What we learned today, Wednesday 15 January
This is where we’ll leave you for today, thanks for joining us on the blog! Here’s a recap of the main stories:
Thousands of commuters across Sydney have been affected by major rail delays and cancellations caused by industrial action.
The NSW government says balls that mysteriously appeared on Sydney’s northern beaches are still “a bit of a mystery” but there’s an ongoing investigation by the state’s Environmental Protection Agency.
Anthony Albanese says the Australian government will take the “strongest possible action” if any harm has been caused to Australian man Oscar Jenkins, who was captured by Russian forces while fighting for Ukraine.
Australia’s special envoy for antisemitism, Jillian Segal, is calling for a national cabinet meeting on antisemitism, while the Labor MP Josh Burns says there are “clearly gaps” in Australia’s legal framework around the issue.
There are severe weather warnings in place across parts of NSW, the ACT and Victoria, with roads and homes already damaged, and power outages in some areas.
The children’s television legend Simon Townsend of Wonder World fame has sadly died, aged 79.
The blog will be back early tomorrow. Take care.
Updated
Sussan Ley endorses Gisele Kapterian over Warren Mundine
The deputy Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, has endorsed Gisele Kapterian in the preselection race for the federal seat Bradfield, saying the former Liberal staffer gives the opposition its “greatest chance of success”.
Kapterian is facing Warren Mundine, the face of the anti-voice campaign and the conservative faction’s frontrunner, for the marginal seat in Sydney’s north.
Ley joins the former treasurer Joe Hockey in endorsing Kapterian, who Liberal sources described to Guardian Australia last week as “centrist”.
Ley says Kapterian is “familiar with the systems of government” and has “real-world experience” from her roles in the private sector.
Ley says:
In Gisele, the people of Bradfield would find a Federal MP who isn’t just a community champion capable of advocating on their local issues, but also more than able to serve in future high office …
Warren Mundine is an ideological powerhouse in our party and as was demonstrated during the Voice referendum, he is a strong and persuasive communicator.
Our federal parliamentary party would be bolstered by Warren’s contribution and I was an enthusiastic supporter of his efforts in Gilmore at the 2019 election.
However, at this critical juncture, it is my judgement that Gisele Kapterian represents the future of Bradfield. I believe she affords us the greatest chance of success in what will be an extremely closely-contested marginal seat, where the Teal machine could potentially pour millions of dollars into trying to unseat us.
Gisele is the right candidate for Bradfield at the right moment and I urge preselectors to support her.
Updated
Peak retail bodies call for government and industry collaboration on worker safety
The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and National Retail Association (NRA) say they are deeply concerned by an alleged stabbing attack at a Queensland Coles.
In a statement they say:
The ARA and NRA continue to call for strengthened safety measures to protect retail workers amidst a concerning wave of violence in retail settings, with around 700,000 retail crime incidents recorded nationally in the past year.
We fully support retailers who are taking initiatives to improve safety for staff and commend Coles for taking swift action in response to the recent incident in QLD.
Updated
Police arrest 75-year-old ‘knitting nanna’
Police have arrested a 75-year-old woman who they say was allegedly attached to heavy machinery in the Gladstone state forest at Bowraville, on the NSW mid north coast.
She has been charged with four offences including remaining on a prescribed premises without lawful excuse.
Police say the woman from Coffs Harbour is due to appear in Macksville local court on 23 January.
The activist group Knitting Nannas says it was one of their members who was arrested.
Updated
Injuries reported after truck rollover in Tasmania
Police have confirmed emergency services are at the scene of a truck rollover on the East Tamar Highway at Long Reach in Tasmania’s north.
Police say injuries have been reported, and motorists are being asked to avoid the area.
Traffic is being diverted on to Dalrymple Road through to Bridport Road. The road will be closed while the truck is removed from the scene.
Updated
Man fighting for life after Melbourne shop torched
A man is fighting for life after a shop was set on fire in an early morning arson attack, AAP reports.
The 51-year-old was found critically injured after several men were seen pouring accelerant inside the building on Chapel Street in Melbourne’s Prahran before it was set alight about 4.15am.
The group then fled in a waiting vehicle, with one of the group visibly on fire.
No one else was inside the building at the time.
The store was extensively damaged in the blaze, which also damaged surrounding businesses.
Less than an hour later, emergency services were called to an address in Fitzroy after reports of a man with significant burns to his body.
The injured man was taken to hospital where he remains in a critical condition.
A crime scene has been established at the Chapel Street site and an arson chemist will attend the scene on Wednesday afternoon.
No charges have been laid.
Updated
Four injured as demountable huts flip in Wagga Wagga
Four men have been taken to the Wagga Wagga base hospital with injuries after demountable huts they were camping in flipped in high winds.
A NSW ambulance spokesperson says two of the men sustained injuries including shoulder, leg and back injuries, while the other two men have minor injuries.
The NSW SES has issued a Watch and Act warning for the area, advising residents to stay indoors.
They believe there are now widespread outages in the Riverina area.
Heavy rain, flash flooding, hail and damaging winds are expected to continue in the area this afternoon.
Updated
Three charged after 'sophisticated' Brisbane armed robbery by people wearing Santa hats
Three men have been charged after they allegedly posed as cleaners, donned fake beards and Santa hats, entered a home on Brisbane’s southern fringes at gunpoint and stole more than $1m in cash as well as high-end jewellery.
Acting Det Insp Justin Anderson said on Wednesday that the perpetrators used zip ties to restrain their three victims in a highly planned armed robbery that was one of the “most sophisticated” he had seen in more than 30 years of policing.
Anderson said the alleged perpetrators scoped the address, planned the heist for at least a week and phoned in advance to make sure the occupants were home. Once inside, he said they remained for “a significant amount of time” during which they threatened their victims with handguns for the mixed currencies and luxury watches.
Officers will allege the robbery took place on the afternoon of 3 January. On 13 January police raided a Greenbank property, two cars and several Ormeau storage units where they say they recovered stolen cash, illicit drugs and two rifles – one with a silencer.
A 33-year-old Coomera man, a 39-year-old Ormeau man and 28-year-old Greenbank man were arrested and later charged with three counts each of armed robbery in company with personal violence and deprivation of liberty, and one count each of entering a dwelling with intent and hacking gain benefit commit indictable offence.
Updated
Balls on Sydney’s northern beaches still a ‘bit of a mystery’
Sydney’s beaches have been plagued by mysterious balls for more than three months but the public is no closer to finding out where they came from or why they continue to wash ashore.
Addressing the media on Wednesday afternoon, NSW’s acting premier, Penny Sharpe, said the foul-smelling balls, which temporarily closed nine beaches in the city’s north this week, remained a “bit of a mystery”.
Sharpe confirmed an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) investigation was ongoing, while the government had also been working with various agencies on whether there had been “pollution events” – none of which had been identified.
This is a phenomenon that’s not being seen anywhere else in the world. There is the testing that has been done, and it’s been very extensive, so we know what the balls are made of but they’re different depending on the beach.
I have full confidence in the EPA doing their work. They’re doing the testing. They’re working with other agencies to try to get to the bottom of it. We don’t have an answer yet, but I’m not going to put the blame at the feet of the EPA here. This is an odd situation that remains a mystery that we’re getting to the bottom of.
Asked if she had a preferred term for the balls, which have been called everything from fatbergs to tar balls, she replied: “I think we’re going with debris balls. That’s where I’m at today.”
Updated
Further Mornington Peninsula landslide fears with 11 houses now uninhabitable
Victoria’s emergency services are bracing for further movement in a landslide on the state’s Mornington Peninsula ahead of expected storms.
Yesterday morning, a $2.3m house collapsed down a cliff in a landslide. A council worker who was injured in the incident was transported to hospital in a stable condition.
A VicEmergency alert issued this morning for the McCrae area said site assessments would continue, along with monitoring for further impact caused by forecast storms.
You can read the full story here:
Updated
Man dies after trying to save children from rip at WA beach
Western Australian police have confirmed a man has died after he and three others went to help two children experiencing trouble in the water at Native Dog beach in Bremer Bay.
They believe the children and those who tried to help them were all caught in a rip.
Police say the man, believed to be in his 40s, became unresponsive and was carried to shore, where members of the public provided him emergency first aid.
In a statement, police say:
St John WA transported the man to the Bremer Bay Nursing Post, however he could not be revived.
A report will be prepared for the Coroner.
All other persons in the water were able to get back to shore safely.
Updated
Commuters waiting for trains from Central station
Industrial action has led to the cancellation of almost 400 Sydney train services today.
Here are some photos from Central station in Sydney:
Updated
Following from our last post:
Questions at the press conference then turned to the actual numbers of how many psychiatrists will be left in the workforce when resignations take effect.
Jackson says there are 443 full-time psychiatrist positions in NSW, of which there is already a 30% pre-exiting vacancy rate.
On top of that, they have received 205 resignations.
Updated
NSW government to meet psychiatrist representative bodies
The NSW government will meet tomorrow with representative bodies of psychiatrists as half the workforce intends to resign next week.
In a press conference held this afternoon, the minister for mental health, Rose Jackson, said she would meet tomorrow with the Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation as well as the peak body for psychiatrists, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.
Jackson says:
I’m hopeful the meeting is … an opportunity for discussion, an opportunity for a path forward.
We get there are things we need to discuss and the system is under pressure.
… Walking away and not participating is not a solution.
Updated
‘Vicious’ storm lashes Wagga Wagga
The Nationals MP Michael McCormack is already seeing some of the severe weather in Wagga Wagga.
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast thunderstorms across Australia’s south-east today, including in Wagga and Orange in NSW.
Wild and dangerous scenes in #WaggaWagga as vicious winds, lightning, heavy rain and hail lash the city.
— Michael McCormack (@M_McCormackMP) January 15, 2025
The winds have brought down trees and branches.
Please take care. pic.twitter.com/XHVZPuSmrq
Updated
Coles to stop stocking kitchen knives after alleged stabbing attack in store
Supermarket giant Coles has announced it will no longer stock kitchen knives amid increasing rates of aggression in its stores.
A spokesperson said in a statement that Smeg kitchen knives would be available to redeem at its service desks until 21 January.
Coles complies with all legislation regarding the sale of kitchen knives, and this withdrawal is being taken out of an abundance of caution as we conduct a review. The safety of our team members and customers is our number one priority across all aspects of our business.
The news comes as a 13-year-old has been charged with attempted murder, accused of stabbing a Coles worker on Monday evening.
As Ben Smee reported yesterday, police alleged the boy attacked the woman with a knife at the Yamanto shopping centre in Ipswich, south-west of Brisbane.
The injured woman, 63, remained in a critical condition in hospital.
Updated
Many thanks for joining me on the blog today, I’ll be handing over to Krishani Dhanji for the rest of the afternoon. Take care.
Sydney commuters urged to begin travel hours earlier as delays expected to worsen
Sydneysiders who have critical travel over the rest of the day have been told to begin their journeys now, with the transport department warning train delays are expected to get worse this evening and that the evening peak period will be unreliable.
The transport department secretary, Josh Murray, speaking just now after the delay or cancellation of more than 80% of train services in the morning due to rail union industrial action, urged commuters who have essential travel to begin their trips hours earlier.
As we look towards the afternoon and evening, the scenario is going to get worse in terms of train and crew availability, and we also see some inclement weather on the horizon, which may make afternoon travel even more difficult.
We are saying to vulnerable travellers, we are saying to emergency workers or those that have critical travel this afternoon, to leave now, to make those arrangements and not rely on afternoon peak services.
Updated
NSW government exploring legal action to quash rail workers’ industrial action
The New South Wales government is exploring if it can take legal action to stop rail workers from continuing industrial action that has led to the cancellation of almost 400 train services on Wednesday and crippled the broader Sydney network.
The acting premier, Penny Sharpe, said the work bans in force today had led to “serious impacts” across Sydney for commuters and businesses and that “we’re currently looking at all of our legal options to make sure that these conditions can be rolled back and that we can get the trains back running on time”.
The transport minister, Jo Haylen, said that almost 400 train services had been cancelled by 1.30pm, with more than 1,000 services expected to be cancelled by the end of the day.
Beyond the cancellations, trains were becoming stuck at platforms for up to 30 minutes, with not enough crew to staff the services.
Updated
Audit shows Queensland hospitals in crisis
A new audit has revealed Queensland’s health system is in need of urgent reform, AAP reports, after years of systemic breakdowns across infrastructure, cybersecurity and patient care.
The Queensland audit office’s latest report highlights a sector facing critical challenges with mounting costs, worsening wait times and underwhelming performance on preventable hospital admissions.
The backlog of hospital maintenance has blown out to $2bn, a 40% increase in just one year. The report warns this figure is likely underestimated.
The high level of deferred maintenance means it is likely the condition of health facilities is worsening.
Cybersecurity risks have also doubled, with 13 control deficiencies identified, compared to seven the previous year. Among them are inadequate passwords controls and delayed removal of access for terminated staff.
The report describes these weaknesses as particularly concerning as the health sector has been identified as one of the most vulnerable to cyber-attacks in Australia.
Waiting times for specialist outpatient services is the worst in nine years, with Queensland also ranking seventh out of eight states for preventable hospital admissions.
Updated
BoM forecasts severe storms for Wagga Wagga and Orange
More on the thunderstorms forecast across Australia’s south-east today: the Bureau of Meteorology said severe storms are likely for Wagga and Orange in NSW.
Damaging winds, heavy rain leading to flash flooding and large hail are all possible.
Today's thunderstorm FORECAST
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) January 15, 2025
Today is expected to be a very active storm day.
Severe thunderstorms are likely for #WaggaWagga and #Orange.
Damaging winds, heavy rain leading to flash flooding and large hail are all possible.
Monitor for warnings: https://t.co/AhUXFLSRMA pic.twitter.com/xChuLFyGt9
Updated
Telstra teams with Accenture to supercharge AI plans
Telstra is partnering with global consulting giant Accenture to accelerate its operations by using artificial intelligence, AAP reports.
The seven-year joint venture would comprise of specialists from Telstra and Accenture’s data and AI teams who would work to modernise Telstra’s systems and reinvent business processes through the use of AI agents.
Telstra said its core data and AI workforce, based in Australia and India, would receive an offer to join the venture.
Telstra plans to consolidate vendor support from 18 data and AI providers down to just two joint ventures, one with Woolworths-owned data science firm Quantium and the new partnership with Accenture.
Telstra’s chief executive, Vicki Brady, said the telecommunications company had hundreds of AI use-cases across the business, including tools built in-house such as one that delivers a concise summary of a customer’s recent interactions with Telstra.
But our data and AI ambition goes well beyond introducing AI tools. It goes to the heart of what we do – connecting Australia, and Australians, to the world.
The joint venture will be 60% owned by Accenture and 40% owned by Telstra.
Updated
Severe storms likely across south-east Australia today
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather update, with severe storms likely around the south-east of the country today:
Severe Weather Update: Severe storms likely in the south-east today.
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) January 15, 2025
Video current: 11:30am AEDT 15 January 2025.
Latest forecasts and warnings: https://t.co/4W35o8iFmh or the BOM Weather app. pic.twitter.com/c9Io9Obdrh
Updated
Queensland premier pledges further youth crime crackdown as incarceration rates rise
Queensland premier David Crisafulli has promised a further “wave of changes” to the state’s youth crime laws this year following the legislation of his new government’s signature “adult time” laws that puts children as young as 10 in detention on adult sentences.
Speaking to press in Cairns this morning, Crisafulli was asked if it was a “mistake” or “loophole” that the charge of attempted murder did not fall under the “tough new laws”, which include mandatory life sentences for youth offenders convicted of murder.
It follows one of the first high-profile youth crime incidents in Queensland this year, in which a 13-year-old boy was charged with attempted murder after allegedly stabbing a 63-year-old female Coles employee.
The premier responded by saying that charge and many others would be reviewed by an expert panel to recommend further crackdowns on a “generation of hardcore repeat untouchables”.
I want Queenslanders to know: there will be more changes. And the second tranche of the ‘making Queensland safer’ laws is certainly not going to be the last. There will be further reform in 2025, in fact there will be legislative change in 2025 – and it can’t come soon enough.
The number of children under 14 in adult watch houses in Queensland has risen 50% in 12 month. Asked if he was concerned that youth crime crackdown would not act as a deterrent but only lead to higher incarceration rates, the premier replied that his focus was on having fewer victims of crime.
Updated
Portelli to plead not guilty to nine charges of assisting in conduct of unlawful lottery
Adrian Portelli – known for his cash and property giveaways, including houses from reality show The Block – will plead not guilty to nine charges of assisting in the conduct of an unlawful lottery.
Portelli was not required to appear at the hearing in Adelaide’s magistrates court this morning.
Ben Lodge, who is acting for Portelli and his company, Xclusive Tech Pty Ltd (which operates under the name LMCT+) said both would contest the charges. Xclusive is facing 10 charges for conducting or assisting in the conduct of an unlawful lottery.
Portelli bought all the properties in the latest season of The Block to give away, but the winner chose to take $8m in prize money instead.
Portelli’s company offers members subscriptions to a “rewards club” and subscribers then get entries to win cars and properties. The model is known as a trade promotion lottery.
SA’s Consumer and Business Services (CBS) investigated cases including some giveaways from The Block before bringing the 19 charges. According to court documents, the incidents occurred between 29 January 2023 and 16 May 2024. This morning, Lodge said:
Our instructions are that the matter is contested and we are keen to progress the matter to trial as soon as we can.
The matter has been adjourned to 6 March.
Updated
Opposition leader says Australia should ‘provide every support we can to Israel’
Peter Dutton also said he supports calls for a ceasefire, and “we need to make sure the hostages are released and make sure that the terrorist organisation is not being rewarded”.
We have, in our country, a very strong relationship historically with Israel. The problem at the moment is the government has not seen fit to prioritise that relationship … We should be providing every support we can to Israel and certainly to people of Jewish heritage in our country as well.
Updated
Dutton: Australians should not be travelling to war zones
Peter Dutton said that Australians should not be travelling to Ukraine or any other conflict or war zone:
Australians should not be going to fight in a war zone and if people [have] any intelligence or advice in relation to a family member or in relation to a work colleague who’s thinking about going offshore to fight in Ukraine or somewhere else, they should call the Australian Federal Police or call Crime Stoppers and provide that information.
Updated
Dutton says Russian ambassador should be ‘sent packing’ if Oscar Jenkins was killed
Taking questions from reporters, Peter Dutton was asked about reports that Melbourne man Oscar Jenkins has been killed after being captured by Russian forces while fighting for Ukraine.
The opposition leader said the government should “take the strongest possible action” and that the Russian ambassador in Australia “should be sent packing”.
We should send a clear message to Russia and to other similar minded regimes that Australians are sacrosanct, they deserve to be protected by their government and if they are harmed in this way and brutally executed – as seems to be the suggestion in this case, we wait for confirmation – there should be a strong reaction from the prime minister.
I would encourage the prime minister to be open and honest and transparent in relation to this matter. If it is the case that this Australian has been killed then Australia should respond in the strongest possible terms, and that is our bipartisan position.
Earlier, Anthony Albanese told reporters the government would “take the strongest possible action” if the reports are confirmed.
Updated
Dutton addressing media in Victoria
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is speaking with reporters at Halls Gap in Victoria.
He’s been speaking about tourism operators in the region struggling after a wave of cancellations, amid the Grampians bushfires (we had more earlier in the blog here).
Dutton called on state premier Jacinta Allan to “work hand in glove with us” and said the Coalition would support in a bipartisan way efforts to get assistance on the ground, for businesses struggling financially.
The wineries and accommodation places and tourism centres can’t operate without the tourists being here, so a lot of people at Christmas cancelled their holidays. That is the peak period. That’s when many businesses make money and can see them through the downtime. They’ve gone without the business. You can understand there are pleas today.
Severe thunderstorms forecast over eastern ranges of Victoria
Thunderstorms are possible across the entire state of Victoria today, aside from the south-west region, the Bureau of Meteorology says.
Severe thunderstorms are possible and likely over the eastern ranges, with the risk of damaging winds, large hail and heavy rainfall.
⛈️Thunderstorm FORECAST for TODAY: Storms possible over all but far south-west #Victoria.
— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) January 15, 2025
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS are possible (🟡) in the east & likely (🔴) over the eastern ranges. Risk of damaging winds, large hail & heavy rainfall.
Warnings if issued: https://t.co/HLs2UYFQyQ pic.twitter.com/KBXMmQYirK
Updated
NSW recorded highest number of gender-based murders across country in 2024
NSW recorded the highest number of gender-based murders out of any state or territory last year, according to the state’s peak body for domestic violence, yet continues to have the lowest per capita spend on domestic and family violence services.
Domestic Violence NSW said 78 women were murdered due to gender-based violence last year. 25 of those women lived in NSW, which is the most populous state in the country. In the past 11 years, the state has recorded the highest murder toll nine times.
The peak body is calling for an immediate $163m funding injection, highlighting that the NSW current budget for domestic and family violence services equates to just $39 a person. The national average is $53 a person.
Last year, the NSW government committed $230m over four years towards domestic, family, and sexual violence services. But Domestic Violence NSW said the gap between supply and demand continues to widen.
Neesha Eckersley, from Women’s Community Shelters, said its number of unaccommodated women escaping violence rose from 60% in 2022-2023 to 96% in 2023-2024:
Every day, we are confronted with this awful reality of having to turn away women and children who have made that difficult decision to leave because we simply don’t have the resources to support them.
Updated
Family memorialises Simon Townsend
Continuing from our last post: Simon Townsend’s family said in a statement he believed being a member of the press was a “noble calling”, taking after his father who was chief subeditor of the Sydney Morning Herald.
Simon carried a notebook and a pen in his top pocket to the day he died.
The statement continued, saying he first began as a TV journalist in 1970 on This Day Tonight, before working for Mike Willesee on A Current Affair.
Simon met Willesee’s secretary, Rosanna Torso, a stunning Italian-Australian known for being Willesee’s fierce gatekeeper. They married and had two children: Michael and Nadia.
One of the great joys of Simon’s life was in 1991, when he was united with his daughter Lisbeth, who had been adopted out when Simon was 21. Characteristically, Rosanna warmly welcomed Lisbeth into the family.
The family describe Rosanna as “the bedrock of the Townsend family”, and said Simon suffered a debilitating stroke soon after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He was “lost” when she died months later in 2003.
Some years passed and he rekindled a relationship with Kerrie Gleeson, a girlfriend from his youth. They lived together for six years. Kerrie died suddenly in 2015, leaving Simon bereft.
While he continued to suffer the effects of multiple strokes, Simon always attended family events and was content being with his children and grandchildren … [He] truly believed his Wonder World sign-off: ‘and remember, the world really is wonderful’.
Updated
Simon Townsend’s family speak after television legend’s death
Earlier, Amanda Meade reported that children’s television legend Simon Townsend of Wonder World fame has died aged 79.
His daughter, actor and dramaturg Nadia Townsend, has provided a statement on behalf of the family, which reads:
Simon Townsend – journalist, television host, producer and conscientious objector, lost a short battle with an aggressive cancer and died on 14 January 2025. He was 79. In his final days, Simon was surrounded by his family – a mix of journalists, writers, actors, political activists and Italians. The conversation to the last was loud, passionate and full of laughs.
[He] is best known for Simon Townsend’s Wonder World, a children’s television show which dominated the Australian afternoon time slot from 1979 to 1987. The show won five Logie Awards for Most Popular Children’s Television series and was a hit with kids of all ages, their parents and even tradesmen who watched it in the pub after knock-off.
The statement notes that he first made headlines in 1967 as a young journalist and conscientious objector to the Vietnam War, “showing up to protests in a three-piece suit.”
When he was conscripted, Simon refused orders, declaring that “wars will cease when men refuse to fight”. In court, he declared himself a pacifist, was deemed by the magistrate to be “insincere” and jailed for a month in Long Bay. This was followed by incarceration in military prison for 28 days in solitary confinement on bread and water. Simon was front-page news and there were “Free Townsend” protests and graffiti in Sydney.
Updated
Bandt on potential Israel-Palestine: ‘Ceasefire can’t come soon enough’
Bandt was asked about the prospect of a ceasefire in Gaza. He said “the invasion should never have happened”:
It has led to widespread death and devastation. From the beginning, the Greens have said release the hostages unconditionally, don’t invade Gaza. Because when you have an invasion of an area that is half the size of the ACT, with 2.2 million people walled in, and 40% of them under the age of 15, you’re going to unleash a humanitarian catastrophe.
Sadly, it’s what we’re seeing. We continue our calls for peace, but the invasion could stop tomorrow, if the military decided to stop the invasion, and that’s what we hope happens. Ceasefire can’t come soon enough.
Updated
Search for boater missing at popular river tourist spot
A search is under way for a man who fell from a boat at a popular holiday spot on the Murray River and did not resurface, AAP reports.
NSW police responded to reports that a man, believed to be in his 20s, fell into the water near a boat ramp at Moama about 7.30pm yesterday.
Emergency services scoured waters along the NSW-Victoria border for hours but no trace of the man was found.
Marine Rescue NSW shone a spotlight on the banks of the river as they searched the area by boat, but the operation was paused after it became dark. The search resumed at 8am today.
An estimated 1.5 million people visit the border towns of Echuca and Moama each year, with the two towns on either side of the Murray River functioning as one community. The area is popular with campers and visitors seeking out water sports.
Updated
Bandt points to need for national anti-racism strategy amid calls for national cabinet to address antisemitism
The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, is also at the childcare centre in Windsor, Victoria this morning.
Asked if there should be a national cabinet held on the issue of antisemitism, he pointed to the need for a national anti-racism strategy:
Every level of government needs to do all it can to fight antisemitism, Islamophobia and all forms of racism. And that is something that we’ve called for a very long time.
Australia is a proudly multicultural society … the Greens have been calling for many, many years now for a national, fully funded anti-racism strategy … that tackles antisemitism, Islamophobia and all forms of racism. It’s something that we all need to work towards to ensure that we protect our multicultural community.
Also asked about calls for mandatory jail time for people that vandalise, Bandt said he would leave that up to “largely the state governments that are going to be looking at that”:
I think one of the things that we critically need to do is start with education. We need to ensure that the fundamental elements of our multicultural society, which start at the community level, are protected so we support needs to stamp out racism in all its forms.
Updated
Burns says ‘outsiders’ should not ‘meddle’ in Australia’s democracy ahead of election
On the prospect of X’s owner, Elon Musk, getting involved in the federal election, Josh Burns said “Australian democracy is for Australians, not for international people”:
We don’t meddle in other people’s democratic rights or goings on, and we would expect the same for others. So anyone who wants to come into Australia and interfere in our democracy, who is an outsider, shouldn’t.
Updated
Burns calls for Australian politics to ‘take a step forward and be more considerate’
Josh Burns was also asked whether he’s worried the next election is going to be a content fought on character assassination rather than on political policy.
He said politics “should be a battle of ideas” and “a contest where political parties come together, we respectfully put forward our ideas, we respectfully come forward and outline our vision for our country”:
Certainly, that’s what I’m going to be doing in McNamara, which is the community I’m privileged to represent. My two candidates who are here today, they believe in our community as well, and we have disagreements on policy, but it’s not personal against them, and it never should be.
That’s the way I’ll be conducting myself, and I hope politics in this country can take a step forward and be more considerate, and we can disagree respectfully, but we don’t have to make it personal as well.
Updated
Josh Burns says there are ‘gaps in legal framework’ when it comes to combatting antisemitism
Over in Victoria, the Labor MP for Macnamara, Josh Burns, has been speaking at Windsor community childcare centre to throw his support behind saving the centre from closure.
We’ll bring you more on that later, but in he meantime, he was asked about special envoy to combat antisemitism Jillian Segal’s comments on the front page of the Australia today, calling for tougher sentencing and more prosecutions for anti-Jewish hate crimes.
Burns says he agrees more needs to be done:
There are some laws that obviously I’ll leave to my state colleagues, because many of those laws around what happens in our community is a matter for the state governments. What I would say is that there are clearly gaps in our legal framework. Clearly we have a crisis in antisemitism in this country.
Clearly we have a situation where no one should be discriminated against, but certainly with the rise of antisemitism, we need to tackle it together in a unified way, ideally in a situation like this today, where political parties come together and not squabble over discrimination in this country.
On the prospect of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Burns says he’s very hopeful and “I pray for peace.”
This nightmare has gone on for long enough, and I hope the world wakes up tomorrow and it’s a bit more of a peaceful place. That will be a wonderful thing.
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Children’s television legend Simon Townsend has died
Children’s television legend Simon Townsend of Wonder World fame has died aged 79.
The former ABC journalist launched Simon Townsend’s Wonder World! on Channel 10 in 1979 with mascot Woodrow the Bloodhound and reporters Sandy Mauger, Jonathan Coleman, Angela Catterns and Adam Bowen.
The groundbreaking show made him a household name, delighting young audiences with magazine-style stories which covered a wide range of topics.
Wonder World ran until 1987, winning five Logie Awards and stellar ratings for Ten. His family said in a statement to the ABC:
In his final days, Simon was surrounded by his family and a mix of journalists, writers, actors, political activists and Italians. The conversation to the last was loud, passionate and full of laughs.
His daughter actor and dramaturg Nadia Townsend has been approached for comment.
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PM asked whether national cabinet will be convened to address antisemitism
Anthony Albanese also fielded questions on whether a national cabinet meeting would be convened to combat antisemitism.
As Sarah Basford Canales reported earlier, the government yesterday held a snap meeting with the NSW and Victorian premiers and the federal police on the matter.
Speaking to reporters, the PM said “what I want is to ensure that any act of antisemitism – it stops.”
I want people who are responsible for these acts to be prosecuted fully, because they’re a crime and people should be held to account with the full force of the law.
Would a national cabinet be convened on the matter? The PM said “we responded with the states that were involved”:
Jillian Segal [Australia’s special envoy to combat antisemitism] was very pleased. I spoke with her after the discussion that took place and she was very pleased that occurred.
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PM criticises Dutton’s call for cuts to public spending
Continuing to speak to reporters, Anthony Albanese is criticising the opposition leader Peter Dutton’s call for cuts to public spending.
He accused Dutton of “cutting wages growth off at the knees” and said cuts would transplant “new taxes on Medicare” and prescribe a “lethal dose of cuts to cost of living support.”
His idea of economic surgery isn’t a scalpel, it’s a sledgehammer or a chainsaw. He wants to take those cuts to Medicare, to cost of living support, to housing, to all of these measures …
Peter Dutton has a plan for massive cuts and even [former Queensland premier] Campbell Newman today, of all people, and what should be a chilling reminder for Queenslanders is saying, maybe there’ll be some issues if you try to cut all the public servants that Peter Dutton has committed to cutting.
Albanese ‘hopeful’ for ceasefire in Gaza
Asked about the prospect of a ceasefire in Gaza, Anthony Albanese said this is something Australia and the international community “overwhelmingly” wants to see.
We have been calling for some time for hostages to be released. We want Hamas to have no role in the future of that region, and we want a ceasefire in the interests of both Israelis and those in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
So we are hopeful of a ceasefire, that would be a good thing. I think that is what overwhelmingly Australians want to see, and indeed, the international community wants to see as well.
PM says government will take 'strongest possible action' if any harm caused to Oscar Jenkins
Circling back to Anthony Albanese’s press conference in Tasmania, he has been asked about reports that Melbourne man Oscar Jenkins has been killed after being captured by Russian forces while fighting for Ukraine.
The PM said the government would “take the strongest possible action if that can be confirmed”:
Dfat is seeking urgent clarification as to what these circumstances are. I spoke with the Ukrainian ambassador on Monday in my office. We call upon Russia to immediately confirm Oscar Jenkins status. We remain gravely concerned.
We will await the facts to come out. But if there has been any harm caused to Oscar Jenkins, that is absolutely reprehensible, and the Australian government will take the strongest action possible.
Albanese said he “wasn’t getting ahead of the facts”, telling reporters:
That’s the responsible thing for us to do … I’m not someone who’s competing to be shadow foreign minister, I’m someone who’s prime minister of Australia, and we respond to the facts.
I’ve said that we have called in the Russian ambassador already, we are seeking clarification as to whether Oscar Jenkins, any harm has occurred to [him], and we will take the strongest possible action if it is the case that any harm has been caused to him.
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Seven of nine closed beaches reopen after ball-shaped debris washed ashore
Sydney’s Northern Beaches council says it has reopened seven of the nine beaches it closed yesterday after marble-sized ball-shaped debris washed ashore.
Dee Why and South Curl Curl beaches remain closed, while Manly, Long Reef, Queenscliff, Freshwater, North Curl Curl, North Steyne and North Narrabeen beaches have reopened.
In a statement, the council said it had organised crews to clean the beaches and the decision to reopen them was made on criteria provided by the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority.
Debris samples have been sent for testing but the source of the balls and what they are made of is yet to be determined, the council said. The Northern Beaches mayor, Sue Heins, said:
I congratulate the crews for a fast clean up so we could get beachgoers back in the water today. We will continue to monitor the beaches’ condition, especially following the high tide this morning.
The discovery of the balls comes after thousands of pieces of spherical debris washed up on several eastern suburbs beaches in October last year, forcing their temporary closure.
Those mystery balls were initially widely reported to be “tar balls” comprising crude oil until testing coordinated with the EPA revealed they were consistent with human-generated waste – or “likely lumps of fatberg”, according to experts.
PM touting funding announcements at Tasmanian press conference
As Sarah Basford Canales reported earlier this morning, the PM is joined by the finance minister, Katy Gallagher, the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, and the infrastructure minister, Catherine King, in Tasmania as he continues his pre-election blitz of the country.
Anthony Albanese has been detailing a number of funding announcements the minister’s are making across the state today. He is also touting the government’s NBN announcement, made earlier in the week:
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Albanese addressing reporters in Tasmania
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is speaking to reporters from Devonport in Tasmania.
Anne Urquhart, currently a senator, is the Labor candidate for the seat of Braddon. Albanese said:
Anne knows the local community here, she’s engaged and she’ll be outstanding and that’s why I think her call to make the decision to run for the House of Representatives rather than just stay in the Senate – that of course she was entitled to do, [she’s] not up for election this time around – shows her commitment to this local community.
Japanese encephalitis virus detected in Victoria’s north
The early warning mosquito surveillance program in Victoria has identified Japanese encephalitis virus in two traps in Moira shire.
Holidaymakers and residents in the state’s north have been urged to remain vigilant against mosquitoes.
This also follows similar recent detections in New South Wales and a confirmed human case of Japanese encephalitis identified in Victoria in December.
The state’s chief health officer, Tarun Weeramanthri, said the findings confirmed the virus was circulating in northern Victoria:
Japanese encephalitis virus can cause a rare but potentially serious infection of the brain and is spread to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes.
If you’re visiting northern Victoria, particularly inland riverine regions and near the Murray River, you’re potentially at higher risk of infection.
It’s important to take steps to prevent mosquito bites so cover up, use repellent and limit your time outdoors when mosquitoes are about.
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Photos from Dee Why, Manly beaches amid ball-shaped debris washing ashore
Yesterday, nine of Sydney’s northern beaches were closed after ball-shaped debris washed ashore:
We’ve contacted Northern Beaches council for an update and will bring you the latest as soon as we can. In the meantime, here are some photos from Dee Why and Manly beaches this morning:
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Consumer spending plunge brightens hopes of rate cut
Australians pulled back sharply on buying household goods after bringing forward spending during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, AAP reports.
Consumer spending fell 1.8% in December after a rise in November, with financially stretched households adapting purchasing habits to prioritise sales periods, the Commonwealth Bank has found.
The bank’s household spending insights index recorded a 7.7% drop in discretionary spending, reinforcing the view that Australian consumers are continuing to struggle.
Shoppers clearly brought forward holiday spending to take advantage of sales activities, said the CBA chief economist, Stephen Halmarick.
The bank’s index gleans spending insights from the de-identified payments data of about seven million retail customers. Rises in essential categories such as utilities, insurance and transport were outweighed by a steep drop in spending on household goods, which plunged 8.3%.
Combined with falling inflation, the pullback in spending bolstered CBA’s view that the Reserve Bank of Australia will cut interest rates at its next meeting in February, Halmarick said.
It’s no longer an outlier opinion among the big four banks. ANZ recently brought forward its rate cut prediction to February on the back of lower-than-expected inflation figures for November.
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Impacts of industrial action felt along Central Coast
Passengers on the morning commute from the Central Coast down into Sydney are starting to feel the effects of today’s industrial action.
Commuters and holidaymakers boarded the 7.27am from Woy Woy to Central against a background of prerecorded announcements of protected industrial action.
Things initially looked good, proceeding smoothly alongside the Hawkesbury until the train reached the outskirts of Sydney and ground to a halt, between stations, with no further in-train announcements on our likely progress.
Due in at 8.41, it arrived about 20 minutes late.
The afternoon rush back north in the 30C heat could be interesting.
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Rail union says disruptions would be limited through week while it mulls pay offer
While NSW rail union officials indicated they were unimpressed with the proposed wage increase from the government, they said disruption to services would be limited throughout the week while they mulled it over.
As AAP reports, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union state secretary, Toby Warnes, told ABC Radio:
The current wages offer … does seem a little light-on … We’re a little bit perturbed by the fact that the government only managed to find 1% in savings from it, and that those one per cent only came from job losses.
So that’s obviously something we’re not extremely happy about. I don’t think 13% over four years is going to cut it.
The Sydney Trains chief, Matt Longland, said he respected the rights of workers to take action but said those not completing full tasks from Wednesday onwards would be docked pay.
For staff that are coming to work, we expect them to undertake their normal duties, or they won’t be coming to work and they won’t be paid.
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Delays up to 70 minutes on Sydney trains as industrial action begins
It’s chaos on Sydney’s public transport network this morning as industrial action takes effect.
Some commuters are sharing long lists of cancelled peak-hour services on social media platforms. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that as of 7.30am 164 services have been cancelled.
A quick scan of some routes on the TripView app shows that some of the remaining services are running more than 70 minutes late.
The cancellation of services on the train network is having knock-on effects to other services, putting pressure on bus routes and crowding out those that are still running.
We’ve reached out to Transport NSW for more updates and will bring those to you as soon as we have them.
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National Reconstruction Fund makes largest investment yet for rare earth mine
The National Reconstruction Fund Corporation says it has made its largest investment to date, with a $200m injection for a rare earth mine.
The funds will go towards Arafura to fund the development of the “Nolans Project” – located 135km north of Alice Springs.
The project is expected to produce around 4% of the world’s neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr) demand from 2032, the NRFC said, and create more than 600 jobs during the construction phase and more than 350 jobs during operations.
The project includes the construction of a mine, processing plant and related infrastructure that “will produce 4,440 tonnes of NdPr oxide per annum over its proposed 38-year lifespan”. A statement said:
These minerals are crucial to the global transition to net zero as they are key inputs for the industrial magnets used in the manufacturing of electric vehicles and wind turbines.
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Bushfires burn out at Grampians, but visitor numbers go up in smoke
The danger of December’s devastating Grampians bushfires has peaked, AAP reports, but tourism operators are still struggling after a wave of cancellations.
The blaze in western Victoria was contained earlier in January after scorching 76,000 hectares of land over three weeks and halting tourism in the region over its busiest period.
Parts of the national park have reopened but Halls Gap, the gateway to the Grampians, remains eerily quiet under the haze of remnant smoke. Halls Gap zoo’s manager, Mark Treweek, told AAP “it’s still ghost town-ish”:
There are people that are coming to support every business they can, which is amazing... but yeah, she’s very, very quiet.
Treweek spent the Christmas break ferrying animals to safety before returning them to the zoo when conditions eased. He said fires had taken a huge toll on locals.
I’d say we’re all a bit tired, to be honest. It’s been a long time. We’re all a bit stressed.
Cancelled bookings spanned into late January, over a period when accommodation, tours and other activities would normally be fully booked. Without support for businesses, operators were relying on punters to stay afloat, Treweek said.
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Hume says reports Coalition pre-selected small number of women ‘a bit of nonsense’ and quibbles with definitions
Wrapping up the wide-ranging interview, Jane Hume was asked if she is disappointed by reports the Coalition pre-selected only one woman to replace its retiring members?
She described the reports as “a bit of nonsense” and said she had been “campaigning around the country now for a long time”.
So, are the numbers wrong? Hume answered:
Well, retiring members aren’t the only safe seats. In fact, there’s no such thing as a safe seat anymore. Back in 2022 at that election, there were only 15 seats out of 151 around the country that were decided on first preference. So there’s no safe seats.
But of the seats that we are trying to win, and there are plenty of them, there are some extraordinary women that are running for those seats, with incredible professional backgrounds, such a diverse range of women, and I’m looking forward to campaigning with all of them. But not only campaigning with them, having them in the party room. They will be an extraordinary presence, a real force.
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Hume defends Coalition nuclear plan amid promise of smaller government and less spending
On ABC RN, Jane Hume was asked how the Coalition’s promise of smaller government and less spending fits with its nuclear policy. It was put to her that the policy relies on taxpayers effectively bankrolling nuclear plants, as the private sector would not.
She argued one of the things driving inflation higher is energy prices and it’s “not just households [that are] feeling the pain, but businesses too, and it’s making the goods and services that they then produce more expensive”.
Hume said the Coalition wants to see a reduction in energy prices “over the long term” with would involve a mix in the energy system, including renewables and gas – also touting the Coalition’s plan to turn retiring coal plants into nuclear sites.
Critics like Climate 200’s Simon Holmes à Court have their doubts.
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Hume questioned on public sector spending, use of external contractors
Jane Hume was asked about the prime minister’s defence of public spending while on the road last week. It was put to her that anyone with a parent in aged care would be happy a nurse is on site, and anyone needing childcare would be glad for the childcare pay increase – and she was asked if any of this falls into the Coalition’s definition of unnecessary spending.
The shadow finance minister said “we will not be making cuts to essential services.” But she again pointed to an increase of the public service as “irresponsible budgeting”.
Q: Will voters know before the election if the Coalition will cut public sector jobs, and how many? Hume responded:
You’d be hard pressed to find an Australian that believes that because they’ve had a 20% increase in the public service, that they’re being 20% better served than they were only a few years ago. This has been an extraordinary expenditure and yet it hasn’t been accounted for.
Labor argues the public service has grown because it has reduced its reliance on external contractors, which were a large expense under the previous Coalition government. Would the Coalition impose a cap on external contractors?
Hume argued “the government is still using consultants, and the public service will always refer to the expertise of consultants, particularly in a world where technology is changing so fast”:
So I think that that’s a difficult a different comparison to make. But we’ve been clear an efficient and effective public service is important, but it needs to be sustainable.
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Hume says Coalition would cut ‘bloated bureaucracy’
The shadow finance minister, Jane Hume, has denied opposition leader Peter Dutton is calling for spending cuts when he says “economic surgery” is needed.
Speaking with ABC RN earlier about the prospect of spending cuts, she said the decisions of this government had meant “inflation has stayed too high for too long, that productivity has gone backwards and economic growth has stagnated”:
We also believe that the only way that our nation will reach its potential, and Australians will experience the prosperity that they expect and deserve, is if that’s a private sector-led phenomenon.
It doesn’t mean that having a great big public sector and ever-increasingly bloated bureaucracy is going to be the solution to the problem, but there’s a difference between a bloated bureaucracy and deep spending cuts.
Hume was again asked about the comments from Dutton – that the expensive “Panadol policies must stop”, and the necessary economic surgery to stop wasteful spending must start – and responded:
The only solution the Albanese government has to a problem is to spend more … We don’t think that that is the right solution for Australia. We think that containing the size of government and the size of spending is fundamentally important.
It was put to Hume that a cut in government spending, which the Coalition is proposing, could force Australia into recession. But she argued Australia is “already in a household recession”. It was also put to her that inflation is now within RBA targets, and Hume replied this was “an artificial deflation because of government spending on subsidies”.
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‘Reaching a ceasefire is critically important’: Husic
Ed Husic also told the program there was “promising signs” about a ceasefire occurring in the Middle East.
This is off the back of many months of work, particularly by our friends in the United States. Others in the region also, and there are a lot of members of the international community, as well as Palestinians and Israelis that want to see an end to this conflict.
We need to see the hostages released. We need civilians protected and we also need to see aid urgently go into Gaza, where it is needed desperately. Reaching a ceasefire is critically important.
Husic on Oscar Jenkins: government is ‘deeply and clearly concerned about his welfare’
The science and industry minister, Ed Husic, just spoke with ABC News Breakfast amid reports Oscar Jenkins has been killed – as we flagged earlier in the blog.
Husic said the Australian government was “deeply and clearly concerned about his welfare.”
At the foreign minister’s direction, we have called in the ambassador from the Russian Federation to follow up on those inquiries and also to remind the Russian Federation of their obligations under international humanitarian law, particularly around the treatment of prisoners of war.
We are providing consular support to Mr Jenkins’ family, who have requested privacy at this time, while they get some news and detail about what has happened with Oscar.
Asked if the Russian ambassador to Australia should be expelled, Husic said “at this point in time [we will not] engage in hypotheticals but rather try to provide the type of details that not just the family rightly should obtain, but Australians as well.”
Rishworth echoes foreign interference warning from PM ahead of federal election
The social services minister, Amanda Rishworth, has backed a message from Anthony Albanese yesterday, warning tech giants – particularly X’s owner, Elon Musk – that Australian elections are a matter for Australians and that the country has foreign interference laws.
(You can read more on this in yesterday’s blog, here).
Speaking to Sunrise this morning, Rishworth said “the decision of who governs our country should be left to the Australian people”:
That is the corner stone of democracy. It is important for our prime minister to be sending a clear message that if anyone is thinking about interfering in our elections, we won’t stand for it …
Of course, people can comment on social media and the like, but what has got to be really clear is that they can’t interfere with our elections … we are a sovereign country and we need to stand up for our national interests and it is really, really important that the message is out there that Australia is it own country and we won’t stand for foreign interference.
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Geotechs continuing to monitor landslide at McCrae that brought down one home yesterday
SES Sorrento unit controller Mark Daw has been speaking with ABC News Breakfast after a landslide brought down a house in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula yesterday, with nearby homes evacuated.
Daw said crews had been monitoring and measuring the scene every hour overnight and “at the moment we’ve had no movement, which is a fantastic occurrence.”
Geotechs would continue to monitor the scene through the day, he said, because crews are worried there is “potential for a further slip”.
As for the scene yesterday after the landslide, Daw said it was “total destruction of that house”.
We have moved seven permanent residents out of places … Until we make the hill safe and deem that hill safe, and when we talk to the geotechs to what they think could happen up there, they won’t be allowed back into their properties.
Wong ‘hopeful’ that ceasefire deal can be reached in Gaza
Amid widespread reports that Hamas and Israel were in the “final stages” of agreeing a ceasefire agreement, Penny Wong said she is “hopeful” this can be reached.
She told ABC RN this had been talked about “for some time” and president elect Trump had been “very clear in his language about his expectation that this deal must be done.”
I saw what secretary [Antony] Blinken had to say, and I know this is something that the outgoing Biden administration has been working on for months.
So we have both the outgoing administration and a very clear language and engagement from the incoming Trump administration, and I think all of us are hopeful that we can see the ceasefire that we have been advocating for and so many around the world have soared for so long.
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Wong ‘absolutely confident’ government can work with Trump as US president
Moving to another topic, Penny Wong was asked about her invite to Donald Trump’s inauguration in the US, and responded:
Donald Trump has been elected President of the United States, and I’m honoured, on behalf of the country, to have been invited to his inauguration.
Wong said she would “always stand up for alliances and partnerships” because Australia believes in “partnership, alliance and democracy”.
The foreign minister said she is “absolutely confident” the government can navigate this relationship with the US.
Wong says Australia will ‘consider all options’ once facts ascertained around Jenkins
Continuing from our last post: Penny Wong was asked how would the Australian government view an extrajudicial execution of an Australian citizen, if that was shown to be true?
She said that Russia is “obliged to treat all prisoners of war in accordance with international humanitarian law”:
This includes humane treatment and the right to a fair trial. So that is their obligation, [and] we will look at the facts when they have been ascertained.
But I want to be clear, all options are on the table. Those options include expelling the ambassador and recalling Australia’s ambassador in Russia … I need, as the foreign minister, to identify and ascertain the facts beforehand.
Wong said the relationship with Russia had been “difficult” for many years, “including the downing of MH 17 in 2014 as well as the illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine”:
Australia has maintained diplomatic relations with Russia through that period under different governments. However, we will consider all options once we have ascertained the facts and once we can verify what has actually occurred.
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Wong said Australia holds 'grave concerns' for Oscar Jenkins
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has been speaking with ABC RN as the Department of Foreign Affairs makes “urgent inquiries” amid reports Australian Oscar Jenkins, 32, who was captured by Russian forces while fighting for Ukraine, has been killed.
Wong said that the Australian government holds “grave concerns for his welfare.” She said the government had had “a number of discussions” with Russia and the Russian ambassador to Australia “seeking information” on his whereabouts.
We have also engaged with the Ukrainian ambassador, but we have [also] reached out to the Ukrainian government.
She said the Russian ambassador had been called in, at her direction, earlier this week in relation to Jenkins.
Is there any reason to doubt the reports that Jenkins has been killed? Wong said reports need to be verified and “we’re working very hard to do that.”
My thoughts are with Mr Jenkins’ family. They’ve lived with a fear and uncertainty of a loved one in the middle of a foreign war for many months. I know these reports will be devastating to them, and they are in my thoughts, and I’m sure the thoughts of many Australians.
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NSW rail passengers warned to expect delays amid industrial action
Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink has warned passengers of major service reductions and cancellations “due to the impact of more than 350 ongoing and new industrial bans”.
Transport for NSW said in a statement the Combined Rail Unions were asked to help complete critical overnight maintenance at Bondi and Homebush. This was not provided, resulting in essential infrastructure “booked out of use”, creating significant delays.
Passengers should expect delays, service cancellations and large service gaps, particularly on the T1 North Shore and Western, T4 Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra, T8 Airport and South lines. These impacts will have a flow-on effect across the network.
One daily return Bathurst Bullet service will also be cancelled and replaced by buses between Lithgow and Bathurst.
In addition, work bans at the Rail Operations Centre (ROC) may make managing the impacts challenging, and we expect cancellations and delays to compound throughout this week.
It said buses would support train services on some lines in and off peak where possible, and the Metro would operate on an increased 4-minute frequency. Passengers are asked to delay non-essential travel and leave plenty of additional travel time.
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Australia’s peak mining lobby group promoting nuclear to young women on social media
We’re reporting today how Australia’s peak mining lobby group is promoting nuclear energy to young women with a social media campaign generating millions of views on TikTok through memes about Wicked, The Grinch, and seasoning steak with sawdust.
But there’s a cautionary tale for Australia’s nuclear spruikers from the UK this morning, where it has been revealed that where the cost of building the Sizewell C nuclear power plant in Suffolk has doubled to £40bn (around $80bn).
A rise in construction charges over recent years, combined with cost overruns and delays at EDF’s Hinkley Point C nuclear project in Somerset is expected to increase the final bill to build a successor project at Sizewell, according to the Financial Times.
Here’s the story from our UK team:
Federal government holds snap meeting with NSW and Victorian premiers over rising antisemitism incidents
The Albanese government says it’s ready to assist NSW and Victoria in responding to rising antisemitism incidents after holding a snap meeting with premiers and the federal police on Tuesday.
In a joint statement released on Tuesday night, the Albanese government, along with the Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, and acting NSW premier, Penny Sharpe, said the governments were working together to “stamp out the scourge of antisemitism”.
The rise of antisemitism is abhorrent and there is no place for the kind of hate speech and attacks we have seen recently in our country.
An Australian federal police taskforce set up to crack down on antisemitism, threats, violence and hatred towards the Australian Jewish community has so far received 124 reports, with 102 of them under investigation.
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Anthony Albanese in Tasmania to build support
Anthony Albanese will visit Tasmania today as Labor looks to win support in key seats ahead of the upcoming federal election.
Labor holds two of the apple isle’s five seats – Lyons and Franklin – but is looking to boost its vote in Braddon and Bass, held by the Liberal MPs Gavin Pearce and Bridget Archer on thin margins. The final seat, Clark, is comfortably held by long-serving independent Andrew Wilkie.
The prime minister will be joined by finance minister, Katy Gallagher, home affairs minister, Tony Burke, and infrastructure minister, Catherine King, as he continues his pre-election blitz of the country.
The visit will spruik the government’s $3bn funding announcement on Monday to finish upgrades to the National Broadband Network.
Albanese will say more than 21,000 Tasmanian houses will be eligible for NBN upgrades as a result of the new funding.
Labor’s senior ministry will be joined by Lyons and Bass candidates, former Tasmanian Labor leader Rebecca White and Jess Teesdale, as well as the Tasmanian senator Anne Urquhart who is now contesting the seat of Braddon. Albanese said:
My government cares about Tasmanians. That’s why we are delivering on cost of living relief, investing in housing and infrastructure, childcare and healthcare for Tasmania.
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More on the schools report, continuing from our last post
Nationally, school fees have risen year on year across government, independent and Catholic schools, the Futurity report showed.
While a public education is free, most schools request voluntary contributions and small mandatory fees.
A total government education averaged $409 nationally in 2025, up from $274 in 2024, while Catholic education also rose from $2,507 last year to $2,802.
Independent schools were up to an average of $8,418 compared with $8,213 in 2024 and $7,807 in 2023.
Melbourne was the most expensive capital city for children enrolled in government schools from 2025, costing an average of $626 over 13 years of education.
Adelaide ranked second for government education, at $467, followed by Sydney at $386. Perth was the cheapest capital city, totalling $206 for students enrolled in public schools.
The data was sourced through ACARA’s school income from fees, charges and parent contributions for the 2022 financial year, indexed to the most recent CPI figures.
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Brisbane most expensive city for private schools, report finds
Brisbane is the most expensive city on average for an independent education, while Canberra tops the list for Catholic schools, according to a new report from an education bonds group.
The data, released by Futurity Investment Group as part of its annual cost of education index today, found independent school fees in Queensland’s capital city for a student starting in 2025 would total $12,405.
Melbourne came second, averaging at $11,062, while Sydney sat at $9,838 and Canberra ranked fourth at $8,503.
Catholic schools were substantially cheaper, averaging at $3,334 for the ACT, followed by $3,112 in Brisbane and $2,972 in Sydney. Melbourne was cheapest at a total of $2,363.
Futurity Investment Group’s Sarah McAdie said education costs were placing a substantial burden on many Australian families.
Spiralling cost of living, rent and mortgage repayment pressures mean many households are under considerable pressure. With less discretionary money to spend, it is going to be a challenge for many families to pay for education, including school fees and voluntary contributions, which have all increased in the past year.
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with some of the best stories making the news this morning before Emily Wind takes over.
Anthony Albanese is visiting Tasmania today with a high-powered delegation of ministers and is expected to spruik federal funding for the NBN and housing. The prime minister is joined today by the finance minister, Katy Gallagher, home affairs minister, Tony Burke, and infrastructure minister, Catherine King, as he continues his pre-election blitz of the country. More details soon.
A report out today says that Brisbane is the most expensive capital city on average in which to send children to a private school. The data shows that the cost for a student starting this year would total $12,405, while it’s Melbourne in second, averaging at $11,062, Sydney at $9,838 and Canberra ranked fourth at $8,503. More coming up.
The Matildas captain and football superstar Sam Kerr has appeared in court in the UK charged with alleged racially aggravated harassment of a police officer. The Chelsea striker, wearing a black coat and a white jumper, attended a hearing at Kingston crown court on Tuesday.
