What we learned; Thursday 10 October
It’s always a big news day on the politics live blog, but today has been especially so as we farewelled Amy Remeikis from the role she’s carried out with such intelligence and grace over the last seven years.
There have of course been a few other headlines we’d be amiss not to recap before wrapping the blog up:
The federal government introduced legislation allowing the commonwealth to provide extra funding to public schools in excess of 20%. If passed, the funding level would become a floor, not a ceiling, as it has been since changes enacted by the Turnbull government in 2017.
The University of Sydney spent millions of dollars more on external contractors and consultants – including PwC – calculating and administering liability for wage underpayments than it has paid out to staff, answers provided to the Greens have revealed.
The Coalition said it has no intention of “changing the ownership structure of the NBN”.
The draft parliamentary schedule for 2025 revealed sitting and budget dates (which could still be subject to change).
Jim Chalmers spoke on potential commodities price spike due to tensions in the Middle East.
The Greens committed to an independent commission on poverty.
Labor said it is “open to ways” to improve international student cap bill.
A Senate committee will investigate the Coalition’s nuclear plan.
The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, denied losing control of the Labor caucus after several of his MPs criticised his stance on pro-Palestine protests.
Jo Tarnawsky urged the PM to enforce parliamentary workplace standards. Richard Marles addressed the allegations made by his chief of staff.
Anthony Albanese said lobster exports to China will resume this year. He then touted the trade progress with China.
Melbourne university’s vice-chancellor said he was “appalled” by protesters occupying an academic’s office.
And Amy Remeikis signed off the politics blog for the last time.
Enjoy the rest of your evening.
Updated
Qld can’t meet 75% emissions cut target and keep coal power stations, say critics
Continuing on from that last post with reactions to the Qld LNP leader saying coal plants would stay open “indefinitely”. The Australian Conservation Foundation’s climate program manager Gavan McFadzean said the opposition leader “can’t have it both ways”.
Is he serious about tackling climate change, or is he proposing to keep coal-fired power stations open indefinitely?
The Smart Energy Council’s acting CEO Wayne Smith said “Queensland cannot meet its 75 per cent emissions reduction target and keep coal-fired power stations going beyond their closure dates”.
This will hurt investment in renewables and that could mean significant job losses in Queensland.
Queensland has eight coal-fired power stations including the last plant built in the country, Kogan Creek, which was commissioned in 2007.
All but two are due to close before 2042.
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Qld LNP leader says coal plants to stay open ‘indefinitely’
Queensland environment groups have expressed dismay after the opposition leader said he would keep open the state’s coal power plants “whilst they are needed”.
The Guardian reported last week that the party wouldextend the life of Callide unit B, which is scheduled to close in 2028 – the end of the next term of government.
Asked about the issue again today, LNP leader David Crisafulli said the state had the “youngest coal-fired power station fleet in the country”.
We will continue to ensure that they operate whilst they are needed to form part of the mix of affordable, reliable and sustainable electricity.
If elected later this month, Crisafulli has said he would cancel the gigantic Pioneer Burdekin pumped hydro scheme and instead work with the private sector to build several smaller plants.
But he could not identify a single project he would back instead when pressed on Thursday, and has not said how many he would fund. The LNP is also funding several other promises from the money saved by cancelling the dam.
There is no way the vast majority of thinking Queenslanders would want us to shut off baseload power before the capacity of the next generation of energy has been developed.
Asked if he would keep them open “indefinitely” he said “I guess the answer to that is yes”.
We need the baseload power that comes from those coal-fired power generators. We need that there. We also need to have a vision to make sure that we are part of a transition to renewable energy, but it’s got to be done in a way that makes sure that Queenslanders can continue to afford their bills whilst we work towards the future. And I genuinely do not believe the government can credibly say that they’re able to do either.
The LNP has backed the government’s 75 per cent carbon reduction target, but not their emissions target.
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Auroras likely overnight thanks to ‘severe’ geomagnetic storm, BoM says
A severe geomagnetic storm is expected to arrive overnight, bringing auroras to the Australian night sky, the Bureau of Meteorology says.
These storms occur when there is a sudden explosion of particles, energy, magnetic fields, and material blasted into the solar system by the sun (known as a solar storm). A geomagnetic storm then occurs due to the interaction of the Sun’s outburst disturbing the Earth’s magnetic field.
I have reported on many stats from the BoM but was, until today, unaware it also predicts “space weather conditions.”
Today’s forecast includes a prediction of a G4 solar storm, which the bureau categorises as “severe”, and which is expected to arrive overnight Australian time:
The solar wind is expected to become strong. G3-G4 geomagnetic conditions are expected later in the [Universal Time] day. HF radio communication conditions are expected to become degraded with the onset of the geomagnetic activity. Maximum usable frequencies are expected to be near predicted values to 30 per cent depressed. S1-S2 solar radiation storm conditions are expected with a chance for S3. Auroras may be seen at high to middle latitudes during local night hours.
Australian climatologist Andrew Watkins says the storm will arrive overnight Australian time with the best chance of seeing auroras near sunrise.
A G4 (severe) solar storm to arrive overnight. https://t.co/E2HYHodLWx
— Andrew B. Watkins (@windjunky) October 10, 2024
BoM says "G3-G4 geomagnetic conditions are expected later in the UT day [Melb time -11 hours]. Auroras may be seen at high to middle latitudes during local night hours." Best chance of auroras near sunrise pic.twitter.com/sU3zwR5R2Y
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Assault charge for attack on man in Sydney’s Ashfield upgraded to murder
An assault charge against a man has been upgraded to murder after the alleged victim of the assault died on Thursday morning in a hospital in Sydney.
Emergency services found a 76-year-old man, who had allegedly been assaulted by another man, when they were called to Ashfield just before midday on 29 Sunday September. He was taken to hospital in a critical condition.
Police arrested a 58-year-old man on 4 October, and charged him with reckless grievous bodily harm, and hinder or resist police in the execution of duty.
After police were advised earlier on Thursday that the injured man had died in hospital, the 58-year-old man’s charge was upgraded to murder.
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Australian shares hit 10-day high as traders mull Rio lithium deal
The Australian share market rose before another US inflation readout, with traders appearing to approve of Rio Tinto’s blockbuster $10bn acquisition of Arcadium Lithium, AAP reports.
The benchmark S&P/ASX200 ended Thursday up 35.6 points, or 0.43 per cent, to 8,223.0 – its highest finish since 30 September, and just half a per cent from its all-time closing high.
The broader All Ordinaries rose 41.9 points, or 0.5 per cent, to 8,498.7.
The Australian dollar was buying 67.33 US cents, compared with 67.41 US cents at Wednesday’s ASX close.
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Youth mental health expert has reservations about NSW and SA social media summit
Today’s NSW and SA social media summit is wrapping up at Sydney’s International Convention Centre.
Head of suicide prevention research at youth mental health group Orygen, Prof Jo Robinson, attended, and has some reservations. She says:
This is being dressed up by the government as a response to the youth mental health crisis. There is no commensurate investment into mental health services or supports, or crisis services.
If they are genuinely concerned about youth mental health, what else are they doing?
Robinson leads a program of research into youth suicide prevention. She says “there were some very broad claims made about social media leading to suicide” at the summit.
Suicide is complex … We’ve spent decades researching this. The overarching conclusion across the whole world is that suicide is complex. There are multiple pathways and risk factors that lead somebody into a suicidal crisis or to take their own life, and to simply blame one thing is very dismissive.
Robinson also pointed to concerns around unintended consequences of cutting off avenues for vulnerable populations to find support, and difficulty in implementation.
Young people will find a workaround … They’ll probably find their way in a less regulated, potentially more harmful environment.
When they do find themselves in trouble online, it’ll be harder for them to seek help and get the support they need.
Updated
Melbourne university vice-chancellor ‘appalled’ by protesters occupying academic’s office
The vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne has condemned “unacceptable behaviour” on campus after an academic’s staff office was occupied by pro-Palestine protesters yesterday.
In an email to the university community, sent on Thursday, Duncan Maskell, said that when he heard about the incident he was “shocked and appalled”.
This type of behaviour is completely and utterly unacceptable and stands in direct opposition to the values we hold as a university. Anyone who seeks to intimidate, harass or target other individuals is not welcome at the University of Melbourne. If the people who were involved yesterday can be identified as University of Melbourne staff members or students, we will not hesitate to initiate disciplinary processes.
Footage distributed on social media by grassroots group Unimelb for Palestine shows a number of protesters entering the office with their faces covered by keffiyehs, hoods and masks. The protesters were calling on the university to disband its joint programs with Israeli universities, citing the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which they say is partially built on, and occupies, Palestinian land.
In a statement, the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (Apan) said it stood in solidarity with the protesters and backed their demands.
Israeli universities play a key role in Israel’s occupation and settler-colonialism. They are involved in developing weapon systems used in Israel’s international law violations and war crimes across Palestine, and rationalise the ongoing colonisation of Palestinian land, while systematically discriminating against “non-Jewish” students.
Israel has rejected “false and outrageous” allegations of genocide, which are the subject of proceedings initiated by South Africa at the international court of justice.
Updated
Thank you Amy – I know I speak for so many colleagues at the Guardian in saying you’ve been an inspiration to us! It’s both an honour and possibly the worst job in journalism today to take over the blog from you, this afternoon. I will not attempt to offer any words of comfort to you, dear blog readers, because, as you know, nothing I can say can make it any easier.
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Thanks and farewell to Guardian Australia’s political reporter Amy Remeikis
I’d like to take a moment away from the political news of the day to thank Amy Remeikis, the amazing journalist who has brought it to you almost every sitting day for the past seven years with insight, knowledge, wit and humour.
We’ll miss Amy enormously at Guardian Australia and I know the readers of the politics live blog will miss her too.
Thank you Amy.
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Amy Remeikis signs off
The MPs are starting to look longingly at the exits, so we are going to hand over the blog to the lovely Natasha May, who will take you through the rest of the evening.
On indulgence, this is my last Politics Live with the Guardian. And I just wanted to steal a tiny bit of space to thank each and every one of you for the past six years. It has been the honour of my professional life to helm this blog and serve you, our audience. You have been front of mind in everything we do and I hope you know how much we appreciate you.
There would be too many people to thank, but I also hope you know that the Politics Live project is more than just one person. It works because of the passion of the entire Guardian Australia team. From the editors to the subs, the production staff, the moderators and the journalists around the country – there are a lot of people who never get thanked for the long tireless hours they put in to make sure you are as up to date as possible and that you get the context and facts you need to help you make your own decisions about the world you live in. I am indebted to them beyond measure.
The Guardian Canberra team of Karen Middleton, Paul Karp, Daniel Hurst, Sarah Basford Canales and Josh Butler are some of the greatest humans you will ever encounter. They take their journalism seriously, but more than that, they take you seriously. I am a better journalist and person for having being able to learn from them.
Gareth Hutchens, Sarah Martin, Gabby Chan and Katharine Murphy all know the mark they have left. It truly says something about the culture of the bureau that the staff turnover has been so small.
Lenore Taylor is not only a fearless leader, she is also one of the fiercest in terms of standing behind her team. She sets the standard we all try to follow.
And of course, the heart and soul of the blog – and the team – photographer Mike Bowers. I don’t think people realise just how much he contributes to what we all do. He is not only a legend, he also has the biggest heart in the building. We would all be lost without him.
But truly, my final thanks and gratitude, as ever, goes to you, our readers. You are the reason for everything we do. Your compassion, thought provoking comments and messages, disagreements and passion help drive us. You are at the heart of Guardian Australia and we do not take you from granted.
For the final time from me, please, take care of yourself and those around you. The world can be a tough place at times, but in my experience, you usually find more people to stand with you than you know. Firm, fair and kind can usually guide you through most of life’s tricky spots. Add in some humour and empathy and you’ve got a winning combination for anything.
Make sure you keep tuning in. I will be.
Take care – Amy x
Updated
Here is how Guardian Australia’s Mike Bowers saw QT:
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Qld Labor health minister hits out at opposition leader over abortion
Queensland’s LNP leader has refused to rule out a conscience vote on abortion for the fourth day straight.
David Crisafulli was asked about the Guardian’s Wednesday story that Katter’s Australian Party would introduce a private member’s bill, which might return abortion to the criminal code, as it was before 2018. The LNP has not said whether their MPs would be bound to vote against the bill.
There’s what I would call a scare campaign on one side and a political wedge campaign on the other,” Crisafulli said, in Mackay.
And I’m in the middle ensuring that Queenslanders know that we’ve ruled that out, and it’s not part of our plan.”
Meanwhile, the party’s shadow attorney general, Tim Nicholls, said the party had “ruled out changes to the termination of pregnancy laws”.
It has been made clear, and our plan is that there will be no changes to the termination of pregnancy laws, as they were put in place in 2018,” he said.
The Labor health minister, Shannon Fentiman, said the opposition leader was “lying to Queenslanders”.
He’s either lying to his LNP colleagues about a conscience vote or he’s lying to Queenslanders about the fact that the laws won’t change,” she said.
He couldn’t even utter the word abortion despite being asked his position 39 times (on Wednesday).”
Both partyies stayed in their comfort zone today, with the LNP announcing it would spend $21.5m on new prosecutors and an expanded court to speed up the criminal process. Half of it would be earmarked for resolving a backlog caused by the failure of the state’s DNA forensic lab.
Labor said it would make permanent a pilot scheme allowing pharmacists to prescribe a range of everyday low-risk drugs.
Updated
Albanese talks to premier Li about China’s recent missile ballistic test and South China Sea
Albanese also indicated that he had implored China to cease destabilising actions in the South China Sea.
I also spoke to Premier Li about the full range of regional and international security issues, including our concerns about any destabilising actions in the South China Sea, and about China’s recent missile ballistic test, our support for rules that have kept our region stable and allowed it to prosper.
Albanese said he had stressed the importance of the UN convention on the law of the sea and the need to “avoid incidents such as the ones that have occurred in the past” (a reference to incidents between China and Australia’s military in the region):
So much international trade goes through the South China Sea, and we need to have military to military engagement and cooperation and dialogue to avoid any misadventure, and I put forward our view about the importance of those international rules being upheld.
Albanese said he had also “raised a range of other bilateral and other issues” including the case of Dr Yang Hengjun, the Australian writer who was given a suspended death sentence.
The prime minister said continued dialogue with China “provides the best pathway for Australia to advance our national interest, but also to advance peace and security in our region”.
Updated
'Patient, calibrated and deliberate approach': PM touts trade progress with China
Let’s bring you more of Anthony Albanese’s comments from Laos after his meeting with China’s premier, Li Qiang:
With our patient, calibrated and deliberate approach, we’ve restored Australian trade with our largest export market, and today we discussed restarting exports of Australian live rock lobsters.
We’ve worked for the removal of trade impediments one by one. The premier pointed out the quite considerable growth that has occurred in Australian exports, including wine and barley, that has grown to be larger than what was there before there were impediments to that trade.
I’m pleased to announce that Premier Li and I have agreed on a timetable to resume full lobster trade by the end of this year. This, of course, will be in time for Chinese New Year, and this will be welcomed by the people engaged in the live lobster industry in places like Geraldton and South Australia and Tasmania and so many parts of particularly regional Australia, where this is just one of the elements that produce jobs for Australians, and that is what our priority has been.
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The last question time of the month, and we almost learned something
The absolute AUDACITY.
Do these people not understand what question time is for?
We didn’t even get anyone booted out under 94A.
Honestly. What even is this place?
Updated
Acting prime minister Richard Marles has extended question time a little longer than usual so he can give a dixer answer slamming the coalition.
And then question time, ends.
It wasn’t a rock, it was a rock lobster!
Anthony Albanese said the resumption of lobster exports to China by the end of the year was another step in improving the relationship with Australia’s largest trading partner:
“We have continued to stabilise the relationship without compromising on any of Australia’s national interests.”
Updated
Albanese says lobster exports to China will resume this year
Cutting away from question time for some breaking news from Laos: The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, says he and the Chinese premier, Li Qiang, have agreed that China will resume importation of Australian live rock lobsters by the end of this year.
Speaking after the pair met on the sidelines of a regional summit, Albanese said the removal of a trade impediment imposed by China in 2020 would be welcomed by Australian lobster exporters.
More details soon.
Updated
Liberal’s James Stevens raises Australian Research Council grants – again
You may remember earlier in the week that Liberal MP James Stevens was very worked up by some research grants awarded by the independent Australian Research Council.
Stevens released a press release earlier in the week bemoaning that “over $20m of taxpayer money has been awarded to academics for research such as ‘identifying the causes of gender bias in the staged English-language translations of ancient Greek tragedy’ and challenging the ‘protectionist myth’ that Australia is, in fact, an island continent”.
If you went to the ARC decision page and actually looked at the research grants, you found: “Australia is often defined as an isolated island-continent, ‘girt by sea’. This project aims to challenge this protectionist myth by analysing literary and historical connections between different geographical sites that have been represented as enclosed in Australian history.”
“It expects to offer new interpretations of interconnected narratives of Aboriginal Australian, South Sea Islander and migrant enclosure in Australian literature.
“The project will provide significant benefits, a more inclusive and situated understanding of Australia’s connections to the Pacific region, the intersections between colonisation, enslavement, and border protection, and Aboriginal, South Sea Islander, and migrant literatures.”
Well, he is asking about it again.
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Kevin Rudd, drag queens and the cost of living
Liberal MP Melissa Price is up next and asks:
Is it appropriate during a cost-of-living crisis when Australian families can not afford to pay their power and grocery bills, [that] the Australian Ambassador to the United States, Mr Kevin Rudd, has spent $90,000 on an alcohol-fuelled celebration [which included] drag queen DJ Kitty Glitter?
(Crystal Edge was also a guest – we will not stand for any Crystal Edge eraser here.
(This story came out a month ago, but there you go.)
Richard Marles:
Kevin Rudd is doing a remarkable job as Australia’s ambassador to the United States and there will be members on the other side who have visited the United States during his time as the ambassador who will absolutely privately attest to that.
Kevin has been a tour de force, as we all understand, in the United States Congress in a way which has created a generational change, for example, in establishing a seamless defence industrial base between our two countries. Something that has been sought to be achieved for decades.
It is his work, principally in the United States Congress and across the administration, which has brought that to fruition.
His activities as the ambassador to the United States are entirely consistent with previous ambassadors. We could all go through the process of crawling through the expenses of former ambassadors to the United States but the fact of the matter is that Kevin Rudd is there not just representing the government, he is representing us all and he is doing an excellent job.
… Kevin Rudd is going about his business of representing everybody in this chamber and in this country and Washington DC and in that effort, he is doing a sterling job.
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Chalmers: Middle East conflict putting pressure on Australian prices
Jim Chalmers takes a dixer to again speak about oil prices:
We are gravely concerned about the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East and we are primarily concerned about the human costs and consequences of that horrible conflict on the other side of the world but there are also economic consequences and we are seeing that most noticeably when it comes to the price of oil on global markets.
Think about the last year or so, the global oil prices came down about 11 per cent over the course of the last 12 months, but in the last 10 days, it has gone up seven per cent and that gives honourable members the sense of extreme volatility in that market which reflects the global uncertainty and volatility more broadly in the global economy.
So, if you think about the consequences for us, we have been making good progress in the fight against inflation.
We expect that to continue but it is also the case that some of these events are putting pressure on prices when Australians are already doing it quite tough.
This is a part of the global economic uncertainty but not the only part.
This is one of the reasons why we welcome so enthusiastically the steps that the authorities have announced to support growth and activity in the Chinese economy.
Our forecast for China over the next three years, if they happen, will be the slowest three years of economic growth in China since it opened up three years ago and that is why it is so important that the prime minister has wrapped up his meeting with Premier Li.
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Regional development minister McBain sidesteps question about grants
Nationals MP Darren Chester gets a question which is (of late) a rare event.
After almost 2.5 years in government, how many growing regions funds projects have been contracted allowing local councils to actually start work?
The minister for regional development, Kristy McBain:
I thank the member for the question, a very important question, because we have work to do coming into government, cleaning up botched regional grants programs …
(There are so many interjections, Milton Dick has to call for everyone to shut it).
McBain:
As I was saying, we have a big job to do in cleaning up … what we have done is put in place transparent grant mechanisms for the first time in a very long time. We have had a multiparty panel that has assessed those grants and announced the successful grants … and we are working with those successful applicants.
Chester has a point of order and Dick tells him that McBain is being relevant. Chester wants a number.
It was a tight question and if it assists the minister, the number is between zero and one.
McBain:
Just for the clarity of the House, none is not a number.
(There is a beat of stunned silence)
I know it took a little while to land, but that was a joke. The laughing should have come straight after I finished.
Updated
Aged care minister Anika Wells: support at home pricing determined by independent body
Independent MP Helen Haines asks what the government is doing to minimise and address travel costs for people on the NDIS at-home packages in rural and remote areas.
Providers often charge the travel costs to the client and for people in rural and regional areas, that adds up very quickly.
The minister for aged care, Anika Wells, says it is part of a review:
We are acutely aware of the challenges facing providers of quality care and better care to people in the regions and that is why, like you talk about, the new support at home program that is due to come in on the 1 July this year and represents $4.3bn worth of investment in new money for the investment to make sure that we can deliver better and higher quality services.
One of the features of support at home is … that what pricing looks like for everybody, no matter where they live, will be determined by the independent health and aged care pricing authority.
That should give some reassurance there is an independent eye looking at this and advising the government on what the prices should be so we will be looking at that advice and we are required to table in the parliament, it is very transparent so you will be able to see it to, and that will dictate what we offer by way of services and how much those services need to cost
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Rowland: ‘no time frame’ for online gambling reforms
The Liberal MP for Menzies, Keith Wolahan follows up Jenny Ware’s question on the Peta Murphy gambling ad report, with another on the same topic.
Earlier this morning, David Coleman, the shadow minister, couldn’t say how the coalition’s policy differs from the partial ban the government is proposing.
But the opposition obviously sees this as an area of discomfort for the government, so it is making sure to push hard on the bruise.
Wolahan:
It has been 470 days since the late Peta Murphy’s report was tabled concerning online restrictions for gambling. Australian parents are expecting the government to deliver on its promise of reform. Will the government make a decision this month?
Michelle Rowland: It’s complicated, and there is no time frame.
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Michelle Rowland doesn’t outline which parts of Murphy gambling report she doesn’t support
The Liberal MP for Hughes, Jenny Ware asks a good question, which makes for a nice surprise (good for a question in QT, not Ware specifically)
I refer to the June 2023 report prepared by the late Peta Murphy. A report I signed concerning online gambling restrictions. In December 2023, the minister said she would ensure the policy would be resolved “expeditiously” and would be announced “without delay.”
It is October 2024 and the government has not arrived with a policy. Of which parts of the Murphy report does the minister disagree?
Michelle Rowland gives the same answer as we hear when independent MPs ask this question:
There are three things I would say to the member. The first is that this is a report that set out some 30 recommendations, many of which go to the interaction between commonwealth and state governments and their regulatory arrangements. So we are working carefully through those with the states and I’m doing that in conjunction with a number of other ministers including the minister for social services.
It is a complex area in that aspect. It is complex because there are certain regulatory arrangements the states obviously have a keen interest in, we want to ensure that we have the most robust response when it comes to dealing with wagering harms.
The second point is, of course, we know that even the high level of gambling harms, not only in terms of economic but social consequence, that we need changes that also go to cultural change. The first is breaking the nexus between sport and wagering. The second is concentrating on the exposure of children to gambling harms and thirdly it is the saturation of ads particularly as they are targeted towards young men aged around 18 to 35.
There is a point of order that the question focused specifically on the Murphy report, but it doesn’t matter – the answer is always what the answer is.
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Sussan Ley: When did deputy PM tell PM about office bullying allegations?
Sussan Ley asks:
My question is to the deputy prime minister and I refer to the allegations made today by the chief of staff to the deputy prime minister. When did the deputy prime minister first speak to the prime minister or his office about the allegations of bullying within the deputy prime minister’s office?
Richard Marles:
As I referred to in my previous answer, I am limited in how much we can now talk about this given that this is in the hands of lawyers, but in answer to your questions specifically, what I can say is that it is evident now, on the record, that we have been, I have been, working with the prime minister’s office for months in respect of this matter, and the prime minister has been made aware of this.
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Michelle Rowland is now going into the realm of ridiculousness, by saying the Coalition has had three years to say what it would do with the NBN, even though no one has been talking about selling the NBN.
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The dixers continue around the legislation to keep the NBN in public hands, even though at this point in time, no one is trying to sell the NBN.
Allegra Spender: what is the government doing to boost productivity?
Wentworth independent MP Allegra Spender asks:
It’s well established that young, innovative firms are the answer to Australia’s sluggish productivity, yet Australia’s early-stage investment per capita is roughly a third of the United States [investment] and a bit over half of the United Kingdom.
This week, the House passed a bill that will make it harder for self-managed super to invest in early-stage ventures and we know from aggregate statistics that the large APRA funds are not going to fill the gap – their share of investment towards early-stage capital has halved in 10 years.
What specific measures is the government implementing to ensure private capital is directed towards the innovative businesses driving Australia’s next productivity boom?
Jim Chalmers says:
I will go to the specific first and then the general. When it goes to superannuation changes before the parliament, before the Senate, these are all about making sure there are still generous tax concessions for people in the superannuation system, but slightly less generous for people with the biggest balances. The honourable member knows that and we have discussed at length in this parliament as well.
Chalmers continues:
… One of the most important things we did was put together the treasurer’s investor roundtable and that is around trying to invest with challenges we have with capital flows in the economy.
Our Future Made in Australia policy, what we are doing around housing and energy and some of the big shifts in our economy is about trying to get those capital flows right but for some of those challenges the investor round table … has been an important forum, not because we have fixed every issue that the honourable member rightly raises, but because we know that we give ourselves a much better chance of addressing those issues if we work together with people inside and outside the parliament.
Updated
We have a moment of unity as Richard Marles and Peter Dutton welcome Manoa Seru Nakausabaria Kamikamica, the deputy prime minister of Fiji.
Everyone loves Fiji, except when it comes to rugby apparently.
Updated
Deputy PM addresses allegations made by chief of staff
Sussan Ley asks the next non-government question:
I refer to the allegations that were made today by the chief of staff to the deputy prime minister . Under the ministerial code of conduct, ministers have an obligation to “demonstrate and uphold the highest workplace standards including maintaining a safe and respectful workplace for their staff”.
Is the deputy prime minister satisfied he has complied with his obligations under the code?
Richard Marles says:
I thank the member for her question. And given what’s happened, it is an important question to be asked.
The short answer to the question is I am satisfied [the code has been met] but I would like to say, Jo [Tarnawsky] started working for me back in 2012 and she is someone who I have known for a long time. She is a wonderful person and in her role then and now she has given me great service and I remain deeply grateful for that.
She is a person who is completely committed to social justice in this country and I very much admire her so given all that, to state the obvious, in this moment, I feel very sad that events have got to where they have.
It is obviously very difficult.
Let me say that in the way in which I have tried to manage this, I have done so with Jo’s welfare in mind at every moment as I would try to manage things on that basis for all of my staff. As is evident, this matter is now in the hands of lawyers – of course that is absolutely Jo’s right but it does mean that it is difficult for me to say anything more on this.
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Michelle Rowland addresses social media age verification
Communications minister Michelle Rowland answers a dixer so she can speak about the age verification for social media.
This legislation is one part of a comprehensive approach this government is taking to address online safety. The attorney general delivered legislation making it a criminal offence to share nonconsensual deep fake explicit material and he is progressing important work to strengthen online privacy for children.
The social services minister and I have delivered an Australia-first dating app industry code to ensure the industry improves the safety of Australians using dating apps, especially women, and with the support of the treasurer and the finance minister, the Albanese government quadrupled ongoing base funding for safety to ensure that we are equipped to respond to online harms and has amended the basic online safety expectations so platforms must place the best interests of the child at the centre of their products and services and I’ve also brought forward by a year the independent review of online safety to ensure it is fit for purpose and I expect to receive that report in coming weeks.
As we navigate solutions for parents, we are applying these principles to our social media age limits legislation and we are also engaging with experts and advocates around the unintended consequences that young people may experience through this reform.
Updated
Question time begins
Richard Marles takes the big seat as acting prime minister and Phil Thompson opens questions with:
Daniel Keighran, who was awarded the Victorian Cross for his heroic actions in Afghanistan, has been forced to sell his medals due to cost-of-living pressures … has said, ‘The reason for getting rid of the medal is to look after my own family and it will afford the opportunity for schooling … Times are tough, especially for a family of five’.
Will the deputy prime minister apologise to Dan for the Albanese Labor government’s policies, which have led to his heartache and from so much heartache for all other Australians?
Marles:
I thank the member for his question and I actually wasn’t aware of that fact in relation to Dan Keighran and that is a very sad set of affairs. Dan Keighran is an Australian hero and whatever is the physical place of those medals, nothing takes away the honour that has been bestowed upon him rightly and the way our country should view him.
What I would say in relation to the questions of the cost of living is this.
Since we have come to power, we have been utterly focused on the economy and we have come here each and every day focused on the economy and focused on Australians in the challenges that they face in respect of the cost of living.
We get that Australians are doing it tough in the global pandemic and the aftermath of it.
Disrupted supply chains and global conflict [has led to] inflation impacting countries around the world and Australia has not been immune from that, which is why we have been utterly focused on that task at hand each and every day.
The most significant thing that we have done is to fight inflation and … inflation today is at a rate of half of that of what we inherited from those opposite because the truth is that what we inherited from those opposite was an absolute economic basket case.
The answer goes on, but you know what it says.
Updated
Cheers for David Crisafulli!
Given this is the last house question time until November, the Queensland LNP MPs are standing up to do the rah rah for David Crisafulli and the Queensland LNP.
There aren’t too many voters in this room, but the social media KPIs are being ticked off as we speak.
Updated
Victoria’s opposition leader Pesutto not sure if colleagues will hold leadership spill
Victorian opposition leader, John Pesutto, says he’s not sure if his colleagues are still planning on staging a leadership coup against him when parliament returns next week, despite a new poll that puts the Coalition in the lead for the first time in years.
Polling by RedBridge, published in the Herald Sun this morning, shows the Coalition is two points ahead of Labor on a two-party-preferred basis, 51 to 49, which is its best result since June 2017.
It comes as MPs unhappy with Pesutto over his handling of Moira Deeming’s expulsion from the party and subsequent defamation trial have begun planning a leadership spill against him. They have previously said this could occur at a party room meeting when parliament resumes on Tuesday.
Speaking at a press conference in Melton in Melbourne’s west on Thursday, Pesutto said he was not sure if his colleagues would still go ahead with their plans after the poll result:
Look, I can’t speak for any other person. Nobody’s spoken to me directly about such matters as were reported but I’m very respectful of the fact that there are rules in the party’s constitution for the parliamentary Liberal party, and if people want to use those rules, I’ll respectfully acknowledge that.
Asked if he was feeling more confident, he replied:
I think you all know me by now that I’m pretty determined and tenacious, I’ll just keep doing the work I’m doing as alternative premier and as leader of the opposition … I’m very grateful for the responsibility that I’ve been given – not only by the people of Hawthorn but my colleagues. I’m very humbled to have been given that responsibility and that opportunity, and I make the most of every second I’ve got. I‘m pleased that there seems to be more and more evidence over time that the messages we’re talking about have been positively received. I’m also conscious that support for the Allan Labor government seems to be tanking at a rapid rate.
Updated
LNP MP for Queensland’s Longman tackles hot topic of flight paths
LNP MP for Longman, Terry Young, is raising an issue that is red hot in south-east Queensland – flight paths.
It was an underrated part of the Greens’ campaign during the last federal election. As part of the door knocking campaign, the Greens said they would address it (in Brisbane).
Young is speaking about what is happening on Bribie Island, where residents are trying to have a flight path moved so it heads over the island’s national parks, rather than the residential area.
It is one of those issues that often flies under the radar – but truly can be a vote swinger.
Updated
Jim Chalmers would really like you to pay attention to his merger reforms.
We're overhauling how business mergers are screened in Australia.
— Jim Chalmers MP (@JEChalmers) October 10, 2024
Our changes will allow the ACCC to look into all high-risk mergers and we're making sure this includes every merger in the supermarket sector.
This important economic reform is part of our ambitious agenda to… pic.twitter.com/SNRG0zNgu4
Adam Bandt addresses lower house on housing
The MPs are starting to file into the House of Representatives to hear the airing of MP grievances (90-second statements).
Adam Bandt is speaking on the need for the government to take up some of the Greens’ negotiation points when it comes to the housing bills.
Not sure this speech will be the one that convinces them, given some of the faces in the chamber.
Updated
The house has moved to 90-second statements and Russell Broadbent is giving a very short valedictory speech.
Broadbent lost Liberal preselection for Monash and so is sitting on the crossbench and is unlikely to win the next election.
Updated
Dutton says deputy PM needs to publicly address claims by his chief of staff
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is calling on the deputy prime minister to respond to allegations from his chief of staff that she has been sidelined, barred from his office and told – without warning – to find another job.
Dutton told radio station 2GB on Thursday that Richard Marles should provide his version of events.
I’ve seen the media reporting of the claims,” Dutton says, referring to Guardian Australia’s report of the allegations by chief of staff Jo Tarnawsky.
And obviously, there are serious claims that are being made and the deputy prime minister will have to address the media to answer some of those claims and provide his account of what has happened here.”
Tarnawsky remains employed as chief of staff but alleges she has not had contact with Marles in five months. She alleges that in a phone conversation on 30 April, Marles told her to look for another job and that he had not raised any concerns about her performance before that.
She alleges that she was forced to take leave, subsequently has been barred from the office without giving 24 hours’ notice, and has been moved into a specially created position elsewhere in Parliament House.
A spokesperson for Marles suggests recollections differed on the events.
A number of the assertions and recollections are contested,” the spokesperson says.
Ms Tarnawsky remains a member of staff. Ms Tarnawsky has been treated with respect and courtesy. At all times, the wellbeing of staff, including Ms Tarnawsky, has been front of mind. Out of respect for Ms Tarnawsky, and the prospect of legal proceedings, it is not appropriate to make further comment.”
Updated
Question time approaches
We are now just 30 minutes out from the last question time of the month.
Please brace yourself. We have grabbed some kebabs to get through it.
Updated
NSW police investigating more than 80 cases of alleged coercive control
New data shows NSW police are now investigating more than 80 alleged cases of coercive control, just three months after the new laws were passed in that state.
Annabelle Daniel, CEO of Women’s Community Shelters says:
It’s heartening to hear that numbers of coercive control reports are continuing to rise, month on month, after the legislation commenced in effect on 1 July.
The NSW Police Commissioner has identified key issues that have concerned sector advocates around policing responses – that there is a need for better understanding of how to identify the primary aggressor in domestic and family violence matters, and that officers understand how trauma impacts victims of violence.
We need to keep media focus on this issue, and also continue to build trusting and collaborative relationships between the specialist domestic and family violence sector and police.”
Updated
NSW’s new electoral boundaries gazetted
The final step in establishing new electoral boundaries in NSW has taken place – they have been gazetted, which means they are official.
The next state election will be held using these new boundaries.
Updated
Ted O’Brien lashes out over ‘government-stacked’ nuclear energy inquiry
LNP MP Ted O’Brien is taking being outmanoeuvred by Labor on the house committee looking into nuclear energy well.
Here is the title of the media release his office has just sent out:
LABOR BLOCKS GENUINE DISCUSSION ON AUSTRALIA’S ENERGY FUTURE (sic)
But O’Brien is still willing to serve on the committee:
This narrowly scoped and government-stacked inquiry is designed to deflect attention from Labor’s failing energy policies and avoid a wide-ranging, genuine discussion that the Australian people deserve.
No matter how naked Labor’s cynicism in seeking to establish this committee, and even though it has stacked the deck and narrowed the scope entirely for political purposes, the Coalition will not refuse a debate on Australia’s energy future and thus we ultimately supported the committee’s creation.
But, in turn, I have but one request – Chris Bowen be appointed chair and, if so, I will serve as deputy chair, so he and I can thrash out issues of importance to Australia’s energy future through multiple public hearings.
Updated
State and federal government ‘need to work out the differences’ on social media restrictions
NSW premier Chris Minns says “we need to work out the differences” between the federal and state governments’ approach to banning young people in a restricted age range from social media. Speaking at a press conference held at the NSW and SA social media summit, Minns said:
As a result of the federal government’s intervention ... we’ve got a real change in on the table, and that is a national ban on social media for young people. We need to work out the differences.
Another context refresher – the prime minister’s national plan came after a push by the South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas. Minns is in favour of a social media ban for under-16s, and said he wanted to implement it “as soon as possible”.
Updated
Australian Education Union furious over school funding legislation
The Australian Education Union (AEU) says it is “beyond belief” the federal government’s school funding legislation, introduced today, is setting the floor under the previous Coalition government’s 20% cap.
The cap was introduced by the Turnbull government in 2017 – with the commonwealth to provide 20% of school funding to public schools and states and territories to provide 75% – leaving a 5% gap.
The federal president of the union, Correna Haythorpe, said while the body welcomed the move to allow the federal government to provide greater funding, it didn’t understand the impact an ongoing funding gap was having on the sector.
It is beyond belief that the Albanese government is setting this floor at the previous Coalition government’s 20% cap. There has been no genuine opportunity for consultation on this draft legislation. Further, we have the astonishing situation whereby NSW, VIC, SA, QLD and the ACT have been told that they will receive status quo funding for next year, therefore no additional money for these states.
This can only be viewed as a cynical political move against states that have held firm for a full 100% SRS on behalf of their public schools. This approach entrenches inequality for the students, teachers and families of these jurisdictions.”
Asked about opposition from the AEU towards the government’s proposal at a press conference this morning, the education minister, Jason Clare, said “most people who look at this, whether it’s the states or the unions, know how important these reforms are”.
Many of the reforms have come at the recommendation of states, of territories and of the union.
Updated
Debate on early childhood education wage rise continues
Over in the house, the debate on the early childhood education wage rise has resumed.
This one will pass without issue.
Updated
Malinauskas says Australia should be a ‘world leader’ on social media regulation for children
More from the press conference at the NSW and SA social media summit.
SA premier Peter Malinauskas urged the “opportunity” Australia has to “be a world leader when it comes to the regulation of social media and children’s access”.
He said:
The federal government, to their great credit, with bipartisan support the Coalition, we are going to see legislation introduced into the federal parliament before the end of this calendar year. We can’t welcome that enough.
There is a path to be adopted here where we can legitimately legislate and provide a degree of regulation that is fit in an area or evolving technology.
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, said plans of a national social media ban for young people in a restricted age range is about ensuring “we are not a captive of technology”:
This isn’t about stopping technology. It’s not about returning the world to the 1990s it’s not about the good old days. It’s about ensuring that technology works for us, confronting these problems as a community and not just individual parents, and lastly, ensuring that technology is working for us, and we’re not captive of technology.
He applauded Malinauskas for “leading a national conversation about access to social media, the harm that it can do for young people, and practical ways of moving the stage forward”.
Updated
Labor MP launches petition to ban surcharges paid on digital payments: ‘Australians are fed up with this rort’
Labor MP Jerome Laxale has launched a petition calling on the Reserve Bank to ban surcharges paid on digital payments, with complaints that ordinary consumers are being slugged large extra costs simply for paying with their debit cards or phones – potentially into the billions of dollars per year across the country.
The first-term Bennelong MP has been on this tilt for a while, unhappy at the extra fees we all pay when tapping our cards at retailers or paying for goods online. At a press conference launching the petition today, the Independent Payments Forum said while average debit card transactions can cost the banks about 20 cents, the fees paid by some customers could be 64 cents for a $40 takeaway purchase, $1.28 for a haircut, or up to $12 when buying a computer.
Others complained about large extra fees when paying for your car registration or concert tickets online.
In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, all of this adds up, and it’s really resonated with Australians, businesses and consumers, because it doesn’t make sense. It’s cheaper to transact in digital than it is in a non-digital alternative,” Laxale said.
We need to let the RBA know that Australians care about this, that Australians are fed up with this rort, and that the banks and the card providers need to change this system.”
Asked if the government could legislate to make this change, Laxale said it would be up to the RBA to change its regulations on such payments, but added there would be a review of those powers.
Theo Foukkare of the Australian Association of Convenience Stores called for the banning of the payments.
Most people don’t realise that when you actually just tap your card or your phone or spend your money online, you’re actually just lining the pockets of the banks with fees that are unnecessary, and that should be yours to spend,” he said.
Debit really is the new cash, and we can’t shy away from that. Fact is, it’s here to stay, so we need to see change in this area.
Updated
Tarnawsky says Albanese has a responsibility to ensure ‘safety of women’ in parliament
(Continued from previous post)
Jo Tarnawsky says it was her daughter who convinced her to speak out.
She said, ‘Mum, maybe if you told people the truth, maybe someone would help you’,” Tarnawsky said.
Bullying thrives in an environment of silence. We tell our kids if you have a secret or problem that feels overwhelming to speak up, even if your voice shakes.”
She urged Anthony Albanese, who is currently overseas, to ensure that workplace standards were always upheld.
The prime minister has committed the government to parliamentary workplace reforms, to ensuring the safety of women in this building, and to higher standards in the ministerial code of conduct,” she said. “I ask the prime minister, I ask the prime minister to support these commitments in full, no political parties immune from poor workplace behaviour, but the real test is how they handle it when it happens.”
Her lawyer, managing partner of Marque Lawyers Michael Bradley, took questions on her behalf.
Bradley said Tarnawsky was not alleging that Marles was involved in bullying her but that she is levelling that accusation more broadly at her treatment within the office.
Asked if she had lodged a formal complaint, he said that the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service had been involved in her case.
Bradley was also asked if Tarnawsky had been accused of bullying other staff or had prevented them from seeing the minister.
No such concerns have been raised with her at any point,” he said.
Bradley said she accepted trust with her employer is now broken and she cannot continue in the position.
She’s like every worker in the country, entitled to fair treatment, procedural fairness, and the rights as an employee,” he said.
Tarnawsky remains employed as Marles’ chief of staff but another staff member is acting in the role.
Updated
Jo Tarnawsky urges PM to enforce parliamentary workplace standards
The chief of staff to the deputy prime minister alleges she is being bullied out of her job and has called on the prime minister to enforce the new parliamentary workplace standards he has set, after she alleges Richard Marles blindsided her in a phone call five months ago with an edict to seek other employment. She does not allege that Marles himself has bullied her.
In a statement she delivered to media at Parliament House on Thursday without taking questions, Tarnawsky alleged she has been sidelined, refused access to her own office without giving 24 hours’ warning and encouraged to agree that the termination was mutual when she considers it was not.
The events of the last five months have been devastating,” she said.
Cut from my job and ostracised without warning, people have been unaware of my real situation. I have been plagued with nightmares, flashbacks, symptoms of depression and anxiety, panic attacks and suicidal thoughts. I had none of these symptoms before May 2024 the way that I have been treated has been cowardly, cruel and completely unnecessary.”
A spokesperson for Marles told Guardian Australia on Wednesday night that recollections about her treatment differ.
A number of the assertions and recollections are contested,” the spokesperson said.
Ms Tarnawsky remains a member of staff. Ms Tarnawsky has been treated with respect and courtesy. At all times, the wellbeing of staff, including Ms Tarnawsky, has been front of mind. Out of respect for Ms Tarnawsky, and the prospect of legal proceedings, it is not appropriate to make further comment.”
Tarnawsky said she has been told to stay away from Marles’s office.
I have not seen or heard from the deputy prime minister for months.”
On Thursday, a spokesperson declined to provide any further comment in relation to the specific bullying allegation.
(Continued in next post)
Updated
Margo Kingston logs on to machinery at anti-logging protest in mid-north NSW
Retired journalist Margo Kingston has locked on to logging machinery at Bulga state forest in mid-north New South Wales where forestry operations have recommenced in endangered greater glider and koala habitat.
Kingston, a former Sydney Morning Herald journalist and author of the book Not Happy, John about former prime minister John Howard, lives in the region and is a member of the community Save Bulga Forest group.
Kingston said:
I’m taking this action to protect this beautiful and biodiverse forest which is full of koalas and greater gliders. I am way out of my comfort zone here, it is very confronting to lock yourself to a machine like this, but if I wasn’t here, this habitat would be being decimated.
For more than a week, community members have been resisting NSW Forestry Corporation operations in the forest after spending months spotlighting for greater glider dens in the area to try to protect some habitat from harvesting.
Twelve campaigners have been arrested so far.
Veteran forest campaigner Susie Russell was preparing to appear in court on Thursday morning after she was denied bail and held in lock-up overnight.
Russell, a NSW Dunphy environmental award winner who has advocated for the region’s forests for three decades, became the 12th person to be arrested when she locked on to machinery on Wednesday. She is the first to be denied bail.
Updated
Nearly 2,000 people have left Lebanon on Australia’s repatriation flights
Nearly 2,000 Australians, permanent residents and their immediate family members have now departed Lebanon with government assistance, as Israel continues its air strikes and ground invasion.
But government sources have indicated that a decreasing take-up of seats on such flights means the government will soon be reassessing the viability of further flights.
There have now been 10 Australian government-organised flights from Beirut to Cyprus. They included two flights yesterday carrying a total of 364 passengers.
That brings to 1,988 the number of Australians, permanent residents and their immediate family members who have been assisted by the Australian government to leave Lebanon, as of this morning.
It is understood a further 3,350 Australians and their immediate family members are still registered as wanting to depart Lebanon.
Combined, the two flights yesterday had a total capacity of 660 passengers – but only 364 of the available seats were taken up.
Government sources warn it will not be possible to continue such flights indefinitely, and are urging Australians in Lebanon to take the next available flights and not wait for other options.
Two further flights are scheduled to depart Beirut today.
The government has urged Australians in Lebanon who wish to leave to ensure they are registered through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Crisis Portal or by calling the Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305.
Updated
Malinauskas says social media age limit should be consistent across Australia
Premier Peter Malinauskas says he is more concerned about an age limit being “consistent” nationally than what that age would actually be, regarding plans of a national social media ban for young people in a restricted age range announced in a draft bill by the prime minister in September.
Speaking from a press conference at the NSW and SA social media summit, Malinauskas said:
The federal government announced its intention to introduce legislation into the federal parliament. I make it clear that South Australia will support an age limit that is nationally consistent. We are far more concerned about national consistency and having a single rule where parents around the country can seek to apply than we are about what the age is.
I’m more than happy to see a flat wall being applied from 16 for everyone. I think simplicity is important here. I think consistency matters across the country.
I can’t stress enough [the] degree of urgency here. What are we waiting for when we know that children are being done harm today, they will be done harm tomorrow. So the sooner we can get a piece of legislation passed by the federal parliament, whether it be at 16 or other age, that will be a good day for young kids.
Updated
Hecs change bill passes House of Reps
A little earlier this morning, the Hecs change legislation passed the house (it will change how Hecs is indexed), making Kooyong independent Monique Ryan happy.
The bill still has to go through the senate.
The House just passed legislation to take $3billion from the HECS debts owed by 2.9 million university graduates.
— Dr Monique Ryan MP (@Mon4Kooyong) October 9, 2024
I sincerely thank the almost 290 000 Australians who signed my petition to push the govt to make this change. pic.twitter.com/NNPcZLFqHs
Updated
‘Making the justice system more punitive … is the wrong approach,’ says National Children’s Commissioner
Earlier today, the Justice Reform Initiative and the National Children’s Commissioner, Anne Hollonds have co-hosted an event with law and justice leaders, parliamentarians, First Nations leaders, child safety advocates, community service providers, peak organisations, and people with lived experience of child imprisonment to talk about the youth justice system.
More than 120 representatives, including former governor general Dame Quentin Bryce and members of parliament from all sides of politics, discuss “the urgent need for systems reform and for child justice, safety and wellbeing to be made a national priority”.
The event follows the tabling in Parliament of the National Children’s Commissioner’s major report ‘Help Way Earlier!’ How Australia can transform child justice to improve safety and wellbeing, and her address at the National Press Club last week.
Among its 24 recommendations, the ‘Help Way Earlier!’ report specifically calls for:
a National Taskforce for Child Justice Reform
a National Cabinet Minister for Children
a Ministerial Council for Child Wellbeing reporting to National Cabinet
legislation to protect the human rights of children.
National Children’s Commissioner, Anne Hollonds:
The evidence shows that the younger you lock up children, the more likely it is that they will go on to commit more serious and violent crimes. Making the justice system more punitive through longer sentences, tougher bail laws, and building more children’s prisons is the wrong approach.
That’s because offending by children is a symptom of underlying causes and needs that we are failing to address. Instead we need to pivot towards the solutions based on decades of evidence, to transform our approach and work together across the federation to address the underlying causes of crime by children, and that will make communities safer for everyone.
Updated
Minns says he’s not aware of his office briefing MPs not to speak about Palestine
At the same press conference, Minns said he wasn’t aware of any instances of his office calling MPs to tell them not to speak up about Palestine.
As we reported earlier this morning, the Labor MP Anthony D’Adam said the premier had “not sought to hide his position” in relation to the Israel-Gaza war and claimed government MPs were afraid to show their support for Palestine because of it.
The premier and his office have, I know, spoken to MPs behind the scenes when they have made public comment around these issues to dissuade them from voicing those views,” D’Adam told Guardian Australia.
Asked about D’Adam’s comments at the press conference, Minns said:
I don’t know of those incidents.
It would be very clear from my office and the leadership of the government that the policies that we’re implementing all have one purpose – that is we can’t do much about violence in the Middle East from Sydney, but we can do and will do everything we possibly can to reduce violence in Sydney.
That’s a difficult thing to navigate. I’m not pretending that it’s easy, but we’re going to work with police to introduce policies to keep people safe, and that has to be our priority.
Minns sacked D’Adam from his parliamentary secretary roles earlier this year after he criticised NSW police tactics at a pro-Palestine demonstration.
He also publicly reprimanded Stephen Lawrence after the first-term Labor MP accused Israel of the “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians in 1948 and 1967 and denying their right of return during a speech to parliament last year.
Updated
‘We’re not going to have a perfect bit of legislation here,’ say NSW and SA premiers over social media laws
Taking you back to Sydney’s International Convention Centre, where the first day of NSW and SA social media summit is being held.
NSW premier Chris Minns and SA premier Peter Malinauskas addressed press a short while ago.
Asked about whether anyone younger than 16 who are already on social media platforms would would have to be taken off, Minns clarified that the legislation would be applicable to anyone turning 16 the day after it is introduced:
You could have a situation where a 14-year-old today [has] access to social media, for example, until 16. Someone that turns 14 the day after the legislation introduced wouldn’t.
So we’re not going to have a perfect bit of legislation here, but we can’t let [that] be the enemy of the good.”
For context: in September, prime minister Anthony Albanese announced a national ban would be in place before the next election, after a push by the South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, gained support among other states and territories.
Minns has come out in favour of a social media ban for under-16s. On the weekend he said he wanted to implement it “as soon as possible” to combat the platforms that he said were conducting a “global, unregulated experiment on young people”.
Updated
Chris Minns denies losing control of Labor caucus over stance on Gaza protests
The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, has denied losing control of the Labor caucus after several of his MPs criticised his stance on pro-Palestine protests.
Minns faced a backlash from some government MPs after he told 2GB radio on Tuesday that taxpayers would want NSW police to deal with crime instead of patrolling weekly pro-Palestine rallies, which he said had cost $5m in 2024.
As Guardian Australia reported earlier this morning, some MPs were alarmed by Minns’ comments that police should have the power to reject a “public assembly” application for a protest based on the cost of patrolling the rally.
At a press conference a short time ago, Minns was asked if he had lost control of the Labor caucus. He replied:
Absolutely not.
We’ve made it very clear from the very beginning of the protests that started almost 12 months ago that our priority was peace and security and social cohesion in NSW.
And my cabinet, I believe the vast majority of my parliamentary party are completely behind, not just the government’s policies, but that sentiment.
Updated
‘The world needs to see the race to cut climate pollution as an all-out sprint,’ says Climate Council
While the parliament has been fighting over how many MPs from each party can be on a house committee looking at nuclear energy, the Climate Council is trying to direct attention to new science which has found we need to act on cutting green house gases, seriously fast.
In a new study published in the journal Nature, scientists warn that overshooting 1.5C of warming will lead to changes that cannot be reversed for decades or longer, and that the world needs to see the race to cut climate pollution as an all-out sprint.
This research follows yesterday’s release of the grim report, 2024 State of the Climate Report: Perilous Times on Planet Earth, which warned current policies are leading to “perilous times” in a hothouse Earth, and that we are already experiencing record land and ocean temperatures, coral bleaching, reduced sea ice extent, and forest loss.
Climate Council CEO Amanda McKenzie:
Yet again, scientists are warning of the catastrophic consequences of the climate crisis. We’ve seen those consequences hit Australia with massive fires and floods of a scale never seen before.
Yes, progress is being made, with 40% of Australia now powered by renewables. But cuts to climate pollution must be accelerated right now.
Updated
Senate committee investigating Coalition's nuclear plan passes House of Representatives
Back to the nuclear committee proposed by the government: it has passed the House, as expected. The government proposal called for seven members, including four from the government, two from the opposition and one crossbench member.
The shadow energy spokesperson and chief nuclear booster Ted O’Brien sought to amend that to allow three Labor and three Coalition – but was unsuccessful, the government ensuring it kept a solid majority on the committee it set up to further probe Peter Dutton’s nuclear plan.
It is asked to report back with its findings by the end of April 2025. Very conveniently, the election must be held by May 2025.
We’ll look forward to seeing how the government uses this committee process to investigate the Coalition’s nuclear plan.
Updated
Labor ‘open to ways’ to improve international student cap bill
The education minister, Jason Clare, says the federal government will “consider” recommendations made in a committee report into the proposed international student caps and is “open to looking at ways that improve the legislation”.
The report, tabled yesterday evening, recommended the bill be passed with significant amendments, including removing the ability to set course-level enrolment limits.
Clare said the government would continue to welcome international students in a way that was “sustainable and reinforces quality”:
The government is implementing a managed system for the international education sector, which strengthens integrity and makes it more sustainable. Setting limits is also a fairer way to manage this important sector. It shouldn’t just be the big metro unis that benefit from international students, but our regional universities too.
The government will consider the committee’s recommendations and is open to looking at ways that improve the legislation.
Updated
Student arrested at pro-Palestine protest charged with assaulting police
A student who was arrested at Western Sydney University during a pro-Palestine protest on campus on Wednesday has been charged with assaulting police.
The 20-year-old was also charged with resisting police arrest. He was one of two Western Sydney University (WSU) students arrested at the protest, with another 23-year-old also charged with resisting police arrest and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Legal Observers NSW said the protest, which was attended by 50 people, marched around campus and then entered the Chancellors building and declared they would occupy the space. Two to three police officers usually attend the campus protests, Legal Observers said, but after the students entered the building more police arrived.
In footage of the protest distributed by the social media page WSU 4 Palestine Collective, police are seen attempting to remove a banner from protesters while they resist, amid cries of “it’s a banner, it’s not a weapon”. In another video, five police are seen arresting one of the students.
Police said that the protesters allegedly assaulted two security guards and two officers alleged they were injured but did not require treatment.
A number of students, according to student statements collected by Legal Observers NSW, said they saw one of the students who was arrested pushed against a wall by multiple police. The other was carried out by police by his legs and arms.
Both students were granted bail, with the student who was charged with assaulting police required to report to a police station daily, according to Legal Observers NSW. Under the bail conditions, both students are only allowed to attend WSU for the purpose of going to class or studying.
Both students will appear before Burwood local court on 4 November.
Updated
Greens say merger laws ‘missed the chance’ for forced divesture powers
The Greens’ Nick McKim says his party is yet to come to a position on Jim Chalmers’ new merger laws, but he is disappointed the legislation is missing the chance to include divesture powers:
Labor has missed the chance to take the bold action needed: create the power to break up duopolies and oligopolies through forced divestiture.
Big corporations already hold too much power, and simply trying to prevent them from getting bigger won’t fix the problem. What we need is to create competition by breaking up corporations when they misuse their market power.
McKim says regulators and the courts need the power to be able to “force the divestiture of corporations that have monopolised industries, including supermarkets, airlines and energy companies”.
Without these powers, we’ll continue to see price gouging, rising costs of living, and Australians paying the price for unchecked corporate greed.
Updated
One expert says social media age regulation would be ‘amazing’ for changing norms
Dr Jean Twenge says delaying when a young person has access to social media is needed, and government regulation would be “amazing”. She is speaking at the NSW and SA social media summit:
We also just have to work on changing the norm. This has to be group solutions. This is why regulation at the governmental level is would be so amazing.
If it were suddenly, ‘hey nobody 15 or under can have social media,’ it would be a complete gamechanger, because if it was really well regulated, then that argument goes away.
Updated
Labor’s wishlist for the House committee on nuclear energy
The government is seeking to establish a relatively rare House select committee into nuclear energy to investigate details around “deployment of small modular reactors in Australia” – the type of power the Coalition wants to build around the nation with its relatively detail-sparse plan.
Labor wants to set up the committee, which they want to “specifically inquire into and report on the consideration of nuclear power generation, including deployment of small modular reactors, in Australia” – including issues around timeframes, waste management and storage, water use, state and local government policy frameworks, risk management for natural disasters and the impact on energy prices.
We expect the government will use the committee to try and interrogate the issues around the Coalition’s plan (ie poke holes in it), as well as speak to local communities that have been earmarked for a plant about whether they actually want it or not.
The government has been regularly pointing out that we still don’t know many major details about Peter Dutton’s alternative energy plan, including how much it would cost to build seven nuclear facilities and how much it would affect energy generation or costs.
The House is currently voting on the exact details and terms of reference of the committee, but considering the government has a majority there, we expect it’ll go exactly as they want it. We’ll bring you more when the final result comes in.
Updated
More from the social media summit
Dr Jean Twenge, a professor of Psychology at San Diego state university, is addressing the social media summit.
She links data showing increasing levels of loneliness, depression and self harm in young people to the introduction and increased presence of social media in young people’s lives:
You know what happened at the end of 2012 [when] this happened? That was the first time that most people in Western democracies owned a smartphone.
We see social media and smartphones increasing at the same time as these serious mental health issues around the world.
Twenge points to less sleep, less in-person interaction, cyberbullying, social comparisons, sexual exploitation, fear of missing out and body image issues as negative consequences of young people’s use of social media.
Updated
Voluntary agreement entered into after United Airlines breaches biosecurity measures
The Department of Agriculture has had to enact the Pistol and Boo protocol. From its statement:
An international airline has entered an enforceable undertaking with the Australian government after it failed to declare two dogs’ arrival to the country, breaching Australian biosecurity measures.
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, which has regulatory powers for Australia’s biosecurity as part of the Biosecurity Act 2015, found United Airlines had breached its reporting requirements twice, once in Brisbane in March 2024 and in Sydney December 2022, for failing to report a dog’s arrival by plane to Australia.
The dogs were assessed and managed by the department’s veterinary officers to ensure they met biosecurity requirements, including quarantine.
The US-based airline also failed to meet prescribed disinsection measures, which include procedures to control or kill the insect vectors of human diseases and agricultural pests or other insects and did not provide biosecurity officers with information when requested, both in August 2023.
The airline has “voluntarily agreed to meet a number of requirements over the next 15 months and will be monitored by the department. These include revising their internal processes, systems, and training”.
Updated
SA premier compares social media regulation to drugs and smoking
SA’s premier, Peter Malinauskas, is now addressing the opening ceremony of the NSW and SA government’s social media summit. He likens regulation of social media for young people to regulation of alcohol and drugs:
Governments, particularly in liberal democracies, have always sought to act and lead to try and protect young people from outside forces that otherwise would deny them that optimism and that infectious youthfulness.
We’ve regulated access to a whole range of products and services, alcohol, drugs, cigarettes.
We do so in the knowledge that legislation is a blunt tool. It can arm not just young people, but also parents, society writ large, with the tools that can allow us to implement a clearer path, a more positive definition of what healthy relationships can look like.
Updated
Parliamentary bullrush over nuclear committee
The shadow energy minister, Ted O’Brien, is trying to set up a select parliamentary committee to look into nuclear energy based on the Coalition’s proposal – not the government’s proposal – with a fight going on in the House of Representatives over how many members from each chamber and what party should be on it.
This is because a government/independent-heavy committee would probably come to very different conclusions than an opposition-heavy committee. So it’s a game of parliamentary committee bullrush.
But in making his very impassioned speech to the parliament (nothing gets O’Brien worked up like nuclear) he has also revealed that he’d survive undercover in the movie Inglourious Basterds – O’Brien is a fan of the “German three”. IYKYK
Updated
NSW and SA premiers open social media summit
Hello! It’s Rafqa Touma here — I’ll be bringing the blog updates from the two-day NSW and SA social media summit at Sydney’s International Convention Centre today.
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, is joined by the SA premier, Peter Malinauskas, in opening the event. Minns tells the room – which is filled with community members, experts and high school student-age delegates – evidence shows changes to ban phones in schools had been a huge success.
A healthy skepticism doesn’t make you backward … if you’re concerned about your kids and the impact these sites are having on their mental health or their body image or their sense of personal confidence in the world.
We think that you’re right to be concerned, and we want to get the information on the table to make the best decisions, not just from governments, but for communities and families.
In September, Anthony Albanese announced a national ban would be in place before the next election, after a push by Malinauskas gained support among other states and territories.
Minns has come out in favour of a social media ban for under-16s. On the weekend he said he wanted to implement it “as soon as possible” to combat the platforms that he said were conducting a “global, unregulated experiment on young people”.
Updated
Patrick Gorman:
There’s something very curious in the paper today. Incredibly curious. Which was a suggestion from the front bench of the Liberal National Party that we should move the date of Parliament because of the Melbourne Cup.
Now, I’m pretty happy to do my job. The people of Perth elected me to do my job. And what we’ve got now, some of Peter Dutton’s most senior shadow ministers are saying we should move Parliament so they can go to the Melbourne Cup.
That’s ridiculous. The people of Australia didn’t elect us to go down and sip champagne in some fancy marquee in Melbourne. They elected us to do our job in Canberra.
And if Mr Dutton and his frontbenchers think that we should change the dates of Parliament so they can go to the Melbourne Cup, well, they should come into Parliament today and move that motion.
I dare them; if they really think that the Australian people with all of the things they expect of the Parliament right now, if they really think the Australian people would have any patience at all for the idea that you would change the dates of Parliament just so a bunch of senior politicians in the Liberal Party and the National Party can go down and put the fascinator on and polish up their shoes in a fancy suit, they’ve got something else coming.
It just shows how seriously out of touch the Liberal Party and the National Party are - that they want to cancel Parliament so they can go to the Melbourne Cup.
I challenge Peter Dutton, I challenge Dan Tehan to walk into Parliament this morning and move a motion to change the date of Parliament so that they can go to the Melbourne Cup. I think they’ll get a rude shock from the Australian people to see them trying to get out of their job. People in my electorate, people all over Australia, do their job on Melbourne Cup Day. Nurses, police, bus drivers, all have to rock up during the Melbourne Cup. I don’t know why the Liberal Party and the National Party think that they should be able to go, put the fascinator on, polish up their shoes, wear the top hat, and go to the Melbourne Cup.
There were no questions.
Subject line sniping
When an MP’s staff send out transcripts of their boss’s media appearances, they always include a subject line.
Once upon a time, this was literally just a subject line. Then Sussan Ley’s team began sending out subject lines with the “tone” they wanted the transcript read through, so it was a lot of “this weak government’s horrible approach to XX”-style lines.
Ley’s team held the mantle of most imaginative subject lines, but the assistant minister to the prime minister’s team (Patrick Gorman) have really come into their own in recent months. Today’s may be some of their greatest work. Quote:
Subjects: Parliament; Hurricane Milton; The Coalition’s ridiculous plan to cancel Parliament for the Melbourne Cup, so that they can go and sip champagne in some fancy marquee in Melbourne for the Melbourne Cup, with their fascinators and top hats on.
Updated
Survey finds cost of living is major barrier to accessing mental health treatment
Wayahead, the mental health association of NSW, conducted a survey on mental health perceptions and experiences across Australia and found that nearly half of the 2,000 respondents identified cost of living as the biggest barrier to receiving treatment. Wayahead’s CEO, Sharon Grocott, said “no one should have to compromise their mental wellbeing due to financial difficulties” and said it was time to make it more accessible.
She said the survey also found people still felt there was a stigma around discussing their mental health:
The survey further revealed that 86% of 25 to 34-year-olds and 60% of 65 to 74-year-olds conceal their mental health challenges due to fears of stigma and judgment from friends and people in the workplace.
This stigma is a particular concern for men, with 40% of male respondents identifying their friends as the primary source of judgment when discussing mental health issues.
Updated
James Paterson continues attack lines over Palestinian visa holder
Liberal senator James Paterson has held another doorstop on the back of a Sky News interview (is it even a sitting week if James Paterson isn’t on Sky News at least three times) where he tried to relitigate his issues from yesterday.
The hook for today was Tony Burke did not answer questions yesterday. Unfortunately, we sat through question time and Burke answered five versions of the same question Paterson is raising today.
There were no questions for Paterson at the end of the spiel. Almost like … people already knew the answers?
Updated
Greens commit to independent commission on poverty
The Greens have announced an election commitment to establish an independent commission that would define and eliminate poverty in Australia.
Australia currently has no set definition for poverty, but the 2023 report from the Australia Council for Social Services shows it is increasing, with one in eight adults and one in six children living below the breadline.
The Greens’ spokesperson on social services, Senator Penny Allman-Payne:
Under Labor, there are more than three million Australians living in poverty, including one in six children. Many of those people are either unable to access income support, or are relying on payments that are among the lowest in the OECD.
Despite being one of the wealthiest countries on earth, successive Labor and Coalition governments have made policy choices that deliberately keep people in poverty, including refusing to raise jobseeker and youth allowance above the poverty line.
The Poverty and Inequality Commission (PIC) would replace the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee (EIAC). The government has ignored calls from the EIAC to increase support payments.
The commission would have the power to examine the level of poverty in Australia; review the adequacy of social security payments; and develop a national definition of poverty.
The government would be required to publicly respond to the commission’s reports and recommendations, and parliament would be able to scrutinise appointments to the commission via a joint parliamentary committee.
The PIC would have up to 12 paid commissioners and a paid president, including members with direct contemporary lived experience of poverty, with a structure comparable to the productivity commission.
The PIC would begin operating on July 1, 2026, and has been costed by the PBO at $99.5m in its first two years.
Updated
Butler says subsidised mental health sessions designed primarily for mild-to-moderate needs
One of the criticisms of how mental health is treated in Australia is that for many people, adequate care is too expensive.
Mark Butler is asked about the mental health plan, which gives people access to 10 subsidised sessions of psychological care – but for a lot of people, it’s not enough. There have been numerous calls from experts to have the cap lifted. Butler says:
That number of 10 sessions has been in place for most of the last 20 years, except for a short period during Covid, where it was increased to deal with the impact of Covid.
The reason for that really is that that particular scheme your guest was talking about was focused and designed for people with more mild-to-moderate needs that usually would be able to be resolved or assisted with four to six sessions of psychological therapy, by and large.
What we’ve seen that the sort of client that your guest talks about, maybe with more complex and severe issues like bipolar disorder, [they] were never really intended to be the client group of that scheme. [Those issues are] supposed to be dealt with [with] … more focused support.
We’re rolling out new Medicare mental health centres for people with those more moderate-to-severe needs and also recognising that there really isn’t the stepped model of care that we need in mental health.
Because, frankly, people have a very broad range of mental health needs, from relatively short-term, mild-to-moderate needs because of the impact of a life crisis like a divorce or a bereavement to quite complex and severe needs if they’ve got lifelong disorders like psychosis or bipolar disorder.
At the moment, we don’t really have those different steps to ensure that people are getting the right care for their particular needs, and that’s something we’ve been working with the mental health sector on for the last 12 months.
Updated
Butler: mental health is not merely a ‘temporary’ or ‘short-term’ crisis
Does the health minister, Mark Butler, believe there is a mental health “crisis” in Australia? It’s world mental health day, hence the renewed focus.
He tells ABC radio Sydney:
Yes, the challenge with the word crisis is it makes it seem like it’s a relatively short-term thing – it’s only recently arrived, and hopefully, if we respond, it will be over quickly. But we’ve seen a steady and pretty substantial rise in mental distress now for 20 years, particularly among young people, but among adults as well.
Yes, we have a huge burden on our community from mental health but it’s not a temporary thing, it’s not short-term. It’s been a feature of our society, societies across the world for many, many years, and frankly, we haven’t done well enough to respond to it.
Updated
Chalmers speaks on potential commodities price spike from Middle East tensions
Asked whether the “tensions in the Middle East” are good for the budget – “as we saw in the commodity price spike in the early days of the Ukraine-Russia war” – Jim Chalmers says:
I don’t see it that way. And I think don’t think about it in those terms. You know, I think what is happening in the Middle East is a disaster, and that’s because we are humans first, and too many innocent lives have been lost and are being lost in a dangerous part of the world.
So that’s our primary focus. We’re focused on getting Australians out.
But there are economic consequences as well. … The last 15 years has been marked by periods of really substantial global economic uncertainty, and right now weakness in the Chinese economy, combined with the economic consequences of an escalation in the Middle East, this is creating some substantial concern and volatility in the global economy, and that’s why we don’t see it in the terms that you’ve put to us.
The iron ore price, some of our bulk commodity prices have come up a bit. That has largely been a reaction to the statements made by the Chinese authorities when I was in Beijing.
And so we’ve seen the iron ore price come up considerably. But it’s very volatile. Those of you who watched the iron ore price even just this week … when there was an expectation [that] more Chinese support for growth wasn’t forthcoming. In one press conference, [we saw] a $5 fluctuation in a couple of days in the iron ore price.
And so I think that just all gives us a sense whether it’s global oil, iron ore, coal, other important exports. [It] gives you a sense of how jumpy people are in the global economy. And I think in lots of ways, that’s not unwarranted.
Updated
Chalmers on oil prices
In his press conference explaining the merger law reforms he is about to introduce, Jim Chalmers also asked about the spike in oil prices and what that will mean for consumers.
Our Paul Karp asked whether consumers would be gouged and Chalmers said:
Obviously, we are concerned in at a time when the global oil price is increasing.
We don’t want to see the service stations take Australian motorists for mugs, and we want to make sure that the global price is appropriately reflected in the price that people pay at the bowser.
People are under enough pressure already. We don’t want to see the service stations do the wrong thing by people.
The petrol price has been much lower in the last little while than at most times of the last couple of years ... We have seen the global oil price come down considerably over the course of the last year, but spike in the last week and a half for obvious reasons, and we want to make sure that people are treated in the right way when they fill up their car.
Updated
Minns: NSW is looking for ‘extra help’ on public education funding and ‘we can’t settle for anything less’
The Senate will be looking at Jason Clare’s education funding bill but it is not guaranteed to pass, with key crossbenchers unhappy with the government’s offer. As are the states, as Caitlin Cassidy outlined here:
Chris Minns is one of the premiers holding out. He told the ABC a little earlier:
It’s a standoff. Ultimately, the federal government has deeper pockets. We’ve got real needs when it comes to public education in the state.
We currently fund most of public education in New South Wales. We need a bit of extra help from the commonwealth government and when you consider most kids in the state are educated in the public system, we can’t settle for anything less.
So I’m sorry, I know they’re the same political persuasion as us, the same political party, but my obligation is to New South Wales and that’s particularly so for the next generation going through our public education system.
Updated
Buckle in for parliament’s last session this month
The last parliament session for this month will start in about 30 minutes.
The lovely people at About the House have you covered for what is going on in the house:
Good morning!🌞The House is scheduled to sit at 9 am (AEDT) today.
— Australian House of Representatives (@AboutTheHouse) October 9, 2024
ℹ️ See the full program here: https://t.co/l7dKwiiSP1
▶️ Watch live here: https://t.co/8DB1X3SZS3. pic.twitter.com/4czvUDrn3C
Updated
Albanese speaks on sideline meeting with Chinese premier at Asean
Anthony Albanese arrived in Laos late last night for the Asean summit and, as is tradition with these sorts of trips, held a mock doorstop interview where he spoke about how happy he was to be in (insert international summit host city here).
He was also asked what his message would be to China, given he will hold a sideline’s meeting with the Chinese premier, Li Qiang. There are official meetings at these summits – but then there are the unofficial-but-still-official sideline chats, which are set up in advance but are shorter and less structured than the official-official meetings.
Albanese:
My message will be a consistent one, which is that we’ll cooperate where we can, we’ll disagree where we must, and we’ll have some direct discussions about some of the disagreements that are there, but also that it is in our interest to communicate with China, which is our largest trading partner.
Updated
The (draft) parliamentary schedule for 2025
The draft sitting calendar for 2025 has kindly been passed on by a blog watcher. It’s subject to change because of the little thing known as a federal election, of course, but at this point the parliament is due to sit from 4 February for two weeks.
The budget sittings are set down for 25 March to 27 March.
Then there is the break, with parliament resuming from 6 May and continuing until 26 June.
The next grouping of sittings are set down between 5 August and 27 November.
But all of this is moot – because the election is to be held before May. At this stage, that looks like happening in April/early May, but don’t rule out March either.
Updated
Dreyfus details bill implementing two robodebt royal commission recommendations
The Albanese government is introducing a bill to implement two recommendations of the robodebt royal commission:
Imposing a statutory duty on agency heads and the public service to assist the ombudsman; and
Establishing a new offence for withholding reasonable assistance from the ombudsman so they can get records
The bill also enhances the ombudsman’s ability to undertake full, independent and transparent investigations, including modernising information-gathering powers to enable remote access to agency records. The attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, said:
Legislation introduced today will help protect Australia against any repeat of the former Liberal government’s illegal and immoral robodebt scheme by ensuring commonwealth agencies are subject to stronger and more rigorous scrutiny ...
The royal commission found that some officials and agencies engaged in behaviour designed to mislead the ombudsman and impede their investigation into the robodebt scheme.
The bill will ensure this can never happen again.
Updated
Payman: no concerns over anti-Islam group also known as Australia’s Voice
The former Labor senator Fatima Payman announced her own political party, Australia’s Voice, yesterday.
She spoke to ABC News Breakfast this morning about the announcement and was asked whether she had concerns about her new party name being similar to an anti-Islam group known as Australian’s Voice, Payman said:
That doesn’t concern me. We have nothing do with that party. We don’t even know if it’s still active. So when I heard about these rumours yesterday, it was no concern for me because Australia’s Voice is a voice for every Australian out there who is disenfranchised, who is sick and tired of the duopoly that the major parties -–like Coles and Woolies – have had over our political system and our democracy for way too long and we need minor parties and independents to keep them honest and accountable.
Updated
Coalition says it has no intention of ‘changing the ownership structure of the NBN’
The opposition communications spokesperson, David Coleman, is speaking to ABC radio RN, criticising the government’s legislation designed to keep the NBN in public hands.
He is having trouble saying whether the opposition will support the bill, or whether a future Coalition government would want to sell the NBN.
Coleman:
We’re not going to just sort of immediately jump at some silly theatrical statement from the government. The adults in the room will review this in a normal way.
Pressed on whether the Coalition wants to sell the NBN, Coleman says:
We’ve got no intention of changing the ownership structure of the NBN. Nobody does. And frankly, because the NBN is going so badly, there’s not exactly a lineup of people [wanting to buy it].
Updated
More details on today’s social media summit
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, and the SA premier, Peter Malinauskus, are holding a joint summit today to talk about the impacts of social media.
It is quite possibly the most leaders of NSW and South Australia have spoken since 1836 when SA was established as a free settlement after colonisation and took a slice from the NSW colony in the process.
Minns and Malinaukus are united in taking the lead on this issue – Malinaukus commissioned the report which got the federal government heading down an age ban for social media path, and Minns is on board with helping to shape what that will look like.
Malinaukus says he wants to listen to parents, telling ABC News Breakfast:
Parents are crying out for a degree of certainty, they’re crying out for government guidance, a lot more rule that people can follow. That doesn’t mean there won’t be challenging but at least provides a starting point for parents. It gives them a tool about how to address this and parents who have gone through all this and all the pain that social media can place upon their children, they’re the ones I think are the most powerful advocates for this reform.
There are a few sticking points with this idea, though. The federal government says it will have legislation on it by the end of the year – but there is still debate over whether parents should be held responsible if their children do find a way to get on social media while underage and if there should be a punishment attached to that. There is talk already of allowing teens and kids who are already on social media to stay on it as an exemption to the laws. And child and mental health advocates say it takes away from the focus on the social media platforms and their responsibility to create safe spaces.
Updated
Chalmers details merger law changes
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is holding a bright and early press conference – he’ll be in the blue room (called that because – well, it’s blue and it’s a room) where he will be talking about the upcoming merger legislation.
He’s been calling it the biggest change to mergers law in 50 years (not sure there have been that many changes to start with). In an op-ed published in the AFR, Chalmers describes the changes as:
Firstly, any merger will be looked at if the Australian turnover of the combined businesses is above $200m, and either the business or assets being acquired has Australian turnover above $50m or global transaction value above $250m.
Secondly, the ACCC will look at any merger involving a very large business with Australian turnover more than $500m buying a smaller business or assets with Australian turnover above $10m.
Finally, to target serial acquisitions, all mergers by businesses with combined Australian turnover of more than $200m where the cumulative Australian turnover from acquisitions in the same or substitutable goods or services over a 3-year period is at least $50m will be captured, or $10m if a very large business is involved.
Updated
Report into youth justice to be launched today
The national children’s commissioner, Anne Hollonds, will publicly launch her grim report on the reality of Australia’s youth justice system at parliament house in Canberra on Thursday.
As first reported by Guardian Australia in July, the report details disabled children in detention being allegedly kept “in cages” in police watch houses. Hollonds interviewed 150 children in the youth justice system and found that prisons detaining children are where “the most egregious breaches of human rights are occurring in this country”.
The report calls for a ban on solitary confinement practices in child detention facilities and the establishment of a national taskforce for reform of child justice systems.
Guardian Australia previously reported the high rates of children in detention with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder and other brain injuries.
The launch will be attended by the chair of Justice Reform Initiative, Robert Tickner, the Law Council of Australia’s president, Greg McIntyre, the Australian Medical Association’s president, Dr Danielle McMullen, and young people with lived experience. McMullen said:
This report is an incredibly sobering read, as it contains many uncomfortable truths about youth justice in Australia – egregious human rights violations, the overincarceration of First Nations children and young people dying in custody.
She called for the report’s recommendations to be implemented – especially raising the age of criminal responsibility in all jurisdictions to 14 years. Read more:
Updated
Good morning
Hello and welcome to the final sitting day for October – and the final joint sitting day until 18 November. (And a very big thank you to Martin for starting us off early)
You are almost at the end of the parliamentary sitting year – there is just two joint sitting weeks left in the year and one week of estimates and house sitting – and then you are done! (And officially in election mode)
But there is a bit to get through until then. Today is another attempt by the government to get people to focus back on the domestic agenda and what it says it has done. You’ve got the acting prime minister, Richard Marles, with Anthony Albanese in Laos for the Asean conference, so question time should be interesting.
On the Guardian side of things, you have Karen Middleton, Paul Karp, Daniel Hurst, Josh Butler and Sarah Basford Canales taking you through the parliament day and Mike Bowers who will take your eyes there too. He’s already walking the hallways, working out what’s what. You also have me, Amy Remeikis, on the blog with you and the entire Guardian brains trust at your disposal.
It’s a five-coffee day. And absolutely a day for cake for breakfast.
Ready?
Let’s get into it.
Updated
University of Sydney spent $12m on contractors to sort staff underpayments
The University of Sydney has spent millions of dollars more on external contractors and consultants – including PwC – calculating and administering liability for wage underpayments than it has paid out to staff, answers provided to the Greens have revealed.
In the answers to supplementary questions, provided to chair of the NSW education committee, Greens MLC Abigail Boyd, it was revealed the university had repaid 514 casual staff a total value of $2.8m as of last month, while across all “remediation work streams”, it had paid 10,692 professional staff a total value of $17.4m.
At the same time, the costs of its employee payment review program from 2020 to 2024 was $21.6m. External contractors, advisers and consultants had been engaged at a cost of $12.3m.
In its latest annual report, the university anticipated liabilities for wage underpayments of $7.4m to ongoing employees, and a further $70.1m to casual academic staff - the vast majority of which remained unpaid.
Boyd said the latest revelations were a “damning indictment” speaking to a “broken governance culture” at prestigious universities.
They’ve gotten away with so much, for so long, with next to no accountability. It’s past time we had a look under the hood of these public institutions, with a proper inquiry into their governance.
A spokesperson for the University of Sydney said paying people for their work was “imperative” and as was standard, it had brought in consultants to provide independent advice alongside a review.
We are continuing to identify and remediate any past underpayments. The bulk of the work to date has been investigating and calculating incidences of underpayment across this period, ahead of remediation and payment of backpay.
Our priority is to pay people as quickly as possible however this is complex and important work, and it must be accurate. Multiple sources of historic information need to be analysed over a period of 13 semesters to correctly classify the work completed, identify any incorrect payments and calculate the individual remediation amounts.
Labor to introduce school funding reforms
The federal government will today introduce legislation allowing the commonwealth to provide extra funding to public schools in excess of 20%. If passed, the funding level would become a floor, not a ceiling, as it has been since changes enacted by the Turnbull government in 2017.
The bill would bring the federal government a step closer to fully funding public schools – but is likely to require the support of the Coalition if the Greens and a band of crossbenchers continue to press the federal government to increase their funding offer to 25% of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS).
The SRS, agreed to by governments as part of Gonski reforms more than a decade ago, is the minimum dollar amount required to provide a baseline education to students. Data from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (Acara) shows 98% of public schools are underfunded and the majority of private schools are overfunded.
The education minister, Jason Clare, has put a 2.5% increase on the table, while Victoria, NSW and South Australia are holding out for 5% to cover the remaining funding gap.
Clare said:
At the moment, the maximum the commonwealth government can provide to public schools is 20% of the SRS … this landmark legislation allows the Albanese government to deliver more funding to public schools and tie that funding to practical reforms to help students catch up, keep up and finish school.
Updated
Social media summit being held in Sydney
A groundbreaking social media summit that begins in Sydney today must consider what mental health impacts will flow if kids are banned from platforms, advocates say.
AAP reports that a two-day, jointly hosted summit between the NSW and South Australian governments starts in Sydney today, when discussions are expected to focus on the details of the youth ban rather than whether it will be introduced.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and a host of state leaders – including NSW’s premier, Chris Minns, and SA’s premier, Peter Malinauskas – have backed an age limit but are yet to disclose where the cutoff should be set.
Youth mental health organisation ReachOut warned removing social media would block access to what has become a key support for a younger generation. Read more in our preview:
The summit will shift to Adelaide on Friday.
Updated
Robodebt royal commission recommendations to be legislated
Attempts to hide the next robodebt scandal from independent oversight of the public service will be punished by thousands of dollars in fines, the Australian Associated Press reports.
Public servents and agency bosses would be bound to help investigations while those stonewalling access to files could be dragged to court. The changes proposed by the Albanese government are aimed at ensuring commonwealth agencies are subject to stronger and more rigorous scrutiny.
They fulfil two recommendations from the robodebt royal commission.
“The robodebt royal commission made it clear that strong and effective oversight is necessary to safeguard the community in their dealings with government,” the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, said. “Trust in government depends on this.”
Under the proposal, an offence would be created for withholding reasonable facilities and assistance from the commonwealth ombudsman. Anyone penalised for breaking this law could be fined more than $3000.
The watchdog would be able to access agency records remotely under enhanced information-gathering powers. The tax ombudsman would also receive the same powers.
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our rolling news coverage from Canberra. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories before Amy Remeikis gets into the main action soon.
One of the most senior advisers in the Albanese government claims she has effectively been sacked from her job as chief of staff to deputy prime minister Richard Marles. Jo Tarnawsky claims she has been barred from her office and has had no direct engagement with her boss in five months.
In a separate development, the head of the Department of Parliamentary Services has announced a sudden “period of leave”, leaving a former anti-corruption commissioner in charge of the department. The secretary, Rob Stefanic, announced to staff in an email yesterday that he had made a decision to “take a period of leave”.
A Senate committee scrutinising Labor’s international student cap has recommended the bill be passed with significant amendments, including removing the ability to set course-level enrolment limits. It also wanted to give universities the power to exempt students from some countries.
The government has proposed new rules for the public service aimed at preventing another Robodebt scandal from occurring – more on that soon.
And a social media summit begins today that will tackle the fraught question of whether there should be a social media ban for teenagers.
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