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The Guardian - AU
National
Josh Taylor and Henry Belot and Emily Wind (earlier)

Dutton turns up heat on PM over interview transcript – as it happened

Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese
Peter Dutton continues to pile pressure on Anthony Albanese over the Indigenous voice to parliament referendum. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

The day that was, Thursday 19 January

We will wrap up the live blog here for the night.

Here’s what made the news today:

  • Tributes have flowed from people all across the globe after the New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, announced she would step down from the top job by early February. Ardern has said she no longer “has enough in the tank” to keep going.

  • Ardern also announced the New Zealand election will be held on 14 October.

  • Three teenagers in the Queensland town of Tara were charged with weapons offences following shots being fired on Wednesday evening. No one was injured when the shots were fired.

  • Australia’s jobless rate last month rose to 3.5% as employers shed part-time positions, an indication that the record run of interest rates rises by the Reserve Bank was starting to dent demand for labour.

  • The Air Transport Safety Bureau will investigate cockpit voice and flight data from the Qantas flight that issued a mayday call after one of its engines failed while it was flying from Auckland to Sydney.

  • Protesters spray painted the Woodside logo over Frederick McCubbin’s Down on His Luck painting at the Art Gallery of Western Australia.

We will be back again tomorrow morning with all the latest news. Until then, have a good evening.

Share market climbs to eight-month high

The local share market has climbed to a fresh eight-month high after softer-than-expected jobs data showed the domestic economy slowing, raising expectations for less aggressive rate hikes from the Reserve Bank, AAP reports.

The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index closed on Thursday up 41.9 points, or 0.57%, to 7,435.3, its best level since 22 April. It barely eclipsed its previous high 29 April close of 7,435.0, considered a key technical level.

The All Ordinaries gained 38.9 points, or 0.51%, to 7,648.4.

The Australian dollar lost ground after the jobs report. It was buying 69.05 US cents, down from 69.99 US cents at Wednesday’s ASX close.

Updated

Search continues for man missing in waters off Sydney

A major search is continuing for a man believed to have been swept into the water off Sydney, AAP reports.

Reports suggest the man feel from a height onto rocks at Blue Fish Point at Manly’s North Head before ending up in the water.

Emergency services were called to the area about 5.30pm on Wednesday. Officers from Northern Beaches Police Area Command, along with the Marine Area Command and surf lifesavers, searched the area.

The search was suspended late on Wednesday night and resumed on Thursday with help from the Marine Area Command and Polair.

Updated

As regular blog readers would know, the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has been urging the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, to release the details of legislation which would set up an Indigenous advisory body.

Today, constitutional lawyer Anne Twomey told the ABC there’s a good reason why the government may be unwilling to release draft laws before a referendum is held.

Twomey said the point of the referendum was to put the voice into the constitution, ahead of the parliamentary process to flesh out the details:

There would be real problems if you did it in advance and gave (voters) the bill and said ‘This is what’s going to happen’ and that people would think that that is what they’re voting on.

When, in fact, the process involves getting parliament to decide those things in the future and change them from time to time where needed.

We don’t want things frozen into the constitution that might be hard to change in the future.

Updated

Dutton: Abbott would be ‘an asset’ but it is ‘tacky’ to talk about replacements after death of Jim Molan

Peter Dutton has commented on the prospect of Tony Abbott putting his hand up for Jim Molan’s Senate vacancy.

Dutton told ABC Radio in Adelaide:

There’s no question Tony Abbott would be an asset.

I mean it’s the reason that Kevin Rudd’s been appointed to be our Ambassador in Washington. It’s why Julia Gillard does work for this government and Tony has an incredible skill set and there will be many other candidates who are very credible as well. But I’m just not getting into who would be the best candidate or who you would endorse or all of that process – I think it’s all a bit tacky at the moment.

I want to concentrate on celebrating Jim’s life and I was speaking with Anne Molan yesterday, and obviously her family is … going through a traumatic period, as any family would when they’ve lost their dad or their grandad or their husband.

Updated

BoM predicts severe thunderstorms over inland NSW tomorrow

The Bureau of Meteorology is warning of possible severe thunderstorms over parts of the northern inland of NSW tomorrow afternoon into the evening, with wind, heavy rain and hail all possible.

Updated

Here’s our latest wrap of the news for today in today’s Afternoon Update.

Thanks to everyone following the blog this afternoon. It’s now time to hand over to my colleague Josh Taylor, who’ll be with you for the rest of the day.

Updated

The death of Jim Molan has sparked a round of Liberal infighting in New South Wales, including a call for Tony Abbott to fill his Senate seat and a push for senior moderate Marise Payne to quit parliament.

Molan died on Monday after a “sudden and rapid” decline in health after Christmas, vacating a Liberal Senate seat he was appointed to in 2019 when Arthur Sinodinos resigned, and which he was re-elected to in 2022 for a six-year term.

Although the chief executive of Catholic Schools NSW, Dallas McInerney, was considered an early favourite for the vacancy, on Wednesday evening the former Victorian Liberal president Michael Kroger began a push for Abbott to take the seat.

Updated

NSW to establish Bushfire and Natural Hazard Research Centre

The NSW government will spend $8 million establishing the state’s first Bushfire and Natural Hazard Research Centre. It will be led by experts at Western Sydney University.

The minister for emergency services and resilience, Steph Cooke, said the centre was a key recommendation of the 2019/20 Bushfire Inquiry.

In the wake of the horrific black summer bushfire season we established an independent inquiry, and work on all 76 of its recommendations has now either been completed or is underway.

We hope that the creation of a specialised research centre will help make NSW a world leader in better understanding and predicting the risk of fire and other natural hazards like floods for our communities.

Updated

Government MPs are continuing to comment on NZ PM Jacinda Ardern’s resignation.

Matt Thistlethwaite is the assistant minister for the republic.

Audit uncovers some ‘shortfalls’ in telehealth rollout under Morrison government implementation

An audit has uncovered “shortfalls” in the rapid rollout of telehealth services under the Morrison government, AAP reports.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the former federal government between March and May 2020 introduced 281 new telehealth items on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS).

A report by the auditor general released on Thursday found the expansion was “informed by largely robust policy advice and planning”:

However there were shortfalls in the governance, risk management and evaluation of the expansion.

The report found there was “no implementation plan for temporary telehealth ... (and) the governance arrangements for the implementation of temporary telehealth involved inadequate assessment of the implementation and integrity risks”.

[The] health [department] did not plan for performance monitoring or evaluation of temporary or permanent telehealth.

Performance monitoring of the temporary telehealth expansion was limited and lacked measures and targets that could inform judgments about performance, and there was no evaluation that could assist with the design and implementation of potential expansions to telehealth during future emergency conditions.

Updated

Simon Birmingham also comments on Australian Dr Yang Hengjun’s detention in China

The shadow foreign affairs minister, Simon Birmingham, has also marked the four year anniversary of Dr Yang Hengjun’s detention in China.

The Australian writer has been charged with espionage by Chinese authorities.

Here’s part of Birmingham’s statement:

While reports have noted that Dr Yang was allowed a consular visit, the opposition remains deeply concerned for Dr Yang’s welfare, as well as his limitations on access to legal representation.

The uncertainty and continual delays to Dr Yang’s case are unacceptable and unjust.

We urge the Albanese government to use all available diplomatic means to secure the release of Dr Yang as well as Ms Cheng Lei, who was detained in August 2020.

Earlier today, the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said the Australian government was “deeply troubled” by ongoing delays in Hengjun’s case.

Updated

Not so safety beach

A jet ski rider who allegedly rode dangerously close to a boat at Safety Beach earlier this week will be charged by Water Police. Police allege the 16-year-old driver, who had only recently obtained his marine license, deliberately sprayed the people on the boat with water before speeding off.

Acting sergeant Michael Greenwood is not impressed:

We won’t tolerate dangerous behaviour on jet skis. The bay is a shared space – be mindful of others when using it.

If you engage in this type of behaviour, remember our strike teams are not far away. You will be caught up with.

Updated

PM should admit mistake regarding changed transcript over legal advice on Indigenous voice: Dutton

The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has gone on the offensive over changes to the transcript of a 2GB Radio interview with Anthony Albanese.

Guardian Australia revealed this morning that the transcript marked E&OE – meaning “errors and omissions excepted” – omitted a key part of an incorrect answer about legal advice on the voice referendum.

On Thursday, Dutton told 2GB Radio:

His office, as you will have seen, has changed the transcript where they’re now saying that he said something that he didn’t say or that he misrepresented the position – I don’t quite understand and I hope he can come out and clarify it today. But I think Australians deserve the information from our prime minister and he was looking tricky before yesterday and with a doctored transcript now he looks even more tricky.

Somebody has either shown some … bad initiative in the prime minister’s office, or he has instructed them to amend the transcript so that he can sort of whitewash history. Or he misspoke yesterday or misled: either way, as I say, there’s an integrity question here.

You know, we know the PM has got a bit of a glass jaw, but if he’s made a mistake, frankly, he should have picked the phone up to Ben Fordham or to your program this morning and said: ‘look, it’s just been brought to my attention. It’s a stuff up, it shouldn’t have happened. I’ve counselled the person that did it. I wasn’t aware of it.’

Or, if he’s now saying that there was legal advice but he forgot about the legal advice or thought it not convenient to mention it yesterday, then again, he should throw his hands up and say ‘I made a mistake’.

Updated

Legendary New Zealand actor Sam Neill has weighed in on NZ PM Jacinda Ardern’s resignation. He says she was subject to a “disgraceful and embarrassing” pile on from bullies, misogynists and the aggrieved, and he doesn’t blame her for quitting.

Updated

Queensland counter-terrorism police have charged three men in relation to the displaying of neo-Nazi material, after conducting raids on three separate addresses across south-east Queensland.

Police told Guardian Australia that officers had discovered a number of offensive banners, stickers and flyers after executing search warrants on residential addresses in the Brisbane suburb of Toowong, and Gold Coast suburbs of Pimpama and Oxenford.

Thanks everyone for joining me on the blog this morning, and what a morning it’s been! I’ll now hand over to my colleague Henry Belot who will see you through the afternoon news.

Panel appointed to review WA’s Covid management and response

The WA premier, Mark McGowan, has announced three independent experts have been appointed to review the state’s Covid-19 pandemic management and response, including a former WA health minister.

The former Liberal health minister John Day, emeritus professor Margaret Seares and the former ACCC deputy chair Michael Schaper will conduct a comprehensive review to inform future pandemic management and ensure that government arrangements are fit-for-purpose.

In a statement, McGowan said:

With the state of emergency now over, it’s critical that we take the opportunity to reflect on the lessons of the pandemic and provide learnings for future generations.

I have asked the independent and highly qualified reviewers to assess the best evidence and evaluate what worked, consider our preparedness for the future, and look at the economic, social and health outcomes of our response and management.

This was a once-in-a-hundred-year pandemic. My hope is that future governments will be able to rely on this review, our experience, and these lessons to protect our state and other jurisdictions from the next pandemic.

Updated

NSW miners reject ‘clumsy, politically-motivated’ coal market intervention

As we saw earlier, the NSW government is planning to require thermal coal miners in the state to set aside as much as 10% of their output for local use.

The intent, apparently, is to share the load among the miners so that firms currently not holding back supplies for the local market and exporting (at record prices) start sparing some for local users. These mainly include the four remaining coal-fired power stations.

Up to now, the mining industry has been rather quiet about the recent interventions, including the federal government’s price caps for black coal set in December for a year at $125 a tonne. That’s aimed at bringing down wholesale power prices (that eventually will help households and business users).

Anyway, the NSW Minerals Council has arced up at the coal reservation plans, announced by the energy minister, Matt Kean.

The council’s chief executive, Stephen Galilee, slammed the move as “a clumsy, politically-motivated market intervention designed in haste, with little or no consultation”:

The policy will have no meaningful impact on electricity prices, but will come at a significant economic cost.

He demanded Kean release all modelling and analysis undertaken to justify the move, including the expected impact on NSW energy prices and the relation to the coal price cap.

Galilee said:

Extending the policy to coal producers not currently involved in domestic coal supply is a radical change of approach that highlights how extremely rushed this policy process has been.

Risks included disrupting supply chains and also undermining the state’s reputation as an investment destination and trade partner, he said.

We suspect that’s not the last we’ll hear on this one.

Updated

The Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, has shared an image of herself and the New Zealand PM, Jacinda Ardern, at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, after Ardern announced her resignation earlier today.

Updated

Attorney general urged to drop prosecutions of whistleblowers Richard Boyle and David McBride

We reported a little earlier that the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, will convene a roundtable with media outlets to work on press freedom reform and review Australia’s national security laws.

Dreyfus said the government was committed to accountability by the fourth estate and said:

Journalists should never face the prospect of being charged or even jailed just for doing their jobs.

Kieran Pender, a senior lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre who has campaigned for whistleblower reform and whistleblower protections, has highlighted the government’s ongoing prosecutions of whistleblowers Richard Boyle and David McBride.

Pender has repeatedly urged Dreyfus to intervene in the cases, much like he did for the case against lawyer Bernard Collaery.

Pender said:

While I welcome the attorney general’s commitment to improving legal protections for press freedom in Australia, the ongoing prosecution of whistleblowers Richard Boyle & David McBride – who blew the whistle about government wrongdoing to journalists – is a stain on our democracy.

Dreyfus has flagged specific whistleblower and press freedom reforms will be pursued this year after the national anti-corruption commission legislation passed at the end of 2022.

Updated

Ministers meet Japanese delegation on cybersecurity and cooperation

The minister for home affairs, Clare O’Neil, and the assistant minister for foreign affairs, Tim Watts, today met with Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party delegation, who are visiting Australia, to discuss cybersecurity and opportunities for cooperation.

Watts took to social media earlier on to share some photos from the meeting:

O’Neil wrote of the meeting:

Learning from each other and [deepening] our cooperation in cyber security is vital to keeping us all safe online.

Updated

No sign of reported crocodile off Brisbane

Meanwhile, the mystery sighting of a three-metre saltwater crocodile off the coast of Brisbane – more than 400km south of its habitat range – is yet to be confirmed by authorities, AAP reports.

Queensland rangers have been looking for the marine reptile near Myora Springs on Stradbroke Island, also known as Minjerribah, after Quandamooka man Mark Jones spotted it while leading a kayak tour on Wednesday.

A Department of Environment and Science spokesman said:

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service has flown two experienced crocodile management wildlife officers from North Queensland to assist in the investigation.

If there is a crocodile, it would be in an area classified as an atypical habitat zone and removed regardless of its size under the state government’s management.

Crocodiles aren’t known to venture so far south in Queensland, with Minjerribah about 440km south of their regular habitat range. Bond University marine scientist Dr Daryl McPhee said if the animal was found, it would be “exceptionally rare” and a “one-in-one-hundred-year event”:

The person who reported it ... is highly credible. He’s a local traditional owner but also somebody who’s spent a lot of time on the water, so I certainly put some credibility in what he’s seen.

It is feasible but obviously exceptionally rare for a crocodile to be this far south.

Updated

More reactions have come through this afternoon in response to New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern’s resignation, first from Alicia Payne MP:

Former leader of the Labor party, Bill Shorten, said Ardern was an “inspiration to women and men everywhere”.

Ardern’s colleague in the NZ Labour party, Sarah Pallett, said working alongside Ardern was “one of the greatest privileges of [her] life”.

Perrottet defends $5+ toll to use new M4-M8 Sydney motorway

Earlier today, the NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, took to social media to share some photos of Sydney’s M4-M8 tunnels, due to open to motorists tomorrow morning two months ahead of schedule.

As reported by AAP, the state government defended a $5-plus toll to travel the 8km section of Sydney’s massive WestConnex motorway network.

Asked if that was too much for cash-strapped families to pay, Perrottet said drivers did not have to use the road:

I back in motorways 100%. Our government builds motorways. This is transforming our city for our people ... Western Sydney are the big winners out of this project.

But ultimately, as well, you don’t have to use the road – everyone is a winner – if you don’t want to use the motorway you don’t have to.

Passenger vehicles will pay $5.65 to use the new section of the tunnel, which is a distance-based calculation, capped at $10.47 across the entire tolled 22km network. Heavy vehicles, including trucks, will initially pay $16.95 to use the new section.

The new extension to the WestConnex motorway will open on Friday, two months ahead of schedule.

The 8km underground tunnel links the M4 motorway at Haberfield and the M8 at St Peters in Sydney’s inner west.

The tunnel will save motorists travelling from Western Sydney to the domestic and international airport at Mascot up to 40 minutes and bypass 52 traffic lights.

Updated

Protesters spray-paint Woodside logo over Frederick McCubbin painting

Protesters have spray painted the Woodside logo over a painting at the Art Gallery of Western Australia.

The painting is Down on His Luck, the most famous work by Frederick McCubbin and arguably one of Australia’s most famous paintings.

The protesters are demanding no more industry at the Burrup Hub, Australia’s biggest new fossil fuel project.

Updated

Guardian reporter Joe Hinchliffe is on the ground in Tara, in Queensland’s western downs, where a shooting incident last night has stoked trauma for locals who are still reeling from last month’s murder of two police officers and a neighbour in nearby Wieambilla.

A store worker, who asked to remain anonymous, said she was half an hour from finishing her shift when she was abruptly told to go home:

I just seen heaps of police officers around, it was pretty scary. Very, very scary.

You can read his full report here:

Updated

WA’s McGowan set for trade trip to Japan, South Korea

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan will travel to Japan and South Korea next week to promote investment across a range of sectors, AAP reports.

The premier says the trip will focus on opportunities in tourism, education, medical research, biotech, space , defence, agriculture and renewable energy.

McGowan said:

Our relationships with Japan and South Korea are built on mutual respect and understanding and it’s important we continue to build those successful ties.

In Japan, the premier will meet representatives from various companies as well as government officials, including the governor of Tokyo and the governor of Hyogo prefecture. He will also speak at the 4th Clean Fuel Ammonia Association international symposium to promote WA’s hydrogen initiatives.

In South Korea, McGowan will visit Hyundai Motors’ fuel cell site, as well as meet representatives from the Korea Gas Corporation and Hyundai Steel.

Updated

Chalmers: Treasury forecasts employment growth to ease

Circling back to Jim Chalmers, he told reporters he expects the economy to “soften through the course of 2023 as the impact of a global downturn, combined with the impact of interest rates, [which] has consequences for our economy here at home”:

And we expect to see that in the unemployment rate in the coming months, as we made clear in the budget in October. The Treasury forecast is for employment growth to ease and for the unemployment rate to edge in a little bit, but to still remain around these historic lows which put us in such good stead as we confront the slowing global economy.

Chalmers also spoke to rising energy prices, saying:

It’s why we’ve acted decisively with this gas price cap. It’s why the [states] are imposing coal caps. It’s why we’ve got energy bill relief coming in the May budget – because we recognise this is one of the major pressures on Australian families, Australian pensioners, small businesses and industries.

It’s a big part of our inflation problem in the economy, and inflation is still the defining challenge in our economy. That’s why we’re acting decisively. That’s why it beggars belief that the Coalition doesn’t want us to.

Updated

Aviation safety watchdog to examine Qantas cockpit audio

The aviation safety watchdog will investigate cockpit voice and flight data from the Qantas flight that issued a mayday call after one of its engines failed while it was flying from Auckland to Sydney.

On Wednesday afternoon, QF144 issued a mayday as it was flying over the Tasman Sea when its left engine failed, forcing pilots to land the Boeing 737 with just one engine.

Flight radar data shows the plane lost altitude and speed during the flight, but the mayday was later downgraded.

The plane landed safely at about 3:30pm, with all 145 passengers disembarking normally and only learning of the engine failure when exiting into an arrivals gate packed with media.

On Wednesday night, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau began its safety investigation into the incident.

Three investigators with experience in aircraft maintenance, aircraft operations, and data recovery have been assigned to the investigation, ATSB’s chief commissioner, Angus Mitchell, said.

Mitchell said:

[At] ATSB’s request the operator has quarantined the aircraft’s cockpit voice and flight data recorders. Once downloaded, information from those recorders will be analysed at the ATSB’s technical facilities in Canberra.

Other likely investigation activities will include interviewing the flight crew, reviewing operator procedures, analysing weather information, examining any relevant engine components, and potentially attending any tear-down inspection of the engine.

Our investigators will now work methodically to progressively establish the incident’s sequence of events and contextual information, with a view to determining contributing factors and any underlying safety issues, which will be detailed in the investigation’s final report.

Updated

Chalmers: ‘Jacinda Ardern is one of a kind’

Jim Chalmers is also commenting on Jacinda Ardern’s resignation, saying she provided “an incredible source of strength at home in New Zealand, and a source of remarkable inspiration around the world”:

Jacinda Ardern is more than a friend to Australia - she’s more like a sister. Some of us were fortunate enough to meet with her and to work with her ministers, but you didn’t have to know her personally to feel like you knew Jacinda Ardern. I know that a lot of Australians will be sad to see prime minister Ardern go, but it’s a happy day, too, for her loved ones, who will get to see more of her as well as she confronts and considers the next chapter in what has already been really quite a remarkable contribution to New Zealand politics, but also a source of incredible inspiration to politicians and leaders and others right around the world.

Jacinda Ardern gave a small country a very big voice. Jacinda Ardern set a new standard and set a new example for the rest of us, who aspire to lead like she did, with that best combination of strength and authenticity, as well as empathy and compassion and warmth and kindness. Authenticity is Jacinda Ardern’s superpower. We saw that in spades.

What she shows other politicians around the world is you don’t have to choose between strength, compassion and authenticity – Jacinda Ardern had all those things simultaneously in spades. Jacinda Ardern is one of a kind. We’ll be sad to see her leave the New Zealand prime ministership.

Obviously our friendship will remain in good hands, whoever picks up the leadership after Jacinda Ardern retires … I think, on behalf of the whole country, we wish her and her loved ones well as she considers the next chapter in a remarkable life.

Updated

Chalmers: unemployment rate expected to ease as job growth eases as well

The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is speaking to the media about the latest unemployment figures released for December. As Peter Hannam reported earlier, the rate was a seasonally adjusted 3.5%, unchanged from a revised 3.5% for November.

Speaking from Logan, Queensland, Chalmers said “3.5% for December is very welcome news in the context of a slowing global economy”:

One of our best defences against the uncertainty and the volatility in the global economy is low unemployment, and we have that. Jobs growth has come off a bit in December in expected ways, as the combination of a slowing global economy and higher interest rates begins to take hold on our economy. But we are coming off an incredibly strong base here.

We’ve got our share of challenges. We do expect the unemployment rate to ease as job growth eases as well. We’ve got a lot coming at us from around the world, but we’ve got a lot going for us too.

Low unemployment, the beginnings of wages growth and good prices for our exports – all of these things hold us in very good stead as we confront the uncertainty and the volatility from the global economy into 2023 and beyond.

Updated

More Australian politicians react to Jacinda Ardern’s resignation, including foreign affairs minister Penny Wong and climate change minister Chris Bowen:

Reactions are continuing to come in after NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation this morning:

Updated

Qantas flight to Fiji that was forced to turn back mid-air lands safely

Circling back to Qantas, flight QF101 from Sydney to Fiji – that was forced to turn back mid-air – has reportedly landed safely in Sydney.

10 News First is reporting that fault indicators onboard the plane reportedly alerted pilots to a “potential mechanical issue”, with the plane safely landing in Sydney just before 11am this morning and due to be inspected by engineers.

Updated

Victoria’s acting premier on Labor diversity

Victoria’s acting premier, Jacinta Allan, has responded to calls for the state’s Labor party to boost the cultural diversity within its ranks.

In an opinion piece in the Age on Thursday, the former state Labor president Hutch Hussein and the assistant secretary of the Victorian socialist left faction Julijana Todorovic called for the party to ensure the parliament reflected Victoria’s multicultural society.

Speaking to reporters, Allan said the party had taken many steps to improve the cultural and gender diversity of its MPs:

We understand it’s important that we reflect the diversity of the community we serve and we continue to strive to do that … there’s always more work to be done in these areas.

Updated

Albanese names Ardern as one of his ‘besties’ out of international leaders

The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, listed Jacinda Ardern as one of his “besties” on the international stage as recently as Monday.

Albanese told 2Day FM:

I’ve got a few besties. A couple of them are not surprising of course – Jacinda Ardern just across the ditch, and Joe Biden and I [have a lot] in common …

A couple who really surprised me because of cultural differences, Joko Widodo and I got on so well … and prime minister [Fumio] Kishida of Japan, we’ve got on exceptionally well as well.

Updated

Will weaker jobs figures give the RBA cause to pause?

December’s jobs decline was the first since July although, as we noted earlier, all the losses were part-time.

The Australian dollar lost close to a third of a US cent and the stock market erased minor losses to be up about 0.3% after the labour market numbers were released.

Such movements suggest that, on the margin, investors are speculating the RBA will be less likely to hike its cash rate at the February meeting in a couple of weeks.

However, commentators such as David Bassanese, chief economist at Betashares, said the modest drop in recorded employment last month “should not stand in the way of another RBA interest rate increase in February”.

Bassanese noted the economy had added a “whopping” 450,000 jobs in the past year, including four months of 40,000-plus gains prior to December’s drop.

“The slowing in employment, however, is consistent with the 4.9% decline in officially recorded job vacancies over the three months to end-November,” he said, adding that business surveys still provide evidence of firm underlying labour demand.

The jobless rate may have further to climb, though, as the delayed impact of higher borrowing costs starts to take effect and immigration ramps up, Bassanese said.

The RBA will have some other numbers to digest before it decides, including the December quarter consumer prices index that lands on 25 January.

Updated

Updated

Ardern’s work in Pacific region lauded

On Jacinda Ardern’s resignation, Dr Michael O’Keefe from La Trobe University’s politics department says Ardern will be greatly missed in the Pacific:

She worked tirelessly to repair and strengthen relations with Pacific Island countries and peoples.

Of particular note was her reset of NZ foreign policy to respect the wishes of Pacific leaders and strengthen Pacific regionalism. A symbol of her commitment was her apology for the racist raids on Pacific islanders in the 1970s.

She also worked closely with Australia to counter China’s rising influence in the region. As such, she will be missed in Pacific capitals and Canberra alike.

Updated

Ardern’s kindness ‘came to define her prime ministership’, says Daniel Andrews

The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, has also tweeted about NZ PM Jacinda Ardern’s resignation.

He says Ardern “led with a kindness which came to define her prime ministership” and says he hopes he can “share something from higher up the shelf sometime soon”.

That’s a reference to when Andrews was asked whether he would “get on the beers” once Victoria was able to exit lockdown and he said he’d go for something higher up on the shelf.

Updated

Victoria’s acting premier, Jacinta Allan, has paid tribute to NZ prime minister, Jacinda Ardern.

Speaking in Melbourne, Allan said Ardern had led New Zealand through “some of the most difficult times”:

She has not just served her nation. She’s shown what a leader could be on the world stage to support their community.

Updated

Penny Wong releases statement of fourth anniversary of detention of Australian Yang Hengjun in China

The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, says the Australian government is “deeply troubled” by ongoing delays in the case of an Australian who was detained in China four years ago.

Wong issued the following statement to mark the anniversary:

Today marks four years since Australian citizen, Dr Yang Jun, was detained in China. Our thoughts are with Dr Yang and his family.

Dr Yang faced a closed trial in Beijing on 27 May 2021 and he still awaits a verdict. The Australian Government is deeply troubled by the ongoing delays in his case.

Since Dr Yang was detained, the Australian Government has called for basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment to be afforded to Dr Yang, in accordance with international norms and China’s legal obligations.

The Australian Government will continue to advocate for Dr Yang’s interests and wellbeing at the highest levels and provide consular assistance to Dr Yang and his family.

Yang and a fellow Australian citizen, Cheng Lei, remain in detention in China facing national security-related accusations. China’s ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, last week offered a very small glimmer of hope about their cases, saying he wants a “solution” to be found as quickly as possible as Canberra continues to push for their release.

Updated

Another reaction, this time from the home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil.

Updated

Some more reactions to NZ PM Jacinda Ardern’s shock resignation.

NZ opposition leader thanks Ardern for her service as PM

New Zealand’s opposition leader, Christopher Luxon, has reacted to Jacinda Ardern’s resignation as prime minister, thanking her for her service to the country:

She has given her all to this incredibly demanding job and I wish her and her family all the very best for the future. Thank you Jacinda.

Updated

Illness continues to drag on hours worked, ABS says

The labour market data for December contains a few familiar themes.

One is that the labour market continues to remain tight even as the jobless rate ticked up to 3.5% in both December and, it turns out November, after the revision. October was the most recent time it was 3.4%.

Still, the economy is still near half-century lows despite 300 basis points of RBA rate rises (and another 25 likely on 7 February).

Lauren Ford, head of labour statistics at the ABS, notes that while the participation rate sagged to 66.6% by the year’s end, it remained 0.8 percentage points higher than pre-Covid times.

The drop of almost 15,000 jobs in December followed a revised lower tally of 58,000 positions added in November. (The published number was originally 64,100 for November before the change.)

Seasonally adjusted monthly hours worked fell by 0.5% for the second consecutive month, retreating from the peak in October.

Ford said:

The falls in employment and hours worked in December followed strong growth through 2022, with an annual employment growth rate of 3.4% and hours worked increasing by 3.2%.

Covid and other ills also hindered work. Ford said:

In December, we saw the number of people working reduced hours due to illness increasing by 86,000 to 606,000, which is over 50% higher than we would usually see at this time of the year.

Updated

Qantas flight to Fiji turned back to Sydney – reports

9News is reporting that a Qantas flight from Sydney to Fiji has been turned back after pilots received a fault indicator about a potential mechanical issue:

Updated

Albanese recognises Ardern as 'fierce advocate for New Zealand'

The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has reacted to Jacinda Ardern’s resignation this morning, saying she has “shown the world how to lead with intellect and strength”:

She has demonstrated that empathy and insight are powerful leadership qualities.

Jacinda has been a fierce advocate for New Zealand, an inspiration to so many and a great friend to me.

I look forward to working with the next prime minister of New Zealand and I wish Jacinda Ardern and her family well in the next chapter of their lives.

Updated

December unemployment rate is 3.5%

Australia’s jobless rate last month rose as employers shed part-time positions, an indication that the record run of interest rates rises by the Reserve Bank was starting to dent demand for labour.

The unemployment rate in December was a seasonally adjusted 3.5%, unchanged from a revised 3.5% for the previous month, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday. Economists from the ANZ, CBA and St George were among those tipping a 3.4% rate for last month.

Employers cut a net 14,600 jobs for the month, with the decrease made up of 32,200 fewer part-time positions. About 14,600 full-time jobs were added to payrolls.

The jobless rate might have been higher had more people been looking for work. The participation rate was 66.6% compared with a revised 66.8% in November.

More to come.

Updated

Australian leaders react to Jacinda Ardern’s resignation

Reactions are beginning to pour in following the New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern’s shock resignation this morning.

Former South Australian premier Mike Rann said she has been a “strong and courageous leader”.

The assistant minister for social services, Justine Elliot, said the announcement was “heartbreaking”.

Anika Wells MP said: “Congratulations, for all you achieved and for going out on your own terms.”

Former New Zealand Labour minister Darren Hughes has also penned a lengthy tribute to Ardern, writing:

In the near quarter-century, Jacinda Ardern has been a close friend I’ve been proud of her and what she stands for every day. This last half decade she has come into her own. It’s surprised many people, maybe even herself. But it’s been a joy to watch. Go well, prime minister.

Updated

Ardern says continuing as PM would be ‘disservice to New Zealand’

Speaking at a press conference where she has just announced her resignation, Jacinda Ardern said she will finish up early next month, with the New Zealand Labour party now needing to find a new leader:

I think every leader and every political leader has to reflect on the transitions that need to be made. It’s about knowing when you’ve got what it takes and what is needed to lead but also having the courage to know when you don’t. So for me it’s about making sure that this transition is as smooth as possible.

There’s no doubt this is a big change but I also absolutely believe we have the capability in our team to continue to carry New Zealand.

[It’s] fair to say that, you know, as we loomed closer to Christmas and the summer period, I decided to [give] myself a chance to really reflect on whether I had what was needed. As I say, I had hoped that I would find what I needed to carry on over that period but, unfortunately, I haven’t, and I would be doing a disservice to New Zealand to continue.

Updated

Jacinda Ardern will not seek re-election as New Zealand PM

New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has just announced her resignation.

Today I am announcing I will not be seeking re-election and my term as prime minister will conclude no later than 7 February.

This has been the most fulfilling 5 and a half years of my life, but it has also had its challenges.

I am not leaving because it was hard, if that was the case I probably would’ve departed two months into the job … I know what this job takes and I know I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice.

Jacinda Ardern speaks at a press conference
Jacinda Ardern announces her resignation in Napier, New Zealand. Photograph: Kerry Marshall/Getty Images

Updated

Australia press freedom reforms under spotlight

Australia’s news media heads will come together to work on a press freedom reform and review national secrecy laws, AAP reports.

The attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, will convene the 27 February roundtable, saying the government is committed to being held to account by the fourth estate, describing it as vital to democracy.

Dreyfus said legislative reform would be a priority:

Journalists should never face the prospect of being charged or even jailed just for doing their jobs.

Dreyfus has commissioned a review of Australia’s national security and secrecy laws after a government watchdog criticised the secret trial and conviction of a former intelligence officer, dubbed Witness J.

The attorney general said the roundtable would address whether secrecy offences were gagging public interest journalism.

He flagged specific whistleblower and press freedom reforms this year after the national anti-corruption commission legislation passed at the end of 2022.

Updated

Severe weather forecast for parts of Queensland

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast severe storms with damaging winds, large hail and heavy rainfall for Queensand’s southern interior, with thunderstorms also possible in the south-east.

Updated

Drug lab discovered at former Victorian quarantine hub

An apparent drug lab has been discovered at Melbourne’s purpose-built quarantine centre after the facility was reopened to flood victims, AAP has reported.

The $580m Centre for National Resilience in Mickleham was visited by police on Tuesday afternoon, with officers finding suspected drug-making equipment inside an unoccupied unit.

Glassware and unidentified liquids were among the items seized, police said.

Staff at the site tipped off police on suspicions of illegal activity in one of the units, a Victorian government spokesperson said:

As this is now under police investigation it would be inappropriate to comment.

No arrests have been made over the discovery.

As of last week, 112 people were staying at the Mickleham centre after last year’s devastating floods.

The 1,000-bed site was reopened to offer emergency accommodation to displaced Victorians in October after briefly closing its doors as Australia’s Covid-19 response wound down.

Updated

Agriculture minister in UK to finalise free trade agreement

The agriculture minister, Murray Watt, is in the UK to push for the ratification of the Australia-UK free trade agreement (FTA).

Australia has already signed off on the FTA but multiple leadership changes in the UK has slowed the ratification process and renewed opposition to the deal.

Watt has taken to social media to share photos of various meetings with UK ministers, Lords and MPs in regards to the FTA.

Updated

Patrick Elligett appointed editor of the Age

The Age has announced that its news director, Patrick Elligett, has been appointed editor.

Elligett, who joined the masthead in 2019, replaces Gay Alcorn, who stepped down from the position in December to care for her unwell husband.

The executive editor of the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, Tory Maguire, said:

Patrick demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of reader trends and the challenges it presents. I’m very confident that his plan is the right one to steer the Age through the next few years of economic uncertainty, shifting habits and demographic change.

Elligett said it was an “incredible honour” to take on the new role:

I would also like to thank Gay Alcorn for her intelligent, determined leadership and profound contribution to the journalism of the Age during the past three years.

Updated

Some police who attended Wiembilla shooting also present in Tara response

Police said local officers are feeling “quite resilient” after last night’s shooting in Queensland, given that it is just over a month since the deadly ambush in Wieambilla, which is 40km north:

There were some officers involved in the Wieambilla shooting that were involved in the response to this incident last night and yesterday afternoon. We’re providing them with support and welfare and counselling if they need it. But I’d just like to say that their heroics and their resolve to protect the community and maintain community safety, given the events of five and a half weeks ago is remarkable. And my thanks and our respect goes out to them.

Police said the teenagers taken into custody were known to police. The group includes two brothers, and the other two are not related, but are “all known to each other”.

They said during the incident, shorts were “discharged in the vicinity of police” but they don’t know who fired the shots:

So the third and final vehicle that was struck pulled up outside the cordon near a police vehicle and the vehicle was struck at that particular time.

There’s no suggestion that they were actively targeting police at this point in time.

There were several discharged cartridges at the crime scene and we’ve got at least four holes, two vehicle and three wind screens. And also some ricocheted there.

Updated

Three teenagers charged with weapons offences in Queensland

Police are now holding a media conference in Queensland about the shooting incident after which four teenagers were taken into custody in Tara, in the state’s south-east, last night.

Police said on Wednesday night police were dispatched to the scene after reports of a shooting and identified a particular house that was believed to be where the shots were being fired from.

We cleared that particular address and during that search, we located a 0.22 calibre rifle and a number of discharged .22 calibre projectiles and cartridges at the scene.

We later took four juveniles into custody and they were detained and brought back to the Tara police station for further investigation. And as a result of the police investigations to date, two 16-year-old boys have been charged with seven offences each. Four weapons offences and three counts of wilful damage.

A 14-year-old boy was dealt with the same offences by the provisions of the Youth Justice Act and cautioned, and a 15-year-old boy was released without charge at this stage. And our investigations are ongoing.

Police said the teenagers’ alleged conduct is “extremely concerning” and as part of their investigation, they will be attempting to identify a motive:

Two of the alleged offenders have declined to be interviewed. So the actual motivations at this stage, it’s still unclear, but that is part of the ongoing investigation.

But it’s certainly concerning. Guns are extremely dangerous. Any discharge of a firearm in a public place creates significant risk to the community. People could have been seriously injured or worse as a result of this incident yesterday. It’s completely unacceptable and reckless behaviour.

Updated

Jobless rate tipped to hover near half-century lows for December

The Australian Bureau of Statistics is scheduled to release its labour market numbers for December later this morning, and economists expect a fairly static story at least as far as the jobless rate is concerned.

In November, the unemployment rate was 3.4% and a similar number is expected today, leaving it at a 48-year low. Attention will probably focus on how many new jobs the economy generated last month.

The CBA has estimated 25,000 new jobs, St George 30,000 and ANZ 35,000. In November, the economy added 64,000 positions, and it’s expected those higher interest rates from the Reserve Bank of Australia will sooner or later prompt companies to halt hiring – if not start letting people go.

Speaking of the RBA, investors are still tipping the central bank will make it nine interest rate rises in as many board meetings at their next gathering on 7 February.

Another issue to watch for will be the participation rate. Some economists expect that to edge higher at 66.8% from 66.7%, a minor change but one reason the jobless rate may remain unchanged even as more jobs are added by employers.

Watch out for the numbers to land at 11.30am AEDT.

Updated

NSW Labor promises to create ‘great koala national park’ if it wins power

The New South Wales Labor party will establish a new national park stretching from Kempsey to Coffs Harbour in a bid to save the state’s endangered koala population.

On Thursday the opposition leader, Chris Minns, will announce that the party will re-commit to establishing the “great koala national park” on the NSW north coast, which could see an area of about 300,000 hectares of key habitat for the native species protected from logging.

The park, which Labor has promised in the past two state elections, is likely to anger the timber and logging industry, which has previously claimed it would cost the state thousands of jobs. Other estimates claim the park would add about $1bn to the state’s economy over 15 years.

Read more:

Flooding recedes in Queensland

Flood waters are beginning to recede in parts of north and central Queensland after a week of record-breaking rain. But it is still raining in the north with 100mm falling at Mosman in the last 24 hours.

With water levels coming down, the Bruce Highway has reopened allowing for traffic and freight to move through again. Authorities are warning drivers to be careful with many roads across the region damaged or still affected by mudslides.

Major flood warnings remain in place for the Georgina River and Eyre Creek, as well as the Flinders River, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

Updated

Man arrested in relation to alleged stabbing in Sydney

Police are holding a media conference in Campsie in regards to an alleged stabbing of an elderly man in Sydney’s south-west overnight, where two officers were treated for chemical burns and a 24-year-old male was arrested shortly after.

The body of a 91-year-old man was located at the scene.

Police said:

[The 24-year-old] is currently under guard in hospital and receiving some treatment for injuries received prior to him coming under arrest.

I can confirm that both of my officers went to hospital and one of those received some oxygen for some chemical burns. Both of them have been released and have now gone home. Both of them are OK and will be back at work later on this afternoon.

Police confirmed the 24-year-old is known to the elderly victim and is a family member. Police added that “we know that he suffered some stab wounds”, but the cause of death won’t be known until the coroner has examined him.

Police say the elderly man was located by his son, who was the one to contact police.

The 24-year-old male that is under police guard has recently come under notice of the police. And we do believe that it’s a family-related matter.

It was obviously a very volatile and emotional situation last night. One of the other family members at the scene, he was quite emotional when we took the 24-year-old male into police custody and as a result, police had to step in to restrain him. He was not arrested and he will not be charged. He was … just restrained and moved from the location so that we could calm him down.

Police say the chemicals that police officers were treated for was “hydrochloric acid, swimming pool chemicals”.

Updated

WA to follow other states in banning Nazi symbols

The Western Australian government plans to criminalise the display and possession of Nazi symbols, with some exceptions, AAP reports.

The display of such symbols was offensive to many people, particularly the Jewish community, Holocaust survivors and those who fought against fascism, the government said in a statement on Wednesday night.

Nazi symbols such as the swastika were not only used in association with antisemitism but have been used in vilifying other groups in the community, including Muslims and LGBTQIA+ groups, the statement said.

The legislation will extend to the display of Nazi symbols on tattoos.

The WA attorney general, John Quigley, said the state government would not tolerate “hate groups which seek to spread fear, division, and violence in our multicultural society”:

We will continue to work with stakeholder groups during the drafting of the new laws to ensure we strike the right balance between banning offensive behaviour and preserving legitimate uses of the swastika.

The reforms, once passed, will prohibit the display and possession of Nazi symbols in certain circumstances, and will provide penalties, including jail, for any person who contravenes the law.

The government said it recognised there were legitimate purposes for the display or possession of a Nazi symbol, such as genuine academic or educational purposes, buying or selling bona fide the second world war memorabilia, or publishing fair and accurate media reports of matters of public interest.

Victoria and New South Wales passed legislation recently to criminalise the display of Nazi symbols, and Queensland and Tasmania have recently announced the intention to do the same.

Updated

Government to wipe student debt for teachers who work in remote areas

Around 2,000 teaches will become eligible from today to receive a cut to their HELP debt in a bid to improve lagging learning outcomes in remote parts of Australia.

The cut, expected to equate to around $35,000 per person, is available for teachers who’ve completed four years working full time in a very remote community at a primary or secondary school, centre-based day care service, or preschool.

Up to 2,000 teachers this year are expected to take up the loan, with a further 500 per year.

It follows a decision by the federal government in November last year to wipe the HELP debt of doctors and nurses who live and work in the most remote parts of Australia.

Education minister Jason Clare said the measures formed part of the government’s Closing the Gap policy to improve educational outcomes for students in remote parts of Australia:

The program is designed to attract and retain a high-quality teacher workforce, provide critical educational continuity, and support for students in very remote areas.

Currently, performance outcomes for students on a range of indicators such as school truancy, school attendance, NAPLAN and PISA results, Year 12 attainment, and pre-school enrolments worsen with remoteness. Our government wants to reverse this trend.

Eligible teachers will have their debt cut by either the amount incurred for their initial qualification of their amount of outstanding debt at the beginning of their teaching position - initially open to teachers who have been in remote Australia since 2019.

Clare said the cuts also formed part of the wider National Teacher Workforce Action Plan, agreed to by education ministers in December of last year to address the teacher shortage in Australia.

There has been a 16% drop in the number of young people enrolling in teaching in the past decade.

Updated

Mark Dreyfus on privacy, defamation and LGBTQI+ rights

After the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, accused Peter Dutton of asking questions he already knows the answer to about the Indigenous voice, today we’ve published the second half of our interview with Dreyfus.

In it, Dreyfus leaves the door open to legislating a European-style right to be forgotten and a tort for breach of privacy, saying these will be considered in the next tranche of privacy law reforms.

Asked if Australia needs a federal defamation act, Dreyfus said:

It’s an ongoing discussion among attorneys general which is being facilitated by the fact we now have a standing council of attorneys general which is meeting quarterly.

We also asked Dreyfus about comments by the sex discrimination commissioner, Kate Jenkins, in November that the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is “not resourced” to do LGBTIQ+ human rights work, while the president, Rosalind Croucher, told Senate estimates the AHRC “would dearly like to be able to put such a specialist role back in”.

Dreyfus said:

I saw those comments and I think I’d say that the scope of work of the [AHRC] is something that remains under active consideration.

Rodney Croome, a Just.Equal spokesperson, welcomed that remark:

It’s good to see Mark Dreyfus is actively considering a response to the fact that the [AHRC], by its own admission, doesn’t have the capacity to deal with LGBTIQA+ human rights. The AHRC hasn’t issued a report or media statement on LGBTIQA+ issues since October 2021.

Meanwhile, attacks on our rights continue, especially on the rights of trans and intersex people. In the view of Just.Equal Australia the best response would be to appoint an LGBTIQA+ Human Rights commissioner. Given there are commissioners for sex, race, age and disability discrimination and Indigenous social justice, the absence of an LGBTIQA+ commissioner sends the message that our human rights matter less or not at all.

Updated

Four boys in custody after shots fired in small Queensland Town

Four teenagers have been taken into custody in a small town in southeast Queensland following reports of shots being fired in the area, AAP reports.

Police were called to reports of a shooting in Tara about 3.30pm on Wednesday and declared an exclusion zone covering several blocks in the centre of town at 5.30pm.

Officers said initial information indicated that a vehicle had been shot at on Smallacombe Street. Authorities later revoked the emergency declaration and said four local boys, aged 14, 15, 16 and 16, were assisting police with their investigations.

Police said the teens were found at a Tara residence on Wednesday night and taken into custody without incident.

No one was injured.

Tara, in the western downs region, is about 40km south of Wieambilla which was the scene of a deadly ambush that ended with the deaths of six people, including two police officers, in December 2022. You can read our earlier report on the shooting here:

Updated

Growing impact of climate disasters on mental health revealed

In case you missed it, a new poll commissioned by the Climate Council shows that four in five Australians have experienced some form of natural disaster at least once since 2019.

The nationally representative poll of 2,032 Australians also found that 51% of respondents were “very or fairly worried” about climate change and extreme weather events in Australia.

Guardian science reporter Donna Lu has the latest:

Updated

NSW to intervene in coal market to 'even playing field'

There’s more intervention planned for Australia’s energy markets with the New South Wales government to require coalminers set aside a “small portion” of their output for power stations.

That portion, subject to further consultation with the industry, is expected to mean miners reserve about 7% to 10% of thermal coal production for the domestic market.

The government says the issue is less about the adequacy of supply (as emphasised in today’s Australian) but spreading the load among miners. (Some are making “kick-ass profits” by shipping all their product offshore was one source’s view.)

The NSW energy minister and treasurer, Matt Kean, said:

This coal cap scheme will see NSW doing our part at the request of the Albanese government to contribute to the national solution of this national problem.

I know those currently providing coal for the local market will appreciate that companies enjoying super profits on the back of the war in Ukraine will now do their part for the domestic market.

Of course they should provide Australian production for Australian consumers.

These new arrangements will help even the playing field among coal producers.

The intervention, expected to be implemented within weeks, follows the Albanese government’s imposition of one-year price caps on gas and black coal in December in a bid to lower electricity prices.

Black coal prices were capped at $125/tonne, with the NSW government agreeing to the plan even though it will cost it millions of dollars in lost royalties.

Updated

Loophole allowing child sexual abusers to hide assets in super to be closed

As raised earlier, convicted child sexual abusers will be prevented from hiding assets in superannuation under a federal government proposal released today. The assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones, has released a statement on the proposed changes this morning, saying:

The Albanese government will prevent convicted child sexual abusers from hiding their assets in super to avoid paying compensation to their victims.

Treasury has today released a discussion paper for consultation that outlines two complementary proposals that would provide for the release of an offender’s superannuation for the purposes of satisfying unpaid compensation orders. These proposals will close a loophole that is causing further harm to victims by denying them court-awarded compensation.

Child abuse survivors and their advocates have long campaigned for these changes.

The government will act quickly to close this loophole.

The consultation paper can be read in full here.

Jones said under the proposal “certain super contributions made by an offender in the leadup to criminal proceedings would be made available to the victim for the purposes of paying compensation”.

He added:

Courts would also be entitled to access Australian Taxation Office data about offenders’ superannuation accounts, giving transparency to victims of their assets.

Jones said the government will consult the proposals with the aim of introducing legislation “as a matter of priority”. Consultation closes on 16 February.

Updated

Government to limit super savings, assistant treasurer says

In more superannuation news, the assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones, has flagged the government will put a limit on how much Australians can save in their superannuation. He told the Australian Financial Review:

One of the things that does stick out is incredibly high balances that just don’t seem to have any bearing or relationship with retirement income.

Jones said the government is aiming to legislate a “narrow purpose” for superannuation, which could lead to debate between the super industry, who want the government to legislate a purpose including terms that critics say enshrine tax breaks and prevent super from being withdrawn to buy a home.

Updated

NSW police officers treated for chemical burns

Two police officers have been treated for chemical burns after attending a suspected stabbing in Sydney’s south-west overnight.

Emergency services were called to a home in Roselands about 10pm on Wednesday where the body of a 91-year-old man was located, and two police officers were treated at the scene for minor chemical burns.

About 11.15pm, a 24-year-old man was arrested nearby and was taken to hospital where he remains under police guard.

Police are investigating if the incident is domestic violence related and are urging anyone with information to contact Campsie police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Updated

Man drowns while saving daughter on NSW north coast

A man has drowned while attempting to save his daughter on the New South Wales far north coast, the ABC has reported.

The 45-year-old man from Lennox Head reportedly swam out at the unpatrolled Seven Mile Beach to help his daughter on her bodyboard as she was swept out in the surf.

The mother was able to get her daughter back to the beach and alert authorities to her husband still in the water, however when two police officers entered the surf just after 6pm on Tuesday to find the man, they were unsuccessful.

Young lifesavers who were training nearby retrieved the man, however he was unable to be revived and died at the scene. A report will be prepared for the coroner.

Updated

Shadow energy minister says gas intervention is pushing up prices

The shadow minister for climate change and energy, Ted O’Brien, is also on RN Breakfast to talk about the gas price caps. He said the government’s intervention is “flowing through [to] people’s prices and it’s going up”:

There is a supply issue … There is a market that needs to work in Australia. The Australian government has decided to put itself at the centre of that market. In doing so, it has created complete uncertainty.

And so where a company, a retailer or a gas producer needs to sign up a … forward-looking contract into the future, there is uncertainty.

The government is taking every possible step to restrict supply. And is it any wonder therefore prices are skyrocketing in the market?

Updated

Chris Bowen ‘expects’ gas companies to comply with law

When asked if customers who are trying to get new contracts are being offered rates much higher than before, Chris Bowen said the government’s intervention would see the first year’s price rise come down from 20% to 18%, and the second year’s price rise come down to 4%. He added:

The gas companies are saying that they need to make sure they comply with the law, I accept that on face value … that is what they are doing.

And the government expects them, as the law provides, to supply gas at reasonable prices to Australian firms and individuals. I expect that to be the case.

So if there’s a disagreement here, is it in the nuance about any additional gas that’s getting into the market and how it’s being sold at this point, given that the bulk of contracts between the suppliers and the retailers for this year would have been signed and agreed some time ago.

Updated

It will take ‘some time’ for gas price caps to flow to retail – energy minister

The climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, is on ABC RN Breakfast this morning, to discuss whether gas producers will comply with the governments price caps and if they can be forced to supply more to the domestic market.

When asked if the market intervention is backfiring, he said:

Not at all, on the contrary. What we are seeing is some time, as we always said, for our wholesale cap to flow through to retail prices.

Of course you’re going to see, as we’ve always said, a little bit of time for the wholesale price cap to flow through to retail price caps.

What we said, we were expecting a 20% increase in 2021 to 2023 and then a 20% increase in 2024. That was what the Treasury analysis we put upfront in the budget [said], and then we say that that’s not acceptable to us. The first increase is built into the system. And the second huge increase in effect we can deal with.

Updated

Good morning

And welcome to Thursday’s Guardian Australia live blog.

Qantas has launched an investigation into an engine issue on QF144 from Auckland to Sydney yesterday. Qantas engineers and aviation safety inspectors are set to examine the plane’s jet to determine why it failed, prompting a mayday call and emergency landing. The flight landed safely at Sydney airport at about 3.30pm and Qantas said all 145 passengers disembarked the aircraft normally.

Convicted child sexual abusers will be prevented from hiding their assets in superannuation under a federal government proposal released today, as reported by the ABC. Under the proposed changes, victims of child sexual abuse would also be able to access compensation via the release of an offenders superannuation. The proposal follows a long campaign by Grace Tame, former Australian of the Year.

Speaking of superannuation, new Treasury analysis shows that in the September quarter, about $1.5bn in increased super contributions were paid into employees’ accounts, marking an increase of 5% from the previous quarter. The assistant treasurer and minister for financial services, Stephen Jones, said:

These contributions don’t just help provide dignity in retirement for millions of Australians.

They add to the $3.3tn pool of national savings that benefit the overall economy.

I’m Emily Wind, stay tuned as we bring you the latest today. And if you see anything that needs our attention, you can tweet it my way @emilywindwrites.

Updated

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Bored Panda
Bored Panda
Paranormal Activity series writer jokes about how writing follow-ups to the hit found-footage horror "was a thankless task" because of the illusion that the movies are real: "'Oh, it’s so easy! You improvise!'"
Exclusive: Christopher Landon talks penning the Paranormal Activity sequels
Total Film
Total Film
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