WA police have confirmed the pilot in the earlier reported crash in Ogilvie WA – a man in his 60s – has died.
He was the sole occupant of the plane. Australian Transport Safety Bureau officers will investigate the cause of the crash.
What we learned: Friday 21 March
We’ll wrap up the live blog for a Friday evening here. This is what made the news today:
NSW police say investigations are under way after online threats were allegedly made to a third Sydney mosque.
A number of flights between Australia and Bali have been cancelled after Mount Lewotobi in eastern Indonesia erupted late yesterday.
The department of employment and workplace relations secretary, Natalie James, has paused more cancellations and deductions of people’s jobseeker payments, amid a legal review.
The man accused of the domestic violence murder of Molly Ticehurst has been mentally assessed and will face court again later in the year.
A teenager who allegedly tried to force his way on to a Jetstar flight at a Victorian airport with a shotgun before being dramatically overpowered by passengers has been charged with attempting to hijack the plane.
Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie has called for an independent inquiry into whether the state’s aquaculture companies are selling diseased salmon to the public after a bacterium outbreak caused a mass mortality event at fish farms south of Hobart.
International students have little to no impact on the Australian rental crisis and are being “politicised” by Labor and the Coalition, new research suggests.
Allegations of children being sexually abused, left restrained in high chairs for hours and receiving substandard meals have prompted a parliamentary inquiry into the childcare sector.
The Liberals Against Nuclear group – established by Liberal supporters who are against the party’s nuclear energy plan – are continuing to call on the party to abandon the “unpopular” policy.
Libby Mettam says she will not continue as Western Australian Liberal party leader but will seek to stay on as deputy, after it became clear she lacked the support of party colleagues after another significant election defeat.
Victoria passed its tough new bail laws following a mammoth sitting that stretched into the night.
The long-awaited competition watchdog’s report into the big supermarkets says the retailers raised prices in the cost-of-living crisis to help them become among the most profitable in the world.
Until next time, have a good day.
Former deputy PM’s chief of staff settles with government
The deputy prime minister’s chief of staff, Jo Tarnawsky, has settled her lawsuit against the government, the deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, and the prime minister’s chief of staff, Tim Gartrell, after alleging that she was punished for raising a bullying complaint and naming a colleague as an alleged perpetrator.
The case, launched in November, was settled by a confidential settlement, Tarnawsky said in a statement late on Friday.
I came to work at Parliament House in 2022 shortly after the delivery of the Jenkins Review. The government pledged to ‘Set the Standard’ and announced a series of reforms that promised to make the parliamentary workplace safer for staffers like me. Like many, I had high hopes. But my experience has shown that much work remains to be done.
Employees should feel safe to raise workplace concerns with their employers without fear of reprisal. Regrettably, that was not my experience. To obtain resolution, I had to embark on public and traumatic litigation. It is a relief to finally close this chapter and move on with my life.
Speaking up comes with many costs but so does choosing to remain silent. When I look at what is happening in the world right now, holding firm to your values and standing up for what you believe in matters more than ever.
Tarnawsky said she will end 20 years in service of the Australian government and she is proud of her work. She thanked friends, family, colleagues, and her legal team.
Updated
Displaced Qantas passengers to be bussed to London from Paris due to Heathrow closure
Qantas will bus displaced passengers from Paris to London after several of its flights were forced to divert due to the closure of Heathrow airport.
On Friday, Qantas’s Singapore-London QF1 and nonstop Perth-London QF9 flights landed at Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport in the early hours of the morning, local time, after a fire at a substation near Heathrow airport – Qantas’s London destination – that has closed the airport for the entirety of the day and caused havoc across global aviation.
A Qantas spokesperson said passengers would now be bussed to London.
“Our Singapore-London and Perth-London services were diverted to Paris today, with buses arranged to take customers on to London,” the spokesperson said.
“Our teams are working hard to support impacted customers and we thank them for their patience,” the spokesperson said.
Qantas’s QF10 flight from London to Perth has been cancelled for Friday, with customers to be accommodated on other flights. Friday’s QF2, from London to Singapore, will also likely be affected.
Airlines are grappling with a “logistical nightmare”, aviation expert Neil Hansford told the Guardian. Because of the large volume of flights displaced by the closure of Heathrow’s five terminals, London’s other airports are likely unable to absorb all of Heathrow’s operations.
This is expected to lead to aircraft landing at airports where airlines don’t have replacement staff, and without sufficient jet fuel to be refueled.
Updated
Penny Wong meets Ukrainian World Congress president
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, says on X she met with the Ukrainian World Congress president, Paul Grod, who is in Adelaide, “to reaffirm Australia’s commitment to maintain pressure on Russia to end its illegal and immoral war”.
The Albanese Government is unwavering in our support for Ukraine. Today I met with Ukrainian World Congress President @PaulMGrod in Adelaide to reaffirm Australia's commitment to maintain pressure on Russia to end its illegal and immoral war. pic.twitter.com/trnyI9LWh9
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) March 21, 2025
Updated
Saturday protest planned against Brisbane Olympic stadium plan
A protest rally will be held in Brisbane on Saturday to oppose an Olympic stadium at inner-city Victoria Park after reports it will be a long-awaited 2032 venue plan’s centrepiece, AAP reports.
Brisbane’s infrastructure blueprint is yet to be revealed almost four years after the city was named host, sparking questions for 2032 boss Andrew Liveris from the International Olympic Committee.
The committee urged Liveris to confirm the venue plan at a meeting in Greece overnight, telling him “the sooner the better”.
But Liveris has allayed fears at the gathering that elected Kirsty Coventry as the committee’s first female president.
With 2032 infrastructure to be unveiled on Tuesday, Liveris assured the committee it would deliver a positive way forward after venue speculation played out in the media.
If you’re reading the Australian media, you will know of the ongoing discussion and debate about legacy infrastructure and venues.
Whatever you’re reading, please understand we are being consulted. We are at the centrepiece of the conversation.
This three years has not been wasted ... I am very positive about the way forward.
Opposition to a Victoria Park stadium is expected to bubble over at a protest rally on Saturday.
Campaigners including former premier Campbell Newman had already sent a letter to the Queensland government claiming Brisbane would be embarrassed on the world stage if it “destroyed” heritage-listed Victoria Park to build a stadium.
They are now planning the protest rally as the countdown begins for the long-awaited venue reveal.
Updated
Severe thunderstorm warning for parts of NSW
The Bureau of Meteorology is warning of severe thunderstorms for parts of the mid north coast and northern tablelands of NSW.
⚠️⛈️ 4:00pm: Severe Thunderstorm Warning for heavy #rainfall in parts of Mid North Coast & Northern Tablelands Forecast Districts.
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) March 21, 2025
Locations which may be affected include #PortMacquarie, #Kempsey, #Wauchope, #Laurieton, #Comboyne & #Yarrowitch.
Details: https://t.co/tYiUXby2yr pic.twitter.com/f0T48TfytZ
Updated
Andrew Leigh says he hopes US tech companies don’t interfere in Australia’s election
The assistant minister for competition, Andrew Leigh, tells ABC’s Afternoon Briefing he hopes the tech companies, including Elon Musk’s X, don’t intervene in the federal election, following US tech companies lobbying the Trump administration on Australian media law.
We ought to be running an election which is free of foreign interference and one which is a contest of ideas. I hope that in every single election.
You don’t always see it but we need to remember that goal and that the Australian democracy really is an extraordinary creation. We are a great democratic innovator and part of that innovation is ensuring we can have a contest of true ideas and strong policies and I really hope the Liberal and Nationals actually start coming up with some of those policies because I think it is good for the nation when we have competing policy portfolios, not just a government with a big agenda and strong ideas against an opposition with hot air and a bunch of slogans.
He said the government was prepared to take on the tech companies.
The social media minimum age laws that were passed through last year were a marker of that and the news media bargaining code ensures that those platforms which benefit financially from great journalism make a financial contribution towards it. These are sensible measures which don’t seek to curtail the platforms that many of us use and benefit from but which recognise that in a modern economy, we need the results to advance to keep pace.
Updated
Light plane reported to have crashed in Western Australia
WA police say a light plane has crashed in Ogilvie, around 47km north of Northampton.
The incident was reported to police at 11.15am local time after a member of the public saw a plane wreckage near Ogilvie Road west.
The pilot is believed to be the only person onboard, and the level of injuries is currently unknown. Emergency services are on the scene, and there is a 70m exclusion zone around the wreckage.
Updated
Teenager charged with allegedly attempting to hijack plane at Victoria's Avalon airport
A teenager who allegedly tried to force his way on to a Jetstar flight at a Victorian airport with a shotgun before being dramatically overpowered by passengers has been charged with attempting to hijack the plane.
On Friday, Victoria police announced that its illicit firearms squad had last week served an additional four commonwealth charges on the 17-year-old over the 6 March incident, when officers from the local police station were called to Avalon airport – which does not have a permanent onsite law enforcement presence.
The latest charges include attempted hijack, assault member of airline crew, prejudice the safe operation of an aircraft with intent to kill.
Police had previously charged the youth with multiple offences including unlawfully taking control of an aircraft, orchestrating a bomb hoax and possessing a firearm.
The matter remains before the court.
The teenager allegedly tried to climb the front stairs into the plane cabin but was noticed, by passengers, carrying the shotgun and subsequently overpowered by three civilians, police said earlier this month.
Passenger Barry Clark said he tackled the male who was allegedly dressed as a maintenance worker when he became agitated while speaking to the flight attendant.
Updated
State minister says salmon concerns are ‘unverified claims’
We reported earlier on calls from the independent MP Andrew Wilkie and the independent candidate for the seat of Franklin, Peter George, for an inquiry into allegations Tasmanian salmon companies could be selling diseased fish to the public.
The state business, industry and resources minister, Eric Abetz, has now responded:
We deal in facts, and these unverified claims are coming from anti-salmon groups that are actively trying to shut down the industry.
Salmon harvested for human consumption must meet all the usual food safety requirements.
I understand that the Federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry have deployed staff to undertake audits of each company’s processing facilities and will undoubtedly confirm or reject these allegations made by Mr Wilkie in due course.
[Health authorities have] been clear that there is no risk to public health, and I encourage people to get out and support our world-class salmon industry and continue enjoying sustainable salmon.
Updated
Australian media law plans unchanged despite lobbying by US tech
The federal government has responded to the earlier news that US tech giants are lobbying the Trump administration to take action against Australian media laws, including the news media bargaining incentive, AAP reports.
A federal government spokesman said the media laws would be unchanged.
The Albanese government will always stand up for Australian media and Australian journalism. It matters. We respect it. We will fight to protect it.
It is designed to encourage big digital platforms to continue to enter into commercial deals with news media organisations.
Everything we’ve proposed in the digital space applies equally to countries who operate in Australia, regardless of where they are based.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the reaction from the US companies was predictable.
“It’s not surprising that the tech giants would have that view,” he told Sky News on Friday.
Our job is to make decisions in Australia’s national interest, to protect kids online, for example, or to make sure that there’s a level playing field in our media with our media organisations.
It’s self evident that [tech billionaires] are very close with the US administration. Our focus and our job is to make our case in the US, as we have been doing.
A lot of people around the country, not just parents but including parents, they want to make sure that they’re appropriate protections for people online. The tech giants won’t always like that.
Updated
Many thanks for joining me on the blog today, I’ll hand over to Josh Taylor for the rest of the afternoon. Take care, and enjoy your weekend.
Queensland criticised for scrapping pill-testing as deadly opioid emerges
The Queensland government has been slammed for abandoning permanent pill-testing clinics after extremely potent synthetic opioids were found in Australian wastewater for the first time.
As AAP reports, Queensland has decided not to renew contracts for fixed pill testing sites at Brisbane’s Bowen Hills and Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast, with doors set to close on 4 April.
Australian Medical Association Queensland president, Dr Nick Yim, said he was disappointed the state government had discontinued the service, and feared it would lead to higher rates of harm.
It is disappointing the Crisafulli government, who was elected on a promise that they would listen to the experts, has once again dismissed the evidence supported by doctors.
Dr Yim was concerned the sites were closing after a deadly synthetic opioid 40 times more powerful than fentanyl was detected for the first time in wastewater testing across Australia over the New Year period.
Two highly potent and addictive variants of nitazene – a psychoactive synthetic substance – were detected at five separate sites in Australia and the United States.
The health minister, Tim Nicholls, stood by the decision to rip up the clinic contracts, citing the Liberal National party’s stance against drugs.
Updated
Read this week’s edition of the Weekly Beast
It’s Friday afternoon, which means it’s time for the latest edition of the Weekly Beast – you can have a read below for the latest from Amanda Meade:
Man arrested after suspicious fires throughout Sydney’s east
A man has been arrested following a series of suspicious fires in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
On Tuesday, police responded to reports of a car on fire at Edgecliff at 3.20am. Fire and Rescue NSW extinguished the fire, but it was destroyed. There were no reports of injuries.
At 3.30am, police located a burnt chair at the intersection of Glenmore Road and Cascade Street in Paddington.
Police are also continuing to investigate a fire on Jersey Road at Paddington on 19 September, and believe the three incidents are linked.
A 20-year-old man has been arrested at Waverley police station, and inquiries are ongoing. No charges have been laid.
Updated
Department pauses jobseeker cancellations and deductions amid legal review
The department of employment and workplace relations secretary, Natalie James, has paused more cancellations and deductions of people’s jobseeker payments.
In a statement, she said an independent assurance review was examining the IT system operating mutual obligations, and a legal review was “also examining whether decisions are being properly made and whether decision making processes are aligned with the law”.
I have taken decisions to pause some parts of the system. The work under way by my department has identified examples where the system is not operating in alignment with the law and policies, or is not operating with the rigour that I expect.
James said in the statement that while these reviews are under way, payments “may still be suspended when people fail to comply with their mutual obligations, however, those payments will be reinstated when people re-engage”.
Acoss is demanding the “urgent removal” of the entire targeted compliance framework amid the latest revelations, claiming “at least 10,000 people may have been subjected to unlawful or invalid financial penalties or payment cancellations”.
The Antipoverty Centre is also demanding the secretary immediately stop all current payment suspensions under the mutual obligations framework, and provide compensation to those impacted by potentially unlawful payment reductions or cancellations.
For more on this ongoing issue, you can read Cait Kelly‘s story from earlier this month:
Updated
Showers and thunderstorms forecast for north and central Australia this weekend
The Bureau of Meteorology says widespread showers and thunderstorm are forecast for much of northern and central parts of the country this weekend:
Widespread showers and #thunderstorms are forecast for much of northern and central #Australia heading into this weekend.
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) March 21, 2025
Latest: https://t.co/jlOoTZLz8d or the BOM Weather app. pic.twitter.com/OdkUKovQsO
Children’s commissioner says Victoria latest jurisdiction to respond to youth crime in ‘reactive way’
The national children’s commissioner, Anne Hollonds, says Victoria’s new bail laws are likely to lead to a “significant increase in the incarceration of children” – particularly because detention will no longer be a “last resort” for children.
In a statement, she said new data shows the number of children involved in crime has decreased in the state by 3%, with “most of the crime currently involving repeat child offenders who typically become involved with the criminal justice system very young”.
Hollonds said that many of these children have “unmet needs such as disabilities, health and learning problems, and trauma”.
Locking up these children does not rehabilitate them. It costs $1.3m per annum to lock up a child, and this is not making our community safer.
Hollonds said Victoria, after Queensland and the Northern Territory, was the “latest jurisdiction to respond to youth crime in a reactive way”.
The NSW and South Australian governments are also in the process of implementing discredited punitive measures, moving in the opposite direction to that of other developed countries.
Governments across the country are looking for a quick political fix rather than acting on evidence from experts … showing that we need to improve therapeutic treatment and support for children and their families, and take a preventative rather than punitive approach.
Updated
Victorian premier backs bail laws dubbed ‘dangerous’ by advocates
Tougher bail laws won’t trap young people in a cycle of reoffending, the Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, says, as retailers in her state grapple with the nation’s highest number of violent attacks.
AAP reports that Allan today defended the laws against claims by advocates who say the reforms aren’t evidence-based and risk entrenching criminal behaviour. She told reporters:
After listening to Victorians, to victims of crime, to the advice of Victoria police, and to other representatives across the justice system, we needed to bring about a jolt to the system. We are seeing too much of a pattern of behaviour.
Allan conceded more people will be remanded but said there is capacity in the system to handle the influx.
Updated
Islamophobia Register ‘concerned and distressed’ by surge in online threats targeting Muslims
The Islamophobia Register says it is “deeply concerned and distressed” by a surge in online threats and hate speech targeting the Muslim community.
The Islamophobia Register said in the past week “extremely disturbing comments have surfaced online, echoing the rhetoric of the Christchurch terrorist attack, where 51 innocent Muslim worshippers were murdered”.
These direct calls for violence, particularly during the sacred month of Ramadan, have left the Muslim community feeling vulnerable and unprotected.
Recent statistics from the Islamophobia Register show a 586% increase in reported Islamophobic incidents since 7 October 2023, with the statement saying this represents “only a fraction of the actual incidents”.
Executive director Dr Nora Amath said:
Hatred and violence have no place in our society and no one should live in fear due to their religious identity. We call on authorities to take swift and decisive action to ensure justice and safeguard all Australians from targeted hate and discrimination. Additionally, we urge serious attention to be given to all incidents of Islamophobia.
Updated
No impact to Qantas flights to Bali at this stage, after volcano eruption
Just circling back to earlier news of multiple flight cancellations between Australia and Bali, after a volcano eruption yesterday.
It’s understood there are currently no impacts to Qantas flights, but the situation is being monitored.
Updated
Police investigating alleged online threats to third Sydney mosque
NSW police say investigations are under way after online threats were allegedly made to a third Sydney mosque.
Police said on Thursday they were investigating an alleged Islamophobic social media comment targeting Lakemba mosque in Sydney’s west.
The mosque in Sydney’s west was allegedly targeted by a comment invoking an Australian man’s terrorist attack in New Zealand in which 51 worshippers were murdered during prayers.
The reference to the 2019 attack in Christchurch was allegedly posted on a video Lakemba mosque shared on TikTok showing worshippers leaving during Ramadan.
On Friday police said they were also investigating an online threat allegedly made the day before against Padstow mosque.
Police believe the two alleged incidents may be linked and urged anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Following the report of the alleged threats, the NSW premier, Chris Minns, said:
The NSW police force have launched an urgent investigation … Every single person in our state deserves to be able to practise their faith free from threats ... racism and Islamophobia has absolutely no place in NSW.
Earlier this month the Australian Islamic House – Masjid Al-Bayt Al-Islami in Edmondson Park reported an alleged online threat made against it on Instagram.
A 16-year-old boy has been charged in Western Australia over the alleged threat.
Updated
Heavy rainfall easing in north-east Queensland but some flood warnings remain
The Bureau of Meteorology says heavy rainfall is easing in northern Queensland but flood warnings or watches remain for parts of the Central Coast, Haughton River, Herbert River, the Ross and Bohle rivers and the Tully River.
Heavy rainfall is now easing in the north tropical coast of #Qld. However, flooding is ongoing with showers likely to continue in the coming days.
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) March 21, 2025
Flood Warnings and Flood Watches are current.
Latest: https://t.co/0FMwusJqJ1 pic.twitter.com/uh0ucKOPRv
Updated
Flinders, Point Leo and Shoreham residents advised to boil drinking water
Residents in the southern Victoria areas of Flinders, Point Leo and Shoreham are being advised to boil their water before drinking it, after a dead rodent was found in the Shoreham Reservoir during a routine maintenance inspection yesterday.
South East Water is currently undertaking water testing and investigations, and residents are advised to boil tap water as a precautionary measure to make sure it is safe to drink.
The Victorian health department has warned unboiled water may lead to diarrhoea, cramps, headaches and other gastro-like symptoms.
Infants, children, pregnant women, the elderly and immunocompromised people are particularly at risk.
Water should also be boiled for food preparation, making ice, and brushing teeth, as well as for drinking water for livestock or pets.
South East Water will provide a further update once investigations have progressed.
Updated
Nine Entertainment Company in talks for CoStar to obtain real estate business
Nine Entertainment Company has confirmed in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange it is in discussions with US real estate group CoStar to sell real estate business Domain.
Nine described the approach as an “unsolicited, non-binding, indicative proposal to acquire 100% of the issued capital of Domain Holdings Limited by way of a scheme of arrangement”.
The company said the discussions remain confidential and incomplete, including as to the price CoStar might make a revised proposal.
There is no certainty that the discussions will lead to a revised proposal from CoStar.
Nine continues to assess the proposal, including the strategic value of Domain to Nine, with a focus on the best interests of Nine shareholders.
Updated
Multiple flights between Australia and Bali cancelled after volcano eruption
A number of flights between Australia and Bali have been cancelled after Mount Lewotobi in eastern Indonesia erupted late yesterday.
Jetstar confirmed six return Bali flights this morning had been cancelled “due to volcanic ash … making it unsafe to fly”. A spokesperson said:
We’re monitoring the situation and, at this stage, based on current forecasts, there is no impact to our afternoon flights.
We’ll provide updates if there are any further changes to our schedule and thank customers for their patience this morning.
Virgin Australia said it expected “some delays to Bali services today” amid the ash cloud movement.
We’ve also contacted Qantas for the latest and will bring you more details shortly.
Updated
Smiggle sales slump weighs on Premier profit
Solomon Lew’s Premier Investments has posted a first-half net profit after tax of $117.1m, as key brand Smiggle sales slumped 14.5% on last year.
AAP reports that total sales were down 1.8% to $455m, excluding Peter Alexander UK, due to “a challenging discretionary retail environment”.
Peter Alexander meanwhile delivered record sales of $297.7m, up 6.6% on the equivalent half last year. Premier’s net profit before tax was down 12.7% to $148.4m.
The half in question was the last that Premier would own its apparel brands, including Just Jeans, Jay Jays, Dotti, Portmans and Jacqui E, which it sold to Myer in January. Premier also no longer holds any interest in Myer shares.
The results made no mention of fresh dividends for shareholders. The Premier Retail interim chief executive, John Bryce, said Smiggle and Peter Alexander sales remained best in class:
Looking ahead, Premier Retail is focused on the future growth opportunities of Peter Alexander and Smiggle with investment in new initiatives for these much-loved brands.
Updated
Art Gallery of NSW announces new director, the first woman in 154 years
The Art Gallery of NSW has announced its next director: Maud Page, currently deputy director and director of collections, will be gallery’s 10th director – and the first woman to helm the 154-year-old institution.
Page was appointed after a global search. She will take over from outgoing director Dr Michael Brand, who in his 13-year tenure spearheaded the gallery’s $344m expansion, culminating in the opening of a new building in December 2022.
Page joined the Art Gallery of NSW in 2017, in a role that was responsible for the curatorial direction and public art commissions for the expanded gallery. She was previously deputy director at the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane, where she played a key role in developing their collection of contemporary Pacific art.
At AGNSW she has overseen key acquisitions such as the world-famous medieval Lady and the Unicorn tapestries, from France, and the recent Magritte blockbuster exhibition. Page said in a gallery statement:
I strongly believe in the transformative power of art and look forward to working with artists and colleagues at my neighbouring cultural institutions and in greater Sydney as well as further afield with regional galleries and museums across the state, to welcome new audiences and families.
She will start in the role on Friday 28 March.
Updated
Hanson-Young responds to US tech giants’ push for Trump to hit Australia on social media laws
Earlier, we reported that tech giants are pressuring the US president, Donald Trump, to punish Australia over its social media laws.
The Greens’ spokesperson for communications, Sarah Hanson-Young, issued a statement in response, stating that Trump is “not our president and Australians won’t be bullied by [his] tech oligarchs”.
Streamers like Netflix, Amazon and Disney make mega profits of Australian subscribers without any regulation or requirement to invest in the local industry and Australian storytelling.
As a sovereign and independent country, Australia has the right to make laws that represent our values as a fair society and protect our citizens online. We will not allow tech billionaires to undermine measures that keep our communities safe and cohesive.
Hanson-Young said Australia was “getting almost daily examples to show that in the Trump era our relationship with the US has fundamentally changed and it is time for [us] to chart a course for ourselves independent of the US”.
Updated
Calls grow for Aldi supermarket to open in Tasmania to improve competition
Independent Tasmanian senator Tammy Tyrrell is doubling down on her call for Aldi to come to the state, amid the long-awaited competition watchdog’s report into the big supermarkets.
She said that Aldi was “crucial to keeping prices down at Woolies and Coles” and that Tasmanians were “suffering” because the “two major supermarkets dominate and we don’t have substantial competition like Aldi”.
Tasmanians deserve better grocery competition and cheaper grocery prices. It’s time we get what every other state has and Aldi comes across the Bass Strait.
Greens senator Nick McKim spoke to ABC RN earlier this morning from Tasmania and also called for the supermarket to enter the state:
Aldi doesn’t operate in Tasmania, and they should operate in Tasmania because it would insert a greater competitive force into the supermarket sector down here. And the same could be said for a number of regional areas around the country.
McKim said the current “oligopoly” operates “in an anti-competitive way” and “shuts out competitors who are considering entering a particular region or a particular area, and that is absolutely something we need to address”.
Updated
Molly Ticehurst’s alleged killer assessed
The man accused of the domestic violence murder of Molly Ticehurst has been mentally assessed and will face court again later in the year, AAP reports.
Daniel Billings is charged with the murder of Ticehurst, whose body was found in her home at Forbes, central-western NSW, in the early hours of 22 April.
The 30-year-old was freed on bail a fortnight before the alleged murder on charges related to Ticehurst, including three counts of sexual intercourse without consent and four counts of stalking and intimidating her.
He was also charged with destroying property at her house and aggravated animal cruelty against her 12-week-old dachshund puppy in 2023. Four more serious charges, including one count of aggravated sexual assault, were laid in December 2024.
Legal documents before the court accused Billings of threatening to cause Ticehurst further physical harm during the alleged assault. Billings is facing a total of 17 charges.
Legal Aid solicitor Diane Elston today told Parkes local court that Billings had undergone a mental assessment and the case could progress. Magistrate Michael Maher adjourned the case to the same court on 16 May.
He also removed Ticehurst’s name from an interim domestic violence order, which was put in place with the initial charges.
Updated
Wilkie calls for independent inquiry into salmon industry after deadly outbreak
Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie has called for an independent inquiry into whether the state’s aquaculture companies are selling diseased salmon to the public after a bacterium outbreak caused a mass mortality event at fish farms south of Hobart.
Wilkie, the MP for Clark, and Peter George, an independent candidate in the neighbouring seat of Franklin and anti-salmon farm campaigner, held a press conference outside the Tasmanian parliament.
They said that while politicians and the industry had claimed that diseased fish were not sold for human consumption, a 2014 policy document from the salmon company Huon showed that staff were advised that “in any large mortality event, as many fish as possible should be recovered for harvest and processing”. It said “any fish in which the gills still bleed is potentially recoverable”.
Wilkie and George said this was at odds with claims by the salmon industry and the Tasmanian Liberal industry minister Eric Abetz that dying and dead fish were not harvested and sold to the public.
Wilkie accused the state government of “running a protection racket for the salmon industry and in the process risking destroying the industry”. He said there would be “increasing pushback from consumers” if the government did not act.
A lot of consumers want to eat salmon, they like salmon, but they want to know it’s healthy. At the moment, they have no confidence it’s healthy. I certainly won’t be buying any more salmon until I can have some confidence it’s healthy and sustainably produced.
Huon and Abetz have been asked for their response.
Updated
International students have little impact on rental crisis, research finds
International students have little to no impact on the Australian rental crisis and are being “politicised” by Labor and the Coalition, new research suggests.
The study, published by Associate Prof Guanglun Michael Mu and Dr Hannah Soong from the University of South Australia, analysed 76 data points from 2017 to 2023 at the national and capital city level.
It found in most major cities, structural issues in the housing market were the primary cause of lower supply, adding some politicians had “blatantly attributed the national housing crisis to the rapid growth of international student numbers”.
In this context, the presence and impact of international student mobility are leveraged for political debates and agendas, rather than being addressed through evidence-based measures.
Prof Mu said the political discourses came on top of a “raft of other policy initiatives, including doubling student visa fees, tightening migration schemes, and proposing legislation to cap international student admissions for higher education providers”.
Updated
Australia’s economic security system needs ‘redesign’ amid threats – report
AAP has more details on the unclassified 2024 independent intelligence review, which was released today (as we flagged earlier).
Among the 67 recommendations was an economic security function be set up in Treasury to protect against financial threats. The review said economic decisions within the government was an area where national security risks were “becoming more challenging to manage”.
In our judgment, a system redesign is needed.
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, told reporters today that national security and economic security were becoming more connected:
So much of the uncertainty and risk that we see in the world, the geopolitical uncertainty, has an element of economic consequences attached to it as well.
National security and economic policy have become more and more intertwined. They’ve always been intertwined to some extent, but they’re now almost inseparable from each other.
The report said economic security threats had increased since the last time a review was carried out in 2017, due to shifting global tensions.
Updated
Queensland man accused of smuggling fugitive out of country
A man will face court today for allegedly smuggling a fugitive out of Australia.
In a statement, the Australian federal police said a Bagara man, 57, was charged yesterday under Operation Harrakis, which is investigating an alleged criminal syndicate suspected of helping serious organised crime figures flee Australia.
It will be alleged the man and another man crewed a vessel that collected an alleged fugitive during an at-sea transfer, before the three men sailed from Thursday Island in September 2023 and arrived in Phuket, Thailand, in early November.
The fugitive had been charged under Operation Ironside with dealing with the proceeds of a crime over $100,000, and conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs.
A search warrant was executed yesterday at a house near Bundaberg in Queensland, where police allegedly seized devices with correspondence between the man and offshore criminal syndicate facilitators, discussing arrangements for a fugitive to flee.
The AFP charged the man with one count of providing support resources to a member of a criminal organisation and one count of people smuggling. He is the fifth person charged as part of Operation Harrakis, which remains ongoing.
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Australia joins London defence talks on Ukraine support
Senior military officers from more than 30 countries across Europe and beyond – including Europe – met in England yesterday to flesh out plans for an international peacekeeping force for Ukraine as details of a partial ceasefire are worked out.
A defence spokesperson confirmed an Australian delegation, led by air vice-marshal Di Turton, participated in planning talks in London yesterday, and said:
Australia remains steadfast in its support, and supports all meaningful progress towards a just and enduring peace for Ukraine. Australia will continue to participate in collaborative military planning at a range of levels.
The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, said he didn’t know whether there would be a peace deal in the Russia-Ukraine war but that “we are making steps in the right direction” as a “coalition of the willing” led by Britain and France moves into an “operational phase”.
We hope there will be a deal but what I do know is if there is a deal, the time for planning is now. It’s not after a deal is reached.
It is vitally important we do that work, because we know one thing for certain, which is a deal without anything behind it is something that [Russian president Vladimir] Putin will breach.
– with AP
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Mass death of leatherjacket fish on NSW south coast investigated
The mysterious death of thousands of juvenile leatherjackets are being investigated, after they washed ashore on beaches across NSW’s south coast.
A spokesperson for the state Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said there had been reports of dead fish from Lake Conjola to Narooma and that it was investigating:
Current reports are estimating numbers in the thousands of fish, mostly juvenile leatherjacket washed up on several south coast beaches, with the cause currently unknown. Samples have been taken to determine the cause of the mortalities and fisheries officers are continuing to monitor the areas for any further events.
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First person in Australia found guilty of arranging forced marriage loses bid to challenge jail term
A Victorian mother who forced her 20-year daughter to marry her eventual murderer has lost a bid to challenge her three-year prison sentence.
Last year, Sakina Muhammad Jan, 48, became the first person in Australia to be found guilty of arranging a forced marriage since the practice was criminalised more than 10 years ago.
In a 2-1 ruling handed down this morning, the Victorian court of appeal upheld the sentence handed down by the county court. A jury found that Jan had forced her daughter, Ruqia Haidari, to marry Mohammad Ali Halimi in August 2019.
Halimi killed Haidari five months after their wedding and is serving a life sentence for her murder.
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US tech giants urge Trump to hit Australia on social media laws
Tech giants are reportedly pressuring US president Donald Trump to punish Australia over its social media laws, AAP reports.
The move is in response to the federal government putting in place laws to ban children under 16 from accessing social media, as well as measures to force tech companies to pay media organisations in Australia for content on their platform.
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, said the reaction from the US companies were predictable, and told Sky News earlier:
It’s not surprising that the tech giants would have that view. Our job is to make decisions in Australia’s national interest, to protect kids online, for example, or to make sure that there’s a level playing field in our media with our media organisations.
It’s self-evident that [tech billionaires] are very close with the US administration. Our focus and our job is to make our case in the US, as we have been doing.
A lot of people around the country, not just parents, but including parents, they want to make sure that there are appropriate protections for people online. The tech giants won’t always like that.
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Greens senator claims supermarket duopoly allows 'what is effectively collusion'
Greens senator Nick McKim spoke with ABC RN earlier this morning about the long-awaited competition watchdog’s report into the big supermarkets, which says the retailers raised prices in the cost-of-living crisis to help them become among the most profitable in the world.
He noted the ACCC had chosen not to recommend divestiture powers, which the Greens had been calling for, and said:
The fact that the ACCC was just investigating the supermarket sector may be one reason why they didn’t recommend divestiture powers. I do know that the ACCC, quite rightly, were strong proponents of stronger anti-merger laws in Australia which would prevent the further concentration of market power …
What we really need – the final tool in the toolkit for regulators – is now divestiture powers, so that when markets are too concentrated and they are leading to poor outcomes for consumers … that they can be broken up when necessary.
McKim said it wasn’t just consumers being impacted, with “primary producers … being done over by the duopoly simply because they can, because of the concentration of market power”.
I have no doubt that the market dominance of Coles and Woolworths allows them to get away with behaviour that, effectively, is collusion. They unfortunately care about their profits far more than they do about the welfare of their shoppers.
The host noted the ACCC report found no straight evidence of collusion, but did find evidence of strange pricing behaviour. You can read more details of the report below:
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NSW childcare inquiry confirmed after shocking allegations
Allegations of children being sexually abused, left restrained in high chairs for hours and receiving substandard meals have prompted a parliamentary inquiry into the childcare sector, AAP reports.
NSW Greens MP Abigail Boyd said a parliamentary committee into alleged “failures” of the early childhood education and care sector in the state had been established and she would be chairing.
Dropping your child off at an early learning centre in the morning is an enormous act of trust, but it doesn’t need to be a blind leap of faith. Families deserve transparency and accountability, and that’s what a parliamentary investigation can help to deliver.
The inquiry comes on the back of an ABC Four Corners investigation that reported allegations that child sexual abuse was being ignored by regulators and service providers prioritising profit over children’s care, with regulatory enforcement lacking.
Boyd said securing unanimous support from all sides of politics showed the allegations had touched a nerve, and that the “safety and wellbeing of the children of this state is an issue that transcends political persuasions”.
Anthony Albanese on Tuesday ruled out calls to establish a royal commission, while alleging the evidence presented on the program exposed clear breaches.
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Human rights groups urge political leaders to avoid 'divisive dog whistling' about refugees
More than 30 human rights advocacy groups have written to political leaders urging them to avoid “divisive dog whistling” about refugees and people seeking asylum in the upcoming federal election.
The open letter to leaders of Labor, the Liberals, the Nationals and the Greens, sent today, calls on politicians to “approach issues around people who have fled conflict and persecution with dignity and respect”, noting the “immense power and influence in setting the political agenda and the topics and tone of the national conversation”.
Both major parties have taken a tough stance on asylum seekers and refugees coming into Australia by boat. Both parties support sending anyone arriving in Australia by boat and seeking asylum to offshore processing facilities, like Nauru, without the chance of ever being resettled in Australia – even if they’re found to be refugees.
Political language and media reporting can often conflate issues of immigration with people seeking asylum.
The letter, signed by groups including the Refugee Council, Amnesty International, St Vincent de Paul and the Asylum Seekers Centre, acknowledged immigration would be “an important and high profile subject” during the election but implored leaders to “maintain high standards and correct the record when they have shared incorrect information, whether intentionally or by mistake”.
Frances Rush, the chief executive of the Asylum Seekers Centre, said:
We’re already seeing examples of divisive dog whistling this week and the federal election campaign hasn’t even officially commenced. If this is the starting mark, we have serious concerns over where the campaign will finish. These choices have real consequences, real impacts and real danger for people seeking asylum and refugees.
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Intelligence review released
The unclassified 2024 independent intelligence review was released today, according to a statement from the prime minister.
Announced in September 2023 to look at Australia’s intelligence agencies, and led by Dr Heather Smith and Richard Maude, the review found agencies have been successful in protecting Australia’s national interest, Anthony Albanese said.
He announced the government would invest $44.6m over four years in the Office of National Intelligence to “support initial implementation of key priorities identified in the response to the review”.
The statement said “details about the proposed approach to specific recommendations will remain classified”. Albanese said:
Our hard-working intelligence agencies are crucial in safeguarding Australia’s national security and we have full confidence in their capacity. We will continue to invest in capability to ensure Australia’s intelligence community can deal with emerging threats and challenges.
I would like to thank Dr Smith and Mr Maude for their work on this review, which will ensure our intelligence community continues to protect our national interest.
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Liberal group urges party to drop ‘losing’ nuclear policy
The Liberals Against Nuclear group – established by Liberal supporters who are against the party’s nuclear energy plan – are continuing to call on the party to abandon the “unpopular” policy.
In a statement today, the group said the party’s “conspicuous silence on nuclear energy in its advertising confirms the policy does not have internal party support” and must be dumped.
Analysis of Meta’s advertising library, published today in the Nine newspapers, shows the Liberal party has not used the word “nuclear” in any of its 24 paid social media advertisements currently running.
Andrew Gregson, spokesperson for Liberals Against Nuclear, said the party’s “actions speak louder than words” and that it was avoiding mentioning nuclear because “they know voters don’t want it”.
The party’s silence on nuclear in its advertising suggests internal polling matches what we’re seeing publicly – nuclear is a losing proposition. People just don’t want to be lumbered with public debt and massive government intrusion …
Voters are desperate for immediate relief on power bills, not a $600bn nuclear scheme that delivers nothing for decades. The Liberal party should focus on immediate tax relief for struggling families and businesses while developing practical energy solutions that align with liberal values of smaller government and free markets.
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Call to scrap $3 wages for people with Down syndrome
Down Syndrome Australia says the nation needs to phase out $3-an-hour wages for people with disability and break down the barriers preventing people from working in open employment.
Today marks World Down Syndrome Day, and a new poll finds most people – 82% – agree that it’s unacceptable for people with the condition to be paid below the minimum wage.
The same poll showed 79% agreed that creating meaningful employment opportunities for people with Down syndrome is the responsibility of governments and employers.
CEO Darryl Steff said in a statement that the federal government and opposition should commit to phasing out pay below the minimum wage by 2034, in line with the recommendation from the disability royal commission.
Allowing workers to be paid as little as $3 an hour, even if they also receive the disability support pension, means we’ve got people with disability living in poverty their whole lives. It also puts strain on family members who often then have to support them financially. You can’t even buy a cup of coffee for $3 these days.
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Early whale sightings could reflect stress from climate change
Communities in the NSW south coast have been excited to see the first whales of the season but scientists are warning the increasingly early start of the annual whale migration might be a sign of stress due to climate change.
Dr Olaf Meynecke, research fellow at Griffith University and manager of the international whales and climate program, said the faster sea ice melts in Antarctica – where the feeding grounds for humpback whales are – had a direct impact on the species migration timing.
Climatic changes in the Antarctic make food supplies less predictable, he said, meaning some mother whales deserted their calves before travelling back to Antarctica. Some juveniles migrating early and alone might have been abandoned last year, he said.
During the early northern migration, when humpback whales return from their Antarctic feeding grounds, we can often see juveniles or even yearlings moving up the coast. These whales may not all come from Antarctica but have spent their feeding summer closer to Australia. Some of the yearlings, whales born last year, may simply not have been strong enough to make the full migration …
There are a number of adaptation strategies that humpback whales have developed to cope with higher climate and ocean variability. This includes the access of supplementary food sources, development of new feeding strategies, shifting migration timing and sharing information about abundant food sources. However, the stress for whales increases.
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McKenzie pushes for divestiture powers and supermarket fines amid ACCC report
Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie was up on Sky News earlier and said the government was not doing enough to tackle the duopoly of the big supermarkets.
She pointed to comments made by Jim Chalmers earlier on the program, and said:
I didn’t hear the word penalties. I didn’t hear any tough measures that are actually going to put a very strong incentive for our supermarkets to behave better.
The host asked that if the ACCC “hasn’t found a smoking gun” and they basically aren’t doing anything wrong, what can the government do?
McKenzie said the “reality is the lived experience of customers, where we’ve seen prices go through the roof over the last three years”.
And we’ve also seen unfair contractual arrangements with our primary producers, [which] means that the supermarkets are working in concert together …
We have the means available to us to do something serious. The proposal from the Coalition was for up to $2m in fines to be imposed … or again, our divestiture proposal – a serious disincentive to the supermarkets to treat customers and suppliers poorly.
As we reported earlier, Chalmers has argued the “risks outweigh the benefits” when it comes to divestiture powers.
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WA Liberal leader seeks demotion amid ‘support for Basil’
Libby Mettam says she will not continue as Western Australian Liberal party leader but will seek to stay on as deputy, after it became clear she lacked the support of party colleagues after another significant election defeat.
As AAP reports, the move opens the door for high-profile Perth lord mayor Basil Zempilas, who narrowly secured the seat of Churchlands at the recent election, to assume the leadership now he has been elected to parliament and a change is no longer hypothetical.
Mettam said she would step forward as a candidate for the role of deputy.
While I would have liked and hoped to continue as leader, it has become clear I do not have that support of my colleagues to continue as leader through to the election in 2029.
I will be the only experienced Liberal in the legislative assembly and as a result many colleagues have encouraged me to support our new members and our new leader in the most effective way I can.
The WA Liberals party room will meet on Tuesday but Mettam said it was appropriate to announce her intentions ahead of time. She took responsibility for the party’s defeat at the state election earlier this month but said leadership speculation was a significant contributor to the outcome.
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Major parties neck and neck as election draws closer
Labor and the Coalition have drawn level with voters, AAP reports, as the prime minister prepares to call the federal election.
The latest YouGov poll shows the opposition clawing back ground on the government, with the major parties tied 50-50 on a two-party preferred basis.
The result comes after two weeks of Labor holding a narrow 51% to 49% lead in the polls, off the back of the response to ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred and public reaction to the government’s backing of Ukraine.
While the Coalition gained ground in the lead-up to the election, Anthony Albanese is still ahead of Peter Dutton as preferred prime minister. The poll showed 45% of those surveyed backed Albanese as preferred leader compared with 40% for Dutton.
Labor’s primary vote remains unchanged since the last poll at 31%. However, the Coalition has increased its voter share, gaining one point to 37%.
The YouGov poll surveyed 1,500 people between 14 March and Wednesday, with a margin of error of 3.4%.
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Chalmers says ‘risks outweigh the benefits’ of breaking up big supermarkets
Jim Chalmers was also up on ABC News Breakfast this morning, where he was asked if there’s a reason the government can’t commit to more of the 20 recommendations.
He said it was committing to all of the recommendations “in principle” and, like earlier, that the government was working on some of them already.
The treasurer rejected calls from the Nationals and Greens for a break-up of the big supermarkets to increase competition – which is not a recommendation of the report – and said “the risk of that outweigh the benefits”.
The ACCC has handed down a 441-page report and not on any of those pages does it support the divestiture powers which have been proposed by our political opponents.
Asked why the risks outweigh the benefits, Chalmers responded:
If you make one of the big chains sell in the community, there’s a risk that it’s just snapped up by the other big player in the supermarket sector and that would be counter-productive. Or if it chases supermarket options out of town in regional communities. It’s got hairs all over it, frankly.
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Treasurer says government already acting on some of ACCC’s supermarket recommendations
Jim Chalmers says that even with inflation coming down, Australians are “still feeling that pressure at the checkout”.
The treasurer was up on the Today show earlier to discuss the ACCC’s report into the supermarkets and said a lot of its recommendations were on “areas that we’re already acting on”,
We’re making the food and grocery code mandatory. We’re empowering the ACCC. We’re cracking down on mergers and acquisitions. We’re working to make it easier for new entrants to compete with the two big supermarkets in particular. These are all of the things that we’re cracking down on when it comes to the supermarkets.
We don’t want the supermarkets to be treating Australians like mugs.
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Allan government accused of ‘capitulating to tabloid media’ with ‘dangerous’ bail laws
Reactions have been flowing after the Victorian government passed its controversial new tough bail laws overnight.
Nerita Waight, CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, said tightening bail laws “only causes more harm to Aboriginal communities, there is clear and ample evidence on this”.
There is still time for premier [Jacinta] Allan to show strong leadership by listening to the experts, taking an evidence-based approach and investing in what actually works – early intervention, preventative, community-based supports that address the underlying causes of offending behaviour.
The First Nations director at the Human Rights Law Centre, Maggie Munn, said it was “deeply shameful” the Allan government had not learnt from “past policy failures”, and instead “capitulated to the tabloid media to entrench dangerous bail laws that undermine people’s right to liberty”.
And Louisa Gibbs, CEO of the Federation of Community Legal Services Victoria, said the state’s legal sector was “united in our position that rewinding bail laws is a costly and dangerous mistake that will cause far more harm than good, without addressing community safety”.
Data shows that when people are incarcerated, including on remand, they are more likely to offend again. So, locking up more people runs the risk of more offending in our community in the long term.
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Swan says more supermarket competition and price scrutiny needed amid ACCC report
ALP president Wayne Swan has also weighed in on the ACCC’s report into the big supermarkets, telling the Today show that it “shows what every consumer knew back at the end of 2022, 2023, that they were price gouging”.
And now the government has to put in place a whole set of rules and regulations and scrutiny, which can ensure that this never happens again in this way.
Swan said there needed to be “more new entrants into the market, [and] much more price scrutiny”.
I think they took advantage of the inflationary surge that was on back then, which makes their behaviour all the more disgusting. So that’s why they’re going to have a lot more scrutiny as we go forward.
He said that “sunlight is the best disinfectant when it comes to the behaviour of corporates”.
And we need a lot more scrutiny, not just of the big supermarkets, but big tech and all of those companies that are prone to price gouging.
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Coles responds to ACCC report into big supermarkets
As Martin flagged earlier, the long-awaited competition watchdog’s report into the big supermarkets says the retailers raised prices in the cost-of-living crisis to help them become among the most profitable in the world.
AAP reports that the supermarkets maintain they have not engaged in price-gouging, claiming their profit margins haven’t increased dramatically in recent years.
Coles said in a statement in response to the report:
Customers are increasingly cross-shopping and splitting their grocery spend across a range of retailers – both in store and online. Coles must compete vigorously for a share of consumers’ grocery baskets.
Coles added that it understood the cost-of-living challenges faced by families and warned against measures that would “increase red tape and drive up costs”.
You can read the full details of the ACCC below:
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Tough bail laws pass Victorian parliament
Overnight, Victoria passed its tough new bail laws following a mammoth sitting that stretched into the night.
The premier, Jacinta Allan, shared a video to X around 12.30am and said:
We’ve just passed the tough new bail laws, the toughest in the country. And these laws have consequences for people who break the rules, putting community safety first.
Labor’s controversial “tough” bail laws come amid ongoing debate over what some have labelled a “youth crime crisis” in the state.
The bail law changes scrap the principle of remand only as a “last resort” for accused youth offenders. In its place, community safety would become the “overarching principle” when deciding bail for children and adults.
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Good morning
Emily Wind here, signing on for blogging duties – thanks to Martin for getting us started this morning. I’ll be taking you through our live coverage for most of today.
As always, you can reach out with any tips, questions or feedback via email: emily.wind@theguardian.com. Let’s go.
Greens urge Labor to increase income supports above poverty line
The Greens are urging the Albanese government to lift income support payments in next week’s federal budget, adding it is the last opportunity before Australians go to the polls to “to turn [Labor’s] platitudes into meaningful action”.
The minor party’s social services spokesperson, Penny Allman-Payne, wrote to the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, yesterday in a last-minute bid to raise rates above the poverty line.
The government’s own economic inclusion advisory committee released its 2025 report earlier this month recommending the jobseeker rate be increased to 90% of the aged pension.
As Guardian columnist Greg Jericho outlined on Thursday, the current base rate of the age pension is $1,047.10 or $1,144.40 with supplements. If jobseeker was raised to 90% of the base rate, it would cost the government $3.5bn, and to raise it to 90% of the total including supplements would cost $5.2bn.
Welfare support payments received a minor boost on Thursday after indexation came into effect. Those receiving jobseeker payments over 22 and without children received a $3.10 fortnightly increase to $789.90 while couples on jobseeker will now get $1,149 after a $4.60 increase.
The jobseeker base rate was raised by $40 a fortnight in Labor’s 2023 federal budget, coming into effect in September that year. Allman-Payne wrote:
This budget is your government’s last opportunity before the federal election to turn platitudes into meaningful action by raising the rate of all Centrelink payments to above the poverty line. On behalf of the millions of people in this country who continue to struggle on poverty payments, we implore you to do so.
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Greens call for workplace racial equality agency
The Greens have urged a workplace racial equality agency be established to document experiences of racism in workplaces and improve racial equity.
The agency would collect data and public information on indicators such as representation in the workforce and in governing bodies, record instances of racism and try to improve equality in hiring practices, pay and workplace training.
The minor party says it would put forward almost $100m to support the agency in the medium term and it comes on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
The deputy Greens leader, Mehreen Faruqi, says the agency will help “provide the proactive focus needed to eliminate racism in workplaces”.
Systemic and entrenched racism in workplaces is not going to go away by itself, it needs concerted effort.
As Dutton and the Liberals mirror Trump to ramp up their attacks on diversity and inclusion in the workplace, we must double down on strong action for racial equity to address deep-seated racism.
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then my colleague Emily Wind will take you through the day.
Australia’s rapidly changing relationship with the United States is the subject of two of our top stories this morning. First, former chief of the defence force Chris Barrie has warned that “the vandals in the White House” are no longer reliable allies and urged the Albanese government to reassess its strategic partnership with the US.
At the same time, some of America’s biggest tech companies such as Apple, Meta, Google, Amazon and Elon Musk’s X have lodged a formal complaint urging the Trump administration to target “coercive and discriminatory” Australian media laws.
Closer to home, meanwhile, the long-awaited competition watchdog’s report into the big supermarkets says the retailers raised prices in the cost-of-living crisis to help them become among the most profitable in the world. In a 441-page report released last night, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission made 20 reform recommendations to the federal government, including forcing Coles, Woolworths and Aldi to publish all prices on their websites, and notify shoppers when package size changes in a bid for transparency around “shrinkflation”. Reaction coming up.
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