What we learned; Friday 30 August
And with that we are going to put the blog to bed. Before we go, let’s re-cap the big headlines.
Albanese backflips on census question after almost a week of backlash
Brisbane man charged with murder by ‘reckless indifference’ after deaths of two people
Equality Australia welcomes Labor’s census backflip but says it doesn’t go far enough
Transgender and intersex people should be included in census: Bandt
The Star enters trading halt as it mulls inquiry’s report on management
Newborn baby found outside Melbourne home with life-threatening injuries, police say
Thank you for spending part of your day with us.
Updated
Australian shoppers didn’t increase their spending in July despite an income boost from stage-three tax cuts.
Retail turnover stayed flat last month, after rising 0.5% in both June and May thanks to end of financial year sales, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
That was a “disappointing result given the context of tax cuts,” according to Matthew Hassan, Westpac’s head of Australian macro-forecasting.
Food retailing was the only industry to grow its sales, picking up by 0.2%. Sales of clothes, shoes and accessories fell 0.5% as EOFY sales ended, back to where they were in May. Department store trade fell 0.4%.
The figures were the first official sign of spending behaviour since the stage-three tax cuts boosted Australians’ pay packets. They suggest workers are saving the extra money or spending it on essentials, according to bank economists.
Continued weakness in retail spending bodes poorly for the economy at large. We’ll get a clearer picture of how domestic spending is going on Wednesday, with the release of national data on spending and production (GDP).
Will spending stay weak? The big banks say consumers might start to spend more of their tax cuts in coming months as bigger pay packets and cost-of-living relief build up buffers in shoppers’ accounts.
Minister queries PM on census sexuality debate
The minister for equality, Harriet Shing, has put out a statement saying she has written to the PM for “confirmation that the 2026 census will include specific references to gender identity and variations in sex characteristics”:
This information is of enormous importance to inform the funding and delivery of safe and appropriate supports for LGBTIQA+ people. It is also information that the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Victorian Government, Victorian Coroner’s Court, and peak bodies have confirmed is essential to improved - and often life-saving - decision-making.
By gathering baseline Census data about gender identity and innate variations in sex characteristics, we can ensure that all of our LGBTIQA+ communities have evidence-based opportunities to access the dignity, safety and fairness that we all deserve.
Put simply – all LGBTIQA+ people deserve recognition. Equality means not leaving anyone behind, but if you don’t count us, we don’t count.
Updated
Young Labour weighs in on census debate
Australian Young Labor has put out a statement, regarding the 2026 census and the exclusion of LGBTQ+ data:
We welcome the statement made by the Prime Minister indicating that a new question on sexuality will be tested by the ABS. However, we are concerned that this does not fully satisfy the 2023 National Labor Platform pledge.
Australian Young Labor calls on the Albanese Government to honour its commitments by:
1. Including LGBTQIA+ Australians in the consultation and planning process for the 2026 Census.
2. Ensuring that the 2026 Census collects comprehensive and accurate data on all aspects of LGBTQIA+ identity as outlined by the ABS standards.
Updated
Mt Buller calls early end to ski season
Mt Buller Ski Lifts has called the end of the snow season, confirmed Sunday 1 September will be the last day of lifted operations for the 2024.
A fortnight of gale-force winds, rain and wild weather has dramatically reduced the snow cover across most of the ski area and all available snow is being harvested and groomed to ensure the guests can ski until Sunday.
The Buller Ski Lifts general manager shared the decision today:
Like all skiers and snowboarders we were holding out hopes for season-saving snow in last night’s storm however the 1-2cms that fell was unfortunately too little, too late.
I would like to thank everyone in our team who has tried valiantly to keep us sliding for as long as possible. It seems unfair to have had two challenging seasons in a row but I am immensely proud of everyone who have kept striving and smiling and will be doing so until Sunday afternoon.
Updated
NSW Liberal leader asked for Rory Amon’s resignation
Mark Speakman, leader of NSW opposition, has released a statement in relation to the charges against Rory Amon:
The charges laid against Mr Rory Amon are extremely serious. The alleged conduct strikes at the heart of the standards expected of Members of Parliament.
Upon learning of these charges, I asked for and received Mr Amon’s immediate resignation from the Liberal Party.
While Mr Amon is entitled to the presumption of innocence, a criminal trial will be some time away and in the meantime the citizens of Pittwater are entitled to have a Member of Parliament who can discharge their duties in the community fully.
I therefore also asked Mr Amon to resign from the New South Wales Parliament, effective immediately. He has tendered his resignation to the Speaker.
As the matter is before the courts, I do not intend to make any further comment.
Updated
‘I deny all charges’: Rory Amon
Rory Amon has released a statement in relation to the charges made against him today:
Today I have been charged in relation to events alleged to have taken place in 2017.
I deny all charges, and will make my case in the courts, not in the media. Accordingly, I will make no further comment on the case.
The nature of the charges against me are such that I will be unable to continue to fully represent my community in parliament. As a result, I have tendered my resignation as the member for Pittwater, effective immediately.
The people of Pittwater should have a representative who can dedicate one hundred per cent of their time advocating for this wonderful community. As I defend myself against these charges, I will not be able to devote my full energy to representing them.
Thank you to all those who have supported me.
It’s been the greatest honour of my life to represent my community on Northern Beaches Council from September 2017, and as the Member for Pittwater since March 2023.
Updated
Amon resigns
Rory Amon has quit the NSW Liberal party. We have the story here:
Updated
Household deposits hit record high
Deposits from households hit a record high in July 2024 of $1.50tn, with more than $30.8bn added to the total pot in just one month, according to Canstar.
In a statement the financial comparison site said:
This is the highest monthly increase in dollar terms since the records began in APRA’s Monthly Authorised Deposit-taking Institution Statistics.
In percentage terms, household deposits rose by 2.1% in the month of July, the highest since September 2021.
Money in the bank from households typically increases in July as people put cash back from their tax returns in transaction accounts, savings accounts, offset accounts and term deposits.
This July, however, some households will have also put money from the stage three tax cuts, and potentially money saved from lower electricity bills, thanks to the government-funded electricity rebates in Queensland and Western Australia.
Updated
Many thanks for joining me on the blog today – I’ll hand over to Cait Kelly, who will take you through our rolling coverage for the remainder of the evening. Take care, and enjoy your weekend.
Man charged after allegedly stealing more than 100 plaques from gravestones
A man will face court after allegedly stealing more than 100 plaques from gravestones in northern New South Wales earlier this month.
According to NSW police, an investigation was commenced on 20 August into the alleged theft of more than 100 metal plaques from a cemetery on Kirkwood Road in Tweed Heads South.
About 6.10am this morning police arrested a 44-year-old man at Murwillumbah who was taken to Tweed Heads police station, charged with wilfully damaging or defacing a protected place and stealing of 102 copper plaques from gravestones.
He was also charged with malicious damage and possessing a prohibited drug.
The man was refused bail to appear at Tweed Heads local court later today.
Updated
Sydney nears all-time record heat for August
The temperature in Sydney has officially reached 30.3C, just one degree off the all-time record for the hottest August day.
At 2.38pm, Sydney’s Observatory Hill reached 30.3C. The city’s overall record August temperature is 31.3C, set in 1995.
Updated
‘If we don’t use it, we will lose it’: Nationals MP urges people to fly Rex
Riverina MP Michael McCormack is encouraging people to book flights with regional airline Rex, after his Sydney to Wagga flight this morning had just seven passengers.
Rex entered voluntary administration at 9.31pm on 30 July and grounded all of its flights between capital cities. Its regional services are unaffected, however.
In a statement, McCormack urged travellers to chose Rex if it is an option for their journey, because “if we don’t use it, we will lose it. And we cannot afford that.”
This will ensure rural centres, which are serviced only by Rex, can continue to have an airline to take residents to life-saving medical appointments in capital cities and have doctors and other health professionals visit their towns. It’s not just important … it’s life and death…
I flew Sydney-Wagga Wagga this morning and the flight had just seven passengers. That is unsustainable in the medium-to-long term.
Given the recent adverse publicity around Rex going into voluntary administration, I appreciate people may be nervous about booking a Rex ticket. You need not worry. You will fly or your Rex ticket will be fully refundable. It is as simple as that.
Updated
It’s time to get stuck into the latest edition of the Weekly Beast, thanks to Amanda Meade:
And if you missed it – you can now sign up to the Weekly Beast as a newsletter! You can do so here.
Schedule of the Australians competing in the Paralympics, day two
Here is the full schedule of Australia’s hopes on the second day of the Paris Paralympic Games, including para athletics, swimming and wheelchair basketball:
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather update, ahead of a windy weekend for south-east Australia:
Severe Weather Update: Windy weekend for south-east Australia
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) August 30, 2024
Video current: 1pm AEST Friday 30 August 2024
Know your weather. Know your risk. For the latest forecasts and warnings go to our website https://t.co/4W35o8i7wJ or the BOM Weather app. pic.twitter.com/d9Jm0q9tYX
Updated
‘Nothing fantastic’: Harvey Norman profit down 35%
Retail giant Harvey Norman’s 35% fall in profit was a “lacklustre” result but Gerry Harvey sees a bright future driven by AI and Malaysia, AAP reports.
The company’s profit was down to $352.5m while its operating cash flow for 2023/24 grew to $686.5m – $6.3m more than year – and revenue fell 3.9% to $4.1bn. Harvey told AAP the result was “nothing fantastic”.
We’d hope to do a lot better this year. Overall, in a difficult climate, it’s a reasonable result, but I’m not excited about it.
Harvey said that the company sees artificial intelligence as a big sales-driver moving forward:
It’ll bring more people into our stores. There’s genuine interest in it from everyone. And our staff are trained up to talk to people about what is AI, how will you benefit owning this product.
There will be AI features not just in computers and smartphones but also in refrigerators, washing machines and televisions, Harvey believes.
We’re in a very privileged position, because we’re in the electronics industry in the middle to upmarket and, consequently, if that goes off in the way that a lot of people are predicting, that puts us in a very strong position.
Harvey Norman also sees its stores in Malaysia, one of the seven overseas countries where it operates, as a big growth area. It has 34 stores there and plans to open another 50 within the next five or six years.
Thorpe calls for federal intervention after second WA child dies in custody in less than a year
Independent senator Lidia Thorpe is calling for urgent federal intervention into the child prison system, after a 17-year-old boy died overnight in Banksia Hill youth detention centre in Western Australia.
We had all the details on this earlier in the blog here. It marks the second death of a teenager in custody in WA in less than a year, after Yamatji boy Cleveland Dodd died at Unit 18 in Casuarina prison in October 2023.
Thorpe said she wrote to the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus’s office in February about the human rights violations taking place in child detention facilities across the country, but still has not received a reply.
It’s outrageous that the Premier in his press conference described this boy’s death as ‘unfortunate’ and said he has ‘more confidence than ever before’ in this system.
How can he say that just hours after a young person has died? It’s a shocking abrogation of responsibility. These deaths are entirely avoidable, and the WA and federal governments are responsible.
Thorpe said that decades of inaction had led to this, and “will lead to more deaths if serious action isn’t taken.” Thorpe called on the PM, Anthony Albanese, Indigenous Australians minister, Malarndirri McCarthy and Dreyfus to “act now”.
This is not about a few bad jurisdictions or a few bad facilities. This is a national crisis. The federal government cannot sit back and watch as more children are horrifically abused and killed in prison.
A previous version of this post wrongfully stated Cleveland Dodd died in Banksia Hill. He died at Unit 18 in Casuarina prison.
Updated
Watch and act flood alert for Mersey River in Tasmania
The Tasmanian SES has issued a watch and act alert for flooding in the Kimberly region and its surrounds. This comes as the Bureau of Meteorology issued a moderate flood warning for the Mersey river.
The Bureau said moderate rainfall and isolated heavy falls had been observed through the catchment since yesterday afternoon, with moderate flooding possible at Kimberly from this afternoon.
Further rainfall is forecast for the Mersey catchment for the next few days, it said, as a series of fronts cross the state. Further rises are possible with the forecast rainfall.
The Mersey River at Kimberley is now at 2.48 metres and rising (minor flooding). It may reach the moderate flood level of 3.30 metres this afternoon.
.@SESTasmania has issued a Watch & Act - Mersey River, Kimberley and Surrounds - Monitor conditions as they are changing for Mersey River, Kimberley & Surrounds. For information, go to: https://t.co/j2taquUZFJ or listen to ABC Local Radio. pic.twitter.com/t4RC1A8buD
— TasALERT (@tasalert) August 30, 2024
Updated
Pacific leaders back policing plan at forum
The Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga has wrapped up with formal support for the Australian-backed policing initiative that dominated the talks earlier this week.
But Pif leaders have also emphasised the need for national consultations in each Pacific countries on precisely how countries engage with the new scheme.
The region’s police chiefs will meet in Tonga next week to work on a plan for how to implement the new Pacific Policing Initiative (PPI), which includes plans for a regional training hub in Brisbane and four police centres of excellence in four Pacific island countries. This is the “cracker” of a plan that Anthony Albanese was recorded chatting to a senior US official about on the sidelines of the event on Wednesday.
The prime minister of Solomon Islands, Jeremiah Manele, who will host next year’s Pif summit, said at a press conference a short time ago:
As a government we agree, we endorse in principle … the Pacific Policing Initiative and of course we commend the work of the chiefs of police over the years and continues to be so on this matter.
And we also endorse, as part of developing this initiative the importance of national consultations so that it’s owned and driven by countries, so we do appreciate the initiative.
Manele’s comments were noticeable more receptive to the plan than those of his foreign affairs minister, Peter Agovaka, who earlier today expressed concerns about whether the plan might preclude countries from working with other external partners such as China. Solomon Islands struck a security pact with China in 2022. Agovaka told the Agence France-Presse news agency:
The only thing that we do not agree to, is that it imposes conditions on our own domestic security. I don’t think another sovereign state should put conditions on another sovereign state.
Updated
Sydney records hottest August day since 1995
Sydney has recorded its hottest August day since 1995, reaching 29.3C at its official weather station at Observatory Hill at 1.20pm.
Just before 1pm today, Sydney reached 28.9C – marking the city’s warmest August temperature since 2012.
This comes after the city reached 28.1C at lunchtime on Wednesday – what was then the hottest August day in at least seven years, beating last year’s 27.5C recorded on 30 August.
The city’s overall record August temperature is 31.3C, set in 1995.
Updated
Famous tall ship hit by container ship in Fremantle
A container ship has dismasted a famous tall ship and clipped a portside museum building while attempting to berth in Fremantle, AAP reports.
Two workers aboard Australia’s largest sail-training tall ship, the Leeuwin, which has an overall length of 55 metres, were taken to hospital.
Fremantle Ports says the 332-metre container vessel was coming into the port to berth about 6.30am when it hit the three-masted 1850’s-style tall ship. The spokesperson, Neil Stanbury, told Perth radio station 6PR:
It’s a terrible incident … the two fellows who were on night watch on the Leeuwin they’ve been taken to hospital. One may have minor injuries, perhaps a broken arm, but they’re both okay, and we’re very glad about that.
Stanbury said Leeuwin had been dismasted but the hull remained intact.
It’s a pretty messy scene.
He said the container ship, the Maersk Shekou, had also struck the Western Australian Maritime Museum. An investigation will be launched into the incident.
Updated
Dozens of bush and grass fires across NSW
There are dozens of bush and grass fires burning across New South Wales, as a high fire danger rating has been set for Sydney and the Illawarra.
Twelve are burning out of control, eight are being controlled and 39 are under control, according to the NSW Rural Fire Service’s Fires Near Me.
All are burning at “advice” level, which means a fire has started and there is no immediate danger. People are urged to stay up to date in case the situation changes.
ADVICE: The Lake Circuit Fire, Culburra Beach
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) August 30, 2024
A fire is burning near The Lake Circuit, Culburra Beach. The fire is burning in an easterly direction, to the north of Wollumboola Lake, south of West Crescent & East Crescent. There is currently no threat to nearby properties. pic.twitter.com/ZvBTYLV7yD
Updated
Temperatures to reach 15C above average in parts of Queensland
The Bureau of Meteorology has published this map, showing how far temperatures are above average for August today:
🥵 Temperatures in southern and western #QLD are up to 15 degrees above average over the next few days. August records likely to be broken in several locations. The map below shows how far temperatures are above average for August today.
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) August 30, 2024
All forecasts: https://t.co/jD6i6N90SS pic.twitter.com/vvsvTxfvlx
BoM said temperatures in southern and western Queensland will be up to 15 degrees above average over the next few days, and that August records are likely to be broken in several locations.
Updated
Sydney records hottest August day since 2012
Sydney has now recorded its hottest August day since 2012, hitting 28.9C at Observatory Hill just before 1pm.
If it gets above 29.2C it will be Sydney’s hottest August day since 1995.
On Wednesday, Sydney reached 28.1C at lunchtime – the hottest August day in at least seven years, beating last year’s 27.5C recorded on 30 August.
The city’s record August temperature is 31.3C, set in 1995.
Updated
NSW Liberal MP charged with child sexual abuse offences
Following on from our previous post: sources have confirmed the 35-year-old is NSW state Liberal MP Rory Amon.
Police said in a statement that a 35-year-old man had been charged after an investigation into an alleged sexual assault on Sydney’s Northern Beaches in 2017.
Police were told a teenage boy was allegedly sexually assaulted by a man – who was known to him - at an address in Mona Vale.
Police said a 35-year-old was arrested at Manly Police Station about 6am today. He was charged with five counts have sexual intercourse with person over 10 & under 14, two counts attempt sexual intercourse child over 10 under 14, two counts indecent assault person under 16 years of age and commit act of indecency with person under 16 years.
Updated
Man charged after alleged sexual assault in Sydney
A man has been charged after an investigation into an alleged sexual assault on Sydney’s Northern Beaches in 2017. In a statement, police said:
In June 2022, Detectives attached to Northern Beaches Police Area Command commenced an investigation following reports of an alleged sexual assault in Mona Vale in July 2017.
Police were told a teenage boy was allegedly sexually assaulted by a man – who was known to him – at an address in Mona Vale.
In March 2023, Strike Force NOORAL was established to investigate the incident.
Following extensive inquiries, a 35-year-old man was arrested at Manly Police Station about 6am today (Friday 30 August 2024).
He was charged with five counts have sexual intercourse with person over 10 & under 14, two counts attempt sexual intercourse child over 10 under 14, two counts indecent assault person under 16 years of age and commit act of indecency with person under 16 years.
The man was given strict conditional bail to appear at Manly Local Court on 18 September 2024.
More to come.
Updated
Four children at Brisbane property where two people found dead, police say
Earlier, Quensland police were speaking to the media after a man was charged with murder over the two deaths of people in Brisbane yesterday.
Emergency services were called to a Mitchelton property about 8:50am and found two people, a 61-year-old Keperra man and a 35-year-old Mitchelton woman dead, at the home.
A police spokesperson said:
A 41-year-old Greenslopes man was also located at that address, and he returned to the Pheno Grove Police Station to assist investigators with inquiries.
It will be alleged that that man was at the residence with there two deceased persons earlier that night, and police will further allege that the man supplied a quantity of drugs to the man and the woman. He also allegedly failed to contact emergency services when the man and the woman had an adverse reaction to the substances.
There were four children located at the property, aged from five to 15. One of the children called 000, he said:
It was a traumatic situation, obviously, for the children. They were taken to a place of safety. We returned them to the police station and we contacted their father – he does not reside at the incident location – and their grandmother, and they were spoken to by police at the station and are now in the care of family, close family.
The man is due before the Brisbane magistrates court today.
Updated
Man arrested after allegedly carrying knife at building site in Melbourne CBD
Victorian police have arrested a man who was allegedly armed with a knife at a building site in Melbourne’s CBD.
Police said officers negotiated with the man at the corner of Swanston Street and Flinders Lane from about 6.30am.
They attempted to arrest him, before he allegedly fled and climbed several storeys up scaffolding.
Police tasered the 40-year-old New South Wales man and said he was taken into custody about 10am. He was taken to hospital under police guard.
The building site was evacuated as a precaution and there were no physical injuries reported, police said.
Updated
Greens will force vote in parliament on census if full questions not reinstated
The Greens have announced they will force the government to a vote in the parliament on including LGBTIQA+ Australians in the census if the government refuses to reinstate all the proposed questions on sexuality and gender, including gender identity and intersex status.
Anthony Albanese told Melbourne ABC radio this morning that there would be “one” question on sexuality in the 2026 census, after almost a week of backlash against the government for ditching the proposed changes.
Up until Sunday, the ABS was considering five new proposed changes, including on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural identity, gender, sexual orientation, variations of sex characteristics and the main reason someone may have moved location in the previous 12 months.
While Albanese’s announcement is a backflip on the government’s announcement it was ditching any changes to the 2026 census, it remains unclear whether trans and intersex people will be counted.
The Greens MP Stephen Bates says if the government doesn’t clarify the issue and commit to including gender identity and intersex status, then the Greens will force a vote on the issue in the parliament.
The community has been asking for this census change for years. Labor must do the bare minimum and implement it.
The Greens can force a vote in the parliament using several mechanisms, including through moving a motion, using the matter of public importance debate or through a suspension of standing orders.
Updated
Summary: WA press conference over death of Aboriginal teenager at Banksia Hill
Here are the main points from that press conference in Western Australia, where premier Roger Cook said that an Indigenous 17-year-old had died at the Banksia Hill detention centre in Perth overnight.
The teenager came into the centre on the evening of the 27th, and was maintained in the intensive supervision unit as part of the normal admission process.
He was moved into the general units yesterday and was checked 10 times over the course of the evening.
On the 11th occasion just prior to 10pm, staff found him unresponsive. They breached the cell and performed CPR. Paramedics arrived shortly after but he could not be revived.
Corrective services commissioner Brad Royce said he has reviewed CCTV and is “satisfied that their actions and the way they call for support was appropriate”.
Royce said the teenager made a few “innocuous” intercom calls earlier in the day. He said it was around two hours between the teenagers last intercom and him taking his life. He did not say why the teenager was admitted.
There is no CCTV inside the police cell and 17 staff members were working last night.
Royce argued that “generational change” was needed “not just by corrective services but by everyone.”
Cook said he had not yet spoken with the family of the teenager.
An internal investigation is under way and police are preparing a report for the coroner.
Updated
The press conference in Western Australia has now wrapped up. It covered some very distressing topics, so please know help is available.
Support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, 13YARN on 13 92 76 and at MensLine on 1300 789 978.
Brad Royce was also asked whether change needs to be made so children are not treated like adults in detention.
He said it depends on their age and the person as an individual:
We treat each one as an individual and that needs to be on their age and mental ability and their education, everything is taken into account to assess what their needs are.
‘I take my role seriously and people have the right to ask questions of me’
The commissioner was asked whether he can understand that some people would now question whether his position is tenable.
Brad Royce said “people have a right to question it.”
What I can say is in my tenure we have done a lot. We are put everything into it and we are well supported with extra staff on the programs, infrastructure … the things you would expect to be doing we are doing.
What we need to spend more time and will take generational change is the young people themselves. When they come to me, I have very short periods with them and they come with such trauma and such history that the challenge is significant.
There is a lot of work to do, not just by corrective services but by everyone. I take my role seriously and people have the right to ask questions of me, but for me this is going to take a significant piece of work and it will be generational to get through this.
Updated
WA commissioner says teenager made some ‘innocuous’ intercom calls on day he died
Commissioner Brad Royce said the 17-year-old had made a few “innocuous” intercom calls earlier in the day.
He said it was around two hours between the teenager’s last intercom and him taking his life.
There was no suggestion of harm, they were innocuous calls … It was low level stuff. I would rather not go into it, but it had no impact on this.
Royce said it was too early to talk about why the teenager was admitted. Asked how long before he was found the teenager was last seen by staff, Royce responded:
I will not go into the exact details of the timing because that’s for the investigation.
Royce said there is no CCTV inside the police cell. Seventeen staff members were working that night, he said.
Updated
Q: Do we need to see the responsibilities of youth justice split from corrective services?
Roger Cook said it is “not the time be talking about departmental organisation” as someone has lost their life less than 24 hours ago.
Now is the time to reflect on the current circumstances undertake the investigation and make sure we do everything we can to keep the detainees and the staff safe.
Roger Cook said he has not yet spoken to the family of the 17-year-old:
It is very early days in terms of this particular incident. We continue to work with the family, but as you can appreciate it’s a difficult time at the moment.
Premier says Banksia Hill a ‘very complex’ environment
A reporter asks: “You have basically carte blanche to do whatever you think you need to do to solve this problem. Why aren’t you doing it?”
Roger Cook said that Banksia Hill is a “very complex and challenging environment”.
We continue to make sure that we provide the resources and the staffing to make sure that the programs and the safety of the detainees are uppermost in our consideration.
A reporter said: “The families, I don’t think, what you’re condolences and best wishes as much as they want you to keep these kids say. When will you be able to say that that is what you are able to do?”
Cook responded: “Well I think your initial observation is self-evident.”
Pressed on the second half of the question, the premier responded:
We will always commit ourselves to a process of reform, there’s no point in time when you can save your work is done. We continue to make sure that we are always on a pathway of improvement when it comes to our corrective services.
Updated
WA premier: ‘The system is not good enough’
Q: How can you say that you’ve got greater confidence than ever when you’ve had two deaths in a year?
Roger Cook said “the system is not good enough [and] we need to continue to improve it”, and added:
But what we have seen a significant improvement in the time I have been Premier … We cannot escape the fact that someone has lost a life in this facility, but we can also continue to admit to that reform pathway …
We can never do enough, we can always commit ourselves to reform and that reform journey will never stop.
Updated
Roger Cook said there was a 0% attrition rate in staff. A reporter asks, what is the point of this if two teenagers have died under your watch?
The premier responded:
I’m trying to demonstrate to you that things are significantly changed, particularly since the very sad events around Cleveland Dodds passing …
A failure has occurred. We will continue to make sure we do everything we can to improve the lives of people not only those who work at the facility, but those who are at the facility, and make sure we continue to be on a pathway of reform.
Updated
Roger Cook says he has “more confidence than ever before” in the way the WA government is managing its juvenile detention facilities.
When we came to government the average muster at Banksia Hill was over 150. When I became premier it was around 108. Today, this week, we have just 57 detainees, only four in unit 18. Things have significantly improved.
WA premier: 'Clearly a failure has taken place because somebody has lost their life'
Q: You described it as a tragic incident. Could it be better described as a shocking failing?
Western Australian premier Roger Cook responded:
This is a horrible event. On behalf of the WA government, we send our deepest and most sincere condolences to the family and everyone impacted by the event. We are very saddened by it, and I think everyone is touched by this particular incident.
Clearly a failure has taken place because somebody has lost their life. We will now undertake a very important task of understanding the circumstances that preceded his death.
Updated
Brad Royce said all staff were wearing radios, alarms and had body-worn cameras.
I reviewed the footage and I’m satisfied that their actions and the way they call for support was appropriate.
Teen who died at WA detention centre was checked 10 times during evening, commissioner says
WA’s commissioner for corrective services, Brad Royce, was next to speak with reporters.
He said the 17-year-old, who identifies as Aboriginal, arrived at the detention centre late on the evening on the 27th.
As per part of our normal admission process, he went into our intensive supervision unit … he came in intoxicated and we made sure we took care of him. That is a normal process for us.
Over the next 24 hours, we maintained him in that unit with full supervision, he was given health care and access to clinical support. Due to that alcohol and drug intoxication we maintained a level of at-risk monitoring, right through. It was at low risk – it was about his health and not around any mental health or self-harm issues.
He said the teenager went into one of the general units yesterday shortly after lunch, and was out of the cell “most of the time until the evening” and was checked 10 times over the course of the evening.
On the 11th occasion, just prior to 10pm, he was found unresponsive. I can tell you the staff then breached the cell, supported by a nurse on-site and they performed CPR.
St John’s arrived shortly after but sadly could not revive the young man and for everyone at the scene, they did the very best and on this occasion we were not able to revive him.
Updated
WA corrective services minister outlines response to teen’s death at detention centre
Western Australia’s corrective services minister, Paul Papalia, also spoke to reporters about the “tragic incident” and asked for patience as details are announced.
The commissioner has been at Banksia Hill throughout the night. He has reached out to the Aboriginal elders support team and eight members of that team are at the facility right now.
The Aboriginal services unit is also engaged with young people this morning. In addition to the departmental supports, the WA police chaplain has been on site providing further assistance to staff.
I have requested [Aboriginal affairs] minister [Antonio] Bouti activate the Department of Education’s crisis response team which will see a team of professionals attend Banksia Hill to provide the young people and staff with as much support as necessary.
Updated
Teenager dies at Perth youth detention centre
The Western Australian premier, Roger Cook, says a 17-year-old has died inside Banksia Hill detention centre in Perth overnight.
Speaking to reporters, Cook said initial reports indicate that staff located the teenager unresponsive in their cell overnight.
I would like to acknowledge the friends and family impacted by this tragic death. The staff and first responders who were first confronted with such a traumatic event also. The process of notifying next of kin has only just recently been completed.
An internal investigation is now under way and police are preparing a report for the coroner. I hope you can appreciate that we do not yet have complete information but are providing everything we can. Right now, we need to let this investigation run its course.
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Updated
Independent to push for full set of proposed census questions to be included
Independent MP for Wentworth, Allegra Spender, says she is “delighted” the government will include questions on sexuality in the census.
However, Spender said she would continue to push for the full set of proposed questions to be included:
I remain concerned that the government has not yet committed to including the full set of questions that were previously tested by the ABS, including gender identity.
Commenting on Peter Dutton’s remarks from yesterday about a “woke agenda”, Spender said:
I hope to see Peter Dutton and the Coalition support the change, and to recognise that their rhetoric from yesterday was completely out of step with community expectations…
Better data means better policy. And recognising the diversity of our community is long overdue. This u-turn shows that community pressure works.
You can read the proposed new test questions on the ABS website.
‘Two-speed economy’ leaving many in slow lane as young families do it tough, NAB boss says
A “two-speed economy” is benefiting some sectors of the population at the expense of others, the head of the National Australia Bank says.
As AAP reports, NAB chief executive Andrew Irvine appeared before the parliamentary committee examining the big four banks. He said cost-of-living pressures were continuing to affect people, with economic growth remaining weaker than in previous years, but he expected interest rates to start coming down.
There are two Australia’s and a two-speed economy operating at present. Customers in certain sectors and certain geographies are doing well and are ambitious to grow. People are having to make tough decisions about where they spend their money. They are getting by, but it is tough.
The banking executive noted people in mining and resource sectors, along with those living in jurisdictions such as WA, Queensland and the Northern Territory were doing well under the economic conditions. But many in southeastern states and those in retail and construction were under more pressure.
Irvine urged the federal government to keep inflation under control, with many mortgage holders struggling with the level of interest rates.
We must all remember that one-in-three Australians have a home loan …Younger families who have bought a house maybe in the last five years are probably doing it the toughest.
Irvine said he was still optimistic about interest rates coming down from early 2025. ANZ boss Shayne Elliott will front the committee later today.
Updated
Continuing from our last post: Tony Maher was asked about Peter Dutton’s plans to repeal these aspects of Labor’s IR laws, and replied:
They’ll get the Coalition to do whatever they want, they always do. They don’t have to try too hard ... Hardly anything negative has happened, all that’s happened is some aged care and child care workers got a pay rise.
According to the Australian Financial Review, BHP isn’t backing down on its IR advocacy. Its president Geraldine Slattery reportedly said BHP would “continue to advocate for the policy settings which drive Australia’s competitiveness and enable the resources sector to thrive and continue to make the substantial economic contribution that it does to WA and Australia”.
Mining union backs Madeleine King over BHP criticism
Yesterday the resources minister, Madeleine King, made some rather robust criticisms of BHP for its “hysteria” resisting elements of Labor’s industrial relations policy:
They’ve always railed against Labor policy, whether in opposition or in government, and they’re the first to go to the Murdoch press to do a story around what they don’t like about what a Labor government chooses to do, and it wouldn’t matter what it is.
Tony Maher, the president of the mining and energy union, told Guardian Australia he was “really disappointed” in BHP, which he thought “would be a better corporate citizen” but is instead “fighting hard” against the application of same job, same pay laws at east coast coalmines.
Maher said the union had “quite a few successes” at other sites including Mount Pleasant and two mines White Haven bought from BHP in Queensland, where labour hire companies were paying workers as much as direct employees or bringing labour hire workers on as employees had won pay rises of $10,000-$30,000.
It really is closing a loophole.
Maher said multi-employer bargaining was not hitting miners hard, as the union is continuing with enterprise agreements with each employer.
They’re just chicken little really. The unions in WA have asked for a meeting, we’ve had one meeting. And the sky’s going to fall in? It’s just ridiculous. What’s wrong with unions wanting to meet with a big company.
Updated
‘Not unusual’ to get gifts like top cop’s gin: NSW minister
The receipt of a custom bottle of gin from the top cop in New South Wales was not out of the ordinary and one of only many gifts she’s received from the force, the state’s police minister says.
As AAP reports, Yasmin Catley told a budget estimates hearing today under opposition questioning that “I didn’t find it unusual”.
NSW police commissioner Karen Webb earlier in August banned the practice of using taxpayers’ money to purchase alcohol for gifts and hospitality after she became engulfed in controversy for purchasing 50 bottles of gin.
Catley told the hearing she did not remember when the gift was received and she did not consume the product, adding: “I put it on my shelf where it still sits”.
The gin was one of many different types of “merchandise”, such as coins, books and memorabilia, she had received from state police, the minister said.
“I was given it I assume as any minister would have been,” she said, adding that she planned to leave it “right where it is”.
Asked about another 50 bottles of gin still in police possession, Catley said Webb had always been truthful and accurate with her about the order.
Updated
Newborn baby found outside Melbourne home with life-threatening injuries, police say
Victorian police detectives are investigating after a newborn baby was taken to hospital in a critical condition.
The baby was discovered outside a Gladstone Road address in Dandenong North with life-threatening injuries about 2.40am, police said.
A 25-year-old woman from the address was also taken to hospital where she remains under police guard.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation, and anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
Updated
All-time low for snail mail as Australia Post reports loss
Australia Post has reported a pre-tax loss of $88.5m in its 2024 financial year results. Compared to last year’s $200.3m deficit, the loss is smaller and an improvement that the company attributes to its Post26 strategy and first phase modernisation reforms, according to a media release.
Fewer customers are sending letters, and foot traffic to post offices has continued to decline. Letter volumes dropped 12.9% to an all-time low of 1.76bn. Letters losses were $361.8m – a slight improvement on the year prior, attributed to the $0.30 increase in the basic postage rate in April 2024 from $1.20 to $1.50.
While the letters business faces challenges, parcels made $6.46bn revenue – an increase of 3.3% compared to the previous year.
This is a solid result in a highly competitive environment that sees Australia Post competing against large, well-funded foreign multi-nationals and private equity operators.
Disciplined cost management moves and simplifications of the business are being rolled out in the company’s Post26 strategy, as put in the media release. The improvements in productivity created business efficiencies worth $268.9m in FY24 – up from $236.7m in the previous year. The media release continues:
Despite significant inflationary and other economic pressures, this cost reduction was achieved while still investing $306.1 million in new facilities, technology and fleet.
Australia Post is also expecting improved financial sustainability across the medium term, after the first phase of modernisation reforms took effect in April 2024.
Updated
The Star enters trading halt as it mulls inquiry's report on management
The Star Entertainment Group has entered a trading halt after an inquiry into the casino operator handed down its report.
In a market announcement on the ASX, Star Entertainment Group said it would be placed in a trading halt “pending it releasing an announcement” as it considers a report by the NSW Independent Casino Commission.
The Star is considering the Report and the implications it may have for disclosures concerning its financial results for the year ended 30 June 2023.
According to the report into Star, released today, the board “failed to provide the necessary leadership and oversight”.
It stated the “dysfunctional state” of the group leadership team could be attributed to previous CEO Robbie Cooke’s management style, and a “failure to have proper frameworks and processes in place to assist the GLT in discharging its responsibilities.”
Updated
‘Disinformation playbook’ launched to assist local governments in stopping disinformation
The University of Melbourne has launched a “disinformation playbook” to give local governments around the world the tools to stop disinformation before it starts.
Researcher Ika Trijsburg said current knowledge of disinformation management is focused at national and international levels, and doesn’t address urban governance needs.
Disinformation costs cities money, time and resources, and puts communities at risk. The playbook establishes a new normal for city functioning and for policymaking.
Disinformation response is good governance. Responsibilities for many of society’s complex challenges, like climate change and community resilience, sit at the local level of governance. Disinformation can impact their ability to deliver on the mandate provided to them by their constituents.
The team of researchers – from the Melbourne Centre for Cities, together with the German Marshall Fund of the US and researchers from multiple Australian universities – found that a non-partisan approach is essential to stopping the spread of disinformation.
The playbook offers a three-phase strategy: pre-emption and early detection, spread prevention and pre-bunking (the process of addressing potentially harmful disinformation before it takes hold), and debunking and recovery.
Full story podcast: is Labor folding too often on ‘divisive’ debates?
As the government defended its census question backflip this week, ministers had suggested this decision was made to avoid a divisive debate for the community.
The treasurer Jim Chalmers had told ABC RN the government wanted to “avoid … nastiness and weaponisation of some of these issues”.
Labor MPs yesterday broke ranks to call on the government to reverse its decision, and Liberal MPs today called for the questions to be included (see earlier in the blog here and here).
Nationals MP Matt Canavan has also said he would have “no problem” with a question on sexuality in the census, in a post to X.
In today’s episode of the Full Story podcast, Bridie Jabour speaks to editor-in-chief Lenore Taylor, national news editor Josephine Tovey and head of news Mike Ticher about whether Labor risks losing voters if they don’t deliver on their promises.
You can listen to the episode below:
Transgender and intersex people should be included in census: Bandt
The leader of the Greens, Adam Bandt, says that transgender and intersex people should be counted in the census.
This comes after the PM suggested there would be one question on sexuality in the 2026 census – despite the proposed new test questions laying out questions on gender identity and variations of sex characteristics, as well.
In a post to X, Bandt said:
The queer community shouldn’t have to fight so hard just to be counted. Under huge pressure, the PM has said they’d include a question on sexuality in the census – but not gender identity. What promises matter to this government?
I know so many queer people had hoped this Labor government would be in their corner. Instead, Labor are taking their cues from the fear [and] hate of Peter Dutton. LGBTQIA+ people deserve so much better.
Equality Australia welcomes Labor's census backflip but says it doesn’t go far enough
Equality Australia has welcomed the government’s inclusion of a question on sexual orientation in the next census – but says the national snapshot must count all members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Chief executive Anna Brown said the government “shouldn’t pick and choose those of us who are worthy of being counted”.
Trans and gender diverse people and those with innate variations of sex characteristics deserve to be recognised as much as anyone else.
It would be a shame if the government doesn’t trust the Australian public enough to accept that the census needs to gather basic data about our nation for it be meaningful and useful.
These are sensible and pragmatic changes that will simply mean governments and other service providers have the data they need to make sound decisions, and there is widespread support for these new questions from across the parliament.
Updated
Brisbane man charged with murder by 'reckless indifference' after deaths of two people
A Brisbane man has been charged with murder by “reckless indifference” after what police describe as the “sudden deaths” of two people yesterday.
Authorities say two people were found unresponsive at a property in Kentville Street at Mitchelton in Brisbane’s north.
A Mitchelton woman, 35, and a 61-year-old man from the nearby suburb of Keperra were declared dead. Police arrested a Greenslopes man, 41, who they said was also at the scene.
In a statement, police said they would allege the man committed murder because he “failed to contact emergency services”.
In 2019, Queensland changed its definition of murder to include cases of “reckless indifference to life“.
Police said the man, who was allegedly known to the dead man and woman, was also charged with two counts of supplying a dangerous drug, and two counts of possessing a dangerous drug.
He will appear in court later today.
Updated
Political advocacy group Muslim Votes Matter to launch national campaign
Political advocacy group Muslim Votes Matter (MVM) will launch its national campaign this Sunday.
The launch will take place in Melbourne at the Broadmeadows town hall, with the aim of “fostering a more informed and engaged voting community and promoting values-driven policymaking.”
Spokesperson Dr Naser Alziyadat says MVM is made of a team representing more than 20 different ethnic and cultural groups.
Notably, many of our volunteers are not Muslim, showcasing the inclusive and broad vision of our movement. As an independent, grassroots organisation, unaffiliated with any political party, our movement is dedicated to empowering the Australian Muslim and minority community to amplify our political voice.
Alziyadat argues there are 20 seats across Australia where the Muslim community could have the deciding vote.
As Daniel Hurst reports, MVM was separate from another group, The Muslim Vote, but plans to “collaborate on common objectives, just as we would with any other group that has common interests with us”. You can read more below:
Updated
Activists express concern at PM’s phrasing around LGBTQ census question
As we’ve flagged in the blog, Anthony Albanese has said there would be “one question about sexuality, sexual preference” in the 2026 census, after days of backlash since Labor assistant minister Andrew Leigh said the proposal for new questions had been dumped.
Alastair Lawrie, the director of policy and advocacy at the Justice and Equity Centre, has expressed concern there would not be questions on gender identity or variations of sex characteristics – as the proposed new test questions laid out.
Honestly, we’ve had [government] ministers tell us for days they were excluding LGBTIQ questions to avoid ‘divisiveness’. But now the PM is seeking to *divide* LGB people from TIQ, by counting the former but not the latter.
Sorry, [Albanese], but no deal. No LGB without the TIQ.
Activist Sally Rugg expressed similar concerns:
The PM has just announced they’ve changed their mind and will allow ‘one question’ in the census, on sexuality. If it’s right that the government will now count LGB people but not transgender people … that would be extraordinary, unnecessary, hurtful division. For what!?
Updated
Here’s the full story from Amy Remeikis, with all the details on the prime ministers census backflip:
Albanese says one census question to be on sexuality
AAP has more details from the prime minister’s interview on Melbourne ABC radio earlier this morning.
Anthony Albanese said the Australian Bureau of Statistics is developing a question about sexuality for the national snapshot.
They’re going to test for a new question, one question about sexuality, sexual preference. They’ll be testing, making sure as well that people will have the option of not answering it.
The prime minister denied the government had been forced to back down from omitting questions on sexuality in the census.
As Sarah Basford Canales reported earlier this week, the proposed new test questions would have asked about gender, sexual orientation and variations of sex characteristics while others would have centred on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural identity and reasons for moving in the last 12 months.
Updated
Businesses to unleash unsupervised AI within three years
New research has found that most Australian business leaders expect to use generative AI tools without human oversight within three years, AAP reports.
But the study also found only half of Australia’s big businesses had clear AI strategies in place, and many executives still held concerns about the technology’s cost and the way it handled data.
Software firm Salesforce revealed the findings today in its third survey into the use of generative AI in Australian businesses. YouGov conducted the survey for Salesforce, quizzing 288 c-suite executives about AI.
It found the use of generative AI among participants had doubled every six months, rising from 19% in July 2023 to 40% in February this year, and to 83% in July.
More than two in every five executives said they used generative AI tools all the time at work, and more than half said they considered themselves highly proficient in the technology.
Almost all executives surveyed (98%) also said they would be confident to let AI tackle operations without human supervision or oversight within the next three years.
The federal government has yet to release mandatory rules for the use of AI technology in high-risk settings, although a Senate inquiry on 16 August heard voluntary guidelines could be expected soon.
Updated
Victorian SES receives thousands of calls for assistance this week amid damaging winds
A Victorian SES spokesperson has also been speaking with Melbourne ABC radio and said there had been 321 calls for assistance amid the damaging winds.
260 of these were regarding fallen trees, and 51 for building damage.
Since 2pm on Tuesday the SES has received around 3,500 for assistance.
Updated
Albanese backflips on census question following almost a week of backlash
As we just flagged, Anthony Albanese has told Melbourne ABC radio there will be a question on sexuality in the census, contradicting his assistant minister’s announcement that the proposal for new questions had been dumped.
After almost a week of backlash against the decision, which included at least six Labor backbenchers publicly criticising the move, the prime minister said questions would be included in the census, if they passed through the standard ABS testing procedures.
There will be a question in the census if it is successfully tested by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
My government has been focused on the issues that we’ve just been discussing [cost of living].
We haven’t sat down and gone through line by line and said what questions will be asked in the census in two years time, in 2026. That’s the job for the ABS.
Updated
Prime minister says there will be question on sexuality in the census
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is speaking with Raf Epstein on ABC Radio Melbourne about the decision to exclude questions on gender identity and sexuality from the 2026 census.
He said there would be one question on sexuality in the census, tested by the ABS:
There will be a question in the census, if it is successfully tested by the Australian Bureau of Statistics … We haven’t sat down and gone through line by line, what questions will be asked in the census in two years time, in 2026, that’s the job at the ABS.
On Monday the assistant minister for treasury, Andrew Leigh, had said there would be no changes to the 2026 census more than a year after the Australian Bureau of Statistics issued a statement of regret over the distress felt by the LGBTQ+ community as a result of being left out of censuses.
Updated
Brisbane set for four days of temperatures above 30C
Brisbane is in for a string of hot days, with temperatures above 30C forecast until Monday.
The city is forecast to reach a top of 32C today, and 34C on Saturday. Brisbane is then forecast to reach a top of 33C on Sunday and 34C on Monday.
The fire danger is listed as “moderate” for today.
Sydney forecast to reach 29C today, approaching August records
Speaking of the hot weather, Sydney is forecast to reach a maximum of 29C today at its official weather station at Observatory Hill.
On Wednesday Sydney reached 28.1C at lunchtime – the hottest August day in at least the past seven years, beating last year’s 27.5C recorded on 30 August.
If Sydney reaches 29C today it will be the hottest August day in Sydney since 2012, when it got to 29.2C.
The city’s record August temperature is 31.3C, set in 1995.
Updated
Fire risk for Illawarra could remain through to Monday, RFS inspector says
NSW Rural Fire Service inspector Ben Shepherd spoke with the Today show earlier about the heightened fire danger in Sydney and the Illawarra today.
He said the winds were already picking up in Sydney this morning, contributing to the fire risk.
We will see it slightly back off a little bit for places like Sydney tomorrow, but places like the Illawarra, we could see a heightened fire danger right through to Monday.
It is still only winter and we want people to understand that fires can happen at any time. But look, this is really a bit of a wake-up call and a bit of a rude awakening for many people … seeing that fire activity this week.
Updated
Flames erupt on major Queensland highway after ute and truck collide
A male driver has suffered life-threatening injuries after his ute and a truck carrying chemicals collided on a notorious stretch of highway in Queensland, AAP reports.
The two vehicles crashed at Bororen, 400km north of Brisbane, on the Bruce Highway just after 5am.
The male truck driver suffered abdominal, leg, pelvic, head and arm injuries, the Queensland Ambulance Service said.
The truck spilled hazardous material sparking an exclusion zone spanning a 2km radius around the crash site. Emergency services remain on the scene battling fires involving both vehicles.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Service said it would be a “prolonged incident” as more than five crews attack the blaze and clean up the chemicals.
BOROREN (South of Gladstone): A two-and-a-half kilometre exclusion zone is in place around the crash site. Anyone in the area should LEAVE IMMEDIATELY. https://t.co/1S705VE7BY
— Queensland Fire Department (@QldFireDept) August 29, 2024
Updated
Independent responds to Dutton’s ‘woke agenda’ comment
Yesterday, opposition leader Peter Dutton said he believed the existing questions in the census have “stood us well as a country” and accused the Labor government of having a “woke agenda” which he thought was “at odds with the vast majority of Australians”.
The independent MP for Wentworth, Allegra Spender, has responded to those comments in a post to X:
Just when you thought it couldn’t get crazier … Peter Dutton calls census questions on LGBTIQA+ a “woke agenda”.
That’s ridiculous. These are real live Australians – counting them is crucial to making good policy.
[Anthony Albanese] do you really want to give in to this?
Updated
Sex discrimination commissioner says she hasn’t received response from minister over census questions
Australia’s sex discrimination commissioner, Dr Anna Cody, is speaking with ABC RN about the government’s decision to exclude questions of gender identity and sexuality from the 2026 census.
Asked about the notion that including the questions would create a divisive debate, Cody said:
I think it’s creating division to exclude a whole section of our community. Actually including people in the census is creating unity and recognising that we all need to be counted, that we all are important, where our lives are important, and it’s important to include everyone in a national census.
Cody said she has raised this directly with assistant minister Andrew Leigh and hasn’t received a response yet.
I would be very keen to work with government in ensuring that a good decision can be reached around this issue.
Updated
Song dedicated to slain journalists in Gaza released following MSO controversy
The song at the centre of recent controversy for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has been released online, raising money for Palestine Australia Relief and Action (Para).
Australian British pianist Jayson Gillham had a concert with the MSO cancelled after he premiered Witness by composer Connor D’Netto, dedicated to slain journalists in Gaza. The MSO’s managing director has since left the organisation and an external review has been launched following weeks of controversy. The MSO also said it made “an error” in cancelling the performance.
The song at the centre of the controversy is now available online, with all proceeds being donated to support Palestinian migrants and refugees in Australia. D’Netto described the song as such:
I’ve been thinking about social media a lot recently, how we all are constantly seeing horrific images from around the world, not just from Gaza but from all around the globe, from Ukraine, Congo, Sudan, from school shootings and domestic violence and police violence, it goes on and on. Though our gut reaction might be to look away, we cannot afford to. A friend of mine recently said that they were trying to mentally reframe ‘doomscrolling’ as ‘bearing witness’ and that really resonates with me.
Updated
Archer attributes rise in independents to growing polarisation
Moving to a broader conversation, Bridget Archer said “there’s no doubt” Australia is seeing a rise in populist positioning.
I think that’s been happening for some time, not just in Australia, but I think it’s a kind of a global phenomena … it’s a kind of tribalism, really, at the heart of it … I think everybody tends to then retreat to their side, and we don’t get a constructive debate. I don’t think we get the type of nuance that we sometimes need to see and should see in public discourse and in debate. And, you know, I think it is sort of a threat, in a way, to democracy.
Asked specifically about the upcoming federal election, Archer said the number of independents elected at the last election was a “direct reaction to that sort of polarisation”.
People [are] sort of looking around and coming up empty-handed, so looking for an alternative, I think that’s what we’re seeing sort of play out. And I think the crossroads is – how do actors in the political system respond to that? …
That’ll be interesting to see how that then plays out at the next election.
Asked if she is staying in the Liberal party and recontesting her seat, Archer responded “yes and yes”.
Updated
Archer says avoiding LGBTIQ+ census questions dismisses lived experience of many Australians
Q: Opposition leader Peter Dutton uses the word “woke agenda” and there are people who think these questions do fit into that agenda. Isn’t that at the heart the problem here?
Bridget Archer responded that by not going forward with the questions “you absolutely do feed into that”.
And actually, in doing so, you also dismiss the lived experience of a whole lot of Australians as well, who are currently just not being counted…
I think this sort of constructing everything as kind of right or left or woke or not woke, or whatever, I just think it is part of the problem that we have, and it distracts us from all sorts of things, actually, and it’s quite pointless. Just get on with it.
Updated
Bridget Archer says government should be able to make decisions and defend their decisions
Bridget Archer said the government should be prepared to make decisions and defend the decisions that they make:
I think that from the government’s point of view, it requires that they actually govern and that they make decisions and this [idea that] ‘we’re not going to do this because there might be some sort of backlash, or there might be some sort of controversy, or we’re not going to do this because … we can’t be assured that there’s not going to be a debate’ is not really leadership and is not in the best interest of the country.
We need leaders and governments that are going to make decisions, and, yes, defend the decisions that they make. If they are, but not refrain from making them because they’re not sure what somebody might say about that.
Updated
Liberal MP Bridget Archer says government's census question reversal 'frustrating'
Tasmanian Liberal MP Bridget Archer is speaking to ABC RN about the government’s decision to scrap questions on sexuality and gender identity from the 2026 census – which she described as “frustrating.”
She previously crossed the floor on issues during the Morrison government.
I think it’s quite frustrating, actually, to be honest. It’s a frustrating conversation about something that really shouldn’t be in any way controversial – and I think the government has actually created a controversy, where there was none...
The questions should be included. They said they would be included, it really should be a non-issue. And we shouldn’t really even be having this conversation.
Archer disagreed there was any “woke agenda” behind “asking questions around population data for our country”.
It’s just information. And, you know, if you don’t collect that information, then you can’t use it.
Updated
Bank bosses to face investigation amid cost-of-living worries
Scams, soaring mortgage payments and the rising cost of living will be top of mind as the heads of two of Australia’s biggest banks arrive at parliament for a political grilling.
As AAP reports, National Australia Bank chief executive Andrew Irvine and Shayne Elliot, the head of ANZ, will appear before a House of Representatives review of Australia’s big four banks today.
The big four control about 80% of the Australian banking sector and have been accused of exacerbating financial pressures on their customers.
Westpac and Commonwealth Bank CEOs appeared on the first day of the inquiry yesterday.
Updated
Liberal MP calls for gender and sexuality questions to be added to the census
Victorian Liberal MP Keith Wolahan has added his voice to those calling for questions on sexuality and gender to be added to the 2026 census, saying he can’t see “the damage or the harm” in including them.
Wolahan has echoed the views of a number of Labor backbench MPs who are urging the government to reverse a decision to leave the questions out of the census. He told ABC RN he believed the more questions there were, the more useful the data obtained.
I don’t see the harm in adding that. I know in other areas, like in asking who veterans are that that was only recently added, and that’s been really useful. So I think more data is always useful. And so I’m not sure what the dispute is or the concern is here from a government’s perspective.
Wolahan’s comments come after his Liberal colleague Aaron Violi told the ABC that questions on gender and sexuality would provide valuable data and should be included.
Labor backbencher Josh Burns has called for the government to “reconsider” and Peter Khalil, Alicia Payne and assistant minister Ged Kearney expressed support for a rethink.
Questions on gender, sexuality and several other topics were due to be added to the 2026 census after the Australian Bureau of Statistics consulted the community. But this week it emerged the government had decided the extra questions should not proceed, with ministers saying they could generate “division” and “nastiness”.
Updated
Over on the US Open live blog, we’re following all the action as Alex de Minaur has just won – follow along with Katy Murrells below:
Almost 70 organisations sign statement calling for census decision reversal
Equality Australia says that almost 70 organisations have signed a statement calling on the government to reconsider including questions on sexuality and gender identity in the 2026 census.
The statement reads:
Not only has the government missed an opportunity to finally reflect the real diversity of the Australian community, but it will fail to gather crucial information to inform its own planning, financial assessment, policy development and service delivery.
This is despite repeated calls for this baseline population data from service providers, health entities, government departments, bureaucrats, businesses and academics, who rely on the census to tell them about our country’s economic, social and cultural make-up.
The full statement can be read online here.
Fallen trees and powerlines in Tasmania as at least 10,000 without power
A “large number” of trees and powerlines have fallen across roads in Tasmania, police say, as thousands have been left without power.
The trees and powerlines have fallen across roads in the north-west and northern parts of the state.
Police said emergency workers are busy clearing roads and restoring power. Motorists are advised to take “extreme care” across all roads across the state.
According to TasNetworks, there are at least 10,000 customers across the state affected by power outages – largely in northern areas.
Updated
Severe weather warning for damaging winds along much of Australia’s south
We brought you the weather forecasts for each state just a moment ago, so let’s look at the severe weather warnings that are currently in place, all for damaging winds.
NSW and ACT – north-westerly winds will strengthen this morning across the south-east, as a cold front moves over the south. Peak gusts up to 100km/h are possible over elevated areas for the eastern districts.
Victoria – a strong cold front is moving through the centre of the state early this morning and will clear to the east by later this morning. A westerly airstream is expected to develop in its wake over the south, with a second front sweeping through overnight and tomorrow morning.
South Australia – the cold front moving towards Victoria passed through SA overnight, with a north-west airstream developing ahead of a second front this evening. Damaging gusts up to 90km/h over coastal parts of the lower south-east are forecast during the early hours this morning.
Tasmania – the entire state is under the severe weather warning for damaging winds, with a series of fronts embedded in a vigorous westerly airstream to affect Tasmania from later today and through the weekend. Peak gusts of around 110km/h are likely to persist for another few hours.
Updated
Good morning
I’m Emily Wind, here to take you through our rolling coverage this Friday. Thanks to Martin Farrer for kicking things off!
As always, you can get in touch via X, @emilywindwrites, or email – emily.wind@theguardian.com – with any tips or questions throughout the day.
Let’s go.
Updated
Pacific Islands Forum to wrap up today
The Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga will wrap up today, although Anthony Albanese arrived back in Australia last night.
Yesterday, Albanese participated in a leaders’ retreat in Vava’u, Tonga, a format that allows for more intimate conversations.
We expect to learn of the formal outcomes of the talks when the Pif leaders release their joint statement later today.
Concern about the situation in New Caledonia was expected to be high on the agenda of yesterday’s talks, and the statement is likely to mention progress in securing French approval for a fact-finding mission to the territory.
It will also be worth keeping an eye out for the exact language used to describe the Pacific policing initiative that Albanese championed and which got a tick in Wednesday’s meeting in the Tongan capital, Nuku’alofa.
There will also be language in the joint statement regarding the climate crisis.
The weeklong Pif summit ends with a closing ceremony tonight.
Here’s the forecast by state and territory:
NSW and ACT – warmer than usual, above average rainfall in most areas, unusually high rainfall in NSW’s north and some central areas. High fire danger in Greater Sydney, the Illawarra and the south-west, moderate fire danger in many other areas.
Victoria – warmer than usual, typical rainfall in most areas, slightly increased chance of above average rainfall in parts of the south-west.
Queensland – unusually warm days and nights in most parts, above average rainfall in most areas, first significant rains of the wet season likely to be earlier than usual.
Western Australia – warmer than usual in most areas except for the south where temperatures will be average, unusually warm days and nights in the north, typical rainfall in most areas, first significant rains of the wet season likely later than usual.
South Australia – warmer than usual with slightly above average rainfall in southern agricultural areas and parts of the north.
Tasmania – unusually warm days and nights, above average rainfall in the east.
Northern Territory – unusually warm days and nights, typical rainfall, first significant rains of the wet season likely earlier than usual.
Updated
We’ve got even more weather as Paul Daley has been ruminating on the on the “discombobulating, disquieting” winter warmth that has seen the usual signs of spring come many weeks early.
Read his piece here:
Updated
Warmer-than-average spring to follow milder winter, says BoM
Australians all over can expect a warmer-than-average spring but parts of the nation are likely to cop more of a drenching than usual, AAP reports.
Conditions are increasingly likely to be warmer than average across all states and territories in the next three months, according to the Bureau of Meteorology’s spring long-range forecast.
Most of Queensland, NSW and the ACT are expected to experience above-average rainfall, while parts of South Australia and Tasmania can expect slightly more rain than usual.
Western Australia is tipped to have average or below average falls, with “typical” rain expected in the Northern Territory.
The northern wet season starts in October but the first significant rains are forecast to fall earlier than usual in Queensland and part of the Top End but later in most of Western Australia.
It’s been a warmer-than-usual winter and 1.5 C above the 1961-90 winter average, preliminary data from the government agency shows. The Bureau said:
Despite some typically cool winter temperatures at times on the east coast, winter has been warmer than usual across the country with August on track to be Australia’s warmest August on record.
Updated
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to the end-of-week news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the best of the overnight stories to get you up to speed before hosting duties switch to Emily Wind.
Mano Yogalingam was 23 years old and had “his whole life in front of him”. But the stresses and strains of living with the prospect of being deported back to Sri Lanka pushed him over the edge and he took his own life this week. Our top story this morning hears from refugee advocates who say the death of the Tamil asylum seeker has exposed the failings of the fast-track immigration system. “All of these people have been failed by the system. It’s a total cobweb of cruelty,” one said.
A billionaire mining boss who has already banned home working has said he does not want staff to step out of the office for coffee either. Chris Ellison, the managing director of Mineral Resources, said the industry could not afford to continue down the path of flexible working, and that his company was investing in amenities at the firm’s head office in Perth to keep people from leaving the building. “I want to hold them captive all day long,” Ellison said during a financial presentation.
Australia’s southern states have been buffeted by dangerous winds this week and there’s more to come. Strong winds will blow up from the south today into New South Wales, while a second front of gusty winds is expected to hit southern Victoria and Tasmania tonight through to Saturday. More fronts could push through the country’s south over the weekend. And Greater Sydney and the Illawarra are under high fire danger warnings. All this and the BoM is predicting a warmer-than-usual spring. More coming up.
