What we learned: Wednesday, 17 August
And with that, we will close the blog for the day. Here’s what happened today:
Opposition leader, Peter Dutton, said Scott Morrison made “the wrong call” by secretly swearing himself into five ministerial portfolios, but says the member for Cook has no reason to resign.
Morrison apologised to former home affairs minister Karen Andrews for secretly swearing himself in to her portfolio, after she revealed he hadn’t previously contacted her in the wake of the growing scandal.
Nationals leader in the Senate, Bridget McKenzie, said the former prime minister’s actions were a breach of the Coalition agreement, with Nationals leader David Littleproud also conceding it was “technically” a breach.
Once again, a host of political figures continued to criticise the former PM for his secret ministerial portfolio, including Chris Bowen, Michaelia Cash, David Littleproud and, of course, prime minister Anthony Albanese.
A constitutional expert has called the defence posed by governor general David Hurley, that he thought the appointments would be communicated, “bullshit”.
Australia’s jobless rate for July came in at 3.4%, the lowest since August 1974, according to the ABS.
Former prime minister John Howard has warned the voice to parliament may be “coercive” and criticised the PM for an apparent lack of detail.
Greens leader Adam Bandt called for two individual $5,000 payments for nurses and paramedics to deal with high levels of stress and burnout, and recognise their work during the pandemic.
The PM travelled to the Torres Strait to meet with First Nation leaders as he seeks to build momentum for an Indigenous voice to parliament.
This year’s NRL grand final will be played in Sydney, after a NSW-Queensland stoush over the showpiece event.
Seventy-nine Queensland police officers are being investigated regarding offensive Facebook posts which mocked domestic violence victims and implied police avoid responding to such incidents.
135 Covid-related deaths were recorded across the country today.
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Indonesian man jailed for role in Bali bombing to be released within days
A man accused of assembling the bombs used to carry out the Bali terrorist attack is reportedly due to be released from prison within days, after being granted an early release on Indonesia’s independence day.
The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that Umar Patek, who was sentenced to 20 years in jail in 2012 for his role in the 2002 Bali bombings in the Kuta district, will soon be able to walk free.
At his trial, he was accused of being the assembler of the explosives used that night, which ripped through the Sari Club and Paddy’s Irish Bar, killing 202 people including 88 Australians.
Patek was spared the death penalty after cooperating with authorities and apologising to victims’ families.
The remission of his sentence comes as Indonesia marks 77 years of independence from Dutch rule on Wednesday.
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Australian Anglican conservatives break away
Of the many must-reads on the site tonight, I must point you to Nino Bucci’s insightful read on the breakaway diocese in the Anglican church:
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Mark Butler: health system situation should ‘substantially improve’ in coming weeks
Health minister Mark Butler has said that the pressures on hospitals around the country should ease over the coming weeks, as Covid cases drop.
Butler was on ABC radio earlier this afternoon, and he said the situation should “substantially improve” as the flu season also begins to ease:
We’re getting a bit of relief from the Covid wave earlier than we thought and the flu season peaked very early.
There’s still a lot of pent-up demand in the system, a lot of people weren’t able to get the care that they needed through those difficult lockdowns.
And general practice is in a really perilous state. So a lot more people are finding themselves unable to get in to see a doctor or having to pay unaffordable gap fees and are ending up in emergency departments as well.
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A lovely welcome by the Kaurareg people into the Torres Strait today! Anthony Albanese, Senator Nita Green and I are visiting to hear about what they want us to do for their community, and how we can progress the Voice to Parliament together. pic.twitter.com/fWw17ctNfj
— Linda Burney MP (@LindaBurneyMP) August 18, 2022
Ford Australia cuts 120 jobs
About 120 people have lost their jobs at Ford Australia as it undergoes a “global transformation”.
A spokesman said the contract workforce levels “regularly change” depending on the product development cycle. He said:
Ford is currently undergoing a global transformation, which includes implementing significant changes in priorities and organisation …. as part of this, we have laid out clear targets to lower our cost structure to ensure we are lean and fully competitive with the best in the industry.
In Australia, we’re reaching the next phase of our product development and launch cycle and as a result will be reducing our contract workforce by approximately 120 in our product development and design teams.
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Australian fur seal euthanised after being found on Victorian dairy farm
In a rather sad piece of news today, an Australian fur seal has had to be euthanised after it was found on a dairy farm in Victoria.
The seal was found in the paddock of the farm in Simpson, in south-west Victoria, over 30 km from the ocean, with the farmer telling the ABC she suspected the mammal arrived via the river.
Zoos Victoria was contacted, and arrived earlier today, where it assessed the seal and determined it was “elderly, and suffering from blindness in one eye and dental fractures” and they concluded that euthanasia was the kindest welfare outcome.
Melbourne Zoo head veterinarian Dr Michael Lynch told the Guardian the seal would have struggled to return to living in the wild:
Today’s intervention was required after the seal failed to find a way back to the open ocean along the same path it used to arrive at the farm.
On assessment the seal was found to be elderly, and suffering from blindness in one eye and dental fractures. It was determined that euthanasia was the kindest welfare outcome as the seal would have been unable to forage and live naturally in the wild.
A necropsy will be conducted in coming days.
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Australia urged to commit to aid for famine prevention
The federal government must commit to a $150m famine prevention package to save the lives of thousands of starving children, Plan International Australia says.
The organisation has released a new report today showing 10,000 children are dying of hunger every day, with the worst famines in countries including Somalia and South Sudan.
Food shortages and drought mean more than a million children are already suffering from malnutrition. Humanitarian agencies do not have enough funding for food aid.
Girls are more at risk both from famine (because they may not be prioritised) and from child marriage, which is fuelled by poverty.
People with disabilities are also at higher risk. Plan International Australia chief executive officer, Susanne Legena, said:
Where is the shock, where is the outrage and most importantly where is the action?
We are really at the tipping point for famine and if the world does not urgently step up life-saving humanitarian assistance, we are going to see a lot of death.
Covid-19, climate change and conflict, particularly in Ukraine, have converged and created a terrifying situation. In its first year alone, the pandemic pushed an additional 300 people worldwide into hunger every minute. Meanwhile, increasing greenhouse gas emissions are damaging essential food crops such as maize and wheat.
We are already seeing 24,000 people a day die of starvation – horrifyingly, experts are projecting that number to climb to 300,000 people starving to death every single day if we do not take action now. Humanitarian organisations are facing an impossible choice between feeding the hungry and feeding the starving. We must act, and we must act now.
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Barangaroo cultural centre plans scrapped – reports
A proposal for a cultural centre at Barangaroo in Sydney has reportedly been dumped by the New South Wales government, to the dismay of community leaders.
According to a report from the Sydney Morning Herald, Infrastructure NSW have confirmed the multipurpose fit-out of the space beneath Headland Park will not include a dedicated cultural centre, which was promised by former premier Mike Baird.
That comes despite the completion of design concepts for the centre a year ago, which was backed by a taskforce comprising renowned arts executives Wesley Enoch and the Sydney Opera House’s first head of First Nations programming, Rhoda Roberts.
The designs showed a performance space that could seat up to 600 people, a welcoming space at the entrance for smoking ceremonies, exhibition spaces, studios and workshops.
Enoch told the paper he was disappointed the centre was not approved:
These ideas of First Nations cultural centres have been talked about for over 30 years and this was the latest opportunity and conversations to occur – it was disappointing that the work couldn’t be progressed, for whatever reason.
Ultimately, First Nations people are not in the decision-making positions, whether that’s money or political will or an opportunity to build. That’s a decision for others.
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Christopher Pyne rejects push to refer Morrison to privileges committee
Christopher Pyne, the former leader of the house from 2013 to 2019, has rejected a push to refer Scott Morrison to the privileges committee.
Pyne told ABC TV:
Well, you can move to censure the member for Cook and he will have the opportunity to defend himself ... [but] it’s not a matter for the privileges committee. Adam Bandt is saying he will refer it to that ... but the prime minister tabling a list of the cabinet or the ministry in the chamber is a courtesy to the parliament. It’s not a requirement of the government, of the executive council. So there’s no question for the privileges committee.
Pyne said that calls for Morrison to resign amounted to “playing politics”.
Earlier this week the clerk of the House of Representatives, Claressa Surtees, told Guardian Australia it is “established precedent and practice” to inform parliament of ministerial changes but “there are no standing or other orders of the house which require an announcement of the ministry, or ministerial changes, in the house”.
This will be quite an interesting point in any advice from the solicitor general, after Anthony Albanese accused Morrison of “misleading” parliament.
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Littleproud believes Scott Morrison breached Coalition agreement
Littleproud confirmed he believed Morrison has “technically” breached the Coalition agreement between the Nationals and the Liberal party, but declined to press too hard on the point.
He said the “practical reality” of the situation was that because Morrison did not enact any of the powers he had, meant the agreement wasn’t voided and the Nationals still had their say:
While technically he has been by not advising not only us, but it’s not really the Nationals, I think it’s the Australian people that should have been advised. We’re here to serve them and they should be transparent with them about the actions we take as a government and particularly as a prime minister. It’s the highest elected office that can be given in Australia.
It’s important not necessarily about the Nationals being upset, it’s the fact the Australian people should have been taken into the prime minister’s trust.
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Solicitor general’s advice should be followed in a ‘bipartisan way’, Littleproud says
The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, has been busy today, appearing on ABC News this afternoon to discuss various issues, unsurprisingly including the former PM’s secret portfolios.
Littleproud said he thinks the governor general did nothing wrong in signing off on the appointments:
And I sympathise with the governor general. He was put in a predicament he should never have been put in and that office is one that should be respected and honoured and I think the governor general has every right to clarify his actions and I think it would be inappropriate for anyone to cast any doubt over his actions during this.
He did everything within the constitution as he’s been asked to and I think it’s important that office of governor general be respected by everybody in their dealings with them.
The Nationals leader said that the advice delivered by the solicitor general on Monday should be followed in a “bipartisan way” and that such appointments shouldn’t happen in the future:
We learn from this and make sure those institutions of our democracy are respected and respected in every way in how they’re carried out by the government and by the prime minister and I think that would be important to see where that report comes from. If that report does give that advice, and the Nationals will work cooperatively with the government and the Liberal party, to make sure there’s a bipartisan approach to this.
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Australian people kept 'completely in the dark' on secret ministries: PM
At that same presser, Albanese was predictably asked about Scott Morrison’s round of apologies today for taking on ministerial portfolios in secret, and just as predictably, didn’t hold back.
The PM has been blasting his predecessor all week, and added today that he believed an apology was owed to the “Australian people”.
The issue isn’t whether an apology has been given to Mr Frydenberg, or Karen Andrews, or others. The issue is that the apology is owed to the Australian people.
The Australian people who were kept completely in the dark with this shadow government operating. And it’s the Australian people who had their democracy that they hold dear undermined by the activities of the former Coalition government.
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PM rejects John Howard’s suggestion Indigenous voice would be ‘coercive’
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has hit back at former PM John Howard’s assertion an Indigenous voice to parliament would be a “coercive” body.
Albanese told reporters he would advise Howard to look at the details of Labor’s proposal, and to be aware of where the details of the proposed voice come from:
I’d say to Mr Howard to look into the details, look at the comments that have been made by constitutional lawyers, former members of the high court, and make it very clear that the voice is simply an advisory body that doesn’t change any of the parliamentary processes.
This isn’t my proposal or my structure and I said that in countless interviews … there was enormous detail, which was worked through by Marcia Lanton.
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National Covid summary: 135 deaths reported
Here are the latest coronavirus numbers from around Australia today, as the country records at least 135 deaths from Covid-19:
ACT
Deaths: 0
Cases: 384
In hospital: 129 (with 2 people in ICU)
NSW
Deaths: 43
Cases: 8,149
In hospital: 2,046 (with 54 people in ICU)
Northern Territory
Deaths: 3
Cases: 154
In hospital: 40 (with 1 person in ICU)
Queensland
Deaths: 20
Cases: 3,060
In hospital: 448 (with 21 people in ICU)
South Australia
Deaths: 12
Cases: 1,170
In hospital: 240 (with 8 people in ICU)
Tasmania
Deaths: 2
Cases: 444
In hospital: 59 (with 2 people in ICU)
Victoria
Deaths: 46
Cases: 4,416
In hospital: 497 (with 27 people in ICU)
Western Australia
Deaths: 9
Cases: 2,210
In hospital: 267 (with 7 people in ICU)
Aemo releases details of June electricity market suspension
More details on the impact of the June suspension of the National Electricity Market have just landed, via the Australian Energy Market Operator (Aemo).
The Aemo says compensation claims by generators ordered to supply power into the market that covers about 80% of Australia’s population totalled $114m.
A separate tab, the reliability and emergency reserve trader that paid energy users to reduce demand, came in at $76.2m for NSW and $3.7m for Queensland for the period.
Aemo’s chief executive, Daniel Westerman, said the organisation continues to work with market participants “to process the associated costs required to avoid load shedding during the unprecedented events in the NEM”.
The period leading up to and including the suspension of the NEM spot markets was one of the most complex and challenging that Aemo has experienced.
While the claims we’ve received are considerable in value, the total is well below external expectations, which is positive for consumers and market participants already facing challenging conditions.
Claims estimates reported in some media outlets apparently reached $1.7bn, or about an order of magnitude more than the final cost. (Just as well they were off, since retailers pass the tab on to us.)
Separately, Aemo has released an incident report on the market suspension detailing how close eastern Australia came close to rolling blackouts.
At one point prior to the suspension, Aemo staff were busy ordering about 10,000MW of capacity, or 17% of the NEM total, to switch on. It would have been quite a baptism for the federal energy minister, Chris Bowen, as we detailed at the time here.
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NSW premier says he’s prioritising flood recovery over NRL stadiums
Dominic Perrottet says he does not regret prioritising funding for flood victims over investment in NRL stadiums, after his move triggered a bidding war between NSW and Queensland for the grand final.
Although that war ended earlier today with the announcement Sydney would once again host the showpiece, Perrottet had earlier stood firm on his position when he appeared on Sunrise:
As premier of the state, I have to make decisions in relation to the priorities that we have in front of us, and we have many people up here in the Northern Rivers that are still not in homes.”
I’ve got to make those decisions and set out the priorities for the government, but the offer we have made to the NRL I can assure you is completely reasonable.
It’s a fair offer and it’s a great event for our state, a great event for Sydney, which is where it should remain.
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Queensland police officers investigated over offensive Facebook posts
Seventy-nine Queensland police officers are being investigated regarding offensive Facebook posts which mocked domestic violence victims and implied police avoid responding to such incidents.
It comes after Guardian Australia reported the posts were made in a private Facebook group for current and former Australian law enforcement personnel.
The posts were made at the same time as public hearings in a commission of inquiry into Queensland police responses to domestic violence unearthed numerous allegations of a misogynistic culture within the service.
The inquiry heard on Thursday the police officer who made the posts is being investigated, along with 78 other police officers who had responded to them.
The officer, who is almost 50 years old and was sworn into the QPS in 2020, has a history of not complying with police operational procedures, the inquiry heard.
Last February, the officer failed to enter a domestic violence occurrence in police software, Q Prime and was dealt with through “local managerial resolution”, the inquiry heard.
The officer also was investigated for posts on another police Facebook page in February 2021, along with 30 Queensland police officers who responded to the posts.
The inquiry heard 22 of those officers were disciplined via “local managerial resolution”.
In August 2021, the same officer was also found to have not been wearing a body-worn camera when attending incidents.
“So he’s presently under investigation and decisions have not yet been made about what happened to him for this particular instance?” counsel assisting Ruth O’Gorman asked.
“That’s correct,” the police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, responded.
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David Littleproud criticises Scott Morrison over secrecy
Nationals leader David Littleproud has added his voice to the criticism of former prime minister Scott Morrison’s secret portfolios.
Littleproud was on 2GB earlier, and said Morrison had “no reason” to keep the appointments secret, adding that he agreed with Bridget McKenzie that the actions were in breach of the Liberals’ coalition agreement:
It wasn’t in agreement with what we have with the Liberals.
It should be transparent, not just with the Nationals, it should have been transparent with the Australian people. That’s the most disappointing thing about this.
There is no reason for Scott Morrison not to have told his colleagues, both National and Liberal, but more importantly told the Australian people.
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Good afternoon, Mostafa Rachwani with you this afternoon, and a quick thanks to Natasha May for her great work this morning.
It’s time for me to pass the blog baton over to the inimitable Mostafa Rachwani. See you tomorrow!
Indigenous voice a hand of friendship: PM
Prime minister Anthony Albanese has met with the Torres Strait Regional Authority during a visit to Thursday Island today, discussing the Indigenous voice to parliament. He said:
I see this as something that won’t just benefit Indigenous Australians, it will benefit all Australians.
Albanese vowed his trip would not be his last to the region as prime minister, and told community leaders he wanted to leave “permanent footprints” and see real change. He said:
That is why it is so important that Australians are given the opportunity to join that hand outstretched which is there in friendship.
The prime minister is set to meet with female community leaders in the Torres Strait on Friday morning during the second day of his visit.
Call for ‘Medicare-style’ home insurance
A “Medicare-style” approach to home insurance would make the system more equitable as the climate crisis makes premiums unaffordable for many, a Sydney professor says.
AAP reports.
University of NSW political philosophy professor, Jeremy Moss, says Australia urgently needs a new model of home insurance because the current model is “not fit for purpose”.
One million Australian households are in extreme insurance stress, with those most vulnerable affected by the growing effect of climate disasters.
The market-based model expects all home-owners to bear the risk of loss. Moss said today:
What we need is a similar approach to making home insurance equitable and affordable that we accept as fundamental to health insurance – in effect a ‘Medicare-style’ approach to how we structure home insurance options.
We need to make decisions about how much risk individuals should be asked to bear and whether society should allow widespread ‘climate disadvantage’
It comes after the release of the NSW government’s review into devastating floods that hit the Northern Rivers and Hawkesbury-Nepean regions this year.
One of the 28 recommendations in the report is for the insurance industry to improve its guidelines for the construction of new homes, so that homes built after floods can access cheaper insurance.
In May the Climate Council estimated that 4% of homes will be uninsurable by 2030.
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Barilaro ‘suggested’ candidate apply for London trade job, inquiry hears
The head of the hiring company charged with filling a series of controversial trade posts for the New South Wales government says the man hired to fill the London role told her former deputy premier John Barilaro had suggested he apply for the role.
The upper house inquiry probing the appointments resumed on Thursday and is hearing evidence from Dr Marianne Broadbent, a senior partner with recruitment firm NGS Global.
The inquiry, which has until now focused on the now-abandoned appointment of Barilaro to the equivalent role in New York, has shifted its focus to former NSW Business Chamber chief Stephen Cartwright.
The inquiry has previously heard that Cartwright entered the process “late” after another preferred candidate, Paul Webster, had already been identified.
Broadbent told the inquiry that in mid-February she was told at a meeting with the then-head of the treasury department, Jim Betts, that Cartwright had entered a late application for the role
Shortly after, she had a meeting with Cartwright in which, she said, he told her that Barilaro had “suggested to him that he might consider the role”.
Cartwright was interviewed for the job and replaced Webster as the preferred candidate.
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Albanese arrives in Torres Strait to “warm welcome”
Arrived to a very warm welcome in the Torres Strait, with Minister for Indigenous Affairs @LindaBurneyMP and Senator @nitagreenqld. pic.twitter.com/jKusQlfFF1
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) August 18, 2022
Freshwater ferries back on Sydney Harbour
Sydney’s iconic Freshwater ferries will return to the harbour all week long, less than a year after the first of them were pushed out of daily services, AAP reports.
Transport Minister David Elliott today announced the reintroduction of the ferries to daily operations. Elliott said:
As we head into the warmer months the demand for the F1 services increases and the reintroduction of the Freshwaters gives tourists, ferry enthusiasts and commuters additional travel options between Manly and the city.
The second-generation Emerald-class ferries brought in to replace the Freshwater ferries have been plagued by issues. Cracks were found in hulls, windows shattered on the water, and the ferries struggled to operate safely in high swells, or dock at very low tides.
The reintroduction of the Freshwater ferries to the daily timetable will add an extra 30 services a week from Circular Quay to Manly.
Elliott said that while the second-generation Emerald-class ferries have had their issues, seeing them operate on the harbour side-by-side with the Freshwater ferries “showcases these iconic vessels alongside our modern fleet”.
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New weir for Wilcannia
The town which ran out of water at the height of the drought in 2018, and was forced to truck it in, is set to receive a new weir.
The minister for the environment and water, Tanya Plibersek said the federal government’s co-investment with NSW state government in the town of Wilcannia comes after the old weir built in 1942 was no longer able to supply the town with reliable water.
The new weir will improve water flows downstream, while holding some water for community use. It will be a place for the local community to swim, fish, + gather - just as it always has been. Plus, it will create local jobs.
— Tanya Plibersek (@tanya_plibersek) August 18, 2022
Good for the environment + good for the local economy. pic.twitter.com/GW514TEgop
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Scott Morrison jokes about extra portfolios on Facebook
Scott Morrison is now cracking jokes about his five secret ministry positions on Facebook.
Jefford Tree Services, an arborist in Melbourne, made a joke on its social media this morning that Morrison had “just added Lead Climbing Arborist to his portfolio and started working for us without telling anyone! Great to have you on board Scomo!”
Scott Morrison is now... cracking jokes about the secret ministry positions on Facebook pic.twitter.com/DA4IE999Nw
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) August 18, 2022
The business tagged Morrison’s official Facebook page in the post, which included an edited image of a tree lopper with Morrison’s face pasted on top. This afternoon, Morrison responded from his page, dropping a comment on the photo:
I’ll let you know if I need any work done. What time do you need me for my first shift.
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‘Like… yoghurt out of a container’: homes ruined in NZ South Island floods
Hundreds of South Island residents have been evacuated and many won’t have liveable homes to return to after floods in New Zealand’s big winter wet, AAP reports.
After the wettest July on record, forecasters MetService say an “atmospheric river” has descended from the north and is drenching the country from tip to tail.
The worst-hit city so far is Nelson, where rainfall has destroyed roads, ruined homes, leading to a state of emergency.
Emergency management minister Kieran McAnulty flew into Nelson on Thursday to visit affected areas. He said:
We were literally watching a hill just flow on down. It was like you were pouring out yoghurt out of a container, just a thick sludge just carrying on down.
I’ve only been here a few hours but I’ve seen enough to see that there is some extensive damage around this city.
McAnulty said more than 300 homes had been evacuated, including 10 due to a landslip.
Of those assessed so far, one in five homes either needs serious repairs or is uninhabitable.
Authorities hope to complete assessments by Friday, though more rain is forecast.
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Howard on Morrison saga and governor general
John Howard also spoke about the Morrison multiple ministry saga, reiterating his position that while he wouldn’t have done it, there’s nothing to resign over.
On the questions around the governor general, Howard said:
The governor general fulfilled his constitutional role and that is to act on the advice of the prime minister. And you can’t have it both ways – you can’t lambast the prime minister for not behaving correctly and then [the governor general].
What do you want? The governor general to sack him? ... I am satisfied that he would have been satisfied that what he did was legal and that was the end of it. And I mean, just imagine if it were now to come out, that the governor general had sought some legal advice on something else that are being done ... double guessing the prime minister ... the governor general has to act on advice and the advice comes from the prime minister and ministers.
Howard was later taken directly to the governor general’s statement that he had no reason to think the appointments would not be announced.
He replied:
My position on this is very clear: I don’t think [Morrison] should have done that. I don’t he really needed to do it either. But I do think that there’s an attempt ... to implicate the governor general is a bit rough.
When the ABC’s Andrew Probyn noted the GG’s statement was “pretty pointed” (in blaming Morrison for secrecy), Howard replied:
Yeah, and I don’t blame him.
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V’landys: “Up until last night…I would [have said] Queensland”
Circling back to the media conference where the NRL have announced the grand final will take place in Sydney after a NSW-Queensland stoush over the showpiece event.
It appears the Queensland premier is taking the news better than most of the Bachelors/Bachelorettes who make it down to the final two only to find out it’s not them. V’landys:
Premier Palaszczuk is brilliant to work with and I rang her before we made the announcement. She understands politics and understands what we needed to do. She looks forward to dealing with us in the future if that potential came up there into the future.
V’landys also revealed the decision really came down to the wire, that as late as last night it could have gone Queensland’s way.
Up until last night’s commission meeting if you asked me then I would say it would go to Queensland. If we did not have New South Wales governments late this afternoon that’s probably how it would have headed.
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Howard ‘in favour of the nuclear option’
John Howard also touched on policy debates regarding nuclear energy and industrial relations.
On IR, he said:
I think we have dropped the ball on industrial relations terribly. I think the Liberal party went towater on industrial relations reform. Apart from Tony Abbott’s continued espousal of the building and construction commission which I hope its threatened removal is strongly opposed by the Coalition.
On nuclear, he said:
I am in favour of the nuclear option being completely on the table when it comes to energy solutions. I think if we are going to seriously examine our energy future, we have to look at uranium. We have 38% of the easily recoverable uranium reserves, we have a geological formation which is very conducive to dealing with nuclear waste.
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Voice to parliament may be ‘coercive’: John Howard
The former prime minister, John Howard, has spoken at the Canberra writers festival about the voice to parliament, warning it may be “coercive” and criticising Anthony Albanese for a lack of detail.
Howard told the event at the National Press Club:
I haven’t got a completely settled view on this. I’m following the debate and I would like to have - horror of horrors - more information ... but anything that I think has the potential for division, has the potential for establishing a body that is seen as exercising, coercive influence on the government.
Bear in mind that the prime minister has said some very contradictory things about this, although he’s got a lot of credit for what he said at the Garma festival. He said on the one hand, very simple language, you know, ‘nothing to see over here’. Then in one of the interviews he gave to David Spears ... he made the comment that it would be a ‘very brave government that would ignore the recommendation from this body’. Now, if that’s his opinion, then he must deep down, see more to this than ‘nothing to see over there’. And I’m a little confused.
Howard suggested the voice could be “trialled in legislation” before constitutional entrenchment. He said the government is “hell-bent” on a referendum first.
Howard also made a version of the argument that somehow a Voice will harm practical action:
There are a lot of people who think that we if we expend all of our emotional energy and debate on the voice and when that’s over irrespective of what the outcome is, there’ll be a feeling in the community that ‘well, we’ve dealt with Indigenous affairs’, let’s get onto something else’. But as people like Jacinta Price has said the glaring challenge in Indigenous affairs, is to do something about the deprivation of Indigenous people in particularly, but not only the Northern Territory.
It’s hard to understand why people would conclude Indigenous affairs is done and dusted if the outcome of the referendum is a constitutionally entrenched body to advocate for Indigenous people. But that’s his logic.
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‘Opens the door for a Super Bowl type concept’: NRL chairman
Uncertainty surrounded whether the NRL grand final would be played in Brisbane or Sydney with many waiting with bated breath for the announcement at 1.30pm.
So when rugby league chairman, Peter V’landys, came out saying it would be played in Melbourne, jaws dropped before he quickly revealed it to be joke.
V’landys confirmed the final will be held in Sydney, but only for one year as negotiations will open as for who will host the final in future years.
The commission has been in negotiations now for over a week. They have been extensive and realistically we only came to a conclusion this afternoon. We wanted to give it to a city that needs a major football event. And that is why we have gone with Melbourne. Just kidding.
No, look, as I said, after extensive negotiations we have made a decision which we believe is in the best interests of our fans and that is to hold the game in Sydney this year. As I said, it has been a very hard decision because the Queensland premier has been fantastic to deal with … but at the same time, the new sporting minister Alastair Hoskins has been really professional, courteous and it is only that reason that we were able to come to the conclusion we have.
I should point out that the New South Wales government has given it an additional investment but this is only for one year. And I have to stress that. It is not for the long-term. Negotiations will recommends for future grand finals.
It is really now put it on the table for the future. It hasn’t been because we were hoping we would have an exclusive arrangement with the New South Wales government. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. It opens the door for a Super Bowl type concept or, who can give us the best deal for the game. You have to remember we do have four teams in Queensland.
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Sydney to host NRL grand final
This year’s NRL grand final will be played in Sydney, after a NSW-Queensland stoush over the showpiece event.
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Labor trying to fix ‘leaks’ in ‘broken system’ left by previous government ‘trying to drive wages down for a decade’
Burke:
If you look historically at the numbers we have now, there is clearly something broken in the system. Compare where we are now to August 2008. Both were periods when unemployment was low, where participation was high. But with very different wages outcomes.
The hydraulic pressure of unemployment being low … upward pressure on wages, the pressure is still there. But it’s coming through in pipes that have all sorts of leaks coming out of them. Leaks off the back of the previous government trying to drive wages down for 10 years, leaks in terms of loopholes in the system that allow what would otherwise be minimum rates of pay to be undercut, and usually in the system, a bargaining system that is largely stalled. On the deliberately keeping wages low, we change that from the day we came into office.
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Tony Burke reflects on the employment data
I’m pleased to report on the jobs figures that have come up. Unemployment is down. Underemployment is down, youth unemployment is down.
Unemployment is now a 3.4, coming off a 3.5 figure… the lowest unemployment rate we have had August 1974.
Underemployment is down significantly, down to seven, down from 7.9, the lowest youth unemployment figure that we have had that series began when it was first added to the stats.
There are some other figures which require a bit of explanation. There has been a fall in the total number of jobs, a fall of 40,000, but that follows eight consecutive increases totalling 750,000.
Updated
Employment minister speaking
The shadow employment minister, Michaelia Cash’s, press conference is over and now the current employment minister, Tony Burke, has taken to the microphone in Sydney.
The media conferences come after the release of employment data today and wages data yesterday.
Updated
Cash will not comment on Porter’s responsibilities in Morrison saga
Cash was asked if Christian Porter should have told her about the instruments Morrison was using, but said she would not deal “in hypotheticals.”
Cash was attorney general in 2021, when Morrison took on additional powers in home affairs and treasury and the resources portfolio, and she said she didn’t know that Morrison had gained those additional powers.
Porter was aware of what was going on when he was attorney general in 2020 and Morrison took on the additional portfolios.
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Cash accepts Morrison’s “global apology”
Cash says she isn’t disappointed Scott Morrison didn’t apologise to her personally, because she wasn’t a minister “concerned personally.”
I accept Scott’s global apology yesterday but again, I can assure you this is not something that I dwell on. The reasons are actually issues that are out there affecting people’s ability to run their businesses on a daily basis.
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Cash says jobs and electricity prices should be focus, not Morrison saga
Quite frankly, as someone who has been on the ground for the last few days in Tasmania - ground, listening to in particular small businesses, I can tell you, not one person raised this issue with me but what they did raise was what we are seeing today, the loss of full-time jobs across Australia, the inability to get access to the labour they need … The other policy decision they keep raising with me is that when he went to the election he said to Australia, if I am elected, I will ensure your electricity, our prices are reduced by $275 a year. People voted in good faith on that process. That has really been gone, thrown away by the now prime minister so when it comes to talking to Australians about the issues that matter for them, they are the two main issues raised with me.
Cash – calling out Albanese for breaking election promises – is then asked about Morrison’s dishonesty:
Question: Morrison went to the nation saying Karen Andrews was the only home affairs minister. Should he resign?
He was overwhelmingly elected by the people in his electorate and that was only but a few weeks ago. The people of Cook voted for Scott Morrison to represent them in the parliament. I do not believe he should resign but what I would also say, I am very proud to be proud of the former government literally got Australia through Covid-19 because of the decisions the former government made we saved around 40,000 lives. I don’t think that should ever be forgotten by the Australian people.
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Michaelia Cash accuses prime minister of acting like an opposition leader
Cash says Anthony Albanese should be waiting for legal advice, instead of criticising Scott Morrison.
Instead of acting like a leader of the opposition, act like the prime minister of Australia, await the outcome of the advice from the solicitor general.
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Scott Morrison’s secrecy a ‘great disappointment’, Michaelia Cash says
Cash says she first found out about the Morrison secret ministries saga in the media.
She says that Morrison yesterday explained his decisions but admits it was nevertheless disappointing he didn’t tell his colleagues.
Like so many colleagues and my leader, Peter Dutton, he has expressed disappointment. The decision itself, based on what appears to be section 63 and 64 of the Constitution, is a legal one, but of course the transparency and the not telling the relevant colleagues at the time is a great disappointment and Mr Morrison yesterday, in addressing the media, here acknowledged this, he apologised to colleagues and in particular those affected by his decisions and that was certainly the right thing to do.
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Michaelia Cash calls for government to allow veterans and pensioners to work without affecting their pension
The shadow employment minister says she has recently come back from being “on the ground” in Tasmania where she says the inability to get access to the labour they need is a big concern for small business owners.
They cannot understand why prime minister Albanese has not already implemented the very sensible policy that the leader of the opposition, Peter Dutton, has put forward in relation to allowing veterans and pensioners to work one additional day without affecting their pension.
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Shadow employment minister says loss of jobs and participation rate drop should be ringing “alarm bells” for Albanese government
Shadow minister for employment, Michaelia Cash, is speaking in Perth after the release of the latest job figures today.
When you look at the figure, a reduction to 3.4%, it is just that, a headline figure.
When you actually go behind the figure itself, alarm bells should start ringing for the Albanese government. We saw a loss of full-time jobs of around 80,000.
But what we also saw - which again the alarm bells should start ringing for the Albanese government - is a drop in the participation rate.
Updated
South Australian records 12 Covid deaths and 240 people in hospital.
There were 1,170 new cases in the last reporting period, and eight people are in intensive care.
South Australian COVID-19 update 18/08/22.
— SA Health (@SAHealth) August 18, 2022
For more information, go to https://t.co/XkVcAmerhn pic.twitter.com/EkvD4zdEsW
Average earnings growth slow
If the headline jobless rate at 3.4% might not be telling the full story on the labour market, wages numbers out today from the ABS help to fill in more of the tale.
As we saw yesterday, the Wage Price Index for the June quarter was weaker than expected, with the 2.6% annual rate of increase barely higher than the 2.4% pace recording in the March quarter. (And that as the jobless rate kept edging lower.)
Well, average weekly ordinary time earnings are out for the period to the end of May too, and “ordinary” is how many workers will view the figures.
According to the ABS, adults working full time collected $1770 in May, up 1.9% or $33, from the same month a year ago. That’s modest, of course, given CPI was actually running at 6.2% for the month, we learned this week.
More to the point, though, that 1.9% increase was actually lower than the 2.1% annual increase in AWE recorded in November. That decline came even though average monthly employment grew by 46,000, the ABS noted.
This discrepancy will probably get more scrutiny. The ABS puts it down to more people working in lower paying jobs, dragging the average lower.
Bjorn Jarvis, head of labour statistics at the ABS said:
Over the past six months there has been increasing employment, including full-time employment, in some lower paying industries, such as accommodation and food services, placing some downward influence on changes in average earnings.
If that’s the case, we can expect extra emphasis at next month’s Jobs and Skills Summit on how to lift the number of well-paying jobs to keep many households from falling into poverty amid soaring bills for most things.
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Scott Morrison apologises to Karen Andrews
Scott Morrison has apologised to former home affairs minister, Karen Andrews, for secretly swearing himself into her portfolio, after she revealed he hadn’t previously contacted her in the wake of the growing scandal.
It’s understood the former prime minister has now contacted to Andrews and given an apology, after she earlier told Sky News she hadn’t heard from him yet - despite Morrison having contacted Mathias Cormann and Josh Frydenberg since news broke of his covert ministerial appointments.
We’ve contacted Andrews’ office for comment .
Andrews told Sky:
I understand that he’s made a broad apology to his colleagues and I’m entirely fine with that, so it’s not an issue with me... he hasn’t spoken to me. The last discussion that I had with Scott Morrison was during the last sitting week in Canberra.
In response to an article about Morrison’s previous failure to call Andrews, resources minister Madeleine King tweeted this morning “stay classy”.
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Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has slammed an independent report that was critical of a $1.3bn dam proposal in his electorate.
Joyce told the ABC the report was wrong and that dam should “absolutely go ahead”, regardless of a report from Infrastructure Australia that found there was “insufficient evidence” for the proposed dam, and that the the business case was “poorly substantiated.”
The report found the dam could reap as little as nine cents of profit for every dollar spent.
When he was deputy PM, Joyce signed up to spend $675m of federal money on the dam in a 50-50 funding split with the state government, and he was not happy with the report’s findings:
They’re wrong.
We’ve got two choices, to find more water or stop [Tamworth] from growing.
They come up with this fantastic figure, $1.3bn, but no one has been able to put on the table exactly how they came up with that number.
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Senior Australian Anglican bishop laments establishment of breakaway conservative diocese
The senior bishop of the Anglican Church in Australia has rued the establishment of a breakaway diocese, saying it was founded on “perplexing” beliefs and could confuse congregations in a “tragically divided world”.
The Most Reverend Geoffrey Smith, the archbishop of Adelaide and primate of the Anglican Church of Australia, said in a statement released on Thursday that while the newly launched Diocese of the Southern Cross may “mirror” the characteristics of an Anglican diocese, it should be considered a new denomination.
The diocese was formally launched this week, with the former Anglican archbishop of Sydney, Glenn Davies, appointed its bishop.
It is part of the global Gafcon movement which has divided the church.
Smith said in his statement:
It is unfortunate that confusion may well result from the establishment of this organisation among existing members of the Anglican Church of Australia and among people wishing to connect with the Anglican Church of Australia.
The meeting of the General Synod held in May this year clearly affirmed the view that marriage is between a man and a woman, and declined to affirm same sex marriage.
It is perplexing therefore that the leaders of this breakaway movement cite the reason for this new denomination as the failure of General Synod to explicitly express an opinion against the blessing of same sex marriages.
Smith also appeared to claim the new diocese was turning against God’s call, saying:
It is always easier to gather with those we agree with. But in a tragically divided world God’s call and therefore the church’s role includes showing how to live together with difference. Not merely showing tolerance but receiving the other as a gift from God.
My conviction is that the Anglican Church of Australia can find a way to stay together, graciously reflecting God’s great love, with our differences held sincerely. This week’s announcement makes achieving that end more difficult but not impossible.
You can read more about the new diocese here:
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Fatal house fire in NSW northern rivers
A woman has died following a house fire last night at Goonellabah in NSW’s northern rivers district.
Fire and Rescue NSW say they are in the process of determining the cause of the fatal fire.
In a statement the authority said:
Nine fire trucks, from Goonellabah, Lismore, Alstonville and Coraki fire stations arrived at the Dudley Drive address just after 6.30pm and found the home fully involved in fire.
Flames, heavy smoke and a collapsing roof initially prevented firefighters from entering the house.
As soon as crews gained control of the blaze, firefighters forced their way inside and located the body of a woman.
Fire Investigation and Research Unit (FIRU) experts are working at the scene of the blaze today, trying to confirm how the fire started.
They will also try to determine whether a smoke alarm, possibly compromised by the roof collapse, activated during the fire.
The number of people killed in residential fires in NSW this winter now stands at 15 from 12 incidents, 11 more fatalities than the total for winter last year.
Goonellabah | Investigators seeking cause of fatal house fire: Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) investigators are trying to determine the cause of a fatal house fire last night at Goonellabah in the state's northern ri... https://t.co/t8ftMX5as2
— Fire and Rescue NSW (@FRNSW) August 18, 2022
Covid and flu takes its toll on jobs
More on the jobs data that are not so positive on second blush – and that would mean the RBA on the margin would be relieved by these figures even though the jobless rate fell again.
While there were almost 41,000 fewer people in jobs last month, the numbers in full-time work actually retreated by more than double that, at 86,900.
(Part-time workers rose by 46,000, but you only need to work one hour to make that measure.)
The reduction in employment was the first since October last year.
Covid and flu continued to take a toll.
Bjorn Jarvis, head of labour statistics at the ABS, said:
In addition to people taking annual leave around the winter school holidays, there were also around 750,000 people working fewer hours than usual due to being sick in July 2022, around double the usual number we see during the middle of winter.
Given the extent of sickness within the community during July, some people who were on annual leave over the school holidays may have also been sick or caring for others.
Updated
Queensland records 20 Covid deaths and 448 people in hospital
There were 3,060 new cases in the last reporting period, and 21 people are in intensive care.
Today we have recorded 3,060 new COVID-19 cases.
— Queensland Health (@qldhealth) August 18, 2022
Sadly, we have reported 20 deaths in the past 24 hours.
Full details ➡️ https://t.co/rKHIwrH8sQ pic.twitter.com/3Ze60BRJNY
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Unemployment lowest since 1974
More on those jobs figures, with the 3.4% rate the lowest since August 1974, the ABS said.
The decline, though, came from a drop in the participation rate (those in the job market) by 0.3 percentage points in the month to 66.4%. That decline in the overall workforce masked a fall of 40,900 people in work, so the picture is a bit nuanced.
The jobless rate has dropped again, reaching 3.4% in July from 3.5% in June. (Source: ABS) pic.twitter.com/O6yj9JMUYT
— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) August 18, 2022
Hours worked also sank 0.8% to 1.84bn, another down arrow.
Bjorn Jarvis, head of labour statistics at the ABS, said:
With employment falling by 41,000 people and the number of unemployed people also decreasing by 20,000, the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage points, to 3.4%.
The unemployment rate fell for men (down 0.2 percentage points) to 3.4%, and remained steady at 3.4% for women.
The underemployment rate decreased slightly from 6.1% to 6.0% in the month.
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Government promises innovation in aged care sector
Aged care minister, Anika Wells, says the Labor government needs to bring “ambition” to the sector, as she ran a roundtable meeting with more than 20 experts ahead of the jobs summit next month.
The government has committed to major reforms in the sector that will require huge numbers of new staff, including promising registered nurses in aged care homes on a 24/7 basis and mandating greater amounts of direct daily care for residents. Aged care homes have raised concerns about how they will find the staff to meet those rules, which feeds directly into the jobs summit’s focus on expanding Australia’s workforce.
The three-hour roundtable at Parliament House – including unions, universities, aged care providers, seniors advocates and health professionals – looked at plans to “boost job security, making aged care an attractive place to work, access to education and training, the role of migration in aged care and creating innovation in the industry”.
Wells said:
Aged care reform needs to be done once and done well, and that’s why consultations like today’s aged care workforce pre-jobs summit roundtable are crucial.
We need ambition for aged care. We need to be innovative and have thought leadership.
We must work together to improve the lives of aged care workers and care recipients who have been neglected after successive liberal governments ignored their plight.
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Unemployment rate falls from 3.5% to 3.4%
Australia’s jobless rate for July has come in at 3.4%, the ABS has just said.
The market was expecting 3.5% or thereabouts, so we remain at the lowest level since the mid-70s.
More to come.
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Man arrested for alleged murder of Sydney teenager in 1998
A man in Brisbane has been arrested for the 1998 alleged murder of Sydney teenager Arthur Haines.
The 13-year old was sleeping over at his friend’s house when it caught fire and he became trapped on the top floor. He managed to escape and was taken to the children’s hospital at Westmead with severe burns.
He died 11 weeks after the fire, and a subsequent forensic examination of the home found the fire had been deliberately lit.
NSW police have now released a statement:
Despite exhaustive inquiries, the matter remained unsolved, and was referred to detectives from the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad for re-investigation under Strike Force Belemba II in January 2020.
Following extensive inquiries and numerous public appeals for information, strike force detectives applied for and were granted an arrest warrant for a 55-year-old man, who was believed to be interstate.
The man was arrested by detectives from the Queensland Police Service Homicide Investigation Unit at a Brisbane home about 11am yesterday (Wednesday 17 August 2022), before the warrant was executed.
NSW Police detectives have since travelled to Queensland, where they will apply for the man’s extradition to NSW at Brisbane Magistrates Court today (Thursday 18 August 2022).
Further information will only be made available after the extradition has been granted and completed.
Updated
Albanese asked to DJ at Brisbane music festival
We didn’t really think the week could get any weirder, but the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has suggested he could DJ on stage for American rapper Fatman Scoop at a music festival in Brisbane.
Take a second to read that sentence again.
Albanese appeared on B105 FM radio this morning, where he was surprised with a dial-in from the rapper. The radio hosts began the segment by telling Albanese “we’ve got a job for you”, before Fatman Scoop joined the line.
The rapper asked:
I need you to come down and here’s what we’re going to do: you’re going to DJ while I perform. Can you do that, sir?
Albanese responded:
That sounds pretty good.
Albanese said “if I can, I will” and added: “I don’t know what I’m doing on the 11th of November.” That is, of course, Remembrance Day – so we imagine the PM may actually have some official duties on that day.
Before you ask, Albanese’s office sent an official transcript on the chat, and we’ve confirmed that it is indeed legit and not an elaborate practical joke.
If Fatman Scoop rings any bells for dedicated Auspol tragics, it may be because of an immortal Scott Morrison moment from his early days as PM. In 2018, the freshly-minted Liberal leader posted a video on his social media from Question Time, where he asked his MPs to raise their hands – with the clip soundtracked by Fatman Scoop’s song, Be Faithful.
That song featured the lyrics “get your hands up”. It also features some other lyrics which are definitely not appropriate for a PG-rated audience, and the clip was deleted.
Fatman Scoop referenced that moment in the radio chat, saying:
I have a pattern of dealing with prime ministers in this country. So you’re now the second prime minister that I’m on the phone with.
Scomo, not working out so well. I don’t think he’s gonna answer my phone calls right now. Doesn’t feel like the right time.
Updated
Flooding hits New Zealand’s South Island
Hundreds of South Island residents have been evacuated and are waiting to learn the severity of flood damage to their homes as New Zealand’s big winter wet continues, AAP reports.
An “atmospheric river”, as described by forecasters MetService, from the north has brought widespread rains to the country this week.
The worst-hit city so far is Nelson, where rainfall has destroyed roads and a state of emergency has been declared.
Authorities ordered 233 homes in Nelson East to evacuate overnight as the Maitai River swelled.
On Tuesday, MetService issued a rare red warning, saved for the most damaging weather events, for Buller and Westland on the west coast of South Island.
In the often-soaked Westport, which received 70mm on Wednesday, about 160 households were encouraged to “self-evacuate as a precaution” by civil defence.
Another front is due to arrive on Friday.
Inquiry hears Queensland police commissioner threatened with summons to appear
The final public hearing for the commission of inquiry into police responses to domestic violence in Queensland is taking place today, with the state’s police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, appearing.
It had been reported the state’s commission of inquiry backflipped on a previous decision not to call her to give evidence. However, the inquiry has heard the commissioner only agreed to appear after being asked if she’d need a summons.
This information comes from Guardian Australia’s Queensland state reporter Eden Gillespie at the hearing.
#BREAKING: The commission of inquiry into QPS responses to DV has revealed they asked the police commissioner to give evidence in early August and she declined. The inquiry then asked if she'd need a summons to be issued for her to appear and she agreed to attend. @GuardianAus
— Eden Gillespie (@edengillespie) August 18, 2022
Updated
Former Channel 7 sports reporter Josh Massoud loses court appeal
The former Channel 7 sports reporter Josh Massoud has lost a court appeal in his claim against multiple media outlets he alleges defamed him in stories about his departure from the network.
Massoud sued Sydney radio station 2GB and Nine Digital, Fox Sports Australia, the Daily Telegraph, and radio station KIIS 1065 for defamation in the NSW district court, but was unsuccessful.
He appealed to the NSW court of appeal, but the appeals were dismissed today.
Massoud sued the media outlets after they reported that he had been stood down after threatening to slit the throat of a junior colleague. He had claimed the stories incorrectly attributed a phrase to him and offered no context.
However, the court of appeal held that the primary judge was correct in finding that the defamatory imputations were substantially true.
Updated
Dutton says colleagues 'rightly angry' over Morrison's secret portfolios
Opposition leader, Peter Dutton, says Scott Morrison made “the wrong call” by secretly swearing himself into five ministerial portfolios, but says the member for Cook has no reason to resign.
Dutton also joined calls for Morrison to personally apologise to former home affairs minister Karen Andrews, who says she is yet to hear directly from the man who was covertly sworn into her portfolio.
Speaking on 2GB radio, Dutton said it was “inappropriate for him to be assuming these powers”.
The radio station put the question to Dutton:
Former nationals cabinet minister Bridget McKenzie calling on Mr. Morrison to apologize to Ms Andrews saying it was the right thing to do. She also says Mr. Morrison’s actions were a breach of the standing coalition agreement. Is Ms. McKenzie right?
Dutton replied:
My colleagues are rightly angry and aggrieved and I understand that. Scott has made the wrong call ... and if he hasn’t spoken to Karen [Andrews] then I believe he should.
He’s apologised for it, he’s no longer occupying the office and there’s not much more, you can continue to trail over it but it’s all out there now.
Earlier, Andrews had told Sky News she still backed her previous calls for Morrison to resign, and said he hadn’t gotten a call from Morrison.
I understand that he’s made a broad apology to his colleagues and I’m entirely fine with that, so it’s not an issue with me ...
He hasn’t spoken to me. The last discussion that I had with Scott Morrison was during the last sitting week in Canberra.
Dutton called for the discussion to “move on”, claiming focus should return to issues like cost of living.
Updated
Final hearings taking place for inquiry into Queensland police domestic violence response
The final public hearing for the commission of inquiry into police responses to domestic violence in Queensland is taking place today.
The state’s police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, is due to speak after the state’s commission of inquiry backflipped on a previous decision not to call her to give evidence.
Carroll will discuss the organisation’s capability, capacity and structure to respond to domestic violence, as well as cultural issues within the force.
Guardian Australia’s Queensland state reporter Eden Gillespie is at the hearing.
I'm at the final hearing for the commission of inquiry into police responses to domestic violence. QPS commissioner Katarina Carroll will speak shortly.
— Eden Gillespie (@edengillespie) August 18, 2022
For the first time in 5 weeks, the court room is full & there are almost 200 people tuning into the livestream. @GuardianAus
Updated
More jobs data to be released
Labour data will feature prominently today again after yesterday’s wage price index posted a softer than expected increase in the June quarter.
The gap between the WPI and consumer price inflation is now wider than it has been since the late 1990s when the ABS started releasing such data.
The past few years have been notably bad for real wages and the tide is going to turn it, as Greg Jericho underscored comprehensively in his weekly column here.
Today’s flurry of figures will include the July jobless rate, with economists expecting it to hover close to its near-half century low of 3.5%.
Sean Langcake, an economist with BIS Oxford Economics, said:
Considering the labour market is running at or likely beyond capacity, we expect to see relatively weak employment growth in July of around 5-15,000.
It would be surprising to see the unemployment rate track lower than 3.5% without a fall in the participation rate – we expect both of these numbers to be reasonably steady in July.
A big gain in jobs, though, particularly if it comes with a further increase in the participation rate will foster talk about a “tight-as-a-drum economy” and whether the RBA might have to continue its recent series of interest rate rises to induce some slack.
Ahead of today's July jobs data (which some prospect the 3.5% jobless rate will drop further), investors were tipping the RBA cash rate will rise to 3.5%. Odds remain 3:4 that the rate will be increased by 50bps at the Sept 6th meeting. pic.twitter.com/kv66rFGPci
— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) August 17, 2022
Also out today, though, will be the six monthly reading from the ABS on average weekly earnings, bringing the data up to May.
Yesterday’s meagre rise in the WPI of 2.6% for the June quarter was barely above the 2.4% annual pace set in the January-March period. Expect more head-scratching about why the signs of staff shortages everywhere aren’t leading to higher wages if those weekly wage numbers also disappoint.
Updated
Queensland defends coal royalties tax
The Queensland state government is defending the changes it made to the coal royalties scheme after BHP paused development of a $1bn coal mine that was due to open in 2029.
The mining giant says the new royalty regime announced in June would discourage investment.
Cameron Dick, Queensland treasurer, appeared on ABC radio this morning and said he would not review the regime, which has received bipartisan support.
Dick highlighted the record profits being recorded and said BHP’s decision is not a concern:
We’re not concerned about that, it’s about Queenslanders getting their fair share of a non-renewable resource.
Updated
Wage growth to be a key focus at jobs summit
Tony Burke, the employment minister, is speaking to Sky News following the release of latest wages figures which showing Australians’ real wages are the lowest in 20 years.
Burke says Australians will see real wage growth when there is a “crossover point as inflation starts to fall that wages move forward”.
He says the pay equity gap for women needs to be addressed, which feeds into the government’s case for raising aged care wages.
As for who will be attending the government’s upcoming jobs and skills summit, Burke confirms the Nationals leader David Littleproud will be in attendance in addition to “big representation” from business and union movements.
Updated
‘Good’ posture doesn’t prevent back pain
Researchers from Curtin University are turning preconceived ideas about posture and back pain on their head in an article published today in the Conversation.
Peter O’Sullivan, Leon Straker and Nic Saraceni say having ‘good’ posture doesn’t prevent back pain, and ‘bad’ posture doesn’t cause it. They write:
Back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide.
…There is a common belief that “good” posture is important to protect the spine from damage, as well as prevent and treat back pain.
Conversely, “slump” sitting, “slouch” standing and lifting with a “round back” or stooped posture are frequently warned against. This view is widely held by people with and without back pain, as well as clinicians in both occupational health and primary care settings.
Surprisingly, there is a lack of evidence for a strong relationship between “good” posture and back pain. Perceptions of “good” posture originate from a combination of social desirability and unfounded presumptions.
Interesting discussion, and some good things to know.Having ‘good’ posture doesn't prevent back pain, and 'bad' posture doesn't cause it https://t.co/dZMl4FRah9 via @ConversationEDU
— Prof. Peter Doherty (@ProfPCDoherty) August 17, 2022
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Alleged Melbourne body snatcher dies
Police say an alleged grave robber accused of stealing heads from human corpses has died, AAP reports.
Tristan Hearne, 41, was due to appear in Melbourne magistrates court on Wednesday, charged with seven offences after human remains were stolen from mausoleums at Footscray general cemetery in Yarraville.
The body parts were stolen from graves between 28 January and 1 February, with detectives later uncovering them at a Footscray property.
Hearne was accused of twice removing heads from human corpses, exhuming remains from a place of interment on two occasions and damaging a family’s mausoleum three times, court documents revealed.
After he failed to face court on Wednesday, magistrate David Langton issued a warrant for his arrest.
He noted Hearne’s fairly stringent bail conditions, including that he present to police during his curfew hours.
Police later confirmed Hearne died on 5 July.
His death was not being treated as suspicious, with officers preparing a report for the coroner.
Updated
Real wages growth over the Morrison term of government ‘not good’
Guardian columnist Greg Jericho shows the total growth of real wages over the Morrison term of government, which can be calculated now that the June quarter wage figures came in yesterday.
Now we have the June quarter wages figures we can calculate the total growth of real wages over the Morrison term of government.
— Greg Jericho (@GrogsGamut) August 17, 2022
It is not... gooodhttps://t.co/DjY2BfLWrc pic.twitter.com/ROl5IMRiyE
Updated
Victoria records 46 Covid deaths and 497 people in hospital
There were 4,416 new cases in the last reporting period and 27 people are in intensive care.
Authorities said:
Of today’s 46 reported deaths, 36 occurred in the past week, a further eight deaths occurred in the past fortnight and two deaths occurred in late July.
We thank everyone who got vaccinated and tested yesterday.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) August 17, 2022
Our thoughts are with those in hospital, and the families of people who have lost their lives.
More data soon: https://t.co/OCCFTAchah pic.twitter.com/AVcvII7BPj
Updated
NSW records 43 Covid deaths and 2,046 people in hospital
There were 8,149 new cases in the last reporting period and 54 people are in intensive care.
COVID-19 update – Thursday 18 August 2022
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 17, 2022
In the 24-hour reporting period to 4pm yesterday:
- 96.9% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine*
- 95.4% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine* pic.twitter.com/Jz40boaPR2
Updated
PM travels to Torres Strait today to build momentum for the voice
Sarah Martin and Lorena Allam
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, will travel to the Torres Strait today to meet with first nation leaders as he seeks to build momentum for an Indigenous voice to parliament.
Albanese will make the visit with the minister for Indigenous affairs, Linda Burney, and Queensland Labor senator Nita Green as part of an extended trip to Queensland where the prime minister is keen to boost his government’s standing.
As part of the visit to Thursday Island he will meet with the Torres Strait Regional Authority and also join young Torres Strait Islanders at a cultural lunch.
Albanese said a leaders’ roundtable would discuss the voice to parliament and he would also attend a “a come one, come all forum” to discuss the voice to parliament, which the government has pledged to take to a referendum in this term.
Albanese said on Wednesday:
I want to engage with Australians both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, to consult with them.
I’ll be talking to the Torres Strait Islanders about the issue of the voice, but also other issues as well. I think that it’s important that the Australian prime minister talk with people in every region of Australia, and that we’re accountable for that.
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Damaging winds warning in regional Victoria
SEVERE WEATHER WARNING for DAMAGING WINDS
— VicEmergency (@vicemergency) August 17, 2022
For people in parts of Central, East Gippsland, North Central, North East, West and South Gippsland and South West Forecast Districts.
Stay informed: https://t.co/T05ONtObdB
Damaging winds extending eastward on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/zEKTf0gQb4
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Massive 750kg ice bust in Sydney
Three men are accused of being part of a criminal syndicate that imported almost 750 kilos of methylamphetamine in shipping containers into Sydney, AAP reports.
Acting on a tip-off, Australian Border Force officers found the haul secreted in numerous sea cargo containers which arrived at Port Botany last month.
Police say the 748kg of methylamphetamine has an estimated potential street value of more than $675m.
Detectives from the NSW Drug and Firearms Squad arrested three men over the stash on Wednesday.
They were all refused bail to appear at court later on Thursday.
NSW police commissioner Karen Webb will be joined by senior officers from State Crime Command and Australian Border Force to address the media about the bust later today.
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Greens leader calls for a ‘NurseKeeper’
Greens leader Adam Bandt will call for two individual $5,000 payments for nurses and paramedics when he speaks at the National Nurses Forum in Darwin today.
Bandt wants the government to fund a “NurseKeeper” scheme to deal with high levels of stress and burnout among nurses, and recognise their work during the pandemic, paid for by dropping stage-three tax cuts for high-income earners.
Bandt will tell the forum that the scheme should include a one-off payment now and another in 12 months to the country’s 320,000 nurses and paramedics, according to a draft of his speech seen by Guardian Australia. It would cost an estimated 1.3% of the $244bn cost of the stage three tax cuts, Bandt will say.
Bandt will tell the forum:
At the Jobs Summit, the Greens will push for a national ‘NurseKeeper’ program, seeking the government and the community’s support to recognise the burden nurses are under and stop nurses leaving the profession.
NurseKeeper should be designed in consultation with unions and professional bodies.
The federal government should also take the lead in ensuring there’s a proper shift bonus for hospital workers, no matter what state they work in. It’s thoroughly affordable.
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Governor general’s statement suggests he didn’t warn Morrison, constitutional expert says
Carrying on from ABC Radio interview with Luke Beck, a professor in constitutional law at Monash University.
Beck says we don’t know whether the governor general warned the prime minister.
But at the same time the governor general’s statement suggests that that never happened.
The governor general said he had no reason to believe that none of these appointments were being publicly communicated. So if he had no reason to doubt that, he would have had no basis for warning the prime minister.
But we know the governor general in fact knew these things were not being made public after the first one was kept secret. So the fact we’ve had these two evasive statements from the governor general raises more questions. We don’t know what happened behind the scenes but we know the governor general claims in a very implausible way that he knew nothing about this all being kept secret for so long.
There are lots of questions about what went on behind the scenes. Did Scott Morrison effectively instruct the governor general to keep it secret? We don’t know.
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Constitutional expert calls ‘bullshit’ on governor general
A spokesperson for the governor general, David Hurley, has said “the governor general had no reason to believe that appointments would not be communicated” but a professor in constitutional law has called “bullshit” on this defence.
Luke Beck, a professor at Monash University, appeared on ABC Radio earlier this morning expressing scepticism at the statement:
The governor general’s statement … particularly the statement where he says that he had no reason to think that these appointments would not be communicated, I call bullshit on that.
He in fact actually knew. Maybe he didn’t know for the first appointment. But after that first appointment was never publicised, he then appointed Morrison to four other additional ministries. And on each occasion the governor general knew that none of those were being made public.
So the governor general in fact knew after the first one that these were not being communicated publicly, so that part of the statement is misleading.
This is vice-regal arse covering.
— Luke Beck (@DrLukeBeck) August 17, 2022
The GG knew that the appointments were being kept secret over the course of years.
The GG knew cabinet, parliament and the public were being misled.
The GG kept Morrison's secrets https://t.co/6ZTB14ptaS
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‘Cringeworthy’: energy minister says Morrison’s media conference was embarrassing
Circling back to Chris Bowen’s interview on ABC Radio, where the discussion on climate policy was followed by questions on the biggest story in Canberra – Scott Morrison’s secret appointment to five additional ministries.
Asked if he believes the governor general still has questions to answer, Bowen responded:
I think to be fair that the governor general was in a difficult position, he has to accept the advice of the government or the PM of the day.
He went harder on Morrison’s presser, saying teachers have received better excuses from schoolchildren.
It was pretty pathetic, embarrassing and cringeworthy to be honest.
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Morrison should apologise to Karen Andrews, Bridget McKenzie says
Bridget McKenzie doesn’t believe Scott Morrison should resign, but says she believes he should apologise to Karen Andrews.
McKenzie is asked about the fact that Morrison has called male ministers, including Josh Frydenberg and Mathias Cormann, to apologise. However, Andrews who is calling on Morrison to resign, told Sky News yesterday that he had not called her.
McKenzie responded:
He should call Andrews.
The right thing to do would be to call all ministers concerned.
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Morrison’s secret ministries breached Coalition agreement, Nationals Senate leader says
Nationals leader in the Senate, Bridget McKenzie, a former cabinet minister under Scott Morrison, says the former prime minister’s actions were a breach of the Coalition agreement.
Morrison took over the resources portfolio held by Nationals MP Keith Pitt to make a decision to block that gas exploration licence off the coast of New South Wales.
My concern as the leader of the Nationals in the Senate is that the arrangements breached the Coalition agreement.
Complete disrespect for the second party of government, the National Party. Our Coalition arrangements are a negotiated outcome and they include a ratio of cabinet portfolios in the Coalition government and by essentially removing the authority of one of those ministers and giving it to a Liberal minister without that minister’s knowledge, essentially breached the Coalition agreement.
My view is that the National party would not have agreed with having one of its leaders removed.
… it shows great disrespect on behalf of the prime minister to our party.
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Multinational energy giants won’t be allowed to use international carbon credits, Bowen says
Question: Will multinational energy giants be excluded from using international carbon credits?
Bowen:
They currently can’t – and I would not allow it unless the government had advice and I was very satisfied that emissions reductions under international credits were real and verifiable.
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Climate safeguard mechanisms have failed because of ‘headroom’, climate minister says
Bowen is asked about how he plans to tighten the system to eliminate the “headroom” to raise emissions. He responds:
The baselines are set, in many instances, above existing emissions.
That’s why the system so far, the safeguards, have failed and emissions have gone up from facilities covered by the safeguard mechanism.
We are keeping the architecture, as the architecture is quite elegant, but the actual way it was implemented was very, very poor.
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‘Genuine’ consultation begins on climate safeguard policy
Chris Bowen, the minister for climate change and energy, is appearing on ABC radio as the government today begins stakeholder engagement on its climate safeguard policy for industry, releasing a discussion paper.
Asked how “baselines” for new and existing facilities be set, and how he will determine rates for baseline reductions, Bowen says he is looking forward to getting feedback from industry and climate groups about these finer details.
There are two options for how to calculate emissions reductions, one would be reductions in absolute terms, the other takes into account economic growth. Asked if he has a preference, Bowen says, “No, this is a very genuine consultation process”.
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Perrottet rejects Hogan’s criticisms over northern NSW flood response
The NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, is speaking from Ballina with ABC Breakfast News and this is his response to local federal member for Page Kevin Hogan’s criticisms of his government’s response to the northern rivers floods as “too slow”.
Perrottet says he disagrees with Hogan’s criticisms:
We have put a lot of work into ensuring we’ve got people into homes and temporary homes as quickly as possible. We’ve committed yesterday to a buyback scheme. We’re opening expressions of interest for landowners in a way that looks at opportunities for relocation for future development that ensures that people are able to move into homes into the future which are free from those flood-prone areas.
The criteria for that will take some time, given the catastrophic nature of this event. And it’s not just in the northern rivers, obviously right across the state we’ve had significant flooding, and we need to do it in the right way possible. I want to get people into homes as quickly as we can. We need to do it in the right way and in a way that sets up our towns in the northern rivers for the generations to come in a more resilient and structured way.
I know that even yesterday’s announcement still creates uncertainty because the criteria needs to be finalised, but directionally the government is committed to this approach. I believe it’s the right approach. Speaking to the prime minister last night about ways in which the state government can work with the federal government on funding plans to have this occur. But, you know, we have been working very closely with all the communities in the northern rivers for the last 5.5 months. Significant progress has been made. I’ve seen that firsthand yesterday. But there’s a lot more to do and there’s a long journey ahead. But we’re very committed to making sure we rebuild our communities here in a way that ensures they stay open and are there for generations to come.
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Local MP Kevin Hogan slams NSW flood response
Kevin Hogan, the local MP for Page around the northern rivers, has slammed the NSW government’s response as too slow in a statement released this morning.
Hogan says the Queensland government was able to set up a scheme in weeks, not months like the NSW government.
Too slow, too slow, too slow. pic.twitter.com/5r4atqzsg6
— Kevin Hogan MP (@KevinHoganMP) August 17, 2022
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‘Dumping ground’: Chris Bowen flags emissions standards for cars
Last night the climate change minister, Chris Bowen, signalled that Labor could introduce emissions standards for cars.
In a webinar with the Climate Council, Bowen said:
I have said that emissions standards for new cars – that is on the table. I do recognise that 85% of cars sold around the world deal in a regime with emissions standards. I’ll have more to say in due course about the way forward. Obviously we want to ensure choice for Australians. We are currently a bit of a dumping ground for manufacturers who don’t have to comply with various standards. We’ll have a national electric vehicle strategy, that will be a good piece of work.
The Australia Institute and others have been lobbying Bowen to announce fuel efficiency standards at an electric vehicle conference on Friday. In June, Bowen didn’t rule out introducing such standards out when asked at the National Press Club.
Bowen told the Climate Council he was “very passionate” about electric cars, because he drives one, which he describes as the “best I’ve ever driven”.
He listed other measures to support EVs including:
Abolishing the fringe benefit tax and the tariff on electric cars.
Achieving 75% of the commonwealth fleet being zero emissions by 2025.
A fast charger every 150km on national highways to combat “range anxiety”.
Bowen said there was a “sea change” when Labor’s attitude is compared with the previous government’s.
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Good morning!
Prime minister Anthony Albanese is flying north today to the Torres Strait for talks on an Indigenous voice to parliament. The visit follows the government securing bipartisan support for the voice from states and territories yesterday.
Albanese will be joined on the two-day visit by Linda Burney, the Indigenous Australians minister, and Queensland senator Nita Green.
The government is also starting consulting industry and stakeholders on its climate safeguard mechanism. The safeguard is the centrepiece of achieving its 2030 emission targets and will place caps on the biggest emitters.
Chris Bowen, the minister for climate change and energy, will be appearing on ABC Radio shortly after 7.30am and we’ll bring you what he has to say.
The former prime minister Scott Morrison’s secret ministeries saga continues, with a spokesperson for the governor general, David Hurley, releasing a statement late yesterday saying “the governor general had no reason to believe that appointments would not be communicated”.
Luke Beck, a professor in constitutional law at Monash University, appeared on ABC Radio earlier this morning expressing scepticism at the statement. Beck’s argument is that Hurley might have had no reason to believe that appointments would not be communicated the first time he swore Morrison in, but the subsequent times he would have known this did not occur.
My name is Natasha May and if you see anything you think should be on the blog you can email me at natasha.may@theguardian.com or ping me @natasha__may.
Let’s kick off!
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