What we learned; Monday 14 October
It’s time to start winding down our live news coverage for the day. Here’s what’s been keeping us busy:
NSW state MP Alex Greenwich has been urged to restore protections for LGBTQ+ school staff in his equality bill.
A year on from the failed voice referendum, Murray Watt said the government had the “guts” to see the voice proposal through despite the polls, while Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price bemoaned a lack of change on the ground.
NSW may look to other states’ bans on Nazi salutes in a quest to remove any ambiguity in laws around the display of hate symbols in public.
The Australian government has told Israel that targeting of any United Nations staff or facilities in Lebanon must end.
A third executive is to depart Nine Entertainment after a tumultuous year in which allegations of predatory behaviour in newsrooms were aired.
The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, is looking forward to welcoming King Charles to the state later this week.
The MP Peter Khalil’s office was allegedly criminally vandalised overnight. The Labor MP said a substance with an “unbearable stench” had been poured into the premises.
Bruce Lehrmann is unemployable and may only be able to make money from OnlyFans, his lawyer told federal court – but he “had his day in court” and should be denied an appeal against his defamation finding, the court also heard.
And finally, a duo of baby seagulls on Collins Street in Melbourne has given the famed peregrine falcons at nearby 367 Collins a run for their money.
Thank you, as ever, for joining us today. We’ll be back bright and early tomorrow morning.
Updated
Australia tells Israel ‘targeting or intimidation of UN personnel’ in Lebanon is unacceptable
Australian government officials are also understood to have made representations to Israel’s government, both in Canberra and Tel Aviv, calling for the same outcome.
UNIFIL, the UN mission in Lebanon, claimed two Israeli tanks destroyed a gate and forcibly entered a base in the country’s south. Five peacekeepers have been injured since Friday.
A spokesperson for the UN secretary general said overnight that “UNIFIL personnel and its premises must never be targeted. Attacks against peacekeepers are in breach of international law, including international humanitarian law. They may constitute a war crime.”
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in a statement to Guardian Australia, said it was “deeply concerned by the escalation of conflict between Israel, Hizballah and Iran.”
“We condemn Hizballah’s recent drone strikes on Israel. We continue to call for a ceasefire and for all parties to show restraint, de-escalate and comply with UN security council resolutions,” a Dfat spokesperson said.
“We have made clear to Israel that any targeting or intimidation of UN personnel and facilities in Lebanon is unacceptable and must cease.”
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, said on X on Friday:
We reiterate our strong support for the essential role played by UNIFIL in upholding regional peace.
The Australian Defence Force has deployed 12 personnel to the UN Truce Supervision Organisation, whose activities are spread across Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. The government does not comment on how many are in each specific country.
A defence department spokesperson said “all personnel assigned to the Middle East region are safe and accounted for.” They added:
The Australian Defence Force continually revises force protection measures for its personnel deployed across the Middle East region. For operational security reasons, Defence does not comment on the nature of force protection measures.
Updated
