, we need to build relationships. That’s what I’ve been doing. I’ve been doing that here in India, we’re doing that throughout the Indo-Pacific, we’ve done that as well, improved our relationship with China in recent times as well.
Updated
Asked about press freedom in India, Albanese says issues will be raised ‘privately and appropriately’
Next question is if the PM is concerned about press freedom in India, and if he will bring it up with Prime Minister Modi, after a BBC office was raided after airing a documentary critical of Modi.
The PM reiterates that he thinks India is a “great democracy”:
Penny Wong commented on that when she was here as foreign minister last week. What I do in dealing diplomatically with people I have relationships with is I have discussions based upon Australia’s values and I’m consistent about that.
Australia stands up for press freedom. But India is a great democracy. And to dismiss that is I think wrong. India has - has been and continues to be a democratic nation. And we will, where there’s differences, or issues, to be raised, we raise them privately and appropriately.
Updated
PM answers question on India and Russia
A journalist has jumped in and interrupted the PM, who has taken the question, on India’s relationship with Russia:
India is a sovereign nation. And they depend their relationships with other nations based upon as they see fit. What’s important is how we deal as a sovereign nation with friends in our neighbourhood. And India is a friend of Australia.
We have an increasingly important relationship which goes to our economic ties, our cultural ties, but also our ties through exercises like the Malabar exercises that will take place later this year.
We also have as part of the announcements as well, we’ve had the participation of Australian defence personnel here in India, and exchange the other way around as well.
That builds on the people to people relations that we have with India. India is an important democracy. India stands up for democracy. And I think that the relationship is a very positive one.
Updated
Albanese outlines ‘three themes’ of India trip
The PM continues, saying he expects to sign agreements with Modi today, and is listing the “three themes” of his visit to India, which include cultural ties, national security and economic ties:
I expect today to sign agreements with Prime Minister Modi around the three themes of this visit … and the three themes in which we’re building relations.
Firstly, cultural ties, we saw yesterday the cultural expression through sport, but there are many other ways as well … including arts and culture, and we’ll have more to say about that after the dialogue takes place today.
In economic areas, we’ll also have agreements including in clean energy, we think in particular in solar, there’s enormous opportunities. I spoke to one of the major Indian companies here yesterday who are looking at billions of dollars of investment in Australia, including the manufacturing of solar panels. Something we’ve been talking about, something we want to promote through the national reconstruction fund: I want a future made in Australia.
The third element is national security. And yesterday I had the great privilege of being on the first ever aircraft carrier built here in India, those relations between Australia and India are very important, we’ll host the Malabar exercises later this year and we’ll have more to say about that.
Updated
PM lays out day’s schedule in India
Prime minister Anthony Albanese has stepped up for a press conference from India, where he begins by saying it is a “new day” for relations between the two countries.
The PM takes us through the program today, which includes a ceremonial welcome, as well as the laying of a wreathe in tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, a meeting with the India foreign minister, a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Modi, a business lunch and a speech at the Indian Institute of Technology.
As the PM talks through the schedule, he continues to highlight the importance of the relationship between the two countries:
This is the beginning of a new day on what has been an exceptionally successful visit up to this point. I’m sure that today will reinforce that successful building of relationships between Australia and India.
We’ve got a busy program today. We begin with a ceremonial welcome from Prime Minister Modi. I do thank him for the personal way in which he has engaged with me so far on this visit. And today we’ll be spending most of the day together and I thank him for giving me the honour of a ceremonial welcome here to New Delhi.
Updated
Dominic Perrottet calls for ‘life bans’ for racism at sporting games
The NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, has weighed in on the alleged racial abuse faced by South Sydney star Latrell Mitchell last night.
Perrottet, who is on the campaign trail before the NSW election on 25 March, said the NRL should issue a life ban to the fan who was allegedly abusing Mitchell:
There is no place for racism at sporting games or anywhere in NSW. When it happens, it should be stamped out immediately. There should be life bans in place and I call on the NRL to take that action.
We’ve got to take leadership here and we’ve seen sporting codes take action to stamp this behaviour out whenever it happens.
I don’t care how old the person is who is involved in racist behaviour at sporting events. It’s a disgrace.
It should be stamped out and there should be life bans in place and I call on the NRL to do it.
Updated
China speaks out against Aukus submarine deal
China’s foreign ministry has issued a response to news Australia will be buying up to five US-made submarines and use British-designed vessels, as part of the Aukus deal.
Spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters of China’s opposition to the deal, saying it “exacerbates [the] arms race” and “hurts peace and stability” in the region.
This trilateral cooperation constitutes serious nuclear proliferation risks, undermines the international non-proliferation system, exacerbates [the] arms race and hurts peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific.
We urge the US, the UK and Australia to abandon the Cold War mentality and zero-sum games, honour international obligations in good faith and do more things that are conducive to regional peace and stability.
Updated
Attorney general won’t comment on reports of ‘growing frustration’ in Indigenous voice working group
The attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, has declined to comment on reports he “tried to water down” the proposed constitutional amendment for the voice to parliament, as a key member of the working group states the Indigenous consultation body needed to be “as strong as possible”.
Dreyfus, who sits in meetings of the referendum working group, reportedly suggested changes to the power of the voice to advise “executive government”, according to the Australian newspaper.
The News Corp paper also reported that a member of the group described Dreyfus’s suggestion as “overreach” and that there was “growing frustration” among members that the government wasn’t providing the group with timely advice.
At a press conference in Newcastle, Dreyfus said he wouldn’t comment on deliberations of the working group.
“What I can say is that the government will be bringing a constitution alteration bill to the parliament by the end of this month and that will end the speculation that we’ve had,” he said.
“That bill will be debated in the Australian parliament and we’re looking forward to the constitution alteration bill passing both houses of the Australian parliament by the end of June.”
Dreyfus noted that the PM, Anthony Albanese, had invited comments from anyone with suggestions about the voice and the referendum.
“We’re still getting towards the end of that process. Now, many people have made suggestions and we’re looking forward to getting the final advice of the reference group that the government has been working with of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders,” he said.
Dreyfus said he hadn’t heard the allegations about the government not providing timely advice.
“I’m not going to comment on what’s happened inside the working group. I know that it’s been thus far, a very productive process. I’d refer you to the communiques that have been published by the working group. the government’s intention on setting up this working group was to receive the views of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders. And we’ve been doing that, and that process is continuing.”
Referendum working group member marcus stewart, the co-chair of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, said after the meeting there was “no room for mediocrity in this process”.
“We are committed to ensuring the amendment is as strong as possible, as the Australian public and Aboriginal communities would expect,” he said.
Updated
Good afternoon, Mostafa Rachwani with you to take you through the rest of the day’s news.
Updated
Thanks for your attention today. I leave you in the excellent hands of Mostafa Rachwani. Have a great weekend!
School kids out of hospital, substance still a mystery
More than a dozen children hospitalised after eating an unknown substance on a north Queensland school bus have been released after a night of medical care, AAP reports.
Police and the education department are investigating how 22 students, aged between eight and 12, consumed the substance, reportedly in lollies, before feeling unwell at the Bluewater state school in Townsville on Thursday.
Paramedics said the children were treated for symptoms including nausea, abdominal pain and lightheadedness.
All 15 Bluewater state schoolchildren being treated by the Townsville hospital and Health Service were discharged from care today, the hospital said in a statement.
Bluewater state school said it could not provide further details due to privacy issues.
Queensland police and the Department of Education have been contacted for comment on the investigation.
Updated
Nicotine use jumped 30% in early pandemic
Nicotine consumption in Australia increased by 30% in the early stages of the Covid pandemic, new research suggests.
Analysis of data from the national wastewater drug monitoring program found that while nicotine consumption in Australia had been decreasing between 2017 and 2019, it was significantly higher in the first half of 2020 than the second half of 2019.
The study’s lead researcher, associate professor Phong Thai of the University of Queensland, said the increases coincided with the first wave of Covid and the introduction of lockdowns and remote working.
Thai said in a statement:
These changes could have increased nicotine consumption due to people managing higher stress levels, as well as greater opportunities to smoke or vape whilst working from home …
Tobacco and nicotine consumption have been decreasing in Australia, however the Covid-19 pandemic may have temporarily disrupted this trend.
The study was published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research.
Updated
A traveller has been fined $3,300 for trying to bring in a coconut shell, seed pods, betel nut, mustard sticks, shells and coral into Australia. The agriculture minister, Murray Watt, said the items are prohibited under biosecurity laws.
We’ve fined a traveller $3,300 after attempting to enter Aus carrying prohibited items including: plants, a coconut shell, seed pods, betel nut, mustard sticks, shells & coral.
— Senator Murray Watt (@MurrayWatt) March 10, 2023
We’re taking strong action on biosecurity and keeping our agriculture industry safe. pic.twitter.com/WmaY1YKGUS
Updated
Abdo said the game will do “all it can” to prevent any further incidents but would not say at this stage what actions might be taken because they don’t yet have all the details surrounding the incident.
We will do all we can to make sure we leave the game better than we found it. That means these types of incidents are not occurring.
A reporter asks Abdo if he has personally been in touch with Latrell Mitchell:
I have not spoken to him directly. I have reached out to him and we’ve exchanged texts. He knows that he has my support and he acknowledged that.
I have spoken to the club CEO, Blake Solly. I commend the way in which both South Sydney and the Penrith Panthers have dealt with the situation. As I said, it is commendable and something to be proud of around how the game rallies together in these types of situations.
Let’s be honest, these types of things hurt. Latrell is a human being. Comments like these affect us whether or not we want to admit … [but] he knows the game stands behind him. I think he is gaining a lot of strength from the support he has from everyone inside the game.
Updated
Abdo says the NRL will also be using the incident as an opportunity for greater education:
This is also an opportunity for us to educate people as well. While we might take strong action, we use this as an opportunity to educate people who require it around what is acceptable, not only at rugby league games but in our society more generally.
Speaking up ‘is the only way we’re going to eradicate’ vilification and abuse: NRL CEO
Abdo:
Again, I want to commend him and all the players who speak up and take action. I want to encourage anyone in our game to do exactly the same thing. It is the only way we’re going to eradicate these types of unfortunate incidents our game.
I also want to support the players that do a great job for us. It is not just the players, it’s all participants – all officials in the game, all volunteers and all fans.
Everybody deserves to be respected. Everybody deserves to be made to feel comfortable in our game. One of the things we love about rugby league is the genuine inclusivity that exists.
When issues like this happen, just know we will deal with them and deal with them thoroughly … We are cooperating with the police, we will get to the bottom of the facts and make sure the appropriate action and appropriate process follows once we have all the details.
Updated
NRL CEO hails players' response to alleged incident of racial abuse
The NRL CEO, Andrew Abdo, has stepped up in Sydney to respond to a fan allegedly making a racial slur against Rabbitohs player Latrell Mitchell at last night’s game.
It is abhorrent when we have player subjected to any form of vilification or abuse. Whether that be racial abuse or any form of vilification, it is completely unacceptable.
What I am pleased about is the way the game always rallies behind anyone in the game affected by this. I want to commend in this particular example Latrell Mitchell for his leadership, for calling out this action.
Not just him, all players last night from both teams who worked together to assist the stadium, the NRL officials, the police and everyone in getting all the facts and making sure these types of situations don’t happen in the future. It takes a lot of courage to do that.
Updated
Plibersek under pressure to force companies to cut back on plastic waste
The environment minister is under mounting pressure to force industry to deal with the waste it produces and stop relying on voluntary targets, AAP reports.
The Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson’s frustrations boiled over while grilling senior officials about voluntary targets under an industry scheme.
What gives you any confidence they are going to solve this problem when they literally haven’t given a shit about it for decades?
He was referring to targets entrusted to the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation, whose members include thousands of businesses from packaging manufacturers and major retailers to international brands.
Environment department senior executive Kate Lynch agreed some of the “ambitious” targets would not be met.
But having the targets in place is still a useful exercise.
The Greens senator asked when the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, would decide it was time to “step in and regulate”. He also questioned how Australia could back a legally binding international treaty on plastic pollution, while doing nothing like that at home.
Don’t you see an irony in that?
Assistant climate change minister, Jenny McAllister, said the government did not think the progress to date had been adequate. But she said two things were going on.
Our intention to be a good international citizen, and play our part in driving international action. But it’s also our intention to work hard on our national environment, to get our house in order.
Updated
Malarndirri McCarthy makes history in UN address
Labor senator and assistant minister for Indigenous Australians and Indigenous health, Malarndirri McCarthy, has created history today by being the first Indigenous Australian woman to deliver Australia’s national statement to the United Nations commission on the status of women in New York, according to a media statement.
McCarthy delivered Australia’s national statement and said that tackling gender inequality was crucial.
The theme of the United Nations forum was “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”.
The statement included the importance of technology and innovation and closing the digital gap, particularly for First Nations women and those living in regional and remote areas.
McCarthy told the UN that the Albanese government will deliver on an election promise to introduce a national strategy to achieve gender equality.
We know that good outcomes for women are good for the nation and that’s why we are energised and ready to take on the hard work needed to achieve the change necessary for women and girls.
As a Yanyuwa Garrawa woman from Gulf Country in the Northern Territory, I’m incredibly proud and humbled to represent all Australian women and girls with this distinguished delegation on the world stage.
Australia is serious about achieving gender equality, and we are committed to working with partners across our region and the globe to achieve long-lasting change for women and girls.
Updated
Severe thunderstorms predicted for Queensland
The Bureau of Meteorology says thunderstorms and heavy rainfall are possible around large parts of the state, particularly the central interior, today.
⛈️QLD Storm Forecast for Fri 10/3. Severe thunderstorms with heavy rainfall possible around large parts of Queensland today, particularly the central interior. #Longreach, #Emerald, #Roma, #Charleville. Warnings, if issued: https://t.co/FBmpsInT9o pic.twitter.com/JcZoZlQ3sg
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) March 9, 2023
Updated
One in five patients reject life-saving heart medicine in US, study shows
People with high cholesterol are refusing to take prescribed heart medicine, a new study has found, prompting calls for better cardiovascular health awareness, AAP reports.
The study, which reviewed the medical data of millions of US citizens, found one in five people at high risk of heart disease are not taking statin therapy. Statins work by lowering the amount of cholesterol in the blood, preventing the fat from accumulating and blocking a person’s coronary arteries.
The study also found women were more likely to refuse statins when prescribed them than men, resulting in poorer health outcomes.
The findings have serious implications for the 6.5 million Australians – including 3.6 million women – who live with high cholesterol, says Heart Foundation Healthcare programs manager Natalie Raffoul:
Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death among Australian women second only to dementia.
Statin therapy is the gold-standard, first-line, cholesterol-lowering medication prescribed for high-risk individuals to help reduce their chances of having a heart attack or stroke.
If you are prescribed statins by your GP … it’s crucial that you consider taking these medicines, which are commonly regarded as having been critical to the reduction in cardiovascular death in Australia over the last 50 years.
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in Australia, responsible for more than one in four lives lost.
Recent research confirmed fears Covid-19 exacerbated poor heart health, because lockdowns deprived Australians of opportunities to exercise. The study by the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute found cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure levels were all significantly higher than before the pandemic.
Raffoul said more work was needed to understand why patients were reluctant to take statins and what can be done to improve its uptake.
Updated
Five fires burning out of control in NSW, RFS reports
There are five fires burning in NSW which the rural fire service have yet to bring under control.
In an update of the fire situation across the state as at 9am this morning, the RFS said the 30 fires burning are giving crews over 200kms of active fire edge to battle.
At 9am Friday 10 March, 30 fires are burning with 5 not yet contained. Over 500 firefighters and incident management team members are working to contain these fires, before weather conditions deteriorate late next week. #NSWRFS crews are working on over 200kms of active fire edge pic.twitter.com/D86gzTlIEX
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) March 9, 2023
Updated
University of Melbourne announces science degree partnership with three Indian universities
The University of Melbourne has announced a dual science degree with three Indian universities, in the latest major education partnership between the two nations.
The new bachelor of science dual degree will enable Indian students to complete their course at home and abroad, spending the first two years in India followed by two years in Melbourne.
Once they complete their studies, Indian students will be awarded a bachelor of science from the University of Melbourne, and have the option for their local institution to award the degree.
The dual degree was announced on a prime ministerial trade delegation in Mumbai by vice-chancellor Duncan Maskell, who said the University of Madras, Savitribai Phule Pune University and GITAM were the first partners of the degree, with discussions under way to expand from 2024.
With demand for our existing programs continuing to grow, we’re pleased to be working together with prestigious local universities to be part of the internationalisation of education in India and at home in Australia.
Prof Dr Karbhari Vishwanath Kale, vice-chancellor of SPPU, said the dual degree would give greater flexibility to its domestic students.
They can pursue further graduate studies to earn a fast-tracked masters, as well as graduate employment in Australia under expanded visa schemes, or return to India or elsewhere with an advanced degree aligned to those offered by leading institutions in North America and Europe.
Updated
Doubled funding to fight poverty if Labor elected in NSW
The leading anti-poverty and social services organisations in NSW can expect double its permanent funding under Labor if it wins the upcoming state election, AAP reports.
Labor has pledged an additional $1.3m in funding to the NSW Council of Social Services if it wins government at the 25 March poll.
It would lift the peak body’s annual funding to $2.5m, topping up its core funding of $1.2m through NSW Health and the Department of Communities and Justice.
The Labor leader, Chris Minns, said today:
NSW is committed to supporting our community sector and the invaluable work that they do each and every day across our state.
The work that Ncoss does is vital to provide a voice to those in NSW experiencing disadvantage and poverty.
Ncoss CEO, Joanna Quilty, said the government funding was significantly less per capita than its state and territory counterparts, but she welcomed the pledge.
It’s going to make a huge difference. NSW isn’t out of the woods yet. There are more households out there who are really struggling. And we’ve got a social service sector that is really struggling itself under the weight of rising demand.
This additional funding will boost our efforts to ensure that these issues are front and centre for the next government.
Updated
Victoria records 33 Covid deaths and 94 people in hospital
There were 3,319 new cases in the weekly reporting period, and one person is in intensive care.
Those numbers are up from last week’s 3,016 cases and 23 deaths.
This week we reported 3,319 new cases with a daily average hospital occupancy of 94 and 1 patient in ICU.
— Victorian Department of Health (@VicGovDH) March 9, 2023
33 deaths were reported in the past 7 days.
Our thoughts are with those in hospital, and the families of people who have lost their lives. pic.twitter.com/oC1fXS8EWp
NSW records 36 Covid deaths and 808 people in hospital
There were 7,871 new cases in the weekly reporting period, and 18 people are in intensive care.
The case numbers are the highest recorded in the state since 20 January.
Cases are up on last week’s 7,163, as well as all February case numbers which were all within the 6,600-6,000 range.
The deaths recorded are slightly higher than the 29 recorded last week.
COVID-19 weekly update – Friday 10 March 2023
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) March 9, 2023
In the 7 days to 4pm Thursday 9 March:
- 7,871 new cases of COVID-19 have been recorded: 3,934 rapid antigen tests (RATs) and 3,937 PCR tests
- 36 lives lost pic.twitter.com/QfW7SQl7BP
Updated
Albanese declares India ‘top tier security partner’, vows to deepen military ties
Taking the blog to India for a moment where the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is continuing his four day tour.
Paying a visit to the new aircraft carrier INS Vikrant at the invitation of Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, Albanese yesterday declared India a “top tier security partner” and vowed to deepen military ties between the two nations:
A partnership that is of increasing strategic importance as we navigate the challenges of our region together.
For Australia, India is a top tier security partner. The Indian Ocean is central to both countries’ security and prosperity.
And there has never been a point in both of our country’s histories where we’ve had such a strong strategic alignment.
Albanese also announced India will join the Australian defence force’s flagship military games Operation Talisman Sabre:
I am pleased to announce formally… that later this year Australia will host Exercise Malabar for the first time and India will – also for the first time – participate in Australia’s Talisman Sabre exercise.
It will be a great privilege to welcome India’s Navy to Australia in August and I thank them again for hosting me here today.
Albanese will sit down with Modi for formal talks today.
On board the @IN_R11Vikrant in Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/WMEsWZ25ke
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) March 9, 2023
Updated
Just circling back to Peter Dutton saying there was no rebuke from the British high commissioner Vicki Treadell.
To clarify what those “silly reports” are that Dutton referred to, they were comments made publicly while Treadell was speaking at the National Press Club on Wednesday.
Treadell said on Wednesday that she spoke to Dutton on Tuesday night and told him she did not agree with his view:
He is commenting on an outcome he doesn’t yet know.
There is a lot of speculation, everyone is entitled to speculate.
I was simply pointing out that I did not think such expressions were helpful on what is a genuine trilateral partnership started under his government.
Updated
Rabbitohs to file police report over alleged racial abuse of Latrell Mitchell
South Sydney intend to file a police report after a teenage NRL fan allegedly racially abused fullback Latrell Mitchell at half-time of the Rabbitohs’ loss to Penrith, AAP reports.
Rabbitohs club officials alleged the fan targeted Mitchell with a racist comment on Thursday as he walked up the tunnel at BlueBet Stadium and into the dressing sheds.
The fan allegedly left the scene after making the comment but a man who had been sitting with him, believed to have been his father, was ejected by security.
Read the full story here:
Updated
Dutton gives ‘full credit’ to defence minister over new subs deal
Opposition leader Peter Dutton was on the Today Show at the same time as Marles and echoed the bipartisan support for the new deal, giving “full credit to Richard [Marles]”.
Dutton is asked about the comments the British high commissioner made while speaking at the National Press Club on Wednesday. in which she said she told Dutton Tuesday night she did not agree with his views rallying against nuclear subs from the UK.
However, Dutton goes on to deny that the British high commissioner rebuked him:
I saw those silly reports. I had a very pleasant catch-up with the high commissioner and there was no rebuke, nothing more than a conversation about staying engaged for once the detail was announced next week. She said no such thing, just to put that into perspective, and I have confirmed that with her by text yesterday so I wouldn’t believe that media speculation.
My concern first and foremost is support a decision in our country’s best interest not in any other country’s best interest. What is best for Australia. What is best for Australia is we have the Virginia-class capability because, as I say, it is an established type, it is not going to have cost overruns and time blowouts and time really is of the essence.
We shouldn’t kid ourselves about what we face in the region at the moment and if that gives longer time for a new design to be worked up and the problems to be ironed out, well, that’s a good thing and, as Richard rightly points outlet, the capability of the Collins class submarine takes us into the 2040s as well.
There is no capability gap and we can acquire the submarine that will really help train up the workforce because the workforce is going to be the next biggest issue, getting people trained on nuclear submarines. It is important for Australia to take a bit of a lead because we are in the middle of any impending war that comes.
Updated
‘Nothing which gives any adversary a second thought more than a capable submarine’: Marles
The defence minister and acting PM, Richard Marles, is speaking to the Today Show as Australia looks set to buy at least three nuclear submarines from the US as part of the Aukus deal.
Marles says the big announcement will come next week, and acknowledges the bipartisan effort that’s led Australia to taking “the biggest step forward in our military capability since the end of the second world war”.
On whether the submarines will be here in time given reporting from the Nine newspapers that Australia could be at war with China in three years, Marles says:
I want to give people a sense of confidence that the submarines that we have right now, the Collins-class submarines, are really capable submarines in 2023. So, we have a capability.
I have spent time on those submarines and it’s a very good capability, but the question is whether or not it will be the same capability in the mid-2030s, which is why we’ve got to think about that now, and really, the whole steps we are taking here is about making sure that, with our submarine capabilities, we are able to grow that, that it remains potent, because there is nothing which gives any adversary a second thought more than a capable submarine which is why it is so important that we are bringing to bear this capability in the future.
Updated
More flying coffees forecast as Google tests drone tech
Australians could see many more coffees flying around the suburbs after Google announced plans to test technology designed to load its drones and boost the number of airborne deliveries, AAP reports.
The tech giant’s drone arm, Wing, which operates in the skies above Canberra and Logan City, on Brisbane’s south, revealed plans to trial new advances today, including a device to let drones collect goods without human assistance.
If the tests succeed, Wing chief executive, Adam Woodworth, said the company could ramp up its flying deliveries and expand their reach in 2024.
The announcement comes just five months after Wing expanded its operations in partnership with food delivery service DoorDash, letting customers order up to 1kg of goods to be delivered by air to their home.
The company’s latest technology would include new software to create an autonomous drone traffic network and devices called Autoloaders.
These devices would store packages drones could collect without help from a human assistant – an advance Woodworth said could significantly boost the speed and simplicity of drone deliveries.
Updated
Husic: reconstruction fund can provide capital for new ways of generating energy
Husic has been saying the fund was never about coal or gas, but the fund can invest in renewable energy. Karvelas asks why that is when it’s not manufacturing.
Husic:
If we’ve got new ways of generating energy and we need to manufacture the technology for that to occur, then the fund is there to be able to back there and provide the capital for that type of activity.
The prime minister often cites rightly we had a lot of the intellectual property on solar panels generated in this country, in some cases just out of the union and other parts of the nation, but then we shipped off the idea to someone else to finish it off as a manufactured product, and then we import it back in.
And we’re talking about well, how can we get more of that activity on shore with the challenges we’ve got with climate change and reducing emissions? And if we can find a way to manufacture the components required for renewable energy onshore, then we want to be able to support that through the fund.
Updated
Husic pressed on logging issue
Karvelas starts to ask Husic about logging being banned in the amendment according to the deal but Husic says “no it hasn’t”. Husic then apologises for interrupting citing “my typical Balkan reaction”. Karvelas presses on, saying, “Let me, let me Greek-Australian you”:
What do you mean? You just added the amendment. Logging all of a sudden is in it. Logging is a billion-dollar industry in Tasmania. Are you prepared to offer the Jacqui Lambie Network or Tasmania something in exchange?
Husic
Logging will continue where state governments and territories allow for that type of activity to occur. What we’re talking about is value add, where do we go for value add in resources and agriculture along with all the other priority areas in there and turn that into manufacturing?
So the act itself, as I said, wherever it occurs, it’ll keep going and I just reacted in terms of where you were framing up the question Patricia, just around the whole notion that this will stop logging – it won’t, it will continue. And some of the reactions I’ve seen, you’ve just got to raise your eyebrows and move on to the next thing.
This is really a fund that is focused on making sure we can do more on shore. Instead of just doing what we’ve done in times past it, taking a moment to think ‘OK, what can we do differently with this add value, instead of sending it off and pulling it back higher price and not having manufacturing self sufficiency available to us in this country when we’ve got some self sufficiency in the OECD?
Karvelas sums it up saying logging and coal and gas were never going to be in it anyway, but Husic agreed to the amendment. Despite the fact it’s the amendment concerning Tammy Tyrrell, Husic said they won’t back down after making an agreement with the Greens.
Updated
Minister defends reconstruction fund deal
The industry minister, Ed Husic, is speaking to ABC Radio following his bill for his reconstruction fund passing the lower house and heading for the Senate after the government agreed to the Greens demand to ban the fund from investment in coal and native logging projects.
RN Breakfast host Patricia Karvelas is asking Husic about comments from the Jacqui Lambie network Senator Tammy Tyrrell who says giving into the Greens on native logging is a smack in the face to Tasmanians and that it’s a broken promise.
Husic said he’s had “good discussions so far” with the Jacqui Lambie Network and other crossbenchers and the Greens as well where we’ve taken things on board.
When the Greens raised their concerns, initially around coal and gas. We had said a number of times this fund is about manufacturing.
It’s not about extraction. It’s not about logging, either. And if the Greens needed that assurance in writing via an amendment, so be it and that’s what’s happened.
But at its heart the fund remains unchanged from what we had said before, which is we want to revitalise manufacturing capability we need to invest in that’s what this fund will do.
Updated
Final robodebt hearing shines light on people affected
A Centrelink employee and a customer impacted by the illegal robodebt scheme will be the final two witnesses appearing at the royal commission’s public hearings, AAP reports.
Today’s hearing will complete a marathon three weeks of evidence from former coalition ministers, senior public servants and the independent watchdog.
The fourth block of hearings examined a 2017 investigation by the Commonwealth Ombudsman into the scheme, proposals to expand robodebt, the impact it had on victims and how it was eventually wound up.
A final report will be handed down by the end of June, after the commission was granted an extension to its April deadline.
You can read more about yesterday’s hearings from Luke Henriques-Gomes:
‘We have slipped down the international rankings on paid parental leave’
The inquiry also recommended moving towards 52 weeks of paid parental leave – way beyond what the federal government is proposing.
Pocock said:
The international standard now in the OECD area is beyond 52 weeks. It’s great we’re moving to 26 but we are not going fast enough, doing what other countries are doing. We have slipped down the international rankings on paid parental leave.
It’s very important that we give the support to parents when a new baby arrives so they can share the leave, they can begin life with a new child, give that child the best shot and alongside that, of course, we need quality, early childhood education and care which we in the Greens think should be free, just like primary school.
Updated
Right to disconnect recommended
Another key recommendation was the right for workers to disconnect from mobiles after working hours, which Pocock said there was great support for during hearings around the country.
A lot of support as we went around the country with our hearings. We’ve got really significant changes in the technology of our work. They’re very liberating. It means we can work in different places, we’re untethered from the office.
But lot of people are finding they’re very tethered to the phone. They find themselves in the playground with their four-year-old on the weekend with an urgent text or a request from their workplace.
What people are saying is, can we work our working hours and once we’re beyond those, unless it’s absolutely urgent, we should be able to turn the phone off and not be at its beck and call.
Lots of countries are doing this – Europe has working time standards which say people should have the right to disconnect. We have some enterprise agreements in Australia. Our committee is saying, we need to move in that direction.
Updated
Senate inquiry calls for four-day working week pilot
In news which seems extremely appealing on a Friday, a Senate committee is recommending that parliament consider the case for a four-day working week.
Greens senator Barbara Pocock was the chair of the work and care inquiry, which was tasked with looking into ways workplace laws could be adapted to better suit people with caring responsibilities in a way that boosts productivity.
Pocock has spoken to ABC News Breakfast this morning about the evidence the inquiry heard:
We heard a lot of evidence … of people who are already working a four-day week in workplaces that are trialling a reduction in working hours and getting very positive results.
They work on a model of 100% of pay, 80% of working time, and 100% of productivity.
We’re seeing in the evidence improvements in productivity, a lot greater, work and family balance, and really good outcomes in the workplace and at home in terms of relationships and putting your life and your job together.
What we propose, in this report, we propose further pilots. Let’s look at the workplaces that are up for experimentation and properly monitoring it and building it.
In our history, Australia led the world in reductions in the working week in the 1850s. We’re at the other end of the spectrum with too many Australians working very long hours.
We need to think more seriously about how we deal with a changed workforce. That’s just one of the ideas we’re saying, we should look at. We need to be ambitious.
Updated
Supplies flown in to help stranded Queensland flood victims
The number of evacuations and isolations are increasing across northwest Queensland as flooding blankets parts of the state and neighbouring Northern Territory, AAP reports.
Fears of further flooding has towns on edge with ongoing thunderstorms and possible heavy rainfall forecast across northwestern, central and southern districts today.
Essential supplies for the stranded community of Doomadgee landed from Cairns on Thursday, with resupplies planned.
A flood watch was issued for the Gulf Country and parts of the Lake Eyre Basin Rivers, which includes the Flinders and Cloncurry River catchments.
A major flood warning was in place for the lower Flinders Rivers and a minor warning issued for Cloncurry River which was expected to reach a minor flood level of three metres overnight.
The Bureau of Meteorology said in a statement:
Several flood peaks continue to move along the Cloncurry and Flinders Rivers, and further rises are likely at Walkers Bend over the next few days.
The Albert river at Burketown, west of Doomadgee, was tipped to exceed the March 2011 record flood level of 6.78m from late Friday.
Major flood warnings were also in place for the Nicholson, Gregory and Leichhardt rivers, with further falls of potentially more than 100 millimetres expected over catchments.
Falls of 200mm-400mm were widespread in the week leading up to Thursday, with parts of the Gulf of Carpentaria receiving more than 400mm of rain.
Century Mine and Riversleigh both recorded over 500mm.
The Mount Isa Local Disaster Management Group declared it was in “lean forward” status and ready to respond to emergencies.
Updated
Tambaroora blaze downgraded
The NSW Rural Fire Service has downgraded a fire in the central west of the state to an advice warning for the first time since Monday.
The size of the blaze reached 15,694 ha at Tambaroora, where crews will now evaluate damage today.
ADVICE: Alpha Rd Fire, Tambaroora (Mid-Western LGA)
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) March 9, 2023
Alpha Rd Fire at Advice for the first time since Monday. Still lots to do as #NSWRFS firefighters work to lock in and secure the 119km fire edge.
Residents should monitor conditions and stay up to date. https://t.co/43OdtobvF3 pic.twitter.com/3xv3F4gBfZ
Updated
Good morning! Thanks to Martin for kicking things off, Natasha May now with you.
Updated
Albanese talks trade in India
Crucial trade talks with India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, will be the focus of Anthony Albanese’s third day in India, where Australia seeks to reap the benefits of the Asian nation’s decarbonisation, Australian Associated Press reports.
The pair will meet for their annual leaders’ summit in New Delhi on Friday, with renewable energy and technology to feature on the agenda along with defence and security.
India has set ambitious goals of 50% renewable energy and 30% electric vehicle usage by 2030.
Australia’s trade minister, Don Farrell, who’s leading a business delegation on the trip, said Australia could help India as it goes green.
They’re very interested in our critical minerals but they’re also interested in the supply of hydrogen, which of course will take the place of gas as we transition to a decarbonised economy.
India and Australia are also expected to sign an agreement to bring their film industries closer together. Albanese said:
For me, films are food for the soul … they tell stories, help us to feel, and reflect who we are and where we come from.
I look forward to seeing more Indian-Australian co-productions on our screens showcasing the best of both our cultures, landscapes and people.
He will also address the Indian Institute of Technology about opportunities to strengthen higher education links, holding a question and answer session with students.
The institute has partnerships with several Australian universities.
Updated
Rudd says US-China tensions a worry
In an interview with the ABC’s 7.30 program last night, Kevin Rudd said recent brash rhetoric from the Chinese government could be partly attributed to China’s own domestic challenges, including slow economic growth and pressure over its Covid measures. Rudd added:
The overall state of the US-China relationship is in bad strategic repair. But as Foreign Minister [Penny] Wong said recently in a speech here in the United States, our job as friends, partners and allies of the United States, and as strategic partners with China, is to encourage both Beijing and Washington to move in the direction of a new strategic framework of managed strategic competition to build new strategic guardrails into their relationships so that we do not end up with a crisis, escalation and war by accident. That I think is a responsibility we share with all US allies around the world and partners of China.
Asked about former Labor prime minister Paul Keating’s claims that the US is engaged in an attempt to contain China, Rudd said he had “a lot of time for Paul” but the strategic environment was changing because of China’s own military rise:
Certainly what drives, I think, Australian strategic thinking is how do we deter our friends in China from taking premeditated military action against Taiwan, which will then be a fundamental destabilisation of the strategic status quo?
The full transcript of the interview, posted on Rudd’s website, also shows this revealing comment about his appointment:
One of the reasons which Prime Minister [Anthony] Albanese explained to me why he and the foreign minister asked me to do this job is because we’re all anxious about the current state of great power relations in the world. And therefore, if I can play some very small role in our own dealings with the administration in Washington in helping to provide advice on how things might be stabilised in one way or another, then I’ll play that small role, but only on the basis of guidance and instructions from Canberra. That’s the job of an ambassador.
Welcome
Morning and welcome to our live blog of the Australian news day. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ll be bringing you a few of the stories making the news this morning before my colleague Natasha May takes over.
Anthony Albanese will have talks with the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, today as he continues his visit to the world’s largest democracy. The pair will meet for their annual leaders’ summit in New Delhi, with renewable energy and technology to feature on the agenda along with defence and security. It follows his participation in a bizarre moment of political theatre with Modi before the start of the fourth Test in Ahmedabad last night. In a pageant akin to a politcal rally, the Australian prime minister performed a lap of honour with his host around the stadium on a craft adorned with “a splayed cardboard fan of oversized cricket bats and stumps”.
One of Albanese’s predecessors, Kevin Rudd, who is about to start his new role as Australian ambassador to Washington, says the relationship between the US and China was in “bad strategic repair”. One of the reasons the government had appointed him, he told ABC’s 7.30 last night, was because “we’re all anxious about the current state of great power relations in the world” and did not want a war to start by “accident”.
Residents in central New South Wales will awake this morning with the prospect of a huge bushfire burning through an area near Mudgee “for weeks”, according to an assessment by the Rural Fire Service. “It is ginormous, intimidating and overwhelming, even for people who are miles away from the fire front,” said Angela Burford, a communications officer at the RFS.
