What we learned; Tuesday, 7 January
With that, we’ll end our live coverage of the day’s news.
Here’s a summary of the main news developments:
Anthony Albanese has weighed in on a drama unfolding on the country’s beaches, declaring beachgoers who use portable cabanas to claim a patch of sand are going against the nation’s spirit of equality.
Police are hopeful that a 23-year-old hiker missing since Boxing Day could still be alive in the remote Kosciuszko national park after a camera and campfire were found.
Victoria’s police force will charge more to patrol major events, such as AFL matches, the Australian Open, the Grand Prix and music festivals, under its biggest overhaul of fees in more than a decade.
Police have shot and killed a 40-year-old man in Adelaide after they said he confronted officers with a knife during a mental health episode.
Lleyton Hewitt’s son has crashed out of Australian Open qualifying. Cruz Hewitt pushed former top-20 player Nikoloz Basilashvili in his first formal match at his home grand slam before the Georgian prevailed 6-1, 6-4 in 73 minutes.
A solicitor for one of two brothers accused of shooting dead a woman after chasing her down a residential street has claimed his client acted in response to an armed threat.
Thanks for reading. Have a pleasant evening.
Updated
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake has struck near one of Tibet’s holiest cities, the China Earthquake Networks Centre has said, damaging buildings around Shigatse and sending people running to the streets in neighbouring Nepal and India.
State media said 53 people had died and more than 60 had been injured in the quake, which hit at 9.05am on Tuesday. The US Geological Survey said the earthquake was centred in the Tibet region at a depth of about 10km (6 miles). It measured the tremor at a magnitude 7.1. China recorded the magnitude as 6.8.
“Fifty-three people have been confirmed dead, and 62 others injured as of Tuesday noon, after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Dingri county in the city of Xigaze in Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region at 9:05 am Tuesday,” Xinhua news agency said.
Read more:
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D’Ambrosio accuses opposition of being ‘divided’, with ‘losers out altogether’ of shadow cabinet
D’Ambrosio says the opposition is “divided”, with Battin’s new cabinet “barely achieved anywhere near … representing the broader population of women, and he has absolutely demoted and punished those that did not support his leadership”.
She went on:
He’s not interested in repairing the damage that they’ve inflicted on themselves for years and years. He’s demoted a lot of people because they could not support him.
Just have a look at how he’s treated Jess Wilson. He committed to supporting her as deputy leader, and then retracted that at the last minute and she has been demoted again, having been taken out of the finance portfolio. So as you can see that this is a very, very divided opposition shadow cabinet.
A team that wasn’t even able to front as a full team today – it tells you that they are as divided as they ever were. This is a shadow cabinet that has winners and losers, and many of the losers are out altogether.
Updated
D’Ambrosio attacks shadow cabinet appointments as being ‘for cuts’
On Brighton MP James Newbury‘s appointment to the shadow treasury position, D’Ambrosio said he would become the “shadow minister for regional cuts”:
Why I say that of course, is that James Newbury is renowned for attacking the Victorian premier, the new treasurer, for not being from metropolitan Melbourne ... we know that his first priority and only priority, will be the people of Brighton, everyone else in this state will come last.
She described Sandringham MP Brad Rowswell’s new position as spokesperson for “digital transformation and public service innovation” as a demotion and said the role was essentially the “shadow minister for public service cuts”.
On upper house MP Bev McArthur’s elevation to cabinet, D’Ambrosio said:
He’s promoted Bev McArthur as the shadow minister for the 1950s. Everyone knows Bev McArthur’s views on a whole range of issues, and no one can actually accept that she’s someone who actually reflects modern-day Victoria and the standards and aspirations that everyone around this state would hope to receive attention for.
He’s also demoted Jess Wilson, one of the best performers of the Coalition, and he’s promoted David Davis [to spokesperson for financial integrity and budget repair] ... who was a significant contributor to the downfall of that Coalition in that last [election] campaign.”
D’Ambrosio is referring to Davis’ time as shadow treasurer, when he was unable to provide the total cost of the Coalition’s election promises.
Updated
Victorian Labor responds to shadow cabinet announcements
Victorian government minister Lily D’Ambrosio has held a press conference this afternoon to lay into opposition leader Brad Battin and his new shadow cabinet.
She spoke for five minutes without taking breath, describing the group as the “Coalition cut squad”. D’Ambrosio said:
Brad Battin has taken 10 days since he took over the leadership of the opposition to come up with the shadow cabinet, one that he promised he would seek to have a 50-50 division between men and women in that shadow cabinet.
The most he’s been able to achieve is eight out of 23 positions [that] have been filled by women. That is a terrible representation of women in his team.
He’s only been able to fill eight of the 23 positions with women from his party, from his Coalition, and one of those women is from the 1950s in terms of their policy focus and their objectives.
It’s clear every single day that Brad Battin’s new opposition team are about cuts. Their three priorities are about cuts, cuts and cuts.
Updated
Many thanks for joining me on the blog today, Elias Visontay will take you through the rest of today’s rolling coverage.
Updated
Man arrested over suspicious fire at Melbourne racecourse
Victorian police have arrested a 51-year-old man over a suspicious fire at Melbourne’s Caulfield racecourse.
Major parts of the racecourse grandstand were destroyed in the early morning fire on Tuesday.
In a statement, police said detectives arrested a 51-year-old man in Mordialloc on Tuesday afternoon in relation to the incident.
Fire Rescue Victoria earlier said they responded to the blaze at Station Street in Caulfield East in Melbourne’s south-east at 6.20am on Tuesday. One firefighter suffered a minor hand injury in the blaze and was treated in hospital.
Updated
Man charged after $3.2m worth of allegedly illegal tobacco products seized in NSW
Police have seized more than $3.2m worth of allegedly illegal cigarettes and vapes from a truck on the NSW mid north coast.
The 32-year-old driver was stopped on Monday night about 10:45pm after police allegedly detected speeding.
Police searched the rear storage area of the truck and found allegedly illegal cigarettes and nicotine vapes inside boxes. The driver was arrested and taken to Forster police station.
He was charged with goods in custody, restricted substance sold by non-wholesaler, and exceed speed limit 10k & under. He was refused bail to appear before Forster local court today.
Police will allege in court there were more than 20,00 individual vapes, and more than 1.6 million individual cigarettes with an estimated street value of more than $3.2m.
Updated
Police search for ‘scammers’ in Melbourne using ‘spirits’
Police say a group of alleged travelling con artists are targeting elderly Asian women on the streets of Box Hill, in Melbourne’s East, as part of an international “blessings” scam, AAP reports.
It is alleged the women in the group convince the women that there is a demon spirit following them and that they or a family member is in danger.
Police allege the group claim the only way to help the person rid themselves of the spirits, is to go home and retrieve money and jewellery and bring it back so it can be prayed over.
When the person returns they are told to close their eyes while the group allegedly prays over the bag, and exchanges the money and jewels for another heavy item.
Police allege the person is told not to look in the bag until they get home and when they finally do, they find their valuables have been stolen.
Detective Senior Constable Adam Stafford said one of the three alleged victims of the “cruel scam”, which originated in Hong Kong and China, lost valuables worth more than $150,000 - their life savings.
Two others lost as much as $50,000 combined - and there could be others who are yet to come forward.
“It’s quite embarrassing for the victims, a lot of these instances are probably being under reported for that reason.”
Police are looking for people that may be able to assist their enquiries and anyone with information is urged to contact crime stoppers.
You might have seen earlier the prime minister weighing into people using portable beach cabanas to reserve prime real estate on the sand.
It’s a practice dividing folks on social media, and Anthony Albanese says it’s “not on”.
Dan Jervis-Bardy has the full story here:
Updated
Police investigate after body of a man found in Dandenong home
A man, not yet identified, has been found at a property in Dandenong earlier this morning.
Emergency services were called shortly before 9:40am today. In a statement, Victoria police said:
The man, who is yet to be identified, died at the scene. The exact circumstances surrounding his death are yet to be identified and detectives from the homicide squad will attend. A crime scene remains in place.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or with any further information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
Updated
Battin says he will work with former opposition leaders to ‘wake up ready to run’ if elected to government
Asked why he gave Matthew Guy the role of handling “transition to government” despite leading the party to two election losses, Battin said the MP has a “big skillset when it comes to working in government”.
As I stated before, we were very lucky in Queensland - they had three former opposition leaders. They used their skills to ensure they’re prepared. And I’ll say to Victoria, I will stand with Matthew Guy, I will stand with Michael O’Brien, and I’ll stand with John Pesutto, and I’ll take advice from them to ensure we are ready to govern.
We are not going to be elected and wake up on the 29th [of November 2026] without a clue of what we’re doing. We are going to wake up ready to run and make sure that we’re going to deliver on the things we’ve promised.
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Battin avoids questions on if he considered Moira Deeming for shadow cabinet
Asked whether he considered Moira Deeming for shadow cabinet, Battin doesn’t answer the question but says:
I’ve given her a very important role, and that is, we need to focus on [the byelection in] Werribee. The change starts on February 8th. We will be going into that election with an intention to get the best result we can for the Victorian Liberal party. And that means Moira and Trung [Luu], who are the Upper House members over there, will be working with a candidate who will hopefully be announced in the very near future, and myself and my team to put forward our position so people have got a genuine alternative when it comes to vote.
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Battin says Bev McArthur, 75, promoted due to work ethic
Asked why he promoted Bev McArthur, Brad Battin says she “works super hard and hardly sleeps”.
Her work ethic is quite amazing, and some have questioned her age. Let me assure you, she is up before me, she goes to bed after me, and she works exceptionally hard. She has a passion for local government. We know more than anything, she will hold the government to account when it comes to scrutiny of government.
MacArthur, 75, is a key member of the conservative faction of the Liberals and her support helped Battin secure the leadership. She has previously been criticised for appearing to suggest Indigenous people should be grateful for the “wonderful things that have been enabled via colonisation”.
Updated
Battin says lack of aim for gender split in shadow cabinet was due to focus on ‘merit-based program’
Asked why he didn’t aim for a gender split in his shadow cabinet, Brad Battin said he focused on merit. He said:
I was focusing on a merit-based program. But one of the things that we are very, very pleased to announce that we’re actually putting in here youth and future leaders [role], and that’s about engaging young people in the future, to get a diverse range of people engaged in politics and civil duties.
We know that we’ve got a lot of work to do. It’s not just us. It’s all of politics. If we want to engage, not just looking across the aisle and saying if it’s a male or female, we’ve got a whole range of people here in our community that we want to engage more with, and our best option is to have a position that is focused on getting more people engaged from a younger age and in the future I assure you we will have some of the best governments because we’ve made this change.
Updated
Brad Battin denies reports John Pesutto refused shadow attorney general role
Brad Battin said John Pesutto had “some difficulties and challenges at the moment” and would not be a member of the shadow cabinet but remained a “strong part” of the opposition team. He said:
I assure you that when our alternative government is successful in 2026, on November 28 that John Pesutto will be a very strong part of that team, and someone I look forward to working with.
Battin denied Pesutto had asked to return to his former role as shadow attorney-general and he refused it.
No, I’ve had a discussion with John Pesutto in relation to the roles that were offered. If John wanted to come into the shadow cabinet, I would have been more than open to talk with him. He has a process now that he’s working through. He’s a very strong part of our team. I’m very lucky. I’ve actually got three opposition leaders in our team at the moment that I get to go and work with and discuss the things moving forward, so we can be a united team, learn the lessons of the past.
If we look at David Crisafuli in Queensland, he had the same thing with the three former leaders in the party, and by working with them, they’ve delivered an outcome, which is a Coalition government focused on things that the community really cared about.
Updated
Victorian opposition leader denies portfolios were awarded based on factional alliances
Circling back to that press conference earlier from Victoria’s opposition leader, Brad Battin:
Asked whether he awarded shadow portfolios based on factional alliances in the recent leadership challenge or on performance, Battin replied that he’s put David Southwick (a Pesutto backer) in “one of the biggest” roles as spokesperson for police.
He’s had police before, he knows how to operate in there ... People feel unsafe on the streets. Crime is at a record high. The only way to fix that is to ensure we’ve got the right policy and David Southwick is the one to deliver it.
Asked about what Brad Rowswell’s new position as spokesperson for “digital transformation and public service innovation” entails, he replied:
It’s an important role here in Victoria to get the efficiencies we need. If we’re going to try and impact on the cost of living, if we’re going to try and reduce taxes, if we’re going to fix the crime crisis and put money back into frontline [services], we have to find those efficiencies in the background so we can ensure that we can deliver those.
Updated
Experts expect modest home building recovery in 2025
The pace of home building is expected to pick up over the next 12 months though fewer interest rate cuts than previously expected may moderate the recovery, AAP reports.
The run of lacklustre new housing starts continued in late 2024, with dwelling approvals falling 3.6% in November, to 14,998.
While a muted monthly result, building approvals as tracked by the Australian Bureau of Statistics have been gradually trending higher.
Oxford Economics Australia head of property and building forecasting Timothy Hibbert expected about 170,000 dwellings to be built over the 2024 calendar year, up 4% on 2023. He wrote in a note:
Signs are that we will see further modest improvement in 2025, with attached dwellings providing increased support.
He wasn’t expecting a boom over the next 12 months, with utility connection bottlenecks and trade labour shortages imposing speed limits on the rebound.
We don’t expect a more meaningful double-digit recovery in total approvals until 2026, when mortgage rate cuts aid the release of pent-up housing demand, while traction on the supply policy front will become increasingly evident.
Updated
Brad Battin names former leader Matthew Guy in role responsible for ‘transition to government’
Another interesting new role goes to former opposition leader, Matthew Guy, who will be responsible for “transition to government”.
Nationals upper house MP Melina Bath, who was promoted to the shadow cabinet last year, has also got new roles as opposition spokesperson for Aboriginal affairs and public land management.
And unsurprisingly, John Pesutto will not be on the shadow frontbench.
Updated
New Victorian shadow cabinet unveiled
Victoria’s new opposition leader, Brad Battin, is holding a press conference to unveil his shadow cabinet, with promotions for those loyal to him in his recent leadership coup.
Late last year, Battin rolled the former leader John Pesutto in the wake of his high-profile defamation loss to exiled MP Moira Deeming, and returned her to the party room.
Battin’s supporters received promotions, including Brighton MP James Newbury, who will become the opposition’s shadow treasurer. Another supporter, Evelyn MP Bridget Vallance, will take on Newbury’s former role as manager of opposition business in the lower house while snagging the finance portfolio from Jess Wilson.
Wilson, the member for Kew, unsuccessfully challenged Battin for leader during the spill. Considered one of the party’s strongest performers, she will hang on to her role as opposition spokesperson for education and add industry and economic growth.
The former shadow treasurer and one of Wilson’s key supporters, Sandringham MP Brad Rowswell, will become opposition spokesperson for the environment and take up a new position on “digital transformation and public service innovation”.
Others to do well out of the reshuffle include Bev McArthur, who takes on responsibility for local government and scrutiny of government, and Richard Riordan, who adds planning to his housing responsibilities.
Evan Mulholland will take on major projects, multicultural affairs, arts and creative industries.
Pesutto supporters Georgie Crozier and David Southwick will also remain on the frontbench, with the former to continue in her role as health spokesperson and the latter to take on police, youth justice and corrections, formerly Battin’s responsibilities. Southwick also gets the new shadow portfolio of “youth and future leaders”. Malvern MP Michael O’Brien remains shadow attorney general.
Updated
Dutton’s nuclear strategy means ‘less economic activity’ in Australia, PM says
Anthony Albanese is continuing his tour of key seats in northern Australia, with Labor hoping to win the seat of Leichhardt from the Coalition.
He’s taken aim again at the Coalition’s nuclear strategy, saying it’ll lead to “less economic activity”:
The only costing that has been put out by Peter Dutton is one that relies upon 40% less energy being used in Australia by 2050. It means less economic activity, less manufacturing, less things being built here in Queensland and throughout Australia.
Updated
Albanese addressing reporters in Cairns
The prime minister has been speaking to reporters in Cairns, where he has announced $25m to build more homes throughout five regions in the local area.
Anthony Albanese said:
We know this is a major issue in regional Australia and in communities including in some of the more remote areas. Overcrowding in housing can create that social issues as well.
‘Extensive’ inquiry announced after man fatally shot by police in Adelaide
As we flagged earlier, police have shot and killed a 40-year-old man in Adelaide after they said he confronted officers with a knife during a mental health episode.
The South Australian police commissioner, Grant Stevens, announced an “extensive” inquiry into the incident, which he said would be led by the force’s detective chief superintendent, Scott Fitzgerald.
Catie McLeod has the full story below:
Consumer confidence starts year with a bang
New year optimism has infected Australian consumers, pushing confidence levels higher. As AAP reports, consumers are particularly upbeat about their personal finances, the weekly survey from ANZ and Roy Morgan has revealed.
A confidence boost at the start of the new year is not unusual, but ANZ economist Madeline Dunk says last week’s result is among the top three since 2023.
Higher interest rates and cost-of-living pain have been weighing on consumer sentiment but the darkest days appear to be over, with the confidence gauge trending higher from the lows of 2023.
We expect the upward momentum to continue through 2025, as tax cuts, rising real wages and, eventually, rate cuts support household disposable incomes.
Inflation is expected to moderate further and real incomes improve, but Australia’s jobs market is expected to weaken a little over the course of 2025 as growth remains fairly fragile.
SEEK senior economist Blair Chapman says the jobs market is still stabilising after the post-Covid-19 pandemic hiring boom.
Advertising on the jobs marketplace was weaker towards the end of 2024 compared with earlier in the year, he says, reflecting normalising labour demand easing from a very high base. But hiring in the care economy, including jobs in health care and childcare, is unlikely to slow down.
Updated
Mornington Peninsula locals fired up over beach cabana hack
Continuing from our last post, the Mornington Peninsula Leader has reported that people living on the Mornington Peninsula are fired up online about the beach cabana hack.
A beach cabana is similar to a tent, but has four posts. The media outlet published a photo showing at least four cabanas placed closely together, but there were no beachgoers enjoying the shade under them.
One person reportedly wrote that they were “not a fan of this marking your territory then leaving”, while another suggested “enjoying the facilities” until the owners returned.
Updated
Albanese wades into beach cabanas debate
Who doesn’t sometimes wish for a bit of shade on the beach on a sweltering day?
Well, there’s been some controversy on social media with photos showing some beach goers using portable cabanas to reserve prime spots on the sand.
Anthony Albanese has weighed in, saying it’s “not on” and goes against our egalitarian spirit.
He told the Today show this morning:
One of the great things about Australia, unlike some parts of the world, [where] you go and you’ve got to pay to go to the beach, here, everyone owns the beach …
That’s a breach of that principle, really, to think that you can reserve a little spot as just yours.
Updated
Police continue search for man missing in Kosciuszko
As mentioned a little earlier, police are still hopeful of finding 23-year-old Hadi Nazari who has been missing in the park since Boxing Day.
More than 300 people are part of the large-scale search. A camera and its case, a campfire and a lighter were found on Sunday.
Rafqa Touma has the full story here:
Updated
Man dies in hospital after suspicious house fire
An 83-year-old man who was critically injured in a suspicious house fire in Queensland has died in hospital.
Queensland police said the man, injured during the fire at Gulliver on Boxing Day, died from his injuries in Townsville hospital yesterday. Investigations are continuing into the fire.
A 53-year-old woman remains in a critical condition in the Royal Brisbane hospital.
Updated
Andrew Spliet said officers would continue the search, and someone would review all the search areas that have taken place so far and “look at what has been undertaken with a fresh set of eyes”.
[The search area] continually gets reviewed, depending on what we find.
Updated
Officers hopeful Nazari could be found alive given access to water
Supt Andrew Spliet said officers remain “very hopeful” Hadi Nazari is still alive and “we will continue the search until we’re comfortable that we have done everything that we possibly can”.
We are still hopeful, we are still detecting items of interest that belong to him and that is a real credit and shows how thorough the search has been that we are locating those very small items in such a large dense bushland …
Given what we have been told by the experts who look after the survivability report for us, we are still hopeful. He has access to water, that is the reasons why we are still out here and actively engaged.
On the camera that was found, Spliet said there were photos on there but he would not disclose details out of respect for the family.
They do not believe he has any other camera gear with him.
Updated
Police working to determine how long ago missing hiker Hadi Nazari lit campfire
Taking questions, Andrew Spliet said the campfire was found two days ago and officers are working to determine how long ago it was lit, to provide a timeline for when Hadi Nazari was in the area.
The find reveals that Nazari appears to be moving around, Spliet said.
From the search area where the campfire was located and the camera case, it was some distance away from where the poles and the rubbish were located earlier on … It is a fairly large area, so we are pretty confident he has covered a bit of ground.
We are searching a lot of the waterways and so forth because it is very important if you are out in these conditions, in this area, that you have access to water. We are focusing on that as well as where the items have been located.
Updated
Police provide update on search for missing hiker in KNP
NSW police officers are providing an update on the search for Hadi Nazari, 23, who is missing in Kosciuszko national park and was last seen on Boxing Day.
Supt Andrew Spliet said up to 300 people have been conducting field searches in dense terrain, with “a lot of thick bushland and growth”.
He said on NYE officers found some rubbish and a hiker pole believed to be Nazari’s, and on Sunday, they found a camp fire area, a lighter and camera case which has been confirmed to belong to him.
That area is an increased focus with the search now and we have search teams out in the field at the moment conducting searches still of the search area. We will continue with the search until we are confident that we have covered every area that we possibly can. During this time we have been keeping the family updated on the search, and they are out assisting as well with some of the searchers.
Updated
Warning issued for mosquito bites in NSW amid Japanese encephalitis detections
Holidaymakers and residents in NSW are being urged to stay vigilant about mosquito bites this summer, after recent detections of Japanese encephalitis and Murray Valley encephalitis virus.
NSW Health’s executive director of health protection Dr Jeremy McAnulty said JE had been found in mosquitoes in the Moree area, as part of its surveillance program.
MVE was also detected in sentinel chicken flocks in Cowra and West Wyalong in samples collected in December 2024. McAnulty said:
JE virus was previously detected in mosquitoes in December 2024 in the Griffith area, and in feral pigs in the Narromine Shire local government area …
These detections indicate the risk for mosquito-borne virus transmission is widespread, particularly in the 55 NSW local government areas that are at higher risk of JE in the inland regions.
Here is an explainer on JE from 2022, during a previous spike in cases:
Updated
Man extradited to NSW after alleged bungled ambush led to chase and shots fired at police car
A man who has been extradited from Queensland to NSW will face court today, after an alleged bungled shooting resulted in a high-speed chase through south-west Sydney.
Mostafa Rachwani had the full story on this last Tuesday:
A 20-year-old man was arrested by the AFP at Brisbane Airport on Friday and taken to Brisbane Watchhouse. He appeared at the Brisbane Magistrates Court yesterday, where Campbelltown detectives were granted his extradition to NSW.
He was escorted to Mascot Police Station where an outstanding warrant was executed, and he was charged with 13 offences. He was refused bail to appear before Downing Centre Local Court today.
Updated
Grant Stevens said police don’t know at this stage how many shots were fired.
As for why the Taser was unsuccessful, he told the media they are “dependent on many factors”:
Including distance between the police officer and the person who is having it deployed against them, as well as the type of clothing. In this instance, we understand the male was covered in a blanket and it may have been the case the blanket [prevented] the barbs from the Taser being effectively lodged.
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‘Inevitable’ for police to be called to respond to mental health distress, commissioner says
Grant Stevens said the man was alone at the time. Police had received a call from his girlfriend, not on the premises, who was on a video call with him and “confirmed he was threatening to harm himself”.
Asked how appropriate it is for police to respond to mental distress, Stevens said it is “inevitable” police are called.
It’s inevitable that police are called to people experiencing a mental health episode. In many circumstances, such as this one, those incidents and events involve acts of violence and police often attend to support South Australian ambulance officers.
He said four police attended and “more than one of the officers discharged their firearm”.
Updated
South Australian police address media after man fatally shot by officers
South Australian police are providing an update to the media after a man was fatally shot overnight by officers amid a mental health incident.
As flagged earlier, police said the 40-year-old man confronted officers with a knife. Officers deployed their tasers unsuccessfully, before he was fatally shot. SA police commissioner Grant Stevens said:
I can say having watched the bodyworn video this was a highly stressful, dangerous situation, and the police officers appear at this time to have acted in the accordance with their training and taken the action necessary to protect themselves and the ambulance officers who were on the scene.
As you can appreciate, this is a very difficult situation for police and all other people who are involved in the situation, as well as the extended family of those police officers and the patrol partners and team members.
These are always difficult circumstances for police. And as you would expect, there will be an extensive inquiry. We have declared this a commissioner’s inquiry, that will be led by detective chief superintendent Scott Fitzgerald undertaking all necessary avenues of investigation to determine the cause and circumstances of this incident.
Updated
Fire at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne’s south-east
Here’s our full story on the suspicious fire at Melbourne’s Caulfield Racecourse, as we flagged earlier in the blog:
Updated
Albanese questioned on Trudeau resignation decision
Back to Justin Trudeau’s resignation: Anthony Albanese was asked whether he is worried about the same fate happening to him, with cost-of-living crises affecting both countries?
Albanese didn’t answer directly but said Trudeau was the leader of a long-term government and a good friend to Australia:
Every single time there has been a natural disaster in Australia, we have had Canadians on the ground here, whether it be flooding events, bushfires and Australians as well who have got experience helping out Canadian friends when they have had bushfires …
I wish Justin Trudeau all the very best in whatever he chooses to do next in his life. I regard him as a personal friend, but he is a great friend of Australia.
Updated
Albanese questioned on $275 energy bill reduction promise
The PM was asked about Labor’s election promise of a reduction in energy bills by $275 this year – is it time to concede this won’t happen?
Anthony Albanese said the government had delivered $300 of energy bill relief, and argued “energy prices would have been higher if Peter Dutton was in government”.
… To preempt a question which no doubt I will be asked about election timetables, Peter Dutton was saying in the first half of last year we should go to an election in order to stop every Australian taxpayer getting a tax cut on July 1. That is how hostile he was to cost of living support. People would have been worse off under Peter Dutton and if Peter Dutton ever gets his hands on the levers of the economy, they will be worse off.
Before the 2022 election, Albanese had said Labor’s powering Australia policy would slash $275 off power bills by 2025. Instead, bills have gone up.
The Coalition has blamed the rise on new renewable energy, but analysts say it was largely due to fossil fuels, including the Ukraine war pushing up gas and coal prices. Regulators say prices for households should fall up to 7% in 2025.
Updated
PM says he has ‘no intention of making running commentary’ on what Trump says
Anthony Albanese was also asked about comments from Donald Trump, suggesting Canada should become a state of the US. But he responded:
I have no intention of making a running commentary on what the incoming president has to say.
Updated
Albanese says Dreyfus is the right person to visit Israel
Anthony Albanese also commented on the attorney general Mark Dreyfus’ upcoming visit to Israel.
He said a previously scheduled visit couldn’t go ahead, and Dreyfus would now visit for about a week.
Asked if it should be the foreign minister, Penny Wong, going instead to repair the relationship between governments, Albanese said she had already visited:
The foreign minister has visited Israel already. The attorney general is an appropriate person to visit Israel. A range of others have visited Israel in recent times.
Updated
Albanese addressing reporters in Queensland
The prime minister is speaking with reporters from Queensland. He was asked about Justin Trudeau’s resignation, and reports this was partly due to the 25% tariffs that Donald Trump had promised to impose on the country.
Is this a cautionary tale for Australia’s dealings with Trump? Anthony Albanese said he has had “positive discussions” with Trump:
We spoke about Australia’s relationship with the United States, when it comes to defence and national security but also on the economy. The United States has had a trade surplus with Australia since the Truman presidency and it is in the United States’ interests for us to continue to implement the Free Trade Agreement which has the support on a bipartisan basis in the Australian parliament.
Asked if he had made further contact with Trump since the initial phone call to make the case against Australian products being subjected to tariffs, Albanese said:
I have made the case to President Trump and he publicly said after [that] that conversation was very positive, as was I about our discussion.
Updated
Group launching weekly democracy lessons for young voters ahead of election
Ahead of the federal election this year (which we’re already hearing so much about, just a week into 2025), one group is putting together a booklet to inform young voters.
The Australian Koala Foundation will launch a refreshed version of their “democracy booklet” initiative, with a 10-week campaign across social media and weekly “lessons” in democracy.
The campaign aims to inform the public, particularly young voters, about the voting system – with a focus on representatives who will protect Australian wildlife.
AKF chair Deborah Tabart said:
I feel that many Australians don’t really know how our democratic system works, or how important their vote can be. I do not want to tell people how to vote, that is a democratic right, but I hope they realise how powerful they can be with their decision.
AKF is a non-profit focused on protecting koalas and their habitats.
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Man fatally shot by police during mental health incident
A man has been fatally shot by police on a farm in South Australia, amid a mental health incident.
Just after midnight, police and SAAS were called to Craigburn Farm after reports of a mental health incident where the occupant of a home was allegedly harming himself with a knife.
Police said they entered the home to speak with the 40-year-old man, who allegedly threatened them with a knife.
Police deployed a taser which was unsuccessful, the man continued to threaten patrols with the knife.
Police then discharged their firearms, incapacitating the man. Paramedics worked on the occupant before he was transported to hospital where he sadly died. There were no injuries to police.
Detective and investigation teams are at the scene and will be investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, police said. A report would also be prepared for the coroner.
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New union-led disruptions flagged on major rail network
Rail commuters are facing more disruption after rail unions scheduled a new round of industrial action in their deepening wages row, AAP reports.
The protected action, including reduced speed limits and bans on working with contractors, would start on 15 January and last for three days across the NSW trains network.
The rail union says it’s part of a bid to resume negotiations that broke down as workers threatened to upend New Year’s Eve festivities in Sydney.
The new actions did not involve high-level strikes or bans on using certain trains, said Toby Warnes, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union state secretary. He told ABC radio:
There are no massive disruptions. But there might be some flow-on effects to try and get management to wake up and come back to the bargaining table.
Workers continue to demand four annual wage increases of 8% but that’s been dismissed by the Minns government as unaffordable. The government has not formally budged from its original offer of 11% over three years including superannuation increases.
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Man charged for allegedly bringing firearm to Sydney airport in luggage
A NSW man will face court today after a firearm was allegedly found in his luggage at Sydney airport.
The Australian federal police said a security worker monitoring an X-ray allegedly identified suspicious items in the South Wentworthville man’s checked baggage.
Officers inspected the luggage and allegedly found parts of a disassembled shotgun and ammunition.
The man, 39, was stopped from boarding a flight to Lebanon and questioned about the weapon, which was seized. The AFP will allege the seized firearm was not registered to the man.
He was charged and refused police bail to first appear in court on 29 December 2024, on one count of trafficking prohibited firearms or firearm parts out of Australia. The maximum penalty is 20 years’ imprisonment.
Today is the man’s second court appearance.
Detective acting superintendent Dom Stephenson said there was allegedly an “initial claim that the weapon was a ‘drenching gun’ used for agricultural farming”.
However, the AFP subsequently determined the weapon was a shot gun broken down into two parts. This is a serious weapon with the potential to cause real harm.
Security screening staff at the airport were vigilant and along with AFP officers, acted quickly to ensure the safety of the travelling public and stop weapons being taken offshore.
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Albanese calls Trudeau a ‘friend’ after resignation announcement
Speaking on the Today Show, Anthony Albanese has also responded to Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation announcement.
He has wished Trudeau well, saying he’s had a “good relationship” with Australian governments both Coalition and Labor.
Australia and Canada are partners. We’re both part of Five Eyes, the international security arrangements that are in place, along with the United States, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Justin Trudeau I regard as a friend and I wish him well, he has served Canada well for a long period of time.
Trudeau has said he will step down as Canada’s prime minister after his party finds a new leader, a decision that in effect brings an end to nearly a decade in power.
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Men arrested for alleged murder in Brisbane suburban street
Queensland police have arrested and charged two suspects wanted for murder after a woman was chased and fatally shot in a Brisbane suburban street.
A 29-year-old Marsden man and a 32-year-old Caboolture man were arrested without incident in Logan on Monday. They were later charged with one count each of murder and are due to appear in Brisbane magistrates court on Thursday.
Warrants were issued for the pair after Chloe Jade Mason, 23, was found unconscious on a Caboolture street north of Brisbane, dying at the scene.
Police had been searching northern New South Wales for the men since the alleged murder on 22 December.
Police also alleged the pair travelled to northern NSW in a white Holden Commodore after being interviewed on 22 December. Detectives had been searching northern NSW for the pair. Det Insp David Harbison said:
Investigators have worked tirelessly to locate the accused and police appreciate the assistance we have received from the community.
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PM responds to antisemitic graffiti on car in Sydney
The prime minister says the government has taken action against antisemitism, in response to hate speech spray painted on a car in Sydney yesterday.
Speaking on the Today Show from Queensland, Anthony Albanese says Labor has provided additional funding for security measures for the Jewish community and banned hate speech, symbols and doxing.
We’re addressing in every single way possible these issues, because we understand that it is very hurtful for the Jewish community. And at its worst, what we’ve seen is significant crimes developed, which is why we’ve stood up a special operation jointly between the Australian Federal Police, Asio, the National Security Agency and state police authorities as well.
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Man charged for allegedly making finger gun gesture outside synagogue
A man has been charged over allegedly making a gun gesture towards a man outside a place of worship.
It is understood the gesture was directed towards people outside a synagogue nearby.
NSW police alleged a passenger inside a car allegedly made a gun gesture with his fingers towards a man in St Ives, about 12.30pm on Saturday. Police will allege in court that the car continued driving along the road and the passenger allegedly made the same gesture to another man at a place of worship.
The second man reported the alleged incidents to police the same day. After inquiries, police arrested a 20-year-old man at a home in North Turramurra about 11pm yesterday.
He was taken to Hornsby police station and charged with stalking/intimidating, intending fear and physical harm. The man was granted conditional bail to appear at Hornsby local court on 29 January.
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Police investigating suspicious fire at Melbourne's Caulfield Racecourse
Victorian police are investigating a suspicious fire at Melbourne’s iconic Caulfield Racecourse.
Emergency services responded to a fire in the grandstand about 6.25am today. Police said no one was injured and the area was evacuated safely.
A crime scene has been established. The investigation remains ongoing.
Footage shared online shows smoke billowing from the grandstand:
Massive fire at Caulfield racecourse in grandstand for updates tune into @RSN927 pic.twitter.com/cuSZQ8kpee
— Michael Felgate (@m_felgate) January 6, 2025
An incident alert from VicEmergency said the fire was under control, but smoke would be visible from nearby roads and communities for some time.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
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Crisafulli says upgrades for Bruce Highway ‘life or death’
The Queensland premier, David Crisafulli, says upgrades to the Bruce Highway would begin “straight away – and there’s no ifs, no buts, no maybes.”
Speaking on the Today Show just earlier, he said the funding arrangement had always been 80-20 with the federal government paying “the lion’s share.”
It’s their highway. What’s been missing is the state advocating to have that return, but also a proper, coherent plan …
I want works to happen and to start this year … It’s life or death … It is the lifeblood for regional Queenslanders and it’s at an unacceptable level. And I’ve been saying that for a long time, and we’re now in a position to do something about it. And you bet we will.
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Littleproud asked whether nuclear energy policy dividing regional communities
On the Coalition’s nuclear energy policy, David Littleproud was asked whether it was dividing regional communities.
He responded no, and argued there was “overwhelming support of a transition of these coal fired power stations to nuclear power plants”.
Regional Australians don’t want a future littered with transmission lines, solar panels and wind turbines. We should have a say in reducing our emissions, it shouldn’t be an all-renewables approach. We should spread our risk. You shouldn’t put all your energy in one basket … I’ve got one going into my own electorate, and there’s overwhelming support in those areas for it.
Analysts say that Australia would emit far more climate pollution – more than 1.7bn extra tonnes of carbon dioxide – between now and 2050 under the Coalition’s nuclear-focused plan than under Labor’s renewable energy dominated policy.
A Guardian Essential poll last July was roughly split between people who considered the nuclear plan “an attempt to extend the life of gas and limit investment in large-scale renewables” and those who said it was “serious, and should be considered as a part of the nation’s energy future”.
Meanwhile the climate change minister, Chris Bowen, predicts that support for nuclear will evaporate at the next election.
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Littleproud predicts March or April election, with no budget
The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, says “the firing gun has started” for this year’s federal election, which he predicts will be in March or April.
Speaking to ABC News Breakfast just earlier, he said he doesn’t think the government will deliver a budget this year:
I think we’re all ready for it. I think it will be in March, April, I don’t think they’ll do a budget, they don’t want to remind the Australian people with the sea of red ink in the budget. That’s my punt.
He also welcomed yesterday’s announcement from the government to fund 80% of the upgrades for Queensland’s Bruce Highway:
This road is of national significance but it’s also one of the most dangerous in our country. And I think it just needs a commitment, and we’re glad to see the government has finally adopted that, one we had, and one the state government can now get on with the job of delivering.
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Taylor says government ‘desperate’ with figures showing economic impact of nuclear on Queensland
The shadow treasurer was also asked about new figures from the government today, showing Queensland’s economy will be almost $1tn worse off by 2050 if the Coalition’s nuclear plan gets the public’s green light at the next federal election.
Angus Taylor turned the focus back on Labor, saying “the thing that’s made the economy smaller is Labor”.
Labor can make up all the nonsense they like. They’re desperate. I mean, this is a government that’s been on the back foot, that got things wrong, that is sending Australians on a pathway to poverty, not a pathway to prosperity. And so they’re in a state of desperation, saying these sorts of things.
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Taylor on Bruce Highway investment: ‘Government needs to be frugal at a time like this’
Asked whether the Coalition supports the government’s move to fund 80% of the upgrades for Queensland’s Bruce Highway, Angus Taylor said the Coalition has “long supported” investment in the major road – but “government needs to be frugal at a time like this”.
Investment in good infrastructure projects is crucial … What we haven’t seen yet is the timeline of when the spending will occur.
Labor cut funding to the Bruce Highway in previous budgets since they came to power, and we want to see when this money is going to be spent, whether it’s out in the never-never or it’s real. We haven’t seen that yet, and we’ll decide whether we support this particular proposal when we see those details.
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Taylor gives election pitch amid Albanese campaign blitz
The shadow treasurer, Angus Taylor, has been speaking with ABC RN about this year’s federal election – after Anthony Albanese kicked off a campaign blitz this week with plans to visit multiple states.
Asked whether Peter Dutton was still on holiday, Taylor said he himself, Dutton and colleagues had “been out and about” over recent weeks.
I’ve been making a very simple point that other than Albanese Labor government’s own failing plan for our economy, Australia’s won’t see a recovery in their living standards until at least 2030 – that’s another two terms of parliament, and this is on the government’s own numbers, which the treasurer tried to bury in his mid-year budget update.
What is the Coalition proposing to do differently? Taylor said their focus was on “freeing up the economy, and in particular, making sure we’ve got business leading the way, investing, creating jobs, taking risks, driving not just job creation, but [productivity]”.
He took aim at Labor for not deregistering the CFMEU, and said the government had “failed” to get more gas into the energy system.
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Independent MP welcomes news Dreyfus will travel to Israel
Independent MP Sophie Scamps has welcomed news the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, plans to visit Israel.
Nine newspapers reported he would visit within weeks to mend the relationship between the two governments.
Speaking on the Today Show earlier this morning, Scamps said:
I do think we’ve had episodes of antisemitism that do need to be addressed and, you know, crushed as soon as possible. So it’s great to see that the attorney general is going to Israel.
She said the government was “agonisingly slow to act that first time there was that antisemitism, racism in Melbourne”.
But since then I think that they’ve made the right steps and they do need to send the attorney general to Israel to have those conversations and that dialogue.
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Search continues for bushwalker missing in KNP
Later this morning, emergency agencies are expected to address the media as the search for a missing bushwalker in Kosciuszko national park continues, after nearly two weeks.
Hadi Nazari, 23, was last seen on Boxing Day. The experienced Victorian hiker was descending the challenging Hannels Spur trail with friends and planned to meet at the Geehi campground, but he failed to arrive.
NSW police and the NSW State Emergency Service will address the media around 11am local time, since a multi-agency search began on 27 December.
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Good morning
And happy Tuesday – Emily Wind here, signing on for blogging duties. I’ll be taking you through most of our rolling coverage today.
As always, you can reach out with any tips via email: emily.wind@theguardian.com.
Let’s go.
Cold case prompts police search of Geelong bushland
Victorian police will today search bushland near Geelong as part of the investigation into a cold case that is more than a decade old.
Lorrin Whitehead, 41, was last seen leaving her Bannockburn home on a Friday afternoon in February 2013, then on CCTV at a local supermarket where she bought water, a card and a pen.
Police say they now have “intelligence that Lorrin’s remains may potentially be located” in the area they plan to search.
A witness had reported seeing Whitehead getting into the driver’s seat of a red 4WD, and this is the last report of her being seen by anyone. She did not own a red 4WD.
Her bank accounts remained untouched after her disappearance.
Victoria police said in a statement:
The area for today’s search is not one that people will regularly walk through, so we’re hopeful there may be some sign of Lorrin here even after all these years.
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Nuclear hit for Queensland, Labor says
Queensland’s economy will be hundreds of billions of dollars worse off by 2050 if the Coalition’s nuclear plan gets the public’s green light at the next federal election, a new Albanese government analysis shows.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is crisscrossing northern and western Australia this week in a pre-election blitz to campaign battlegrounds.
Fresh from visiting Queensland’s Gympie and Rockhampton on Monday, the government has revealed overnight the opposition’s proposal to build and operate two of seven nuclear reactor sites in Queensland would affect the state’s economy by $872bn by the mid-century.
The government’s analysis, based on calculations from Australian Energy Market Operator figures, also reveals the opposition’s plan would affect the state economy’s output by $61.1bn in 2050-51 alone.
On Monday, Albanese told reporters the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, had a vision for a “smaller Australia”.
Under the Coalition [Dutton’s] vision is for a smaller Australia, is for making less things, is for less economic activity, is for less jobs … A Soviet-style command economy of the energy system with his nuclear plan, because no one in the private sector would touch this with a barge pole because it doesn’t add up economically.
Albanese and his entourage of Labor frontbenchers are expected to continue the early-year election-style tour on Tuesday in Cairns, where the government hopes to win the seat of Leichhardt.
Northern Territory’s Lingiari, held by Labor on a razor-thin margin, is expected to get a visit before the prime minister heads farther west to the new seat of Bullwinkel in outer Perth.
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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 it’ll be Emily Wind with the main action.
Queensland’s attorney general has asked prosecutors to rethink “manifestly inadequate” sentences passed down in two high-profile criminal cases. Deb Frecklington, also Queensland’s minister for justice and for integrity, said the two sentences “in my view, fail to meet community expectations”.
Staying in the Sunshine State, Queensland’s economy will be almost a $1tn worse off by 2050 if the Coalition’s nuclear plan gets the public’s green light at the next federal election, a new Labor analysis shows. Anthony Albanese will draw on the report to attack Peter Dutton’s flagship policy as he continues his tour of electorates in Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia ahead of the official start of the federal election campaign. We have more details coming up.
Senior New South Wales police officers and the SES are expected to provide an update this morning on the ongoing efforts to find the missing hiker Hadi Nazari. The 23-year-old has not been seen since he began descending the Hannels Spur trail in the Kosciuszko national park near Geehi, between Khancoban and Thredbo in the Snowy Mountains region at about 2.30pm on Boxing Day.
And Sydney is waking up after (or failed to sleep through) a big storm that swept through the city overnight, breaking a long hot spell. An SES spokesperson told ABC radio they received 189 calls and requests for assistance, with trees down on homes, paths and roads, and roofs springing leaks. More on this a bit later.
