What we learned; Thursday 2 November
That’s it for today, thanks for reading.
Twenty Australians have left the Gaza strip but 65 remain, the federal government says, with work continuing to get them to the Rafah crossing as soon as possible.
A Tiwi traditional owner has won an urgent injunction to prevent Santos from commencing construction work for a pipeline for its Barossa offshore gas project.
A woman at the centre of a suspected case of mushroom poisoning has been arrested by Victoria police in relation to the death of three people after eating beef wellington.
Former Pacific leaders say the region should demand Australia “stop approving Pacific-killing coal and gas projects” as a precondition for approving a joint bid to host a UN climate conference.
The Wiggles say they are “deeply disappointed” their song Hot Potato is being used by a council in Western Australia to deter homeless people; and
Queensland’s bushfire crisis eases, but towns in the state’s north remain under threat.
We will see you back here for more news tomorrow.
Updated
Queensland Fire and Emergency issues leave immediately warning for Innot Hot Springs
The Queensland Fire and Emergency Service says houses at Innot Hot Springs, a town of about 180 people 160km south-west of Cairns, are under threat from bushfire.
It is one of two emergency alerts current in the state.
LEAVE IMMEDIATELY - Innot Hot Springs - Multiple Warnings - fire as at 4:08pm Thursday, 2 November 2023.
— Qld Fire & Emergency (@QldFES) November 2, 2023
QFES has used Emergency Alert text and voice message to warn people in the affected area. Go to https://t.co/RQMCV5oo1Y for current bushfire warnings. If your life is in… https://t.co/AzvYvZinLj
Updated
The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, says he supports the call from former Pacific leaders for the federal government to stop approving coal and gas projects.
The Greens back the call from Pacific Elders to postpone backing Australia’s bid to co-host the 2026 climate summit until Labor stops approving new coal and gas projects, which are killing the Pacific and making the climate crisis worse. pic.twitter.com/E6MaJMdtwp
— Adam Bandt (@AdamBandt) November 2, 2023
Wiggles tell council to drop Hot Potato
The Wiggles say they are “deeply disappointed” their song Hot Potato is being used by a council in Western Australia to deter homeless people, WAtoday reports.
The song was being played on a loop 24 hours a day by Bunbury council to stop people gathering at a waterfront bandstand.
A Wiggles spokesperson told WAtoday the group’s music was created to bring joy and happiness to children and families around the world, and they were “deeply disappointed” to hear it was being used in any other way.
The council came under fire for using Peter Allen’s I Go To Rio for the same purpose in 2016.
Updated
Australia and UK sign quantum technology agreement
Australia has signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Kingdom to cooperate on the advancement of quantum technology. The industry minister, Ed Husic, and his UK counterpart, Michelle Donelan signed the agreement on Thursday UK time while Husic is in the country as part of the AI summit.
Quantum computing could allow processing that would take current computers thousands of years to be completed in minutes.
In the joint statement, Australia and the UK have agreed to cooperate to advance the technology and work on theoretical and practical uses of the technology in the future. Husic said:
Australia is a global leader in quantum technologies. Signing the joint statement reaffirms our global leadership and builds an important link to the UK to boost our collaboration and lift investment. The UK is Australia’s second biggest quantum collaborator after the United States, and we have a long history of collaborating on technology.
[The statement] will help secure investment by giving confidence to Australian and UK investors and encourage further research and industry collaboration between our quantum technology experts.
Updated
Coles launches worker theft crackdown
Coles is subjecting staff to bag checks at the end of their shifts in a crackdown on grocery theft targeting some of Australia’s lowest paid workers. The bag check policy, which has been tightened as food prices surge, requires employees leaving a store to present their personal bags for inspection.
Those who refuse to have their bags checked can be fired, according to the Coles policy which was updated last year but only recently routinely enforced, according to worker representatives. It replaces a previous practice whereby staff bag inspections were only used after a genuine suspicion of theft.
More on that story here:
Updated
Australia must stop coal and gas projects that are 'killing' the Pacific: former leaders
Former Pacific leaders say the region should demand Australia “stop approving Pacific-killing coal and gas projects” as a precondition for approving a joint bid to host a UN climate conference.
After Anthony Albanese completes his highly anticipated trip trip to China, the prime minister will fly to the Cook Islands for next week’s Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders’ meeting, where the climate crisis and regional security will be hot topics for discussion.
A group called Pacific Elders’ Voice, representing former leaders across the region, said PIF should postpone a decision on whether to support Australia’s bid to co-host the 2026 climate summit in partnership with the Pacific.
The group’s members include Hilda Heine, the former president of the Republic of the Marshall Islands; Anote Tong, the former president of the Republic of Kiribati; and Dame Meg Taylor, a former secretary general of the PIF secretariat.
They raised concerns about “Australia’s failure to match its words with its actions” at a time when “the science continues to show a warming planet alongside a world not willing to make the transition away from polluting fuels like coal and gas”. The statement said:
We call on the Albanese government of Australia to urgently honour Australia’s Paris agreement commitments to significantly reduce its [greenhouse gas] emissions. We reiterate our calls for Australia to urgently phase out gas and coal and stop opening up new coal mining.
A member of Pacific Elders’ Voice – former Tuvalu prime minister Enele Sopoaga - was even blunter in a supplementary statement:
Under the circumstance the Pacific Elders Voice believe that the 52nd Pacific Island Forum Leaders summit should postpone any decision about whether Australia should co-host COP31 with the Pacific until Australia has demonstrated its ability to listen to and respect the needs of the Pacific and act in accordance with climate science.
The PIF Leaders Summit must unanimously call on Australia to stop approving Pacific-killing coal and gas projects. We reiterate that the Pacific Islands Forum should not rubber-stamp Australia’s bid and that any endorsement must be based on commitments from Australia to take tangible climate action in the short term and commit to a fossil fuel phase out in the near future
Updated
Four hospitalised after Morayfield dog attack
Four people have been taken to hospital after a dog attack north of Brisbane, the ABC are reporting.
The dog attack occurred at Morayfield about 11.30am on Thursday. A man has serious injuries to a forearm, according to the report.
Updated
Services Australia forced back to Senate estimates
Centrelink officials will be forced to return to a Senate estimates grilling after the federal government agency failed to answer “basic questions” about growing call and payment wait times.
The Greens and the opposition announced on Thursday they had teamed up to recall Services Australia, the agency who delivers the Centrelink program, after its “unacceptable” appearance at a recent estimates hearing.
The shadow ministers Paul Fletcher and Kerrynne Liddle joined with Liberal backbencher Maria Kovacic and Greens senator Janet Rice to force officials back to the witness table on Tuesday 7 November.
The central welfare agency had revealed in October it had issued 2.8m busy messages to callers in only two months, and answered less than a quarter of calls received over July and August 2023 – a figure down from 35% over the 2022-23 financial year.
Read more:
Updated
Two emergency warnings in place for Queensland
Just another quick update on the current bushfire situation: there are two emergency warnings in place for Queensland and none for NSW.
The Queensland warnings are both for fires in the Tablelands region, south-west of Cairns. The towns at risk are Innot Hot Springs and Jumna Dam, with large fast-moving fires nearby.
You can see all the Queensland warnings here.
Updated
Global heating is accelerating faster than is currently understood and will result in a key temperature threshold being breached as soon as this decade, according to research led by James Hansen, the US scientist who first alerted the world to the greenhouse effect.
The Earth’s climate is more sensitive to human-caused changes than scientists have realized until now, meaning that a “dangerous” burst of heating will be unleashed that will push the world to be 1.5C hotter than it was, on average, in pre-industrial times within the 2020s and 2C hotter by 2050, the paper published on Thursday predicts.
You can read more on that story here:
Santos responds to federal court decision to issue urgent injunction on pipeline construction
And in a statement to the ASX this afternoon, Santos acknowledged the court’s decision to grant the interim injunction.
The company said it had complied with a general direction issued by the petroleum regulator Nopsema earlier this year. That direction included a requirement to conduct underwater cultural surveys after the regulator identified Santos had not done this work.
The company said:
An independent expert anthropologist concluded there were no such underwater cultural heritage places, following interviews with around 170 Tiwi people and extensive archaeological and anthropological literature and studies. These studies included consideration of independent expert archaeological, geological and sedimentological assessment of the pipeline route.
The company said it updated its environment plan to reflect the recommendations of the anthropologist.
It said it would defend the case when it returns to court on 13 November and that guidance on the cost of the Barossa project remained unchanged. If the injunction is extended beyond 13 November, the company said it would reassess any impact on the project timeline and cost.
Updated
Traditional owner welcomes federal court injunction on Santos pipeline
Jikilaruwu man Simon Munkara, the Tiwi traditional owner who has taken Santos to court, has welcomed the federal court’s decision to hear his legal challenge to a pipeline associated with the Barossa offshore gas project.
Earlier this afternoon the court issued an urgent injunction preventing Santos from commencing work on the pipeline until the case returns to court on 13 November. Tiwi people have raised concerns that construction of the export pipeline would threaten burial grounds and sacred sites.
Munkara’s legal challenge will argue Santos has not properly assessed submerged cultural heritage along the route of its Barossa export pipeline.
Munkara said:
We are serious about protecting our country. That is our obligation. I’m doing this for my kids, so that our culture can be passed on to future generations.”
Alina Leikin, the special counsel at the Environmental Defenders Office which is representing Munkara, said:
We are very relieved. Santos’ crews were hours away from beginning work on this pipeline which poses significant risks and impacts to our client’s Sea Country.
We now have a chance to put forward our client’s reasons why Santos’ environment plan is not fit for purpose and must be revised and resubmitted.
Updated
South Australian watchdog criticises youth prison in damning report
The South Australian youth justice centre linked to the prolonged isolation of children and multiple incidents of self-harm has again failed to improve its record-keeping, the state’s watchdog says, making it impossible for it to gauge the extent of its problems.
In a report tabled in state parliament on Thursday, the SA guardian for children and young people, Shona Reid, found the Kurlana Tapa youth justice centre only recorded about half as many incidents as it should have. This included cases involving self-harm or the use of restraints by staff.
The Training Centre Visitor’s (TCV) annual report found that while there were 33 medical emergencies involving hospitalisation, there were only reports provided for 14 incidents.
Read more on that story here:
Updated
Penny Wong says she ‘reiterates Australia’s call for humanitarian pauses on hostilities’
Penny Wong acknowledged that a number of Australians, permanent residents and relatives, remained in Gaza - and that the situation was distressing:
Please be assured we will continue to press for all of you to cross the border out of Gaza, we will continue to do what we have been doing for the last few weeks, which is to engage with all that we can to ensure safe passage.I again reiterate Australia’s call for humanitarian pauses on hostilities. We want humanitarian supplies of food, water, medicine, fuel to reach people in desperate need. The people of Gaza cannot wait.
I’ve said that in affirming our view that Israel has a right to defend itself, Israel’s friends including Australia have emphasised that the way Israel does that matters. We know that Hamas is a craven terrorist group, we know that it has burrowed itself into civilian infrastructure, we know that it is using civilians as a shield. We know that terrorism must be confronted.
What I would say is that all of these challenges do not lessen Israel’s obligation to observe international law and the rules of war. Even in war there are rules.
Wong repeated a line she has used several times in the last few days, that “the international community will not accept ongoing civilian deaths” and that Israel should listen to its friends on the need to protect civilians.
Updated
Penny Wong ‘relieved and grateful’ Australians have crossed out of Gaza into Egypt
In the same press conference, Penny Wong’s voice wavered at times as she described how “relieved and grateful” she was that a first group of Australians had been able to cross out of Gaza into Egypt, and as she recounted a moment from her phone call with the Australian ambassador to Egypt:
Just a short while ago, I spoke to Australia’s ambassador to Egypt, Dr Axel Wabenhorst. It was about 4am in Cairo and I can tell you I was speaking to him and I could hear children in the background and I said to him are they our kids and he said yes - some of the Australian children who made it to Cairo today. They had a seven-hour journey, which is obviously pretty tiring. I asked abut the health of all of the Australians. He said that people seemed in good health and were relieved but we are ensuring anyone who needs medical attention will receive it.
The foreign affairs minister said the Australians were being supported by consular staff in Egypt, had been transported to Cairo, and travel arrangements were now being made for them to get home free of charge.
Wong thanked Australian officials, including staff from her department, who had worked hard to secure their passage. She also thanked her counterparts in Egypt, Qatar, Israel and the United States “who have been so critical to brokering these arrangements”.
Wong said it was “good progress” but “there’s a lot more to be done”.
Updated
Cost, lifespan of ‘totally undesirable’ coal-fired power station up in the air
The NSW environment minister, Penny Sharpe, has been unable say how long coal-fired power station Eraring would stay open or how much it will cost the state’s taxpayers, AAP reports.
She said keeping Australia’s largest power plant open was “totally undesirable” but an independent commission would help mitigate its long-term effects on the climate.
“(The commission) will put advice to the parliament and to government about what are the choices that we have to make,” Sharpe said.
“If we are extending Eraring there’s an impact and where are we going to find the other emissions reductions that we have to do?
“It’s not easy but that’s why (the commission) is so important.”
Official modelling shows NSW is on track to cut emissions by 55% on 2005 levels by 2030, and 70% by 2035 under current policies.
Sharpe said she thought the state was on track to meet its 2030 target of a 50% reduction, but more work was needed. “We’ve only reduced by about 18% from 2005 (emissions) as we sit here today,” she said.
“This is a big task and we need to make sure that we keep on with it.”
Updated
Penny Wong says Israeli settler violence in West Bank ‘needs to stop’
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has said violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank “needs to stop”.
Amid Israeli’s bombardment of Gaza in the wake of Hamas’s attacks on 7 October, there have also been reports of intense settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
The US president, Joe Biden, specifically spoke out last week against such attacks. Wong told reporters at a press conference in Adelaide a short time ago:
We say to the Israeli government that this needs to stop - attacks on civilians in the West Bank who are entitled to be there, violence against civilians needs to be ended. And it is not good for Israel’s security either to have violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank.
You can read more on this issue here:
Updated
Queensland bushfire warning for Innot Hot Springs
The Queensland fire and emergency service has told residents at Innot Hot Springs, in the Tablelands region, to leave immediately, because of nearby bushfire.
LEAVE IMMEDIATELY - Innot Hot Springs - Multiple Warnings - fire as at 1:22pm Thursday, 2 November 2023.
— Qld Fire & Emergency (@QldFES) November 2, 2023
QFES has used Emergency Alert text and voice message to warn people in the affected area. Go to https://t.co/RQMCV5oo1Y for current bushfire warnings. If your life is in… https://t.co/sKGrjcM9dp
Updated
NSW not shifting goalposts on emissions, minister says
A freshly legislated emissions goal for NSW will not spell an end to the state’s interim target, despite that measure being absent from a proposed reform, AAP reports.
NSW environment minister Penny Sharpe has defended a decision to omit the state’s medium-term goal for emission cuts in measures introduced to parliament in October.
If passed, the bill will set into law the state’s 2050 net-zero emissions target and establish an independent commission to review and report annually on the government’s progress.
It will also enshrine a 2030 goal of a minimum 50 per cent cut in greenhouse gas emissions on 2005 levels.
Sharpe said another target, for a 70 per cent reduction in emissions by 2035, had already been set in separate legislation.
“I want to make it very clear that we are not repealing that regulation,” she told a budget estimates hearing on Thursday.
Updated
Greens call for Victorian inquiry into supermarket ‘duopoly’
The Victorian Greens are calling for the state government to hold a parliamentary inquiry into “the supermarket duopoly”, after consumer advocates Choice awarded Woolworths and Coles a Shonky for “cashing in during the cost-of-living crisis”.
Choice said the supermarkets had been shamed with the award because they had claimed to be helping with the cost of living while banking “huge” profits.
The Victorian Greens’ economic justice spokesperson, Sam Hibbins, said the cost-of-living crisis was having a profound impact on people and that there was a clear case for much stronger government action to lower costs of food. He said an inquiry could help those struggling to afford food, bills, and rent, adding:
When the supermarket duopoly are topping the consumer advocate’s list of worst services for the year, you know something is wrong.
Everyday people are experiencing worsening mental health, reduced quality of life and significant hardship because they simply can’t afford bills, food, or the rent.
The profiteering supermarket duopoly of Coles and Woolworths are making the cost-of-living crisis worse, by increasing the price of food and their profit margins at the same time.
Updated
Albanese rejects ‘assimilation’ calls after referendum loss
Prime minister Anthony Albanese says the government will “push back” on calls to promote assimilation of Indigenous communities in the wake of the voice referendum, saying the vote’s defeat was not an endorsement to follow such policies.
Albanese said the government’s post-referendum agenda on Indigenous affairs would include promoting Aboriginal businesses and recommitting to Closing The Gap, as well as committing to keep listening to communities.
Speaking in a Q&A forum at a conference hosted by the Australian in Melbourne, Albanese was asked about how he would move forward in Indigenous policy after the referendum’s resounding defeat. He said “we will continue to consult”, but didn’t give any major hints on where the government would go next.
Despite the referendum going down 60-40, Albanese said he believed a majority of Australians still wanted to see action on closing life expectancy and social outcome gaps. He said:
What do we push back as well? That what people meant was assimilation and that we don’t have programs designed to assist Indigenous Australians, because we won’t as a country benefit from everyone having a stake in this country as well. We will continue to leave too many people behind.
And I hope that some of the rhetorical positions that we’ve seen since the referendum, including the idea that violence against women and children is something that’s confined to one section of the population, I hope that people take a bit of a step back and think about the consequences of that.
Since the referendum, some in the Coalition opposition have called for an end to what was deemed “separatism” between Indigenous communities and wider Australia. No campaign leader and shadow Indigenous minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price told a conference in London this week “no more separatism, no more dividing us along the lines of race, no more political correctness, no more identity politics”.
Updated
Southern Australia’s cool-season drying and heating trend continues
With the end of another month, the Bureau of Meteorology has crunched a few numbers, as it does.
First up, Australia had another very dry month, with average rainfall about one-third below the 1961-1990 yardstick. It was the fifth-driest October since 1900 and the driest since 2002. (For WA, it was the driest October on record.)
October was another very dry month for Australia, according to this @bom_au map: pic.twitter.com/GLS5KuRLuN
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) October 31, 2023
The past two months have been notably drier than average across almost the whole continent.
September was the driest September in records going back to 1910. The September-October rainfall map is starkly below-average for rainfall: pic.twitter.com/G0AwjQXnfs
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) October 31, 2023
As for temperatures, maximums in October were 1.91C above the 1961-90 average. (Mean temps were 1.05C above that norm, while minimums were 0.2C above average.)
Australia in October was relatively hot in the west and east, according to maximum temperatures. (Source: @bom_au) pic.twitter.com/WTag33178E
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) November 1, 2023
October’s data also allowed the BoM to calculate how the so-called cool season for April-October went.
That’s particularly important for southern Australia because farmers rely on decent rains for plantings, etc, and to fill up dams. (Not to mention ecosystems that have evolved for cool and damp conditions in the south.)
The story is pretty stark here too. Taking maximum temperatures for the region south of 26°S, average day-time readings were 1.79C above average for the half year, or the fourth-warmest on record.
The latest evidence that southern Australia is warming and drying. There's basically been one below-average cool season (April-October) in the last three decades. (Source: @bom_au) pic.twitter.com/q7VvliNZ9N
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) November 2, 2023
And as for rainfall, the average tally of 153.4 mm was 32% below the 1961-90 average. Relatively wet cool seasons have become rarer in the past few decades.
For rainfall, the cool season for southern Australia was almost a third below the 1961-90 average. A lot fewer above-average periods in the past couple of decades as winter storm tracks shift poleward, with climate change a factor. (Source: @bom_au) pic.twitter.com/3vMClSqc6e
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) November 2, 2023
Natural variability plays a role but so does global heating (as you can read in CSIRO and BoM’s State of the Climate report that will be updated next year). In short, rain-bearing systems that used to bring winter rain to southern parts now often miss the continent.
Unfortunately, there’s likely to be more of this to come.
Updated
And in Cricket World Cup news …
JUST IN:
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 2, 2023
Mitch Marsh has returned home for "personal reasons" and is out of the World Cup indefinitely #CWC23
Updated
More than $200,000 worth of Lego seized in drug raid
A mountain of Lego found in a suburban drug raid is so large police are going to need a truck to seize it, AAP reports.
The 1,130 boxes worth more than $200,000 were discovered on Tuesday alongside a meth lab and boxes of gemstones at a Botanic Ridge house on Melbourne’s suburban fringe.
Police said there were so many of the plastic building blocks that a truck will be needed to transport them.
You can read more of that story here:
Updated
Traditional owner wins injunction against Santos gas project
A Tiwi traditional owner has won an urgent injunction to prevent Santos from commencing construction work for a pipeline for its Barossa offshore gas project.
Simon Munkara, a member of the Jikilaruwu clan, sought the urgent injunction after filing a legal challenge to the pipeline on Monday.
Santos said in a recent quarterly report it was ready to commence laying the pipeline after complying with a direction from the petroleum regulator, Nopsema, to conduct underwater cultural heritage surveys.
Munkara’s legal challenge will argue Santos has not properly assessed submerged cultural heritage along the route of its Barossa export pipeline.
On Thursday afternoon, Justice Natalie Charlesworth found the court had jurisdiction to hear the case and Munkara had standing to bring the proceedings.
She ordered that work on the pipeline cease until 5pm on 13 November when the matter will return to court.
Santos has said it will vigorously defend its assessments in the federal court proceedings.
Updated
And with that I leave the blog in the hands of Nino Bucci. Thanks for reading.
David Pocock calls for ceasefire in Israel-Hamas war
Independent senator David Pocock has taken to X (formerly Twitter) to decry the Israeli siege of Gaza, the horrific loss of life and the need for the Australian government to raise concerns on the “unfolding tragedy”.
— David Pocock (@DavidPocock) November 1, 2023
Updated
Queensland bushfire warning for Jumna Dam
Queensland Fire and Emergency has issued a bushfire warning to residents in Jumna Dam near Irvinebank to leave immediately.
QFS issued the warning online, saying there are multiple warnings for the area, and that people’s lives may be at risk if they do not leave soon.
LEAVE IMMEDIATELY - Jumna Dam (Irvinebank) - Multiple Warnings - fire as at 12:00pm Thursday, 2 November 2023.
— Qld Fire & Emergency (@QldFES) November 2, 2023
For all current warnings, updates and mapping go to https://t.co/vqyJTUPBhe. pic.twitter.com/IM7UQd12F4
Updated
Agriculture minister: ‘No apologies for our tough stance on biosecurity’
The agriculture minister, Murray Watt, has responded to our story revealing visitors to Australia will soon be warned that concealing plant and animal products at the bottom of their suitcase is now grounds for visa cancellation, under new powers for the immigration minister.
Watt said:
Australia makes no apologies for our tough stance on biosecurity. We want visitors to come and enjoy our beautiful country but to keep it that way we need to maintain strong biosecurity standards.
Certain food, plant material and animal products from overseas can’t be brought into Australia because it might be carrying serious pests and diseases that could devastate our valuable food supply and destroy our unique environment.
Visa holders who deliberately do the wrong thing by hiding goods to try to get them into Australia are simply not welcome and this change to the migration regulations makes that clear.
Updated
Victoria police begin press conference on arrest of Erin Patterson
Det Insp Dean Thomas has outlined the investigation so far, and has begun by saying that Patterson has not been interviewed yet:
This search is currently ongoing and we are being assisted by the AFP and technology detector dogs. Homicide squad investigators have previously interviewed this woman in relation to an incident that occurred on the 29 July where four people fell ill following, taking part in, the meal at a private residence there in Leongatha.
Today’s arrest is just the next step in what has been a complex and thorough investigation by homicide squad detectives and one that is not yet over.
While we do want to provide timely updates about this matter, it is critical that doing this does not adversely impact the current investigation or any future processes.
I encourage people to be particularly mindful of the necessary speculation and the sharing of misinformation. While police are doing everything we can to ensure this investigation is not impacted by this, again, I stress, at the heart of these matters, are the recent deaths of three people and families and loved ones who are trying to come to terms with this.
Updated
We also have pictures, supplied by Dfat, of the Australians who crossed the Rafah border overnight:
Updated
Adam Bandt calls on Australian government to end defence exports to Israel
The Greens leader has warned that minister for defence Richard Marles has obligations under Australian law to consider whether Australian exports could be used in the committing of war crimes, abusing human rights or aggravating threats to peace and security.
The Greens leader also said he is seeking advice on the legality of existing exports given the growing international condemnation of the Israeli military’s collective punishment of Palestinians in Gaza.
Adam Bandt:
War crimes are being committed in the invasion of Gaza, so Labor must stop military exports to Israel.
The minister for defence has legal obligations to consider whether Australian exports will be used in war crimes or threaten a region’s stability, but regardless of the legal situation, it is immoral for military exports to Israel to continue while Palestine is being illegally occupied and invaded.
If the defence minister won’t act, the prime minister must show leadership and halt military exports to Israel and push for a ceasefire and an end to the occupation.
Deaths in Gaza are approaching ten thousand, most of them children and women. Labor cannot wash its hands of responsibility for what is happening.
Updated
AustralianSuper rejects 'best and final' revised offer for Origin Energy
As per the recent post, AustralianSuper – holder of about 13.7% of Origin Energy – had earlier this week rejected the $18.7bn takeover by two equity groups.
The 8% or so increase in that offer, announced by Origin earlier today, is still not sweet enough, it seems, for the super fund, and it plans to use its stake to vote against the move.
“The offer from the consortium remains substantially below our estimate of Origin’s long-term value,” AustralianSuper has just stated. “AustralianSuper believes the ongoing energy transition, as we move towards net zero by 2050, has further enhanced the value of strategic energy transition platforms, such as Origin, whether public or private.”
As the biggest single shareholder, AustralianSuper may sway others to hold out for more.
Origin Energy shares were recently at $8.90 each, down 1.9% on the day, and well below the $9.53 revised offer (the original one was $8.81 prior to today). The overall share market is up more than 1% for the day.
Updated
Police search Erin Patterson’s house
And we have some pics from the police search of the home of Erin Patterson, as part of their investigation into the mushroom lunch that left three people dead and a fourth fighting for his life:
Updated
Thousands of scam websites taken down in blitz
Thousands of investment scam and phishing websites have been taken down as part of a crackdown by the Australian government.
Since July 2023, Australian Securities and Investments Commission (Asic) has taken down 2,100 dodgy websites offering high-risk products such as FX derivatives and crypto assets.
Australians lose more money to investment scams than any other type, with combined losses of $1.5bn last year, according to Scamwatch.
The assistant treasurer and minister for financial services, Stephen Jones, said:
Scammers are using all the tricks in the bag to con consumers – offering attractive investment returns, using fake ACNs and claiming to have Asic endorsement. It’s no surprise that even to the discerning eye these scam websites trick consumers.
We are making some serious headway in disrupting investment scams. Asic’s website takedown service is removing around 20 dodgy websites a day.
The good news – our anti-scams initiatives are working. We’re beginning to see a trend of more reporting due to better awareness, and less financial losses. The NASC [National Anti-Scam Centre] has reported a decline in losses to investment scams over the last quarter. This is a trend we’d like to see continue – but we all must stay vigilant.
Updated
Origin Energy bidders lift takeover offer to $20bn to get it over the line
The private equity giants attempting to swallow Origin Energy, one of Australia’s largest energy companies, have sweetened their offer by around 8% to $20bn to win over dissenting shareholders.
Canada’s Brookfield and Saudi Arabia-backed EIG Partners had been offering about $8.81 a share, increased to $9.53 in its “best and final proposal”. We’ll have to wait and see if shareholders such AustralianSuper – with its 13.67% stake – sign on the higher offer.
On Tuesday, AustralianSuper said it would use its shares to reject the earlier offer, worth about $18.7bn. The super fund reckoned the independent evaluation of the bid put forward by Origin undervalued the “highly strategic portfolio” held by the company.
In other words, the mix of gas (that would be snapped up by EIG) and the potential for the renewable energy rollout now planned by Origin (cited by Brookfield as key to its interest) was now worth more than when the deal was announced on 9 November last year.
Also adding to the perceived value of the company was a decision by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission last month to approve the takeover without any divestment demands.
Shareholders hoping to cash in aren’t the only interested parties. Treasurer Jim Chalmers today revealed plans to better coordinate the government and financial markets, to ensure renewable energy enters the grid fast enough to meet climate and energy price goals. Origin, no matter the owner, will likely have a big part to play in that.
Updated
If you are wondering what a technology detector dog is, they’re sniffer dogs with the ability to smell a huge range of scents, including technology, according to the AFP.
The dogs, often labradors, can smell the chemical triphenylphosphine oxide, which is found on circuit boards, sim cards and hard drives.
Their keen noses mean they can find tiny sim cards and hidden plastics.
In previous cases, technology dogs have helped sniff out a USB stick hidden in a bowl of garlic cloves, a hard drive stashed in an esky of food, and a buried electronic ankle bracelet.
Speaking about the dogs last year, AFP acting inspector, canine and aviation, Mark Holmes, said the labradors were representative of the high calibre of canines bred by the Australian Border Force.
The AFP’s detection dogs have proven themselves time and time again and are renowned by our domestic and international partners as being some of the best in the world.
The dogs have continued to deliver results this year to support AFP investigators, they play an important and vital role to our work.
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Rise in family violence notifications led to doubling of public housing wait times, minister says
Victoria’s housing minister, Harriet Shing, says a rise in family violence notifications has seen housing wait times more than double in two years.
In yet another annual report tabled on Wednesday, the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing revealed the average wait time for “public rental housing” for people fleeing family violence is 23.6 months, up from 17.1 months recorded in 2021–22. In 2020–21, that waiting time was 11.1 months.
Asked to explain the growing wait, Shing said:
We’re seeing an increase in family violence notifications across the board, not just in Victoria, and not just as it relates to applications for housing. This is again why we’re investing in crisis accommodation, in refuges, in women’s congregate services and in homelessness services.
We want to make sure that here in Victoria but again around Australia, we’re partnering with all levels of government, community housing and homelessness providers and services, and making sure that victims and survivors of family violence have what they need. Where crisis accommodation cannot be found, then alternate accommodation is able to be delivered.
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Dfat releases statement on Australians leaving Gaza
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has released a statement on the Australians who crossed the Rafah crossing overnight, and while much of it was mentioned by politicians in their media rounds this morning, there are some additional details.
Dfat say 23 individuals crossed the border into Egypt last night, with the group including 20 Australian citizens, two family members and a permanent resident.
They were met at Rafah by Dfat staff, who provided assistance including onward travel to Cairo.
The group will be supported with accomodation in Cairo and with organising return flights to Australia on commercial airlines.
Dfat also confirmed they are providing support to 65 individuals, including Australians and their family members, who remain in Gaza. These individuals have told Dfat they want to depart.
The situation in Gaza continues to be highly challenging and can change rapidly. We are doing all we can to facilitate their departure a soon as possible.
Dfat will also continue to provide support to any individuals registered with us who are unable or do not want to depart Gaza.
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Police confirm they are searching Erin Patterson’s home
Victoria police have confirmed they are searching the home of Erin Patterson as part of their investigation into the mushroom lunch that left three people dead and a fourth fighting for his life.
Victoria police said they were searching her home in Leongatha, with the assistance of the AFP’s technology detector dogs.
Patterson is currently being interviewed by police at the Wonthaggi station, but no charges have been laid.
Victoria police said:
Homicide Squad detectives have arrested a woman this morning as part of their investigation into the deaths of three people following an incident in Leongatha earlier this year.
A 49-year-old Leongatha woman was arrested at her home address shortly after 8am on 2 November.
A search warrant has been executed at the Gibson Street address, with assistance from the AFP’s technology detector dogs.
The woman will now be interviewed by police and the investigation remains ongoing.
You can read more here:
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Premier defends Commonwealth Games executive salaries
In response to another annual report – showing 10 executives at the agency set up to run the since-cancelled 2026 Commonwealth Games were on $300,000 per year, and another was on $500,000 - Allan has defended the salaries:
All the executive salaries for the Commonwealth Games officials were benchmarked against industry standards, particularly when you consider the specific expertise that was needed at that point in time.
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Poor seatbelt use contributing to Victoria’s deadliest road toll since 2016, Allan says
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, says poor seatbelt use is a factor in the state’s growing road toll.
The Transport Accident Commission’s annual report shows that the first 10 months of 2023 has been the deadliest on Victoria’s roads since 2016 and the second deadliest since 2010, with 32 more fatalities than during the same period in 2022.
Meanwhile, the Victoria police annual report shows there has been more than 500,000 fewer breath tests and mobile road safety cameras in operation.
Asked whether these factors contributed to the rising toll, Allan pointed instead to poor seatbelt use - with offences having grown by 15% since 2021-22.
She said:
There’s a number of factors that are contributing to the rise we’ve seen this year in the road toll in recent months and road safety experts have spoken to the fact that [what] we are seeing [is] really alarming, an increasing number of people who are just not wearing a seatbelt.
More and more people who are being detected through the use of improved technology using their mobile phone while driving. So there’s a lot of work that goes on in both road safety measures and detection and enforcement
But it also is really incumbent upon all of us as road users to drive safely. Put on your seatbelt - that’s like the most common sense thing to do, one of the most important safety measures you can take when you get behind the wheel.
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Victorian premier reiterates spit hoods are prohibited in state after use on child in prison
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has reiterated that spit hoods have been banned in the state, after a report highlighted a shocking case of its use on a child.
The child, who being held in an adult prison, was placed in a spit hood while spending months confined to his cell for up to 23 hours a day, the state’s Commission for Children and Young People revealed in its annual report.
Speaking to reporters in Prahran, Allan said the incident was unacceptable:
Earlier this year, that practice you’ve described has effectively been banned by Corrections Victoria, recognising that that’s not acceptable … I’m just not in a position to refer to specific instances in any detail. But to go back and, again, repeat that that practice has now been prohibited through Corrections Victoria.
She said there would not be a further inquiry into the use of spit hoods.
You can read more about the recent incident here:
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Government releases national landmark cancer plan aiming to address patient disparities
The government’s landmark Australian Cancer Plan has been released this morning. It aims to improve prevention, screening, treatment, and management of all cancers for all people in Australia regardless of their background or where they live.
CEO of Cancer Australia Prof. Dorothy Keefe, said the plan is for all cancers, with a focus on addressing disparity of experiences and outcomes.
Keefe launched the plan at the 50th annual scientific meeting of the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia in Melbourne.
It covers every step of cancer care from prevention and early detection through to recovery, living with a chronic disease, or end-of-life-care.
The Plan has been developed by Cancer Australia, in consultation with the states and territories, First Nations communities, clinicians, researchers, people affected by cancer and support organisations.
Achieving equity for First Nations people is an urgent priority of the plan. First Nations people are 14% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer and 45% more likely to die from cancer than non-Indigenous people.
In launching the Plan, the government is pleased to announce two significant partnerships for the delivery of the 2 and 5-year goals of the plan.
The health minister, Mark Butler, said the burden of cancer is increasing, with more than 164,000 Australians estimated to be diagnosed this year.
While cancer outcomes in this country are generally among the best in the world, that’s not true for some people, simply because of who they are or where they live.
Preventing cancer, and detecting and treating it earlier, will save heartache and pain for countless individuals and families, and also take pressure off our hospitals and wider health system.
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Victoria police arrest Erin Patterson over fatal mushroom lunch
The woman at the centre of the mushroom lunch that left three people dead and a fourth fighting for his life has been arrested by Victorian police.
Erin Patterson was arrested on Thursday morning and taken to Wonthaggi police station. She is being questioned as officers search her home. No charges have been laid.
Patterson’s lawyer and Victoria Police have been contacted for comment.
More to come.
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International community 'won’t accept ongoing civilian death’ in Gaza, Wong warns
Wong has gone on to say that it is “critical” Israel heeds calls for restraint.
She said Israel must observe international law and rules of war, and added that the international community won’t accept ongoing civilian death.
Israel must observe international law and the rules of war.
I would also make this point ... there are ongoing civilian deaths. You’ve seen the international response. I think the reality is (the) international community won’t accept ongoing civilian death.
So when friends like Australia urge Israel to exercise restraint and protect civilian lives, it is really critical that Israel listens.
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Getting Australians out of Gaza was a ‘long time’ coming, Wong says
Foreign minister Penny Wong has just said she is also relieved to hear that some Australians have been able to make it out of Gaza overnight.
Wong told ABC radio Melbourne the government had been working on getting Australians out “for a very long time” and added some details on who was able to leave:
We’ve been working towards this for a very long time, I spoke to my Egyptian counterpart just two nights ago, and I’m so relieved.
We had 23 people who were able to get out overnight ... of those 20 were Australian citizens, one permanent resident and two family members.
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Melbourne man expected to be charged for alleged Nazi salute
Victoria police are expected to charge a 24-year-old man following allegations a Nazi salute was performed outside a Melbourne court on 27 October.
The man is expected to be charged on summons for a breach of Section 41K of the Summary Offences Act 1966 – public display or performance of Nazi symbols or gestures.
In a statement, Vic Police said they are taking a “zero-tolerance” approach to any breach on the prohibition on performing Nazi salutes or displaying Nazi symbols in public.
They said it was the first time an incidence of a Nazi salute has been reported to police since the new legislation came into effect on Saturday, 21 October.
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Stop ‘slaughterhouse’ in Gaza, ‘almost 4,000 children have died’, Australian Palestine network pleads
The head of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, Nasser Mashni, has pleaded for an end to the “genocide” being carried out in Gaza.
He described the situation as a “slaughterhouse,” telling Sunrise that Israel has killed almost 4,000 Palestinians, “one every 10 minutes” in its siege on the enclave.
Almost 4000 Palestinian children have died, that is one every 10 minutes. One Palestinian child has died since the start of this program. By the time we go back to … the weather, it will be three Palestinians. By the time we finish this program, it will be 10 Palestinian children that will have been killed by Israel.
This is obscene. It’s a genocide. We have to demand that it stops.
There is very little hope (for people to exit Gaza). We believe 60 Australians are still left in Gaza. But there are over two million Palestinians that are held in what can only be described as a slaughterhouse … Those Palestinians without Western passports were — passports, they can’t get out of the gulag that Israel created 17 years ago.
It is just sickening. It is just sickening that the world is standing by and allowing a genocide to perpetuate itself. For over three weeks, there has been no food or water or electricity, no medicine, delivered to Palestinians by the Israeli jailers. We have got to stop this, please.
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‘Strong work of our diplomatic services’ got Australians out of Gaza, Ley says
Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley has said she is also “pleased” to hear that some Australians have been able to escape Gaza.
Ley was on RN Breakfast earlier, and said she hoped more Australians could get out soon.
It’s a testament to the strong work of our diplomatic services behind the scenes.
I know that there’s dialogue that I’ve just read the reports obviously with Egypt about opening that crossing more so that there can be more ability for people who are able to leave to do that.
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Productivity Commission must play bigger role in climate policy: Chalmers
Chalmers also said the Productivity Commission could, and should, play a bigger role in organising climate and energy policy.
The treasurer said the Commission was an “underutilised resource” and that they have a part to play in Australia’s energy transformation.
I have been interested in revamping and refocusing and reviewing the Productivity Commission for our big challenges of the energy transformation, adapting and adopting technology; making sure we get the human capital right in our economy, so that our people can be beneficiaries and not victims of the big changes that we’re seeing in our economy and in our society.
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'More work' required for Australia to hit net zero targets, Chalmers says
Sticking with Chalmers for a bit, who said the government had made “really important progress” on its energy targets.
Chalmers said the government maintained “ambitious” targets but that they were achievable with some more work:
The government has been investing $40bn in this energy transformation, and a lot of the foundational pieces of our policy are in place.
We are making progress.
More collaboration between government and industry and communities and unions. Really everyone with skin in the game here to make sure that we can grab these fast industrial, economic and employment opportunities in the net-zero economy of the future.
And so what I’m doing today is, I’m recognising that progress that has been made and I am flagging that we need to do more work together.
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Government working to get remaining Australians out of Gaza, Chalmers says
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has said the government is “relieved” to hear 23 people who registered with DFAT have been able to cross the Rafah border out of Gaza.
Chalmers was on RN Breakfast and added that the government is working with the remaining Australians in Gaza to try and get them out:
We’re really relieved that, as I understand it, 23 people registered with DFAT were able to cross that border overnight. 20 of them were Australian citizens, but we know that it’s very distressing.
There are people still in there. So we’re continuing that work. We continue to press for more people to be able to get through that crossing and to get to safety. And we’re obviously monitoring that very closely and doing whatever we can with our international partners to get more people out.
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More than 15,000 Australians in Lebanon advised to ‘leave now’: Watts
Watts has gone on to confirm that there are no plans for repatriation flights for those still stuck in the besieged enclave, saying the government could only point to commercial flights for those individuals.
There have been eight assisted departure flights that have left the region since the start of the conflict. There is not currently demand for more of those flights at the moment. There are commercial options that get people where they need to go. It is a part of operation breach there are two RAAF planes in the region ready for consular contingencies. We are doing a lot of work for if there is a need for a large scale evacuation from Lebanon.
Speaking of Lebanon, he said there are more than 15,000 Australians who live in the country, and reiterated a warning to them to leave:
Our strong advice to Australians in Lebanon is take the option to leave now. We can’t make any guarantees that Beirut airport will remain open if the conflict spreads to the south of Lebanon and departure options become much more complex and more difficult at that point. We are strongly encouraging all Australians in Lebanon take the opportunity now to leave because we don’t know what the situation is going to look like in the coming days and coming weeks. It may become more difficult to leave and more difficult for the Australian government to assist you to leave.
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65 Australians still in Gaza: Watts
Watts has gone on to confirm that there are still 65 Australians stuck in Gaza that the government is “supporting” and are being provided consular assistance.
Watts says Dfat is working to get those individuals to the Rafah crossing and out of Gaza “as soon as possible”.
We know this is an incredibly distressing time for Australians in Gaza and their families and we are providing all possible support we can, communicating through all available channels the best information and options we have about their safety in a very difficult situation.
The circumstances on the ground are incredibly challenging and they are changing on a day to day basis. This is a conflict zone. It is a very difficult operating environment so we do the best job we can in the circumstances.
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20 Australians registered with Dfat cross the border at Rafah
The assistant minister for foreign affairs, Tim Watts, has announced that 20 Australians, and 23 individuals overall who had been registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have crossed the border at Rafah to exit Gaza.
Watts was on ABC News this morning and said the individuals were met with Australian consular officials in Egypt who organised travel arrangements.
Crossings like this are the result of an enormous effort from Australian consular officials and diplomats in the region. So many conversations at the ministerial level, foreign minister Wong spoke with her counterparts in the region and we’re grateful that this initial cohort has made the crossing from Gaza to Egypt.
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Bulk billing reforms a ‘significant investment’ to provide relief to cost-of-living crisis, Malarndirri McCarthy says
The assistant minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, has said she thinks the government’s changes to bulk billing would help people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.
McCarthy was on the Today Show earlier this morning, and spruiked the changes, which include triple bonus pay to doctors who bulk bill vulnerable patients, among other changes.
More than 11 million Australians will be able to access more in terms of Medicare, so we are doing [more] around cost of living in those areas.
You will find that out if you go because you will see it straight away and so will families from Sydney right up to remote and regional areas of Australia.
That is a significant investment, and we haven’t seen that investment ... in more than a decade.
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Queensland fires remain active as crews begin to assess damage, QFES says
I wanted to start in Queensland where there is still multiple watch and act bushfire warnings active.
Rob Boniwell, commander state operations QFES said there was still “a lot of fire activity” at the moment, and added that crews have “welcomed” the cooler weather.
Boniewell was on the ABC and said crews were also beginning to be able to assess the damage of the fires:
So, as the phase of the incidents now moves into the recovery phase as we start to get ahead of the fires, and when it is safe to do so, we’re allowed to undertake damage assessments and we’re getting a better picture and understanding of the level of impact and devastation to those communities, but also, once it’s safe to do so, we’ll start to allow people to get back to their homes in a safe and secure manner.
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Good morning, Mostafa Rachwani with you this morning to take you through the day’s news.
Tara fires on record for burning most number of homes across Queensland
A bushfire recovery effort has begun in the Western Downs township of Tara, reports Australian Associated Press, with residents in the region told they can “return with caution” as watch and act alerts remain for six blazes across Queensland.
Emergency authorities said the fires at Tara were within containment lines this morning and would continue to burn for several days.
Some people will be assessing their properties for the first time since the fires first struck last week.
Many have lost everything.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said 50 housing support staff were assisting at Tara while caravans and temporary accommodation have been organised.
Residents have been able to avoid the Tara fire but have reported to Dalby hospital with respiratory issues due to smoke, she said.
A cool change is expected but firefighters have been told it could be days before they get a reprieve, with forecast storms threatening more blazes from lightning strikes.
The Tara fire has claimed a life and burnt more than 20,000 hectares in the past week.
Western Downs mayor Paul McVeigh told AAP:
It will go on record as having burnt the most number of homes across Queensland in any one fire - it is a real tragedy.
To date, it has destroyed 58 homes, nine more than the Black Summer fires claimed across Queensland.
But crews were able to save 387 homes in the Tara area, the premier said.
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Kmart fined $1.3m for breaching spam laws
Kmart has copped a $1.3m fine from the Australian Communications and Media Authority for breaching spam laws over emails sent to customers who had previously unsubscribed.
In the latest scalp in the regulator’s campaign against spam, Kmart paid a $1,303,500 infringement notice over 212,471 marketing emails to customers who had previously unsubscribed between July 2022, and May 2023.
Acma said the breaches occurred due to a combination of technology, system and procedural failures.
A spokesperson for Kmart said the company regrets that any customers received emails when they have opted out:
These issues should not have occurred, and we are actively working to strengthen our systems.
Acma has been focused on Spam Act breaches particularly focused on people being able to opt out or unsubscribe from marketing emails. Ticketek, Uber and DoorDash have also copped fines from the regulator over Spam Act breaches.
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Nine News, too, is reporting that “at least 20” Australians were among the dual passport holders allowed to leave Gaza.
We have contacted DFAT to confirm this, and will report when we get a response.
Israel reportedly allowing nationalities out of Gaza alphabetically
More on the reports Australians were among those crossing from Gaza:
The Guardian has been told that Israel was allowing nationalities through alphabetically, which explains why Australians were among those first through.
NPR reported that the Gaza border crossing authority, run by the Hamas government in Gaza, published a list of people approved to exit. The list included the names and passport information of nearly 500 foreigners, most of them citizens of eight countries or who are associated with NGOs. It was not known if the list was comprehensive.
According to NPR more than half of the entries on the list were Jordanian citizens. Other nationalities marked for exit included Austria, Australia and Japan.
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ll be bringing you some of our best overnight and breaking stories before Mostafa Rachwani takes over.
Australians who were trapped in Gaza are reportedly among those who have managed to evacuate after a breakthrough in opening the Rafah crossing overnight for people to flee. Qatar brokered a deal between Egypt, Hamas and Israel – coordinated by the US – for the border crossing to open and allow wounded civilians to seek hospital treatment. It will also allow Australians and other foreign nationals to escape to Egypt from the Gaza Strip, which Israel has bombarded with air strikes in response to the Hamas attack on 7 October. A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said the government was helping 88 people in Gaza, which included Australians and their family members. The ABC has reported the Australian government has confirmed 20 Australians were among those who made it out overnight. Back in Australia, Jewish groups held vigils in Sydney and Melbourne last night calling for a ceasefire. More coming up.
In other news, former prime minister Tony Abbott has claimed in a speech in London that warnings of human-induced climate change are “ahistorical and utterly implausible”, criticising what he called “the climate cult” that would “eventually be discredited”. Abbott also claimed that energy was not a big issue at the last federal election despite the success of teal independents and the Greens, and argued that voters will always put their own bottom line before any efforts to cut emissions. On that point, we’re reporting today that South Australia has been meeting virtually all its electricity needs from rooftop solar panels. It comes as bushfires continue to rage in Queensland and New South Wales, and a study shows 78% of weather-related hospitalisations in the past decade have been due to extreme heat.
Catherine King and the former Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce met at least twice at Parliament House in recent months amid intense scrutiny into whether the airline chief’s influence quashed a rival’s bid, documents reveal. The federal transport minister has so far refused to reveal any dates and details of meetings with Joyce, but documents released to Guardian Australia through a freedom of information request show King met with Joyce at Parliament House on 10 May 2023, two months before she ruled against Qatar Airways’ bid.
