What we learned; Thursday 14 March
And that’s where we’ll leave you this evening. Here’s a wrap of what we learned today:
WorkSafe has committed to a “detailed investigation” of the Ballarat mine tragedy in which one man died and another was seriously injured when a tunnel collapsed. Victory Minerals, owners of the mine, have said they will cooperate “fully”.
TikTok’s future is in peril as the US threatens to implement a nationwide ban, but Anthony Albanese says Australia has “no plans” to follow its ally’s footsteps, despite national security concerns.
Ged Kearney, the federal assistant minister for health, says the Australian government should reinstate its funding for UNRWA, the UN agency tasked with providing aid in Gaza.
The Jewish Council of Australia and Asylum Seekers Centre has expressed outrage over reports that Palestinians fleeing war in Gaza have had their visas cancelled en route to Australia.
The National Archives of Australia has released a previously secret tranche of documents surrounding the Howard government’s decision making to join the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has said that truth in political advertising laws are “probably welcome” but he suspects the government’s proposal will be “window dressing”.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather update, warning that twin tropical lows in the north may each develop into cyclones on the weekend.
The New South Wales environment minister says the waste industry is supportive of “most” of the proposed new regulations for the sector after the asbestos mulch crisis.
And seven people who were missing amid severe weather and flooding in Western Australia have been rescued and taken home.
Thanks so much for your company today. We’ll be back bright and early tomorrow to bring you all of Friday’s news. See you then.
Updated
Seven people missing in WA successfully brought home, police say
Seven people who were missing amid severe weather and flooding in Western Australia have been rescued and taken home, WA police have said.
In a press conference just now, Mick Kelly from WA police has said the group was found just as the light was deteriorating last night, and a decision was made to use a helicopter to drop the four adults and three children food and emergency blankets, and instruct them to remain there overnight with their vehicle and await rescue today.
Kelly said:
This morning WA police and the Department of Fire and Emergency Services held an inter-agency planning meeting to recover and bring home the seven community members. Today we were successful in that …
My understanding is that they are alive obviously and they’re well [and receiving] medical attention just to be checked out and [they are] looking forward to a hot meal and a good night’s sleep.
Updated
NSW planning official referred to corruption watchdog Icac over house purchase allegation
New South Wales Liberal MP Alister Henskens has used parliamentary privilege to air further corruption allegations about a senior planning bureaucrat and their partner, who he claims used insider information about a government housing plan for their own benefit.
Henskens on Thursday evening told parliament on Thursday evening the bureaucrat bought a property within 400m of Gordon railway station in Sydney’s north for $3.8m in August 2023.
Henskens had previously alleged in parliament that the official bought a property in Sydney’s north shore knowing the area was set to be rezoned under the Transport Oriented Development scheme.
Henskens on Thursday told parliament the couple “started talking to neighbours about grouping together in a syndicate to sell the houses to a property developer” because the bureaucrat knew the government was going to introduce planning changes that would push up the price of the properties.
He alleged that the bureaucrat sent a message in the neighbourhood WhatsApp group on 13 December in which she said:
I’m happy to share what information I can verbally as the information is due to go in the NSW Department of Planning website by the end of the week.
Henskens also told parliament that the bureaucrat’s partner was “not a passive actor” and also had conversations with neighbours about the alleged plan.
The NSW government referred the bureaucrat to the Independent Commission Against Corruption last month after Henskens first aired the corruption allegations under parliamentary privilege.
But Henskens on Thursday said the planning minister, Paul Scully, should order an independent investigation into his department.
Read some more on this story here:
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State Library Victoria staff accuse management of ‘censorship and discrimination’ over pro-Palestine authors controversy
Staff at State Library Victoria have claimed senior management sent a message of “censorship and discrimination” to three authors when it postponed a series of writing events at the library “seemingly because of the authors’ support for Palestine”.
Last week, the library suddenly pulled from its program free annual writing bootcamps for teenagers, claiming it had concerns over “child and cultural safety”. The workshops covered fiction, nonfiction, playwriting and poetry.
The award-winning poet Omar Sakr, who regularly posts pro-Palestine messages on social media, had his contract for the event terminated, with the new agreement stating it was due to “circumstances which were not apparent at the time of entering into the contract”.
In a letter sent to the library’s board, seen by Guardian Australia, staff claimed the “political” decision by senior management had damaged the library’s reputation and commitment to diversity.
Read the full story here:
Updated
Cabinet papers from Iraq war period show Howard government saw access to Middle East oil as key national interest
Secret cabinet documents from the Iraq war period show the Howard government viewed “continued access by the developed world to Middle East oil reserves” as one of Australia’s key national interests.
The newly released papers also show the government planned to reduce troop levels just months after the US-led invasion of Iraq, but worried this would squander “the benefits” Australia’s high-profile involvement had brought to the alliance.
The then government’s public justification for joining the US-led “coalition of the willing” in 2003 was to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, although these were never found.
Critics of the war have always claimed other factors, such as Iraq’s plentiful oil supplies, must also have been at play.
A new tranche of 2003 cabinet papers published by the National Archives of Australia on Thursday do not contain any so-called smoking guns, but reveal the inner workings of the alliance between the US and Australia.
A cabinet submission from the then defence minister, Robert Hill, in mid-October 2003 said Australia had “a range of enduring national interests in the Middle East”.
You can read more on these documents here:
Updated
In world first, NSW to ban ‘cruel’ near-drowning and smoke experiments on animals
Research experiments that force animals to inhale smoke or swim until they nearly drown are set to be outlawed in New South Wales.
Legislation to ban forced swim tests and forced smoke inhalation experiments passed the state’s parliament on Thursday, Animal Justice party MP Emma Hurst said.
Hurst – who introduced the legislation as a private member’s bill – said NSW was the first jurisdiction in the world to ban these experiments.
In a statement, Hurst said:
A parliamentary inquiry in 2022 recommended these cruel animal experiments were banned, and finally they will be.
Animals are being near-drowned and are dying from asphyxiation in these cruel tests that the [National Health and Medical Research Council] have said cannot be justified.
Updated
Ged Kearney calls for UNRWA funding to be reinstated
Ged Kearney, federal assistant minister for health, has said the Australian government should reinstate its funding for UNRWA, the UN agency tasked with providing aid in Gaza, where half a million Palestinian people are on the brink of famine and under constant bombardment from the Israeli military.
Kearney was asked on ABC TV’s Afternoon Briefing about when it would be possible to reinstate that funding, which was withdrawn by the federal government earlier this year after allegations against 12 of UNRWA’s 13,000 staff were investigated.
Kearney said:
I do get a lot of people come to me saying that they were distressed that the funding was ceased and advocating for that to be reinstated. In my role as an advocate for my constituency, I do believe that the funding should be reinstated.
UNRWA is a very important aid organisation in the area. They have been there a long time, they’re well embedded on the ground and understand the situation very well. It is very distressing for everybody seeing what’s happening in Gaza right now.
… I think we should reinstate the funding as soon as possible. I think UNRWA are an important organisation. There’s nobody else that can do the work that they do in the area. I think, generally speaking, we need to make sure that aid is going into the country – that needs to be a priority.
Updated
Resources minister on Ballarat mine death: ‘my thoughts are with his workmates and family at this very sad time’
The federal resources minister Madeleine King has spoken on ABC TV about the worker fatality at a Ballarat goldmine.
King said:
My thoughts are with the family and friends of the young man who has died mining.
We must remember this is a dangerous job. The prosperity of our nation is the resources sector and it’s built off the hard work of the young men and women, like the young man who has sadly died in this accident.
I expect a full investigation and I know that that will be under way and, again, my thoughts are with his workmates and family at this very sad time.
Updated
Waste industry ‘broadly’ supportive of new regulations, NSW environment minister says
The New South Wales environment minister, Penny Sharpe, says the waste industry is supportive of “most” of the new regulations for the sector being proposed by the government.
The government expects its legislation to grant the Environment Protection Authority greater powers and double the penalties for the most serious environmental crimes to pass parliament.
Speaking to reporters earlier this afternoon, Sharpe said:
Industry likes most of the changes ... we have spoken to them and they are broadly supportive of it.
The real issue here is that people that are doing the right thing are extremely frustrated by those that are doing the wrong thing.
Under the new laws, set up in the wake of Sydney’s asbestos crisis, NSW will provide a “framework” to establish a new waste accreditation scheme to target contamination.
Sharpe said the government would work with industry to separate contaminants at the source and drive out people who were doing the wrong thing.
She said:
We’re really trying to make sure is that people ... don’t turn up to a tip site and have their load rejected because it’s contaminated and then shop around elsewhere to try and find someone else who will take it or – even worse – then go and basically dump it illegally.
Read more about this issue here:
Updated
Two rescued from Queensland theme park ride
Two people have been rescued from a rollercoaster at Aussie World theme park on the Sunshine Coast after they got stuck on the ride about 4m off the ground.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services were called to the theme park at about 1.45pm local time, where two people were reportedly stranded in a carriage on the Bug Run ride.
QFAS used a ladder to get the patrons down about 25 minutes later.
Nobody was injured.
Updated
Car parking requirements for Victorian apartments under review in effort to reduce costs
Victoria could scrap car parking requirements for new apartment blocks near public transport hubs in a bid to reduce the cost of residential developments and ease traffic congestion.
The state’s transport department completed a discussion paper late last year that considered reforms to car parking and bicycle facilities. The proposals, first reported by the Age, include removing minimum car parking in areas a short walking distance from public transport.
The paper, which has been sent to some councils for feedback, estimates that a car parking space in a residential development could add up to $50,000 to the cost of an apartment.
It proposed a policy aligned to a new rating system for an area’s “public transport accessibility level” (Ptal) – based on walking distance to a route – and removing or refining minimum car parking.
Read the full story here:
Updated
Stop-work action over ambulance ramping ‘ban’ pledge for Tasmania
Nurses and midwives at Tasmania’s two major hospitals are walking off the job over a Liberal state election pledge to “ban” ambulance ramping, AAP reports.
The Liberals, who are aiming for a fourth term at the 23 March poll, want to introduce a protocol in 2026 requiring patients to be transferred from ambulances to emergency departments within 30 minutes.
The premier, Jeremy Rockliff, has described the move as a ban on ramping, which occurs when patients are unable to be shifted from ambulances to a hospital.
A mandated 60-minute transfer window is being rolled out across the state in March, with the Liberals promising to move to 45 minutes in 2025.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Tasmania secretary Emily Shepherd said the policy would shift the risk from ambulances to hospitals, and said the fundamental issue behind ramping was access to beds as well as patient flow.
Banning ambulance ramping and striking an agreement to offload ramped patients does not fix the fundamental issue.
If the government is serious about enabling access and flow, then that is where they should be focusing their energy. Otherwise ... patients will end up ramped inside hospital corridors, without the sufficient number of nurses and doctors needed to provide satisfactory care.
Federation members have scheduled stop-work meetings at the Launceston general hospital today and Royal Hobart hospital tomorrow.
The state health minister, Guy Barnett, has previously indicated patients would only be transferred if safe to do so under the policy.
The Australian Medical Association has raised concerns about the Liberal’s policy, while the Health and Community Service Union, which represents ambulance officers, was pleased paramedics would be freed up but has sought more detail.
Updated
Thanks for joining me on the blog today, Stephanie Convery will be here to guide you through the rest of our rolling coverage. Take care.
Mine owners will cooperate ‘fully’ with WorkSafe investigation into tragedy
Victory Minerals, owners of the Ballarat goldmine, have just issued a statement indicating they will cooperate “fully” with a WorkSafe investigation into the collapse incident.
The statement reads:
This tragic incident is now being independently investigated by WorkSafe Victoria.
Given this, it’s not appropriate for us to comment further right now, other than to confirm we are cooperating fully with this investigation, and undertaking our own.
The safety of our people on site is our first priority. No safety professionals working underground in the mine were made redundant in the recent restructure.
In fact, we increased safety professional resources within the underground. The roles and responsibilities of the redundant corporate managerial role were transferred to the health, safety, environment and community manager, who reports directly to the CEO.
Updated
Possible cyclones forecast for WA and NT
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather update, warning that twin tropical lows in the north may each develop into cyclones during the weekend.
Meteorologist Angus Hines said one low is near the Top End of the NT, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and large waves, expected to continue for the next few days.
It’s expected to move into the Gulf of Carpentaria around Friday, and potentially strengthen into a tropical cyclone on Sunday.
The second low, north-west of the country, could become a category two cyclone during Sunday near the Pilbara coastline – or, it could move out west and have no impact on the coastline.
You can watch the full update below:
Severe Weather Update: Twin tropical lows in the north, each may become tropical cyclones. Video current: 11:30am ACST 14 March 2024. For the latest forecasts and warnings go to our website: https://t.co/4W35o8iFmh pic.twitter.com/EzAsgCLlPc
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) March 14, 2024
Updated
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has issued this statement on social media, following news a miner was killed in the underground collapse at Ballarat goldmine:
This morning’s news is a terrible tragedy. My heart is with the families that are grieving, as well as the loved ones of the man still in hospital.
This morning's news is a terrible tragedy. My heart is with the families that are grieving, as well as the loved ones of the man still in hospital.
— Jacinta Allan (@JacintaAllanMP) March 14, 2024
Updated
Water projects in the pipeline for remote communities
A handful of remote communities in the Northern Territory will be able to upgrade their water storage and infrastructure after the federal government announced $53.1m for water security projects, AAP reports.
Maningrida will build a new tank and upgrade infrastructure, the pipeline in Yirrkala will be upgraded and Gunyangara – both on the Gove peninsula – will be assessed. In addition, new water sources will be investigated in Numbulwar.
The federal environment and water minister, Tanya Plibersek, and the NT water minister, Kate Worden, also announced an $18.2m investment in the Yulara water supply project, coupled with $5m from Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, which owns Ayers Rock Resort.
Plibersek said:
In a country like Australia, there are things that most of us take for granted - like when we turn the tap on at home, safe drinking water will come out.
But for more than 25,000 people in remote Australia, that isn’t the case.
These Australians live in places without access to water that meets basic health guidelines and another 600,000 people live in places without access to water that meets recognised standards - relying on water that’s murky, or contains unsafe levels of minerals, heavy metals and chemicals.
Worden said providing secure and reliable water supply to these regional and remote areas would improve the quality of life for many Aboriginal people and help the economy.
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Truth in political advertising regulations ‘probably welcome’, Peter Dutton says
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has said that truth in political advertising laws are “probably welcome” but he suspects the government’s proposal will be “window dressing”.
This is an interesting development – because in October 2022 the Liberal Party opposed truth in political advertising, arguing in a submission to the electoral matters committee that Labor lacked a mandate for the change.
Dutton told reporters in Melbourne:
Well again, when you look back at some of the Labor party campaigns around ‘Mediscare’ and the rest of it, the union movement are experts at all of this ...
Don Farrell’s trying to put a good face on this, but I suspect he’s up against it when he’s got the union crooks telling him that they should be running all sorts of dodgy ad campaigns ... It’s probably welcome, but we’ll see what impact it has, and I really believe that, I think there’s a lot of window dressing here, and frankly, there’s not much substance to what he’s saying.
The special minister of state, Don Farrell, is expected to release a bill proposing spending and donations caps and truth in political advertising laws to be introduced and passed by mid-year.
Updated
Q: What kind of circumstances would warrant a prosecution?
WorkSafe’s Narelle Beer:
So, industrial manslaughter is where there’s a grossly reckless or a grossly negligent disregard for health and safety within the workplace. So, WorkSafe Victoria has charged four charges in the last 12 months in relation to industrial manslaughter. We had a conviction three weeks ago in relation to an industrial manslaughter matter, which is the first one in Victoria, and we have another two matters live before the courts.
Updated
Narelle Beer said a WorkSafe family liaison officer had touched base with the family of the deceased miner, and will be reaching out to the family of the injured man.
We’ll be providing as much support as we can and helping others to provide that support. It’s a really tragic event and it’s occurred in Ballarat and we all know there’s been a number of tragic events that have occurred here of late.
Unfortunately, we’ve had 10 workplace deaths this year so far. Every death is horrendous, and particularly for a community that has experienced this sort of grief, to have another one who is so young, it’s tragic.
WorkSafe would like to send our condolences to the family, friends, the working community, and the community as a whole. Our hearts are with you all.
Ben Wright, the manager of the earth resources section of WorkSafe, also spoke to the media to provide an explanation of air-legging – the type of mining the workers were doing at the time of the incident.
Hand-mining or air-legging is a way to mine for a resource with hand tools. So, very large drill units that are pneumatically operated. They use water and air to drill into rock, as opposed to a large mechanised device, known as a jumbo. The handheld devices are more portable and typically used in the smaller areas.
Asked if this practice is particularly risky, Wright said he couldn’t comment on this incident specifically but said:
All mining does inherently carry a risk. And it’s the mine operator’s duty to ensure those risks are managed appropriately … [Air-legging is] less common than mechanised mining, absolutely.
Q: Should that process of air-legging be done under unsupported ground?
Wright:
Without commenting specifically about this incident, there’s a general position in the entire mining sector that ground should always be supported.
Updated
WorkSafe commits to ‘detailed investigation’ into Ballarat mine tragedy
WorkSafe executive director health and safety, Dr Narelle Beer, spoke to the media from outside the Ballarat mine just earlier, where a collapse occurred yesterday.
She said WorkSafe investigators and inspectors have been on site since last night.
It will be a complex, detailed investigation. We’ll take some time, and we’re very keen to understand how we can ensure that a tragedy like this never occurs again.
Beer said as part of the investigation, WorkSafe will “absolutely” be looking into anything that has occurred in the past “that could have predicted this or prevented this occurring”.
Updated
TikTok welcomes PM’s comments
A TikTok spokesperson has welcomed comments from the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, that Australia has no plans to ban TikTok.
In a statement, the TikTok spokesperson said:
Any changes to TikTok in Australia would have a significant impact on the 350,000 businesses, and more than eight-and-a-half million Australians, who use the app to connect and grow their businesses. Action being taken in the US is not based in fact, and we are hopeful that the US Senate will consider the impact on the millions of small businesses and 170 million Americans who use the service.
Updated
You can read the full story on Jim Chalmers’ speech from my colleague Peter Hannam below:
Speaking at the start of his budget pitch, treasurer Jim Chalmers acknowledged there is one year to go in the parliamentary term – which will go quickly.
He said the focus during this time will be on what’s been achieved, and what is yet to come:
In our case, moderating inflation, growing real wages, tax cuts for every taxpayer, and the hard and methodical work we are doing to lay the foundations for growth into the future. There’s been progress on the priorities that I have talked about today. But we understand and we acknowledge and we act on the fact that people are under substantial pressure still, and the inflation fight’s not yet won.
Chalmers said another inevitable focus of the final year of a parliamentary term will be on alternatives, and took a jab at the opposition:
I don’t want to dwell on this, but my point here is that it’s two years into the term and our opponents haven’t even begun to do any of the necessary work. They think they can substitute nasty negativity for economic credibility. But the good people of Dunkley have now reminded them that they can’t.
Updated
Australia ‘very attractive’ for investment, Chalmers says
Treasurer Jim Chalmers is speaking to the media from Sydney about business investment.
He said it has grown every quarter under the Albanese government, growing 8.3% last year. Australia is a “very attractive” destination for investment around the world but the future is “a little less certain and a little less predictable”, Chalmers said.
We can attract investment - you all know that. But we also need to be able to absorb it. If we attract it better and we absorb it better, this will help drive growth in our economy in a world of churn and change. And that’s why I’m working with my colleagues on a whole-of-government investment strategy with the budget in mind.
And you can expect in that, from us, a bigger focus on the enablers of that investment. Focusing on approvals, access to energy, better-trained workforces, more resilient supply chains, and more effective screening of foreign investment.
Updated
Government reaches deal with lobby group on Community Pharmacy Agreement
The government has announced it has reached a non-binding draft agreement with lobby group Pharmacy Guild over the eighth Community Pharmacy Agreement [8CPA].
Every five years, the government and the Guild negotiate a five-year agreement that governs how pharmacies supply medicines subsidised by the government under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. The Conversation has a good explainer about the agreement process here.
Ahead of each agreement, the Guild usually battles with the government around various issues. In the lead-up to 8CPA, we saw the Guild, supported by the Opposition, claim that the 60-day dispensing reforms introduced in September to save patients money on medicines would lead to hundreds of pharmacy closures and pharmacist job losses.
They used the reforms to argue the government should invest extra money into pharmacies come the 8CPA.
However, government data shows more applications to open pharmacies have been made than ever after the dispensing reforms were announced, disproving the Guild’s claims that their businesses would be affected.
Today, the Guild opened its four-day annual industry conference on the Gold Coast by announcing it had reached a “historic” agreement with the government with the 8CPA.
The health minister Mark Butler’s office then issued a press release stating that it had reached a ‘heads of agreement’ with the Guild, which is a draft, non-binding agreement, and that measures contained in it will be finalised and announced once the clauses of the 8CPA have been settled.
The government has not provided any further details, only confirming it will provide up to an additional $3bn over the five-year agreement period for community pharmacy and cheaper medicines.
Butler’s statement read:
The Australian government and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia will now work in good faith to finalise the 8CPA to commence from 1 July 2024.
The government will continue engaging with the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, the National Pharmaceutical Services Association, and a wide range of other stakeholders with an interest in the pharmacy sector to finalise separate arrangements in the coming months.
Guardian Australia has asked for any further details about how the additional $3bn will be spent.
Updated
Number of prisoners in Australia rises
New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows the number of incarcerated Australians has risen over the past 12 months.
The number of people in prison has increased from 41,029 to 42,274 over the past year, with the incarceration rate now at 202.5 prisoners per 100,000 adults.
This has been driven largely in Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania, according to the data, which shows:
Queensland went from 234 to 245 prisoners per 100,000 adults.
Western Australia from 287 to 311 prisoners per 100,000 adults.
Tasmania from 141 to 169 prisoners per 100,000 adults.
Mia Schlicht, research analyst at the Institute of Public Affairs, said:
The data shows jurisdictions across Australia continue to ignore the fundamental idea that incarceration should always be targeted at those who are a high risk to the community, not non-violent offenders who show little likelihood of reoffending.
Over the past decade the number of prisoners has increased by approximately 10,000. It’s clear that without any meaningful criminal justice reform this trend will continue to climb, with little benefit to community safety.
Updated
Myer names Olivia Wirth as its next CEO
Myer has named former Qantas executive Olivia Wirth as its next CEO, as well as announcing a drop in profit despite slightly increased same-store sales, AAP reports.
Wirth, the former Qantas Loyalty CEO, will become Myer CEO and executive chairwoman effective 4 June, a day after current chief executive and managing director John King retires, the retailer announced today.
Myer chairman Ari Mervis, who is stepping down today after five months in the role, called Wirth’s appointment a new era for the company:
Olivia is an experienced and respected leader, with a track record of delivering improved business performance.
Wirth was the other finalist to replace Alan Joyce as Qantas CEO last year but ultimately the job went to Vanessa Hudson.
Myer also announced its same-store sales were up slightly in the first half and its e-commerce sales returned to growth, but its profit was down 20%.
The department store chain said it had total sales of $1.83bn in the 26 weeks to 27 January, down 3% from the same period a year ago.
Its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation was down 10.7% to $215.7m, and Myer made a net profit after tax of $52m, down 19.9% from a year ago.
Updated
Melbourne street the world’s coolest, according to Time Out
Time Out has released a definitive ranking of the 30 coolest streets in the world, with High Street in Melbourne taking out first place.
High Street, weaving through the suburbs of Northcote, Thornbury and Preston, beat Hollywood Road in Hong Kong, East Eleventh in Austin, Guatemala Street in Buenos Aires and Commercial Drive in Vancouver – which rounded out the top five.
But in humble 23rd place sits Sydney’s Foster Street, home to our Guardian Australia office.
We are 100% taking credit for this ranking, and for bringing a certain cool factor to the street. It’s definitely not related to the fact Taylor Swift dined here just a few weeks ago.
No, it’s definitely us.
Updated
Alleged fry pan-wielding uni stabber pleads not guilty
The man accused of stabbing two students at a university and injuring others with a frying pan has pleaded not guilty by virtue of mental impairment.
Alex Ophel has been charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of common assault and one count of possessing an object with the intent to kill or cause grievous bodily harm.
His lawyer entered the plea in the ACT magistrates court on Thursday. The case will return to court on 23 May.
He is accused of repeatedly stabbing two women and bashing other students over the head with a frying pan at the Australian National University in September 2023.
Two 20-year-old women were taken to hospital and a third man was treated at the scene following the incident.
Updated
Australia has no plans to ban TikTok, despite US moves
TikTok’s future is in peril as the US threatens to implement a nationwide ban, but Australia has “no plans” to follow its ally’s footsteps, despite national security concerns, AAP reports.
On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives passed a bill that would give ByteDance six months to divest from the app and sell to a company that is not based in China.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said on Thursday the Australian government was not expected to emulate the US. Here’s what he told WSFM Sydney:
You’ve always got to have national security concerns, front and centre, but you also need to acknowledge that for a whole lot of people, this provides a way of them communicating.
In Australia, TikTok is only banned on government devices, which prevents public servants from downloading the app on work-issued phones.
For further background on this story:
Updated
Littering, asbestos fines to double in major crackdown
Penalties for the most serious environmental crimes would double and the New South Wales environmental watchdog would have powers to recall potentially contaminated products from consumers under major changes to environmental protection laws proposed by the Minns government.
The environment minister, Penny Sharpe, said the government was proposing the largest set of amendments to the Environment Protection Authority’s (EPA’s) powers since the regulator was established in 1991.
The legislation, to be introduced to the parliament on Thursday, follows a crisis triggered after asbestos was found in mulch at the Rozelle parklands in January.
Sharpe said:
The events of the past two months have shown the urgent need to reform environment protection laws and increase penalties.
These sweeping reforms will directly improve the protection of human health, the environment and the community.
Updated
US requests Australian help to set up Gaza aid port
America has asked Australia to chip in for more humanitarian aid in the war torn Gaza as Washington moves ahead with plans to bring in relief by sea, AAP reports.
The United States is setting up a port in Gaza so more humanitarian aid can flow through as the international community raises concerns about dwindling supplies reaching civilians in the besieged strip and starvation.
A request has been made to partner nations, including Australia, for help setting up the port while further aid to flow through would be welcomed, AAP understands.
The US is working with Israel to establish the aid corridor, according to the the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken. The corridor would distribute up to 2m meals a day on top of medicine, water and other supplies. Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada are also supporting this effort.
But overland routes remained the most viable option to deliver aid, Blinken said amid a push to open further aid corridors. He told reporters in Washington:
This will help close the gap. It’s part of our all-of-the-above strategy to make sure we’re doing everything possible by every means possible to surge support to those who need it by land, by sea, by air.
Updated
The federal member for Ballarat, Catherine King, says her thoughts are with everyone affected by the Ballarat gold mine tragedy.
In a post to X, she wrote:
My thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy at the Ballarat gold mine, and in particular the families and workmates of the deceased man and the injured man in hospital. I know that the community will step up to support each other throughout this difficult time.
My thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy at the Ballarat Gold Mine, and in particular the families and workmates of the deceased man and the injured man in hospital.
— Catherine King MP (@CatherineKingMP) March 14, 2024
I know that the community will step up to support each other throughout this difficult time.
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Proposed Coalition bill would criminalise posting offences for notoriety and ban offenders from using social media
Here is what the Coalition’s private members bill will include, according to the statement:
Introduce a new commonwealth offence to deal with the increasing use of social media to promote or publicise criminal activity. In particular, the bill will make it an offence to post material depicting violence, drug offences or property offences for the purpose of increasing a person’s notoriety (or that of the persons shown in the material), punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment.
Include a sentencing measure in the Crimes Act to ensure that as part of the sentencing process, courts are able to prohibit persons who have been convicted of the new offence from using social media for up to two years.
Amend the Online Safety Act to specifically empower the eSafety Commissioner to order the removal of such videos from social media and other digital platforms. Currently, the eSafety commissioner has to rely on the cooperation of social media companies to achieve this. The changes proposed would make it explicit that the commissioner has a mandate to deal with complaints on this issue, in a similar way that the office responds to reports of cyber-bullying and cyber-abuse.
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Opposition outlines proposal to ‘crack down on youth crime’
As Paul Karp flagged earlier, the Coalition has announced a private member’s bill proposing to ban the posting videos of violent crime online. A joint statement from the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, the shadow attorney-general, Michaelia Cash, and the shadow communications minister, David Coleman has just dropped, with more detail on the proposal.
The statement says youth crime is “out of control in many parts of the country” and “more needs to be done to combat it”.
It says the Coalition would seek to make it illegal to post social media material that “glamorises violence and criminal activity”.The Coalition would also “provide the eSafety Commissioner with specific powers to require such videos and material to be taken down”, it said.
The statement reads:
It is time to get serious on young criminals who seek to highlight their criminal activity on social media. Sadly, the problem is getting worse.
The federal government has a role to play here and it is incumbent on the government to show some leadership and play its part in cracking down on this behaviour which glamorises violence and keeps the cycle of crime going.
We are putting forward a proposal today to deal with this scourge.
We need to do all we can to keep our community safe and deter young criminals from doing the wrong thing. We call on the government to support us in this regard.
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National Archives releases previously secret tranche of documents
The National Archives of Australia has released a previously secret tranche of documents surrounding the Howard government’s decision making to join the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
The documents show that, two weeks before the war began, the cabinet’s national security committee was informed the US was likely to press ahead even if the UN security council did not pass a new resolution specifically authorising military action.
(Such a resolution never passed. The lack of a specific mandate was a significant point of contention, with the UN’s then secretary general, Kofi Annan, later describing the US-led war on Iraq as “not in conformity with the UN charter” and “illegal” under international law.)
On 5 March 2003 the national security committee received oral briefings from the then foreign minister, Alexander Downer, and the heads of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Office of National Assessments on the efforts to adopt a draft new resolution on Iraq. The committee was told the “prospects for adoption of the draft resolution remain uncertain, especially France’s position”. But the document added:
Whatever the outcome in the UN Security Council on the draft resolution, the United States is likely to press forward with plans to lead a coalition in enforcement action against Iraq, given that country’s failure to comply fully with UN Security Council obligations.
Cabinet documents from 20 years ago are normally released on 1 January each year, but this year’s release hit a snag when it was revealed 82 cabinet records from 2003 had not been handed to the NAA in 2020. These included 14 that related – at least in part – to the Iraq war.
I’m working my way through the Iraq-related documents. More details soon.
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Prime minister ‘needs to show leadership’ on TikTok: Dutton
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has called on Anthony Albanese to “show leadership” on the issue of risks posed to privacy and security from social media platforms.
Asked about the potential for a ban on TikTok in the US and whether Australia should follow suit, Dutton told reporters in Melbourne:
The prime minister needs to show leadership here. If young people using TikTok are having their images collected, their intimate discussions, when that’s collected by a country or third party the prime minister has to act ... [He] doesn’t need to be weak, needs to be strong.
The information is being hoovered up. Young people don’t have a safe presence online. It’s up to the prime minister to respond in an appropriate way.
Dutton stopped short of endorsing a ban, but said “if the intelligences agencies” are telling the government to take action then the “prime minister must explain how he proposes to keep people safe online”.
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Finder wins lawsuit over now-defunct cryptocurrency product
Finder has won a lawsuit brought on by the investment regulator over its now defunct Finder Earn cryptocurrency product, with the federal court ruling that the product did not offer debentures for funds invested in the platform.
The price comparison website offered a product called Finder Earn in customer’s on-platform wallets between February and November 2022 which allowed customers to deposit Australian dollars into their account. The money was converted into an Australian dollar-tied stablecoin – a digital currency – called TAUD, for which Finder paid customers in Australian dollars an annual compounding return of 4.01% per annum or 6.01% for some early customers.
The Australian Securities Investment Commission (Asic) argued this product was a debenture – that is, a security comprised of a promise made by a company to pay back funds provided to that company. That is because customers deposited money with Finder Wallet on the understanding that their money would ultimately be repaid, together with a return, in exchange allowing Finder Wallet to use their capital right now.
In a ruling today, Justice Brigitte Markovic dismissed Asic’s case, stating there were no moneys deposited or lent by customers to Finder as part of this process, and no undertaking from Finder Wallet to repay any moneys as a debt.
There was a only contractual promise to return to the customer the TAUD allocated by the customer to Finder Wallet together with the return earned over the earn term, she said.
The court dismissed the other claims from Asic, including that Finder Wallet required an Australian financial services licence, and ordered Asic to pay costs.
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Victoria police clarify 29 people rescued after Ballarat gold mine collapse
MacDougall said the 21-year-old Ballarat man that was taken to Alfred Hospital has “lower body injuries”.
She also clarified that 29 people – not 28 – were rescued from a safety pod from within the mine. Previously police said it was 28 workers.
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Victoria police say rescue of trapped miners was multi-phase
MacDougall described the rescue as “complex” and said there were “a few phases”.
Obviously yesterday evening, we had the initial patient transferred to the Alfred hospital in Melbourne via air ambulance. He was in a critical and life-threatening position at that point …
The other phase of that was extracting the other workers that were inside the refuge areas of the mine and then accessing the second patient … there had to be significant efforts by rescue teams to make access to that person safe for those rescue teams.
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MacDougall says delay in death confirmation due to ensuring safety of attending medics
MacDougall explained why it took some time for authorities to confirm whether the man had died:
Ambulance Victoria are required to assess a patient to be able to declare their health status... the scene needed to be made safe before they were able to access that patient safely.
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Victoria police confirm victim of fatal mine collapse was located deceased at 5.20am
Victoria police’s Ballarat acting inspector Lisa MacDougall is holding a press conference regarding the Mount Clear mine collapse that left a man dead and another fighting for life. She says:
At 5.20am this morning tragically the remaining patient that rescue teams were working to access was located and he was located deceased.
She thanked the emergency agencies that worked with police on the rescue efforts:
The update from now, from a Victoria police perspective, is we will conduct an investigation on behalf of the coroner and we’ll be working with WorkSafe Victoria to conduct that investigation.
We want to thank the agencies that worked with us tirelessly, through the night, to assist us with their specialist knowledge and expertise to undertake those rescue efforts.
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Renewable energy projects eligible for fast-track planning approvals in Victoria
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has announced renewable energy projects will be eligible for fast-track planning approvals.
Speaking from a wind farm in Mount Wallace, Allan said the projects will become eligible for the government’s development facilitation program, which will speed up the approvals process from up to two years to four months.
Allan said since 2015, more than one in five applications have ended up in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, where they can languish for years.
She said there are currently about $9bn worth of investment value in renewable projects in the pipeline for Victoria. Allan said in a statement:
We will cut the red tape holding back projects that provide stronger, cheaper power for Victorians.
The current system means that important projects can be tied up for years seeking approval. It delays construction and deters investment, and instead of spinning turbines, we’re too often left spinning our wheels.
Under the changes announced today, all new renewable projects in Victoria will be treated as “significant economic development”. This means they will not have to go through the planning panel process or face third-party appeals at VCAT and can be approved within four months.
A statement issued by Allan said the voices of communities who want to raise concerns with a proposal “will continue to be protected”:
Third party objections will still have a place in the approvals process, but this change prevents time-consuming and repeated delays that hold these projects back for years.
The development facilitation program was also expanded late last year to include applications for medium to high density residential developments.
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Union member says miners had raised concerns over use of ‘air-legging’ mining at Ballarat gold mine
Hayden said the miners were conducting “air-legging” mining – which involves two people using a handheld drill to pierce into rock. He argued this type of air-legging should not have been used to do this type of work:
This form of air-legging should be used, if its ever used at all, to investigate the ground.
He said members on this mine have raised concerns over the years.
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Union will push to use industrial manslaughter laws after fatal mine collapse
Earlier, Ronnie Hayden from the Australian Workers Union spoke to the media from Ballarat, following confirmation a 37-year-old miner has died following the mine collapse yesterday.
The union understands the miners were working on “unsupported ground”, he said, which gave way – trapping both miners and killing one.
This is absolutely devastating. It’s devastating because we’ve lost another worker and no worker should be injured at work. But it is even more devastating because it should have been avoided … We are going to be pushing very hard to make sure that the industrial manslaughter laws are used …
Our members are angry. Our organisers are angry. We would like to thank the rescue service for the work that they did. And we want to make sure that we are putting the Victorian government on notice: let them know that you create the laws, you make sure that you use the laws.
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Open letter urges government to fix ‘highly dysfunctional’ FOI system
A group of civil society organisations have urged the federal government to boost funding and fix the laws surrounding its “highly dysfunctional” FOI system.
The open letter, which was sent to the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, today, also calls for an independent investigation into the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), the FOI watchdog, following allegations of poor workplace behaviour aired in hearings last year.
Signed by 14 groups, including the Centre for Public Integrity, Public Interest Advocacy Centre, Grata Fund and Transparency International Australia and former senator Rex Patrick, the letter called for the federal government to adopt the recommendations outlined in a scathing Senate committee report published in December.
That report, chaired by the opposition, recommended oversight of the FoI system be moved from the OAIC to another watchdog, along with a series of other reforms, as well as to clear the mounting backlog of FOI reviews and improve the integrity of the system.
A dissenting report from the committee’s Labor members rejected the recommendations, saying they were “just another attempt by the Liberal party” to abolish the information commissioner’s office.
The letter warned Labor needed to make more progress on FOI reform now it was in a position to do so:
We are deeply concerned by the dissenting inquiry report released by the government members of the committee, which expressed support for Australians’ right to obtain information through FOI laws but failed to meaningfully engage with the delays, cultural issues and under-resourcing within the system. Without taking further steps, the government’s support of the public’s right to access information is hollow.
The OAIC was stripped of funding initially under the Abbott era as part of a dumped proposal to disband the office. Successive governments have not returned the office’s funding to its previous levels for its FOI functions in the years since.
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Jewish Council of Australia joins ‘outrage’ over visa cancellations of Palestinian refugees
The Jewish Council of Australia has also expressed “outrage” over reports that Palestinians fleeing war in Gaza have had their visas cancelled en route to Australia.
In a statement, executive officer Sarah Schwartz said:
Many Jewish people have family histories of fleeing persecution and violence, and understand the importance of Australia meeting its obligations under International Law to protect the human rights of refugees.
The Jewish Council of Australia was launched in February this year by a coalition of Jewish scholars, historians, human rights lawyers and writers. It said the council formed to “fill a void in Australia” and represents Jews who are “critical of [the State of] Israel and support a free Palestine”.
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Asylum Seekers Centre calls for urgent explaination of Palestinians refugee visa cancellations
The Asylum Seekers Centre says it is “deeply concerned” about reports that Palestinians fleeing war in Gaza are having their Australian visas cancelled while en route to Australia.
In a statement, CEO Frances Rush said:
People seeking asylum from Gaza and around the world are fleeing unimaginable danger. We see the impacts of visa uncertainty and unfairness, and wilfully complex systems every day. We cannot treat people fleeing danger in such a careless and harmful way, particularly when doing so risks exacerbating existing physical and mental health conditions.
We are calling on the government to urgently explain and rectify the cancellation of visas for Palestinians fleeing Gaza.
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Continued from our last post:
Energy think tank Ember said the IEA’s figures showed Australia’s coal mines emitted 1.7 million tonnes of methane, which was the equivalent of 138Mt of CO2.
Chris Wright, methane advisor at Ember, said:
The global methane tracker… reinforces the urgency to phase in a new emissions reporting standards across the coal industry, especially on open cut coal mines.
It also shows that close to 60 countries have now developed national methane plans, and it’s embarrassing that Australia isn’t one of them.
The IEA report also shows that coal mine methane reductions remain a low hanging fruit that Australia is yet to pick, with the vast majority of their estimated onsite abatement far cheaper than the current price of [Australian carbon credits].
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Australia underestimating methane emissions from coal mining by 65% says International Energy Agency
Methane emissions from coal mining in Australia are about 65% higher than the country reports to the United Nations under its climate change agreement, according to new data from the International Energy Agency.
Australia’s official figures are based on estimates agreed with fossil fuel companies, rather than the IEA’s figures, which are based mostly on observations from satellites. The IEA reported similar discrepancies last year.
The IEA’s estimates for methane emissions from the oil and gas sector were also 47% higher than Australia’s official figures, according to the latest edition of the IEA’s global methane tracker.
Australia’s biggest source of methane emissions, according to the IEA, was from agriculture, with 2.3 megatonnes. Coal emitted 1.7Mt and 0.4Mt came from oil and gas.
Piper Rollins, the Australian Conservation Foundation’s methane campaigner, said:
There is way more methane leaking out of coal and gas projects than companies report. In Australia coal and gas companies can get away with not accurately measuring or reporting their methane emissions, relying on guesses rather than direct measurement.
Australia’s methane measuring problem undermines the integrity of our climate targets. At an absolute bare minimum, all coal and gas facilities should be required to accurately measure their emissions and publicly report them.
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Victorian premier Jacinta Allan says it has been a “really difficult time” for the Ballarat community, which has also grappled with the alleged murder of local woman Samantha Murphy.
The Ballarat community will also be grieving... the gold mining industry is a big part of Ballarat’s history and past and a big part of its community and economy and many people will know of the miners, will know of their families and will also be touched by this tragedy... It’s a close knit community and many of those in the industry will be suffering today, our thoughts go to them as well.
This has been a terrible accident and really difficult scene and I want to thank the emergency services who responded very quickly yesterday… bringing with them their very particular skill set around mine rescue. It’s a very particular skill set. It can be a dangerous mission as well and I want to thank the emergency services who responded so strongly yesterday and overnight.
Premier confirms 28 other miners freed from fatal mining collapse site
Victoria’s premier, Jacinta Allan, is speaking at a wind farm in Mount Wallace about the mine collapse in Ballarat that claimed the life of a man. She says she’s thinking of the worker, who will never come home from his shift, and his family:
This is a family that will be grieving and also, our thoughts are with the seriously injured worker who has been taken for treatment for life threatening injuries to the Alfred hospital.
I want to acknowledge the other 28 miners who were also trapped for some time and I can confirm that as at 5:52am this morning, all 28 miners were extricated from the site, but this would have been a terrifying ordeal for those miners and certainly too our thoughts should be with them as well.
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The minister for resources, Madeleine King, says she is “deeply saddened” at the death of a miner in Ballarat.
She wrote on X:
I am deeply saddened at the death of a miner in Ballarat. My thoughts are with his family and workmates. Australia’s prosperity is built on the hard work of miners around the country. Workers deserve to come home safe from a shift or a long swing away from home.
I am deeply saddened at the death of a miner in Ballarat.
— Madeleine King MP (@MadeleineMHKing) March 13, 2024
My thoughts are with his family and workmates.
Australia’s prosperity is built on the hard work of miners around the country.
Workers deserve to come home safe from a shift or a long swing away from home.
Reds’ trailblazer Josh Cavallo engaged at Coopers Stadium
Trailblazing A-League Men player Josh Cavallo has thanked Adelaide United after getting engaged to his partner on the pitch at the club’s Coopers Stadium home, AAP reports.
Australian Cavallo came out as the world’s only top-flight openly gay male professional footballer in October 2021 and has since become a vocal advocate for LGBT+ rights.
The 24-year-old Cavallo, who posted photographs of his proposal to his partner Leighton Morrell on social media at the stadium where he has played for three years, said he wanted to “share this special moment” on the pitch.
Starting this year with my fiancée 💍❤️
— Josh Cavallo (@JoshuaCavallo) March 13, 2024
Thank you @adelaideunited for helping set up this surprise.
You have provided a safe space in football, one that I never in my dreams thought could ever be possible. To share this special moment on the pitch, where it all started ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/9ThwrN2Yol
“Starting this year with my fiance. Mr & Mr Coming soon,” Cavallo wrote in a post on Instagram, accompanied by a picture of him getting down on one knee to propose to his partner.
Thank you Adelaide United for helping set up this surprise.
You’re (sic) endless support has meant so much to me. You have provided a safe space in football, one that I never in my dreams thought could ever be possible, and encouraged me to live everyday of my life authentically.
It felt right to share this special moment on the pitch, where it all started.
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Chalmers reappoints treasury secretary Steven Kennedy for another five-year term
At a speech to CEDA in Sydney later today, treasurer Jim Chalmers will reveal the government is reappointing treasury secretary Steven Kennedy for another five-year term, once his current one ends in September.
According to the excerpt of his speech circulated to the media this morning, Chalmers will say:
I thank and pay tribute to my Liberal predecessor for appointing someone of Steven’s calibre, someone who has served both sides of politics with diligence and distinction.
Technically it’s the PM’s call, and Chalmers gave a ringing endorsement. Chalmers said:
I really enjoy working with Steven. Ours is a very effective partnership.
We want to provide some certainty and stability here, we have a lot of important work on the go, so we are starting the [re-appointment] process now.
Adding a personal touch, Chalmers will note Kennedy has lately become a grandad for the first time following the birth to his daughter Amelia and partner Nick of one “little Poppy Jean on Saturday”. (Most babies are on the small side, I suppose...)
Anyway, Chalmers’ second drop follows the news overnight that the public (and ministers) should not expect a budget showering them with money come 14 May, as we reported here:
Andrew Giles attacks Coalition's ‘dangerous’ lack of commitment to rule of law
The immigration minister, Andrew Giles, has accused the Coalition of a “dangerous” lack of commitment to the rule of law over the way it has weaponised the high court decision that indefinite immigration detention is unlawful.
Giles has told the Law Council in Melbourne:
I am concerned that this has been a debate where heat has consistently obscured light. Where objective, expert voices have been hard to find. Where facts have been overlooked or simply denied.
For example, the opposition leader and the shadow attorney continue to falsely assert that the government chose to release detainees other than the plaintiff. This conduct follows months of the shadow minister for immigration appearing to advocate to simply ignore or put aside a decision of the high court.
The opposition are of course entitled to their views- but not to their own facts. That they rush to score political points, rather than establish a meaningful position shows that they’re not serious people, committed to rule of law.
This is dangerous. To the standard of public debate about important issues, to policy making and to the state of our democracy - a democracy anchored on the separation of powers and the rule of law...
The Albanese government has taken strong action taken to keep the community safe. We will continue to do so. We have done so in keeping with – and promoting – the rule of law and those institutions which make Australia a stronger and safer society.
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Coalition propose ban on posting and boasting of crime
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is speaking in Melbourne this morning to announce a Coalition private member’s bill proposing to ban on posting videos of violent crime online.
The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, spoke about the initiative earlier on Channel Nine’s Today program:
The states haven’t done enough.
We have the opportunity through commonwealth law, particularly with telecommunications, to be able to reach into this, where we are seeing these young juveniles playing online games effectively about getting points for not only the crimes, but how they undertake those crimes.
I’m seeing that even out of my own electorate where they break in, they get extra points that they can pull jewellery off a sleeping person. And that’s just not [what] we need as a trajectory as a society. And I think it’s important that we send strong messages, but I think we also need to understand that we need to do juvenile justice and detention differently.
Earlier this week, New South Wales premier Chris Minns announced new laws to criminalise “posting and boasting” about offences on social media, as well as making it harder for teenagers to get bail.
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Victory Minerals confirms control of gold mine is with WorkSafe Victoria during investigation into fatal collapse
Victory Minerals, owners of the Ballarat gold mine, have just released this statement:
At approximately 0600 this morning, we brought our remaining team member, trapped by yesterday’s rock fall, to the surface. It was with great sadness that we confirm one of our own has passed away.
Our deepest sympathies and thoughts are with his family and all our people right now. Our absolute priority is supporting the wellbeing of our team members and their families and loved ones, as we all come to terms with this tragic news.
One of our other team members who was transported to hospital last night is getting the best care possible. Our thoughts are with him and family and loved ones at this time.
Control of the Ballarat gold mine is transitioning from Victoria Police to WorkSafe Victoria for an investigation into this tragic accident.
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Anthony Albanese confident Aukus deal is ‘rock solid’ no matter result of US election
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has insisted the Aukus alliance will withstand any change in government in the US.
Asked if the alliance is rock solid, Albanese told 2SM Radio:
I certainly think it is, because it’s not an agreement just with President Biden. As important as his support is, it was an agreement with Congress and with the Senate across the board.
I, of course, met with Republican and Democrat senators and congresspeople and there was extraordinary support for Aukus and this proposal is an agreement between our two great nations, not an agreement between two individuals.
So whilst the election in the United States is of course a decision for the people of the United States, we are very confident that regardless of the outcome this agreement will stay in place.
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US decision to halve submarine construction in 2025 ‘not fatal blow to Aukus’, congressman says
US Democratic representative Joe Courtney says he doesn’t believe the White House’s decision to cut production of the Virginia-class submarines will be a “fatal blow to Aukus”.
As Amy Remeikis reported yesterday, the US announced it will halve the number of submarines it will build next year. The Pentagon budget draft request includes construction of just one Virginia-class nuclear submarine for 2025.
Under the Aukus agreement, production is meant to be ramped up to ensure Australia will have access to at least three Virginia-class submarines from the US in the 2030s. That is to fill a “capability gap” before nuclear-powered submarines to be built in Adelaide enter into service from the 2040s.
Speaking about the decision on ABC RN early this morning, Courtney – who is also founder of the bipartisan Aukus working group – said the US had “already spent and purchased parts for the second 2025 sub” so “we already have some costs in that vessel”.
Asked if the US can afford to sell submarines to Australia at the end of the decade if it’s behind like this, Courtney said:
I’ve been talking to colleagues over the last few days or so since the budget was released on Monday. There there really was a bit of a whiplash effect in terms of you know, the surprise in terms of this budget.
The hearing processes start in April. We’re not going to get this done until after the election, we’re still finishing up 2024’s budget, which, by the way, did have two submarines included.
We’re gonna have time to really go over what the Navy has submitted. It is a very dense documents, there’s lots of issues that we have to approve [but] I think [we will] come up with the right outcome.
Asked what would happen if Donald Trump wins the next election, Courtney said:
I think for me, it’s a very fair agreement for the US taxpayer, the way it’s structured, and so [Trump] shouldn’t have any argument there.
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Victoria police confirm 30 miners involved in collapse
Just circling back to the statement Victoria police released a bit earlier on the mine incident:
Police said that 28 workers made it to a safety pod before being rescued yesterday. It was previously reported that 25 workers were rescued from the pod.
This means 30 workers in total were involved in the incident, according to police. This includes the 21-year-old Ballarat man who was rescued and taken to Alfred hospital in a critical condition yesterday, and the 37-year-old Bruthen man, who died after becoming trapped.
Police confirmed that his body was recovered this morning.
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Singtel says no impending sale of Optus amid reported talks
Optus owner Singtel has told investors there is no impending deal to sell Australia’s second biggest telecommunications company, following reports it will be offloaded to a large private equity company.
The Australian Financial Review reported late yesterday that Singtel would sell Optus to the Toronto-headquartered Brookfield in a deal worth about $16bn.
Singtel told the Singapore exchange that it would “make an announcement if and when there are any material developments which warrant disclosure”. Singtel said in a statement:
There is no impending deal to offload Optus for the said sum, as reported.
Optus remains an integral and strategic part of the Singtel Group and we are committed to Australia for the long term.
Singtel said it regularly conducts strategic reviews of its portfolio to optimise the value of its assets and businesses and will explore all options to maximise shareholder value.
Optus has been through a tumultuous period following last year’s widespread outage, and the damaging 2022 hack.
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Ballarat mayor: ‘ripple effect’ of miner’s death will be with community for a long time
Ballarat mayor Des Hudson also spoke to ABC News Breakfast about the Ballarat mine incident, and said:
It’s a tragic story where a worker who has gone to work at the start of the day and unfortunately has got returned home to his family or loved ones. That’s not the way any workday should pan out. So, our hearts and minds and love is with the family of that person who has died.
He said staffing levels at the mine are just over 100 people, who are “very much a tight-knit community”.
And the ripple effect of this will be with them for a long time as they work through the process. Obviously, there will be an investigation as to what happened, as you would expect in any workplace death. But also just that sense of loss that I’m sure will be with them in the days, the weeks and the months ahead as well as they continue to have to come to work.
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Victorian police confirm man has died following Ballarat mine collapse
Victoria police have confirmed the death of a man trapped below ground in a Ballarat gold mine collapse.
In a statement they said while they were able to rescue one man, the body of the second man trapped – a 37-year-old man from Bruthen – was recovered this morning.
Police said WorkSafe will investigate the incident while police will prepare a report for the coroner.
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Ballarat mayor says news of apparent death of trapped miner ‘tragic’ but community is ‘resilient’
Ballarat mayor Des Hudson told Sunrise news that the miner had reportedly died will be “devastating right across our community”.
[This will be] another tragic circumstance for our community, but we are a very resilient community. We are one that supports each other and we will do so again and our hearts go out to the family of that miner who never came home from work.
[And] also to the other miner who is currently in the Alfred hospital with very significant injuries and has a battle in front of him. We also extend our thoughts and best wishes to him and to his family. And also to those rescuers who will be continuing to work hard, working hard to try and be able to recovery the body of that miner and bring him to the surface.
The Australian Workers Union told Sunrise the trapped miner had died, but police and other emergency services have not yet confirmed this.
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Union says miners caught in rockfall were performing manual mining before collapse
AWU Victoria’s branch secretary, Ronnie Hayden, said the man and another, who was freed on Wednesday night, were performing a manual type of mining called air legging when the collapse occurred:
We have spoken to WorkSafe. We were at the site last night until late. We are meeting with WorkSafe again shortly this morning to get more information on it. But we do know that the two workers were air legging, which is a type of manual mining, it appears under unsupported ground and there was a collapse.
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Man trapped in mine has died, union says
The Australian Workers Union says a man trapped after a mine collapse in Ballarat has died.
The union’s Victorian branch secretary, Ronnie Hayden, told Sunrise this morning the man was killed in the Mount Clear mine collapse. This is yet to be confirmed by police or other emergency services.
Hayden said:
About 5pm last night, we got a call from our members to attend the mine, being told that two of them were trapped underground. Shortly after that we were actually informed that one of their miners was killed at work. So it’s no longer a rescue. It’s now a recovery.
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Gold mine owner makes statement
Victory Minerals, owners of the Ballarat gold mine, released a statement late last night following the incident.
Its emergency response team was working closely with Victoria police, the volunteer rescue team CFA OSCAR 1 and other authorities to rescue the trapped man, it said.
Right now our priority is the safety and well-being of our mining workers and their families. We would like to assure the community we are working as quickly and as safely as we can to help bring this worker to the surface.
As the new owner, Victory Minerals took operational control of the Ballarat gold mine on 19 December 2023. We bring significant experience and expertise to the mine. We are a safety first mine operator and respect the work that underground miners perform every day.
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Ballarat’s mayor, Des Hudson, also spoke to the Today Show just earlier about the mine incident, and said his community is a resilient one.
A community that certainly regularly shows empathy for other members of our community when they’re going through a tough time … Certainly all our thoughts and prayers and best wishes go to that miner that is still trapped, and to the emergency services that will be working feverishly to try and be able to extract the miner as quickly as possible and bring him to the surface.
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Shorten: ‘hazardous circumstances’ mean mine rescuers are brave, even if they don’t see it that way
NDIS minister Bill Shorten spoke to the Today Show earlier about the Ballarat mine incident.
Shorten worked as secretary of the Australian Workers Union during the Beaconsfield mine disaster. He said his thoughts were with all the men on shift yesterday afternoon, as well as the rescuers who are “doing their absolute best to find their final missing workmate.”
We don’t know what’s caused the … catastrophic rockfall, [there’s] a lot of questions to be answered, but it’ll be very hazardous circumstances, which means that the men doing the rescuing are brave. They mightn’t see themselves as brave. They’ll just see themselves as looking out for their workmate. But they’re brave…
Our thoughts are also with the young injured man at the Alfred [hospital] … there will be all sorts of inquiries to go through this, and one thing’s for sure, we will hear from the men who worked in that mine … but I think the big priority today is the psychology of the survivors and the rescuers attempts to get to the final missing man.
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Rescue operation continues for man trapped in Ballarat mine
Emergency crews are continuing their efforts to free a man trapped after a mine collapse in Ballarat.
As we flagged just earlier, the rescue operation has entered its 14th hour, with the man reportedly trapped 500m underground. A second man who was also trapped by falling rocks was freed last night, and a further 25 workers were freed after being rescued from a safety pod.
The Australian Workers Union of Victoria said last night it was aware of the incident:
Our state secretary and two of our union officials are currently on-site, working closely with the members. We stand united in our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of all workers.
The union is due to give a press conference later this morning with updates, which we will aim to bring you here on the blog.
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, said she was thinking of every worker and family member impacted by the incident, in a tweet last night:
I’m thinking of every worker and every family who’s impacted by the Ballarat mine incident. Tonight will be a long night for them and for the entire community.
I'm thinking of every worker and every family who’s impacted by the Ballarat mine incident. Tonight will be a long night for them and for the entire community.
— Jacinta Allan (@JacintaAllanMP) March 13, 2024
Updated
Welcome
Good morning, and welcome to another day on the Australia news live blog. I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll bring you our rolling coverage today.
Making news today: the rescue operation for a man trapped after a mine collapse in Ballarat, Victoria has entered its 14th hour.
As at 7.10am local time, police said the man was still trapped after a rockfall incident at the Mount Clear yesterday afternoon. It occurred 3km underground from the entrance to the mine, police said. Reports say the man is currently 500m below ground.
A second person, a 21-year-old man who was also pinned by fallen rocks, was freed last night and treated for lower body injuries before being airlifted to hospital in a serious condition. A further 25 workers had been brought to the surface after being stranded underground in a safety pod.
We will bring you all the latest details on the rescue operation as they emerge today.
If you see something that needs attention on the blog, you can get in touch via X @emilywindwrites, or send me an email: emily.wind@theguardian.com.
Let’s get started.
