The day that was, Monday 6 June
That is where we will leave the live blog on a busy Monday.
Here’s what made the news today:
- The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, met with Indonesian president Joko Widodo and has brought along several other government ministers and business leaders as part of a two-day trip aimed at strengthening ties between the two nations.
- The energy minister, Chris Bowen, has called an emergency meeting of state and territory energy ministers over rising gas prices and supply issues, as the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, writes to the competition watchdog over concerns about the rising cost of electricity.
- The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has said he is “not afraid” to have a discussion about nuclear power as an option for Australia.
- Tech giant Google has been ordered to pay the former New South Wales deputy premier John Barilaro $715,000 over its failure to remove a series of YouTube videos which a judge found had subjected him to a “relentless”, “racist” and “abusive” online campaign.
- More than 10,000 medical staff including doctors and nurses will be recruited as part of a $4.5bn health workforce drive announced by the New South Wales government on Monday, as the public sector wage cap will be increased from 2.5% to 3% this financial year.
- The Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, announced a commission of inquiry into DNA testing at the Queensland Forensic and Scientific Services.
- There were 19 reported Covid-19 deaths across Australia.
We will be back again tomorrow morning, but until then, I hope you have a good evening.
China’s actions in South China Sea ‘an act of aggression’
Albanese says he has not heard back from China after “strong representations” were made through the appropriate channels, as well as publicly, about the incident against the Australian air force conducting aerial surveillance over the South China Sea.
He says China’s actions were “an act of aggression and a dangerous act”.
That is where the press conference ends.
Updated
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, expresses concern about the ongoing human rights situation in Myanmar and welcomes the leadership Indonesia has shown in this area, but says Australia will still have to make its own choices about how to approach Myanmar.
Respectful dialogue for peace and security
Albanese is asked about Widodo’s public statement about the meeting, and he says it was very similar to comments he has made in the past about competition without catastrophe:
We do have strategic competition in the region. And if you make sure that it’s managed in a way that doesn’t have catastrophic consequences for the region – we want peace and security in the region. Australia and Indonesia will have different foreign policies as you would expect with different nations with different priorities. We also have different histories. Australia has a strong alliance with the United States as one of our three pillars of our foreign policy. Indonesia’s historical relationship and positioning, international relations have been different and we respect that. What we do have is respectful dialogue and cooperation, absolutely wherever possible and today’s discussions were consistent with that.
Updated
Albanese says Putin’s actions 'abhorrent'
Albanese says at the G20, he will be focused on sitting with Joko Widodo, not one of the other attenders, Russian president Vladimir Putin.
He points out that Putin appeared at previous G20 meetings, including one hosted under the former Abbott government.
He says that doesn’t mean the government agrees with Putin, and says he has found Putin’s actions “abhorrent”.
On the Aukus agreement, Albanese says with Widodo, he reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to Aukus and that it was consistent with Australia’s position on nuclear non-proliferation.
Updated
Albanese press conference begins
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is holding a press conference after his meeting with Indonesian president Joko Widodo.
Albanese says he was “deeply touched” by the bike ride.
He lists the ministers accompanying trip, and says the seriousness with which the Australian government is taking the visit has been reflected in the welcome received from their Indonesian counterparts.
He repeats that he informed Widodo during their meeting that he will attend the G20 leaders’ summit in Bali in November.
The Indonesian Australian Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement, climate change, and education were discussed during the meeting, Albanese says.
He thanks Widodo for his warm welcome, and says they got on “exceptionally well”.
Updated
Marles not ruling out ‘son of Collins’ to bridge Australia’s submarine gap
Let’s return briefly to the interview the defence minister, Richard Marles, gave to the ABC a short time ago.
He has very clearly left the door open to the option of Australia taking up a “son of Collins” to bridge the gap between the current ageing Collins class submarines and the nuclear-powered submarines that may be available around the 2040s.
This option involves the use of another conventional submarine platform in the meantime. As you can see in this ABC story from last week, the Swedish company Saab has signalled that it would be willing to work with Australia if it decided to pursue a “son of Collins” option.
The idea was previously opposed by the former defence minister, Peter Dutton. The chief of navy, Vice-Admiral Michael Noonan, told a conference recently that an interim submarine would “bring more challenges than it would capability”.
Marles said bridging the capability gap would be “just about the No 1 priority for me” because “there is no more important platform that Australia has in terms of shaping its strategic circumstances than having a capable long-range submarine”. He said ensuring that the successor to the Collins class was in place as quickly as possible was “critically important”.
The ABC’s Greg Jennett suggested to Marles:
That sounds like an argument, tentative though it is, [for] a Son of Collins stop gap?
Marles replied:
I don’t want to set the hares running on any of that. What I would say is my mind is really open because it needs to be in order to deal with what is a capability gap that has arisen. And we’ll be very focused on trying to deal with that. One of the issues that we have seen with the former government is that they were big on beating their chest, but when it came to the hard power equation, the actual doing, they completely failed. We’re going to be not so focused on beating our chests. We will be very focused on getting the action here right.
When pressed on the fact that he would be getting advice from the same navy and defence force chiefs who advised the former government, Marles said the people who ran the defence establishment in Australia were “fantastic people”.
But Marles went on to indicate he wouldn’t be afraid to make decisions he saw as necessary:
Governments are elected to govern and that’s what we intend to do.
Updated
My colleague, Katharine Murphy, on the significance of the meeting between the prime minister, Anthony Albanese and Indonesian president Joko Widodo.
Tasmania considers redrawing electorates
The Tasmanian government is investigating whether electoral boundaries should be redrawn as part of a plan to expand parliament, AAP reports.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff in May announced he would introduce legislation this year to restore the state’s lower house from 25 to 35 members for the next election, due in 2025.
There had been growing calls to boost the number of Tasmanian politicians after Liberal premiers Will Hodgman and Peter Gutwein stepped down in 2020 and April respectively.
Both cited a heavy workload and a desire to spend more time with family.
Tasmania’s lower house was reduced from 35 to 25 members in 1998 and the state’s seven electorates cut to five.
Rockliff was asked by Labor opposition leader Rebecca White in an estimates committee on Monday whether the proposed expansion would mean a return to seven electorates.
“We’ll be working through the matters ... in terms of five electorates of seven [members], or seven electorates of five,” he said.
“I’ll be seeking further advice on the matter and of course any draft bill will be coming out for public consultation.
“I have written to the electoral commissioner ... in respect to our recent announcement. I did want to explore ... if there is a benefit in reforming electoral boundaries.
“I said I would appreciate his advice on the consequences of revising Tasmania’s existing electoral boundaries from five electorates to seven electorates.”
Tasmania’s five electorates, Bass, Braddon, Clark, Franklin and Lyons, are each represented by five MPs elected under the Hare-Clark voting system.
The return to 35 lower-house members has the in-principle support of Labor and the Greens.
Updated
The assistant minister for the republic, Matt Thistlethwaite, is in isolation with Covid-19.
It’s been a big week, but I’ve had another reminder that the Covid pandemic remains a significant challenge for our community. I’ve tested positive and will be isolating this week.
— Matt Thistlethwaite (@MThistlethwaite) June 6, 2022
More on the bikes from the PM.
I was honoured to share a bike ride with President @jokowi through the palace gardens this morning. It was a privilege to have such a personal and enjoyable tour of the magnificent grounds. pic.twitter.com/1z95nhnqyj
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) June 6, 2022
As we rode we had a one on one chat about deepening the friendship between Australia and Indonesia and the areas we can strengthen collaboration including climate change.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) June 6, 2022
Tasmanian premier 'leading the change' to end conversion practices
Tasmania’s premier Jeremy Rockliff says he supports calls to end conversion practices and will lead legislative reform, AAP reports.
LGBTIQ+ advocates want the state to ban the so-called therapy, with a recent Tasmania Law Reform Institute report making 16 recommendations for law changes to prevent the practice.
“I support acting on the recommendations of the law reform institute report,” Rockliff told an estimates hearing on Monday.
“The attorney and I are working together on these matters. I will be leading the change.”
Victoria, Queensland and the ACT have banned conversion practices, which aim to change, suppress or eradicate someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Rockliff said he had spoken with survivors of conversion practices and would seek to table legislation in parliament following community consultation.
“I understand how much it has affected individuals to the detriment of their wellbeing, to put it mildly,” he said.
“It is clear to me as the minister for mental health and wellbeing that there needs to be change. I do take this very seriously.”
Among changes, the law institute proposes amendments to stop unregistered and unqualified people from purporting to assess, diagnose or treat the sexual orientation of others.
It noted conversion practices can cause serious and lasting harm.
“We do suggest (conversion practices) be banned ... but (not that breaking the law) simply means you’ll go to prison,” report co-author Martin Clark said in May.
“What we’re recommending is a much more nuanced set of statutory reforms.”
Tasmania’s Catholic Church has indicated it is deeply concerned about the recommendations, and is undertaking a detailed review of the report.
The law reform institute says the proposed changes would not impact expressions of faith, or philosophical or personal views about sexual orientation or gender identity.
State Greens leader Cassy O’Connor welcomed the premier’s move, describing conversion practices as “homophobic, religious whackery dressed up as therapy”.
Glen Worrell, who experienced more than two decades of conversion practices including one nine-hour prayer session with an exorcism, has said law change will save lives.
“The psychology always says ‘you are flawed, you are sinful, you are broken and you need to be fixed’. It is a never-ending cycle of guilt and shame.”
Updated
And deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley is back on ABC News.
She is asked what her views on the Liberal party review of the election will be. She says the party needs to be prepared to be honest with itself, and the reasons why people – including women – did not vote for the part at the last election.
Updated
My colleague Daniel Hurst broke the news about the defence minister, Richard Marles’s trip to Singapore over the weekend.
You can read his story below.
Updated
Sussan Ley: Labor needs to ‘lean in’ to gas plant projects
After Marles is deputy Liberal leader and shadow industry minister Sussan Ley.
Ley says the treasurer’s letter to the ACCC is “classic Labor” and argues the new government have “inherited a situation and don’t know how to deal with it”.
She says the real tension is between energy security and the uptake of renewables.
She claims it is “blame shifting” to point out that the problems existed before the last two weeks when the new government came in.
Ley says the Labor government needs to “lean in to projects like the Kurri Kurri gas plant and the Narrabri gas plant”.
Ley was then asked about the Coalition’s policy on net zero post-election but it cut out and the interview came to an end.
Updated
On energy prices, Marles says the government isn’t making any more announcements on interim measures to bring relief outside of what was put in place by the former government.
However, he points to planned meetings with the gas companies, and said the government would leave no stone unturned in trying to address the issue.
Government to consider how to address leasing of Darwin port to China
Marles says the advice and expertise from Defence has been “top notch” and he intends on being an activist minister.
He said:
I have a sense of what I want to do. What the challenges are facing the nation in terms of defence, strategic policy, national security and how we can act to improve them and to shape them in a positive way for the country. What you’ll see in me is a defence minister who is an activist, to have an agenda and be proactive. We haven’t had that in any of the defence ministers that served under the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government.
He says he takes his inspiration from former Labor minister Kim Beazley.
He says he is still seeking to have briefs on reviews into the lease of Darwin port to China. He says it was a mistake of the former government, and something the new government will actively consider how to address.
Marles says the $270bn defence capability plan from the former government is supported but would not say whether all aspects of it were supported.
He said:
We’ll apply a critical eye to the exact nature of the pipeline and we’ll do that because we need to make sure that the pipeline of acquisitions that are being planned meet the strategic circumstances that the country faces.
Updated
Marles: successor to Collins submarines ‘No 1 priority’
Marles is about to head to Singapore for several talks, but says Australia has not sought a bilateral with China. He says he will be meeting with his US counterpart.
On submarines, Marles says it is too soon to know whether Australia can get the submarine capability sooner than currently forecast:
Look, it’s early days is the honest answer to that question. I don’t have all the answers to what we need to do in terms of meeting the capability gap that has arisen by the last nine years of the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government and its handling of submarines.
What is clear is that the successor submarine to Collins coming into place in the 2040s is too far away. We need to be looking at how we bridge what would evidently be a capability gap, if that’s what we’re talking about.
So I’m very mindful that this is just about the No 1 priority for me, as an incoming defence minister, is to look at how we deal with this question. And it’s important to state upfront that there is no more important platform that Australia has in terms of shaping its strategic circumstances, than having a capable long-range submarine.
It’s why making sure that we have the successor to Collins in place as quickly as possible in a form which is highly capable is critically important. The situation we’ve been left with by the former government is a disgrace.
Updated
Australia to continue to engage in activities in South China Sea
The acting prime minister and defence minister, Richard Marles, is on ABC News’ Afternoon Briefing.
He’s asked whether the P8 incident over the South China Sea over the weekend will mean more escorts for Defence vessels in the area.
He said:
I think the important point to make is that what occurred was an Australian aircraft that was engaged in a routine maritime surveillance activity in the South China Sea. The sort of activity we’ve been doing for decades. And we will be continuing to do it. And obviously we will do those activities in a way in which protects our servicemen and women.
He says the South China Sea is an important body of water for Australia:
It matters to us because most of Australia’s trade goes through it. And it matters to us therefore that the global rules-based order, particularly the UN convention of the law of the sea, applies to it. That’s what enables freedom of navigation and the freedom of trade through that body of water. That’s why we will continue to engage in the activities that we’ve been engaging in up until now. And it’s really important to make the statement that what has happened will not deter us from doing that.
Updated
Victorian man charged by RSPCA for back yard breeding
A Victorian man faces four charges over back yard breeding and trying to sell kittens in public, AAP reports.
The 59-year-old man from Soldiers Hill, near Ballarat, was charged by the RSPCA with operating an illegal domestic animal business, sale of an animal in a public place, breaching a domestic animal business banning order and advertising of animals for sale.
If all charges are proven, the accused could face fines of up to $79,783 or a maximum of two years’ jail.
In a statement, RSPCA Victoria said the sale of animals in public places such as parks, roadsides and car parks, is illegal.
“Dogs and cats must only be sold from a registered domestic animal business, from a private residence or sold at a place where an animal sale permit is in place,” the statement said.
Members of the public who may have information about any individuals selling animals in public places are urged to contact RSPCA Victoria directly.
Updated
Some more information about the bikes the two leaders rode around on.
Apparently it's a bamboo-based bicycle, designed by Singgih S Kartono, Indonesian who created a sustainable lifestyle movement in a village in Central Java. Thanks @erwin_renaldi https://t.co/dbPJ9Ecnho
— Raf Epstein (@Raf_Epstein) June 6, 2022
Updated
Treasurer writes to consumer watchdog over power prices
The federal treasurer, Jim Chalmers, says he has written to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) expressing “deep concern” about skyrocketing electricity and gas prices.
He said:
While there are a number of factors driving these price increases, the ACCC plays a critical role in monitoring and reporting on developments in the electricity and gas markets and it will be important for the ACCC to ensure that the factors influencing prices in these markets are made fully transparent.
I have asked the ACCC to advise the government of any regulatory changes that may be required to ensure these markets are functioning properly.
I also expect that the ACCC will investigate any concerns about anti-competitive or false and misleading conduct in these markets and take appropriate action.
He said the government is “considering a number of actions” in response to the crisis, and steps will be guided by evidence and expert advice.
Albanese: government will encourage Australian super fund investment in Indonesia
The prime minister says Indonesia is on track to be one of the world’s five largest economies, and revitalising the trade and investment relationship between Australia and Indonesia is a priority of the Albanese government.
He said:
And it’s why we plan to work with Indonesia to realise the potential of the Indonesia Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Our economic ministers will meet regularly and we will continue to secure the backing of business on both sides. The government will work with Australian super fund investors to explore investment opportunities here in Indonesia. And the senior Australian CEOs who are here with me will be at the vanguard of a sustained campaign by Australian government and business to seize these opportunities.
I also look forward to advancing our $200m climate and infrastructure partnership with Indonesia [to] further my government’s ambitious climate targets ... I want better access to affordable, reliable, clean, broad across our region as we transition to a net zero world together.
An office for south-east Asia will be established in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the PM announces.
He says Australia will offer technical expertise to help build a clean green high-tech city, and the government intends to rebuild Australia’s Indonesian language skills, as more Australians speaking Bahasa Indonesian will be “vital to deepening our relationship”.
He ends by saying that he was pleased “we recognised our significant defence and security relationship and all this does to support regional security and stability” and said he looked forward to hosting Widodo at the next annual leaders’ meeting but could not promise the pair would ride bikes around Lake Burley Griffin.
Updated
Albanese speaks in Indonesia
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is making his press statement after meeting with Indonesian prime minister Joko Widodo.
He says Australia’s relationship with Indonesia is one of our most important not just by geography, but with a long history of cooperation both economic and strategic.
He says he will go to the G20 summit in Bali in November:
Today I informed President Widodo that I will attend the G20 leaders’ summit in Bali in November. I did so because the work of the G20 is critical at this time of global economic uncertainty, and by working with it we will be by working with Indonesia.
Updated
We are expecting the joint press statement with Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese and Indonesian president Joko Widodo to begin shortly.
Some more data on the Covid cases in Victoria via the state’s health department:
There are 476 Covid-19 cases in hospital in Victoria – with 18 active cases in ICU, including 7 on a ventilator, and an additional 7 cleared cases in ICU.
Sadly, the department was notified of 14 deaths yesterday in people aged in their 50s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
⚠️ Minor to Moderate #Flood Warning updated #DarlingRiver. Minor occurring at #Bourke. #Menindee, likely at #Wilcannia, #Pooncarie & #Burtundy. Moderate likely at #Louth, #Tilpa. See https://t.co/AdztI2rqg1 for details and updates; follow advice from @NSWSES. #NSWFloods pic.twitter.com/EZ9rZyrqaV
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) June 6, 2022
Employer groups seek to delay minimum wage pay rise
Unions have criticised employer groups for pushing to delay a pay rise as inflationary pressures outstrip wages growth, AAP reports.
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry says any rise in the minimum wage should be delayed for the accommodation and food services sectors, tourism-related transport, and arts and events due to the slower rate of business recovery and price hikes increasing the cost of business.
The commencement of wage increases for specific awards should be delayed by a minimum of four months, until at least 1 November, the ACCI argues.
The ACCI is also pushing for an increase of up to 3% in the minimum wage determined by the independent Fair Work Commission, remaining behind headline inflation of 5.1%.
“This gets the balance right, taking into account the full range of risks and uncertainties facing the Australian economy, workers and businesses,” the chamber said in its FWC submission.
The National Retail Association also argues that any wage rise should be deferred until November 1 due to “exceptional circumstances” including a labour shortage crisis.
“The NRA submits that the positive economic indications from the national accounts for the March quarter 2022 should be treated with caution since they do not reflect the expected impacts of recent interest rates rises,” it told the FWC.
The Australian Industry Group has proposed a wage rise of 2.5% due to the economic conditions facing businesses.
ACTU secretary Sally McManus says pay freezes would hurt businesses and the broader economy by reducing spending and forcing low paid workers to cut back on everyday essential items.
“Working people cannot be left behind in the recovery from the pandemic. The annual wage review is the first step in ensuring that we share the recovery from this crisis across the economy,” she said.
“The biggest risk to business is actually consumer spending which ironically they are seeking to damage through their proposed wage cuts.”
The federal government has proposed a wage rise of at least 5.1% in its submission to ensure the real wages of low paid workers do not go backwards.
Updated
More beds for Adelaide hospitals to deal with Covid cases and winter flu infections
An extra 80 hospital beds will be opened across Adelaide’s hospital network along a new acute assessment centre as part of a winter strategy to deal with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and a rise in flu infections, AAP reports.
The extra beds are on top of the 180 opened in the past few weeks after the new Labor government took what it called urgent action to strengthen the hospital network.
The winter strategy also includes more resources for virtual and community care along with a program of free flu vaccinations.
It comes as flu cases continue to rise after the release of ambulance ramping figures which showed 3,412 hours were lost in May.
Covid-19 infections appear to have stabilised but daily case numbers have remained persistently above 2,000 in recent days, with more than 200 people in hospital.
“This is the first winter since the pandemic hit that our health system will be required to manage both Covid-19 and the flu, as well as normal winter demand, and we know this will be a challenge,” the health minister, Chris Picton, said.
“This is the state’s first winter demand strategy in four years and does everything we can with the situation we have inherited to generate more capacity.”
As part of the winter strategy, the acute assessment centre at the Royal Adelaide Hospital will allow patients who need to be admitted to bypass the emergency department.
The government is also working with private hospitals and day surgeries to perform more elective surgery procedures.
Updated
National Covid-19 update
Here are the latest coronavirus case numbers from around Australia on Monday, as the country records at least 19 deaths from Covid-19:
ACT Health has advised that technical issues delayed weekend and Monday Covid case updates, and that these reports won’t be released before Tuesday 7 June.
NSW
- Deaths: 3
- Cases: 4,486
- In hospital: 1,314 (with 38 people in ICU)
Northern Territory
- Deaths: 0
- Cases: 143
- In hospital: 12 (with no one in ICU)
Queensland
- Deaths: 0
- Cases: 2,548
- In hospital: 299 (with 6 people in ICU)
South Australia
- Deaths: 1
- Cases: 2,255
- In hospital: 241 (with 9 people in ICU)
Tasmania
- Deaths: 0
- Cases: 513
- In hospital: 43 (with no one in ICU)
Victoria
- Deaths: 14
- Cases: 7,557
- In hospital: 476 (with 25 people in ICU)
Western Australia
- Deaths: 1
- Cases: 4,849
- In hospital: 279 (with 16 people in ICU)
What's next for Albanese in Jakarta
For folks wanting to follow the prime minister’s Jakarta trip at home, let me run through the logistics: the two leaders are meeting privately now. In about an hour the two will make remarks to the media.
This isn’t a joint press conference, the leaders in this format do not take questions.
After that, the two will talk further at a state lunch. At 2.30pm local time (that’s 5.30pm AEST) the prime minister will take questions from travelling reporters before meeting the secretary of the Association of South-East Asian Nations this evening.
Anthony Albanese will finish today with a dinner with his travelling business delegation.
Updated
Another day of no Covid numbers out of the ACT due to an IT issue.
(1/3) ACT Health is unable to provide its usual daily COVID-19 case updates today (Monday 6 June) due to an IT issue.
— ACT Health (@ACTHealth) June 6, 2022
The ACT Health data team has worked with the vendor and an appropriate fix has now been put in place.
ATO confirms Covid tests or PPE bought for work-related purposes are tax-deductible from 1 July
Taxpayers who paid for a Covid-19 test for work-related purposes or bought their own PPE could be able to claim it as a deduction, the Australian Tax Office says.
AAP reports that with the end of the financial year looming, the ATO expects Covid-19 will continue to impact tax returns.
“We know that many have faced significant challenges,” the assistant commissioner, Tim Loh, said.
While taxpayers embraced working from home with gusto during the pandemic, many are now trying to determine what they can claim as a legitimate work expense on their annual returns.
From 1 July, people forced to buy tests to determine if they can attend or remain at work can claim the cost as a tax deduction.
They must have a record proving they paid for the test but the ATO will accept a bank or credit card statement alongside documentation from employers as evidence.
The ATO says employees cannot claim for tests supplied by employers or where the cost was reimbursed.
Only tests required for work-related purposes are deductible.
“If you purchased a Covid-19 test for a trip with your mates, you can’t claim a deduction,” Loh said.
Taxpayers will also be able to claim deductions for the cost of protective items that protect against illness or injury while at work.
“If you’re spending your working day in close proximity to customers and at risk of contracting Covid-19, you may be able to claim a deduction for protective items such as gloves, face masks, or sanitiser.”
The federal Covid-19 disaster payment will not be taxed and does not need to be included in returns.
Jobseeker and Pandemic Leave Disaster payments are taxable and do need to be included.
Updated
Albanese and Indonesian president Joko Widodo cycle together
Anthony Albanese and Joko Widodo have planted a tree in the grounds of Bogor Palace before heading to a couple of bikes.
The two leaders have discarded their jackets and ties. Australia’s prime minister also tucked his suit pants into his socks. Safety first.
They’ve donned helmets and they are off. Cycling slowly. Albanese looked a bit wobbly to begin with, but he’s upright. Widodo is setting a leisurely pace.
If I had to guess I’d say Albanese is used to a faster pace. But obviously, one cannot outpace one’s host. One must maintain harmony.
An Australian official says Albanese was “deeply touched” by Widodo’s gesture with the bikes.
In Indonesia, bikes signify humble beginnings – a story the two leaders share in common. Bikes are an essential form of transport in Indonesia, so this gesture from Widodo has cultural and personal significance.
The two are now off their bikes, walking and talking.
Updated
And a tweet to accompany Katharine Murphy’s last post.
Wow Prime Minister @AlboMP going for a bike ride with President @jokowi at Bogor Presidential Palace pic.twitter.com/PLNclEDfMz
— David Lipson (@davidlipson) June 6, 2022
Updated
Ceremonial welcome for Albanese in Jakarta
Anthony Albanese has now arrived at Bogor Palace in Jakarta. Australia’s prime minister is receiving a ceremonial welcome with a guard of honour.
When he arrived at the forecourt of the palace he received a warm greeting from the Indonesian president Joko Widodo. The obligatory 19 gun salute accompanies the arrival. Australia’s foreign minister Penny Wong is there in the background with ministers Don Farrell, Ed Husic and the Labor MP Luke Gosling.
Updated
Queensland announces commission of inquiry into DNA testing
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced a commission of inquiry into DNA testing at the Queensland Forensic and Scientific Services.
The review will be conducted by the former president of the court of appeal and retired judge Walter Sofronoff, the premier said on Monday.
Palaszczuk said submissions to the Women’s Justice and Safety Taskforce had shown a broader inquiry was “needed” and that terms of reference would be released later this week.
BREAKING: A Commission of Inquiry into DNA testing at Queensland’s Forensic and Scientific Services will be conducted by the former President of the Court of Appeal, retired judge Justice Walter Sofronoff. #qldpol
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) June 6, 2022
“A commission of inquiry is a very big step … Today is a fresh day because ... the most experienced person has said he will come on board and do this inquiry.”
“I know Walter and he will not leave any stone unturned ... it will be handled in a sensitive manner … I honestly believe this is the right time and this is the right person and this is the right job for him.”
Palaszczuk said $6m has been set aside for the inquiry, which will be funded by the Department of Premier and Cabinet.
It comes after the Palaszczuk government announced an independent review into DNA testing after concerns were raised about failings by forensic laboratories in the state.
The health minister, Y’vette D’Ath, said the timeframe for the commission of inquiry would be up to six months as it was a “complex matter that may take some time.”
She acknowledged the family of Shandee Blackburn, who died after being stabbed more than 20 times when she was walking home in Mackay in 2013.
An inquiry into Blackburn’s death was announced following a podcast by the Australian called “Shandee’s Story”. which examined the alleged handling of DNA evidence in the case.
“We’re very pleased we can announce this today ... to recognise the family of Shandee Blackburn,” D’Ath said.
Dr Kirsty Wright, a forensic biologist who was interviewed on the podcast, described the handling of the murder case as a “trainwreck”.
Wright alleged the state-run forensics laboratory was failing to detect DNA in samples taken in rape and sexual assault cases.
“This lab and the flawed results and the inaccurate results, it’s compromising our criminal justice system and it’s compromising public safety,” Dr Wright told the podcast.
Here’s our report on the review in DNA testing back in May:
Updated
If you are interested in reading the lengthy Barilaro v Google defamation judgment, it has been posted online by the federal court here.
The bike ride at the Bogor Palace is confirmed. Hold onto your hats @callapilla #auspol 🇮🇩
— Katharine Murphy (@murpharoo) June 6, 2022
Commonwealth Bank declines to comment on partnership with embattled cryptocurrency exchange Gemini
The Commonwealth Bank is refusing to say what the future of its partnership with cryptocurrency exchange Gemini will be as the company faces a lawsuit from US regulators over alleged misleading and false statements made.
In November, CBA said it planned to integrate Gemini’s crypto exchange platform into its banking app.
We reported last month that Commbank had paused its cryptocurrency trading plans amid the ongoing turmoil in the crypto market. But last week, the US Commodities Future Trading Commission filed a complaint in the US district court that Gemini “directly and through others, made false or misleading statements of material facts, or omitted to state material facts, to the CFTC during an evaluation of the potential self-certification of a bitcoin futures contract by a designated contract market (DCM).”
The regulator has alleged Gemini personnel knew or reasonably should have known that statements made were false or misleading.
Commbank was asked by Guardian on Friday about whether it would continue working with Gemini in light of the allegations. On Monday a spokesperson for CBA “politely declined” to comment.
Back in November, Gemini’s global head of business development, David Abner, said:
We are proud to be providing exchange and custody services to CBA as they begin to unlock access to cryptocurrency investments for many Australians. The exponential growth of digital assets internationally, coupled with Gemini’s institutional-grade security and proactive regulatory approach, positions this partnership to set a new standard for banks and financial platforms in Australia and across the globe.
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Northern Territory introduces EV incentive scheme to lower setup costs
Driving an electric vehicle in the Northern Territory is set to become cheaper, with the introduction of a government grants program to lower setup costs, AAP reports.
The incentive scheme slashes registration and stamp duty fees for plug-in EVs and provides subsidies for the installation of chargers in a bid to bolster the uptake of electric vehicles.
“We are progressively working towards a target of 50 per cent renewables by 2030 and zero emissions by 2050,” the chief minister, Natasha Fyles, said Monday.
From 1 July, registration fees will be waived for five years and stamp duty fees will fall by three per cent of vehicle purchase price.
This means no stamp duty will be paid on $50,000 of the vehicle cost, representing a saving of up to $1,500.
EV motorists and businesses will also be able to apply for grants to help buy and install chargers.
The $300,000 charger package includes 100 residential grants of $1,000 and 80 business grants of $2,500, which offsets about half the cost of installing a charger.
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I’ll now hand over to the wonderful Josh Taylor who will take you through the afternoon. Stay warm.
WA recorded 4,849 positive Covid test results
Western Australia recorded 4,849 positive Covid-19 test results in the 24-hours to 8pm last night. They also recorded the death of a man in his 80s, who died on 30 May.
As of yesterday there were 279 people with Covid-19 in hospital in WA and 16 in ICU.
Victoria police fails to achieve 1% target for Indigenous employment
Victoria police has failed to meet its Indigenous employment target of 1%, with just 0.55% of its workforce identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
It is an increase of 0.11% since its Aboriginal inclusion strategy and action plan 2018-2021 was released, but falls short of the target to boost participation to 1% – or 200 employees – by June 2021.
In a statement to AAP, Victoria Police said the Covid-19 pandemic restricted its recruitment procedures and in hindsight, its 1% target was “ambitious”.
“Victoria Police is committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workplace that promotes equality and respect for Aboriginal people in our workforce and in the community,” a spokesperson said.
“We set ourselves an ambitious target of 1% of our workforce being Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander by June 2021.”
It comes weeks after the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, Victoria’s police oversight body, found the force failed in its handling of complaints made by Aboriginal people. IBAC examined its handling of 41 complaints made by Aboriginal people and its oversight of 13 serious incidents involving an Indigenous person.
Of the audited complaints, 41% involved those aged 17 or younger and almost half (46%) were related to the use of force or assaults by police, often during an arrest.
Some 27 of the 41 audited complaints were classified in a way that a determination of “substantiated” could be found, Ibac said. But Victoria Police instead ruled only three were substantiated – two connected to inappropriate language and the third to duty failure.
Our full report on the employment target is here:
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Tony Abbott questions need for First Nations voice to parliament
Still on the voice to parliament, the former prime minister Tony Abbott said he backed changing the preamble in the constitution to recognise Australia’s First Nations “heritage,” but has questioned the need for a voice to parliament.
The Uluru summit in 2017 resoundingly rejected a preamble, calling it empty symbolism.
Abbott, in an essay published in The Australian on Monday, asked why there should be an enshrined voice, with a record number of First Nations parliamentarians elected on May 21. He wrote:
With 10 Indigenous MPs, what’s the point of a separate Indigenous voice to the parliament now that Indigenous people are so well represented in the parliament itself?
With the Indigenous percentage of the parliament (elected without quotas or any form of “affirmative action”) now ahead of that in the population at large, any need for a separate “voice” to the parliament surely has passed.
Only one of those 10 MPs is in the Liberal party. The rest are in Labor and the Greens, who both support the Uluru Statement and have actively recruited First Nations people to winnable positions.
Abbott has proposed incorporating the words “to create a nation with an Indigenous heritage, a British foundation, and an immigrant character” in the constitution.
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Dutton open to a First Nations voice to parliament, but wants a ‘look at the detail’ before making a commitment
The opposition leader appointed Julian Leeser as his spokesman for Indigenous Australians when he unveiled his frontbench on Sunday.
Leeser is an outspoken supporter of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which calls for the establishment of a First Nations voice.
When asked what people could read from his decision to appoint Leeser to the portfolio, Dutton said his focus was improving the lives of Indigenous people.
“In relation to the statement ... I’ve said we will consider what the government’s putting forward,” he told the ABC on Monday.
“I want to look at the detail (but) at the moment that detail is not available.”
Dutton said the Indigenous Australians minister, Linda Burney, had been “open and honest” that it wasn’t yet ready.
“I think what needs to take place first is we need for the public to understand what it is that’s being proposed,” he said.
He said reconciliation also involved improving health, education and housing outcomes for Indigenous people.
“I want to see those people in those communities leading a much better life akin to what we do in capital cities.”
(I will point out here that according to the ABS, 81% of First Nations people in Australia live in non-remote areas and 35% live in capital cities).
Dutton walked out on the apology given to the Stolen Generations in 2008. Pat Dodson, an indigenous Labor senator for WA, said Dutton was “very courageous” to acknowledge – after becoming opposition leader – that doing so was a mistake.
“I thought he was honest and I can see where the pain of the experiences that he cited as the causes for his walking out as conflicting with what was happening in the parliament – sometimes you feel like that in this place,” Dodson told The West Australian.
Dodson said the voice was about “nation building”.
“This is about our real opportunity for all of us to do something wonderful for our country and that is to get behind a referendum that supports the concept of a voice for First Nations peoples to the parliament so they can have a say on those key pieces of legislation or on policy matters that are going to impact their lives,” he said.
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Minjee Lee’s brother, Min Woo Lee, has tweeted about the Australian golfer’s US Women’s Open win.
This one hits hard. Tears in my eyes. So so proud. Just a kid from Perth. Two major wins to her name now 🏆 Inspiring #USWomensOpen pic.twitter.com/HwvQzi2f19
— Min Woo Lee (@Minwoo27Lee) June 5, 2022
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Update from Albanese's Indonesia visit
Good morning from Jakarta.
Anthony Albanese has begun his two-day program, meeting the business leaders he’s brought from Australia to outline the government’s objectives for the visit. Business leaders from companies including Telstra, Fortescue, Sun Cable and Wesfarmers also outlined their trade partnerships in the region. The business leaders have their own program today. The prime minister will see them again tonight.
Albanese is on his way to meet the Indonesian president Joko Widodo at the Bogor Palace. This will be their first face-to-face meeting since the election, and given the rapid reshaping of the region (to quote Penny Wong) there is a lot on the agenda.
The last time I was in Jakarta I was with Malcolm Turnbull and one of the highlights of the trip was a walk through in a local market. Covid restrictions make that impossible this time. There is talk that Albanese will ride a bike with Jokowi through the grounds of the palace today. Is it true? I’m not really sure, but we’ll keep you across all the major events of the day.
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Ibac urges Victorian public sector to speak up about improper influence
Victoria’s Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (Ibac) has launched a new campaign encouraging Victorian public sector employees to speak up to stop improper influence.
Commissioner Robert Redlich said public sector employees “need to be aware that they can be used by others to gain access to their colleagues, confidential information or to taxpayer funded resources”.
A public sector employee may be improperly influenced to make a decision through pressure, favours or gifts, or more subtly through abuse of seniority or position.
Often a relationship can start out as professional, but over time develop into one where a person is being influenced in a way that’s not consistent with the community’s expectations — this is improper influence.
It is not just Government departments or agencies that are at risk, the public sector also includes schools, hospitals, councils and more. The potential sphere of improper influence is far and wide
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Stuart Robert, formerly the minister for employment, workforce, skills, and small and family business, and before that the minister for government services, is now the shadow assistant treasurer.
Great to join the Shadow Treasury team with my good friend @AngusTaylorMP and pleased to be the Shadow Assistant Treasurer and Shadow Financial Services Minister
— Stuart Robert MP (@stuartrobertmp) June 6, 2022
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Economists tipping another rate rise at tomorrow's RBA meeting
A month ago, the Reserve Bank of Australia delivered a blow to the Morrison government’s re-election hopes by hiking its cash rate target by 25 basis points to 0.35%.
Most economists had expected the central bank’s first rate rise since November 2010, even with the election campaign in full swing, but were caught off guard by its size. (They either tipped a 15 basis point rise or no change, given the political sensitivity. In its explanation, the bank board didn’t mention politics at all, underscoring their independence.)
With the prices of most things rising rapidly, economists are tipping another rise at tomorrow’s board meeting. Investors, who are much more adamant that big hikes are needed to curb inflation, are betting there’s about a 70% chance the cash rate target will jump to 0.75% at 2.30pm AEST tomorrow.
Ahead of tomorrow's anticipated interest rate rise by the RBA, here's what investors are expecting. About a 70% chance of a 40 basis point rise to 0.75%. #auspol pic.twitter.com/UrMc8qpOHR
— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) June 5, 2022
Assuming the rate rise will be passed on by the banks, here’s what RateCity.com.au predict will happen to average repayments (if you’re an owner-occupier, with 25 years on the clock to go):
Here's what different rate rises will mean for owner-occupiers paying principal and interest with 25 years remaining on their loans, according to the number crunchers at @RateCity. pic.twitter.com/R9ez9LU1p5
— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) June 6, 2022
A rate rise would be the first back-to-back increase in 12 years. Back then, the RBA lifted rates during six of seven board meetings, each by 25bps. To get a bigger rise, you have to go back to February 2000 when the bank nudged the cash up 50bp to 5.5%.
What sort of repayment increases can borrowers expect? Here’s what RateCity calculates the extra load to look like (again, for owner-occupiers with 25 years to go):
For those mortgage holders with 25 years to pay, here's what the repayments run-up looks like, assuming the RBA's rate rises to 1.75% by end 2022 and 2.5% by 2023, according to @RateCity.(Investors are currently betting rates will be much higher, particularly by this year's end.) pic.twitter.com/JW0YKSF1Pj
— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) June 6, 2022
As we saw with the investors, though, those estimates may turn out to be on the low side.
A lot depends on how successful the RBA moves are in turning down the heat on the economy without cooling it too abruptly. Time — and a lot of other factors, from Russia to our creaking energy system — will tell.
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Indonesia ties crucial amid tensions in the Pacific, Wong and Albanese say
Australia must work closely alongside Indonesia amid the reshaping of the Indo-Pacific region, the foreign minister Penny Wong says.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, arrived in Jakarta on Sunday night, ahead of crucial one-on-one talks with Indonesia president Joko Widodo later today.
On the agenda will be bilateral trade between the two countries, climate and regional issues, with Australia also looking to strengthen a comprehensive strategic partnership with Indonesia, AAP reports.
Wong is also travelling with Albanese as part of a wide delegation of Australian senior ministers and businesses. She met with Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi shortly after landing in Jakarta, with Wong describing the talks as constructive.
The meetings come as China tries to convince Pacific island nations to join a regional security partnership.
Speaking to reporters after arriving in Jakarta, Albanese said he not only wanted to strengthen ties with Indonesia, but across the region.
“We want to strengthen the relationship with Indonesia, but also with south-east Asia, we see that ASEAN is central to the region,” he said.
“In recent times, I think there’s a need for us to strengthen that relationship.”
Albanese will begin his first full day in Indonesia with a business breakfast, before one-on-one talks with president Widodo.
He will fly to the Indonesian island of Makassar on Tuesday for the final day of his visit.
Wong said the large number of Australian ministers and business leaders travelling with the prime minister showed how committed the country was to boosting ties.
“The economic piece of the relationship continues to need building,” she said.
“We know we can have a stronger, closer economic relationship, and that will yield benefits to both our nations.”
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Global accounting firm PwC told Brazilian meat multinational JBS it would save about $70m a year in Australian tax if the company followed advice that was deliberately structured as a legal service in order to prevent it being seen by authorities, according to documents released by the federal court.
PwC’s decision to provide tax advice to JBS as legal advice was legal, but the strategy backfired after the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) launched an audit of JBS.
The ATO is investigating JBS for alleged tax avoidance and launched a federal court lawsuit that resulted in PwC being forced to hand over some of the documents it had insisted should be kept from authorities because they contained legal advice. Neither JBS or PwC answered Guardian Australia’s questions with respect to the ATO’s tax avoidance allegation.
Read more here:
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Two men charged over alleged attack in Perth retirement village
Police in Western Australia have charged two men over an alleged attack in a retirement village, which resulted in a 65-year-old man requiring surgery for a head injury.
In a statement, police said they were called to the Hamilton retirement village at 7.15pm yesterday to reports of a disturbance and sounds of things smashing.
Upon arrival police located a 65-year-old man with a serious head injury. It will be alleged the man was attacked by two men, who punched him several times causing him to fall to the ground. Once the victim was on the ground it will be alleged he was kicked several times to his head. The man’s wallet was stolen.
They then arrested two men who were allegedly leaving the home in a car that had been reported stolen earlier that day. The men, aged 19 and 20, have ben charged with stealing a car and aggravated robbery. Both were refused bail and are due to appear in Perth magistrates court today.
One was taken to hospital last night and treated for injuries caused by being bitten by a police dog. He remains in hospital under police guard.
The 65-year-old man will require surgery at Fiona Stanley hospital, police said.
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Judge says Google and Shanks brought ‘improper pressure’ on Barilaro
As well as awarding John Barilaro more than $700,000 in his defamation case against Google, Justice Steven Rares said he would refer both the tech giant and comedian Jordan Shanks for possible contempt of court charges.
In his judgment, Rares found both Shanks and Google engaged in what he called “bringing improper pressure” on Barilaro during the defamation case by continuing to publish new videos about the former deputy premier.
The videos included “slurs” and “allegations of professional impropriety” against Barilaro’s lawyers. Despite being warned of the “intimidatory character” of the videos. Google refused to remove them from YouTube.
“The intimidatory purpose of the [video] hit its mark,” Rares found, pointing to evidence given by Barilaro during the trial that he had at one point instructed his lawyers to settle the case because “the hell continued”.
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‘I am grateful to have finally been vindicated’: Barilo
Here’s the full statement from former New South Wales deputy premier John Barilaro following this morning’s defamation judgment:
I am grateful to have finally been vindicated by the Federal Court of Australia in my defamation claim against Google.
This brings to a close a difficult time for me and I could not have gotten to this point without the support of my family, friends and colleagues. I am also thankful to my lawyers, Sue Chrysanthou SC and Paul Svilans from Mark O’Brien Legal, who endured immense pressure and exercised their remarkable skills to achieve this victory.
All I wanted at the outset was for Google to remove these videos and they refused. It is no small undertaking for an individual to take on a company like Google but it was important that I did so.
The Court’s detailed and considered reasons demonstrate why a person’s right to protect their reputation is fundamental to a thriving democracy. This decision is a wonderful end to a decade of public service.
You can read Michael McGowan’s full story on the judgment here.
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Tamsin has been at this NSW government press conference in Liverpool in western Sydney this morning. It is, apparently, very cold.
At the risk of invoking the state v state wars, I feel compelled to point out that the forecast is for a max of 17C in Liverpool today. I’m in central Victoria, where the forecast maximum is 9C.
Major NSW public sector announcements in Liverpool today:
— Tamsin Rose (@tamsinroses) June 6, 2022
- Public sector wage cap lifts to 3% this financial year
- $3000 thank you payments to healthcare workers
- $4.5 billion to hire 10,000 health workers over next four years #nswpol #health pic.twitter.com/sSBEct7ABI
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Key event
The New South Wales public sector wage cap will be increased from 2.5% to 3% this financial year, in a move the government hopes will slow industrial action.
Premier Dominic Perrottet announced the cap would go up to 3.5% in the following year, dependant on productivity gains.
He said:
I believe it’s fair and responsible. It balances competing challenges that we have as a state after what we’ve gone through over the last two years.
Treasurer Matt Kean said:
We recognise that we’re operating in a new economic environment, and in light of that, we’re changing our wages policy to increase the wage cap to 3%.
As mentioned earlier, healthcare workers will also receive a one-off payment of $3,000.
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Here’s more on that federal court decision where Google was ordered to pay John Barilaro $715,000 over FriendlyJordies YouTube videos.
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NSW vows to recruit 10,000 medical staff amid workforce shortage
More than 10,000 medical staff including doctors and nurses will be recruited as part of a $4.5bn health workforce drive announced by the New South Wales government on Monday.
The state budget commitment will attempt to ease the severe workforce issues in hospitals across NSW.
Announcing the funding at the Liverpool hospital, Premier Dominic Perrottet said:
Today we’re announcing the biggest boost in our health workforce in our state’s history and the largest in the country.
That’s more doctors and nurses, allied health professionals, paramedics ... to ensure that wherever you are right across our great state – from the cities to the ’burbs to the bush, you’ll have the best care.
The government will attempt to hire more than three-quarters of the workforce boost over the next year to bring relief to Covid-fatigued workers.
The announcement comes just a day after the state government pledge $1.76bn for the state’s strained ambulance system, with a plan to employ more than 1,850 extra paramedics and build 30 stations.
Health workers across NSW will also be handed $3,000 “appreciation” payments to thank them for their work during the pandemic.
Perrottet announced the payment on Monday at Liverpool hospital.
We’ll be making a $3,000 payment in appreciation for all our health workers, for the sacrifices they have made over the last two years.
He said the money was also an acknowledgment that the flu season would be tough on workers.
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Google ordered to pay John Barilaro $715,000 over FriendlyJordies videos
Tech giant Google has been ordered to pay the former New South Wales deputy premier John Barilaro $715,000 over its failure to remove a series of YouTube videos which a judge found had subjected him to a “relentless”, “racist” and “abusive” online campaign.
On Monday federal court justice Steven Rares found that Barilaro was “traumatised” by Google and comedian Jordan Shanks over a series of “hateful” and “racist” videos published on YouTube.
Rares told the federal court that Shanks, who uses the nom de plume FriendlyJordies, had run a “relentless cyber bullying” campaign against Barilaro which “caused him to leave public office prematurely”.
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The Melbourne cat lovers show was on this weekend, and photographer Ellen Smith went along.
Her photos are just delightful. You can see the whole gallery here but these two are my favourites.
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Most employees still working from home in Melbourne
A survey by the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has found that just one in five CBD-based employees are back in the office full time.
The survey of 88 businesses found that 42% of staff had returned the the office one or two days per week, and 25% were back three to four days, but just 19% were back full-time.
Some 14% of employees have not been back to the office since restrictions lifted.
Nearly 70% of business say they don’t believe their workers will ever return to the office full-time, and some are offering some kind of incentive to lure workers back in, including team drinks or meals, free coffee or subsidised public transport.
About half of businesses said they’ve seen a productivity jump since workers started coming back to the office; the other half says productivity remains the same.
The results showed that offices were struggling to compete with the greater work-life balance achieved by workers working from home, VCCI chief executive Paul Guerra told AAP.
The results show the return to office has been a gradual process and a large percentage of businesses have adopted hybrid working arrangements.
What’s encouraging is that people are coming back to the office and embracing the social connection and enhanced collaboration and learning that in-person working offers.
He added:
The survey tells us that people want flexibility and that’s what a lot of businesses are offering. We believe it’s up to individual businesses to determine their working arrangements and this is clearly what they are doing.
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No 'knee-jerk' reaction for gas prices, Labor says
Tony Burke says the federal government “won’t rule anything out” in addressing the nation’s energy crisis amid a “perfect storm” of factors.
Gas prices have soared following the war in Ukraine and other supply issues, with the national energy regulator allowing more gas to be released to the south-eastern states to help ease the burden.
A meeting between state and federal governments will take place on Wednesday to discuss solutions to the gas crisis.
When asked if more support for people on low incomes facing rising energy prices was needed, Burke said the government was considering its options. He told ABC radio this morning:
We’re not ruling anything in or out effectively at the moment.
It’s been a decade of no energy policy [under the former government] that has effectively led us to a situation where we’ve ended up with this perfect storm.
Some of the issues are international, but our capacity to be able to deal with those international issues is very much domestic, so there won’t be a quick knee-jerk response.
Burke said while Labor had supported relief payments handed down in the last budget, the government was “not putting anything more on the table at the moment”.
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Victoria records 14 Covid deaths and 7,557 new cases
Victoria has recorded 14 more deaths of people with Covid-19 in the past 24 hours.
The state recorded 7,557 new positive test results in the same period.
There are currently 476 people in hospital, 25 in ICU and seven on ventilators.
We thank everyone who got vaccinated and tested yesterday.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) June 5, 2022
Our thoughts are with those in hospital, and the families of people who have lost their lives.
More data soon: https://t.co/0JtksM50jH#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/2ypQa5Bsxk
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NSW records three Covid deaths and 4,486 new cases
Three people have died with Covid-19 in New South Wales in the past 24 hours, as the state recorded 4,486 new positive test results.
There are currently 1,314 people in hospital with Covid, 38 of whom are in intensive care.
COVID-19 update – Monday 6 June 2022
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) June 5, 2022
In the 24-hour reporting period to 4pm yesterday:
- 96.4% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
- 95% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine pic.twitter.com/oBRj874qIQ
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Australian golfer Minjee Lee has won the 2022 US Women’s Open
Australian golfer Minjee Lee has won the 2022 US Women’s Open.
She is just the third Australian to win the US Women’s Open, after Jan Stephenson and Karrie Webb.
You can follow our live coverage of the event here.
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Similarly, on the Indigenous voice to parliament, Dutton said the Coalition is “very open to the discussion and what the government has to say”.
In principle, do we support anything that’s going to improve the situation of Indigenous Australians? Absolutely.
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Peter Dutton 'not afraid' to discus nuclear power in Australia
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has spoken to Radio National about the frontbench reshuffle in which he sidelined allies of Scott Morrison.
Dutton was quizzed on a few interesting signals including the selection of Ted O’Brien, an advocate of nuclear power, as shadow climate change and energy minister, and Julian Leeser, a supporter of a voice to parliament, in Indigenous affairs.
Dutton confirmed he’s up for the nuclear debate:
In Ted O’Brien we have someone with an exceptional background, a very considered person, a great communicator. And he did a report ... when he was on the backbench in the last parliament on nuclear energy. He had a particular focus on the latest generation, the small modular nuclear generation which can power up to 100,000 houses. So I’m not afraid to have a discussion on nuclear. If we want to have a legitimate emissions reduction, if we want to lower emissions reduction, that’s exactly the path president Macron has embarked on in France, it’s what prime minister Johnson is talking about in the United Kingdom ... I don’t think we should be afraid to talk about any technology that’s going to have the ability to reduce emissions and electricity prices. That’s something we can consider in time. I don’t think we should rule things out simply because it’s unfashionable to talk about them.
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Shadow assistant minister for climate change says it's a 'luxury' issue for voters
Hollie Hughes, the shadow assistant minister for climate change and energy, said she was “not personally in favour” of extending carbon emission reduction targets, saying that Australia “could shut everything down tomorrow and all go live in trees” and the impact on total global emissions would be negligible.
She then suggested that voters who abandoned the Liberal party to support teal independents, largely in pursuit of stronger climate action, would abandon that priority as the cost of living went up.
I think climate change was something that a lot of voters were focused on. But I think what’s gonna happen as you move forward, and people start to get inflationary pressures, start to see their mortgage rates increase, they start to see this increased spending by this new Labor government that’s gonna put pressure on our AAA credit rating, which does flow through the economy then, and when you look at increased power prices, some of those issues that were looked at as, sort of, you know, they’re almost like a luxury issue for some people.
Because people of Wentworth probably aren’t going to the petrol bowser and looking at those numbers tick over, whereas I can tell you that people out in Cabramatta are very much looking at those numbers tick over when they’re at the bowser. So, those cost-of-living pressures are going to have a very significant impact on voters’ intentions, I think, going forward.
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Asked if the Coalition bore some responsibility for what happened, or didn’t happen, in the nine years they were in power, Senator Hughes said state and territory governments were also responsible.
She pointed to the Narrabri gas project, which the NSW government approved in 2020 and which has been voted against by Gomeroi traditional owners. Hughes said that project was “incredibly opposed” by the state government, presumably referring to their attempt to get it removed from the fast-track list because they felt that would undermine public support from the project.
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Chris Bowen calls emergency meeting over gas prices
The climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, has called an emergency meeting of state and territory energy ministers this week amid rising gas prices and supply issues in the eastern states.
On Sunday, Bowen told Sky News that he was “actively managing” the crisis but a decade of inaction on renewables and limitations on the gas trigger was preventing swifter fixes.
He dismissed criticism from the opposition that Labor was ill-equipped to manage the crisis, saying the problems were caused by failures of the Coalition government.
Most of Australia’s gas has been contracted for export, and we have ageing coal power stations and high fossil fuel prices. Those problems all predate the two-week-old government: the Morrison government delayed a key electricity pricing update before the election, leaving Australian voters in the dark over upcoming changes to their electricity bills.
The new shadow assistant minister for climate change and energy, Senator Hollie Hughes, said the failure to build new energy infrastructure during the nine years the Coalition was in power was Labor’s fault.
She told ABC News Breakfast:
Over the past decade, we’ve certainly seen the Labor party and the Greens oppose any future investment and development in things like gas. But also when you look at the coalmines, when you’re talking about taking coal power plants offline, you’re looking at companies that stop doing the maintenance of those power stations. And that’s why a lot of them tend to go offline more than they would have, had they been correctly maintained, if their early closure dates weren’t being enforced.
So, we’ve seen a talking-down of our natural resources, we’ve seen a talking-down of our coal-fired power stations. We’ve seen an objection from the Greens when it comes to the Kurri Kurri gas plant. You can’t say we want to be friends with the gas companies, when you start to look at the situations occurring. This is going to put inflationary pressure on prices and we already know Australians are doing it tough.
Two rather obvious points here but it’s best to make them. One, the Greens and Labor are different parties, and not in a formal partnership agreement. And two, Labor supports the Kurri Kurri gas plant if it transitions to green hydrogen by 2030. In fact, Labor’s continued support of new gas developments is one of the main reasons they and the Greens don’t get along.
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Police seize cash, drugs, weapons in raids in Sydney
Fifteen men have been charged after a week of raids targeting bikies and organised crime gangs across Sydney’s south-west, AAP reports.
NSW police have seized stolen cars and illegal drugs in a seven-day operation targeting organised crime, as part of an operation that began in October following the alleged gangland killing of Toufik Hamze and his son Salim.
To date, more than 80 firearms and 3,300 rounds of ammunition, $2.9m in cash, and prohibited drugs worth more than $9m have been seized.
Assistant commissioner Stuart Smith said 52 firearm prohibition order searches took place last week.
“Last week, we targeted the who’s who of criminality in Sydney’s south-west: Rebels, Finks and Lone Wolves Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs – you’d be hard-pressed to find someone in that world who didn’t get a home visit,” he said on Monday.
During the operation – which ran between Monday and Friday – police seized around $150,000 in cash, 1.5kg of cannabis, 150 grams of methylamphetamine, numerous prohibited weapons and three stolen cars.
Seven men were arrested after a clandestine drug laboratory was discovered on Friday.
Over the week, 15 men were charged with various offences.
Meanwhile, the NSW opposition has accused the state government of failing to honour its promise to introduce laws on “unexplained wealth” targeting gang associates and crime bosses.
Thirteen people have been shot dead in underworld gang-related violence in the past 19 months.
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Hardly anyone is using My Health Record
Twelve years after the introduction of My Health Record, Australians are struggling to access their medical information, while clinicians report frustrating difficulties uploading and finding vital health details such as pathology results and diagnostic tests.
The latest annual report from the Australian Digital Health Agency shows just 2.69 million of the 23 million people registered for a My Health Record accessed it in 2020-21. While this is an increase of 14% from the previous year, it was largely driven by people accessing Covid-19 vaccination records and Covid-19 test results.
The chief executive of the Consumers Health Forum (CHF), Leanne Wells, said while upgrades to My Health Record to include access to vaccination information and Advanced Care Plans were welcome, day-to-day health records from consultations, emergency department visits, hospital discharges, pathology, and diagnostic testing were still missing from many records. This is despite more than $2bn being spent on the system since it launched in 2012.
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Damaging winds to hit parts of eastern NSW and Victoria
A damaging winds warning remains in place for eastern Victoria and eastern parts of New South Wales.
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast winds averaging 50 to 70km/h, gusting up to 90km/h, in alpine areas of Victoria including Bright, Mt Baw Baw, Falls Creek, Mt Hotham, Mt Buller and Omeo.
In NSW, the bureau has forecast “damaging winds and blizzard conditions” in alpine areas, with damaging winds extending on and east of the ranges.
Damaging winds averaging 80 to 90km/h, gusting up to 130km/h, are forecast in alpine areas, with winds of 60 to 70km/h, gusting up to 90km/h, are likely along the ranges and the coast from Bega to Newcastle, including Sydney.
Locally damaging wind gusts to 110km/h are possible about the Illawarra district, the BoM said.
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Parts of Adelaide hit by flooding
Wild weather in South Australia has caused flash-flooding and fallen trees, with more than 400 calls for assistance made to the state emergency service.
The majority of the call-outs were from the Adelaide area. The city received more than 70mm of rain over two days, with winds of more than 90km/h.
A teenage girl was rescued from a fast-flowing creek in the Adelaide Hills, and the country fire service had to cut a man from a car that had been crushed by a falling tree, the ABC said.
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Good morning
Prime minister Anthony Albanese is in Indonesia for his first official visit, continuing what Guardian political editor, Katharine Murphy, has described as Labor’s regional diplomatic offensive. He will meet with Indonesian president Joko Widodo today.
Murph is on the trip with the PM.
Albanese was met in Jakarta by Penny Wong, the foreign minister, who has made two visits to the Pacific since being sworn in a fortnight ago. The topic of these visits has been China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific.
Indonesia, said Wong, is a “very important partner for Australia ... and is critical for our security”.
I think everyone understands we live in a time where the region is being reshaped, and what is important is that countries work together to ensure that region remains peaceful, prosperous, and respectful of sovereignty.
Timor-Leste is the latest of Australia’s regional neighbours to sign an agreement with China. Albanese had a “warm and positive” phone conversation with prime minister Taur Matan Rauk while on the plane to Jakarta on Sunday.
It comes as Australia has complained to China about the “very dangerous” interception of a maritime surveillance flight in international airspace over the South China Sea.
Back in Canberra, the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, announced a shadow cabinet which ditched Scott Morrison’s key allies and promoted senior conservative voices. Significantly Julian Leeser, a constitutional conservative and longtime supporter of the enshrinement of an Indigenous voice to parliament, has been named shadow minister for Indigenous affairs and shadow attorney general. Alan Tudge has stayed on as shadow education minister.
Simon Birmingham has been named shadow foreign minister, and assured bipartisan support on issues of foreign policy.
Let’s kick off. You can reach me at @callapilla on Twitter or Calla.Wahlquist@theguardian.com
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