What we learned today, Wednesday 11 June
This is where we’ll wrap the blog up for the day. Let’s recap the day’s main events:
Tasmania will go to the polls on 19 July after the state’s governor agreed to a request from the Liberal premier, Jeremy Rockliff, for an early election.
Australia has joined the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Norway in placing financial sanctions and travel bans on two Israeli government ministers, over what the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, described as “inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank”.
The Labor MP Ed Husic has said the targeted sanctions against two Israeli ministers “should have the flexibility to go further” if nothing changes.
Anthony Albanese did not answer if Australia would impose harsher sanctions if there was no change.
The Coalition wants to know more about why the Labor government enacted the sanctions, saying the government should be clearer on what basis the decision was made.
The Greens welcomed the sanctions but said they were “extremely late”.
More Australian journalists have been harmed by LA police while covering protests against Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
The ABC program Q+A has been cancelled after 18 years.
Qantas says it will close Jetstar Asia, an offshoot of its low-cost carrier that flies 16 intra-Asia routes.
Police shot a 17-year-old girl at a pub in Townsville yesterday evening after she allegedly moved towards officers with a knife.
The Queensland government looks unlikely to bail out a Brisbane psychiatric hospital which is set to close its doors.
Thank you for joining us today. We’ll be back bright and early tomorrow.
Updated
The Tasmanian governor, Barbara Baker, has issued a statement confirming the 19 July election. She said:
Notwithstanding the recent 2024 election, the public interest in avoiding the cost of another election and the prevailing public mood against holding an election, I have granted Premier Rockliff a dissolution.
I make this grant because I am satisfied that there is no real possibility that an alternative government can be formed.
