What we learned; Tuesday, 30 January
Here are today’s main stories:
Queensland remains at risk of further flooding after heavy rain in the Moreton Bay region, with schools closed and roads badly damaged;
Administrative errors and Covid-19 are to blame for missing national security-related cabinet documents from 2003, an inquiry has found;
More than 13 tonnes of disposable vapes with a street value of $4.5m have been seized by Australian Border Force officers;
Adobe casts doubt on claim ‘automation’ caused outfit of Victorian MP Georgie Purcell to appear more revealing;
NSW coroner refers death of Dunghutti teenager Jai Wright to Department of Public Prosecutions; and
Two Aboriginal children stranded in the UK without passports or visas since 2020 while courts decided their guardianship must be immediately brought home, the nation’s peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children says.
We will see you back here for more news tomorrow morning.
Updated
Arrest over series of arson attacks in Melbourne
A man has been arrested over a string of suspicious fires in Melbourne which are believed to be linked to a dispute between crime syndicates over illegal tobacco, AAP report.
The Epping man, 25, was arrested in Bundoora in Melbourne’s north just after 3pm on Tuesday.
Detective Inspector Graham Banks told reporters it’s believed the man is a “significant ring leader” who acted for a crime gang.
Investigators allege the man is in contact with the head of the syndicate based overseas and had been coordinating the fires.
The 25-year-old is being interviewed over several arson attacks on Melbourne businesses from October to December in 2023.
They include fires at a smash repair business in Williamstown, a Glenroy tobacco store, a Tullamarine reception centre, two blazes at a Docklands restaurant and another at a different Docklands restaurant.
Victoria Police have said it’s believed Middle Eastern organised crime groups and outlaw motorcycle gangs are in competition for profits from illicit tobacco and use low-level criminals to carry out attacks.
Updated
Two Aboriginal children stranded in UK since 2020, peak body says
Two Aboriginal children who have been stranded in the UK without passports or visas since 2020 while courts decided their guardianship must be immediately brought home, the nation’s peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children says.
The chief executive of SNAICC, Catherine Liddle, said it “beggared belief” that any government agency would allow vulnerable children to be “trapped in limbo” as “unwanted aliens in a distant country, with no family or cultural links”.
She said:
The fact they are in the UK in the first place is yet another demonstration of how child protection systems are failing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.
These Aboriginal children should be in their country, with their family and community, maintaining their connection to culture.
You can read more on that story here:
Updated
Drug more dangerous than fentanyl and heroin being used to lace MDMA
A highly potent opioid, more dangerous than fentanyl and heroin, is being mixed into the popular party drug MDMA, prompting emergency warnings and renewed calls for pill testing.
Three people were taken to Sydney hospitals on the weekend after taking a form of nitazenes, which are strong synthetic opioids that can cause severe overdose or death.
Those hospitalised ingested half a pill, with one person treated in the intensive care unit. Tests on one pill – which was stamped with the Red Bull logo – found traces of nitazene and no MDMA.
You can read more on that story here:
Abode casts doubt on ‘Photoshop’ claims about Victorian MP’s image
Adobe has cast doubt on claims by Nine News that “automation by Photoshop” was to blame for an edited image of Victorian upper house MP Georgie Purcell, which appeared in its bulletin.
Purcell lashed Nine News Melbourne over the “sexist editing” of the image that made her breasts look bigger and exposed her midriff, which was shown during the Monday night’s bulletin.
The program’s news director, Hugh Nailon, apologised to the Animal Justice party MP on Tuesday for the “graphic error” and blamed “automation by Photoshop”.
But in a statement on Tuesday afternoon, a spokesperson for Adobe said use of its generative AI features would have required “human intervention”.
You can read more on that story here:
Updated
Dutton claims nuclear push going ‘unbelievably well’
Dutton’s speech went on to claim that the Coalition’s push for nuclear power in Australia was going “unbelievably well”, and raising old concerns from past Liberal election campaigns about Labor’s policy on franking credits.
In a speech praising the mining industry, and its contribution to Australia’s economic coffers, Dutton said he was “concerned about our national economy and the wellbeing of Australians” – citing cost of living pressures, inflation and rising prices.
The opposition leader accused the government of “implementing ideological policies which are proving lethal for our national economy”, particularly claiming the resource industry was at risk. Pointing to Anthony Albanese’s broken promise on the stage-three tax cuts, Dutton raised concerns about whether the government would make changes to negative gearing, franking credits, or fuel tax credits.
The franking credits issue was weaponised by the Coalition as a “retirees tax” in the 2019 election. Labor hasn’t made moves to resurrect that policy since.
Dutton went on to back in the Coalition’s rhetoric on small modular reactors and nuclear technology.
“We’ve started this debate – and it’s gone unbelievably well, I might say,” he claimed.
“It was 31% support to start. It’s moved to 52%, and particularly for a lot of younger people who are well researched on the topic, we’ve seen the fact that 50 countries are embracing nuclear technology.”
Dutton said “very clearly, we need to have a national debate about how we can provide support to renewables going into the system, as the transition of our energy system takes place, and we’re all embracing that”.
Updated
Coalition ‘weren’t a tight team’: Dutton
Commenting on the ABC’s Nemesis program, aired last night, and which chronicles the Liberals’ last decade in power, opposition leader Peter Dutton has admitted the Coalition “weren’t a tight team” in 2007 after John Howard’s election defeat.
Speaking in Perth in an address to the Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA, Dutton said “going into opposition is always a miserable place”.
I say to people in business – and I had a business career before I came into politics, as well – it’s like going bankrupt on Saturday night, the bank turning up, taking the keys, kicking you out of your building and then you’ve got to recreate the opportunity and amass your fortune over the next three years. And you can only do that if you have a tight team.
In 2007, when John Howard lost the election, we weren’t a tight team – we saw some of that evidenced on the ABC last night. But we’re in a very different space now, we’re a credible opposition, and part of that is the very significant engagement being undertaken by my colleagues.
Updated
Allan says Fowles will not return to Labor party, says complainant will be supported
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has issued a strongly worded statement about the closure of the police investigation into former Labor MP Will Fowles.
Fowles resigned from the parliamentary Labor party last year over an alleged incident that was described by the then premier, Daniel Andrews, as a “serious assault”. Fowles has strenuously denied any wrongdoing, and welcomed the end of the investigation.
Police issued a statement earlier on Tuesday saying that a “rigorous and methodical investigation” by the sexual crimes squad into the reported incident in the Melbourne CBD last year had concluded and “in conjunction with senior legal advice, it has been determined that charges will not be laid”.
Allan said on Tuesday afternoon:
The wellbeing of staff and their right to a safe workplace is not negotiable and we will always act on any allegations of a serious nature.
Victoria police has now concluded an investigation into the member for Ringwood.
The member for Ringwood was asked to resign from the parliamentary Labor party in August last year.
He will not return.
The complainant will continue to be supported and their privacy must be respected at this time.
Updated
Sodden Queensland towns at risk of flash flooding, mayor says
Parts of Queensland’s Moreton Bay region which were “seriously impacted” by severe thunderstorms and rainfall may see an increased risk of flash flooding on Wednesday, according to mayor, Peter Flannery.
Flannery said the catchment area was already saturated after intense rainfall on Monday night and Tuesday morning sparked road closures, livestock issues and landslides.
He said there were more than 84 calls for assistance and 10 swift water rescues in the Bray Park area.
Around 92 roads were closed as of 1pm AEST and 100 homes were without power in the region.
Samford, Bray Park and Caboolture South were some of the worst impacted by the storms, according to the mayor.
“Samford received 244mm of rainfall since midnight. There is a 0.05% chance of this happening annually, making the rainfall event in Samford extreme,” he said.
“Bray Park had 235mm since midnight and 275 mm was recorded at Bribie Island Road.”
Flannery said these levels “far exceeded” those experienced in these areas during the 2022 floods.
Six evacuation areas are open for the community, with concern remaining for the upper Caboolture River.
Residents are encouraged to monitor the city’s Disaster Dashboard for emergency information.
For more background on this story:
Updated
Victorian MP welcomes closure of investigation
The Victorian MP Will Fowles, who as we reported earlier is no longer under investigation by police over an alleged incident last year, has issued a statement:
In it he said:
I acknowledge the confirmation from Victoria police that they have closed the investigation and will not proceed with any charges.
I have always maintained my innocence and I am looking forward to continuing my work for my constituents in parliament.
Last year, Fowles resigned from the parliamentary Labor party over an alleged incident that was described by the then premier, Daniel Andrews, as a “serious assault”. Fowles has strenuously denied any wrongdoing.
In October, Fowles was arrested and interviewed by the sexual crimes squad but released without charge.
Today, Victoria police confirmed an investigation by the sexual crimes squad into the reported incident in the Melbourne CBD last year has concluded.
Updated
Man released after high court ruling charged with alleged offences
The Australian federal police have confirmed another person released after the high court’s ruling on indefinite detention has been charged with further alleged offending.
The AFP said in a statement that the man was arrested and charged today after he was found in Footscray, a suburb in Melbourne’s inner west.
He is alleged to have breached the conditions of his visa on 28 and 29 January by failing to observe his residential curfew obligations, the AFP said.
It said the man, who was born in Eritrea, was expected to face court today and had been charged with five offences relating to allegedly failing to comply with his visa-mandated curfew and maintain a monitoring device.
The offences carry maximum penalties of five years’ imprisonment.
Updated
Victoria’s First Peoples’ Assembly head steps down
The chief executive of Victoria’s First Peoples’ Assembly will step down from the role in June, as the state prepares for treaty negotiations to begin this year.
The assembly – the state’s democratically elected Indigenous body – will begin negotiating a state-wide treaty with the state government this year.
Guardian Australia has confirmed Andy Gargett has emailed assembly members saying he will not extend his time in the position and will depart in the middle of the year. In the email, he said it was important for an Indigenous person to fill the role.
Last week, the opposition announced it would withdraw its support for a treaty process with First Nations Victorians, less than a week before Australia Day. The opposition cited issues with the state’s cultural heritage legislation as a key reason for its backflip.
Updated
Udder disgrace: boaters sprayed with milk on Melbourne’s Yarra River
Victorian police are investigating after people cruising on the Yarra River in Melbourne were sprayed with milk on the weekend.
Police said in a statement that victims were in a boat when the milk was poured and sprayed on them as they approached the King Street bridge about 12.45pm on 27 January. The statement said:
The group of women were doused in the liquid which damaged their clothes and spoiled food and other items contained in the boat.
Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident or with information to please come forward.
It is believed people in other vessels may have been subject to the same or similar behaviour.
Discrimination commissioner urges ‘reframing’ of disability
The incoming Australian disability discrimination commissioner, Rosemary Kayess, says the country should reframe how it thinks about disability and address structures that prevent people with disability from participating in society equally.
Kayess started as the commissioner on Monday.
The role is a statutory position within the Australian Human Rights Commission which is responsible for protecting and promoting the rights of Australians with disability, and for driving the implementation of the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities in Australia.
She said that people with disability are too often viewed through the lens of care, treatment, protection, and service provision.
People with disability are diverse, with a broad range of interests, dreams and lifestyles, and we should not be defined by a diagnosis or our need for care. People with disability continue to face the community’s low expectations and it is imperative that we change this.
When social structures are able to properly accommodate a person’s impairment, you remove the disabling barriers to rights and participation. Society has a responsibility to dismantle the underlying drivers of ableism. As with racism, sexism and ageism, this is essential to ensuring the rights and equality of all people with disability.
Kayess was a senior academic at the University of New South Wales before her appointment. She was also a member of the United Nations drafting committee for the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities and is vice-chair of the United Nations committee on the rights of persons with disabilities, and a visiting professor at the Centre for Disability, Law and Policy, at the University of Galway.
Kayess uses a wheelchair after sustaining a spinal cord injury in a car accident.
Updated
Richardson’s review found pandemic restrictions meant staff could not physically inspect the boxes of cabinet records to make sure no non-cabinet intelligence documents were accidentally included.
In one example, a box of cabinet documents was left in a “secure storage area” pending an intelligence agency review and were “subsequently forgotten”.
The review also found the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet held cabinet records in different locations due to their security classifications and had no central register of their location.
Adding to the complexity, only staff with a top security clearance could access records in certain rooms. In one case, staff who attempted to access the room of cabinet records could not because they didn’t have high enough clearance.
Once staff did gain access to the room, they were confronted with “several cabinets” no one in the cabinet division team had access to.
“The material within the room holding cabinet records was poorly itemised, tailor-made for a mistake in a future transfer process from PM&C [Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet] to the NAA [National Archives of Australia].”
The national archives have now received the extra 82 records and will release them in due time.
Updated
Howard-era cabinet documents went missing due to administrative errors and Covid, inquiry finds
Administrative errors and Covid-19 are to blame for missing national security-related cabinet documents from 2003, an inquiry has found.
Released on Tuesday, the snap review by former defence secretary, Dennis Richardson, found the pandemic had become a “catalyst for a major breakdown” in the transfer of 2003 cabinet documents from the Howard government.
Earlier this year, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet confirmed it had identified that 78 documents were missing from the release due to “apparent administrative oversights”. The documents included records related to the Howard government’s decision to join the Iraq war. Another four were located on 4 January 2024 after another physical inspection.
Richardson’s report concluded Covid-19’s impact compounded the existing systemic issues, such as having an inconsistent understanding among staff of their archival obligations and having no staff with record-management experience.
The particular pandemic-driven work environment of 2020 became the catalyst for a major breakdown which, given the compounding systemic issues, was probably inevitable at some point.
Updated
ABC chief meets with union after no confidence motion
The ABC’s managing director, David Anderson, met with union members a week after they passed a no confidence motion against him over the broadcaster’s alleged failure to protect staff from external attacks on the Israel-Gaza conflict.
At a meeting of more than 200 ABC union members last week, staff said that the broadcaster’s leadership team had failed “to defend the integrity of the ABC and staff from attacks”.
The managing director held talks with ABC union staff on Monday which the public broadcaster and the union described as being of a positive and constructive nature.
You can read more on that story here:
Updated
Thank you for your service Emily. Let’s see if we can sniff out some news shall we?
Many thanks for joining me on the blog today, I’ll leave you with Nino Bucci to see you through the rest of today’s news. Take care!
Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) has extended its condolences to the volunteer firefighter who died today, while battling a shed fire in Portland.
FRV wrote on X:
FRV extends our heartfelt condolences to our fellow firefighters at the Country Fire Authority (CFA) and the entire firefighting community on the tragic loss of a CFA volunteer this morning. Our thoughts are with the volunteer’s family and friends during this difficult time.
The Victorian SES also extended its condolences, writing:
VICSES extends our sincere condolences to our friends and fellow volunteers at CFA during this difficult time.
The emergency services community is a tight-knit one and we’re sure many will feel this loss deeply.
We extend our sympathies to the member’s family, and friends.
Police investigate suspicious fires in Victoria
Victorian police are investigating a series of suspicious fires in Portland today.
This follows news that a 66-year-old volunteer firefighter collapsed while responding to a shed fire in Portland and died at the scene. His death is not being treated as suspicious.
In a statement from Victoria police, it said emergency services responded to four fires within the Portland area within a two-hour period today.
The first fire occurred in a bin at the corner of Percy and Gawler streets about 5.50am. Less than an hour later, a shrub on top of a bollard was reported on fire on Cape Nelson Road at 6.40am.
Police were then called to a garage fire on Camira Street about 7am. Several passers by attempted to put the fire out before firefighters arrived and extinguished the blaze.
The final fire occurred in a shed and toilet room on Short Street at 7.38am. The shed was completely destroyed.
Investigators are treating the fires as linked and is urging anyone who saw suspicious behaviour in the area, or who has CCTV/dashcam footage, to come forward.
Updated
Rain pummels Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay in Queensland has been particularly hard-hit with the recent rain and flooding.
Overnight, eight of the 13 rescues conducted by QFES were in Moreton Bay alone, while the SES also received 28 calls for help in the area overnight.
Queensland premier Steven Miles has warned Moreton Bay residents that conditions may not improve soon.
He told reporters earlier today:
I’m told it’s raining right now and that flash flooding could get worse.
So really, our message, particularly if you’re in Moreton Bay, is please take care and certainly if the road is flooded, forget it.
- with AAP
Updated
ABF seizes 13 tonnes of disposable vapes in Adelaide
The Australian Border Force (ABF) has stopped more than 13 tonnes of disposable vapes from entering the community after seizing a number of air cargo consignments in Adelaide.
This is the first large-scale seizure of its kind in Australia under the new vaping laws that came into effect on 1 January.
ABF officers became suspicious when 14 air cargo consignments – declared as “refillable atomiser” – arrived from a single location. After detecting these consignments, which contained 10 tonnes of disposable vapes, officers investigated and seized a further three tonnes of vapes.
In total, the 13 tonnes of vapes have an estimated potential street value of more than $4.5m. Inquiries into those involved are continuing.
ABF assistant commissioner Chris Waters said this is a signal to the community the new vaping regime is “well and truly underway”.
Health minister Mark Butler said:
Before our government changed the loopholes in existing laws, millions and millions of disposable vapes were able to flood into Australia - vapes that are deliberately marketed at our children.
About one in six high school students are vaping, and about one in four young Australians aged between 18 and 24 are vaping.
Updated
Peak bodies urge government to raise youth welfare
Australia’s peak bodies for youth have written to ministers to urge the government to raise the rate of jobseeker and youth allowance as “a matter of priority” in the 2024-25 budget.
The letter, addressed to assistant treasurer Stephen Jones and minister for finance Katy Gallagher, reads:
In September 2023 the federal government increased the rate of youth allowance and jobseeker to $43 and $54 a day respectively, this is nowhere near sufficient to cover basic costs.
People on youth allowance are living well below the poverty line, receiving just half of the $87.32 per day required as measured under the Henderson poverty line.
Because of inadequate payments, many young people are unable to afford secure housing, food, energy, transport costs, internet access and a phone – made worse in the context of rising cost-of-living pressures and the housing crisis.
Consequently, young people are rationing food, going without heating or cooling, and foregoing necessary medication – leaving them at increased risk of debt, social isolation, and homelessness. Further, the [The Interim Economic Inclusion Advisory] Committee identified that current rates are so low, they create a barrier to finding paid work.
AYAC has joined with youth affairs peak bodies across Australia to call on the Government to #raisetherate of #JobSeeker and #YouthAllowance as a matter of priority in the upcoming 2024-25 #FederalBudget.
— AYAC (@austyouth) January 30, 2024
🔗 https://t.co/zBpXofUGtl#auspol24 #youthadvocacy #ausyouth pic.twitter.com/lGBAx1PeLi
Updated
Nine arrested in investigation into organised crime in Victoria
Victorian police have arrested nine people and seized six firearms following an investigation into an organised crime syndicate, allegedly trafficking drugs and firearms across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.
Nine warrants were executed this morning at properties in Lilydale, Boronia, Kilsyth South, Boronia, Ringwood North, Burwood East, Vermont South, The Basin and Scarsdale. Nine people were arrested, including:
• 41-year-old Lilydale man
• 42-year-old Burwood East man
• 23-year-old Boronia man
• 23-year-old Kilsyth South man
• 24-year-old Boronia man
• 53-year-old Ringwood North man
• 39-year-old Scarsdale man
• 29-year-old woman and 50-year-old man, both from Vermont South, were arrested in relation to separate offending.
All will now be interviewed by police, and the investigations remain ongoing.
During the searches, investigators located six firearms, ammunition, various quantities of cannabis (both dried and in plant form), and a quantity of cash.
Updated
No charges to be laid against Victorian MP Will Fowles as police close investigation
Police have closed their investigation into the Victorian MP Will Fowles and confirmed no charges will be laid.
Last year, Fowles had resigned from the parliamentary Labor party over an alleged incident that was described by the then premier, Daniel Andrews, as a “serious assault”. Fowles has strenuously denied any wrongdoing.
In October, Fowles was arrested and interviewed by the sexual crimes squad but released without charge.
Today, Victoria police confirmed an investigation by the sexual crimes squad into the reported incident in the Melbourne CBD last year has concluded.
Police said:
While a rigorous and methodical investigation has been conducted into the matter, in conjunction with senior legal advice, it has been determined that charges will not be laid at this time.
Any further information provided to police will be thoroughly assessed.
All parties involved in this matter have today been advised of this decision and we will continue to provide the appropriate support where required.
As the matter is now considered closed, we will not be commenting further at this time.
Last year, Fowles advised the Speaker he would not attend parliamentary sitting days until the police investigation was concluded. He remains a member of the Labor party.
Updated
Doctor jailed for forcing refugee to work at candy shop
A doctor has been thrown behind bars for threatening to have an asylum seeker deported if he did not work long hours for little pay at his candy store, AAP reports.
Seyyed Farshchi, a Melbourne medical practitioner and chiropractor, learnt his fate in the county court today after being convicted of forcing a man to work for him.
The 50-year-old man was found guilty by a jury in October of causing a person to remain in forced labour and conducting a business involving forced labour. His wife, Naghmeh Mostafaei, was acquitted of aiding and abetting him.
You can read the full background of this case below:
Chief Judge Peter Kidd said the man was an “extremely vulnerable” victim with a rudimentary grasp of English, who did not understand his working rights in this country. He told the court:
You knowingly took advantage of him, threatening to have him deported if he didn’t continue working for you.
The threats you made were calculated, manipulative and pernicious, your motive was a commercial one ... sought for your business to benefit on the back of forced labour.
Farshchi, wearing a suit, remained silent and stared straight ahead as he was told to stand in the court dock while Kidd jailed him for up to three years and six months.
He said only an immediate term of imprisonment would be appropriate, given the seriousness of his offending.
Farshchi will be eligible for parole after serving 18 months of his sentence and was ordered to pay back more than $42,000 to his victim.
Updated
Godfreys enters administration, with 54 stores to close
Leading vacuum retailer Godfreys Group has entered voluntary administration, a process expected to result in the closure of 54 stores within the next fortnight and the loss of nearly 200 jobs, AAP reports.
Three partners of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Australia have been appointed as voluntary administrators of Godfreys’ Australian entities, with two PwC partners from New Zealand appointed over its New Zealand subsidiary, PwC announced today.
Established in 1931, Godfreys is one of the world’s largest vacuum retailers, operating 141 stores and employing more than 600 staff across Australia and New Zealand, with another 28 stores run by franchisees.
Most will continue to trade but 54 will close shortly, resulting in 171 staff in Australia and 22 in New Zealand being laid off.
PWC partner Craig Crosbie said like many retailers, Godfreys had faced a challenging economic and operating environment.
Lower customer demand amid cost of living pressures, higher operating costs and increased competition have all taken a toll on profitability, with some stores more impacted than others.
Our aim is to move quickly to restructure Godfreys to preserve as much of the business and as many jobs as possible.
The administrators expect to sell the business and assets of the restructured business as a going concern, with strong interest expected from prospective buyers.
Police believe pair who fell into water in Hobart were pushed during attempted robbery
Tasmanian police said they believe a man and woman who fell into the water at Hobart – which led to the man drowning – were deliberately pushed.
As we reported earlier, a 27-year-old man has died after falling in the water at a popular wharf in Hobart.
Detective inspector David Gill said the woman managed to climb out of the water and raise the alarm, however the man sadly could not be revived despite the best efforts of police, emergency services and two members of the public who came to his aid.
Following extensive investigations this morning, police believe the man and woman were pushed into the water from behind by a person unknown to them, in an attempt to steal the woman’s handbag.
Gill:
This is a disgraceful, cowardly act which has resulted in a terrible tragedy.
We are calling on the person or people involved to come forward to police to assist us with our investigation so we can help provide closure to the family involved.
Police are urging anyone with information to come forward to Crime Stoppers. Gill added:
I would like to recognise the heroic efforts of the passing members of the public who entered the water in an attempt to rescue the man – as well as the outstanding efforts of our responding police and emergency service personnel under very difficult circumstances.
This is a distressing incident and we are treating this as a very serious criminal investigation.
Updated
Woman’s body found after house fire, children saved
A woman’s body has been found in a fire-ravaged home after firefighters rescued two children from the blaze, AAP reports.
Emergency services were called to the Perth residence in the south-eastern suburb of Roleystone about 2am on Tuesday.
The children escaped the fire unharmed but a woman remained missing.
Her body was later found inside the burnt-out home.
Arson Squad detectives remain at the scene and the cause of the fire has not been determined.
Updated
Registered dog breeder convicted for ill-treatment of nine dogs and puppies
A 58-year-old man from the Murraylands region of South Australia has been convicted for the ill-treatment of nine dogs and puppies, where he failed to provide adequate and appropriate amounts of food.
A statement from the RSPCA says the animals were found emaciated and suffering multiple health issues, with two of the dogs needing to be humanely euthanised due to their ongoing suffering.
The defendant is a registered dog breeder and has been on the radar of RSPCA SA’s inspectorate since 2008 – over the years he’s been issued with an animal welfare notice (which he complied with), letters of caution and given verbal advice.
An RSPCA inspector attended his property in February last year under warrant and found a total of 23 dogs and puppies free-roaming.
…when the defendant gave them some dry dogfood, the animals scrambled to devour it. The RSPCA inspector observed several dogs being prevented from accessing the food by stronger, dominant dogs.
The nine canines with the most serious health issues were seized and diagnosed with severe emaciation.
The matter was downgraded from more serious charges after the defendant explained through his legal counsel that he couldn’t adequately feed the animals due to unprecedented floods that had inundated the only road into the property.
In the Murray Bridge magistrates court yesterday the man was convicted and sentenced to a 12-month good behaviour bond. Additional orders were made to limit the number of dogs to seven, as well as to ensure they are all desexed and subject to RSPCA inspections in the future.
Updated
Red Cross welcomes government’s El Niño funding for Timor-Leste and Pacific
As we brought you earlier, the government has announced $5m in funding to help Timor-Leste and the Pacific prepare for, and respond to, the early impacts of El Niño.
As part of this, the Australian Red Cross will receive $2m. Head of international programs, Adrian Prouse, said the funding would be “flexible and demand-driven” and allow the Red Cross to support those most at-risk of climate-induced disasters:
Amid the global challenges of climate change, the grant serves as a step towards strengthening resilience in a region particularly vulnerable to climate-related hazards.
This assistance means our local Red Cross partners can scale up their humanitarian efforts to address the unique humanitarian needs of communities affected by El Niño-related weather events.
The funding will cover disaster preparedness, early action and response activities, a statement from the Red Cross said.
Updated
Severe storm warning for parts of Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay
Checking in with the weather, and the Bureau of Meteorology is warning of severe thunderstorms for parts of the Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay council areas.
The BoM says thunderstorms are likely to produce heavy, locally intense rainfall that may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding.
Last night the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service conducted 13 swift-water rescues, majority of these being in Moreton Bay.
⚡⚡ #Qld Severe #Thunderstorm #Warning for parts of Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay Council Areas. Thunderstorms are likely to produce heavy, locally intense rainfall that may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding. Details at https://t.co/UOHsFpbGfl pic.twitter.com/IVow8c23sl
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) January 30, 2024
Meanwhile, severe thunderstorms are likely over the south-east today, and possible elsewhere over central and western parts of the state:
⚡⚡ #Qld #Thunderstorm Forecast: Severe thunderstorms are likely today over the southeast, and are possible elsewhere over central and western parts. Heavy to intense rainfall, which may lead to flash flooding, is the primary hazard. Check warnings at https://t.co/q6oHTYd0U7 pic.twitter.com/dT2g8KFRyd
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) January 30, 2024
Updated
Dutton backs Australia consolidating relationship with PNG
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has also weighed in reports Papua New Guinea is in early talks with China on potential security and policing cooperation.
Dutton told reporters in Perth:
I welcome prime minister [James] Marape’s visit to Australia [in February]. He’s always a welcome friend whenever he comes.
We will support the [Australian] government in whatever actions they’re taking to make sure that the relationship is consolidated.
Because, as the prime minister points out, we’re living in the most precarious period since the second world war. We should be very mindful of that and we should be speaking with a common voice, and we are, and we’ll stand with the government in support of their programs, which will further consolidate the relationship with PNG.
Updated
While in Townsville, the prime minister visited the disaster coordination area set up in the aftermath of ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily.
He shared this video of the visit to social media:
In the worst of times, we see the best of Australians.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) January 30, 2024
Here in Townsville, the team at the disaster coordination area have been working around the clock in the wake of Cyclone Kirrily. pic.twitter.com/i9Eqm3LhFZ
PM says Australia ‘the security partner of choice for Papua New Guinea’
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, says Australia remains “the security partner of choice for Papua New Guinea”, as he plays down reports PNG is in early talks with China on a potential security and policing deal.
At the press conference in Townsville, Albanese said PNG was a sovereign nation (meaning it could make its own decisions) but added that it had “no closer friend than Australia”.
He noted, once again, that the PNG prime minister, James Marape, was due to address the Australian parliament on 8 February – the first PNG leader to be afforded this honour. (This was announced in December when Marape visited Canberra to sign a new security agreement with Australia.)
Albanese said today:
We are the security partner of choice for Papua New Guinea, as we are for most of the countries in the Pacific. We’re family and we’ll continue to engage.
Albanese said Marape had sent him a “lovely” text message on Australia Day. Albanese added:
That’s the sort of friendship that we have.
Earlier, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Australia was “working actively with PNG to meet its needs across the security sector”.
Updated
Albanese says ‘dysfunction’ of Coalition’s ‘lost decade’ shown in ABC doco
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is in Townsville. He has been speaking about a new “hydrogen hub” in the region.
But he also used the press conference to have a swipe at the Coalition, and referenced part one of the ABC’s Nemesis documentary series, which was broadcast last night. The series focuses on the Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison governments.
In response to a question about the impact of climate change on extreme weather events, Albanese said:
The science told us that climate change would result in more extreme weather events and more intense extreme weather events and, unfortunately, that is what we are seeing playing out. That is why addressing climate change is so important
… the great tragedy of the lost decade of the Coalition and we saw in the Nemesis program last night, we saw what occurred under the first few years of the Coalition government, the dysfunction, the chaos, the fighting of each other was their focus. They concentrated on fighting each other, we are fighting for Australians.
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Dutton to commit to stripping millions from Environmental Defenders Office if Coalition wins next election
The West Australian is reporting that the Coalition would strip the Environmental Defenders Office of millions in federal government funding if it wins the next election.
This is very alarming.
— Sophie McNeill (@Sophiemcneill) January 29, 2024
Over the years, @EDOLawyers have done brilliant work all over Australia, protecting the places we love & fighting for climate justice.
Cutting funding would harm communities, particularly in rural areas, who rely on the EDO. https://t.co/HUwjU6CRtc pic.twitter.com/hpPiYZiMSX
Updated
Nine apologises for ‘Photoshop’ image of Victorian MP
The Nine Network have apologised to a Victorian MP after an automated editing process resulted in an inaccurate image of her appearing on last night’s news bulletin.
Georgie Purcell, the Animal Justice party MP for Northern Victoria, had earlier posted on X that the edited image had “enlarged” her breasts and made it appear she was wearing a “more revealing” outfit which exposed her midriff.
“Can’t imagine this happening to a male MP,” Purcell posted.
Hugh Nailon, the director of Nine News Melbourne, said the network sincerely and unreservedly apologised to Purcell.
He said:
I would like to sincerely apologise to Georgie Purcell for a graphic error that occurred in last night’s bulletin. Our graphics department sourced an online image of Georgie to use in our story on duck hunting. As is common practice, the image was resized to fit our specs. During that process, the automation by Photoshop created an image that was not consistent with the original. This did not meet the high editorial standards we have and for that we apologise to Ms Purcell unreservedly.
Statement from 9News Melbourne: pic.twitter.com/uKUKe5x70l
— Benita Kolovos (@benitakolovos) January 30, 2024
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Coroner refers death of Dunghutti teenager Jai Wright to Department of Public Prosecutions
The NSW state coroner has suspended an inquest into the death of Dunghutti teenager Jai Wright and referred the matter to the Department of Public Prosecutions to consider whether a criminal charge should be laid.
Wright died in February 2022 after an unmarked police car collided with the trail bike he was riding in Eveleigh, in Sydney. He was 16 years old.
Following the decision of state coroner Teresa O’Sullivan, Wright’s parents, Lachlan Wright and Kylie Aloua, released the following statement:
Almost 2 years ago, we received a call, one of the calls that as a parent you never want to receive, about Jai having an accident. We rushed straight to the hospital and we were by our son’s side as he passed away. Ever since then, we have been searching for the truth. We need to know the truth so that we can live our lives and move forward.
This referral has given us a lot of hope, we have faith that we will get justice for Jai.
I would just ask all our family and friends to let this process play out because negative comments could hurt future legal proceedings, and believe that at the end we will get our truth and get our justice.”
CEO of the Aboriginal Legal Service, Karly Warner, said the organisation is “proud to stand alongside Jai Wright’s family and community”.
We share their immense grief and determination to ensure what happened to Jai never happens again.
Jai is one of at least 558 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have died in custody and police operations in a little over 30 years since the Royal Commission. Scrutiny and accountability are essential in stopping this national shame.
Updated
Country Fire Authority of Victoria member dies at shed blaze in Portland
The Country Fire Authority of Victoria has confirmed one of its members died while attending a shed fire in Portland this morning.
In a statement, the CFA said the volunteer collapsed at the scene, with his brigade colleagues, along with Fire Rescue Victoria and Ambulance Victoria, administering CPR.
Despite their efforts, the member could not be revived.
Our deepest sympathies go out to the member’s family, friends and colleagues at the Portland Brigade. Our wellbeing team is providing support to all involved at this sad time.
CFA will provide further details once they are available.
Updated
Life-threatening flash-flooding threatens Queensland’s Moreton Bay area
Severe thunderstorms could spark life-threatening flash-flooding in Queensland’s Moreton Bay council area, the Bureau of Meteorology has warned.
The BoM said the slow-moving thunderstorm is forecast to impact south-west Caloundra and northern Bribie Island by 10.50am AEST and Wamuran by 11.20am AEST.
Motorists have been urged not to drive through flood waters and to avoid unnecessary travel.
As of 9am AEST, Bribie Island Road outbound was closed after the stretch of road was inundated with water.
Updated
Retail sales retreated in December after November sales dragged spending forward
Australians reduced their spending more than expected at the end of 2023, underlining weak consumer confidence but also the growing popularity of Black Friday and other November sales.
Retail turnover was off 2.7%, seasonally adjusted, last month compared with November, the ABS has just said. Economists had expected a 2% decline. November’s increase was itself also revised a bit lower, with spending up 1.6% rather than the 2% initially reported by the ABS.
“The large fall in retail turnover in December was caused by a fall in discretionary spending,” said Ben Dorber, ABS’s head of retail statistics. He said consumers brought forward some of their usual December spending to November to take advantage of Black Friday sales.
While there was a large seasonally adjusted fall in December, retail turnover rose 0.1% in trend terms. This shows that underlying retail spending remains subdued when we look through the volatile movements over recent months in the lead up to Christmas.
Department stores had a poor month, with turnover down 8.1%.
Retail turnover was down 2.7% in December, or more than the 2% pace expected by economists. Department stores in particular fared poorly. (Source: @ABSStats ) pic.twitter.com/RfZpiL0L88
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) January 30, 2024
All states posted a drop in spending last month, with turnover down 3.8% in both WA and the ACT:
All states and territories posted a drop in spending last month: (Source: @ABSStats ) pic.twitter.com/P1vSadPxdp
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) January 30, 2024
We get CPI numbers for both the December quarter and December itself tomorrow. Based on today’s relatively weak spending figures perhaps a few economists might want to trim their forecasts for price increases. Let’s see.
Man drowns at popular Hobart wharf spot
A 27-year-old man has died after falling in the water at a popular wharf in Hobart, the third drowning in the area in about four years, AAP reports.
Police were called to Princes Wharf about 10pm last night after reports a man and woman had fallen into the water.
The woman was able to swim to a nearby ladder, get out of the water and raise the alarm. Detective Inspector David Gill said:
The man, who could not swim, struggled to stay on the surface.
Two passing members of the public initially entered the water to help the man, with police attending shortly afterwards finding all three men struggling.
Three police officers pulled the man on to a police vessel moored nearby, with the two members of the public climbing out of the River Derwent using a ladder.
The man could not be revived by police or paramedics. Gill said:
We’re in the process of notifying next of kin so we’re unable to provide further details about the victim at this stage.
I would like to recognise the heroic efforts of the passing members of the public who entered the water in an attempt to rescue the man [and the] outstanding efforts of our responding police and emergency service personnel under very difficult circumstances.
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EU expresses solidarity with Australia over Medibank cyber-attack
The European Union has released a statement expressing solidarity with Australia on the impact of cyber-attacks against its health sector.
This follows Australia’s move to use cyber sanction powers for the first time against a Russian citizen in connection with the Medibank Private data breach:
In the statement, the high representative of the European Union, Josep Borrell, noted that millions of records containing sensitive information were stolen, and some published on the dark web.
He said the European Union and its member states “strongly condemn continued malicious cyber activities targeting essential operators, including those in the European Union, notably through ransomware attacks”.
We remain committed to tackle cybercriminals by strengthening cross-border law enforcement cooperation against ransomware, and continue to support operators of essential services to increase their resilience and strengthen our efforts to deter and respond to malicious cyber activities through joint diplomatic action … We also call upon States not to allow their territory to be used for malicious cyber activities and to take appropriate action against actors conducting such activities.
The European Union and its Member States will continue to promote a global, free, open, secure and stable cyberspace, notably the work on the establishment of the UN Programme of Action to this end.
Updated
Hospital staff ‘literally performed a miracle overnight’, health minister says of Sydney shark attack victim
New South Wales government ministers have praised the efforts of bystanders who worked to save a young woman bitten by a shark at Elizabeth Bay last night.
Speaking at a press conference this morning, health minister Ryan Park said it had been a “horrific incident”.
I want to personally thank the bystander. I understand it was a vet who went and assisted that person quite possibly saved their life. I also want to thank the paramedics and emergency service personnel as well as the staff at St Vincent’s who have literally performed a miracle overnight and kept this person alive … Our thoughts are with that person as they go through that recovery and rehabilitation.
The deputy premier, Prue Car, said she was “reeling” from news of the attack and thanked those who helped the young women.
I want to say a special thanks to that legend of a bystander who came in and I believe made a makeshift tourniquet ... and actually stabilised her before paramedics arrived on the scene. What a legend. Thank you so much for possibly saving that young woman’s life after a pretty shocking incident.
Updated
Peter Dutton says Coalition will respond to Labor’s stage-three tax changes ‘in due course’
Opposition leader Peter Dutton spoke to the media just earlier from Perth, where the shadow cabinet is meeting.
He was asked about the government’s changes to stage-three tax cuts, but wouldn’t come forward with an alternative proposal.
He flagged he would be making an announcement “in due course”.
I wasn’t planning on making an announcement this week, in any case.
So, we’ve got a lot of work that we’ve done, just to look at the forward estimates numbers – the medium term and into the out years as well – and question marks about whether Labor’s policy is properly costed, question marks about whether it’s inflationary… we’re weighing all of that up, and we’ll make an announcement in due course.
An earlier version of this post incorrectly said Dutton would respond in the “June quarter”. Dutton said in “due course”.
Updated
Victorian government to support repair works of Captain Cook monuments
Jacinta Allan says the Victorian government will provide support to both the Port Phillip and Yarra councils to repair and restore their monuments to Captain Cook, following vandalism.
Yarra Council is considering removing their memorial of Cook from Edinburgh Gardens in Fitzroy North as it has become the subject of repeated vandalism, most recently on Sunday when it was broken from its base and spray-painted in red with the words “cook the colony”.
Another statue of Cook in St Kilda, part of Port Phillip Council, was toppled on eve of Australia Day.
Asked about the incidents, Allan said:
On the Port Phillip monument, we’ve been making contact with the council [and] I’ve got no further updates at this stage ... On the monument in the City of Yarra ... we need the council to be a willing partner in restoring and repairing damaged monuments like the ones in Yarra. So the Yarra City Council will need to resolve it if it wants to see that reinstated and we stand ready to support that, as I’ve indicated with Port Phillip as well ...
I think I’ve made my views on this quite clear last week, this sort of vandalism has no place anywhere, whether it’s in monuments or other public buildings.
Updated
Jacinta Allan is asked whether the decision not to ban duck hunting was a “captain’s call”.
This is in reference to comments made by Animal Justice party MP Georgie Purcell yesterday, who told 3AW radio:
We know that there’s been a lot of internal dissent within the Labor party for quite some time now about duck shooting, but there’s just a handful of senior people at the top who are making captain’s calls and going against parliamentary inquiries, their own members and even their own ministers.
You can read more on what Purcell said on yesterday’s blog, here.
Back to Allan: When asked about the “captain’s call” comment just earlier, she refused to answer the question.
I’m not going to go into cabinet considerations ... Every cabinet discussion is robust because it should be. We are making decisions that affect the Victorian community and this one was no different. There was a discussion, there was a resolution that saw the minister’s submission supported … the government’s position not change on this issue.
Updated
‘I don’t follow my husband’s view on all things,’ Jacinta Allan retorts
Jacinta Allan is asked by a reporter whether her husband’s view on the sport impacted her decision. She hit back at the suggestion:
I don’t follow my husband’s view on all things, and I’m sure if he was here, he would confirm that. I don’t think it’s appropriate to reflect on the views of people’s partners in informing their decisions.
I have had a long held view on this issue. I’ve been around this issue for the best part of 30 years as someone in my local community or as a local representative. I’ve had this view, the same view. I’ve been consistent on this view for the entire time. I’ve been a member of parliament and as I said, I think it’s expected that men and women who served in the Victorian parliament come to the table with their own views, not those of their husbands.
Someone asked what was her personal view on duck hunting, and she replied:
It is a legitimate recreational activity. So whilst I have not participated in the activity, I’ve always had the view that it’s a legitimate recreational activity.
Updated
Victorian premier defends duck hunting decision
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has defended her cabinet’s decision to ignore a government-led inquiry that recommended a ban on duck hunting.
At a marathon cabinet meeting yesterday, ministers decided to reject the parliamentary inquiry’s recommendation to ban the practice but will introduce tougher penalties and training requirements for hunters.
At a press conference in Melbourne’s outer north today, Allan said:
I want to thank everyone for sharing their views on this issue. It is one [with] many and varied views across the Victorian community and indeed we saw in the report itself that there was not a consensus position reached in the report, and cabinet took its time yesterday to consider that report.
As a consequence of that consideration, the minister announced there was no change to the government’s position.
Updated
Warming ocean bringing bull sharks further south and closer to coasts for longer, scientist says
Speaking to the ABC, senior shark scientist Dr Amy Smoothey said while there is no evidence bull shark numbers are increasing in Sydney Harbour, scientists are researching the effects of the east Australian current:
We know that bull sharks travel down along the east coast of Australia when the water temperature is warming. In summer, they come from Queensland.
Because of the strengthening of the east Australian current that brings the warm water down, they’re going further south than ever before, and staying around our coasts for longer periods of time than they would have done 10 or 15 years ago.
Updated
Bull shark behind shark attack in Sydney Harbour
Senior shark scientist Dr Amy Smoothey from the Department of Primary Industries just spoke to ABC TV following the shark attack in Sydney Harbour last night.
(You can read more about this below).
Smoothey confirmed the bite was the result of a bull shark. The department has been tagging bull sharks in the harbour since 2009 and said they feed at dawn and dusk.
Since 2009 the department has tagged 87 large bull sharks in Sydney Harbour and have found they are most common in January and February.
Smoothey said shark bites are “very rare”, and there is no scientific evidence to suggest their numbers are growing in the harbour.
The last incident that occurred in Sydney Harbour was in 2009 and that was at Garden Island. It was involved in an interaction with a navy diver. Prior to that, 1963.
Very few interactions … occur in enclosed waterways, but bull sharks are the top three species involved in bites – there’s bull sharks, white sharks and pointer sharks.
Smoothey said shark bites are often a case of “mistaken identity, in the wrong place at the wrong time”, because humans “aren’t on the menu for sharks”.
Updated
Emergency crews respond to multiple snake call-outs in Sutherland Shire
It’s been a busy snake season in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire, with emergency crews responding to five snake call-outs this week alone.
Fire and Rescue NSW wrangled a venomous snake on the lose in a back yard in Engadine last night. The team arrived and worked to track down the 1.5m red-bellied black snake.
Captain Brady Clarke said:
When we snared the slippery customer, we noticed it was in pain, thanks to a tick attached to its back.
We were extra cautious as a venomous snake in a cranky mood can be especially dangerous.
The snake had a lump on its back, so we contacted our friends at wildlife rescue organisation, WIRES, who took the reptile off our hands at the fire station for further medical treatment and x-rays today.
Clarke said the Menai Fire Station had received five snake callouts this week, mainly encountering diamond pythons, common tree snakes and red bellied black snakes.
Residents are advised not to approach snakes if they pose a danger, and to instead call triple-zero or WIRES.
ENGADINE | Firefighters wrangle injured snake in Sydney backyard. A Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crew has wrangled a venomous snake on the loose in a suburban Sydney backyard.
— Fire and Rescue NSW (@FRNSW) January 29, 2024
Firefighters at the Menai Fire Station received a distress call about... https://t.co/Z7liwV6cbK
Updated
Government commits $5m in El Niño funding for Timor-Leste and Pacific
The government has announced $5m in funding to help Timor-Leste and the Pacific prepare for, and respond, to the early impacts of El Niño.
This comes as minister for the Pacific, Pat Conroy, visited Timor-Leste and met with the prime minister yesterday.
Announced in a joint statement from Conroy and foreign affairs minister Penny Wong, the funding will go towards the pre-positioning of non-food items, water conservation and storage, establishing water systems and supporting food security.
The funding is being delivered as part of a partnership with the Australian Red Cross and the Australian Humanitarian Partnership.
The statement reads:
This responds to our Timor-Leste and Pacific partners’ calls for early action, and concrete support to address the impacts of climate change. It will protect people’s lives and livelihoods, reduce costs and allow communities to recover better and faster from disasters.
Australia also welcomes the release of USD2 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund to respond to El Niño-related drought in Timor-Leste.
Updated
More than 20 schools closed amid Queensland floods
Fifteen state schools and 10 independent schools are closed across Queensland amid widespread rain and flooding overnight.
All of the following state schools are due to reopen when the severe weather has subsided, according to the state’s education department:
• Aratula state school
• Ashwell state school
• Blenheim state school
• Forest Hill state school
• Grandchester state school
• Jandowae prep-10 state school
• Kogan state school
• Moonie state school
• Mount Alford state school
• Mount Sylvia state school
• Mount Whitestone state school
• Tent Hill Lower state school
• Thornton state school
• Warra state school
Centenary state high school will reopen when a damage assessment and repairs are complete, the department says.
Meanwhile, the list of independent school closures can be viewed in full here.
Updated
Vet who helped Sydney shark attack lauded as a ‘legend’
The vet who applied tourniquets to a woman bitten by a shark in Sydney Harbour last night has been lauded a “legend” by NSW deputy premier Prue Carr.
The state’s health minister Ryan Park also applauded the vet for having “quite possibly saved [a] life”.
Park thanked first responders and hospital staff who had “literally performed a miracle and kept this person alive”.
Meanwhile, an analysis of the bite pattern led government officials to positively identify the predator as a bull shark.
Amy Smoothey, a shark ecologist, told the ABC:
It’s likely bull sharks are coming from Queensland’s waters, into NSW and into Sydney in the summer and autumn months for foraging opportunities.
- from AAP
Updated
Some outback Queensland properties at risk of being cut off for weeks
Some properties in Winton, in the central west of Queensland, are at risk of becoming isolated for six to eight weeks due to flood waters.
West of Winton towards Boulia, the Middleton community has recorded about 450mm of rain since the weekend, as large parts of the state faced flooding overnight.
Winton mayor Gavin Baskett told AAP:
The Boulia road through to Alice Springs has currently got three metres of water over the crossings.
Some of the crossings are at the highest (flood levels) some graziers have ever seen them.
Winton’s local disaster management group has been activated with some properties bunkering down for a long, isolated period in flood waters.
Baskett:
They are all graziers out there, lucky it isn’t tourist season.
– from AAP
Updated
Dreyfus asked about robodebt royal commission recommendations
Earlier this morning, attorney general Mark Dreyfus spoke to the 7am podcast and was asked about robodebt.
Specifically, he was asked about the discrepancy between the 57 recommendations listed in the report versus the “full 56” he accepted in his official response to the royal commission.
Cait Kelly had all the details about this late last year – one of the recommendations was later classified as a “closing observation”, which called for significant changes to the Freedom of Information Act:
Speaking to 7am, Dreyfus was asked why he said there was one less recommendation than the report lists? He replied:
There’s a … it is perhaps terminological, but there’s a bit at the end where [royal commissioner] Catherine Holmes offered an observation about cabinet process, but it’s not actually a recommendation that she makes. It’s an observation about cabinet process.
Q: But in the report, it says the following is a list of 57 recommendations?
Dreyfus:
Well, we don’t agree with the observation that she made about cabinet process.
He is again pressed on the technicality of the number of recommendations:
We’ll have to agree to disagree. But, it’s that bit about cabinet process was, not something that really strictly fell within the terms of reference. It was something that arose [as] an observation at the end. It’s couched as a final observation by Catherine Holmes. We’re concerned with her recommendations that go to the way in which governments make decisions, in which departments make decisions, the way in which those decisions can be reviewed …
Updated
Oxfam Australia call for UNRWA funding to be reinstated
Oxfam Australia, along with 19 other aid organisations, has called on donor nations to reinstate funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
At the weekend, foreign minister Penny Wong announced Australia would pause its funding to UNRWA while an investigation is under way into several employees accused of taking part in Hamas’s 7 October attacks in Israel.
Of the 12 employees who have been accused by Israel of taking part in the attacks, nine were immediately sacked, one was confirmed dead and two were still being identified.
Australia is one of 10 donor countries that have withdrawn funding from the UN agency:
In a joint statement, Oxfam said the aid cuts come amid a “rapidly worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza”, where the population is facing starvation, looming famine and the outbreak of disease while under bombardment.
The statement reads:
We urge donor states to reaffirm support for the vital work that UNRWA and its partners do to help Palestinians survive one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes of our times. Countries must reverse these funding suspensions, uphold their duties towards the Palestinian people and scale up humanitarian assistance for civilians in dire need in Gaza and the region.
Updated
QFES is asking those in south-east Queensland to keep up-to-date with the latest road closures as multiple areas are affected by flooding this morning:
With multiple areas in southern and south-east QLD affected by flooding this morning, it’s important to stay informed and act quickly.
— Qld Fire & Emergency (@QldFES) January 29, 2024
Keep an eye on your local council disaster dashboards, and stay up-to-date with the latest road closures at https://t.co/ytoLMqnKzb
Avoid… pic.twitter.com/dsL1vQJ21h
Updated
Queensland town of Jandowae urged to ‘go to higher ground’ as flood waters rise
Another emergency alert has been issued in Queensland, this time for Jandowae in the Western Downs region.
The local council is advising of dangerous flooding at Jandowae Creek and said flood water may continue rising with additional rainfall today.
Residents are being advised to “warn neighbours, secure belongings, and go to higher ground”.
Updated
‘It was horrifying’: witness describes Sydney shark attack aftermath
A vet and her neighbours are being praised for saving the life of a shark attack victim who dragged herself out of the water at a Sydney Harbour beach, AAP reports.
The woman, who is in her late 20s, was bitten on the right leg by a suspected bull shark in Elizabeth Bay around sunset yesterday.
Michael Porter had just arrived home from work when he heard faint yells for help through his open window. He told Nine’s Today program:
It was horrifying, I’ve never experienced anything like it.
Lauren, the victim, was trying to pull herself up off the side the harbour pool, trying to get into the safe enclosure.
Her leg was sort of trailing behind her – behind her was all red blood.
The whole thing was totally surreal and I still haven’t processed it all, to be honest.
He was quickly joined by several other neighbours, including a “hero” vet named Fiona who applied tourniquets to stem the bleeding.
The victim’s significant wounds meant “blood was everywhere” and, while in little pain, she struggled to maintain consciousness before paramedics arrived and rushed her to nearby St Vincent’s hospital for surgery.
Porter:
Fiona is a hero and I believe she saved her life.
I’m not sure what would have happened but it wouldn’t have been good.
Updated
Teacher shortage ‘10 years in the making’: Jason Clare
The education minister, Jason Clare, just spoke with ABC Breakfast about Australia’s teacher shortage. He labelled it a “crisis”:
[There are] not enough young people going to university to want to become a teacher, [and] too many people leaving the profession. This is something that’s 10 years in the making. It will take us some time to fix, but it’s something we have to turn around here.
Clare said that over the past 10 years, the rates of people studying teaching at uni has fallen by 12%. While Victoria has seen a 10% increase in offers, the rate of people who finish the degree is low:
We’ve got 80,000 people at uni studying teaching, that’s good, but only 50% will actually finish the degree, and another 20% will quit in the first three years as a teacher.
He pointed to the difficulty in doing unpaid prac, and said more support is needed for teachers in the early years of their career.
Q: Are there more things you can do immediately to alleviate what is an unprecedented situation?
Clare said bringing teachers from overseas is one element of this – with 2,000 visas granted – but also encouraging people to return to the profession:
There’s 300,000 teachers in our schools right now but there’s another 100,000 teachers who are registered, [have] the qualifications, but have chosen to keep the registration but not teach. Part of [our plan] is encouraging them to come back as teachers or mentors for those teachers in their early years and provide them with the support they need.
Updated
Train delays in Brisbane and Sunshine Coast because flood waters over tracks
Flood waters are covering the train tracks at Moreton Bay in Queensland – where more than a dozen rescues occurred overnight – leading to delays for commuters.
Translink says the Caboolture, Sunshine Coast, and Redcliffe Peninsula line trains are delayed up to 60 minutes. The trains are stopped due to flooding over tracks at Bray Park, Moreton Bay in Brisbane’s north.
Here is the latest from Translink:
Buses are now operating to get you moving again between Geebung and Narangba stations on the Caboolture and Sunshine Coast lines.
Buses are now operating to get you moving again between Geebung and Petrie stations on the Redcliffe Peninsula line.
Updated
Man’s body pulled from water in Hobart
An investigation is under way after a body was pulled from the water in the Tasmanian capital, AAP reports.
The body of the man was recovered at around 10pm on Monday near Franklin Wharf in Hobart.
Tasmania police said in a statement:
An investigation is underway into the circumstances prior to the man entering the water.
Updated
Flood emergency warnings issued in Forest Hill and Laidley in Queensland
Sticking with the weather in Queensland, and two emergency alerts were issued early this morning for the Lockyer Valley council area.
An emergency alert was issued at 4.40am (local time) for the town of Forest Hill, warning that flooding may occur and water levels may rise rapidly.
Residents in low lying areas are encouraged to enact their emergency plan.
Another emergency alert was issued for Laidley at the same time, advising people in low-lying areas to enact their emergency plans because of potential flooding.
The Laidley state high school’s evacuation centre is open for those seeking safe shelter, the alert said.
Updated
Queensland crews conduct 13 flood rescues overnight
The Queensland Fire and Emergency Service conducted 13 rescue jobs overnight as parts of the state’s south-east were lashed with rain and flooding.
A spokesperson said 13 swift-water rescue jobs were completed overnight. Majority of these were in the Moreton Bay region, where people were trapped in their homes with rising flood waters.
Rescue jobs were also completed in Somerset, Lockyer Valley and Darling Downs.
Meanwhile, the SES received 28 requests for assistance in the Moreton Bay area in the past 24 hours.
Updated
No one should have to ‘ring around’ to find a bulk-billing GP, Greens MP says
The Greens MP Stephen Bates says “no one should have to ring around for hours” to find a bulk-billing GP, after the health minister Mark Butler encouraged people to do so.
As Josh Butler reported, the health minister yesterday encouraged Australians to “ring around” doctors in their area and “vote with your feet” to find GPs offering bulk billing. This comes as concerns continue over whether enough is being done to stop medical clinics winding back subsidised visits.
Bates claimed that only around 5% of GPs in his electorate bulk bill new patients. He wrote on X:
Stop treating healthcare as a market place and telling people to ‘vote with their feet.’
No one should have to ring around for hours trying to find affordable healthcare. It should be free at the point of use.
Around 5% of GPs in my electorate bulk bill new patients.
— Stephen Bates (@stephenbatesmp) January 29, 2024
Stop treating healthcare as a market place and telling people to “vote with their feet.”
No one should have to ring around for hours trying to find affordable healthcare. It should be free at the point of use. https://t.co/kBKOiGH00r
Updated
Broad tax reform should be an issue at next election, Chaney and Daniel say
Zoe Daniel agreed that we need to have a broader conversation around Australia’s tax system and the economy.
I think broad-based tax reform, big structural changes, that is the kind of thing that you would take to an election and quite frankly, given where we are in the electoral cycle, we wouldn’t be able to get it done in time anyway.
It is the kind of structural policy shift that the government could build, to take to the election. It will have to happen eventually. It is inevitable. So the government at some point is going to have to be brave and step into this conversation, which is affecting all different parts of our society and economy in different ways … it has to be everything on the table.
Kate Chaney agreed with the sentiment and said because it is “politically unpalatable to talk about tax … nothing ever changes”.
I completely agree that it should be an election issue at the next election.
Chaney argued the government needs courage, but also the opposition – so that if they don’t like a proposal or reform “they come up with an alternative and give people a choice”.
But that will actually depend on having that conversation with the community about why change is needed, and building some momentum behind it, and building an appetite so that we can see that the necessary changes, rather than focusing on what it all means for me, if one little bit of the tax system is changes.
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‘We need to put down our weapons’ when it comes to economy, Kate Chaney says
Kate Chaney argued that both sides of politics need to “put down our weapons” and engage in a broader conversation about the country’s economy:
We have a situation where we have an ageing population, over reliance income tax … inadequate revenue for our natural resources and compared to other countries, lower consumption tax and smaller base, we have a structural deficit. We can’t pay for the things that we think we deserve, and we need to have a broad conversation … over the next 20 years about how we’re going to pay for this.
Both sides are willing to talk about tax cuts, but no one’s worried about where the money’s actually going to come from.
In the 80s we managed to have some significant economic reform, and a big part of that was that the Liberal party didn’t just block it for the sake of it, willing to talk about what actually was good for the country and how we’re going to get there. We need to put down our weapons and have a similar discussion now about what our economy looks like over the next 20 years.
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Zoe Daniel on tax changes: ‘There is strong support in the community for this shift’
The independent MPs Kate Chaney and Zoe Daniel are speaking to ABC RN and are asked for their thoughts on the stage-three tax cut changes.
First up, Chaney said that “on balance” she does support them:
The reality is we are just frozen on tax reform. And we can’t actually say you can never change your mind ever on anything. When circumstances change, we also need to be able to change policy.
Daniel said she was still finalising her position and speaking to her electorate of Goldstein for their thoughts:
I’ll wait to see the actual legislation but at this point, there is strong support in the community for this shift … I’ve had a lot of people contacting me who earn more than that [$180,000] threshold saying, look, it would be great to have that money, but other people need it more.
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Sydney Harbour shark attack victim stable in hospital
We’ve just spoken to St Vincent’s hospital and confirmed that the woman bitten by a shark in Sydney Harbour last night remains in hospital in a stable condition.
The woman, in her late 20s, was bitten on the right leg by a suspected bull shark in Elizabeth Bay last night.
You can read the latest details below:
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Some train delays in Sydney this morning
For those commuting into the Sydney CBD for work this morning, expect delays along some key routes.
Sydney Trains said that services on the T3 Bankstown Line, T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line and South Coast had been suspended in both directions after an emergency incident at St Peters earlier this morning.
Trains are now running again between Sydenham and Redfern, according to the latest update.
Sydney Trains said:
Passengers should continue to allow plenty of extra travel time as some services continue to experience delays.
Passengers should also listen to announcements and check information displays for service updates.
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Sydney councillor ‘extremely concerned’ about shark attack in Elizabeth Bay
Sydney councillor Linda Scott says she is “extremely concerned” about the shark attack in Sydney harbour last night.
Last night, a woman in her late 20s was bitten on the right leg by a suspected bull shark in Elizabeth Bay. Paramedics were called about 7.45pm to help the woman, who managed to swim to a jetty following the attack. You can read all the details below:
Scott urged people to “please, stay out of the harbour until further notice”, writing on X:
Thank you to the bystanders who stood in to bravely help, and to [St Vincent’s Hospital] for their care for the victim.
💥WARNING💥
— Councillor Linda Scott (@ClrLindaScott) January 29, 2024
I’m extremely concerned to learn of a shark attack in our City of Sydney this evening.
A women has received severe injuries as a result of an attack near Billyard Avenue, Elizabeth Bay.
Please, stay out of the harbour until further notice.
📸 Amelia Schremmer pic.twitter.com/1uQRhyd9uQ
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Good morning
Thanks to Martin for kicking things off this morning! I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll be with you on the blog today.
See something that needs attention? You can get in touch via X, @emilywindwrites, or send me an email: emily.wind@theguardian.com.
With that, let’s get started.
Morrison says he thought Prince Philip knighthood news ‘was a gag’
One lighter moment among the serious political machinations of the episode was the discussion among Coalition MPs of Abbott’s “captain’s call” decision to extend a knighthood to Prince Philip.
“I was on my way to my first citizenship ceremony and to my horror, at about 7:45, the news came over the radio that we’d made Prince Philip a knight on Australia Day,” said former minister Christopher Pyne.
“And I won’t say what I said because it’s on television, but I thought, ‘this is going to be a really bad day’.”
Reminded of the episode, Barnaby Joyce simply said: “Prince Philip. Oh god. That was a shocker.”
Morrison claimed: “I thought it was fake news. I thought it was a gag.”
Turnbull responded: “[Abbott] was, at least on this occasion, quite crackers.”
Abbott didn’t appear in the series so didn’t get a chance to respond on-camera to those remarks. But you can read how we reported on this at the time and how it contributed to Abbott’s exit.
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Scott Morrison asked about robodebt in ABC documentary
Returning to last night’s ABC documentary: while later episodes of Nemesis will take in the end of Turnbull’s leadership and the start of Scott Morrison’s, the most recent former PM does make quite an appearance in the first episode.
At one stage, the conversation turns to the robodebt scheme, which was championed by Morrison as social services minister and then treasurer. Asked by host Mark Willacy what he would say to people affected by the robodebt scandal, Morrison gave a similar answer to his responses after the royal commission report was released:
“Policy decisions you make from time to time won’t go as you had intended them to. [We didn’t want to] cause harm to anyone.
“If we had been advised by the department that they had legal advice which said this was not lawful, it would never have been taken forward.”
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More on the floods in Australia’s north
“The Boulia road through to Alice Springs has currently got three metres of water over the crossings,” Winton Mayor Gavin Baskett told AAP.
“Some of the crossings are at the highest (flood levels) some graziers have ever seen them.”
Winton’s local disaster management group has been activated with some properties bunkering down for a long, isolated period in flood waters.
“They are all graziers out there, lucky it isn’t tourist season,” Mr Baskett said.
The Bureau of Meteorology said ex-tropical cyclone Kirrilly was expected to linger between Mount Isa and Longreach for the next few days.
Flood warnings are current for large parts of central Queensland as well as the south-east.
Flood watches have also been issued for parts of western Queensland as well as much of central and southeast of the state plus NSW’s northeast.
The bureau said forecast rainfall in those areas could lead to flash or riverine flooding in the next 48 hours.
“In the worst case it could lead to inundation of homes, properties, businesses and agricultural land,” the bureau warned.
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Flood warnings in Queensland as rain and storms continue
Widespread showers and thunderstorms look set to continue at rain-lashed Queensland regions, sparking flood warnings, Australian Associated Press reports.
Isolated falls of up to 300mm are predicted this week, with moderate to heavy rainfall set for much of Queensland’s southern interior and south-east.
Showers and storms are forecast for south-east Queensland and northern NSW today, slowly moving north.
Ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily is also ensuring more wet weather in Queensland’s northwest, days after crossing the coast.
South of Cloncurry has been one of the worst hit out west with Seymour Gap receiving 256mm in 24 hours, while 244mm fell at Kirby.
Further south at Winton, all rural roads are cut with some properties set to be isolated for six to eight weeks due to flood waters.
West of Winton towards Boulia, the Middleton community has recorded about 450mm since the weekend.
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Turnbull tells ABC about Abbott's reaction to being ousted
Malcolm Turnbull claimed Tony Abbott “didn’t welcome my inquiries” when he reached out after the 2015 Liberal leadership coup.
“He generally told me to fuck off. He had quite a few variations on that,” Turnbull said in the ABC series Nemesis, the first episode of which aired last night.
Abbott did not accept an invitation to appear in the series.
The series, about the Coalition government’s time in power, tracked the Abbott prime ministership in last night’s episode. It catalogued the thoughts of Turnbull, Scott Morrison, George Brandis, Barnaby Joyce and Josh Frydenberg – among many others – at key points of Abbott’s time in office, from the knighthood for Prince Philip to Bronwyn Bishop’s choppergate scandal.
Asked about the aftermath of the leadership spill that saw Abbott deposed and Turnbull promoted to the prime minister’s office, Turnbull said: “I did reach out to Abbott to see how he was going. He didn’t welcome my inquiries.”
The next episode in the series will air next Monday at 8pm.
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our rolling news blog. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ll be bringing you some of the best overnight stories before my colleague Emily Wind takes the reins.
He might have copped a booing at the tennis, but Anthony Albanese will be able to take heart from our latest Essential poll showing that one in two voters approve of his controversial tax overhaul. Almost half of voters support revising the stage-three tax cuts to help low- and middle-income earners while only 22% of people thought the Coalition’s original plan should proceed unchanged.
The total number of rental listings in Australia hit a record low in December at 30.2% below the average for the month over the past decade, according to the PropTrack rental report. It means tenants are facing ever higher rents with the median rent on realestate.com surging 11.5% over the year to $580 a week. We also have Emily Wind describing what it feels like to be caught up in Sydney’s rental madness where she has been hit with a $400-a-week rise.
Malcolm Turnbull has told the ABC’s Nemesis documentary that Tony Abbott strongly rejected his attempts to reach out after the former’s leadership coup in 2015. The first episode also featured Scott Morrison’s ruminations on the robodebt scheme and former Coalition cabinet members on how they reacted to Abbott’s decision to give Prince Philip a knighthood. More coming up.
A woman was fighting for her life overnight after being seriously injured in an attack by a suspected bull shark while swimming in Sydney Harbour. We’ll bring you updates on that when we have them.
And Queensland is, yet again, facing new flood warnings as widespread showers and thunderstorms continue.
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