What we learned today, Thursday 20 August
Another jam-packed news day!
Before we shut this blog, let’s recap what the top headlines were:
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The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said the government was “outraged” over the decision by the Israel Defense Forces not to pursue a criminal investigation into the strike on an aid convoy in 2024 that killed seven people, including Australian Zomi Frankcom.
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After a meeting with Wong, Israel’s ambassador to Australia, Hillel Newman, backed the IDF’s decision and refused to apologise over Frankcom’s death.
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The body of 18-year-old Lily Hooper who went missing last week has been found. It came after a major miscommunication that the NSW police has apologised for.
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The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, did the media rounds this morning, after putting Roblox, which has been accused of hosting grooming and sexual exploitation on its platform, on notice to improve its safety measures or face court.
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The government’s gambling reforms passed the Senate late last night after hours of debate, bringing in new restrictions to limit gambling advertising and a one-stop “opt-out register”.
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The Victorian premier, Ben Carroll, formally called for a royal commission into alleged corruption in the construction sector.
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Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner, Katie Kiss, has told the royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion that Australia will not be able to address racism towards any other community that has settled in this country until it deals with its racism towards First Peoples.
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The South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, has declared a “significant escalation” in H5 bird flu in the state after the detection of three mass mortality events involving more than 1,000 greater crested terns.
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Separately, the Tasmanian government said it was investigating 28 little penguin deaths on King Island with testing under way to determine whether the birds died of H5 bird flu.
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For those who missed it, here’s a tl;dr on what happened in question time.
Thanks for sticking around, we’ll be back tomorrow morning.
Updated
More than 60 Victorian day cares shuttered over child safety risks
Sixty-five family day care residences have been ordered to close across Victoria for 90 days after the state regulator suspended childcare company Ignite Minds and four educators over alleged serious breaches of national regulations it says created risks to the safety of children.
The Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority (Vecra) and the federal education department inspected 30 residences operated by Ignite Minds, code-named Operation Flint, to assess compliance.
Vecra said its officers “directly observed evidence of harms and hazards” that posed “serious risks” to child safety.
The company has been ordered to immediately close all 65 family day care residences for 90 days while the alleged breaches are addressed.
Ignite Minds has been directed to notify parents and carers of the suspension.
In a statement on Thursday, Ignite Minds said it treats the safety and wellbeing of children “with the utmost seriousness” and acknowledged there had been some compliance deficiencies at some of the 30 locations inspected.
However, the company said immediate action was taken where concerns were raised and Ignite Minds “strongly dispute[s] the necessity of the immediate, blanket suspension”. The company said:
We believe this disproportionate action disrupts care across our network and does not serve the interests of the children or the families who form this wonderful community.
We are actively working through our options to address these allegations and are cooperating with the regulator.
We are particularly concerned that this suspension was issued while Ignite Minds was already in the process of submitting evidence of rectification and compliance.
Ignite Minds operates across metropolitan Melbourne, as well as in Bendigo, Shepparton and Elphinstone.
Family day care residences are run by educators in their own home for education of children typically up to 12 years old.
Four individual educators have also been suspended, as Vecra said they pose a risk to children’s safety.
Other alleged breaches included children leaving a property unsupervised, and a child falling from a high chair. Vecra also said there were unsafe environments, with dangers and hazards including poisons and chemicals, beehives, and inadequate fencing.
The company also did not provide adequate care for children with medical conditions, Vecra claimed, including maintaining health plans, and the provision of medication on-site.
The Victorian early childhood regulator, Wendy Steendam, said she was aware suspending the provider would affect childcare arrangements, but the decision was made “because we know they [families] wouldn’t want us to compromise on safety”. She said in a statement:
Family day care providers are on notice. You must ensure your educators and their residences are compliant, and you must provide appropriate governance and leadership to your staff. If you don’t, we will act.
Ignite Minds said standard regulatory practice was to collaborate with providers to “resolve issues before resorting to public allegations”.
Ignite Minds said:
We recognise that this news may be distressing, and we are truly sorry for the uncertainty it causes our families.
An emergency action notice was issued after a five-month-old child was observed sleeping in a cot with what Vecra described as items that “posed an immediate risk to their safety and wellbeing”.
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Council hopes IDF investigation decision brings closure after ‘devastating tragedy’
The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) said it hoped the IDF’s decision to close its investigation into the killings of aid workers would bring “closure” to “a devastating tragedy”.
In a statement, the executive director, Dr Colin Rubenstein, said:
The death of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and her six World Central Kitchen colleagues in Gaza was profoundly tragic.
Regrettably, errors are an inevitable part of warfare, particularly given the complexity of urban warfare against a terror group such as Hamas. The WCK incident was a particularly tragic example. Yet what matters is how militaries in a democracy respond.
We hope the Israeli investigation’s final findings – which, as noted, are fully consistent with Australia’s own investigations – can bring some closure following that terrible error.
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Continuing on the police commissioner’s press conference, Mal Lanyon says an investigation into the incident and broader communication procedures has been launched:
We’ll look at the relationship between police and the SES and we’ll work with other agencies to make sure communication failures don’t occur.
Communication is always a challenge, and in remote areas from time to time it can be challenging to get the right communication through. We want to make sure it’s as simple as possible.
Read the full story here:
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NSW police apologise for miscommunication over Lily Hooper’s death
The NSW police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, has apologised for a miscommunication that led to inaccurate initial reports that missing 18-year-old bushwalker Lily Hooper had been found alive.
Within 10 minutes, the search crew relayed a “more accurate account” to police, confirming that Hooper had died.
Speaking to reporters, Lanyon says:
I unreservedly apologise for any additional trauma that may have caused Lily’s family, and certainly for the embarrassment and confusion it caused.
The miscommunication was obviously born out of elation that Lily had been found. Her condition at that time was understood to be such that searchers were relieved, and those at the command post were elated.
Tragically, that miscommunication then led to a deflation, and we now know it had an impact on her family. Once again, I unreservedly apologise for that miscommunication.
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Outrage ‘hasn’t materialised into action’: Faruqi calls for consequences against Israel
The Greens deputy leader, Mehreen Faruqi, has accused the government of failing to take meaningful action over Israel’s decision not to pursue a criminal investigation into the 2024 strike that killed Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six other humanitarian workers.
Speaking on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, Faruqi said:
Israel today has abrogated all responsibility and accountability for their murder. Of course, the prime minister, the foreign minister and everyone else should be outraged. But they were outraged more than two years ago when these murders took place. It’s been years since then, and that outrage, again and again, hasn’t materialised into any action or accountability.
She called on the government to impose stronger consequences against Israel, saying:
We could have had an independent investigation. We could have referred this murder to the ICC, which is what the World Central Kitchen was asking for at the time.
We could have sanctioned Israel. We could have expelled the Israeli ambassador. There should have been some consequences for the murder of an Australian citizen and an incredible aid worker who was committed to humanity and working in the most difficult conditions. None of those actions were taken.
For a lot of people in this country, outrage is merely words that mean nothing.
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Thank you all so much for following along on the blog with me this sitting fortnight!
I’ll leave you with the fabulous Achol Arok. Take care.
News bargaining incentive backed by News Corp
News Corp has welcomed the passage of the news bargaining incentive, calling it “much-needed investment” for the journalism sector.
As Krishani brought you earlier, the NBI – which obligates big tech companies to make commercial deals with at least six media outlets, to support journalism – passed parliament earlier, among a rush of legislation pushed through both houses this week.
“Australian news organisations now get the much-needed investment to continue delivering professional journalism vital to our democracy and local communities,” said Michael Miller, the executive chair of News Corp Australia.
This again shows the Australian Government’s willingness to be a world leader in developing policies that benefit everyday Australians and the public interest.
Meta, TikTok and Google will have to sign deals with media outlets under the new rules, or pay a higher levy which would be distributed by the government.
Updated
Tl;dr here’s what happened in question time
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Matt Keogh again copped multiple questions on a controversial cap on allied health services for veterans (which Jacqui Lambie blasted the government for in the Senate yesterday).
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The Coalition again called for Keogh to be sacked, quoting one veteran who said they would prefer to “deal with the Taliban” over the veterans’ affairs minister.
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Jim Chalmers also faced a few questions over the budget hitting $1tn of gross debt, which the treasurer tried to throw back at the opposition, saying much of it was accrued under them.
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Albanese said the government would “not stop pressing Israel for justice” when asked by the independent MP Sophie Scamps what more the government would do, and whether Labor would expel the Israeli ambassador.
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Zali Steggall asked the government what more it was doing to combat violence against women and children. Anthony Albanese said he would raise the issue at national cabinet next week.
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And there were three MPs yeeted today – Labor MPs Matt Burnell and Julian Hill and the Liberal frontbencher Tony Pasin.
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After a final dixer to Clare O’Neil, Anthony Albanese calls time on QT.
Someone from the opposition bench says “a bit early!” to which Albanese replies, “really?!”
That’s the last question time of the sitting fortnight.
Dan Tehan has a bit of a crack at the PM:
It’s been the normal practice at question time that there’s 20 questions usually asked. Yet what’s happened because we’ve got someone under witness protection …
He gets cut off. And then everyone moves on.
Albanese calls Zomi Frankcom decision 'an outrage'
Will the government expel the Israeli ambassador and what will the government do to ensure justice is served, asks the independent MP Sophie Scamps.
Anthony Albanese says he and the foreign minister, Penny Wong, have consistently called for accountability and transparency from the Israeli government over the killing of Gaza aid workers including Zomi Frankcom.
He also calls the decision not to pursue criminal proceedings an “outrage”.
Israel’s decision to close their investigation without criminal proceedings is an outrage and it falls far short of the accountability that we expect and consistently called for on behalf of Australia. Since the tragic killings, the government has consistently made clear our expectation for transparency, and we’ve pressed for full accountability.
The foreign minister has called in Israel’s ambassador to Australia to strongly register our views, and Australia’s ambassador to Israel has done the same. The Australian government will not stop pressing Israel for justice for Ms Frankcom and her colleagues.
He doesn’t say whether the government will expel the ambassador, but earlier during her press conference, Wong said removing an ambassador “would remove our ability to be able to engage, press for Australia’s interests”.
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‘I prefer to deal with the Taliban’: Coalition piles pressure on Keogh
Phil Thompson next asks the prime minister “how much more evidence is needed before you sack this incompetent minister”, and says one veteran told him “I prefer to deal with the Taliban” than Matt Keogh.
The assistant minister Julian Hill is booted by Milton Dick at the end of the question – on his way out he drops his folder.
Anthony Albanese calls that an “unfortunate quote” and defends his minister.
We have responded constructively to the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. That is why we engaged constructively. I met some of the veterans who were here earlier this week, just in the corridor, introduced myself to them. I’ve said I’m happy to meet with them.
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Albanese says he will raise combating family and domestic violence at national cabinet next week
Back to QT, independent MP Zali Steggall asks what else the government is going to do to help keep women and children and safe after the recent deaths of women allegedly at the hands of a partner, and multiple high profile sexual assault allegations.
Anthony Albanese says there must be zero tolerance of sexual violence in Australia.
He says next week he will convene national cabinet next week and has put domestic violence on the agenda.
State governments have primary responsibility in areas such as community services ministers, and in those services of the 500 additional workers that we have funded as part of a commitment I took to the 2022 election, that are making a difference on the ground. But that took longer than we would like, frankly, for it to be rolled out. We are seeing, tragically as well, I want to hold governments to account that sometimes when the commonwealth provides additional money, that’s seen as an excuse to withdraw funding … I will raise that very directly with the premiers.
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More than 1,000 crested terns found dead with suspected H5 bird flu in three mass mortality events in South Australia
Breaking out of question time for a moment:
The South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, has declared a “significant escalation” in H5 bird flu in the state after the detection of three mass mortality events involving more than 1,000 crested terns.
State authorities are also investigating a suspected case in a little penguin found on Kangaroo Island, with Malinauskas telling the parliament the development was “of particular concern”.
Malinauskas said aerial surveillance on Wednesday detected the three mass mortality events, all on remote islands. He said more than 1,000 dead crested terns were found across Troubridge Island off the Yorke Peninsula and the Pages Islands (known as North Page and South Page) off Kangaroo Island.
He said the cause of the deaths was presumed to be H5 bird flu.
Malinauskas said:
The loss of more than 1,000 birds is deeply concerning, and the state government is treating these events with the utmost seriousness.
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Liberal MP accuses Keogh of ‘gaslighting’ women veterans
Liberal MP Melissa Price has kept the spotlight on Matt Keogh, asking why he has delayed the release of a women’s veteran strategy, and accuses him of “gaslighting” women veterans.
Keogh says that his department has been working on a women’s strategy and has been consulting with veterans and serving personnel, but it’s “been complex work”.
One of the issues that has come up over the time that I have been in the portfolio has been the very real concern expressed by many women veterans about making sure that a system that understandably has been designed primarily over the last century to support male members in the Defence Force.
He hasn’t provide a timeline as to when the work will be delivered.
Dan Tehan stands up to make a point of order, but as he approaches the despatch box, Keogh walks away, indicating he’s finished his answer.
Minister says allied health cap for veterans responds to royal commission recommendations
Michael McCormack is back at the despatch box, and says not one of the 122 recommendations made by the royal commission into defence and veterans’ suicides called for a cap on allied health services.
Matt Keogh says the changes to allied health service access does respond to the recommendations of the royal commission, by increasing the fees for allied health professionals:
One of the things that this measure delivers on is increasing the fees that are going to be paid to allied health service professionals across Australia, recognising the real need that has been spoken about for so long by those providers and by the veteran community. And that was something that was highlighted in recommendation 71.
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Keogh won’t name an organisation that supports $5000 cap on allied health services for veterans
Nationals MP Michael McCormack is next and asks the veterans’ affairs minister, Matt Keogh, if he can name one organisation that supports the government’s plan to cap allied health services for veterans to $5,000.
(This is the cap Jacqui Lambie condemned in a fiery and personal speech in the Senate yesterday.)
Keogh says he has been engaging and will continue to engage with veterans on the changes.
The cap and other changes to allied health access for veterans are due to take effect from 1 July 2027.
Keogh says:
This measure is about increasing access to allied health by making sure there are more allied health professionals providing services, and that it’s about making it easier for veterans to be able to access those services by removing the treatment cycle, having to continually go back to doctors to get further reports.
McCormack makes a point of order because Keogh hasn’t named any organisation that support the cap.
Keogh continues but he still doesn’t name any.
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‘One Nation don’t support first home buyers’, says Chalmers
Did you aim to crash the housing and rental market, asks One Nation MP David Farley, or did Jim Chalmers just not understand what his budget policies would do?
The treasurer says the question shows One Nation “doesn’t support a fair go for first–home buyers”.
We already know that One Nation doesn’t support the current arrangements for super. We already know they don’t support wage increases for workers. Their leader has made that clear. And now we know they don’t support first–home buyers either.
Farley stands up to make a point of order on relevance, but leader of the House, Tony Burke says he couldn’t have asked a broader question (which means the treasurer can give a very broad answer), and Milton Dick agrees.
Chalmers continues his attack, and broadens it further to include that the Coalition also doesn’t support working Australians.
Liberal and Labor MPs booted from chamber as Chalmers attacks opposition’s record
Tim Wilson is next at the dispatch box but before he can say three words, Labor MP Matt Burnell is kicked out under 94a for interjecting too much.
Wilson gets a take two and answers Angus Taylor’s question saying, “every minute Australians pay over $52,000 in interest on Labor’s trillion-dollar debt.”
He asks Jim Chalmers if the government will act on the opposition’s budget commitment of establishing a Future Generations Fund, “where 80 cents in every dollar of resource revenue would pay down the debt”.
Coalition MPs wave their booklet called “our plan” with their policies, which Milton Dick warns them not to do, and which Chalmers makes fun of.
The treasurer says:
My favourite part of that was the really embarrassed looks of the poor backbenchers who had to wave around the little pamphlet.
He then goes to answer the question, taking aim at the Coalition:
Most of Australia’s gross debt today was racked up between 2013 and 2022 by those opposite. The overwhelming majority of the dollars in gross debt in the budget was racked up by those opposite, Mr Speaker. In fact, gross debt is $200bn lower this year than the trajectory that we inherited from those opposite …
They racked up most of this debt. They should admit that if they want to ask us questions about it.
At the end of the answer, Dick kicks out Liberal frontbencher Tony Pasin too, also for shouting too much.
Updated
It’s question time
Angus Taylor begins today and asks the prime minister “how much is Labor’s debt costing Australians every minute?”, as gross national debt ticks over $1tn today.
Anthony Albanese says he has some facts to share on the level of debt in Australia.
He says it’s $173bn lower now than it was forecasted by the Coalition, the former Coalition government “more than doubled the debt before the pandemic”, and quotes rating agency S&P Global who he says, said “Australia’s fiscal performance is sound”
When I came to office in 2022, which I’m responsible for the period since then, the budget was in deficit to the tune of $78bn, with no surplus projected at any time before 2060–61, and with nothing to show for it.
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‘Incredibly sad and difficult day’: Albanese and Taylor reflect on missing teen hiker found dead
Before questions begin, Angus Taylor addresses the parliament on the missing teen hiker who was found dead today. Lily Hooper was found in the NSW southern highlands in Taylor’s electorate.
We can only imagine what Lily’s family is going through right now. Such news would be a nightmare for any parent, and we grieve for Lily’s wider family and friends too.
The prime minister joins him, and pays tribute to the volunteers and emergency service workers who joined in the search for her.
Lily Hooper had so much more to offer the world. Her passing, I have no doubt, will be felt very deeply across the southern highlands, among her family, her friends, and indeed right across the nation. Our thoughts are, of course, with her family and loved ones on what is an incredibly sad and difficult day.
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Frankcom’s family deserve ‘at minimum’ an apology, Wong says
Wong says Zomi Frankcom’s family deserve an apology “at least” from the Israeli government.
She says she will meet with Frankcom’s family as soon as she is able to “and when they are ready to” to help determine the government’s next steps.
They deserve an apology. At least. At minimum they deserve an apology.
Asked whether the government should sanction the state of Israel or cut contracts with Israeli businesses, Wong says there are already sanctions on Israeli individuals in place.
We have sanctions on Israeli ministers and I think you’ve seen the response from prime minister Netanyahu’s government on that.
We have sanctioned those engaged in settler violence and settler entities.
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‘It’s a difficult time in our relationship’: Wong rejects calls to end diplomatic ties with Israel
Penny Wong says Australia does not maintain diplomatic relations “as an endorsement of any particular country”, rejecting calls to expel the ambassador and sever diplomatic relations.
She tells the press conference:
We maintain those relationships because they enable us to engage in order to advance Australia’s interest.
Removing an ambassador would remove our ability to be able to engage, press for Australia’s interests.
Asked how she would describe the current status of the relationship between Australia and Israel, she asks:
Obviously it’s a difficult time in our relationship. We made our views clear about this issue.
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Wong speaks to the media after calling in Israeli ambassador
Penny Wong has again reiterated her outrage at the Israeli Defense Force’s decision not to criminally investigate the killing of Australian Zomi Frankcom and six other aid workers of the World Central Kitchen.
The foreign minister says the government wasn’t even able to inform Frankcom’s family due to how late the government found out. She said the timing was “especially insulting and hurtful”.
Wong says there are still unanswered questions from the investigation:
I make clear to [the ambassador] Australia’s views that Israel’s decision calls falls short of the accountability we expect, and last night Australia’s ambassador to Israel conveyed the same message directly to Israeli authorities including the office of the foreign minister.
There are still many unanswered questions. These include why, even if the first strike was a catastrophic error, two further strikes followed, each two minutes apart …
The Australian government does not believe the removal of two officers from their positions and three officers being reprimanded is sufficient accountability for the deaths of seven people, including an Australian citizen.
And we do not have confidence in the IDF’s military advocate general’s process given many an unanswered questions.
Wong says the government has not received the drone audio, despite multiple requests by the government on behalf of Frankcom’s family.
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Mining giant BHP failed to reduce its emissions at all last year, its latest annual report shows
Guardian Australia and the ABC’s Four Corners revealed earlier this year that the company had delayed or abandoned major decarbonisation initiatives at its Western Australian iron ore operations, despite previously describing global heating as an existential threat that required the biggest mobilisation since the second world war.
BHP, one of the world’s worst historic polluters, emitted 9.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent from its operations in 2025-26, a small increase on the financial year prior, according to an annual report released this week.
The increase was driven by what BHP described as “a combination of activity-driven changes and changes to emissions calculation methodologies”.
Emissions at its West Australian iron operations were stable, but increased at its coal operations in Queensland and New South Wales.
BHP’s scope 3, or indirect, emissions also increased by a small amount.
The company has set a target of 30% operational emissions reductions by 2030, which it says it is on track to achieve, and a goal of net zero by 2050. BHP says it has reduced emissions by 33% since 2019-2020.
The annual report also cited “increased scrutiny” of its climate performance as a risk to the company. The annual report said:
BHP is exposed to increasing scrutiny and evolving climate-related policy, regulatory and legal risks associated with GHG emissions. Key risks include stricter government decarbonisation policies, increased potential for climate-related litigation and other legal risks, and changing and divergent climate change-related policy settings across relevant jurisdictions. This risk could give rise to higher costs associated with carbon pricing, regulatory compliance, mitigation activities and legal matters, which may reduce future profitability and cash flows and potentially increase the risk of impairment. It may also impact BHP’s licence to operate, access to capital and ability to maintain stakeholder trust.
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News bargaining incentive laws pass the Parliament
Safe to say it’s been a big week for the government, passing the gambling reforms and NDIS overhaul and now the news bargaining incentive (NBI).
Yesterday the government announced a late change to the NBI, increasing the levy tech giants would have to pay if they didn’t make deals to pay at least eight publishers under the legislation. That was after the Coalition earlier this week said the laws didn’t raise enough money for journalism.
The laws have now gone through the Senate.
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Chance of another RBA rate hike drops after jobs data
The chance of a Reserve Bank interest rate hike by the end of this year has dropped from 68% to a still-high 62%, Bloomberg reports, after this morning’s jobs data showed unemployment unexpectedly edged up to 4.5%.
Economists are sifting through the figures and what it means for interest rates.
Jack Chambers at ANZ said a gradually softening labour market, combined with a similar signal from wages growth, “suggests that the labour market and wages will not be a source of upside inflation risk for the RBA”.
David Bassanese, at BetaShares, said while a 15,800 fall in employed people in the month was a surprise (experts had forecast a 12,000 increase), “it follows two months of unusually strong gains – so to an extent we can attribute the drop to monthly volatility”.
It’s too early to suggest there’s been a marked slowing in employment growth.
Along with slowing house prices, and the recent lower-than-expected June quarter inflation result, it’s another reason to expect the RBA to remain benched at the upcoming late-September policy meeting.
‘What’s the point of you?’ Shoebridge lashes Labor, Coalition over Asio questioning powers
The government has secured support from the Coalition to extend extraordinary questioning powers for Australia’s spy agency, introduced after 9/11.
As my colleague Tom McIlroy reported a couple of months ago, Labor had tried to make the questioning powers permanent, before quietly backing down.
The extension will last until 2028, when the laws will have to be re-examined and put before the parliament again.
The Greens have accused the government of guillotining debate, by allowing just one hour in the chamber before the vote.
Greens senator David Shoebridge tells the Senate:
The current prime minister, a person who has shrunk in office to a degree that it’s hard to recognise, because the same bloke who said that in 2003, that these laws are a threat to our civil liberties, that they are the worst of tyranny – he’s now leading a government that wants to supersize them.
And no one from Labor has the guts to explain how that happened. None of them. And of course, the poodles in the Coalition trot along behind them and say, “security state, no worries”. What’s the point of you?
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Bird flu testing under way after 28 little penguins found dead in Tasmania
Aerial surveillance in Tasmania has detected 28 dead little penguins on King Island. Tests are under way to determine whether the animals died of H5 bird flu.
The state government said the animals, along with three dead crested terns, were spotted at the Port of Grassy on King Island on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the natural resources and environment department said:
Unfortunately, our surveillance team found 28 dead penguins and three dead crested terns at the Port of Grassy on King Island yesterday.
Tasmanians care deeply about our wildlife, and particularly our penguins, so we understand that reports like these may be distressing for the community.
The spokesperson said samples had been collected and sent for laboratory testing, with results expected “during the week”.
They said staff planned to collect the dead birds today to reduce the risk of transmission.
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Mistakes ‘on both sides’ says Israeli ambassador
Hillel Newman said there was no intention to kill innocent civilians, and therefore there was “no criminal liability” on the IDF soldiers.
The Israeli ambassador said the IDF is documented to have tried to contact the World Central Kitchen convoy, but could not connect, leading to an operational failure.
He told reporters:
There were operational failures, I said that. There were failures, let’s say, on both sides there were mistakes made by the convoy but there were mistakes made by Israel.
They tried to make contact with the convoy in order to see what was going on and there was no connection, so there were operational failures, who knows who’s guilty of that, that’s not the important issue. The important issue is there was no intention to kill innocent people, there was a true belief that Hamas had taken control of the convoy and therefore there’s no criminal liability.
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, who just met Newman to express the government and public’s outrage, is due to speak to the media in about an hour.
Updated
‘Respect the process and accept it’: Israeli ambassador refuses to apologise over Frankcom’s death
Israel’s ambassador to Australia, Hillel Newman, has backed the decision by the Israel Defense Forces not to pursue a criminal investigation into the 2024 strike on an aid convoy that killed seven people, including Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom.
The decision not to investigate further came despite the IDF’s admissions that the strikes on the vehicles of Frankcom and her colleagues were the result of serious failures to follow procedures, mistaken identification and errors in decision-making.
Speaking outside parliament shortly after meeting with the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, Newman said while the deaths were “a tragedy … that does not mean criminal liability”.
We must respect that conclusion and what happens from now. If the findings are not to your liking, that’s not a reason to go against a court … we’ll respect the process and accept it.
What does it mean, justice? Lynch people in the street? No, justice is – that’s why you have a court, the court measures what happened and comes to a decision.
We express deep sorrow and grief with the family. I don’t want to go into … ‘apologise’ has all kinds of legal ramifications.
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‘Nothing off limits’ for royal commission, Carroll says
The Victorian premier, Ben Carroll, says the royal commission will have full coercive powers and public hearings. He says he has appointed Christopher Kourakis because he was “unquestionable integrity”, “impartiality” and “unfavouring fidelity to the rule of law”.
He went on:
He has a single motivation: to ensure the law serves the community. I chose someone independent, rigorous and fearless, the best in Australia, because that is what this job demands. The terms of reference are broad; they are expansive. Nothing is off limits. They cover the conduct of the CFMEU, construction companies, labor hire firms, consortia, and criminal actors on Victoria’s major projects, and they cover the role of government, the executive, government departments, and delivery agencies in overseeing these projects.
Carroll says it will be up to the commission to decide who has to appear before hearings:
Not the government, not me. The commissioner. If he wants to hear from ministers, former ministers, senior officials, union leaders, or company executives, he has the power to call them.
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Terms of reference released commissioner appointed
The Victorian premier, Ben Carroll, is about to hold press conference to release the terms of defence for the a royal commission into the construction section.
Christopher Kourakis has been appointed commissioner and he has until 20 August 2027 to report back to government.
Teenager in hospital and another in custody after incident at Sydney high school
A teenage boy is in custody and another boy is in hospital for a cut to his abdomen after an incident at a high school in Sydney’s Granville South.
NSW police said emergency services were called to the school around 10.15am Thursday morning after reports a boy, 14, had been injured. Officers were told the boy suffered a cut to his abdomen and was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics before he was taken to the hospital.
Officials described his condition as stable.
Another student, also 14, was detained on-site before police arrived and then taken into custody. A knife was seized at the school and taken for further examination. No charges have yet been filed.
NSW Ambulance and Westmead hospital referred any questions to police.
All other students are reported to be safe and no further incidents have been reported.
Updated
Body found in search for missing hiker Lily Hooper
According to the NSW premier a body has been found in Nattai national park, where a search party of 200 had been looking for Lily Hooper – who went missing last Wednesday.
NSW police confirmed to Guardian Australia that a person had been located at a national park south of Sydney, but did not confirm if it was Hooper.
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, paused budget estimates after he was handed a note confirming she had been located alive, saying it was “fantastic news”.
However Minns soon afterwards apologised and said Hooper’s body had been found and she was deceased.
• This blog post was edited after publication to reflect the premier’s correction to his earlier statement.
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Race discrimination commissioner proposes national racism data plan
The royal commission into antisemitism has been discussing a national racism data plan. The race discrimination commissioner, Giridharan Sivaraman, said a database of racism should be developed – to take the onus off community organisations, who normally do it themselves but do not have the resources to capture the full picture.
What is reported and what is complained about is just a microcosm … And the obligation falls on the community to [collect the data].
That is a huge obligation on small organisations, and they will tell you what is reported to them is a fraction of what’s happening in the communities.
He cautioned, though, about collecting the data properly, with data sovereignty and an anti-racism framework at the forefront of the framework:
The history of collecting data [on First Nations peoples] has been to surveil them; to take their children away; it’s been to their detriment. We have to think about why we are collecting this data. We have to make sure we are doing it in an anti racist way.
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Jobless rate climbs in July to 4.5%
The unemployment rate has lifted to 4.5% in July, from 4.4% the month before, after the number of employed Australians dropped by 15,800.
The latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics are weaker than anticipated - the consensus had been for the jobless rate to stay steady - and will add weight to arguments for the Reserve Bank to not hike rates again.
The data also showed underemployment - which includes people with jobs but who are looking for more work - held at 6.4%.
Penny Wong’s meeting with Israeli ambassador wraps up
Talks between the Israeli ambassador, Hillel Newman and foreign minister Penny Wong have come to an end at Parliament House.
Rae stands firm on controversial aged care algorithm tool
The aged care minister, Sam Rae has continued to defend a controversial aged care assessment algorithm tool, which experts say has no human override function.
He tells the press conference, alongside Mark Butler, that the government has already made some changes to the assessment, that assesses eligibility and support levels for at home care, including prioritising people with motor neurone disease.
Rae says the algorithm is just one part of the assessment.
IAT [the integrated assessment tool] is a component of the single assessment system, which was a key recommendation of the aged care royal commission. We’re getting fairer and more efficient outcomes by using this new assessment system. And fundamentally, that’s the important part here, driving down assessment wait times for older people.
But journalist Evelyn Manfield points out that an algorithm wasn’t a recommendation of the royal commission.
Our focus is on improving the prioritisation mechanism at this stage. But as I’ve said a number of times, we’ll continue to listen to older people, take on board that advice and make improvements where we think that’s appropriate.
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Labor de-merges two home care programs for older Australians
The government has announced it will continue to fund the Commonwealth Home Support Program until 2029, which provides older Australians with services at their homes, delivered through state-based services and community organisations like Meals on Wheels.
The health minister, Mark Butler, says the previous government had committed to merging that program with the Support at Home program which is the commonwealth-run scheme that provides clinical and independence supports.
Butler says he was “sceptical” of that decision.
There was a decision taken by the former government to merge these two programs, the home support program and the home care program. I have been pretty sceptical about that for some time because I think they deliver quite different services, drawing on quite different capabilities in the communities and serving quite distinct needs on the part of older Australians.
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Liberals ‘hyperventilating’ over national debt figure, says Chalmers
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has defended the government’s budget position and says debt would have been even worse under the Liberal party.
In a statement, Chalmers says under the Coalition gross debt would have crossed the $1tn mark three years ago.
No amount of hyperventilating from the Liberal Party today will change the fact that debt is $200 billion lower this year than what they left us … If the Coalition had been in power today, gross debt this year would already be approaching $1.2 trillion.
Chalmers says two international ratings agencies, Moody’s and S&P Global, this month reaffirmed Australia’s AAA credit rating.
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Israeli ambassador arrives at Parliament House
The Israeli ambassador, Hillel Newman, has arrived at Parliament to meet with Penny Wong.
The foreign minister said this morning she would express Australia’s outrage to the ambassador, over the Israel Defense Forces’ decision to not criminally investigate the killing of Australian Zomi Frankcom and other World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza.
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Indigenous Australians ‘denied an equal response’ to racism, antisemitism royal commission hears
Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner, Katie Kiss, has told the royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion that Australia will not be able to address racism towards any other community that has settled in this country until it deals with its racism towards First Peoples.
She said there was a tendency to invisibilise racism towards First Nations communities:
[First Peoples] have consistently come to the table seeking the ability to engage with the broader community in genuine good faith. Some of those conversations are had genuinely, and some of them are not.
The exposure to racism has been ongoing and persistent.
When you can’t engage safely in broad political debate… that erodes trust and sense of belonging.
When you’re followed by security guards, you’re not feeling safe; when you’re tagged by police, you’re not feeling safe.
In terms of the system and structures, we’ve engaged in good faith to build a cohesive set of values that also see Aboriginal people as part of the community. Over time and time again, we’ve had that dismantled because of the way that engagement has come back to us.
We get denied an equal response.
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Labor ‘squandered a golden opportunity’ on gambling reforms, David Pocock says
David Pocock is still, safe to say, very disappointed by the gambling reforms that passed through the parliament yesterday.
He says the changes fall well short of what was recommended by the landmark 2023 Murphy report. The “you win some, you lose more” report made 31 recommendations, including a phased out comprehensive ban of online gambling ads, and the establishment of a national regulator – neither of which were accepted by the government.
Pocock tells News24 it was a squandered opportunity:
Nothing happened for three years, they were finally sort of forced into doing something, and they’ve done the absolute bare minimum. And I think they’ve just squandered a golden opportunity to, one, do what the Australian people want, what the Murphy report said, what experts say is evidence based policy.
I hope that they pay the price for it. It says a lot that at the end of the day, they had to do a deal with the Coalition.
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Wells welcomes governor general’s intervention on Swans investigation
Anika Wells says she’s glad the governor general, Sam Mostyn, spoke out over an allegation of sexual assault linked to several Sydney Swans players.
In remarks published by the ABC, Mostyn said the allegation “shocked and troubled” her, and said she is “devastated for the women” affected by the alleged behaviour of Sydney Swans players linked with the allegation.
At her earlier press conference, Wells said women’s safety, wellbeing and dignity must come first, “before an immediate discussion about how this impacts finals”.
I was glad that she [Mostyn] added her voice to it, I’ve tried to do that today.
I thought the AFL CEO statement was good, I think everyone could do more.
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Debt shouldn’t become an ‘intergenerational legacy’, says Wilson
Tim Wilson stopped to talk to journos in the press gallery corridor this morning, slamming the government’s financial credentials as the country soon hits $1tn of gross national debt.
Gross debt is the total amount of money a country owes, but we tend to use net debt figures more often which is the total amount of debt minus income including taxes, financial assets, etc.
Wilson said:
We know that it’s costing about $2,000 per Australian taxpayer to continue to finance this debt, and as a consequence, it could be a $2,000 tax cut that was offered if it wasn’t there. This is why the task is so important, to confront debt, to make sure it doesn’t continue to be part of an intergenerational legacy that’s being left behind.
But Greens senator David Shoebridge, earlier told News24 the problem was on both major parties for selling off Australian assets and not adequately taxing our resources.
We’ve had Labor and the coalition, sell off every income producing asset that most state and federal governments have: banks, insurance companies, airlines, airports, flogged the lot off, privatised the whole lot, and then refused to put in revenue measures on, public theft, like zero tax on export gas.
So you flog off all the publicly owned income producing assets, you don’t tax the corporations that you give them to and gift them to, and you wonder about why debt is increasing.
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Wells ‘confident’ government will be able to make opt-out system work on gambling ads
How technically feasible will the government’s one stop ‘opt-out’ shop really be, asks my colleague, Josh Butler, and what advice has the government received on this?
Anika Wells says the opt-out service will be akin to the existing BetStop service, which is the national self-exclusion register that lets a user exclude themselves from all Australian licensed online and phone wagering services in a single step.
Wells says that gambling companies already have to jump through a number of hoops and checkpoints to ensure that a user has not opted out of BetStop before they’re allowed to promote their services.
The number one way you can make sure that you comply with the law that is, as of last night, the law is to not show gambling ads, and if you want to show gambling ads, then you’re going to have to jump through these hoops …
So we are confident on the basis that we have built BetStop, that we’re going to be able to do that.
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Identifying high risk gambling users won’t be gambling service providers marking ‘their own homework’: Wells
Anika Wells says there’s been some misunderstanding around how high-risk gambling users will be identified.
Yesterday, Liberal MP Andrew Wallace said allowing gambling companies to identify those users was akin to putting “Dracula in charge of a blood bank”.
Wells, addressing the media at Parliament, says the legislation will set out thresholds.
I want to correct a misunderstanding floating around out there, it is not for gambling service providers to mark their own homework. It will be set by legislative instrument that I and [communications regulator] ACMA will work together to set. We want it set by legislative instruments so that it can take into account the latest expert technical advice ..
At risk indicators might be continual deposits, overnight deposits, failed deposits, those are some of the at risk indicators that we’ll be looking at, but that’s something that I should be taking advice on and that’s why we want it done by legislative instrument.
Greens push for compulsory super for under-18s
Over on the other side of parliament, Greens senator Barbara Pocock is pushing for kids under the age of 18 to be paid compulsory superannuation.
Right now, workers under 18 only get guaranteed super payments if they work more than 30 hours.
The Greens have a private member’s bill, and despite the Labor national platform endorsing an amendment to give under-18s compulsory super, it’s pretty unlikely the government will support this legislation, because, well … politics.
Pocock tells the chamber:
It’s time for young workers to be paid the super they deserve.
In practice, what’s going on right now is that hundreds of thousands of young Australians who are under at the age of 18 are missing out, and every year, 530,000 young teenage workers are denied the astonishing sum of $411m in super for no reason other than their age …
Hundreds of thousands of young workers are being held back financially before they’ve even had a chance to get ahead.
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‘These numbers are unacceptable’: Steggall urges action over domestic violence deaths
Independent MP Zali Steggall has moved to suspend proceedings in the lower house over the dozens of deaths of women and children in Australia killed by domestic and family violence, and urge the government to acknowledge that it remains a national crisis despite efforts.
Her motion states that Australian Femicide Watch has recorded 45 women and 19 children killed by violence this year.
She tells the house the government should call a royal commission into femicide and domestic and family violence, establish a domestic violence offender register and address recommendations from previous reviews that have been ignored or not acted on.
This motion calls on the government to act with urgency on so many issues that remain outstanding, too many inquiries, have urgent recommendations that have not been actioned, and there is no real rational explanation as to why that has not occurred to date. Much, much work must be done in this space by the government, including establish things like a DV offender register and for national actions. We need to get to a process of elevating this issue, to ensure women and girls are safe. These numbers are unacceptable.
The minister for social services, Tanya Plibersek, thanks Steggall for bringing the motion forward and says commonwealth, state and territory governments “must be held to account for our progress on ending family, domestic and sexual violence in Australia.”
The member has called for a royal commission. And I understand that this call comes from a very good place … But Mr Speaker, we don’t need another report. As the members themselves have said, last year’s domestic family and sexual violence commissioner’s annual report to parliament pointed out that we have 1000 recommendations already from a variety of reports across eight royal commissions, eight major reports like royal commissions, inquiries, and reviews to guide us …
The South Australian royal commission [into domestic, family and sexual violence] took 17 months from its beginning to its end. I don’t want to spend another 17 months examining the same issue that we’ve examined in eight major reports recently. We need to get on and act.
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Lambie delivers impassioned speech over veterans’ health access: ‘We are suffering enough’
Six months ago, Jacqui Lambie says her vagina started to prolapse, and three months ago it took her “bladder with it”. She says this is directly connected to her military service.
Yesterday in a fiery and emotional speech in the chamber, the Tasmanian independent senator detailed her story of battling with health access as a defence veteran, begging the government to scrap a controversial $5,000 cap on allied health services for veterans. She accused the government of a “callous disregard for veterans’ health and wellbeing”.
On Tuesday night, Lambie had told the story of how it took female veteran Kate three years to get surgery for vaginal prolapse because “she couldn’t find a gynaecologist who was happy with the low prices [the Department of Veterans’ Affairs] pay”. On Wednesday, Lambie said she had travelled to the mainland and paid $7,000 to avoid the same fate as Kate.
“That’s how much they care about our vaginas,” Lambie said.
Vaginal prolapse is a condition suffered by one in 12 Australian women, but there is no accurate data, Lambie said. She quoted a survey of nearly 500 female veterans who had completed a minimum of six months’ active duty that found two-thirds reported pelvic health concerns, including 12% who reported pelvic organ collapse.
I would like to ask the prime minister, minister [Richard] Marles and minister [Matt] Keogh what they would do if their penises were hanging by a thread, and what would they do if treatment for that injury directly connected to their military service was denied by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Would they say, ‘OK, no worries. I don’t really need my penis’? I don’t think so.
I’m begging you, prime minister. We are already suffering enough. Drop the bloody cap. Drop it, mate. It is so unfair. It is what we do not need. It is enough. Veterans have had enough. Leave us alone.
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Initial language around sexual assault allegations ‘unfortunate’, says minister
The emergency services minister, Kristy McBain said some of the language used around an alleged sexual assault in Melbourne in the early hours of Monday morning shows “we still have a long way to go” to fix the culture.
Five Sydney Swans players were banned for the rest of the season on Wednesday for breaching club standards, in relation to their behaviour on a night out. Separately, Victoria police have also said they are investigating an alleged sexual assault at the Pullman Hotel near the MCG.
None of the players have been arrested or charged with any offences.
Speaking to ABC News Breakfast this morning, the Labor frontbencher said some of the language used by the club “was unfortunate in the first instance”.
On Monday afternoon, Sydney Swans chief executive Matthew Pavlich made a brief statement to the media saying the club was “extremely shocked and disappointed that this has taken place and that the players have found themselves in this situation”.
McBain said:
People don’t find themselves in situations, people put themselves in situations. There’s a range of consequences when those situations don’t play out as people may have intended. So, I think it’s really important that the Sydney Swans have corrected that language now. But it goes to show we still have a long way to go.
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‘Time for action’: Greens demand sanctions on Israel
The Greens leader, Larissa Waters, has demanded sanctions be slapped on Israel, telling reporters this morning that statements against Israeli military actions have “done absolutely nothing”.
“I think it is absolutely outrageous that it’s taken two years, and now the Israeli government have exonerated themselves from the murder of Zomi Frankcom and her colleagues,” Waters said.
Strong words are not enough … the Australian government sending some strongly worded statements has meant nothing. Now it is time that the Australian government puts on sanctions against the state of Israel and stops sending weapons parts to this genocide. We have said that from day dot, and it’s clear that all of the statements in the world have done absolutely nothing.
Zomi Frankcom and her family deserve justice. So it is time for some action, not just some words.
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Victorian premier to call royal commission into constructor sector
The Victorian premier, Ben Carroll, will formally call for a royal commission into the construction sector today.
The announcement will follow a special meeting of cabinet at 9am, where ministers will approve the launch of the inquiry, the terms of reference, and likely the commissioner.
The letters patent – the documents that formally establish the royal commission – will be delivered to the Victorian governor for approval after cabinet, then a press conference will be held at about midday.
Carroll’s first act as premier three weeks ago was to announce a royal commission into alleged corruption in the construction sector.
He said the inquiry would leave “no stone unturned” and would examine not just the union but also top tier construction companies, subcontracting arrangements and government.
Carroll also said a special prosecutor would be appointed to work in parallel to the royal commission, and that the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission will be bolstered with follow-the-money powers.
His predecessor Jacinta Allan’s leadership had been dogged by allegations of wrongdoing against the CFMEU and others connected to the Big Build. Allan was the minister responsible for transport infrastructure at the time. While she has apologised for criminal allegations that have been uncovered, she had rejected calls for a royal commission. This is put her at odds with a number of MPs who believed the issue couldn’t be contained without one.
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Israel move “incredibly concerning”, James Paterson says
Zomi Frankcom “never should have been killed”, the shadow defence spokesperson, James Paterson, said this morning, in some guarded comments raising concern about Israel clearing its military over the strike which destroyed the aid convoy carrying the Australian humanitarian worker and her World Central Kitchen colleagues.
“It’s a tragedy that she was [killed], and it is incredibly concerning to hear this news out of Israel,” Paterson said.
I look forward to receiving a full briefing to understand why this decision was made and the nature of the decision.
Paterson said he had only seen media reports thus far, and said he would keep his comments brief until receiving further information.
Asked further whether Israel’s decision stacked up, Paterson replied:
It’s a very big call for me to make this far away to understand what the factors were that went into that decision, and so I just want to be cautious without being briefed.
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The former Liberal staffer, Fiona Brown, says she has settled her claim against the commonwealth for $1.48m – almost $1m less than Brittany Higgins was awarded in the aftermath of claims that Brown and then defence minister Linda Reynolds tried to cover up her rape.
Speaking to the Australian, Brown said the settlement did not make up for the impact of the affair on her career but that she vindicated by the award.
“I feel like I fought a good fight – I stood up for myself,” she told the paper today.
The girl from Earlwood was the underdog in the race. I feel I have ultimately triumphed over those who tore me down. I have been given a second go at life.
The breakdown of Brown’s payout, the Australian reports, are $450,000 in general damages for hurt, humiliation and distress; $490,000 for lost future earning capacity and employment opportunities; $40,000 for medical expenses; and $500,000 for legal fees.
‘Outrageous’: Greens leader says sending Israeli ambassador home should be on the table
Greens leader Larissa Waters says strong words are not enough, and the government should sanction the state of Israel after its defence force decided not to pursue a criminal investigation into the killing of World Central Kitchen aid workers including Australian Zomi Frankom.
Waters tells RN Breakfast that sending the Israeli ambassador to Israel home should be on the table, saying, “he’s been saying there’s nothing to see here ever since this conflict began”.
It is absolutely outrageous that after two years of investigating, the Israeli authorities have cleared themselves of any wrongdoing … The Australian government needs to do more than just issue some strongly worded statements. They need to sanction the state of Israel and they need to make sure that we are not involved in a two-way arms trade, which we are at the moment.
Waters says she appreciates the strong language from the foreign minister, Penny Wong, in response to the decision made overnight, but that more action is now needed.
‘A gratuitous insult’: government ministers react to IDF dismissing Frankcom investigation
The emergency services minister, Kristy McBain says she is deeply disappointed by the IDF’s decision not to pursue a criminal investigation into the strike that killed aid worker Zomi Frankcom, who McBain says helped support communities affected by the 2019 black summer bushfires in her own electorate.
She tells ABC News Breakfast:
It’s a significant loss not only to her family, but to the Australian community, because she was the best of us. The people that run into danger, that try to help others. So it is deeply disappointing that this news was obviously released on world humanitarian day, but deeply disappointing no further action taken … I think we’re all really concerned that nothing more is going to be done about this.
The assistant minister for citizenship and multiculturalism, Julian Hill, also told RN Breakfast Australians would be outraged by the decision.
It’s difficult not to see that this is a gratuitous insult to Zomi Frankcom’s family, to her memory, to her colleagues, indeed to Australia, that this announcement was made on World Humanitarian Day, it beggars belief. And pleased to see, rightly, that the minister will be calling in the Israeli ambassador, that Australia’s ambassador in Israel will be conveying these views directly to the Israeli government.
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Human rights expert says Wong should expel Israeli ambassador: ‘This bloke is clearly an unacceptable representative’
Chris Sidoti says the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, should send the Israeli ambassador, Hillel Newman, home, but not break diplomatic ties with Israel.
Wong has said in her statement this morning that she will haul in the ambassador and instruct him to convey the government’s outrage to the Israeli government directly.
Sidoti says:
The minister, when she sees the ambassador, should tell him that he’s going home. I don’t support breaking diplomatic relations with Israel. I don’t support the closing of embassies, but this bloke is clearly an unacceptable representative.
Sidoti is also asked how significant it is that the IDF has confirmed for the first time it did open fire on a car killing five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, along with six relatives in Gaza in 2024. Sidoti says it is significant, but again questions the length of time it has taken, and whether there will be any justice.
They counted 335 bullet holes in that family’s vehicle. Why is it that only now this matter is being referred for criminal investigation when we have known more about that incident than any other incident in Gaza in the last three years? Why are they taking so long? … [it] leaves me entirely cynical about any prospect of justice coming out of the internal processes of the Israeli system.
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‘What the hell have they been doing?’: former human rights commissioner on IDF decision not to investigate Frankcom killing
Former human rights commissioner Chris Sidoti has lambasted the Israeli military’s decision not to pursue a criminal investigation into the killing of aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six others when their aid convoy was hit by airstrikes.
Sidoti, a commissioner on the UN Commission of Inquiry on Palestine and Israel, is speaking to RN Breakfast says there’s no confidence in the IDF’s process.
The Israeli military constantly announces internal investigations and then we hear nothing more, at least here in five cases they have announced the results of the investigations … And only now are we being told that these matters, some of these matters, are going to be referred to criminal investigation. Well, what the hell have they been doing for the last two, two and a half years? There’s no confidence either in the appropriateness, the thoroughness of the internal investigations or of any criminal prosecutions that may flow.
Sidoti is also critical of the report by the government-appointed special adviser, Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin, into Frankcom’s death, saying his review was “a very soft touch”.
The review conducted by the Australian appointee was itself a very soft touch, I have to say. The recommendations that were made, apology, reparations were the very least that could have been expected. And yet the Israeli authorities are not even responding to those. It’s a ridiculous situation.
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Australia’s gross national debt to tick over $1tn
Later this morning, Australia’s gross national debt will hit $1tn. The Australian Office of Financial Management which calculates and publishes the Commonwealth’s sovereign debt, had it at at $983.7bn as at 14 August.
Shadow treasurer, Tim Wilson says the AOFM will update that at 10:30am today where it’ll hit the trillion dollar mark. But he says the figure will ebb and flow slightly, dropping back down under a trillion on Friday, before increasing back to $1tn in coming weeks.
There are a couple of measures of debt – there’s gross debt, which is the total amount of money a country owes, and then there’s net debt which is gross debt minus all the money the country has or makes like financial assets, and taxes accrued by people or businesses.
According to the budget, in the financial year 2024-25 the gross debt was $928.6bn while net debt was $532.3bn. The budget estimates gross debt will hit $1,051tn in the 2026-27 (the current financial year).
Wilson says the government’s budget is fuelling debt:
Today’s debt is tomorrow’s taxes, and the debt the Albanese government is racking up is being spent as fuel for inflation making the damage so much greater
Gambling reforms pass into law after late night vote
The government’s gambling reforms passed the Senate late last night after hours of debate, bringing in new restrictions to limit gambling advertising and a one-stop “opt-out register”.
The debate began after 5pm and continued until 9pm when senators were forced to end discussions and vote on amendments from the opposition and crossbenchers. Ultimately, the government’s bill passed unamended after 9.30pm sealing it into law.
Liberal senator Andrew McLachlan said he couldn’t support the bill, lamenting it was not what the late Labor MP Peta Murphy urged when delivering her landmark report on gambling harms. Murphy’s report recommended a total ban on inducements and wagering ads.
McLachlan said:
I don’t see anything in the bill that really diminishes the rivers of gold that the corporates are earning, and sufficient restraints on their abilities to prey on the most vulnerable, particularly our children. I’ve listened to the charities who have to respond to the carnage caused by addiction. It’s their voices we should be acting on, not those that are making them money.
The Greens and ACT senator, David Pocock, also spoke extensively about how Labor’s proposal didn’t go far enough to stop the normalisation of gambling in Australia.
Labor senator, Anthony Chisholm, ended the evening debate saying:
The reforms that we have announced as part of this legislation [are] going to make a meaningful difference. I understand that it’s not in your political interest to acknowledge that, but it is something that we are determined to deliver on because we know that is going to make a difference for people, not only those who are at risk of harm, who may be suffering from harm, but also for young people at the same time.
The changes will limit TV gambling ads to three per hour between 5am and 8.30pm, ban gambling ads on player jerseys and in stadiums, ban celebrities and players from promoting gambling, and create a “triple lock” system for online ads requiring users to be over 18, logged in and provided with an opt-out option.
Read more:
Gaming platform Roblox accepts undertaking by eSafety to improve safety
The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, is doing the media rounds this morning, after putting Roblox, which has been accused of hosting grooming and sexual exploitation on its platform, on notice to improve its safety measures or face court.
Roblox has accepted an undertaking by the online safety regulator, and will be independently audited.
Speaking to ABC RN Breakfast, Inman Grant says eSafety has been investigating the platform for more than two years but found “children’s accounts were not protected at the highest levels of privacy by default. And there were things like children’s profiles and biographies and account names being available.”
We’re surprised when we look closely at Roblox, that basic functionality, like not allowing adult predators or any adult to contact a child without explicit consent, was enabled … but if a predator has a roadmap for grooming that tells them that this child is 12, they go to a specific school and they like Taylor Swift, it’s not only on platform that we worry about either. Often this is the primary hunting ground where they identify the kids and then they move them to other platforms.
Asked why then the platform was exempt from the under-16s social media ban, Inman Grant says its because the legislation focuses on social media, not gaming platforms.
But she adds that she told Roblox that “the more social media functionality that they developed, the more likely they were to be captured by this [social media ban]”.
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Governor general ‘devastated for the women’ hurt by Sydney Swans incident
The governor general, Sam Mostyn, says she is “devastated for the women” affected by the alleged behaviour of Sydney Swans players linked with a sexual assault allegation.
In remarks published by the ABC, Mostyn raised alarm at Australia’s “appalling statistics” on domestic and sexual violence against women. She said the allegation “shocked and troubled” her, adding:
My thoughts remain with the alleged sexual assault victim, and I hope she is very well supported. I am also devastated for the women of the Swans … and women across the industry who have been hurt by this incident.
Sadly, the lack of respect for women across the country remains an issue for us all to be concerned about, particularly in sport. … I note Australia still has appalling statistics when it comes to domestic and sexual violence against women.
Mostyn, a former Swans board member and the first female AFL commissioner, reflected on her experience in her comments.
Bringing a woman’s perspective to the game was incredibly important, and today we need to remain committed to bringing more women into positions of influence in the AFL and all sports.
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Government ‘outraged’ over IDF decision not to investigate killing of aid workers
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, says the government is “outraged” over the decision by the Israel Defense Forces not to pursue a criminal investigation into the strike on an aid convoy in 2024 that killed seven people, including Australian Zomi Frankcom.
In a statement issued this morning Wong says it falls “far short of the accountability we expect” and she will call in Israel’s ambassador to Australia, Hillel Newman, and has “directed Australia’s ambassador to Israel [Neil Hawkins] to convey our views directly to Israel as the Australian government considers next steps”.
Wong adds:
The Australian government learned of Israel’s decision late last night, moments before it was announced, on World Humanitarian Day – which is especially insulting to Zomi’s loved ones, humanitarians and all Australians.
Zomi represented the best of Australia. Her courage deserves to be celebrated. Her family deserves justice.
The decision not to investigate further came despite the IDF’s admissions that the strikes on Zomi and her colleagues’ vehicles were the result of serious failures to follow procedures, mistaken identification and errors in decision-making, Wong said.
This was confirmed by Special Adviser Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin’s report.
Democracies seek and accept higher standards. The Australian government will not stop pressing Israel for justice for Zomi and her colleagues.
Updated
Welcome
Good morning, Krishani Dhanji here with you for the final sitting day of the week.
The government has expressed outrage after the Israel Defense Forces decided not to open a criminal investigation against those responsible for killing Australian Zomi Frankcom and six others after airstrikes hit a convoy of World Central Kitchen vehicles.
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, says she will call in the Israeli ambassador to Australia to make the government’s views known – more on that shortly.
And the government and Coalition have had a busy few days, together passing gambling reforms, the NDIS overhaul and today it’s expected the parliament will also pass news bargaining incentive legislation.
It’s going to be another busy day – let’s get cracking.
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