What we learned; Friday 15 November
We’re going to wrap up the blog , here’s a recap of today’s news:
Woolworths and Coles have said they will fight the class action lawsuits brought over claims they deceived customers with misleading promotions on everyday products. Both supermarkets have told shareholders they will defend themselves against the class actions.
Heat, strong winds and elevated fire danger are forecast across southern and south-east Australia in coming days, the Bureau of Meteorology has warned. Extreme fire danger is forecast for the Channel Country in Queensland, as well as north-west Victoria and much of southern South Australia.
The New South Wales premier has announced Labor will create a new three-person housing delivery authority to approve spot land rezonings and housing developments and “bypass councils”, in an overhaul of the state’s planning laws.
An officer who fatally tasered a 95-year-old nursing home resident was not trained at the police academy on the “exceptional circumstances” when a Taser should not be deployed, his manslaughter trial has heard.
Thanks for reading, we’ll see you back on Sunday.
Updated
She’s no James Bond: woman with the golden gun regrets bringing weapon into Australia
A woman who “deeply regrets” packing a gun in her bag before she flew to Australia will face sentencing in December following further delays in her court case, AAP reports.
Liliana Goodson admitted illegally importing an unauthorised illegal firearm and illegally importing ammunition as she faced a hearing earlier this year.
The 30-year-old was arrested at Sydney Airport in April 2023 after being questioned by Australian Border Force officers about the 24-carat gold-plated pistol, worth about $3,000, in her luggage.
The court was previously told Goodson came to Australia to attend clown school.
On Friday when Goodson was listed to be sentenced, Downing Centre Local Court was told she has more recently focused her creative efforts on music and has produced a dozen songs for an album she’s working on, in addition to volunteering at an art centre.
“That creative side is coming back out now … she’s capable of rehabilitation … and she wishes for me to convey to the court how sorry she is for what she’s done,” her lawyer Chris Davis told the court.
“It’s taken her a while to get to this point but she’s here and she is sorry she packed the gun and shipped off the ammunition to this country, and she deeply regrets the course of action that she took.”
The separately shipped ammunition was the wrong calibre for the gun.
Prosecutors opposed an adjournment after earlier telling the court a picture of the gun “speaks for itself”.
“This is a very confronting piece of firearm, which in my submission would terrify anyone presented with it,” crown prosecutors submitted.
Goodson claimed the gun was for her own protection.
“Protection by such means of having a firearm, is not the laws of Australia … a stance perhaps some Australians take pride in,” prosecutors said.
The case will return to court in December.
Updated
NSW premier says new housing authority will allow some developments to ‘bypass local councils’ for approval
The New South Wales premier has announced Labor will create a new three-person housing delivery authority to approve spot land rezonings and housing developments, and “bypass councils”, in an overhaul of the state’s planning laws.
Chris Minns announced the shake-up in a speech delivered in Sydney on Friday, saying the new policy came out of his belief that in Sydney, “our planning system … is not working.”
There are still too many delays, too many obstacles, making life too difficult to build housing in this state …
With few exceptions, decisions about residential development have largely been the domain of councils, clocking in at nearly 90% of approvals for Sydney.
And I think it’s clear to say that that’s led to our current difficulties and our huge problems.
It means that we can’t build enough homes in certain well-connected parts of our city, because councils in major parts of the city are just banning them.
And where good proposals are stuck in the planning system for just too long.
Minns said the new authority will be led by three senior public servants and will provide a “state led approval pathway” for large new residential housing developments in NSW..
Under reforms that will come into effect in early 2025, housing developments worth more than $60m in Sydney and $30m elsewhere in NSW will be eligible to be considered for approval under the HDA rather than through the traditional council approval process.
Minns said this equates to about 100 dwellings in Sydney and 40 dwellings everywhere else.
The premier said the process would enable developments to “bypass local councils, potentially cutting years off the approval process for much needed housing in NSW”.
Updated
Colombian living in South Australia charged with debt bondage, servitude
A Colombian national living in South Australia appeared in the Adelaide magistrates court on Friday after being charged with debt bondage and servitude offences.
The AFP began an investigation into the man, 38, in early 2024, after receiving information that he allegedly subjected a small group of people from Venezuela to cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment
It was alleged the man, living in the Adelaide suburb of Kilburn, helped members of a youth group he previously led in Venezuela to migrate to Australia in 2015. An additional member of the group moved to Australia the next year.
Police allege that upon the members’ arrival in Australia, the man took control of their passports and subjected them to persistent and severe control, abuse and servitude.
The man allegedly maintained daily control of the victims by tracking their movements, restricting daily activity, scheduling compulsory daily chores, controlling earnings and forcing victims to pay debts that were unreasonably enforced.
Police also allege the man isolated the victims from family and friends, restricting or overseeing communications and private messages to their loved ones. He allegedly locked them out of a group home or inside cupboards for multiple days on a number of occasions.
AFP investigators executed a search warrant at the man’s Kilburn home yesterday where they arrested him and seized electronic devices and documentation.
AFP Det Supt Melinda Adam said the priority of human trafficking investigations was the welfare of the victims, but police would not hesitate to lay charges if there was evidence.
Updated
Queensland 2024 road deaths already higher than this time last year, could set new record
Queensland is tipped to have its most devastating year for road fatalities as the number of deaths continues to climb, reports AAP.
The Sunshine State has lost 259 lives, including 15 children, on its roads in 2024, trailing only NSW in the national road toll.
The number of Queensland road deaths is already 15 higher than at the same time last year, with the toll likely to overtake 277 in 2023.
“Our research is indicating that we are trending towards it being one of the most devastating years on Queensland roads,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Janelle Andrews said.
So far in 2024, NSW has recorded the highest road toll with 299 deaths, followed by Queensland, with Victoria next at 247.
The sheer magnitude of deaths was on display in Brisbane’s CBD on Friday, with lifesize cutouts representing each person lost featuring in a tribute, stopping some onlookers in their tracks.
“A lot of people are looking at it and saying ‘My God! This really says something about what is happening on our roads’,” Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski told reporters on Friday.
“We don’t think about this enough.
“There’s almost an acceptance that ‘we’re going to drive in the car, there could be a crash’. That’s not the way it should be.”
Updated
NSW police officer who tasered 95-year-old not trained to recognise when Tasers shouldn’t be used
An officer who fatally tasered a 95-year-old nursing home resident was not trained at the police academy on the “exceptional circumstances” when a Taser should not be deployed, his manslaughter trial has heard.
Sen Const Kristian James Samuel White is on trial after Clare Nowland died in May 2023 after being tasered. White has pleaded not guilty.
Sen Sgt William Watt – who is employed by New South Wales police to train officers on firearms, defence and tactics, and the use of force – appeared as a witness on Friday.
Watt told the NSW supreme court that officers were advised Tasers should not be used in “exceptional circumstances” including against a person who was handcuffed, women suspected of being pregnant, “elderly or disabled persons” and children or a “person with small body mass”.
Under-cross examination by White’s barrister, Troy Edwards SC, Watt revealed that references to exceptional circumstances were not part of the training program when White was at the police academy.
Nor was information on the “special circumstances” police were meant to consider when determining whether or not to fire a Taser.
So-called special circumstances include considering if someone has a disability or a mental health condition – factors which Watt said could escalate a situation.
Watt said information on special circumstances was added to student officers’ training at a later date, following reviews and recommendations by oversight bodies.
White tasered Nowland – who moved with the aid of a walking frame and weighed 47.5kg – in a Snowy Mountains nursing home in May 2023 after she was repeatedly asked to put down a steak knife.
Full story here:
Updated
Nacc chief, Brereton, rejects calls to quit over robodebt decisions
The National Anti-Corruption Commission chief has rejected calls to quit because of his handling of referrals from the robodebt royal commission, suggesting he was being made a scapegoat and insisting neither he nor his agency will be influenced by public pressure.
Paul Brereton told a governance forum on Friday that he accepted the independent Nacc inspector’s finding that he had failed to adequately manage a declared conflict of interest in relation to a past professional association with one of the six people referred to the Nacc for possible corruption investigation.
But the Nacc commissioner was defiant that what the inspector called “an error of judgment” did not justify stepping down.
“Perhaps the most important lesson is that we are not the best person to manage our own conflict of interest,” Brereton told the annual public sector forum hosted by the Governance Institute of Australia.
“And to the suggestions that I should resign – I think you will have probably gathered my response by now. If every judge found to have made a mistake of law or fact resigned, there wouldn’t be one sitting on the bench in this country.”
Full story here:
Updated
Australians are being asked to log their farts for science
The CSIRO is hoping to capture flatulence data from tens of thousands of people, including frequency, stench, loudness and duration, to help researchers better understand the nation’s gut health.
Dietician Megan Rebuli says the average person passed wind between seven and 20 times a day.
“It’s really variable depending on the types of food that you eat, how much fibre you eat and how much you’re moving around,” she says.
“This is the big question – what is normal? We really want to get some good quality, comprehensive data to try to pin down that number.”
A CSIRO gut health study in 2021 found more than 60% of Australians reported excessive flatulence, with more than 40% experiencing it most days.
Rebuli said a person’s gut health was an important indicator of their overall health.
“People often complain about excess flatulence or feeling bloated and what we want to know is what is normal and what should people expect, and when things go different what would that look like?”
People aged 14 or older are invited to track their flatulence using the free Chart Your Fart phone app.
Full story is here:
Updated
Many thanks for joining me on the blog today, Kate Lyons will be here to take you through the rest of today’s news. Take care and have a great weekend.
Australian finance to spark Indo-Pacific climate action
A new climate program will combine private capital and Australian aid to spur climate action in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions, AAP reports.
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, says the package, announced at the Cop29 climate conference today, will boost the efforts of businesses across the Pacific, South-east Asia and South Asia.
The $126m top-up to existing aid will offer cheap finance for climate projects, and comes as Australia gets ready to co-chair negotiations where other rich nations are being asked to put more money on the table. Wong says:
The Climate Catalyst Window will unlock the potential of climate-focused businesses to help drive the climate action our region has been asking for. We’re also ensuring we are getting maximum value for Australia’s development assistance in projects that matter to Australians and our region.
Offering loans, equity and guarantees, it aims to attract private investment into projects important to the region. Funds recovered will be reinvested, ensuring the fund grows and supports a pipeline of projects, the statement says.
Updated
Total fire ban for Victoria’s Mallee and Wimmera tomorrow
A total fire ban has been declared for the Mallee and Wimmera tomorrow, amid an extreme fire danger. The Country Fire Association says no fires can be lit, or allowed to remain alight, all day.
Earlier, CFA chief officer, Jason Heffernan, told ABC TV that temperatures up to 39C were forecast for the Mallee and Wimmera.
West and south-western Victoria in particular [and] a lot of the pockets in the Great Ocean Road area is the driest on record.
A Total Fire Ban has been declared for the Mallee and Wimmera Fire Districts, Saturday 16 November 2024..
— cfa_updates (@CFA_Updates) November 15, 2024
No fires can be lit, or be allowed to remain alight, in the open air from 12:01 AM until 11:59 PM. Stay informed: https://t.co/lFdBeHgAwP pic.twitter.com/mRSYdaMErC
Updated
Matildas WWC hero Vine takes break from football
Matildas World Cup hero Cortnee Vine is taking a break from football to focus on her mental health, AAP reports.
The winger was a star of the A-League Women competition but was catapulted into the national spotlight when she scored the winning spot-kick in Australia’s marathon penalty shootout win over France in the Cup quarter-final.
Vine, 26, has missed multiple recent camps for personal reasons, while also attempting to settle into life at NWSL club North Carolina Courage, which she joined from Sydney FC in the off-season. In a statement provided by her management, she says:
I’m sure many people can appreciate that my life has dramatically changed over the past two years. Due to these very new and sometimes overwhelming experiences, l’ve discovered that identifying, managing and prioritising my mental health has become something I have needed to work very hard on.
Like many who face mental health challenges, I have my good days and my difficult ones, but every day is a lesson in learning to find the right balance. For now, I need to focus on taking care of myself, which is why I am taking some time off.
I truly appreciate everyone’s support and concern, and I’m confident I’ll return stronger than ever.
Updated
Climate groups respond to Empire Energy being granted environmental approval
The NT government’s decision to grant Empire Energy its environmental approval has prompted environment and climate groups to renew calls for the Albanese government to use its powers under the water trigger to assess the impact of Beetaloo pilot projects on water resources.
Hannah Ekin from the Arid Lands Environment Centre says each new fracking project poses “serious contamination risks to water that sustains towns and communities” in the NT.
We’re calling on the Albanese government to urgently call in this project using the water trigger in national environment laws so a proper independent review of the risks can be conducted.
Nurrdalinji Aboriginal Corporation, which represents several native title holders from the Beetaloo region, said it had concerns about inadequate consultation and risks to country, cultural heritage and water.
Wuyaliya man Asman Rory says “families have not decided whether to say yes or no to Empire’s latest plans to frack and sell gas from our country”.
Updated
NT government approves Empire Energy pilot gas project in Beetaloo
The Northern Territory government has granted environmental approval to Empire Energy for a pilot fracking project in the Beetaloo Basin.
In an announcement to the ASX, the company says it now has all necessary environmental approvals for its Carpentaria pilot project, which includes up to nine new wells, installation of a gas plant and processing facilities with access to the McArthur River pipeline for export of the gas.
Changes to regulations made by the previous NT Labor government mean companies can sell appraisal gas from pilot wells subject to an application. Empire Energy still needs approval of this application for any sales to proceed.
The managing director Alex Underwood says:
The Empire team continues to progress towards pilot production from the Beetaloo Basin, which will provide much needed gas supply for the people of the Northern Territory under the gas sales agreement Empire signed with the NT Government earlier this year.
Updated
Discount class action fresh headache for grocery giants
Woolworths and Coles will fight class action lawsuits brought over claims they deceived customers with misleading promotions on everyday products, AAP reports.
Law firm Gerard Malouf and Partners has lodged two class actions in the federal court against Australia’s largest supermarkets, alleging they breached Australian consumer law through misleading promotional discounts on hundreds of items.
Both Coles and Woolworths have told shareholders they will defend themselves against the class actions, with Woolworths writing on the ASX:
Woolworths Group intends to defend the class action proceedings.
The class action seeks compensation, including the difference between the advertised discount prices and the actual prices charged, for affected customers. The law firm’s chair, Gerard Malouf, says:
We estimate that the average Australian consumer could be eligible for a refund ranging between $200 and $1,300+, depending on their shopping habits and purchases at these retailers. We believe this class action is an essential move toward safeguarding consumer rights and demanding transparency in retail practices Australia-wide.
Updated
Elevated fire danger through parts of southern Australia this weekend
Heat, strong winds and elevated fire danger is forecast across southern and south-east Australia in the coming days, the Bureau of Meteorology has warned.
Meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said the hot and windy weather would push into the south-eastern states from tomorrow, continuing into Sunday with winds “really ramping up through the south-east in particular”.
Extreme fire danger is forecast for the Channel Country in Queensland, as well as north-west Victoria and much of southern South Australia, on Saturday:
These areas are most likely to see the most extreme conditions … which may impact fires that are ongoing or new fires that start over the next couple of days.
On Sunday there will be some easing the south, Bradbury said, but extreme fire dangers are expected to continue about the north-west slopes and plains of NSW and the Channel Country in Queensland.
The Country Fire Association chief officer, Jason Heffernan, was on ABC TV a moment ago and said temperatures up to 39C were forecast for Mallee and the Wimmera.
West and south-western Victoria in particular [and] a lot of the pockets in the Great Ocean Road area is the driest on record. We’ve seen real rainfall deficit across much of western and south-western Victoria, which has resulted in a lot of die-back in forest vegetation and the like, so we’re keeping a very close eye on it.
Updated
Helen Haines says proposed electoral reforms should be scrutinised by parliamentary inquiry
Helen Haines, the independent MP for Indi, is the latest crossbencher to respond to the government’s proposed electoral reforms.
In a statement, Haines said the proposed reforms represent “a fundamental change to the way our democracy functions” and it is “crucial” this is properly scrutinised and “not rushed through in the dying days of this term of parliament”.
Such reform is long overdue and something that I, and many other crossbenchers, have been pushing for. But legislation introduced in the final sitting weeks of the year, after months of negotiations behind closed doors between the major parties, raises suspicious that these reforms will benefit the major parties’ self-interest at the expense of others.
She said the special minister of state, Don Farrell, had “refused to provide an exposure draft, in complete contradiction to his statement that its contents should not be a surprise”.
Haines called on the government to delay the legislation until a parliamentary inquiry has allowed for full scrutiny, “including the increase in public funding that the two major parties are proposing and impact on the taxpayer”.
Updated
Severe weather update for south-east Australia
The Bureau of Meteorology has published a severe weather update, looking at the heat, fire danger and storms forecast for south-east Australia:
Severe Weather Update 15 November 2024: Heat, fire danger, and storms for south-east Australia.
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) November 15, 2024
Video current as of 12:00 pm AEDT 15 November 2024.
For the latest forecasts and warnings, go to https://t.co/4W35o8iFmh or the BOM Weather app. pic.twitter.com/fiUSRYo62u
Updated
It’s Friday afternoon, which means it’s time to get stuck into the latest Weekly Beast from Amanda Meade:
Utility sector leading Australian shares higher at noon
The local share market is on track for its second day of gains, AAP reports, with every sector except health care in the green at lunchtime.
At noon the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 41 points, or 0.5%, to 8,265.0, while the broader All Ordinaries had gained 40.3 points, or 0.48%, to 8,520.2. For the week the ASX200 was on track to finish down 30 points, or 0.4%, after a standout 2.2% gain the previous week following Donald Trump’s victory.
The ASX’s utilities sector was the biggest gainer at lunchtime, up 2.6%, as AGL rose 3.1% and APA Group climbed 3.5%. The big four banks were all higher, with ANZ up by 1.3%, Westpac adding 1.1%, CBA advancing 0.7% and NAB up 0.3%.
CSL was weighing down the health care sector as the blood products giant dropped 2.4%. In addition, Healius had plunged 15.6% to a six-month low of $1.3425 as managing director Paul Anderson told the pathology company’s annual general meeting that cuts in the 2024/25 federal budget would mean pathology providers would be forced to introduce co-payments or close collection centres.
The Australian dollar was buying US64.55c, from US64.62c at Thursday’s ASX close.
Updated
Jim Chalmers on political ‘alienation’ and the US election result
Last night the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, gave some unscripted remarks to the Australian Workers’ Union in Perth, with some interesting take-aways about Labor’s cost of living focus – particularly after Donald Trump’s election.
Chalmers said that “economic undercurrents in our society [have] fed a sense of alienation amongst our people” warning that “when people feel a lack of trust in the political system that’s not on them, that’s on us”.
That’s on us to fix. If there’s a loss of trust in our society, in our politics, in our democracy, that’s for us to fix.
We’re asked about this in media all the time, about the American election, and to be really blunt about it the truth is we didn’t need an election on the other side of the world to tell us to focus on the main game, which is the cost of living. We didn’t need an election on the other side of the world to tell us to focus on what really matters to real people, real workers in real communities like those which we represent.
We didn’t need an election on the other side of the world to tell us we don’t have time as a governing party to stuff around on second-tier issues. We have to stay focused on what really matters and we are. That’s why the cost of living is our major focus as a government.
Chalmers also focused on the risks of the Coalition to government spending and cost of living measures, which Labor enacted in its first term:
They won’t tell us where the $315bn in cuts will come from and what it means for investment in industry, investment in housing, what it means for Medicare, what it means for veterans that Matt Keogh represents so ably in our team, they won’t come clean on what that means. They won’t tell us what it means for workers when they wind back the progress that we’ve made in the last two or three years working closely together. They won’t tell us what it will mean for the tax cuts that they don’t believe in.
Updated
Fire bans in place for parts of south-west Queensland this weekend
There is also an elevated fire risk in south-west Queensland this weekend, with the state’s fire department issuing a number of fire bans for Paroo, Bulloo and Quilpie near the NSW border.
The ban will be in place for residents in these areas from for all of Saturday and Sunday, the department said.
Under a local fire ban all open fires are prohibited and all permits to light fire which have been issued in the designated areas have been suspended for the duration of the ban.
Updated
Increased fire risk for parts of NSW this weekend
The NSW Rural Fire Service is warning of elevated fire dangers across broad parts of the state this weekend, with increased temperatures and winds.
In a post to X, it said the north western and upper central west plains had an extreme fire danger forecast on Sunday.
Thunderstorms with dry lightning – and little to no rain – are forecast in the west tomorrow, it said.
Updated
Moderate and minor flooding affecting Queensland catchments
In more weather news, the Bureau of Meteorology has issued a moderate flood warning for the Bremer River and a minor flood warning for Warrill Creek, amid widespread wet weather.
It said minor flooding is easing along the Bremer River between Rosewood and Five Mile Bridge, but a minor flood peak is approaching the Walloon area – expected to peak near 6.3m.
Minor flooding is also easing on Warrill Creek at Amberley, it said. The creek is currently at 4.2m and falling, expected to go below the minor flood level this afternoon.
The bureau said heavy showers and storms last night produced up to 37mm across the Bremer and Warrill catchments:
Further showers and storms are forecast across the weekend, however the threat of very heavy rainfall has lessened ahead of the weekend.
Updated
Severe thunderstorms possible through central Western Australia
Earlier, we flagged that severe thunderstorms were possible throughout parts of NSW and Queensland today.
The Bureau of Meteorology has also flagged potentially severe storms throughout Western Australia today, affecting parts of the Pilbara, Gascoyne, the Goldfields and Eucla.
⛈️Possible #SevereThunderstorms today (Friday 15/11) in parts of the #Pilbara, #Gascoyne, #Goldfields, #Eucla and the interior. Damaging winds possible.
— Bureau of Meteorology, Western Australia (@BOM_WA) November 15, 2024
Warnings: https://t.co/NikaX4QRKr pic.twitter.com/kueV17XMT2
Three rescued from house fire in NSW
Three people were rescued from a fire in the New South Wales Hunter Valley this morning, which left a home destroyed.
Fire and Rescue NSW said the fire broke out just after 9am in a single-story residence at Aberdare in Cessnock. More than 30 firefighters and 10 trucks responded, and found the house fully engulfed with fire on arrival.
Crews were forced to withdraw to a safer position after the roof collapsed but have since got the fire under control and are continuing to extinguish hotspots.
Operations are continuing and crews will rotate throughout the morning, FRNSW said, with investigations to determine the cause of the fire ongoing.
Updated
Police budget blowout referred to corruption watchdog
A bungled lease for a new Queensland police station with an unfunded $116m price tag has been referred to the state’s corruption watchdog, AAP reports.
Queensland Police signed the 15-year lease to set up a new station at Stones Corner, in Brisbane’s inner-south, with an option to extend it for a total of $240m. However, the contract was signed before money was allocated for the major project.
Police commissioner Steve Gollschewski has made the decision to refer the matter to the Crime and Corruption Commission due to the “circumstances” and is awaiting a response:
We have a system under our act that requires us to report anything where there’s a reasonable suspicion of misconduct or other corrupt activity. We take a very deliberate stance on that, and making sure that we are completely transparent as an organisation, and that we are holding ourselves to the highest possible standards.
The commissioner would not be drawn on whether he believed any corruption was involved in the lease, saying police would “wait to see what the investigation finds, and then we’ll be very happy to talk about what the outcome of the investigation is”.
P-plater charged for allegedly driving more than 40km/h above speed limit
Tasmanian police have fined a P-plater for allegedly travelling more than 40km/h above the speed limit.
Western highway patrol members intercepted the 17-year-old driver yesterday afternoon, who was allegedly detected travelling at 141km/h in the 100km/h zone on the Bass Highway at Sisters Hills.
He was issued with an on the spot fine of $858.50, as well as six demerit points, and has lost his licence for at least six months. Police said in a statement:
Speeding is one of the fatal five factors contributing to the state’s road toll, and places drivers, passengers and all other road users at risk of serious injury due to the increased likelihood of causing a crash.
Updated
Clive Palmer reacts to government's proposed electoral reform
Billionaire businessman and UAP leader Clive Palmer has released a statement responding to the government’s proposed electoral reform legislation – which includes donation and electoral spending caps.
In the statement posted to X, Palmer argued that Labor and the Liberals are “joined at the hip to manipulate the system” and the new legislation is “designed to rig elections.”
It will also hinder the independents, the regular Australians, from standing for parliament, which is what the constitution was designed for … As an Australian citizen, I will challenge these unconstitutional acts which will suppress freedom.
It is interesting that I am over 70 years of age and Albanese and the Labor government still fear me. It is not me they should fear, it is ideas. Labor and the Liberals working together on this issue is a disgrace. The only hope for Australian people is if the high court looks at the constitution and the implied rights of freedom of speech.
Palmer argued that Anthony Albanese “doesn’t want competition” and that “this is an act of desperation.”
Updated
Man stabbed following alleged road rage incident in NSW
NSW police are appealing for information after a man was stabbed at Kariong last night, after an alleged road rage incident.
Emergency services were called to a home at James Russell Drive, Kariong at about 7.50pm yesterday, after reports of an assault. Officers attached to Brisbane water police district attended and established a crime scene at the location.
Police were told a 42-year-old man was assaulted by two men after a road rage incident at Milyerra Road, Kariong. During the altercation, one of the men allegedly produced a knife and stabbed the man in the abdomen before driving away.
The injured man managed to drive in his car to a nearby home on James Russell Drive, with the residents administering first aid until emergency services arrived. The man was treated at the scene by paramedics, before being taken to Gosford hospital in a critical condition.
As inquiries continue, police are appealing for information to identify a vehicle seen in the area at the time of the incident. Anyone with information or dashcam vision is urged to contact Brisbane water police or Crime Stoppers.
Updated
Kylea Tink says major parties ‘running scared’
Independent MP Kylea Tink has declared that the major parties are “running scared” from independents as they attempts to push through donation reforms.
In a statement, the North Sydney MP condemned the proposed donation and electoral spending caps as a “cynical attempt at collusion to protect a waning political duopoly”.
A reported bid by the major parties to rush donation reforms through parliament before Christmas should be seen as a cynical attempt at collusion to protect a waning political duopoly. Quite simply – this is the “legacy political brands” running scared and trying to do everything they can to stop a political evolution.
What the major parties don’t seem to understand is that after decades of being taken for granted this evolution in Australian politics is being led by grassroot community campaigns, which will not cower as major parties try to stop or outspend them. This evolution is happening whether the major parties like it or not.
She goes on to say the reforms would create an “uneven playing field” and that they will make it harder for independents to “campaign fairly and effectively at future elections”.
Australians deserve better than the major parties doing a deal over electoral reform that protects their own interests. This reform will not stop the rot when it comes to the public’s perception of the major parties and the trend of voters looking for positive alternatives to support.
Updated
Tammy Tyrrell says election reform no ‘fair fight’
Tammy Tyrrell, independent senator for Tasmania, has released a statement on the government’s proposed electoral reform. She argued that election reform would “never be a fair fight when it’s done by Labor and the Liberals.”
Caps on donations don’t address money funnelled to parties through fundraiser dinners and membership fees.
Australians want more real people in politics. People who know what it’s like to get their hands dirty in a spud paddock or trying to pay the bills while living paycheck to paycheck. Anything that stops people like me from putting their hand up and actually getting a fair run at election time isn’t the way to move forward.
While membership fees are not counted towards the donation cap, it is a bit different when it comes to gifts. For example, a corporation could give up to $20k to each branch of the ALP, but it can’t give $30k to one branch just because the gift comes in the form of buying tickets to dinners.
Updated
Oxfam welcomes Australian backing of UN resolution recognising Palestinian sovereignty
Oxfam Australia has welcomed the government’s backing of a UN resolution to recognise the “permanent sovereignty” of Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory.
In a statement, Oxfam said that, by supporting this resolution, Australia has made a significant statement in support of Palestinians’ fundamental rights. Its chief executive, Lyn Morgain, said:
We welcome news that the Australian government backs the UN resolution on Palestinian sovereignty, after abstaining on the vote for 13 years. Civilians continue to pay the price for the failure of their leaders to resolve a conflict that has led to the longest occupation in modern history.
Morgain said that Australia must go further and “use its influence to advocate for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the siege of Gaza”.
Conditions on the ground are deteriorating rapidly and it is nearly impossible for humanitarian operations to resume amidst relentless bombings and blockades.
Updated
Amy from Disrupt Wars got into a bit of a back and forth with host Tom Elliott on 3AW, saying:
We’ve managed to cancel an act of greed by Myer and your concern for the children was unfounded because they were never the target.
Elliot said “it was not unfounded” and “the police didn’t think it was unfounded”. Amy replied:
The police never spoke to me, Tom. If the police were so concerned they would have contacted the actual organiser but they didn’t.
Updated
Circling back to Amy from Disrupt Wars, who has been speaking with 3AW about the now-cancelled “Crash the Christmas Windows” action that had been planned outside the launch of Myer’s Christmas window display on Sunday.
You can read more on this earlier in the blog, here. Amy has told the program:
We’re very pleased with the outcome that Myer has decided to cancel their consumerist party and we are more than happy for the children to enjoy the windows, they were never the target in the first place.
She said the “big lavish spectacle” and “push for consumerism and capitalism in a time of genocide” was not appropriate:
It has nothing to do with Christianity. It’s capitalism.
Pocock questions rush on electoral reform legislation
Independent senator David Pocock has been speaking with ABC TV about the government’s proposed electoral reform legislation. He said:
It’s pretty revealing that the major parties want to ram through electoral reform – which is really important, it is important we go through the detail – in two weeks when we have had has housing legislation, cost of living measures, scams legislation held up in the Senate. Why are they so quick to move when it’s in their interest? When they are going to get an extra $20m per party at election time and entrench incumbency, which is a real concern for me as a community independent.
He argued that while there are spending caps per electorate, there is “also what seems to be up to $19m that the major parties can spend on advertising across the country.”
My concern is that elections should be a contest of ideas. We should have a range of candidates actually fighting on the issues for their community and, from what I’ve seen, and I think from the tone and sort of the timing of this, this is really about entrenching the major parties, entrenching the duopoly at a time when Australia is wanting more competition.
Pocock said that, as he understands, the changes wouldn’t come into play until after the next election – “So what is the rush?”
If there is so much detail in it, let’s take the time, it is not coming in the next election. What we’re seeing is the major parties terrified of a minority government.
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Pro-Palestine protest outside Myer Christmas window in Melbourne cancelled
A pro-Palestine protest outside the Bourke Street Myer Christmas window display has been cancelled, an organiser has told 3AW Melbourne.
Amy, who is part of Disrupt Wars, had planned a “Crash the Christmas Windows” action outside the launch of the display on Sunday. But she told 3AW in light of Myer’s decision to cancel their window reveal event their disruption would not go ahead.
She said children were never the target of the event. Instead, the intention was to raise awareness of the number of children killed in Gaza during the ongoing conflict.
Don Farrell says Australia must not ‘panic or overreact’ to Trump trade talk
Moving to the US, Don Farrell – who is also the minister for trade – was asked how confident he is Australia can make a deal with the new Trump administration to avoid blanket terms on imports into America. He responded:
When I came into this job 2.5 years ago we had $20bn worth of trade tariffs imposed on us from China. Over that 2.5 years we have worked patiently and carefully to get all those tariffs removed.
I think the Albanese government has got a track record of working with our trading partners to ensure that fair and free trade continues … The first thing here is to not panic or overreact. The American people made a decision about who their new president will be and who the administration is going to be.
We need to be, just like we were with China, to sit down patiently and carefully and work through any issues which the American government might have.
Farrell said that Kevin Rudd was the right person to do this, saying he is “an experienced diplomat” who has “made great progress with the American congress”.
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Q: Why should it be up to major parties to decide who can get into parliament?
Don Farrell responded that the Australian people make that decision, and that “this is all about making sure that ordinary Australians can participate”.
The Australian electoral system should not work on the basis that the only people who can be elected into parliament are people who are sponsored by billionaires. That should not be the way that the Australian system works and, with these changes, it will not be the way the system works.
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Don Farrell said he has had “good consultation” with the Coalition on this and, while he “cannot say at this stage that we have agreement”, he hopes that by the time the legislation is voted on that “we can get maximum support as we possibly can”.
Already some of the independents have indicated that they are onside with changes.
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Don Farrell denies electoral reform bill ‘rushed’
Q: Why do these changes need to be rushed through before Christmas and would you be happy to push them into the next term of parliament?
Don Farrell responded that “these are not rushed” and “we have been talking about this for the last two years”.
None of what is in this bill comes as any surprise, I don’t think, to anybody who has been paying attention to this issue. We have not rushed it, in fact we have done the opposite. We took our time to carefully consider and carefully consult with all political parties about these changes.
Farrell said he wants the changes to be passed this year so that “the AEC and the political parties and the independents can start the process so that by the time the next election comes everybody is in the position they ought to be to implement these changes”.
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Labor says electoral changes must be able to survive high court challenge
Don Farrell was asked about backlash from crossbenchers this morning to the proposed reforms, with some labelling it a major party stitch-up.
He responded that “by taking big money out of politics it is the best way we can improve our politics and our democracy in Australia”.
How open is the government to negotiations with the Coalition and crossbench, and would it consider lifting the donations disclosure cap? Farrell said no, and “this is the donation cap that we have set”.
We think this balances all of the interests of all the parties and independents. We’ve set it at a rate which I think is fair and reasonable but, more importantly, we have to consider that some players already have indicated they will take this matter to the high court … So we’re trying to ensure that the caps that we have set are fair, but also would survive a challenge in the high court.
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Farrell denies that electoral reform designed to target any individual
Asked if these rules are designed to target Clive Palmer and Simon Holmes à Court, Don Farrell said “the short answer is no”.
This is designed to take big money out of Australian politics. We are not targeting individuals, we’re targeting the system that allows an uncapped amount of money to be spent on elections.
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Don Farrell speaks to media about proposed electoral reform
The special minister of state, Don Farrell, is addressing the media in Adelaide about the government’s proposed electoral reform legislation it is set to introduce next week.
He told reporters:
Big donors will be restricted on how much they can donate. All participants in the elections will be limited on how much they can spend on advertising and campaigning. We are increasing transparency with accelerated reporting of donations, real-time reporting during elections and a lower donation disclosure threshold to shine a spotlight on more of the money in politics.
The Australian Electoral Commission will be given strengthened powers to apply compliance audits and penalties. We know that this reform will face some challenges but of course if it was easy somebody else would have done it already. We are not shying away from the chance to protect our democracy and I ask all my colleagues across the parliament to support this passage in the coming weeks.
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BoM warns of severe storms near Queensland-NSW border
The wet weather is continuing across parts of New South Wales and Queensland today.
Severe thunderstorms possible near the Queensland border in NSW, the Bureau of Meteorology has warned:
🌩️ Today's thunderstorm FORECAST (15/11): Storms possible in the north-east and northern inland. SEVERE storms possible near the Qld border, with the risk of locally heavy rainfall, damaging winds, and/or large hail.
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) November 14, 2024
Warnings if required: https://t.co/jJWt2wlxel pic.twitter.com/UKynHvSMAz
And, in Queensland, severe storms are possible around the south-east and central interior:
🌩️ Today's thunderstorm FORECAST (15/11): Severe storms possible about the south-east and central interior. Risk of heavy rainfall, damaging winds, and/or large hail.
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) November 14, 2024
Non-severe storms possible across north-west, central, and south-east #Qld.
Warnings: https://t.co/CinugnxqkN pic.twitter.com/UygbT5N1Ph
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Wong warns people to brace for political debate about migrants in lead-up to election
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, was awarded a lifetime achievement award at the Asian-Australian Leadership awards last night, where she said she expected more political debate about migrants in the “next few months”.
Wong was quizzed about diversity and the challenges she faces as an Asian-Australian politician. She also told attendees that they should brace for a difficult political debate in the lead-up to the next election:
I know that there’s a narrative, and you’ll see a fair bit of it in the political debate over the next few months, is a narrative that we’re all familiar with, of immigration as burden or of the migrant as peril.
But the different cultures, the diversity of our communities, is one of our great strengths. I think it’s a great strength in our foreign policy, like I always talk about the national power, the national asset that is the diversity of the Australian community, because it means we have an understanding of so many countries and so many cultures in the world.
Asked about the challenging geopolitical environment she has had to work in, Wong took swipes at the “politicisation” of foreign policy:
One thing that won’t make it easier is politicising some foreign policy here at home. We saw that, frankly, in the last few years and I don’t think it makes it easier to get into an aggressive political debate. These are hard, hard circumstances and difficult choices, and we have to navigate them wisely.
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Undervalued and lonely: older Australians struggling
Six in 10 older people say they’re experiencing loneliness, with many feeling undervalued by society and struggling to reconnect.
As AAP reports, the Council on the Ageing (Cota) NSW research found half of those older than 50 in the state felt socially isolated, with the organisation urging targeted intervention to curb the “deeply concerning” trend.
Six in 10 respondents experiencing loneliness felt undervalued by society, which the council said exacerbated their loneliness, undermined their sense of identity and could make it harder for them to seek help and connect with people.
The study was released before a parliamentary inquiry into the prevalence, causes and impacts of loneliness in NSW begins today. The council’s chief executive, Gohar Yazdabadi, said the findings presented a “devastating picture”.
Loneliness has profound impacts on the lives of older adults. It prevents one in four adults from completing every day tasks such as shopping and cooking, and one in five from seeking medical care.
The feelings of being undervalued and without a support network are a terrible reflection of ageism and the way we value older people in our society, the impacts of which are keenly felt.
Researchers and psychologists will give evidence to the inquiry today.
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Melbourne mayor urges re-think of planned pro-Palestine protest on Sunday
As AAP reports, Melbourne’s lord mayor, Nick Reece, has also responded to the cancelation of the Myer Christmas windows event, amid a planned pro-Palestine protest on Sunday (we had more on this earlier in the blog, here).
He told ABC Radio he hoped protesters would realise they had made a mistake, urging them to change their plans:
If there’s any good that can come out of this conversation … it’s that the protesters realise that this is a really dumb thing to do, and that they decide to do something different this weekend rather than upset the Melbourne tradition.
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If electoral reform legislation stops new players from entering politics ‘it’s a rort’: Greens
Greens senator Larissa Waters says the Greens will “take a close look” at the electoral reforms proposed by the government to ensure the legislation “strengthens democracy and not just the political fortunes of the big parties”.
In a post to X this morning, Waters said:
The Greens have championed reforms to get the influence of big money out of politics for decades, and stop big corporates and fossil fuel companies buying policies that suit them.
If legislation to deliver electoral reforms only serves to prop up Labor [and] the LNP by grandfathering their largesse and stopping newer political players from entering, it’s a rort, not a reform.
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New national body to see more patients benefit from genomic medicine
The health minister, Mark Butler, says “Australia stands on the precipice of a revolution in genomic research” and a new national leadership body will help more Australians benefit from it.
Genomic medicine uses a person’s own DNA to better identify disease risks, prevent illness, make earlier diagnoses and personalise treatment in areas including cancer and rare diseases.
The government has established a new national body, Genomics Australia, to provide leadership, coordination and expertise to translate research into every day patient care.
Genomics Australia will sit within the Department of Health and Aged Care, with a dedicated commissioner who will provide expert advice to government on health genomics.
The government has committed over $30m in funding for its first four years of operation. Butler said:
We need to make sure Australia can take full advantage of our incredible research, taking it beyond the lab and benefiting patients.
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Allan accuses Greens of using Middle East conflict to divide Melbourne
Jacinta Allan was asked about a comment she made on X this morning, that “I’m just as mad at all the others who have quietly stoked this division and egged them on”. Asked if she was referring to the Greens, Allan responded:
Yes, there have been some politicians from the Greens political party who have used conflict in the Middle East to bring further division and conflict into Melbourne. It tried it on in the Victorian parliament, and we’ve seen it time and again, and we’ve got to call this out.
I think the vast majority of Victorians are all pretty sick of this stuff, particularly when we live in such a beautiful community. A beautiful community that is diverse, that does respect difference, that is united, and we shouldn’t let this small group use division and conflict overseas to bring division and conflict to our beautiful streets.
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Jacinta Allan was asked if Victoria police would “be ready to go to shut down these protesters straight away if there’s any hint of violence”, with reference to the protest at the Land Forces expo in September:
She told 3AW that “those are operational decisions that Victoria police [will] make on the intelligence that they collect”.
Victoria police did an outstanding job [at the Land Forces expo], keeping our community safe against some just disgraceful behaviour. I will leave it to Victoria police, based on their intelligence and based on their advice, to make the best operational decisions. But let’s be clear, the way to avoid that sort of behaviour, the way to see that sort of behaviour not happen, is for those protesters not to bring that behaviour to the street.
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Jacinta Allan describes pro-Palestine protest at Myer event ‘unacceptable’
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, is speaking with 3AW radio about the cancelation of the Myer Christmas windows event, amid a planned pro-Palestine protest (we had more on this earlier in the blog, here).
She described the protests as “unacceptable” and said “it’s just unacceptable that this behaviour is causing this sort of division here in Melbourne”. Asked if she was going to prevent the protesters going down Bourke Street, Allan responded:
Victoria police have said that they will have a very strong presence on Sunday and that they have been … working to engage with this small group. The reality is [that] this very small group … [Myer has] got to think about the wellbeing of their staff [and] have changed the arrangements for the opening of the windows, the opening event, but the windows are still going to open.
Christmas is happening [and] we should be using this time to celebrate, to reflect, to come together on what makes us strong, not let these people divide us.
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Victoria police says decision to cancel Myer Christmas window event sits with Myer
Victoria police has released a statement about the cancelation of the Myer Christmas windows event on Sunday, and said:
Victoria police has not made any recommendations about cancelling an event on Bourke Street to mark the opening of the Myer Christmas windows. We continue to work with Myer to support the staging of this much-loved tradition.
The community should be assured Victoria police will have a visible presence on Sunday. Any decision to cancel the event sits with Myer.
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Concern as long-running neighbour dispute service cut
A decades-old free service giving neighbours, relatives and businesses a cheap way to resolve disputes is to be closed, AAP reports.
Community justice centres have operated since 1980, providing mediation and conflict management services in New South Wales and spurring similar services across the nation. More than 12,000 people use the service each year in NSW, with 86% willing to recommend it to others.
But its days are numbered, with the government confirming yesterday plans to close 77 centres across the state by the end of the financial year. The shutdown and repeal of the act worries local government and lawyers alike, with the Law Society of NSW president, Brett McGrath, saying:
For more than 40 years, community justice centres have provided much-needed free alternative dispute resolution for people who cannot afford a lawyer or who do not wish the stress or expense of court proceedings. The closure of these centres represents further erosion of access to justice, which will particularly affect people in vulnerable circumstances.
Local Government NSW said it had not been consulted on the closure. Its president, Darriea Turley, said it would be “reviewing the changes closely in an effort to understand any adverse impact on councils and our communities”. Both stakeholders stressed it was crucial the government made sure alternative mechanisms were available.
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‘Over-odorisation’ event affecting parts of south-west Victoria
The Australian Energy Market Operator has warned of an “over-odorisation event” near Port Campbell in Victoria – AKA, a bad smell across parts of the south-west.
Aemo said it was made aware of the over-odorisation event at the Iona gas plant at Waarre yesterday evening, which has led to the strong smell of gas. It said in a statement:
Natural gas is odourless. A odorant is injected into natural gas as a safety measure. Customers are advised to take standard precautions if they detect a gas smell or suspect a leak and report it to your gas distributor or a licensed plumber.
Emergency services have been notified, and investigations are ongoing. The gas is expected to clear from the system in the coming days.
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Allan responds to cancellation of Myer event amid planned pro-Palestine protest
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has responded to news that Myer has cancelled an event marking the opening of its Christmas windows amid a planned pro-Palestine protest (we had more on this earlier in the blog, here).
In a series of posts to X, Allan said she is “furious that a small group of people have chosen to politicise a beautiful event for children”.
Blocking the Christmas windows won’t change a thing in the Middle East, but it will let down a bunch of kids in Melbourne. Who does that help? We are all a bit sick of this stuff.
People have a right to demonstrate, no one has a right to divide. We cannot let ugly protests ruin a beautiful Christmas tradition and we cannot let violence, division and vilification ruin what makes Victoria great.
She said the state government would introduce a new set of social cohesion laws:
I will not let the constant violence, division and vilification we see overseas creep into Victoria. I’ll fight for our friendly state, free of hate.
Updated
Chaney shares more thoughts on government’s electoral reform bill
Independent teal MP Kate Chaney has been speaking with ABC News Breakfast about the government’s electoral reform bill (we brought you some of her thoughts earlier, here). She said the committee reported “a long time ago” and since then there has been “radio silence on this until the very end of the year.”
Now we’re presented with this very complex and significant change to the rules about who can get into parliament, and how they get there, and expect it to rush it through in two weeks.
Asked if she would have been able to get elected at the last election if these measures had been in place, Chaney responded: “Well, I don’t think so”.
And you know, some may say that’s a good thing, but I think we need a system where competition is possible. We don’t let Coles and Woolies make the laws about supermarket competition, now we’re seeing Liberal and Labor getting together and making the laws about who can get into parliament. I think that’s deeply concerning for all Australians.
She was asked about speculation people like Clive Palmer might consider legal challenges to the reforms – is this something Climate 200 or teal candidates would consider doing?
Chaney said she doesn’t know what Climate 200 or Palmer is doing but said “we need some caps to make sure that individuals can’t have a disproportionate effect on politics”.
But rushing these through at the last minute is not the way to do that.
Updated
Pocock labels electoral reform bill as 'major party stitch-up'
Independent senator David Pocock says that electoral reform is “well overdue” but “any changes must be fair and subject to proper parliamentary process and scrutiny”.
In a statement responding to the government’s proposed electoral reform bill, Pocock said “no one wants to see a situation where big money buys elections … but any changes must create a level playing field”.
I am deeply concerned that the legislation being introduced on Monday is a major party stitch-up that subverts parliamentary process and seeks to lock out more community independents. This would be terrible for our democracy and communities across the country looking for more grassroots representation.
He labelled the reform as “a secret deal cooked up between the major parties who are clearly terrified of minority government”.
The government has shared no detail of this reform with us since June. These are major reforms with far-reaching impacts and the suggestion that they won’t be subject to a Senate inquiry is damaging to our democracy.
Pocock also said truth in political advertising should be part of the reform “with new protections put in place ahead of the next election, especially banning the use of generative AI”.
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Monique Ryan says voters should be angry at government’s electoral reform bill
Monique Ryan, the independent MP for Kooyong, has responded to the government’s electoral reform bill in a post to X:
We should all be angry that Labor is willing to rush through laws like this but shows no urgency about grocery and power prices, housing affordability, or reducing the Hecs debt burden before the next election.
The government and the opposition can act with urgency when it comes to their own self-interest, but for struggling Australians they just kick the cans down the road.
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Murray Watt asked if Labor did secret deal with Coalition on donations bill
Host Patricia Karvelas asked if the government had done a secret deal with the opposition on its electoral reform bill, and if it discussed this with the independents?
Murray Watt said Don Farrell would have more to say on this today but “my understanding is that he’s had discussions with a very wide range of people within the parliament”.
Obviously, to be able to get anything through the parliament, you need to have a majority, and I do think that it’s important, when we’re talking about institutions for our political system, that we do try to have as much bipartisanship between the major parties as we can.
Will the government take another look at the legislation to address some of the concern from independents, or will it be rushed through parliament? Watt responded:
Of course, we’d like to get as much support for this as we possibly can. In an ideal world, you have every member of the parliament voting for it, so those discussions will continue.
But I guess it’s really up to the independents to explain to the Australian people how they can criticise the major parties for taking donations and yet not want similar rules to apply to themselves. They need to be able to explain to people why it’s appropriate for independent candidates to take donations from billionaires or extremely large entities in a way that the major parties are not willing to do. I think that would be a pretty hard argument for independents to make the Australian public.
Updated
The employment and workplace relations minister, Murray Watt, is also speaking with ABC RN about the electoral reform set to be introduced next week.
He was asked about backlash from crossbenchers to this legislation (as we brought you earlier) and said this wasn’t about bolstering the government and Coalition but “about bolstering democracy in Australia”.
It’s interesting to hear independents who very, very commonly like to lecture the big parties about donations and who we’re taking money from, but now that we’re actually trying to do something about this … they’re objecting to that as well. I mean, as I say, these rules would apply equally to major parties to independents.
Host Patricia Karvelas interrupted and asked if this is making it harder for independents to get elected. Watt responded:
I don’t think we are, because I mean every seat, the way this would work is that there would be a limit of a candidate spending $800,000 on their individual seat … And for some of the independents who are incumbent members, they already have entitlements to communicate with their electorates throughout the term, to spend money on newsletters, digital advertising, all sorts of other things.
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Cbus takes ‘complete responsibility’ for payout mess
The chairman of Cbus Super, which has been pinged by the corporate regulator for disability and death payment delays, has personally apologised for the debacle, AAP reports.
Wayne Swan, a former federal Labor treasurer, blamed the issue – which affected more than 10,000 insurance claims – on an offshore third-party operator tasked with processing the payouts. He told the Today show earlier:
But we are ultimately responsible for that, and we accept that responsibility. We’re sorry it happened and we’re determined to ensure it never happens again … I do accept complete responsibility for it.
Swan confirmed those affected would also receive compensation. For more on this issue, you can have a read below:
Ley criticises timing of UN vote and says it breaks ranks with US administration
The deputy Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, was also on the program alongside Jason Clare. Asked about the UN vote, she said “we all do want peace” but “I’m not sure [why] the Albanese government has chosen this point [in] time to break ranks with the US administration”.
They’ve also broken a promise there [wouldn’t] be differences between the major parties when it comes to Israel … that’s a promise they made before the election.
Importantly, with the incoming Trump administration, this government needs to work positively and constructively and needs to build trust. We’ve already got Kevin Rudd’s previous tweets up in lights … we’ve had the remarks from Penny Wong and Anthony Albanese made in the past [that were] critical of President Trump. We’ve had them reported and, of course, they’re on the record.
So this government is coming off a low base when it comes to building that trust. Remember, we worked positively, constructively and well with the US, particularly in 2018 with the Trump administration … This is definitely a departure.
Clare disagreed with this, and said Trump wants peace and has supported a ceasefire:
Australia [has been] calling for a ceasefire for more than 12 months. The Liberal party have voted in the parliament against a ceasefire. They’re against the position of the United States.
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Jason Clare says UN vote about 'building momentum to two-state solution'
The education minister, Jason Clare, was on Sunrise earlier – asked about Australia’s backing of a UN resolution to recognise the “permanent sovereignty” of Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Clare told the program that “you can’t bomb your way to peace [and] the last 12 months have shown us that”.
The bombing has killed tens of thousands of people in Gaza, in Lebanon, more than a thousand people murdered in Israel as well. What this is about is building momentum to a two-state solution. We need to end the killing and start the talking. This is a vote by more than 150 countries to build momentum, to build two countries behind secure borders where people can live in peace rather than what we see at the moment.
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Shorten on Rudd: ‘Australia picks its representatives, not other countries’
The NDIS minister, Bill Shorten, was on the Today show earlier discussing a range of issues, alongside Liberal senator Jane Hume.
Shorten was asked about Kevin Rudd’s position as US ambassador, after he deleted previous tweets about the US president-elect following his election win, and said:
Australia picks its representatives, not other countries. I mean, maybe the Liberals are having a little chortle about Kevin Rudd in terms of Washington, but what if China decides they don’t like our ambassador? What if Iran decides they don’t like our representative? At the end of the day, you’re either on team Australia and we pick our team or you let other people around the world pick our team for us.
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Teal MP labels electoral reform bill an 'attempt to stamp out the competition'
Teal independent Kate Chaney MP has labelled the government’s proposed electoral reform bill as “a clear attempt to stamp out the competition”.
In a statement this morning, Chaney argued the bill threatens the future of independent voices in parliament and said:
It will take time to analyse how this complicated package of donation caps, spending caps and increased public funding will work, but it appears this bill will lock in the major parties and lock out any new competitors.
Popularity of the major parties as at an all-time low, with one in three Australians voting for a minor party or independent at the last election. But instead of trying to earn back the trust of voters, this bill is a desperate attempt by the big parties to rig the rules, squeeze out the competition, and protect their patch.
Both parties are running scared of the possibility of a bigger crossbench that will continue to hold them to account.
Chaney said a new independent would have to comply with an $800,000 spending cap, while “it appears that each political party can spend $90m, shifting that money around to support any member who is being threatened by a newcomer”.
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Watt says issue of reconciliation not closed in Australia despite voice referendum
Wrapping up the interview, Murray Watt was also asked about the haka performed in New Zealand parliament yesterday over a controversial bill that proposes to radically alter the way New Zealand’s treaty between Māori and the crown is interpreted.
Could this influence the conversation here? Watt said he hadn’t seen the footage, but responded:
I think there are many Australians who care very deeply about the rights of our First Peoples. Of course, Australians had their say on the voice to parliament in the recent referendum but I don’t think that means the issue of reconciliation is closed in Australia. That is something that our government remains committed to working on with our First Peoples and I think a lot of Australians support that as well.
I probably won’t comment on what’s happening in New Zealand because it’s their own affairs, but it shows these issues still really matter to people.
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Murray Watt says labour market likely to soften
Murray Watt also responded to yesterday’s unemployment rate, and said:
We’re quite pleased to see a modest increase in the number of jobs created last month. We have managed to create more than 1m jobs since coming to office, which is the most any government has ever created in a single parliamentary term. But I think it would be reasonable to expect that the labour market will continue to soften and we could see a slight uptick in the unemployment rate before too long.
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Watt on UN vote on Palestine: ‘this is the best way to achieve change’
Murray Watt was also asked about Australia’s backing of a UN resolution to recognise the “permanent sovereignty” of Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory, marking a major departure from its previous position.
He said that when it comes down to it “most people want to see change in the Middle East” and “the terrible violence and terrible casualties that we see there”.
But the reality is that no country acting on its own, whether it be Australia or anyone else, is able to influence what is going on there. So we think the best way of trying to drive forward with peace … is by working with other like-minded countries.
Watt said Australia was one of more than 150 countries who voted for the resolution, including the UK, Germany and “many other countries with very similar views to Australia”.
There are issues when it comes to settler violence against Palestinians, around the control of resources by Palestinians in the Palestinian occupied territories. So we think this is a resolution worth supporting. It may not be that we agree with every single word in that resolution but when you’ve got 150 other countries moving, we think that is the best way to achieve change as well.
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Crossbench support for electoral reform bill unclear, Watt says
Asked about Coalition support on electoral reform, Murray Watt said there was in-principle agreement:
I wouldn’t say they have agreed to every single detail and there no doubt will be continued negotiations. The crossbenchers’ position is a little bit more unclear. Of course there are some crossbench members who have benefited significantly from extremely large donations from particular individuals, and have been able to spend very large amounts of money on an individual seat.
Watt said the government is attempting to bring in caps on what can be spend on an individual seat, and “that would apply to large parties just as it would to independents”.
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Murray Watt says Australia must not have political donations ‘arms race’
The employment and workplace relations minister, Murray Watt, was up on ABC News Breakfast earlier to discuss government’s political donation reforms, set to be introduced to parliament next week.
In case you missed this, you can read more below:
Why bring these reforms in now? Watt said this issue has concerned many Australians “for quite some time now”.
We don’t want to go down the American path where we can see rich individuals effectively buy elections, and the amount of money that is being spent on elections even in Australia keeps increasing year on year.
He said the government had been working on this “for some time”, with a joint parliamentary inquiry looking into matters about electoral reform.
We are seeing an increasing arms race when it gets to political donations and the amount of money that’s been spent on election campaigns, and I think all Australians have an interest in trying to keep big money out of [politics and trying] to keep it clean and try to make sure this actually functions as a democracy where everyone’s vote counts, rather than just the richest people in our communities.
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Australia and Indonesia leaders discuss Trump impact at Apec
The leaders of Australia and Indonesia have discussed what a Donald Trump presidency will mean for the world, AAP reports, after the incoming US leader threatened to impose tariffs on imported goods.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and Indonesia’s president, Prabowo Subianto, held the talks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders summit in Lima, Peru. Albanese told reporters there:
We had a good discussion. He had a phone conversation with president [elect] Trump, as I did last week, so we discussed that and what it might mean for the world. Obviously, that’s part of the backdrop of Apec and the G20 is what the impact of a change in US administration will have.
Albanese, who is in Peru alongside the agriculture minister, Julie Collins, also met with the president of Peru, Dina Boluarte, to discuss the bilateral engagement between their two countries on mining and agriculture.
Asked if he also planned to meet with China’s president, Xi Jinping, who has arrived in Lima, Albanese left the door open, saying “we’ll make announcements at appropriate times”.
Albanese was also asked if he had considered making a side trip from Lima to Florida, where Trump has an estate, to meet him in person, and said: “I’ll have a meeting with President Trump when it is organised”.
We spoke about gathering, and I’m sure that will occur. I intend to be in parliament next Thursday, when our parliament is sitting.
Albanese said he believes that so far his relationship with Trump had been “very constructive” and “very positive”.
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Good morning
Thanks to Martin for kicking things off – I’m Emily Wind and I’ll be here through most of today to bring you our rolling coverage.
As always, you can reach out via email with any story tips, feedback or questions: emily.wind@theguardian.com.
Let’s get started.
Myer scraps Christmas windows event over pro-Palestine protest
Retail company Myer has cancelled a special event to mark the opening of its Christmas windows over concerns for customer and worker safety due to a threatened pro-Palestine protest, AAP reports.
Activist Group Disrupt Wars had promoted a “Crash the Christmas Windows” demonstration on Sunday, encouraging supporters to bring banners, flags, placards, noise-makers and props. A social media post read:
Christmas is cancelled, and there will be no joy or frivolity while children in Gaza are massacred.
It said the protest was designed to “inconvenience those who would rather bury their heads in the capitalist machine than speak up against a genocide”.
Victoria police said they had “repeatedly requested they do not do this, however the group is not co-operating”. Police said a separate pro-Palestine rally later on Sunday had changed its usual route to avoid the Christmas windows.
Myer said the display will still be visible as planned from Sunday until early January. The retailer said late yesterday:
In light of recent developments and to ensure the wellbeing and safety of customers and team members, we will no longer hold an event on Bourke Street Mall for the unveiling of our Christmas windows.
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VCAA to be investigated after students given access to de facto cheat sheets
The Victorian government has announced another review of the state’s Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) after thousands of VCE students were given access to de facto cheat sheets.
The education minister, Ben Carroll, said the Labor government had accepted all the recommendations from this year’s review of the system but it was clear there were “ongoing issues relating to the production and distribution of exams”. In a statement, Carroll said:
Students deserve better. It is clear to me that some students have been let down as a result of these errors and that is completely unaccaptable.
The cheat sheets, first reported by the Herald Sun, were for eight subjects including business management, specialist maths and legal studies, which contained almost identical questions to those used in final exams.
Published by the VCAA online, when blank sections of the cover pages were pasted into a Word document it revealed a series of questions and answers.
This year’s exams for those particular subjects have already been sat, and the VCAA’s chief executive officer, Kylie White, told 3AW radio there had been “similarities” between the cheat sheet questions and the final exams.
In response, the Victorian government has ordered a “root and branch” external review of the VCAA’s structure and operations, and said it would appoint an independent monitor to oversee next year’s exams.
The independent monitor will be appointed early next year.
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Emily Wind with the main action.
Our top story this morning is that donation and electoral spending caps could pass parliament as early as this fortnight, with Labor confident the Coalition will help it block campaigns of the size run by Clive Palmer at the national level and teal independents at the local level.
Chris Sidoti, Australia’s former human rights commissioner and member of the UN’s inquiry into Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory, has warned that the bombardment of Gaza was sowing the seeds for generations of conflict. “The conflict in Gaza is an Israeli terrorism creation factory and there is no sign of it finishing,” he told Guardian Australia. It comes as Australia backed in a United Nations resolution to recognise the “permanent sovereignty” of Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, marking a major departure from its previous position.
The Victorian government has announced another review of the state’s Curriculum and Assessment Authority after thousands of VCE students were given access to de facto cheat sheets. The education minister, Ben Carroll, said it was “clear students had been let down”. More on that in a minute.
And a beloved tradition, the unveiling of the annual Christmas windows at Melbourne’s Myer on Bourke Street mall, has been cancelled after an activist group promoted a “crash the windows” protest saying there should be “no joy or frivolity while children in Gaza are massacred”. More on that too soon.
