What we learned today – Monday 18 September
And that’s where we’ll wrap up today. Thanks so much for your company.
Here’s a little of what we learned:
Two 20-year-old women have been taken to hospital, with one in a critical condition, after a stabbing at the Australian National University in Canberra this afternoon. The alleged attacker is in custody.
Motorists are forking out well over $2 a litre for fuel in parts of the country due to spiking oil prices and a weakening Australian dollar.
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, has warned of a “tough summer” ahead and urged people to put emergency plans in place.
A petition calling for urgent action to address complaints about the treatment of First Nations staff and students at the University of Melbourne has garnered more than 1,000 signatures as pressure mounts following the exit of leading academic Dr Eddie Cubillo from one of his roles.
Family violence will be considered as an important factor in property disputes under proposed family law reforms.
The Greens say the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, is “defending the indefensible” as the federal court hears a challenge to the government’s approval of two coalmines in NSW.
The family of the 47-year-old woman who died shortly after being Tasered by NSW police last week have released a statement criticising police actions as “a disturbing and heartbreaking response … to a vulnerable person”.
Updated
Jacinta Price says she does not regret comments on the impact of colonisation
The no camp is launching its campaign against the voice in Adelaide this evening where shadow Indigenous Australians minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price was asked whether she regrets her comments last week about the ongoing impacts of colonisation.
To recap, Price on Thursday said there were no ongoing negative impacts of colonisation on Indigenous Australians.
She said:
I’ll be honest with you, I do not think [there are ongoing negative impacts]. A positive impact? Absolutely. I mean, now we have running water, readily available food.
Asked this evening whether she regretted the comments that stirred a lot of discussion, Price said she did not:
I don’t regret making any comments. What I was outlining was the fact that Indigenous Australians right now are experiencing the best that life can offer. If you ask a single person who has had an education, a person who’s a CEO of an Aboriginal organisation, ask them if they would wish to go back to pre-colonial life and I’d … suggest that they probably wouldn’t want to do that. I would suggest that they’re doing all right for themselves, because we’re in a country now that absolutely wants what’s best for every single Australian and provides the opportunities to do so.
Updated
Want to catch up on today’s top news? My colleague Antoun Issa has the rundown in our afternoon update:
AFL apologises after fans refused entry for wearing T-shirts supporting voice
Elise Read says she didn’t even think about the voice to parliament referendum, or yes rallies happening around the country, when she got dressed to head to an AFLW match on Sunday.
But when she arrived at the Brisbane Lions’ new home ground – in her “history is calling” T-shirt – she was taken out of the queue at the gate. A security guard told her it was banned because it was too political.
She wasn’t allowed to cover it with a hoodie, or turn it inside out. Read was allowed to enter the ground after changing her shirt.
But the treatment she – and at least one other fan, also turned away – received left her in tears, and prompted the AFL and club to apologise on Monday.
AFL ticketing rules say patrons must not “wear or otherwise display commercial, political, religious or offensive signage or logos of any kind”.
The chief executive of the AFL, Gillon McLachlan, said the clause banning political statements on clothing at games does not apply to shirts like the one singled out on Sunday.
On Monday, he said the incident “should not have happened. I apologise to the AFLW supporter.”
Read the full story here:
Updated
ANU stabbing: 20-year-old woman in critical condition
Police say a 20-year-old woman is in a critical condition after a stabbing attack at the Australian National University earlier today.
Police say two 20-year-old women were stabbed and transported to hospital. One is stable and the other is in a critical condition.
Police said in a statement that the alleged offender was a 24-year-old man who was “not believed to be a student of the university”. He is in police custody.
About 2.45pm today (Monday 18 September 2023) ACT Policing and ACT Ambulance Service paramedics were called to the University following reports of a stabbing incident.
A 34 year-old male was also assaulted and received minor injuries and did not require transportation to hospital.
A 24-year-old male, who is not believed to be a student of the university, is in police custody. He has not been charged at this time. No other people are being sought by police.
No specific motive for the incident has been identified. Any person who has mobile phone footage of the incident is urged to immediately attend City Police Station to provide that footage to police. Anyone with further information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via crimestoppers.com.au referencing P2193413.
Read the full story here:
Updated
Vice-Chancellor of the Australian National University, Brian Schmidt, has released a statement about the stabbing incident.
He said:
Let me start by assuring everyone the situation is under control. One person is now in custody in connection with this incident.
Three people were injured and taken to hospital and our thoughts are with their friends and families.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the swift and efficient response from ACT Policing, ACT Ambulance Service and our own ANU Security team.
Schmidt also encouraged staff and students to seek support if needed, and called for any witnesses to come forward:
Additionally, any witnesses who have not yet spoken to the police are urged to visit the City Police Station, where ACT Policing representatives will be available to assist. You can also contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000 or visit crimestoppersact.com.au and reference P219341.
Electric cars face speed bump on road to price parity
Electric cars are already cheaper to run than petrol vehicles and will become less expensive to buy than fossil fuel equivalents within three years in Europe, China and the US, AAP reports.
According to a report by researchers at the UK’s University of Exeter, price parity for battery-electric vehicles is as little as one year away in Europe, two years in China and three years for medium-sized cars in the US.
But it could be negative news for Australian drivers as it came days after the NSW government confirmed plans to scrap a $3000 subsidy on electric vehicles, months after the Victorian government did the same.
Electric Vehicle Council chief executive Behyad Jafari said the state-based rebates had driven a “significant uptake” of low-emission cars in Australia and urged coalition and Greens politicians to oppose their removal.
He said:
Fewer EVs means dirtier Sydney air, continued reliance on foreign oil imports, higher carbon emissions and more budget pressure on everyday households.
Updated
Alleged attacker at ANU has been taken into custody
We reported earlier that three people have been taken to hospital at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra after a stabbing attack earlier this afternoon.
The alleged attacker has been taken into custody, though charges are yet to be laid and police have not released details about his identity.
One witness, speaking anonymously, told the Guardian she saw between 10 to 15 police sprinting across Fellows Oval on the campus, before pinning a man against a hill and handcuffing him.
She later saw a wound in one victim’s back, which was “fairly visible”.
They carted her off in a stretcher. But the police had this guy pinned down for a pretty long time, and that’s all we could really see for a while.
I went back upstairs and by then they had moved the guy ... and I think they were checking his vitals for a pretty extended period of time, at least 20 to 25 minutes. He was cuffed behind his back and bleeding from at least one hand, from what I could see.
She said others at the scene remained fairly calm and were complying with police directions to move away from the area.
Business really stopped. Everyone was just watching from whatever vantage point they had. And the police, just so many police.
Updated
Qatar Airways chief executive will not appear at flights inquiry
While we still don’t have the final program for tomorrow’s hearing on the flights inquiry, we do know who will not be there.
Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker has declined his invitation to appear before senators in Sydney tomorrow, but hasn’t entirely ruled out appearing in a hearing later this week or next.
The airline boss told CNN on Sunday he thought the Australian government’s decision to block Qatar Airways’ bid to offer more flights to major cities was “very unfair” given the airline’s support for Australians during the pandemic.
In a statement on Monday afternoon, Labor senator Tony Sheldon, who is on the flights committee, said Al Baker’s decision was “very disappointing”:
Mr Al Baker should front up to this inquiry rather than provide commentary about Australia from the other side of the world.
Mr Al Baker is no more above the law or parliamentary scrutiny than [Qantas board chair] Mr [Richard] Goyder or [Qantas boss] Ms [Vanessa] Hudson, and I expect to see all of them at this inquiry.
Former Qantas boss Alan Joyce was also expected to appear at Tuesday’s hearing but is in Europe right now. It’s not yet known if he plans to return to the country to front senators but committee chair Bridget McKenzie remains confident.
Earlier, she said:
In all our discussions thus far, they’re very amenable to assisting the committee with their inquiries, and I think that’s a really positive thing. I’m confident we’ll have both those gentlemen before the committee in one of our four public hearings.
Updated
Scott Morrison says he ‘stepped down as prime minister’ in sermon in which he warns of ‘hostile’ world
Scott Morrison has told a Perth congregation that “the Christian journey is not a linear one” and warned of an “increasingly hostile” world, in a sermon during which he claimed he “stepped down” as prime minister.
The member for Cook was asked to preach at the Encounter City Church on Sunday in a service commemorating its 50th anniversary, resulting in a 20-minute sermon with occasional reflections on his time as prime minister”.
In praise of the virtue of “faithfulness”, Morrison said that God has “a way of reminding us … who’s in charge and it’s not us – thank God for that
The statement of his belief in humanity’s limited agency over worldly affairs echoes comments he made to Margaret Court’s church in 2022 that “we trust in [God], we don’t trust in governments, we don’t trust in the United Nations, thank goodness”.
Read the full story here:
Updated
AFL considers naming premiership cup after Barassi
Renaming the premiership cup after Ron Barassi is among the ways the AFL is considering honouring the Australian sporting icon, who will be farewelled at a state funeral, AAP reports.
League bosses will consult clubs and key industry figures in coming days before deciding how to acknowledge Barassi.
The AFL Commission will make a final call, with the grand final looming next week.
Barassi died on Saturday, aged 87.
“It’s hard to imagine a bigger or more significant figure in the history of Australian Rules than Ron Barassi,” outgoing AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan told reporters on Monday.
“There were his exploits on the field, off the field and more broadly as an innovator and someone incredibly progressive.
“His legacy is being considered. There is, I know, a lot of push for renaming the premiership cup. There are other ways to remember him. Those things are being discussed.”
McLachlan did not offer his own opinion on whether the premiership cup should be renamed after Barassi, saying the decision would be made by the commission.
But he said it was appropriate the football legend was honoured in a similar way to Norm Smith and Jock McHale, both of whom have grand final awards named after them.
Flights inquiry ready for take off
The first hearing into the federal government’s recent decisions to grant or reject additional flights to certain airlines will kick off tomorrow in Sydney.
The committee was launched in light of transport minister Catherine King’s decision to knock back Qatar Airways’ bid to double the amount of flights it runs to Australia’s major cities.
The opposition and crossbenchers have been critical of the move, saying it is anti-competitive and fails to lower airline tickets.
The role that Qantas, a major competitor of Qatar and its domestic partner, Virgin Australia, played in the decision-making process has also been brought into question.
Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie, who is chairing the committee, told Sky News that Tuesday’s hearing will focus on “slot hoarding” at Sydney Airport by airlines and the impact that was having on prices and competition.
“Slot hoarding” is when an airline strategically schedules flights it intends to cancel to hold onto flight slots and prevent competitors from introducing rival services.
Legislation limits Sydney Airport to 80 movements an hour and under the existing rules, airlines can retain slots as long as they don’t exceed a 20% cancellation threshold.
The competition watchdog, the ACCC, has accused Qantas of doing so. Qantas “completely rejects” the claims.
McKenzie said:
Tomorrow’s focus is on the issues really that face Sydney and Sydney airport. We’ve heard of significant restrictions to competition through the use of slots, basically ‘babysitting’ for anti-competitive reasons landing and taking off out of Sydney. So, we’re going to get to the bottom of that issue, [see] what changes can be made.
It’s expected representatives from Rex Group, Emirates and Sydney Airport will make appearances tomorrow.
Former Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce, as well as Qatar chief executive Akbar Al Baker, were invited to join on Tuesday but are expected to appear at a later hearing.
Updated
Multicultural population of western Sydney ‘big factor’ in high rates of diabetes, inquiry hears
Prof Glen Maberly, the director of Western Sydney Diabetes, has told the parliamentary inquiry into diabetes that the multicultural population of western Sydney was a “big factor” in the high rates of diabetes in the area.
“If you come from south Asia, or south-east Asia, or the Pacific Islands, the rate of diabetes is double that of Caucasian [people],” he said
“For instance, particularly in gestational diabetes, is dominated by young Indian origin women.”
Dr Milan Piya, an endocrinologist at Campbelltown hospital, told the inquiry that one in four adults in Campbelltown hospital has diabetes.
Piya said that resources need to be allocated to areas that have greater prevalence and complexity of cases.
Updated
Wife of whistleblower pleads for end to his prosecution
Richard Boyle’s wife has privately pleaded with the prime minister and attorney general to intervene and end his prosecution, describing the ordeal as a nightmare and an injustice that has shattered their lives.
Boyle is facing 24 charges in the South Australian courts, but is appealing a decision to deny him whistleblower protections for alleged acts in the lead up to h is decision to speak out about the Australian Taxation Office’s aggressive pursuit of debts, which he said was destroying the lives of small business owners and families.
In a letter, Louise Beaston wrote that their lives had been shattered by the prosecution.
It has been almost six years since Richard first lodged his public interest disclosure in October 2017, and yet this ordeal continues. All for telling the truth.
It is hard to put into words and describe the impact this case has had on Richard and I, and our wider family. Every day we face the burden of this prosecution, and our mental and physical health have both been devastated by this nightmare.
Every day we wake up and wonder when this nightmare will end. You have the power to stop this injustice. I plead with you to drop the case and let Richard and I get on with our lives. All Richard ever did was tell the truth.
Updated
A person is in custody after police attended an “incident” at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra.
In a statement, ANU said there had been an incident on campus and urged people to stay away from Fellows Oval.
“Police are at the scene and have the situation under control, with an individual in custody. More information to come.”
INCIDENT ON THE ANU ACTON CAMPUS
— ANU Media (@ANUmedia) September 18, 2023
There has been an incident on campus. Police are at the scene and have the situation under control, with an individual in custody.
Please stay away from Fellows Oval.
More information to come.
Federal member for Canberra Alicia Payne said she was “thinking of all ANU staff and students”.
“Hope everyone is ok,” she posted on social media.
Three taken to hospital after stabbing at Australian National University
We have more details on the incident at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra.
A spokesperson for ACT policing has confirmed three people have been taken to hospital after a stabbing at the campus this afternoon.
ACT policing and ACT ambulance services were called to the campus around 2.45pm following reports of a stabbing.
Of those transported to hospital, two have stab wounds and a third person was allegedly assaulted.
One person is in custody. No other people are being sought by the police.
Students and staff are being urged to stay away from Fellows Oval near the Chifley Library, though there is not a direct threat to the community.
“Any witnesses who have not already spoken to police are asked to attend City police station where ACT policing representatives will be able to assist or contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via www.crimestoppers.com.au, referencing P219341.”
Updated
Company charged for workplace death
A Victorian company has been charged after a man was crushed to death and another seriously injured while unloading two water tanks, AAP reports.
The first incident happened in September 2021 when a customer was helping a Polymaster employee unload a tank at his property in Yarroweyah, in Victoria’s far north.
The tank rolled off the flatbed delivery truck and onto the man, leaving him with serious injuries.
Another man was then crushed to death less than three months later when a water tank rolled off a delivery truck at a property in Barwon Downs, south-west of Geelong.
The man, the customer’s neighbour, had been helping the Polymaster contractor unload the tank.
WorkSafe has charged Polymaster Pty Ltd with three counts of failing to provide and maintain a workplace that was safe and without risk to health.
The Swan Hill manufacturer is also facing another two charges of failing to ensure that people other than employees were not exposed to health and safety risks.
The case will go before the Shepparton magistrates court on Tuesday for a filing hearing.
Updated
We brought you news earlier today about a number of Australian websites that were down. Well, here’s why, if you’re interested:
Here's the auDA explanation. https://t.co/VmxsDoFfLC pic.twitter.com/ArOcI4DvcD
— Josh Taylor (@joshgnosis) September 18, 2023
Continuing on from our prior post about the Queensland government backflipping on the recommendations of an integrity inquiry:
Paluszczuk said:
We will set up a properly constituted clearing-house body, there will be a board. And sitting above that board, there will be an eminent person - I would expect someone like a retired judge, who would work perhaps three days a week - who would be able to prioritise significant complaints, but also to make sure that complaints are being dealt with in a timely manner.
The state government also released its first quarterly report into progress fixing the state’s troubled forensics laboratory after a damming inquiry released last year. About 70% of recommendations have either been implemented or are underway, health minister Shannon Fentiman said.
The government estimates it will take up to two years to clear up a backlog of 30,000 cases by testing forensic samples that had been improperly deemed to have undetectable DNA. Retesting has already identified DNA in 218 old samples, Fentiman said.
Updated
Backflip on Queensland integrity inquiry
Queensland premier Annastacia Paluszczuk has decided to create a single clearing-house for whistleblowers, after initially deciding it would be too expensive.
The body was a key recommendation of the integrity review by Peter Coaldrake. It would serve as a single door for complaints about corruption, which it could refer on to various investigating bodies like the Crime and Corruption Commission or the Ombudsman.
The premier rejected the recommendation as “unviable” just last month, on the grounds that it would be too expensive and technologically complex.
On Monday, the premier said she changed her mind “on reflection” and in “hindsight”.
She said:
I reflected on it. And I spoke with the director general and said I don’t think this meets community expectations. And we’ve changed it.
The decision was endorsed by cabinet on Monday morning.
Updated
State memorial for AFL legend Ron Barassi
The family of Ron Barassi have accepted an offer from the Victorian government to host a state memorial. The football legend died on Saturday, aged 87.
In a statement, premier Daniel Andrews said:
A state memorial to honour the extraordinary life of Ron Barassi has been accepted by his family. The word legend is used a lot. But nobody deserves it quite like Ron Barassi. He didn’t just play the game – he reshaped it. And how fitting that Friday night’s game was a cliffhanger between the Dees and the Blues. The Department of Premier and Cabinet will work with Mr Barassi’s family and state memorial details will be announced in due course.
Barassi played more than 200 games and won six premierships with Melbourne, and then won four premierships as a coach – two with Carlton and two with North Melbourne. He shares that record of 10 premiership involvements with Norm Smith, another Melbourne great.
Updated
A big thank you to Emily Wind for guiding us through today’s news. I’ll now be with you until this evening.
Thanks for being with me on the blog today! I’ll hand over to my lovely colleague Jordyn Beazley who will see you through the afternoon. Take care!
Frequency and magnitude of natural disasters putting insurance industry under pressure
The insurance industry is under pressure from climate change and other cost pressures, prompting high-level talks in Europe, AAP reports.
Insurance Council of Australia chief executive Andrew Hall said that the protection gap – “the difference between the insurance we need and the insurance we have” – is worsening around the world, with the exposure to frequent and significant extreme weather events making the issue more acute in Australia.
Assistant treasurer Stephen Jones will join a delegation this week in London and Munich, where many top firms are headquartered, for discussions with insurers, reinsurers, brokers and industry bodies.
Reinsurance is insurance for insurers to lower the risk of covering a big payout, but is becoming more expensive as disasters strike more frequently and with a greater toll.
Governments are beginning to step in to bridge the gap to make sure households and businesses are not left without cover and to keep the industry afloat.
For example, the risk of cyclones in northern Australia is shared by the federal government under a reinsurance scheme backed by a $10bn government guarantee.
Jones has said one solution is to make better planning decisions and stop building homes in the wrong places.
The delegation will include Insurance Australia Group CEO Nick Hawkins, QBE Australia Pacific CEO Sue Houghton and Suncorp Group CEO Steve Johnston.
Updated
Matildas Olympic qualifier moved due to demand
Strong demand for the Matildas Olympic qualifier games in Perth has led to a change in venue for the second match day.
Match Day 2 on Sunday, 29 October will be moved to from HBF Park to Optus Stadium.
Football Australia CEO James Johnson said the move reiterated the strong appeal and fan fervour for the Matildas following a historic FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign:
The CommBank Matildas are one of the strongest sporting brands in the country, and it has become strongly evident that passionate support for this iconic team continues to grow and, for the second time in 12 months, because of the popularity of the CommBank Matildas, we need to relocate to a venue with a higher capacity to accommodate the demand.
We’re gonna need a bigger b̶o̶a̶t̶ 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘂𝗺 🏟️
— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) September 18, 2023
Our game against the Philippines in Perth has been moved to Optus Stadium!
🇵🇭v🇦🇺 29.10.23 - @OptusStadium#Matildas #WAtheDreamState
Western Australian premier Roger Cook said:
Although the rectangle stadium at HBF Park is best suited for football, given all three match days have sold out, on balance it made sense to move one to Optus Stadium, so that as many fans as possible could see the team.
Updated
Diabetes care should encompass mental health supports, inquiry hears
Evidence indicates the increasing numbers of diabetes around the world is primarily due to a rise in obesity.
Williams has told the inquiry many of her patients in their 20s and 30s struggle to walk down the waiting room hallway, and require changes to their lifestyle measures and often options like bariatric surgery, which makes the stomach smaller.
However, often there is only limited scope for public hospitals to provide bariatric surgery with Nepean only able to offer 15 public bariatric surgeries a year, Williams told the inquiry.
Andrew Wilson, a consumer advocate, has told the diabetes inquiry of the problems which surround weight stigma with can often prevent people from even going to health care professionals about their problems.
Wilson said there are many similarities between obesity and disordered eating, with many people who experience both having lived through some form of trauma. For this reason, Wilson said there was the need for mental health supports alongside lifestyle and medical interventions.
Diabetes care needs to happen in primary healthcare, inquiry hears
Dr Catherine Williams, head of endocrinology at Nepean Hospital, has told the diabetes inquiry that it’s not only the absolute numbers of people with diabetes which are increasing but also the complexity of the cases they are managing.
Williams said the number of patients the hospital is needing to treat in gestational diabetes clinics is becoming “unmanageable,” and that there are also increasing paediatric diabetes diagnoses.
Prof Glen Maberly, the director of Western Sydney Diabetes, said they are trying to change the model for care by building more capacity for general practitioners to manage diabetes rather than hospitals – for example Western Sydney Diabetes runs masterclasses for GPs.
However, medicare health reforms will be needed to allow for primary health care and GPs to be adequately compensated for the greater time needed to care for people with diabetes.
Updated
John Pesutto also opposes stripping councils of their power to oppose major developments - which is another expected part of the housing statement. He said:
Stripping local communities of their ability to have a say in the development of their neighbourhoods is the wrong way to go. There can always be a good balance struck between [the] centralisation of planning powers and state policies on planning, but also having local democracy so local communities can continue to have a say.
He said the government needed to do more to support communities in the outer suburbs, where the majority of new housing has been built in recent years and infrastructure has failed to keep up:
We have heard story after story of how estates around Melbourne are without the roads they need, without the schools they need, without the hospital access and GP access they need. So what the government has done is it’s approved housing developments in these areas – as they should – but they’re not followed through on the local community infrastructure development that’s desperately needed. I hear stories for example in Kalkallo [31 kms north of Melbourne] where people take something like 45 to 50 minutes simply to get out of their estates because of traffic congestion.
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Victorian opposition won’t back short-stay levy
Victorian opposition leader, John Pesutto, is holding a press conference in Melbourne.
He says the Coalition will not support a levy on short-stay rentals, which is expected to be included in the government’s housing statement. He said:
We oppose any tourism or holiday tax. Victorians are already doing it hard. What the Andrews government needs to do is stop wasting money. And when it stops doing things like torching $380m on the cancellation of Commonwealth Games - something that should have never committed to given there was no proper business case. Unless and until the government does that, it’s not fair or right for Daniel Andrews to shift his problems on the Victorian households.
Guardian Australia last week reported a consumer-facing levy on short-term stays of up to 7.5% will form a key part of the government’s housing statement, which will be released this week.
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Residents of Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland are being urged to prepare to leave, according to Queensland fire and emergency services:
PREPARE TO LEAVE - Beerwah (Sunshine Coast) - Multiple Warnings - fire as at 1:44pm Monday, 18 September 2023.
— Qld Fire & Emergency (@QldFES) September 18, 2023
For all current warnings, updates and mapping go to https://t.co/vqyJTUPBhe. pic.twitter.com/QCpzo928zD
The warning area includes properties between Steve Irwin Way, Irwin Road, Mawsons Road and the Bruce Highway, including Holt Road.
The Queensland FES warns:
Conditions could get worse quickly. Prepare to leave and start taking protective action now.
A fire is burning in Glass House Mountains national park, and firefighting aircraft are helping ground crews.
Ukraine war and falling dollar cause fuel prices to spike
Motorists are forking out well over $2 a litre for fuel in parts of the country due to spiking oil prices and a weakening Australian dollar, AAP reports.
In some corners of the nation, petrol prices have overtaken the highs of last year after the conflict in Ukraine sent prices soaring.
Average prices in Sydney have hit $2.20 a litre for unleaded petrol, according to Compare the Market data - a whisper above the $2.18 a litre average reached during the peak last year.
Volatility in global oil markets is underpinning higher petrol and diesel prices in Australia, with the Brent oil futures lifting above $US93 a barrel late last week.
This was the highest level reached by the key oil benchmark since November 2022.
Commonwealth Bank commodities expert Vivek Dhar said supply cuts by major oil producers were keeping upward pressure on prices, with the latest data showing global stockpiles were already starting to decline sharply.
He said elevated refining margins and a weaker Australian dollar were also feeding into the higher cost of petrol and diesel in Australia.
Higher fuel prices could also complicate the Reserve Bank’s task of returning inflation to its 2%-3% target range.
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Dutton questions government’s path to net zero
Circling back to the nuclear energy debate, earlier today opposition leader Peter Dutton was asked about the latest figures from the federal government, which revealed it could cost as much as $387bn to replace Australia’s retiring coal-fired power stations with nuclear reactors.
To recap, the energy department crunched some numbers based on earlier comments made by Dutton that nuclear reactors could replace the energy output from retiring coal plants.
It found 71 small modular reactors would be needed at the cost of $387bn. The government said this would represent “a whopping $25,000 cost impost on each Australian taxpayer”.
Dutton didn’t quite address the figures question but he made sure to take a few jabs at Bowen, saying the minister had his “head in the sand” on nuclear:
I don’t believe that Chris Bowen has a credible path to get to net zero by 2050 without the use of latest technology - nuclear. It’s zero emissions, it firms up renewables ...
It’s not the technology that’s not working, it’s Chris Bowen. Chris Bowen’s on this renewables only, you know, sort of zealot path.
Earlier, shadow energy and climate change minister Ted O’Brien told Sky News introducing the prospect of nuclear power was about an “all-of-the-above” approach.
Renewables will play an important role in the grid moving forward. So will other energy sources. This is what an all-of-the-above approach is about.
Updated
NSW premier warns of 'tough summer' and urges people to prepare emergency plans
The premier is warning of a hot summer ahead and reminding New South Wales residents to have emergency plans in place.
Chris Minns said:
It’s going to be a tough summer. You need to have an evacuation plan in place. You need to make sure that your ... hazard reduction is up to scratch... If we’re seeing these kinds of temperatures in September, I don’t know what we’re going to see around Christmas time. We’re concerned if there’s going to be extreme heat when it comes to the bushfire season.
He said the RFS was able to get through a lot of hazard reduction burning last week before temperatures rose over the weekend.
Updated
The NSW premier also said he had confidence in critical incident teams overseeing these investigations and in NSW police minister, Yasmin Catley.
Minns said NSW police had sent senior officers to the UK to investigate a program aimed at diverting mental health issues away from police and to experts.
He said:
I’m not committing to that, because it was obviously very difficult to determine on the basis of a telephone call whether it’s a violent interaction or not, but what we have said is that we’re sending senior police to the UK to see how that operates and whether we go down a road like that or we recruit more mental health specialists - I haven’t made a decision yet ... We’re looking at it. It’s important to the state.
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Chris Minns refuses to comment on mental health support claims
The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, has refused to comment on claims that mental health support was not provided to a woman who died after being shot by police with a Taser and bean bag rounds in Newcastle last week.
Speaking in Western Sydney on Monday, the premier said it was “difficult for me to comment on an active investigation” and would not do so “until the findings are made public to the people of NSW”.
Asked if he was concerned about the number of deaths following police interactions involving Tasers this year in NSW, Minns said:
It’s important to note that there are thousands of interactions between NSW police and the public. Research out of last week [indicated] that sometimes up to half of those interactions are as a result of a mental health emergency or a mental health call out. These are very difficult circumstances.
Updated
Lack of tree canopy and walkability in western Sydney contributing to high diabetes rates, inquiry hears
The parliamentary inquiry into diabetes is holding a public hearing today at Campbelltown hospital in western Sydney, where rates of the chronic disease are much higher.
Stephen Bali, the state member for Blacktown, told the inquiry rates in his electorate are almost 50% above the national average, with a lack of access to sporting facilities, walkability, and access to fresh food all factors.
Janine Dawson, the diabetes prevention program manager at Western Sydney Diabetes, highlighted that urban design also contributes, as research has shown tree canopy cover over 30% can reduce instances of diabetes by 30%.
My colleagues Anne Davies and Lisa Cox led an investigation Sydney’s growing pains earlier this year before the NSW election into the problems around the way housing development and urban design has been carried out in greater Sydney:
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Coalition plan for nuclear power would cost $387bn, Labor says
Energy minister Chris Bowen has ruled out nuclear energy being a part of Australia’s future energy mix, saying he couldn’t think of a worse addition to the grid.
The federal government released figures on Monday showing it would cost as much as $387bn to replace Australia’s retiring coal-fired power stations with the Coalition’s proposed form of nuclear power.
In Canberra on Monday, Bowen said it was time for opposition leader Peter Dutton to “put up or shut up” on the Liberal party’s proposed costings for nuclear energy.
If Mr Dutton and Mr [Ted] O’Brien are serious, they’ll respond with their costings and they’ll tell the truth ... to the Australian people. Where will the nuclear reactors be, these 71 [reactors]? Or will they not actually replace coal? Will they have fewer nuclear reactors and therefore still need the other policies that the country is putting in place?
When asked whether Bowen would rule out considering nuclear energy as part of the energy mix in the coming decades, he responded:
No, it won’t be part of Australia ... I can’t think of a worse fit, a worse fit, for Australia’s energy needs than nuclear power. It’s slow to build. It’s not flexible, generates a lot of nuclear waste ... anybody who is serious about Australia’s capacity to harness our massive renewable energy resources, knows that firmed renewables is the appropriate support for firming is the way to go to Australia.
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Aerial photographs reveal scale of logging
The independent senator David Pocock has taken a helicopter flight with campaigners from the World Wildlife Fund for Nature over a logged New South Wales forest that scientists say was a stronghold for the endangered southern greater glider.
WWF has shared aerial photos from the flight:
Guardian Australia reported last month that the state-owned NSW Forestry Corporation had been ordered to immediately stop logging in parts of the Tallaganda state forest after the Environment Protection Authority found a dead greater glider nearby.
In a statement, Pocock said between 80% and 90% of trees in the logged area appeared to have been felled.
Greater gliders rely on tree hollows that can take 150 years to develop and it didn’t look like there were many big old trees left. It’s devastating to see native forest logging continue when we know the impact it’s having on species.
The greater glider is Australia’s largest gliding marsupial. It was listed as endangered in 2022 after losing significant parts of its habitat to bushfire, drought, land-clearing and logging.
The EPA has ordered logging work in the area to stop for at least 40 days.
Pocock says the logging shows environmental laws are broken. The Albanese government has promised a revamp of the national environment laws, but legislation is not expected until next year.
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Schools to access wellbeing resources
Australian schools will soon have access to new mental health resources to support students in response to increased concerns over the wellbeing of young people.
The resources from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (Acara) will weave mental health and wellbeing lessons into mainstream subjects like health, English, the humanities and social sciences.
ACARA Ceo David de Carvalho said the past few years had been particularly challenging for young people - citing fires, floods and the pandemic.
In addition, the widespread of use of so-called smartphones among young people has its downsides, contributing to cyber-bullying and social-media-induced anxiety about self-image, particularly among teenage girls.
It’s important, now more than ever before, that we equip our teachers with the resources they need to teach mental health and wellbeing using the new Australian Curriculum, Version 9.0. It will mean our young people can develop the skills they need to look after themselves and each other.
The online resource, developed alongside experts from Beyond Blue, Headspace and the National Mental Health Commission, allows teachers to develop educational programs around promoting mental health and wellbeing and how to access support.
It was developed in response to a spike in mental health concerns, leading education ministers to call for a review of curriculum content.
A 2023 Beyond Blue survey, released to the ABC found just one in three teachers believed students at their school were mentally healthy.
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Environment cases continued
The Environment Council of Central Queensland (ECoCeQ) said the government and companies were relying on what has become known as the “drug dealer’s defence”: “if we didn’t supply the coal, another mine would.”
In a hearing this morning, ECoCeQ’s barrister Emrys Nekvapil SC, likened this to saying clearing of habitat “didn’t impact the forest because someone else may have cut it down”.
Monday’s hearing is focused on opening arguments from the environment council and a request to allow the admission of expert evidence. The hearings are likely to run much of this week and we expect to hear more from the commonwealth tomorrow.
In a media statement Christine Carlisle, the environment council’s president, said:
We didn’t want it to come to this, but we’re relieved these climate cases are now before the court. We’re doing this because we’re so tired of the sound bites … The science could not be clearer. It’s time for our environment minister to step up and act on climate risk.
Environmental Justice Australia senior lawyer Retta Berryman said the case would assert the minister had a “legal responsibility to face up to the harm new coal and gas will cause to Australia’s unique plants, animals and place”.
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Federal court cases commence over coal and gas project decisions
Hearings have commenced today in two federal court cases that an environment group has launched against the Albanese government.
In the “living wonders” case, the Environment Council of Central Queensland (ECoCeQ) alleges the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, failed to protect Australia’s living wonders from climate harm.
You might recall, late last year, Environmental Justice Australia, on behalf of ECoCeQ, asked Plibersek to reconsider and effectively reject 19 proposed new coal and gas projects because of their potential greenhouse gas emissions.
In May, Plibersek decided three of those projects - two in New South Wales and one in Queensland - could move to the next stage of the environmental assessment process.
The federal court case is seeking a judicial review of that decision for the two NSW projects - Whitehaven Coal’s proposed extension of its Narrabri underground coal project and MACH Energy’s planned expansion of its Mount Pleasant operations.
Mining companies Narrabri Coal Operations (a subsidiary of Whitehaven Coal) and MACH Energy have joined the proceedings.
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Asylum seekers start week-long protest at Clare O’Neil’s office: ‘The waiting is killing us’
Dozens of asylum seekers have begun a week-long protest at the electorate office of home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, demanding resolution of their visa status, AAP reports.
Mahboobeh Mirshahi, an organiser of the Melbourne sit-in, says there are 10,000-12,000 asylum seekers left in legal limbo in Australia with no clear pathway to residency.
The former Coalition government established an assessment scheme to resolve the visa applications of more than 30,000 asylum seekers who arrived by boat between 2012 and 2014.
The fast-track system restricts the types of visas people can access and limits their avenues of appeal.
But the policy has been criticised for failing to live up to its name. On average, it takes up to six years for people to receive their first temporary visa.
Mirshahi, who came to Australia by boat in 2013 from Iran to escape religious discrimination, said:
We’ve been here for more than a decade … and all our cases are stuck between the Immigration Assessment Authority and the Federal Court.
The waiting is killing us. We urgently need action from the government
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Liberals say Warren Mundine’s stance on treaties and Australia Day could cost him Senate seat
Leading no campaigner Warren Mundine’s support for treaties with First Nations people and moving the date of Australia Day will likely sink his chances of taking a vacant Liberal Senate seat, party sources have said.
Mundine has been touted as a possible candidate for the NSW vacancy created by Marise Payne’s resignation. He has been supported by former prime minister Scott Morrison and his centre-right factional ally Alex Hawke.
But the hand of the frontrunner, the former New South Wales transport minister Andrew Constance, was strengthened by Mundine’s comments on ABC’s Insiders on Sunday.
Asked whether treaties were more likely if the referendum failed on 14 October, Mundine said:
Yeah. Because then, on 15 October, if it is a no vote, that’s when the real work starts.
A senior Liberal told Guardian Australia on Monday that Mundine “made it very difficult for himself over the weekend” in the race to succeed Payne.
“Mundine’s position on Insiders puts him in the Lidia Thorpe camp on why to vote no,” the source said.
Read the full story here:
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As the spring heatwave prepares to move north from Wednesday, Queensland firefighters are urging the community to prepare for hot conditions.
Make sure you and your family are prepared by clearing your yard of flammable items and discussing your bushfire survival plan.
Heightened fire conditions are expected to return to the southern and western parts of Queensland later this week.
— Qld Fire & Emergency (@QldFES) September 18, 2023
Make sure you and your family are prepared by clearing your yard of flammable items and discussing your bushfire survival plan.
📷 Miles, September 2023 pic.twitter.com/nRlPumDA44
Meanwhile, residents in Emerald, plus Howard and Burgowan (near Maryborough), are being urged to avoid potentially harmful smoke by closing their windows and keeping doors shut.
This follows an evacuation warning issued yesterday, when residents were told to leave as a bushfire approached:
Scott Morrison to publish memoir in 2024
Former prime minister Scott Morrison is set to reveal in detail how his Christian faith has influenced him, in a memoir to be published in May 2024, AAP reports.
The 288-page book, Plans for Your Good - A Prime Minister’s Testimony of God’s Faithfulness, will be published by Thomas Nelson, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing.
The publisher’s website blurb for the book says it “offers a unique insider’s account of a Christian who was open about his faith and operated at the top level of politics for more than a decade”.
During one of the toughest periods since the Second World War, covering drought, wildfires, a global pandemic and recession, he chronicles God’s faithfulness throughout, win or lose, public criticism or public success.
Less political memoir and more pastoral encouragement, Morrison is passionate about encouraging others to discover how they can access and see the many blessings of God in their own lives, no matter their circumstances, drawing on Jeremiah 29:11, that God’s plans are for our good and not our harm, to give us a future and a hope.
The former Liberal leader, who remains in parliament as a backbencher, sets out a series of questions such as “Who am I?” and “How should I live?”
Morrison was Australia’s first Pentecostal prime minister, declaring the Coalition’s 2019 election win a “miracle”, but went on to lose government at the 2022 poll.
Morrison noted on his MP interest register earlier this year he had received a royalties advance for the book.
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Greens say environment minister Tanya Plibersek is ‘defending the indefensible’
The Greens environment spokesperson, Sarah Hanson-Young, has released a statement responding to environment minister Tanya Plibersek’s legal challenge over fossil fuel project decisions.
We brought you that earlier on the blog here.
Hanson-Young said:
Lawyering up with the coal companies to defend the expansion of fossil fuels is defending the indefensible.
It should not be left to community groups to challenge the environment minister in court. We need strong environment laws that force the environment minister to assess climate impacts of new projects, without any room for excuses.
Hanson-Young said the Greens are pushing for a “climate trigger” that would “close the loophole that these big companies keep exploiting”.
Our environment laws are broken if they do not protect the environment from its biggest challenge: global warming driven by fossil fuels. Every time this government approves a new coal or gas project they are risking our reef, our Murray-Darling Basin and the future of our children.
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Andrews and Albanese to speak tomorrow on social and affordable housing
Victorian ministers are about to meet to approve the government’s housing statement – but it sounds like we won’t be getting all the details tomorrow.
A senior government source says the premier, Daniel Andrews, and prime minister, Anthony Albanese, will be holding a press conference on Tuesday to outline how the state government will be spending their share of the $3bn allocated for social and affordable housing, which forms part of the federal government’s $10bn Housing Australia Future Fund (Haff) bill, which the Greens agreed to support last week.
Then later in the week, Andrews will outline details of the housing statement we have previously flagged, including changes to the state’s planning laws to boost supply.
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Spring heatwave sweeps eastern states
Australia’s south-east is bracing for another day of spring heatwave conditions as firefighters battle to bring several blazes under control in unseasonably hot weather, AAP reports.
A severe heatwave warning was in place for parts of the NSW south coast on Monday and the sweltering conditions are expected to continue until Wednesday.
Temperatures were expected to reach a maximum of 31C in the Sydney city centre on Monday before rising to 34C later in the week, while the mercury was tipped to rise to as high as 36C in the western suburbs.
Beginning from Wednesday, the heat was expected to shift north into parts of Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia, driving highs of up to 40C.
NSW Rural Fire Service volunteers worked overnight into Monday to bring a bushfire near Cessnock in the Hunter region under control after it threatened properties at Neath.
The RFS commissioner, Rob Rogers, said firefighters were still working to contain fires on the state’s north coast as temperatures increased and conditions worsened. He told ABC radio:
The difficulty is that there is quite a lot of grass fuel that’s carrying the fires and making them burn quicker than you would normally expect and obviously (combined with) that very unseasonably warm weather.
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Temporary Australian website connectivity issues resolved
An outage that took down a number of .au websites for some Australian users appears to have resolved itself after nearly an hour of downtime.
It is believed to have been caused by a Domain Name System (DNS) issue that was limited to .au websites such as the websites for the ABC, SMH, the Australian, the NSW and Victorian government websites, and even Down Detector - the website for determining if there is an outage.
The sites remained online for some users in Australia, as well as those accessing the sites from outside Australia.
The sites went down just after 10am AEST and were restored just before 11am AEST.
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Barnaby Joyce is asked if he backs Warren Mundine’s comments on treaty
Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce has repeatedly dodged questions around whether he backs comments made by leading no campaigner Warren Mundine, who said defeating the voice referendum would make treaties between governments and First Nations more likely.
Speaking on Sunrise this morning, Joyce was pressed on whether the no campaign agrees with these comments. He replied that “right now we just focus on the referendum”.
Sunrise host Natalie Barr presses again, to which Joyce replies:
Well as you see we live, Australia, in the peaceful nation we have. That’s never had a civil war, never had major internal conflict, lives with basically the no case with the status quo. Now I can’t see why that’s going to substantially change in regard to treaty, but I can tell you that delivering on the Uluru Statement in full, as the Prime Minister has said, if the yes case gets up, is yes to the referendum, yes to treaties and yes to truth telling…
Barr asked Joyce three more times (five in total) whether the no campaign agrees with Mundine’s comments. He gave a range of responses, not answering the question, all along the lines of:
I believe that what we have is a harmonious nation under a constitution that is boring but consistent. We’ll lead Australia into the future, into the same sort of harmonious type of nation that we already are, and that’s where I want our nation to be.
Barr moved the interview on to a different topic, as Joyce finally said:
I’m quite obviously saying that no, I don’t.
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Yes campaigner Noel Pearson on treaty: ‘These other issues we’ll deal with in the future’
Back to the yes campaign event at Martin Place in Sydney this morning:
Asked about the apparent divide within the no camp over the future of treaties with First Nations people in the event of the referendum failing, Noel Pearson said it was important for people to keep their “eyes on the prize”, which was a voice.
He said:
That’s what we’re doing in this referendum campaign. Those other issues we’ll deal with in the future. Our absolute focus on the next four weeks has to be on the voice.
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Further to our earlier post about an apparent outage:
The outage appears to affect some but not all Australian users, it will depend on how you are accessing the internet.
Leading academics back calls to address racism allegations at University of Melbourne
A petition calling for urgent action to address complaints about the treatment of First Nations staff and students at the University of Melbourne has gained more than 1,000 signatures as pressure mounts following the exit of leading academic Dr Eddie Cubillo from one of his roles.
Earlier this month, Cubillo, a Larrakia, Wadjigan and Central Arrernte man, tendered his resignation as associate dean and senior fellow at the university’s prestigious Melbourne Law School (MLS), citing ongoing cultural safety issues.
The petition, signed by dozens of professors and lecturers across the nation, says the need for repair and reparation at the MLS is critical.
Substantial, genuine, empathetic, generous engagements to address the lack of cultural safety at MLS are urgent and necessary. The failure of the institution to take meaningful action on, listen to, and support First Nations staff and students is unacceptable.
Signatories include the CEO of the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence, Jason Glanville, First Nations lawyer Teela Reid, the Sisters Inside CEO, Debbie Kilroy, the director of Murrup Barak at the University of Melbourne, Inala Cooper, and the CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service Nerita Waight.
It calls for an immediate apology, a standing committee on anti-racism made up of First Nations people, ongoing anti-racism training and a mandatory Indigenous subject to be part of the JD.
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Barry O’Farrell says he has spoken to people all across the city who support the voice
The former NSW Liberal premier Barry O’Farrell said he had been happy to see the support for the voice from across the city and across the political divide at the walk on Sunday.
He said:
My take out yesterday, besides the numbers across this country, was the fact that the people at the rally that I spoke with and walked with were from all across the city – from the Shire, from Western Sydney, from the Central Coast, Liberal-voting seats up in the North Shore.
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Multiple major websites inaccessible in Australia
A number of websites appear to be inaccessible in Australia, including the Australian, the ABC, the Victorian government’s website, down detector and others.
We are not sure of the cause yet - but it is almost certainly likely to be related to a Domain Name System (DNS) issue. It appears these websites are accessible using Google’s DNS, or using a VPN.
We are looking into what might be the source of the problem and will update as we know more.
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Yes advocates in Sydney thank those who attended weekend marches
Advocates for a yes vote at the upcoming referendum from across the political spectrum appeared alongside Noel Pearson in the Sydney CBD this morning following Sunday’s march.
Environment minister Penny Sharpe stood alongside Wentworth “teal” MP Allegra Spender, the former liberal treasurer Matt Kean and independent Alex Greenwich and others to thank people who attended the walk for yes and remind people to enroll to vote.
Noel said the march represented a lift in momentum for the campaign:
They turned up for unity. They turned up for hope and optimism for the country. They turned up to change our constitution for the better ... We’re so buoyed by the response all across Australia. We feel the momentum is rising.
Multi partisan showing for the yes campaign in Sydney today. Noel Pearson says the message is “unity”. #auspol #nswpol pic.twitter.com/RFgbiBLD9q
— Tamsin Rose (@tamsinroses) September 18, 2023
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Victoria to make housing announcements tomorrow
As flagged by the premier, Daniel Andrews, in his interview on ABC Radio Melbourne this morning, the Victorian government is set to be releasing a long-awaited housing statement tomorrow.
Guardian Australia understands the government’s expenditure review committee will discuss the plan today before a cabinet meeting, where it will be endorsed by ministers. Andrews is expected to make an announcement on Tuesday – and will possibly be joined by the prime minister.
So far the government has managed to keep the specifics of the housing statement under wraps but Andrews has suggested there will be a suite of measures to boost housing supply, which will include changes to planning laws to fast-track approvals and limit the powers of councils to object to major developments.
Andrews and several of his ministers have conceded it has failed to meet Plan Melbourne targets, set in 2017, to build 70% of new homes in Melbourne’s existing suburbs, which is causing growing pains in the outer suburbs.
They have laid much of the blame on councils for taking too long to approve new builds, with some developers reporting waits of up to two years to get the green light to start.
A levy on Airbnbs and other short-stay rentals – possibly as high as 7.5% – is also one of the proposals cabinet will sign off on. Possible incentives for first-home buyers are also on the cards, as well as inclusionary zoning.
The state is also looking to New South Wales, where three months ago the government announced developers will be able to build taller and denser buildings – and have approvals fast-tracked – if they make at least 15% of apartments affordable housing.
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Family of NSW woman who died after police Tasering release statement
The family of a woman who died after being shot with a Taser and bean bag rounds in Newcastle last week say New South Wales police had previously “assured” them she would be looked after by medical professionals.
Krista Kach, 47, died in John Hunter hospital on Thursday night after officers forced their way into her apartment after a nine-hour standoff. Police claim Kach had earlier threatened officers with an axe.
Her family released a statement this morning, and you can read that here:
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Environment minister and mining companies in court over climate risk assessment
Australia’s environment minister and coal mining companies are in the federal court over the climate risk assessment of two new coal mines.
Today’s proceedings are the first court challenges to a coal mine or gas decision made by Australia’s current environment minister, Tanya Plibersek. Mining companies Narrabri Coal Operations and MACH Energy have joined the proceedings to defend the environment minister’s decisions.
The litigation stems from a series of reconsideration requests submitted by the Environment Council of Central Queensland, urging Plibersek to review the assessment of numerous pending coal and gas projects under the current EPBC Act, which the Climate Media Centre says lacks a climate trigger.
The president of the Environment Centre of Central Queensland, Christine Carlisle, said:
We didn’t want it to come to this, but we’re relieved these climate cases are now before the court. We’re doing this because we’re so tired of the sound bites. So tired of photos of ministers posing with koalas, saying all the right things but failing to act.
…The minister’s decision to refuse to act on the climate science is not only, we argue, legally wrong, but feels like a betrayal to the Australians who voted in favour of climate action.
This is now a matter for the courts. We hope not just to win these cases, but to set a precedent that all new coal and gas projects must be properly assessed for their climate risk to our environment.
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New form of fast-acting insulin added to the PBS
The government has secured a permanent solution to ensure people with diabetes can access a fast acting insulin called Fiasp.
More than 15,000 Australians living with Type 1 diabetes were affected by the supplier’s removal of the products from the pharmaceutical benefits scheme in March. The government negotiated to keep it on the PBS for another six months, which will be up at the end of this month.
The health minister, Mark Butler, has this morning announced that the government has negotiated with drug sponsor Novo Nordisk to list a new form of the insulin, Fiasp Penfill, which will be available from October under the same conditions as the previous PBS listing.
Butler told 2GB Radio this morning:
This is just such an important product for people living with diabetes, particularly for families who have a child with Type 1 diabetes. They’ve been very nervous about the decision the company took earlier this year, and finding a long term solution will give them peace of mind.
The announcement comes as a parliamentary inquiry examining the chronic illness continues.
The hearing being held at Campbelltown hospital today has heard from Prof Glen Maberly, the director of Western Sydney Diabetes, that access to new medication which allows for the management of blood sugar levels within the right levels is crucial to preventing complications from diabetes, which can include kidney failure leading to dialysis, eyesight problems and even amputation in some cases.
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Anthony Albanese: ‘No country was ever changed for the better through a fear campaign’
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, spoke about the upcoming Indigenous voice to parliament referendum on 2ser Sydney radio this morning.
He said there is “a lot of misinformation out there” and encouraged people to look at the actual question the referendum is asking:
It’s straightforward, won’t change most people’s lives directly, but what it might just do is change Indigenous lives for the better.
… It’ll be like the apology to the stolen generations, or like marriage equality, where once it happened, all of the fear campaigns just melted away into nothing because they weren’t based in fact. And the fear campaign here isn’t based in fact either.
… No country was ever changed for the better through a fear campaign.
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Greens to go on rental offensive in Brisbane council elections next year
The Greens will target 11 seats with a high population of renters in the Brisbane city council elections next year, as they warn their opponents not to “underestimate” them.
Brisbane city council is Australia’s largest local government, with a population roughly the size of Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory combined.
The Greens say they’re “increasingly confident” of victories in the wards of Walter Taylor, Paddington, Central, Coorparoo and Gabba. Apart from the Greens-held Gabba ward, these seats have been claimed by Liberal councillors but are represented federally by the Greens.
The party will also seek wins in six more wards, including Enoggera, Holland Park, Northgate, Pullenvale, the Gap and Morningside.
Quintessa Denniz, a 27-year-old lawyer and renter, will be the Greens candidate for the Enoggera Ward, joining recently-announced candidates David Ford (Holland Park) and Tiana Peneha (Northgate).
It comes after the rainbow-scarf-wearing poet and law graduate Jonathan Sriranganathan announced last month he will become the Greens’ mayoral candidate for Brisbane.
Sriranganathan estimates the Greens could win six to 12 council wards in the March election:
In recent years, the major parties have consistently underestimated the Greens, because they don’t understand just how frustrated so many people are with the political establishment.
The council election could be shaping up as a referendum on whether the major parties have done enough in terms of renters rights, public transport, and of course, climate change.
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UN Equal Pay Day is today
Today marks the United Nation’s equal pay day. The ASPL Group – a management and consultancy firm – says Australian employers need to end the pay gap between men and women, but that Australia is doing “much better” than many other nations.
The group’s CEO, Kris Grant, said the gender pay gap sits at an estimated 20% around the globe, but is lower in Australia at around 13%, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Across the workforce, average weekly ordinary time earnings for full-time working women were $1,715 in May 2023 while men on average earned $2,035 – $320 more a week than their female colleagues, or around $16,600 each year, according to data from the ABS.
However, Australia now leads many other developed nations with a narrower gender wage gap, ASPL Group says. The gender gap is wider in the US at around 17%, and in the UK, at around 14.5%.
Grant:
While progress has been made in Australia, achieving equal pay is still an important milestone for gender equality in the workforce. It will take the effort of all employers and government to eliminate the gap.
If they don’t already, all employers, large and small, should start with a pay audit and publish the results. Pay transparency enables organisations to identify and address gender pay gaps. A pay audit can also deliver very valuable information to women that can be used in their negotiations for fair and equal pay with men.
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Critical incident investigation underway after man shot in Darlinghurst
A critical incident investigation is underway following a police shooting at Darlinghurst yesterday afternoon.
Around 4.40pm on Sunday, emergency services were called to Chisholm Street in Darlinghurst following a concern for welfare report. On arrival police were allegedly confronted by a 32-year-old man, who police say was armed with a knife.
The man allegedly approached officers and NSW ambulance paramedics whilst armed before a constable discharged their firearm.
The man was treated at the scene before being taken to St Vincent’s hospital in a stable condition, police say. A crime scene was established, and a number of residential streets closed.
A critical incident team will investigate all circumstances surrounding the incident, including the discharge of a police firearm.
The investigation will also be subject to an independent review.
Victorian premier on integrity office calls to be consulted: ‘they’re not in the cabinet room’
Daniel Andrews has been asked about calls from Victoria’s public service watchdogs to be consulted on key reforms arising from Labor’s branch-stacking scandal.
The Age last week reported that public service watchdogs warned they have not been consulted on key reforms arising from an investigation into Labor’s branch-stacking scandal, 12 months after they handed down recommendations for change.
Speaking to ABC Radio Melbourne, Andrews said:
… with the greatest of respect to the heads of integrity agencies, they’re not elected by anybody so they’re not in the cabinet room, and for as long as I chair the cabinet, they won’t be in the cabinet room, they’re not ministers, just like I’m not down their office, you know, insisting that I be part of drafting reports.
There’ll be a big update [by] the end of the year. And I think at that point, integrity agencies will be pleased with what they see, but that’ll be a matter for them.
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Daniel Andrews backs social housing percentage promises for faster developers approvals
Rafael Epstein:
There is a lot of talk that the faster approval comes because the developer says, a certain percentage of homes will be affordable [housing] or a certain percentage of homes will be social housing. Is the government going to give that sort of trade off?
Daniel Andrews:
What will be wrong with that?
… So better decisions faster, and high quality, lower price, more supply, lower price still, like, that’s a way forward. And if the trade off is, well, we’re going to build X number of units that are not 2% below market, but substantially below market, is a grand bargain there.
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Dan Andrews flags ‘substantive, commonsense announcements’ on Victorian housing
The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, is speaking to Rafael Epstein on ABC Radio Melbourne this morning. He has faced criticism in the past for not appearing on talkback radio, particularly from the veteran radio host Neil Mitchell.
First on the agenda is housing – Andrews is asked if housing got worse under Labor, why should people believe it’ll get better?
Andrews flagged that “substantiative, commonsense announcements” around housing will be announced shortly:
I’m not here today to rule things in or out. The statement [will be] released in due course.
Acknowledging he has been premier for almost nine years, Andrews defended his government and said it’s “a different place today” when it comes to housing. He said you can’t chase 100% agreement on everything when it comes to reform:
If you do that, you’ll get precisely nothing done. You’ve got to find a balance point, you’ve got to be fair, you got to look at all the different angles or different arguments, but we’ve got to get more houses built because only through more houses being built, more supply [do] we get prices down.
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Banking Association sees potential for AI to help protect customers from scams
The chief executive officer of the Australian Banking Association, Anna Bligh, is speaking to ABC News Breakfast about whether banks have enough people on their fraud teams to help victims.
She said the ABA is seeing an “explosion” of scams hitting Australians:
[Scams] come to us via our telephone, our emails, our social media platforms. These are not issues over which banks have control, but we need to be seeing banks working with all of those players to improve and to eliminate the ability of scammers to actually get to people in the first place.
… between Australia’s four major banks, they have in their financial fraud teams more people than the entire Australian federal police in every part of Australia.
When asked how AI and deepfakes will change the outlook for scams, Bligh said it has the potential to make it easier for scammers, but also easier for telcos and banks to protect people:
AI is basically trained to look at patterns and so it’s going to make it much easier, in fact, it’s already being used by banks to identify where something unusual is happening on your account.
… So I do think AI and other … new developments [are] going to be certainly in the hands of criminals [and] could be used to make our lives much harder, but in the hands of our banks, our law enforcement agencies and telcos and other players in this network, it could also help protect customers …
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Labor looking to develop cybersecurity standards placing onus on companies after major data breaches
The federal government is looking at developing cybersecurity standards – a year on from the Optus data breach – to flip the onus towards companies and developers to keep Australians safe online, AAP reports.
The home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, says cybersecurity is “a defining national security problem for our country”. The minister pointed to similar laws overseas to move towards to ensure apps and programs have built-in protections rather than leaving it to the consumer. She told ABC TV this morning:
If you’re buying a car seat for a new baby, you go into the store and buy a product off a shelf knowing that it will be safe for use - we don’t see the same thing with digital products.
What we want to do is move towards a world where citizens are not the ones who are having to think about and protect themselves from the cyber threat.
O’Neil said the government needed to play a more significant role and work with the private sector to ensure vulnerable businesses that may not have the resources to protect themselves are shielded. She said feedback from Australians and small businesses was that they felt vulnerable and panicked trying to navigate cybersecurity.
O’Neil will address a cybersecurity conference on Monday.
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Bowen says Eraring coal power station should not stay open beyond 2025
Chris Bowen also shot down any idea that the Eraring power station would be kept open beyond 2025 to ease the risk of blackouts:
No, we won’t be doing that and nobody has suggested that we should.
I agree with Penny Sharp [the NSW minister for climate change] … she said publicly she doesn’t want to see Eraring stay open a day longer than it needs to or close a day earlier than it has to.
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Bowen on transmission wires over rural properties: ‘communities deserve proper engagement’
Speaking on the new transmission lines needed for renewable projects, Chris Bowen is asked about the impact on local landholders and farmers. The HumeLink project has faced notable opposition from locals, whose properties are set to be impacted.
He said there is “substantial aid to landholders” impacted by the transmission lines, but “money’s not all of it”:
We have worked pretty hard to improve the benefit from these transmission lines. I’ve made it clear [to] the transmission companies.
Bowen said he has asked for a short review on the consultation process to be conducted.
…communities deserve proper engagement. It hasn’t been done well enough in the past… I think [communities] made a valid point and we’ve been working to improve that in consultation and other bodies as well.
Here’s our look at that earlier in August.
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Bowen on wiring Australia: ‘would have been better if more had been done over the last 10 years’
The energy minister, Chris Bowen, is asked how much of the 10,000km of new wiring to support renewable infrastructure has been built.
Bowen said there are a “couple of projects” underway from the previous government, and funding arrangements have been made with Tasmania, NSW, Victoria and Western Australia on new project deals.
So obviously those projects haven’t yet commenced…
We’ve come to the situation where it would have been better if more had been done over the last 10 years. And we wouldn’t be in this situation where we’ve had to move so fast, but that’s the situation we’ve inherited, and that’s the situation we’re dealing [with].
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Climate and energy minister Chris Bowen is speaking to ABC RN about a proposal from the Coalition to replace Australia’s retiring coal-fired power stations with small nuclear reactors.
As my colleague Daniel Hurst reported this morning, the federal government says the proposal would cost as much as $387bn:
Bowen said the small modular reactors proposed by the opposition are 300 megawatts each, which means “you need a lot of them to replace the retiring coal fired power” stations.
It’s a unicorn and a fantasy and somebody has to pay for it if they are really serious about this plan, whether it’s consumers or taxpayers.
When you put the most expensive form of energy into the system, there is a massive cost paid and that is the cost that the government has identified.
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Australians failing to prepare for emergencies despite increasing risk, Australian Red Cross says
The Australian Red Cross is calling on Australians to prepare for emergencies as new data shows only 10% of people are taking steps to actively get ready.
Independent research conducted on behalf of the Red Cross surveyed adults living across Australia and found 58% of Australians are set to be impacted by heatwaves during the next 12 months – more than double five years ago (25%).
The research also found 34% are worried about being impacted by bushfires, and 38% are expected to be impacted by major power outages, lasting four hours or longer.
The Red Cross chief of staff, Penny Harrison, said the concern of emergencies is not translating into active preparation:
We know the better prepared you are, the better your capacity to respond and recover from any emergency. Just thinking about it is not enough.
…The stress of a situation can affect decision making and reasoning so it’s important to have thought through your response - how you, your family and community may think, feel and act if an event occurs.
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Enrolment for voice referendum closes 8pm tonight
Today is the last day to enrol to vote or update your details for the 2023 referendum.
The Australian electoral commissioner, Tom Rogers, has reminded Australians that the enrolment deadline is 8pm tonight:
Don’t delay – if you do, you could be one of the very few eligible people out there not ready to vote in the first referendum in nearly a quarter of a century.
It’ll be the best democratic base for participation Australia has ever had and we want all eligible Australians to be a part of that.
Rogers said since the announcement of the Indigenous voice to parliament referendum, there have been more than 240,000 enrolment transactions submitted – around 15,000 a day.
There is currently more than 17.5 million Australians on the electoral roll with at least 97.5% of all eligible Australians enrolled to vote. The referendum will be held on 14 October.
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Family violence to be considered in property disputes under family law reforms
Family violence will be considered as an important factor in property disputes under proposed new family law reforms.
The federal government will today release draft legislation for further changes to the Family Law Act “so that it is accessible, safer, simpler to use, and delivers justice and fairness for all Australian families”.
The attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, said in a statement:
For the first time this draft legislation proposes that family violence be considered as an important factor in property disputes.
This sends a clear signal that the government understands the long-term harm caused by family violence, and the need for its consequences to be taken into account in property settlements.
Dreyfus said the draft legislation would simplify key principles for property settlement in the Family Law Act to assist separating parties, legal representatives and the courts.
He said new measures include:
Enhancing the court’s discretion to manage evidence where family violence is alleged or present between separating couples.
Inserting a specific duty of disclosure in property and financial matters in the Family Law Act which would apply during court proceedings or when a party is preparing to start a proceeding.
Clarifying the circumstances in which a court can order a party to contribute towards the cost of an independent children’s lawyer.
Strengthening commonwealth information orders to ensure the court has access to critical information about the risk of violence to a child.
Providing a framework for the future regulation of children’s contact services.
The government is seeking feedback on the draft legislation by 10 November.
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Government requests online dating industry develop code of practice
Dating apps have been issued with an ultimatum in order to address sexual assault on their platforms – be better or face regulation, reports AAP.
The government has requested that the online dating industry develop a new voluntary code of practice to protect Australians using their services. The communications minister, Michelle Rowland, says she will take action if nothing improves.
Online dating platforms must do their part to end violence against women.
I have made it crystal clear that if the industry fails to improve safety outcomes for Australians, we will not hesitate to develop legislative options.
The government wants the code in place by mid-2024 and have it include commitments to better engage with police, support users, improve safety measures and be more transparent about the potential harms.
The Australian Institute of Criminology found three in four people using online dating experienced some form of sexual violence facilitated by the app. This included sexual harassment, abusive or threatening language, image-based sexual abuse and stalking.
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Good morning
And happy Monday. Welcome back to the Australia news liveblog, I’m Emily Wind and I’ll be with you throughout the day bringing you the latest.
Before we get started, here’s what’s making headlines this morning.
AAP is reporting that dating apps have been given an ultimatum to better address sexual assault on their platforms or face regulation.
Family violence will be considered an important factor in property disputes under proposed new family law reforms. My colleague Daniel Hurst will bring you the latest on this shortly.
Today is the last day to enrol to vote, or update your details with the electoral commission, before the Indigenous voice to parliament referendum on October 14.
If you see anything that needs attention on the blog, feel free to send me an email at: emily.wind.casual@theguardian.com.
And with that, let’s get started.
