What we learned – Monday 29 July
That’s where we’ll leave the blog for today. Here is a recap of the main news:
Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce apologised for comparing voting to using a bullet while speaking at an anti-wind farm rally held in Lake Illawarra, NSW, at the weekend.
Anthony Albanese labelled Joyce’s comments “a test” for opposition leader Peter Dutton, calling on him to sack Joyce.
Labor politicians assembled at Government House in Canberra for the swearing in of the prime minister’s new cabinet ministry.
The world’s rules were being “bent and twisted or broken”, Penny Wong said after Quad meetings in Tokyo.
South Australia has once again been recognised as an economic powerhouse for its robust jobs market and strong building activity.
An inquest into what appeared to be an ambush of Queensland police by three extremist Christian conspiracy theorists began today.
Brisbane airport recorded its coldest morning in 10 years with an overnight minimum temperature of 2.7C.
Rex Airlines requested a trading halt after speculation it would appoint consultants to turn around its financial woes.
A teenage boy died in a house fire in the Hunter Valley, NSW.
Australian state and territory governments have amassed record cash deficits, raising fears that their growing interest bills will impede public spending, according to ratings agency S&P Global.
Ita Buttrose said the Nine strike on the eve of the Olympics was “unwise”.
Half of young Australians believe they will need to support their parents in retirement, a survey by AMP has found.
The body of a man who fell into the Brisbane River was located following a search over two days, AAP reports.
Australia’s banking regulator has retained affordability buffers for mortgage holders, denting hopes the levels would be relaxed to allow so-called “mortgage prisoners” locked into uncompetitive rates to refinance.
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O’Neil dismisses idea of rent freeze
Asked specifically if she would consider changes to capital gains tax and negative gearing, new housing minister Clare O’Neil just repeats herself:
The really important thing for us at the moment is we have $32 billion we are committed to focusing on this really urgent issue of housing supply and my job is to deliver that money and make sure it is going into building as many houses in as many parts of the country as possible and that is going to be my focus.
Asked about a rent freeze, O’Neil said she wouldn’t do anything that would “increase the cost of housing” (without expanding on the link between the two).
I am not going to do anything that will increase the cost of housing in our country and it is clearly documented that would be the result of a rent freeze.
Things that will help people with their rent, such as a government commitment to increase rent assistance, things that are going to improve housing supply is what I am really focused on – making sure young people do not give up on the great Australian dream of buying their own home.
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Dutton to visit Israel, meet government
Peter Dutton has announced he will be travelling to Israel from today to Thursday to meet with senior members of the Israeli government. The opposition leader will also be meeting with members of the community that were impacted by Hamas’s 7 October attacks.
In a statement, Dutton said Israel and Australia had a close connection.
The connections between Australia and Israel are deep and abiding.
Today, Australia and Israel have a strong bilateral relationship traversing trade, agriculture, technology, security and more.
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New housing minister says Labor has committed $32bn towards supply of homes
Clare O’Neil was also interviewed on the ABC earlier, and she said she would not be bringing any new policies to her new role as minister for housing:
I think the most important thing to understand is this is a life-defining issue for millions of Australians and since we have come to government, we have made this an urgent priority of the commonwealth, for the first time in a long time.
Many do not realise this but the Albanese government actually invested more money in housing in just our last budget than the entire nine years the Coalition were in power, so I want people to understand how seriously we take this.
We have committed $32 billion to making sure to address the issue of housing supply. There are literally millions of people struggling to pay their rent and a whole generation of young people who are not able to crack into the housing market, and the government wants to change that.
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Asked if the Greens would be willing to extend an “olive branch” to Labor, Chandler-Mather said:
Last year in negotiations with government, the Greens secured $3 billion of public housing. We didn’t get everything we wanted, indeed if it was up to us we would be spending a lot more on public housing. We are willing to negotiate on those demands.
Let’s be clear, the last housing minister said they are not open to negotiation. We said to the government, right now there are two offerings, help to buy and build to rent. Either drive up house prices and make their housing crisis worse or give tax handouts to developers to build apartments someone can afford.
What we would like to do is like we did last year: negotiate in good faith, but it requires the Labor party recognising they don’t have a majority in the Senate, the current housing plan is clearly failing. Millions are doing it tough and that is what this is about. And they should come to the table and chat. We are willing to chat. We haven’t said anything we proposed so far where it is ‘our way or the highway’ on that, we are willing to shift as we did last year. But it does require Labor to shift as well and recognise the platform does not have support in parliament and is clearly not working.
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Greens MP says Labor’s new housing minister will be selling ‘same failed policies’
The Greens’ housing spokesperson, Max Chandler-Mather, has shrugged off suggestions Labor’s cabinet reshuffle would make it harder for the minority party.
Speaking on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, Chandler-Mather said he was “not really worried” about Clare O’Neil being appointed minister for housing:
We’re not really worried one way or another about that. What are worried about is the tough lives millions of Australians are having at the moment because of the housing crisis created by Labor’s unwillingness to take any substantial action on it.
The reality is, under pressure from the Greens, the prime minister has dumped his housing minister and replaced them with a new one. But a new salesperson selling the same policies, the same failed policies of the previous housing minister tried to sell, is not going to help anyone. And the offer that we continue to make the Labor government is to drop their decision to refuse to negotiate with anyone on housing, come back to the table – happy to chat to Clare O’Neil about freezing and capping rent increases, building more public housing, easing up tax handouts for property investors.
But if Clare O’Neil decides to adopt the same position that Labor adopted last week of tinkering around the edges, making the crisis worse and refusing to do anything substantial, in six months’ time we might be talking about another housing minister again because at the end of the day, this isn’t about optics or messaging. It is about the millions of renters and first-time buyers and mortgage holders and people waiting for public housing who might be waiting for eternity because this government seems to be pathologically unambitious, as another MP said.
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PM hopes Rex Airlines ‘see their way through’
Finally, Albanese was asked about the problems Rex Airlines has been facing, and says: “Aviation is a tough industry.”
I am very hopeful that they will see their way through. They have suspended trading for a short period of time. We have sought information from the airline through minister Catherine King, who came to see me about this today, and through the department. We will continue to monitor what happens there.
Rex is particularly important for regional communities. There are a range of communities in New South Wales and Queensland and South Australia and right around the country that rely upon Rex, where it is the only airline to go to some of those destinations. The structure of Rex is that they have a Singapore connection, which has been important historically.
They have come through Covid and received substantial government support and we will remain vigilant when it comes to this airline and continue to work with them because we want to see not just those jobs maintained but we also want to see those communities continue to have access to aviation that is so important for their economy and for their way of life
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Next up, the PM is asked about the CFMEU and how new industrial relations minister Murray Watt will handle the union and its issues. Albanese says:
We will do what is needed and what is necessary and we will do it on a timeline in consultation with the regulator. They are examining these issues. We have a new minister. To be fair to Murray Watt, he is about seven hours into the job. We have already had a meeting with him this afternoon and Murray will be outstanding. He is someone who, of course, has led some of the debates in the Senate as part of the government’s team on industrial relations that has taken place up to now. And of course he has other jobs in employment, where it has seen over 900,000 jobs created since we came into office – around about 1,000 per day, or more than 1,000 per day, more than any government in Australian history since Federation, something I am really proud of and something that Murray will continue to work on.
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Albanese says Greens housing policy is ‘nonsense’
Shifting over to housing policy, the PM is asked if his cabinet reshuffle would indicate a shift in the government’s thinking on housing, as the Greens have demanded.
Albanese immediately went on the attack, saying the Greens’ positions were “nonsense” and that they “do not have any solutions”.
Well, they will have their usual nonsense while imposing actually any practical measures that will make a difference going forward.
What we stand for is the policies that we have, not the ones that we do not have. And the ones that we have are all about supply, whether it be the build-to-rent scheme or the shared equity scheme.
The Greens have a policy of supporting shared equity schemes, it is just they will not vote for them. The Queensland LNP is putting forward a shared equity policy at the state election in Queensland in coming months but here, the LNP will not vote for them ... We’re talking about things that are supportive of, not what we are not doing.
What we’re doing is a comprehensive plan aimed at supply when it comes to housing. The Greens do not have any solutions. They do not support any developments in their own areas. They have voted against increased public housing, through the Housing Australia future fund that they delayed. They voted against private rentals through build-to-rent and they voted against home ownership through the shared equity scheme. So I am not quite sure how you solve the housing problem if you are opposed to increased home ownership, increased private rentals and increased public housing, but that is the position that they have been advancing in the parliament.
Pushed on whether the government would shift its position on negative gearing and capital gains tax, the PM said he was focused on “what we are doing”.
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PM says Barnaby Joyce’s bullet comment an unacceptable 'new low’
Anthony Albanese has doubled down on criticisms of the Coalition for comments from Barnaby Joyce yesterday, and said opposition leader Peter Dutton hasn’t “distanced himself.”
The prime minister said it was a “new low” and “unacceptable”, and asked what it would take for Joyce to lose his job.
Peter Dutton has not distanced himself from it. He has not condemned it, he has not taken any action against Barnaby Joyce, so I am not sure what Barnaby Joyce has to do to lose his job.
Peter Dutton has had four reshuffles already. There should have been a fifth today because Barnaby Joyce’s statements, calculated very clear, very deliberate to a rally in Wollongong in which he used gun analogies, including a magazine, including a bullet, to talk about people including myself and two other ministers. But to talk about any Australian would have been inappropriate, let alone at a time when we have seen a rise in the number of threats made to people as part of the political process gone wrong.
We know that in the United States we have seen a polarisation, we have seen the attempted assassination of former president Trump, we have seen UK members of parliament lose their lives, and [Joyce] goes along to a rally, he uses entirely inappropriate and violent language, including that myself and to others, ministers, should be gone.
And Peter Dutton’s responses, oh well, the apology is a sort of OK and that should be the end of it. Well, Barnaby Joyce, on top of the other activity that he has been involved in, and other incidents, I mean, what does this guy have to do?
It is one thing to have extreme language on climate change that he has done in the past, and the absurdities he has been put forward, but this is a new low and it is unacceptable.
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Katie Kiss praises ‘exceptional’ Malarndirri McCarthy
Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner, Katie Kiss, has welcomed the appointment of Senator Malarndirri McCarthy as the new minister for Indigenous Australians.
Kiss said in a statement that McCarthy had been “an exceptional advocate for First Nations people and communities for many years” and that she looked forward to working with her.
Senator McCarthy has a comprehensive understanding of the issues which affect the lives of First Nations people and has demonstrated her ability to work effectively with relevant individuals, communities, agencies and organisations.
As a highly experienced journalist in her early career, Senator McCarthy will also be adept at communicating with people on the many complex issues and policy responses which impact on First Nations people and communities.
I look forward to working with minister McCarthy to bring about positive change and the recognition of rights that will ensure quality life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
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Rex Airlines placed in trading halt amid financial woes
Turbulence at Rex Airlines appears to be deepening, with the carrier requesting a trading halt following speculation it would appoint consultants to turn around its financial woes.
On Monday, the ASX announced it had placed Rex in a trading halt, after it had requested the move pending an announcement related to a news article published on Saturday, understood to be a report in the Australian that the airline had appointed turnaround experts from Deloitte.
Rex’s request suggested an imminent related announcement, with the halt in place until the commencement of trade on Wednesday.
The regional airline, formerly known as Regional Express following its formation after the death of Ansett, has since 2020 been vying for a share of the lucrative market between capital cities, flying a fleet of nine Boeing 737s mostly between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Rex has steadily expanded its jet operations including to Perth, acquired fly-in fly-out operator National Jet Express, and outperformed Qantas and Virgin in on-time performance.
However, it has struggled with a range of issues, including allegations of anti-competitive behaviour from Qantas, difficulty accessing strategically important Sydney airport slots at peak times – a gripe that failed budget operator Bonza also complained of – as well as parts and pilot shortages hampering its core regional operations relying on its ageing fleet of 36-seater Saab 340 aircraft.
Rex has also been rocked by leadership tensions, with major shareholder and former executive chairman Lim Kim Hai ousted in June, replaced by John Sharp, the deputy chairman and former Nationals federal transport minister. Lim has since pushed to remove Sharp and three other directors from the board, with a special shareholder meeting to vote on Lim’s demands.
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Mortgage ‘prisoners’ stuck as regulator retains buffers
Australia’s banking regulator has retained affordability buffers for mortgage holders, denting hopes the levels would be relaxed to allow so-called “mortgage prisoners” locked into uncompetitive rates to refinance.
The buffers, used by lenders to help determine a homeowner’s borrowing capacity, were increased during the pandemic to 3 percentage points above lending rates. It was previously 2.5 percentage points.
There have been calls by financial analysts for the serviceability buffer to be lowered to allow more borrowers to refinance, releasing them from mortgage prison.
But there are competing concerns that any relaxation in lending standards would add to inflation and result in riskier loans.
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (Apra) said today it would keep its policy settings on hold.
In reaching a decision to retain its current settings, Apra took into account an uncertain interest rate and economic outlook, with high levels of household debt and inflation still above the Reserve Bank of Australia’s target range, as well as ongoing geopolitical instability.
The regulator said arrears rates on mortgage and business lending portfolios were rising slowly but were still below pre-pandemic peaks.
Banks are able to move outside buffers for good-quality borrowers if they have a justification for doing so.
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Good afternoon, Mostafa Rachwani with you to take you through the rest of the day’s news.
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Many thanks for joining me on today’s blog. Mostafa Rachwani will be here to guide you through the rest of our rolling coverage – take care.
Circling back to Penny Wong’s press conference in Tokyo
Following on from our earlier post: Penny Wong was on the stage in Tokyo alongside the other foreign ministers of the Quad countries.
Japan’s foreign affairs minister, Yōko Kamikawa, told reporters the group of Japan, Australia, India and the US had held in-depth discussions on regional and strategic issues. She said the Indo-Pacific partnership for maritime awareness “shall be expanded into the Indian Ocean”.
During her remarks, Kamikawa said that “Russia’s aggression against Ukraine continues as we speak”.
India has tended to be the Quad member least willing to condemn Russia over the war in Ukraine.
India’s external affairs minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, focused very heavily in his remarks on the Quad’s delivery of practical outcomes to countries across the region:
This is not a talk shop, but a platform that generates practical outcomes.
Jaishankar said the Quad members were “working together for a free and open Indo-Pacific” and “that, by itself, is a powerful stabilising factor in an uncertain and volatile world”.
The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said the meeting had discussed regional and global security priorities. He said that included North Korea’s “destabilising and unlawful missile launches” and Russia’s ongoing “ongoing war of aggression” in Ukraine “and of course the conflict in the Middle East, the war in Gaza”.
Blinken said the US was “grateful to our partners” including Australia for the ceasefire proposal that Joe Biden put forward “and we’re working every single day to bring that across the finish line”.
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Guardian Australia nominated for two Kennedy awards
Guardian Australia has been nominated for two prizes at this year’s Kennedy awards.
Lorena Allam, Sarah Collard and Blake Sharp-Wiggins have been nominated in the Indigenous affairs reporting category for their exclusive on the secret burials discovered on the grounds of the Kinchela boys’ home in NSW:
Meanwhile, Allam and Christopher Knaus have been nominated in the outstanding consumer affairs category for their investigation into Centrepay, revealing how it was exposing scores of welfare recipients to financial harm:
The Kennedy awards received a record 1,014 entries this year, up from last year’s record of 720. The winners will be announced on 16 August.
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World’s rules being ‘twisted or broken’, Penny Wong says after Quad meetings
The Australian foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, is speaking alongside her Quad counterparts in Tokyo. She said:
We live in a time where our world and our region is being reshaped. Conflict is risking lives and is costing lives. Extreme weather threatens food and water security, and longstanding rules are being bent and twisted or broken. Countries face coercive trade measures, unsustainable lending, political interference and disinformation. All of these encroach on the ability of every country to exercise its own agency, to contribute to regional balance and, most importantly, to determine its own destiny.
Wong doesn’t name China, but it is clearly front of mind in some of those concerns in her list.
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Searchers find body of man who fell into Brisbane River
The body of a man who fell into the Brisbane River has been located following a search over two days, AAP reports.
Emergency services rushed to the end of Boundary Street at the river, in the city’s south, about 4.40pm yesterday after being told a man fell in.
Witnesses told police the man was struggling in the water before they lost sight of him.
Police and State Emergency Service volunteers searched the river and banks but failed to find the man, calling off the search about 9.30pm.
The search resumed at first light on Monday with the man’s body found several hours into the morning. Police said a report would be prepared for the coroner.
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The Bureau of Meteorology has published its weekly weather update, looking at the cold weather across the country:
Weekly Weather Update: Settled and cold in the east, a cold front approaches the west.
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) July 29, 2024
For the latest forecasts and warnings go to our website https://t.co/4W35o8iFmh or the BOM Weather app.
Video current: 12pm AEST Monday 29 July 2024 pic.twitter.com/MQB6z6SJPO
Chris Bowen calls for Barnaby Joyce to resign after bullet comment
The energy and climate change minister, Chris Bowen, has also called for Barnaby Joyce’s resignation over the comments he made comparing voting to using a bullet while speaking about Labor.
In a post to X, Bowen said:
Language is important. Robust political debate need not include violent and inflammatory imagery and language.
The fact that Mr Joyce thought that such language could be acceptable in any circumstances reflects on his judgment and his character. In an era of violence and tension, it is incumbent on all political leaders to keep their language within civil and non-violent norms.
I haven’t heard from Mr Joyce. In any event, his resignation would be the appropriate course of action.
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Renewable energy body ‘horrified’ by Barnaby Joyce bullet comment
The Smart Energy Council says it is “horrified that the National party’s hatred of renewable energy has morphed into violent language”.
In a statement responding to comments made by Barnaby Joyce at an anti-wind turbine rally at the weekend, the council’s chief executive, John Grimes, said:
There’s no doubt that the Coalition has been weaponising anti-renewable sentiment, but we didn’t think they would go this far.
Renewable energy workers are heroes, they should never be threatened with violent language, and nor should our political leaders or any other members of the community.
Mr Joyce knows full well the political climate he’s operating in, one where disinformation is literally being used to justify assassination attempts.
The Nationals have long been the party for fossil fuel interests, I would bet even their coal and gas donors would be second-guessing their investment here.
Anthony Albanese has called for Joyce to be sacked, while Joyce has apologised for “using that metaphor”.
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Wilkie urges Labor to implement gambling reforms after new report
Early this morning, Amy Remeikis reported on new research from the Australian National University showing that an increasing number of Australians are gambling online and entering “risky” territory.
As AAP reports, Independent MP Andrew Wilkie has said the report came as no surprise:
The accessibility of phones has made it easier for people to gamble from their own lounge room and the proliferation of gambling advertising is enticing people to keep coming back for more. Meanwhile, the federal government has been sitting on their hands while many people suffer from gambling harm.
Wilkie urged the federal government to implement all recommendations from a standing committee report on gambling harm in Australia.
It’s unconscionable that it’s been more than a year since the report was released and the government is yet to implement the recommendations, including a ban on gambling advertising.
Earlier this month, Anthony Albanese said the government was still working through the report’s 31 recommendations.
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East coast cold snap unlikely to be the last this winter, BoM says
As we flagged earlier, parts of Queensland awoke to a very chilly morning today – as well as much of eastern Australia.
As Daisy Dumas reports, the Bureau of Meteorology says a cold front has combined with clear and settled conditions to create the frosty weather and record-breaking lows being felt across the east coast.
From Tasmania to Queensland, minimum temperatures of about 5C below seasonal averages are being observed – and this blast is unlikely to be the last of the winter’s cold snaps.
You can read the full story below:
Half of under-40s expect to help parents in retirement – AMP survey
Half of young Australians believe they will need to support their parents in retirement, a survey by AMP has found.
As AAP reports, young people are reluctant to bring up the topic of intergenerational wealth, with three in five failing to broach the subject with their parents and even fewer explicitly asking for financial help.
At the same time, the survey of 2,000 people found half of young Australians believed they would need to support their parents in retirement. AMP director of retirement Ben Hillier said the findings revealed an interesting dynamic within families:
While many Australians under 40 are concerned about housing unaffordability and its impact on their long-term wealth and retirement, they are reluctant to ask for financial support from their parents, with many actually believing they will need to financially support their parents as they age.
In what is often called the “great wealth transfer”, baby boomers are in the process of handing down an estimated $3.5tr in gifts and inheritance to their children by 2050.
Earlier surveying by AMP suggests Australians over 65 broadly believed their children were facing equal or tougher financial conditions than they did at the same age but were simultaneously worried about their own financial security.
The survey found 40% of under-40s believed home ownership was a main contributor to wealth in retirement.
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More from Penny Wong’s address to the Quad meeting in Tokyo
Many countries in the Indo-Pacific region have previously said they want to avoid being drawn into an intensifying geostrategic contest between the US and China.
In an apparent nod to those concerns, Penny Wong told the Quad meeting in Tokyo:
We have listened, and we heard what our region wants: A region that is peaceful and that is predictable, that is governed by accepted rules and norms, where all of us can cooperate, trade and thrive.
A region where sovereignty is respected and competition is managed responsibly. Where size or power do not determine a country’s fate. Where no country dominates, and no country is dominated. Where we all share in our aspirations – and have choices available to realise those aspirations.
Wong insisted that the Quad was delivering for the region, including in Papua New Guinea, “where our coordinated efforts are helping the people of Enga as they recovered from a catastrophic landslide”.
She added that “peaceful countries” should “work together”.
Wong and her counterparts are expected to face the media in Tokyo in about an hour.
Peace in Indo-Pacific ‘not a given’, Wong tells Quad members at Tokyo summit
Australia’s foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, says peace in the Indo-Pacific is “not a given” and countries must “work together to preserve and strengthen it”.
Wong made the comments at the opening of a summit in Tokyo with her ministerial counterparts from the US, India and Japan. The countries are members of the Quad, an informal grouping that is viewed warily by Beijing, which regards it as an anti-China initiative.
Wong said Australia’s “belief in the strategic necessity of the Quad has only strengthened” over the past couple of years, because “our region and our world are being reshaped”. She told her fellow foreign ministers:
We all understand we face the most confronting circumstances in our region in decades.
Our work through the Quad reflects our collective determination to work more closely than ever with each other and with key partners to shape this period of change together – to shape the sort of region we want to live in.
More than 10 million people watched Nine’s Sunday broadcast of Olympic Games
More than 10 million people watched the Nine Network’s Sunday broadcast of the Olympic Games in Paris across all of Nine Entertainment’s platforms.
The total reach – meaning the people who tuned in to watch for at least one minute – was 10.7 million across Channel 9, 9Gem and 9Now, according to Nine’s TV ratings report.
A total of 13.4 million Australians have tuned into Nine’s broadcast of the Olympic Games so far – half of the country’s population.
The broadcast of day two’s night session, featuring the swimming heats in which Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan and Ariarne Titmus qualified for the semifinals of the women’s 200m freestyle, was the most popular show, with a total TV reach of 5.74 million.
Nine, which paid more than $100m for the broadcasting right to the Paris games, says the opening ceremony reached 2.2 million Australians.
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Victorian opposition wants legislation introduced on licensing scheme for tobacco stores
The Victorian opposition are holding a press conference ahead of parliament returning from winter break tomorrow.
Their spokesperson for consumer affairs, Tim McCurdy, says he hopes the government will be introducing legislation to introduce a licensing scheme for tobacco stores:
I want to talk about the tobacco industry and after the recent fires again last night, we’re now up to 71 firebombings in the last 18 months and that’s just unacceptable.
The premier told us back in March that she would introduce legislation. We’ve seen nothing, we’ve heard nothing, and every week that goes by another tobacco shop is burned … It’s really important that we make sure that the premier stands by her word and introduces that legislation that she claimed she was going to do.
The firebombings are largely part of an ongoing skirmish between organised crime syndicates and shop owners as part of the illicit tobacco trade. Read more below:
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Ita Buttrose says Nine strike on eve of Olympics ‘unwise’
Ita Buttrose also weighed in on the ongoing Nine Network strike for pay, which began last week, and said: “I think the print journalists at Nine have made an unwise decision.” Buttrose told ABC RN:
This is a major investment for the Nine Network for the Olympics. You’ve got not just the advertisers – which Mike Sneesby is doing over there in Paris, it’s part of a game – and you know, these are important times for anyone in the media …
If, as a company, you’ve made a major investment in something like the Olympics, you expect everyone to toe the line, quite frankly.
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Ita Buttrose says getting younger people to switch on the news is a challenge
Earlier in the interview, Ita Buttrose had weighed in on the news habits of younger Australians – and the challenge to engage them with news content. She said:
Younger people – and I hate to say it this way – don’t seem to look to the news the way, say, people of my generation did…
They clearly don’t listen to the news or watch the news in the way I was brought up to do, and so that’s the challenge to all of us that are producing newspapers, radio shows, television shows – how do we make them switch on?
What is it that makes them switch on? Is it Lady Gaga performing at the Olympics, or is it something like Kamala Harris saying to [Benjamin] Netanyahu, it has to stop? I don’t think a lot of younger Australians would even know she said that.
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Ita Buttrose: ‘if the ABC can’t take the criticism, then it should just give up’
Former ABC chair Ita Buttrose says that ABC reporters are “too sensitive about News Corp” and that if they can’t cop criticism, they “should just give up.”
Buttrose spoke with ABC RN earlier this morning about RSV dangers for older Australians, but the conversation quickly turned to her thoughts on the public broadcaster, since finishing her five-year term as chair in March and being replaced by Kim Williams.
Asked by host Patricia Karvelas if the ABC is delivering with regards to objectivity and impartiality, Buttrose said “I think most of it is.”
I think there’ll always be areas where it doesn’t. When I first became chair I said there was an unconscious bias, and I think there is an unconscious bias.
Buttrose argued there is “no harm in presenting both sides for the argument” and “I don’t understand the reluctance of some … of the ABCs interviewers not to do that”.
Karvelas asked if it was concerning when News Corp has targeted ABC journalists in the past, but Buttrose responded: “Quite frankly, I think you’re all too sensitive about News Corp.”
Let them do what they want to do. It doesn’t really matter … If the ABC can’t take the criticism, then it should just give up.
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Watch: Joyce aims ‘bullet’ comment at Labor during anti-wind turbine rally
Here’s a video of the comments made by Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce at the weekend, comparing voting to using a bullet while speaking about Labor:
The prime minister Anthony Albanese has today called for Joyce to be sacked over his comments. Joyce apologised earlier this morning on Sunrise for “using that metaphor”.
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Man accused of stealing army vehicle from barracks
A man who allegedly stole an army vehicle from a Brisbane barracks has been extradited from Victoria, AAP reports.
Xavier Filgate, 26, is accused of entering the Australian defence force’s Gallipoli barracks at Enoggera at 2.25am on 18 July. He allegedly stole an army vehicle and later abandoned it near Tel El Kebir Street in Mitchelton, about 2km away, with graffiti on it.
Investigations led to Queensland officers working with their Victorian counterparts to carry out a search warrant at a Bendigo address where Filgate was taken into custody. He was extradited from Victoria to Brisbane on the weekend.
Filgate was charged with entering a premises and committing an indictable offence, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and wilful damage. Queensland police commissioner Steve Gollschewski told reporters today:
That kind of [alleged] offence is something we’ve taken very seriously. We’re very pleased the investigation has come to this conclusion and someone has been charged.
Filgate was remanded in custody. The matter is next set to appear in Brisbane magistrates court on 7 August.
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Man and teenager to face court following alleged tomahawk robbery
A man and teenager will appear in court following an alleged armed robbery using a tomahawk axe.
Yesterday afternoon a 64-year-old taxi driver was allegedly approached by two men on a red trail bike in Dubbo. Police allege one of the men was armed with a tomahawk and broke one of the vehicle’s windows and hit the taxi driver multiple times on his arm, before driving off with his phone and cash.
Last night officers attended a home in Dubbo and arrested a 22-year-old man and 15-year-old boy. During a search of the property officers allegedly located and seized a mobile phone, a red Honda motorcycle and a tomahawk.
Police will allege in court the items are linked to 13 break and enter incidents at commercial properties in Dubbo since 3 July.
The man was taken to Dubbo police station and charged with a number of offences, including aggravated robbery, breaking and entering, larceny, police pursuit, driving an uninsured vehicle and hindering the execution of a search warrant. He was refused bail to appear in Dubbo local court today.
The boy was charged with an outstanding warrant relating to aggravated breaking and entering, and was given a future service court attendance notice. He was refused bail to appear before a children’s court today.
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Housing Australia selects Scott Langford as new CEO
Housing Australia, the independent national housing authority, has appointed Scott Langford as its new CEO.
Langford is currently Group CEO of St George Community Housing, which manages more than 7,000 dwellings providing homes for 11,500 Australians.
Housing Australia chair, Carol Austin, said Langford is “a proven leader with the skills and experience necessary to take Housing Australia to the next stage of its development and to enable the organisation to play an even greater role in assisting vulnerable Australians to gain access to affordable, safe and secure housing”.
The shadow minister for housing and homelessness, Michael Sukkar, welcomed the news on X and said it was an “excellent appointment”.
Scott was a wonderful source of advice to me when the former Coalition government created Housing Australia in 2018.
Housing Australia will confirm Langford’s formal appointment date in the coming weeks, it said.
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Australian states accumulate record debt
Australian state and territory governments have amassed record cash deficits, raising fears that their growing interest bills will impede public spending, according to ratings agency S&P Global.
The report, released today, projects state and territory debt to hit $600bn by late 2024, which is more than double pre-pandemic levels.
The souring debt position was initially tied to early pandemic stimulus measures, but has been made worse by “softer” budget repair discipline, a ramp up in infrastructure spending and rising project costs.
Part of the expenditure is linked to Australia’s fast-growing population. S&P says:
The states’ record infrastructure plans mean after capital account deficits are among the highest in the world in their peer group. Budget repair discipline has been softer than promised as inflationary pressures hit budgets and households.
The agency notes that resources states Western Australia and Queensland are in a strong position compared to the rest of the nation, given their budgets have benefited from a prolonged period of soaring commodity prices.
Meanwhile, Victoria continues to “pile on debt” while NSW “struggles to narrow its deficits”.
S&P says debt serviceability is manageable, for now, although it could start to impede government capacity for other public spending.
Did you hear the one about the surfer whose leg was bitten off by a shark?
Kai McKenzie, the young surfer who lost his leg after fighting off a three-metre shark, has taken to Instagram to share a joke about the situation.
The 23-year-old was rushed to hospital along with his severed leg when he was attacked at an isolated beach on the NSW mid-north coast on Tuesday.
He was able to fight off the shark and paddle ashore, before being helped by an off-duty police officer, who used his dog’s leash to stem the bleeding.
While McKenzie was critically injured in the attack, he joked about his missing limb in a social media post where he is pictured flanked by supporters around his hospital bed.
Spot something missing?
His leg washed up on the shore and was taken to John Hunter hospital but could not be reattached.
McKenzie previously revealed on social media that he had only returned to the water early in the year after suffering a fractured neck.
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Date set for annual talks between Australia’s foreign and defence ministers with US counterparts
A date has been set for annual high-level talks between Australia’s foreign and defence ministers and their US counterparts.
The US embassy in Canberra said the secretary of state, Antony Blinken, and the defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, would host Australian ministers Penny Wong and Richard Marles for a meeting in Annapolis, Maryland, on 6 August.
This is the 34th iteration of the Australia-US Ministerial Consultations, known as Ausmin (not to be confused with the Aukus security pact between Australia, the US and the UK, although that is sure to be on the agenda.
The previous such Ausmin meeting was held in Brisbane in July last year. At that point the Wikileaks founder Julian Assange had yet to be released and Blinken used the post-meeting press conference in Brisbane to push back at the Australian government’s calls to bring the matter to a close, insisting that Assange was alleged to have “risked very serious harm to our national security”.
Today’s US embassy statement said:
The ministerial and related bilateral meetings will build on the commitments made during the official visit of Prime Minister Albanese to the United States in October 2023 and last year’s Ausmin. Secretary Blinken and Secretary Austin look forward to strengthening our cooperation on the full range of global and regional issues and deepening the US-Australia alliance with their Australian counterparts.
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Dutton must sack Joyce over 'bullet' comments, PM says
Following on from a previous post: Anthony Albanese has called for Barnaby Joyce to be sacked over the comments he made, comparing voting to using a bullet while speaking about Labor.
Speaking to Sky News earlier, Albanese said:
That is completely unacceptable. It is a test for Peter Dutton. Peter Dutton has had four reshuffles, he should have a fifth, and Barnaby Joyce should go.
This is the sort of language which has no place in any part of Australian society, let alone in public life.
Here you have a guy going to a rally, calling for action, using analogies of guns, bullets, magazines and ‘goodbye’ to three members of the government. What does this bloke have to do to lose his job?
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Barnaby Joyce's bullet comments ‘a test’ for Peter Dutton, Albanese says
The prime minister has labelled comments made at the weekend by Barnaby Joyce as “a test” for the opposition leader Peter Dutton.
As reported earlier, Joyce has apologised for comparing voting to using a bullet while speaking at an anti-wind farm rally held in Lake Illawarra at the weekend:
Anthony Albanese said that Dutton should reshuffle his cabinet following the comments:
We have seen some comments today from Barnaby Joyce that are unworthy of any Australian, let alone a senior member of parliament and that’s a test for Peter Dutton. Whether that’s acceptable or whether he has his fifth reshuffle which should occur today as a result of those comments by Barnaby Joyce …
There’s no place for that in Australian politics. We do not want to go down the road … with that intense polarisation and division in this country. We’ll see whether Peter Dutton is up to that test today.
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The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is speaking in Canberra after the swearing-in of his new cabinet ministry.
He has been stating the government’s focus on addressing the cost-of-living crisis:
We understand that so many Australians are doing it tough, that’s why we have delivered a tax cut for every Australian. That’s why we have delivered $300 energy price relief, that’s why we’re very pleased that wages are growing again – unlike the former government that had low wages as a design feature of their economic architecture.
Albanese also spoke on the importance of social cohesion, and said:
I spoke again at the [NSW] state conference on Saturday about the principles that I outlined before the election, about no one left behind, but also no one held back, supporting that aspiration of Australians for a better life and a better future whilst making sure that we look after those people who are vulnerable, whether that be in the NDIS or in aged care or other service delivery as well …
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Mum jailed for forcing daughter to marry her killer
A mother who forced her 20-year-old daughter to marry a man who later murdered her has been jailed, AAP reports.
Sakina Muhammad Jan, 48, did not react as Victorian county court judge Fran Dalziel sentenced her to three years behind bars. She will be released from custody on a recognisance order after 12 months and faces deportation to Afghanistan once released from custody.
Jan forced her daughter Ruqia Haidari to marry Mohammad Ali Halimi in August 2019. He killed his young bride five months later and is serving a life prison term for her murder.
The court was told Jan coerced Haidari into the marriage after the 20-year-old’s first arranged marriage ended in divorce. Haidari was considered “bewa” by the Hazara community, meaning she had lost her value.
Jan arranged the second marriage to try and restore her family’s reputation despite her daughter’s objections, prosecutor Darren Renton SC told the court. A jury in May found Jan guilty of causing a person to enter into a forced marriage.
She is the first person in Australia to be sentenced on the charge after it was criminalised more than a decade ago. Dalziel told Jan she had abused her power as a mother:
While you believed you were acting in [Haidari’s] best interests, you were not in fact doing so.
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Here’s the full story from Amy Remeikis on those comments Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce made at the weekend, comparing voting to using a bullet:
Money stolen through scams on the rise: Scamwatch
According to Scamwatch, $22.7m was stolen through scams from Australians in June – up 7.94% when compared to May 2024.
There's been an increase of money stolen through scams in June 2024 (compared to May 2024). Visit the Scamwatch website to review detailed scam data and find tips and resources to protect yourself and loved ones from scams: https://t.co/wHwTiNOmit pic.twitter.com/kBWeSJtCXO
— NASC Scamwatch (@Scamwatch_gov) July 29, 2024
As Jordyn Beazley reported earlier this year, complaints to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority topped 100,000 for the first time last year, and of those complaints 9,000 were related to scams – nearly double the previous year:
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Glen Turner scholarship extended for another ten years to help environment students
The New South Wales government has extended the Glen Turner scholarship with the University of Newcastle for ten more years, doubling the annual funding to $20k.
The scholarship was founded in 2015 in memory of Turner – a NSW environment officer who was murdered while performing his duties the year prior:
Turner dedicated 14 years to public service and was highly respected and committed to long-term environmental protection and conservation, a statement from the NSW government said.
He studied at the University of Newcastle, and the scholarship assists gifted and disadvantaged students with their studies in environmental conservation. Ten students will benefit from financial assistance over the next decade.
The state’s environment minister Penny Sharpe said:
On this day ten years ago, Glen Turner was tragically murdered simply doing his job. He was doing the work that the government asked him to do and that he believed in - protecting our precious natural environment.
Today, we pause to remember his legacy and service and I know his loss continues to be felt deeply across NSW government agencies.
Has your surgery been cancelled due to the IV fluid shortage?
Robson said the shortages could bring “huge” restrictions on planned care including joint replacements, gall bladder removals and colonoscopies, because they need to guarantee there is enough supply for emergency situations.
If you yourself have been informed your health care might be affected by the IV shortage or know anyone of who has, please get in touch via email: natasha.may@theguardian.com
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Emergency plans drawn in hospitals to manage IV fluid shortage
Emergency plans are being drawn in hospitals around the country today as to how they will manage a shortage of one of the most crucial and widely used medicines, IV fluids, the peak body for doctors says.
On Friday the medicines regulator issued a shortage alert for IV fluids, as the Australian Medical Association’s President, Prof Steve Robson, warned surgeries could be cancelled as soon as this week. He told ABC Radio this morning:
It’s only become apparent in the last couple days of last week just how potentially serious this. Emergency plans are being made around the country and drawn up as we speak. I’m a surgeon and my operating, I’ve actually cancelled this week. I think we’re going to have to wait to see how it plays out but it could have implications just as big as during the Covid shutdowns if it plays out in a worst-case scenario and we have no reason to think it won’t at the moment.
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Here’s a photo of the newly sworn-in Albanese cabinet ministry, following the ceremony at Government House just earlier:
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Sixteen-year-old boy dies in NSW house fire
A teenage boy has died in a house fire in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales.
Emergency services were called to a property in Cessnock about 10pm last night following reports of a house fire. The blaze was extinguished, however the house was extensively damaged.
A 16-year-old boy who was in the property at the time was treated by paramedics, but died at the scene. A report will be prepared for the coroner, and officers have established a crime scene. Investigations remain ongoing.
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Cystic fibrosis medication Trikafta expanded on PBS to cover younger children
Australian children with cystic fibrosis will now have access to cheaper medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
The medication Trikafta will be expanded to include children aged two to five with cystic fibrosis, after it was first expanded to treat children aged six to 11 last year. This is expected to benefit an additional 330 children each year, the government said.
In Australia, a baby is born with cystic fibrosis – an inherited disease where mucus in the lungs becomes thick and sticky, and can cause persistent lung infections, limit the ability to breathe and lead to irreversible lung damage – every four days.
Without subsidy, Trikafta can cost families more than $250,000 each year. But on the PBS they would pay no more than $31.60 per prescription, or $7.70 if they have a concession card.
The health minister, Mark Butler, said that Trikafta is “life-changing” for children with CF and has been “far too expensive for most families to contemplate” in the past. The CEO of Cystic Fibrosis Australia, Jo Armstrong, said the move would allow more children to “live healthier, longer lives.”
It’s not a cure, but it’s a great step in the right direction.
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As we enter day three of the Paris Olympics, our sports team have put together a schedule of all the Australian athletes to watch out for today:
Minns says he supports motion for federal Labor to recognise Palestinian statehood
The New South Wales premier Chris Minns says he was supportive of a motion for the federal government to recognise Palestinian statehood.
The motion was moved and accepted at the NSW Labor conference at the weekend, calling for the government to recognise Palestine as a sovereign and independent state “as a priority”.
Speaking to ABC News Breakfast earlier this morning, Minns said it was a “balanced motion” and “in keeping with the national platform.”
At the end of the day there may not be a ubiquitous response from all Labor members on a complex foreign policy matter, but everyone I have spoken to in the Labor party wants a two-state solution … How we get there is the big question. But that aim, that goal, is what everyone in Australia desperately wants.
Asked if he was supportive of the motion, Minns responded, “yes.” And asked if the federal government should act on this, Minns said “I will leave foreign policy up to the foreign minister and the Albanese government.”
As for whether Labor may lose supporters if they don’t take a tougher stance on this issue, Minns responded: “Look, I don’t think so.”
We can’t run our policy, our deeply held views, simply through the filter of winning and losing votes.
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More Australians gambling at risky levels, according to new study
According to new research, online gambling is on the rise in Australia and more people are gambling at risky levels.
As AAP reports, Australian National University data revealed while gambling levels had remained steady despite a post-pandemic spike in 2023, gambling habits were shifting. Study lead author Aino Suomi said:
Online gambling has exponentially increased, and should now be considered one of the main gambling platforms. The unlimited access to online gambling has the potential to cause real harm if not properly addressed.
The study found while the number of Australians who gamble was similar to 12 months ago – 60.3% compared to 61.3% – the number of individuals gambling at risky levels spiked from 11.6% to 13.6%.
Suomi said “this means a larger proportion of individuals who gamble are experiencing harm.” The ANU study collected data between April 2019 and January 2024, and asked participants about their gambling activity and wellbeing over the past 12 months.
Read more:
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After Senator Malarndirri McCarthy was sworn in as the minister for Indigenous Australians, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, noted:
I would be bold enough to also congratulate Malarndirri for having the most number of guests ever.
A loud applause followed.
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Each minister is now being sworn in by the governor general, Sam Mostyn, swearing an oath to serve the commonwealth in their respective portfolios.
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Swearing in ceremony begins in Canberra following cabinet reshuffle
Labor politicians are assembled at Government House in Canberra for the swearing in of Anthony Albanese’s new cabinet ministry.
In case you missed it, here are all the changes that were announced yesterday as part of the reshuffle:
Tony Burke MP – minister for home affairs; minister for immigration and multicultural affairs; minister for cybersecurity; minister for the arts; and the leader of the House.
Julie Collins MP – minister for agriculture, fisheries and forestry; minister for small business.
Senator Murray Watt – minister for employment and workplace relations.
Clare O’Neil MP – minister for housing; minister for homelessness
Senator Malarndirri McCarthy – minister for Indigenous Australians
Pat Conroy MP – minister for defence industry and capability delivery; minister for international development and the Pacific
Ministry changes:
Andrew Giles MP – minister for skills and training
Senator Jenny McAllister – minister for cities; minister for emergency management.
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Families of officers killed in Wieambilla call for changes to policies to prevent future incidents
Continuing from our last post: Rachel McCrow’s mother Judy acknowledged that the family has not spoken directly to the media before today, and are speaking now “because we don’t want the loss of Rachel and Matthew to be in vain”:
While the terrible void in our lives will never be filled, we hope any reforms put forward by the coroner will prevent a tragedy like this happening again and other families experiencing our heartbreak.
We certainly hope the coronial inquest will be open and transparent to find the truth of what happened in the lead up to and on that horrific day.
Judy said that any change to policing processes, procedures or policies to reduce the likelihood of a similar incident occurring “must be introduced immediately.”
We post this question to authorities: could a national weapons and ammunition register, drones and satellite-based communication strategies reduce the current risk?
Every police officer in Queensland both now and into the future must be protected. They should be secure in the knowledge that everything possible is being done to ensure they make it home after every shift.
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Family of slain police speak to media for first time as Wieambilla inquest begins
The families of slain police constables Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold have spoken to media for the first time, on the first day of a coronial inquest into the Wieambilla massacre.
Outside court, McCrow’s mother Judy spoke through tears about the pain of losing her daughter at just 29 in an attack by three conspiracy theorists on 12 December, 2022. She was joined by members of both officers’ families.
Rachel and Matthew were our gorgeous children who we miss so much. There is no escaping our devastating loss, the all-consuming grief and the tears. Our collective heart remains broken beyond repair.
Judy said that what unfolded in Wieambilla that day “should never have happened.”
No police officer - committed to their job, their colleagues and their community, should die under such horrible, brutal circumstances.
The Queensland state coroner, Terry Ryan, will begin a month-long inquest into the incident today. We’ll bring you more from the family in a moment.
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Brisbane airport records coldest morning in ten years
Brisbane airport has recorded its coldest morning in ten years with an overnight minimum temperature of 2.7C.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, southern and south-east Queensland awoke to a very chilly morning, with temperatures up to 8 degrees below the already-cold July averages.
Amberley was -1.7C overnight, the coldest July morning in four years, while Sunshine Coast airport was 1.6C, its coldest July morning in 17 years.
Dalby was -4.0C overnight, the coldest in the state, and its coldest morning in five years. The Bureau said more chilly mornings are forecast for this week with tomorrow set to be even colder.
🥶 Feeling cold, cold, cold? Temperatures were up to 8 degrees below already cold July averages this morning across southern and #SEQld!
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) July 28, 2024
More very chilly mornings to come this week - tomorrow morning may be even colder. Check your forecast: https://t.co/jD6i6N90SS pic.twitter.com/7H3gbfHI0n
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NSW: man charged after allegedly threatening woman with knife and stabbing family dog
A man has been charged with domestic violence offences after allegedly threatening a woman with a knife and stabbing the family dog, while two children were in the home.
Police were called to a caravan park in Narrabri, in north-west NSW, following reports a 47-year-old woman had been assaulted and threatened with a knife by a man known to her. She was treated by paramedics for minor injuries.
The family dog was located inside with two stab wounds and received treatment. The injuries are not believed to be life threatening.
Two children, aged 12 and 13, who were home at the time were not injured.
A 32-year-old man was arrested on the Kamilaroi x Newell Highway last night and taken to Narrabri police station, where he was charged with a number of domestic violence offences, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm and seriously injuring an animal.
The man was refused bail to appear before Narrabri local court today.
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Australia-first portable bond scheme on the way for NSW
NSW is pushing ahead with an Australia-first portable bond scheme that will allow millions of renters to digitally transfer their bond to their new home, AAP reports.
The state government has said an upgrade of the existing rental bond system will soon get under way, with the work expected to be completed in 2025.
Minister for better regulation and fair trading, Anoulack Chanthivong, said this scheme would be “the first of its kind in the nation.”
The portable rental bonds scheme will allow eligible tenants to digitally transfer their existing bond to their new rental home. Labor says the scheme will give homeowners security, give renters better cashflow and reduce financial stress.
The premier, Chris Minns, said in a statement:
Moving house is one of the most stressful things you can do, not to mention expensive for many renters. The process can leave renters out of pocket, for up to several weeks.
The NSW government’s portable bonds scheme will give cost of living relief to renters moving homes, by making sure they don’t have to set aside extra money while they wait for their bond to be refunded.
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Sussan Ley says Albanese cabinet reshuffle is ‘huge concession’ government is ‘failing to deliver’
Sussan Ley was also questioned about the changes to the Albanese ministry announced yesterday, including Tony Burke taking the immigration portfolio.
She said that when the reshuffle was announced it was “about replacing three retiring ministers” but “now Anthony Albanese has had to change half his team, including Tony Burke.”
That’s a huge concession the government’s failing to deliver, because if there were problems in housing and immigration, why did the prime minister wait to move these ministers on?
She said that the current opposition frontbench is the one that will go to the next election.
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Sussan Ley says Joyce ‘does use colourful language’ over bullet metaphor
Deputy leader of the opposition, Sussan Ley, was also up on ABC RN earlier and was asked to respond to those comments from Barnaby Joyce.
She said it was “not language I would have used”, but said “Barnaby, as we know, does use colourful language.”
I haven’t seen the comments specifically or in their entire context, but when it comes to promoting social cohesion everyone in their language and their words should be lifting the debate to what brings people together, not what pushes people apart, and I think all of us do that.
So by focusing and trying to interrogate individual comments at different times, I don’t think that’s particularly helpful.
Asked if she would condemn his comments, Ley said she was “not going to go that far” but “it’s not language I would have used.”
While Ley was on air, Joyce issued an apology on Sunrise. Ley said this was the “right response, so I think we should leave it there.”
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Labor’s Peter Khalil says Joyce bullet metaphor ‘absolutely unacceptable’
On ABC RN earlier, the incoming special envoy for social cohesion Peter Khalil responded to those comments from Barnaby Joyce and labelled them “quite shocking” and “absolutely unacceptable.”
He’s a democratically elected representative, your obligation [and] responsibility [is] to bring people together, to unite people, not to sow discord and division through this kind of violent rhetoric.
And we’ve seen what’s happened with other jurisdictions in the US, and the polarisation, and what’s going on with the attempted assassination in the US. So it’s highly irresponsible …
We don’t have to use that kind of vile rhetoric. It’s really unnecessary and it’s unacceptable, and it should be called out.
As we mentioned a moment ago, Joyce has since apologised for “using that metaphor”.
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Barnaby Joyce apologises after comparing voting to using a bullet
Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce has apologised for comparing voting to using a bullet while speaking at an anti-wind farm rally held in Lake Illawarra, NSW, at the weekend.
As local media the Illawarra Mercury reported, Joyce told the crowd “your greatest weapon” in opposing the turbines is “to turn up in numbers” in Canberra and Sydney:
And the bullet you have is that little piece of paper, and it goes in that magazine called the voting box, and it’s coming up.
Get ready to load that magazine.
Go, goodbye Chris, goodbye Stephen, goodbye Albo. And when they see that, they’ll let you in their office for a meeting.
He has since apologised for the comments, telling Sunrise: “I apologise for using that metaphor.”
(Political gun violence is front of mind at the moment, given the attack on Donald Trump earlier in the month.)
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Special envoy on Islamophobia to be announced ‘soon’, Khalil says
Peter Khalil was asked why a special envoy on Islamophobia is yet to be announced, following the announcement of a special envoy on antisemitism.
He said you would need to ask the relevant ministers and prime minister, but flagged it would be “announced soon.”
Those envoys that you mentioned are quite different. They are outside of the parliamentary process [and] they are working, obviously, with those communities … around those two issues of antisemitism and Islamophobia, which we’ve seen increasing both over this period…
They’re important roles in engaging with communities … it’s all about trying to bring people together.
Peter Khalil on new role as special envoy on social cohesion
As Anthony Albanese unveiled changes to his cabinet ministry yesterday, he also announced three special envoys.
Peter Khalil will report to the prime minister on social cohesion, NT MP Luke Gosling will report on veterans affairs, defence and northern Australia issues and Andrew Charlton will have responsibilities in the cybersecurity and digital resilience space.
Khalil spoke with ABC RN about the new role just earlier and said that social cohesion is about “different parts of our society sticking together to form a united whole.”
The act of forming that united whole, it really is about the relationships that we have with each other within our city, how we work together, common goals we share, what common ground we have, how that society works effectively …
It’s not just about multiculturalism [and] it’s not just about religious background or ethnicity. It’s much broader than that … We [have] our political beliefs, the intergenerational differences, the socioeconomic differences, and that is really important that we find ways and policies to strengthen our ability to form that united whole society, especially when it’s being threatened with fragmentation through many different challenges that we’re facing.
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Wieambilla shootings inquest to begin today
An inquest into what appeared to be an ambush of Queensland police by three extremist Christian conspiracy theorists will begin today.
In December 2022, Queensland police officers Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold were ambushed and killed by conspiracy theorists Nathaniel, Gareth, and Stacey Train – who also killed their neighbour, Alan Dare.
Police had responded to a missing person search, but Queensland police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, later said the officers “did not stand a chance”, because according to police it appeared to be a prepared ambush by three conspiracy theorists.
An inquest will now examine exactly what happened on that day. It is scheduled to sit from 29 July to 30 August, and there are extensive suppression orders in place.
You can read more on this from Andrew Messenger below:
Search effort to resume this morning for man missing in Brisbane River
A search will resume this morning amid fears a man is missing in the Brisbane River.
Emergency services were called to the Brisbane River, at the end of Boundary Street, yesterday afternoon following reports a man was in distress before a witness lost sight of him.
Police and SES volunteers commenced a search, but have so far failed to locate the man. Search efforts ceased about 9.30pm last night, and were set to resume at 6am today.
Anyone with further information is urged to contact police.
Minns: Labor motion on Palestine proves support for two-state solution
Chris Minns was also asked about the motion that passed at the state conference, calling for the government to recognise Palestine as a sovereign and independent state “as a priority”.
Asked what he makes of this outcome, Minns said he doesn’t think “that there’s a ubiquitous view”:
Other then an acknowledgment from Labor members that this is an extremely complex and emotion driven argument – and obviously, there’s not necessarily common ground either in the Labor party or right across the community – but the motion was carried.
I think that [it’s] been settled for a long time inside the NSW … conference, as well as the federal party, for a two-state solution. And the will of the conference delegates on Saturday was very clear, and that is that we want Palestinians and Israelis living side by side so that we can see an end to the violence and the death has taken place.
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Minns says ‘we’ve got a long way to go’ in NSW towards addressing gendered violence
Chris Minns was asked about a protest to end gendered violence outside the state Labor conference in Sydney yesterday, and asked if he would commit to their demand for trauma-informed training for first responders?
He replied:
Yes, I’ll work with emergency departments, frontline workers, essential workers to make sure that we’ve got the best response to the rising scourge of domestic violence in the state.
They’re right to point out that the prevalence of domestic violence in NSW is greater than other jurisdictions … We’ve got a long way to go and I acknowledge – I do acknowledge, to be frank that we’re behind.
Minns: ‘everyone needs to do more’ on housing
Asked if the federal government needs to do more when it comes to addressing housing issues, NSW premier Chris Minns said that “everyone needs to do more.”
Speaking to the ABC, he said:
This is the massive block on our economic productivity, on our access to skilled labor. I speak to businesses in NSW who will say, in some cases it doesn’t matter what we offer in a pay increase if it’s going to be eaten up almost exclusively in rental charges [or] mortgage costs.
So this is the responsibility of state and federal leaders … We are well behind in this state and we welcome any help from the commonwealth…
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Minns: penalties for no-fault eviction ‘to be determined in legislation’
Under the proposed changes, landlords in New South Wales would face penalties if they terminate a lease for non-genuine reasons. What kind of penalties may they face?
Premier Chris Minns said the specific penalties would be “determined in the legislation.”
We’ve got a mind’s eye as to what they’ll be – broadly what the penalties currently applying in Queensland and Victoria are – but we haven’t released them just yet.
Obviously enough to make sure that people don’t routinely or brazenly break the law, or as a cost of business, excise their tenant from their place in order to pay a nominal fine.
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Minns on decision to end no-ground evictions: ‘something has to change’
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, spoke with ABC Radio earlier this morning on the back of the state Labor conference at the weekend.
One of the more notable announcements was an end to no-ground evictions in the state, with legislation due to be introduced in September. Speaking about this earlier this morning, Minns said “something has to change”:
There’s been a 35% increase in rents in Sydney apartments in two years. We’re losing twice as many young people as we’re gaining every 12 months in New South Wales, you’re seeing a massive exodus of some of our brightest and best to other jurisdictions.
Businesses are hurting, they can’t get skilled labour right across the board, and we’ve been warned by the productivity commissioner that we run the risk of being a city without grandchildren because young people are being locked out.
You can read more about the no-grounds eviction proposal below:
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South Australia topping Australia's economic ladder
More traditionally regarded for the quality of its wine and festivals, South Australia has once again been recognised as an economic powerhouse for its robust jobs market and strong building activity.
As AAP reports, the state topped CommSec’s July state of the states report – which gauges the economic momentum of each region – after ranking first in the previous two quarters.
SA was again followed by Western Australia and Victoria in second and third place, respectively. WA was fast gaining on top spot, leading on relative population growth and home lending metrics.
The report, which judges performance relative to each jurisdiction’s historic benchmark, had the Australian Capital Territory in fourth place. The ACT topped the list in terms of economic growth but was held back in other areas, such as relative unemployment.
Queensland and Tasmania took out fifth and sixth place, respectively, while Australia’s largest economy NSW came in seventh, let down by lower retail spending. CommSec senior economist, Ryan Felsman, said:
Generally speaking, state economies have slowed as consumers respond to higher borrowing costs and price pressures. The future economic path will be dependent on the resilience of the job market and interest rates.
The Northern Territory once again took out last place.
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Welcome
Happy Monday, and welcome back to a new week on the Australia news live blog. I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll be taking you through our rolling coverage today.
The new cabinet ministry will be sworn in today after a number of changes unveiled by the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, yesterday. The reshuffle saw Andrew Giles and Clare O’Neil dumped from their portfolios and Tony Burke appointed to home affairs, among other changes.
The ministry shakeup came after two ministers, Brendan O’Connor and Linda Burney, decided to step down from the front bench ahead of their retirements at the next election. The governor general, Sam Mostyn, will conduct the swearing-in ceremonies today.
Meanwhile, South Australia’s economy has once again been ranked first in CommSec’s state of the states report. As AAP reports, Ryan Felsman, a CommSec senior economist, said SA still had the wood on its rivals in terms of relative unemployment, construction work done and dwelling starts, but WA – in second – had stronger momentum.
Across the country, the economic performance of Australia’s states and territories is being supported by both strong employment and population growth, at a time of higher-than-desired price inflation.
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Let’s get started.
