What we learned; Monday 6 November
And with that, we are going to put the blog to bed. Before we go, let’s recap the big headlines:
Wong says Dfat assisting 79 people who are yet to leave Gaza
Victorian police confirm victims in fatal Victorian car crash were visitors to Daylesford
Anxiety among children in bushfire-prone areas rising, clinicians say
Vic government confident in decriminalising public intoxication
Senate question time ‘farcical’ with so few federal ministers present, Birmingham says
‘Free, free Palestine’: Greens walk out from Senate question time
Thank you so much for spending part of your day with us, we will be back tomorrow to do it all again.
Updated
Scott Morrison says world shouldn't get ‘suckered into’ backing a Gaza ceasefire
Scott Morrison has told reporters in Israel during his visit that the world should not get “suckered into” supporting a ceasefire in Gaza, warning it is a “play from Hamas”.
The former prime minister touched down in Israel on Sunday, joined by former UK prime minister Boris Johnson.
The two reportedly met with Israeli president Isaac Herzog and have been given a tour of southern Israel amid its conflict against Palestinian militant group, Hamas.
Morrison said in his discussions with Israeli officials there was a “willingness to ensure that there’s humanitarian support” but the former prime minister said he did not support a ceasefire.
Do you provide a pause and a ceasefire to allow Hamas to regroup? To get themselves in a position to resist even further? I mean, this is the play from Hamas and we’ve got to be careful not to be suckered into it.
Updated
Labor revives airline probe to monitor potential price-gouging
Almost three weeks after it announced it would revive an airline industry monitoring program, the Albanese government on Monday formally directed the competition watchdog to conduct the investigation.
After months of scrutiny into Qantas’ influence in the government’s decision to block rival Qatar Airways’ push to boost its flights to Australia, a proposal to extend a Senate inquiry on the topic was knocked back as part of a deal in which the government agreed to recommence an ongoing probe of the airline industry it let lapse in the middle of the year.
The monitoring program had begun in June 2020, when the Morrison government directed the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to monitor the domestic industry at a time of crisis when Virgin Australia was entering administration and broader disruptions were hampering other airlines. However, by the end of the three-year monitoring direction, the ACCC was examining competition concerns and consumer issues including price-gouging.
Last week, the opposition accused the government of dragging its feet on formally reviving the monitoring program, with no formal directive issued since the government announced its intention to do so on 18 October.
On Monday, treasurer Jim Chalmers formally directed the ACCC to “to monitor prices, costs and profits for a period of three years” and to report back “at least once every quarter on the monitoring during that period”.
The directive said:
A competitive airline industry helps to put downward pressure on prices and deliver more choice for Australians facing cost‐of‐living pressures.
The first report is due starting from the quarter ending 31 March next year.
Updated
Risk of ‘stranded’ fossil fuel assets has spiked, says envoy
In the same speech, German government climate envoy Jennifer Morgan said Australia had “great potential to benefit, to be a winner in the dawning age of renewable energy”.
She added that “the sun is rising faster than many people expect” and “for investors in the fossil energy sector, this means that the risk of stranded assets has markedly increased”.
Morgan is due to travel to the Cook Islands later this week to represent Germany at the annual meeting of Pacific Islands Forum members, where the climate crisis is expected to be a key focus of talks. She told the University of Sydney:
You are close to the Pacific Island states and you know what I am talking about – the existential threat to nations and people because of rising sea levels. Weather extremes are also becoming more frequent and more dangerous. Cyclone Lola was the earliest category-5 cyclone ever recorded in the southern hemisphere. It destroyed people’s homes and infrastructure in Vanuatu, a country that is still recovering from devastating category-5 cyclones earlier this year.
Morgan reiterated Germany support for Australia to co-host the 2026 UN climate summit in partnership with the Pacific (Cop31).
But she said it “would be great news” if Australia announced “ambitious contributions to the Green Climate Fund and the Adaptation Fund”.
Morgan said:
This would also be a strong signal of Australian leadership in climate finance, underscoring Australia’s bid to host Cop31.
Germany supports Australia’s bid, and I personally like the idea very much that Australia wants to host Cop31 in 2026 together with the Pacific Island states.
Updated
World must phase out fossil fuels including gas, German envoy tells Australian audience
The German government’s climate envoy has used a speech in Australia to say the upcoming UN climate conference “needs to decide upon a phase out of fossil fuels”.
Jennifer Morgan, a former Greenpeace chief who was appointed by the German government last year, told an event at the University of Sydney this afternoon that the world faced “a very decisive phase of climate foreign policy”.
She said the Cop28 summit in Dubai next month would take stock of how the world was implementing the Paris agreement. Morgan said the world was “still off track to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and keep 1.5 degrees and a stable climate within reach”. She said limiting warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels was “an absolutely critical goal for the planet”. She said:
I’ve heard a number of claims that it’s not possible, but it’s only not possible if we don’t act fast enough. In other words, not enough action now – fast enough – is what could make it impossible.
We cannot let go of this goal, and I’d expect Australia to be wanting to be at the forefront of this fight, given your extreme susceptibility to climate impacts.
The International Energy Agency is absolutely clear about what we have to do: We have to keep fossil fuels in the ground. The latest IEA NZE [Net Zero Emissions] scenario sees no need for any new fossil fuels, not coal nor gas nor oil.
This is why Cop28 needs to decide upon a phase out of fossil fuels. Scientists inform us that gas cannot be a bridging fuel. And this means that countries with large exports of fossil fuels need to be working on diversifying their economies now, so that there can be a just and orderly transition. The longer they wait, the more disruptive the transition will be. Thus a Just Transition is a key discussion at the COP.
Continued in next post.
Updated
Gambling industry a leading cause of harm, academic tells conference
The gambling industry is “one of the most innovative, health-harming industries of recent times,” a professor of public health at Deakin University, Samantha Thomas, has told a public health conference at the University of Sydney.
The conference has been hearing from health experts about the way powerful industries and corporations try to influence governments and health policy, leading to harms to health.
Thomas spoke about how successive governments have failed to treat gambling like the serious public health issue that it is.
“It [gambling] is a high tech industry,” she said. “Digital technologies have led to the rapid transformation of this industry, not only in terms of the products that they offer, but also in the way that they can promote them. And really governments have not kept up with the regulation that’s needed to govern this rapidly transforming industry.”
Guardian Australia previously reported on the ways children and teenagers are entering adulthood with depression and debt due to the impact of gambling and how they are targeted by gambling advertising.
Thomas said the industry is now also “aggressively targeting young women” especially through using social media and influencers, who often do not declare they are being funded by the gambling industry.
Corporate ‘responsibility’ practices - where harmful multinational companies attempt to be seen as ethical by funding well-recognised research groups, by funding treatment and education services, and by giving money to developing countries to legitimise their influence - should be banned, Thomas said.
“Corporate social responsibility is one of the biggest threats we have to policy or good public health policy and regulation,” Thomas said.
“They step in to fund programs governments should be funding anyway.
“Children are used repeatedly in these activities to create this discourse that this industry is caring, and supporting communities”.
She called for an end to tolerating harmful industries just because they donate money towards addressing harms they cause.
Read more:
Updated
Cadia gold mine gets a new general manager
The new owners have announced a leadership reshuffle which will see the general manager replaced just six months after he was appointed.
Global mining company Newmont made a $26.2m buyout bid for Newcrest Mining last month and have appointed their own manager to each of Newcrest’s operations.
Dewar was appointed general manager of Cadia gold mine in March 2023, inheriting an EPA investigation into clean air regulation breaches. Newcrest pleaded guilty in September to breaching air quality regulations.
A spokesperson for Newmont said that Dewar will be replaced by Newmont’s safety coach, Tom Lukeman, once the company transaction is completed.
In a statement, Newmont said:
Newmont is appointing experienced Newmont operational leaders to each of the five new sites (ex-Newcrest) within the Newmont portfolio, including Cadia.
The site had been well led by Mick Dewar, who has worked tirelessly with the site’s workforce towards safe production. He will be supporting a safe handover of operations to the new site general manager, Tom Lukeman, and Newmont look forward to working with the local team for many years to come.
Updated
More Centrelink staff a ‘sorely needed addition’, says mental health group
Australians for Mental Health has welcomed the funding boost that will see 3,000 new staff added to Centrelink.
The group’s executive director, Chris Gambian, said:
This announcement of 3,000 new staff as part of a $228m funding boost is a sorely needed addition to a struggling system that is causing real harm to people’s mental health.
The Robodebt scheme was used to gut contact channels at Services Australia, leaving some of the country’s most vulnerable people languishing on waiting lists or unable lodge claim payments.
This failure is a sober reminder that governments must consider the consequences of their decisions on the mental health and wellbeing of people. Services Australia should be oriented towards supporting people who experience disadvantage, not punishing them or restricting their access to services.
Updated
Voice referendum result formally confirmed
The Australian Electoral Commission has returned the writ for the Indigenous voice referendum, confirming the final count of votes - with 60.06% of valid votes backing No, and 39.94% voting yes.
The AEC advised the Governor General today of the result. The result, of course, has been known since early on the evening of October 14 - but now we have final numbers of the vote. As we know, the yes vote failed in all states and did not win a national majority either.
“The return of the writ is the formal confirmation of the result of the 2023 referendum. The AEC has conducted a count of ballot papers, and the mandatory secondary count (fresh scrutiny), required to achieve mathematical certainty of the result nationally, as well as in all six states,” the electoral commission said in a statement.
The return of writ is the formal confirmation of the results. We've completed the count & the mandatory 2nd count (fresh scrutiny) required to achieve mathematical certainty of the result nationally & in all 6 states.
— AEC ✏️ (@AusElectoralCom) November 6, 2023
Results: https://t.co/jIpVGkGIs4
MR: https://t.co/8Z0Fvq0dux pic.twitter.com/Ah4NE6Najp
There were 6,286,894 votes for yes nationally, and 9,452,792 for no. There were 155,545 informal votes.
Queensland had the highest no vote proportion, at 68.21%. The highest yes vote among the states was Victoria, at 45.85%.
The Australian Capital Territory was the only jurisdiction to have a yes majority, with 61.29% of those in the ACT backing the referendum.
Updated
Palmer alleged fraud case adjourned
A magistrate has adjourned businessman Clive Palmer’s criminal fraud case until the supreme court can decide whether or not to end the matter entirely, AAP report.
Lawyers for Palmer and his Coolum Resort business first applied on Thursday for an adjournment of hearings across two days into the fraud and dishonesty charges that were first brought by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission in April 2018.
Palmer’s barrister, Peter Dunning KC, has previously denied any wrongdoing by his client.
Some of the charges relate to an allegation that Palmer and his Palmer Leisure Coolum business broke the law when he attempted to buy out timeshare investors in his Sunshine Coast resort but did follow through on a bid within the required two-month period.
Palmer has also been accused of improperly transferring more than $12.1 million through his company Mineralogy to Media Circus and Cosmo Developments, and ultimately using the funds for the Palmer United Party 2013 federal election campaign.
During a magistrates court hearing on Monday to decide whether to grant the adjournment, Palmer’s barrister Kris Byrne said his client’s right to a fair trial had been impacted by delays of up to two years in ASIC providing copies of evidence.
Mr Byrne said:
There should be an adjournment until disclosure is completed and there can be a proper hearing.
Updated
Auditors referred to disciplinary board escape scrutiny by resigning
Dozens of auditors have resigned to avoid disciplinary proceedings by a financial regulator, raising concerns a loophole has been exploited to escape scrutiny.
The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (Asic) withdrew 27 of 41 referrals to a disciplinary board over one year, after the auditors decided to resign rather than defend their conduct.
Here’s what Asic’s chief executive Warren Day told a parliamentary inquiry:
“There will be some auditors who will just resign either in the face of, or after we have indicated that we might do something.”
Day said that once an auditor has resigned, it may not be the best use of taxpayer money to continue proceedings before the Companies Auditors Disciplinary Board, which can deregister auditors and publicise misconduct. Here’s Day again:
“Sometimes you need a black mark or deterrence factor (...) sometimes we have to weigh up whether or not that’s needed because what we want is that person not to practice anymore.”
Unlike another regulator, the Tax Practitioners Board, Asic cannot stop the subjects of a potential investigation from resigning to avoid an investigation.
Updated
The PM has posted some photographs of his trip to Beijing on Twitter:
It is 50 years since Gough Whitlam became the first Australian Prime Minister to visit China.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) November 6, 2023
Since he visited the Temple of Heaven in Beijing much has changed.
But what is constant is that engagement between our two countries remains important. pic.twitter.com/NInb093o3J
Vigil to be held tonight for the five victims of tragic Victorian pub car crash
The AAP is reporting a vigil will be held for the five people killed after a car ploughed through a regional Victorian pub in what police described as a confronting scene that could haunt first responders forever.
Two families who knew each other were at the Royal Daylesford hotel sitting in the roadside beer garden when a BMW SUV came down the street, mounted the kerb and hit patrons about 6pm on Sunday.
The Hepburn Shire Council will hold a vigil tonight for mourners.
A steady stream of devastated mourners, including families and community members, arrived throughout the day to lay flowers, teddy bears and leave messages of condolences at the site of the crash.
One message read:
(We) are broken. Rest in peace.
Updated
My colleague Josh Butler has more about the Greens’ walkout.
He has just posted this on Twitter:
the Greens have staged a walkout of Senate question time over the situation in Gaza
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) November 6, 2023
Mehreen Faruqi, asking Qs, said "we bring the people's protest to parliament. Free, free Palestine" - raised her fist - and the contingent of Greens senators walked out of the chamber
the Australian Greens stage a walkout from the Senate #QT over Gaza conflict, as Mehreen Faruqi says "free free Palestine" pic.twitter.com/hhzjb07Uy2
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) November 6, 2023
Updated
Thank you for being with me on the blog today. I’ll now hand over to the excellent Cait Kelly, who will take you through our live coverage for the next little while.
Updated
And here is a video of the Greens’ Senate walkout, via Senator David Shoebridge:
Proud to walk out of the Senate chamber today in solidarity with Palestine. #ceasefirenow @MehreenFaruqi pic.twitter.com/SQB2moGlWl
— David Shoebridge (@DavidShoebridge) November 6, 2023
Updated
Greens call for ceasefire in Gaza during question time walkout– in pictures
Photos are starting to come through from Senate question time, via AAP, where the Greens have staged a walk out.
As my colleague Paul Karp reported earlier, the Greens’ 11 senators all walked out on en masse, with Janet Rice raising a printed page with the Palestinian flag.
The walk out was staged over the Albanese government’s inaction in not calling for a ceasefire in the Israel conflict in Gaza.
Updated
Murray Watt takes a swipe at Coalition division, Canavan gives non-answer
One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts has listed off some numbers, indicating student visas were being issued without enough student accommodation being available.
Agriculture minister Murray Watt answered by taking a crack at division within the Coalition, saying that the Liberals and Nationals senator Matt Canavan didn’t appear to be on the same page.
Canavan interjects, shouting “you’ve got no plan” and “you’ve got no idea”.
The question isn’t really answered but it’s also not clear what the question is.
Updated
‘Free, free Palestine’ - Greens walk out from Senate question time
The Greens have just staged a walkout of Senate question time, over the Albanese government’s inaction in not calling for a ceasefire in the Israel conflict in Gaza.
Mehreen Faruqi used her supplementary question to lambast Labor that “weasel words are not going to stop war crimes” and promising to bring the people’s protest into parliament. She then raised her fist and declared “free, free Palestine”.
The Greens’ 11 senators all walked out on en masse. Janet Rice raised a printed page with the Palestinian flag.
Don Farell, acting as government leader in the Senate, criticised political parties for “making hay” over the difficult situation.
Earlier, he had noted that Penny Wong had written in Guardian Australia about the fact it “matters” how Israel exercises its right to self-defence.
Wong wrote:
Like Australia, Israel is a democratic nation state, pledged to the rule of law. The standards democracies seek and accept are high. That means Israel must observe international law and the rules of war.
So when Israel’s friends urge Israel to exercise restraint and protect civilian lives, it is critical that Israel listens. It matters for innocent civilians, who should not pay for horrors perpetrated by Hamas. And it matters for Israel’s own security, which faces grave risk if conflict spreads. The international community will not accept ongoing civilian deaths.
Updated
Opposition questions government’s response to alleged Sydney-based Islamic preacher comments
Back to Senate question time:
James Paterson has asked the federal government to condemn comments reportedly made by a Sydney-based Islamic preacher over the weekend.
Acting government leader Don Farrell said the matter is being investigated by police and will await the outcome.
The Australian newspaper reported a “Brother Ismail” delivered a sermon, calling Australia “hypocrites” for labelling Hamas as terrorists but ignoring its own “dark” colonial history.
Farrell describes the opposition’s line of questioning as trying to “score political points”.
Updated
‘Extremely grateful’: NZ fire crews thanked by Queensland Fire and Emergency Service
The Queensland Fire and Emergency Service has thanked personnel from New Zealand who were deployed to assist with the recent bushfire response.
In a post to X (formerly Twitter) QFES said they are “extremely grateful” for the help:
We’re extremely grateful for the New Zealand personnel deploying to QLD to assist in our bushfire response and supporting QFES crews who’ve been working tirelessly on firegrounds and in incident control centres.
Your commitment during this extremely busy operational period is much appreciated!
KIA ORA 🇳🇿 Across the ditch and here to help. We're extremely grateful for the New Zealand personnel deploying to QLD to assist in our bushfire response and supporting QFES crews who’ve been working tirelessly on firegrounds and in incident control centres. Your commitment during… pic.twitter.com/FS7dMO5PPT
— Qld Fire & Emergency (@QldFES) November 6, 2023
Updated
Allegra Spender welcomes new Centrelink jobs but will monitor to ensure they ‘make a difference’
Independent MP Allegra Spender has welcomed news that Centrelink will get an additional 3,000 staff members to deal with helpline and payment delays.
In a post to X (formerly Twitter) she said her office has been “inundated with calls and emails” from people facing long delays, unable to make an appointment or get through on the phone:
People in genuine need who can’t get help.
I’m so proud that crossbench pressure has helped deliver this.
Over the past few months we’ve collected case studies, worked with crossbench colleagues, and pushed through the media. I’ve met with Minister [Bill] Shorten, and I’ll continue to monitor this issue to ensure these new staff make a difference.
🚨Great news! 🚨
— Allegra Spender (@spenderallegra) November 6, 2023
My office has been inundated with calls and emails from people facing long delays, unable to make an appointment or even get through on the phone. People in genuine need who can’t get help.
I’m so proud that crossbench pressure has helped deliver this. pic.twitter.com/UPPWhtvcOC
Updated
Inflation is ‘because of the mess’ Coalition made, Don Farrell hits back
It’s been a rowdy start to question time so far, with Don Farrell facing a Coalition question about the cost of living, real wages and inflation.
Farrell said the situation was “because of the mess you made”, prompting groans from the Coalition, before he pivoted to the Albanese government’s achievement with the first surplus in 15 years.
Coalition senators including Liberal Hollie Hughes interjected this was “thanks to mining”.
The next question was a Labor dixxer to Murray Watt about the Middle East situation, prompting Nationals leader in the Senate, Bridget McKenzie, to note this was “not to the minister who’s actually sworn to the portfolio”.
The suggestion was that since Farrell is trade minister, he should be answering questions for Penny Wong, the foreign affairs minister, as they are in the same portfolio.
Updated
‘Unacceptable’: police urge two people who fled fatal Sydney car crash to come forward
Circling back to the earlier New South Wales Police presser, following a fatal crash in Sydney’s south-west where two boys aged between 10 and 15 have died.
Police have urged the two people who fled from the scene – the driver and front passenger – to present to a police station “so we can actually engage with them and they can assist us with the inquiries and work out exactly how this tragic situation unfolded”.
But ultimately in one of these situations the driver is ultimately responsible for themselves, the passengers and others on the road.
… I think when you start looking at the callous nature of some behaviour on our roads, the disrespectful behaviours of some of our drivers, when you’ve caused that much carnage and you don’t stick around to take responsibility for it, it’s a weakness of character.
Police said they don’t know the ages of the driver and passenger but “for the four of them to be in the car, there’s an association there”.
So if you indicate that they were friends, associates, and this tragedy has taken place, and they step away from their responsibility, it’s unacceptable.
He said the community “should be outraged” by speeding, with this accident bringing NSW’s road toll to 300.
Updated
Senate question time ‘farcical’ with so few federal ministers present, Birmingham says
Senate question time is the big show ticket today being the only house sitting, and it’s started off with a bang.
Opposition Senate leader Simon Birmingham has said it’s “farcical” the federal government is only represented by a few ministers in the upper house due to Penny Wong being in China and Katy Gallagher also being absent.
Don Farrell, for keen observers, has just arrived back from his visit to China, cutting it short so he could return for the Senate sitting week.
Birmingham said you’d have to go back decades to find the last time so few ministers were present for Senate question time.
My AAP colleague heard Liberal senator Bridget McKenzie heckle “when Don was in high school”.
There’s a lot of yelling across the chamber, setting the scene perhaps for the next hour or so.
Updated
New Centrelink jobs to help ‘clean up’ after ‘tragic robodebt disaster’: Shorten
Government services minister Bill Shorten has jammed a large model of an angry robot covered in aluminium foil into a bin, in an ~interesting~ photo op meant to mark the rehiring of 3,000 people to staff phone lines at Centrelink.
Bear with us.
.@billshortenmp has stuffed an aluminium foil robot into a bin in Melbourne, announcing 3,000 new jobs for Services Australia to 'clean up' the 'tragic robodebt disaster'. DETAILS: https://t.co/N1HVrQcpih #auspol #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/jOFnmgEaJx
— 7NEWS Sydney (@7NewsSydney) November 5, 2023
Shorten, the Labor frontbencher in charge of services like Centrelink, this morning announced call centres will get an additional 3,000 staff as part of an immediate $228m funding boost to speed up claim payments after complaints of blown-out call wait times.
Shorten said this morning in a press conference:
We recognise that Australians have been frustrated by call wait times and payment processing times. This is not going to change overnight.
In a media stunt alongside fellow Labor MP Peter Khalil, Shorten picked up a large “robot” - which appeared to be constructed from cardboard and kitchen al-foil, covered in stickers reading “robodebt” - and stuffed it into a bin. The robot appeared to be as large as the two men, with an angry cartoon face on its front.
A spokesperson for Shorten said several young staffers in his office had made the robot model themselves as a “passion project” after receiving robodebt notices of their own.
Services Australia’s era of understaffing came to a crashing end this morning, in a move that reverses the Liberals shameful Robodebt era of administration.
— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) November 5, 2023
We’re making an immediate investment of $228 million to put more than 3,000 service delivery staff back into the agency. pic.twitter.com/Lc4jRNzYSn
Shorten told the press conference that the staffing boost was “a reaction to Robodebt”.
[The former Coalition government] were, on one hand, trying to punish people and at the other hand, reduce the number of staff to help people get through everyday living.
But the Coalition’s shadow government services spokesperson Paul Fletcher hit back to criticise Shorten himself for cuts to Services Australia staffing levels in this year’s budget, telling him to “spend less time on political theatre and more time getting across the detail”.
Somehow you forgot to mention your cuts to Services Australia average staffing levels in the May 2023 Budget. I’ve attached a pic to remind you. Perhaps you should spend less time on political theatre and more time getting across the detail. pic.twitter.com/77PF3OnXqW
— Paul Fletcher (@PaulFletcherMP) November 5, 2023
Fletcher said in a statement:
Bill Shorten has tried to blame wait time blowouts on anyone but himself - he’s tried to point the finger at a so-called ‘decade of Coalition cuts’. This nonsensical explanation ignores the fact that he slashed average staffing levels in this year’s Budget and has presided over, according to data reluctantly disclosed by own agency, a surge in call and processing wait times.
Updated
Shadow minister criticises government infrastructure review
The shadow infrastructure minister, Bridget McKenzie, has responded to the government’s frank admission it will have to cut projects due to cost blowouts totalling more than $33bn. McKenzie said:
The Albanese government is doing all it can to distract attention from the fact its infrastructure review is grossly delayed and likely to slash millions of dollars from critical road and infrastructure projects across the country.
The treasurer and infrastructure minister King’s argument that the government must reduce infrastructure spending to curb inflation is complete misinformation. They are leaning on the infrastructure build at the same time they are bringing in over 500,000 new arrivals into our already congested cities and suburbs.
The prime minister needs to guarantee that projects to assist with the congestion in our crowded cities and suburbs will not be cut. The projects that are under review are in the planning stage, they haven’t start[ed] construction, therefore [thay] are not putting pressure on inflation.
McKenzie was particularly critical of the projects excluded from the review.
She said:
If the Albanese government truly believe the infrastructure build is cause for inflation, why aren’t multi-billion dollar pet projects such as the derided [Victorian] suburban rail loop and stadiums in Brisbane and Tasmania somehow, magically, excluded?
Updated
Penny Wong says incumbent upon politicians to navigate relationships ‘wisely’
Earlier in that Anthony Albanese press conference from Beijing, the foreign minister, Penny Wong, said she would later meet her Chinese counterpart later today - saying it was important to navigate the relationship “wisely”.
Wong said the government was meeting its commitments by engaging with China.
Before the election we said to the Australian people we would work to stabilise the relationship with China without compromising our sovereign interest and that what we’ve done. We look forward to continuing to engage on many issues including the continued movement of trade impediments and many other aspects.
I will be having the opportunity to be with the prime minister but also to meet with the foreign minister and look forward to meeting him. And talk about how we can navigate this relationship wisely. The history of Prime Minister [Gough] Whitlam being here reminds us that whoever is in these jobs, it is incumbent upon us to seek to navigate relationship[s] wisely. That’s what we are here to do.
Updated
Albanese cagey on if Xi Jinping will be invited to visit Australia
Anthony Albanese wouldn’t respond directly when asked if he would return the favour and invite President Xi Jinping to Australia – simply replying:
I’m having a meeting this afternoon and I will report after the meeting about what we discussed.
The PM said he believed the Aukus submarine plan was “in Australia’s national interest” and that he saw it as “a vehicle to promote security peace and stability in the region.”
Asked a final question about his heavy schedule of international travel - this trip to China is sandwiched between last week’s state visit to the United States and a trip to the Pacific Islands forum – Albanese said his travel was about promoting Australia.
I say what I said quite clearly yesterday when I was with 250 Australian businesses. That’s about Australian jobs. That has an impact on our economy. That has an impact on inflation and how successful we are. We are a trading nation. This is very much in Australia’s national interest for us to be engaged just as it was in Australia’s national interest for me to be engaged in the United States.
Updated
Albanese says China-Australia relationship ‘important’
Asked by our own political editor Katharine Murphy how he would describe Australia’s relationship with China, Anthony Albanese replied simply: “important”.
China is our most important trading partner. It represents more than 25% of our exports and one in four of our jobs relies upon our trade. So it’s an important relationship.
The PM noted that both China and Australia had changed in the 50 years since Whitlam’s visit, noting: “the relationship has changed.”
We are dealing with strategic competition in the region. What is important and what needs to be consistent is the way that Australia deals with our international relations. That we are upfront, respectful through diplomacy.
We engage in that way, in Australia’s national interest. It is in our interest to have positive relations. There are differences, we have different political systems.
Asked more questions about his meeting with Xi Jinping, Albanese said he had enjoyed “positive” interactions with the Chinese president so far.
They have been constructive. He has never said anything to me that has not been done. And that is a positive way you have to start off dealing with people.
But we recognise as well we come with different political systems. Very different values arising from that and different histories. But we deal with each other on face value and we deal with each other. My job as to represent Australia’s national interests. He is the leader of a different nation with different interests.
Updated
Albanese speaks in Beijing
Prime minister Anthony Albanese is holding a press conference from Beijing now. He says he’s looking forward to “constructive dialogue” with Chinese president Xi Jinping later today, and says his visit so far has been positive.
Albanese spoke warmly of the trade fair he visited yesterday, noting “enthusiasm from every state and territory” at the event: “The biggest in the world.”
And we also had successful discussions as well, including again the opportunity to have informal discussions with Premier Li.
Albanese said his day so far (it’s about 10.30am in China) had been about “an opportunity to retrace history”, noting his visit marked 50 years since Labor PM Gough Whitlam’s historic visit to China.
The Labor party does care about our history, and Australia cares about our history as well... It was an historic visit and [Whitlam] visited of course this Temple of Heaven here. And so it has been a real opportunity to retrace the steps prior to what will be two important meetings this afternoon and then a further important meeting tomorrow with Premier Li.
We need to cooperate with China where we can, disagree where we must and engage in our national interest.
Updated
The NSW police officer said there is “no indication at this stage” the vehicle is reported stolen.
NSW police also don’t know the identity of the boys who have died yet:
I know at some stage during the course of today two, potentially one family – we just don’t know - are coming to terms with the fact they’re going to experience a loss in their lives.
He said anyone who witnessed the crash would “no doubt be traumatised by it”, and police will be providing support to any witnesses and their families who provide accounts of what they saw.
Police search for two men after fatal crash in Sydney’s south-west
NSW police are now addressing the media following a fatal crash in Sydney’s south-west, where two boys aged between 10 and 15 have died.
The police officer said the incident occurred about 10.50am this morning. He said a 20o3 grey Ford sedan had been travelling in a northerly direction at a speed allegedly “well above the prevailing 50km/h speed limit”.
He said the vehicle lost control, impacted with a telegraph pole causing the vehicle “to be separated in half, quite dramatically”.
Unfortunately, we believe that two males seated in the rear of the vehicle, aged between 10 and 15, were ejected from the vehicle and are deceased.
A male driver and a male front seat passenger have fled the scene on foot, and there’s now a concerted effort with combined resources from our commands, supported by our aviation branch and the dog squad, to identify and locate the driver and the front seat passenger.
Anyone with information or dashcam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
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Queensland man charged after allegedly stealing two rural fire trucks
Detectives have charged a man after he allegedly stole two rural fire trucks in separate incidents near Mackay over the past week.
It will be alleged the man broke into the Sarina Marlborough rural fire brigade on 31 October and stole a Nissan Patrol rural fire vehicle and other equipment. It will be alleged that on 4 November the same man broke into the Victoria Plains rural fire brigade and stole a Isuzu NPS 3007 fire truck.
Police said in a statement they located the Nissan Patrol in bushland, and on 5 November, executed a search warrant where they seized emergency lights from the Isuzu truck hidden in a house. Police then attended an unoccupied property at Sarina Range and located the Isuzu covered by tarp.
It will be alleged the dashboard and parts of the truck had been extensively damaged, and the body of the vehicle painted with white house paint.
A 22-year-old Ilbilbie man has been charged with two counts each of break and enter premises, stealing of vehicle, unlawful use of motor vehicle, wilful damage and driving whilst licence suspended. He has also been charged with one count each of evade police, possession of tainted property and possession of explosive (ammunition).
He will appear in the Mackay magistrates court this morning.
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Minister says intoxication law changes result of ‘tireless advocacy’ of First Nations activists
Ingrid Stitt said the change in law is was a direct result of the tireless advocacy of many First Nations people and communities, including the family of Aunty Tanya Day, as well as key recommendations from a number of important inquiries, including the royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody.
She said for most people their lives won’t change tomorrow:
For the vast majority of Victorious, [this] change will have no material effect on their daily lives. But those who do find themselves intoxicated in public and needing additional support will get the most appropriate care and support
... in key areas of Victoria, this will include outreach services who can transport to a safe place. For most people this will be to their own home, or into the care of their family members, friends or a carer. But for others it may be to a place of safety or a sobering centre.
Stitt said Victoria police and Ambulance Victoria will still be available if there are community safety concerns or health risks and people should continue to call triple zero if they are worried about an intoxicated person’s danger to themselves or others.
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Victoria announces regional areas of need for Indigenous people
The Victorian government has identified eight key areas of need for First Nations people in regional Victoria and announced the local service providers they have engaged.
They are:
Geelong – Wathaurong Aboriginal cooperative
Ballarat – Ballarat and Districts Aboriginal cooperative
Bendigo – Bendigo and District Aboriginal cooperative
Shepparton – Rumbalara Aboriginal cooperative
Mildura – Ngwala Willumbong Aboriginal corporation, supported by Mildura Base hospital
Swan Hill – Ngwala Willumbong Aboriginal corporation
Latrobe – Ngwala Willumbong Aboriginal corporation
East Gippsland – Ngwala Willumbong Aboriginal corporation
Victoria’s minister for mental health, Ingrid Stitt, said these providers will offer outreach services from Tuesday and will have “on demand places of safety” progressively set up. Only one place of safety is ready to go - and it is located in Shepparton.
Stitt defended the delay:
I don’t make any apology for the government taking the time necessary to set up a system that’s going to be robust and that’s going to actually address the issues that we want addressed. I think that what we have here is a system that will provide that compassionate and appropriate care and support for people in our community who need it the most .
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Good morning from Beijing
Anthony Albanese has just arrived at the Temple of Heaven in the Chinese capital for a private tour of the monument before his meetings with China’s leadership this evening Australian time.
The visit to the imperial site pays homage to a trip Gough Whitlam made here in 1973 during his trip to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic.
The backdrop is beautiful – sublime, actually – but it is freezing cold in Beijing this morning with blustery winds.
The prime minister is due to address travelling reporters after the tour. He’ll be lucky to keep his feet.
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Fatal crash in Sydney’s south-west
Two boys have died following a single-vehicle crash in Sydney’s south-west, according to NSW Police media.
At about 10:50am this morning, emergency services were called to Maxwells Avenue in Ashcroft, following reports of a crash.
On arrival, officers were told a grey sedan crashed into a tree and a power pole, before two people allegedly exited the vehicle and ran from the scene.
Two passengers of the vehicle – two boys believed to be aged between 10 and 15 – died at the scene. They are yet to be formally identified.
Police have established a crime scene which will be forensically examined.
ALS responds to decision to return Junee prison to public hands
The Aboriginal Legal Services has urged the New South Wales government to return all three of the state’s private prisons to public hands. The chief executive of the ALS, Karly Warner, welcomed the Minns government’s recent confirmation it would not renew the contract with US multinational GEO Group to run Junee correctional centre when it runs out in 2025.
Warner said:
Prisons are inherently harmful and dangerous places, especially for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who are still dying in custody.
When prisons are run for profit, there will always be a focus on the bottom line that competes with the wellbeing and safety of imprisoned people.
The ALS represented the families of two Aboriginal men – Danny Whitton and Reuben Button at the coronial inquests into their deaths after they died in custody in Junee prison. Button’s death and the coroner’s findings were factors in the government’s decision to return the prison to public hands.
Guardian Australia understands the government’s preference is to return every prison to public ownership and that it will explore the cost of not renewing the contract for Parklea prison in Sydney, operated by MTC Australia, when it expires in 2026.
The other privately run prison in NSW, Clarence, is the largest prison in Australia. It is operated by Serco.
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Victoria identifies focus areas for health teams as public intoxication decriminalisation comes into effect
From Tuesday, being intoxicated in public will no longer be a criminal offence in Victoria. It will instead be treated as a health issue, with outreach teams to patrol the streets and transport people to a sobering-up facility.
In Melbourne, the government has identified 16 areas of high demand, where outreach teams will focus their attention. They are:
St Albans
Deer Park
Sunshine
Footscray
Victoria University (Sunshine)
Brunswick St (Fitzroy)
Sydney Road (Brunswick)
St Kilda Road (Melbourne)
Melbourne CBD
Swan St (Richmond)
La Trobe University (Bundoora)
Ringwood
Monash University (Clayton)
Noble Park
Springvale
Dandenong
The community health provider cohealth will handle the general population response, and can take people to a sobering up facility in Fitzroy if required.
Aboriginal outreach services will be operated by Ngwala Willumbong Aboriginal Corporation across Melbourne, Frankston and Wyndham. They will support Aboriginal Victorians who are intoxicated in public – and if needed, provide them with transport to a safe place or the dedicated sobering centre in St Kilda.
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Vic government confident in decriminalising public intoxication
Victoria’s minister for mental health, Ingrid Stitt, is confident the state is prepared to decriminalise public drunkenness tomorrow, which happens to be Cup Day.
Stitt held a press conference on Monday morning to discuss the reforms, which came following the death in custody of Yorta Yorta woman Tanya Day. Stitt said:
I’m very confident that we have the right model in place. I’d also pointed to the figures from last year’s Melbourne Cup, which only saw five individuals across the state arrested for public intoxication. Of course, we will continue to monitor the adequacy of the capacity that we’re putting in place. But I’m very confident that we have got the model right because it’s been based on the outcomes of the trial period, and all the data that’s been available to us.
UK minister to reaffirm Aukus partnership in Sydney
The UK’s minister for the Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, will reinforce the UK’s maritime commitment to the Pacific region during a visit to Australia.
Arriving today, Trevelyan’s two-day itinerary will focus on government engagement, maritime security, and the strategic importance of the Indo-Pacific. According to a statement, she will attend the International Maritime Exposition in Sydney and reinforce the UK’s commitment to the Aukus partnership at meetings with UK and international businesses developing key infrastructure for the naval industry.
She will also visit HMS Tamar, currently docked in Sydney.
Trevelyan said:
Our close collaboration with Australia is testament to our shared vision for stability, growth and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.
Aukus will allow us to deliver on our defence and security commitments, including in the maritime domain, to benefit our nations and the wider region.
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More than 500 calls to NSW SES after wild weekend weather
The NSW State Emergency Service says it responded to more than 500 calls over the weekend, as heavy rain and strong winds lashed parts of the state.
In a post to X (formerly Twitter), the NSW SES said there were more than 170 incidents across Lake Macquarie and Newcastle, including a lightning strike in Swansea, and crews “worked tirelessly to patch up homes”.
NSW SES crews stayed busy over the weekend, responding to 500+ calls after heavy rain & strong winds hit. Lake Macquarie & Newcastle saw 170+ incidents, including a lightning strike in Swansea. NSW SES teams worked tirelessly to patch up homes. More storms ahead, stay prepared! pic.twitter.com/HMdgzhN9UX
— NSW SES (@NSWSES) November 6, 2023
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Anxiety among children in bushfire-prone areas rising, clinicians say
Clinicians at rural children’s health charity Royal Far West are reporting a spike in anxiety among children in bushfire-prone communities, AAP reports, as hot weather, strong winds and fire warnings trigger their fears.
The not-for-profit’s chief executive Jacqueline Emery said it is critical families and communities include children in disaster preparation.
It’s a very normal reaction as a parent to send a child away in the event of a bushfire, but often that causes more psychological distress for a child.
If they’re separated from their primary caregiver during an event like this, and they’re worrying for the parent or carer, that can have a bigger impact.
The charity, which supports rural children’s developmental health by working with schools and communities, has long warned of a shortage of paediatricians in country areas.
Earlier this year, the organisation reported specialists had either closed their books or had long waiting lists for developmental referrals in parts of regional Queensland, NSW, Victoria and the Kimberley in WA.
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Food industry ‘denying there’s a problem’ with their products, public health conference hears
The food industry is “big on denying there’s a problem” with the nutritional content of their foods and instead blame individuals for their food and exercise intake, Prof Simone Pettigrew from the George Institute for Global Health has told a public health conference at the University of Sydney.
So rather than what is in the drink that you’re putting in your mouth driving the obesity issue, [the industry claims] it’s the amount of exercise that you’re doing.
They invest in marketing campaigns around getting out there and getting active ... just to distract us and to deny that there actually is an issue in the product.
It is why the food industry fights against simple, easy-to-read and eye-catching product labels on the front of food packaging that allow consumers to easily identify how nutritious food is, Pettigrew said.
The health star rating used by some companies in Australia is not mandatory, limiting its efficacy, Pettigrew said. Less than four out of 10 products on supermarket shelves that should carry the Health Star Rating currently do, according to George Institute research.
The rating system was created after the food industry fought back against the traffic light labelling system, which uses green, amber and red to show levels of fat, saturated fat, sugar and sodium in a product at a glance. The traffic light system was one of the key recommendations of the independent expert Food Labelling Review, chaired by former health minister Dr Neal Blewett.
But the food industry “fights back against independent research,” Pettigrew said.
And they have that revolving door where there are a lot of government officials who just walk through that door to a job in the food industry, which makes it really difficult for them (government) to stand their ground against the industry during industry consultations.
The two-day commercial determinants of health conference is examining how big industries harm health, with tobacco, gambling, food and alcohol industries among those under scrutiny.
Read more:
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Sydney man found injured after being detained
Investigations are underway after a man was found injured in Sydney’s south after being detained.
According to a statement from NSW Police, emergency services were called to a unit in Lidcombe just before midnight on Saturday, following reports a 36-year-old man had been assaulted and forced into a vehicle.
Officers attended and established a crime scene.
Around 11pm on Sunday night, emergency services were called to Bonnet Bay following reports a man had been found injured.
On arrival, officers located a 36-year-old man with facial injuries. He was treated by paramedics and taken to Sutherland Hospital in a stable condition.
Detectives have established Strike Force Rowallan to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
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Covid pandemic inquiry submissions now open
The federal government is now calling for submissions to its inquiry into the Covid pandemic, with the independent probe into the commonwealth response starting to kick into gear.
The independent inquiry – led by Robyn Kruk, Catherine Bennett and Angela Jackson – was announced in September, but has been operating quietly in the background since then. This morning the Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet called for submissions to the inquiry:
The inquiry’s specific areas of review are deliberately broad to encourage a wide range of stakeholder views and evidence.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on all Australians. An Independent Inquiry is looking into Australia’s response to help better prepare and protect the country in the future.
— Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (@pmc_gov_au) November 6, 2023
Public consultations are now open and we want to hear from you: https://t.co/S2ur2qLe1D pic.twitter.com/TvY6VJrgGz
It wants submissions on health and non-health responses, including the responsibilities of the commonwealth government and the role of state and territory governments and how arrangements like national cabinet worked.
No word yet on public hearings, but the call for submissions says such evidence will “help inform and shape the next stage of the inquiry’s targeted stakeholder engagement in early 2024, such as round tables and workshops.”
The closing date for submissions is 15 December 2023.
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Victoria police: too early to tell if speed factor in fatal crash
Shane Patton provides details about the five victims including a young girl, two men believed to be in their 30s and a woman believed to be in her 40s. Another five people were taken to hospital with a “range of injuries,” Patton says.
Patton says the “Dayelsford community will be hurting because of this.”
He says it is too early to tell if speed was a factor in the fatal crash.
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Victorian police confirm victims in fatal Victorian car crash were visitors to Daylesford
Victoria police’s chief commissioner, Shane Patton, is giving a media update about the horrific car crash in Daylesford that left five people dead on Sunday.
A car crashed into the beer garden of a pub in the popular regional town of Daylesford. The driver of the white BMW SUV remains in hospital.
Patton says two groups of families who were visiting Daylesford are the victims. He confirms the driver was breath tested and had no alcohol in his system. Police will interview the driver later this afternoon.
Patton also pays tribute to the first responders on the scene:
They will take that scene with them for many, many years ... It may haunt them forever.
It’s one of the most confronting scenes, I’ve been told, that experienced officers have been to.
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ASIC and ACCC reviewing tools to fight scam websites
The Australian consumer watchdog is reviewing its tools to take down scam sites, following a boom in the use of takedown technology to tackle scam sites by the investments regulator this year.
Last week we reported that the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (Asic) had removed 2,500 investment scam sites since July when it began using an automated removal tool called Netcraft. It followed a trial in 2022 of the tool that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) also undertook at the same time.
The ACCC is now contributing to Asic’s efforts, but when asked by Guardian Australia if it was blocking other scam sites unrelated to investment scams, the regulator told Guardian Australia:
The ACCC is looking at options to be more effective in removing scam websites, noting that it can be resource intensive.
The trial showed the service would provide scale and capacity to Scamwatch’s disruption work. Scams websites that are left up for long periods of time gain legitimacy which can lead to more victimisation.
The ACCC during the initial trial last year focused on phishing sites that attempt to gain people’s login credentials, fake online retail sites, technical support scams and malware.
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Man charged after alleged assault with spear gun in Orange
A man will face court today, charged after another man was allegedly shot with a spear gun in NSW’s central west last week.
About 10.30pm on Wednesday, emergency services were called to Orange following reports a man had been injured. Police were told the 47-year-old man was in a verbal altercation with two other men, known to him, when he was allegedly shot with a spear gun.
He was airlifted to Westmead Hospital for treatment in a non-life-threatening condition.
Following inquiries, about 2am on Friday investigators attended an Orange home and arrested a 29-year-old man. He was taken to Orange police station and charged with wound person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and affray.
The man appeared at Dubbo local court on Saturday where he was formerly refused bail to appear at Orange local court today.
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ANU announces education consortium to help refugees with higher education
The Australian National University (ANU) has announced the nation’s first higher education consortium to help hundreds of refugees gain access to higher education.
The Australian Refugee Welcome University Sponsorship Consortium (ARWUSC) brings together 12 universities under ANU’s leadership to codesign a blueprint for a new refugee education pathway for resettlement in Australia, in partnership with the federal government.
Co-lead of the program, Prof Bronwyn Parry, said no such co-ordinating body currently existed in Australian higher education.
[It is] essential not only to secure the future of currently displaced students around the globe but also to help them realise their full potential as future citizens of Australia.
Its establishment follows the government’s commitment to increase the annual refugee and humanitarian program to 20,000 places, with an additional 10,000 refugees to arrive over time through complementary pathways.
Current participants include: Charles Darwin University, Charles Sturt University, Curtin University, Deakin University, Griffith University, the University of Canberra, the University of Melbourne, the University of South Australia, the University of Technology Sydney, the University of Tasmania and Victoria University.
ANU’s vice-chancellor, Prof Brian Schmidt, said ARWUSC was a “welcome response to a global call to action”.
Sadly, many extremely talented young people have their educational journey disrupted by conflict, and this risk has never been greater given the current global crises in Afghanistan, Sudan, and more recently in Gaza and the Middle East. We need to do something to address this, and this team of higher education experts, led by ANU, is leading the charge.
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Mourners pay tribute after fatal Victorian crash
Mourners and community members of Daylesford in regional Victoria have begun leaving flowers outside the Royal Hotel following last night’s devastating crash, which left five people dead, including two children. Multiple others were injured and have been taken to hospital.
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Commercial industries that have harmful influence on health ‘driving us to exitential crisis’, expert says
Commercial industries having a harmful influence on health are “driving us to existential crisis,” a professor of health policy at the University of California has told a public health conference at the University of Sydney. The conference is examining the ways the food, gambling, pharmaceutical, tobacco, alcohol and other major industries impact health, influence science, and harm the environment.
The keynote speaker, Prof Laura Schmidt, said “risk factors don’t operate in isolation”.
When thinking about underlying causes of chronic diseases, multiple risk factors such as air pollution, food intake, and stress all have a role “and this is one of the reasons we need to think outside of our silos when we think about these health harming industries,” Schmidt said.
These industries are drivers of poor health, they’re driving us to existential crisis.
She said harmful industries are not always competitors, often working together to influence markets and politics.
If you think about, say, the tobacco industry, it’s a big network of actors and companies and trade associations and so forth. These are interdependent, overlapping, nested markets, with organisational networks that interact.
Schmidt said liver disease, which many associate with alcohol consumption but which can also be influenced by sugar intake. She urged the health experts in the room to collaborate to take on harmful industries and to understand the ways they work together to impact numerous diseases.
Alcohol and tobacco, when consumed together, actually produce more harm than either of them independently, in terms of throat cancer. The body doesn’t respect the silos in academia.
Among the topics being addressed by Australian and international experts on Monday and Tuesday are how companies use social media to circumvent tobacco advertising bans; the powerful vested interests in the gambling industry and the digital marketing of food to children.
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Jacinta Allan mourns victims of Daylesford crash
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has expressed her condolences for those who died in a horror crash at Daylesford last night. She wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
The reports of the Daylesford car crash are horrific. My thoughts are with all those injured, and with the friends and family of those who have tragically died.
To everyone who stepped in to help, and to all the emergency service workers involved – thank you so much.
The reports of the Daylesford car crash are horrific.
— Jacinta Allan (@JacintaAllanMP) November 5, 2023
My thoughts are with all those injured, and with the friends and family of those who have tragically died.
To everyone who stepped in to help, and to all the emergency service workers involved - thank you so much.
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Queensland extends local fire bans
Local fire bans have been extended in parts of Queensland due to the heightened fire conditions.
Along the north coast, the following LGAs have had their fire ban extended until Monday 13 November:
• Sunshine Coast
• Noosa
• Bundaberg
• Fraser Coast
• Gympie
• North Burnett
• South Burnett
• Cherbourg
Parts of far north Queensland have also had their fire ban extended to 13 November:
• Aurukun
• Cairns, Cook
• Douglas
• Hope Vale
• Kowanyama
• Lockhart River
• Mapoon
• Napranum
• Northern Peninsula Area
• Pormpuraaw
• Torres
• Torres Strait
• Weipa
• Wujal Wujal
• Yarrabah
• Cassowary Coast
• Mareeba
• Tablelands
• Croydon
• Etheridge
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Jason Clare touring India and Indonesia on tertiary education trip
The education minister, Jason Clare, is heading on his second trip to India in less than 12 months as part of a delegation to firm up tertiary ties in the region. Clare set off on Sunday to visit India and Indonesia, alongside 15 higher education leaders representing 10 universities across the nation.
In India, he will co-chair the annual meeting of the Australia India Education and Skills Council (AIESC) alongside his counterpart Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, and visit Deakin University’s and the University of Wollongong’s soon-to-open Indian campuses. They are the first two international universities to be approved to set up a campus in India, with Deakin to open applications for students from next week. Both are expected to accept students from mid-next year.
Clare said the approval demonstrated “the commitment from Australian universities to work with India to implement their national education policy”.
It also shows the depth and strength of the relationship between our two countries.
In Indonesia, Clare will help launch Western Sydney University’s new campus in Surabaya. Currently, Monash is the only Australian university with a campus in Indonesia, with Deakin University, Central Queensland University and Western Sydney to follow.
Catriona Jackson, the CEO of Universities Australia, is accompanying Clare on his visit. She said education was “central to Australia’s strategic and economic relationship with India and Indonesia”.
We support India’s ambitions to educate 500 million people by 2035, and Australia’s universities are here to help deliver this nation-changing vision.
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Economists, markets see Cup Day rate hike a firm favourite - if not with borrowers
An overwhelming number of economists (34 out of 39, according to Reuters) expect the Reserve Bank will lift its key interest rate tomorrow by 25 basis points to 4.35%, for the first increase since June. (One of the other five was tipping a 15bp increase, which would bring the rate to a neater 4.25%.)
Financial markets were pricing the odds of a quarter-point increase as about a 70% chance, according to Bloomberg.
A lot has been made of the higher than expected September quarter inflation figures out on 25 September. Michele Bullock, the new RBA governor, is supposedly facing her first “real test” since taking over as boss on 18 September – although she helmed the October board meeting, and was Philip Lowe’s deputy governor during all the 12 rate rises since May last year.
Anyway, the key factor may be what the RBA models tell it about the likely pace of inflation’s future decline. The IMF mission might have given away a bit about the delay in getting inflation back to the RBA’s 2-3% target range last week.
We’ll get some detail of those predictions tomorrow, but the full readout won’t be made public until Friday’s release of the RBA’s statement on monetary policy.
Another influence will be how the bank board interprets inflation expectations among households and businesses. These haven’t become “unanchored” so far, as we noted in this piece published today:
As we noted, expectations can be fickle and tricky to measure. Still, the RBA board may have seen enough by 2.30pm to nudge rates higher - and perhaps not for the last time in this cycle.
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According to foreign affairs minister Penny Wong there are 79 people still in Gaza that DFAT is working to assist.
This is up from a figure of 67 last night – we have asked DFAT about this and will bring you the latest when we hear more.
Meanwhile over the weekend, some of the 25 Australians and their families who were able to leave Gaza last week arrived in Australia.
Greens senator David Shoebridge said images of people leaving Gaza should be a “wake up call” for Australians about our “common humanity”, whether they have Australian citizenship or not.
He told Sky News:
You heard there from one Australian citizen fleeing Gaza and talking about her brothers and sisters and her family who have not been able to escape and may well be killed in an Israeli assault in the next hours, days or weeks.
I would hope we see a common humanity regardless of the flag or the nationality when we see those images.
Infrastructure minister commits to existing $120bn pipeline but says review over $33bn cost overruns to come
The infrastructure minister, Catherine King, has addressed media about the need to cull some projects from the infrastructure pipeline due to cost overruns, unfeasible projects and not wanting to add to inflation. King said:
It is clear that this pipeline over the last decade, and under the Liberal and National party, has not been managed. What the review has said ... is that the pipeline went from 150 to 800 projects under the previous government, a large proportion of those coming into the pipeline in the lead up to the 2016 and the 2019 election campaigns …
Many of them [were] announced with[out] knowing how much the projects were actually going to cost, so those projects are difficult to build because there isn’t enough money to build up.
Now what the review has actually shown is that in that $120bn pipeline – a pipeline we have committed to and committed to keep $120bn – is that there are $33bn of known cost overruns with an expectation that there are more to come. And they are across every single one of the projects. We currently have 300 projects in construction. They are currently being built and all of those are continuing.
So: a guaranteed $120bn and a guarantee that projects under construction will continue. What about the rest? King said:
The review looked at around 200 projects and has made recommendations around cancelling some, it’s made recommendations around making sure we’ve got planning money and we slow the process down so we know what the costs are before we commit to construction. We are in negotiations with the states and territories at the moment over that review [and] those discussions are ongoing and we’ll have to say about that shortly.
Asked if there will be cuts to Queensland, King said “the entire pipeline has not been managed well”, meaning that no state is going to be immune.
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The prime minister has just expressed his condolences for those who died in the Daylesford pub crash last night.
In a post to X (formerly Twitter), Anthony Albanese said:
We are all shocked by what happened in Daylesford, and so deeply saddened - for those whose lives were so cruelly cut short, and for those who can never be the same again.
The hearts of all Australians go out to everyone affected, including loved ones, friends, first responders and the Daylesford community.
We are all shocked by what happened in Daylesford, and so deeply saddened - for those whose lives were so cruelly cut short, and for those who can never be the same again.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) November 5, 2023
There is an extreme grass pollen forecast for all of Victoria today:
#Melbourne grass #pollen forecast for today (Monday, Nov 6) is Extreme. Get the App for more pollen forecasts: https://t.co/9tGM9OKvvQ
— Melbourne Pollen Count and Forecast (@MelbournePollen) November 5, 2023
Note: Other locations within Victoria have an Extreme forecast today. pic.twitter.com/c8hXOBycS1
Don’t forget your medication if you need it!
AEC explains redistribution process
The Australian Electoral Commission has tweeted about the process of redrawing electorate boundaries:
With the process to redraw boundaries underway in 3 states, & commentary on public input rising, its timely to do a 'redistributions 101' reminder. 🧵
— AEC ✏️ (@AusElectoralCom) November 5, 2023
➡️AEC = secretariat
➡️Independant decision makers
➡️Set criteria pic.twitter.com/oDragajdkh
As explained in this week’s Monday column The Agenda, the AEC is in the process of removing one seat in Victoria and New South Wales and adding one in Western Australia.
The AEC notes that it uses fair criteria to draw boundaries, rather than a “gerrymander” to benefit political parties or candidates:
We’re often told the redrawing of boundaries in Aus is a particular source of pride in the electoral system.
— AEC ✏️ (@AusElectoralCom) November 5, 2023
Why? Set criteria means gerrymanders aren’t native to Aus, nor can they be introduced. pic.twitter.com/ty7qivVnJn
The AEC has stressed that submissions from parties are just suggestions, not a decision. It said:
A suggestion – whether from a party, a voter, a prominent person, a business or anyone else – is just that, a suggestion only. All input is considered but decisions are made independently, [and] with reference to the criteria. It’s all about meeting the criteria, not the politics.
We often see reports during redistributions that say the AEC will ‘abolish x seat’ or ‘rename y seat’ based on submissions & speculation. [Please] stop & consider the info. Submissions are just submissions. Nobody knows the decisions of the independent panels before they’re released.
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Shorten announces 3,000 extra jobs for Service Australia
NDIS and government services minister Bill Shorten is speaking to the media from Melbourne. He just announced that an extra 3,000 people will be employed by Services Australia to help process people’s payments and answer phone calls.
We need to make sure that government services are there when people need it. Right now in Australia we have the lowest number of people on our front-line doing our safety net payment system compared to the population of Australia. We’re now turning that around [with] 3,000 extra people.
… We’re onboarding at the moment, 1,000 people already. It will take a little while to get to the 3,000.
We recognise that Australians have been frustrated by call wait times and payment processing times.
My colleague Sarah Basford Canales has all the details on this:
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Aurora Australis shines across southern states
Early risers and night owls right across the country were lucky to witness an Aurora Australis last night.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the Aurora Australis was visible across parts of Victoria due to enhanced solar activity. They shared this view from Ballarat airport:
Those awake and looking south are in for a beautiful view! Aurora Australis (Southern Lights) are visible across parts of Victoria tonight due to enhanced Solar Activity. The current view from Ballarat Airport. pic.twitter.com/KjJHrfqxPc
— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) November 5, 2023
Meanwhile, this timelapse video was captured from Busselton in Western Australia:
A timelapse video of the Aurora Australis over Busselton, Western Australia late last night and early this morning!#WesternAustralia #Aurora pic.twitter.com/v8KG3UM7Wb
— Paul Pichugin (@paulmp) November 5, 2023
The Aurora Australis was spotted as far south as Hobart:
Hey Hobart. Look what happens when you sleep (taken on my phone 😳) Insomnia ftw #aurora pic.twitter.com/IqYwSWihTE
— Kris Erskine (@ErskineKristen) November 5, 2023
Updated
Independent review of infrastructure program finds costs have ballooned
An independent review of the infrastructure investment program has found $33bn of cost pressures to the economy, with that figure tipped to grow even further, AAP reports.
The infrastructure minister, Catherine King, said the investment pipeline, which had increased from 150 to 800 projects under the previous government, had not been managed well. She told ABC RN:
It is simply just not sustainable for the pipeline to continue the way that it is after a decade of being used for political purposes.
There’s been evidence that this infrastructure pipeline has not been managed and not been managed well, and obviously, that is also causing inflation pressures.
King said the management of the program had led to the cost of several projects to balloon. She indicated talks were under way with each jurisdiction on what projects would still be needed.
We’re going through each of those with our state and territory counterparts, trying to make sure we’ve got the right data, making sure that we’ve actually factored into account now the importance of various projects across the country.
What I don’t want to do is promise people that we’re going to build something when it clearly is not going to be built.
The infrastructure pipeline was estimated to be worth more than $120bn.
Updated
Victorian police are looking for the owner of a book signed by the trainer of famous racehorse Phar Lap and addressed to “Fred and family”. They pulled out alllllll the puns for this appeal:
Despite thorough(bred) enquiries, police have been unsuccessful in reuniting this unique piece with its rightful owner.
Anyone who thinks “hay, that might be mine!” is encouraged to trot into Chelsea Police Station or if you have any information please call (03) 8773 3200.
We’ve searched near and phar, but we can’t seem to find the owner of this book!
— Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) November 5, 2023
Located at a school in Chelsea back in August, this unique novel is hand signed by the trainer of famous racehorse Phar Lap and addressed to “Fred and family”. pic.twitter.com/i44rsCO8L6
Updated
Greens call for transparency on military exports
The Australian Greens are calling on the Albanese government to stop providing military export permits to the Israeli government and “provide transparency on the military equipment Australia exports to the world”.
This comes as Palestinian human rights groups have launched a landmark legal bid to determine whether Australian-made weapons and ammunition are being sent to Israeli forces amid its attacks on the Gaza Strip. You can read more about this from my colleague Sarah Basford Canales here:
In a statement, the Greens claim the government has provided 52 military export permits to the Israeli government this year, and over 350 since 2017, but the Australian public “has not been told what the weapons are or how much they cost”.
Greens defence spokesperson, senator David Shoebridge, said:
The Albanese government has been fueling conflicts around the world through a weapons export system that has zero accountability or transparency. It is horrific to think that for many people, the first interaction they will have with Australia will be the Australian-made weapon that kills them.
The Australian Greens support this legal action as a critical attempt to force transparency in Australia’s global arms trade.
As bombs rain down on Gaza and the Israeli ground invasion continues, the Australian government has a clear obligation to ensure no Australian equipment is being used to commit war crimes.
Updated
Wong says Dfat assisting 79 people who are yet to leave Gaza
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has shared some photos on social media of the 25 Australians and their families who were able to leave Gaza arriving in Australia:
This weekend, some of the 25 Australians and their families who were able to leave Gaza last week arrived in Australia.
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) November 5, 2023
We persist in trying to secure passage for those still in Gaza, including 79 people @dfat is assisting.
📸 Damian Shaw / @dailytelegraph pic.twitter.com/ccwUI2UqxU
She said Dfat is still working to assist 79 people in Gaza:
Suffering in Gaza is widespread. Food, water, medicine, fuel & other essential assistance must reach people in desperate need & civilians, including Australians, must be able to get to safety. This is why we & so many countries are calling for humanitarian pauses to hostilities.
This suffering means the need for a just and enduring peace has rarely been more pressing. The future for both Israelis and Palestinians depends on this being realised.
Updated
Mayor speaks after fatal Victoria pub crash
Hepburn shire’s mayor, Brian Hood, spoke to ABC TV from Daylesford this morning, where a devastating crash last night claimed five lives. Victoria Ambulance provided an update on the situation earlier, which you can read here.
Hood said this is a “devastating event” and is creating shock through the community:
The sheer scale and size of this accident is just devastating.
… Something as totally unexpected and as devastating as this will send shock waves through the community for some time.
The mayor highlighted the work of first responders at the scene, many of whom were locals:
They do a wonderful job on every occasion, but my understanding is that this was a particularly severe accident. It would have been extremely confronting for those people.
The ambos and the police, the CFA, the SES, who have all been here, and council workers themselves. Our emergency response team have been on site cleaning up and doing traffic management, that sort of thing. It would have been a terrible experience for them arriving to see what confronted them.
Hood was asked whether the victims are locals, but doesn’t have that information yet. He said the council’s main concern is providing comfort to the community and looking out for people’s mental health and wellbeing following this tragedy.
Updated
Bushfire conditions ease in WA but warnings continue
Meanwhile, bushfire conditions appear to be easing in Western Australia, but authorities are warning homes and lives could still be at risk. AAP has the details:
An emergency warning for parts of Serpentine, Jarrahdale and Keysbrook was downgraded to a watch and act early this morning as fire activity decreased. There is still a possible threat to homes within the area and conditions are changing, Emergency WA said.
The Serpentine blaze started during lightning storms near the Serpentine Dam on Saturday, about 55km south-south-east of Perth, and as of Sunday was estimated to cover 2,000 to 3,000 hectares of land.
Temperatures in Perth peaked at 35C on Saturday and reached a high of 26C on Sunday. High fire danger ratings will remain in place for 21 districts across WA today.
Updated
Pocock says we must call out atrocities on both side of Hamas conflict
Turning to the Israel-Hamas war, independent senator David Pocock is asked whether Israel’s response is proportionate:
You can’t say it is. International organisations are reporting that 40% of casualties in Gaza are children. That is unacceptable. We have to view every life as having equal value and deserving of protection.
I’m not a expert in the history of this conflict, but what I’m hearing from Canberrans, or what I’m saying to the government, is that they need to be advocating loudly, publicly, and through every private diplomatic channel, to ensure that this doesn’t continue.
… We have to be calling this out. We have to be calling out the atrocities on both sides and urging them to come to some sort of resolution, at the very minimum to be having urgent humanitarian pause …
Updated
Pocock: ‘economy-wide’ legislation creates unintended consequences but seperated bills have ‘broad consensus’
ABC RN host Hamish Macdonald:
As you’ve been travelling around the country attending those hearings and speaking to both workers and employers, do you get the impression that the government has somewhat overcooked it with this legislation package?
Independent senator David Pocock:
My sense is that there’s some real issues that need to be solved, but this legislation is economy-wide so that creates issues and potential unintended consequences.
No one’s arguing that what Qantas have been doing is okay. We’ve got to ensure that that doesn’t happen. But again, if you’re introducing things across the economy, what does that mean for other businesses?
… The reason we’re bringing these four bills forward is that there’s broad consensus on them. We’ve essentially lifted the four bills from the government’s omnibus bill and we’ll be introducing [these] to the Senate.
Updated
Pocock: IR omnibus bill warrants scrutiny
Independent senator David Pocock said he will look at the legislation on its merits but when a huge omnibus bill, with a “500 page explanatory memorandum [and] 200 plus pages of detailed legislation” is tabled, “you can’t expect that just to fly through the Senate”.
I think there’s a lot of things in this bill that do warrant scrutiny. There’s a number of issues that have been raised [and] you mentioned Qantas, some of the use of labour hire to undercut Qantas staff is a huge issue…
You’re introducing laws that are across the economy and that means that you’ve got to get them right because you’re not just targeting Qantas, this is going to apply to everyone.
Updated
Pocock says support across parliament for section of Labor’s IR reforms
Independent senator David Pocock also spoke to ABC RN this morning, about the workplace reforms set to lead parliaments agenda this week.
As we brought you earlier on the blog, Pocock and Jacqui Lambie will table private senator’s bills aimed at splitting the government’s proposed industrial relations reforms. The independent senators are hoping to split four less-controversial elements of the bill into a new bill to fast-track the reforms.
These four elements would see further protections for employees with PTSD or facing domestic violence, better protect those at risk of developing silicosis from asbestos, and address small business redundancy:
Pocock:
So those four bills really are the really straightforward ones in this in this big package and I think there’s support across the parliament for them. We’re saying to the government, let’s get these on the way while we take more time on the bigger package of bills.
Updated
Westpac rewards shareholders after profit surges to $7.2bn
Westpac has recorded a 26% lift in annual net profit to $7.2bn after profiting from increased margins on its home and business loan books amid rising interest rates.
The bank’s CEO, Peter King, said the result was pleasing and that shareholders would be rewarded with a $1.5bn buyback. He said there had been a “modest increase in stress” among customers due to rising interest rates and elevated inflation.
Our mortgage portfolio, which is our largest, is demonstrating resilience with most customers being able to respond to economic pressures.
Companies use buybacks to return excess capital to investors, in a strategy that usually lifts a stock price. Westpac’s closely watched profitability gauge – net interest margins – increased nine basis points from a year earlier to 1.96%, excluding notable items, representing a strong lift.
Westpac’s results were released this morning ahead of tomorrow’s interest rate announcement from the Reserve Bank. A majority of analysts expect the central bank will increase the official rate to 4.35%, which would be the highest level since November 2011.
While bad debts at Australian financial institutions have been rising after the fastest increase in rates in more than three decades, they have not resulted in widespread defaults.
Updated
Paterson: Hamas ultimately responsible for civilian casualties
Q: But given the enormous number of civilians who have been killed in Gaza, do you think Israel is actually delivering on that?
Liberal senator James Paterson:
That’s a direct result of the military strategy that Hamas has adopted in this conflict as they have in previous as conflicts. They have built a network of tunnels which go underneath, hospitals underneath schools. and mosques, they hide among the civilian population [and] in refugee camps.
Paterson said the IDF “must show restraint” and when compared to almost any other military in the world, “they do so”, pointing to the dropping of leaflets and sending of text messages to warn in advance of operations. ABC RN host Hamish Macdonald points out that this is an obligation under international law.
Paterson then adds:
I think it’s admirable that Israel does so and I think it does contribute to reduce civilian casualties, but let’s be really clear about this: the party which is morally responsible for those civilian casualties are the people who put those civilians in harm’s way, and Hamas is not just holding 200 Israelis hostage, they’re holding 2 million Gazans hostage as well.
They’re using them as human shields, because they’re trying to protect themselves operationally, but they’re also trying to make sure there are civilian casualties because they use that as a propaganda weapon against Israel in international public opinion.
Updated
Paterson: ceasefire in Gaza would ‘just allow Hamas to regroup’
Turning to the Israel-Hamas war, Liberal senator James Paterson is asked for his view on calls for a ceasefire.
This comes as people right across Australia attended Pro-Palestinian rallies across the country at the weekend (we had more detail on this earlier in the blog).
Paterson said he understands people “watching the horror of what is happening in Gaza want to see the violence to end” but doesn’t think a ceasefire “would deliver what they’re seeking”.
[It would] just allow Hamas to regroup, it would allow them to continue to hold more than 200 hostages, and it would allow them to again prepare for another attack on Israel.
And the truth is that neither the people of Gaza, the Palestinian people, nor the people of Israel, will be safe as long as Hamas is in power in Gaza. And so their removal is a legitimate military objective which Israel is proceeding with. Having said that, it is of course important for Israel and the IDF to do what they can to minimise civilian casualties.
Updated
Liberals continue hard line on China
The shadow minister for cyber security and countering foreign interference, James Paterson, spoke to ABC RN just earlier about a range of issues. First up, was the prime minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to China. Here is what Paterson said he wants the PM to raise with Xi Jinping:
I think it’s important that the prime minister raises the full range of issues in the bilateral relationship with Xi Jinping, including the foreign interference and espionage in our democracy but also the ongoing detention of an Australian citizen Dr Yang Hengjun, the ongoing unjustified sanctions against the Australian economy and many other challenges.
Paterson said the Coalition has provided bipartisan support for the government to stabilise the bilateral relationship between Australia and China, but “we have to be honest and recognise that this is not just another bilateral relationship”:
I think they (China) certainly do pose national security challenges to Australia in terms of foreign interference and espionage, in terms of cyber attacks in terms of intellectual property theft, but also in terms of malign conduct that they’re engaging in the South China Sea …
Paterson is asked for his view on how Australia should respond to China asking to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPATPP), and if it should it be a flat no?
In my view, it would be absurd to admit as a member of one of the highest standard agreements in the world, a country which until recently had engaged in up to $20bn of economic sanctions against the bilateral free trade agreement. If the Chinese government is not able to abide by the standards it voluntarily agreed to enter into under the Australian free trade agreement, why should we expect that they will behave any differently in the future?
Updated
Government opens applications for teacher scholarships
Scholarships for those planning to study to become a teacher next year have opened up for registration, with the federal government offering 5,000 places.
The program, designed to get more people taking up teaching careers, will be targeted at a broad range of Australians including high-achieving school-leavers, mid-career professionals, First Nations peoples and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Undergraduate teaching students will be eligible for a $40,000 scholarship over four years while post-graduate students can access a $20,000 scholarship over two years. There will be a “commitment to teach” requirement attached to the scholarships, ensuring those who receive the funds teach for a number of years in either government-run schools or early learning settings.
The education minister, Jason Clare, said the plan was about tackling the skills shortage and making more Australians consider a career in education.
Tying scholarships to a commitment to teach is an old school idea that will help tackle today’s teacher workforce challenges.
They will help 5,000 of the best and brightest teaching students to complete their studies and begin changing lives in the schools who need it most.
Updated
Protest organiser: governement ‘lagging behind’ public sentiment on Gaza
Australia Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni said the protests had attracted “tens of thousands” of people at the weekend and are posed to continue:
Generations of Australians have protested in solidarity with Palestinians, calling for Palestinian self-determination and freedom from Israeli occupation, for the past 75 years. The past five weeks alone, we’ve seen tens of thousands of people of good conscience across the continent protest against Israeli violence against Palestine.
We will continue to colour the streets of this continent red, black, white and green, and will call for an immediate ceasefire and peace and justice for Palestine until the Australian government not only listens, but joins us in these calls.
Mashni said the protests showed that the Australian government is “lagging behind” public sentiment, and that the growing crowds reflected growing solidarity for the people of Gaza:
These protests show that the Australian community is grieving with the people of Palestine, that every one of the almost 10,000 people killed in Gaza is precious, that Australians have not and won’t forget Palestine, and that the Australian community demands an immediate ceasefire to prevent further loss of innocent lives.
Updated
Thousands march for Gaza ceasefire over weekend
For the fourth weekend in a row, pro-Palestinian rallies were held across Australia with thousands calling for a ceasefire and an end to the bombardment of Gaza.
Rallies were held in major cities across the country, including in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and Perth, and comes after over 10,000 people marched in Sydney on Saturday.
The Melbourne rally reportedly attracted tens of thousands of supporters to the State Library, where they marched through the city, chanting for a ceasefire.
In Brisbane, protestors marched from Queens Garden to the offices of the ABC in South Brisbane, calling for a ceasefire and protesting the “biased reporting of the situation in Gaza.” In a statement, organisers of the Brisbane rally said the focus on the ABC was to also address the “under-reporting” of the large pro-Palestinian protests across the country.
Since 7 October, protests in Brisbane have been attended by thousands, condemning Israel’s genocide of Palestinians. This Sunday, we will again rally to call for a ceasefire, and an end to the siege of Gaza.
This time, we will also call on the media to stop their skewed reporting on Palestine.
The rallies proceeded despite rain in some cities, and in increasing numbers as Israel continues its bombardment of Gaza in response to the Hamas attack that killed more than 1,400 people in early October.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza say that at least 9,400 Palestinians have been killed in the bombardment so far.
Updated
Victoria Ambulance commends bystanders for assistance after Victorian pub crash
Trevor Weston from Victoria Ambulance said he has never seen an incident like at at Daylesford before.
These incidents, they’re very few and far between, thankfully. And you know, again, our thoughts are with those who experienced this last night.
He said Daylesford, in rural Victoria, is a “very close-knit community” and some of the first responders were locals:
You never want to respond to any incident like this, but certainly not in your hometown … Any incident involving children is sort of that next level of distress for our paramedics.
Weston also thanked bystanders and patrons for their efforts in helping those injured:
I would imagine they would be dealing with the actual incident, and to then provide that assistance to those nearby, we would really really commend them and thank them for their efforts.
Updated
Seven hospitalised after Victorian pub crash
Just earlier, Trevor Weston from Victoria Ambulance spoke to the media following last nights horror crash in Dayelsford. Five people, including two children, died when a car crashed into the beer garden of a pub in Daylesford in rural Victoria last night.
Weston said four people were airlifted to hospital in critical conditions, and a further three transported in stable conditions via ambulances.
He said the Royal Children’s hospital, the Royal Melbourne hospital, Royal Alfred and Ballarat Base all received patients.
It was [a] very confronting, quite chaotic when our first initially crews arrived.
There was a number of injured persons in the scene being assisted by members of the public and other patrons within the facility.
We’ve conducted debriefs with our crews last night and we’ll continue to provide welfare and support to those crews as its needed in the coming days.
Weston said the driver was taken to hospital in a stable condition but he didn’t have any more information to provide at this time.
Updated
More Australians arrive home from Gaza
A dozen more Australians have arrived back home after weeks trapped in war-torn Gaza, AAP reports.
A family of four landed in Adelaide and a family of three arrived in Melbourne on Saturday, while another 12 passengers landed in Sydney on a commercial flight on Sunday night.
The 19 people were among 25 who fled into Egypt from Gaza last week after being allowed through the Rafah crossing.
The federal government is still helping 67 people, including Australian citizens, permanent residents and family members, who remain in Gaza.
Officials are continuing to call for the remaining Australians and their family members to be allowed to cross the border to safety.
Updated
Divisive workplace reform to face split in parliament
Here is some more detail about the contentious workplace reforms set to lead parliaments agenda this week, via AAP:
Independent senators David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie will table private senator’s bills aimed at splitting the government’s industrial relations reforms.
In its current form, Labor’s proposal attempts to close loopholes that allow companies to pay labour hire workers less, add protections for gig economy workers and create opportunities for casuals to transition into permanent work if they wish.
The proposals have been heavily criticised by the Coalition and various business groups who claim it would increase operating costs, worsen the cost-of-living crisis and make many business operators unviable.
However, there is broad support for reforms that would also make it easier for frontline responders to access claims for post-traumatic stress disorder, protect employees when businesses become insolvent, improve protections for workers experiencing domestic violence and bring silica dust regulation in line with asbestos to better support workers at risk of contracting deadly disease.
Pocock and Lambie are hoping to split four less-controversial elements into a new bill to fast-track the reforms. Pocock:
These changes are urgent, and I would love to see the parliament put politics aside and get behind some really straightforward measures to benefit workers rather than making them wait.
The rest of the government’s bill would be debated in the new year.
Good morning
And welcome back to another week here on the Guardian Australia live news blog. I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll be taking you through our rolling coverage.
Here is what’s making news this morning:
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is in China, set to meet with President Xi Jinping later today. Our political editor, Katharine Murphy, is there to bring us the latest, and you can read more from her here and here.
Overnight, five people – including two children – died when a car crashed into the beer garden of a pub in Daylesford in rural Victoria. Victoria Ambulance just provided an update earlier this morning, which we will bring you shortly.
Meanwhile, as AAP reports, contentious workplace reforms will lead the federal parliament’s agenda when politicians return to Canberra this week. The Senate will sit from Monday for five days, while the House of Representatives remains on break for another week.
Independent senators David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie will table private senator’s bills aimed at splitting the government’s industrial relations reforms.
As always, if there is anything you think needs attention on the blog, you can send me an email: emily.wind.casual@theguardian.com.
With that, let’s get started.
