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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Mostafa Rachwani and Emily Wind (earlier)

Melbourne legionnaires’ disease outbreak grows – as it happened

Rex Disability Amanda Rishworth Aurora Australia Peter Malinauskas TWU Discrimination Rex Airlines The Disability Royal Commission
Melbourne ambulance
Vic Health says most of the 40 confirmed cases of legionnaires’ disease have required hospitalisation. Photograph: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

What we learned: Wednesday 31 July

That’s where we’ll leave the blog for today. Here is a recap of the main news:

  • Australia’s inflation rose as expected in the June quarter, to 3.8%, stoking hopes an RBA rate rise can be avoided.

  • The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, warned that inflation was “sticky and stubborn” in his reaction to the CPI figures.

  • The transport minister, Catherine King, said long-term solution needed for regional aviation, not ‘throwing money at the problem.’

  • Meanwhile, Chalmers said there have been “discussions” with Rex regarding a pathway forward for the airline.

  • Sam Freeman, one of the administrators brought in for Rex Airlines, said the decision to stop flights between capital cities was a permanent one.

  • A woman was bitten by a shark on an island off the coast of Western Australia, about 80km west of Geraldton.

  • NSW police have launched an internal investigation after the video of a shark attack, in which 23-year-old Kai McKenzie lost his leg, was reportedly leaked online.

  • The Albanese government will focus on improving job pathways for Australians with disabilities as part of a broad $371m package committed to improving lives after years of harrowing stories emerging from a royal commission.

  • Journalists from the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age, the Australian Financial Review, the Brisbane Times and WAtoday are gathering outside Nine Entertainment’s offices across the country after a five-day strike ended at 11am today.

  • The legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Melbourne saw another rise in cases, with 40 confirmed and 6 suspected cases notified since Friday afternoon, mostly in adults aged over 40.

  • The coalition accused the federal government of delivering a “school funding war” instead of an agreement after it released the document outlining the next 10 years of reform for the education sector.

  • The federal government is promising to change the law to force banks to compensate Australian customers who are tricked into transferring money to scammers, accusing them of doing too little to prevent people from being duped out of more than $2bn every year.

  • The aurora australis was observed in southern areas of the country overnight, including parts of Tasmania and Melbourne.

  • Australians are being urged to get regular tests for sexually transmitted infections amid warnings of a significant rise in cases across the country from the peak body for pathologists.

  • A number of weather warnings were issued for the New South Wales coast today, as a low pressure system in the southern Tasman Sea is generating large swells.

  • Indigenous artefacts held in a Canadian museum will return to Queensland communities in a historic move towards healing.

Updated

UBS ditches RBA August rate rise call in wake of inflation figures

In case you missed it earlier, the June quarter inflation figures were much as the Reserve Bank (and economists) expected, landing at 3.8% compared with a year earlier.

Investors who had dough on the line responded by slicing the value of the Australian dollar by about half a US cent to under 65 US cents. They were betting that the RBA wouldn’t lift its cash rate next month (and so the dollar was less attractive to hold).

Similarly, stocks jumped on anticipation that company earnings won’t be slugged with higher borrowing costs. The inflation figures weren’t the only bits of news around, but much of the day’s 1.75% jump in the ASX 200 share index reflected the inflation outcome.

Interestingly, all of the big four banks saw their shares rise, including about 2.5% for Westpac, while CBA reached a record close at $137.49 (up 1.1% for the day). Debt arrears and bankruptcies are typically made worse by interest rate rises, so all the better if there aren’t any more.

None of the big four banks expect another RBA rate rise but predictions for the timing of the first cut range from November (Westpac and CBA) to February (ANZ) and May (NAB). We’ll see if that changes after Tuesday’s RBA board decision.

Investment bank UBS had been among the hawks, predicting an August RBA rate rise. After today’s CPI figures, though, they’ve ditched that call. They are among the more pessimistic, though, when it comes to the timing of a rate. UBS doesn’t expect that to come until August 2025.

Updated

Allegra Spender says government should ‘look harder’ at levers to ease cost of living

Independent MP Allegra Spender has told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing that the government should “look harder at the levers it has” to ease the cost of living:

I think this is a really tough time. I was out in the community yesterday talking to businesses across Wentworth and the cost of everything going up was on their minds.

I think the government needs to look harder at the levers it has.

Housing is one area where costs are going up and the federal government has more levers here, partly to give strong incentives to states to act on housing, but partly to do things like rein in its own ill-disciplined infrastructure spending because the government is spending $97bn … over the next 10 years and construction costs across the board [are] going up because of this push.

You cannot build everything at the same time.

Updated

Disability organisations blast ‘deeply disappointing’ joint government response to royal commission

The long-awaited joint federal, state and territory response to the disability royal commission was “deeply disappointing” and “fails to respond to the scale of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability”, representative organisations have said.

In a statement this afternoon, 12 major national disability representative and advocacy organisations, including People with Disability Australia and Disability Advocacy Network Australia, said the royal commission had been “a once-in-a-lifetime examination of the scale of violence so many people with disability experience and deserves and demands a response of the same scale”.

In the government response, key recommendations from the commission about preventing that violence and exploitation – including national coordination, reform of disability service providers, changes to the law, increased access to support and leadership of people with disability in driving these changes – had not been adequately addressed, they said.

The statement continued:

There is little concrete commitment or funding for any of these areas.

... One of the most important reforms that is needed to safeguard people with disability against violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation is the establishment of a federal Human Rights Act, which our organisations support. Disappointingly, this recommendation has not been fully accepted.

Separately, former NDIS board member and chief executive of disability services provider Aruma Martin Laverty said he was not surprised the federal government decided not to back most recommendations:

Putting off decisions such as disability group homes and supported disability employment reflects how hard it’s become for governments to agree and implement disability reform. The sector united fifteen years ago on the NDIS. Federal-state government infighting, disability sector divisions and ballooning NDIS costs has stalled appetite for reform, and made the case for additional dollars too hard to fund. Governments and the sector need to regroup, or disability reform improvements will remain out of reach.

Updated

Melbourne legionnaires outbreak rises to 40 cases

The legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Melbourne has seen another rise in cases, with 40 confirmed and 6 suspected cases notified since Friday afternoon, mostly in adults aged over 40.

VicHealth said in a statement this afternoon that most cases have required hospitalisation, with multiple admissions to intensive care for severe community acquired pneumonia.

All of the cases come from people who reside in or have visited Melbourne, with adults aged over 40 most at risk, especially people with other medical conditions or immune compromise, or who smoke.

Legionnaires’ disease can cause a chest infection with symptoms of fever, chills, cough, headache and muscle aches and pains. Other atypical symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and confusion.

VicHealth said investigations into the source of the outbreak continue:

Investigations are under way to identify the source of the outbreak through testing of local cooling towers and other potential sources. Test results indicate that the outbreak is caused by Legionella pneumophilia serogroup 1, which can be detected through a legionella urinary antigen test.

Updated

NSW students in years 7-10 to learn how to navigate consent in sex education overhaul

Australia’s largest school system will get its biggest sex education overhaul in decades with all students learning how to seek and give consent in intimate relationships.

For the first time, children in years 7-10 in NSW will learn how to navigate relations with sexual partners under mandatory curriculum changes.

Students as young as 12 will learn the “skills and strategies to gain, give or deny consent” under the new physical development, health and physical education (PDHPE) syllabus, released on Wednesday.

Under the previous curriculum, consent was an optional example of a topic teachers could discuss at their discretion.

The education minister, Prue Car, said the topic would become an essential component of courses to be rolled out across all NSW classrooms by 2027.

“For the first time ever, there will be beefed up content and knowledge on affirmative consent,” she told reporters.

When asked whether religious schools would be on board with the latest syllabus, Ms Car responded: “This is the curriculum and this is what we need taught in our schools.”

Age-appropriate lessons will teach that consent is “freely given, reversible, informed and specific” with communication strategies to focus on “respecting people’s choices, personal boundaries and affirmative consent”, the government said.

Respectful relationships will also form a major part of material with extra lessons on how to recognise signs of coercive control, manipulation and controlling behaviours in relationships.

Sex education will adopt the legal definition of consent, including that it “must be actively communicated by words or actions by both parties” and can be revoked at any time.

It will also dictate that there can be no consent if the person is unconscious, asleep or affected by drugs and alcohol.

– AAP

Updated

Opposition says Labor and Chalmers unable to tame ‘Labor’s homegrown inflation’

The deputy opposition leader, Sussan Ley, and opposition treasury spokesperson, Angus Taylor, were speaking to reporters earlier this afternoon and responding to the release of CPI figures earlier.

Taylor said the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, was “out of his depth” in his battle against inflation, calling it “Labor’s homegrown inflation”:

We see that headline inflation is up, core inflation is stuck around 4%, well above target, and in particular, it’s very clear this is homegrown inflation.

This is Labor’s homegrown inflation, inflicting pain on every Australian household. Non-tradable inflation – that’s domestic inflation – is running at 5% and tradable at only 1.5%.

It’s very clear here that this is Labor’s homegrown inflation. It’s important to note that this inflation is above the forecast in particular of Treasury, well above the Treasury headline forecast, which the treasurer was crowing about some time back.

The truth of the matter is that this is a treasurer who’s out of touch and out of his depth when it comes to beating inflation in this country.

This is Labor’s failure to tame the inflation which is inflicting so much pain on Australians.

Updated

Qantas to help Rex passengers rebook flights, transport minister says

The transport minister, Catherine King, told reporters earlier today the government would “work very closely with administrators” and that Rex’s continued operation is in “the best interest of regional Australians”.

She said she had also spoken with the CEO of Qantas in a bid to support passengers affected by Rex entering voluntary administration yesterday:

This morning I have also spoken to Vanessa Hudson, the CEO of Qantas. They are also offering passengers impacted by these events the ability to rebook on their services at no additional cost where seats are available on those intercity routes.

In terms of Rex’s regional fleet, these flights are continuing to operate as scheduled and that is a relief, I know, for many in regional communities, given the importance of those routes.

Rex’s continuation is in the best interest of regional Australians, the travelling public, its workers, and the aviation sector more broadly.

The government will work very closely with the administrators to ensure a strong regional aviation presence in the future.

My department has already met with the administrators today and will continue to engage with those, the administrators are also briefing state and territory governments today and my department will do the same through transport portfolios as well.

The government will act expeditiously but we will also be acting carefully in this space.

It is a complex situation with multiple commercial arrangements in place but we do stand ready to work very closely with the administrators because that regional presence is absolutely vital.

Updated

Northern Territory signs public school funding deal with commonwealth

The education minister, Jason Clare, says today is a “landmark day” as the Northern Territory becomes the first jurisdiction to sign a bilateral agreement to reach full funding with the commonwealth.

Speaking in the NT, Clare said the agreement would double the investment the federal government made in the territory’s public schools, seeing it reach full funding by 2029.

Under current settings, Northern Territory public schools weren’t expected to receive their full funding until the middle of the century. This fixes that and brings it forward by more than 20 years.

The NT chief minister, Eva Lawler, said students in public schools were going to be, on average, $33,000 better off.

This funding boost means more resources where they are needed, including extra teachers, better infrastructure and additional support to students who need it most.

The NT is the only jurisdiction to be offered 40% funding towards public schools due to its additional need, with Clare proposing to increase funding for remaining states and territories by 2.5% to 22.5%.

Updated

Coalition claims Labor education reforms a ‘school funding war’

The Coalition has accused the federal government of delivering a “school funding war” instead of an agreement after it released the document outlining the next 10 years of reform for the education sector.

The agreement released today has been backed by the Northern Territory and Western Australia, while the remaining states and territories, which will have until September to sign it, have been calling on the commonwealth to increase its funding share by 5%.

The federal education minister, Jason Clare, has put 2.5% on the table.

The shadow education minister, Sarah Henderson, says while the draft agreement proposes a number of important reforms, including evidence-based teaching, screening tests and improved targets, it is light on specifics.

Jason Clare is embroiled in a full-blown school funding war and has botched the opportunity to deliver the national reforms every child needs to reach his or her best potential.

The Greens spokesperson on primary and secondary education, Senator Penny Allman-Payne, says the agreement locks in public school underfunding for a decade and fails to provide a coherent roadmap.

The education minister is waving the mission accomplished flag while teachers are fleeing the system, student disengagement and school can’t/school refusal is rising and cashed-up private schools draw more and more kids out of the public system.

Updated

Industry calls for $3bn fund to clean dirty big trucks

Australia’s heavy-duty transport industry is calling for a $3bn national fund to invest in low-emission vehicles and ensure drivers can keep on trucking in a net-zero era, AAP reports.

The National Road Transport Association has revealed its proposal, arguing a Clean Transport Fund would be needed to help businesses of all sizes invest in electric vehicles, install charging infrastructure and investigate hydrogen-fuelled options.

The group’s suggestion comes in the latest submission to the federal government’s Transport and Infrastructure Net Zero Consultation Roadmap, which closes to submissions next week.

It also comes one week after a government inquiry was told Australia’s move to low-emission transport could be delayed by the price of electric trucks, even though drivers and residents preferred them.

The National Road Transport Association chief executive, Warren Clark, said current plans to cut transport emissions fell short of supporting the trucking industry despite the nation’s reliance on freight:

Australia’s roadmap to net zero is not on track, risking our climate targets and pushing the industry into crisis. A $3bn Clean Transport Fund is a reasonable request considering the significant public benefits such as lower emissions and health costs.

Updated

Good afternoon, Mostafa Rachwani with you to take you through the rest of the day’s news.

Many thanks for joining me on the blog today, Mostafa Rachwani will now take the reins and bring you the rest of our rolling coverage. Take care!

Updated

Shadow treasurer says Australians ‘losing hope’ amid latest inflation figures

The shadow treasurer, Angus Taylor, spoke with the media earlier this afternoon after the latest consumer pride index figures were released for June.

As Peter Hannam reports, inflation rose to 3.8% amid hopes the Reserve Bank would hold off hiking interest rates again:

Taylor described the figures as “a terrible set of numbers for Australian households”.

In these numbers we see headline inflation is up, core inflation is stuck around 4% – well above target – and in particular it’s very clear this is homegrown inflation …

Australians are losing hope, they are increasingly demoralised, they cannot see a pathway back to the restoration of their standard of living … There appears to be no pathway back and it’s understandable so many Australians are losing hope …

Taylor said food prices were up 11.3% in the last two years, housing up 14.6%, rent up 14.9% and electricity up 21.6%.

Updated

Bushwalker’s body recovered after fall on ‘mecca’ hike

The body of a New Zealand man who died on a “mecca for hikers” trek in rugged south-west Tasmania has been recovered, AAP reports.

The 27-year-old, who was living in Melbourne, set off on the 72km Eastern Arthur Range Traverse on 16 July. He planned to complete the six-to-nine-day walk on 20-21 July, but was reported missing by a friend after not making contact.

Search crews discovered the man’s body last Wednesday near the 1,224-metre-high Federation Peak. It is believed he fell from a “significant” height.

Tasmania police have said his body was recovered by a helicopter and winch team on Monday:

Due to the challenging terrain and weather conditions the retrieval was not possible until this time. Police would like to thank all parties involved for their assistance in relation to this challenging recovery. Our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time, and we thank them for their patience and understanding.

Updated

Melburnians still feeling the chill

We mentioned earlier that today may end up being Melbourne’s coldest day of the year so far.

As at 2.30pm, the temperature in the capital city was 8.6C – cracking the 8C mark in the last half hour.

Melbourne did not hit 7C until after midday today, and the lowest maximum temperature of the year so far was 10.1C on 13 June.

Yesterday’s maximum temperature for the day was recorded at about 2.30pm, so we’ll keep an eye on how the temperature may change this afternoon.

Updated

The Bureau of Meteorology is warning of a strong cold front, bringing heavy rain and damaging winds to Western Australia:

Indigenous artefacts to return home to Queensland from Canadian museum

Indigenous artefacts held in a Canadian museum will return to Queensland communities in a historic move towards healing, AAP reports.

The state government reached an agreement with the Museum of Vancouver to begin the process of repatriating Indigenous items to the Queensland Museum.

There are between six and 12 items to be returned, including animal skins, message sticks, woomeras, a rainforest sword, fighting and throwing clubs and secret and sacred objects.

After the items arrive back in Australia, they will be cared for by the Queensland Museum for a short period before being returned to communities. The treaty minister, Leeanne Enoch, told budget estimates today:

The repatriation of ancestral remains, secret sacred objects and significant cultural heritage to country, community is a basic human right and a crucial healing and reconciliation journey of Queensland.

Several other international museums are also in talks with the Queensland government to return sacred items including London’s Natural History Museum and the Ethnological Museum of Berlin.

Enoch said the Sheffield Museum in the UK had proactively reached out to begin the repatriation process.

The Queensland Museum cares for 1,394 ancestral remains and secret sacred objects.

Updated

Australia should ratify UN charter for people with disabilities, advocate says

The president of People with Disability Australia, Marayke Jonkers, also spoke to the media from Brisbane after the government responded to the disability royal commission this morning.

Jonkers called for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to be implemented, either through a disability rights act or human rights act.

We realise there is some debate about that, but the end result of making sure that there is recourse for disabled people when there is neglect, abuse are not being included in society is pivotal to … moving forwards.

At a press conference earlier today, the social services minister, Amanda Rishworth, took questions on this and noted the debate about whether a disability or human rights act was preferred. You can read about this earlier in the blog here.

Updated

Disability groups react to government’s response to royal commission

The leaders of Australia’s disability representative organisations have been speaking to the media from Brisbane, after the government handed down its response to the disability royal commission earlier this morning:

The CEO of Down Syndrome Australia, Darryl Steff, noted that the government accepted 13 recommendations in full and committed to a further 117 – but said “there is very little detail about how the commitment will work”.

Pointing to a few specific areas, Steff said it was “disappointing” the government had not committed to ending segregation in education.

The importance of ending segregated education is reflected in how that flows through to the employment. The disability royal commission heard that it is very rare for people who are in segregated education to end up in full open employment. Therefore, reform is needed.

He also expressed disappointment that the government did not commit to ending low wages for those with disability:

It is still allowed to pay people with disability in segregated employment as low as $4 an hour. Nobody in Australia would think that is acceptable and we call on the government to end that immediately.

Updated

Person rushed to hospital after incident at wave pool

A person has been rushed to hospital after being found in the water at a wave pool in Sydney.

A NSW ambulance spokesperson said it was called to reports of a person found in the water at about noon. Paramedics treated the person at the scene and then transported them to Concord hospital.

No further details about their condition was available.

The Daily Telegraph reported that the incident took place at URBNSURF wave park at Sydney Olympic Park.

Updated

What compensation will banks owe to scam victims under proposed code?

At the National Press Club, Stephen Jones has been quizzed about what compensation a bank may owe to its customers if they have been scammed.

Asked what a bank would have to do to be liable, or to pay a victim back, he responds:

If a customer has reported that they see transactions on their account and they want their account frozen and the bank doesn’t do that, and transactions continue to occur on their account, that would be a clear example … of where something has gone wrong.

Jones says banks would have an obligation to report suspicious activity to the scam centre, under the proposed code.

I want to be very clear on this: nobody gets a free pass here … I just think we won’t get the best result if we take the lazy approach and just say, ignore the rails on which all of these scams are occurring.

Ignore the means by which they are being sent to your mobile phone, ignore the means by which they are popping up on your screen, through a platform or digital device, ignore all of that – let’s just focus on the payment at the end. That’s not a prevention approach … that’s an approach that says ‘patch it up after it’s all gone wrong’.

Updated

Greens urge government to address ‘ballooning’ student debt amid warning some are being forced to quit studies

The deputy leader of the Greens, Mehreen Faruqi, has urged the federal government to address “ballooning” student debt.

This comes as the new vice-chancellor of Western Sydney University, Prof George Williams, has warned that students are being forced to quit their studies due to soaring costs.

Faruqi said in a statement that she was “not surprised” students were dropping out of their studies because “everyone knows ballooning student debt is making students rethink university”.

Labor is refusing to urgently scrap the disgraceful, punitive fee hikes of the Coalition’s job-ready graduates package which is making the student debt crisis much worse.

[Education] minister [Jason] Clare has been in office for two years, what is he waiting for?

The burden of unsustainable, growing student debts is enormous, from locking young people out of the housing market to crushing dreams of further study and stopping people from starting a family.

Faruqi said Labor’s student debt relief policy was “laughable” and would still mean student debts rising by 11.5% in their first term of government, and arts degrees costing more than $50,000.

Updated

Jones fears scammers will use AI-deepfakes to impersonate loved ones

Back to the National Press Club: the assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones, has been talking about the need to combat AI-deepfakes before they are used to scam people.

He says:

We are developing the legislation right now [around deepfakes], hoping we are able to get it into parliament as soon as possible – it is a priority of the prime minister. It will be a game changer …

The threat will evolve as technology changes. Artificial intelligence … it brings lots of benefits – I don’t talk about it in dystopian terms either – but we know already that it is then used to create deepfakes of celebrities promoting investment scams. Can you imagine the danger that will follow when they start to impersonate you or your loved ones?

Updated

Is it Melbourne’s coldest day of the year?

My Victorian colleagues have reliably informed me that it is very cold in Melbourne today!

The capital city was yet to crack 7C by 12pm, and is currently sitting at around 7.6C, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

The lowest maximum temperature of the year so far was 10.1C on 13 June – so the city hasn’t had a single-digit maximum yet.

Yesterday’s maximum temperature was reached at about 2.30pm, so there’s still a few hours for things to warm up – we’ll be keeping an eye on it.

Updated

Scammers set up fake online funeral for late Labor MP and charged attenders, Jones says

Back at the National Press Club in Canberra, where the assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones, has been speaking.

Jones has been detailing the extent to which scams have been growing in Australia – and how methods are becoming more insidious.

He says that scammers are preying on people’s natural instincts, including the desire to love and be loved, with around $5.7m lost to dating and romance scams in the first quarter of this year alone.

Jones then shares a personal story from the funeral of the late Labor MP Peta Murphy earlier this year:

There was a big funeral, a lot of people could not get there, so the answer … was establishing a video connection into the funeral. Scammers set up on a Facebook page, a fake attendance into the funeral and were charging people to attend. That’s an insight into the morality of the people we are dealing with.

[It angers me] that people can be taken advantage of in a moment of vulnerability. I’m sure you all feel the same. Australians, however, don’t want the government just to do nothing, they want us to turn that anger into action.

Murphy, 50, died from breast cancer late last year. As the member for Dunkley, she was remembered for the landmark Murphy report which recommended a phased, comprehensive ban on online gambling advertising within three years.

Updated

Weather warnings along NSW coast amid large swells and strong wind

There are a number of weather warnings in place for the New South Wales coast today, as a low pressure system in the southern Tasman Sea is generating large swells.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, very heavy surf is possible along almost the entire coast of NSW today and tomorrow morning – which could lead to localised damage and coastal erosion.

Damaging surf conditions are expected to gradually ease from the south during this afternoon, the BoM said, with conditions easing by tomorrow morning.

Hazardous surf warnings are in place for the Byron, Coffs, Macquarie, Hunter, Sydney, Illawarra, Batemans and Eden coasts.

A marine wind warning is also in place for much of the coast.

Dallas Kilponen, a freelance photographer, has captured this photo of a giant set wave at Maroubra in Sydney’s eastern suburbs this morning:

Updated

Social media summit to reveal evidence for teen ban bid

The evidence supporting the South Australian government’s move to ban social media accounts for young teenagers will be detailed at a joint summit in Sydney and Adelaide in October, AAP reports.

Responding to mounting concern about the adverse impact of social media on children, the South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, appointed a former high court chief justice in May to examine how his government could effectively impose a social media ban on teenagers under 14.

Since then, premiers of NSW, Queensland and Victoria have also declared support for restricting children’s access to social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

Today, Malinauskas and the NSW premier, Chris Minns, said their joint summit would bring together senior officials, policymakers and academics, as well as representatives of leading social media platforms and digital technologies.

Minns has said he wants to increase the minimum age of social media users to 16.

The NSW government will host the first day of the summit at the ICC Sydney on 10 October, with the SA government hosting the second day in Adelaide on 11 October.

It will inform policies and explore themes including formulating a public health response, addressing social media harms in schools, understanding the role of social media in identity, belonging and worldviews, and unpacking links between extremism, misogyny and social media.

Updated

Union calls for government to cover staff entitlements of Rex employees

The United Services Union is calling for the federal government to step in and cover staff entitlements of Rex workers.

In a statement, the union said Rex workers had been told they would miss out on legal entitlements by administrators, despite the airline continuing to trade.

The union’s general secretary, Graeme Kelly, said that as late as the weekend, staff were working overtime and on RDOs “when Rex bosses must have known they fully intended to sack them”.

Rex management could have been in contact with us months ago and brought us into discussions, but instead they chose to wait until the airline goes belly up and there is nothing we could do to help.

And on top of that they’ve left no money to pay their workers, the union is ropable about this.

The Albanese government needs to step in and make sure these workers are looked after. The union will now be working with the administrator to try to ensure our members’ entitlements are protected and to save as many jobs as possible.

Updated

Assistant treasurer speaks about the rise in scams

The assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones, has just begun speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra about the rise in scams.

We’ll bring you the highlights from his speech, but in the meantime, our political editor Karen Middleton brought us the key takeaways earlier this morning:

Updated

Australians urged to test for STIs amid significant rise in cases

Australians are being urged to get regular tests for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) amid warnings of a significant rise in cases across the country from the peak body for pathologists.

The Royal College of Pathologists – specialist doctors trained in laboratory techniques used to test for disease – said gonorrhoea cases have risen nearly 20% from 2022 to 2023, while syphilis diagnoses have tripled over the past 10 years.

Despite a concerning rise in cases of gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV, “we are not seeing a corresponding increase in testing rates,” the college spokesperson and medical director of Southern IML Pathology, Associate Prof Caitlin Keighley, said.

This includes older adults who may not be forthcoming about changes in their sexual practices. Low testing levels mean that infections can go undiagnosed and untreated, leading to severe health complications and further transmission.

This leaves many individuals unknowingly at risk and is particularly concerning for pregnant women, where untreated STIs can result in congenital infections with devastating outcomes. Regular testing is crucial to early detection, effective treatment, and preventing the spread of these infections.

The college emphasises increased testing is essential for gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV to detect infections early, initiate appropriate treatment, and prevent the spread of STIs.

They emphasise gonorrhoea has emerged as a leading cause of antibiotic-resistant infections, which complicates treatment and thereby makes early detection especially important for its management.

Updated

Treasurer speaks to media after release of CPI figures

The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is speaking to the media after the release of June’s consumer price index figures.

Asked if he expects the RBA to make a cut before the end of the year, he responds:

I don’t pre-empt decisions made by the Reserve Bank. They will consider these numbers today – but not just these numbers, they will consider the broader conditions in the economy as well.

Headline inflation is precisely what the Reserve Bank forecast up to the June quarter – underlying inflation is moderating. They will weigh all that up along with the weakness that we have seen in the economy, the softening around the edges of the labour market …

I am not in the business of giving free advice to the independent Reserve Bank, my job is to manage the budget responsibly along with my colleagues in the cabinet and in the government to deliver those big surpluses – which the Reserve Bank governor has herself said is helping in that fight against inflation – but also to roll out this cost-of-living relief in a way that makes a meaningful difference in household budgets, but also puts downward pressure on prices in a way that the ABS has confirmed today is effective.

Updated

Inflation data points to higher rents with food prices still hurting households

While the markets were pretty emphatic about what the inflation numbers mean – another RBA rate rise is less likely after today’s data – there’s a literal shopping list of reasons why households might still be doing it tough.

Fruit and veg prices were up 6.3%, the most in a quarter since 2016, the ABS’s Michelle Marquardt said. Grapes, strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes and capsicums were among products facing “unfavourable growing conditions”.

Housing, too, was higher thanks to a 2% rise in rents for the quarter amid low vacancy rates just about everywhere. That compared with a 2.1% rental increase in the March quarter, with rents up 7.3% from a year earlier. If you were in the market for a new home, by contrast, the annual increase was 5.1%.

Energy rebates helped curb price increases, but electricity prices were still 6% higher than a year earlier. Without the government handouts, the increase would have been 14.6%.

Anyway, the relief will be that overall inflation wasn’t higher. Krishna Bhimavarapu, the APAC economist at State Street Global Advisors, said:

The data reiterates our view that the interest rates are restrictive enough in Australia, and the next move by the RBA could very likely be a cut in November 2024. We think a rate hike at this stage is less likely and could tip the economy into a deeper downturn.

A November rate cut was the tip by CBA and Westpac too, while NAB and ANZ had predicted the first cut won’t come until next year. Let’s see how those forecasts go.

Updated

Chalmers warns inflation is 'sticky and stubborn'

The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has reacted to the June CPI figures by reiterating that inflation is “sticky and stubborn”.

Taking to X to respond to the figures, Chalmers said the figures were “broadly in line” with expectations and that underlying inflation remained “moderate”:

Today’s figures show that inflation is broadly in line with the RBA’s forecasts and that underlying inflation is continuing to moderate, which tells us the general direction of price pressures is downwards.

Inflation is still sticky and stubborn across our economy, and more persistent than we would like, but the June quarter is the sixth consecutive quarter of lower annual trimmed mean inflation in Australia.

Updated

Just 39% of funding for public health and prevention projects actually went to this area, study finds

Just 39% of government research funding allocated for public health and prevention projects actually went towards this type of research, a study co-led by the Public Health Association of Australia has found.

Of $238.8m in funding granted by the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) to The Preventive and Public Health Research Initiative, $89.9m went to non-public health research, compared to $92.9m that went to public health.

A further $55.9m was for projects where insufficient information was available to enable categorisation of the type of research being undertaken.

Researchers say that the findings, published today in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, show that public health and prevention research is taking a back seat to clinical cures and treatment, placing increasing pressure on the health system.

The paper co-author Associate Prof Leanne Coombe, from the University of Queensland, said:

One of the most ironic and concerning findings related to project funding granted through the MRFF’s specific ‘Preventive and Public Health Research’ Initiative. Counterintuitively, less than half of the research projects funded under this Initiative were actually public health-focused.

This translates to less than 40c in every $1 spent in this Initiative truly going to public health and prevention.

The MRFF has 22 funded initiatives. Overall, the study found that only 57% of the 249 projects and around half of the funding granted through the six public health-related initiatives included in the study was for genuine public health research.

Updated

‘The O word’: PM debates who can and cannot say ‘Olympics’ on breakfast radio

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, made a surprise appearance on the Kyle and Jackie O show earlier this morning, where an interesting conversation about who can and cannot say the word “Olympics” ensued.

Here’s how it unfolded:

Albanese: How are you enjoying the Olympics?

Jackie O: Oh, you’re not allowed to say that word. You’re gonna get censored.

Albanese: I am allowed to say that word!

Cooper Johns: You just told the prime minister he can’t say the ‘O’ word.

Jackie O: Well, I don’t know, honestly. Like, we’re not allowed to say the ‘O’ word. It is the weirdest thing. We get legal letters because of rights. And so we have to refer to it as the Games. Are you pardoning us?

Albanese: They can get over themselves. Australians are allowed to talk about the Olympics and the Paralympics, which are coming up.

Jackie O: Thank you!

Albanese: It’s an important thing and no one owns it. The whole of Australia owns our Australian team. Another gold medal for the Aussies is fantastic.

Updated

More on the consumer price index for June

Financial markets assessed the chance of another rate rise as unlikely, sending the Australian dollar diving about 0.4 US cents to 64.9 US cents immediately after the release.

The stock market also perked up about half a percentage point, building on morning gains, to be almost 1.1% higher for the day.

For the quarter on quarter figures, CPI rose 1%, in line with both the March quarter and market expectations.

Adding to the confidence that the RBA won’t have to raise the cash rate again was core inflation. The trimmed mean measure, as it is known, eased to 0.8% for the quarter and 3.9% at an annual pace. A modest decline from 1% and 4% in the March quarter but heading in the direction the RBA wants it to move.

Australia’s inflation rose as expected in the June quarter, stoking hopes an RBA rate rise can be avoided

Australia’s borrowers have a nervous week ahead after June quarter inflation quickened but largely as the Reserve Bank had expected, giving the central bank confidence it won’t need to hike interest rates again to curb price rises.

The consumer price index rose to 3.8% in the June quarter from a year earlier, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has just said. That result compared with economists’ forecast of 3.8% and the March quarter rate of 3.6%.

Taking questions from reporters, Jeff Browne comments on the culture at the football club:

We opened ourselves up for external investigation and those findings were part of the Do Better report. We took them seriously and when I came in as president, I committed to prosecuting and implementing all 18 recommendations and we did that.

Racism and discrimination is a fight that goes on day by day and it never ends. It is something we are conscious of here. The culture in this place – as a result of adopting the recommendations of the Do Better report – have vastly improved, and it is a culture where people feel safe, people of diverse backgrounds feel safe and they feel safe to make complaints if they choose.

It is put to him that an Indigenous person has come forward and said they were subject to racial slurs while an employee. Browne responds: “That is the allegation.”

That is an allegation. One of the great things about democracies [is] you can make whatever allegations you like. I urge you to wait and see how the proceedings play out.

Updated

Collingwood president speaks to media after allegations of racial discrimination at club

The Collingwood president, Jeff Browne, is speaking to the media after allegations of racial discrimination at the football club.

He says an external expert in workplace relations delivered a report to him, finding there was no illegal conduct identified in the complaint.

Following that, the complainant lodged an application in the Fair Work Commission and there was a mediation, and the mediation was unsuccessful in resolving the matter, and as a consequence of that the complainant has now issued proceedings in the federal court.

We intend to defend those proceedings and see those through to a judgement.

Browne says the core of the defence will be “the substance of the factual findings contained in the investigation”.

Updated

Rex’s exit from intercity routes will be missed by this passenger

Much of the focus on Rex Airlines going into administration has rightly focussed on the threat to regional services given the few air options in much of the country.

But as a frequent Sydney-Melbourne flyer, I’m one passenger who’ll miss having an alternative to Qantas and Virgin. The ticket was so reliably cheaper than its much bigger rivals, most times I didn’t even bother to compare.

I also can’t recall any cancellations and only a rare delay of an hour or so at the most – an experience I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed elsewhere.

And unlike the now defunct Tiger Air, I was never charged excessive amounts for going over 7kg or whatever the carry-on maximum allowed.

Rex planes were clean, seats spacious enough, and staff friendly and efficient – may the latter land new jobs quickly. The inconvenience of a longer schlep to Tullamarine’s Terminal 4 was minor.

A flight south in June that was barely a third full – and the return only slightly busier – was one hint not all was well. The few business seats at the front of the plane were usually empty or filled with cattle-class customers lucky to be near the counter when free upgrades were divvied out. (I got at least one.)

An almost certain outcome is that the cost of flying will now take off. As the ACCC noted in its latest quarterly aviation report, in the wake of smaller rival Bonza‘s demise:

Without Bonza, the prospects for a more competitive domestic aviation industry in coming years would rely more heavily on Rex expanding its offering.

Well, we know what those prospects look like now.

Updated

Victorian unexplained wealth bill passes parliament

A bill that will force organised criminals to repay any wealth they cannot prove was lawfully acquired has passed Victorian parliament.

The government’s confiscation amendment (unexplained wealth) bill – designed to deprive criminals of the “use and enjoyment of their unexplained wealth” – has passed parliament and will go to the governor for royal assent.

The bill had to return to the lower house after the government made some minor amendments in the upper house, including the addition of a provision that will allow the law to be reviewed within three years of it coming into effect.

The new laws will allow the Director of Public Prosecutions to apply to a court for an order if there are reasonable grounds to suspect that a person’s total wealth exceeds their lawfully acquired wealth by at least $200,000.

If a person can’t satisfy a court that they have lawfully obtained their wealth, a court may order them to pay the state the value of anything they cannot prove was lawfully acquired.

The laws have been modelled on those currently in place in Western Australia, but are also similar to New South Wales’ laws, which were also bolstered in 2023 to allow police to seize and freeze wealth and assets without a specific offence.

Updated

Decision to stop flights between capital cities permanent, Rex administrator says

Sam Freeman, one of the administrators brought in for Rex Airlines, spoke with ABC TV just a moment ago about the future of the airline.

Since being appointed yesterday, Freeman said the priority has been around keeping regional and remote routes connected:

We have had to make a tough decision in grounding the 737 capital city-connecting flights. That is a permanent decision.

He said the federal government has been in open communication with administrators and expressed a “strong desire” to see regional and remote flights continue:

As to what that level of support looks like, it is simply too early to say …

There is a lot to be done in the coming weeks but we are confident with the support that has been shown and that we will be able to move forward with the restructure of Rex [and] come out with its legacy business, the core regional business, into the future.

Updated

Daily needs of regional families must be considered amid Rex Airlines discussions, Victorian premier says

Asked what sort of intervention she would like to see, Jacinta Allan said it was up to the federal government. She went on:

What the federal government decides to do, that is a matter for the federal government. But again, I would urge in their considerations, to think about the importance of good, strong transport connections for regional communities　…

Country people rely on strong transport links … and I hope that has been considered in terms of what the federal government may be considering in terms of the response to this real instability and disruption.

There’s been a lot of discussion in the last couple of days about what it means for people going on holidays and yes, it is really disruptive, and I know if you’ve packed your bags and you’re heading off with a family on a holiday, that is disruptive and disappointing. But what should also be front of mind is the daily need for these sorts of services for regional families and communities.

Updated

Victorian premier urges federal government to support Rex Airlines

The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, is urging the federal government to consider supporting Rex Airlines and ensure regional Victorians have access to transport options.

She was speaking to reporters at parliament earlier this morning and said:

I know just how important having that transport access is, particularly for people who don’t have the ability to own a car or drive a car – whether it’s train services, bus services, or in this instance, air services. These are absolutely vital connections for country people, for country families, being able to travel into the bigger cities for various hospital or education or other appointments.

So it’s absolutely important that the needs of country people are considered as Rex goes through this obviously very difficult period, and that is [why] I would urge the federal government to consider the impact on regional communities around Victoria and around the country because these sorts of services are, for some, a vital lifeline.

June quarter consumer price index numbers to be released at 11.30am Aest

Continuing from our last post: If the market consensus is right about the latter – a 4% reading or higher – the odds of an interest rate rise next week will almost certainly soar.

Ahead of today’s numbers, the chance of a cash rate rise of 25 basis points to 4.6% is only one in four, according to the ASX rates tracker.

For households and businesses on the financial edge, another hike - the 14th since May 2022 - would be a blow.

However, a moderate headline and core inflation result will go a long way to removing the risk of another rate rise and bring a rate cut this year into prospect. (Currently, the market is only fully pricing in a 25bp cut to 4.1% by next July - a year away.)

As we note in this piece today, the latter outcome might also bring forward a federal election to this year if the Albanese government thinks the cost of living squeeze will abate and the economy can start to pick up some growth pace without a recession:

In other words, a lot is riding on today’s figures. Stay tuned right here for the results.

Inflation figures to be focus for borrowers, the RBA and politicians

There’s a lot of hype around today’s inflation figures from the ABS – and most of it is warranted.

At 11.30am Aest, we’ll get the June quarter consumer price index numbers, and there’s a lot riding on them, as we noted earlier this week. Economists are expecting headline (i.e. raw) CPI to come in at 3.8%, higher than the March quarter of 3.6%. The quarter on quarter CPI should remain at 1%.

The RBA’s own model from May had CPI ticking up to 3.8%, so a number around that should encourage the board to leave its cash rate unchanged for a sixth consecutive meeting when it meets next Monday and Tuesday (with the verdict given at 2.30pm Aest on the Tuesday).

A lot of attention, though, will be on the core inflation, known as trimmed mean, which knocks off the top 15% and bottom 15% of volatile price movers. This is really more of the Reserve Bank‘s focus. They also expected this to come in at 3.8% for the June quarter but economists reckon this will land at 4.0% (or unchanged from the March quarter level).

More to come in a moment.

Updated

Shorten: government has no ‘final view’ on group homes

Asked about group homes, Bill Shorten said the government doesn’t “have a final view”.

Without being definitive about the future of group homes, what we’re doing is we want to make sure the money that is given to people in supported, independent living focuses on quality outcomes for them …

But we are moving towards where people live … fulfilling lives of meaning and if that sometimes means they live with two other people, fine. If it means – dependant on their needs – that that is not the best arrangement for them, then we’ll be looking at that as well.

He noted that the issue of group homes was one of three areas where the royal commission was divided.

Updated

Q: What impact will this have on the plan to halve the growth rate of the NDIS?

Bill Shorten said this would “not have a negative impact at all on our reform plans.”

Our reform plans – with the legislation currently held up by the Liberals and the Greens in the Senate – will help the very people who the disability royal commission says should be helped.

The problem at the moment is that the NDIS legislation is loose, it has some loopholes, which is seeing some service providers – the majority are excellent – but some are having a lend of the system, exploiting people with disability, getting people to spend up their valuable packages in inappropriate ways, or too quickly.

So, I just say to the Liberals and the Greens – we need to get on with it. People with disability, the very people who this disability royal commission is aimed at, it’s in their best interests that we make sure the NDIS is a consistent, fair, transparent and equitable experiences, that’s what this legislation is aimed at doing.

Updated

Rishworth asked about human rights act v disability rights act

Taking questions, Amanda Rishworth was asked about a recommendation for a disability rights act.

She said that at the same time, there has been work ongoing towards a potential human rights act:

There is mixed views in the disability community about whether they would prefer a disability rights act, or for disability to be embedded in a human rights act …

One of the things that we want to get on with, though, as government works through those issues, is to modernise the disability discrimination act … It’s been 15 years since any substantive work has been done on modernising that act, so that’s work that we’ll undertake immediately, while we do the sequencing work on a human rights act versus a disability rights act.

Updated

Health minister speaks on royal disabillity commission report

The health minister, Mark Butler, is next to address the media.

He said he cannot recall a royal commission report to government that has “been this complex and has covered as many portfolio areas as this one has.”

We don’t begin this response to the royal commission with a blank sheet of paper. We have in our two years of government been [working] very steadfastly across different portfolio areas to improve conditions for Australians living with disability.

Updated

NDIS minister thanks all who worked on royal disability commission

The NDIS minister, Bill Shorten, is also speaking to the media as the government responds to the disability royal commission. He said:

We are making clear we agree with many of the recommendations, and we’ve got to think about a few more of the issues that are raised there …

I thank again all the people who worked on the Disability royal commission. This is another watershed moment to stop the abuse of our fellow Australians, but there’s a lot of work to go on from here, but I believe this will signpost the directions we seek to take as a nation and the better treatment and true equality of people with disability in Australia.

Updated

Six-monthly progress reporting, and annual update, on implementation of recommendations

Amanda Rishworth said all governments would remain accountable through a six-monthly public reporting on the implementation of recommendations and any progress made.

There will also be an annual update provided to national cabinet, she said.

Four key pillars to governments response to disability royal commission

Amanda Rishworth said that four key pillars that will be central to the government’s response have emerged:

  • better safeguarding;

  • promoting inclusion and accessibility;

  • upholding human rights; and

  • recognising the unique perspectives and experiences of First Nations people with disability.

She said:

These are all areas that people with disability have continuously highlighted as important, and will drive the focus of our government as we progress reform towards a more inclusive Australia …

We will progress in implementation [of the recommendations] and it will be continue to be open and transparent, in partnership with people with disability.

Updated

Rishworth says commonwealth and states are ‘absolutely committed’ to sustain ‘long-term meaningful change’

Amanda Rishworth said the commonwealth and state and territory governments had “worked together, in most cases, to form a common position on recommendations where there’s joint responsibility.”

And we are absolutely committed to continuing this work in order to sustain long-term meaningful change for people with disability.

She said the government is “absolutely committed to the vision set out in the disability royal commission” and committed to “enabling policy and delivering services that realises the vision of an Australian community where people with disability are free from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.”

As Sarah Basford Canales reported just a moment ago, the federal government agreed to 13 recommendations in full, while 117 have been accepted in principle. It is considering another 36 and has noted six recommendations.

Updated

Amanda Rishworth says disability commission ‘momentous piece of work’

The social services minister, Amanda Rishworth, is speaking to the media after the government handed down its response to the disability royal commission.

She described the royal commission as a “a key moment in our nation’s history”, with evidence received from 10,000 people over four and a half years.

It was a momentous piece of work. What was uncovered was confronting, shocking, and often incredibly disturbing. Circumstances of appalling abuse were revealed, that have absolutely no place in our country, and quite frankly, anywhere …

Updated

Funding set aside for response to Disability Royal Commission

Following on from the previous post, here’s a list of the funding set aside as part of the Albanese government’s initial response to last year’s royal commission into violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability.

Rights and Anti-Discrimination

  • $6.9m to review and modernise the Disability Discrimination Act;

  • $39.7m to establish a new disability advocacy program;

  • $12.1m to amend the Migration Health Requirement to be fairer and more inclusive for children with disability;

Safety

  • $15.6m to unify national disability quality and safeguarding arrangements;

  • $4.4m for consistent approaches to community visitor schemes as a safeguarding mechanism;

  • $2.6m for the continued delivery of the National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline and the Complaints Resolution and Referral Service;

  • $2m towards improving the safety of women and girls with disability;

  • $1.2m to develop targets to reduce and eliminate restrictive practices;

Inclusion and Access

  • $12.3m to improve national approaches to accessible information and communications, including Auslan;

  • $3.7m to continue the Primary Care Enhancement Program for People with Intellectual Disability;

  • $19.6m to support grassroots efforts to improve community attitudes around disability

Employment

  • $23.3m to establish a Disability Employment Centre of Excellence;

  • $227.6m to implement a new specialist disability employment program;

Government responds to the disability royal commission

The Albanese government will focus on improving job pathways for Australians with disabilities as part of a broad $371m package committed to improving lives following years of harrowing stories emerging from a royal commission.

The final report of the royal commission into violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability was released last year, shedding light on the harm, exclusion and discrimination many experience.

Of the report’s 222 recommendations, which spanned 12 volumes and had more than 5,000 pages, the federal government agreed to 13 recommendations in full, while 117 have been accepted in principle. It is considering another 36 and has noted six recommendations.

The lion’s share of the initial funding – $227.6m – will go toward designing a specialist disability program announced in the May budget. It will help those with disabilities to prepare for, find, and maintain suitable jobs. Another $23.3m is earmarked to create a disability employment centre of excellence to help providers deliver effective employment services.

Almost $7m will be set aside to review the Disability Discrimination Act with the aim of modernising rules that have not been substantially changed since 2009. Another $39.7m will go toward redesigning and streamlining the national disability advocacy program to offer information and support to those in the community.

The social services minister, Amanda Rishworth, said:

We are committed to continued and sustained effort across all jurisdictions, and all levels of government, to ensure the implementation of agreed recommendations leads to real and lasting change for people with disability.

Updated

Transport union says 610 Rex jobs at risk

Workers at Rex have been briefed by administrators determining the airline’s future that 610 jobs at the airline could be axed, according to the Transport Workers Union (TWU).

Rex’s 737 services between capital cities have been grounded, with the flights ceasing to operate and resulting in 360 redundancies, according to the TWU.

A further 250 job losses have also been indicated elsewhere in the business that employed about 2,000 people before entering administration.

TWU’s national secretary, Michael Kaine, said:

This is another dark day for aviation, with over 600 families faced with sudden joblessness in an industry that has taken hit after hit.

Updated

South Australian premier weighs in on Rex Airlines administration

The South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, said the situation with Rex Airlines is “quite disappointing”.

Speaking with ABC News Breakfast earlier, he noted there would be a “lot of people disappointed”, particularly in regional areas.

Naturally, we’re relieved to learn that most of the regional routes will be maintained. That’s certainly the case in South Australia – we’re very dependent upon it.

South Australia is a sparsely populated state on a land mass bigger than France and Germany combined. So, we actually rely on this airline [and] the maintenance of the routes is a good thing …

All eyes turn to making sure the airline is purchased or acquired by another entity sustainable in the future.

Malinauskas said he doesn’t typically want to see a situation where governments are subsidising private enterprise, but “this is a unique set of circumstances.”

And we should … see what is going on here, and what contributed to the demise of what has been a very profitable and successful airline in the past.

Updated

Shark nets down earlier in attempt to save more turtles

Shark nets in NSW will come down a month earlier this season as authorities try to strike a balance between protecting people as well as marine life, AAP reports.

Citing an increase in turtle activity in April, the state government will trial scrapping the nets on 31 March. It will also consult with councils regarding shark management with an eye towards empowering local decision-making on the use of nets.

Other trials include inspecting the nets every two days instead of every three, with more drone usage on the days the nets aren’t being inspected to scope for turtles that might have become trapped.

Lights will also be used on the nets in February and March to deter turtles, with dolphin pingers and whale alarms to be fitted for the safety of those mammals.

The agriculture minister, Tara Moriarty, said keeping beachgoers safe was the priority, but striking a balance that protects sea life too was key.

Drone surveillance, listening stations for tagged sharks and drumlines will all be used in the state’s $21.5m shark management program. The government said more than 2,000 sharks have been tagged and are monitored by the listening stations.

Updated

What you missed overnight on day four of the Paris Olympics

Need to catch up on the latest from the Olympics? Here’s what you missed overnight, thanks to our sports team!

Victorian premier weighs in on allegations of racial discrimination at Collingwood FC

The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has arrived at parliament and is being asked about the allegations of racial discrimination at Collingwood football club.

She said that speaking generally, all workplaces should be safe from harassment and bullying:

Everyone should be safe, secure, free from harassment and bullying … It doesn’t matter whether that workplace is parliament, the Collingwood football club, a construction site, or a supermarket. All workplaces should be safe, secure, and inclusive and what needs to come to create that environment is leadership within all of those workplaces and all of those organisations…

In terms of the allegations that have been made currently before the court, they are a matter for the football club. It is in that broader context that I make the point that, particularly when you are leaders in an organisation, there’s a responsibility to consider how you provide that safe and inclusive workplace.

Updated

What actually happens during an aurora australis?

The University of Tasmania’s professor of astrophysics and head of physics, Andrew Cole, explained in this article that outer space is filled with electrically charged particles, and then they hit Earth’s atmosphere they can shine fluorescent lights:

This tends to happen in the polar regions, where Earth’s magnetic field is trapping the charge …

When electrons encounter the Earth’s magnetic field, they become trapped, moving along the field lines to the poles. The magnetic field funnels the electrons into the atmosphere in the polar regions and they strike atoms of oxygen or nitrogen molecules.

In the low-density upper atmosphere, the atoms only lose this energy by emitting light, which creates the glow you see. Green and red come from oxygen at different altitudes, and violet comes from nitrogen.

Updated

More aurora australis photos taken across Tasmania, Western Australia

Here are some more gorgeous photos of the aurora australis overnight, this one taken near the Blundstone Arena in Tasmania:

These shots were also captured in Tasmania, with one photo showing a bright blue light:

And the aurora australis was also seen in Western Australia, with this social media user capturing some photos and writing, “The stars here in the Southern Hemisphere are spectacular.”

Police highlight the 352 unidentified remains across NSW amid Missing Persons Week

The missing persons registry currently has 352 unidentified remains located throughout NSW, dating back to 1964.

NSW police said that this year alone, they had reports of 85 unidentified remains being located – and after extensive investigations, only two remain unidentified.

This week is Missing Persons Week – going from 28 July to 3 August – which aims to raise awareness of the issues and impacts surrounding missing persons. Members of the public are urged to come forward and help police solve some of these mysteries through voluntarily providing their DNA, especially if they have reported a family member missing to police.

Det Insp. Ritchie Sim, manager of the registry, said:

One unidentified body is too many. This means a family of the missing person and their friends don’t have the answers they’re looking for …

It is very common that remains are moved from their initial place of rest due to varying reasons. For example, heavy rain and flooding. These aspects complicate the investigations further, which is why we are always searching for answers …

Missing person investigations are not criminal matters, and your DNA is not stored in any criminal or suspect data base. Your DNA will be secured and managed by NSW Health and used to hopefully solve these cases and provide answers to families and loved ones.

Updated

Located remains linked to man missing for more than five years

Remains located on the south coast of NSW earlier this year have been identified as a Victorian man, who was missing for more than five years.

In February human remains were discovered in the Beowa national park near Eden, which were seized and sent for forensic examination.

Following analysis and a comparison to familial DNA obtained during missing person investigations, the remains were confirmed to be that of a 51-year-old Victorian man, who was reported missing in the Eden area in December 2018.

The circumstances surrounding his death were deemed not suspicious and the matter was referred to the coroner, police said.

Updated

Nine Network journalists to return to newsroom at 11am following five-day strike

Journalists from the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age, the Australian Financial Review, the Brisbane Times and WAtoday are gathering outside Nine Entertainment’s offices across the country after a five-day strike.

Some 500 journalists will walk back to the newsroom at 11am but have vowed to continue their campaign of protected industrial action until management offers them what they say is a fair enterprise agreement.

The chief executive of Nine, Mike Sneesby, will also be back at work today, having flown in yesterday from Paris where he was hosting advertisers and sponsors.

He was criticised for carrying the Olympic torch in the runup to the games. Nine paid $305m for the exclusive rights to the next five games, from Paris in 2024 to Brisbane in 2032.

Updated

Aurora australis observed in southern states overnight

The aurora australis was observed in southern areas of the country overnight, including parts of Tasmania and Melbourne.

As noted in yesterday’s blog, the Bureau of Meteorology was forecasting significant geomagnetic activity that could possibly result in visible auroras at night. The geomagnetic storm was expected to be at its strongest during the evening.

The MP for Franklin, Julie Collins, shared this photo from her Tasmanian electorate overnight:

Here is another photo from Tasmania, with the aurora australis captured at kunanyi/Mount Wellington:

Meanwhile, this photo was shared from Cape Schanck in Melbourne:

Updated

Greens senator urges government to ‘just buy’ Rex Airlines

The deputy leader of the Greens, Mehreen Faruqi, has also weighed in on news of Rex Airlines’ administration. In a post to X, she responded to comments from the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, stating he was “concerned” about the regional airline, and called on the government to “just buy it.”

Updated

Minister says contingencies ready to roll out in case CFMEU tries to contest administration

Contingencies will be ready to roll out in case the embattled construction union tries to fight being taken over by administrators, the newly minted workplace relations minister says.

As AAP reports, Murray Watt had instructed his department to have legislation ready to table in parliament as soon as it resumed if the CFMEU tried to contest administration, following allegations of being linked to bikies and organised crime. He told ABC RN earlier:

The very first briefing that I received in this new role, within hours of being sworn in, focused on the legislation: where it was at, what further decisions needed to be made to finalise it.

The CFMEU has appointed former anti-corruption tsar Geoffrey Watson to investigate the allegations. While Watt said he had respect for Watson as “a very eminent lawyer”, the issues within the union’s construction division had gone further than what it could tackle on its own.

Senator Watt said he had been briefed repeatedly since being sworn in on Monday and had given the department “further instructions” to ensure the government was ready to respond to any fight.

We will support any application that’s made by the general manager of the fair work commission to put some of these branches into administration. If that application is opposed and there’s barriers, if it’s not resolved by the time parliament returns, then we will remove those barriers by government legislation.

Updated

Veterans more likely to to be hospitalised for suicidal behaviour

Veterans are more likely than other Australians to present to hospital for suicidal thoughts or self-harm, a new government study has found.

The share of former serving members of the defence force that attended emergency departments for suicidal behaviour from 2013 to 2020 was a third higher than the equivalent across the Australian population, at 3.7% compared to 2.8%.

The Australian Institute for Health Welfare’s report, released today, also found a higher proportion of ex-serving females went to hospital for intentional self-harm or suicidal ideation (4.1%) than ex-serving males (3.7%).

Ex-serving defence force members were also more likely to be admitted to public hospitals for alcohol and drug use in the year 2019-20.

Focusing on men in the same year, the study found those who left the defence force involuntarily or new or junior staff were more likely to be admitted for mental health-related care than ex-servicemen who left by choice or older or more senior members.

Admittance for mental health reasons was lower in the air force than in the army or navy.

AIHW spokesperson Paul Pham said the report aimed to help the federal government improve mental health support for defence force members and their families.

  • Lifeline: 13 11 14

NSW police launch internal investigation after video of shark attack reportedly leaked

NSW Police have launched an internal investigation after the video of a shark attack, in which 23-year-old Kai McKenzie lost his leg, was reportedly leaked online.

The Daily Telegraph reported that the video appears to be of a computer screen showing the footage inside a police facility, of the moment McKenzie was struck by the shark.

McKenzie was surfing off North Shore beach on the mid-north coast of NSW last Tuesday morning when a suspected three-metre great white shark bit him. He was able to fight off the shark before catching a wave into shore, where he was treated with makeshift tourniquets before being airlifted to hospital.

His severed leg washed up on shore a short time after the attack and was taken to the hospital, where he underwent surgery and was recovering in a stable condition:

In a statement this moring, NSW police said:

NSW police are aware of a video circulating online and have commenced an investigation into how the video came to be released.

The NSWPF does not tolerate this kind of conduct and will take appropriate action pending the outcome of the investigation.

Updated

Assistant treasurer to foreshadow second stage of anti-scam measures

Stephen Jones will foreshadow a second stage of the government’s anti-scam measures, involving penalties for banks, telcos and digital platforms which don’t introduce preventative checks under new mandatory codes tailored to each sector.

For banks, this will include greater controls over bank transfers and an obligation identify and close “mule” accounts.

If there is a breach of the code, the bank, telco or digital platform will be held to account. If they drop the ball, they will be liable to compensate the victim.

More on Stephen Jones’ upcoming speech to the national press club

Government figures show Australians are losing less annually to scammers than they did two years ago – except on social media where the situation is worsening. The current assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones:

Scam losses originating on social media were up 17% in 2023. Scam reports were up 31% and the social media companies are dragging their heels.

Jones says the first phase of a suite of government anti-scam measures has helped reduce the losses by 13% last year from $3bn in 2022.

There was still $2.74bn lost and this is both tragic and excessive.

During the pandemic, the cost of scams skyrocketed, with annual losses in Australia doubling in 2021 & again in 2022. Last year’s fall was the first since 2016.

Half of all scams still occur via phone or text message and most involve a bank transfer.

Jones is vowing to force companies to take more preventative action, labelling it “offensive” that digital platforms allow scammers to use their platforms freely.

Digital platforms have a moral obligation to join the fight as part of their social licence. These are trillion-dollar corporations. They can afford to invest in a significant uplift to keep consumers safe. It’s really time for them to get on the side of consumers.

Updated

Government vows to force banks to compensate scam victims

The federal government is promising to change the law to force banks to compensate Australian customers who are tricked into transferring money to scammers, accusing them of doing too little to prevent people from being duped out of more than $2bn every year.

Assistant treasurer Stephen Jones will tell the National Press Club today that a government crackdown on scammers is having some success but that the corporate bystanders in the scam equation – the platforms that facilitate scammers’ contact and enable their financial transactions – should be doing more to stop them.

In a speech that also warns the trend is worsening on social media, Jones says the law does too little to help victims get their money back, because bank customers are being duped into handing over money so the transfers themselves are not unlawful.

According to an advance copy of the speech seen by Guardian Australia, Jones will say:

A fundamental characteristic of scams is that they are transactions that are authorised – through deception – by the victim, so the law is not fit-for-purpose.

We will address this to ensure victims can receive compensation in the right circumstances. Compensation for inaction, for negligence, for failing to meet an obligation is a critical part of our framework.

McKenzie says Rex failure would be ‘catastrophic for the regions’

Asked if Rex needs to be bailed out, Bridget McKenzie said if the airline failed it would be “catastrophic for the regions.”

They service regional routes that Qantas doesn’t want to … A third of Rex’s business in the regions is around servicing our health needs, either connecting regional residents with specialists in the city or indeed, flying out medical professionals into our communities.

They had training facilities for that next generation of pilots, and a huge part of their role is the air freight task.

So Rex is a critical component for those of us in the region connecting with the rest of the country, and I don’t want to see – we don’t want to see regional Australians cut off as a result of this government continuing to sit on its hands and not supporting Rex to get through this.

Updated

Shadow transport minister accuses PM of running ‘protection racket for Qantas’

The shadow minister for transport, Bridget McKenzie, was also on ABC RN earlier this morning to discuss the Rex Airlines administration.

She was asked about commentary from the prime minister that Rex’s woes coincided with the airline’s push into capital city markets and move away from regional routes, and responded:

I think what we heard from the prime minister yesterday was that, once again, [he is] running the protection racket for Qantas, and how dare [anyone] step in and compete on those capital city routes?

And remember, when Rex launched into those routes to compete against Qantas, Virgin was grounded, prices were sky high, and service was appalling. They raised private equity of around $150m to enter that market and provided much-needed competition for Qantas. Now you’ve got the prime minister saying, ‘Well, Rex, this is what happens when you go up against the behemoth and my best mate Qantas’…

We’ve been talking about this for a long time … [that for] airlines that seek to compete against Qantas, that there is a problem with competition in this country …

Updated

‘Higher interest rates would be harder for Australians’, Murray Watt says

Murray Watt was also asked about the June quarter inflation figures, set to be announced today. He said most of the market expectations are that inflation is going to remain persistent, “despite the work that the government’s been doing to bring it down”:

I’m not going to pre-empt what the Reserve Bank might do, but I think everyone understands that higher interest rates would be harder for Australians. So as a government, what we can do is do everything possible to take that pressure off both the RBA and consumers generally …

I think all Australians are nervous today about the inflation figure, and I think that reflects that people are doing it tough at the moment. That’s exactly why Jim Chalmers, in particular, as the treasurer, [finance minister] Katie Gallagher and our whole team are doing everything we can to provide cost of living relief.

Updated

Murray Watt says advice needed from administrators to determine government support amid administration

Murray Watt, the newly-appointed minister for workplace relations, also weighed in on the Rex Airlines administration on ABC RN just earlier.

He said all the options for a pathway forward would be considered “once the situation becomes clear and we get some advice from the administrators.”

In terms of equity stakes or other financial government support, we’ll make those decisions once the situation becomes clearer through the administrator.

Watt said that within his department, there’s a number of roles it could play to support workers – including a financial entitlements guarantee scheme.

This would only be activated if the company is unable to repay entitlements to any workers who are retrenched, and let’s hope it may not get to that.

But also, our department would be providing employment support to workers who do lose their job to ensure that they can get back into work as quickly as possible.

I was actually briefed by my department about this earlier this morning, and I’ve been in contact with [transport minister] Catherine King to make sure that we’re working together on this as well.

The government is really dedicated towards hoping to make sure that this airline has a future, but also to ensure the workers are protected.

Transport Workers Union says measures to protect jobs amid Rex administration ‘urgently needed’

Following Rex Airlines entering voluntary administration, the Transport Workers Union says measures to protect jobs and secure entitlements in the event of any job losses is “urgently needed”.

The long-term solution to issues affecting the industry is a stand-alone regulator, the union argued, also calling for a “safe and secure skies” commission into the industry.

The union’s national secretary, Michael Kaine, said the news comes just four weeks after Bonza went into liquidation:

It is absolutely critical that as many jobs as possible are protected through the continuation of regional flights, while entitlements are secured for those unable to retain employment …

Aviation is locked in a cycle of crises. While the Rex administration is handled as quickly as possible, we also need a long-term fix to the unregulated market dominance that sees Qantas popping the champagne corks while competitors are squeezed out and workers are left on the scrap heap.

Given the size of Australia, the question at the heart of this crisis is: what support do we need to make sure there’s a viable aviation industry that can serve the community reliably and affordably? A Safe and secure skies commission to bring balance and binding standards is the answer to that question.

Updated

Treasurer says inflation was ‘sticky and stubborn’ last month ahead of latest figures

Moving to the June quarter inflation figures – set to be announced today – the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, said most people are expecting inflation to have been “sticky and stubborn” last month and “more persistent than anyone would like”:

But we need to remember that inflation has come down really considerably since we were elected. When we were elected it had a six in front of them. We’ll see what the numbers say later on this morning.

Asked if he would expect another rate rise, Chalmers said he would not pre-empt a decision of the RBA:

They’ll weigh up a whole range of factors in our economy, not just today’s inflation numbers, but also the conditions in the economy more broadly…

If the inflation figure today is a bit persistent – a bit sticky and stubborn, more so than we would like – that would be an unwelcome outcome, but also unsurprising, given the pressures coming to us from the world, and some domestic factors like fruit and vegetables and travel costs.

Updated

Chalmers says ‘there’s been discussions’ with Rex regarding pathway forward

The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, was up on ABC News Breakfast earlier this morning to talk about the Rex Airlines administration. He said it was a “relief” for communities that regional services would continue:

We want to see those regional services continue. Minister Catherine King is also talking with the other airlines to make sure if there’s job losses, that the other airlines can re-employ and re-deploy some of the workers as well.

Asked if taxpayer support would be needed to keep the regional routes operating, Chalmers said “there’s been discussions but I don’t want to pre-empt the company statement”:

We want to hear next from the company. They’ve indicated they will be making a statement before long.

Updated

Sydney Airport CEO calls for more competition in aviation industry amid Rex administration

Sydney Airport CEO Scott Charlton also responded to the Rex Airlines administration, sending thoughts to Rex passengers and employees impacted by the administration:

We are pleased to see that the administrator will continue regional operations to and from Sydney during this period as these services are critical for many regional communities.

What this situation demonstrates is that we need to change some things in the Australian aviation market for competition to thrive, because recent history suggests the barriers are too high.

We have a rare opportunity to get this right with the proposed slot reforms at Sydney airport and through the imminent aviation white paper, and we remain ready to work with the government on implementing both.

Updated

Melbourne airport responds to Rex Airlines administration news

Sticking with Rex Airlines for a moment: Melbourne Airport said in a statement this morning it is “deeply disappointed” by the suspension of Rex services and stands ready to assist passengers.

Rex services from Melbourne to Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart, the Gold Coast and Perth have been cancelled. Affected passengers will be reaccommodated on Virgin Australia flights free of charge …

Melbourne Airport was proudly home to Rex’s largest 737 jet base and our thoughts are with the staff affected by this announcement.

The team at Melbourne airport will continue to work hard to facilitate new entrants to the Australian market because of the benefits they bring to consumers.

Updated

Transport minister says long-term solution needed for regional aviation, not ‘throwing money at the problem’

The transport minister, Catherine King, spoke with ABC AM earlier this morning about the future of Rex Airlines following news last night that flights between capital cities were grounded and it has entered voluntary administration.

King said that it was “in everyone’s interests that this airline continue, and we’re determined to do what we can.”

We understand how important Rex is, particularly to the regions – there are some areas where this is the only, only option in terms of transport …

We also can’t do it just at any cost, so we’ll be talking to the administrators, we’ve been talking to Rex – my department – all of yesterday. We know that there will be some seeking of support from government and we will take some time to work our way through that with the administrators, we want to do that properly.

The minister said Rex hadn’t “asked for specifics as yet”, but were after assistance to ensure operations can continue into the airport and to ensure they could still access fuel supply:

I think it is fair to say that we would be reluctant to just throw money at the problem … What we would want to do is ensure that there is a long-term solution to the security of regional aviation and we will take time to work our way through that.

Updated

Government response to the disability royal commission expected today

The federal government is expected to formally respond today to the findings of the royal commission into violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability, nine months after they were made public.

The commission’s final report, released last September, came after four and a half years of hearings, publications, submissions and powerful testimony from people with disability and their loved ones.

The commission found that people with disability “continue to experience high rates of violence and abuse, multiple forms of neglect, and sexual and financial exploitation” and significant change was required for Australia to be a truly inclusive society.

There were 222 recommendations in the 12-volume final report, including that the federal government commit to the enactment of a disability rights act that embodies the principles set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Other recommendations included prohibitions on non-therapeutic, involuntary sterilisation of people with disability, immediate action at all levels of government to prevent the use of restrictive practices, and the “significant reform” and “transformational change” of mainstream housing, education and employment systems to remove ableist barriers and minimise or eliminate segregation.

The social services minister, Amanda Rishworth, said at the time that the government would take “a considered and staged approach” to responding to the findings. You can read more about what the commission recommended here:

Updated

Woman bitten by shark off the coast of Western Australia

A woman has been bitten by a shark on an island off the coast of Western Australia, about 80km west of Geraldton.

According to Sharksmart, she was snorkelling at Rat Island, in the Abrolhos Islands, when she was bitten by an unknown species of shark.

The ABC reported the woman in her 30s was flown to Geraldton and taken to the local hospital for treatment.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is working with local authorities to coordinate a response. It has urged people to take additional caution in the Rat Island area, adhere to any beach closures and report shark sightings to water police.

Updated

Welcome

Good morning, and happy Wednesday. Welcome back to a new day on the Australia news live blog – I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll be taking you through our rolling coverage for most of today.

A woman has been bitten by a shark on an island off the coast of Western Australia, about 80km west of Geraldton. She was snorkelling at Rat Island, in the Abrolhos Islands, when she was bitten by an unknown species of shark yesterday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the federal government is expected to formally respond today to the findings of the royal commission into violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability – nine months after they were made public.

As Stephanie Convery reports, the commission found people with disability “continue to experience high rates of violence and abuse, multiple forms of neglect, and sexual and financial exploitation” and significant change was required for Australia to be a truly inclusive society. The social services minister, Amanda Rishworth, said at the time that the government would take “a considered and staged approach” to responding to the findings.

We’ll bring you more on both of these stories shortly.

As always, you can get in touch with any thoughts, tips or questions via X, @emilywindwrites, or you can email me, emily.wind@theguardian.com.

Let’s get started.

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