What we learned today, Saturday 6 May
With that, we will wrap up the blog for the afternoon so I have time to whip out my British flags and regalia for the king’s coronation (just kidding).
Here are today’s major developments.
The former Coalition minister Stuart Robert has announced he will resign from federal parliament, which will spark a byelection in the Queensland seat of Fadden. Robert said in a statement he would fulfil final duties over the next few weeks before becoming a “full-time husband, father and son”.
Australian women and children held in Syrian detention camps are set to launch a legal challenge to compel the Australian government to bring them home.
The Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming has backed off from threatening to sue the party over her suspension.
The Morrison government spent $20.8bn on consultants and outsourcing, an audit of the public service has revealed.
And Anthony Albanese has lunched with other Commonwealth heads of government at Buckingham Palace ahead of King Charles’s coronation. The prime minister had earlier on Friday met his British counterpart, Rishi Sunak, for talks he said focused on the Aukus pact, trade and combating climate change.
We’ll leave it there until tomorrow. In the meantime, our colleagues in London will bring you all the news from the coronation on our live blog. Follow it here:
BoM has issued an Aurora Watch for tonight, tomorrow AM.
— Tyson Millar (@TysonMillar) May 6, 2023
Clear skies permitting, possible visual observations in Tas & Southern Vic. Best estimates suggest 1500 UTC 6MAY (0100hrs AEST) and Sunday evening local.#Aurora #auroraaustralis pic.twitter.com/NRXUpuz4wt
May Day protesters take to Port Kembla to oppose nuclear base
May Day protesters have taken to Port Kembla on the Illawarra Coast in opposition to federal government plans to make it a nuclear base.
Australian Greens senator and defence spokesperson David Shoebridge said the “grassroots rebellion” against a nuclear submarine base in Port Kembla built on a “proud history of peace activism in the Illawarra”.
A nuclear submarine base would destroy thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in renewable energy investment in exchange for putting a nuclear target on Port Kembla’s back.
Labor refuses to come clean about where it plans to put the east coast submarine base because it knows it will face powerful community opposition no matter which community they try to force this on.
Labor will not win this fight against a range of unions and a powerful, engaged local community who take pride in the anti-war history of the Illawarra.
A sea of union flags for the Port Kembla #MayDay march, saying no to AUKUS and nuclear subs. pic.twitter.com/mc5dOmWVK4
— Nick Riemer (@NickRiemer1) May 6, 2023
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Woman rescued after five days in bushland
Victorian police have released footage of the rescue of a woman after five days in dense bushland.
See the moment Air Wing located a woman, who was missing for five days in dense bushland.
— Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) May 6, 2023
Yesterday afternoon, Air Wing were conducting a sweep of the hilly terrain when they spotted Lillian’s car at the end of a dirt road in the Mitta Mitta bushland.
🔗 https://t.co/dgjOkkgdY0 pic.twitter.com/DwbaJHLUMn
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Man accused of stabbing Service NSW worker is experiencing mental health issues, court told
The 37-year-old man accused of stabbing a NSW public servant in an unprovoked attack is experiencing mental health issues, his lawyer has told a court, AAP reports.
Mahmoud Salhab, from south-west Sydney, did not appear at Parramatta bail court on Saturday after he was charged with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
His lawyer, Javid Faiz, requested his client be transferred to a mental health facility, under section 25 of the Cognitive Impairment Act 2020.
“He’s mentally not in a stable position,” Faiz told the court, adding that Surry Hills police station where he was detained “had some concerns for their protection”.
Magistrate John Bailey denied the request on the basis there was “insufficient information” to make the order.
Instead, he requested a psychiatric report be made available for the next court date.
Outside court, Faiz told reporters his client had experienced mental health issues “for quite some time now” and had undergone treatment in the past.
Salhab is accused of repeatedly stabbing a 54-year-old Service NSW employee at his workplace in Haymarket in Sydney’s CBD at about 9.20am on Friday.
The man suffered lower back, chest and shoulder wounds during the attack and remained in intensive care late on Friday after undergoing surgery at St Vincent’s hospital.
The matter was adjourned to be heard at the Downing Centre Local Court on 23 June.
• Support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14 and at MensLine on 1300 789 978
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Sculpture honouring First Nations women unveiled in Melbourne
A 4.6-metre sculpture paying tribute to First Nations women has been officially unveiled outside the Queen Victoria Women’s Centre in Melbourne.
Victoria’s minister for women, Natalie Hutchins, cut a floral wreath encircling the sculpture which depicts a forearm holding up a woven basket.
She appeared along with artists from Ngardang Girri Kalat Mimini, a collective of First Nations women and non-binary artists from across Victoria, who created the artwork.
A striking 4.6m sculpture paying tribute to First Nations women’s creativity and ingenuity has been officially unveiled outside the Queen Victoria Women’s Centre in Lonsdale Street. @HerPlaceMuseum @QVWCmelb pic.twitter.com/GtPyKEHiTs
— Natalie Hutchins (@NatHutchins) May 6, 2023
Weaving is a significant cultural practice for First Nations women, and the artwork symbolises the strength and creativity of Aboriginal women in south-eastern Australia who have supported and nurtured families and communities over tens of thousands of years.
The basket was made of Victorian grasses with a few rows woven by each artist. It began as a basket about 10cm high and was transformed into the much larger copper-coated version.
Of the 581 statues across Melbourne, only 10 depict real women.
Hutchins said:
Creative Resilience calls on us to consider a constant and unbroken thread that stretches back through millennia to honour First Nations women as not only keepers of wisdom and knowledge but as artists and creators.
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Universities urge government to work with them to build nuclear subs workforce
Universities Australia says the federal government must work with the tertiary sector in the establishment of the newly announced submarine agency to deliver the nuclear submarine program.
Chief executive Catriona Jackson said Australia couldn’t deliver Aukus without a “significant boost” to its defence capability.
The highly skilled workers needed to drive this are educated at our universities. At every stage of the process – from acquisition to construction to disposal – the project hinges on the skills and expertise of university-educated professionals.
Government needs to recognise and acknowledge this. Aukus is one of the most significant industrial undertakings in Australia’s history. It is too important to get wrong.
We should be front and centre of all discussions and decisions around workforce and skills development.
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Is the budget back in black? Paul Karp weighs in
“The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, came dangerously close on Friday to spoiling the surprise of a possible one-off surplus on budget night,” writes our chief political correspondent, Paul Karp.
“For those just tuning in to pre-budget news, the S-word must seem particularly jarring after months and years of chat about ‘structural challenges’, which is code for ‘the budget is rooted’.
“We know there has been a substantial increase in revenue from previously underestimated commodity prices, lower unemployment and earlier than expected wages growth.
“What we don’t know, but senior economists such as Chris Richardson suspect is possible, is that this has been big enough to see the budget back in black.”
Read more of Paul’s Saturday politics column here:
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Watchdog shuts down Virgin and Alliance Fifo partnership
Virgin Australia will no longer be allowed to work with Alliance Airlines to bid for fly-in, fly-out routes for the resources sector after the competition watchdog severed the five-year partnership, AAP reports.
The airlines are the second and third largest providers of Fifo services in Australia and the lack of competition could tempt them to reduce service quality or raise flight prices, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairwoman, Gina Cass-Gottlieb, said.
“The airlines have not demonstrated to us that there’s sufficient public benefit to outweigh the likely detriment from their proposed coordination.”
The partnership between Virgin and Alliance on flight bidding has been going for five years but the watchdog said there were no obvious benefits.
Virgin Australia said it was disappointed by the move, arguing the partnership provided “an enhanced service to Fifo customers in Western Australia and on the east coast”.
“Virgin Australia is committed to continuing to service its charter customers and we are working through the implications of this decision,” a spokesperson said.
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Simon Holmes à Court says Stuart Robert’s seat ‘not impossible’ for an independent to win
Stuart Robert’s resignation will spark another byelection this year, in the Queensland seat of Fadden.
#fadden tough for an independent… but not impossible.
— 💧simon holmes à court (@simonahac) May 6, 2023
keep in mind that most recent independent victories have been on the back of a prior campaign that laid the foundations.
…and by-elections generally see a lower turnout, favouring the engaging and the engaged.
2022 👇 https://t.co/HfGyAIDphU pic.twitter.com/42c5S1GYCx
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Deeming says she remains a ‘proud Liberal’
Moira Deeming says the past six weeks have taken a “terrible toll” on her personally.
I have had to publicly disclose childhood sexual abuse and endure constant media attacks while remaining silent.
At all times I have tried to work through internal processes to resolve these issues and declined to air public criticism of the Liberal party. Now, I am moving on.
The suspended MP says she remains a “proud Liberal” and looks forward to rejoining the party room at the end of the year.
The revelations come following warnings from the federal opposition leader, Peter Dutton, of an intervention into the Victorian party. Seven state Liberal MPs told Guardian Australia they were willing to put forward a motion to expel Deeming.
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Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming backs away from threat to sue party
The Victorian Liberal MP, Moira Deeming, has backed away from her recent threats of legal action over her suspension from the party.
In a statement, she says I have “never once considered suing the Liberal party”.
STATEMENT pic.twitter.com/0qwr4C8npk
— Moira Deeming MP (@MoiraDeemingMP) May 6, 2023
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Prominent Australians and global leaders gather for King Charles’s coronation
Representatives from 203 countries are in London for the coronation of King Charles III and his wife Camilla, the queen consort today, which begins at 8pm Australian time in Westminster Abbey.
They will be taken from Buckingham Palace to the abbey in the diamond jubilee State Coach, built in Sydney by WJ Frecklington.
The coronation is expected to last around an hour with approximately 2000 guests in attendance, including Anthony Albanese.
At the request of King Charles, some 40 Australian defence force personnel will march as part of the Commonwealth Military Forces contingent during the ceremony.
Some 14 “outstanding” Australians will also be present including footballer Sam Kerr, who will be a flag-bearer, and singer-songwriter Nick Cave.
This weekend a number of significant buildings and monuments around Australia will be illuminated in royal purple to mark the coronation.
At 3pm tomorrow, a National 21 Gun Salute will be conducted by Australia’s Federation Guard on the forecourt of Parliament House in Canberra. After the gun salute, the Royal Australian air force will conduct a flypast over the nation’s capital.
– AAP
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Fire up the hot water bottles, Tasmania.
Did you feel cold this morning? Well, it's going to be even colder tomorrow morning. A Frost Warning has been issued for much of Tasmania, including Severe Frost for the Upper Derwent Valley and Midlands forecast districts (that's temperatures below -2.2 °C). #RugUp pic.twitter.com/Lg0AinKo6e
— Bureau of Meteorology, Tasmania (@BOM_Tas) May 6, 2023
How Australia is marking King Charles’s coronation
On the night of King Charles III’s coronation, the co-chair of the Australian Republican Movement is planning to watch some classic British comedy.
Craig Foster even has the movie picked out: Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Australian Monarchist League’s Eric Abetz has different plans for Saturday – the former politician will be watching a live screening of the Westminster Abbey ceremony at a $120-a-head cocktail event alongside Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie.
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AOC athletes’ commission will back yes campaign for the voice
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) executive and athletes’ commission will back the yes campaign at the upcoming federal referendum.
AOC president Ian Chesterman announced the decision at an annual meeting in Sydney this morning, after a joint meeting of the executive and athletes’ commission.
The AOC is an organisation that believes reconciliation with our First Nations people must be achieved.
We have committed ourselves to pursue reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through sport. That goal was embedded in our constitution back in 2015.
We did not take this decision lightly as we know there will be those within the Olympic movement who will vote no and we respect their right to do so.
Chesterman said he was “extremely proud” of Australia’s 60 known Indigenous Olympians and hoped to see many more in Paris 2024.
AOC athletes’ commission chair, Cate Campbell said members of the commission were mindful of the diversity of opinions.
We know sport can make a difference in people’s lives and collectively we felt we could make a difference by putting forward our view as the athletes’ commission. In supporting the yes case, we also acknowledge this is the view of the commission and we respect the fact that there will be different views within the athlete community.
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Still in the UK, and Anthony Albanese is gearing up for King Charles’ coronation ceremony, where Chelsea player Sam Kerr will be flag bearer.
Australian soccer legend, @samkerr1 will be Australia's flagbearer for today's Coronation ceremony. pic.twitter.com/yazoRtal1B
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) May 6, 2023
The Greens are less inclined to partake in celebrations.
It’s high time for a Republic.
— Adam Bandt (@AdamBandt) May 6, 2023
The monarchy isn’t just irrelevant. For many, it still embodies centuries of inequality, oppression, & colonisation across the world.
We shouldn’t still be swearing loyalty to a foreign king. It’s time for Republic, Treaty, & our own head of state
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Julian Assange writes letter to King Charles and urges him to visit Belmarsh prison
Julian Assange has written a letter to King Charles ahead of his coronation today inviting him to visit the UK prison where he has been captive for more than four years “on behalf of an embarrassed foreign sovereign”.
The letter is the first document the Australian journalist and WikiLeaks founder has written and published since his time in Belmarsh prison in London and sarcastically accounts the horrors of his life there.
One can truly know the measure of a society by how it treats its prisoners, and your kingdom has surely excelled in that regard.
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Robert thanks Fadden community for electing him since the 2007 election
I particularly want to thank all the community groups and volunteers across the northern Gold Coast who strive to make our home the best possible place to live. Assisting you with your dedication has been one of the highlights of my job and I look forward to continuing to work with you into the future.
I also want to thank my staff, my hard-working electorate staff who were always there for the Fadden community and to my ministerial and shadow ministerial staff who were there also through thick and thin.
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Robert cites being minister for the NDIS as one of his proudest moments
Robert says it has been a “privilege” to serve as minister and shadow minister in parliament, citing his proudest moments including his time as minister for the national disability insurance scheme (NDIS).
Some of my proudest moments include serving as minister for the NDIS and establishing and building Services Australia – putting citizens at the centre of government, not the other way around – which will have a lasting impact and I implore the Albanese government to continue with that vision.
I am also particularly proud of delivering a record number of apprentices and record achievement of women’s participation in the workforce. Covid was a very tough period, but the achievements of the Liberal-National government in ensuring our economy rebounded should not be undersold.
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Stuart Robert says his time in parliament ‘has not been the smoothest ride’
Stuart Robert, who was a close confidant of the former prime minister Scott Morrison, served as the minister for veterans’ affairs, the minister for the national disability insurance scheme and the minister for government services under the Turnbull and Morrison governments.
His time in parliament involved multiple controversies, including his time presiding over the robodebt scandal.
In March, while appearing before the royal commission into the scandal, he admitted that he made several comments on the scheme throughout 2019 that he personally believed were false, defending himself by saying he was bound by cabinet solidarity.
In the statement announcing his departure, Robert says:
I am the first to acknowledge my time in parliament has not been the smoothest ride. Politics is tough. People throw the kitchen sink at you. And promises of a kinder, gentler parliament need to be taken with a grain of salt. We may all aspire to it, but ambition in politics will always win – as Labor stalwart Graham Richardson aptly put it: whatever it takes.
I do hope civility does eventually come to the theatre of politics. But I do fear division has well and truly entrenched itself in the current parliament. A kinder, gentler parliament it is not.
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Stuart Robert says Dutton has his ‘full support’ as he sparks byelection
Stuart Robert’s departure will spark a byelection in his Queensland seat of Fadden, handing another challenge to the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, who is already under pressure after losing the Liberal heartland seat of Aston in eastern Melbourne to Labor in a byelection. On the matter of Dutton’s leadership, Robert says:
I wish Peter Dutton all success as leader of our party and leader of the opposition. He has my full support to take it up to the Labor government and hold them to account, whilst at the same time giving Australians an alternative that acts in their best interests – not for popularity, not for social media, just a good decent custodian of government.
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Stuart Robert says he will resign ‘in the coming weeks’
Robert, the shadow assistant treasurer and shadow minister for financial services, says:
It is now time to focus on my family.
I have decided in the coming weeks I will resign as the federal member for Fadden. For the last 16 years, I have to the best of my ability served the people of Fadden and the Gold Coast community. My family have stood with me throughout this time, through thick and thin. It is now time for my family to have a husband, a father and a son to stand by them.
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Stuart Robert to resign as the federal member for Fadden
The former Coalition minister Stuart Robert has announced he will resign from federal parliament, which will spark a byelection in the Queensland seat of Fadden.
Robert said in a statement:
I will fulfill some final duties as member for Fadden over the next few weeks before becoming a full-time husband, father and son.
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Labor announces new agency and regulator for nuclear submarines
A new agency and regulator has been announced by the federal government to deliver its nuclear submarine commitment.
The Australian Submarine Agency (ASA) will be established by executive order, responsible and accountable for the management and oversight of the Aukus program.
ASA will be responsible for acquisition, delivery, construction, technical governance, sustainment, and disposal, while the Royal Australian Navy, led by the chief, will be responsible for training submariners and operating Australia’s submarines.
The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, said the submarines would be the “single biggest investment in our defence capability in our history”.
The establishment of the Australian Submarine Agency and the Australian Nuclear-Powered Submarine Safety Regulator are critical elements of delivering this game-changing capability and will ensure the safe and successful implementation of the pathway for Australia’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines.
The nuclear-powered submarine taskforce, which currently operates as part of defence, will transition to the ASA on 1 July, headed by a director general.
The federal government will also establish a new independent statutory regulator to oversee the program.
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Albanese joins Commonwealth leaders at pre-coronation gathering
There are pictures of Anthony Albanese with other Commonwealth leaders after a pre-coronation gathering overnight.
The prime minister had lunch with other heads of government at the palace on Friday and he was spotted chatting to the Princess of Wales, one of several royals at the lunch on Friday.
King Charles, who is head of the Commonwealth, then joined a meeting of the leaders at Marlborough House in London.
The monarch mingled with leaders before they all gathered in the garden for a group photograph with the Commonwealth mace.
Representatives from 203 countries will be in London for the King’s coronation on Saturday.
Albanese had earlier on Friday met the UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, for talks he said focused on the Aukus pact, trade and combating climate change.
Albanese told reporters after the 30-minute meeting in Downing Street that he was glad the UK-Australian free trade deal had been completed in time for the King’s coronation, which he called a “historic event of enormous significance”.
Albanese announced on Thursday that the trade agreement would come into force on 31 May.
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Australia to contribute humanitarian assistance to Sudan
The Australian government will provide an initial $6m in humanitarian assistance in response to the conflict in Sudan.
At least 230 Australians have escaped the conflict-torn nation, as fighting continues to intensify across the country, particularly in the capital, Khartoum, and the western region of Darfur.
Yesterday the Australian foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, announced that a further 22 Australians had left Sudan on a RAAF flight along with citizens from 10 other countries.
This is the view from inside the RAAF flight that carried 22 Australians and citizens from 10 other countries from Sudan to Cyprus overnight.
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) May 5, 2023
It’s part of Australia's contribution to ongoing international evacuation efforts.
Thank you to @ckombos and Cyprus for their support. pic.twitter.com/eXy265lWRg
The assistance includes $1m to the International Committee of the Red Cross for medical supplies, food, water and sanitation, as well as emergency shelter and protection for the most vulnerable people displaced by the violence.
A further $5m will be provided to Australia’s international aid partners.
In a statement, the government said:
We are deeply concerned by the loss of life and destruction that is taking place in Sudan. We call on all parties to agree to a permanent cessation of hostilities.
A negotiated solution is the only path forward for the people of Sudan.
The conflict has exacerbated the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan, which was already suffering high levels of food insecurity with large numbers of displaced people.
We urge all parties to the conflict to uphold international law and protect civilians, including health and humanitarian aid workers.
The UN’s top aid official, Martin Griffith, has warned that the “will to end the fight still was not there” after he spoke with rival military leaders in the internecine conflict.
Australians in Sudan are advised to register with the department of foreign affairs and trade through crisis.dfat.gov.au/crisisportal/s/.
For consular assistance, contact the Australian Government 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135 in Australia or +61 2 6261 3305 outside Australia.
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Morrison government spent $20.8bn on consultants and outsourcing
The aforementioned Jim Chalmers has spent a bit of time in recent weeks berating the fiscal bequest left to him by the Morrison government.
Today an audit of the public service has revealed some interesting numbers behind that story.
It shows the administration spent $20.8bn outsourcing more than a third of public service operations on consultants and other service providers. That’s the equivalent of 54,000 full-time federal staff in 2021-22, or 37% of the actual workforce.
The audit also found outsourced service providers made up nearly 70% of the $20.8bn total spending on external labour, while more than a quarter of it went to contractors and consultants.
Information technology and “digital solutions” made up 43% of the spending on external labour, while 17% went to the actual delivery of services.
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Australian women and children in Syrian detention camps set to launch legal challenge
Australian women and children held in Syrian detention camps are set to launch a legal challenge to compel the Australian government to bring them home.
There are at least 40 Australians – 10 women and 30 children – held within the Roj camp in north-east Syria.
They are the wives, widows and children of slain or jailed Islamic State fighters: most have been held in the squalid detention camp more than four years.
There are also a number of Australians held in the Al-Hol camp, which is far larger and considered far more volatile and dangerous.
Australia has launched two repatriation missions: in 2019, of eight orphaned teenagers, including a pregnant teenager; and last October, when four women and 13 children were brought back to NSW.
Save the Children has been instructed to act as litigation guardian for the remaining Australians seeking to be urgently repatriated, its chief executive, Mat Tinkler, said:
We have assembled a high-calibre legal team to prepare an application for a writ of habeas corpus on behalf of these Australians, who have now been trapped in the camps for more than four years.
Save the Children has been encouraging the Australian government at every available opportunity to bring home the remaining Australians, and working to avoid the prospect of legal action.
However, the families have become increasingly desperate, as the risks to their children’s health and safety grow with every day that passes. While litigation is a last resort, continued government inaction means the filing of the case is now imminent.
Other foreign nationals held in the Syrian camps have won similar legal challenges.
In January, a federal court in Ottawa ordered the Canadian government to repatriate 23 of its citizens, without setting a timeframe.
The Guardian reported last week on a growing despair within the Australian cohort inside the Roj camp. There is a particular fear that boys in the group, when they reach 11 or 12 years old, face being forcibly removed from the camp to adult prisons, ostensibly out of security concerns over their potential radicalisation in the camp.
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our rolling news coverage of the day ahead. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ll be getting you up to speed with what’s making news this morning before my colleague Caitlin Cassidy starts up later.
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has told Guardian Australia that investment in the “clean energy transformation”, additional measures to tackle housing affordability and a cost of living package targeted at the most vulnerable but “not all limited by age”, will be among the main features of Tuesday’s budget. He also said the budget would show a “substantial improvement” in the bottom line thanks to “better prices for our exports”, lower unemployment and “faster than anticipated” wages growth.
Anthony Albanese has lunched with other Commonwealth heads of government at Buckingham Palace ahead of King Charles’ coronation. The prime minister had earlier on Friday met his United Kingdom counterpart, Rishi Sunak, for talks he said focused on the Aukus pact, trade and combating climate change. More on this story too.
The weather might rain on the king’s parade in London and it’s not too flash in parts of south-east Australia today either with a cold snap signalling the arrival of winter. Temperatures are set to drop up to 8C below average over the weekend, with Melbourne seeing the mercury dipping to 6C tonight. The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting some gusty winds, particularly across Tasmania and southern Victoria today, and along the New South Wales coast on Sunday.
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