What we learned, Wednesday 24 April 2024
With that, we’ll end our live coverage of the day’s news.
Here’s a summary of the main news developments:
Seven juveniles have been arrested as part of extensive counter-terrorism raids across south-western Sydney, with police alleging they adhere to a “religiously motivated violent extremist ideology”.
The bishop who was allegedly stabbed in his Sydney church last week has written an affidavit for Elon Musk’s X, arguing video of the attack should not be censored as ordered by the Australian online safety regulator, the federal court has heard.
Woodside Energy has suffered an embarrassing rebuke of its climate credentials after its emissions plan was overwhelmingly rejected by shareholders at its annual general meeting on Wednesday.
Having pleaded guilty to maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship with a child, a former teacher now wants the conviction overturned on the basis she cannot be held legally responsible due to her gender.
Victorian homicide detectives are investigating the death of a woman after her body was discovered in the state’s north on Tuesday.
Thanks for reading, and have a pleasant evening.
Updated
Queensland’s state library launched an AI war veteran chatbot. Pranksters immediately tried to break it
“Charlie”, the AI war veteran chatbot, was programmed to educate people about the first world war, mateship and life in the trenches in time for Anzac Day.
But less than 24 hours after the bot was launched, internet users were already attempting to “jailbreak” it.
Read more from Eden Gillespie and Josh Nicholas:
Updated
Shareholders reject Woodside’s climate plan
The voting numbers at Woodside Energy’s annual general meeting are now in, with more than 58% of votes cast against the company’s climate report.
It is by far the strongest protest vote recorded against any of the dozens of listed companies around the world that regularly put climate-related resolutions to shareholders.
“Naturally, we’re disappointed but respect the result,” Woodside chair, Richard Goyder, said shortly after the results were announced. Earlier today Goyder was re-elected against a shareholder push to oust him as chair over the company’s climate credentials.
“The board will reflect closely on the result and continue to engage with shareholders as we progress our strategy.”
The battle over the climate plan pitched the country’s biggest oil and gas producer against global investors increasingly concerned about the energy sector’s contribution to global heating.
The vote on the climate report, which outlines how Woodside will align operations with rising environmental concerns, is non-binding, however the results put pressure on the company to align policies with the views of its shareholders.
Read more:
Updated
Police believed ‘an attack might ensue’
Counter-terrorism police carried out raids and arrested a group of teenagers who they allege adhere to a “religiously motivated violent extremist ideology”, and who they had been surveilling because investigators feared “an attack might ensue”.
David Hudson, the NSW police deputy commissioner, said the juveniles – seven of whom were arrested and five of whom are assisting police with inquiries after the Wednesday raids – had been surveilled following the stabbing at a Wakeley church last Monday that was deemed a terrorist incident.
Hudson said:
Their behaviour whilst under that surveillance led us to believe that if they were to commit any act, we would not be able to prevent that. And we believed through the investigation that it was likely that an attack might ensue.
Updated
Seven arrested, five assisting police after Sydney counter-terror raids
Seven juveniles have been arrested following counter-terrorism raids across Sydney and its south-west focussed on individuals allegedly adhering to a “religiously motivated violent extremist ideology”.
Through the raids – which were in response to last Monday’s terrorist incident stabbing at an Assyrian church in Wakeley – police said 13 search warrants were executed in total, leading to the arrest of seven “juveniles” including 15, 16 and 17-year-olds. Five others are assisting police with their inquiries.
Hudson alleged that all of the individuals are known to each other and are “all linked in a common purpose”, but said there was no immediate danger to the community.
On Wednesday afternoon, David Hudson, the NSW police deputy commissioner, said more than 400 members of the joint counter-terrorism team from the state and federal police forces as well as the NSW crime commission were part of the action that began at about 11.15am.
Hudson said:
From that initial (Wakeley) incident, a number of associates were identified that we believe warranted further close attention and investigation. We will allege that these individuals adhere to a religiously motivated violent extremist ideology.
These investigations have been progressing since the incident, the investigations including comprehensive surveillance activities and intensive scrutiny of these individuals.”
Updated
And the band played on … spoons?
Australia’s and New Zealand’s defence forces are once again coming together at Gallipoli – this time to ensure New Zealand’s military band can play on.
The band’s luggage was among thousands of bags lost during last week’s Dubai floods, with embassy staff only able to retrieve one instrument and a handful of dress uniforms ahead of the 25 April dawn service in Turkey.
While 35 of the missing 65 bags were located, only a handful had managed to be sent on to where the Anzac and Chunuk Bair commemorations were taking place, local media reported.
New Zealand media reported the group’s drummer had been practising making the drumbeat with two spoons, while plans were in place for vocalist Lance Corporal Bryony Williams to sing anthems without accompaniment.
Read more:
Updated
The last straw …
Handmade millet brooms have been produced in Tumut since 1946, and now a new generation of craftsmen is getting swept up in the trade.
Read more from Eliza Spencer:
Updated
Many thanks for joining me on the blog today, Elias Visontay will guide you through the rest of today’s rolling coverage. Take care.
Police to address media about joint counter-terrorism raids across Sydney
NSW deputy commissioner David Hudson and AFP deputy commissioner Krissy Barrett will address the media this afternoon about the search warrants executed in Sydney by the joint counter-terrorism team.
AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw earlier confirmed the raids were in relation to the Wakeley church stabbing.
The press conference will be held at 4pm, and we will bring you the latest here on the blog once that begins.
Updated
Elon Musk v Jacqui Lambie saga continues
The Elon Musk v Jacqui Lambie saga is continuing, with the independent senator stating Musk should “put his big boy pants on and do the right thing”.
Lambie posted on Instagram (not X, as she deleted her account yesterday) reiterating her call for Musk to delete 65 tweets relating to the Wakeley church stabbing, as requested by the eSafety commissioner.
Lambie shared a photo of herself wearing face paint and wrote:
Elon Musk should put his big boy pants on and do the right thing – but he won’t because he has no social conscience.
This comes after X boss Musk called Lambie the “enemy of the people of Australia” in a tweet overnight, and stated that she has “utter contempt for the Australian people” in another tweet.
Woodside concedes shareholders likely to vote down climate report
Woodside Energy has suffered a sharp rebuke of its climate credentials after the company conceded it was “unlikely to receive majority support” for its emissions plans at its annual general meeting today.
Woodside chair Richard Goyder told shareholders in Perth:
The board will seriously consider the outcome when reviewing our approach to climate change. We take the shareholder feedback seriously.
The result will represent the strongest protest vote recorded against any of the dozens of listed companies around the world that regularly put climate-related resolutions to shareholders.
Climate reports outline how a company plans to align operations with rising environmental concerns.
While they are subject to non-binding votes, and therefore don’t automatically trigger a policy change, they are a way for shareholders to express their disapproval, placing pressure on directors to change direction.
The voting results will be disclosed shortly.
Updated
Families of two Australians missing in Taiwan want search resumed ‘once its safe’
The families of two Australians reported missing during an earthquake in Taiwan earlier this month have called for the search and rescue operation to resume “once it is safe to do so”.
Australians Issac Sim Hwee Kok and Ann Neo Siew Choo were holidaying in Taiwan but were caught up in the earthquake that struck on 3 April.
The search to find the pair was under way but paused on 12 April “when it became dangerous for the rescue teams to operate”, a statement from the families said.
The families dearly want them to be found but cannot allow this to be at the risk of someone else’s life … We ask that they resume the search and rescue operation once it is safe to do so. However, we also ask that they do so by always putting their own safety first.
In a statement, the families thanked every member of the Hualien County Fire Department, and the search and rescue dogs, for their “dedication and tireless efforts” regarding the search.
The families thanked numerous other agencies for their assistance during the search including local police and the Australian office in Taipei.
Updated
Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel says Wakeley stabbing video should not be removed from X, court hears
The bishop who was allegedly stabbed in his Sydney church has written an affidavit for Elon Musk’s X arguing that the video of his alleged stabbing last week should not be censored as the Australian online safety regulator has ordered, the federal court has heard.
X’s legal representative Marcus Hoyne told the federal court in a case management hearing this afternoon that X would need to put on a lot of documents in the case over the eSafety ordered takedown of 65 tweets of the stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel at a Wakeley church last week.
Hoyne indicated X had obtained an affidavit from the bishop that the footage should be available. He also said the case was “above his paygrade” and X was approaching barrister Bret Walker SC for the case.
Justice Geoffrey Kennett extended the interim injunction ordering the posts be hidden from view until 5pm 10 May 2024, when the court will hold an injunction hearing.
Counsel for the eSafety commissioner, Christopher Tran, said the current order had not been complied with.
Hoyne said there were significant legal issues to do with eSafety’s powers over content overseas to be dealt with:
I’m not dealing with the political or media issues here. I’m just dealing with the legal issues.
Updated
Universities Australia backs calls for government to ease burden of student loans
The peak body for the tertiary sector has backed calls for the federal government to ease the burden of student loans after today’s revelations debts will rise by 4.8% in June.
Ceo of Universities Australia Luke Sheehy said the commonwealth’s recent consideration of changes to Hecs/Help payments was welcome in light of the increase:
Universities are very supportive of the government’s focus on changing the way student repayments are made ... we recognise young people are facing increasing cost-of-living pressures and have called for targeted support for students in the May budget.
Help has led to a significant expansion of the university system, and it is essential that we continue to open the door to university for more Australians as our need for graduates grows.
Today’s CPI figures showed that millions of Australians with student loans will be hit by increases of more than $1,000 in June. Here’s an explainer (from last year) on how Hecs/Help loans are linked to CPI:
Updated
Westpac among those pushing back expected first RBA rate cut
The slightly higher than expected March quarter inflation rate confirmed Australia is likely to face a gradual - rather than sudden - slowdown in price increases. Much like the US, UK and so on.
Banks that had been tipping the first Reserve Bank interest rate cut to land in September are likely to pare back those expectations. Westpac has become the first, and now expects the first cut to come in the following RBA board meeting in November.
(CBA had forecast rate cuts in the September, November and December RBA meetings that round out 2024. It was also among the more dovish about today’s inflation figures, tipping a 0.7% quarter on quarter result and 3.4% annual paces - versus the 1% and 3.6% actual result.)
David Bassanese, BetaShares economist, had a slightly more gloomy take, saying “another interest rate rise can no longer be safely ruled out”. Still, he’s “anticipating” at least one RBA rate cut this year, but now “much closer to Christmas than mid-year”.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers, meanwhile, said inflation had “almost halved” since the government took office, but was “still too high”.
The budget next month will focus on easing cost of living pressures, not adding to them.
That won’t be so easy, though.
While energy rebates, childcare and rental assistance have kept some inflation indicators more subdued than they would otherwise have been, that help isn’t neutral. Extra money in the pocket/e-wallet typically gets spent somewhere.
Richard Goyder re-elected to Woodside board
Woodside chair Richard Goyder has been re-elected to the board after defending against a push from shareholders who sought to remove him over the company’s climate credentials.
He was re-elected with more than 80% of votes cast in his favour, according to early results displayed at the annual general meeting in Perth today.
Goyder said in his opening address that the oil and gas company was committed to conducting its business in a sustainable manner. He told shareholders:
This means responding to climate change. It means ensuring everyone who works at Woodside goes home safely.
Our strategy is to thrive through the energy transition for the benefit of our shareholders, our employees, our communities and the environment.
Woodside is facing a significant protest vote against its climate report, with results to be disclosed later in the meeting.
Updated
Mehreen Faruqi to attend pro-Palestine occupation at Sydney University
Deputy leader of the Greens, senator Mehreen Faruqi, will be attending the ongoing occupation of the University of Sydney this afternoon.
The sit-in, attended by students and staff, began yesterday evening in solidarity with similar actions in the US calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and university divestments from Israel.
Faruqi told Guardian Australia the movement for justice for Palestine was “sweeping the world”.
From Columbia University to Gadigal land at Sydney Uni, the momentum is shifting. And we know that it is inevitable that Palestine will be free. The Greens are with the students and the staff who are doing this Gaza solidarity encampment and asking for universities to divest from Israel.
Updated
NSW premier launches review of bail laws related to domestic violence
New South Wales premier Chris Minns has launched an urgent review to determine if the government should reform bail laws related to domestic violence, following the killing of a young mother in regional NSW whose alleged murderer was released on bail on a slew of serious charges in the days before her death.
Childcare worker and mother Molly Ticehurst, 28, was found dead inside her home at Forbes, in central-western NSW, on Monday. Her former partner Daniel Billings, accused of raping and stalking her in the months before the killing, has been charged with her murder.
On Wednesday, Minns said he has instructed the state’s attorney general, Michael Daley, to seek urgent advice from the crown advocate David Kell SC “to determine whether urgent law reform is required in relation to bail laws in state”.
The advice will look at the role of registrars when it comes to bail application matters, particularly on the weekend and in regional communities. It will also relate to decisions made in the lead up to Ticehurst’s death.
Minns said:
The system has clearly let down Molly … The status quo isn’t working.
Minns said he expects to receive the advice back by the end of May.
Updated
Federal court hearing in eSafety case against Elon Musk’s X over tweets of Wakeley stabbing video
The federal court will hold a case management hearing at 2.15pm today in the case eSafety has brought against Elon Musk’s X over the company refusing to remove tweets of the video of the Wakeley stabbing attack.
An interim injunction issued on Monday ordered X to hide the tweets behind a notice globally, not just geo-block from access in Australia. The injunction is currently due to expire at 5pm today, and the hearing will likely focus on whether to extend the injunction pending a further hearing.
Guardian Australia has confirmed many of the 65 tweets X was told by eSafety to take down remain available outside Australia.
Updated
NSW police note findings of inquest into death of man shot by police
New South Wales police say it has noted the findings of an inquest into the death of a man who was shot by police three times while experiencing a psychosis and will review the recommendations.
Todd McKenzie, 40, was suffering from a psychosis when he was shot three times by police in his Taree home in 2019 following a nine-hour siege after police responded to reports he was on the street yelling and holding a knife.
Deputy state coroner Harriet Grahame deemed in her judgement the “police operations which ended Todd’s life was flawed in a number of significant respects.”
Grahame recommended NSW police catch up to other states and require its tactical police officers - which are tasked with responding to high risk incidents - wear body worn cameras. The judgement also recommended a review and audit of police training in responding to mental health incidents every two years.
More on this story here:
Updated
AFP reviewing material related to Bruce Lehrmann criminal trial
Reece Kershaw says the AFP is reviewing material relating to the Bruce Lehrmann criminal trial and how Brittany Higgins text messages came to be released to channel 7’s Spotlight program “to see if it meets threshold for investigation”.
He was asked if the texts were under investigation from the AFP and if so, when could a conclusion be expected? Kershaw:
I’ve seen reports of that. We are reviewing that material and that case as we speak … Without me getting technical, it is not an investigation, it would be reviewing the material to see if there is a threshold for an investigation.
Updated
Kershaw quizzed on how often encryption legislation is utilised by AFP
Our very own Paul Karp has asked Reece Kershaw about how often “urgent” legislation around encryption has been used – it was introduced more than five years ago.
Karp said that technical assistance requests (voluntary cooperation from tech companies) had been used 66 times in the last financial year, but the compulsory powers (technical assistance notices and technical capability notices) haven’t been used at all by agencies.
So, why ask the tech companies for more cooperation instead of escalating and using the powers that already exist to compel it?
Kershaw responded:
I think you’ll see in this financial year, a 100% increase on that zero! That’s one thing I’ll say.
I don’t want to go into details of that but you know, it goes back to the tech companies – we just want what we currently had as far as that arrangement of them being able to share material and referrals to us that we can act on. So we don’t know what we’d need to request if it goes dark, if you understand what I mean.
Karp: But 100% of zero is zero. So are you actually going to issue a technical assistance notice and technical capability notice?
Kershaw: “What I’m saying is that I’m aware that there has already been one issue recently.”
Mike Burgess added:
I will use the law if I need to, but I’m asking for their help.
Updated
Asio involved in raids being carried out in Sydney in relation to Wakeley stabbing
Mike Burgess says Asio is involved in the raids being carried out in Sydney today, as a member of the joint-counter terrorism team.
He said:
My officers are connected and involved and embedded inside the joint counter-terrorism team. And on the back end, Australia’s security services are always doing its thing to provide security intelligence that enables the police to deal with these problems when we have immediate threats to life or anything else that’s evolving.
Updated
‘Major operation’ under way in Sydney in relation to Wakeley stabbing, says AFP commissioner
AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw confirmed there is a “major operation in Sydney” under way currently by the counter-terrorism team.
Speaking at the press club he was asked about counter-terrorism from a policing perspective and said:
We get across these matters pretty quickly, like we have right now, and there is a major operation right now in Sydney.
Are these relations in relation to the Wakeley attack?
Kershaw responded “yes” but did not provide more information.
Updated
Mike Burgess says some tech companies are saying no to cooperating on end-to-end encryption
Mike Burgess and Reece Kershaw are now taking questions from reporters.
Asio boss Burgess says the organisation is “as busy as we have ever been in 75 years of history”, because of things like end-to-end encryption.
He says he is simply seeking a “sensible conversation” with tech companies around this.
We need their help. I think it is a reasonable ask and I look forward to the conversation. I recognise there are people who will light up and share their views on how wrong we are. Isn’t that wonderful in our democracy, we can have that conversation and listen to all views as well. I look forward to the conversation and the rebuffs that will follow.
Are tech companies saying no to cooperation? Burgess:
Some of them are saying no, they say the way we designed this, we couldn’t possibly help you. I respectfully disagree … There are ways of providing secure lawful access. We just want that from then.
Updated
Here is some of what Asio boss Mike Burgess was saying during his press club speech just a little while ago:
AFP commissioner outlines how AI is being used to create child abuse material
AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw has been speaking at the National Press Club about how the public can keep safe online. He opened his speech with this statement:
Many of us grew up at a time when our parents knew we were safe if the front door was locked. But now, because of technology, a locked front door is no longer a barrier for criminals.
Kershaw described increasing online connectivity and AI as the “fourth industrial revolution”. Addressing the crowd, he asked them to look at four images of children placed in front of them:
They look like the photographs in our family albums or stored in our phones. Now, I want you to pick the image generated by artificial intelligence. The answer is they have all been generated by AI.
There were audible gasps around the room. He read out lines from a report by the Internet Watch Foundation titled “How AI is being used to create child sex abuse material”.
We’re now in a position where the imagery is so lifelike that it’s presenting real difficulties for even our highly trained analysts to distinguish … We’re seeing AI child abuse material images using the faces of known real victims. We’re seeing how technology is nudifying children whose clothed images have been uploaded online for perfectly legitimate reasons.
Updated
University of Sydney emails staff and students about pro-Palestine encampment
The University of Sydney has emailed staff and students, vowing to take disciplinary action if needed as protestors continue into their second day of occupying campus in support of Palestine.
The encampment, inspired by a wave of occupations in the US, has been set up on the university’s front lawns, with a rally scheduled for 1.30pm.
Acting vice-chancellor Prof Annamarie Jagose said the university remained “committed” to the right of protestors to assemble peacefully and express their views.
We strongly believe that as a university our role is to serve as a forum for respectful and deliberative debate and discussion ... equally, we have zero tolerance for any form of racism, threats to safety, hate speech, intimidation, threatening speech, bullying or unlawful harassment, including antisemitic or anti-Muslim language or behaviour.
Jagose flagged the university would “not hesitate” to take “firm and decisive disciplinary action” if staff or students were found to have breached internal policies, including disrupting classes and movement around campus, property damage and intimidation.
Updated
Joint counter-terrorism warrants related to Wakeley church stabbing
As we flagged earlier, the NSW Police joint counter-terrorism team is currently executing search warrants across Sydney “as part of an ongoing investigation”.
It is understood the warrants are in relation to the Wakeley church stabbing.
An earlier statement from NSW police said:
There is no current threat to public safety and no connection to Anzac Day commemorations. More information will be provided later today, but nothing further is available at this time.
Updated
Asio’s Mike Burgess: end-to-end encryption ‘unaccountable’ without help of tech companies
Let’s go back to the National Press Club, where Asio boss Mike Burgess has been speaking.
He said the purpose of his speech is to urge tech companies to work with them to resolve challenges around end-to-end encryption:
Let me be absolutely clear – I am not calling for an end to end-to-end encryption. I’m not asking for new laws. I’m not asking for new powers. I’m not asking for more resources. I’m not asking the government to do anything. I’m asking for the tech companies to do more.
I’m asking them to give effect to the existing powers, and uphold existing laws. Without their help, in very limited and strictly controlled circumstances, encryption is unaccountable.
He said that Asio is investigating a number of Australians who allegedly belong to a nationalist and racist extremist network, using an encrypted chat to communicate with “offshore extremists”, sharing propaganda and “discussing how to provoke a race war”.
The chat room is encrypted, so Asio’s ability to investigate is seriously compromised.
Updated
Defence questioned about use of Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to manage project
Staying with this morning’s hearing between Defence officials and ANAO officials over how the former is handling nearly $60bn worth of major projects for a moment: we also heard about how one high-profile project’s risks were being monitored by “uncontrolled spreadsheets”.
Australia’s MRH-90 Taipan helicopter fleet has had a bumpy flight over its years in service, and were permanently grounded in September 2023 ahead of schedule after the tragic deaths of four crew members during a training exercise.
As part of its work reviewing Defence’s major projects, the ANAO acting auditor general, Rona Mellor, said it was heartening to see improvements to how officials were managing project risks.
With the exception of one project – the MRH-90 fleet – which is still being monitored using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
Mellor said:
It’s certainly comforting to see the shift from, if you like, the uncontrolled spreadsheets of the past to a more, you know auditors love an orderly system. There’s still disorder in the system, which is what we’re calling out in paragraph 192 ... [we] look forward to Defence continuing its journey on improvement in this area.
Defence’s deputy secretary, Chris Deeble, noted the use of spreadsheets but said he mandated a “standardised toolset” - that is not Excel - for other projects.
We have done in the past a range of reforms around risk management, there is more to come, and more that needs to be done to improve the way in which that’s applied to projects. And the way in which we assess risk writ large.
Updated
Defence officials defend department against claims of reduced transparency
This morning, Defence officials appeared before a parliamentary inquiry to answer questions about how 20 of its biggest projects, totalling $58.6bn, are faring.
Each year, the Australian national audit office (ANAO) reports on Defence’s major projects and the joint committee of public accounts and audits – parliament’s public administration watchdog – is tasked with scrutinising its findings further and looking for ways to improve the reporting process.
The ANAO delivered its latest report for the 2022-23 financial year in February, which found most projects were being reported accurately and nine out of the 20 experienced some schedule “slippage”.
A major finding, however, was that Defence was aggregating some of its data, which the ANAO said showed there had been a “reduction in transparency”.
In this morning’s hearing, the department’s deputy secretary, Chris Deeble, defended against the ANAO’s claims it was handing fewer details over for its probe.
I wouldn’t interpret, from my perspective, that we’re trying to reduce transparency by reducing the number. Rather we’re trying to focus and provide the reader a better understanding of what those systemic issues are that we’re confronting and how we’re going after, and resolving those across all of our projects.
The acting auditor general, Rona Mellor, disagreed, standing by one of the report’s key findings and noting it looked like a compliance-ticking exercise.
Even in the course of this hearing, lessons have come out that don’t come out through the preparation of the PDSSs [Project Data Summary Sheets] ... during the course of the audit, it looked like a compliance exercise, not a genuine lessons learning exercise and throughout the years, you know, 15 years of experience of [ANAO] doing this – and over time the committee making changes to the guidelines to delve into this – we qualified on that basis that transparency was being diminished.
Updated
Asio director general and AFP commissioner begin National Press Club speech
Asio director general, Mike Burgess, and AFP commissioner, Reece Kershaw, have just begun their address at the National Press Club.
We’ll bring you the highlights here on the blog, but in the meantime, Josh Butler has got you covered on the main points below:
Updated
Joint counter-terrorism team executing search warrants in Sydney
The NSW Police’s joint counter-terrorism team is executing search warrants in Sydney today, it said in a statement, “as part of an ongoing investigation”.
NSW Police said:
There is no current threat to public safety and no connection to Anzac Day commemorations. More information will be provided later today, but nothing further is available at this time.
Updated
Golf course on Tasmania’s King Island named best in new ranking
For all our golf enthusiasts out there: a perennial number one golf course in Melbourne has been dethroned by a public access course, less than ten years old and on a small island off Tasmania, as the country’s best.
The Australian Golf Digest’s top 100 list has placed Cape Wickham, on Tasmania’s King Island, in the number one spot this year. The list is released every two years, measuring Australia’s best courses against a set of criteria.
Editor of the list, Steve Keipert, said the dethroning of Royal Melbourne (West) would “shock plenty” but said the course had not lost ground:
It’s as good as ever – it’s just that it’s been outpointed on our measurement criteria by the stunning Cape Wickham.
And it’s also worth noting that we rate Royal Melbourne on its two established layouts. East and West. The composite layout that most of us see for the big sporting events is a cherry-picked blend of both courses, and not a real day-to-day golf course.
As a result, the composite version doesn’t get reviewed; otherwise it would likely be untouchable. So there’s a lot to consider.
A lot to consider, indeed!
Family of security guard killed in Bondi Junction Westfield stabbing arrive in Australia
The family of Faraz Tahir, the security guard who was killed during the Bondi Junction Westfield stabbing attack, have arrived in Australia ahead of his funeral this Friday.
In a statement via the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Tahir’s older brother Muzafar Tahir said today would have been his 31st birthday:
Faraz will be dearly missed by whole family and community.
Today is his 31st birthday and the family have seen his body for first time.
We would like to thank the Australian public for showing love and compassion to a stranger, who became a hero.
Education and health costs limited inflation’s slide in the March quarter
Blame on the slightly disappointing inflation figures seems to rest with categories such as education, up 5.9% in the quarter alone, and health, up 2.8%.
Rents too advanced 2.1%, lifting the annual increase to 7.8%, or the fastest in 15 years. Blame very low, if not record-low, vacancy rates in many parts of the country.
Perth alone saw rents jump 9.9% from a year ago, ahead of Sydney’s 8.9% increase and 6.8% in Melbourne – while Hobart’s rents eased 0.4%.
Electricity prices are starting to turn lower. They fell 1.7% in the March quarter, reversing a 1.4% rise in the previous three months. From a year earlier, they were 2% higher.
Again, government intervention helped. Since June last year, power prices were up 3.9% well shy of the 17% increase that would have happened without the Energy Bill Relief Fund rebates, the ABS said.
Automotive fuel also fell 1% in the quarter, with the average unleaded petrol price dropping to $1.94 per litre. The 2 cents/litre savings, though, don’t look like lasting, given how renewed Middle East tension has sent fuel prices much higher since the end of March.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages, meanwhile, were 3.8% higher than a year ago, or roughly in line with the overall CPI result.
Michelle Marquardt, ABS head of prices statistics, said:
Meat and seafood prices fell this quarter as increased supply and discounting led to price drops for beef and veal and lamb and goat. Discounting of fish and other seafood and other meats also contributed to the fall.
However, it’s hard to see those drops extending for long. Farmers were busy destocking six months ago after the driest three months ever recorded by the Bureau of Meteorology ... and that move won’t be repeated for a while.
Updated
Greens respond to student debt increase after CPI figures released
The Greens have pointed the blame squarely with the federal government following revelations student debts will rise by 4.8% on 1 June.
That’s unless Labor announces reforms to indexation, as were recommended in the University Accord final report.
The Greens deputy leader and education spokesperson, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, said since the party entered office, student debts had risen by more than 16% as a result of high inflation. It’s equivalent to a $4,000 increase to the average debt.
The Albanese government is punishing millions of people with yet another punitive student debt increase on June 1.
Student debt is already locking people out of the housing market, crushing dreams of further study and stopping people from starting a family, and things are only getting worse because of Labor.
Anything less than scrapping indexation in the May budget is a betrayal to students.
Updated
How the new CPI figures will affect Hecs/Help loans
Millions of Australians with student loans will be hit by increases of more than $1,000 in June, new figures show, as calls grow for the commonwealth to act on a growing “debt spiral”.
Quarterly figures, released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today, reveal inflation was 3.6% over the year to 31 March, in large part due to a rise in education costs (+5.9%).
The repayment of Hecs/Help loans are tied to indexation, calculated by combining the consumer price index (CPI) numbers for the four quarters to March and dividing the number by the same figure for the previous year.
It places this year’s rate at 4.8%, down from a punitive 7.1% last year but still the second highest rise in more than a decade – and equivalent to a 16% increase since Labor entered office.
It means students with an average debt of $26,494 will have their loans increased by $1,272 when indexed on 1 June, on top of a $1,758 increase last year.
Students with debts of $50,000 will face rises of $2,400, while students with $100,000 loans will be hit with a $4,800 increase.
The federal government has hinted that student loan reform is being looked at in the upcoming budget, but Guardian Australia understands there will be no announcements today.
Updated
Australian dollar’s jump underscores strength of March inflation figures
The March quarter CPI figures send a clear signal that the inflation rate is likely to take time to slow to where the Reserve Bank wants it.
The 3.6% annual rate is well above the 2%-3% rate that the RBA wants it to be. Worse, two of the other inflation gauges, the trimmed mean and weighted median, both remain with a “4” in them. (The latter of the two didn’t budge from the December quarter’s 4.4% reading.)
Goods and services deemed “non-discretionary” rose 4.2% from a year earlier, while “discretionary” ones rose 2.9%.
It’s perhaps little surprise then that investors have been snapping up the Australian dollar, pushing its rate about a quarter of a US cent higher, to 65.2 US cents. (They lifted the bet that an early RBA rate cut is unlikely.)
Stocks took a similar signal, shedding gains of about 0.4% for the day to be basically flat. (Higher borrowing rates hurt company profits, all else equal.)
Anyway, you can also follow on at home or elsewhere:
Updated
NSW police ‘aware’ of pro-Palestine demonstration at Sydney University
NSW police have provided a statement on the pro-Palestine protest that was established at Sydney University last night:
Police are aware of a demonstration at an educational institution. Please refer all queries to that institution, as it is occurring on private property.
You can read more about the protest here, and the university’s response here.
Australia's March-quarter CPI rose by 3.6%, more than expected
Australia’s inflation rate fell to 3.6% in the March quarter from a year earlier, a slightly lower fall than expected by economists. On a quarterly basis, the increase was 1%, also more than the market had tipped.
The numbers will likely make it harder for the Reserve Bank to justify a cut in official interest rates in 2024.
More to come.
Updated
Ryan Park says NSW Health ‘needs to be better’ following landmark class action payout
The NSW health minister, Ryan Park, said that NSW Health “needs [to] and will be doing better” when it comes to the treatment of junior doctors.
As we reported earlier in the blog, NSW Health has resolved a landmark $229.8m class action brought on behalf of junior doctors, alleging underpayments. This is the largest underpayment class action outcome in Australian legal history, with more than 20,000 junior doctors across the state eligible to participate.
At a press conference today, a reporter asked Park what is says about the culture within NSW Health that junior doctors were expected to work 16 and 18 hour days and not be paid for it?
Park said from day one as health minister he has been “extremely concerned” about this.
I made it clear to NSW Health that I expected this situation to be resolved. The fact that it was from a former government was not my priority – getting it resolved as quickly as we can has been my priority.
Now it’s taken 12 months. I know we’re still in the … the final stages of the legal proceedings, but I can acknowledge that NSW health needs and will be doing better in relation to this.
Park said issues around culture couldn’t be fixed overnight but said state government had made “significant inroads” over the past 12 months. He noted that stories of junior doctor mistreatment had almost become “like a rite of passage”:
That’s not the case. And I want to say a junior medical staff, that that’s not on. That’s not the culture I want in NSW Health.
Updated
March quarter CPI result to set tone for RBA, federal budget
Shortly, the ABS will provide arguably the most closely watched set of statistics so far in 2024.
The consumer price index number comes out every month but it’s only the quarterly wrap that the Reserve Bank (and most economists) factor into their models.
Anyway, the headline figure should generally look like things are moving in the right direction – ie, downward – but it’ll be the pace that matters.
In the December quarter, the annual CPI rate was down to 4.1%, or not far from half the pace of a year earlier. Today, we’ll probably see an annual number of about 3.5%.
If the pundits are on the money, the RBA will probably be confident its settings are about right. Its February update pencilled in CPI dropping to 3.3% by June, but it still hadn’t factored in a figure within the target range of 2%-3% until the end of 2025. (The central bank will update its forecasts on 7 May.)
As things stand, financial markets aren’t expecting an RBA rate cut until next February. Today’s statistics could stoke hopes of an earlier move or dash them.
Mortgage holders aren’t the only ones likely to be twitchy. Hecs loan repayment rates will be based on today’s figures and students will be hoping for as low a figure as possible. (Last March’s 7.1% increase is still stinging many.)
Jim Chalmers, too, will be hoping for a weak CPI figure. That will give the Albanese government more scope to offer help to struggling households without being accused of fuelling inflation. (A higher than expected number will have the opposite effect.)
Lots to digest from 11.30am AEST, in less than 20 minutes’ time.
Updated
Victorian government has no plans to change settings at North Richmond injecting room
Jacinta Allan said her government has no intention to make changes to the North Richmond injecting room, despite rejecting a recommendation to open a second facility in Melbourne’s CBD.
Asked about a push by residents who live near the North Richmond facility to hold another inquiry into the suitability of the site following the government’s decision yesterday, Allan said there had already been two inquiries, which recommended it continue its work.
We’ve recommitted to that site because we see having a safe, supervised injection facility as part of our programs that support people who use drugs in taking a health-led approach. That is an important part of the range of services that are provided to people who use drugs.
The issues around the history of the establishment of the North Richmond site – that was a very different pathway [than the proposed CBD site]. There was strong community support for the establishment of a facility around North Richmond.
The work that John Ryan provided to the government reaffirmed the importance of this site and that is why, with yesterday’s announcement of our statewide plan, we also announced our ongoing commitment to the site in North Richmond.
Updated
Jacinta Allan says governments across country ‘need to do more’ to address violence against women
Circling back to the press conference being held by Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, who was asked about the death of a woman in Cobram yesterday. A man police believe was known to the woman has been assisting investigators.
Allan said it is difficult for her to “comment in terms of this particular instance or the particular circumstances around that incident where another woman has lost her life”:
But in the broader context, over the course of this year, we have seen too many women already in 2024 lose their life. They’ve lost their life, either at the hands of a current or former partner, or they’ve lost their life at the hands of a complete stranger, who seemed intent on inflicting harm against women. This has to stop.
This is why, building on the work that we have done as a government already, we have led the nation in the work on preventing family violence. We had a royal commission, we’ve invested billions of dollars – more than any other state and territory and federal government combined. We know as a government we need to do more. Governments around the country need to do more. We need to look at our programs, we need to look at our systems, we need to look at our legal systems, and how we can strengthen the supports for women.
The premier said the attorney general, minister for women and minister for the prevention of family violence are going to report back to cabinet soon with a plan to address these issues, but said the community also had a role to play:
We need all of us to play a role. This is something we all have a responsibility to do. In our daily lives, in our families, in our workplaces. When we’re out socialising, if we see disrespect being shown, we’ve got to call it out. We’ve got to say that it is wrong. Because doing that, you never know, it might just save a life.
Updated
Sydney MP wants Star Casino land turned into affordable housing
Independent Member for Sydney Alex Greenwich has written to the state premier, calling for government-owned land that is currently occupied by Star Casino to be converted into affordable housing.
In the letter he requests the state government investigate converting the land for “mixed social, affordable, transitional, essential worker and private housing, with new social infrastructure including schools”.
Greenwich said current and former inquiries had highlighted “ongoing social, moral, and economic concerns” associated with Star Casino and because recent reforms have impacted its viability, it now “relies heavily on potentially vulnerable punters”.
In a cost-of-living crisis, exploiting this market is both unscrupulous and unsustainable.
Greenwich argued the “social harm from problem gambling creates economic burdens for the state” through homelessness, domestic violence, substance abuse and mental illness.
The Star has over 500 rooms, including many large suites, which could be converted to provide much-needed housing to families, workers, and others in need of a roof over their head.
Victorian police investigating alleged attempted arson attack at Docklands gelateria
Detectives from the Viper taskforce are appealing for information as they investigate an alleged attempted arson attack at a Docklands gelateria in January.
Victoria police alleged in a statement that two men forced their way into the Star Crescent businesses around 5am on 17 January, smashing the glass door and pouring accelerant on the floor before attempting to light the liquid.
Police said they believe that, despite numerous attempts, the liquid failed to ignite and the pair ran from the store.
It is alleged they left the area with a third person in a gold Hyunai Sonata sedan with registration plates 1TI1EX. At the time the men were wearing dark coloured clothing and face coverings, police said.
Officers are keen to speak to any witnesses or people with information. They are also wanting to speak with anyone who has information on the whereabouts of the gold Hyundai.
Police are treating the incident as targeted, however the exact motivation for the attempted fire remains unclear. Detectives are also looking at whether there is a connection between this incident and any other fires in the area.
Updated
Victoria announces $400m for 37 projects to help ‘build communities’ in outer suburbs
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, is announcing more than $400m for 37 projects in growth areas, to be paid for by a key fund that hasn’t been touched in two years.
Allan said the projects, funded by the growth areas infrastructure contribution (GAIC), will help “build communities” in the outer suburbs.
Speaking in South Morang in the state’s northeast, she said:
There’s a whole range of investments that we’re making across these 37 projects that are about supporting our schools, acquiring land to be able to deliver vital emergency services like the CFA and the SES, investing in walking and cycling connections [and] new bus connections.
The GAIC fund was established in 2010 as a way for developers to help pay for infrastructure in outer areas. They pay a one-off fee per hectare of land in the local government areas of Melton and Wyndham in the outer west, Hume, Mitchell and Whittlesea in the city’s north and Casey and Cardinia in the outer south-east.
The fund is administered by the minister for planning and the treasurer. But the government has drawn criticism for not allocating money from the fund in the past two budgets, despite the population boom in the outer suburbs.
The state’s planning minister, Sonia Kilkenny, said today’s announcement was the “biggest one-off investment that we have seen from GAIC” and said she was open to working with developers to improve the fund:
We know that the current system is not the most equitable system nor efficient system and we’re certainly keen to hear from industry about what further improvements we could make.
Updated
New South Wales falling behind on emissions reduction targets
NSW provides annual emissions figures, and the latest batch for 2023 show Australia’s most populated state is tracking further from its 2030 and 2035 reduction goals than a year earlier.
Latest emissions data for 2023 from NSW government shows the state is falling further behind in its emission reduction goals for both 2030 and 2035.https://t.co/e0Ef8lVjZr pic.twitter.com/6ztzcnvSGy
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) April 23, 2024
As the government itself concedes, “NSW is no longer on track for 56% abatement in 2030; the state is now on track for 44%-50% abatement by 2030”.
Similarly, for our 2035 target, NSW is now on track for 65%-70% abatement in 2035 compared to 70% suggested by the previous modelling.
Increased demand for electricity has nudged up emissions from that sector (even after the Liddell coal-fired power plant shut a year ago). Agriculture emissions also rose as crop and livestock activity increased, while carbon pollution from the buildings and manufacturing sector also lifted.
As for positive shifts, the take-up of electric vehicles has been faster than expected. The federal safeguard mechanism too should start reducing industrial emissions and there had been “an increased investment in offsets” in the land sector. (The latter will not be seen as a plus in some quarters – if those offsets turn out to be a chimera.)
Key event
Sydney University says it is “carefully monitoring” a pro-Palestine encampment protest established at the quadrangle last night, and as a university its “role is to serve as a forum for debate and discussion”.
We reported on the protest earlier in the blog, which you can read here.
In a statement, a spokesperson from the university said:
We’re aware of a gathering at our quadrangle and are carefully monitoring in line with our crowd management protocols to ensure a safe environment for all events including protests.
A wide range of views and perspectives exist among our community, and we strongly believe that as a university our role is to serve as a forum for debate and discussion in line with our charter of academic freedom and freedom of speech.
While we remain absolutely committed to freedom of speech and academic freedom during this troubling time we have zero tolerance for any form of racism, threats to safety, hate speech, intimidation, threatening speech, bullying or unlawful harassment, including antisemitic or anti-Muslim language or behaviour.
Updated
Healthcare productivity up 3% due to improvements in quality
Improvements in the quality of healthcare – not reductions in cost, were the big drivers of productivity in the sector – new research from the Productivity Commission has found.
Productivity grew by about 3% per year between 2011-12 and 2017-18, bringing Australia’s healthcare productivity to rank third out of 28 high income countries, the research found.
It’s the first time the quality of healthcare – looking at the outcomes of the system – has been considered in an assessment of productivity, which the commissioner, Catherine de Fontenay, said provided a “much truer picture of its productivity.”
A healthcare system that gets people in and out of hospital quickly and cheaply isn’t much good if those patients aren’t getting better.
Productivity growth was particularly strong for the treatment of cancers, likely due to the introduction of new cancer therapies in the 2010s.
De Fontenay said the growing cost of healthcare was still a concern, with a need to reduce costs without compromising quality as the population ages.
The report recommended that reducing risk factors such as obesity and alcohol consumption would help reduce the workload of the health sector.
Updated
Animals alliance urging government to legislate date to phase out live sheep exports
The Australian Alliance for Animals is urging the federal government to announce its plan for phasing out the live sheep export, nearly six months after an independent panel passed down its report.
Alliance spokesperson Dr Jed Goodfellow said stakeholders were desperately seeking certainty and want the government to legislate an end date for the live trade, and also allocate funds for the industry to transition to chilled meat exports.
The government has had six months now to analyse the details of the independent panel’s report and we know that the longer the phase out is delayed, the more animals will suffer unnecessarily as they’re sent into the stifling conditions of the Middle East and slaughtered without stunning.
The Labor party has promised to phase out the trade without delay at the last two federal elections, so it’s past time they delivered on their commitment.
Woodside faces shareholder rebuke to climate plan
Woodside Energy is bracing for an investor-led backlash of its climate credentials at its annual general meeting in Perth today, after several major shareholders disclosed they would vote against its emissions plans.
Critics have described Woodside’s strategy as overly reliant on offsets and not aligned with Paris climate agreements, even after it revamped its policies before this year’s AGM.
The country’s biggest oil and gas producer has also been criticised for pursuing plans to develop new fields, representing an expansion in fossil fuel production at a time opponents say the sector must rein in emissions.
Two years ago, a thin majority of votes were cast in the oil and gas company’s favour for its climate report.
Some of that support appears to have evaporated, leaving the climate report at risk of being voted down today. If that occurs, it would show Woodside has lost the majority support of shareholders for its climate plans, opening the way for investors to demand radical changes to its emissions plans.
Agitators are also vying to stop the re-election of Richard Goyder as chairman as a protest over his climate leadership.
Will van de Pol, the chief executive of climate activist group Market Forces, said Woodside was “steaming ahead with dangerous gas growth”.
All investors including super funds need to hold Woodside’s leadership to account over plans to ramp up emissions that would fuel devastating climate impacts.
Woodside has consistently argued that Australia needs new gas developments to protect against an energy shock and to be used as an alternative to coal for electricity generation.
Updated
Forbes mayor says women in regional and rural NSW are ‘not safe’
The mayor of Forbes shire, Phyllis Miller, said her grandchildren attended the childcare centre where 28-year-old Molly Ticehurst worked and that the entire community is feeling devastated by her death.
Daniel Billings has been charged with the domestic violence murder of Ticehurst while he was on bail for rape and stalking charges against her.
Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, the local mayor said Ticehurst knew a lot of families and children through the community because of her job:
It is not only her family and adults in this town that are hurting, it’s also children that she cared for. It’s a very, very sad time for the community of Forbes …
My grandchildren actually go to that child care centre, so I had to take them very quickly on Monday morning, because of what happened. I think there’s a lot of families who had to do the same thing. For parents to have to go and tell their little children their carer and child care worker has died is a very big thing.
Miller said she would “absolutely” support reform around the state’s bail laws, stating she is “sick of hearing about women that are not safe”.
It is not safe for women to live in rural and regional NSW. We are not safe. We cannot hide like you can in the metropolitan areas. Everybody knows everyone and they know where everyone is. So we are not safe, and I’m determined to make us safe.
Updated
Chris Minns expected to announce review into state’s bail laws
New South Wales premier Chris Minns is expected to announce a review into the state’s bail laws.
This comes as Daniel Billings has been charged with the domestic violence murder of 28-year-old Molly Ticehurst while on bail for rape and stalking charges against her.
Minns said in a statement yesterday:
A family has lost their daughter, and a little boy has lost his mother… Details of a review are being finalised and will be announced on Wednesday.
Federal minister for women Katy Gallagher told ABC News Breakfast today she hasn’t heard the details of what the premier is proposing. Speaking generally, she said:
I certainly support governments doing everything they can to keep women safe…
There’s still women who either lose their lives or are violently assaulted, or stalked, or harassed, or have coercive control placed on them, even when they have left relationships and done everything they can to keep themselves and their children safe. We must look at all ways we support and keep women safe in this country.
Laws are part of it. But as I said before, it goes much deeper than that.
Aboriginal community filled with ‘mixed emotions’ as four spears returned to traditional owners
The La Perouse Aboriginal community says it is a “long time coming” for spears stolen by Captain Cook to be returned to traditional owners.
As AAP reported yesterday: British soldiers took 40 spears from Aboriginal camps at Kamay/Botany Bay when James Cook and his crew first made contact in 1770. Only four remain and they had been kept at the University of Cambridge – until yesterday.
Dharawal man Michael Ingrey told ABC News Breakfast the community had been advocating for the spears to be returned for decades and this has been “a long time coming”.
The emotions are mixed. It’s great to have our objects back – not only for our community, but the wider Australian community to witness something that’s been preserved. But it’s also significant that a lot of the old people that started the campaign aren’t with us anymore to see their hard work and labour come to fruition.
Ingrey hopes the federal and state governments will work with the community to establish a facility on country to house the spears – both for traditional owners, and to educate the wider public.
Here is our report on plans for the spears to be returned, from last year:
Updated
More cops in Queensland amid uptick in recruitment
Queensland policing stock is set to be boosted by an additional 900 officers as the state government continues its crackdown on crime, AAP reports.
The government has announced 500 extra sworn officers and 400 unsworn officers into the state’s police service.
It comes on top of nearly 700 recruits undergoing training and more than 2,000 applicants in the pipeline, following a domestic and international advertising campaign.
The state’s police commissioner, Steve Gollschewski, who was sworn in on Monday, said the new personnel would “future-proof” the service and help keep pace with a growing population.
Despite the recruiting challenges being experienced in policing jurisdictions across Australia, the QPS is continuing to see a healthy pipeline of police recruit applicants.
The deputy premier, Cameron Dick, along with the assistant commissioner, Kevin Guteridge, are expected to announce funding boosts to frontline policing today.
Updated
UK barrister points to Australia’s ‘stop the boats’ campaign as country passes new legislation
In some international news: the UK government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda passed parliament yesterday, two years since it was first announced. The first flights could take off within days.
British barrister David Anderson spoke to ABC RN earlier this morning and was asked by host Patricia Karvelas if the legislation would achieve its stated aim to “stop the boats”.
Anderson said people in the UK have been looking towards Australia and its “perceived … success” around immigration law. He said:
Well, now [the legislation is] there, you’d like to hope that it will have some effect. People have been looking very much to Australia, what is perceived here as the success that you have had in stopping boats – rather a different situation.
Anderson also pointed to Alexander Downer – the former Australian foreign minister – being “very much part” of the Rwanda plan in the UK.
He’s part of the committee that is monitoring the safety of Rwanda.
The UK, especially its conservative political side, has a long history of holding up Australia’s immigration law as the gold standard. To learn more on Downer’s involvement in the Rwanda plan, you can read below:
Updated
NSW Health settle landmark $229.8m class action for underpayment of junior doctors
NSW Health has resolved a landmark class action brought on behalf of junior doctors alleging underpayments.
The settlement of $229.8m is the largest underpayment class action outcome in Australian legal history, according to a statement from Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, and more than 20,000 junior doctors across NSW are eligible to participate.
Dr Amireh Fakhouri, the lead plaintiff in the class action, said:
Our purpose in bringing this was to ensure junior doctors’ work was properly recognised. This was not about us asking for more money; it was simply about us being paid for the actual hours that we work.
I want to thank all my many colleagues who supported me in this case and especially those senior doctors within our hospitals who stood with us …
I am very pleased that NSW Health has resolved this action prior to trial. It is in everyone’s interests that doctors spend their time treating patients rather than in the courts.
Fakhouri is represented by Maurice Blackburn lawyers and Hayden Stephens & Associates. Hayden Stephens said the landmark settlement “represents a seismic shift in the way junior doctors are treated in their workplace”.
The settlement is subject to court approval. Subject to approval, the process for assessing claims of eligible former and current junior doctors will commence late this year, a statement said.
Updated
Rowland discusses end-to-end encryption ahead of Asio boss’ speech today
As we flagged earlier, Asio director general Mike Burgess will use a major speech today to argue “privacy is important but not absolute”, while the AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw believes “there is no absolute right to privacy”.
Burgess has said Asio’s operations are being compromised by extremists using encrypted messaging. The communications minister, Michelle Rowland, was just asked if the government is considering more laws around this.
She told ABC RN:
We’re definitely concerned about this and it’s one in which we are engaging with regulators and governments around the world.
Rowland noted that, at the same time, there is the responsibility to maintain privacy. She received a briefing on this matter from Kershaw in the last few days, she said.
He has been very clear in terms of the industry needing to do more, and in terms of the agility – which is there within their forces – to be able to continue doing their jobs.
Updated
Online content proliferates ‘almost infinitely’ and can never be completely policed: Rowland
Michelle Rowland said the video of the Wakeley stabbing is the subject of so much attention, compared to other violent content online, because it is classified as “class one material”. She told ABC RN:
Class one depicts real violence. It has a very high degree of impact, [it’s] gratuitous and likely to cause offence to a reasonable person. In this case, the very high degree of impact is reached by virtue of the terrorism designation that has been given to this particular event.
In terms of other graphic content that exists online, Rowland said a review is ongoing into Australia’s classification scheme:
There’s also an inconsistency in the way content is treated in the online world and in the analogue world, as well. This harmonisation is one that’s long overdue. It’s also one that regulators are grappling with and it’s one that we are taking forward as part of not only our classification, but our online safety framework in order to ensure that it is fit for purpose.
Rowland acknowledged that the proliferation of online content is “almost infinite” and said:
There will never be a time when every piece of content is capable of being recorded or policed. But what we can do as governments and as regulators is ensure that we operate responsibly and collectively to keep people safe.
eSafety takedown notices target specific URLs, communications minister explains
ABC RN host Patricia Karvelas said the ABC had confirmed the video of the Wakeley stabbing attack was still on Facebook.
Communications minister Michelle Rowland said the takedown orders issued by the eSafety commissioner are “issued at a particular point in time regarding certain URLs, so they do change over time.”
That is why some viewers will see this content… That is part of the subject matter of the case concerning X right now.
Rowland said people should report any graphic content they see to esafety.gov.au, and to the platform itself.
Karvelas: It’s your view that Facebook is complying each time? So it’s kind of like whack-a-mole, isn’t it?
Rowland responded:
We know that people are viewing this content still because it is proliferating on other realms… The reason why it is capable of being disseminated at speed and scale, irrespective of the notices and the compliance to date that eSafety has noticed amongst other platforms, is because it continues to be shared.
Communications minister defends eSafety commissioner’s direction for X to remove content
The communications minister, Michelle Rowland, has defended the eSafety commissioner’s direction for X to remove content related to the Wakeley stabbing.
Speaking to ABC RN this morning, Rowland said the eSafety commissioner was exercising their powers under Australian law and there is an expectation across the country that “all platforms, anyone who operates [here] will comply with those laws”.
And that is exactly what is being prosecuted in this instance.
Rowland said the next hearing is expected today. You can read a full explainer about the saga so far, below:
In a tweet, X boss Elon Musk had questioned whether the eSafety commissioner should “have authority over all countries on Earth?” Rowland responded and said this matter is about content subject to Australian law:
This is a matter that’s before the court so I am not going to engage in the substantive deliberations here, but the eSafety commissioner has exercised their powers in accordance with a law passed by our parliament. The expectation is that platforms will comply.
Updated
Sydney University students occupy campus for pro-Palestine demonstration
Inspired by similar protests in the United States, students from Sydney University established a protest on the quad in support of Palestine last night, stating they will remain until the uni cuts ties “with Israeli universities and weapons manufacturers”.
In the US, dozens of students have been arrested at pro-Palestine demonstrations at Yale University and New York University amid similar protests:
The Sydney University protest encampment was established by Students for Palestine. In a statement, organiser Shovan Bhattarai said students were frustrated by the response of the federal government to what is happening in Gaza:
For six months now, we have watched bombs rain down on Gaza. These bombs hit their civilian targets because of the research carried out by universities like Sydney University... Students have a responsibility to stand up and refuse to be complicit in genocide.
Students plan to stay at the encampment until they “get firm commitments from Sydney University that it will cut its ties with Israeli universities and weapons manufacturers”, the statement said.
NSW Greens senator David Shoebridge spoke at the encampment last night and a rally is scheduled for 1.30pm today, the statement said.
Happening right now - Students for Palestine are starting an occupation of Sydney University. Acting as they can to try and stop a genocide, and acting at an institution that shamelessly benefits from weapons $$$ pic.twitter.com/QSCWUhpTK3
— David Shoebridge (@DavidShoebridge) April 23, 2024
Updated
Government to provide $330m to industrial companies to cut emissions
The Albanese government is giving $330m to major industrial companies to help them cut greenhouse gas emissions.
The grants include $93m for an energy efficiency upgrade at the QAL Alumina refinery at Gladstone, $50m for an Abdri cement manufacturing plant in Port Adelaide and $44m for Shoalhaven Starches food manufacturing in Nowra.
They come from the government’s “powering the regions fund”, which was promised to help big polluting industrial sites to meet emissions reduction requirements under the safeguard mechanism climate policy.
The climate change minister, Chris Bowen, said the funded projects were estimated to cut CO2 annual emissions by 830,000 tonnes - about 0.2% of national carbon pollution. He said the grants would “future-proof Australia’s heavy industries in a decarbonising world”.
Updated
X boss calls independent senator Jacqui Lambie ‘enemy of the people’
After she deleted her X account and spent yesterday criticising its boss, Jacqui Lambie has been called the “enemy of the people of Australia” overnight by Elon Musk.
Musk took a number of swipes at the independent senator overnight, stating that she has “utter contempt for the Australian people” in another tweet.
Separately, Musk claimed: “The Australian people want the truth. X is the only one standing up for their rights.”
In case you missed it: Lambie deleted her X account yesterday and reportedly called on other federal politicians to delete their accounts, telling Sky News:
When you want to lead by example, it has to happen from here, so start switching off X.
Earlier in the day, Lambie had called Musk an “absolute friggin disgrace” who should be jailed for his refusal to take down content from X of the Wakeley church stabbing. You can catch up on the entire saga below:
Lambie has been contacted for comment.
Updated
Median wait time for social housing more than three years in Sydney, data reveals
The median wait times for social housing is reaching five and a half years in northern NSW, nearly four years in the Illawarra and more than three years in Sydney, new analysis from Homelessness NSW has revealed.
New government data shows progress to reduce the social housing waitlist is stalling. By the end of March, there were 57,401 households on the waitlist across NSW, including 8,657 on the priority waitlist.
An analysis by Homelessness NSW shows median wait times rising to five-and-a-half years (66.5 months) in northern NSW in the first three months of the year.
People in Illawarra can expect to wait nearly four years (45.4 months) and those in greater Sydney more than three years (36.5 months).
Homelessness NSW CEO Dom Rowe said:
The figures are damning. Thousands of people who are unable to find affordable housing in the private rental market face waiting up to a decade for a place to call home.
It means domestic violence survivors are forced to choose between sleeping in a vehicle or returning to a dangerous home. Others are stuck in unsafe and overcrowded accommodation or sleeping on a different couch every night.
The government needs to build 5,000 new social homes each year for the next decade to take NSW’s share of social housing from one in 20, to one in 10 homes.
Updated
Vehicle efficiency standard would prevent 20m tonnes of pollution from entering atmosphere by 2030: Climate Council
The Albanese government’s proposed new vehicle efficiency standard will prevent 20m tonnes of pollution from entering the atmosphere by 2030 if implemented, analysis from the Climate Council has found.
The 20m tonnes is more than than the amount produced in two years from the 5.1m gas-connected homes in Australia. By 2035, the fuel efficiency standard is set to prevent 80m tonnes of pollution from entering the atmosphere, the equivalent of pollution from every gas-connected home for more than nine years.
The Climate Council’s CEO, Amanda McKenzie, said the analysis showed the efficiency standard was “an impressive step in the right direction”.
The standard will bring more efficient vehicles to Australia, putting us on the road to cleaner air and cheaper bills. Our climate and our wallets will benefit once this standard kicks into gear.
With some car manufacturers’ sales responsible for as much pollution as our dirtiest coal mines, delivering the new vehicle efficiency standard will keep them honest and unlock more supply of cleaner cars that are cheaper to run.
The council’s head of policy and advocacy, Dr Jennifer Rayner, added:
We can slash climate pollution from transport by cleaning up our cars. Capping the amount of climate pollution new cars produce is a long-overdue piece of the puzzle in giving Australians access to the same clean, efficient cars millions are already buying overseas.
The council is also urging the government to help continue reducing transport emissions by doing more to promote the use of public and active transport. You can read more about the efficiency standard here:
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Good morning
And happy Wednesday – welcome back to a new day on the Australia news live blog. I’m Emily Wind, here to bring you our rolling coverage.
See something that needs attention, or have a question about the day’s news? You can get in touch via X, @emilywindwrites, or send me an email: emily.wind@theguardian.com.
Let’s get started.
Updated
Climate groups rally outside Woodside shareholder meeting
Australia’s leading environmental activist groups will be gathering outside the Crown casino in Perth this morning as the country’s leading oil and gas company holds its annual general meeting, AAP reports.
The groups are urging shareholders to vote against the re-election of Richard Goyder AO as Woodside’s chairman and against the passage of Woodside’s climate transition action plan, which the company is putting to shareholders for an advisory vote.
“Woodside chair Richard Goyder says that the energy transition needs time and trust,” said the executive director of the Conservation Council of WA, Jess Beckerling, in a statement. “We say to Woodside: we’re out of time, and you are not trusted.”
The groups are particularly incensed by Woodside’s Burrup hub project on WA’s Burrup Peninsula, which they say would be the Southern Hemisphere’s largest “gas carbon bomb”, with its lifetime climate pollution estimated at more than 13 times Australia’s annual emissions from all sources.
Goyder said in a letter to shareholders last week that Woodside believed that climate change was an urgent global challenge.
We are concerned that some stakeholders’ and investors’ requests to drastically change Woodside’s strategy and investment priorities risk eroding value for all shareholders and contributing to a disorderly energy transition.
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Road deaths surge over past 12 months
Road deaths across Australia have surged in the past 12 months but the solutions that could help reverse this trend remain shrouded in government secrecy, Australian Associated Press reports.
The number of fatal road accidents across the nation jumped by 8.2% year-on-year to the end of March, with 1,286 fatalities, according to the Australian Automobile Association’s report looking at the national road safety strategy.
NSW had the biggest rise in road deaths over the year, with a 33% increase to 364 fatalities. Victoria had a 13% increase in road toll to 291 deaths, while the Northern Territory had a 21% surge to 45.
The ACT had the steepest drop in road deaths, with a 76% reduction to four fatalities, followed by Tasmania, which recorded a 35% drop to 31.
Despite the overall year-on-year increase, federal, state and territory governments have failed to release crucial data that could inform ways to reduce the road toll, the automobile association said.
The secret data is collected by the states and territories and describes each jurisdiction’s road quality, the causes of fatality crashes and the effectiveness of law enforcement regimes.
A lack of government transparency means three of the road strategy’s five benchmarks cannot be measured and best practices cannot be compared.
Immigration points system 'not best way to identify applicants'
The Albanese government has released a discussion paper on how to reform the points system, which determines the makeup of about two-thirds of Australia’s permanent skilled migrants.
The migration review, by Martin Parkinson, Joanna Howe and John Azarias, found it was “not designed to identify applicants with the best potential to contribute to Australia over the long term”.
It called to reform the test by:
focusing on characteristics that are associated with migrants successfully finding skilled work;
better targeting the skills Australia needs now and in the future;
giving applicants a realistic sense of the likely success of their application and not drive ‘permanent temporariness’; and
recognising that younger migrants will spend more years contributing to Australian workplaces; and better recognising the potential contributions to Australia from partners.
The government will take submissions until 24 May on how the points test could be changed to improve living standards and create a system that is efficient and fair towards the migrants.
The home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, said:
The migration system we inherited was completely broken, and our goal is to build a smaller, better planned, more strategic migration system that works for Australia.
We are significantly reducing migration levels – we are in the middle of the biggest drop in migration numbers in Australia’s history, outside of war or pandemic.
At the same time, we’re focused on making sure that a smaller migration program is bringing in people who have the skills we need to build Australia’s future. That’s where the points test really matters.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome again to our rolling news coverage. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ll be running through some of the top overnight stories before my colleague Emily Wind takes the chair.
Our top story today: a secret report into sexism and bullying in the Australian Border Force reaches the shocking conclusion that its marine unit is “not safe for women”. The Australian Human Rights Commission, in a report commissioned by the ABF, revealed that 100% of women in the unit who responded to a survey “witnessed sex discrimination, sexual … and/or sex-based harassment” and 78% had personally experienced that behaviour.
It comes as the federal government looks to reform the points test for skilled migrants, which determines who gets to come to Australia, following a decision to reduce immigration numbers. The current points system is not the best way to vet applicants, the review says. More coming up.
Social media companies must do more to stamp out extremism and assist law enforcement to track criminals, the heads of Australia’s federal police and security agencies have urged. With the government’s stoush with Elon Musk still fresh, Asio’s director general, Mike Burgess, will use a major speech to argue “privacy is important but not absolute”, while the AFP commissioner, Reece Kershaw, believes “there is no absolute right to privacy”.
The two want to tackle tech companies’ use of encryption, which is used to make online communication secret – they warn this is enabling online crime. Burgess says existing federal legislation compelling the targeted unlocking of encrypted messages for investigative purposes is not being heeded by some companies who must “make encryption accountable”.
